Energy Security & Infrastructure: Greece’s DESFA says demand for the Vertical Gas Corridor is outpacing plans, with 46% of export capacity already reserved for 2026/27–2029/30 and even bookings stretching to 2040/41; meanwhile Bulgaria and Greece are drafting a joint strategy to speed up energy-market integration, as corridor operators meet in Athens with Slovakia and Hungary joining technical talks and North Macedonia and Serbia formally onboard. Politics & Governance: Serbia’s Aleksandar Vučić announced he will resign in “a few weeks,” setting up earlier presidential and parliamentary elections amid protests and a power-management gamble. Central Europe Diplomacy: The revived V4 format is back on the agenda, with Czech PM Andrej Babiš and Hungary’s Péter Magyar coordinating ahead of EU talks on migration, energy prices and competitiveness. Poland Watch: Warsaw Chopin Airport has started using CT scanners for hand-baggage checks in Fast Track lanes to cut screening times, while Poland’s pharma industry warns that proposed prescription and reimbursement rule changes could reduce access in practice. Climate & Health: Western Europe’s record heat is drying rivers and stressing agriculture, with France’s Loire reduced to sandbanks and drought deepening across the region. Aviation & Defence: Slovakia begins nuclear fuel loading at Mochovce Unit 4, and the Czech Air Force takes delivery of its first Embraer C-390 Millennium transport aircraft. Business & Industry: Deloitte data shows Hungary’s M&A activity rose 16% in 2025, and aluminium supply shocks are reviving idled smelters, including Hydro’s Slovalco restart in Slovakia.