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Thursday, June 18, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
BALKANS: Organised Crime Behind the Assassination of Former PM
The single inside witness from the organised crime group accused of killing reform-oriented former prime minister Zoran Djindjic has finally confirmed the indictment and what was long believed - it was the Serbian mafia that committed the crime.BALKANS: The Veil Comes Down, Again
It was 1950, towards the end of September, when hundreds of Muslim women came on to the streets of Bosnian capital Sarajevo and ceremonially took off their veils. The symbolic act was intended to mark the end of an era when they left their homes 'covered'.RIGHTS: Roma Facing New Threats
Tiny Slovenia is the only former Yugoslav republic that prides itself on full EU membership, but its human rights record remains under serious doubt.BALKANS: A Nuclear Light Goes Out
Two reactors at the Kozloduy nuclear power plant in Bulgaria that are considered dangerous will shut down Dec. 31. And just in time, as Bulgaria joins the European Union the next day, together with neighbour Romania.DISARMAMENT-BALKANS: A Lottery for Safer Surroundings
An unusual lottery is taking place this month in Bosnia, where the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is offering motor scooters and kitchen appliances to individuals who hand over to the authorities any weapons they have been keeping illegally in their homes.BALKANS: Development Arrives with Visitors
Billboards that say 'Welcome to Serbia' are back now after a 15-year absence due to wars and isolation. And there will be more after some surprise announcements about what they can do.SERBIA: New Constitution Revives an Old Problem
A referendum over the weekend approved Serbia's first non-communist constitution in 60 years, but not with the level of enthusiasm the government had campaigned for.BALKANS: Albanian Troubles Set to Resurface
The crisis over the future of ethnic Albanians has come to the fore again in the face of a referendum on a new constitution in Serbia this weekend.BALKANS: Battle Against Organised Crime Stepped Up
Leaders of seven south-eastern European countries have agreed a joint battle against organised crime and terrorism.ENVIRONMENT: Serbia Discovers the Value of Rubbish
Serbia is only now beginning to encourage people to recycle waste, after years of assumption that this is the business only of the government.BOSNIA: Elections Fail to Promise Unity
The results emerging from the crucial general elections in Bosnia-Herzegovina Sunday confirm the deep ethnic divisions between its Bosniaks, Croats and Serbs.ENVIRONMENT: Dangerous Nuclear Hangover To Go
A decision to send 2.5 tonnes of radioactive nuclear rods back to Russia finally ends concerns over the presence of the nuclear waste near capital Belgrade.BALKANS: Hollywood Brings Back Old Scenes
Hollywood is shooting in Bosnia these days, and bringing back scenarios of conflict long before the film gets made.BALKANS: And Now for Some Mergers
It seemed impossible only some years ago, but ex-Yugoslav nations that fell apart in bloody wars are coming together again in economic cooperation.SERBIA: Health Goes Up in Smoke
Serbian health authorities have finally confirmed what was long suspected - the nation tops the list in Europe for lung cancers.BALKANS: Army Defeats its Past
The full-page ad last week surprised many Serbian readers. On sale were 15 military office blocks, warehouses and other installations in five cities at a starting price of 1.8 million dollars.BALKANS: Watch Out, She’s Watching
Every other person now seems a spy of sorts. Bugging devices, secret cameras and other surveillance equipment are no longer the exclusive tools of the police; more and more, ordinary people are beginning to use such devices.SOCIETY: Not Quite the Healing Touch
In place of the promised healing touch, they have in cases brought death. And now at least a few people are beginning to demand a check on the recent proliferation of self-proclaimed healers and sorcerers.BALKANS: A Lot to Save in Kosovo
No decisions on the future of Kosovo seem imminent despite months of talks.BALKANS: Sanctions Can Be Healthy
It was only after a sharp rise in the number of patients with the same symptoms in southern Serbian town Leskovac that doctors began to look for the cause.BALKANS: One Way to Find Harmony
The biggest modern music festival in the Balkans ended Monday morning at the Petrovaradin fortress in the northern Serbian town Novi Sad. The festival was about more than music.« Previous Page — Next Page »
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