EU trade sanctions: The UK, joined by France, moved to ban trade in goods linked to illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, targeting specific companies and services tied to construction, infrastructure, financing and real estate. Canada–EU pivot: Prime Minister Mark Carney is pushing a deeper relationship with Europe amid US trade tensions, exploring an “associate member” style arrangement focused on energy, AI, critical minerals and defence. Finland’s AI and power bets: Google’s record €13bn Finland AI push is tied to nuclear power supply plans, as the country weighs the impact on electricity costs and grid capacity. Arctic security in Finland: An Arctic summit hosted in Rovaniemi is putting EU strategy and security on the agenda, with NATO-linked states seeking to reshape Arctic cooperation as tensions with Russia rise. NATO alert in Lithuania: A suspected drone sighting near Vilnius turned out to be birds, but the incident shows how quickly airspace alerts are escalating across the Baltic region. Circular economy push: India will host the World Circular Economy Forum 2026 in Gandhinagar (Sept 15–18), with Sitra and Finland among the organisers. Local business & life: Visit Finland offered a free “Chill Like a Finn” trip to 12 travellers, spotlighting lakes, saunas and forest life as a tourism product. Sports: Oliver Solberg won Rally Chile and helped Toyota clinch a record-equalling 10th WRC manufacturers’ title.