Ukraine Air-Defense Push: France says it will accelerate interceptor missile deliveries after Russian strikes, including a deadly hit on a shopping centre in Kryvyi Rih that killed at least 16; Zelensky says France will also help with production licences as Kyiv pleads for more Patriot-capable interceptors. EU Energy Tax Talk: Six EU countries back an EU-wide windfall tax on oil firms, arguing crisis profits should be returned to consumers ahead of an EU finance ministers meeting in Dublin. Retail Demand Signals (UK): UK retail sales volumes fell 0.5% in July after a June weather-and-soccer boost, with clothing and footwear the biggest drag, while sentiment surveys suggest demand is holding up. Drought Hits Consumer Supply Chains: Record-low river levels, especially on the Rhine, are disrupting inland shipping and pushing more freight onto costlier road and rail routes. Packaging Compliance Shock: The EU’s PPWR rules are forcing Vietnamese exporters to rethink packaging design, recyclability, recycled content and chemical safety to keep access to EU shelves. EU Consumer Tech: Mozilla expands Firefox’s free VPN and rolls out privacy-focused Startpage search in more European markets.