New articles & announcement on the TOL website

Economy & Business: Softening Borders in the Accursed Mountains
A three-country initiative to boost tourism in one of the most isolated parts
of the Balkans moves ahead despite physical and administrative barriers.
By Droni.al, 29 January 2020

Around the Bloc – 29 January
TOL’s regional news roundup: Ukraine at odds with Romania; justice for Russian journalist; France and the Eastern Partnership; flying pets and Aeroflot; and Abkhazia’s archives.  

Around the Bloc – 28 January
Today’s regional roundup: Slovenian PM resigns; Ingushetia loses government; tigers rescued in Poland; Iranians in Georgia; and uranium mining in Czechia.

Around the Bloc – 30 January
Our regional news roundup: U.S. concerned about Georgia; Israel and
Russia exchange goodwill gestures; a fugitive Bulgarian oligarch;
St. Petersburg honors literary giant; and images from Soviet Moldova.

Middle Europa: Fascists at the Gate
It would be difficult to overstate the importance of next month’s election
– both for Slovakia and the wider region. By MARTIN EHL, 27 January 2020 

Politics: Democracy Digest: Slovak Democracy on Trial as Elections Loom
A sensational murder trial, controversy in the prosecutor’s office and protests for and against fascism define the run-up to Slovakia’s general election next month. From BIRN. By Miroslava German Sirotnikova,  27 January 2020

Around the Bloc – 27 January
In the news: Uzbekistan’s blacklist grows longer; masterpieces on display
in Krakow; Russian activist under secret video surveillance; armed river
patrols in Hungary; and Russia does well regionally in “Best Country” survey.
Around the Bloc – 24 January
Headlines from around the region: Polish judges; Bulgaria, Russia, and
Skripal’s poisoning; a Russian culture minister who hates culture; a
monument to Leningrad heroes; and Turkmenistan’s population.

Announcement: Call for applications! Media, Minorities and Migration
Minority Rights Group Europe offers journalists and people working in
publishing in Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia the chance to learn
how to source important stories relating to these issues. Journalism
students, NGO media officers, photo-journalists, editors, media students,
bloggers, online media makers, filmmakers or students with an interest
in media/journalism or development and foreign affairs can also apply!

FROM THE TOL ARCHIVE – EDITORS’ PICK
Environment: Depleting Europe’s Peat Bogs
Having exhausted most of Western Europe’s peat bogs, the horticulture and
energy industries are turning their eyes to the peatlands of Central and Eastern Europe, home to some of the continent’s rarest wildlife.
By Sarah Roe, 21 December 2001

A Culture of Murder
The murder of a wheeler-dealer journalist could be a turning point in the fortunes of Montenegro’s effective, but tarnished leader Milo Djukanovic.
By TOL,  7 June 2004

Sun, Sea, and Bunkers Fuel Albanian Tourism Growth
Low cost is a big draw, but obsolete facilities are holding the sector back.
11 April 2017

On the Road to the Superhighway
The use of computers, mobile phones, and the internet is increasing rapidly in Romania, although online business continues to lag behind.    
by Razvan Amariei,  21 February 2005