Energy Corridor Deal: Greece, North Macedonia and Serbia signed an MoU to extend the Vertical Gas Corridor, aiming to boost north-south gas flows and regional energy security as the project expands toward Western Balkans markets. Gas Market Setup: North Macedonia asked MEMO to prepare a plan for creating a natural gas market operator, covering legal, technical and financial steps, with interconnectors to Greece and Serbia planned to open in the coming years. EU Enlargement Friction: The EU’s enlargement commissioner Marta Kos cancelled a Serbia visit after Mladić honours and the public glorification following his death, stressing EU values require confronting the past. War-Crimes Politics: The Mladić funeral in Belgrade drew supporters and official ceremonies, keeping the EU-Serbia dispute over war crimes in the spotlight. Child Safety Online: UNICEF reports about 20 million children aged 12–17 across 21 countries faced tech-facilitated sexual exploitation or abuse in a year, with North Macedonia among the places where risks are especially high. Film & Culture: North Macedonia selected debut feature “17” as its candidate for the Oscars’ International Feature Film category, a co-production with Serbia and Slovenia. Justice & Finance: Hungary opened a criminal investigation into Eximbank deals, including a controversial €1bn loan linked to North Macedonia. Digital Platform Governance: UNESCO backed adoption of multi-stakeholder recommendations to improve digital platform governance and media rules in North Macedonia and the wider region.