March, 2009

• 16 March

  Macedonia’s Ruling Politicians Win Popularity Ratings

  Macedonia’s Prime Minister and conservative VMRO DPMNE party leader Nikola Gruevski is the most popular politician in the country, while the party’s candidate for president, Georgi Ivanov tops the list of presidential candidates, the latest opinion poll shows. Gruevski enjoys the trust of 31 per cent of respondents according to …

  Read More »
• 16 March

  Distressed Bosnians Suggest Donkey for Mayor

  The southern Bosnian city of Mostar is facing and a rapidly worsening economic and social crisis brought on by intractable political bickering that has blocked the establishment of a new city government and adoption of its budget for more than five months. The head of Mostar’s Red Cross, Alen Kajtaz, …

  Read More »
• 16 March

  Macedonia Campaign Correct So Far, OSCE

  The political rhetoric at the presidential and local poll campaign in Macedonia has so far been correct with only minor incidents occurring, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, OSCE, said Sunday. In its second pre-election report for the campaign before the March 22 presidential and local election, the …

  Read More »
• 16 March

  Albanians Protest on Deadly Blast Anniversary

  Thousands of Albanian opposition supporters protested on Sunday on the first anniversary of a deadly blast at an army depot outside Tirana, calling on Prime Minister Sali Berisha to quit and to stop his attacks on the justice system. After holding a rally in the village of Gerdec, the site …

  Read More »
• 16 March

  Macedonia Ruling Party Holds Rally

  Macedonia’s capital Skopje ground to a halt late Sunday as thousands of supporters poured in from across the country to attend the central election rally of the ruling conservative VMRO DPMNE party and its coalition “For a Better Macedonia”, ahead of presidential and local elections. The party organised buses and …

  Read More »
• 16 March

  Bulgarian Police Protest in Thousands

  Thousands of frustrated police officers protested on Sunday in the centre of Sofia for fourth time in what became the largest protest so far. Police demanded a 50 per cent wage increase and improved working conditions. Deputy chair of the Podkrepa union, Dimitar Manolov, claimed around 15 000 police gathered …

  Read More »
• 16 March

  Serbia Begins IMF Talks for Stand-By Loan

  Serbia will begin talks today with the International Monetary Fund on a new stand-by arrangement on Monday, in order to support its worsening balance of payments and currency. It is not yet clear exactly how much money the Serbia government will seek, with some local media quoting 2 billion euro …

  Read More »
• 16 March

  11 killed in suicide attack on Afghan police

  KANDAHAR, Afghanistan – A suicide bomber in a police uniform detonated explosives he was carrying inside a police headquarters in southern Afghanistan on Monday, killing 11 people and wounding 29 others, the Interior Ministry said. The bombing followed a surge in violence in Afghanistan over the weekend that led to …

  Read More »
• 16 March

  2 British soldiers killed in southern Afghanistan

  LONDON: Britain’s Ministry of Defense says two British soldiers have died in an explosion in southern Afghanistan. The ministry said the pair from the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers were traveling in an armored vehicle which was hit by a blast Sunday in the Garmsir district of Helmand province. The …

  Read More »
• 16 March

  4 U.S. Soldiers Killed in Afghanistan

  KABUL, Afghanistan — Four American soldiers were killed in eastern Afghanistan in a roadside explosion on Sunday, the United States military said, in the worst of several attacks by insurgents around the country. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, a spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, said. The Taliban have been threatening …

  Read More »