Digital rights and a democratic imperative
“The findings paint a concerning picture, underscoring the urgent need for continuous, independent monitoring of digital rights violations in a region that remains highly vulnerable,” the report says. It is based on 1,440 incidents registered by BIRN’s monitoring team from September 2024 to August 2025 in ten countries – Albania,…
Nexperia: аnother victory for China
The Dutch government placed Nexperia — headquartered in the Netherlands but owned by China’s Wingtech — under emergency state supervision. Washington had urged The Hague to act, warning that Chinese ownership of a European chipmaker carried strategic risks. Beijing hit back quickly. China blocked exports of Nexperia-made chips from its…
Bulgaria’s Trans-Balkan pipeline
The classic Trans-Balkan Pipeline consists of two high-pressure transit lines that cross Bulgaria from north to south and historically connected Romania to Turkey. Today these lines carry zero gas in either direction. Reverse flow does exist, but only on the former Kardam–Negru Vodă 1 line, which was quietly transferred to…
Bardella beats all opponents as France faces budget standoff
French pollster Odoxa predicted for the first time that 30-year-old far-right leader Jordan Bardella would win the next presidential election, scheduled in 2027, no matter who his opponents would be. The current president of far-right National Rally (RN) party, and heir to long-time leader Marine Le Pen, would garner more…
Europol Warns: Criminal networks are turning children into tools of violence
Criminal organizations are increasingly “weaponizing children,” manipulating them through multiplayer video games and smartphones while parents often remain unaware of what’s happening, according to Europol chief Catherine De Bolle. She says these networks currently represent the most serious criminal threat to the European Union, as they undermine society by targeting…