May, 2021

• 29 May

  Tomislav Tomasevic: From Grassroots Activist to Zagreb Frontrunner

  Barring a major upset, activist and MP Tomislav Tomasevic is set to become mayor of the Croatian capital, marking a new chapter for the city. The day after Croatia’s May 16 municipal elections, local media and social networks were flooded with 11 year-old photos of the man who is now …

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• 29 May

  Serbian President’s Fallen Lieutenant Limps On

  Defence Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic has fallen out of favour, but his political master and president may let him limp on. “Nebojsa Stefanovic will leave power when I do,” Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said in December 2018, after Stefanovic offered his resignation as interior minister following an incident involving police and …

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• 29 May

  Kosovo Youngsters Channel Frustrated Energy Into Feeding the Poor

  Defying the limitations imposed by the pandemic, many youngsters in Pristina have found release for their untapped energy in a community centre where volunteers assist the poor and homeless. While many social activities resumed in Kosovo after the total lockdown imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic last year from March …

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• 27 May

  Islamic State escalates operations against Syrian forces during Ramadan

  

  The Islamic State has recently stepped up its operations against the Syrian government forces and their allied militias as IS cells spread in more areas in Syria. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said in a recent report that a military convoy affiliated with the Syrian government and allied …

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• 27 May

  HTS finesses tribes in Syria’s Idlib

  

  Hayat Tahrir al-Sham leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani has increasingly been seen meeting with tribal elders in Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib, part of efforts to polish his image and that of his group. A video circulated on social media on May 17 showing the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), …

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• 27 May

  Egypt sets conditions for full normalization with Turkey

  

  Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry laid down several conditions that would serve as a basis for normalizing ties with Turkey, in light of the recent attempts at rapprochement between the two countries. In light of the recent attempts at rapprochement between Cairo and Ankara, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry listed …

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• 27 May

  Prominent disqualified candidates urge Iranians to still vote

  

  Despite being disqualified to run by the country’s Guardian Council, several major Reformist and centrist figures are still calling on citizens to go to the polls. Iranians continue to react to the decision to bar well-known Reformists and centrists from running in next month’s presidential elections. Iran’s Guardian Council, a …

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• 27 May

  Syria’s presidential elections, explained

  

  Described as a farce by opponents, Syria’s upcoming presidential elections are designed to keep President Bashar al-Assad in power until at least 2028. Syrians on Wednesday cast their votes in an election that rights groups and Western governments say is a foregone conclusion. President Bashar al-Assad is all but guaranteed …

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• 27 May

  Gaza survivors recount hours trapped under rubble

  

  The Israeli shelling of the Gaza Strip has destroyed hundreds of houses and buildings, leaving many to stuck under rubble that rescuers are ill-equipped to move. Riad Eshkuntana, 42, recalled exactly where he was at 1 a.m. May 15 in his rented apartment on the third floor in the Abu …

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• 27 May

  Netanyahu to Blinken: We oppose consulate for Palestinians in Jerusalem

  

  Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would prefer that a consulate to another entity – the Palestinian Authority – not be on Israeli sovereign territory. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed US Secretary of State Antony Blinken that Israel opposes the reopening of a US consulate for Palestinians in sovereign Israel, hours before …

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