Hungary–EU Accession Standoff: EU ambassadors will try again to persuade Hungary to approve Ukraine and Moldova “clusters 2 and 3,” a step needed to formally open negotiations. Germany–Azerbaijan Energy & Connectivity: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Azerbaijan’s Ilham Aliyev signed a strategic agenda and business council documents in Berlin, with Aliyev saying gas supplies to Germany started this year under a 10-year deal (1.5 bcm annually) and that connectivity and transit are key. Deportations After Attack: Germany’s interior minister renewed his push to deport convicted offenders to Afghanistan after a fatal stabbing in Trier, arguing society expects removals. Public Transport Crackdown: Deutsche Bahn will ban alcohol at stations nationwide by mid-October (with exemptions for station bars/restaurants), after violence linked to intoxication. Poland Security Watch: Poland’s defence committee discussed a possible Russian false-flag drone scenario using Ukrainian markings, alongside other hybrid threats. Finance: Hungary’s debt collectors have started freezing Revolut accounts after the fintech moved retail customers to its Hungarian branch. Tech & Industry: SkyPilot, backed by $20m seed funding, aims to make switching between cloud compute providers easier; in Germany, Yorizon deployed a 220MWh solar array for its data center. Sports: Lewis Hamilton says he must “step it up” at the Hungarian GP after a compromised Spa weekend.