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The Balkans Today
The Balkans Today: 25th - 31th January 2016
Our team brings you live updates of the most important events and developments in the Balkans as they happen.
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Montenegrin parliament will today debate a motion of no-confidence against PM Milo Djukanovic, amid ongoing streets protests in the capital Podgorica by opposition supporters seeking to topple his government.
Photo: skupstina.me -
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EU Ambassador to Macedonia Aivo Orav tweeted that the special prosecutor and EU-facilitated working group are "expected to be supported by all signatories of the Przino Agreement," after ruling VMRO DPMNE chief Nikola Gruevski made a defiant speech on Sunday.
Gruevski said that the recent reforms as well as the interim ministers from the ranks of the opposition - agreed upon under the Przino Agreement - have been “imposed" on the public who will kick "artificially planted officials” out of the government in the April elections to "take back" the partially stolen sovereignty.
Macedonian ruling VMRO DPMNE party head, Nikola Gruevski | Photo by: MIA
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Addressing the parliament today, Montenegrin PM Djukanovic said he launched the no-confidence motion because of the ruling coalition's internal crisis, which came to a head after Montenegro's invitation to join NATO.
He added that the Montenegrin political scene has not set a clear line between the opposition and the government in recent months.
PM Djukanovic | Photo: gov.me -
Albanian #women trafficked as #sex slaves in #Europe face an uphill battle to build new lives - euobserver.com/investigations…by euobs via twitter 1/25/2016 12:55:23 PM -
Macedonian Special Prosecution - tasked to investigate illegal wiretapping - has requested police bodyguards for its team of prosecutors.
This comes a day after ruling VMRO DPMNE leader, Nikola Gruevski, claimed during a party speech that head prosecutor Katica Janeva was part of a conspiracy to displace him from his prime ministerial role.
Chief special prosecutor Katica Janeva | Photo by: MIA
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A heated debate has broken out in the Montenegrin parliament between the ruling coalition - lead by PM Milo Djukanovic - and parliament speaker Ranko Krivokapic, with each accusing the other of causing the country's political crisis and poor economy.
Photo: Montenegrin parliament. -
Romania's National Anti-Corruption Directorate, DNA, has asked for the Senate’s approval to start the trial of former Interior Minister Gabriel Oprea, accused of abuse of office.
Oprea resigned in November 2015 in the face of criticism over the death of a policeman who was killed while accompanying his motorcade.
Former Interior Minister Gabriel Oprea faces trial | Photo: Faceboook -
A Pakistani man was killed and two others injured in an early morning incident near the Evzoni border crossing in northern Greece, police said.
Five Afghans are believed to have robbed and fatally stabbed the Pakistani man, police said. The two injured victims were rushed to hospital after the attack. -
Police officials of the Bosnian State Investigation and Protection Agency arrested on Monday Fahrudin Radoncic, leader of the Alliance for a Better Future of Bosnia and Herzegovina, because of “interfering with the work of the judiciary”.
Sources in the Bosnian prosecution told BIRN Radoncic is suspected of pressuring witnesses in connection to the trial of alleged drug baron in Naser Kelmendi in Pristina.
Photo: SBBBiH. -
Fahruddin Radoncic arrested for obstruction of justice. It's about DAMN TIME. Now find the connections to organized crime and his money.by Drew Sullivan via twitter 1/25/2016 3:01:01 PM -
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Croatia's state elections commitee filed a criminal report to the state attorney's office over accusations election fraud may have been committed.
The allegations were raised by vice prime minister Tomislav Karamarko on Saturday, who claimed that his centre-right Patriotic Coalition lost some five or six seats in parliament due to fraud.
Tomislav Karamarko. | Photo: Beta -
The editorial board of Bosnian newspaper Dnevni Avaz released a press statement calling SIPA's raid of their premises today "a brutal attack on media freedom."SIPA searched the offices of Dnevni Avaz, which is owned by tycoon and politician Fahrudin Radoncic, after his arrest this afternoon.
Dnevni Avaz logo | Source: facebook -
The Alliance for a Better Future of Bosnia and Herzegovina has condemned the arrest of its leader Fahrudin Radoncic as an "abuse of the rule of law by some individuals from the prosecution's mafia."In its statement released today, the party also said his arrest was "an unprecedented attempt to eliminate a political opponent." Read more.
SBBBiH leader Fahrudin Radoncic | Photo: SBBBiH -
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Responding to accusations by Dnevni Avaz's editorial board, SIPA said it did not search the entire premises of the Bosnian newspaper, only Fahrudin Radoncic's private office. Read more.
A SIPA policeman in front of the Avaz tower in Sarajevo | Photo: Anadolu -
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Monocle’s Balkans correspondent Guy De Launey talks through Belgrade’s art scene with Robert Bound, with pit-stops at the Academy of Arts and Sciences and the ArtGet gallery in the Belgrade Cultural Centre. Click here for the whole episode.
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Fahrudin Radoncic, the leader of the Alliance for a Better Future of Bosnia and Herzegovina is expected to be transferred to the Prosecutor's office for questioning on Tuesday. Radoncic was arrested on Monday in Sarajevo for allegedly “interfering with the work of the judiciary”.
Fahrudin Radoncic | Photo: SBBBiH. -
Several hundred supporters of Montenegro's main opposition party Democratic Front have gathered in front of the parliament in Podgorica, blocking the surrounding streets for the second day in a row ahead of the no-confidence vote scheduled to take place today.
Photo: Anadolu. -
"It dawned on me that not many people knew about #Serbia outside of the wars."
British author and adventurer Kevin Shannon is raising money to publish a book about his 900km walk through Serbia. Read the story in the latest edition of #Belgrade Insight, found at any of these venues:
//www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1043234615736380&id=104116592981525 -
Bosnia's Party of Democratic Action, SDA, announced the arrest of Fahrudin Radoncic, the leader of the Alliance for the Better Future of Bosnia and Herzegovina, SBBBiH, "could seriously challenge the coalition between the two parties" in a press statement today.The party stressed it was "determined to preserve the coalition with SBBBiH in the interest of the citizens."
SDA President Bakir Izetbegovic | Photo: SDA -
Bosniak primary school children in Srebrenica have received their report cards marked that they have been attending 'Bosniak' language classes, instead of 'Bosnian' as parents demanded.
Srebrenica town centre | Photo: Benutzer Samum/Wikicommons.
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Pres of @EU_Commission @JunckerEU wants to put #EU’s southern frontier in all but name in #Macedonia politico.eu/article/juncke… by @florianederby bopanc via twitter 1/26/2016 12:50:06 PM -
A heated debate continued in the Montenegrin parliament between the ruling coalition - led by PM Milo Djukanovic - and parliament speaker Ranko Krivokapic today, with each accusing the other of causing the country's political crisis, electoral fraud and the break-up of their 18-year alliance.
Krivokapic's Social Democratic Party has announced it will not support Djukanovic in the no-confidence vote planned today.
Djukanovic and Krivokapic | Photo: gov.me -
Seventeen Albanians have been arrested on drug and prostitution charges in a joint operation by Albanian police and their counterparts in Italy, Belgium and Slovakia.
Five of the alleged criminals were nabbed in Albania, 11 in Italy and one in Slovakia, with some of their arrests captured on video.by fatjona.mejdini via YouTube 1/26/2016 1:12:13 PM -
Romania would deliver the first tranche of a 150-million-euro loan to Moldova only after the country's new government took practical reform steps, according to Romanian PM Dacian Ciolos.
Bucharest announced its intention to give aid to Moldova in October 2015, but the loan was postponed due to stalled reforms and political instability in the former Soviet country.
Romanian PM Dacian Ciolos and his Moldovan counterpart Pavel Filip discuss about ways to enhance cooperation | Photo: gov.ro -
Over 5,000 Croatian war veterans from the 1990s conflict took part in a protest walk from the war veterans' ministry to the agency for electonic media in the capital Zagreb today.
War veterans are protesting the agency's decision to ban local Z1 TV from broadcasting for three days, a punishment imposed due to hate speech delivered by TV host Marko Juric.
Photo: BETAPHOTO/HINA/Tomislav PAVLEK/MO -
Montenegro's health system was ranked the worst in Europe, according to the 2015 European Health Consumer Index, EHCI.
The annual index analyses national healthcare systems across Europe based on 48 aspects, including patient rights and information, access to care, treatment outcomes, and the range and reach of services.
Photo:Clinical Center of Montenegro. -
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Serbia’s National Assembly has rejected the ruling Progressive Party's draft law on copyright and related issues, a win for photographers and journalists' associations who severely criticised the proposal.Photojournalists staged a protest on Monday against the draft, which defined their work as a "routine mechanical act" and thus not eligible for copyright protection.
Banner reading 'Photographers have rights.' Photo: Anadolu Agency/Nihad Ibrahimkadic -
Croatia's war veterans' ministry has denied media allegations that its new minister, Mijo Crnoja, is involved in fraud relating to his permanent residence, has a history of violent behaviour and disrespect for the rule of law.
Mijo Crnoja. | Photo: BETAPHOTO/HINA/Lana SLIVAR DOMINIC/DS
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Fahrudin Radoncic, the leader of the Alliance for a Better Future has been questioned in State Prosecution's premises in Sarajevo form more than 18 hours so far.Radoncic was arrested on Monday under accusation that he illegally influenced the deposition of witnesses and tackled the work judiciary authorities.
Fahrudin Radoncic | Photo: SBBBiH -
#Bulgaria perceived as most corrupt in #EU, says Transparency International report. #corruption - euobserver.com/justice/132012by euobs via twitter 1/27/2016 8:37:48 AM
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