Sep 30, 2026, 02:30 AM UTC

Polling ahead of the Berlin state election places Die Linke in the lead at 22 percent, supported by strong enthusiasm among younger voters focused on housing affordability and rent controls. Led by candidate Elif Eralp, the party holds a four-point advantage over the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Alternative for Germany (AfD), both at 18 percent, while the Social Democratic Party (SPD) trails at 12 percent.

The campaign highlights contrasting shifts among Berlin's electorate. While turnout remains low among voters with a migrant background in districts like Neukölln, reporting indicates some young Turkish-German voters are leaning toward the AfD due to rising concerns over public safety, crime, and economic stability. Meanwhile, Eralp's high-profile campaign continues to center housing costs as the primary issue driving youth turnout.

Sources: Correctiv, Die Zeit, DW, FAZ, Tagesschau

Hungary's Ministry of Transport and Investments has recovered 2.27 billion forints following an audit of state electronic toll collection contracts executed under former minister János Lázár. Transport Minister Dávid Vitézy confirmed the money was returned by a private equity fund linked to businessman Lőrinc Mészáros after officials reviewed the previous administration's 64.5 billion forint acquisition of three toll companies.

Following the recovery, authorities expanded their investigation to examine public procurement contracts awarded to IT businessman Gábor Emőri, who spent 12 years building and managing key parts of the national toll system. Officials are continuing to review past state deals to identify further financial irregularities.

Sources: 444, HVG, Telex

U.S. President Donald Trump has urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to cease strikes against Russian oil infrastructure, asserting that these attacks are exacerbating global fuel shortages. The appeal follows recent discussions in Moscow involving Russian President Vladimir Putin and American envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

However, Russia's Foreign Ministry stated that conditions for formal strategic stability talks with Washington remain absent, pointing to U.S. missile deployments in Europe as a major barrier.

Meanwhile, foreign policy experts and former diplomats raised doubts about the White House's diplomatic strategy. Analyst Fareed Zakaria and former U.S. negotiator Donald Jensen argued that American envoys are mistakenly treating Moscow as a commercial partner rather than recognizing its distinct negotiation tactics.

Sources: Hospodářské noviny, iROZHLAS, Respect, Seznam Zprávy.

Counter-terrorism police investigating a suspected attack plot targeting RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire have confirmed that officers found a quantity of petrol but no explosive devices inside three intercepted vans.

The five British nationals, all in their early twenties, were detained early Sunday near the US-operated airbase and initially held under the Explosives Act before being rearrested on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act. Police have since released all five suspects on bail, a move described by Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor as an investigative decision.

Investigators are continuing to examine whether the alleged offences were carried out on behalf of a foreign state actor, with media reports citing potential links to Iran.

Sources: Cyprus Mail, STV News, The Guardian, The Herald, UK Defence Journal.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez faced opposition leaders in Congress during the first parliamentary control session of the new political term. Popular Party leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo accused the government of attempting to "manipulate the census" regarding voting rights tied to legislation granting nationality to descendants of Spanish citizens.

Sánchez defended his administration while acknowledging that the state must better prepare for "hybrid attacks," urging intelligence services to become more "sophisticated" to prevent them. Debates also addressed regional financing and recent security developments in Ceuta, following a meeting between King Felipe VI, military leaders, and Defense Minister Margarita Robles that Socialist spokesperson Patxi López described as falling "within normality." Concurrently, the executive scheduled seven ministerial appearances in the lower house to counter opposition pressure in the Senate.

Sources: Canarias7, El Día, El Mundo, La Provincia, La Vanguardia