Presidential elections in the United States (US) always bring uncertainties and surprises, and this one is no exception. From Trump’s judicial cases to his attack, as well as the sudden shift from Joe Biden's Democratic candidacy to Kamala Harris, the whole world is watching – and rightly so.

Europe prides itself on leading the charge for sustainability but when it comes to transitioning to a circular economy it has been stagnating. Despite consistent legislative efforts and ambitious rhetoric, the EU is still far from reaching its ambition to double its circularity rate by 2030.

In today’s edition of the Capitals, find out more about Bulgaria giving Ukraine more time to buy its Russia-made nuclear reactors, Berlin eyeing the rollback of its liberalised power market, and so much more. 

The US and British foreign ministers met President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday (11 September), unveiling new support but no breakthrough on the long-range strikes into Russia desperately sought by Ukraine.

Russia should clearly state its willingness to use nuclear weapons against countries that "support NATO aggression in Ukraine", according to an influential foreign policy hawk.

As Germany is to start checks at all its land borders, clarifications from the authorities on how such checks will work suggest that the actual disruption to those crossing the border could be less than anticipated.

Italy will not present its new budget plan until next month, missing the European Union's September deadline, because parliament wants the Treasury to factor in upcoming revisions to economic growth data for 1995-2023, a minister said.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is certainly no poster child for democracy in Europe and most Americans have never heard of him, but he does have at least one fan in the United States: Donald Trump.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis criticised Germany’s decision to introduce controls at its borders saying such a move would endanger Schengen and hinted that Berlin’s current social policies may be to blame for attracting migrants.

Distribution grids (DSOs) are the facilitators of the Green Deal’s objectives and a prerequisite for a functioning European electricity market. Managing 97% of EU’s power lines and connecting 70% of renewables, DSOs are diverse across Member States.

European consumer groups on Thursday (12 September) accused the world's biggest video game companies of "purposefully tricking" consumers, including children, to push them to spend more.

A report drafted by large EU defence companies eying the reform of the EU fund for research and innovation, calls out governments for not supporting projects financially and for XXX.

Russia is rejecting the jurisdiction of Czech courts in a dispute over unpaid rent for buildings used by the Russian government, with the Czech Foreign Ministry demanding more than €2 million for Russia's unauthorised use of the properties for commercial activities.

The possible revision of the law on wiretaps could lead to the collapse of some judicial investigations, Portugal's attorney general warned on Wednesday, stressing that the number of phone-tapping operations has decreased in recent years.

Brazil on Wednesday (11 September) asked the European Union not to implement regulations in its deforestation law at the end of the year as scheduled and asked for it to be revised to avoid hurting Brazilian exports.

Volkswagen group faces potential site closures in Germany and Belgium, against a shrinking appetite for electric vehicles (EVs) and fierce competition from China. MEPs have different perspectives on the EU's role in supporting Europe’s carmakers.

To avoid future electricity price hikes, the German government is looking to reverse the liberalisation of its electricity market and move towards a more interventionist approach with the establishment of fixed-price capacity markets.

The Bulgarian parliament has decided to extend the deadline given to the government to negotiate the sale of two Russian nuclear reactors and related equipment to Ukraine by six months. 

EU antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager is concluding her mandate at the European Commission with two major victories as the top EU court ruled against Apple’s Irish tax arrangements and Google’s anti-competitive practices.

The Investigative Centre of Jan Kuciak (ICJK) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) have suspended their participation in the state-run press freedom platform, citing the inappropriate nomination of a new member linked to a media outlet spreading disinformation.