More than half of Albanians are optimistic about 2024

57% of Albanians believe that 2024 will be a better year than 2023. 11% are pessimistic and 32% cannot judge. According to the results of the annual survey of Gallup International named "At the end of the year", Albania is among the Top 5 optimists in the world. Albanians are also among the Top 5 optimists in terms of economic expectations. 54% of them expect that 2024 will bring prosperity. 12% of the respondents expect economic difficulties. Albania is among the five countries that believe that 2024 will be more peaceful than 2023. 45% of the respondents from the Balkan country think that next year will be more peaceful. For comparison, only 9% of Bulgarians are optimistic that 2024 will be more peaceful.

Serbian opposition protests the December 17 elections

The main opposition alliance Serbia Against Violence, which came second in the December 17 parliamentary elections with 23.5% of the vote behind President Aleksandar Vucic's ruling Serbian Progressive Party (46%), believes the elections were rigged. This has triggered protests which blocked the central part of the Serbian capital. MP Radomir Lazovic announced that the representatives of the opposition will seek international support for the formation of an international independent commission to investigate the irregularities surrounding the December 17 vote. For his part, President Vucic said he would not let the opposition united around the Serbia Against Violence coalition to steal peoples’ electoral will. ‘’Vox populi, vox dei. The voice of the people is the voice of God’’ Aleksandar Vicic told the local TV Pink, quoted by BTA. The parliamentary election will be repeated on December 30 at 30 polling stations. The opposition said it would block the central part of Belgrade on December 29, because ‘'the repeated vote cannot undo the fraud’'.

North Macedonia rejects Ukraine's request for military equipment

North Macedonia's Ministry of Defense has rejected a request from Ukraine for military aid, launched a month ago. At the annual briefing, Defence Minister Slavjanka Petrovska said that the equipment requested by Ukraine is needed and is being used in North Macedonia, reports Slobodna Evropa. However, Minister Petrovska pointed out that North Macedonia was ready to provide new training for Ukrainian soldiers on its territory. Previously, North Macedonia already donated aircraft and tanks to Ukraine to help the country defend itself against Russia’s aggression.

Greece bids farewell to its music legend Vasilis Karras

Greece bid farewell to its idol Vasilis Karras. The famous Greek singer, who battled cancer, died at the age of 70 on Christmas Eve. He passed away in his beloved city of Thessaloniki. Thousands of people from Greece and from abroad filled the streets in Thessaloniki to bid farewell to the Greek legend. With flowers in their hands and teary eyes, they all bid farewell to Vasilis Karras and shouted '‘immortal'’. The singer was later buried in his home village of Kokkinohori near Kavala. "I don't just love the song, I adore it. And I will remain a servant of the song", Karras said in an interview with the Bulgarian showman Slavi Trifonov during his visit to Bulgaria in 2017. Before becoming a singer, composer and lyricist, Vasilis Karras worked as a car mechanic. His records have reached gold and platinum status.