Danube Crisis, Energy Security: Hungary has ordered the immediate construction of a submerged bed sill/weir on the Danube between Paks and Dunaszentbenedek to protect cooling water for the Paks nuclear plant amid record-low river levels. The government says the works should keep the water level at the cooling channel above minus 90 cm within weeks, while two 80-metre barges can be sunk as a short-term backup to lift levels by about 20 cm. Magyar estimates a full Paks shutdown would cost at least 50bn forints per month, versus roughly 6bn forints for the emergency interventions. Water Supply Pressure: Budapest’s water utility is again urging residents to cut non-essential use as low Danube levels tighten production capacity, with the situation described as especially critical north of the capital in Dunabogdány. EU Space & Defense Tech: The EU and the Spacerise consortium have formally expanded IRIS², adding 66 satellites to bring the total to 348, with first launches due in 2029 and service from 2030—aimed at boosting secure capacity for EU defense and emergency services. Retail Real Estate: NEPI Rockcastle is making its first move outside Central and Eastern Europe with a €252m acquisition of MegaPark Barakaldo in Bilbao, signaling continued appetite for dominant shopping-centre assets. Aviation M&A: Pegasus Airlines has received Turkish competition approval for its Smartwings deal, covering AOCs in Hungary, Poland and Slovakia, with closing expected in 2026 after further EU review. Battery Rules: The EU’s “battery passport” regulation is set to reshape Europe’s battery market from Feb. 18, 2027, potentially favoring Korean suppliers over Chinese rivals due to supply-chain transparency requirements.