News archive of March 2023

A woman walks past campaign billboards for Presidential candidates Milo Djukanovic and Jakov Milatovic in Podgorica, Montenegro. Photo: EPA-EFE/BORIS PEJOVIC

Elsewhere, the Polish government announced this week it would ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from participating in the European Games, taking place this June and July in Krakow and surrounding areas.

Sejdi Zymeri's house in the village of Likovc/Likovac is close to where the Kosovo Liberation Army, KLA used to have its headquarters in the Drenica region, the guerrillas' wartime heartland.

Türkiye's parliament on March 30 ratified Finland's application to join NATO, lifting the last hurdle in the way of the Nordic country's long-delayed accession into the Western military alliance.

All 276 lawmakers present voted in favor of Finland's bid, days after Hungary's parliament also endorsed Helsinki's accession.

Two suspects of Pakistani origin are set to appear before an investigating magistrate on Friday on charges of planning an attack on a Jewish center in the busy downtown area of Psyri. The suspects allegedly received orders from a fellow Pakistani who is currently evading arrest in Iran.

Greece's defense minister announced Thursday that he will travel to neighboring Turkey next week as part of an effort to ease tension between the two NATO members, which have long-standing and often volatile disputes.

Nikos Panagiotopoulos told reporters in Athens that he would visit areas devastated by earthquakes in early February with Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar.

A funeral will be held this weekend for former Democratic US Representative Nick Galifianakis, who represented central North Carolina for several years before two unsuccessful Senate bids - the first against archconservative Jesse Helms.

The fence along the Evros River bordering Turkey has been elevated to the status of a key election issue that highlights the migration problem.

Turkey's National Security Council on Thursday supported maintaining the positive climate in bilateral ties with Greece that emerged in the wake of the devastating earthquakes on February 6, adding that it would benefit both sides.

In a statement after convening in Ankara, the council added that ongoing developments in the Aegean and the East Mediterranean are being followed closely.

U.S. President Joe Biden on March 29 hailed an "enormous opportunity" to increase economic integration with Argentina as he hosted the South American country's President Alberto Fernandez at the White House.

"This meeting is a chance to reaffirm that nothing is beyond our reach if we work together," Biden said seated next to his counterpart in the Oval Office.