Bucharest – Campaigning for seats in Romania’s parliament officially kicked off this Friday, with 2,965 candidates competing in the November 30 elections.

Sarajevo – A man was arrested in northwestern Bosnia in relation to last week’s assassination of Croatian newspaper editor Ivo Pukanic and his marketing chief, Niko Franjic.

Skopje – Macedonia’s banking system remains stable and continues its dynamic growth, the National Bank of Macedonia said on Thursday, pointing to a rise in banks’ assets and profits in the first months of this year.

Pristina – Brussels has no doubts that the EU’s law-and-order mission, EULEX, will be operational in December, says the spokeswoman for the bloc’s foreign policy chief Javier Solana.

Pristina – Five people suffered minor injuries during clashes between Serbs and Albanians on Thursday in the northern part of Mitrovica, Kosovo’s Police Forces said.

Skopje – The United States will continue to support the UN’s efforts to reach a settlement between Macedonia and Greece on the `name’ row, the US State Department reiterated on Thursday.

Belgrade _ The Serbian government wants to delay the sale of its Naftna Industrija Srbije, NIS, oil industry to Russian gas giant OAO Gazprom until the end of 2009, amid uncertainties over how the buyer plans to provide the €500 million in the overhaul of the company, Belgrade-based Politika daily …

Pristina – Albania hopes Malaysia will soon recognise Kosovo’s independence, contributing to preserving peace and stability in the region, media in Kuala Lumpur report.

GAZA, Oct 31 – A Palestinian policeman was killed while three others were injured last night due to an explosion near a police headquarters in the Gaza Strip, a local radio reported on Friday.

Egypt is planning to host a meeting of the Middle East peace Quartet on November 9, the same day Palestinian groups begin reconciliation talks in Cairo, a foreign ministry spokesman said on Thursday.