PODGORICA, Oct 19, 2007 (AFP) - The parliament of Montenegro on Friday adopted with two-thirds majority a new constitution for this tiny former Yugoslav republic that proclaimed independence in June 2006.

Fifty-five deputies voted for the constitution, prepared for several months by Montenegrin experts under the supervision of the Council of Europe and the European Union.

Twenty one deputies -- mostly from the pro-Serbian parties -- in the 81-seat parliament were against the constitution while the remaining five did not vote.

BELGRADE, Oct 17, 2007 (AFP) - An ethnic Albanian accused of taking part in the murder nine years ago of eight Serbs whose bodies were found in a Kosovo cave went on trial here Wednesday, Beta news agency reported.

Sinan Morina pleaded not guilty before Serbia's special war crimes court to the charges related to the killings, which took place in the northwestern Kosovo village of Opterusa in July 1998.

He is also accused of detaining, torturing and raping Serb civilians, as well as destroying property and religious sites, according to the indictment.

LUXEMBOURG, Oct 15, 2007 (AFP) - The EU signed a rapprochement deal with Montenegro on Monday, the first formal step towards European Union membership for the former Yugoslav republic.

'This a great day for Montenegro and its citizens,' said Montenegro's Prime Minister Zeljko Sturanovic at the signing.

The Stabilisation and Association agreement (SAA), which notably concerns a gradual introduction into the EU free-trade zone, must still be individually ratified by the 27 EU member states.

LUXEMBOURG, Oct 15, 2007 (AFP) - European ambassadors on Monday overcame a dispute over the spelling of the word 'euro' which had threatened to scupper an EU rapprochement deal with Montenegro.

Bulgaria had insisted that the word be spelt in the cyrllic alphabet in its version of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA).

The SAA is important for Montenegro as it is the first formal step towards possible EU membership.

The deal was to be signed by EU and Montenegrin officials later, on the sidelines of an EU foreign ministers' meeting.

BRUSSELS, Oct 12, 2007 (AFP) - The EU will sign a rapprochement deal with Montenegro next week as planned, despite an earlier Bulgarian threat to block it amid a row over how to spell 'euro', the EU's presidency said Friday.

A brief EU presidency statement late in the evening said only that the signing of the Stabilisation and Association agreement (SAA) on the margins of a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg on Monday 'is maintained,' without detailing how the problem had been overcome.

SOFIA, Oct 12, 2007 (AFP) - Bulgaria's bizarre linguistic row with the European Union over the spelling of the euro on Friday threatened to spike a pact Montenegro is due to sign with the bloc.

Sofia said it would not ink Montenegro's Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with the EU if the Bulgarians were not allowed to spell the currency as 'evro' in their version of the document.

Bulgarian linguists say there is no phonetic equivalent of the sound 'eu' in the Cyrillic alphabet used in Bulgaria and other Slav nations.

BRUSSELS, Oct 12, 2007 (AFP) - The European Union will not sign an agreement on closer ties with Montenegro next week unless Bulgaria lifts on Friday its objections to the spelling of the word 'euro', the EU's presidency said.

'Either we solve the problem today or we don't sign the agreement: it's as simple as that,' said a Portuguese official, whose country holds the EU's rotating presidency until the end of the year.

BRUSSELS, Oct 12, 2007 (AFP) - Bulgaria is threatening to block the signing of an EU-Montenegro rapprochement accord next week over the spelling of the word 'euro', officials said Friday.

EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn is 'concerned at the possible blockage of the signing of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement with Montenegro,' his spokeswoman Krisztina Nagy said.

'He thinks it is regrettable Bulgaria is prepared to take Montenegro hostage to an unrelated linguistic technical issue, whatever its domestic importance,' she added.

PODGORICA, Sept 17, 2007 (AFP) - The remains of 50 German soldiers killed during World War II have been unearthed in the Montenegrin capital Podgorica, the German embassy here said Monday.

Authorities believe the gravesite, discovered during roadworks in 2006, contains more remains of the 2,100 German troops estimated to have died in the former Yugoslav republic during the war.

A commission created by Podgorica Mayor Miomir Mugosa has been charged with coordinating the exhumation and reburial of the German soldiers at a cemetary in the capital.

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PODGORICA, Sept 15, 2007 (AFP) - Two men have been arrested over a brutal assault on a Montenegrin newspaper publisher, police said Saturday.

The men confessed to bashing Zeljko Ivanovic with clubs two weeks ago as he left the 10th anniversary party of the Vijesti newspaper, police said.

'Police activities and information collected point to the conclusion that the attack against Ivanovic was motivated by Vijesti's reporting on criminal activities' of one of the suspects, police said.

Ivanovic expressed doubts about the police findings.

SARAJEVO, Sept 13, 2007 (AFP) - The central banks of Bosnia, Montenegro and Serbia signed an agreement Thursday on the clearing of international payments that is aimed at easing their financial transactions.

The agreement enables banks from the three countries to perform mutual obligations in euros through multilateral clearing for faster, cheaper and more efficient transactions, said Bosnian Central Bank governor Kemal Kozaric.

PODGORICA, Sept 8, 2007 (AFP) - A Serbian Orthodox bishop banned by Montenegro from entering due to his alleged support for war crimes fugitives, can visit the country to perform religious services, a minister said Saturday.

'The government has decided to allow bishop Filaret to enter Montenegro solely to perform religious services and under state supervision,' Foreign Minister Milan Rocen told reporters here.

PODGORICA, Sept 4, 2007 (AFP) - Justice authorities in Montenegro have charged an elderly local man over the murder of his American wife 17 years ago, national radio reported on Tuesday.

Smail Tulja, 67, had been accused of the September 1990 murder of Mary Beal in New York, where he was working as a taxi driver at the time, the report said.

His indictment also alleges that he cut her body up and placed the parts in plastic bags which were left in several locations in the Bronx area of the US city.

PODGORICA, Sept 1, 2007 (AFP) - A publisher of one of the main daily newspapers in Montenegro was attacked early Saturday and claimed his assailants wanted to get him to change his editorial line.

Zeljko Ivanovic was attacked by three men with clubs as he left the 10th anniversary party of the newspaper, known for its investigative journalism. This attack was a clear message that the newspaper's slant 'should change,' he told AFP, adding he would not cave in to pressure.

PODGORICA, Aug 28, 2007 (AFP) - A Serbian Orthodox bishop said he had started a hunger strike Tuesday after being banned from entering Montenegro over his alleged support for war crimes fugitives, local media reported.

Bishop Filaret had tried again to cross the border betweeen Montenegro and Serbia despite the ban issued by the authorities in Podgorica.

They denied him entry as his name appears on the European Union and the UN War Crimes tribunal list of helpers to the suspects wanted by the court.

PODGORICA, Aug 14, 2007 (AFP) - Montenegro will donate its surplus weapons and ammunition to Afghanistan's army to help it secure the war-torn nation, the government said on Tuesday.

The Defence Ministry will send some 1,500 automatic rifles, 100 machine guns and 250,000 bullets to the Afghan army, the government said in a statement.

Montenegro proclaimed independence from Serbia in June 2006 and has since joined NATO's Partnership for Peace programme, which outlines a framework for practical cooperation with countries aspiring to join NATO.

PODGORICA, Aug 14, 2007 (AFP) - Montenegro will donate its surplus weapons and ammunition to Afghanistan's army to help it secure the war-torn nation, the government said on Tuesday.

The Defence Ministry will send some 1,500 automatic rifles, 100 machine guns and 250,000 bullets to the Afghan army, the government said in a statement.

Montenegro proclaimed independence from Serbia in June 2006 and has since joined NATO's Partnership for Peace programme, which outlines a framework for practical cooperation with countries aspiring to join NATO.

PODGORICA, Aug 2, 2007 (AFP) - A Serbian Orthodox bishop was kicked out of Montenegro on Thursday when he was caught breaking an entry ban issued after he allegedly helped top war crime suspects evade justice, police said.

Bishop Filaret, who illegally entered Montenegro earlier in the day, was escorted by police to the border with Serbia after a religious service in the nearby northeastern town of Pljevlja, a police official said.