EU Sanctions & Trade: The EU’s 21st Russia sanctions package includes unnamed entities based in India, raising fresh questions about how it could affect ratification of the EU-India trade deal. Migration Overhaul: The EU’s new asylum rules take effect, tightening returns and enabling “return hubs,” while critics warn about human rights and detention risks. Farm Relief: Brussels proposes €540m to help farmers with soaring fertiliser costs, with possible total support up to €1.5bn via CAP changes. Batteries Push: The Commission unveils a new €1.5bn “battery booster” with interest-free loans to scale European battery manufacturing. Defence Industry: Ukraine signs nearly 20 joint European defence production agreements, aiming to plug into European supply chains and cut reliance on Chinese components. Swiss Vote: Switzerland heads to a referendum on capping population at 10m, a move that could strain EU free-movement ties. Italy–Korea Tech Leap: Meloni and President Lee sign deals to deepen cooperation in semiconductors, AI, space, automotive, energy and defence. Water Security: Kazakhstan and France advance plans to protect Lake Balkhash as climate pressure grows. Spain Tech Glitch: A major outage hits Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp across Spain.