The media assets of Vijesti, #Montenegro's most important independent media group, are to be sold to an investment fund linked to former Hungarian PM Orban, an ally of Vucic. Troubling news, given how many Montenegrin media are already owned by Serbian capital! balkaninsight.com/2026/07/30/m...

Media Changes in Montenegro Intensify Alarm About Foreign Influence

Experts warn major alterations in media ownership could test country’s democratic resilience and spread disinformation at crucial moment, as EU membership looms.

balkaninsight.com

🤬❗️In July, Russia dropped a record number of guided aerial bombs on Ukraine – over 8,300. This is the highest number of the war, according to a statement from the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense.

In May, for the first time, South Africa replaced Spain as the world’s largest exporter of citrus fruit. Citrus has been the country’s most valuable agricultural export, and recently has earned more than is earned through diamond exports

Forget gold and copper. Africa’s latest boom is in blueberries and oranges

A surge in fruit exports shows how high-value agriculture can spur industrialisation

bit.ly

Sweden and other European countries are shaking up their intelligence operations. The reason is not just Russian aggression, but also concerns about their dependency on America

Sweden is launching its own MI6

Memories of a big mistake still spook Europe’s spies

bit.ly

One thing I’ve often said—and that we all need to keep in mind—: you should never trust Trump. The collusion with russia runs too deep. Some were quick to conclude that he had now sided with Ukraine. I’ve consistently expressed my doubts. Here's another reason why. www.ft.com/content/d8c4...

Donald Trump ‘not sure’ he will let Ukraine build Patriot missiles

US president had earlier said he would allow Kyiv to produce the weapon vital for its defence against Russia

ft.com

Incredible how the nature of this war has shifted (yet again). "By mapping dependencies across refineries, substations and transmission systems, Ukrainian planners identify nodes where a relatively small warhead can cause disruption far beyond the initial blast." giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

Ukraine adapts strikes on Russian energy industry to hit critical components

Kyiv is shifting its long-range drone campaign to keep plants offline for longer

giftarticle.ft.com

In 1999 #Kosovo, Roma women were raped by Serbs and Albanians. And were forgotten. "Not a single case concerning wartime sexual violence ag. Roma, Ashkali or Egyptian women has ever reached court in Kosovo, nor is there any open investigation." Excellent reporting: balkaninsight.com/2026/07/22/n...

‘Nobody Mentions Us’: Silence Surrounds Wartime Rape of Kosovo’s Ethnic Minorities

Stigma still cloaks the issue of wartime sexual violence in Kosovo, but even more so for survivors from the Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian minorities.

balkaninsight.com

The truth is that the Italian government is using a migration crisis as a pretext to challenge Spain’s domestic policy through threats that have no basis in EU law. But by pretending that it can unilaterally suspend Schengen, Italy questions the legal order that makes the European Union possible

Can #Bosnia fill some gaps in NATO ammunition production? Interesting idea, raised by two old US Bosnia hands. I have last been at one of the mentioned companies, Binas, nearly 20 years ago, when it looked like no one wanted these products, but times have changed. balkaninsight.com/2026/07/21/i...

It’s Time NATO Stopped Ignoring Bosnia’s Ammunition Industry

Bosnia and Herzegovina already has factories making the ammunition the Western military alliance needs right now – but without recognition and investment, their potential will go untapped.

balkaninsight.com

I do not know what trajectory Özgür Özel's new party will set for Turkey. Too early to tell. What I know is that the fact the 67 per cent of the CHP MPs joined it - knowing that they will highly likely face repression - is a strong democratic defence of political representation.

Viktor Orbán’s defeated Fidesz, Hungary’s ruling party for 16 years, has plunged to 19% – its worst result in 30 years. Unable to reform, remove Orbán, turn the page or confront its record of corruption and abuse of power, the party is collapsing faster than anyone expected.

On the difficulties of Europe establishing „European giants“:

The Economist@economist.com · 2w ago

The fortunes of three European dealmakers matter greatly to the old world. None is a saint acting out of public interest. Yet the continent needs them

Very interesting! Martin Wolf argues that higher US growth is practically only due to a stronger tech sector whose measurement is questionable. Conclusion: „The big threats Europe confronts are not narrowly economic ones. They are those of security and defence.“ giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

Is the US or Europe better off?

Comparing the two economies is harder than it seems

giftarticle.ft.com

We don’t talk about this enough: russia's stepping up its recruitment of Africans as cannon fodder, in Kenya, despite Lavrov’s so-called promise, Ghana, Egypt, Cameroon... Social media is being used to amplify this effort. When will Africans finally drive russia out? www.france24.com/fr/vid%C3%A9...

Près de 3000 Africains enrôlés par la Russie pour le front ukrainien

La Russie continue d'enrôler des Africains pour combattre sur le front ukrainien. La plateforme « Stop Russian Recruters », qui est liée au ministère de la Défense ukrainien, dénombre désormais près…

france24.com

Forensic Architecture just published an in-depth investigation into the Minab school bombing in Iran that's well worth a read and watch forensic-architecture.org/investigatio...

Greece is preventing a deal on the new package of EU sanctions against Russia. The country demands an adjustment to the ban on Russian LNG to continue shipping to clients worldwide. Member states are aghast at the request, given that the LNG ban was agreed last year. "Shameless," a diplomat said.

'Shameless': Greece and LNG remain roadblock in new Russia sanctions

Greece has thrown a spanner into the works of fresh EU sanctions by demanding an exemption to a full ban on Russian LNG. Member states are aghast at the request, with one diplomat calling it "shameles...

euronews.com

Who would have thought that Orban's system in #Hungary would be dismantled so quickly after Peter Magyar's election win three months ago. So interesting to see how this evolves and if the country manages to become a normal democracy again. Long-read gift article: giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

The Magyar revolution: Hungary’s new era

What will the dismantling of the Orbán machine lead to?

giftarticle.ft.com

Thousands of Ukrainians protest against Zelenskyy’s firing of defence minister ft.trib.al/7RDzvu1

Thousands of Ukrainians protest against Zelenskyy’s firing of defence minister

Deputy air force commander resigns as president faces backlash over decision

ft.trib.al

This is an openly hostile act towards European democracies and the EU. It is equivalent to Russian disinformation and destabilisation programmes and should be treated as such.

Anne Applebaum@anneapplebaum.wsocial.eu · 3w ago

The State Department has just put out a tender, offering funding of up to $3 million to European organizations who want to fight against "Supra-national institutions" - presumably the EU - and governments who seek to regulate the internet and end Western Civilization. www.state.gov/drl-nofo-dev...

If the head of US intelligence isn't able to say who won the election in 2020, then maybe he shouldn't be head of US intelligence.

"Rubio called for renewing the U.S.-Europe partnership to defend common heritage, restore respect for sovereignty, and address modern challenges like mass migration and violations of free speech." So the US will now fund European far right NGOs to drive it's agenda! www.state.gov/drl-nofo-dev...

DRL NOFO Developing Civilizational Bonds, Democratic Resilience, and Rule of Law in Europe - United States Department of State

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)Developing Civilizational Bonds, Democratic Resilience, and Rule of Law in EuropeBureau of Democracy Human Rights and Labor, Department of StateOpportunity number: ...

state.gov

It is frankly mind-boggling that the United States, after 47 years of conflict with the Iranian regime, has such a faulty conception of the latter’s character, and therefore no coherent theory of victory. How is that possible? (The expertise is available.) It did not happen with the Soviet Union.

E. Jean Carroll has finally received the $5.6 million the court ordered Trump to pay her for sexual abuse and defamation www.npr.org/2026/07/14/n...

E. Jean Carroll receives $5.6 million from Trump in sexual abuse and defamation case

The payment comes three years after a jury found President Trump liable for sexually abusing and defaming the writer.

npr.org

Europe's only army actually fighting for our shared freedom still finds time to remind us what Europe is worth defending. #EurSky #StandWithUkraine 🇪🇺

Michael MacKay@michaelmackay.wsocial.eu · 3w ago

Ukrainian soldiers are marching in Paris today. A Ukrainian military contingent is taking part in the Bastille Day parade on the Champs-Élysées for the first time ever. Ukraine has been defending Europe from invasion by fascist russia for over 12 years.

There is no one left to look at high level #corruption in the #US: youtube.com/shorts/os026...

Redefining Corruption | The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart

YouTube video by The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart

youtube.com

The US attack at #ICC intensifies. Among measures announced by Rubio: Nations that partner with U.S. military or "enjoy the benefits of the U.S. security umbrella are called upon to reject the ICC’s purported authority to prosecute American officials and servicemen." www.state.gov/releases/off...

State Department Launches Campaign to Dismantle International Criminal Court’s Threat to American Sovereignty - United States Department of State

Today, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a sweeping campaign to dismantle the threat posed by the International Criminal Court to U.S. sovereignty. The campaign will feature a whole-of-governme...

state.gov

Hardly talked about these days: Life in #Gaza. Interesting interview (in German) with photographer Saher Alghorra about people’s hardship, concerns and dilemmas, and many of his pictures: www.zeit.de/politik/ausl...

Fotograf in Gaza: »Wer hat noch mal in dem Haus gewohnt, das dort stand?«

Saher Alghorra lebt in Gaza. Mit seinen Fotografien gewann er den Pulitzer-Preis. Er erzählt vom Alltag in der Waffenruhe und davon, was die Menschen dort beschäftigt.

zeit.de

This is a really good explainer about the mortality estimates around USAID. One big point is that dismantling USAID also dismantled one of the main sources of mortality data in some of these regions. Early indicators of mortality are very worrying.

The New Yorker@newyorker.com · 3w ago

Elon Musk’s cuts to U.S.A.I.D. led to some 700,000 deaths, Atul Gawande says. www.newyorker.com/news/the-new...

What a horrible mess! (gift article) giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

Iran bets Trump will blink first

Tehran takes high-stakes gamble with US over Strait of Hormuz

giftarticle.ft.com

Another Russian drone (with Chinese parts) broke Moldova’s airspace and exploded in Copanca, in the south-east of the country, last night. It had 50 kilos of munition on it tv8.md/2026/07/13/v...

/VIDEO/ Pericolul de explozie persistă la Căușeni? Drona rusească ar fi căzut lângă o casă de locuit

/VIDEO/ Pericolul de explozie persistă la Căușeni? Drona rusească ar fi căzut lângă o casă de locuit

tv8.md