The EU is ready to bet billions on data centers. Not all countries want in. – POLITICO

• The news — North Carolina has begun mailing the first absentee ballots for the 2026 general election while President Donald Trump appeals a challenge to his mail-voting restrictions to the Supreme Court. • The number — Ballots are being distributed across all 100 North Carolina counties to voters who requested them.

• The news — The Department of Justice has asked the Supreme Court to allow a Trump-era USPS rule regarding the handling of mail-in ballots to proceed before the midterm elections. • The number — A federal judge previously issued a temporary restraining order blocking parts of the rule from being implemented for the November 2026 election.

• Ukraine's Finance Minister is urging the European Union to "think outside the box" regarding the use of Russia's frozen state assets. • The proposal seeks to establish a mechanism to channel these immobilized funds directly to Kyiv to support its ongoing war efforts and reconstruction.

• Reform UK officials Dan Jukes and James Orr have stepped down from their roles following an undercover report concerning party donations. • The party has launched an internal investigation into the allegations raised by the report to determine if any rules were breached.

• Russia is actively targeting European citizens and leaders with campaigns designed to spread fear and create division within the European Union. • In Spain, Prime Minister Sánchez is managing a deepening crisis in Ceuta following the entry of thousands of irregular migrants last month.

• Schools across Asia are implementing new safety drills to enhance overall security and emergency preparedness for students and staff. • In the Philippines, students in San Rafael recently participated in the Nationwide Simultaneous School Safety Drill to practice emergency responses.

• Team CJP has launched a protest at Parliament Street demanding immediate action following viral claims made by Hindutva influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj. • In a viral interview, Bhardwaj allegedly admitted to assaulting an individual named Sanjay and claimed he avoided jail due to a call from BJP leader Kapil Mishra.

• The Delhi High Court allowed a writ petition filed by Amar Ugarsen Bharadwaj, quashing a previous order dated August 10, 2026, that had denied his parole request. • The parole was originally dismissed because the petitioner had filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP), citing Rule 1210(i) of the Delhi Prisons Rules.

• Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez addressed congress to defend the actions of officers during a recent migration event in Ceuta. • Sánchez asserted that the officers "chose to defend human life" and characterized the subsequent deportation effort as one of the fastest return processes in European history.

• Spain's exclave of Ceuta is facing a severe migrant crisis following a mass crossing from Morocco in late July that saw over 70,000 unauthorized migrants arrive. • Simultaneously, the Eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt is holding a critical election this weekend that could see the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) form a government.

• EU foreign ministers met in Wicklow, Ireland, on September 1–2 for an informal “Gymnich” session to address Ukraine's 2027 funding gap. • Sweden, the Netherlands, Spain, and Poland proposed reviving a plan to convert approximately $200 billion in frozen Russian central bank assets, primarily held at Euroclear, into a “reparations loan” for Kyiv.

• Following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Europe and the UK implemented an unprecedented series of sanctions and asset-freezing measures targeting Russia and its supporters. • Initial policy efforts focused on rapidly expanding sanctions programs to cripple the Russian war effort and limit its financial capabilities.