By Velbona Zenelli The economies of the Western Balkan countries — Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Kosovo and Serbia — still lag behind the rest of Europe. The regional average income levels fluctuate from an annual level of $5,300, to as low as only 31% …

By Stephen Richter Russia is rattling its saber. China roams around the South China Sea. Here we go again. According to some, we are said to be “at war.” Thankfully, for now it is just a “war of ideas.” That is intended to offer some comfort. But even …

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan held bilateral talks behind closed doors on the sidelines of the first European Games on Saturday. BAKU (Sputnik) —  Presidential aide Yuri Ushakov, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Energy Minister Alexander Novak, head of Russia’s state-run nuclear corporation Rosatom Sergei …

European countries, international creditors and the Greek opposition have declared a war on Greece (resembling the one on Yugoslavia) but the government will stay true to its election promises, Labor Minister Panos Skourletis of Syriza said.  “The months following the elections were extremely hard. Never before has the government, which …

Richard Phillips For conservative hawks in the United States, a chief outcome of the First Gulf War was that it removed, once and for all, the Vietnam “syndrome” from the American psyche. Vietnam Lessons for the United States in Iraq 1. Be careful which side you choose. 2. …

By Sungur Savran So at long last, despite all the meanders and sideways and detours of history, the logic of social struggles has finally put its stamp on the politics of Turkey. The resounding defeat of Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his AKP at the polls in the 7th June general elections in …

Even though peace talks are slated to begin on June 14 in Geneva, Switzerland between the major parties involved in the current phase of the conflict over the control of Yemen the fighting rages on inside this underdeveloped Middle Eastern state. Prior to the announcement of the U.N.-sponsored …

By Middle East Eye Members of the Islamic State (IS) have their sights set on gaining full control of an area known as Libya’s oil crescent, according to residents in the Libyan town which has become IS’s latest conquest. At a meeting with leaders from Harawa, IS militants …

By Eric Zuesse Interviewed on June 6th by German Economic News, the chief economist at Bremer Landesbank, Folker Hellmeyer, says that because of Obama’s sanctions against Russia, German exports declined year-over-year by 18% in 2014, and by 34% in the first two months of 2015 (no later figures), but he …