Education Tech Watch: The OECD’s PISA 2025 results show a broad skills slump: reading scores fell 28 points since 2015 and math 22, with 1 in 5 students now low performers across science, math and reading—an alarm bell for the “AI age” where critical reading matters most. Montenegro Angle: A separate report notes Montenegro is among countries seeing big shifts in PISA between 2022 and 2025, while Portugal’s PM says education quality and rigour have declined and points to measures like limiting mobile phones in schools. AI & Courts: In a US gas-explosion case, an expert witness reportedly used ChatGPT to draft most of an expert report, raising new concerns about how AI-generated reasoning could reshape litigation discovery. Digital Finance in the Region: Albania’s branchless Jet Bank is positioning for EU integration as Brussels rewrites payments rules and pushes Digital Identity Wallets—aiming for smoother euro cross-border transactions. Western Balkans Security & Water: Analysis warns that water diversion plans and unilateral dam talk could turn transboundary rivers into geopolitical flashpoints, arguing for shared data and joint impact assessments. Cyber/Infrastructure: Montenegro and the wider region appear in a study estimating Europe’s illegal online gambling market at €12B in 2025, including Serbia and Montenegro in the black-market picture.