NMacedonia wants Austria's Arnautović punished for outburst
3 years, 6 months ago

NMacedonia wants Austria's Arnautović punished for outburst

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “We will always stand up and defend the interests and dignity of the Macedonian national team wherever they play.” Arnautović scored the final goal in Austria’s 3-1 victory over North Macedonia on Sunday at the National Arena in Bucharest He wrote in an Instagram story that he was sorry for what happened and acknowledged “some heated words yesterday in the emotions of the game for which I would like to apologize - especially to my friends from North Macedonia and Albania.” “I would like to say one thing very clearly: I AM NOT A RACIST!” Arnautović wrote. “I have friends in almost every country and I stand for diversity.” The Albanian minority forms about a quarter of North Macedonia’s 2.1 million population. Tensions between North Macedonians and ethnic Albanians in the small Balkan country erupted in 2001 when Albanians took up arms and fought with government forces, demanding more rights.

North Serbia North Macedonia Kosovo Ethnic Albanians Macedonia Wants  albanians  macedonia  wants  federation  sign  punished  arnautović  outburst  nmacedonia  serbia  ethnic  breaking  north  austrias  stand  free

History of this topic

North Macedonia court delays language law ruling amid ethnic tensions
1 week, 6 days ago

North Macedonia court delays language law ruling amid ethnic tensions

Associated Press  

North Macedonia — North Macedonia’s Constitutional Court on Wednesday postponed a ruling on a controversial law concerning the use of minority languages, triggering a new round of ethnic tensions in the tiny Balkan country. Ethnic Albanians make up roughly a quarter of North Macedonia’s 2 million population, in a country slightly larger than the U.S. state of Vermont. Several hundred …

Arrests in North Macedonia after raucous celebrations by members of ethnic Albanian minority
3 weeks, 4 days ago

Arrests in North Macedonia after raucous celebrations by members of ethnic Albanian minority

Associated Press  

SKOPJE, North Macedonia — Police in North Macedonia have arrested 10 people following raucous celebrations — allegedly including gunfire — by members of the country’s ethnic Albanian minority to mark an Albanian national holiday, officials said Friday. Hundreds of people took part in celebrations late Thursday of Albanian Flag Day in North Macedonia’s capital, Skopje, and other cities. Thursday night’s …

Serbia demands new elections in tense north Kosovo as well as return of Serb police and judiciary
3 months, 1 week ago

Serbia demands new elections in tense north Kosovo as well as return of Serb police and judiciary

Associated Press  

BELGRADE, Serbia — Serbia on Friday demanded that an election be held and ethnic Serbs return to police and judiciary in a Serb-populated northern region of Kosovo where tensions have fueled fears of instability and new armed clashes. Populist President Aleksandar Vucic also called for the withdrawal of Kosovo’s special police from the region bordering Serbia that remains a flashpoint …

Kosovo prime minister deplores new condition ahead of Council of Europe’s membership vote next week
7 months, 2 weeks ago

Kosovo prime minister deplores new condition ahead of Council of Europe’s membership vote next week

Associated Press  

TIRANA, Albania — Kosovo’s prime minister Wednesday deplored the fact that some Western powers reportedly have set another condition ahead of Kosovo’s joining the Council of Europe. Kosovo media reported that France and Germany want Kosovo to take a significant step toward establishing an association of its Serb-majority municipalities in the north to unblock a vote of full membership a …

Kosovo OKs referendums in 4 Serb-majority municipalities on whether to oust ethnic Albanian mayors
9 months, 2 weeks ago

Kosovo OKs referendums in 4 Serb-majority municipalities on whether to oust ethnic Albanian mayors

Associated Press  

PRISTINA, Kosovo — Kosovo’s Central Electoral Commission on Saturday approved referendums in four Serb-majority municipalities to be held on April 21 on whether to oust their ethnic Albanian mayors whose election last year raised tensions between Serbia and Kosovo. The commission also confirmed a petition held in January in which about one-fourth of around 45,000 eligible voters in four municipalities …

Thousands of minority Serbs protest Kosovo’s decision to abolish the Serbian dinar
10 months, 1 week ago

Thousands of minority Serbs protest Kosovo’s decision to abolish the Serbian dinar

Associated Press  

MITROVICA, Kosovo — Thousands of minority Serbs in Kosovo on Monday protested a ban on the use of the Serbian currenc y in areas where they live, an issue that is proviking the latest crisis in relations between Serbia and Kosovo. Tensions escalated after the government of Kosovo, a former Serbian province, banned banks and other financial institutions in the …

Leaders of Serbia and Kosovo spar at the UN over the latter's ban of the Serbian dinar
10 months, 2 weeks ago

Leaders of Serbia and Kosovo spar at the UN over the latter's ban of the Serbian dinar

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. He said it was “nothing …

EU envoy urges Kosovo and Serbia to step up normalization efforts before the bloc’s June elections
10 months, 3 weeks ago

EU envoy urges Kosovo and Serbia to step up normalization efforts before the bloc’s June elections

Associated Press  

PRISTINA, Kosovo — The EU envoy for the Western Balkans on Tuesday urged Kosovo and Serbia to push ahead with faltering normalization talks before elections for the European Parliament in June. Miroslav Lajcak met for three hours with Kosovo’s top leaders — President Vjosa Osmani, Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi — in the capital Pristina …

Ethnic Serbs in Kosovo hold a petition drive in hopes of ousting 4 ethnic Albanian mayors
11 months, 1 week ago

Ethnic Serbs in Kosovo hold a petition drive in hopes of ousting 4 ethnic Albanian mayors

Associated Press  

PRISTINA, Kosovo — Ethnic Serbs in northern Kosovo held a signature drive Wednesday in hopes of securing enough to oust four ethnic Albanian mayors whose elections last year sent tensions between Serbia and Kosovo soaring. The drive is expected to start soon Zvecan and Zubin Potok, two other municipalities in the north where most of Kosovo’s ethnic Serb minority lives. …

Albania’s prime minister calls for more NATO troops in neighboring Kosovo following ethnic violence
1 year, 1 month ago

Albania’s prime minister calls for more NATO troops in neighboring Kosovo following ethnic violence

Associated Press  

SKOPJE, North Macedonia — Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama urged NATO on Wednesday to further boost its military forces in Kosovo and secure the country’s borders with Serbia, warning that recent ethnic violence in Kosovo could potentially trigger a wider Balkan conflict. Kosovo’s border with Serbia was “out of control,” Rama said after an informal meeting of Western Balkan NATO …

Albania’s deal with Italy on migrants has been welcomed by many. But others are confused and angry
1 year, 1 month ago

Albania’s deal with Italy on migrants has been welcomed by many. But others are confused and angry

Associated Press  

SHENGJIN, Albania — When the leaders of Albania and Italy announced a contentious agreement earlier this week to jointly process some asylum applications of migrants arriving by sea, some in the Western Balkans country saw it as reciprocation. Italy had welcomed thousands of Albanians fleeing poverty after the fall of communism more than three decades ago, and Albania’s current government …

Serbia to hold snap elections as president calls for country to be ‘united’
1 year, 1 month ago

Serbia to hold snap elections as president calls for country to be ‘united’

Al Jazeera  

Serbia will hold a snap election next month after President Aleksandar Vucic dissolved parliament in the face of political pressure at home and from the European Union. “We live in times that are difficult for the whole world, in times of global challenges, wars and conflicts when it is necessary that we are all united in preserving vital national and …

European Union to press the leaders of Serbia and Kosovo to set decades of enmity behind them
1 year, 1 month ago

European Union to press the leaders of Serbia and Kosovo to set decades of enmity behind them

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The European Union is set …

What is behind renewed tensions between Serbia and Kosovo?
1 year, 2 months ago

What is behind renewed tensions between Serbia and Kosovo?

Associated Press  

BELGRADE, Serbia — Tensions between Serbia and Kosovo flared anew over the weekend when some 30 heavily armed Serbs barricaded themselves in an Orthodox monastery in northern Kosovo, setting off a daylong gunbattle with police that left one officer and three attackers dead. Kosovo’s majority ethnic Albanians, most of whom are Muslim, meanwhile, view Kosovo as their country and accuse …

Kosovo mourns a slain police officer, some Serb gunmen remain at large after a siege at a monastery
1 year, 2 months ago

Kosovo mourns a slain police officer, some Serb gunmen remain at large after a siege at a monastery

Associated Press  

PRISTINA, Kosovo — Kosovo on Monday observed a day of mourning for the Kosovar Albanian police officer killed by Serb gunmen in the north of the country in one of the worst confrontations since it declared independence from Serbia in 2008. Pristina accuses Belgrade of backing the “terrorists,” an accusation Serbia denies, saying they are Serbs from Kosovo protesting the …

Kosovo mourns a slain police officer, some Serb gunmen remain at large after a siege at a monastery
1 year, 2 months ago

Kosovo mourns a slain police officer, some Serb gunmen remain at large after a siege at a monastery

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Kosovo on Monday was observing …

Why Kosovo’s standoff with Serbs continues 15 years after statehood
1 year, 3 months ago

Why Kosovo’s standoff with Serbs continues 15 years after statehood

Al Jazeera  

Kosovo declared independence in 2008, but Serbia still formally deems Kosovo to be part of its territory. Unrest in the region intensified when ethnic Albanian mayors took office in northern Kosovo’s Serb-majority area after April elections the Serbs boycotted, a move that led the United States and its allies to rebuke Pristina. Last December, Serbs in north Kosovo erected multiple …

EU urges Serbia and Kosovo to respect their pledges after a meeting of leaders ends in acrimony
1 year, 3 months ago

EU urges Serbia and Kosovo to respect their pledges after a meeting of leaders ends in acrimony

Associated Press  

BRUSSELS — The European Union on Tuesday called on Serbia and Kosovo to respect an agreement meant to end tensions between them and put their relations on a more normal path after talks between their leaders ended in acrimony last week. At a meeting in New York, EU foreign ministers said the commitments that Serbia and Kosovo made in the …

Explained | What is the Kosovo-Serbia conflict all about? Why have tensions flared again?
1 year, 6 months ago

Explained | What is the Kosovo-Serbia conflict all about? Why have tensions flared again?

The Hindu  

The story so far: In the aftermath of one of the worst escalation of tensions between Kosovo and Serbia in at least a decade, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization last week sent 700 more of its peacekeeping troops to Kosovo. Currently, an ethnic Serb minority of more than 50,000 resides in multiple municipalities in the northern part of Kosovo bordering …

Explained: Why tensions between Kosovo and Serbia are getting worse
1 year, 6 months ago

Explained: Why tensions between Kosovo and Serbia are getting worse

Firstpost  

There are fears of a huge escalation as tensions between Serbia and Kosovo flared up again this week after Kosovo’s police attacked Serb-dominated districts in the region’s north and seized local municipality buildings. Clashes erupt between police and local Serbs in northern Kosovo after new ethnic Albanian mayors take office. Last Friday, newly elected ethnic Albanian mayors moved into their …

Kosovo prime minister says he will not surrender country to Serbian ‘fascist militia’ after clashes in north
1 year, 6 months ago

Kosovo prime minister says he will not surrender country to Serbian ‘fascist militia’ after clashes in north

CNN  

CNN — Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti told CNN on Tuesday that he would not surrender the country to what he described as a Serbian “fascist militia,” following violent protests in its north over the installation of ethnically Albanian mayors in a disputed election. “The Government of Kosovo’s decision to force access to municipal buildings sharply and unnecessarily escalated tensions,” …

Kosovo-Serbia tension: History, latest flare-up and what’s next?
1 year, 6 months ago

Kosovo-Serbia tension: History, latest flare-up and what’s next?

Al Jazeera  

Clashes erupt between police and local Serbs in northern Kosovo after new ethnic Albanian mayors take office. Tensions between Serbia and Kosovo flared anew this weekend after Kosovo’s police raided Serb-dominated areas in the region’s north and seized local municipality buildings. Violent clashes between Kosovo’s police and NATO-led peacekeepers on one side and local Serbs on the other have left …

Kosovo's new mayor takes up post peacefully in minority area as West warns against ethnic violence
1 year, 7 months ago

Kosovo's new mayor takes up post peacefully in minority area as West warns against ethnic violence

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A new mayor has been sworn in in northern Kosovo …

USAID chief Power heads to Serbia, Kosovo to lower tensions
1 year, 7 months ago

USAID chief Power heads to Serbia, Kosovo to lower tensions

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The United States' top international …

Europe's youngest country Kosovo now 15, but problems endure
1 year, 10 months ago

Europe's youngest country Kosovo now 15, but problems endure

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Speaking in the capital Pristina …

Kosovo marks 15 uneasy years of independence from Serbia
1 year, 10 months ago

Kosovo marks 15 uneasy years of independence from Serbia

Associated Press  

PRISTINA, Kosovo — Kosovo is celebrating 15 years of independence with a month of celebrations starting Friday while still facing serious challenges with Serbia, which refuses to recognize the autonomy of its former province. Europe’s youngest country unilaterally declared independence from Serbia on Feb. 17, 2008, nearly nine years after a 78-day NATO bombing campaign in 1999 ended Belgrade’s bloody …

Kosovo marks 15 uneasy years of independence from Serbia
1 year, 10 months ago

Kosovo marks 15 uneasy years of independence from Serbia

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Europe's youngest country unilaterally declared …

Serbia could become ‘pariah’ over Kosovo, president warns
1 year, 10 months ago

Serbia could become ‘pariah’ over Kosovo, president warns

Associated Press  

BELGRADE, Serbia — Serbia’s populist president warned during a chaotic parliamentary session on Thursday that the Balkan nation could become a European “pariah” state if it rejects a Western plan for normalizing relations with Kosovo. The plan hasn’t been made public formally, but Vucic said it stipulates that Serbia wouldn’t object to Kosovo’s inclusion in international organizations, including the United …

Kosovo-Serbia tensions: Mood on the ground, possible scenarios
1 year, 11 months ago

Kosovo-Serbia tensions: Mood on the ground, possible scenarios

Al Jazeera  

Analysts say heightened friction in the Balkans may serve the Kremlin’s interests but cast doubt over a show of force by Moscow. The leadership in Belgrade accuses Kosovo’s government of plotting “terrorism against Serbs” in Serb-populated northern Kosovo. “I can’t imagine Serbia entering the north of Kosovo with either army or police, or both, because that would be a total …

Tensions in north Kosovo – whose agenda does the flare-up serve?
2 years ago

Tensions in north Kosovo – whose agenda does the flare-up serve?

Al Jazeera  

Ethnic fractures in the Western Balkans, including in Kosovo’s Serb-populated area, create trouble for the EU and US. “I am sure that the President of Serbia will keep in mind as he considers what sort of military steps – as unwise as they would be – he may be contemplating in northern Kosovo.” KFOR peacekeepers have played a critical role …

Explained: What's behind the long-running conflict between Serbia and Kosovo?
2 years ago

Explained: What's behind the long-running conflict between Serbia and Kosovo?

Firstpost  

Tensions between Serbia and Kosovo have risen again in the last week, with the former erecting barricades on major roads in Kosovo’s northwestern region. The actions fuel fears of a revival of the 1998-99 war that claimed thousands of lives and left millions homeless Belgrade: Tensions between Serbia and Kosovo flared anew during the past week after Serbs erected barricades …

EXPLAINER: Why do Kosovo-Serbia tensions persist?
2 years ago

EXPLAINER: Why do Kosovo-Serbia tensions persist?

Associated Press  

BELGRADE, Serbia — Tensions between Serbia and Kosovo flared anew during the past week after Serbs erected barricades on the main roads in the north of Kosovo, a former Serbian province. The Serbian government has refused to recognize Kosovo’s statehood and still considers it part of Serbia, even though it has no formal control there. Putin claimed NATO’s bombardment of …

Tensions run high in north Kosovo as Serbs block roads
2 years ago

Tensions run high in north Kosovo as Serbs block roads

Associated Press  

PRISTINA, Kosovo — Tensions were high in northern Kosovo on Sunday, with Serbs blocking roads as shots and explosions rang out and the Serbian president warned that Serbian troops are ready to defend their “homeland” if peace doesn’t prevail. The roads in Serbia’s former province of Kosovo, which proclaimed independence in 2008, were blocked with heavy vehicles and trucks a …

Escalating tensions after gunmen attack police in northern Kosovo
2 years ago

Escalating tensions after gunmen attack police in northern Kosovo

Al Jazeera  

Animosity remains high, with Serbia and Kosovo officials intensifying their exchange of words. Tensions soared in northern Kosovo after unknown attackers exchanged gunfire with police and threw a stun grenade at European Union officers overnight. “This attack, as well as the attacks on Kosovo police officers, are unacceptable,” EULEX said in a press release. ‘Masked criminals’ Animosity has mounted after …

Tensions run high in north Kosovo as Serbs block roads
2 years ago

Tensions run high in north Kosovo as Serbs block roads

LA Times  

Serbs block the road near the village of Rudare, north of the Serb-dominated part of the ethnically divided town of Mitrovica, Kosovo, on Sunday. Tensions were high in northern Kosovo on Sunday, with Serbs blocking roads as shots and explosions rang out and the Serbian president warned that Serbian troops are ready to defend their “homeland” if peace doesn’t prevail. …

Kosovo postpones local election in ethnic-Serb-dominated north
2 years ago

Kosovo postpones local election in ethnic-Serb-dominated north

Al Jazeera  

The election was due as ethnic Serb representatives resigned to protest a ban on Serbia-issued vehicle licence plates. On the same day, Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic said he would formally request NATO permission to deploy Serbian troops in northern Kosovo, while conceding this was most unlikely to be granted. Kosovo’s interior minister Xhelal Zvecla said on Saturday that after the …

Serbs in northern Kosovo quit state jobs in licence plate protest
2 years, 1 month ago

Serbs in northern Kosovo quit state jobs in licence plate protest

Al Jazeera  

The long-running licence plate row is stoking ethnic tensions between Serbia and its former province of Kosovo. Minority Serbs in northern Kosovo say they are quitting their posts in state institutions, including the government, police and courts, to protest against the use of new vehicle licence plates issued by Pristina. The long-running licence plate row has stoked tensions between Serbia …

Kosovo’s car licensing rule resisted by ethnic Serbs takes effect
2 years, 3 months ago

Kosovo’s car licensing rule resisted by ethnic Serbs takes effect

Al Jazeera  

Kosovo, Serbia and NATO peacekeepers are bracing for a new wave of ethnic tensions, after a two-month implementation period begins for a controversial move to oblige ethnic Serbs in northern Kosovo to start using car licence plates issued by the government in Pristina. Kosovo, which is predominantly ethnic Albanian, has sought to compel about 50,000 ethnic Serbs to accept Pristina’s …

EU-mediated Serbia-Kosovo meeting ends without agreement
2 years, 4 months ago

EU-mediated Serbia-Kosovo meeting ends without agreement

Associated Press  

BRUSSELS — The leaders of Serbia and Kosovo failed Thursday to reach an agreement on longstanding border and mutual recognition issues that have spiked tensions in the Balkans and added to Europe’s instability during the war in Ukraine, the European Union’s foreign policy chief said. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti held talks in Brussels during …

Serbia, Kosovo leaders set for EU-backed talks on Aug. 18
2 years, 4 months ago

Serbia, Kosovo leaders set for EU-backed talks on Aug. 18

Associated Press  

BRUSSELS — The leaders of Serbia and Kosovo have agreed to meet in Brussels this month to discuss ways to end the stalemate in European Union-brokered talks aimed at improving relations between them as ethnic tensions simmer, a European Commission spokesman said Friday. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell hopes to hold talks with Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and …

What’s behind the renewed tensions between Serbia and Kosovo?
2 years, 4 months ago

What’s behind the renewed tensions between Serbia and Kosovo?

Al Jazeera  

Ethnic Serbs in Kosovo have protested against new identity document and car registration plate requirements. Tension has flared between Kosovo’s ethnic Serbs and the government in Pristina – a worrying development 14 years after Kosovo declared independence from Serbia. Kosovo proclaimed independence from Serbia in 2008 but ethnic Serbs who make up the majority in the northern region of the …

Euro 2020: N Macedonia wants Austria's Arnautović punished for outburst
3 years, 6 months ago

Euro 2020: N Macedonia wants Austria's Arnautović punished for outburst

The Hindu  

The North Macedonian football federation has submitted a request to UEFA asking for Austria striker Marko Arnautović to be punished for a nationalist outburst after he scored a goal at the European Championship. “We will always stand up and defend the interests and dignity of the Macedonian national team wherever they play.” Arnautović scored the final goal in Austria’s 3-1 …

Euro 2020: North Macedonia football federation wants Austria's Marko Arnautovic punished for outburst
3 years, 6 months ago

Euro 2020: North Macedonia football federation wants Austria's Marko Arnautovic punished for outburst

Firstpost  

North Macedonia football federation said Marko Arnautovic’s outburst was directed at Ezgjan Alioski, who is of Albanian origin. The North Macedonian football federation has submitted a request to UEFA asking for Austria striker Marko Arnautovic to be punished for a nationalist outburst after he scored a goal at the European Championship. “We will always stand up and defend the interests …

Arnautovic apologises to North Macedonia for angry goal celebration
3 years, 6 months ago

Arnautovic apologises to North Macedonia for angry goal celebration

The Hindu  

Austria forward Marko Arnautovic on Monday apologised for his angry reaction towards North Macedonia supporters after scoring in its 3-1 victory over the European Championship debutant, but he denied using racist language against them. Some media reports said that the 32-year-old's anger was also directed at North Macedonian players Egzon Bejtulai and Gjanni Alioski, both of whom have Albanian roots. …

Kosovo, Serbia clash over Balkan border issues at summit
3 years, 7 months ago

Kosovo, Serbia clash over Balkan border issues at summit

Associated Press  

BRDO, Slovenia — Serbia and Kosovo clashed Monday at a summit of Western Balkan nations over state border changes, a thorny issue in a region that is still recuperating from bloody civil wars in the 1990s. However, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic rejected such a wording in the resolution because it would indirectly mean that Serbia recognizes the borders of its …

Political quotas and ethnic engineering in the Western Balkans
3 years, 9 months ago

Political quotas and ethnic engineering in the Western Balkans

Al Jazeera  

Quotas are an imperfect yet often necessary means for societies to rectify the deficiencies of democratic processes, especially in ethnically or culturally pluralist countries. Although ethnic Albanians held the majority of the seats in the local parliament, the intimidation tactics of the Serbian authorities were successful in pressuring them to vote in favour of the abrogation of Kosovo’s autonomy. If …

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