Overview
- Poland launched a voluntary resilience program targeting 400,000 trained civilians by 2027 and approved a budget lifting defense outlays to about 4.8% of GDP, alongside new shelters and the "Eastern Shield" fortifications on the Belarus and Kaliningrad borders.
- German security leaders have been discussing worst‑case scenarios and readiness through 2029, with a 2026 defense budget cited at €82.7 billion as officials reassess posture in light of Russia’s war and hybrid tactics.
- The Kremlin publicly dismissed claims it intends to revive the Soviet Union or target a NATO state as "complete stupidity," but European unease persists given reported sabotage and drone incidents.
- Liverpool’s internal rift intensified after Mohamed Salah said he was "sacrificed" following three straight benchings, with British reports pointing to Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes as key decision‑makers weighing a possible January 2026 sale, while some Egyptian fans have stopped watching matches.
- Abu Dhabi broadened its soft‑power push as Sheikh Mansour formed the National Committee for the Narrative of the Union to standardize the UAE’s founding story, Bridge 2025 won international praise as a media‑tech forum, and a Ronaldo-fronted Al‑Nassr friendly drew roughly 16,000 spectators with the star scoring early.