Wildfires & Heat Emergency: France ordered evacuations on the Cap Ferret peninsula as wildfires spread, and Spain declared a national emergency with thousands fleeing; the EU activated civil protection support with water-bomber aircraft. Aviation Safety: Europe extended Gulf airspace warnings to Aug 31, citing volatile conditions around the Strait of Hormuz and risks from drones, missiles and possible misidentification. Public Finance Watch: Romania says public debt stayed below the Maastricht 60% ceiling at 57.7% of GDP at end-2025. Open Data for Business: A new look at how EU open-data rules turn free public datasets into competitive advantage. Health Alerts: UKHSA issued heat health warnings across parts of England as temperatures could hit 30C amid drought and wildfire-linked smoke. EU Sanctions & Shipping: The bloc gained power to confiscate and sell oil cargoes from detained Russian shadow-fleet tankers under the 21st sanctions package. Culture & Funding: The Venice Biennale president hit back after the EU withdrew funding over Russian artists, calling it a blow to autonomy. Tech & Security: A report warns Europe’s multilingual reality exposes AI safety gaps, especially for less-supported languages. Energy Storage: CATL signed a 2 GWh sodium-ion battery supply deal with Bulgaria’s Solarpro for projects across Central and Eastern Europe. Sports Governance: Viswanathan Anand became interim FIDE president after EU sanctions sidelined Arkady Dvorkovich.