Ukraine & EU security diplomacy: President Zelenskyy hosted the “Carpathian Eight” summit with Romania, Serbia, Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Austria and Hungary, with the EU involved, as Russian strikes continue and talks on security guarantees stall. Hybrid threats & defence pressure (UK): Britain faces a sharp rise in drone incidents at MoD sites, while UK Conservatives accuse Labour PM Andy Burnham of “fiddling while Europe is at risk of burning” over defence funding. EU-US visa row: The EU urged the US to reconsider denying visas to Palestinian officials for the UN General Assembly, after Abbas was allowed to attend by video. AI & inequality: An IMF note says AI could lift EU productivity by about 1% over five years, but risks widening inequality and straining energy grids. Energy & geopolitics: EU partners are being pressed to plug Ukraine’s funding gap ahead of winter. Public health: West Nile virus is spreading further across Europe, with Italy reporting 650+ cases. Environment & climate: Europe’s summer of 2026 was the warmest on record, with Germany seeing unprecedented heat-related deaths. Humanitarian aid: Saudi-backed cash support will give Gaza orphans $100 monthly, with similar programmes in Djibouti and Kosovo.