Gora

In a rather unique turn of events following Sunday's local election runoff in Bulgaria, six villages across the country failed to elect a mayor in the second round, leading to new partial local elections. Among these villages is Cherna Gora in the Pernik district, where a perfect tie in votes occurred, leaving the decision to the president to schedule new elections.

Three years ago, Albania declared the village home to an ethnic Bulgarian minority.

Some were nonplussed. The village has rich traditions of its own but no visible connection with Bulgaria, though many are Gorani a Slavic Muslim community that straddles Kosovo, North Macedonia and Albania and whose language is Slavic.

Train ran over and killed a 72-year-old woman from the village of Cherna Gora. The report of the incident was filed on April 22, police said.

The tragic incident happened about a kilometer west of the train station in the village of Cherna Gora, Bratya Daskalovi Municipality. As a result of the blow, the elderly woman died at the scene.

Also, Haradinaj said, Kosovo has a tendency to be "a real champion" in their protection and promotion.

Bulgaria is pushing for official recognition of a Bulgarian minority in Kosovo, not only as a follow-on to the recent recognition of a Bulgarian minority in Albania, but as part of "regular state policy", the head of the State Agency for Bulgarians, Petar Haralampiev, told BIRN on Friday.

The Bulgarian minority was officially recognized by Albania, local media reported.

This was after the amendments to the Minority Protection Bill, approved by consensus in the country's parliamentary legal committee.

MEPs from different countries and political parties are preparing a letter to the parliament of Albania, urging the country to recognize the Bulgarian national minority, reported bTV. 

Photo: Srbija Danas

"The Serbian wailing wall" will be displayed near the US embassy in Belgrade, an association of the families of kidnapped and murdered Kosovo Serbs has said.

The European Parliament is calling for the first time on Albania to recognize the Bulgarian community living in the country as a minority, EPP/GERB MEP Andrey Kovatchev has said.

MOKRA GORA - The 10th Kustendorf International Film and Music Festival closed at Drvengrad, near Mokra Gora late Thursday with an award ceremony.

Fending off competition from 22 short films by young authors representing 19 countries, Israel's Michael Alalu won the Golden Egg - the festival's top prize - for the film The Thorn.

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