Middle East Diplomacy: France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, the UK and others condemned Israel’s E1 West Bank settlement tenders as “unacceptable,” warning of legal and reputational consequences and urging Israel to retract plans that could sever Palestinian territorial continuity. Ukraine Security: Ukraine’s foreign minister discussed with EU chief Kaja Kallas more air-defense transfers, tighter sanctions on Russia’s missile supply chains, and further use of frozen Russian assets after a major missile-and-drone strike. Energy & Markets: Oil prices climbed again as the Strait of Hormuz remained unstable amid Iran-related risks, while European stocks were steady but set for a weekly loss as bond-market pressure and inflation worries lingered. Euro Zone Economy: The euro zone’s business activity hit its fastest pace since November, with new orders rising and price pressures easing in August PMI data. EU-Global Trade: Indonesia signaled it wants to sign the EU-Indonesia IEU-CEPA by October 2026, targeting entry into force in early 2027, with focus on renewables, digital, agriculture and EV downstreaming. Climate Impact: A Sicilian town that hit Europe’s record heat in 2021 now says extreme heat is felt as “another kind of lockdown,” reshaping daily life and livelihoods. Corporate Moves: James Hardie agreed to sell its European Fermacell business to Holcim for €840m, as it exits Europe to refocus on higher-growth markets.