Stories about Eastern & Central Europe from October, 2017
Fake News Tries to Link Austria's Chancellor-to-Be and Philanthropist George Soros
A known fake news purveyor published disinformation that Sebastian Kurz expelled Soros' Open Society Foundations from the country. It's not the first time fake news producers connected the two.
A Son of Indian Billionaire ‘Resides’ in a Modest Post-Communist Building in Macedonia
Indian billionaire son's residence in Skopje -- and whether or not he actually resides there -- has brought up questions of corrupt ties to the former ruling party of Macedonia.
Albanian Prime Minister Insults Journalists After Parliament Votes to Protect Lawmaker From Arrest
The Albanian Journalists' Union condemned "that such behavior and insulting communication is directly related to the dire situation faced by journalism in Albania."
Czech President ‘Jokingly’ Threatens Journalists With an Assault Rifle Replica
Last Friday, Czech president Miloš Zeman brandished a wooden replica of an assault rifle with the inscription 'for journalists' written on its side. Journalists, however, failed to appreciate the 'joke'.
Knife Attack on Russian Journalist Reignites an “Atmosphere of Hate” in the Media
The knife assault on Felgengauer sparked a wave of criticism against the state propaganda apparatus, which has recently intensified attacks on independent media in Russia, specifically Echo of Moscow.
A Macedonian Comic Strip Encourages Women to Pursue Computer Programming Careers
Neta, a comic strip about a young woman who works as software engineer, has become a fixture of Macedonian tech culture.
Serbian Artists Arrested Following Anti-Authoritarianism Art Museum Protest
Activists were arrested for 'insulting' Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić during the re-opening of a modern art museum in Belgrade.
Ukrainian Wikipedia Awards National Winners of ‘Wiki Loves Earth’ Photo Contest
The Ukrainian part of the global competition featured 356 participants, some 15,000 photos and over 1,860 natural heritage subjects.
Balkan Pride Parades Highlight Growing Support for LGBT Rights (and Politicians Are Taking Notice)
Serbia's openly gay prime minister became the 'first head of government to attend a Balkan Pride event.' Cynics see her appointment, however, as a move to impress the European Union.
The Revolution Will Be Live-Tweeted (Not In Russian, Though)
RT's #1917Live, which marks the centennial of the October Revolution, is full of interactive and creative features. There is something missing, however: the Russian language.
In Macedonia, Memories of a Crackdown on the Ajvar Culinary Tradition Remain Fresh
"Long ago, back in 2016, everything was OK in the country, except the preparation of ajvar in public spaces. 'Around ten people have been fined for making ajvar'"
Russians Are Receiving Some Uncanny Answers From Alisa, Tech Giant Yandex's Siri Competitor
"— I want a new iPhone. — What keeps you from buying one? — I don’t have money. — Steal it...No one will know."
Comical Unintended Consequences of Turkish President Erdogan's State Visit to Serbia
The warm welcome of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić during a state visit this week incited many satirical comments on nationalism and media freedoms.
‘The Eurovision Baby Has Arrived': Macedonian Contestant Jana Burceska Gives Birth to Daughter
The then-unmarried Burceska had revealed she was pregnant in her Eurovision introductory video. The move was controversial in her home country Macedonia, which has become quite conservative in recent decades.
Russians Get Territorial After Chinese Newspaper Tweets Photos of the Remote Altay Region
China Daily regularly tweets promotional photographs from Chinese regions, but this time it caused a backlash from Russian users who thought China was claiming parts of Russia as its own.
Serbian Groups Stage Blackout to Protest Media Intimidation By Tax Authority
The shuttering of a Serbian newspaper led to physical protest and an online blackout with 150 participating websites.
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