Doctors in Greek public hospitals on strike

Doctors across Greek public hospitals have organized a strike, wanting more money from the healthcare budget. Media says that the state of the healthcare system in Greece was ‘critical’. Trade unions insist on the hiring of more doctors and additional subsidies for the medical centers on the islands. The remote ones among those practically have no medical service due to low salaries.

Visa crisis between Turkey, USA might redirect Turkish citizens to Sofia

The visa crisis between Turkey and the USA with the temporary bilateral ceasing of non-emigration visas drew the attention of the interested ones abroad. US Ambassador to Ankara John Bass explained that although no applications for new visas were accepted in Turkey, the applicants might apply outside the country. Tour operators comment that this measure might result in ‘US visa trips’ to Bulgaria, Azerbaijan and Georgia. At the same time prices there will be higher, sources claim. The USA – Turkey relations got tense after the arrest of an US consulate employee on October 4 in Istanbul on accusations of espionage and relations with high-ranking members of Fethullah Gülen’s organization.

Local elections - test for Skopje on road to EU, Bujar Osmani says

Macedonia faces a serious political crisis and the forthcoming local polls are the first test for the new government on its way to the EU, said Macedonian Deputy PM for European Affairs Bujar Osmani. The two-year-long political crisis, the early parliamentary polls in December 2016, the postponing of the local ones for nearly 6 months, the attack of the Macedonian parliament and the forming of Zoran Zaev’s coalitional government with the support of three parties of ethnic Albanians raise the stakes really high. The first round of the polls is going to take place on October 15 and the second is scheduled for October 29^th.

413,000 Romanians and Bulgarians live in Great Britain

According to the British national statistics, the number of Bulgarians and Romanians who live in the UK has increased by nearly 80% on 2014, when those were 230,000. Today their number is 413,000. At the same time only 6,200 British people reside in Romania and Bulgaria. Many of the active Romanians and Bulgarians in GB work in the hotel, restaurant, construction and distribution industries, while 18% of the Bulgarians have found jobs in the sphere of banking and finances.

Reduced number of vaccinated children in Serbia causes alarm among pediatricians

Serbia’s pediatricians are concerned about the reduced number of vaccinated children in the country and call on for the interference of all state bodies in charge via a national plan for fighting against anti-vaccination propaganda, Focus reports. The doctors have appealed to media to inform in an objective manner on the benefits and positive effects of vaccinations, avoiding sensations and unchecked information.

Hashim Thaçi participates in Kosovo’s first pride

President of Kosovo Hashim Thaçi took part in the first pride ever in his country, supporting homosexual relations. He declared during the event that "all communities are equal". Some 300 people marched downtown Pristina with a large rainbow flag – the symbol of the LGBT community. Activists across the state quoted an international research, stating that Kosovo was the most homophobic country in the Balkans and its LGBT representatives were victims of discrimination in all areas of life.

Compiled by: Miglena Ivanova

English version: Zhivko Stanchev