Geography of North Macedonia

The famous angels of Kurbinovo, a small village on the shore of the Great Prespa Lake in North Macedonia, have got their colorful robes, expressive faces and fluttering wings back, after the wear and tear of time had dulled the luster of what is regarded as one of the greatest murals of the Komnenian era (AD 1081-1204).

Threats, insults and gender-based violence draw little response

Threats to journalist safety remain one of the greatest challenges to media freedom in the Balkans.

In the online environment, this issue is only exacerbated, as demonstrated by the cases BIRN has documented in the reporting period.

Ther arrival of a group of Ultra-Orthodox Jews in the northern town of Kumanovo this weekend, wearing traditional clothing that residents never saw before, has raised concerns among some local residents.

"These persons respect the laws of North Macedonia, have a completely legal right to stay here and are here only temporarily," Kumanovo police told the media on Sunday.

A research team from the University of Bern has managed to precisely date pile dwellings on the banks of Lake Ohrid in the south-western Balkans for the first time: they came into being in the middle of the 5th millennium BC. The region around the oldest lake in Europe played a key role in the proliferation of agriculture.

After UNESCO threatened to put the lakeside town of Ohrid and the surrounding area on its list of endangered sites, mainly citing its persistent problem with illegal construction, the local authorities promised swift action.

As Sputnik has learned, US bombers B-1B will participate in the drills. These aircraft were used in the NATO bombing of Serbia (FR Yugoslavia) 20 years ago, and will now be dropping bombs at the Krivolak ranges.