theSIGNAL BUSINESS
31 May 2026
"Power is not revealed by striking hard or often, but by striking true."
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Business

Trump-linked firm edges toward Balkans pipeline deal

A little-known company with deep connections to Donald Trump is reported to be close to securing a billion-dollar gas pipeline concession in Bosnia.

A company whose registered office is situated on a graffitied backstreet in Sarajevo is understood to be on the verge of winning contracts valued at more than one billion dollars, according to a Guardian investigation that draws on leaked documents, corporate filings, and interviews with current and former officials in both Bosnia and the United States. AAFS Infrastructure and Energy is believed to be close to securing a concession that would allow it to build and operate a pipeline carrying liquefied natural gas shipped from the United States across the Balkans, thereby reducing the region's dependence on Russian supplies. The project has been described by one senior Bosnian official, who requested anonymity given the sensitivity of the negotiations, as potentially the most consequential infrastructure undertaking in the country's modern history. What the company appears to lack in relevant experience it may compensate for through its political connections. Among those representing AAFS is a Washington lawyer who is reported to have acted for the Trump family in political litigation, alongside the brother of the president's former national security adviser. Both individuals are said to have participated in efforts to contest the outcome of the 2020 presidential election, a cause that has remained central to Trump's political identity. The broader implications for the region are considered by analysts to extend well beyond commercial gain. Bosnia remains governed under the fragile architecture of the 1995 Dayton Agreement, which was brokered by the United States to end a war that claimed approximately 100,000 lives. Ethnic and political tensions among the country's competing leaderships have not diminished in the intervening decades, and outside observers have suggested that heavy-handed economic pressure could further destabilise an already delicate balance.…

The unassuming Sarajevo office registered to AAFS Infrastructure and Energy
The unassuming Sarajevo office registered to AAFS Infrastructure and Energy (detail)
Discuss
  • Should governments be required to disclose political ties behind major infrastructure bids?
  • How might this pipeline deal affect Bosnia's fragile post-war political settlement?
  • Is it appropriate for personal Trump connections to influence US foreign energy policy?
  • What due diligence standards should apply when awarding billion-dollar concessions abroad?
  • Could US energy diplomacy in the Balkans simultaneously serve geopolitical and private interests?
World

NATO readiness tested as drone hits Romania

A drone strike on the Romanian port city of Galați, situated on the Danube near the Ukrainian border, has reignited debate about whether NATO could be drawn directly into the war in Ukraine. Romanian President Nicușor Dan attributed responsibility to Russia, a claim that Moscow has denied, while the European Union moved swiftly to condemn the incident and NATO reaffirmed its commitment to defending allied territory. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that Russia is planning a significant new aerial offensive, whereas Vladimir Putin suggested the conflict may be approaching its conclusion.

Analysts consulted by Al Jazeera offered divergent assessments of the risk. Observers affiliated with Ukrainian security bodies argued that the strike represented a deliberate escalation, while Western-based academics cautioned against assumptions of intent given the fog of active conflict. Whether diplomatic channels remain sufficiently open to prevent further miscalculation is a question that is said to be exercising policymakers on both sides of the Atlantic.
  • At what point does a stray drone constitute an act of war against a NATO member?
  • How credible is NATO's deterrence posture given ongoing political divisions among member states?
Health

Triple-action cancer jab eradicates tumours entirely

A cancer injection known as amivantamab has produced what researchers are describing as unprecedented results in a trial spanning eleven countries, with tumours shrinking or disappearing entirely in a substantial proportion of patients whose disease had previously resisted both chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Of the 102 participants enrolled in the OrigAMI-4 trial, all of whom were living with head and neck cancer, complete eradication of tumours was recorded in fifteen individuals, while a further twenty-eight experienced significant shrinkage. Findings are to be presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago.

The drug, developed by Johnson and Johnson, is understood to work through three mechanisms simultaneously: blocking the EGFR protein that facilitates tumour growth, inhibiting the MET pathway through which cancer cells commonly evade treatment, and stimulating the immune system to attack malignant tissue directly. Researchers noted that comparable results had also been observed in patients with lung cancer, and that amivantamab is currently being evaluated in approximately sixty clinical trials across several cancer types. Professor Kevin Harrington of the Institute of Cancer Research described the level of benefit seen in such a heavily pre-treated population as very striking.
  • How soon could amivantamab become a standard treatment option for head and neck cancer patients?
—
These are unprecedentedly strong responses in patients whose disease has become resistant to both chemotherapy and immunotherapy.
Professor Kevin Harrington, Professor in Biological Cancer Therapies, Institute of Cancer Research, London
AMERICAS · Business
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theSIGNAL IN THE LAB
IVOCABULARY
on the verge ofconcession
anonymitydestabilisereignited
eradicatesheavily pre-treated
IIGRAMMAR FOCUS
Passive voice with reporting verbs (is said to, is understood to, is believed to)
Passive reporting structures such as 'is understood to', 'is believed to', and 'is said to' are used to report information without identifying the source. They are formed with subject + is/are + past participle of reporting verb + to-infinitive.
understood · believed · said · reported · considered · described · acknowledged
  1. AAFS Infrastructure and Energy is to be close to securing a billion-dollar pipeline concession in Bosnia.
  2. The Washington lawyer connected to AAFS is to have represented the Trump family in political litigation.
  3. The implications of the pipeline deal are by analysts to extend well beyond commercial gain.
  4. The Galați drone strike is to be exercising policymakers on both sides of the Atlantic.
  5. The pipeline project has been by a senior Bosnian official as the most consequential infrastructure undertaking in the country's modern history.
  6. Amivantamab is to work through three mechanisms simultaneously, targeting tumour growth, resistance, and immunity.
  7. The results of the OrigAMI-4 trial are to be unprecedented, with complete tumour eradication recorded in fifteen patients.
IIIIDIOMS
Define each idiom in your own words. Then write one sentence of your own using one of the idioms.
  1. on the verge of (winning contracts)
  2. the fog of (active conflict)
  3. at play (uncomfortable dynamics at play)
  4. drawn into (drawn directly into the war)
  5. heavy-handed (economic pressure)
  6. heavily pre-treated (population)
IVCRITICAL THINKING
The AAFS pipeline deal and the NATO drone incident both raise questions about the relationship between political connections and geopolitical decision-making. To what extent should governments scrutinise the backgrounds of companies seeking major infrastructure contracts in strategically sensitive regions? Consider whether commercial interests and security interests can ever be fully separated in post-conflict states like Bosnia.
VCREATIVE · HEADLINES
Write a headline for the top story in each style:
  • Tabloid newspaper
  • Luxury magazine
  • Activist blog
VIWRITING
Using evidence from the articles, write a 250-word opinion piece arguing either that the AAFS pipeline deal represents a genuine opportunity for the Balkans or that it poses unacceptable risks to the region's stability. Support your argument with specific details from the text and consider the perspectives of at least two different groups affected by the decision.
VIIDEGREES OF EXTREMITY
Complete each ladder from mild to strong using words from the articles.
  • interested in→→
  • reduce→→
  • noted→→
  • concerned→→
  • shrank→→
  • sensitive→→
  • aware of→→
VIIISPEAKING
  1. Should political connections influence major infrastructure contracts?
  2. Can economic pressure from allies destabilise fragile post-war nations?
  3. Is NATO obligated to respond if a drone hits allied territory?
  4. Should cancer trials be paused if results seem too good?
  5. Does energy independence justify deals with politically connected firms?