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Euronews
31-07-2025
- Business
- Euronews
Is Zagreb military parade a reflection of a new Balkan arms race?
A military parade in Zagreb on Thursday celebrated the 30th anniversary of a Croatian army campaign that seized control of ethnic Serb-held territory in what was then a freshly independent state splintering off a crumbling Yugoslavia. The event came almost three decades after Operation Storm was launched on 4 August 1995. Three days later, the Croatian army had brought the Republic of Serb Krajina (RSK), an ethnic Serb-led territory in what is now Croatia, to an end. The operation had decisive strategic and diplomatic effects on the wars in the former Yugoslavia, both in Croatia and neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina. By seizing territorial control of the Krajina, Zagreb was able to declare a definitive end to its war of independence against a de facto Serb-dominated Yugoslavia, which had begun in 1991. The successful Croatian counteroffensive in its east also had a spillover effect in Bosnia, where the Bosnian Serb forces, challenged by NATO bombardments, began to lose ground on several fronts, until the Dayton Peace Accord was reached in November 1995. Since taking complete control of its territory to effectively assert its independence, Croatia became a full-fledged member of NATO in 2009 and of the EU in 2013. New strategic priorities and business challenges Igor Tabak, a Croatian political and security analyst from the OBRIS institute in Zagreb, said the real victory celebrations took place 30 years ago, but that Thursday was an opportunity for Croatia to showcase its military spending to its taxpayers. Croatia has hit its target of spending 2% of its GDP on defence and aims to increase this further, Tabak added. "There have been significant (military) purchases through the last few years. More is on the way, so our taxpayers have to see where it's all going and this is a good occasion for such a show." Thursday's military parade, the first to mark Operation Storm for a decade, showcased Croatia's transition from eastern weapons systems inherited from the former socialist Yugoslavia to Western arms. Instead of Soviet MiG 21s, Croatia now uses 4.5-generation multi-role fighter aircraft from France. It is also set to acquire 50 Leopard 2A8 tanks from Germany. Tabak also pointed to Croatian-made drones which have been used in Ukraine, which he described as "big news in our defence industrial base". This comes as the countries of the former Yugoslavia are making considerable efforts to renew and adapt their arsenals to NATO standards. Apart from Serbia, these nations are mainly importers, as their arms industries almost exclusively produce small arms. Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania have also equipped themselves at great expense with weapons compatible with NATO standards. View from Belgrade For most ethnic Serbs, Operation Storm represented a campaign of ethnic cleansing, with thousands of Croatia's Serbs forced to resettle in Serbia and Bosnia. Tensions between Croatia and Serbia continue, with the region further polarised by Russia's all-out war in Ukraine and the continued cordial relations between Belgrade and Moscow. Serbia has not aligned itself with Western sanctions against Russia, despite its candidacy to join the EU, while Croatia has signed a defence cooperation agreement with Albania and Kosovo in March. According to Nikola Lunić, an independent security and military analyst and a former Serbian military officer, the region risks entering an arms race it cannot afford. 'The bilateral relations between Zagreb and Belgrade are not cordial, so when they see that we are strengthening our army, they do the same,' says Lunić. Like Croatia, Serbia has also signed an agreement with France's Dassault to buy 12 Rafale planes worth almost €2 billion. Belgrade also imports weapon systems from China and Russia, while also having its own substantial production and exports. On 3 September, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić will participate in the large military parade organised by Chinese President Xi Jinping to mark the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Japan. Another military parade is scheduled in Belgrade on 15 September.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
NIH reportedly loses two top leaders in two days
(The Hill) — Two key staff members at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are reportedly leaving the agency amid ongoing efforts by the Trump administration and Department of Government Efficiency head Elon Musk to drastically cut the size of the federal workforce. NIH Principal Deputy Director Lawrence Tabak told staffers in an email Tuesday that he was retiring effective immediately, according to CBS News. Along with being principal deputy director, Tabak also served as the agency's deputy ethics counselor, having held both roles since 2010. Tabak temporarily served as acting head of NIH between December 2021 and November 2023, after the institute's former director Francis Collins stepped down. As CBS reported, Tabak had not been expected to retire until the fall but told a colleague that he felt it was necessary to retire at this time. Senate confirms RFK Jr. as Health secretary; McConnell lone GOP dissenter Just a day after Tabak's abrupt retirement, it was reported that Michael Lauer, deputy director of the National Institutes of Health's extramural research, will be leaving the agency at the end of the week. According to STAT, acting NIH director Matthew Memoli informed staff in an email of Lauer's departure, thanking him for his 'exemplary service to NIH and the American people.' The Hill has reached out to the Department of Health and Human Services and the White House for comment. These departures are occurring as the NIH is currently undergoing significant upheaval. Last week the agency issued an order slashing federal funding for research projects, alarming lawmakers, universities and institutions across the country. The order has been stayed, though biomedical researchers remain wary for the future. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
NIH reportedly loses 2 top leaders in 2 days
Two key staff members at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are reportedly leaving the agency amid ongoing efforts by the Trump administration and Department of Government Efficiency head Elon Musk to drastically cut down the size of the federal workforce. NIH Principal Deputy Director Lawrence Tabak told staffers in an email Tuesday he was retiring effective immediately, according to CBS News. Along with being principal deputy director, Tabak also served as the agency's deputy ethics counselor, having been appointed to both roles in 2010. Tabak served as acting head of the NIH from December 2021 to November 2023, after the institute's former director Francis Collins stepped down. As CBS reported, Tabak had not been expected to retire until the fall but told a colleague he felt it was necessary to retire at this time. Just a day after Tabak's abrupt retirement, it was reported that Michael Lauer, deputy director of the National Institutes of Health's extramural research, will leave the agency at the end of the week. According to STAT, acting NIH Director Matthew Memoli informed staff in an email of Lauer's departure, thanking him for his 'exemplary service to NIH and the American people.' The Hill has reached out to the Department of Health and Human Services and the White House for comment. These departures are occurring as the NIH is undergoing significant upheaval. Last week, the agency issued an order slashing federal funding for research projects, alarming lawmakers, universities and institutions across the country. The order has been stayed, though biomedical researchers remain wary for the future. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
13-02-2025
- Health
- The Hill
NIH reportedly loses two top leaders in two days
Two key staff members at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are reportedly leaving the agency amid ongoing efforts by the Trump administration and Department of Government Efficiency head Elon Musk to drastically cut down the size of the federal workforce. NIH Principal Deputy Director Lawrence Tabak told staffers in an email Tuesday that he was retiring effective immediately, according to CBS News. Along with being principal deputy director, Tabak also served as the agency's deputy ethics counselor, having been appointed to both roles in 2010. Tabak temporarily served as acting head of NIH between December 2021 and November 2023, after the institute's former director Francis Collins stepped down. As CBS reported, Tabak had not been expected to retire until the fall but told a colleague that he felt it was necessary to retire at this time. Just a day after Tabak's abrupt retirement, it was reported that Michael Lauer, deputy director of the National Institutes of Health's extramural research, will be leaving the agency at the end of the week. According to STAT, acting NIH director Matthew Memoli informed staff in an email of Lauer's departure, thanking him for his "exemplary service to NIH and the American people." The Hill has reached out to the Department of Health and Human Services and the White House for comment. These departures are occurring as the NIH is currently undergoing significant upheaval. Last week the agency issued an order slashing federal funding for research projects, alarming lawmakers, universities and institutions across the country. The order has been stayed, though biomedical researchers remain weary for the future.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
NIH principal deputy director, who led agency during COVID, resigns abruptly
The No. 2 in command at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Dr. Lawrence A. Tabak, who served as acting director of the agency during the COVID-19 pandemic, has abruptly resigned. Tabak, 73, has been at the NIH for 25 years, first serving as director of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research before eventually becoming the NIH's principal deputy director in 2010, which is the second-in-command at the agency. Tabak also served during transitional periods as acting director, including during the COVID era when he was regularly grilled by Republicans, alongside Dr. Anthony Fauci, over the NIH's response. "I write to inform you that I have retired from government service, effective today, 2/11/2025," Tabak wrote in an email, reportedly circulated to staff at the NIH, earlier this week. The note did not explain the reason for his departure. Senate Democrats Rail Against Rfk Jr. In Late-night Session Ahead Of Vote Tabak's resignation comes amid a shakeup within the Health and Human Services Department, the NIH's parent agency, that occurred once President Donald Trump took office in January. Under Trump, the agency has faced cuts to programs and reports have indicated the administration has plans to fire a trove of HHS employees. Typically, Tabak would have been promoted to acting director while Trump's nominee awaited confirmation. However, the position was instead assigned to Dr. Matthew Memoli, a former top researcher at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a known critic of COVID vaccine mandates. Tabak was part of a group of agency leaders, including Fauci and former NIH Director Francis Collins, who congressional investigators accused of trying to manipulate the narrative around the origins of the COVID-19 virus. Through GOP investigations, it was determined Tabak was part of a controversial phone call with Fauci, Collins and several prominent scientists that critics have argued was a catalyst for the publication of a scientific paper that was released positing that it was not plausible the virus originated in a lab. Read On The Fox News App Scientists Expect Major 'Medical Breakthroughs' Despite Trump's Cap On Nih Research Funding He was also front-and-center when it came to GOP probes into whether risky gain-of-function research was occurring at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China, and faced criticism for slow-rolling the release of information requested by Republican investigators for these concerns. Tabak "[dealt] with all of the messy or intractable problem[s]" and was "often… the fall guy when things [went] sideways," Jeremy Berg, former director of NIH's National Institute of General Medical Sciences, said on social media following news of Tabak's resignation. "Larry has shoveled so much s--- over the years that he would have been well qualified to work behind the elephants in an old circus." Fox News Digital reached out to the NIH for comment but did not receive a response by publication article source: NIH principal deputy director, who led agency during COVID, resigns abruptly
