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☆ One year on, Russia's war in Ukraine ramps up fears over Europe's next security 'soft spot'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, North Macedonia President Stevo Pendarovski said that, aside from Kyiv, he believed that the Western Balkan region was the "soft spot" of Europe's security architecture. For sure, the Western Balkans is a second battleground for Russia in terms of foreign interference and information manipulation. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesĆerimagić said Russia's war in Ukraine provides Europe with a clear opportunity to cement stability in the Western Balkans. "For sure, the Western Balkans is a second battleground for Russia in terms of foreign interference and information manipulation. watch nowNorth Macedonia's Pendarovski last month described the U.S. as a "key player" in supporting Western Balkan countries through Russia's war in Ukraine.

☆ U.S. grabs 2-0 lead in Davis Cup at Uzbekistan
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

February 4 - The United States moved to the brink of advancing out of its Davis Cup qualifying series by winning both singles matches against host Uzbekistan on Friday in Tashkent. Mackenzie McDonald beat Sergey Fomin 6-4, 6-1 before Tommy Paul, fresh off reaching the Australian Open semifinals, defeated Khumoyun Sultanov 6-1, 7-6 (6). In other Friday action, Germany and Switzerland split their first two singles matches in Trier, Germany. Switzerland's Marc-Andrea Huesler rallied past Oscar Otte 2-6, 6-2, 6-4 before Germany's Alexander Zverev downed Stan Wawrinka 6-4, 6-1. Serbia holds a 2-0 lead on host Norway in Oslo, and host Sweden is up 2-0 on Bosnia and Herzegovina in Stockholm.

☆ U.S. sweep Uzbekistan in Davis Cup qualifiers, Sweden and France through
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

With 24 nations competing in the qualifiers this weekend, the 12 winning teams will qualify for the Davis Cup Finals group stage in September alongside 2022 champions Canada and runners-up Australia. Denis Kudla then stepped on court for his Davis Cup debut in the third singles rubber to beat Amir Milushev 6-4 6-4 to seal a 4-0 victory for the record 32-times Davis Cup winners in Tashkent. And I'm already looking forward to the finals," Mikael said. Playing in Davis Cup means a lot for me because it's an unbelievable competition and I'm very proud of myself today," said debutant Humbert, who had also won his first singles rubber on Friday. Serbia also qualified after Nikola Cacic and Filip Krajinovic won their doubles match 6-4 3-6 6-3 against Norway to give their team a 3-0 lead.

☆ Factbox: How long will it take Ukraine to join EU?
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

While the EU backs Ukraine and supports democratic and economic reforms there, Kyiv's hopes to quickly join the 27-nation EU are set to be dashed. Ukraine applied to join shortly after the Feb. 24, 2022, invasion and last June received a formal candidate status from the EU, which cast it as a bold geo-political move. Ukraine will have to transpose its national law to extensive EU legal standards from climate to labour to health, among others. Beyond that, the EU highlights reforms necessary to ensure that courts are free from political meddling and the rights of minorities respected in Ukraine. With some 44 million people, Ukraine would be the fifth-biggest EU country after Germany, France, Italy and Spain, giving it large influence on the bloc's decisions.

☆ Logitech quarterly sales fall 22% as slowdown fears bite
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Dado RuvicJan 24 (Reuters) - Computer peripherals maker Logitech International (LOGN.S) said on Tuesday its third-quarter sales fell 22%, confirming its preliminary results which showed that business customers had put the brakes on buying new equipment amid slowdown concerns. The company's preliminary figures published on Jan. 11 showed its sales had fallen to between $1.26 and 1.27 billion. Its non-GAAP operating income fell 32% to $204 million from $302 million a year earlier. It had previously reported preliminary operating income in the range of $198 to $203 million. It still expects full-year sales to drop 13% to 15% in the 12 months to the end of March, and generate non-GAAP operating income of $550 to $600 million.

☆ UK indicates it will send battle tanks to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( Michael Holden | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via REUTERSLONDON, Jan 14 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Rishi Sunak indicated on Saturday that Britain would send Ukraine some of its main battle tanks along with additional artillery support, drawing swift reproach from the Russian Embassy in London. Media reports have suggested Britain was in discussions with Ukraine to deliver the Challengers to help the country fight Moscow's forces. According to Sky News, about a dozen tanks would be supplied, the first time such Western weaponry had been pledged. BATTLE TANKThe Challenger 2 is a battle tank designed to attack other tanks, and has been in service with the British Army since 1994. "The prime minister and President Zelenskiy welcomed other international commitments in this vein, including Poland's offer to provide a company of Leopard tanks," Sunak's spokesperson said.

☆ Bosnian Serbs celebrate holiday banned by court
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Daria Sito-Sucic | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/8] Members of Special police march during parade celebrations to mark their autonomous Serb Republic's national holiday, banned by the constitutional court, in East Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, January 9, 2023. Fourteen war veterans' organisations filed criminal charges on Monday at a Sarajevo court against the Serb Republic leadership over violations of the constitutional court's ruling. Last week, Sarajevo war veterans announced protests against the holiday's celebration, but the police banned the gatherings saying it would step up their presence at the city borders. His role is not recognised by Serb Republic separatist President Milorad Dodik. Dodik, who addressed the parade and joined a ceremony in Banja Luka on Sunday, said no court would rule when Serbs celebrate their holidays, and said Serbs did not want to live in a multi-ethnic state.

☆ UK considering giving battle tanks to Ukraine - Sky News
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Britain is considering supplying Ukraine with tanks for the first time to help the country fight Russian forces, Sky News reported on Monday, citing unnamed sources. Discussions have been taking place "for a few weeks" about delivering the British Army's Challenger 2 main battle tank to Ukraine, Sky said, quoting a Western source with knowledge of the conversations. Supplying tanks would represent a significant step-up in Western support to Ukraine, but the British government has not yet taken a final decision on the matter, the report added. Sky cited one unnamed source saying Britain could offer around 10 Challenger 2 tanks. The Challenger 2 is a battle tank designed to attack other tanks, and has been in service with the British army since 1994.

"It always rains a lot here, it's very cold and it's January and it feels like summer," said Bilbao resident Eusebio Folgeira, 81. French tourist Joana Host said: "It's like nice weather for biking but we know it's like the planet is burning. Scientists have not yet analysed the specific ways in which climate change affected the recent high temperatures, but January's warm weather spell fits into the longer-term trend of rising temperatures due to human-caused climate change. "The record-breaking heat across Europe over the new year was made more likely to happen by human-caused climate change, just as climate change is now making every heatwave more likely and hotter," said Dr Friederike Otto, climate scientist at Imperial College London. French national weather agency Meteo France attributed the anomalous temperatures to a mass of warm air moving to Europe from subtropical zones.

☆ Analysis-Bumper green aluminium output is good news for carmakers, and climate
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( Eric Onstad | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Next year’s forecast increase in “green aluminium” output would reduce that by 13 million tonnes, or about 1.2%. Polestar said it pays slightly more for green aluminium, partly due to the administrative costs of changing suppliers, but did not say how much more. Producers, however, are still managing to sell some of their low-carbon output at higher prices under quarterly and annual contracts. Rising output of both will keep green premiums relatively low in the coming years, said Marcelo Azevedo at the McKinsey consultancy. GRAPHIC: Abundant Supplies of Green Aluminium - here

☆ Celebrity and notable deaths of 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Dave Lucas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Madeleine Albright, 84, who fled the Nazis as a child in her native Czechoslovakia during World War Two then rose to become the first female U.S. secretary of state and, in her later years, a pop culture feminist icon, passed away in March. She was a...moreMadeleine Albright, 84, who fled the Nazis as a child in her native Czechoslovakia during World War Two then rose to become the first female U.S. secretary of state and, in her later years, a pop culture feminist icon, passed away in March. She was a tough-talking diplomat in an administration that hesitated to involve itself in the two biggest foreign policy crises of the 1990s - the genocides in Rwanda and Bosnia-Herzegovina. She once upset a Pentagon chief by asking why the military maintained more than 1 million men and women under arms if they never used them. REUTERS/FileClose

Poland withdrew last-minute objections to a global minimum corporate tax, unblocking a whole package of linked agreements that includes the loan to Ukraine, invaded by Russia almost 10 months ago. "The next six months will demand even greater efforts from us," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told the 27 EU leaders gathered in Brussels, asking them for more support from air defences to energy equipment. EU leaders also agreed a ninth package of sanctions against Russia for waging the war against Ukraine, diplomats said. The decision, which requires unanimity, came after EU Russia hawks Poland and Lithuania had warned that proposed exceptions for food security might in fact benefit Russian oligarchs in the fertilizer business. Poorer EU countries want a coordinated response and warned richer member states like Germany against supporting their industries without showing solidarity with the rest of the bloc.

☆ From bloody Balkan war to World Cup heavyweight: the making of Croatia as a soccer nation
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Croatia’s World Cup pedigree is an altogether different story. Štimac challenges Clarence Seedorf of the Netherlands during the 1998 World Cup third place playoff match, which Croatia won 2-1. The Croatia players celebrate a goal against France in the 1998 World Cup semifinals. Having been appointed after the team’s qualification for the 2018 World Cup, Dalić came with pressure on his shoulders. Antonio Bronic/Reuters“There is no place in the national team dressing room of Croatia for big egos, and everyone knows that.

☆ Heaviest Ukraine fighting rages in the east, NATO seeks to sustain support against Russia
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

This brutalization of Ukraine’s people is barbaric,” Blinken told a news conference in Bucharest following a two-day NATO meeting. At the NATO foreign ministers meeting, allies Wednesday pledged to help Moldova, Georgia and Bosnia-Herzegovina as they face pressure from Russia, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and ministers said. Russia invaded Ukraine in February in what it calls a “special military operation” to rid Ukraine of nationalists it considers dangerous. “We are analyzing the intentions of the occupiers and preparing countermeasures — tougher countermeasures than is now the case,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an address Wednesday evening. “We haven’t seen these Iranian unmanned aerial vehicles for about two weeks ... the first batch has probably already run out,” he told Ukraine’s main television network.

[1/4] U.S Secretary of State Antony Blinken attends the "Foreign Ministers of Partners at Risk of Russian Disinformation and Destabilization" session at the NATO foreign ministers meeting in Bucharest, Romania, November 30, 2022. REUTERS/Stoyan NenovBUCHAREST, Nov 30 (Reuters) - NATO foreign ministers will on Wednesday seek to reassure fragile countries in Russia's neighbourhood that they fear could be destabilised by Russia as the conflict in Ukraine drags on, squeezing energy supplies and pushing up prices. Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu told reporters that NATO wanted to be ensure that, after the war in Ukraine, Russia would have "no chance to dictate security options and a way of life to its neighbours". Bosnian Foreign Minister Bisera Turkovic, invited to join the NATO meeting, said she was concerned about Russia's intentions for her country. "The stability in western Balkans is important for peace," Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani said.

☆ Heaviest Ukraine fighting rages in east, West seeks to sustain support against Russia
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] Ukrainian servicemen fire with a Bureviy multiple launch rocket system at a position in Donetsk region, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, Ukraine November 29, 2022. In Washington, a $1.2 billion contract for six National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) for Ukraine was awarded to Raytheon, the Pentagon said. At the NATO foreign ministers meeting, allies on Wednesday pledged to help Moldova, Georgia and Bosnia-Herzegovina as they face pressure from Russia, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and ministers said. Russia invaded Ukraine nine months ago in what it calls a "special military operation" to rid Ukraine of nationalists it considers dangerous. "We haven't seen these Iranian unmanned aerial vehicles for about two weeks ... the first batch has probably already run out," he told Ukraine's main television network.

☆ In memoriam: Notable deaths of 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Jeremy Schultz | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

☆ Logitech's quarterly sales down 12%, CFO to depart
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Logitech mouses are seen in the computer shop in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina October 20, 2020. The maker of keyboards, mice and headsets posted a 12% decline in sales at $1.15 billion in the three months ended Sept. 30. In constant currencies, which removes the impact of exchange rate swings, sales was down 7%. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterNon-GAAP operating income plunged 26% to $156 million in the period, the second quarter of Logitech's financial year. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by John Revill and Juby Babu; Editing by Shailesh KuberOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Logitech's quarterly sales down 12% to $1.15 bln
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Logitech mouses are seen in the computer shop in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina October 20, 2020. The maker of keyboards, mice and headsets posted a 12% decline in sales at $1.15 billion in the three months ended Sept. 30. In constant currencies, which removes the impact of exchange rate swings, sales was down 7%. Logitech also said its chief financial officer, Nate Olmstead, will be leaving the company. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by John Revill and Juby Babu; Editing by Shailesh KuberOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Amnesty urges dropping of defamation charges against Bosnia environment activists
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SARAJEVO, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Amnesty International has urged a Belgian-owned hydro-power company to drop defamation charges against young Bosnian activists who publicly criticised the environmental impact of their projects in Bosnia, saying they were baseless. Kovacevic and Tusevljak are part of a larger movement in Bosnia protesting against small hydro-power plants as authorities embrace the technology in an effort to replace aging coal-fired power stations. Activists were successful in getting legislation to ban the construction of small hydro-power plants through the country's Bosniak-Croat Federation parliament last July. The Serb Republic, the other Bosnian region where East Sarajevo is located, also passed legislation in February limiting the size of future small hydro-power plants. "People of Bosnia-Herzegovina have the right to oppose to small hydro-power plants but you cannot attack existing permits," Green Invest's Delacroix said.

☆ Bosnian woman marks 100th birthday by staging her own art exhibition
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Daria Sito-Sucic | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Nada Rudan, a 100-year-old self-taught Bosnian painter, speaks with a journalist during an interview in her home in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, October 20, 2022. "I don't know what boredom means, I don't know what depression means, I always find something to do," she says. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterHer independent spirit, good health and love of travel help. After her husband died in 1999, Rudan visited the United States, central America and numerous European countries, and those journeys inspired many of her paintings, such as a volcano in Hawaii or pyramids in Mexico. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Daria Sito-Sucic; Editing by Susan FentonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Factbox: Energy crisis revives coal demand and production
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

France - The Emile Huchet coal power plant restarted in early October, only six months after it closed, according to local media. Netherlands - Dutch energy minister Rob Jetten said in June the Netherlands will remove a production cap at coal-fired energy plants to preserve gas. In June, it said it plans to "increase thermal coal production from existing mines this year maximum by 1.5 million tonnes". Spain - The ministry for the ecological transition requested in May the delay of Endesa's As Pontes coal power station closure. (** Note that Ukraine's government has stopped releasing coal production data since the start of the war).

☆ Skydiving keeps 88-year-old Bosnian in the pink
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Ibrahim Kalesic, 88-year-old parachuter, waits to jump from airplane during Para Challenge Cup in Bihac, Bosnia and Herzegovina September 24, 2022. REUTERS/Dado RuvicBIHAC, Bosnia, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Bosnian Ibrahim Kalesic is living proof that extreme sports are not always a young man's game - at the age of 88 he keeps fit by regularly jumping out of aeroplanes. "I wish to go on with this for another 10 years so to get into a Guinness book of world records as the Bosnian parachuter." Kalesic made 21 jumps in five days last month during a competition in the northwestern town of Prijedor. His biggest wish is to get his own parachute and another one to use for training young jumpers.

☆ Djokovic has no regrets about missing Slams due to unvaccinated status
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic performs during the opening of a regional tennis centre that will prepare top tennis players for major tournaments, in Visoko, Bosnia and Herzegovina July 13, 2022. REUTERS/Dado RuvicLONDON, Sept 23 (Reuters) - Novak Djokovic missed two of this year's four Grand Slams due to not being vaccinated against the novel coronavirus but the Serbian said he has no regrets about his decision. Djokovic won the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon titles in 2021 but was unable to defend his Melbourne Park crown this year after being deported on the eve of the hardcourt major due to his unvaccinated status. The 35-year-old Serb, who has won 21 Grand Slam titles, was also unable to travel to New York for the U.S. Open. "No, I don't have any regrets," Djokovic told reporters on Thursday on the eve of the Laver Cup in London.

☆ Exclusive: Former top FBI official involved in Trump-Russia investigation under scrutiny by federal prosecutors for his own ties to Russia
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-15 | by ( Mattathias Schwartz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

A former high-level FBI agent who was involved in the investigation into the Trump campaign's contacts with Russia during the 2016 election has himself come under scrutiny by federal prosecutors for his ties with Russia and other foreign governments. A witness subpoena obtained by Insider indicates information that federal prosecutors were seeking about former FBI official Charles McGonigal. "It's very rare that former FBI people at all, and certainly former senior FBI people, wind up as grand-jury targets," the official said. McGonigal used his official FBI letterhead to try and arrange a business meeting with Edi Rama, the prime minister of Albania. Since he left the FBI, McGonigal has continued to trade on his expertise in counterintelligence.

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