Energy Costs & Competitiveness: Ursula von der Leyen said the EU’s “cheap energy” pillars are gone, with European prices still far above the US and China after the shift away from Russian supplies. Gas Security: Europe heads into winter with gas storage at a two-decade low, as Hormuz-related supply worries keep prices sensitive. EU Tech & Competition: Google is changing its Europe spam enforcement, suspending manual demotions tied to its site reputation rules after EU antitrust concerns. Cybersecurity: APT28-linked HOOKEDGE backdoor campaigns have targeted European government and diplomatic groups, including Romania and Spain. Defence Industry: Germany’s Rheinmetall plans a major Kassel expansion to boost armoured vehicle output and add drone testing, with over 1,000 jobs expected. Space & Launch: ESA signed first contracts under its European Launcher Challenge, backing new European rocket providers. Climate & Food: Heat and drought are reshaping Europe’s food system, with wine and crops facing rising adaptation costs and yield risks. Energy Transition Tech: European Energy brought 545MWh of battery storage online across Denmark, Lithuania and Latvia, expanding co-located renewables storage. Ukraine Tech Ecosystem: Ukraine’s Brave1 hub is credited with building a defence tech ecosystem based on trust and fast, government-linked scaling.