European Union

Since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine more than half a million people have left Russia. President Vladimir Putin has now issued a new law to reduce the once high immigration hurdles. The aim is to make Russia attractive to citizens from states where "traditional values" are being repressed. The press ridicules the idea.

Ukraine said on Wednesday (21 August) it had destroyed Russian pontoon bridges with US-made weapons to defend its incursion into Russia's Kursk region, while Moscow said its forces had halted Kyiv's advance there and gained ground in eastern Ukraine.

In today’s edition of the Capitals, find out more about Scandinavian ministers meeting in Copenhagen to tackle spillover of Swedish gang crime, Italy's central bank chief calling for "common fiscal capacity", and so much more.

The AI Act’s entry into force ignites a conversation on its compliance costs. The Act promotes trustworthy AI adoption while tackling low uptake. Initiatives as EDIHs, TEFs, and sandboxes can help, however, a coordinated, sustainable, and future-proof strategy is needed.

US President Joe Biden, in a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday (21 August), stressed the urgent need to conclude a Gaza ceasefire-for-hostages deal and pointed to upcoming Cairo talks as crucial, the White House said.

In Bulgaria, support for NATO membership has soared since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, with approval rising from 28% to 40% over the past seven years, according to a recent survey, which also points to growing support for the EU and declining support for Russia.

Portugal's National Emergency and Civil Protection Agency (ANEPC) is to send 60 more people to help fight the forest fire raging in the Autonomous Region of Madeira for a week, the organisation's official source confirmed on Wednesday.

The 500,000 signatures needed to call for a referendum to repeal the Calderoli law on differentiated autonomy, which, despite giving more power to the regions, has been criticised for potentially increasing regional inequalities, have been collected, the Italian Justice Ministry has announced.

To ensure peace and prosperity, the EU needs a so-called "common fiscal capacity", Fabio Panetta, the president of the Bank of Italy and a former member of the European Central Bank's executive board, told Italy's highest-level annual Catholic summit in the city of Rimini on Wednesday.

Sweden, Norway and Denmark want to step up regional cooperation to combat gang violence, the countries' justice ministers announced at a meeting in Copenhagen on Wednesday, as a surge in the involvement of minors in Swedish gang activity has the Nordic leaders concerned.

Austria's far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ), which opinion polls make favourite to win the country's general election on 29 September, presented its campaign manifesto on Wednesday (21 August).

The Ukraine war is a dominant issue for voters in two state elections scheduled for 1 September in the East German states of Thuringia and Saxony, despite having little sway in foreign policy, lead candidates of multiple parties said on Wednesday (21 August).

Britain's decision to issue dozens of new oil and gas exploration licences is being challenged in court by a marine conservation organisation, which argues ministers unlawfully failed to consider the impact on marine life.

The FBI earlier this month searched the homes of two Americans with ties to Russian state media, including a former United Nations weapons inspector and an adviser to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's 2016 campaign.

Amid a deeply divided National Assembly, France's new government leaders will face tough negotiations on the 2025 budget, with European Commission financial penalties looming if the country's public finances do not improve.