Ulrich Siegmund, lead candidate of the AfD in Saxony-Anhalt, faced backlash for suggesting military equipment could support the party’s “remigration and deportation offensive”. His comments relate to the planned Elbit Systems facility in Sangerhausen, which has drawn local protests and raised concerns over arms production.

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has urged AI companies to decelerate development, citing risks linked to “superintelligent” systems. His comments follow AI researcher Jacob Coxon’s departure from the industry, warning that rapid advancements pose serious dangers. Amodei emphasised the need for cautious progress in AI technology.

During a visit to his Irish golf course, US President Donald Trump expressed support for the reunification of Ireland, describing it as “fantastic.” Meeting with Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Trump stated, “It’s going to happen eventually,” while acknowledging the UK’s role in the matter.

The French government has aligned with Slovakia to advocate for the delisting of Russian-Uzbek businessman Alisher Usmanov from the EU sanctions list, intensifying tensions among member states. Usmanov, under sanctions since 2022, is seen as closely linked to the Kremlin, prompting concerns over motivations behind the push for his removal.

France plans to oppose a European Commission initiative to fast-track trade agreements by using only English-language versions during negotiations, bypassing translations into all 24 official EU languages. This move, aimed at speeding up ratification, has raised concerns about legal and democratic implications, particularly regarding linguistic diversity.

The European Commission downplayed the urgency to channel €210 billion in immobilised Russian Central Bank assets for Ukraine support, emphasising focus on a €90 billion loan disbursement and assessing Ukraine’s budget shortfall. Officials indicate a cautious approach amid entrenched legal and political challenges.