Πέμπτη 01 Οκτωβρίου 2026
10 άρθρα
Kaliningrad nuclear warning rests on unproven blockade
Russia has told NATO it could use nuclear weapons if the alliance isolates Kaliningrad, but has published no evidence of the blockade plan its embassies allege. NATO says its exercises pose no threat to Russian territory, and Mark Rutte sees no imminent attack on allied soil. The warning leaves unclear what Moscow would count as isolation.
Romania’s next government faces a budget clock
After parliament rejected Siegfried Mureșan’s cabinet, President Nicușor Dan is seeking another nominee instead of calling an early election. Party talks begin on 5 October, with a 15 November deadline for the 2027 budget draft. A caretaker cabinet can keep the state running, but it cannot set the new spending priorities needed for hospitals, pensions and deficit reduction.
France’s €54 billion budget barely cuts deficit
France presents its 2027 budget bills today with a promised €54 billion effort, but the deficit is forecast to fall only from 5.4% to 5% of GDP. Roughly €40 billion of the effort offsets costs already set to rise. Pensioners, civil servants and councils face cuts or freezes, while large firms would pay less than they do now.
Three tankers hit as Hormuz traffic thins
Three tankers reported being struck in the Strait of Hormuz on 29 September, adding danger to a route already carrying a fraction of its pre-war traffic. UK Maritime Trade Operations has named no culprit or weapon. Europe depends on oil and Qatari gas shipped through the strait, but no published figures show an added cost from these strikes.
Rare deafness therapy’s hearing gains last years
A single dose of gene therapy produced measurable hearing gains in 38 of 42 people with deafness caused by faulty OTOF genes. In patients followed for two and a half years, those gains persisted. The treatment applies only to this genetic form of deafness, and follow-up is still tracking how reliably improved hearing leads to better speech.
Trypilska hit as Kyiv faces power cuts
Damage to a partly rebuilt power plant has added pressure to Ukraine’s grid as the heating season begins. After emergency cuts on 30 September, Kyiv returned to scheduled outages that households can plan around. Centrenergo has not disclosed how much output Trypilska lost, leaving the reach of repairs and European electricity imports unclear.
Spain’s €22.9 billion awaits Brussels’ verdict
Spain could receive €22.877 billion in fresh recovery funds if the European Commission accepts its final claim for 148 completed reforms and targets. Most of that money is grants, which Spain would not have to repay. A rejected lobbying-transparency measure could still cost Madrid funding, and Brussels must complete payments by 31 December.
Italy extends Spain checks without Ceuta evidence
Travellers between Italy and Spain face checks in both directions after Rome extended its controls until 15 October and Madrid kept its response in place until 8 October. Italy cites the migrant crisis in Ceuta, but its only published tally links none of 31 refused travellers to the enclave. Rome has not made public the evidence behind this renewal.
Fuel surge complicates ECB’s October rate call
September inflation reached 5.0% in Spain and topped 3% in Germany, France and Italy, driven largely by energy. Underlying prices moved far less, leaving the ECB to decide on 29 October whether to raise borrowing costs again before fuel feeds through to other prices. Eurostat’s euro-area estimate on 2 October will offer the next test.
Retatrutide cuts weight 25%; comparison awaits
A newly published 80-week trial found that people without diabetes assigned the highest dose lost an average of 25.0% of their starting weight, versus 3.9% on placebo. Lilly’s earlier 28.3% figure assumes everyone stayed on treatment. Nausea and treatment withdrawals were more common at the top dose, and retatrutide has yet to face an existing weight-loss drug in a trial.