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In a series of reports on countries wanting to join the bloc's ranks, the EU’s executive branch recommended that war-ravaged Ukraine should be permitted to open membership talks, once it’s addressed some shortfalls. “Moldova is the subject of constant destabilization efforts against its democracy,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said. For 20 years, the prospect of EU membership has been a powerful driver of pro-democratic reform in aspiring countries. The commission said that it should only start membership talks after more progress is made. The country started its EU membership talks in 2005, but they have ground to a halt in recent years.

Persons: it’s, “, Ursula von der Leyen, ”, von der Leyen, Turkey's, backsliding Organizations: —, European Union, European Commission, Georgia, EU, Kosovo –, Kyiv “ Locations: BRUSSELS, — Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Ukraine, Brussels, Hungary, Slovakia, Balkans, Albania, Bosnia, Montenegro, Serbia, Kosovo, Bosnian, Turkey, Europe

As token prices plummeted last year, the sector saw other stunning meltdowns that put several industry moguls into authorities' crosshairs. Changpeng "CZ" ZhaoThe U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) sued Binance and its CEO Zhao in June for allegedly operating "a web of deception." Kwon faces multiple charges of fraud in the U.S. and was arrested in Montenegro earlier this year for allegedly forging documents, authorities said. He has pleaded not guilty to U.S. fraud charges that he misled customers and artificially inflated the value of his company's proprietary crypto token. Barry SilbertSilbert is the boss of crypto group Digital Currency Group whose subsidiary Genesis Global Capital filed for bankruptcy in January.

Persons: Zhao Changpeng, Binance, Costas Baltas, Sam Bankman, Fried, he's, Zhao, Kwon, Luna, Terraform, Alex Mashinsky, Mashinsky, Barry Silbert Silbert, Letitia James, Silbert, Stephen Ehrlich Stephen Ehrlich's, Ehrlich, Justin Sun, Sun, Niket Nishant, Hannah Lang, Michelle Price, Anil D'Silva Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Zhao, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, U.S . Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Korean, Terraform Labs, Montenegrin, Mashinsky, CFTC, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Digital Currency Group, Genesis Global Capital, New York, FTC, Tron Foundation, Thomson Locations: Athens, Greece, China, Canada, U.S, Montenegro, New York

☆ One of L.A.’s Most Beloved Restaurants Is Opening Its First Hotel
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Jay Cheshes | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

In 2008 Fran Camaj transformed an old furniture store on Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice, Calif., into an industrial-chic, farm-to-table restaurant with wood-oven pizzas, fresh seasonal pastas and other California-meets-Mediterranean creations by chef Travis Lett. Camaj, a former middle school science teacher who became a real estate speculator, named the restaurant Gjelina, after his mom, a transplant from Montenegro who helped finance the place. “I vastly underestimated what it was going to become,” he says of the restaurant’s rapid success.

Persons: Fran Camaj, Abbot Kinney, Travis Lett, “, ” Organizations: Abbot Locations: Venice, Calif, California, Camaj, Montenegro

☆ How a law firm built almost entirely on social-media platforms like Twitter and LinkedIn has landed over 270 clients
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Marta Biino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

That's the case with SMB Law, a boutique law firm focused on small businesses founded by Eric Pacifici, Kevin Henderson, and Sam Rosati in 2022. The initiative to start SMB Law came from Pacifici. "There's a really robust small-business community on Twitter called SMB Twitter, or SMB X," Pacifici told Insider. "We have product-market fit because we have that community support in building this business," Pacifici said. "I think we've done a good job of using social media to get pretty ingrained in our space, well beyond Twitter," Pacifici said.

Persons: Elon, Eric Pacifici, Kevin Henderson, Sam Rosati, We've, Henderson, it's, Pacifici, Rosati, Eli Albrecht, They're Organizations: SMB Law, SMB, Big Law, Twitter Locations: Pacifici, Evelin Montenegro

☆ Lonely Planet’s top places to go in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Maureen Ohare | Maureen O'Hare | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Get your wishlist fired up, Lonely Planet just revealed its 50 top travel destinations for the year ahead. The travel publishing empire turns 50 this year, and its bumper Best in Travel 2024 list is expanded across five categories: top countries, regions, cities, sustainable travel destinations and best-value locations. The “wild beauty” of South Africa also gets a nod, with Lonely Planet recommending visitors check out the country’s “impressive crop of ecolodges” committed to protecting Earth’s biodiversity. The underrated American Midwest is the top tip here: in cities such as Chicago, Milwaukee and Detroit, “you’ll find old warehouses transformed into art studios, new eco design hotels and many Michelin-starred restaurants,” says Lonely Planet. Says Lonely Planet, “Here you’ll find the highest sea cliffs in Europe and miles of unspoilt coastal hiking trails.”Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2024India: A big country with a whole lot to love, including Gadisar lake in Rajasthan.

Persons: CNN —, Lucia, Torres del, ecolodges ”, Babanango, “, ”, you’ll, Ilan Shacham, Ireland País Vasco, Português, daniel Organizations: CNN, Lonely, Lonely Planet, Kenyan, Michelin, Getty, Mongolia India Morocco Chile Benin Mexico Uzbekistan Pakistan Croatia St, Regions, CNN Cities Nairobia, Chile Greenland, Lithuania Eco, France Egypt Ikaria, Greece Algeria Southern Lakes, Central Otago , New Zealand Locations: Mongolia, Mexico, Croatia, St, Benin, Uzbekistan, City, Nairobi, Paris, Prague, Czech, “, Patagonia, Torres del Paine, Spain, Valencia, Barcelona, South Africa, South, KwaZulu Natal, Chicago, Milwaukee, Detroit, Algeria, Northern Africa, Europe, Balkans, Slovenia, Bosnia, Hercegovina, Montenegro, Albania, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Serbia, Adriatic, Donegal, Ireland’s, India, Rajasthan, Mongolia India Morocco Chile Benin Mexico Uzbekistan Pakistan Croatia, Lucia Macedonia, South Australia Donegal, Ireland, Spain Southern Thailand Swahili, Tanzania Montana, USA, Austria, Kenya Paris, France Montreal, Canada Mostar, Herzegovina Philadelphia , Pennsylvania Manaus, Brazil Jakarta, Indonesia Prague, Czech Republic Izmir, Turkey Kansas City , Missouri, Spain Patagonia, Argentina, Chile, Chile Greenland Wales, Santiago Palau Hokkaido, Japan Ecuador Baltic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, South Africa Poland, USA Poland Nicaragua Danube Limes, Bulgaria Normandy, France Egypt, Greece Algeria Southern, Central Otago , New

☆ A 'festering' powder keg in Europe is lurking in the shadow of the Israel-Hamas war
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

"Consequently, the Serbia-Kosovo discord, while festering, finds itself languishing in the shadow of these more immediate and globally resonant challenges." It highlights a major challenge for policymakers: providing ongoing conflicts with near-constant attention, while still monitoring other strategically significant risks. "The fact remains that the Balkan region is a powder keg, where even minor incidents can swiftly spiral into broader conflicts. History has underscored the adage that what happens in the Balkans, doesn't stay in the Balkans," the CEPA's Hartwell said. "The U.S., EU and U.K. do not have the diplomatic and military bandwidth to respond to several conflicts of strategic interest.

Persons: Stringer, Leon Hartwell, Hartwell, Banjska, doesn't, Majda Ruge Organizations: NATO, Kosovo Force, KFOR, Afp, Getty, Center for, CNBC, European Union, Anadolu Agency, European Council, Foreign Relations Locations: Mitrovica, Israel, Russia, Ukraine, Balkans, Europe, Serbia, Kosovo, Palestine, Albania, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Southern, Eastern Europe, Moscow, Brussels, Washington, Serbs, Kosovan, U.S, EU, Pristina, destabilising Kosovo, Yugoslavia

☆ Montenegro votes in new government with Milojko Spajic prime minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Members of 44th Montenegrin government pose for a family photo in front of the parliament in Podgorica, Montenegro, October 31, 2023. The new government, led by economist Milojko Spajic of the Europe Now Movement, will have 18 ministries and five deputy-prime ministers. It will include the centre-right pro-European Democrats, the pro-Serbian Socialist People's Party and five parties of the Albanian minority. Montenegro joined NATO in 2017, a year after a botched coup attempt that the then government blamed on Russian agents and Serbian nationalists. After Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year, Montenegro, unlike Serbia, joined EU sanctions against Moscow, sent aid to Ukraine and expelled a number of Russian diplomats.

Persons: Stevo, Milojko Spajic, Spajic, Andrija Mandic, Aleksandar Vasovic, Robert Birsel Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, European Union, European Democrats, Serbian Socialist People's Party, NATO, World Bank, EU, Moscow, Thomson Locations: Montenegrin, Podgorica, Montenegro, Rights PODGORICA, Europe, Serbian, Russia, Serbia, Ukraine

☆ EU to help Western Balkans reforms with 6 billion euro package - von der Leyen
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SARAJEVO, Oct 30 (Reuters) - The European Union plans to help the countries of the Western Balkans pursue reforms needed for integration with the wealthy bloc with an investment of 6 billion euros ($6.4 billion), the EU executive's president, Ursula von der Leyen, said in Skopje on Monday. North Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina all need to seize the "window of opportunity" for the enlargement of the EU and work to align their standards to those in the bloc, von der Leyen said. Von der Leyen said the EU's new growth plan for the region would include the opening of its common market to the Western Balkan countries in areas such as free movement of goods and services, transport and energy. It also urged the countries to open a common regional market, and pursue it with necessary reforms. "These reforms will come with investment," von der Leyen said during a press conference with North Macedonia Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski at the start of her Western Balkans tour.

Persons: Ursula von der Leyen, von der Leyen, Von der Leyen, Dimitar Kovacevski, Daria Sito, Fatos Bytyci, Alison Williams, Ed Osmond, Mark Porter Organizations: European Union, EU, ., North Macedonia, Brussels, Thomson Locations: SARAJEVO, Balkans, Skopje, Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Bulgaria, EU, North Macedonia, Pristina

☆ EU to Help Western Balkans Reforms With 6 Billion Euro Package - Von Der Leyen
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

SARAJEVO (Reuters) - The European Union plans to help the countries of the Western Balkans to pursue reforms needed for integration with the wealthy bloc with 6 billion euros investment, the EU executive's president Ursula von der Leyen said in Skopje on Monday. North Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina all need to seize the "window of opportunity" for the enlargement of the EU and work to align their standards to those in the bloc, von der Leyen said. Von der Leyen said the EU's new growth plan for the region would include the opening of its common market to the Western Balkan countries in areas such as free movement of goods and services, transport and energy. "These reforms will come with investment," von der Leyen said during a news conference with North Macedonia's Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski at the start of her Western Balkans tour. "We have proposed a 6 billion euro ($6.34 billion) package for Western Balkan partners," she said.

Persons: Ursula von der Leyen, von der Leyen, Von der Leyen, Dimitar Kovacevski, Daria Sito, Alison Williams, Ed Osmond Organizations: European Union, EU, ., North Macedonia's, Western Balkan, Brussels Locations: SARAJEVO, Balkans, Skopje, Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Bulgaria, EU, North Macedonia

☆ US decision to send long-range missiles to Kyiv a grave mistake - Russia's envoy
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Armoured vehicles move during "Noble Blueprint 2023" military exercise at Novo Selo military grounds, Bulgaria, September 26, 2023. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy also confirmed his forces used the ATACMS after his military reported on Tuesday striking two air bases in Ukrainian territory now controlled by Russia. Ukraine had repeatedly asked the U.S. administration for the ATACMS and pledged not to use inside Russia's territory. The Kremlin has said U.S. supplies of ATACMS missiles and Abrams tanks to Ukraine would not change the situation on the battlefield. Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Christopher Cushing and Lincoln FeastOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Anatoly Antonov, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Antonov, Lidia Kelly, Christopher Cushing Organizations: NATO, Army Tactical Missile Systems, White House, Ukrainian Special Forces, Thomson Locations: Novo Selo, Bulgaria, Greece, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Turkey, Albania, U.S, Ukraine, ATACMS, Russia, Luhansk, Ukraine's, Berdiansk, Azov, Washington, United States, Melbourne, Lincoln

☆ The Ukrainian draft dodgers who don't want to go to war against Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-15 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Ukrainian men cannot leave the country under martial law and face being drafted into war service. He told Insider he's desperate to leave Ukraine to escape being drafted and had already attempted one escape. Bohdan's unit suffered significant casualties while stationed near Svatove and the Serebryansky forest, he told Insider, and he was one of the few who survived without injuries. "Young men at a checkpoint near the border told me not to bother trying," Artem told Insider. 80,000 Ukrainian men have crossed over to PolandA Ukrainian soldier who lost her leg in the fighting near Kherson.

Persons: —, Artem, Bohdan, didn't, he's, — it's, hasn't, Ukrainska, Anna Michalska, Odesa, Borysov, Costa, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Mytkalyk, Bolhan, Euronews Organizations: Service, National Guard of, AP, Verkhovna Rada, Ukrainska Pravda, The New York Times, Armed Forces, Poland's Border Guard, Polish Border Guard, Kyiv Post, Business, New York Times, The, Kyiv Independent, Times, Getty, Kyiv International Institute of Sociology Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, National Guard of Ukraine, Svatove, Bohdan, Romania, Belgium, Hungary, Montenegro, Moldova, Poland, Ukrainian, Kherson, Verkhovna, Ukraine's, Polish, Marbella, Costa del Sol, London, Russia, Warsaw

☆ Next EU chief will need cash more than trade wars
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Rebecca Christie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

What she sidestepped was how to find more cash and convince member states to pay up. Von der Leyen, or her successor, will have to figure out how to pay for enlargement. Von der Leyen tapped into trade frustrations with her pledge to investigate and possibly punish Chinese subsidies for car and battery makers. During her first term, von der Leyen succeeded in connecting the EU with bond investors via the 800 billion euro NextGenerationEU borrowing programme. A second term will require even more finesse to convince EU member states to raise money not just from markets, but from themselves.

Persons: Ursula von der, European Union won’t, der, von der Leyen’s, Greens –, der Leyen, Emmanuel Macron, Thierry Breton, Norway’s Jens Stoltenberg, Von der, Carlo Bastasin, Von der Leyen, von der Leyen, sceptics, Ursula von der Leyen, Charles Michel’s, Jens Stoltenberg’s, Francesco Guerrera, Streisand Neto, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, European Union, Bank, EU, European Commission, Socialists, Greens, NATO, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Brookings, handouts, Organisation for Economic Co, Transport, Environment, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Ukraine, Moldova, Western, Brussels, Germany, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Turkey, Georgia, Spain, Poland, United States, China, Ireland, Netherlands, EU, EU’s, Hungary

☆ A second war could easily erupt in Europe — while everyone's distracted by Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

Violence erupted in northern Kosovo in September, and Belgrade responded with a military build-up on its border with its neighbor. Given the current political and security context, analysts say an outbreak of violence in northern Kosovo "should raise alarm bells." Open hostilityLong-simmering animosity between Serbia and Kosovo has broken into open hostility in northern Kosovo in recent months. Northern Kosovo, which borders Serbia, has an ethnic Serb majority whereas the country as a whole is around 93% ethnic Albanian. Mojsilovic stated that number of troops on the Kosovo border had been reduced to 4,500 from 8,350.

Persons: Milan Radoicic, Majda Ruge, Stringer, Milos Vucevic, Staff Milan Mojsilovic, Mojsilovic, Aleksandar Vučić, Vučić, Ian Bremmer, Bremmer, Ruge, Aleksandar Vucic, Krusha, Armend Nimani, Slobodan Milošević, Serbian, Albin Kurti, Andrius, Tursa, Serbia's Slobodan Milosevic Organizations: Kosovo Police, Kosovo Serb, Milan, Anadolu Agency, Getty, European Council, Foreign Relations, Albanian, Kosovo, Afp, NATO, Serbian, Staff, Financial Times, EU, Eurasia Group, Yugoslavia, Yugoslav, Yugoslav Ministry of Defense, Federal, Nato, Kosovo Albanians Locations: Banjska, Jarinje, Serbia, Zvecan, Kosovo, Ukraine, Europe, Belgrade, destabilising Kosovo, Northern Kosovo, Serbian, Serbs, Yugoslavia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Nagorno, Karabakh, Russia, Mitrovica, North Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Balkans, Kosovo Albanian, Krusha, Madhe, Albanian, Yugoslav, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Central, Eastern Europe, Stagovo

☆ EU accession: List of countries to join the bloc
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

CANDIDATE COUNTRY STATUSTURKEY (candidate since 1999). While still officially a candidate country, Turkey's accession talks with the EU have long been frozen, largely over human rights and governance concerns. It was given the green light for accession talks in 2020 after changing its name from Macedonia to North Macedonia to satisfy Greek sensitivities. The small Balkan country applied for EU membership in 2008. Since 2016, the EU has had a Stabilisation and Association Agreement with Kosovo that serves as a basis for its accession path.

Persons: Viktor Yanukovych, Jan Strupczewski, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Union, EU, NORTH, European Commission, Commission, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Granada, TURKEY, NORTH MACEDONIA, Macedonia, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, MONTENEGRO, SERBIA, ALBANIA, EU, Albania, MOLDOVA, Moldova, UKRAINE, Kyiv, Russia, Ukraine, Crimea, BOSNIA, HERZEGOVINA, Bosnia, GEORGIA, Georgia, Tbilisi, KOSOVO, Brussels, Kosovo, Serbia

☆ The US is warning of a big build-up of Serbian troops on the Kosovo border. Here’s why tensions are high
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-30 | by ( Sophie Tanno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —The long fractious ties between Kosovo and Serbia are once again on edge after one of the worst outbreaks of violence in years. Ognen Teofilovski/ReutersMore than 20 years on, fragile peace has been preserved in Kosovo, while Serbia continues not to recognize Kosovo’s independence. During the subsequent shootout in the village of Banjska in northern Kosovo, police said they killed three armed attackers and arrested another. Visar Kryeziu/APIn another development, a top Kosovo Serb politician, Milan Radoicic said he took part in the gun battle, Reuters reported. The White House has warned that the incident represents a threat to the safety of not only Kosovo personnel, but international personnel including NATO troops.

Persons: Ognen Teofilovski, What’s, Albin Kurti, ”, Vjosa Osmani, Aleksandar Vucic, Vucic, “, Visar, Milan Radoicic, Radoicic, John Kirby, Jens Stoltenberg Organizations: CNN, Kosovar, Federal, NATO, Sunday, Facebook, Kosovo, Reuters, Kosovo police, AP, Kosovo Serb, Kosovo Police, National Security Locations: Kosovo, Serbia, Yugoslavia, Serbian, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Montenegro, Banjska, Belgrade, Pristina, Serbs, Zvecan

Decision-making is key because the EU now requires unanimity on foreign and security policy, taxes, EU finances, some areas of justice and home affairs and social security and protection. EU agriculture policy would need to be revamped because the admission of agriculture powerhouse Ukraine would dramatically change current EU direct payments to farmers. A similarly major change would happen to the EU's regional policy, under which poorer EU members receive money to raise their standard of living. The agriculture and regional funds make up two thirds of the EU budget, which totals roughly 1% of the bloc's gross national income a year. The paper, which polarised EU governments when first discussed on Sept. 19, said some countries in the EU should be allowed to form closer cooperation than others, forming four tiers of European integration.

Persons: Laurence Boone, Anna Luhrmann, Tiago Antunes, Jan Strupczewski Organizations: Union, EU, Guiding, Franco, Political, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Spanish, Murcia, Turkey, Ukraine, Moldova, Albania, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Georgia, Kosovo, EU, France

Some 50,000 Serbs who live in north Kosovo, do not recognise Pristina institutions and see Belgrade as their capital. Vucic told Reuters that Belgrade condemned the killing of the policeman, adding Serbia "will launch proceedings before appropriate judicial bodies" and investigate suspects. Belgrade finances schools, public health system, and most of other institutions in parts of Kosovo where Serbs constitute a majority. Vucic accused Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti of wanting to expel Serbs from Kosovo and of stalling a compromise solution needed for mending the ties between Belgrade and Pristina. "For us the position (in Kosovo) is clearly dreadful, but ... we have to be with our people, ... (and) try to preserve peace," Vucic said.

Persons: Aleksandar Vucic, Vucic, Veton Elshani, ”, Vjosa Osmani, Milan Radoicic, Albin Kurti, Kurti, Ivana Sekularac, Aleksandar Vasovic, Fatos Bytyci, Alison Williams Organizations: Reuters, BELGRADE, Kosovo police, Kosovo Albanian, Kosovo, Pristina, EU, NATO, Serbian, United Nations Security, of, Serbia, Thomson Locations: Reuters Belgrade, Serb, Serbia, Kosovo, Pristina, Belgrade, Serbian, Banjska, Albanian, Vucic, Russia, China, of Serb Municipalities

☆ Flutter eyes Balkan expansion with acquisition of Serbia's MaxBet
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Flutter, the world's largest online betting company, said the 700 million euro Serbian betting market is attractive due to its relatively low online penetration of around 35% and expected online compound annual growth to 2025 of approximately 15%. MaxBet, which generated pro forma fully regulated revenue of 145 million euros in the year to June, 44% of it online, also has a smaller presence in Bosnia, Montenegro and North Macedonia. "We believe MaxBet is an excellent opportunity to replicate the success we have achieved in markets like Georgia, India and Italy," Flutter CEO Peter Jackson said in a statement, referring to similar acquisitions in those markets. Flutter, which makes 78% of its revenue in its main divisions of the U.S., Australia and the United Kingdom and Ireland, operates in more than 100 countries around the world. ($1 = 0.9466 euros)Reporting by Padraic Halpin; Editing by Jan HarveyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Paddy Power, Peter Jackson, Padraic Halpin, Jan Harvey Organizations: DUBLIN, Thomson Locations: Balkans, Bosnia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Georgia, India, Italy, U.S, Australia, United Kingdom, Ireland

Kosovo authorities say around 30 heavily armed Serbs stormed the village of Banjska on Sunday, battling police and barricading themselves into the Serbian Orthodox monastery. Police recaptured the monastery late on Sunday after three attackers and one police officer were killed. Kosovo has accused Serbia of backing the armed militants; Serbia says Kosovo is to blame for mistreating residents in the Serb-majority area. It said one of them was Milan Radojcic, a Kosovo Serb politician and one of the leaders of the Serb List party. Serb List was the dominant Serb party in Kosovo's parliament before Serbs from the north and those loyal to Belgrade boycotted Kosovo's institutions nearly a year ago.

Persons: Milos Vucevic, Bjoern Arild Gram, Ognen, Aleksandar Vucic, Albin, Kurti's, Milan Radojcic, Dejan, Dusan Maksimovic, Fatos Bytyci, Aleksandar Vasovic, Ivana Sekularac, Christina Fincher, Alison Williams Organizations: Kovoso Police, Kosovo police, Police, ", Kosovo Serbs, REUTERS, KFOR, Kosovo, Reuters, Belgrade, Kosovo's, Vucic's Serbian Progressive Party, Thomson Locations: PRISTINA, BELGRADE, Kosovo, Banjska, Serbian, Serbia, NATO, Belgrade, Pristina, Serb, Zvecan, United States, EU, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Kosovo Serb, Kosovo's

☆ Kosovo so awash with fake euro coins they are accepted as payment
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Fatos Bytyci | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"At the beginning everyone was worried and was checking if the 2-euro coins were fake or not," said waiter Endrit. "Now we don't check anymore... we may be taking fake money or may be giving out fake money. The number of fake 2-euro coins in circulation has seen a massive increase this year, according to law enforcement agencies. In April they arrested a man and a woman trying to bring 10,600 fake 2-euro coins into Kosovo from North Macedonia. "We always complained in Kosovo that we don't have our own currency, well it looks we have now - fake 2-euro coins."

Persons: Endrit, Vjollca Mavriqi, Sokol Havolli, Fatos, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: Police, Sokol, Kosovo's Central Bank, Reuters, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: PRISTINA, Kosovo's, Pristina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia

☆ Report calls for action on sexual violence in Russia's war on Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Ivana Kottasová | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The world must learn from the mistakes made after the war in Bosnia to avoid putting Ukrainian victims of rape and conflict-related sexual violence through decades of trauma, a new expert report has warned. Prey said that when considering survivors of conflict-related sexual violence, it is crucial to put aside biases and stigma and make sure everyone who is impacted is included. “We often think sexual violence is a crime that only happens to women, but it’s a crime that happens to everyone. “If we don’t really think about conflict-related sexual violence enough, then we especially don’t think about children born of wartime rape. “And survivors of conflict-related sexual violence, they deserve more than that.

Persons: ”, Emily Prey, “, …, Vladimir Putin, Prey Organizations: CNN, United Nations, New Lines Institute, Strategy, Dayton Peace Accords, Dayton Accords Locations: Bosnia, Ukraine, Bosnian, Russia, US, Dayton, UN’s, Montenegro, Lithuania, Germany, Sweden, Spain

PODGORICA, Montenegro (AP) — Police in Montenegro said Tuesday they have launched an investigation after an underground tunnel was discovered linking an apartment building with a nearby court depot holding seized drugs and other crime evidence, officials said Tuesday. It remains unclear why the tunnel was dug, officials said, adding that nothing appeared to have been taken away. The court depot contains evidence in current cases but also large amounts of confiscated drugs, officials said. “This was a well-planned and organized action, which has been prepared for months and which resembles action movies,” said Adzic, adding that the apartment from where the underground tunnel started was leased a few months ago. The tunnel hole in the Montenegrin court building was found in a “well-hidden” place inside the depot, said the court President Boris Savic.

Persons: Filip Adzic, ”, Joaquin “ El Chapo ” Guzman, Boris Savic, “, ” Savic, Vesna Medenica Organizations: — Police, Higher, NATO, European Union Locations: PODGORICA, Montenegro, Podgorica, Montenegro's, Western Europe, Montenegrin

☆ Lying down contest enters 20th day as competitors vie for ‘laziest citizen’ record
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Brezna, Montenegro Reuters —Seven competitors lying down on mats are vying for the coveted title of “Laziest Citizen” after smashing the previous record in a satirical contest held annually in a holiday resort in northern Montenegro. A lying down record of 117 hours was set at last year’s contest in the resort village of Brezna, but as this year’s competition entered a 20th day on Thursday, the remaining contestants said they were determined to keep going. She said the seven remaining contestants from a starting field of 21 had been lying down for 463 hours so far. Participants use their phones inside a hut, during a satirical contest to mock a popular myth that labels Montenegrins as lazy. “We have everything we need here, company is fantastic, time goes by quickly,” he said.

Persons: ”, Dubravka Aksic, Radonja Blagojevic, Vasiljevic, Filip Knezevic, “ Organizations: Montenegro Reuters — Locations: Brezna, Montenegro, Laziest, Mojkovac

☆ Montenegrins vie for record in lying down contest
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Participants lay inside a hut, as they participate in a satirical contest to mock a popular myth that labels Montenegrins as lazy people, in the village of Brezna, Pluzine, Montenegro, September 6, 2023. REUTERS/Stevo Vasiljevic Acquire Licensing RightsBREZNA, Montenegro, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Seven competitors lying down on mats are vying for the coveted title of "Laziest Citizen" after smashing the previous record in a satirical contest held annually in a holiday resort in northern Montenegro. A lying down record of 117 hours was set at last year's contest in the resort village of Brezna, but as this year's competition entered a 20th day on Thursday, the remaining contestants said they were determined to keep going. She said the seven remaining contestants from a starting field of 21 had been lying down for 463 hours so far. ($1 = 0.9338 euros)Reporting by Stevo Vasiljevic and Aleksandar Vasovic Editing by Helen PopperOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Stevo, Dubravka Aksic, Radonja Blagojevic, Filip Knezevic, Stevo Vasiljevic, Aleksandar Vasovic, Helen Popper Our Organizations: REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Brezna, Pluzine, Montenegro, Mojkovac

Depleted uranium is a dense by-product left over when uranium is enriched for use in nuclear reactors or nuclear weapons. The depleted uranium is still radioactive, but has a much lower level of the isotopes U-235 and U-234 - way less than the levels in natural uranium ore - reducing its radioactivity. The United States, Britain, Russia, China, France and Pakistan produce depleted uranium weapons, which are not classified as nuclear weapons, according to the International Coalition to Ban Uranium Weapons. Ingesting or inhaling quantities of uranium - even depleted uranium - is dangerous: it can depress renal function and raises the risk of developing a range of cancers. A United Nations Environment Programme report on the impact of depleted uranium on Serbia and Montenegro found "no significant, widespread contamination".

Persons: Sergei Ryabkov, Ryabkov, Guy Faulconbridge, Frank Jack Daniel, Tomasz Janowski, Kevin Liffey Organizations: Pentagon, International Atomic Energy Agency, Associated Universities, of, DU, WHO, International Coalition, Uranium, NATO, Royal Society, IAEA, United Nations Environment, TASS, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Tennessee, United States, Britain, Russia, China, France, Pakistan, Yugoslavia, Balkans, London, Serbia, Montenegro, RUSSIA, Washington

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