News in brief: Bolsonaro sentenced to long prison term

Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro has been sentenced to over 27 years in prison for an attempted coup. A majority of the five-member panel of the Supreme Federal Court found the 70-year-old guilty. This makes Bolsonaro the country's first former president to be convicted of a coup attempt.

According to the conviction of the public prosecutor and the court, Bolsonaro, together with military officers and confidants, plotted a coup against the government of his left-wing successor, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva , after his election defeat in late 2022. The goal, they claimed, was to declare a state of emergency and force new elections. However, Bolsonaro failed to find support among the military leadership. Bolsonaro's lawyers announced they would appeal the verdict.

FBI continues to search for Charlie Kirk's killer

Following the fatal attack on right-wing US activist and Trump supporter Charlie Kirk, the FBI continues its intensive search for a suspect. Federal police released a video sequence and several photos on Friday. The footage shows a person climbing down from a roof, jumping to the ground, and then fleeing. The FBI is offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to the perpetrator's arrest.

Kirk, 31, was killed by a targeted shooting at a university in Utah on Wednesday. According to media reports, the perpetrator may have shot him from a rooftop. The shooter remains on the run.

UN Security Council discusses Russian drones over Poland

Following the intrusion of numerous Russian drones into Polish airspace, the UN Security Council will address the incident this Friday. Warsaw's request received support from several members, including the veto-wielding United Kingdom and France .

During the night leading into Wednesday, at least 19 Russian drones penetrated hundreds of kilometers deep into the airspace of EU and NATO member Poland . At least three of them were shot down. The Polish government and NATO partners strongly condemned the incident, calling it a deliberate provocation against the Western defense alliance. The Russian Defense Ministry, however, stated on Wednesday that there was "no intention to attack targets on Polish territory."

Russia and Belarus launch military maneuvers near the EU border

Russia and its ally Belarus will begin a joint military exercise this Friday near the eastern flank of the EU and NATO. According to Belarusian sources, the five-day exercise, dubbed "Zapad-2025" (West-2025), will include training the use of nuclear-capable Russian Oreshnik missiles. The number of participating troops has not been officially announced; Russian state media reported a figure of around 13,000.

Poland has announced the closure of its border with Belarus due to the exercise. According to Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, the exercise will also simulate the occupation of the so-called Suwalki Gap. The area on the Polish-Lithuanian border borders the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad and Belarus to the south.

New trial against opposition politician Imamoglu in Turkey

In Turkey, another trial begins this Friday against deposed Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu . The politician from Turkey's largest opposition party, the CHP, is accused of falsifying his university degree. Istanbul University revoked Imamoglu's degree the day before his arrest in March – a move that bars him from running for president. The 55-year-old is considered President Recep Tayyip Erdogan 's fiercest rival.

Imamoglu's arrest on March 19 sparked the most violent protests in Turkey since 2013. Imamoglu calls it a politically motivated trial aimed at eliminating him.

ECB leaves key interest rates unchanged

In politically uncertain times, the European Central Bank (ECB) is leaving key interest rates in the euro area unchanged. The deposit rate, which is important for banks and savers, will remain at 2.0 percent, the ECB announced in Frankfurt.

The ECB had already left its key interest rates unchanged in July – not least because of the "exceptionally uncertain environment" surrounding the tariff dispute with the US, as ECB President Christine Lagarde emphasized at the time. Now Europe is dealing with a government crisis in France. There are great concerns that the debt of the second-largest eurozone economy is spiraling out of control.

haz/pgr/wa (dpa, afp, rtr)

This news summary was created at 9:00 a.m. (CEST) and will not be updated further.