Macedonia

The schools at the centre of the dispute in mainly Albanian areas of the capital, which were renamed in a move that was seen by Macedonians as an ethnic provocation, hope that the incoming education minister in the new government, himself an Albanian, will resolve the issue.

A Serbian prosecutor ordered the arrest of a 40-year-old Greek national on Monday after Serbian border police stationed at the Presevo border crossing between Serbia and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) allegedly discovered 56 kilos of marijuana in his vehicle.

Macedonia's journalists union is taking the case of the expulsion of reporters from parliament in December 2012 to the European Court for Human Rights in Strasbourg.

It decided on this move after the top court in Macedonia ruled that their expulsion from the chamber by police had been done “for their own safety”.

The coalition has launched a campaign called ‘Census Now’, saying that Macedonia must not be held hostage by political elites that interrupted the last census because of the sensitive issue of how many ethnic Macedonians and Albanians live in the country.

The Macedonian Red Cross said that some €260,000 had been gathered through the humanitarian telephone line that is still operational as well as from tickets to humanitarian aid concerts, events and theatre plays.

The Red Cross said it had also dispatched several convoys of trucks containing fresh water, food, sanitary necessities and clothes.

SYRIZA took control of Greece’s largest region, Attica, on Sunday but candidates backed by New Democracy were victorious in the majority of the 13 districts.

Leftist candidate Rena Dourou edged out Attica Governor Yiannis Sgouros by winning 50.83 percent in the closest result of the night. It is the first time that a left wing party has taken control of Attica.

Only 21,810 Bulgarians voted abroad in the European elections, as of 8 pm Bulgarian time.

The highest number of expat votes came from Spain, where 4,537 Bulgarians voted, Dnevnik reported. In Belgium, 2,190 people voted, 1,538 in Greece, 1,911 in Great Britain, 1,498 in France, and 1,571 in Germany.

The Day of Bulgarian Letters, Education and Culture, May 24, Saturday, will be marked in Rome, as well.

The Bulgarian officials, headed by Deputy Prime Minister Zinaida Zlatanova, will attend on May 24 the ceremony at Vatican's Basilica of San Clemente paying tribute at the grave of St Cyril, one of the missionary brothers who created the Cyrillic alphabet in the 9th century.

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen told Macedonian leaders in Skopje that the key condition for joining the alliance was solving the long-standing dispute with Greece over its name.

He was meeting Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski and other leaders in Skopje on a regional tour aimed at underlining support for Balkan countries.

Macedonia to join EU Battle Group exercise

Macedonia will take part in the military manoeuvres Rampant Lion 2014 in Belgium.

A Macedonian mechanised infantry unit will participate in the EU Battle Group military exercise Rampant Lion 2014. [AFP]