The Dispatch

Turkey COVID-19 cases hit two-month highs

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - The daily number of new coronavirus cases in Turkey rose to two-month highs near 14,000 on Tuesday, Health Ministry data showed, more than a week after President…

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Turkey logs over 13,000 coronavirus cases, highest since January 6

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey recorded 13,215 new cases of coronavirus on Monday, Health Ministry data showed, the highest level since Jan. 6, bringing the total number of cases to 2,793,632.…

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Photo Story: Celebration of Shrovetide in Bulgaria

A child spins a fireball near a bonfire during the celebration of Shrovetide in the village Goren Lozen near Sofia, Bulgaria, on Sunday night. Shrovetide is the last day Orthodox…

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Air France flight made emergency landing in Bulgaria over disruptive passenger

SOFIA (Reuters) - An Air France flight en route from Paris to New Delhi made an emergency landing at Sofia Airport in Bulgaria on Friday at about 5 p.m. (1500…

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Turkey’s Erdogan, Germany’s Merkel hold video call

In a video call on Friday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and German Chancellor Angela Merkel discussed bilateral ties and regional issues of interest to both countries, said an official…

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Ten killed in military helicopter crash in southeast Turkey -defence ministry

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - A military helicopter crashed in southeast Turkey on Thursday, killing 10 army personnel including a lieutenant general and injuring three, the defence ministry said. The helicopter took…

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Serbia sees rise in COVID-19 cases from new strains

Serbia is struggling to contain a wave of new coronavirus cases triggered by more infectious strains and health experts have urged the government to impose another lockdown despite the country’s…

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Turkey logs over 11,500 new COVID-19 cases as restrictions are eased

Turkey recorded 11,520 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, Health Ministry data showed, amid an easing of coronavirus restrictions across the country. Sixty-five people also died because of COVID-19 in the…

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Serbia donates COVID-19 vaccines to Bosnia’s Muslims, Croats

SARAJEVO (Reuters) - Former wartime enemy Serbia donated 5,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine to the Bosniak-Croat region of neighbouring Bosnia on Tuesday, allowing it to launched its inoculation campaign. The…

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Turkey’s reopening relieves restaurants but worries doctors

Turkish restaurants reopened and many children returned to school on Tuesday after the government announced steps to ease COVID-19 curbs even as cases edged higher, raising concerns in the top medical association.…

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Bulgaria accuses AstraZeneca of taking country’s vaccine ‘hope’ away

Bulgaria’s health minister has accused AstraZeneca of failing to stick to its delivery schedule of COVID-19 vaccines to the country and demanded the immediate shipment of at least 52,800 doses…

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Bulgaria to open restaurants from March, nightclubs from April

Bulgaria will reopen restaurants from March and lift a ban on nightclubs from April, Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said on Wednesday, betting on a vaccination programme and a solid number…

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Serbian scientists set first Europe’s coronavirus death at February 5, 2020

COVID-19 caused the death of a man in Serbia last February, 10 days before the first fatality from the disease in Europe was reported by France, a study by researchers…

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Turkey says Greek jets harassed research vessel over Aegean Sea

Turkey said that four Greek jets harassed a Turkish research vessel in the Aegean Sea but Athens denied the accusation, which comes as the two NATO members seek to resume…

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How did NASA’s Martian rover come to land in a crater named after a tiny Balkan village?

The world was excited by the news last week that NASA’s Perseverance rover had successfully landed in a Martian crater. The rover will now set about collecting samples from what scientists say…

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Serbian Orthodox Church elects new patriarch

The Serbian Orthodox Church elected a new leader on Thursday to lead the influential church at the time of Serbia’s balancing between its European Union membership bid and strong ties…

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Croatia says it may buy Russian COVID-19 vaccine without waiting for EU

Croatia is discussing with Moscow the possibility of importing Russia’s COVID-19 vaccine and the government has asked its drugs regulator to consider approving the shot without waiting for the European…

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Erdogan says Turkey to start gradual COVID-19 normalisation in March

ANKARA, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Turkey will begin a gradual return to normal life on a province-by-province basis from March, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday, adding that nationwide weekend…

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U.S. reassures Turkey over executions after Erdogan calls response ‘a joke’

Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday reassured Ankara that Washington blames the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) for the executions of 13 kidnapped Turks in northern Iraq, after Turkey called…

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Early results point to Kosovo opposition party win in parliamentary vote

PRISTINA (Reuters) - Kosovo's anti-establishment party Vetevendosje is set to win Sunday's parliamentary poll, preliminary results showed, further complicating Western efforts to resolve the country's decades-long territorial dispute with Serbia.…

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Serbia donates thousands of doses of Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine to North Macedonia

Serbia donated 4,680 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to North Macedonia on Sunday, allowing its southern neighbour to begin inoculations ahead of schedule. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and North…

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Kosovo goes to polls in vote that could complicate dialogue with Serbia

Kosovo goes to the polls on Sunday in a parliamentary election that an anti-establishment party is expected to win by a landslide, further complicating Western efforts to resolve a decades-long…

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Turkey says it will only join Cyprus talks with two-state proposal

Turkey will only join talks to resolve decades of dispute over Cyprus with a proposal to establish two states on the island, presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said, adding previous failed…

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Turkey says its troops to stay in Libya for now

Turkish troops stationed in Libya will remain there as long as a bilateral military agreement between Ankara and Tripoli is active and Libya’s government requests it, presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin…

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Serbia could manufacture Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine by year-end – minister

BELGRADE, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Serbia could have the capacity to domestically manufacture Russia's Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine by the end of the year, the minister for innovations said on…

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Erdogan says two-state solution only option for Cyprus

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said the only way to resolve decades of dispute over Cyprus was to establish two states on the island, and a federation favoured by Athens would…

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Turkey ready to discuss withdrawing from Libya

Turkey will discuss withdrawing its forces from Libya if other foreign troops are withdrawn first, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said. Speaking at an event in Ankara, Erdogan said that Turkish…

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Turkish unemployment edged up near 13% in November

ISTANBUL, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Turkey's unemployment ticked up to 12.9% in the November period, from 12.7% the previous month, and participation slipped to mid-2020 levels as a second wave…

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Dog sent off for invading pitch at Serbian football friendly

Reuters - A dog who repeatedly invaded the pitch during a friendly soccer match between Serbia's second-tier teams Radnicki 1923 Kragujevac and Kolubara Lazarevac was sent off after play had…

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Bulgaria to cull over 160,000 ducks after bird flu outbreak

SOFIA, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Bulgaria will cull more than 160,000 ducks after an outbreak of bird flu on two duck farms, veterinary officials said on Saturday. The outbreak occurred…

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Greece, Turkey to resume exploratory talks by early March – PM

ATHENS, Feb 4 (Reuters) - Greek and Turkish officials are likely to meet again at the end of Feburary or in early March to revive efforts to resolve a maritime…

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Europol investigation leads to arrests for forging money and documents in Bulgaria

Six persons were arrested after Europol supported the Bulgarian authorities in taking down an organised crime group involved in currency and document counterfeiting. During the operation, the Bulgarian authorities dismantled…

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EPA’s Eye in the Sky: Istanbul, Turkey

An aerial view of Turkish fishing boats at the Bosphorus in Istanbul, Turkey. Via EPA-EFE/TOLGA BOZOGLU

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Photo Story: The unveiling of the monument dedicated to the Serbian ruler Stefan Nemanja in Belgrade

People walk past the statue of Grand Prince Stefan Nemanja after the unveiling ceremony in Belgrade, Serbia, on 27 January 2021. A 23 metre high monument was erected in honor…

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Turkey’s economy to grow by 6% in 2021 – IMF

WASHINGTON, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Turkey's economy will grow by about 6% in 2021, before settling back to a growth rate of about 3.5% annually from 2022, International Monetary Fund staff…

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Turkey hopes Mediterranean talks can calm choppy waters with EU

BRUSSELS/ANKARA, Jan 24 (Reuters) - After a five-year hiatus marked by grievances over their rival claims to Mediterranean waters, Turkey resumes talks with Greece on Monday in the first test…

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Greek foreign minister hopes for ‘positive’ spirit from Turkey in talks

ATHENS, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Greece's foreign minister said he hoped Turkey would have a positive approach towards a meeting next week aimed at reviving long-stalled efforts to open negotiations…

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Bulgaria to ease some COVID-19 rules, restaurants closed for now

Bulgaria will ease some coronavirus restrictions from February 4 though restaurants will remain closed for now due to concerns about the new coronavirus variant, officials said on Saturday. The move…

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Russian diplomat expelled from Albania for breaking Covid rules

Russia’s foreign ministry vowed on Friday to retaliate in kind against Albania for expelling a Russian diplomat, a move it said was aimed at harming bilateral relations, the RIA news…

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Croats caught between fear and funding woes after 2020 earthquakes

Besides fighting COVID-19, Croats learnt last year how nature could show its brutal face as two devastating earthquakes left them struggling to repair their homes and living in fear of…

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Bulgaria nuclear reactor shut after automatic defences activate

The Kozloduy nuclear power plant in Bulgaria has shut down one of its two 1,000 megawatt units after a protection system was activated at its Unit 5 following a routine…

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Greek coastguard recovers one dead, rescues 27 on Lesbos island

Greek coastguard officials recovered the body of one man and rescued 27 people from a rocky beach on the island of Lesbos after they apparently arrived by boat from Turkey, authorities said on Tuesday. "We have rescued 11 men, 15…

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Photo story: Snowy days in Istanbul

A man rides a bicycle at the Camlica hill on a snowy day during the lockdown in Istanbul, Turkey. Turkey imposed curfews on weekdays after 9pm and full weekend lockdowns…

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Russian Cargo ship sinks off Turkey’s Black Sea

Reuters / Anadolu - A Russian-flagged dry cargo ship sunk off Turkey's Black Sea on Sunday, Jan. 17, according to a Turkish governor. The ship, named Arvin, sunk off the…

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Serbia receives million doses of China’s Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine

A plane carrying one million doses of Sinopharm's COVID-19 vaccine arrived on Saturday in Serbia, making it the first European country to receive the Chinese vaccine for mass inoculation programmes.…

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Turkey vaccinates half a million people in first two days

Turkey has vaccinated more than 500,000 people in the first two days of administering COVID-19 shots developed by China's Sinovac Biotech Ltd, health ministry data showed on Friday, among the speediest…

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Turkey’s Erdogan receives COVID-19 vaccine

ANKARA, Jan 14 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan received his COVID-19 vaccine in front of TV cameras on Thursday, a move which a spokesman for his AK Party said…

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Migrants stranded in freezing Bosnian winter plea for help

Hundreds of migrants are taking shelter in abandoned buildings in and around the northwestern Bosnian town of Bihac, wrapping up as best they can against the snow and freezing weather…

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‘Please help us’: Migrants, exposed to freezing Bosnia winter, await chance to reach EU

BIHAC, Bosnia, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Hundreds of migrants are taking shelter in abandoned buildings in and around the northwestern Bosnian town of Bihac, wrapping up as best they can…

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Turkey and Greece may resume talks over disputed waters

ANKARA/ATHENS, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Turkey and Greece said on Monday they wanted to resume suspended exploratory talks over territorial claims in the Mediterranean Sea which brought them close to…

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New tremor rattles Croatia

A new earthquake of magnitude 4.7 was recorded at 22:29 yesterday in central Croatia, near Petrinja.According to data from the Italian National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (Invg) and the…

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Kosovo president sets Feb. 14 as date for snap vote

Kosovo’s acting president, Vjosa Osmani, set Feb. 14 as the date for an early parliamentary election, following a decision by the country’s top court to annul the June parliamentary vote…

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Photo Story: Christmas mass in Skopje

An Orthodox believer prays during a Christmas mass in the central Orthodox Church of Saint Clement in Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia, 07 January 2021. Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas Day…

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Serbia praises Russian COVID vaccine as first shots administered

Top Serbian politicians urged greater international acceptance of Russia’s coronavirus vaccine as they joined the front of their country’s queue for shots, days after Moscow delivered the first consignment. The…

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Photo Story: Icy river dip for Epiphany celebrations in Bulgaria

Men jump into the icy water of a lake to recover a wooden cross during celebrations of Epiphany Day in Sofia, Bulgaria, 06 January 2021. The swimmers competed to find…

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Photo Story: Orthodox Church prepares for the Christmas in Skopje

Orthodox believers buy traditional Christmas oak-tree branches, a symbol of the Orthodox Christmas Eve, at the green market in Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia. Orthodox Christians will celebrate the Christmas…

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Photo Story: Croatian earthquake aftermath

Citizens and workers repair a destroyed house in the Strasnik village, near Petrinja, 04 January 2021. The 6.4 magnitude earthquake that struck Croatia on 29 December 2020 left many houses…

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