Approximately 200 personnel from NATO’s newly established Allied Reaction Force (ARF) will deploy to the Western Balkans from 30 September to 16 October 2024, to conduct training to ensure its readiness and to support the NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR). This is the first time any element of the ARF has deployed since the organisation was...
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Turkish court sentences builder of apartments that collapsed in 2023 quakes to 865 years
A Turkish court on Friday handed down a prison sentence of 865 years and 62 life sentences to a man behind the construction of a building that collapsed on February 6 2023, killing 96 when two powerful earthquakes hit Turkey, Agence France-Presse reported, citing local media. The 14-story apartment block in the southern Turkish city...
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Outcry in Turkey Over Prosecution of Teenage Girls for Socializing
POLITURCO / ZAMAN.MK A wave of outrage has swept through Turkey following the indictment of 15 teenage girls for activities as simple as socializing, attending the opera, and studying together. Prominent figures from various sectors of Turkish society, including artists, politicians, and human rights activists, have spoken out against the case, which they view as...
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Euractiv: Albania to formally open EU negotiation clusters on October 15
The Committee of Permanent Representatives in the European Union (COREPER) has given a green light to the formal opening of the first clusters of Albania’s accession negotiations with European Union, decoupling it from North Macedonia on the EU path, Euractiv reports. The European Union adopted a decision to couple the membership path of North Macedonia...
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Turkey seals LNG deal with France’s TotalEnergies
Turkey’s energy minister on Wednesday announced a 10-year deal to receive liquefied natural gas from French firm TotalEnergies as the country, heavily dependent on Russia, seeks to diversify its sources of supply, Agence France-Presse reported. Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said the deal between Turkish state oil and gas company BOTAŞ and TotalEnergies was signed at Gastech,...
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Meta says can’t help with deleted WhatsApp messages to solve girl’s murder in Turkey
A senior official from Meta Platforms has said it is impossible for the company to give Turkish authorities the deleted WhatsApp conversations of people under investigation over the killing of an 8-year-old girl since the chats are not stored, Deutsche Welle Turkish edition reported. Joshua Breckman, head of communications at Meta, which owns WhatApp, denied...
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UN: Western Balkans population to drop by 3 million by 2050
United Nations estimates show the population of the Western Balkan countries will drop by around 3 million people by 2050. A total of 16.977.000 people live in the Western Balkans based on figures from 2023, according to estimates, this number would drop to 13.975.000 by 2050. According to the UN, the population of North Macedonia...
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Amnesty calls on Turkey to release ousted MP, investigate violence in parliament
Amnesty International Secretary-General Agnès Callamard has called on Turkish authorities to release from prison a jailed politician who had been stripped of his parliamentary immunity and seat and to investigate recent turmoil in the Turkish parliament during an extraordinary session that was intended to address the status of the politician. Callamard made the remarks on...
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Turkish court releases social media influencer accused of tax evasion, money laundering
A Turkish court has ordered the release of Dilan Polat, a prominent social media influencer and beauty center owner who was arrested on charges of money laundering and tax evasion. The court decided that Polat could await trial outside of prison, citing the time she has already spent in custody. Polat, who was detained in...
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North Macedonia has the fastest internet in the region
North Macedonia has the fastest internet in the region and is one of the higher-ranked countries in Europe, according to research by Cable.co.uk, published by the statistical portal ‘Landgeist.’ With an internet connection speed of 97.9 Mbps, Macedonia is ahead of Slovenia (97.0 Mbps), Serbia (60.5 Mbps), Kosovo (57.3 Mbps), Greece (53.9 Mbps), Montenegro (49.5...