As the deadline nears for a decision on the announced opposition boycott of the local elections, EU politicians are heading to Skopje to kick start dialogue between opposition and government.As the deadline to submit lists of candidates for the March local elections looms on February 16, it will soon be …

Rodoljub Radulovic, a member of suspected drug lord Darko Saric’s gang, has sent a letter denying all ties with the clan, describing the affair as a set-up.In a letter allegedly “sent to Belgrade friends”, Radulovic denies ties to the runaway suspected drug lord Darko Saric, and accuses another suspected criminal, …

UK Immigration Minister says Britain will not be a “soft touch” for migrants from Bulgaria and Romania once the remaining curbs on working in Britain expire.Mark Harper told parliamentarians on Monday that the UK had no obligations to offer any more benefits to Bulgarians and Romanians seeking to come to …

As Bosnia vows moves closer to NATO membership, the President of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, said a referendum needs to be held first on the issue.Milorad Dodik said in Banja Luka on February 11 that if Bosnia wants to join the NATO alliance, a referendum will have to be held …

The Prosecutor for Organized Crime may summon Ivica Dacic for questioning as part of a wider probe into official links to a notorious drugs gang.The Prosecutor’s Office for Organised Crime has launched an investigation aimed at gathering all information on communications between officials and Rodoljub Radulovic, a member of suspected …

A south-east Europe press freedom group has raised concerns about political pressure and hate speech directed against media across the Balkans in recent months.The South East Europe Media Organisation, SEEMO, said that some politicians had threatened journalists while some media had flouted professional standards and endangered press colleagues. SEEMO said …

Montenegrins whose wages are higher than the country’s average now have to pay more income tax to plug gaps in the state budget.Montenegro on Friday introduced a 6 per cent income tax hike on salaries which are higher than the country’s average of 720 euro gross, as the government tries …

The Liberal Democratic Party and United Regions of Serbia are readying for snap local elections in Belgrade, as tensions grow between the city’s ruling Socialists and Democrats.The Liberal Democratic Party, LDP, and United Regions of Serbia, URS, have started preparations for local elections in Belgrade. No official statements have been …

Bosnia, Croatia, Macedonia and Montenegro have taken milk produced by two Croatian dairies off the market amid fears of contamination by potentially dangerous aflatoxin M1.The four countries moved to withdraw the suspect products after a scientific analysis in Vienna at the weekend showed that the amount of aflatoxin M1 in …

Serbia’s war crimes prosecutor said there were new leads in the investigation into alleged organ trading by Kosovo fighters during the late 1990s conflict.War crimes prosecutor Vladimir Vukcevic told the Novi Magazin weekly that Serbian prosecutors had informed the EU’s rule of law mission in Kosovo that a new witness …