Deal Watch: bp has agreed to sell its Austria mobility, convenience and EV charging businesses to volenergy, including 250 bp-branded retail sites (about 115 under bp brand license after completion expected end-2026) plus charging infrastructure and fleet operations. Trade & Industry: Statistics Austria shows 2025 exports were flat to slightly down, with Upper Austria still the export powerhouse (47.27bn euros, 24.9% of total) despite a 2.1% decline and a 10.97bn euro trade surplus. Connectivity & Energy: Austria and Kazakhstan launched the Austrian-Kazakh Connectivity Platform in Vienna to deepen cooperation on the Middle Corridor, logistics, industrial modernization and energy. Renewables Grid Bottlenecks: Ember says hybridising hydropower sites in Austria and other EU states could unlock 25GW of solar/wind capacity without new grid build-outs, helping projects “jump the queue.” Mobility/Infrastructure: Prague’s Petřín Funicular reopens in September with a new single fare of CZK 100 (CZK 90 via the PID Lítačka app). Business & Tech Skills: Vienna’s International Screen Institute opens applications for Future Ready and a Hands-on A.I. Producers Lab, focusing on AI and virtual production for media professionals. EV Competition: Xpeng launched the L03 in Europe from €34,990, pricing it below the Tesla Model Y, with deliveries starting Q4 2026.