SOFIA, Bulgaria In August half of the respondents in a poll by National Center for Studying Public Opinion (NCSPO) describe as successful the first steps of the government of Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria /CEDB/. The respondents who label the government’s first steps as unsuccessful are five times less. …
Read More »Russia expels 2 Czech diplomats in spy row
MOSCOW Russia has ordered two Czech diplomats out of Russia, Interfax news agency reported on Tuesday, in a spying row between two countries at odds over U.S. plans to install an anti-missile system in Europe. The expulsion follows Czech media reports on Monday that two Russians have been ordered out …
Read More »Russian dam rescuers “unlikely” to find 64 missing
MOSCOW Sixty-four people missing after a massive pressure surge flooded part of a Russian dam are most likely dead, its owner said on Tuesday, indicating a likely death toll far higher than the 12 confirmed so far. “Finding anyone alive in the flood zone is unlikely, but the search continues,” …
Read More »Georgia quits ex-Soviet group as Moscow allies rebel
TBILISI/MOSCOW Georgia on Tuesday became the first country to withdraw from the CIS grouping of former Soviet republics in the latest and most blatant sign of rebellion against Moscow in its own backyard. In the wake of its devastating five-day war with Russia last August, Georgia vowed to quit the …
Read More »Incident Stirs Macedonia’s Ethnic Genie
SKOPJE, Macedonia A racially motivated scuffle involving ethnic Macedonian football fans and Albanian residents of Skopje’s Nerezi district has drawn strong condemnation from all sides. Women and children were reportedly among the seven people injured in the incident, which took place late on Sunday. A standoff ensued between groups of …
Read More »NATO Exercise in Bosnia Prompts Concerns
BiH Some Bosnian Serb officials and media organs have expressed concern that hidden intelligence and military motives lurk behind NATO’s decision to hold a major exercise in Bosnia this September. “There is no doubt that NATO is militarily and politically extremely powerful and that this Alliance carries out whatever it …
Read More »Macedonia’s Parliament Pushes Reform Despite Boycott
MACEDONIA Macedonia’s parliament adopted a new Law on Parliament after heated debate on Monday night, in a session boycotted by an opposition ethnic Albanian party. The Democratic Party of Albanians, DPA , kept its pledge to boycott parliament from this week, in lieu of the collapse of the ruling coalition. …
Read More »Pistols Found in Islamic Leader’s Vehicle
BELGRADE, Serbia Police have found two pistols in the vehicle of the leader of the Islamic Community in Serbia, Adem Zilkic, the Serbian Interior Ministry confirmed on Tuesday. Belgrade police discovered the weapons during a routine search. The pistols were confiscated by the Prosecutor’s Office since Zilkic and his driver, …
Read More »AEI and PCRM on waiting positions
CHISINAU, Moldova The Alliance for European Integration (AEI) has not yet fixed the place and date of the meeting with representatives of the Communist Party (PCRM), the PL leader Mihai Ghimpu said. “We, the leaders of the four parties (the PLDM, PL, PDM and AMN – e.n.) will meet and …
Read More »Vladimir Voronin should be deprived of MP seat, IPP expert
CHISINAU, Moldova “It is evident that holding simultaneously the post of head of state, part of the executive and head of Parliament Vladimir Voronin violates the principle of separation of the powers in the state stipulated in the Constitution,” said Vitalie Catana, expert of the Institute for Public Policy (IPP). …
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