8 July 2021 Skopje – North Macedonia recorded 19 new infections out of 2,518 COVID-19 tests over the past 24 hours. Of the new cases, 11 were registered in Tetovo and eight in Skopje. Four coronavirus patients recovered and there were no fatalities in the same period, the Health Ministry said citing data of the Institute of Public Health. Skopje – Certain countries have made the COVID-19 vaccination of children compulsory, meaning that children will not attend school if they are not inoculated. Vaccination of children in our country will not be compulsory, said Health Minister Venko Filipche on Thursday. Skopje – Border restrictions will not be introduced for the time being. Possible recommendations are expected to be discussed at a meeting of the Commission for Infectious Diseases this week, Health Minister Venko Filipche said Thursday. Skopje – A total of 400,235 people across North Macedonia have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by Wednesday, and 494,389 citizens have registered for vaccination via vakcinacija.mk, the Ministry of Health said on Thursday. Skopje – The opposition party VMRO-DPMNE submitted Thursday in Parliament a draft-resolution on defining the Macedonian state positions regarding the EU integration process and the blockades on its EU path. Skopje – When reviewing audit reports it is important that high level of unity between the different political parties exists, to be objective and it is irrelevant who is the holder of executive power or to which political party belongs, whether ruling or opposition parties, the approach in the management of audit reports should be uniform, objective, transparent with a high level of expertise in reading, understanding and deciding on audit reports by MPs, Parliament Speaker Talat Xhaferi said Thursday. Skopje – North Macedonia has joined the United Nations’ Blue Heart Campaign, which aims to raise awareness over the issues and suffering of human trafficking victims, Interior Minister Oliver Spasovski posted Thursday on Facebook. Skopje – Justice Minister Bojan Marichikj is paying a two-day working visit to Albania for a meeting with his Albanian counterpart Etilda Gjonaj. He is accompanied by Deputy Justice Minister Agim Nuhiu during the trip. Skopje – Ahead of the second ministerial meeting on employment and social affairs between EU and Western Balkans in Slovenia, Minister of Labor and Social Policy Jagoda Shahpaska posted on Facebook she has exchanged views with the European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, Nicolas Schmit, on the challenges facing the labor market after the COVID-19 pandemic. Skopje – The City of Skopje presented Thursday the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system in the capital, including two lines with corridors reserved only for ultra-eco buses – one starting from Gjorche Petrov and ending in Novi Lisiche (12,8km – 21 stops) and the other from Butel to Kisela Voda (10,4km – 20 stops). The project is worth about EUR 70 million, including the procurement of vehicles. Skopje – North Macedonia’s first national Strategy for Financial Education and Financial Inclusion 2021-2025 was promoted and adopted on Thursday. The document aims to ensure support and further development of financial education and inclusion, as well as establishment of appropriate education programs that will reduce the existing financial gaps among certain population groups. Skopje — The average family of four in North Macedonia needed 34,212 denars (EUR 555) to cover minimal living expenses in June 2021, according to the Federation of Trade Unions of Macedonia. Skopje — The Municipality of Ilinden’s 22nd Ilinden Literary Festival started with a book launch for “International Reviews of Koneski’s Work,” edited by Paskal Gilevski and Rade Siljan, and for Rade Siljan’s ten-volume “Selected Works” at the Ilinden Culture Center on Thursday. Athens – North Macedonia and Greece will sign the agreement over the natural gas interconnection between the two countries on Friday, MIA reports from Athens. Athens – The EU will never accept a two-state solution for the divided island of Cyprus, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday. Sofia – The Sixth annual Summit of the Three Seas Initiative is taking place in Sofia on Thursday and Friday. The event is accompanied by a business forum, to be attended by over 400 Bulgarian and foreign business executives. Moscow – The regime of authoritarian Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has carried out more raids on independent media outlets. Brussels – The European Commission fined BMW and Volkswagen 875 million euros (1 billion dollars) on Thursday for colluding on the development of emissions-cleaning technology for diesel cars. Brussels – Luxembourg‘s Prime Minister Xavier Bettel left hospital on Thursday after four days of treatment for Covid-19. Rome – The UN‘s World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that millions of people could go short of nutrient-rich meals because of rising food prices. Johannesburg – Only 1.19 per cent of Africa‘s population has been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, a paltry number that is worrying experts as the continent experiences a third wave of cases.