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The Balkans Today
The Balkans Today: 1st - 7th February 2016
Our team brings you live updates of the most important events and developments in the Balkans as they happen.
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by Financial Times via twitter 2/1/2016 8:07:26 AM -
#BalkanInsight Behind the Scenes at the Museums: Disarray in Athens and Belgrade ift.tt/1Q65e4d #Serbiaby balkannews via twitter 2/1/2016 8:08:15 AM -
by Balkan Insight via twitter 2/1/2016 8:10:32 AM -
More than 53,000 refugees have entered Macedonia since the start of the year, headed for Western Europe, said Macedonian police.
Refugees | Photo by: Ilin Nikolovski / Anadoly Agency
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Sulejman Rexhepi, the chief of Macedonia's second largest religious organization, the Islamic Religious Community, IVZ, said there is no immediate threat of radical Islam sprouting from mosques in the country, but was not sure what the future would hold.
Rexhepi is calling for greater cooperation within society to curb any possible occurrences of radicalization after the police intervened last year in two mosques in Skopje that went rogue from IVZ.
Sulejman Rexhepi | Photo by: IVZ
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Croatia's culture minister Zlatko Hasanbegovic has been called before the parliament's education, science and culture committee to explain his sudden dismissal of the Croatian council for non-profit media on Friday.
The Council, formed of various figures from civil society, academia and the media, was scheduled to end its term in October.
Zlatko Hasanbegovic. | Photo: BETAPHOTO/HINA/Damir SENCAR/DS -
With 360 villas and apartments around an artificial lake, swimming pools, a halal supermarket and a Muslim prayer area, the ‘Sarajevo resort’ is one of Bosnia’s most ambitious residential projects to date, AFP news agency reported.
It is one of dozens of real estate ventures in the picturesque hills surrounding the capital of the Balkan country that are specifically targeting visitors from Gulf states.
The lush greenery of the country has in recent years become a magnet for wealthy Arabs looking to escape the Middle Eastern summer heat. The result has been a massive boost to tourism in what is one of Europe’s poorest countries. Read more.
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Serbia's Network for Investigating Crime and Corruption, KRIK, has made fresh allegations that Belgrade mayor Sinisa Mali is linked to an offshore company from the British Virgin Islands.KRIK also previously claimed that Mali bought 24 apartments in Bulgaria while the legal representative of two offshore companies, but Mali dismissed the accusations.
Sinisa Mali. Photo: Beta -
Deljan Peevski, politician in the Bulgarian Movement for Rights and Freedoms, DPS, has been
called Bulgaria's "iceberg of corruption” in an article published in German weekly newspaper Der Spiegel on his controversial career over the past 15 years.Author Frank Stier comments that the staggering career of the Bulgarian MP, whose nomination as head of the National Security Agency provoked massive street protests in 2013, “embodies the oligarchic system of clientelism” in Bulgaria.
Thousands of citizens march against Peevski's nomination for head of the State's security agency in Sofia, June 2013 | Photo: Maria Milkova -
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Twelve Bosnian citizens have been arrested on charges of selling adulterated fuel - which damaged the engines of cars - and evading taxes, SIPA announced.Those arrested were allegedly importing oil derivatives which were then enriched with additives and sold as diesel, without paying taxes on their revenues. -
PJ Harvey has shared a video for her recent single "The Wheel," from The Hope Six Demolition Project, via Noisey. Directed by Seamus Murphy, the video collates footage shot in Kosovo between 2011 and 2015. Watch it here.
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The Alliance for a Better Future of Bosnia and Herzegovina, SBBBiH, reaffirmed today that it will remain in the coalition with the Party of Democratic Action, SDA."In this moment the union of SDA and SBBBiH are an assurance for the progress of the country," said Mirsad Donlagic, vice president of SBBBiH.Last week, the party voiced the possibility of withdrawing from the government after its leader Fahrudin Radoncic was arrested.
Mirsad Donlagic (right) with SDA President Bakir Izetbegovic | Photo: Anadolu -
The Montenegro's prime minister Milo Djukanovic sent a letter to parliament on Monday asking it to dismiss Interiro Minister Rasko Konjevic, after his party, the Social Democratic Party, voted against the government together with the opposition parties in a no-confidence vote last week.
PM Djukanovic | Photo: gov.me -
Yes, it's a Monday, but even on a weeknight #Belgrade has something on offer.
Check out what #music #events are happening in the city tonight and for the rest of the week.
//www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1047447801981728&id=104116592981525 -
Romanian PM Dacian Ciolos is leading negotiations with the country's political parties today over the possibility of amending the electoral law to reinstate two-round mayoral elections.
Analysts say that a two-round system is more democratic than the current one-round system which many believe favours large, established parties.
Romanian leaders discuss over changing electoral law just ahead mayoral elections | Photo: ziare.com -
The leaders of the main political parties in Montenegro could not agree on Monday the way out of the deep political crisis after the prime minister Milo Djukanovic's government survived a no-confidence motion with the help of three MPs from the opposition.
Djukanovic offered five seats in the cabinet to opposition representatives but most of the parties have already rejected the offer.
Photo: Montenegrin parliament. -
Albania's main opposition Democratic Party has sued the mayor of Tirana today for what it believes is an unjustified hike in the price of public transportation.The decision to increase bus ticket fares by 30 per cent was also the catalyst for protesters to stage a rally against the inflated fee in front of Tirana's municipality building today.
Photo: BIRN/Ivana Dervishi -
Russia Parliament Speaker Sergei Naryshkin has said that Montenegro's decision to join the anti-Russian sanctions seriously harms the bilateral relationship.
"We are deeply disappointed that Montenegro joined the so-called anti-Russian sanctions - in reality, unlawful actions, and this inflicts serious damage on our relations in practically all spheres," Naryshkin said while receiving a delegation from Montenegro's oppositiom Democratic Front in Moscow on Monday. -
Top stories from the Balkans today:Stricter controls on Macedonia’s border with Greece have revived the lucrative business of migrant trafficking - prompting claims that local police and residents are involved.Serbia's new law on the police gives far too much power to the Interior Minister and reduces the service's independence, an independent police union says.Mirsad Bektasevic, who once plotted to blow up British Embassy in Sarajevo, was arrested in Greece on terrorism-related charges as he tried to sneak into Turkey on the way to join ISIS in Syria. -
Menduh Thaci, leader of Macedonia's opposition Democratic Party of Albanians, DPA, threatened to abandon the country's EU-brokered crisis agreement reached last summer as issues that tackle the interests of the Albanians in the country are not discussed.
Such a move could have serious implications on resolving Macedonia's political crisis, with the country's four main parties expected to resume EU-mediated talks today on the implementation of the agreement.
DPA leader, Menduh Thaci | Photo by: DPA
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Pristina based newspaper Koha Ditore reports that the mandate of the EU rule of law mission (EULEX) is expected to be extended by at least two more years.A number of unnamed sources told the paper that the ongoing negotiations between the government of Kosovo and the EU seem to suggest that the mission is not about to leave Kosovo and will continue retaining the same competencies. Read more.
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Albania's Interior Minister, Sajmir Tahiri, presented a proposal to equip Albanian police forces with body cameras at a conference attended by state police and ministry officials today.The cameras would be a way to monitor the actions of police and to prevent any possible cases of bribery or misconduct towards citizens.
Photo: Facebook -
UPDATE: Prosecutors say one of four men arrested near the Visoki Decani monastery in Kosovo has fought in Syria while another was sent back from Turkey while trying to join the conflict.
One of the handcuffed suspects in the court of Peja | Photo: BIRN -
Serbia's Veterinary Inspection announced it did not find any irregularities in the meat produced by controversial Serbian company Matijevic during an emergency inspection today.The assessment was sparked by videos published yesterday by a former employee who accused the company of selling substandard products.Footage published by an ex-employee of Matijevicvia YouTube -
During a meeting today, Croatian President Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic congratulated the Croat member of the Bosnian presidency for the EU application which Bosnia and Herzegovina will present on February 15.However, the European Commission has already told Bosnia that its application "will not be credible" without first publishing its 2013 census results and updating the SAA agreement, which Bosnia has not done.
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Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in seven countries in South-eastern Europe – Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Moldova, Romania and Serbia – will get easier access to risk capital, thanks to the InnovFin SME guarantee, a new EU-backed loan facility under the Horizon 2020 programme.A deal signed today by European Investment Fund (EIF) with the German ProCredit group will allow its banks to enter into new loan agreements with SMEs as well as Small Mid-caps for a total of €250 million over the next two years. Read more.
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No matter how much understanding and empathy Serbia has for migrants, the country cannot afford to turn into a collection centre for migrants, said Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic.
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A committee from the Romanian parliament has approved a request from anti-graft investigators to start criminal proceedings against former deputy prime minister Gabriel Oprea who is accussed of abuse of office.
Oprea is being investigated for allegedly using motorcadaes he was not entitled to.
Former Romanian deputy prime minister Gabriel Oprea is investigated for alleged abuse of office | Photo: Facebook -
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Listen to a satirical anti-government version of Adele's pop hit 'Hello' performed by Croatian duo Drvena Marija (Wooden Mary) at a protest on Monday in Zagreb.
by sven.milekic via YouTube 2/2/2016 3:35:45 PM -
The Bulgarian penitentiary system is not taking into account the specific needs of female detainees - all of whom are held in a facility in the southeastern city of Sliven - which leads to their "social and geographical isolation" from their family and homes, rigts group Bulgarian Helsinki Committee found in its first survey on problems faced by imprisoned women.
Less than 300 females are in detention in Bulgaria, but 38 per cent have underage children. Of these, 35 per cent live outside their family environment - with relatives, foster families or in childcare institutions - as a result of their mothers' imprisonment.
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Roughly 2,000 migrants a day passing into #Macedonia. Expecting 10,000 in coming months. Fatmir Besimi, deputy PM FYROM @GermiaHillConfby idbancroft via twitter 2/2/2016 5:08:45 PM -
Few interesting graphs on #Bosnia'ns opinion on #Dayton in this @WaPo post by @Toal_CritGeo and JohnO'Loughlin: washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-ca…by DavideDenti via twitter 2/2/2016 5:18:05 PM -
Croatia's foreign minister Miro Kovac said there is no wave of migrants entering his country from Montenegro but that Croatia would be ready to handle such a situation if it needed to, AP reported.
Kovac said he wanted to clarify these facts to "exclude hysteria" from the ongoing discussion about Europe's migration crisis. -
Top stories from the Balkans today:
- Bosnia's State television, BHRT, may have to shut down if no solution is found to its extreme financial problems, its administrative board has warned.
- Romania's general prosecutor resigned on Tuesday after being named in an investigation into the illegal use of official motorcades.
- The Montenegrin government plans to make military engagement in NATO combat operations mandatory for all members of the armed forces.
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Jozef Kasa, former Serbian vicepremier and the ex-leader of Association of the Vojvodina Hungarians died in Subotica, hospital said on Wednesday.
Kasa was a part of opposition front that ended the rule of former Serbian strongman Slobodan Milosevic. Following the fall of Milosevic, Kasa was deputy prime minister in the government led by late Zoran Djindjic.
Jozef Kasa | Photo:Facebook. -
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A flag of the Islamic State as well as weapons were found at the home of one of the persons arrested few days ago in the vicinity of the Orthodox Monastery of Decan/Decani, Kosovo daily newspaper Zeri reported.
Prosecutors in the Peja district of western Kosovo say they suspect that two of the four men arrested on Saturday near the famous Serbian Orthodox monastery at Decan are connected to the war in Syria.
According to the prosecution, when the four appeared in a court in Peja, it became clear that one of them had been in the conflict in Syria, while another had been sent back from Istanbul while apparently trying to join the conflict.
Police arrested the four near the monastery alongside KFOR members guarding the historic site. Sava Janjic, abbot of the Visoki Decani monastery, has criticised the police for not treating the incident as terrorism-related.
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Sweden will allocate 420 million euro to the Western Balkan countries to assist with implementing reforms undertaken within the period of 2014-2020 across the region, Sweden's State Secretary Ulrika Modeer said during her two-day visit to Tirana.
Sweden State Secretary (on the left) accompanied by Albanian minister of Integration | Photo: Facebook -
Supporters of the Alliance for a Better Future of Bosnia and Herzegovina, SBBBiH, are gathering signatures in Sarajevo to ask for the liberation of their leader Fahrudin Radoncic, who is currently serving a 30-day detention under suspicion that he illegally influenced witnesses in the Kelmendi trial in Pristina.
SBBBiH supporters this morning in Sarajevo | Photo: BIRN -
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