EU vs. Russia on the ballot in Bosnia
Bosnians will head to the polls this weekend for elections in one of the world’s most complicated political systems. Voters will elect three national presidents representing three main ethnic groups – one Bosniak, one Croat, and one Serb. Collectively, they serve as the country’s head of state. But the biggest race to watch is for the president of the Republic of Srpska, the Serb-majority region that, along with the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina makes up the country of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Confused yet? Bottom line: the outcome could shape Bosnia’s relationship with the EU and Russia. The race pits the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD), which has pushed for closer ties with Moscow, against the Serb Democratic Party (SDS), which supports Bosnia’s integration into the EU. It’s another version of a political tug-of-war playing out across parts of Eastern Europe and the Balkans, where Russia and the EU are competing for influence.
Nigerian man charged with creating bogus government agency
It’s one thing to see a video online and ask “is that AI?” It’s quite another to wonder “is that government agency actually… fake?” Nigerian authorities charged a man named Adeniyi Adeyemi on Wednesday with creating a make-believe “Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council” in 2024, using forged documents. Adeyemi even got office space in a government building, met with foreign diplomats and business people, and was allocated $1 million in public funds (they were never released.) The office of President Bola Tinubu says it blew the whistle on the con itself, but Adeyemi says he paid off Tinubu’s chief of staff in order to create the council. The case is being closely watched in a country where a staggering 94% of people see government corruption as “widespread.” Fake it til you make it, they say.
China’s AI push goes a little too well
China is drafting new rules to regulate AI relationships for children under age 18 after its push for AI adoption has proven a little more successful than expected. A 2025 survey found that more than a fifth of minors “only wanted to chat with AI.” Now, Beijing is concerned by what an increase in AI relationships could mean for its already shrinking birthrate and population. The new regulations would ban platforms from offering services that provide virtual companions, or that otherwise might cause addiction or harm to users. They come on top of separate action this summer by China to set limits on AI companions that require platforms to step in if users develop unhealthy dependencies. The Chinese government has pushed for people to integrate AI into their work and lives in a race to keep up with US development, but now must figure out how to balance maintaining social order and promoting the technology.
