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.

Skopje - 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.

Skopje - Greece's prime minister was greeted with hugs and selfies on Tuesday during his landmark visit to newly renamed North Macedonia, where the neighbours celebrated a new start after resolving their decades-long identity row.

Skopje - Greece's prime minister will on Tuesday pay a historic visit to newly renamed North Macedonia to join in marking the end of a decades-long identity row between the two countries.

Skopje - A former North Macedonia interior minister was sentenced to 18 years in prison on Friday for his part in orchestrating a mob attack on parliament in 2017, one of 16 people given jail terms over the violence.

Skopje - Five former senior officials, including an ex-premier and ministers, have been investigated for allegedly having plotted the 2017 attack on parliament in Skopje, judicial sources said Wednesday.

Skopje - At least 13 people were killed and more than 30 others injured when a passenger bus overturned on a highway in North Macedonia on Wednesday, health minister said.

Skopje - Macedonia's fugitive former premier Nikola Gruevski said Saturday he fled to Hungary despite being sentenced for abuse of power after he received a threat that he would be killed in jail.

Skopje - Children are missing school and hospitals are running out of beds as a noxious smog smothers Skopje, earning the small Macedonian city the grim distinction of being Europe's most polluted capital.

Veles - Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev on Saturday paid tribute to the courage of Greek lawmakers after their vote to approve the renaming of his country to settle a decades-old dispute.

Skopje - Supporters of Macedonia's name-change deal with Greece are "on the right side of history" and their critics will eventually agree, Macedonia's foreign minister told AFP as the accord approaches the final step of ratification.

Skopje - Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev on Saturday called on Greece to end the two nations' decades-long dispute by ratifying the deal to rename his country The Republic of North Macedonia. Macedonian lawmakers approved the agreement late Friday.

Skopje - Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev on Saturday called on Greece to end their nations' decades-long dispute by ratifying the deal to rename his country "The Republic of North Macedonia".

Skopje - Macedonian politicians voted on Friday to change the country's name to "Republic of North Macedonia", settling a decades-long row with Greece and paving the way for NATO and EU membership.