Tag: Skopje

Ohrid Lake region avoids UNESCO ‘in danger’ list

SKOPJE, Republic of North Macedonia (AFP) — The Lake Ohrid region, shared by North Macedonia and Albania, avoided being listed as an endangered world heritage site by UN’s culture agency UNESCO on Sunday, despite concerns about urbanisation and pollution. UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee gave the two Balkan nations two more years to implement recommendations to improve the region’s conservation and welcomed efforts undertaken so far. Albania and North Macedonia should by February 2023 submit a report […]

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Heating woes fuel Balkan smog crisis

SARAJEVO, BOSNIA AND HERZGOVINA (AFP) – Rusmir SMAJILHODZIC and Emmy VARLEY in Belgrade As winter grips the Balkans, the poor are caught in a cruel bind, being forced to light fires at home for heating while fuelling a pollution crisis smothering the region.   In recent weeks, Balkan capitals from Belgrade Sarajevo to Skopje and Pristina have been ranked among the world’s top 10 most polluted major cities, according to the monitoring application AirVisual. While […]

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New name, old worries: North Macedonia holds presidential vote

by Saska CVETKOVSKA and Nicolas GAUDICHET Agence France-Presse SKOPJE, Republic of North Macedonia (AFP) – North Macedonia holds the first round of its presidential election on Sunday, the country’s first vote under a new name as it struggles with enduring economic problems, cronyism and corruption. The vote for the largely ceremonial post comes less than three months after a deal with Athens on Skopje’s name change came into force, ending a decades-long identity dispute between the […]

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Greece, Macedonia in new UN bid to solve name dispute

by Carole Landry Agence France-Presse UNITED NATIONS, United States (AFP) – Greece and Macedonia return to the United Nations on Wednesday seeking to end a 27-year dispute over the former Yugoslav republic’s name, with hopes of a compromise after a change of government in Skopje. Greece’s objections to the use of the name Macedonia since the Balkan country’s independence in 1991 has hampered the tiny nation’s bid to join the European Union and NATO. UN envoy Matthew […]

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Series of quakes hit Macedonia capital causing panic

  SKOPJE, Macedonia  (AFP) — A moderate 5.3-magnitude earthquake, preceded by two and followed by several tremors, struck the Macedonian capital Skopje on Sunday, causing panic but only minor damage, officials said. Skopje was almost destroyed by a powerful quake in 1963 which killed around a thousand people. Sunday’s quake hit at 3:10 pm (1310 GMT), with the epicentre in the Skopje area, seismologists said, adding some 10 weaker tremors were later registered. “In Skopje and […]

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