Energy Markets: Swiss consultancy Pexapark says European long-term power PPA prices rose 2.3% in July to €45/MWh, with gains in Great Britain (+5.8%) and Italy (+4.3%) as gas risk premiums fed into forward power prices, while high-renewables markets saw drops in the Nordics (-6.3%), Spain (-3.9%) and Portugal (-2.9%). Climate & Water Stress: Austria has enshrined 2040 climate neutrality in law and paired it with emergency farm aid after record drought hit yields and water tables. Drought Fallout: River cruises on the Danube and Rhine remain disrupted despite some recent rain, with ship swaps and itinerary changes still possible. Nuclear & Power Supply: Bulgaria’s Kozloduy plant cut Unit 5 output by about 120 MW as the Danube recedes, stressing it’s a preventive measure for cooling operations, not nuclear safety. Migration Enforcement: Austria completed the first official asylum transfers back to Italy under the EU Migration Pact/Dublin rules, part of a wider Central European push to curb secondary movement. Crypto Shock: Zondacrypto vanished after executives disappeared and customer funds were frozen, reviving concerns after the earlier BitBay founder’s disappearance. Culture & Business: Universal Music Poland acquired Kayax Records’ catalog and brand, while Truck1 became an official media partner of the International Wood Fair Klagenfurt 2026. Sports: In Hungary, 19-year-old Indian GM Pranesh M won the Kanizsa Open, beating Germany’s Vadim Petrovskiy in the final round.