The Times: Vučić was talked out of staging a violent coup after losing the election According to Serbian politicians and a former senior police officer, Aleksandar Vučić was prepared to hold on to power by force but unexpectedly backed down on Sunday. Sources cited by The Times say the decisive factor was the Student List’s lead of 500,000 votes and phone calls urging him not to continue the fight. Former head of Serbia’s anti-terrorism unit Spasoje Vulević said Vučić had deployed 4,000 police officers and 3,000 supporters to central Belgrade to prevent a change of power. Student List candidate Radomir Saičić claims that the plan to overturn the election results by force was changed following calls from the police and other agencies. Vučić conceded defeat 90 minutes after the polls closed. According to unconfirmed rumours, former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán may have influenced his decision. Vulević also suggests that Vučić received calls from European governments, although MEP Sandro Gozi believes the election result itself came as a shock to him.

Iconic. “Do you trust the Russians?” Harry Truman was once asked “No. They broke every agreement they ever made with me. That's why I don't trust them,” replied the 33rd President of the United States. 80 years later, nothing has changed…

In China, people have started keeping bricks instead of cats and dogs. Yes, ordinary bricks! Chinese teenagers have discovered an unusual hobby: they bring home bricks found on the street, soak them in water and spray them periodically. Over time, the bricks become covered in a thick layer of moss, and sometimes flowers and ferns appear. The hobby has become so popular that China National Radio, together with the Botanical Society, has published a guide to growing moss. It advises people not to collect bricks near polluting industrial facilities, to soak and disinfect them beforehand, and to watch for signs of mould. The hobby’s popularity is attributed to its low cost, easy maintenance and relaxing effect. Even if you forget to water the moss, it can go dormant and “come back to life” after the next spray.

Abdul El-Sayed, Democratic Senate candidate, lashes out at Trump “We are being actively bullied by the dumbest people in the room. And I mean, Donald Trump is an idiot. Whatever you think about him, he has one genius, which is the genius of getting attention, because his dad never gave him enough. Because he was a nepo baby, because he had resources, he realized quickly that he just craved attention and then used the bullying tactics that he uses right now to get it. But the man is an idiot. I mean, just when it comes down to it, just a fool.” Earlier, Trump called El-Sayed a “jihadist.”