Southeast Europe / Features
North Macedonia’s gasification push enters new phase as Greece interconnector nears completion
Long-awaited gas interconnector with Greece will open the way for a more diversified energy system and the gradual expansion of the domestic gas distribution network.
Geopolitical shocks, climate risks leave millions unable to afford healthy diets in Europe, Central Asia
Climate change, water scarcity, geopolitical tensions and volatile markets are creating new vulnerabilities that threaten both agricultural production and consumer access to nutritious food, says new FAO report.
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Protesters demand a better Albania on 41st day of 'Flamingo Revolution'
The prime minister “has sold our country” one protester tells IntelliNews, as protest movement grows far beyond its environmental origins.
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North Macedonia’s rare pink ruby gets protected status in push for global recognition
IntelliNews talks to the gemstone enthusiast who spent decades putting the Macedonian ruby on the map.
MEPs and environmentalists warn Albania’s Kushner-linked resort sets dangerous precedent
A luxury tourism development linked to Donald Trump’s son-in-law sparked the ‘Flamingo revolution’. Opponents fear it will become a precedent for large-scale construction in protected coastal areas.
Can geothermal power Central Europe’s energy transition?
The appeal of geothermal power is strong in a region where the 2022 gas crisis exposed the strategic vulnerability created by dependence on imported fossil fuels.
EU mulling “membership-lite” financial benefits for candidate countries to keep enlargement on track
The European Commission is preparing plans to grant European Union candidate countries some financial benefits while they wait for full membership as the process becomes bogged down in internal wrangling.
Global growth to stabilise in 3Q26 as Iran ceasefire eases energy shock - Erste Bank
A framework agreement between Washington and Tehran has already pulled oil prices lower, but Erste Group's quarterly outlook warns the inflationary scar tissue from the conflict will outlast the crisis itself across the world.
Ahead of Nato summit with Trump, Ankara splashes paint on VIP route homes, detains hundreds
Security forces boost detention numbers by holding 44 bird watchers who crossed paths with a mining protest.
Moldovan oligarch Ilan Shor funded by Russian Abramovich, key to Kremlin's sanctions-evasion network
Moldovan fugitive oligarch Ilan Shor has become one of the Kremlin's most important unofficial operatives in Moldova’s domestic politics. He is funded by some of Russia’s richest oligarchs, close to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
TIIF 2026: Albania looks to Central Asia and Middle Corridor links to Asia
When Albanian President Bajram Begaj addressed the Tashkent International Investment Forum (TIIF), he was making the case for a relationship that, by his own government's admission, has barely existed for the past three decades.
Moldova bets on reform, energy and EU membership to attract investors
As Brussels accelerates Moldova's accession path, officials and business leaders argue that one of Europe's poorest countries is becoming one of its most ambitious reform stories
North Macedonia risks losing investment edge as EU path stalls and competition intensifies
Deeper integration with the EU Single Market is essential if North Macedonia is to move beyond its traditional role as a low-cost manufacturing hub.
Explosion of Ukrainian naval drone in Romania’s Constanța port triggers fresh tensions
Russian strikes close to Romanian territory and Ukrainian counter-operations highlight the growing complexity of security challenges facing Romania as the war increasingly affects the wider Black Sea region.