This week, while Croatia celebrates its victory in 1995’s Operation Storm and Serbia mourns the victims, nationalists on both sides will be seeking to profit politically from one of the war’s most traumatic events, says sociologist Marijana Stojcic. Every August, relations cool between Croatia and Serbia and officials exchange harsh …
Read More »Yearly Archives: 2021
Book Explores Kosovo Albanian Tradition of Dream Interpretation
Two young anthropologists have delved into the ways Albanians have traditionally interpreted dreams – and what this says about their culture and society. Eating honey signals sorrow and bitterness, fire signals joy, smoke signals distress while a snake means you will have an enemy the next day. Long hair signal …
Read More »Kosovo Must be Patient Over Visas – EU Representative Says
In an interview with BIRN, Tomas Szunyog, said EU members are still divided over visa liberalization – and Kosovo must meantime push on with reforms tackling corruption, pollution and minority rights.The EU’s Special Representative for Kosovo, Tomas Szunyog, told BIRN in an interview that he understands the frustration of the …
Read More »Turkey Turns Screws on North Macedonia over Alleged ‘Gulenists’
North Macedonia has spent two years resisting Turkey’s demands for the handover of Turkish nationals it accuses of ties to ‘terrorism’. But Ankara is not giving up. Turkey’s demand for the handover of 86 alleged followers of the man its accuses of masterminding a failed 2016 coup has intensified a …
Read More »Slovakia Grapples With the ‘Big Business’ of Disinformation
As conspiracy websites mushroom, Slovak fact-checkers hit back at the peddlers of false truths where it hurts them most – in their wallets. In the midst of Slovakia’s preparations for the impending third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the public is still preoccupied with doubts about vaccines and distrust in …
Read More »Arabs Celebrate Downfall of Tunisia’s Islamists
Tunisia is the third Arab country after Egypt and Sudan to say that it is fed up with the rule of the Islamists. With the exception of Qatar, most of the Arab countries have long regarded the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist groups as a major threat to security, stability …
Read More »Korčok, Kövér és a megbocsátás
Ivan Korčok külügyminiszter rendkívül tapasztalt diplomata hírében áll, mégis, ha a magyarokról van szó, porcelánboltban randalírozó elefántként kezd viselkedni. Korčok szerdán egy Facebook-bejegyzésben élesen bírálta Kövér Lászlót, a Magyar Országgyűlés fideszes elnökét, aki beszédet mondott a Somorjáról Kitelepített Magyarok Emlékművénél. Hogy egészen konkrétan melyik szövegrésszel volt problémája a külügyminiszternek, az …
Read More »Lebanon is in Hezbollah’s clutches – opinion
Given the likely composition of the new administration, there seems no chance of Lebanon freeing itself any time soon from the dominance of Hezbollah and, in consequence, Iran. Lebanon has been without a government since the massive explosion of August 4, 2020, blew Beirut’s port apart and, with it, Lebanon’s …
Read More »CIA head set to arrive in Israel – how will US tackle Iran?
Iran is at the top of CIA director Bill Burns’s agenda for his Israel visit as Iran nuclear deal negotiations continue to stall. CIA Director Bill Burns was set to arrive in Israel on Tuesday amid reports that the US is considering alternative ways to get Iran to stop advancing …
Read More »Mossad, CIA chiefs’ 1st Israel meeting is critical – analysis
Multiple Mossad directors have told the Jerusalem Post that the first meetings with the CIA chief can be one of the major events that frame their term in office. With reports that CIA Director William Burns was set to arrive in Israel on Tuesday to hold a first meeting with …
Read More »