Romania’s prisons are slowly gaining ground on tuberculosis, but the prognosis on AIDS is less encouraging.
By Petru Zoltan and Michael J. Jordan
Economic Pragmatism or Flirting With Moscow?Macedonia ponders the economic and political motivation behind seeking closer ties with Russia.
By BBC MonitoringUkraine may be rolling back some of the civic gains it made this decade, but it’s hardly ripe for authoritarianism. From openDemocracy.
By Ingo PetzA threatened old building and a striking new one symbolize the split personality of development in Azerbaijan’s booming capital.
By Khanim JavadovaKosovo’s Roman Catholics are dedicating a new cathedral to the revered nun. A more fitting tribute would be to carry out her visions of peace and tolerance.
By Timothy SpenceEven though non-communists have come to power in Moldova, the conflict over the future of Transdniester in some ways is a reenactment of the struggles of Soviet communism.
By Taras Kuzio
The Frustrations of Albania’s Top Criminal JudgeThe chief justice of the Albanian Supreme Court says that political weakness is the main drag on much-needed reform of the country’s judiciary and insists that corruption is not the massive problem the EU and others claim.
By Bora FezgaRussian businesses are taking charge of some of the country’s post-fire reconstruction, with a little prodding from the Kremlin. From Russia Profile.
By Tai AdelajaFor too many Russians who get sick, a piece of paper will decide their fate.
By GALINA STOLYAROVAAs a new school year opens, students in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan are in for more bitter lessons in propaganda, corruption, and time-wasting.
By TOLForeign media groups are getting out of Eastern Europe in droves. They leave behind politicized and struggling outlets.
By MARIUS DRAGOMIR
Romanian politicians and judges tend to get a lot more casual about corruption.
By TOL
A Moscow court’s property ruling could threaten the future biodiversity of the world’s fruit crops.
By GALINA STOLYAROVA
The Czechs are asked to weigh the price of freedom, and the answers so far are surprising.
By KATERINA SAFARIKOVAMinority Coverage in Focus
With the recent events in Kyrgyzstan, the need to improve coverage of ethnic and other minorities was again thrown into stark relief. Toward that end, TOL has launched a call for applications for a distance-learning course on the subject for media professionals and bloggers from Central Asia. Deadline: September 20th, 2010
For more information or to apply, click here.
Russia's nutty neighborhoodWhat is going on with Russia’s European neighbors? Nearly seven years ago, Mikhail Saakashvili led a wave of revolutions that looked set to loosen Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s grip ..In Steady State
Drugs – A lifestyle of for Choice ..Drugs, alcohol and gambling are major problems that have already destroyed many families in the Czech Republic. Their stories are so tragic. This is an issue that also touches Roma..In Roma
Can This Union Be Saved?Thomas Geoghegan, a labor lawyer in Chicago, observed this today in the New York Times: Ireland was poor and helpless until the European Union came along like a fairy godmother. ..In EU Next in Line