Efe

Resuming Talks

The Turkish drilling vessel Yavuz (L) leaves from Dilovasi port as a Turkish military ship accompanies it, in Kocaeli, Turkey, 20 June 2019. Photo: EPA-EFE/ERDEM SAHIN

Leaders of the four are due to discuss the issue at a meeting on June 11. But experts and officials are sceptical they will bridge their differences.

"We don't expect to see a strong unified front as we did during the migrant crisis," said Vit Havelka, an analyst at the Prague-based Europeum think tank.

(Un)Happy Nationalists

Relations between Bulgaria and North Macedonia have taken a turn for the worse over the last few months. At the heart of the worsening bilateral relations is a dispute over the Macedonian language, as well as interpretation of key figures and events from the joint recent past of the two countries.

"We have slowed down economically over nearly three months [amid the pandemic] but with God's help and the people's unity we will move forward and our economy will rise again," Istanbul governor Ali Yerlikaya said at the ceremony, Anadolu Agency reported.

Prague has been no stranger to invasions down the ages. In recent years, a multinational force has taken over the centre of the city, albeit arriving on budget airlines rather than tanks and brandishing cash, not guns.

Since the Czech government closed the borders on March 12, the invasion has been halted in its tracks.

Flood of tourists slows to a trickle

Imams attend Eid al-Fitr prayers that mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan in Pristina, Kosovo, 2020. Photo: EPA-EFE/VALDRIN XHEMAJ

Muslims attend a morning prayer session to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan, at Lokomotiv Stadium in Sofia, Bulgaria, 2020. Photo: EPA-EFE/VASSIL DONEV

Croatia on Monday started another phase of lifting preventative measures that were imposed in mid-March to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Cafes, restaurants, shopping malls and parts of schools reopened on Monday but with the observance of special epidemiological measures. Intercity travel, rail services and domestic air transport also reopened.

Out of the spotlight, companies linked with Bojan Kisic secured lucrative contracts with several state companies and ministries, including a three-million-euro deal to maintain Serbia's integrated health information system. The software handles the most sensitive private information of the Serbian public health-care system. 

The first spire was toppled during the earthquake, and the second, which was significantly damaged, on expert recommendations, was partly removed weeks ago.

A small amount of explosive was put on the spire to separate it from the cathedral building and it was then lowered to the ground by a crane.

A powerful earthquake rocked Croatia at 6:24am local time on Sunday morning just seven kilometres north of the capital, Zagreb, said the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre, EMSC.

Many buildings were damaged, with walls and rooftops cracking. Dozens were injured, with a 15-year-old suffering life-threatening injuries.