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☆ Ukraine war live updates: Kremlin dismisses threat from anti-war election hopeful; Zelenskyy visits front-line war hot spot
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

As part of the Western Balkans block waiting for EU-membership, Serbia is caught in a geostrategic rivalry between its Western allies and Russia. Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine brought fresh political momentum to the European Union and its plans for enlargement in the Western Balkans. "I see the European Union more ready for the Balkans than the Balkans for the European Union," Miroslav Lajčák, EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue and Western Balkans, told CNBC last month. Within days of Russia's invasion, Ukraine, neighboring Moldova and, soon after, nearby Georgia applied for EU candidate status — which they were granted in quick succession. "Now, it's very clear that the European Union is serious."

Persons: Russia's, —, Miroslav Lajčák, Lajčák, — Karen Gilchrist Organizations: EU, European Union, Belgrade, Pristina, CNBC, European Locations: Ukraine, Belgrade, Serbia, Balkans, Russia, Western Balkans, European, Albania, Bosnia, Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Europe, Yugoslavia, Moldova, Georgia, European Union

☆ Russia's war in Ukraine has had an unlikely consequence — it has revived the EU's plans to get even bigger
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

People hold a banner and Ukrainian flags during a rally to mark the one-year anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2023 in Belgrade, Serbia. As part of the Western Balkans block waiting for EU-membership, Serbia is caught in a geostrategic rivalry between its Western allies and Russia. Davos, SWITZERLAND — As spiking geopolitical tensions thrust the European Union into the spotlight, attention has turned to the strategically important Western Balkans. The Western Balkans, comprised of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Kosovo and Serbia, represent a notable gap in the map of EU membership in southeastern Europe. "I see the European Union more ready for the Balkans than the Balkans for the European Union," Miroslav Lajčák, EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue and Western Balkans, told CNBC last month.

Persons: —, Miroslav Lajčák, Lajčák Organizations: EU, Union, European Union, Belgrade, Pristina, CNBC Locations: Ukraine, Belgrade, Serbia, Balkans, Russia, Davos, SWITZERLAND, Albania, Bosnia, Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Europe, Yugoslavia, European, Western Balkans

☆ At 25, I saw zero career opportunities in my hometown. I spent all my savings on a one-way ticket out, and I have no regrets.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Shubhangi Goel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Veronica Pulido left her hometown at 25 because finding a career there felt impossible. My country isn't in the best economic situation and I always felt like I had nothing to do there. I always wanted to travel, and when I saw her story, I thought, "I could be her, right?" It took two years of savings, which is everything I had, to buy a one-way ticket to Spain, where my sister lives. I keep 400 euros, or $435, in my fund, and I pretend I don't have that money until it's an emergency.

Persons: Veronica Pulido, Pulido, She's, Workaway, —, Veronica Puldio Organizations: Service, Spain, Kids Locations: Europe, Venezuela, Switzerland, Prague, Czech Republic, Spain, Romania, Germany, Balkans, Croatia, Bulgaria, Venezuelan, Sofia, Asia

Most of Kosovo uses the euro, even though the country isn't part of the EU. But parts of Kosovo's north, populated mostly by ethnic Serbs, continue to use the dinar. The Central Bank reported on Wednesday that Serbian bank Komercijalna Banka AD Beograd closed its branches in Kosovo. Serbian forces fought a 1998-99 war with ethnic Albanian separatists in what was then the province of Kosovo. Kosovo eventually declared independence in 2008, but the government in Belgrade doesn't recognize its neighbor as a separate country.

Persons: Kosovo's, Aleksandar Vučić, Alexander, Botsan, ” Vucic, ”, Besnik Bislimi, Albin Kurti, Miroslav Lajčák, Josep Borrell, ___ Llazar Semini Organizations: Union, Serbian, Kosovo’s Central Bank, Western, The Central Bank, NATO, Belgrade doesn't, European Union, Kosovo, Kosovo police, EU Locations: PRISTINA, Kosovo, Serbian, Kosovo's, Serbs, Serbia, Russia, Russian, Belgrade, Pristina, Metohija, Kosovo Serbs, ” Kosovo, Komercijalna Banka, Beograd, Brussels, EU, United States, Vučić, Balkans, Kosovo’s, Tirana, Albania

CNN —Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) said it has discovered a mass corruption scheme in the purchase of weapons by the country’s military amounting to nearly $40 million (1.5 billion Ukrainian hryvnia). Ukraine’s Defense Ministry paid nearly all of the funds to arms supplier Lviv Arsenal, but the SBU said the ammunition was never received. We have no place for corrupt officials.” Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister Dmytro Klymenkov said in a statement Saturday. Ukraine has been dogged by corruption scandals involving its defense ministry in recent years. In December, a senior Ukrainian defense ministry official was detained over allegations he had embezzled 1.5 billion hryvnia ($40 million) in a separate case involving an artillery shells contract.

Persons: SBU, Yurii Zbitnev, –, ”, Dmytro Klymenkov, Volodymyr Zelensky, Zelensky, Oleksii Reznikov, Washington Organizations: CNN, Ukraine’s Security, Ukraine’s Armed Forces, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry, Lviv Arsenal, European Union, Ministry of Defence, Defense, Officials Locations: Balkans, Ukraine, Ukrainian, United States, Kyiv

☆ Analysis: How Orban’s ties to Putin are putting European aid to Ukraine at risk
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —From the start of Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, Hungary has been the weakest link in the West’s response. That’s why there’s so much attention on a meeting on Monday between the foreign ministers of Hungary and Ukraine. Hungary has frustrated European and US-led efforts to support Ukraine for the best part of two years. But time and again, they have blocked important action to support Ukraine and strengthen the Western alliance,” a German foreign affairs official told CNN. But that is what the vast majority of European officials think we are likely to see in the coming months.

Persons: Vladimir Putin’s, Viktor Orban, Orban, Vladimir Putin, Jens Stoltenberg, Francois Mori, Orban tantrums, Sean Gallup, hasn’t, ”, Putin, John Thys, – Organizations: CNN, EU, Hungarian, Ukraine, NATO, Getty, Russia, Kremlin, Putin Locations: Ukraine, Hungary, Russia, Brussels, Europe, Hungarian, AFP, brinksmanship, Finland, Sweden, Turkish, Hungary’s, Budapest, Moscow, Scandinavia, Balkans

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Employees from a Ukrainian arms firm conspired with defense ministry officials to embezzle almost $40 million earmarked to buy 100,000 mortar shells for the war with Russia, Ukraine's security service reported. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was elected on an anti-corruption platform in 2019, long before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Security officials say that the current investigation dates back to August 2022, when officials signed a contract for artillery shells worth 1.5 billion hryvnias ($39.6 million) with arms firm Lviv Arsenal. However, the goods were never delivered and the money was instead sent to various accounts in Ukraine and the Balkans, investigators said. Ukraine’s prosecutor general says that the funds have since been seized and will be returned to the country's defense budget.

Persons: SBU, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ivan Bakanov Organizations: —, European Union, NATO, State Security Service, Lviv Arsenal Locations: KYIV, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Russia, Kyiv, Lviv, Balkans

☆ Remains of ancient Roman triumphal arch unearthed in Serbia
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Kostolac, Serbia Reuters —Braving bitter cold and wind, archaeologists in Serbia surveyed the site of an ancient Roman triumphal arch, one of only a handful in the Balkans, that dates back to the third century. The triumphal arch was discovered in December at the site of Viminacium, a Roman city near the town of Kostolac, 70 kilometers (45 miles) east of Belgrade. “This is the first such triumphal arch in this area… It can be dated to the first decades of the third century AD,” Korac told Reuters on Monday. Branko Filipovic/ReutersViminacium was a sprawling Roman city of 45,000 people with a hippodrome, fortifications, a forum, palace, temples, an amphitheatre, aqueducts, baths and workshops. “When we found square foundational footprints made of massive limestone pieces… there was no doubt that this was a triumphal arch,” Korac said.

Persons: Serbia Reuters —, Miomir Korac, ” Korac, Branko Filipovic, Reuters Viminacium, “, ANTO ”, Emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, Caracalla, Mladen Jovicic, ” Jovicic Organizations: Serbia Reuters, Reuters, Monday Locations: Kostolac, Serbia, Balkans, Roman, Belgrade, Viminacium, Moesia, “

☆ Obama shared his vision of America at his first inauguration. Some still believe
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-20 | by ( John Blake | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +18 min

It went across all visual types.”Elizabeth Alexander recites a poem during President Obama's swearing-in ceremonies at the US Capitol on January 20, 2009. She had grown up in DC, and that inauguration day was a homecoming for her. “I’m sure that some people expected too much,” says Wear, the former Obama campaign worker, of Obama’s vision. The fact of the matter is, that (inauguration) day happened, and millions of people were there. We will have a better idea on another inauguration day — in January of 2025.

Persons: Elizabeth Alexander, Barack Hussein Obama, Alexander, ” Alexander, Muhammad Ali, Aretha Franklin, Elie Wiesel, John Lewis, Colin Powell, ”, “, …, Obama's, Ron Edmonds, Obama, Obama’s, Martin Luther King Jr, Donald Trump’s, —, Trump's, Joe Biden, Jon Cherry, Ed Wolf, Wolf, Barack Hussein Obama —, Barack Obama, Alex Wong, ‘ Hussein, “ Wolf, Clifford L, Alexander Jr, George W, Bush, Laura, Michelle, Tannen Maury, Ronald Reagan, Trump, ” Vivek Ramaswamy, Donald Trump, Alexi J . Rosenfeld, Thomas Sowell, speck, it’s, Shepard, Robert Daemmrich, ” Obama, Michael Wear, John McCain, McCain, ” McCain, we’ve, Mandel Ngan, ” Trump, Nehisi Coates, Coates, Hope ’, ” Coates, ’, didn’t, ” Wolf, Emmanuel Dunand, “ We’re, hasn’t, Obama — we’re, Rebecca Solnit, John Blake Organizations: CNN, Yale University, Capitol, AP, Confederate, Trump, Rochester Institute of Technology, Metro, Washington, Army, Getty, United, White, Whites, GOP, Republican, Obama, Democratic, Mellon Foundation Locations: Washington ,, America, Russia, Japan, Kenya, American, New York, United States, AFP, Kansas, New York City, Balkans, Minnesota, Arizona, Washington, San Francisco, Michigan, Norfolk , Virginia, Hope

☆ Milan-Ljubljana train route to be revived after over 100 years
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Julia Buckley | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Now, a new route opening up fast, direct access between two European countries will spin passengers back more than a century to the times of the Habsburg empire. It is thought that this is the first train from Milan to Ljubljana since the empire was dissolved in 1918. It’s also picking up the route of a night train from Budapest to Venice, which passed through Ljubljana, but finished in 2011. Since 2018, there has been a regional train from Trieste to Ljubljana, but train staff of the two operators switch at the border at Villa Opicina station. “Trieste and Ljubljana were first connected by train in 1857, when both cities were part of the Habsburg Empire.

Persons: we’ll, Stanley Tucci, Francesca Volpi, Slovenia’s, Habsburg, It’s, “, It'll, ”, Giovanni Vale, Markus Mainka, Trenitalia Organizations: CNN, intel, Slovenian Railways, Bloomberg, Getty, Spanish Riding, Austro, Croatian Railways, South Railway Company, Deutsche Bahn Locations: Habsburg, Italy, Slovenia, Slovenian, Milano Centrale, Milan, Ljubljana, Venice, Trieste, Postojna, Skocjan, Budapest, Villa, Rijeka, “ Trieste, Vienna, Zagreb, Belgrade, Balkans, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Munich

☆ I regretted buying a home and now live out of 2 suitcases in a $60-a-night Airbnb. I've finally found my freedom, but it's not for everyone.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-04 | by ( Dan Latu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

I had to resort to an iBuyer to sell the house quickly and get out, which meant I lost $100,000. There's an account called Living Big in a Tiny House that I always found fascinating. I always just thought, "That's a nice idea, but I'm not really into the RV lifestyle." I'm staying here for 30 days, and then I have another Airbnb lined up on the west side of Los Angeles. If you're someone who's able to work remotely and who loves freedom, I think this is really the way to go.

Persons: Stella Guan, Guan, —, I've, I'd, I'm, it'll, hasn't, It's Organizations: Service Locations: Los Angeles, LA, Washington, New York City, Europe, Asia, Balkans, Albania, Serbia, Bosnia, Montenegro

☆ Best travel destinations to visit in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-01 | by ( Cnn Travel Staff | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +32 min

cdwheatley/iStockphoto/Getty Images Angola: Beyond the capital city of Luanda, pictured, Angola has some jaw-droppingly spectacular scenery and cultural treats. David ChiaFF/Alamy Stock Photo Mérida, Mexico: Yucatán state's capital city showcases a blend of Mayan and colonial heritage. Pavel Tochinsky/The Image Bank RF/Getty Images Morocco: This North African country is home to nine UNESCO sites, including the historic city of Meknes, pictured. Panama City is also the only world capital with a tropical rainforest within its city limits. And a historic city forever entwined with the famed Camino de Santiago.

Persons: you’d, Tengguo Wu, Gabriele Thielmann, Turkey's, Gary Ennis, Matevz, Bill Bachman, Christian Kober, Gonzalo Azumendi, David ChiaFF, Pavel Tochinsky, Terry Kelly, Raul Rodriguez, iStock, Anton Petrus, –, — Karla Cripps Turkey’s, — Barry Neild, Mana Kaasik, — Maureen O’Hare, — Maggie Hiufu Wong, Deb Snelson, Glen Arbor, Marnie Hunter, — Forrest Brown, — Forrest Brown Angola Cristo, Eric Lafforgue, it’s, King, Eric Carr, John’s, Saint John, New Brunswick —, —, Tuul, Bruno Morandi, — Julia Buckley, Groenewald, Alamy, — Lilit Marcus, Alexander the Great, Philip II of Macedon, — JB, Bogdan Lazar, — Tamara Hardingham, Gill, Hercules, Francesca, Lazarus, ”, David Casanova, Megan Sequeira Casanova, “, Kuka y Naranjo, medina, Gordon Sinclair, Yvette Cardozo, — FB, Pierce Ingram, Stefan Tomic, Fujairah, who’ve, Samarkand —, It’s Organizations: CNN, United, CNN Travel, Getty Images, Town, Getty, Northwest, Saint, New Brunswick Tourism, UNESCO, Heritage, Alamy, Parque Nacional Volcán Barú, Galicia, Tercera Orden, Parque, Bank, Wakulla Springs, Texas, United Arab Emirates, AP, Rock, of Culture, Estonian National Museum, — Maggie Hiufu Wong Northwest Michigan, Bear, Farm, Riders, Lubango, — BN Saint John, Canada Tourists, St, Saint John City Market, Historic, Saint John Arts Centre, Carnegie, Carnegie Library, — KC, Korea, Folk, Netflix, South Korea, Adriatic, Nacional Glaciares, Australian Sea Lions, Panama, Spain Santiago de, Spain Santiago de Compostela Cathedral, Islas, Camino, Mexico People, YouTube, US State Department, Morocco, Regis Hotels, Resorts, — FB Texas, Travel Texas, Krause, Gruene, Fujairah, Icefjord, FS, Tuul, ” Locations: United States, Sumba, Indonesia Sumba, Indonesia, Bali, Getty Images Tartu, Estonia, Tartu —, European, Tainan, Taiwan, Northwest Michigan, Traverse City, Lake Michigan, iStockphoto, Western Balkans, Culebra , Puerto Rico, Flamenco, Culebra, cdwheatley, Angola, Luanda, , New Brunswick, Fundy, New Brunswick, New Brunswick Tourism South Korea, Korea Albania, Albania, Chile, mauritius, Western Australia, Greece, Macedonia, American, Panama, Spain, Camino, Santiago, St, John's, Mexico, Parque Hidalgo, Morocco, Meknes, Florida, Spicewood, Anton, Greenland, Denmark, AP Uzbekistan, Bukhara, Indonesian, Sumela, Turkey's, — Barry Neild Tartu, Estonia Tartu, of Culture Tartu, Tartu, “, Baltics, — Maureen O’Hare Tainan, Taiwan Tainan, Taipei, — Maggie Hiufu Wong Northwest, Lake, Traverse, Leland, Glen, perusing, Balkans, Slovenia, Bosnia, Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Serbia, transdinarica.com, —, Puerto Rico, It’s, — Forrest Brown Angola, Lubango, Barra, Cabo Ledo, — BN Saint John , New Brunswick, Canada, Hopewell, Newfoundland, Saint, Canada’s, Korea Andong, South Korea, Sanga, Korea, Seoul, Busan, Andong, Albania Albania, Berat, Montenegro, Vlorë, Gjirokastër, — Julia Buckley Chile, Atacama, Patagonia, Coral Coast, Geraldton, — Lilit Marcus Macedonia, Thessaloniki, Greece's, Hemis, Athens, Vergina, Veria, Naousa, Greece’s, Thrace, Philippi, Kavala, Panama . Panama City, Gill Galicia, Spain Santiago, Spain Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Galicia’s, Santiago de Compostela, Cabo, Fisterra, Galicia —, Singapore, John’s, Paseo, Montejo, Mérida, Yucatán, getaways, there’s, Marrakech, Rabat, Fes, Resorts Morocco, Wakulla, Ginnie, Fredericksburg, Texas, Marble Falls, Meanderers, New Braunfels, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Wadi, Nuuk, Ilulissat, West, FS Uzbekistan, Samarkand, Uzbekistan, China, India, Khiva, Uzbek, Sentob, Tashkent

"While it's Syrians that are calling for it, for the use of chemical weapons in Syria, if states so wish, it could be far beyond Syria," Olabi told Reuters. The Exceptional Chemical Weapons Tribunal proposal was launched on Nov. 30, the day victims of chemical attacks are remembered worldwide. 'SOME KIND OF JUSTICE'The use of chemical weapons is banned under the Geneva Conventions that codified the laws of war. That ban was strengthened by the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention, a non-proliferation treaty joined by 193 states which is overseen by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). The OPCW has the power to investigate claims of chemical weapons use and in some cases identify alleged perpetrators, but it has no prosecutorial powers.

Persons: Safaa Kamel, We'll, Ibrahim Olabi, Olabi, Bashar al, Akande, Mohamad Salim Namour, IIIM, Catherine Marchi, Uhel, Maya Gebeily, Stephanie van den Berg, Anthony Deutsch, Mahmoud Hasano, Angus MacSwan, Bernadette Baum Organizations: HAGUE, Reuters, Diplomats, Convention, Organisation, Chemical Weapons, United Nations, United Nations International Law Commission, ICC, UN, Islamic, TEN, International, Thomson Locations: Eastern Ghouta, Syria, Syrian, Afrin, BEIRUT, The Hague, Jobar, Syria's, Damascus, Ghouta, British, Geneva, France, Balkans, Rwanda, Lebanon, Douma, Russia, Beirut

☆ OSCE Meeting Causes Rift Over Whether to Share Stage With Russia's Lavrov
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

The United States and its allies are seeking to simultaneously keep the OSCE alive and hold Russia to account over its invasion of Ukraine. Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna told reporters at a meeting with his counterparts from other NATO member states. Estonia had been due to take over the annually rotating OSCE chairmanship but Russia spent months blocking it. A last-minute deal for neutral Malta to take over the chairmanship must also be formally approved at Thursday and Friday's OSCE meeting in Skopje, hosted by the current chair North Macedonia. I think that is simply wrong," Latvian Foreign Minister Krisjanis Karins told reporters at the NATO meeting.

Persons: Andrew Gray, Francois Murphy, Ingrid Melander, Russia's Sergei Lavrov, Margus Tsahkna, Lavrov, Tsahkna, OSCE Michael Carpenter, Antony Blinken, Vladimir Putin, Helga Schmid, Krisjanis Karins, Humeyra Pamuk, William Maclean Organizations: Organization, Security, Cooperation, OSCE, Central Asia, Ukrainian Foreign, AS, United, U.S, Macedonian, United Nations General Assembly, NATO Locations: Ingrid Melander BRUSSELS, VIENNA, Baltic, Ukraine, Russia, Balkans, Central, United States, Estonian, Estonia, Malta, Skopje, Macedonia, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Moscow, West, New York, Latvian

[1/2] U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken disembarks from his airplane upon arrival at Brussels Airport in Brussels, Belgium, on November 27, 2023, as he travels to a NATO foreign ministers' meeting. "We've always said that this is a matter for Ukraine to decide," O'Brien said. At a press conference in Brussels on Monday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said he expected alliance foreign ministers to "reaffirm NATO’s long-term support" for Ukraine. Turkey has informed NATO that its parliament will not complete ratification of the bid ahead of the meetings, sources told Reuters last week. Blinken will also represent the United States at a meeting of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe in Skopje, North Macedonia, this week, O'Brien said.

Persons: Antony Blinken disembarks, SAUL LOEB, Antony Blinken, James O'Brien, Blinken, we've, O'Brien, Biden, We've, Jens Stoltenberg, O, Brien, Stoltenberg, Simon Lewis, Daphne Psaledakis, Andrew Gray, Lisa Shumaker, Chizu Nomiyama, Deepa Babington Organizations: Brussels, NATO, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Ukraine, State Department, Biden, State, Eurasian, U.S . Congress, Germany's, Reuters, Washington, Organization for Security, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Russia, Europe, Gaza, Israel, Washington, Ukraine, United States, Taiwan, Germany, Kyiv, Moscow, Belgian, Turkey, Hungary, U.S, Western Balkans, Kosovo, Skopje, North Macedonia

WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Antony Blinken is turning his attention to Ukraine, NATO and the Western Balkans after weeks of intense focus on Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. Now, amid signs that a cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas due to expire on Monday may be extended, Blinken is departing for Brussels for a NATO foreign ministers meeting. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said he plans to attend the OSCE meeting, possibly setting the stage for a U.S.-Russia confrontation over Ukraine. The NATO meeting in Brussels will also address the situation in the Western Balkans where there are calls for NATO to increase its military presence amid concerns that hostility between Serbia and Kosovo could escalate to outright conflict. Blinken will underscore U.S. and NATO support for democracy and regional stability in the region, including a commitment to back all countries’ aspirations to join the European Union, O’Brien said.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Blinken, ”, Jim O’Brien, O’Brien, Sergey Lavrov Organizations: WASHINGTON, —, NATO, eventual, “, Organization for Security, Cooperation, Russian, OSCE, Kosovo —, Serbia —, European Union, NATO's Locations: Ukraine, Western Balkans, Gaza, Israel, Brussels, Kosovo, Serbia, Russia, Europe, Skopje, North Macedonia, U.S, Balkans, Washington

☆ British troops patrol Kosovo-Serbia border as tensions remain high
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-25 | by ( Fatos Bytyci | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] British troops part of the NATO reinforcements patrol at the Kosovo-Serbia border in Jarinje, Kosovo November 24, 2023. NATO has sent 1,000 extra troops to the region, bringing its presence there to 4,500 peacekeepers from 27 countries. British soldiers are now being deployed in 18-hour shifts in freezing conditions to make sure no weapons or armed groups enter Kosovo. Kosovo, which has an ethnic Albanian majority, declared independence from Serbia in 2008 after a guerrilla uprising and a 1999 NATO intervention. Around five percent of the population in Kosovo are ethnic Serbs, of which half live in the north and refuse to recognize Kosovo independence and see Belgrade as their capital.

Persons: Valdrin, Joss Gaddie, Jens Stoltenberg, Albin Kurti's, Fatos Bytyci, Mike Harrison Organizations: NATO, REUTERS, Atlantic Treaty Organization, Belgrade, KFOR, British Army, Reuters, Kosovo, Kosovo police, Thomson Locations: Kosovo, Serbia, Jarinje, NATO, Britain, Romania, Banjska, Balkans, Belgrade, Pristina

Kosovo’s border with Serbia was “out of control," Rama said after an informal meeting of Western Balkan NATO members in North Macedonia. It gained independence with the help of a NATO military campaign, launched in 1999 to end a bloody Serb crackdown on an armed separatist movement. “But what we do see is an increase in tensions, especially in Kosovo,” Stoltenberg said. During a visit to Kosovo on Monday, Stoltenberg said that NATO was considering deploying additional peacekeeping troops there. In May, Serb demonstrators in northern Kosovo clashed with NATO peacekeeping troops.

Persons: Rama, Jens Stoltenberg, Wednesday's, ” Stoltenberg, Stoltenberg, Dimitar Kovačevski, Milojko, Zoran Milanović Organizations: Edi Rama, NATO, Western Balkan NATO, Kosovo —, Serbia —, European Union Locations: SKOPJE, North Macedonia, Albanian, Kosovo, Serbia, Serbian, Russia, Balkans, Ukraine, North Macedonia's, Skopje, Western Balkans, Belgrade, Banjska, Brussels, Montenegro

He said the EU had to show "more empathy" for the loss of Palestinian civilian lives in Israel's war against Hamas, launched in response to the deadly Oct. 7 cross-border assault by the Palestinian militant group. On the trip, which ended on Monday evening, Borrell heard Arab leaders and Palestinian civil society activists complain that the 27-nation EU was not applying the same standards to Israel's war in Gaza that it applies to Russia's war in Ukraine. EUROPE STRUGGLESAs High Representative for foreign policy, Borrell is charged with crafting common positions among EU members. It has largely limited itself to support for Israel's right to defend itself within international law and calls for pauses in fighting. Borrell, a veteran Spanish Socialist politician, last month declared that some of Israel's actions contravened international law - to the annoyance of some EU member countries.

Persons: Josep Borrell, Defence Margarita Robles, Isabel Infantes, Kibbutz Be'eri, Borrell, Israel's, Andrew Gray, John Irish, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: EU, Representative, Foreign Affairs, Defence, REUTERS, Palestinian, European Union, Ukraine, Hamas, Reuters, West Bank, United Nations, Spanish Socialist, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: Toledo, Spain, Ukraine, BRUSSELS, Israel, Gaza, Palestinian, Kibbutz, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, EU, United States, East, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Ireland, Belgium, France, Spanish

☆ NATO's Stoltenberg concerned by secessionist rhetoric in Bosnia
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Daria Sito-Sucic | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg shakes hands with Bosnian Prime Minister Borjana Kristo during his visit to Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, November 20, 2023. Bosnia emerged from a 1992-1995 war with a federal structure uniting a Serb-dominated republic with a federation of Croats and Bosniak Muslims. "We are concerned by secessionist and divisive rhetoric as well as .. foreign interference including Russia," Stoltenberg told reporters in Sarajevo, his first stop during a tour of the Western Balkans region. NATO has warned about risks for Bosnia from foreign interference, particularly from Russia, and agreed to help to shore up its ability to defend itself. Every country has the right to choose its security arrangements without foreign interference," Stoltenberg said after meeting the chairwoman of Bosnia's Council of Ministers, Borjana Kristo.

Persons: Jens Stoltenberg, Borjana Kristo, Amel, Milorad Dodik, Stoltenberg, Christian Schmidt, " Stoltenberg, Borjana, Daria Sito, Toby Chopra, Peter Graff Organizations: NATO, Bosnian, REUTERS, Rights, Representative, UN Security Council, Bosnia's, Ministers, Thomson Locations: Sarajevo, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Rights SARAJEVO, Serbia, Russia, Western Balkans, Yugoslavia, masse, EU, Ukraine, Balkans, Bosnian, Russian Bosnian Serbs

Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani attends a joint press conference with French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna (not pictured) at the Amiri Diwan, in Doha, Qatar November 5, 2023. It followed a report in the Washington Post published on Saturday that said a deal for the release of 50 hostages had been agreed. "The challenges facing the agreement are just practical and logistical," Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said at a joint press conference with European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell in Doha. "The deal is going through ups and downs from time to time throughout the last few weeks. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said no deal had been reached yet.

Persons: Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Catherine Colonna, Amiri, Imad Creidi, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman, Thani, Josep Borrell, Benjamin Netanyahu, Sheikh Mohammed, Andrew Gray, Aziz El Yaakoubi, Emelia Sithole, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Qatar's, French, REUTERS, Rights DOHA, Hamas, Washington Post, White House, Reuters, Qatari, European Union, Washington, Thomson Locations: Doha, Qatar, Palestinian, Israel, United States, Gaza

☆ I left NYC and moved to Eastern Europe after my divorce — but here's what I wish I would've done differently
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Katka Lapelosova | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Katka Lapelosová moved to Serbia in October 2020 after her divorce. Then I fell in love with my best friend from high school, who had never left Long Island, and everything changed. Our nearly 10-year relationship was fantastic and filled with many wonderful memories including a few trips to Europe. AdvertisementSerbia really surprised me and moving here has been interestingLapelosová drove around Serbia and found the countryside very beautiful. Courtesy of Katka LapelosováWhile I love living abroad, it can definitely get lonely, and I still get homesick.

Persons: Katka Lapelosová, Lapelosová, would've, she'll, —, I'm, wasn't, I'd, I've, Lapelosová I've, Serbia —, don't, There's, it's, Belgrade haven't Organizations: Service, Belgrade —, Yorker, EU Locations: Serbia, Yorker, Prague, Long, Europe, EU, Balkans, Serbian, Belgrade, Italy, Spain, Greece, Slovakia, Saint Sava Temple, New York City, Paris, Barcelona, Siberia, Syria, Croatia, Malta

☆ NATO to replace AWACS surveillance jets with modified Boeing 737
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A NATO AWACS surveillance plane is parked at the Romanian Air Force 90th Airlift Base, in Otopeni, Ilfov, Romania, January 17, 2023. With their rotating radar, the modified Boeing 737 jets can detect aircraft at a distance of more than 400 kilometres (250 miles). To replace the old AWACS jets, NATO aims to purchase six Boeing E-7 A Wedgetail planes, with the contract to be signed in 2024 and the first jet ready for operational duty by 2031. Based at Geilenkirchen airbase in Germany, the AWACS fleet has been widely used for NATO surveillance missions along the alliance's eastern flank in the wake of Russia's attack on Ukraine. In a conflict, the AWACS planes can not only provide a radar picture for allied fighter jets, ships and control centres, but also direct NATO combat jets to their targets.

Persons: George Calin, Jens Stoltenberg, Sabine Siebold, Benoit Van Overstraeten, Alex Richardson Organizations: NATO, Romanian Air Force 90th Airlift Base, REUTERS, Rights, Boeing, AWACS, Airborne, Thomson Locations: Otopeni, Ilfov, Romania, Rights BRUSSELS, Poland, United States, Britain, Turkey, Germany, Ukraine, Balkans, Afghanistan, Iraq

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — After four failed attempts, the U.N. Security Council is trying for a fifth time to come up with a resolution on the Israel-Hamas war, but it remains to be seen whether serious divisions can be overcome to produce a consensus on wording. The current draft under negotiation would demand “immediate extended humanitarian pauses” throughout the Gaza Strip to provide civilians with desperately needed aid. The 15-member council, which has the responsibility for maintaining international peace and security, has been paralyzed since the war began by its internal divisions. But unlike Security Council resolutions, General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding, though they are a barometer of world opinion. Of the five veto-holding Security Council members, Russia, China and France voted in favor, the United States voted against and the United Kingdom abstained.

Persons: ”, Richard Gowan, U.N, “, ” Gowan Organizations: UNITED NATIONS, . Security, Malta, Associated Press, United, Israel, International Crisis, Russia, Security Locations: Israel, Gaza, China, Russia, United States, Brazil, U.S, United Nations, France, United, Egypt, Balkans, Syria

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty/Serhii Nuzhnenko via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBRUSSELS, Nov 10 (Reuters) - A European Union plan to spend up to 20 billion euros ($21.4 billion) on military aid for Ukraine is meeting resistance from EU countries and may not survive in its current form, diplomats say. The debate over military aid comes as EU nations are also in discussions over a proposal to give Ukraine 50 billion euros in economic assistance. The EU is also facing challenges over other aspects of its military aid to Ukraine. SECURITY PACKAGESEU governments have stressed that long-term EU military aid must be coordinated with security packages that individual EU countries are negotiating with Kyiv, making it hard to settle on a price tag while those talks are ongoing. Some EU members have also argued they will struggle to make a big long-term pledge as domestic budgets are squeezed.

Persons: Nuzhnenko, Josep Borrell, I'm, Olaf Scholz, David Evans Organizations: Radio Free, Radio Liberty, REUTERS, Rights, Germany, EU, Peace Facility, Ukraine, Facility, Kyiv, Krisztina, Thomson Locations: Avdiivka, Ukraine, Donetsk region, Radio Free Europe, Rights BRUSSELS, Brussels, Russia, EU, Germany, Kyiv, Hungary, OTP

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