Macedonia’s industrial output dropped a staggering 16.7 percent in January 2009 compared with the same month last year, the State Statistical Office said. The industry has been marking a steady decline over the past few months due to the global financial downturn. The latest figures show that the situation in …

Afghanistan’s defense minister warned Thursday that the Obama administration’s proposed changes in U.S. war strategy risk undermining Kabul’s civilian government because they appear to scale back U.S. goals in the country.Abdul Rahim Wardak said he was troubled by recent comments from senior U.S. officials that they were “lowering expectations” in …

Zmago Jelincic, the president of the Slovenian National Party, had a change of heart. This morning, before a meeting between Croatian and Slovenian prime ministers Ivo Sanader and Borut Pahor, he told the media he was against a referendum on Croatia’s membership in NATO because his party “does not want …