Balkans

The International Monetary Fund, IMF, has approved the release of 513 million euros following the sixth review of Romanian’s standby arrangement.The International Monetary Fund, IMF, on Saturday approved the release of the latest chunk of funds under Romania’s precautionary loan after reviewing the country’s progress in meeting the terms attached …

At the trial of the former Bosnian Serb army chief, Ratko Mladic, a prosecution witness described how his wife was killed in an explosion at Sarajevo’s Markale market in August 1995.Sujelman Crncalo described how his wife went to the Markale market in the morning of August 28, 1995.

Prince Paul, the controversial Regent who tried to keep Yugoslavia out of World War II – and whose name was blackedned for decades as a result – is to be reburied in his home country with full state honours.The Serbian government is preparing to welcome home with the highest state …

The recent violent manifestations in Greece, Spain and Portugal, as well as the developments of the Euro zone crisis indicate a clear increase of the Euroscepticism, as well as a disturbing trend towards the politisation of the economic problems that several European countries are currently facing. Analysts are currently assessing …

Vetro Energy, a US-based consortium, is the frontrunner in a tender to buy Albania’s state-owned oil company, Albpetrol, with an offer of €850 million.Albania’s Deputy Economy Minister, Sokol Dervishaj, said that Vetro Energy, which is bidding through the Vetro Silk Road Equity Ltd consortium out of Singapore, ranked first out …

Brussels expected to say that Serbia’s progress toward EU membership has been limited – and that it is postponing opening of accession talks at least until the end of next year.The October progress report is likely to say that with this year’s general elections and delays to the formation of …

Two Kosovo Serbs, who are suspected of having raped Kosovo Albanian women during the 1998-1999 war, have been placed under house arrest for a month.The EU rule of law mission to Kosovo, EULEX, police arrested the first suspect, Dj.B, on Thursday morning, at Babin Most, a village some 15 kilometres …

An amendment to the law on intercepting telecommunications will expand government agencies’ powers to monitor communications to include Internet activity.The bill presented to Wednesday’s cabinet by Prime Minister Sali Berisha gives intelligence and law enforcement agencies broad powers to work with private companies to share information on Internet users.

Bosnia Presidency member Bakir Izetbegovic tells UN General Assembly that international inaction over Syria has increased the danger of Srebrenica-style carnage.Izetbegovic, Bosniak [Muslim] member of the country’s tripartite presidency, told the UN General Assembly that the international community “failed” to handle the crisis in eastern Bosnia in July 1995 – …

Six years since the adoption of a Public Information Access Law, Macedonians still have trouble obtaining official information, the Foundation Open Society – Macedonia says.Macedonia’s information law is good in theory, but poor implementation means it is of little practical use, Open Society Macedonia said in its latest analysis. Its …