Republic of Macedonia

Macedonia arrests traffickers of icons, archaeological items

Agence France-PresseMay 1, 2013 14:46

Macedonian police arrested 14 people suspected of being part of a ring stealing and trafficking Orthodox Christian icons and archaeological artefacts, the interior ministry said on Wednesday. Those arrested, who include two employees of the national directorate for cultural patrimony protection, a museum employee and a policeman, were charged with forming a "criminal enterprise," along with "destruction, appropriation and illegal export of cultural patrimony as well as with abuse of power," Interior Minister Gordana Jankuloska told journalists.

Ethnic Albanian rally in Macedonia turns violent

Agence France-PresseMarch 2, 2013 16:16

Ethnic Albanian demonstrators burned the Macedonian flag and threw stones at police in clashes that injured at least 10 people Saturday, officials said, as tensions rose after an Albanian ex-guerrilla leader was named Macedonia's defence minister. "Several people were arrested today... after a violent protest of young members of the Albanian community in Skopje," the Macedonian capital, interior ministry spokesman Ivo Kotevski told reporters.

Macedonia strikes deal to end political impasse -envoy

Thomson ReutersMarch 1, 2013 13:16

BELGRADE, March 1 (Reuters) - The main political parties in Macedonia reached a deal on Friday to end an opposition boycott of parliament that had threatened the country's chances of securing accession talks with the European Union, a European envoy said. The stand-off had raised Western fears of instability in the impoverished Balkan country of 2 million people. The main SDSM opposition party has been boycotting parliament since late December and threatening to shun a municipal vote due in March.

Floods in Macedonia kill one, hundreds evacuated

Agence France-PresseFebruary 26, 2013 17:16

One person was killed and several hundred people were evacuated as floods caused by heavy rains hit north and east Macedonia, a government spokesman said Tuesday. The victim, a 51-year-old man, was swept away as he tried to cross a river near the northern town of Kumanovo, Aleksandar Gjorgjijev said. Several hundred people were evacuated from villages threatened by floods, while some 1,500 inhabitants were left isolated in the east after floodwaters swept away two bridges to their villages, the Macedonian Crisis Management Centre said.