Skopje - Bulgaria's fresh blockade of North Macedonia's dreams of joining the European Union goes against the bloc's values and has caused a "lot of bitterness among us", Prime Minister Zoran Zaev told AFP.

Skopje - The small Balkan state of North Macedonia was over the moon Friday after qualifying for next year's European football championships, a historic victory that goes beyond sport for a country which struggled for decades to have even its name recognised.

- The first rays of the morning sun reveal entire families lying on the railway line or in abandoned wagons but when Greek police patrols appear, they evaporate into nearby fields.

Skopje - North Macedonia's Social Democrats eked out a razor-thin win over nationalist rivals, official election results showed Thursday, highlighting deep fault lines in a country preparing to start EU membership talks.

Skopje - North Macedonia heads to the polls Wednesday to elect a government in the midst of a resurgence of coronavirus cases, which has fuelled a bitter blame-game between rival camps.

Skopje - To choose your leaders or your health? Voters in North Macedonia are facing this conundrum as the country heads towards key elections just as a second wave of the coronavirus is rising.

Skopje - With hospitals lacking equipment and low on doctors who have been steadily moving abroad, Balkan countries fear the worst as they watch the new coronavirus ravage their far richer European neighbours.

Ohrid - Albania, North Macedonia and Serbia discussed setting up a common market at a summit Sunday, weeks after the European Union snubbed bids by Skopje and Tirana to open membership talks.

Skopje - North Macedonia's political leaders agreed on Sunday to hold early elections in April, after the EU blocked the start of membership talks.

Skopje - North Macedonia's prime minister on Saturday proposed a snap election after the EU blocked the start of membership talks, scrambling what had been the key policy goal of his administration.

Ohrid - US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned against the "malign" influence of Russian trolls and Chinese investment during a brief tour through the Western Balkans on Friday.

Skopje - North Macedonia's Prime Minister Zoran Zaev has apologised for using a gay slur while trying to defend his government against a corruption scandal that has ensnared justice officials.

Skopje - Two Russian pranksters famous for hoax phone calls have tricked North Macedonia's prime minister into seemingly agreeing to pay a bribe and accusing Russia of having "many spies" in the Balkans.

Skopje - Pope Francis called on the Western Balkans to embrace its patchwork of faiths and ethnicities during a visit to North Macedonia on Tuesday, saying "respect for diversity" is key to the region's efforts to integrate with Europe.

Skopje - Small and landlocked North Macedonia, which votes Sunday in a presidential election, recently made headlines when it changed its name to end a dispute with Greece.

Skopje - North Macedonia's pro-West candidate announced a victory over his nationalist-backed rival in a tight presidential run-off Sunday, giving a boost to a government that had divided the public by changing the country's name.

Skopje - When he first heard Pope Francis would visit North Macedonia, the birthplace of the world's most famous Catholic nun Mother Teresa, Marinko Pinjuh thought it was "fake news".

Skopje - North Macedonia goes to the polls on Sunday in a presidential run-off vote that will be a litmus test for the pro-Western government, which has warned low turnout could invalidate the vote and trigger a general election.

Skopje - North Macedonia's centre-left presidential candidate held a razor-thin majority over his right-wing rival after the first round of polls, election results showed Monday, with low turnout spelling potential trouble for the runoff.

Skopje - Less than half the electorate of North Macedonia participated Sunday in the first round of the first presidential election since the European country changed its name.The turnout of 41 percent of the 1.