Italy has warned that Russia is competing with the EU for influence in the Western Balkans, as the bloc underlined its old enlargement pledge. “There are other regional or global powers that are very interested in having an influence in this region,” Italian prime minister Paolo Gentiloni told press. He said there were geopolitical “tensions … difficulties … [and] misunderstandings” over the future of the six former Yugoslav nations. Source: EUObserver
Banning social media trolls from voting could help reduce the amount of abuse faced by politicians, the election watchdog has said. The Electoral Commission says legislation around elections should be reviewed and new offences could be introduced. Source The Guardian
Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov has called on the US-led international coalition and the opposition supported by it not to hamper the actions of the Syrian government forces against terrorists. Source Tass
Official figures published last week found that oil production increased by 2.9 per cent last year following a recovery in the price. However, capital expenditure dropped by around 20 per cent and it has emerged there were 60,000 job losses in the industry last year, 20,000 more than expected. Source The Telegraph
