EU Defence Build-Up: NATO allies are moving toward higher defence spending, with a new push to reach 5% of GDP by 2035 and the EU rolling out an €800bn defence plan—partly driven by Ukraine and worries about long-term US support. Slovakia in EU Politics: Slovakia starts its V4 presidency, aiming to boost EU competitiveness, coordinate budget positions, and deepen practical cooperation in areas like defence, healthcare, transport, and migration control. Energy Transition Funding: The European Commission and EIB disbursed €2.5bn from ETS revenues via the Modernisation Fund for 51 energy projects across 11 countries, including Slovakia’s push for cleaner, more resilient systems. Geothermal for District Heating: Roland Karkó says CEE’s geothermal bottleneck is skilled experts and high drilling risk; he argues for subsidies to share risk and for geothermal to rank high in district heating plans. Digital Child Protection: Slovakia is drafting a law for safer minors online, with a minimum age of 15 for high-risk services, stronger parental controls, and a right to delete a digital footprint. Heatwave Reality Check: Europe’s record heat is turning deadly—Spain reported 1,028+ heat-related deaths in June, while WHO says excess deaths across Europe have topped 1,300 since late June. Local Tech & Education: Bratislava’s Angry Earth creator František Czanner is bringing science to global classrooms via an English YouTube channel with massive reach. Research Recognition: The Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra entered the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings for UN SDG contributions.