Oct 31, 2026, 05:00 AM UTC

Ukraine's political landscape faces heightened friction as outgoing Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko announced charges against Semen Kryvonos, director of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU). Kravchenko accused Kryvonos of forging official documents for financial gain and orchestrating a fake adoption to evade legal scrutiny.

NABU and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP) denied that Kryvonos had been formally served, labeling the accusation a tactic to disrupt ongoing probes into a criminal network linked to lawmakers and Presidential Office staff.

Following his video announcement on Telegram, reports indicate Kravchenko crossed the Ukrainian border using a state-owned vehicle. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy subsequently requested parliament to accelerate Kravchenko’s official removal from office.

Sources: NEXTA, OCCRP, Radiosvoboda, The Insider, Ukrainska Pravda.

The United States has completed its military withdrawal from Iraq, ending over two decades of armed presence. U.S. President Donald Trump praised the move, describing the departure as a significant milestone and asserting that Iraqi forces are prepared to manage national security independently. The drawdown fulfills a 2024 agreement negotiated under the Biden administration and executed by Trump's team.

Concurrently, the U.S. Department of Defense is assessing its broader force posture across the Persian Gulf following recent Iranian strikes on American facilities. While analysts acknowledge Iraq is currently more stable than during the 2011 withdrawal, concerns persist regarding potential power vacuums. Critics warn that the drawdown could strengthen regional militant groups and increase Teheran's political and military influence, while Defense officials evaluate further structural changes to American deployments in the region.

Sources: Defence24, Portal obronny, Rzeczpospolita, TVP info

US President Donald Trump expressed regret over his appointments to the US Supreme Court during an interview with Time magazine, remarking, "I got them the job of their life, and they often vote against me." Trump noted that while he values loyalty, he does not expect it from his judicial nominees.

The statements follow a major legal setback for his administration ahead of the upcoming midterm elections. The Supreme Court recently rejected an attempt by the government to impose stricter regulations on mail-in voting. The court's ruling prevented the immediate implementation of the restrictions, drawing relief from Democratic lawmakers who had opposed the changes.

Sources: Der Standard, FAZ, Tagesschau.

Public trust in artificial intelligence has declined in Italy, with positive sentiment falling to 49% from 68% in 2020, according to an SWG survey presented at the Chamber of Deputies. Meanwhile, public concern over the technology reached 45%.

The shift comes amid broader operational changes across industries. Automated AI summaries in search engines are reducing referral traffic for online publishers, accelerating a "zero-click" trend. Additionally, global AI adoption has contributed to roughly 425,000 job dislocations in recent years while major technology companies push back against government regulation.

Despite rising public anxieties, reporting also emphasizes the influence of Italian leadership on global innovation, citing prominent industry leaders such as Anthropic chief executive Dario Amodei.

Sources: ANSA, Corriere della Sera, Il Messaggero, Il Sole 24 Ore, La Repubblica.

A fourth summer heatwave continues to sweep across Western and Southern Europe, pushing temperatures toward 40 degrees Celsius and prompting widespread public health warnings.

Italian authorities placed 27 major cities under red heat alerts, including Messina and Reggio Calabria, advising citizens to remain indoors during peak daylight hours. The prolonged weather system has driven extreme conditions across the region, with Austria recording an all-time high temperature of 40.8 degrees Celsius near Vienna. In France, health officials reported more than 7,300 excess deaths tied to 52 days of heatwaves since mid-June.

The unrelenting heat continues to worsen drought conditions and fuel elevated wildfire risks across several European countries following one of the hottest Julys on record.

Sources: Aftenposten, Berlingske, DR, TV 2 Nyheter, VG