European Union

In today’s edition of the Capitals, find out more about Polish-German relations hitting a low point due to a suspect in the Nord Stream explosion, the Italian coalition showing cracks over the current citizenship debate, and so much more.

India Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday (21 August) he will "share perspectives" on the peaceful resolution of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia during his visit to Kyiv this week.

After two weeks of fighting, Ukraine claims to have taken control of 1,250 square kilometres of Kursk Oblast in Russia, but also of a gas terminal that is highly strategic for Europe. 

Bulgarian Patriarch Daniil supported the head of the pro-Russian Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Onufry, with a congratulatory address on the 10th anniversary of his "solemn consecration as Metropolitan of Kyiv and of all Ukraine." 

NGOs in Slovakia could soon no longer select civil society representatives to monitor EU funds as the government plans to have this done by the Plenipotentiary for the Development of Civil Society, against the wishes of NGOs.

Ukraine launched one of the largest ever drone attacks on Moscow on Wednesday (21 August), the city's mayor said, with Russian air defence units destroying at least 10 drones flying towards the capital.

Portuguese incomes are growing, even with inflation, but wage increases are slowing, with the average wage still close to the minimum wage.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken sought during a whirlwind trip to the Middle East to inject urgency into efforts to broker a Gaza ceasefire deal, but departed the region on Tuesday (20 August) with an agreement between Israel and Hamas still elusive.

A new rift has emerged within Italy’s governing coalition over the controversial and hotly debated issue of citizenship reform, with Lega (ID) and Fratelli d’Italia (ECR) warning their ally Forza Italia (EPP) not to join forces with the opposition on the matter.

Lithuania is set to expand its military training infrastructure, with the Defence Ministry considering the districts of Tauragė and Šilalė as potential sites for new training centres amid growing demand for military training.

It is time to turn the page on President Emmanuel Macron and LFI leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon, Raphael Glucksmann, the French Socialist leader in the European Parliament, said in an interview with Le Point.

Polish-German relations appear to have hit a low point after Warsaw refused to help Berlin arrest a Ukrainian citizen living in Poland suspected of causing the Nord Stream 2 explosion, with Prime Minister Donald Tusk unexpectedly telling Germany to remain quiet.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov on Tuesday (20 August) inspected Chechen troops and volunteers readying to fight Ukraine, the Kremlin said, in what was Putin's first trip in 13 years to the North Caucasus republic.

Ukrainian MPs passed a law banning the activities of a Russia-linked branch of the Orthodox church, paving the way for a historic rupture with an institution that Kyiv has accused of complicity in Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

As member states call on the EU Commission to enforce the Union's external borders, the EU's border agency, Frontex, has launched tenders for around €400 million worth of equipment, including the purchase of drones and other surveillance technology.

Railways are the most environmentally sustainable mode of transport, compared to cars or planes, yet, they remain chronically underfunded and underdeveloped in Europe. High prices, complex booking systems, and a lack of cross-border coordination are just some of the problems making it harder for Europeans to consider trains a reliable and safe option.

The new rising star of the Spanish far right, Alvise Pérez, is using the stabbing of an 11-year-old boy in central Spain last Sunday to spread racist and xenophobic messages against immigrants, especially those of African origin.

The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) approved changes to Meta’s commitments regarding how it uses the data from customers using advertising, the authority announced on Tuesday (20 August).

Sweden’s national epidemiologist does not rule out the possibility of more cases of the new strain of mpox reaching Sweden. Contact tracing has been activated and containment plans have been prepared.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen attended the official groundbreaking ceremony for Taiwanese firm TSMC's Dresden plant on Tuesday (20 August) after the institution she heads announced a €5 billion state aid scheme for the facility - a sign that the EU is redoubling its efforts to boost the bloc's domestic semiconductor production.