What could be better than peace? The end of suffering, destruction, and a chance to rebuild. A moment to grieve for the fallen—and to look ahead with hope. It’s a compelling idea. Unless, of course, the peace is hollow—and one side never intended to stop fighting. The cost of that...
Serbia’s growing military ties with China
Secretary General Mark Rutte bluntly warned against Serbia’s growing defence cooperation with China while acknowledging Belgrade’s sovereign right to pursue it. Unlike most other countries from Eaestern Europe, Serbia is not a candidate for NATO membership. “Let’s not be naive about China,” Rutte said on 24 November, in an interview...
San Marino’s banking scandal erupts
SAN MARINO — In one of Europe’s tiniest republics — better known for medieval fortresses and discreet banking than front-page intrigue — a corporate takeover has spiraled into what could become one of the continent’s most explosive financial scandals in years. The protagonist is Assen Christov, a 62-year-old Bulgarian magnate...
The shadow fleet now has its own system for scrapping ships
Countries around the Baltic Sea have tried virtually every legal tool to deal with an escalating maritime nightmare: a steady traffic of decrepit tankers passing through their waters. And no, scuttling them is not an option — it would be illegal. But an even bigger problem is now surfacing. Most...
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...
Europe seeks a fresh strategy in Africa’s Battle for critical minerals
When the colonial governments of Belgium and Portugal ordered the construction of a railway connecting oil- and mineral-rich regions in the African interior to the Atlantic, their primary objective was to plunder resources such as rubber, ivory and minerals for export to Western countries. Today, that same stretch of railway...