In a Monday meeting with U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warned “Iran’s aggression has reached an all-time high” as the U.S. scrambles to broker a cease-fire deal with Hamas after nearly 11 months of war. 

“To counter this, we must work together to achieve and project groundbreaking capabilities in all arenas,” Gallant said according to a readout of the meeting from Tel Aviv, which was also attended by Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi.

Gallant highlighted the “strategic junction” that Israel finds itself in as it stares down threats from Hamas in the south and Hezbollah in the north — both of which are heavily backed by Iran. 

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Despite U.S. attempts to garner a cease-fire deal in coordination with Egypt and Qatar, Hamas has yet to agree to any terms so long as Israeli forces are permitted to remain in security corridors throughout Gaza. 

Details of the cease-fire talks remain unclear, but on Monday Gallant looked to remind Brown what Israel’s primary aims are in its war in Gaza, including the dismantlement of Hamas, ensuring the return of hostages first taken by the terrorist group following the Oct. 7 attacks, and “changing the security situation along Israel’s northern border so that the region’s communities may safely return to their homes.”

Since Oct. 7, the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza claims some 40,000 Palestinians have been killed — though it does not differentiate the number of civilians versus the number of terrorists killed. Nearly another 700 Israeli soldiers and roughly 1,200 Israeli civilians have also been killed since the Hamas attack. 

But despite the ongoing fighting in Gaza, some security officials argue the biggest threat Jerusalem faces is in the north, where it routinely exchanges missile and drone fire with Hezbollah. 

The meeting between Brown and Gallant came one day after the world watched with concern that an all-out-war between Israel and Hezbollah — and by extension Iran — had finally begun following threats from Tehran last month.

An explosion takes place as Israeli strikes hit southern Lebanon, amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as seen from Zibqin, Lebanon, August 25, 2024, in this still image obtained from a video.  (Reuters TV)

On Sunday, Hezbollah said it launched hundreds of rockets and drones at northern Israeli military positions. Jerusalem said it too had fired upon southern Lebanon using 100 warplanes to launch a series of preemptive strikes on Hezbollah strongholds where thousands of rocket launchers were reportedly positioned in a move to thwart an imminent attack. The IDF said no Israeli military installations were hit during the Hezbollah attack.

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The exchange appears to have resulted in three deaths in Lebanon, and one Israeli soldier was killed, though by mid-morning Sunday the assault was over. 

Reports on Monday suggested the long-awaited attack by Iran and Hezbollah, which resulted in a relatively limited number of casualties, may have eased concerns of a broader war in the Middle East.

But comments made by Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Major General Mohammad Bagheri, on Monday signified the threat posed by Iran has not diminished. 

“What we witnessed yesterday is only part of that revenge,” he said, according to Arab news outlet Al Mayadeen English. “Revenge against the Israeli entity is inevitable.”

Men carry the coffin of Amal fighter, Ayman Kamel Idriss who was killed in an Israeli strike in southern Lebanon on August 25, during his funeral on August 26, 2024 Nabatieh, Lebanon.  (Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

The exchange of fire on Sunday does not appear to have altered any of the progress in the ceasefire talks with Hamas, according to White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby on Monday.

“There continues to be progress. Our team on the ground continues to describe the talks as constructive,” he told reporters. “Despite the rocket and drone attack by Hezbollah over the course of the weekend, which Israel did a terrific job defending against, it has not affected the actual work on the ground by the teams trying to get the ceasefire deal in place.”

Kirby said there remains a sense of “urgency” in trying to get a ceasefire secured. 

Farmers in Serbia have been forced to start their sunflower and corn harvests much earlier than usual due to a severe drought.

This is the third year in a row that the region has been hit by such conditions and the impact on the yield is huge, with corn output expected to be three times lower than the usual this year.

Tomica Vojnić from Tavankut paints a bleak picture. “You see, there are a lot of bare ones,” he says, pointing to the corn stalks. “Many of them don’t have an ear at all, or it’s this small.” Drought hasn’t only stunted the growth but also brought pests that further damage the already scarce crops.

The water crisis is another problem on top of farmers’ heads. Many residents have their own wells but they are dry. “There is no water in our wells,” Vojnić says. “Our crops depend on God’s mercy to send water from the sky.” With irrigation impossible, some farmers are forced to sell parts of their machinery or even their land to pay off loans and leases.

As the drought continues to ravage, Nataša Kovačev from Euronews Serbia says: “Farmers didn’t meet their expectations due to the drought.”

Miroslav Matković from Subotica Farmers’ Association agrees and demands immediate government intervention. “If the state doesn’t do something, we will all be in trouble,” he says. Despite two years of requests to Subotica municipality to declare a natural disaster due to drought, there was no response. “We stood on the street for ten days,” Matković says, pointing to the farmers’ frustration and desperation.

Drought not only affects the agricultural production but also politics. While farmers demand more support and action, provincial government claims it’s doing its part to prevent desertification by investing in the regional hydrological system.

As Serbia grapples with this environmental and economic crisis, the call for a more robust response grows louder. Whether through emergency declarations, financial aid, or infrastructure investment, it is clear that without significant intervention, the livelihoods of many Serbian farmers will be lost.

Upstart Ivorian production company Aby Media, founded by Bernard and Kimberley Azria and Brazilian powerhouse Globo, have unveiled a new production-distribution agreement for a slate of popular Globo scripted titles. Under the new deal, Aby Media will produce local versions of several Globo shows and distribute their original versions in the territory.

Both Aby Media and Globo will be at this year’s MIP Africa in Cape Town, held from Sept. 2-4, where they will showcase their slate of formats.

Among the shows set to be adapted or distributed by Aby Media in Africa are “Pantanal,” “Total Dreamer,” “Shades of Sin” and “The Other Side of Paradise.” By producing local versions of the show, the partnership is intended to satisfy increasingly diverse demands from the audience.

“Having distributed Globo finished content in Africa for almost three decades, I’m particularly happy and proud to initiate with Globo this unprecedented landmark venture,” Bernard Azria explained of the new deal. “This partnership underscores our mutual commitment to excellence in storytelling and represents a significant step forward in bringing high-quality, engaging content to African audiences.”

Kimberley Azria added, “Our alliance with Globo highlights the importance of creativity and adaptation in today’s media industry. Together, we are dedicated to producing content that resonates with local viewers while upholding the highest production standards.”

Aby Media works with and develops local talent by producing both scripted and unscripted content meant to bridge cultural divides. It’s focused on telling diverse stories that can appeal to global audiences. Its current pipeline includes a local adaptation of SIC Portugal’s “Lucky Break,” a drama series about a fictional football club titled “Legends,” the politically charged missing person drama “Echoes” and a contemporary music-fueled series titled “Afrobeats.”

On the importance of these kinds of global partnerships, Globo Content Distribution and Partnership boss, Fábio Mauro said: “This partnership reinforces our sales strategy for formats, as was the case with ‘Brazil Avenue,’ which will be adapted in Turkey. We believe in the strength of our productions, in the universality of our plots, and with the sale of formats, it will be possible to bring Globo’s DNA and our Brazilianness and combine it with local production.”

Angela Colla, Head of International Business and Coproductions at Globo, added: “This initiative comes at a pivotal moment in today’s dynamic media landscape. As the demand for new, captivating shows intensifies, there is a simultaneous need to mitigate risks and optimize resources and adapting international scripted formats is, therefore, a strategic business and creative approach to navigate these complexities.”