Competition Watch: Uzbekistan’s anti-monopoly regulator has formally flagged VFS Global and Vizametric as dominant players in outbound visa services, with TLScontact singled out for “superior bargaining power” in German and French visa processing. Nordic Security: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden issued a joint statement pledging sustained support for Ukraine and deeper Nordic-Baltic cooperation on defence and resilience. Russia–EU Trade Friction: Russia has suspended several rail border crossings with Finland, Estonia and Latvia from July 1, with analysts saying the move also aims to steer cargo toward Russian ports. Finland–Russia Agriculture Impact: Finland will stop importing mineral fertilisers from Russia by rail after tariff changes make shipments eight times more expensive, raising pressure for alternatives in the farm sector. Energy Shock: Reuters reports Ukrainian strikes have hit Russian refineries, cutting gasoline production and feeding fears of a major fuel crisis as Putin acknowledges “certain fuel shortages.” Tech & Industry: Alsym Energy and ERITY signed a 9GWh sodium-ion battery partnership for mining energy storage, targeting off-grid cost savings. Crypto Regulation: MiCA’s transitional licensing period ends July 1, forcing EU crypto service providers to operate only with granted authorization. Business Finland Angle: Questions continue over €35m state backing for Helsinki Garden, with opposition demanding clarity on how the funding proposal reached the government agenda.