River restoration in Europe: Europe removed a record 602 river barriers in 2025, reconnecting about 2,324 miles of waterways to help fish migration and wildlife recovery; Iceland’s River Melsá is a headline example, and North Macedonia is also noted for removing barriers for the first time. EU funding for reforms: The European Commission released more money under the Reform and Growth Facility (Growth Plan), including €65.7m for North Macedonia, tied to business competitiveness, innovation, education and digitalisation. Regional connectivity push: Bulgarian and North Macedonian foreign ministers met on improving regional connectivity and accelerating Corridor VIII, including steps toward a cross-border railway tunnel after a 2025 agreement. Local climate- and water-safety angle via NATO training: University of Kansas students took part in a NATO simulation with a scenario of Russian cyberattacks contaminating water facilities in the Baltic states—highlighting how water infrastructure security is becoming a wider security and resilience issue. Film funding from gambling levies: North Macedonia approved a draft Games of Chance law that will redirect 3% of gambling levies to the Film Agency, aiming to strengthen domestic film production and related creative ecosystems. Biodiversity deep-sea discovery: Chinese scientists reported 32 species living in hadal ocean trenches, expanding what we know about life in extreme deep-sea environments.