Turkey was among the first to recognise Kosovo in 2008 and has since backed its efforts for wider international recognition. During the early 2010s, frequent visits between then prime minister Hashim Thaci and Erdogan deepened ties, while Turkish companies secured major stakes in Kosovo’s economy: from the airport and electricity …
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State of Denial: How Greece Deploys Lawfare Against the Victims of its Failures
Giannis Kafkas had dreams of making it as a photographer until he was bashed in the back of the head. Fourteen years ago, Greece was in the throes of a sovereign debt crisis that was threatening to bring down the euro-zone. On May 11, 2011, Kafkas joined tens of thousands …
Read More »Kosovo Spy Agency’s Undocumented ‘Special Ops’ Spending: Probe Halted
Prosecutors in Kosovo have shelved an investigation based on an internal audit at the Kosovo intelligence agency that identified nearly two million euros of alleged undocumented spending under three former directors, BIRN has found. An internal audit at Kosovo’s state intelligence agency, AKI, identified undocumented spending of some two million …
Read More »Albania Emerges as Destination Port for Illicit Oil from Russia and Libya
It was a cold and windy day in January this year when the Besart and the Aya Zanoubya approached the port of Porto Romano near Durres on Albania’s Adriatic coast, the latter being towed due to an electrical failure that had supposedly prevented it from continuing to its stated destination. …
Read More »Hungarian Spying Scandal Could Shake EU Commission to its Core
Alleged espionage by the Hungarian intelligence services in Brussels has left both von der Leyen and Viktor Orban in a difficult position, meaning it may be, ironically, in their mutual interest to cooperate. The EU and its member states have been shocked, though not entirely surprised, by a reported Hungarian …
Read More »What’s The Future Of Russia’s Bases In Syria?
Lavrov suggested that they could facilitate the dispatch of aid to Africa, but it’s also possible that they might host complex military-diplomatic talks between all stakeholders in Syria while also helping its armed forces maintain national unity by re-equipping, training, and advising them too. Russian-Syrian relations are interesting for many …
Read More »Masked Hamas fighters seen executing men in Gaza City as the group fights with rival powers
Violent clashes have erupted between Hamas and rival groups in several areas across Gaza, including an incident that culminated in an apparent public execution, as worries grow about the security situation following Israel’s withdrawal from parts of the territory. Reports of violence have been shared widely on social media channels, …
Read More »Champion of the people or a traitor? A new force emerges in southern Gaza
The photo shows a lean, tanned man in a dark helmet. He’s grasping a rifle and UN vehicles move behind him as he waves through traffic. The man is Yasser Abu Shabab, who says he commands hundreds of armed men known as the Popular Forces to offer protection to international …
Read More »Sovereignty in All but Name: Israel’s Quickening Annexation of the West Bank
What’s new? Israel’s far-right government is restructuring the occupation of the West Bank, shifting governing powers from military to civilian agencies in order to gradually institute permanent control. With Israeli law reaching further into the territory and space for Palestinian independence shrinking, much of the territory has, in effect, already been …
Read More »France – L’échec de la politique migratoire doit servir de leçon aux autres pays
La question de l’immigration et de l’intégration est un des sujets importants des convulsions politiques que traverse la France. La politique migratoire actuellement en vigueur en France est aujourd’hui remise en cause, non seulement dans sa mise en œuvre, mais aussi dans son principe même. Les tensions identitaires croissantes obligent …
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