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EU foreign ministers are drawing up an emergency security protocol as the bloc's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, warned that Russia was planning further sabotage across Europe.

This comes as Washington and Beijing unveiled tariff-reduction lists covering $60bn in goods, and Sweden's Social Democrat leader failed to form a government.

More below ⤵️

Top 5 Stories

1️⃣ 🇺🇸🇨🇳 US and China unveil tariff lists: The US and China published reciprocal tariff-reduction lists covering $30bn in goods from each country, including agricultural products, medical equipment and consumer goods. China's commerce ministry said more than 90% of the products it covered would return to most-favoured-nation tariff levels, while strategic goods such as chips and electric-vehicle batteries were excluded.

2️⃣ 🇷🇺🇰🇵 President Putin expands armed forces: Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a 15,500 increase in active military personnel, taking the authorised total to about 1.55 million. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy separately said more than 8,000 North Korean troops were already in Russia and that preparations were under way to select and train another 10,000.

3️⃣ 🇺🇦🇷🇺 Russian drones hit Kyiv academy: A Russian drone struck Ukraine's National Academy of Sciences in central Kyiv, killing at least one person and injuring three, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko. Another drone hit a nearby private medical centre and killed at least one person, as increasingly fast, jet-powered drones continued to target the capital.

4️⃣ 🇮🇱🇵🇸 E1 settlement bidding allowed: Israel's attorney general allowed bidding for the E1 settlement project to proceed before the 27 October election, reversing her demand to postpone submissions. She still barred contracts from being awarded until after the vote, while Palestinians and many Western governments say the project would undermine a contiguous Palestinian state.

5️⃣ 🇮🇹🇪🇬 Egyptian officers sentenced over Regeni: A Rome court sentenced three Egyptian security officials in absentia to 10 years in prison for the aggravated kidnapping of Italian researcher Giulio Regeni in 2016. A fourth defendant was acquitted, and no one was convicted over his death, with prosecutors blaming a lack of meaningful cooperation from Egyptian authorities.

Major Story

🇪🇺🇷🇺 EU prepares response to sabotage

EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels began developing an emergency security protocol to coordinate responses to hybrid attacks, as foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warned that intelligence pointed to further Russian sabotage.

The proposed mechanism would allow a member state to raise a threat and bring EU countries together to agree a rapid response.

Kallas said it would cover incidents below the threshold of armed aggression that nevertheless required action.

The initiative, led by Kallas and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, forms part of a wider security structure outlined earlier this month.

Finnish Defence Minister Antti Hakkanen called for stronger coordination, more funding and joint procurement to bolster Europe's air defences.

Other News

1️⃣ 🇸🇪 Andersson cannot form government: Sweden's Social Democrat leader Magdalena Andersson returned her mandate to form a government despite her centre-left bloc holding 176 of parliament's 349 seats. Speaker Andreas Norlen plans fresh talks with party leaders on 30 September, while outgoing Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson is expected to be asked to make an attempt.

2️⃣ 🇭🇺 Hungarian lawmakers lift leaders' immunity: Hungary's parliament lifted Prime Minister Peter Magyar's immunity over an alleged phone theft, along with that of two former ministers facing separate corruption investigations. Prime Minister Magyar denied wrongdoing and asked his party to support the vote, while none of the three had been indicted.

3️⃣ 🇱🇧🇺🇸 Lebanese premier presses peace framework: Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam urged US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to help implement the framework providing for Israeli withdrawal and Hezbollah's disarmament. He called for a credible verification mechanism and continued US support for Lebanon's army, while Secretary Rubio reaffirmed Washington's backing for the agreement.

4️⃣ 🇮🇱 Former spy chief threatens lawsuit: Former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar said he would sue Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for defamation after the premier accused him of withholding warnings before the 7 October 2023 attack. Bar said he had warned of an impending disaster and been ignored, and called for documents to be released and the prime minister's staff to testify.

5️⃣ 🇫🇷 French premier warns over protests: French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu warned against an escalation of student protests after 164 people were arrested, with demonstrations affecting 180 schools, according to the interior minister. A student union defended the blockades over teacher shortages and overcrowded classes, while the government condemned reported violence.

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