The Hungarian government led by Prime Minister Péter Magyar has been in office for one hundred, turbulent, days. Magyar and his Tisza Party, which holds a two-thirds majority in parliament, came to power in May with the promise to restore the rule of law and democracy in Hungary and ruthlessly expose the corrupt dealings of the previous government led by Viktor Orbán.
More than three weeks after the crisis began, the humanitarian situation in Ceuta remains catastrophic. Despite the fact that the majority of migrants have returned to Morocco, those who remain are only now being given accommodation, and minors are being taken to the mainland. Spanish Prime Minister Sánchez has convened the National Security Council to coordinate a response.
Humanoid robot technology is advancing, with China in particular focusing on speed and innovation. The second edition of the World Humanoid Robot Games is being held in Beijing, where a robot named 'Superman' ran the 100-metres race faster than the human world record holder, Usain Bolt. Commentators discuss China's pioneering role, its lead on the global market and where Europe stands.
A new parliament will be elected in the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt on 6 September. The AfD has been polling at over 40 percent for months there, with forecasts predicting considerable losses for the CDU. Commentators discuss the implications for Saxony-Anhalt, the federal government and Europe.
The trade war between the US and Canada has flared up again. After talks between the two countries broke down, the US imposed 50-percent tariffs on a slew of Canadian goods ranging from ice hockey sticks to furniture and wine. The tariffs came into force on Saturday. Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced retaliatory tariffs that will take effect from 8 September, mainly on products from the US steel and dairy sectors.
Demographic and social trends are fuelling debate in Europe. The proportion of older people in the total population is increasing while the working-age population decreases, putting a severe strain on pension systems. Birth rates are also falling, and the option of using immigration to rebalance the social security systems is highly contentious.
The early hours of Thursday morning saw a new barrage of Russian missile and drone attacks on the Kyiv metropolitan area in which 16 people were killed. President Volodmyr Zelensky has urged Western partners to provide swift assistance with air defence. Meanwhile, Ukraine is sending salvoes of drones into Russia. According to the mayor of Moscow, as many as 620 drones hit the capital region on Tuesday night.
A Romanian F-16 fighter jet has destroyed an explosive maritime drone in the Black Sea. According to the Ministry of Defence, the sea drone was near a production platform in Romania's Neptun Deep gas field, where hundreds of people are working. Romania's President Nicusor Dan has blamed Russia for the incident.
With the two-month negotiation period between Iran and the US now over, there is still no sign of a deal. Trump has threatened to wage an economic war against Iran, adding that the US will punish any country that supports Iran. The president directed particularly harsh words at Oman, saying the US would "bomb the shit" out of it if it gets in its way. Tehran has threatened to launch attacks on US allies in retaliation.
Former Ukrainian defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov's call for elections in Ukraine is making waves. In a video message to the Ukrainian people he said a legal, safe and realistic mechanism must be found to allow elections to be held despite the ongoing war. Commentators debate the motives behind the popular politician's move.
On 19 August 1991, a "State Committee for the State of Emergency" (GKChP) formed by Soviet hardliners seized power in Moscow. The coup against reform-minded President Mikhail Gorbachev failed after three days due to resistance from the people of the major cities and from the leadership of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic under Boris Yeltsin. The USSR collapsed within several months of the coup.
A new bone of contention has arisen between neighbouring Greece and Turkey. After Greece designated two marine protected areas in the Ionian and Aegean Seas in July 2025, Turkey has now followed suit by establishing two marine protected areas of its own. Athens has protested that the Turkish protected areas extend beyond Turkish territorial waters and are aimed at partitioning the Aegean.