Eurasia

MOSCOW, Russia Some 64 missing workers, trapped in one of Russia’s biggest power plants after an explosion, are almost certainly dead. Now relatives have been told the grim news. Families gathered to hear officials say there is little hope for anyone caught in the flooded turbine hall. It is thought …

SOCHI President Dmitry Medvedev has ordered a battle-hardened Russian general “to put in order” troubled Ingushetia. It comes a day after a suicide bomb attack defied Moscow’s control of its restive southern flank. Twenty people died and 136 were wounded in the most powerful blast in years when explosives packed …

SKOPJE, Macedonia Branko Crvenkovski, the leader of the opposition SDSM encouraged the government to engage itself in substantial negotiations over the name in order to reach a settlement on the perennial dispute with Greece. Crvenkovski sent a message that SDSM will not take populist approach and called the Government “to …

BULGARIA The new Bulgarian Government has replaced another ten District Governors appointed by the previous Council of Ministers. The GERB cabinet released of duty the Governors of Vidin, Kyustendil, Lovech, Pazardzhik, Pleven, Razgrad, Sliven, Stara Zagora, Shumen, and Yambol. This list of the the new district governors is as follows:

BULGARIA The Bulgarian Government has voted Wednesday for the creation of a specialized center “Transplantations Fund” which will assist those in need. The total sum that is needed to cover the transplantations in Bulgaria amounts to BGN 96 M, Health Minister, Bozhidar Nanev, reported Wednesday after the Council of Ministers …

MOSCOW, Russia Insurgents arrested in the turbulent North Caucasus region should be tried elsewhere in Russia, President Dmitry Medvedev said on Wednesday, part of a series of moves to tackle a growing wave of attacks. In a tough speech to security officials following a bomb attack on a police station …

PRISTINA, Kosovo The head of the Islamic Community of Kosovo, ICK, claims that a number of Arab states will recognise Kosovo shortly. “I cannot be certain when, but […] in the remaining part of the year, Kuwait, Qatar, Yemen and Oman will recognise Kosovo’s independence,” Naim Ternava was quoted by …

MACEDONIA UN mediator Matthew Nimetz’s has expressed pessimism regarding the Greek response to his recently proferred proposals for solving the Athens-Skopje naming dispute. So far there is no official information on the content of the Greek response. A brief UN press release on the meeting between Nimetz and Greek representative …

SERBIA Serbian President Boris Tadic says that Serbia will propose a new package of measures dealing with public expenditure and administration cuts in upcoming talks with IMF officials. “We need […] to rearrange public spending,” Tadic acknowledged in comments carried by Fonet news agency. He added that the best policy …

BUCHAREST, Romania President Traian Basescu invited representatives of protesting police officers for discussions Wednesday, as officers launched a third consecutive day of protests across Romania. The president said the discussions were intended “to find solutions” to officers’ problems. The negotiation is to take place on Sunday and will focus on …