Municipal Reform: Albania’s Socialists back merging 28 municipalities into 13, cutting the total from 61 to 46, affecting about 225,000 people, with local councils given 60 days to respond. Diplomacy: Albania’s chief diplomat defended a deal to let Serbia open a consulate in Shkodër in exchange for an Albanian consulate in the Presheva Valley. Justice & Courts: The Supreme Court set a Sept. 15 hearing on Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj’s detention appeal, after the Constitutional Court ordered a legal review; meanwhile, SPAK says courts froze about €440m in suspected criminal assets in major cases. EU Integration: Austria’s S3 chairmanship program focuses on Western Balkan EU enlargement, energy security, cross-border infrastructure and digitalization. Kosovo War Crimes: Kosovo prosecutors confirmed human remains at a suspected 1999 mass grave in Zubin Potok, with excavations continuing and two Serbs detained. Health: Free basic health checks now cover everyone over 35 from September, with the state also taking over dialysis services and approving Albania’s first National Oncology Institute. Economy & Housing: Business turnover rose 7% in H1; at the same time, tourist rentals are squeezing long-term housing as short-term lets expand and nightly prices climb. Migration Links: Albania and Indonesia signed MoUs on migrant worker placement and labor cooperation with Vietnam. Football Politics: UEFA says it will boycott FIFA competitions over a $20bn investor plan, raising the question of which countries—including Albania—would be affected.