UKRAINE: At Odds with Russia over “Genocide”

Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko has been spearheading the country's efforts to see the world recognise Ukraine's 1932-1933 famine as an "act of genocide against the Ukrainian people." Russia begs to disagree.

SERBIA: The Less You Can, The More You Pay

So what did you pay for it? Before they knew it, that question was no more the usual small talk among Serbs.

TURKEY: Political Graveyard May Get Extension

Turkey seems to have a far bigger 'cemetery' for political parties than many other democratic nations. Its next occupant could be a controversial pro-Kurdish party.

BALKANS: Who Remembers Yugoslavia?

The meeting of several hundred World War II veterans last weekend would not have meant much, had it not been convened in a town that symbolises so many things about a country that no longer exists, Yugoslavia.

KOSOVO: Ground Realities Make Talks Insignificant

The Troika mediating between Serbia and its breakaway southern province Kosovo has had to acknowledge that its 120-day mediation period has really led nowhere.

RUSSIA: Putin Triumphs as Party

Notwithstanding accusations of vote manipulation and intimidation of opposition groups, the Dec. 2 vote for the state Duma has changed the political scenario in Russia: the Kremlin-backed United Russia has parliamentary majority, both the Communist and Liberal parties have strengthened their positions, and the Social Democrats - A Just Russia - enter the Duma for the first time.

RUSSIA: Putin Stronger After ‘Farcical’ Election

The Kremlin-backed United Russia party overwhelmingly won Sunday's parliamentary elections, paving the way for President Vladimir Putin to remain in control after his term expires next May.

CZECH REPUBLIC: US Radar Provokes PR War

The Czech government has begun an 890,000-dollar information campaign supporting the U.S. plan to set up a radar station in the Czech Republic. Opponents of the plan - led by the Social Democrats - want some of that money to fund alternative information campaigns so as to create an actual debate on the issue and prepare the population for the possibility of a referendum.

ROMANIA-BULGARIA: New MEPs Change Face of EU Parliament

Half a year after Bulgaria elected its representatives to the European Parliament (EP), Romania has voted in its first European elections. The vote in Romania marked a defeat of populist forces and coincided with the collapse of the far- right block in the EP.

POLITICS-BALKANS: Kosovo Talks Collapse, Raising Many Questions

The final round of internationally sponsored talks on the future Kosovo collapsed Wednesday in Baden, Austria. Belgrade and Pristina remained firm in their diametrically opposed positions.

UKRAINE-RUSSIA: Gloomy Prospects for Black Sea

The recent spill of more than 1,000-tonnes of fuel oil into the Black Sea could have severe long-term environmental consequences say ecologists, stressing that authorities are busy trading accusations instead of stepping up cleaning efforts.

POLAND: Gov’t Vows Socially Conscious Liberalism

Prime Minister Donald Tusk's newly formed cabinet in Warsaw has promised a new Poland in the wake of two years of staunch conservatism, but his party’s liberal enthusiasm will have to adapt to pragmatic considerations.

CZECH REPUBLIC: US-Russia At Impasse on Radar

The U.S. proposal to set up an anti-missile defence system in Eastern Europe has drawn the Czech Republic into a high-level diplomatic debate between Moscow and Washington for which they may not be fully prepared.

DEATH PENALTY-RUSSIA: Duma Leaves Punishment on Table

The State Duma concluded its four-year term last week, leaving a stack of important legislation - including that of banning the death penalty - unattended to.

POLITICS-BALKANS: Little Enthusiasm Shown in Kosovo Elections

Parliamentary elections in the breakaway Serbian province of Kosovo were broadly expected to be yet another confirmation that ethnic Albanians firmly and overwhelmingly support the idea of independence promised by their leaders.

EUROPE: Trade Rope Around Mediterranean Nears

Judging by some of their statements lately, European Union officials are hoping to chalk up a new entry in the Guinness Book of Records: the creation of the world's largest free trade area.

ROMANIA: Murder Brings Fear to Italy

The murder of Italian Giovanna Reggiani by Romanian Nicolae Mailat has led the Italian government to pass a law allowing for expulsion of European Union (EU) citizens considered a threat to public security.

MOLDOVA: Peace Plan Fails to Fit Russian Agenda

Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin has been promoting what he calls a new plan for the resolution of the status of Transdniester. But the separatist government in Tiraspol and its strong ally, Moscow, are not willing to discuss it for the moment.

SERBIA: Forget the Obstacles En Route to EU

Serbia has finally initialled a long awaited deal that could lead eventually to full membership of the European Union (EU).

ALBANIA: European Integration Takes More Than Attitude

Albanians are among the most Euro-enthusiastic people in the Western Balkans, surveys show. But that does not mean they believe they will join the EU in a hurry.

SERBIA: EU Takes a Step Closer

The European Union has decided to deepen its political and economic ties with Serbia, despite suggestions that the Belgrade authorities could be protecting one of the most wanted men in the former Yugoslavia.