Two years after Macedonian authorities started transferring responsibility to the local level, the second phase of the country’s decentralisation plan is under way. Earlier this month, five municipalities, out of a total 85, asked to take over financial responsibility in several areas.

Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) has a new top international envoy. Slovak diplomat Miroslav Lajcak took over the post of high representative and EU special representative (EUSR) on July 1st, succeeding Germany’s Christian Schwarz-Schilling.

An international journalist rights group is calling on Iran to re-open a trial into the murder of Iranian-Canadian photojournalist Zahra Kazemi.