North Macedonia

Fugitive Artan Grubi has been placed in house detention rather than prison, after he turned himself in following months on the run; the decision sparks accusations of behind-the-scenes deals

Former Deputy Prime Minister Artan Grubi, a fugitive from justice for over a year following accuse of corruption, was arrested by police at a border crossing

A recently proposed government-backed legislation would drastically tighten restrictions on the use of tobacco and vapes, causing widespread discontent in citizens; as nearly half of adult population smokes, health officials say stricter rules are vital

Cuts to North Macedonia’s rare diseases programme have alarmed patient organisations; the state program provides therapy for 430 patients, and is set to be cut from 24 million euros to 17,5 million euros in 2026

Dozens of patients were treated on New Year's Eve in Skopje for injuries sustained from accidents, falls, fireworks, alcohol and firearms, but no traffic accidents were recorded in town probably thanks to the Safe City system

A 100 million euros investment in energy sector has been signed; agreements plan the realization of photovoltaic power plant "Bitola 3" and revitalization of hydropower plants

Evzoni/Bogorodica) and Niki/Medzitlija border crossings with Greece have once again been blocked by Greek farmers protesting against 2026 budget

Activists have been participating in the annual, UN-backed 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign; this year there has been more urgency following four femicides in the small North Macedonia, largerly debated

An official agreement was signed with Bulgaria for the construction of a cross-border tunnel completing the long-discussed railway connection along Corridor VIII; the signing ceremony took place at the Gyueshevo station, near the border

After local election runoffs, ruling VMRO DPMNE party won in 21 out of the 33 municipalities where second rounds were held, confirming its overall dominance: in total the party is set to govern 54 of North Macedonia's 81 municipalities

Government wants to require journalists and others to seek permission to use open data from public institutions, heightening concerns about transparency; experts say a new bill on open data risks introducing new restrictions on transparency

Nearly 13 years since construction began, the Church of St. Constantine and Helena in central Skopje has been inaugurated and the square fully refurbished

As a new school year began, Minister says deep-seated problems in North Macedonia’s education system - shortage of free-of-charge textbooks, inflated grades, outdated university courses and old curricula - will take years to sort out