With the growing popularity of hiking and mountaineering, mountain accidents have increased significantly. The pressure falls on volunteers from rescue groups, who often work in collaboration with their colleagues across the border
Former Slovenian diplomat Marta Kos is set to take charge of relations between the European Commission and the countries that seek to join the EU. An overview at her priorities, and at the first reactions from Brussels and the Western Balkans
Journalists across Europe are often subjected to subtle forms of pressure and intimidation, including vexatious lawsuits frequently initiated by influential politicians or businesspeople. Blerjana Bino, Executive Director of SCiDEV and Researcher at the SafeJournalists Network, provides insight into the situation in the country
Zadar, Croatia. For some it was once “the Venice on the other shore”. The history of Zadar sums up that of many other European cities, in the intertwining of different people and cultures, of thousand-years-old arts and architecture
Armenia’s absence from this year’s Climate Conference in Azerbaijan underscores the ongoing tensions between Yerevan and Baku. Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg surprised many by visiting Tbilisi and Yerevan to support protesters
Trump's victory in the US presidential elections was welcomed by most Macedonian politicians to reaffirm the absolute centrality of relations with Washington for the country's foreign policy
Amid a systematic erosion of editorial independence by the government, stronger international support is needed to uphold media freedom in the country. An interview with Igor Božić, news director of the independent N1 TV
The United Nations Climate Conference COP29 begins today in Baku, Azerbaijan. The following is a message to the international public: take a moment to remember Azerbaijan's political prisoners and the many human rights violations
Anthropologist Anca Danilă is the creator of the project Caiete de rețete (Recipe Notebooks), launched in Bucharest two years ago, which aims to collect family recipe books, archive them in a digital database and thus protect a precious heritage
The story of Eric, a forty-year-old Armenian who tried to migrate to the United States, starting from Armenia and crossing Europe, China and Mexico. His arrival as an irregular migrant in the USA coincided with prison. Released from prison thanks to a lawyer, he is now trying to rebuild his life
The disconnect between the younger generation and traditional media, the struggles to hold public institutions accountable, and the urgent need for a syndicate to protect journalists’ rights. These are just some of the challenges that the media sector has to face in Albania. An interview
In an unexpected move, the Turkish political establishment has once again sent signals of openness to the Kurdish armed struggle. But what are the deep reasons behind this strategy? We asked sociologist Mesut Yeğen
Chapter 22 on cohesion policy is one of the most complex negotiating chapters Serbia has to deal with for EU accession. In this interview, Dragana Djurica provides crucial insights into the critical role of civil society, the importance of regional development, and the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead
One in six Romanians is not connected to the water or sewage network. In Bulgaria and the Baltic states the figures are also worrying – but the situation is finally improving, also thanks to European funds
To contribute to the European Commission’s Rule of Law monitoring, OBCT, in partnership with SCiDEV and IJAS, produced two Shadow Reports outlining the challenges and gaps in media freedom in Albania and Serbia. The main findings were presented during a webinar
Over a thousand lawsuits filed between 2016 and 2023 against journalists and media outlets, nearly half of which are SLAPPs, or strategic lawsuits against public participation. These are frivolous lawsuits that aim to silence freedom of expression
With less than a month left before the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Baku, the clock is ticking down on any potential document to be signed by Armenia and Azerbaijan to end over three decades of conflict
Lufti Dervishi, a founding member of the Albanian Center for Quality Journalism, emphasises the challenges that Albanian journalism faces today. The media are entangled in corruption, self-censorship, and state-sponsored disinformation. However, not everything is negative, and there is still reason for hope
