Balkan News

The building of a concrete wall by the Serb authorities near their side of the bridge that ethnically divides the Kosovo town of Mitrovica was ordered to stop after strong criticism by Kosovo Albanian officials.

Rights activists protested after a controversial politician in Leskovac called for Slobodan Milosevic to be reinstated as a ‘citizen of honour’ of the southern town.

In a rare interview, former Bosnian Serb President Radovan Karadzic, who was convicted of genocide in Srebrenica, said that the crimes were actually committed by “traitors to the Serb people”.

Elvir Muminovic was the third former Bosnian Army soldier to be arrested for allegedly raping and sexually assaulting an under-age Serb girl in the Sarajevo area in 1993.

Belgrade’s international festival of movies focusing on gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender issues, Merlinka, returns to the capital in December, with more than 50 must-see films.

Israel’s Supreme Court has rejected a bid for disclosures relating to alleged defence exports to the former Yugoslavia during the 1990s Bosnian conflict, when an arms embargo was in place.

Despite the dismally low interest rates on savings, most Serbs still keep their spare cash in the banks or invest in real estate, partly because they fear – or do not know about – the alternatives.

The decision of Bulgaria's Supreme Judicial Council to launch probes against the Sofia City Court and the Sofia Regional Court, and against an outspoken judge, Miroslava Todorova, has drawn protests. 

Croatian President Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic's statements over 2016 have caused controversy and drawn media attention, delighting some and infuriating others both at home and in the region.

An election rally statement by Nikola Gruevski, leader of Macedonia's ruling party, at which he appeared to suggest his main political rival ought to be assassinated, has been widely condemned.

  Over 43,000 medical professionals in Romania ask for documents to emigrate 6 Dec 2016 by Romania Insider Leave a comment Romania’s health minister Vlad Voiculescu said that over 43,000 healthcare professionals have asked the Ministry of Health for the documents needed to emigrate, from 2007 until now. The minister added that these are alarming figures, and that the hospitals face a major shortage of staff and that whole villages lack a family doctor, reports local News.ro. “Romania has been facing a severe crisis of human resources in the healthcare sector for several years. We know that the low income, poor working conditions, lack of equipment, and the few professional […]

Three people from Kosovo and Serbia are among a group of eight people arrested in Belgium and suspected of links to the outlawed terror group ISIS.

Bulgaria’s Industrial Hub Appeals to Foreign Workers Major industrial enterprises in the region of Plovdiv, Bulgaria’s second-largest city, want to hire at least 5,000 workers but lack qualified candidates and plan to recruit ethnic Bulgarians from abroad. Read in browser »

More than half of US aid ‘to entire world’ goes to Israel and it ignores our warnings on settlements — Kerry US Politics Philip Weiss on December 5, 2016 66 Comments Adjust Font Size Jeffrey Goldberg and John Kerry at Saban Forum, photo from Martin Indyk twitter feed   John Kerry offered yet another tough-love talk to Israel at the pro-Israel Saban Forum yesterday. The United States gives Israel more than half of the aid that we give “to the entire world,” and Israel simply ignores us when we warn it about new settlements. Kerry: Every president, Republican and Democrat, has been opposed to settlements – we issue a warning […]

At a parliamentary debate about the 2017 budget, Serbian premier Aleksandar Vucic accused various opposition MPs of being vote-riggers, mentally ill, illiterate and violent towards women.

Turkey Concerned Over Greece’s Denial to Extradite Coup Suspects By Philip Chrysopoulos – Dec 6, 2016Greek ReporterThe decision of the Greek Court to not extradite three of the eight Turkish soldiers who are accused of participating in the July abortive coup in Turkey has generated concern in Ankara. The three Turkish military offices are part of a group of eight who fled to Greece the day after the July 15 failed coup attempt. The eight soldiers arrived at the Alexandroupolis airport on a helicopter and sought political asylum. They claim that if they are returned to Turkey, their lives would be in danger since they are branded as traitors. According […]

Major industrial enterprises in the region of Plovdiv, Bulgaria’s second-largest city, want to hire at least 5,000 workers but lack qualified candidates and plan to recruit ethnic Bulgarians from abroad.

On the second day of closing statements at Ratko Mladic’s trial, the prosecution said the former Bosnian Serb military chief praised and promoted officers involved in ethnic cleansing and murder.

Marking the 25th anniversary of the Yugoslav People’s Army attack on the Croatian port town of Dubrovnik, rights groups urged the authorities to prosecute Montenegrins who participated in it.

Eight Bosnian Serbs were arrested in the town of Prijedor for their alleged involvement in detaining, torturing and killing 120 Bosniak men and boys in the country’s north-west in 1992.