ANKARA (AFP) - Support for Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has fallen to 30 percent from 43.2 percent in January, but it is still the country’s most popular party, according to an opinion poll revealed yesterday. The main opposition center-left Republican People’s Party (CHP) retained its second position, while increasing its popularity to 19.2 from 13.4 percent in January. The only other party to surpass the 10 percent national threshold required to enter Parliament was the center-right True Path Party (DYP), which had 12.7 percent.

TIRANA (AP) - Albania is to sign a pre-membership agreement with the European Union, considered as the first step in Tirana’s efforts to join the bloc, the government said yesterday. Prime Minister Sali Berisha will sign the deal on Monday in Luxembourg, his office said.

A floating crane crashed and hit a tugboat yesterday, killing four workers in the Black Sea port of Constanta in Romania, authorities said. The crane collided with another crane, breaking it. The second crane collapsed onto a tugboat and sunk it, said Alexandru Mezei, director of shipping in Constanta. He said at least four workers aboard the tugboat died. (AP)

Three human rights groups in Romania yesterday protested against legislation that allows authorities to tap phones and intercept e-mails for four days without a court warrant, calling it “severe infringements on human rights... much more appropriate for a police state.” Under a bill recently passed by Parliament, a prosecutor can intercept phone calls and e-mails for two days without a warrant, and then a further two days without informing a judge. (AP)

The EU police mission and Bosnian authorities launched a nationwide anti-drug education campaign yesterday that will last until year’s end, officials said. Its estimated cost is 400,000 euros ($510,000) and it will include a media campaign and billboards, EU police spokeswoman Zinaida Ilaira said. Police officers will tour Bosnian schools to alert young people about the dangers of drug abuse in addition to round-table discussions between authorities and the public, she said. (AP)