All the news

Dinno Kassalo: filming nature

17/11/2011 -  Massimo Moratti

Dinno Kassalo is a Bosnian documentary film-maker who has produced many works on wildlife in Bosnia Herzegovina. Together with a team of mountaineers, in 2000 he made “Expedition Rakitnica”, the first film ever to be shot inside the Rakitnica canyon. Our interview

Domestic violence in Albania

16/11/2011 -  OWPSEE/OBC

Recent data show a worrying rise in the phenomenon. The growing numbers may however be the reflection of increased awareness and the inclination to press charges. This analysis gives an overview of the current situation, from laws not being enforced to scarce state assistance

Croatia: HDZ ringed by corruption ahead of the elections

15/11/2011 -  Drago Hedl Osijek

While former Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader faces trial on corruption charges, further evidence emerges on the wrongdoings of the ruling party HDZ, whose popularity is at an all-time low. Political analysts believe the center-left has already won the elections, scheduled for next December 4th

The "homo georgicus", the oldest European man

11/11/2011 -  Maura Morandi Dmanisi

The oldest human remains found outside the African continent are in Dmanisi, Georgia, and date back to 1.8 million years ago. It is the homo georgicus, a hominid species which, by evolution, seems to be intermediate between the homo habilis and the homo erectus. The discovery was possible thanks to the steadfastness of the Georgian researchers, along with international archeologists, including Italian ones

Bidzina Ivanishvili – a billionaire goes into politics

08/11/2011 -  Tengiz Ablotia Tbilisi

Those interested in Georgia's politics have not been talking about anything else. Bidzina Ivanishvili, the richest man in Georgia (185th in the world), had been leading a private life until recently. But in early October he announced his entry into politics, challenging the government and opposition

Azerbaijan: oil, freedom, and the international presence

04/11/2011 -  XXX* Baku

As a member of OSCE and the Council of Europe, Azerbaijan has made specific commitments to protect freedom of expression – but the current government does not always respect these obligations. International governmental and non-governmental organisations support several projects to improve freedom of expression, especially as regards the media. Yet, oil and gas make Baku increasingly resistant to criticism.

Bosnia-Herzegovina. In Tito’s bunker

01/11/2011 -  Azra Nuhefendić

From the Konjic fallout shelter, turned into a contemporary art gallery, to the streets in the center of Sarajevo. Who waged war? Why? A trip in the heart of Bosnia in search of answers

Croatia: we are also indignados

28/10/2011 -  Francesca Rolandi

On 15 October, indignados were also demonstrating in Croatian streets. It was a significant event, because Croatians have hardly ever expressed their discontent through public protests. This is an interview with one of the organisers

Baščaršija, the beauty

28/10/2011 -  Marjola Rukaj

The ancient Ottoman market is one of the symbols of Sarajevo. This article concludes our series on Balkan bazaars.

The Kadyrov system: neither Russian nor sharia

21/10/2011 -  Majnat Kurbanova

Life in contemporary Chechnya cannot be subsumed under any one stereotype. The mix of Russian constitution, despotism, and sharia makes it virtually impossible to understand the rules of the game in this republic that is officially part of the Russian Federation. Stories from the “Kadyrov system” told by Majnat Kurbanova

Slovenia, Janša can wait

21/10/2011 -  Stefano Lusa

After the centre-left government led by Borut Pahor resigned, Slovenia’s political destiny appeared to be doomed to a turn to the right. Former Prime Minister Janez Janša was considered likely to win the next early elections, due to take place on 4 December. However, things have recently taken a dramatic turn

Novi Pazar, the bazaar without lipstick

20/10/2011 -  Marjola Rukaj Novi Pazar

It is very similar to the Ottoman-style quarter in Sarajevo, though many consider it more genuine, the čaršija from which Novi Pazar in south-eastern Serbia gets its name. Our feature

Census fails in Macedonia

20/10/2011 -  Risto Karajkov Skopje

In Macedonia, the census planned for October has officially been cancelled. The fiasco came as a result of increasing tensions between the two major partners in the government, the VMRO led by Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski and the DUI of Ali Ahmeti. Assessing the number of citizens (and the weight of the different ethnic communities) in Macedonia is a sensitive and highly politicized issue

Young lawyers struggle in Georgia

13/10/2011 -  Giorgio Comai Tbilisi

Georgia's Young Lawyers' Association (Gyla) is one of the largest NGOs in Georgia. It provides free legal counselling to all those who need it. It is often critical of the government and demands more transparency. It struggles against the judiciary in a country where the acquittal rate in the capital, Tbilisi, stands at just 0,04 percent. An interview with Ekaterine Popkhadze, Gyla's executive director

Mostar: the čaršija and the bridge

12/10/2011 -  Marjola Rukaj Mostar

A divided town, a bridge, a čaršija on each side. Symbols of meeting and congregation which now have to deal with the legacy of the war. The challenge of Mostar between tourism and tradition

Azerbaijanis' holidays

05/10/2011 -  Arzu Geybullayeva Baku

In Soviet Azerbaijan, most people took their holidays in sanatoriums in Azerbaijan or other parts of the Union. Nowadays, sanatoriums in Azerbaijan are often rundown while those in Russia have become much more expensive. Seaside locations in Georgia and Turkey are preferred destinations among those who can afford it, but for many Azerbaijanis, holidays are an unaffordable luxury

Enlargement of the EU to the Western Balkans: negotiations on agriculture

04/10/2011 -  Matteo Vittuari

After 2013 the European Common Agricultural Policy, known as CAP, will bring about numerous changes that the majority of the Western Balkans will have to adapt to. An incentive for modernising the agricultural sector and drawing attention to rural issues. Much apprehension about the future remains

Northern Kosovo: Everybody's land, nobody's people

03/10/2011 -  Tatjana Lazarević Mitrovica

The security situation in Northern Kosovo is deteriorating, as the confrontation between KFOR troops and local Serbs continues. A violent clash on September 27 left many injured. Our update

Russia-Abkhazia: where to set the border

03/10/2011 -  Francisco Martinez

A border dispute over a small village near the ski resorts where the winter Olympics of Sochi 2014 are set to take place has caused some skirmishes between Moscow and the de facto authorities of Sukhumi

Focus on Turkey

26/09/2011 -  Fazıla Mat

Fatih Pınar is a photographer and an experimenter. He tells stories about daily life, transformation and urbanization in his country, Turkey. His work consists of meticulous photographic reportage with short embedded videos, never forgetting the duty of the news reporter: reporting the truth. An interview