Balkan News

Six leading politicians from the Vetevendosje (Self-Determination) opposition party in Kosovo who were granted Albanian passports argued that all Albanians should be united in one state.

Next month’s referendum in Bosnia’s Republika Srpska entity is seen by some Serbs as a move to defend their rights, but others claim it’s a waste of money staged only for political advantage.

If Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic visits Croatia on Thursday to attend a ministrial forum in Dubrovnik, it could ease growing tensions between two countries, a political analyst suggested.

As police investigated a late-night hand grenade blast at Kosovo's public broadcaster, RTK, President Hashim Thaci called it an attack on freedom of speech.

Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic lashed out at social media and press critics, calling them “scum”, and slammed Serbia’s public broadcaster, accusing it of inciting hatred against him and other officials.

The US, EU, Russia and other international powers which are guarantors of Bosnia’s peace agreement are struggling to agree on concrete action to stop the Bosnian Serbs holding an ethnically-divisive referendum.

State-financed promotions, combined with those of private operators and apartment owners using online booking platforms, is believed to be a reason for the increasing number of foreign tourists in Albania. 

When three footballers said they were switching their allegiance from the Albanian national team to Kosovo, an outburst of anger revealed Albanians’ conflicted attitude to Kosovo’s statehood.

A homeless man has been charged with arson after fire completely gutted four cultural heritage buildings in the centre of Bulgaria’s second-biggest city, Plovdiv.

The Croatian Catholic Church in Croatia is getting involved in the upcoming elections because it fears that the main centre-right party - the Croatian Democratic Union, HDZ - could lose.

A hand grenade reportedly hit Kosovo Public Television RTK on Monday night. There were no casualties.

  RESCUED: Lonely bear which became depressed and bit itself after being kept in a tiny cage by an Albanian restaurant will be moved to an animal sanctuary Tomi will be moved to an animal sanctuary after being kept in a run-down restaurant in mountains of Albania Albanian government was shamed into helping the bear who diners watched in a cage as they ate He displays disturbing behaviour such as chewing limbs and spasms  – a result of ‚unbearable‘ living condition His owner who hunted him down with a tranquiliser gun blamed boredom and saw no problems Bear was desperately hungry relying on sweets and crisps from visitors and begged with its paws outstretched […]

  22 Aug 16 Western Failures Give New Life to Old Balkan Ghosts The EU and US’s failure to better defend democracy and human rights in Turkey, where a government crackdown on opponents is continuing, sends a dangerous message to Balkan political elites. Srecko Latal BIRN Sarajevo Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Photo: Thanassis Stavrakis/AP For many years the European Union – with its high democratic principles as well as its business, investment and employment opportunities – was seen as the best (if not the only) framework able to sooth and eventually neutralise the once violent and still unsettled spirits of the Balkan past. But the EU and US’s silence […]

Edita Tahiri, Kosovo’s Minister for Dialogue, rejected Belgrade’s claims that Pristina is trying to get access to state telecoms company Telekom Srbija’s system in order to tap Serbian phonecalls.

Serbian troops will join US-organised multinational exercises this month - an indication that although the country’s military collaborations with Russia grab headlines, it works more closely with the US.

Belgrade urged Pristina to remove a billboard about Serbian war crimes, saying it will intimidate Serbs who fled after the war and stop them returning to their homes in the former province.

Bulgaria complied with demands for extraditions of opponents of the Turkish government, hoping to prevent Ankara unleashing a new refugee influx, but Sofia is risking its relationships with Western allies, experts warn. 

Macedonia’s Special Prosecution is intensifying its investigations into alleged high-level corruption and electoral fraud, summoning three more politicians to give statements.

The EU and US’s failure to better defend democracy and human rights in Turkey, where a government crackdown on opponents is continuing, sends a dangerous message to Balkan political elites.

French and Albanian high schools students are building friendships and learning an ancient skill at a stonemasons’ camp in the heritage city of Berat.