Skopje

A group of protesters on Thursday occupied a location in the Skopje municipality of Butel, where a metal 55 meter-tall cross was to be installed.

The protesters were led by officials of the largest ethnic Albanian party in Macedonia, the Democratic Union for Integration (DUI).

A joint EU and US assessment of whether Macedonia is ready to go into early elections is expected to influence a decision on whether to pursue an April 24 election date - or postpone polls until all reform priorities envisaged in last summer's EU-brokered crisis accord are met.

A coalition of 21 environmentalist groups and NGOs from across Macedonia is considering more protest marches as well as possible blockades of institutions and streets during February.

They accuse the authorities of failing to take relevant action against extremely high levels of air pollution in the capital and in several other towns.

Many Macedonians in possession of Bulgarian passports are facing fines for having voted in the 2014 European Parliament elections.

The Macedonians holding dual citizenship voted in Bulgarian diplomatic missions in Macedonia, including at the Bulgarian embassy in Skopje, without being eligible to do so.

Based on public procurement contracts, the City of Skopje is expected to spend at least ?430,000 on festive glitter for the New Year holidays, of a total sum of ?720,000 spent by all of Macedonia's municipalities together.

From Zagreb to Tirana, Balkan cities are hosting open-air music festivals featuring regional and international stars to ring in the New Year. So, if you won't be in Belgrade for the New Year but still want to party, dress warm and enjoy our list of celebration plans in other major Balkan cities.

Zagreb

BIRN's new app lists all the edifices that are included in the BIRN's official database of buildings, new facades, sculptures, monuments, fountains and other structures which are components of Skopje's publicly funded makeover.

Bulgarian Foreign Minister has told Macedonian Deputy PM Fatmir Besimi his country hopes to find the right formula of a neighborhood agreement with Skopje.

After receiving Besimi in Sofia, he has noted discussions on the agreement have brought about "positive" messages.

The appeals court said in a statement on Monday that it has upheld the six ethnic Albanians' sentences and rejected their appeal as "ungrounded".

Their defence had demanded acquittal due to a lack of evidence, insisting the case was a political prosecution staged by the government.

Students at Saints Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje barricaded the entrance to the rectorate on Monday morning in an attempt to stop the construction of the two new buildings after the authorities razed the park at the weekend under cover of darkness.