EU Integration & Diplomacy: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen backed a plan for Canada to become the EU’s first “associate member,” pitching closer cooperation on AI, climate, defence and supply chains. North Macedonia Politics: The opposition SDSM says the State Anti-Corruption Commission’s probe into possible conflicts around Independence Day celebrations is too narrow, urging prosecutors to investigate the full financing and organisation of the 5.5 million euro event. Western Balkans EU Track: Skopje hosted a regional meeting on EU enlargement, with officials discussing accelerated reforms and better government-parliament coordination. Euro-Atlantic Security: The Trump administration notified Congress it will reprogram $52m in US military financing away from Slovakia and North Macedonia (plus Iraq and Tunisia) to Panama, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia. Culture & Identity: MRT confirmed it will return to Eurovision 2027 in Burgas, aiming to promote North Macedonian music and culture with a more transparent selection process. Child Safety Online: UNICEF warned that around 20 million children across 21 countries faced technology-facilitated sexual exploitation or abuse, with social media driving many cases.