Did another debate on France 24 last night, visible here - my Russian and German co-panellists actually succeeded in making the Serbian ambassador look moderate! (My preparation for it was a bit less frantic than last time - I had at least worn a suit to work.)

On a lighter note (and not featuring me), Andorra is not in Africa.

A lot of my work involves steady slogging against the prevailing political winds. So when I get not one but two favourable gusts filling my sails on the same day, it is definitely worth noting ( Read more... )

I've driven this route many times, and I've always been aware that Macedonia is in general a few degrees warmer than Kosovo - farther south, less elevated, gets the tail end of the warmer Mediterranean breezes before they are deflected by the mountains. But this is the first time I can remember doing the route when the temperature difference ( Read more... )

I spent most of my working week in Cyprus and Kosovo, and was basically feeling too ill to take many photos (see, if you are interested, my earlier galleries of Cyprus, Macedonia/Kosovo and Kosovo/Macedonia).

For somewhat complex logistical reasons, although I actually had business in Kosovo I flew into Macedonia, where the airports now proclaims ( Read more... )

1) The UN Special negotiator, ex-president Martti Ahtisaari of Finland, has recommended independence for Kosovo. See his letter to Ban Ki-Moon here and his full recommendations here.

2) Ian Paisley and Gerry Adams have agreed to govern Northern Ireland together, starting in a few weeks' time. See Slugger O'Toole's quick links to everyone's ( Read more... )

While the grenade attack on Wednesday night did not cause me any personal inconvenience, the same may not be true of last night's snowfall...
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Met up with a friend for dinner last night; he asked if I fancied trying the city's only Japanese restaurant. Somehow I felt this might be a bad move, and we opted for the Thai restaurant instead. Which was just as well, because during the evening someone threw a hand-grenade at the Japanese restaurant. Nobody injured, and only "minor material ( Read more... )

Here. In particular, watch the second of the two video clips. Brought tears to my eyes. In fact, look at the whole of the on-line documentary. ETA: belated hat-tip to applez.

17) Kosovo's Endgame: Sovereignty and Stability in the Western Balkans, by Aristotle Tziampiris ( Read more... )

10) Peace at Any Price: How the World Failed Kosovo, by Iain King and Whit Mason ( Read more... )