Good morning. Overnight, Belgrade’s student-led uprising escalated as riot police fired tear-gas and armoured vehicles into crowds across five Serbian cities, wounding at least 75 officers and arresting 114 people; protesters answered with flares at landmarks still scarred by NATO’s 1999 bombs. (reuters.com, apnews.com, ansa.it)

President Vučić blames “foreign-inspired hooligans,” yet nine months of mass marches suggest a deeper erosion: Serbia now ranks 105/180 on Transparency International’s corruption index while youth unemployment hovers near 25 %. In an EU-candidate state where two-thirds of trade flows to the Union, the spectacle of tear-gas risks new conditionalities on accession funds—just as Brussels debates a €6 bn Western Balkans growth plan. (dw.com)

History rhymes: Milosević fell when street energy converged with economic isolation in 2000; today, a digitally networked generation weaponises daily traffic blockades and live-streams police excess. Unless Belgrade chooses dialogue over deterrence, Serbia may again prove Václav Havel’s maxim that “power limits itself only when citizens refuse to be afraid.”

—The Gist AI Editor

State Power & Civil Unrest

Across Europe, states are confronting challenges to their authority. In Serbia, nine months of anti-government protests have escalated, with Belgrade police deploying tear gas against demonstrators (Strait Times, Politico.eu). The sustained unrest, initially sparked by a deadly infrastructure collapse blamed on corruption, signals a deepening crisis for President Aleksandar Vučić’s government. Meanwhile, the UK government is cracking down on dissent through legal channels. Following the proscription of Palestine Action as a terrorist group, London’s Metropolitan Police announced plans to prosecute at least 60 individuals for showing support (Strait Times). This follows the arrest of over 700 people since the ban took effect in early July, a move critics like the UN and Amnesty International argue stifles free speech.

Human Rights Under Authoritarianism

In Hong Kong, the case of publisher Jimmy Lai highlights the erosion of the rule of law. The 77-year-old’s national security trial was postponed again due to his deteriorating health, specifically heart palpitations requiring medical attention (WSJ, The Guardian). Lai, a prominent critic of Beijing, has been detained since December 2020, and his long-running trial is viewed by Western governments and rights groups as a barometer for civic freedom and judicial independence in the city. The repeated delays and concerns over his health amplify questions about due process under the city’s increasingly restrictive political environment.

Brazil’s Open-Door Economics

Shifting to South America, Brazil is sending a clear signal of its intent to attract foreign investment. At the opening of a new factory for Chinese automaker GWM in Sao Paulo, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva declared, “Whoever wants to come, we welcome you with open arms” (Strait Times). This pro-business stance contrasts with rising protectionist sentiments elsewhere. The new GWM facility is part of a R$10 billion investment plan and is expected to create over 2,000 jobs, bolstering Brazil’s ambition to become a key auto-exporting hub for Latin America (Reuters).

Stay tuned for the next Gist—your edge in a shifting world.

Serbia’s police uses teargas to disperse protesters
— Strait Times

Brazil is open for business, Lula says at Chinese factory opening
— Strait Times

Opinion | Will China Let Jimmy Lai Die in Prison?
— Wall Street Journal

Britain to prosecute more than 60 people for supporting banned pro-Palestine group
— Strait Times

World’s cartoonists on this week’s events
— Politico.Eu

‘He is finished’: Serbian protesters’ fury with Vučić hits boiling point
— Politico.Eu

Alaska’s Ambiguity

The summit between Presidents Trump and Putin in Alaska has concluded, with both sides calling the dialogue “constructive”, yet providing no specifics on a potential Ukraine ceasefire (ZDF). A Kremlin envoy went further, terming the meeting “fantastic” (ANSA). The United Nations cautiously welcomed the talks, but reiterated its call for a peace that fully respects Ukraine’s internationally recognized borders and sovereignty (ANSA). This lack of detail creates significant uncertainty for European capitals. While direct dialogue can de-escalate tensions, opaque agreements between great powers risk undermining the continent’s security architecture and the principle of national sovereignty, leaving allies to parse rhetoric rather than policy. The immediate aftermath will test the coherence of European foreign policy as leaders await briefings from Washington.

Inequality’s Union Impulse

New research highlights a causal link between rising wage inequality and renewed support for labour unions. A study across three distinct settings shows that as occupational pay gaps widen, so does worker interest in collective bargaining (CEPR). This isn’t merely correlation; the data suggests widening inequality actively changes union organizing strategies and worker sentiment. For free-market advocates, this presents a paradox: the market-driven outcomes of wage disparity may be fueling a collectivist response. It underscores that the distribution of economic gains has profound social consequences. Ignoring significant rises in inequality risks creating fertile ground for movements that favour labour market regulation over individual contract freedom, potentially reversing decades of liberalising reforms.

Catch the next Gist for the continent’s moving pieces.

‘Our erotic knowledge empowers us’: The women’s group chat that explores the power of nudity
— El Pais

Dmitriev, colloquio Putin-Trump è stato fantastico
— Ansa

How wage inequality affects the labour movement
— Cepr

Keine Aussage zur Waffenruhe – Telefonate stehen an
— Zdf

DBB-Team schlägt Türkei und steht im Finale
— Zdf

So sahen die ersten heute-Nachrichten aus
— Zdf