Renowned professor at Johns Hopkins University in Washington, Daniel Serwer, has reacted sharply to the statements of the Serbian Minister of State Administration and Local Self-Government, Snezhana Paunović, who stated in a television appearance that, if she had been in the position of Serbian wartime leader Slobodan Milošević, she would have "ethnically cleansed Kosovo" in 1998.

In an interview with N1 television, Serwer described the minister's statement as extremely serious and unacceptable, emphasizing that a serious institutional reaction from the Serbian leadership should be immediate.

"If Vucic had even a single part of himself that disagreed with this, he would immediately dismiss him. It is such a reprehensible statement that it is difficult to describe," Serwer declared.

According to the American professor, Paunović's failure to resign from his ministerial post shows that the issue is not just related to a personal statement, but raises questions about the broader political stance of Serbian institutions towards rhetoric related to ethnic cleansing.

The Serbian minister's statement, made during an interview on July 11 on Kurir TV, caused strong reactions in Kosovo and in the international arena.

Shtohet presioni gjerman pas deklaratës skandaloze për Kosovën të ministres serbe

Paunovic, who is part of the Socialist Party of Serbia once led by the former butcher of the Balkans, Slobodan Milosevic, was criticized for normalizing an idea related to crimes and mass deportations during the war in Kosovo.

Kosovo institutions have declared her persona non grata, while the Ministry of Justice has announced that it has taken legal steps against her. Criticism of her statements has also come from representatives of the European Union and the US State Department. /Telegraph/

Tensions in the Middle East have escalated after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reportedly detained a ship passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

According to the Iranian Tasnim news agency, citing an informed source, Iranian forces have intercepted a Thai-flagged ship after it allegedly ignored warnings and attempted to pass through the waterway without authorization.

Meanwhile, other reports indicate that Iran has carried out attacks on ammunition depots and military bases in northern Iraq.

Images posted on social media show explosions and fires in the affected areas.

So far there are no full details on the damage or the exact targets of the attacks, writes skynews.

The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the most strategic maritime transport points in the world, as a significant portion of global oil supplies passes through it.

Any military incident in this area raises concerns about the security of energy markets and international navigation.

The latest developments come at a time of high tensions between Iran and its regional and international adversaries, with the international community closely monitoring the situation. /Telegraph/

The American cities of Detroit, Chicago and Washington now have some of the worst air quality levels in the world, while New York ranks fourth for air pollution. Citizens wear masks as they do during the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to data from the air quality monitoring platform IQAir, the pollution index has reached alarming levels: in Detroit, the level was recorded at 435, in Chicago 330, and in Washington 242, which are considered very dangerous levels for health.

Zjarri i madh në Kanada rrethon trenin, drejtuesi filmon kalimin mes flakëve

In comparison, cities known for air pollution such as Jakarta, New Delhi and Beijing have now had better air quality.

A thick layer of gray smoke has blanketed many cities in the northeastern United States, significantly reducing visibility.

From Arlington in Virginia, where the panorama of Washington is usually clearly visible, today monuments such as the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument are barely distinguishable.

Residents have also reported an unusual smell in the air, while authorities have activated the purple alert, which indicates air that is very harmful to health.

Similar situations have been reported in New York, Boston and Chicago. Residents have reported smelling and tasting smoke, while authorities have advised against outdoor activities due to hazardous particles in the air.

The source of the smoke is the large forest fires that are engulfing the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec, as well as the American state of Minnesota.

Experts warn that climate change has contributed to the expansion of areas affected by fires. Drought has made the soil and vegetation burn more easily, causing more frequent and larger fires. /Telegraph/

Russian-occupied Crimea is facing serious energy and fuel supply problems, with local authorities admitting that the situation is worsening.

The Russian-installed leader of Crimea, Sergei Aksionov, stated that residents cannot have a guarantee that gasoline will be available every day at gas stations.

"At the moment, daily fuel supplies cannot be guaranteed," Aksionov said, adding that authorities are trying to manage the situation.

Major problems have also been reported with the electricity supply. According to him, it is currently impossible to draw up a schedule that would enable an equal distribution of energy throughout the territory of Crimea.

These statements have raised concerns about a wider humanitarian crisis on the peninsula, where fuel shortages and power outages could affect food supplies and basic services.

The situation in Crimea has also been affected by developments in the war in Ukraine, including attacks on Russian-controlled energy and logistics infrastructure. Local authorities have not given a deadline for when supplies are expected to stabilize. /Telegraph/

A powerful earthquake has struck off the coast of the Mexican state of Chiapas, prompting a tsunami warning. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake had a magnitude of 7.3.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said "hazardous tsunami waves" could occur along coasts within a radius of 300 kilometers from the epicenter of the earthquake. The warning applies to parts of the Pacific Ocean closest to the shaking zone.

The epicenter of the earthquake was recorded near Puerto Madero, a major Pacific port and fishing town located about 13 kilometers from the border with Guatemala. The USGS initially reported a magnitude of 7.4, but later revised the estimate to 7.3. The earthquake occurred at a depth of just 10 kilometers.

Shallow earthquakes usually cause stronger ground shaking and can cause more damage. Shaking of this strength is often accompanied by other destructive consequences, such as landslides.

The governor of the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca, Salomón Jara, announced that the moderate-intensity earthquake was also felt in the state capital. According to initial information, there are no reports of injuries or major material damage, he said on social media.

The earthquake shook buildings in Guatemala's capital, Guatemala City, as some residents took to the streets in fear, Reuters reported.

The tremors were also felt in the neighboring country of El Salvador. /Telegraph/

US President Donald Trump has refused to schedule a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, following the Israeli leader's public criticism of Washington's plan to sell F-35 fighter jets to Turkey.

According to US media, Netanyahu's statements caused anger in the White House. One US official said Trump was "very irritated", while another stated that the president believed Netanyahu "had no right" to interfere in US defense strategy.

The clash caused a potential meeting in the Oval Office to fall through. US officials said the meeting was not authorized and was not on the presidential agenda, despite the Israeli side having begun preparations for the trip to Washington, Axios reports.

Kongresi amerikan lufton për të lejuar Turqinë të kthehet në programin F-35

Tensions between the two allies have been rising ahead of Trump's trip to the NATO summit in Ankara. An Israeli intelligence claim of a possible Iranian threat to the US president was dismissed by US officials as speculative rather than a concrete plan.

The disagreements come at a time when support for Netanyahu in Washington is weakening. Senior American officials, including Vice President JD Vance, have criticized some members of the Israeli government for their stances on US policy on Iran.

Meanwhile, voices against military aid to Israel are also growing in the US Congress. More than 100 Democrats in the House of Representatives voted to cut $3 billion in military aid, in a sign of growing divisions over US policy toward the Netanyahu government. /Telegraph/

Drone footage released by Madrid firefighters on Friday shows the aftermath of a forest fire that forced the evacuation and isolation of residents north of the Spanish capital.

A man was arrested on Thursday (July 16) on suspicion of deliberately setting the fire that broke out in the municipality of Lozoyuela, the government representative in Madrid told Cadena SER radio.

As of Friday, the fire remained out of control, while authorities were carefully monitoring weather conditions, which are considered a key factor in efforts to bring the flames under control.

The forest fire has engulfed around 700 hectares of land in the Lozoyuelas area.

The Spanish Meteorological Agency (AEMET) warned that temperatures will start to rise again from Saturday, with some inland parts of Andalusia expected to exceed 40 degrees Celsius. /Telegraph

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The Netherlands is officially facing a water shortage, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management announced.

The National Committee for the Coordination of Water Distribution (LCW) has recommended that the situation be raised to the second level of alert for real water shortages.

Authorities and water supply companies are considering new measures for distributing available reserves, although it has not yet been decided which concrete measures will be implemented.

The Dutch government emphasizes that drinking water continues to be available, but citizens are urged to use it carefully and avoid wasting it, media reports.

The water shortage is expected to initially affect river shipping, industry and agriculture. Low water levels make it difficult for ships to navigate, forcing them to carry less cargo to avoid getting stuck at the bottom of rivers. Factories may also face restrictions on discharging water for cooling, as shallower rivers heat up more quickly.

Earlier, on July 1, the Netherlands was placed on the first level of warning for possible water shortages. Now the country has moved to level two, while level three would mean a full-blown water crisis.

River levels have continued to fall due to drought and high temperatures. In some areas, canals and streams have dried up, while authorities are preparing measures such as the use of dams and additional pumps to maintain fresh water supplies. /Telegraph/

Former director of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), retired General David Petraeus, has stated that Ukraine's capabilities in the use and production of drones have reached extraordinary levels, leaving even the United States behind in this field.

"Ukraine is now using 10,000 or more drones a day. That's just amazing," Petraeus said.

According to him, last year alone, Ukraine produced about 3.5 million drones, while the United States produced approximately 300,000.

"We don't have anything similar to what they have," the former CIA chief stressed, underlining the great importance that drones have taken on in modern warfare.

Petraeus said the conflict in Ukraine has changed the way military operations are conducted, turning unmanned technology into a key factor on the battlefield.

The massive increase in Ukrainian drone production has been driven by the need to confront the Russian military, while Kiev has invested heavily in developing the domestic unmanned vehicle industry. /Telegraph/