


Outrage in Ukraine as the government attacks anti-corruption watchdogs
President Zelensky tightens his control
FEW DEPUTIES could remember a law of such importance being rushed so quickly through parliament. The passage of Bill 12414, which subordinates Ukraine’s two main independent anti-corruption bodies to the presidentially appointed prosecutor-general during wartime, had the feel of something done in panic. Unveiled at a hastily convened committee session on July 22nd at 8am, neither the committee head nor the majority of members were present. By the afternoon, the bill had been rushed over to the president for signature. Volodymyr Zelensky’s men had been able to find the numbers to comfortably pass the bill, with 263 voting for and just 13 daring to vote against. But the vote to undermine Ukraine’s most consequential anti-corruption reforms casts a shadow over the country’s future course.
Explore more

The Houthis shatter European pretensions to naval power
Recent attacks in the Red Sea show how feeble Europe is

Switzerland is ticking towards a tighter deal with the EU
Alarmed voters worry it will limit their tradition of direct democracy

Albania’s tourism boom is a boon for Jared Kushner
For many locals it is straining water supplies
Germany’s “memory culture” prevents it from coping with Gaza
Atonement for the Holocaust has sometimes become unquestioning support for Israel
Ukrainian drones are killing ever more soldiers
Russia is grinding ahead but paying an excruciating price
Despite enormous challenges, the EU sticks with its puny budget
At least farming subsidies are getting cut down to size