Skopje

Construction works on Skopje's new Emanuel Cuckov Palace, which will house three state institutions, are nearing completion.

Workers have begun to place tall plaster statues on its roof and bronze lions at the main entrance of the new building, whose facade reflects the preferred classical style of the government-funded revamp project Skopje 2014.

Macedonia's opposition Social Democratic Party, SDSM, on Monday accused the ruling VMRO DPMNE party of trying to duck responsibility for a "mischievous" deputy minister who damaged two cars on Friday in Skopje with an official vehicle and then fled from the scene.

Bulgaria has no ground to react to two successive remarks by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made last week, Foreign Minister Daniel Mitov has said.

Macedonia's ruling VMRO DPMNE says the fact that some of its top officials, including its leader, are under criminal investigations, need not prevent those persons from running in the December 11 general election.

Officially, the party says consultations about its list of candidates are still ongoing and that they have yet to decide whether to name Gruevski as the frontrunner.

On a dramatic Friday night in Macedonia, Chief Special Prosecutor Katica Janeva personally intervened at the Beko police station in Skopje to ensure the release of an investigator who she said had been arrested for no good reason.

The Special Prosecution, which is tasked with probing high-level crime, launched its two latest investigations on Wednesday, focused on alleged abuses of office at the culture and transport ministries.

Documents that Macedonia's Special Prosecution, SJO, seized on Tuesday with a court order from the Culture Ministry refer to a million-euros-worth tender to build the Museum of VMRO and Macedonian Struggle for Independence, BIRN has learned from informed sources.

The agreed December 11 date for early general elections in Macedonia is again under question after parliament continued its work on Wednesday instead of dissolving as planned, 60 days ahead of polling day.

The formal reasons for not dissolving parliament were ongoing debates about the 2017 budget and the need to approve a new agreement on electoral districts.

BELGRADE - Thousands of Macedonians took to the streets to participate in a peaceful antigovernment protest, RFE/RL reports.

The demonstration in the capital, Skopje, on October 11 was organized by the main opposition party, the Social Democrats.

Some 15,000 people marched through the streets of Skopje on Tuesday, led by the opposition Social Democrats in alliance with the Association of WWII Veterans and other NGOs and prominent activists.