Europe

There is a drop in the number of foreigners who were granted Bulgarian citizenship, said former deputy justice minister Ilia Angelov, quoted by Sega daily. 

“Bulgarian citizenship is not for sale,” he said. According to him, often people who get Bulgarian citizenship only use it to gain access to other EU countries and then renounce it. 

A 61-year-old woman was killed and her 39-year-old son went missing after the torrential rains on Monday night, report the Bulgarian-language media. 

According to Gabrovo mayor Tanya Hristova, the ground floors of houses in villages in Gabrovo region were flooded. Electricity and water supply have been cut off. 

Water supply in the Gabrovo industrial zone is also disrupted.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos is expected to meet with Matthew Nimetz, the United Nations mediator in a dispute between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) in Athens on Wednesday, the Greek Foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday.

Serbia "loyal to EU - but not at expense of economy"

NIŠ -- PM Aleksandar Vučić has said that Serbia's loyalty to the EU is not in question, but called on Brussels to respect the vital national interests of the country.

He urged the organization "not to expect Serbia to cause harm to its own economy for the sake of the EU path."

Popularity Swedish furniture retailer IKEA, a byword for design and practicality throughout the Western hemisphere, is opening near Zagreb, Croatia, on 21 August.

The IKEA centre in Zagreb is the result of an investment of 91 million euro and is the first such store in the Western Balkans, where it is expected to act as a regional hub.

NIS - Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic said that Serbia's loyalty to the European Union is not in question, but called on Brussels to respect the vital national interests of the country and not expect it to cause harm to its own economy for the sake of the EU path.

An EU report said top Kosovo Liberation Army officials will be prosecuted for crimes against humanity including murders and abductions but there was not enough evidence yet for organ-trafficking indictments.

Prime Minister Victor Ponta said on Tuesday, on the Day of the National Anthem of Romania that the 'Wake Up, Romanian!' anthem is a symbol of the regained dignity of a long-suffering nation.

The Greek Central Archaeological Council (KAS) has banned an international festival of climbers at the giant rock formations at Meteora, in Thessaly, central Greece.

More than 1,000 visitors – including climbers, spectators and journalists – were expected to take part in the annual Petzl Roctrip contest between September 29 – October 3.

Organ trafficking investigator to publish statement

BELGRADE -- The chief prosecutor of EULEX for alleged human organ trafficking in Kosovo and Albania in 1999 will issue a statement on the findings of the investigation.