VMRO DPMNE party

As speculation grows in North Macedonia about possible early elections as early as spring next year, the main ruling Social Democrats, SDSM, and the main right-wing opposition VMRO DPMNE party, insist their recently launched campaigns across the country are just part of their routine activities.

The private national TV station 1TV ceased airing its signal on Wednesday, unofficially due to major financial problems that have piled up since its informal chief, Bojan Jovanovski, known by the stage name Boki 13, was arrested late in July.

The TV station's main entrance on Friday was padlocked and its frequency blank, although its web page stayed active.

North Macedonia's outgoing chief Special Prosecutor, Katica Janeva, who was detained in August 21 as a suspect in the high-profile "Extortion" affair, has been criticised for sending a letter to her colleagues demanding that all their cases be transferred to the regular prosecutor's office.

Parliament on Tuesday begins a debate on the need for a new law governing the work of the country's prosecution that will be key to defining the future status of the Special Prosecution, SJO, which targets high-level corruption.

The main opposition party in North Macedonia has used publication of video footage that may further implicate the embattled head of the Special Prosecution, Katica Janeva, to demand early elections.

Katica Janeva, head of the Special Prosecution in North Macedonia, SJO, the body that has spearheaded the fight against high-level crime in the country, submitted her irrevocable resignation on Monday.

Zoran Zaev said on Tuesday that he sees no reason for resignation as a lengthy telephone conversation published last night on YouTube by the Russian pranksters reveals no state secrets, sensitive information or harms national interests in any other way.

Parliament in North Macedonia approved a reshuffle of five ministers on Thursday night, which came after the ruling coalition, headed by Zoran Zaev's Social Democrats, received a wake-up call in recent presidential elections. In the vote, 65 of 120 MPs backed the reshuffle with 25 opposition MPs voting against.

A court in Hungary has rejected a demand from North Macedonia for former prime minister Nikola Gruevski to be extradited to start serving his two-year prison sentence for illegally soliciting the secret purchase of a 580,000-euro Mercedes in 2012.

The first-ever gay Pride Parade in North Macedonia will be held in Skopje on June 29, the country's National Network Against Homophobia and Transphobia, gathering human rights NGOs, told a press conference on Monday.

"The gay parade will be a form of protest for affirmation, support and protection of human rights of the LGBTQ people," said activist Antonio Mihajlov.