Digital Euro Pilot: The ECB has picked 36 payment providers for the digital euro pilot, starting in late 2027 for 12 months, using a beta version to test technical flows and user experience ahead of a possible 2029 launch. South China Sea Diplomacy: China hit back at a 14-country EU-aligned joint statement marking the 10th anniversary of the 2016 arbitration, rejecting the ruling and calling it political “stirring up trouble,” while the EU and signatories reaffirmed it as final and legally binding. EU Trade Politics: Ireland’s foreign minister says the EU is stalling on an import ban for goods from illegal Israeli settlements, as member states and the Commission clash over how to approve restrictions. Slovenia in NATO Security Talk: Slovenia’s new foreign minister Tone Kajzer says NATO is stronger after the Ankara summit and insists Slovenia will prioritise meeting the 2% defence spending target. Local Governance: Slovenia’s Roma settlement infrastructure gets new municipal funding—Črenšovci, Rogašovci and Šalovci receive support for sewage and road projects under a government initiative. Media & Competition: A US-led coalition of state attorneys general sues to block the $111bn Paramount–Warner Bros. Discovery merger, while Paramount Skydance argues the case misreads competition law.