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Local Election Campaign Gets Underway in Macedonia

The campaign for the March 24 vote began on Monday after a last-minute political deal ensured that the Macedonian opposition reversed its boycott pledge.The agreement on Friday ended the opposition’s parliamentary boycott as well as ensuring its participation in the municipal race later this month, after a political crisis that …

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Macedonia Leaders Condemn Skopje Ethnic Riots

Politicians expressed revulsion after two days of violent, ethnically-charged protests gripped the capital, sparked by the controversial appointment of an ex-guerrilla as defence minister.Skopje was calm again on Monday after the unrest on Friday and Saturday that saw riot police use tear gas and armoured vehicles during clashes with protesters …

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EU Criticises Albania Referendum Proposal

EU enlargement commissioner Stefan Fuele condemned the ruling majority’s decision to hold a referendum on three bills required for Albania’s EU candidate status bid.I have been repeatedly stressing that the laws, and in particular the rules of procedures, need to be approved through consensus between the opposition and government and …

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Presidential Race Hots Up in Montenegro

After the incumbent, Filip Vujanovic, launched his campaign late last week in Bar, his main rival, Miodrag Lekic will hold his first election convention in Niksic on Monday.Billboards that went up in the capital, Podgorica, on Friday, showing a smiling Vujanovic dressed casually in a beige sweater and white shirt, …

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50 rebels, French soldier killed in some of ‘heaviest fighting’ in Mali

Heavy fighting in northern Mali has left at least 50 rebel fighters and a French soldier dead, officials said Sunday, as Chad promised to prove its soldiers had killed two top Islamist militants. French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian called for “caution” on Chad’s reports

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British foreign minister pledges support in Mali visit

British Foreign Secretary William Hague vowed continued support for Mali’s fight against Islamist militants as he visited the west African country on Monday, his ministry said. The Foreign Office said Hague had met with Mali’s president and prime minister as well as French-backed African

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EU sees good progress between Belgrade and Pristina talks

The EU said Monday the latest round of talks it sponsors between Serbia and Kosovo, aimed at defusing tensions in one of Europe’s last trouble-spots, had made good progress and they would meet again later this month. EU foreign affairs head Catherine Ashton said a sixth series of talks she

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Romania to Scale Back Clean-Energy Aid to Curb Power-Price Gains

Romania will scale back renewable- power subsidies to limit electricity-price increases for consumers, according to the minister-delegate for energy. The eastern European country plans to make changes to its incentive program in July or at the beginning of next year, Constantin Nita said today in an interview in Bucharest. It …

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