AfD in the European spotlight: AfD is set to host Yulia Mendel at an “Ukraine peace” event in the European Parliament building in Strasbourg, using her past role as a Ukrainian presidential spokesperson as a key draw. AI safety debate: AI pioneer Yoshua Bengio warns that humanity is “losing control” of rapidly advancing systems and calls for guardrails akin to nuclear arms controls, as concerns grow after high-profile agent security incidents. Germany’s energy pressure: Reports flag surging European gas prices and Germany’s low September storage levels, adding to worries about winter supply and household costs. EU-Canada talks: EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen floated Canada becoming the bloc’s first “associate member,” aiming to deepen cooperation on tech, defence, energy and the Arctic—though the term’s meaning remains unclear. Russia-Germany diplomatic fallout: A Russian special flight has arrived in Cologne/Bonn to repatriate consulate staff, amid further deterioration in bilateral relations after the Leipzig drone case. AI funding for “safe-by-design” systems: Canada and Germany announced up to CAD 300 million for LawZero to develop advanced, transparent and trustworthy AI, including a Berlin office. Security and hybrid threats: NATO rejected Russia’s claim that it found no evidence in the Leipzig drone incident, reiterating Berlin’s assessment of Russian involvement. Politics at home: Coverage continues to track the AfD’s momentum after its Saxony-Anhalt election win and the wider debate over “remigration” and Germany’s political direction.