Moldova’s EU push: Parliament wrapped up its spring–summer session and set an August 24 extraordinary meeting, while lawmakers advanced EU-aligned reforms including new employment and unemployment rules, tighter human-trafficking penalties, and updated defence procurement and public-road administration. Elections in Gagauzia: The Electoral Code was amended in first reading with new election rules for the Gagauzia autonomy, including postal voting and a shift to a proportional system for choosing deputies. Justice and rights: Moldova adopted first-reading procedural safeguards for people in criminal proceedings, and reported progress on EU-aligned justice benchmarks. EU tech race: Brussels opened applications for up to seven AI “gigafactories” with €10bn public funding, aiming to close the computing gap with the US and China. Digital regulation: The Commission said ChatGPT and Roblox could qualify as “very large” platforms under the Digital Services Act. World Cup standoff: UEFA backed a boycott of FIFA competitions over Infantino’s plan to sell stakes to private investors, while European nations vow to follow. Geopolitics: Iran urged Bulgaria to reconsider allowing US tanker aircraft at Bezmer air base, warning it could “facilitate aggression.” Climate emergency: EU officials warned wildfires could engulf “all of Europe” as extreme heat drives new blazes.