Europe North Macedonia 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
Europe North Macedonia 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
Europe North Macedonia 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
Europe North Macedonia 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
Europe North Macedonia Evzoni/Bogorodica) and Niki/Medzitlija border crossings with Greece have once again been blocked by Greek farmers protesting against 2026 budget
Europe North Macedonia 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
Europe North Macedonia 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
Europe North Macedonia 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
Europe North Macedonia 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
Europe North Macedonia Nearly 13 years since construction began, the Church of St. Constantine and Helena in central Skopje has been inaugurated and the square fully refurbished
Europe North Macedonia 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
Europe North Macedonia Local elections due in October are shaping into more than a simple contest in North Macedonia's ethnic Albanian bloc, as it split into two groups, each claiming to be the community’s ‘authentic’ representative between two main political forces
Europe North Macedonia More inclusive websites will be developed at government level for people with visual impairments and hearing disabilities, but a lot of work remains to be done in North Macedonia for access to both physical and virtual sites