Russia & CIS

BBC Sport's John Bennett gives Football Focus the lowdown on which nations are contenders to win the Africa Cup of Nations, which begins in Morocco on Sunday.

Entre Vareš et Olovo, le village d'Oćevija est le dernier endroit en Europe où le fer est forgé de façon traditionnelle et pré-industrielle. Depuis plusieurs siècles, la famille Jozeljić perpétue ce savoir-faire au cœur du mont Zvijezda. Désormais, les produits de la forge s'exportent aussi sur le marché européen.

- Articles / Société, Personnalités, Courrier des Balkans, Bosnie-Herzégovine, Culture et éducation

As some West African nations choose to cement old ties with France or a new ally in Russia, Togo wants both.

In a huge change to the football calendar, the Africa Cup of Nations will be held every four years from 2028 - switching away from biennial finals.

Des jeunes déclarent à la BBC que les écoles de type militaire trompent et maltraitent les élèves qu'elles prétendent aider.

Letzte Woche verabschiedete das SOEP Jürgen Schupp, der zum Ende des Jahres in den Ruhestand geht. In feierlicher Runde bezeichnete er sich selbst humorvoll als „Dinosaurier“ des SOEP. Er war während der 41 Jahre am DIW Berlin zunächst lange Zeit als wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter und Survey-Manager ...

Depuis la création de la Coupe d’Afrique des nations en 1957, plus de 40 pays africains ont participé à la phase finale. Alors que la CAN n’a cessé de s’agrandir, passant de 3 à 24 équipes, dix pays n’ont encore jamais participé à cette compétition.

David Munyua became an instant cult hero at Alexandra Palace on Thursday following a shock win over Mike de Decker at the PDC World Championship.

À Novi Pazar, la mobilisation étudiante reprend de la vigueur. Dimanche 21 décembre, des milliers de citoyens ont défilé dans la capitale du Sandžak pour soutenir les étudiants et enseignants de l'université locale, sanctionnés pour leur engagement dans le mouvement de contestation.

- Articles / Courrier des Balkans, Vucic, crise sandzak, Serbie, Culture et éducation, Politique

Les quatre communes à majorité serbe du nord du Kosovo ont décidé de se retirer de l'Association des municipalités du Kosovo. Une décision politique lourde de sens, à quelques semaines des élections législatives anticipées.

- Le fil de l'Info / Courrier des Balkans, Tensions Nord Kosovo, Kosovo, Politique

Morocco has spent more than a decade reshaping its football, but will hosting Afcon 2025 allow the country to end a 50-year wait for the trophy?

BBC Analysis Editor Ros Atkins examines allegations of links between the UAE and Sudan’s RSF in the civil war, as international efforts continue to seek an end to the fighting.

Dakar accueille du 17 au 20 décembre un colloque international pour rendre hommage à Frantz Fanon. Dans un entretien avec BBC News Afrique, Mamadou Diallo, doctorant à l'université Columbia de New York, membre du comité d'organisation dudit colloque, en explique les enjeux.

What could be more festive than reading about alien worlds and malevolent AI leaders? Check out this year’s recommended reads from cybersecurity experts.

In Moscow, an annual televised direct line with President Vladimir Putin, combined with a major press conference, brought together journalists and citizens against the backdrop of ongoing fighting in the special military operation zone and renewed discussions in the European Union about confiscating frozen Russian assets. Strategic Initiative on the Battlefield "Immediately after our troops pushed the enemy out of the Kursk region, the strategic initiative fully and completely passed into the hands of the Russian Armed Forces. Our troops are advancing along the entire line of contact — faster in some areas, slower in others, but everywhere the enemy is retreating.” Situation in the Special Military Operation Zone The president reported the capture of Seversk, calling it a key settlement that opens operational routes toward Sloviansk, one of the main fortified areas in the region. "Krasny Liman will be taken in the very near future. Fifty percent of the city is already under our control. From there, the movement will continue further south, toward Sloviansk.” He also described the capture of Krasnoarmeysk as a significant operational success, calling it a strong staging area for future offensive operations.

The policy dialogue on “Transnational Repression (TNR): Mapping Trends and Improving Responses” is jointly organised by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN Human Rights), the European Parliament Sub-committee on Human Rights (DROI) and the European External Action Service (EEAS), in collaboration with the Tackling TNR Europe Civil Society Working Group.
TNR constitutes an increasing danger both by posing systemic threats to human rights, civic space, democratic institutions and the rule of law and by frequently undermining national security, sovereignty and legal order of host states.

Policy makers and experts from EU institutions, the UN, Member States, civil society and academia will come together to exchange views about their findings and experiences, and explore ways to improve responses to TNR, including through policy initiatives, synergies and collaborations. This is a concrete follow-up action by DROI on the recently adopted by the Parliament report on Addressing TNR of Human Rights Defenders (HRDs).
Location : European Parliament (ASP 1G2)
Programme
Live streaming
Key takeaways of the Expert Workshop on Transnational Repression
Photos
Poster
Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Die Europäische Kommission erwägt seit 2024, die Zuständigkeiten und Aktivitäten von Europol auszubauen. Das Personal der Agentur soll dabei verdoppelt und ihr Mandat um drei Themen erweitert werden – Sabotage, Desinformation und hybride Bedrohungen. Angepeilt werden eine noch zu definierende Umgestaltung von Euro­pol in eine »schlagkräftige« Polizeibehörde und eine stärkere Kontrolle über die Agentur. Diese Vorhaben, die auf politischen wie bürokratischen Überlegungen be­ruhen, kamen ohne vorherige Konsultation der EU-Mitgliedstaaten und technische Abschätzung zustande. 2026 will die Kommission den Mitgliedstaaten einen Vorschlag für die Mandatsänderung vorlegen. Der Schwerpunkt einer Weiterentwicklung von Europol sollte jedoch nicht unbedingt auf einem neuen Mandat liegen, sondern sich vorrangig nach dem operativen Bedarf richten, den die nationalen Strafverfolgungsbehörden bei der Bekämpfung von Drogenhandel, Cyberkriminalität und Terro­rismus haben. In diesen Kernbereichen sind Personalaufstockung und Innovation er­forderlich, jedoch nicht zwingend durch eine Mandatsreform. Generell bedarf es bei der EU einer langfristigen Strategie für die künftige Architektur der inneren Sicher­heit, an der sich eine Ausgestaltung von Europol orientieren sollte.

En 2025, une nouvelle génération de jeunes Africains s’est imposée comme un moteur décisif d’innovation, d’influence et de transformation sociale. Cet article met en lumière celles et ceux qui ont marqué l’année par leurs initiatives audacieuses, qu’ils soient créateurs de contenus, entrepreneurs, acteurs de la société civile, militants écologiques ou geeks.

United Nations (UN) peacekeeping missions are under political and financial pressure. In his letter dated 10 October 2025, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on nine missions to prepare contingency plans for spending cuts of up to 25 per cent. The peacekeeping mission in Cyprus (UNFICYP), established in 1964, shows why Europe has a fundamental interest in the UN remaining engaged.

The conflict between the Republic of Cyprus in the Greek-speaking south and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, the Turkish-speaking region recognised only by Ankara, has been largely frozen since the de facto division of the island. This certainly has also been due to UNFICYP’s presence. Since the 1974 ceasefire, the mission has controlled the “Green Line”, a 180-kilometre strip separating the two parts that is intended to prevent direct confrontation.

Nevertheless, the mission continues to record numerous military and civilian violations in and along the buffer zone By doing so, it still prevents “those sparks from bursting into flames”, as Colin Stewart, head of UNFICYP until August 2025, put it. To this day, there still is no direct military contact mechanism between the parties. In fact, the threat perception has increased again on both sides recently.

New impetus for peace efforts

For this reason alone, the European Union and its member states cannot be interested in any further reduction or even a potential withdrawal of the mission. The political process is just beginning to tentatively gain momentum. María Angela Holguín Cuéllar was reappointed as the Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy in May 2025 and is tasked with exploring possibilities for a new round of formal negotiations and breaking the deadlock. 

This is a difficult undertaking. While the UN Security Council continues to pursue a federal solution, Northern Cyprus and Turkey have been promoting a two-state solution for years. However, the election of Turkish Cypriot President Tufan Erhürman in October has raised hopes that the door could open for new negotiations under UN auspices. The first trilateral meeting between him, the President of the Republic of Cyprus, and Holguín has just taken place. But a rapprochement is likely to take time. Confidence-building measures and the safeguarding of peace by the UN therefore remain essential.

The essential role of the UN

As the Republic of Cyprus is a member of the EU, the Union itself can hardly act as an impartial mediator. It therefore primarily supports the UN-led political process. The EU’s options in the security domain are also constrained. A separate EU mission – as is currently being considered for Lebanon following the withdrawal of UNIFIL – would be unrealistic, if only because of the tense relationship between Greece and Turkey, both of which, alongside the United Kingdom, are the guarantor powers for Cyprus. 

Therefore, the stabilising function of the UN mission remains essential for the foreseeable future. It also creates the framework for practical rapprochement, for example through the projects of the Technical Committees. Under joint Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leadership and facilitated by the UN, these initiatives promote understanding between the two communities, and the EU provides a large portion of the funding. 

UNFICYP is in a better financial position than many larger UN missions, as Greece and the Republic of Cyprus cover about half of the budget. However, staffing and operational cuts will be necessary. At the same time, the raison d'être of a mission that has been running for decades is repeatedly being called into question. At the end of January 2026, the mandate is up for renewal again. Despite all the criticisms from the Turkish government and former leaders in Northern Cyprus, the UN Security Council's position has remained unchanged so far. 

In order to break the deadlock in negotiations, there is a need for more economic engagement from the European side to improve the situation in the north. In the short term, however, EU member states should make it clear that UNFICYP – and UN peacekeeping as a whole – is indispensable.

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP