Heat Emergency Across Europe: Italy put all 27 major cities on the highest “red” health alert as temperatures topped 40°C, while Austria set new records and wildfires flared in France, straining power, transport and tourism. Energy Strain From Drought: Low river levels are forcing power curbs and shutdowns, including Poland cutting coal output at Kozienice and Połaniec due to Vistula cooling-water limits, and the Danube’s record-low flow threatening nuclear and hydropower in parts of central and eastern Europe. Wildfire Response Race: A Reuters report spotlights new European water-bomber efforts to replace ageing fleets after hundreds of thousands of hectares burned this year, as the EU pushes tougher wildfire-risk spending. Migration Politics Under Pressure: Rwanda is in talks with Italy to host asylum seekers expelled from Italy, echoing earlier externalisation deals, while Ceuta continues to fuel far-right narratives and fresh political clashes in the European Parliament. Markets Watch the Weather: Investors are treating extreme heat as a macro signal, with Reuters linking heat, drought and supply disruptions to food-price pressure and shipping slowdowns, even as European stocks hover near record highs on earnings. EU Rules Hit Food Packaging: Schneider Electric says the EU’s PPWR takes effect Aug 12, raising compliance costs and demanding tighter PFAS tracking and supply-chain data transparency.