Moldova

Romanian authorities have cracked down on a criminal group responsible for attacks on ATMs across Europe through the use of malicious software.

The operation, one of the first in Europe against this type of cybercrime, was conducted in Romania and Moldova by Romanian law enforcement authorities with assistance from Europol and Eurojust, Europol said in a press release on Thursday.

Bulgarian Tourism Minister Nikolina Angelkova has said more people visited ski resorts in the country around Christmas and New Year compared to the 2014-2015 winter holidays.

Romanians have welcomed news that Moldovan President Nicolae Timofit has asked Ion Sturza, a wealthy pro-Western businessman who also has Romanian citizenship, to form a new government.

"This is a good news as Sturza has a clear a pro-European outlook. The problem is that he has to form a new political majority in Moldova, which is not easy,"  journalist Cristian Pantazi said.

Businesses should be able to hire non-Bulgarian nationals more easily, the head of an employer union said on Monday.

Regulatory requirements obligating businesses to employ non-Bulgarians offering salaries at least three times the country's average should be removed, Vasil Velev, who heads the Bulgarian Industrial Capital Association (BICA), told the Bulgarian National Radio.

Tirana and Skopje have reached an agreement aimed at ending an ongoing dispute over lengthy phytosanitary checks on Albanian fresh produce at the Macedonian border, following intense diplomatic negotiations over the past two days.

Turkey's largest telecoms operator Turkcell on Nov. 25 said it was making a non-binding indicative offer for Nordic firm TeliaSonera's 58.55 percent stake in its Eurasian unit Fintur.

Representatives of the tourist sector are moderate optimists that the forthcoming winter season in Bulgaria will be a successful one.

This was stated by Bulgarian Deputy Tourism Minister Irena Georgieva, who attended the opening of the Go2Balkans tourist exhibition in Inter Expo Center in Sofia on Wednesday.

Between 100 and 200 people are applying on a daily basis for certificates proving their Bulgarian descent.

This was revealed by Ivanka Slavcheva, a chief expert at the State Agency for Bulgarians Abroad, at the opening of the sixth session of the world parliament of Bulgarians.

The parliament of Moldova passed a vote of no confidence in the country's pro-European coalition government.

A total of 65 out of 101 MPs voted in favour of the censure motion on Thursday, TASS news agency informs.

Romania expressed concern about the continuing political uncertainty in the neighbouring country after former Moldovan prime minister and leader of the ruling pro-European coalition, Vlad Filat, was detained on Thursday on suspicion of involvement in a $1.5 billion bank fraud.