Macedonia

A 5-meter-tall monument to the Cyrillic alphabet is to be unveiled by Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev during his visit to Mongolia on May 11.

Bulgaria's government is calling for a "quick, transparent and full" investigation into Saturday's events in Kumanovo, Macedonia in which police officers were killed.

Apart from at least 6 dead police officers, other 29 were wounded in a shootout with gunmen which reportedly surrendered late in the evening.

Border zone reinforced as 5 police die in Macedonia clashes

RISTOVAC, KUMANOVO -- Interior Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic said on Saturday that the police were doing everything to preserve stability and security of citizens.

Attackers who opened fire on police in the Macedonian town of Kumanovo have turned themselves in to police, local news outlets report.

Some 27 assaulters hiding in dwellings after a shootout with police officers have handed themselves over.

Authorities, however, are yet to confirm.

The Greek section of the Italian School of Athens is due to close down because of financial constraints, the Athens-Macedonian News Agency said on Wednesday.

The school?s head, Emilio Luzi, confirmed that a drop in the number of students enrolling at the private institution had contributed to the decision to phase out the Greek section.

A blast occurred late on Sunday near the office of Democratic Union for Integration (DUI), the largest Albanian political party in Macedonia.

The attack took place in Mala Recica, a village populated by over 8000 people located in Western Macedonia, near its border with Albania.

The southwestern Bulgarian municipalities of Blagoevgrad, Gotse Delchev, and Petrich will receive nearly BGN 80 M for the implementation of integrated plans for urban development under operational program Regions in Growth 2014-2020.

Ali Ahmeti, head of the the main party representing Albanians in Macedonia, the Democratic Union for Integration, DUI, said on a visit to Kosovo on Monday that Albanians in Macedonia sought a peaceful solution to the country's problems.

By Dimitra Manifava

The Federation of Thessaly Traders? Associations, in central Greece, on Thursday decided unequivocally that stores would not open on the first Sunday of the spring sales (May 3, as the law allows for).

Russia sees "lingering conflict potential in Balkans"

MOSCOW -- Russia was "deeply alarmed to learn that in the early hours of April 21 a group of armed men attacked the Macedonian checkpoint of Gosince."

A statement posted on the Russian Foreign Ministry's website explained that the incident happenedd on the Kosovo section of the border between Serbia and Macedonia.