Topic: The Balkans

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Bestselling books the week of 6/10/13, according to IndieBound*

What's selling best in independent bookstores across America.

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Bestselling books the week of 6/10/13, according to IndieBound*

What's selling best in independent bookstores across America.
The Monitor's View Europe's ideals win a Serbia-Kosovo pact

An agreement approved Monday by Serbia and Kosovo will put an official end to 1990s genocidal conflict. It also serves as a model for ending other conflicts driven by ethnic, religious, and land disputes.
War crimes in Syria: Time to appeal to International Criminal Court?

Fifty-seven countries on Monday urged the UN Security Council to ask the International Criminal Court at The Hague to investigate possible war crimes in Syria. The call comes as other groups report a spike in sexual violence in Syria.
Jihadist-backed Syrian rebels seize military base (+video)

The base's capture comes just days after the US blacklisted the Jabhat al-Nusra militia, members of whom were involved in the operation, as a terrorist organization.
Terrorism & Security Serbs frustrated, Kosovars elated as former Kosovo PM acquitted of war crimes

The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia acquitted Ramush Haradinaj of six counts of crimes involving the murder and torture of Serbs and non-Albanians in the '90s.
Opinion Balkan conflicts hold clear lessons on intervention in Syria

As policymakers in Europe, the United States, the Gulf states, Turkey, and the Arab League search for ways to resolve the conflict in Syria, they should consider what the wars in Bosnia and Kosovo have to teach about outside intervention. The main lesson? Do it – to stop the killing.
As tiny Slovenia votes, larger eurozone watches with wary eye

The eurozone's unusually strong interest in next month's presidential runoff comes down to a key concern: Some fear Slovenia could be the next eurozone country to need a bailout.
NATO members need to step up, says UK defense minister

Philip Hammond said today that Europe needs to take greater responsibility for its own security and be ready to act abroad. But NATO will have to become more efficient first, he warned.
Terrorism & Security US backs new Syrian opposition council in bid to unite rebels

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the Syrian National Council could no longer be viewed as the 'visible leader of the opposition.' The group failed to attract broad support from Syrians.
Hillary Clinton visits Balkans to keep Dayton agreement on track

Power struggles between ethnic Serb, Muslim, and Croat parties are holding back Balkan states from fuller integration with Europe.
Terrorism & Security Former Serb leader Karadzic: I deserve reward, not punishment

Former Serbian leader Radovan Karadzic is on trial at The Hague for 10 counts of genocide and crimes against humanity. He opened his defense today by saying he had done everything 'in human power' to avoid war.
Nobel Peace Prize: How unusual is the EU's award? (+video)

The Nobel Peace Prize went to the European Union for its post-1945 promotion of peace and democracy on a continent where war had been the norm for hundreds of years.
Opinion Why Syria's regional spillovers could prompt intervention (+video)

Turkey's forced landing of a Syrian passenger jet from Moscow suspected of carrying military cargo is the latest example of regional spillover from the Syria crisis. The risks of these cascading spillovers may ultimately emerge as the leading rationale for international intervention.
New world requires new strategies

Democracy and digitalization make urgent demands. How, and how fast, can the US adjust?
The New Economy Facebook is worth $5 a share

Facebook shares have already lost nearly half their value. But recent selling suggests Facebook shares have much further to fall.
Hillary Clinton floats a Syria no-fly zone. How real an option for US?

In Turkey, Hillary Clinton called a Syria no-fly zone an option for the US. But Obama may be slow to choose it, and the remark may even have been a pointed signal aimed at Russia.
Bus bombing: Why in Bulgaria, and why look to Iran?

Israel's prime minister accuses Iran of attacking a busload of tourists in Bulgaria, a popular destination for Israelis.
Evidence exists to bring Syria war-crimes case: French diplomat (+video)

France's top human rights diplomat says 'the raw material is there' in the Syria conflict to refer case to the International Criminal Court at The Hague.
Mladic trial: first witness recounts escape from massacre during Bosnian war

The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia heard a first witness today in its pursuit of a genocide verdict to prove ethnic cleansing campaign was 'joint enterprise.'
Opinion Five lessons from Kosovo on peacemaking and problem-solving

Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci: The International Steering Group decides today whether to conclude its supervision of Kosovo’s independence. History offers few more inspiring examples of how democracy can prevail with strong international support.
Bulgaria gay parade peaceful, despite provocations

A gay pride march in the Bulgarian capital Sofia stayed peaceful Saturday, but homosexuality remains a sensitive issue across the Balkans.
Diplomacy or military intervention in Syria? 7 opinions from around the globe.

After 15 months of violence in Syria, President Bashar al-Assad announced yesterday that the country was facing a full-on civil war, a conflict he would do everything in his power to win.This adds increased pressure to the ongoing international question du jour: Is the answer to Syria’s conflict diplomacy or military intervention? Or something else entirely? From Thailand to Jordan, here are some opinions around the globe.
Mladic trial delayed because of evidence issues

The former Bosnian Serb general's trial has been postponed because prosecutors may have failed to disclose evidence to the defense.
Ratko Mladic genocide trial suspended indefinitely (+video)

Ratko Mladic, a former Bosnian Serb military chief, won an indefinite suspension of his war crimes trial in the Hague because prosecutors failed to disclose documents to the defense.
Radko Mladic's genocide trial begins in the Hague

The Bosnian Serb general is accused of war crimes stemming from the Bosnian civil war in the early 1990s.