News archive of March 2017

The use of plastic bags in markets and stores will be restricted across Turkey starting in 2018, the Turkish Retailers' Federation (TPF) announced on March 28, state-run Anadolu Agency has reported.

TPF head Mustafa Altunbilek said the decision was made in an effort to reduce waste, adding that they were planning to motivate customers to use cloth or other non-plastic bags.

The average of mathematics scores of students who took the University Entrance Examination (YGS) has dropped to a five-year low, according to statistics released by the Student Selection and Placement Center (ÖSYM). 

A declaration of a common language unveiled on Thursday in Sarajevo has angered those who insist four different languages are spoken across Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia, including Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic.

He told the local media: "How would it be supported? Who in Croatia can support it?" 

Selahattin Demirtaş, the jailed co-chair of the Kurdish issue-focused Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), will start a hunger strike on March 31 to protest "inhumane treatment," along with jailed HDP deputy Abdullah Zeydan.  

Last week, HDP Siirt deputy Besime Konca started a hunger strike in the Kandıra Prison. 

The Central Election Commission has announced the distribution of mandates in the new Parliament.

The parliamentary group of GERB receives 95 mandates, while BSP for Bulgaria receives 80, announced the chairwoman of CEC Ivilina Alexieva, reported Focus agency.

The United Patriots - NFSB, Ataka and VMRO get 27 mandates, DPS has 26 and Volya - 12.

The European Parliament could veto any future Brexit deal agreed with Brussels if the UK attempts to carry out trade negotiations with countries outside the bloc before Spring 2019, a bombshell document reveals.

The Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government has provided funds for the purchase of 1,065 robots for 213 schools.

The mBots will be bought and given to schools as part of Fund B92's humanitarian campaign "Battle for Knowledge," launched in January.

The number of Russian tourists visiting Turkey soared around 96 percent in February compared to the same month of 2016, although arrivals from Europe continued to decline, official data has shown. 

According to preliminary data released by the Tourism Ministry on March 30, some 39,261 Russians visited Turkey in February.

Former Bosnian Serb Army serviceman Sasa Curguz was jailed for 15 years for his involvement in the murders of at least 11 Bosniak prisoners in the Bihac municipality in 1992.

It has been decided that theprice of water will go up by 18%, confirmed the chairman of the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission (KEVR) Ivan Ivanov.

As announced by BNR, as of April 1, 1 cubic metre of water in Sofia will cost BGN 2.16 (VAT included).

This is BGN 0.34 more than the current price.