New articles on the TOL website

Around the Bloc: Uzbekistan Offers to Host Afghan Peace Talks
Both Kabul and the Taliban appreciate Tashkent’s quiet diplomacy, but peace talks still seem a distant prospect.
8 April 2019

Around the Bloc: Polish Teachers Launch Nationwide Strike
Unions demand big pay rises as the government splashes out on costly new benefit programs.
8 April 2019

Around the Bloc: Belarus Demolishes Crosses at Site of Stalinist Massacres
Activists have long demanded a more dignified memorial for victims of mass terror campaign waged by Soviet secret police.
5 April 2019

Around the Bloc: West Balkans to End Roaming Fees
In southeastern Europe, the days of shockingly high roaming charges are numbered.
5 April 2019

Around the Bloc: Ukrainian Presidential Hopefuls to Meet in Stadium Debate
The incumbent Poroshenko accepts Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s challenge to a drug- and alcohol-free contest.
5 April 2019

Around the Bloc: Architects Slam Zagreb Redevelopment Scheme
UAE’s Eagle Hills is a possible partner on the huge revitalization project.
4 April 2019

Conflict & Diplomacy: Lithuania Jails Accused Russian Spy
The verdict comes days after the latest sentence in a major Russian case linked to 2016 hack of U.S. Democratic Party.
4 April 2019

Around the Bloc: Greek Premier Makes Historic Visit to Skopje
Nationalists continue to grumble as leaders move to end almost 30 years of bad blood.
3 April 2019

Around the Bloc: Romania Tightens Net Around Embattled Kovesi
Former chief prosecutor slapped with a new indictment even as EU mulls picking her for a top anti-fraud post.
3 April 2019

Around the Bloc: Moscow Uncompromising About Crimea in the Wake of Ukrainian Elections
Russian authorities rounded up dozens of Crimean Tatar activists in a show of strength ahead of the Ukrainian vote.
2 April 2019

Around the Bloc: Azeri, Armenian Leaders Hold First Formal Talks
Aliev and Pashinyan agree on need for concrete steps toward Karabakh peace while offering no specifics.
2 April 2019

Arts & Culture: Nut Jobs
He spent half a year in an Israeli prison, and he’s sometimes mistaken for a terrorist on the metro. This Minsk native is the world’s only sculptor creating figures out of hex nuts.
2 April 2019

Announcements:

It is our honour to invite you to the sixth edition of the Prague Media Point conference, which will take place on 5-7 December. This year’s event will highlight uplifting examples challenging the negative trends the media face in the modern world. We will offer a mix of scholarly presentations including keynote addresses, sessions with innovators explaining their solutions, and networking opportunities to promote the exchange of know-how.  Learn about the latest examples providing hope amid the doom and gloom. Meet leading experts in an informal setting. Stay for the stunning scenery of Prague and the Christmas markets.

Tickets are now available, and a call for papers for the academic opportunity is now open; please send all submissions by 15 May