5 October 2021 (MIA) Skopje – The expertise report regarding the fire at the Tetovo modular hospital on September 8, drafted by the Ministry of Interior’s Forensics Department, has been delivered to the Tetovo Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office. The expertise has established the existence of traces of an electrical short-circuit in the materials taken from the site of the fire, and traces that are significant in determining the cause for the modular hospital fire that claimed 14 lives, said the Public Prosecutor’s Office of North Macedonia (PPO) on Tuesday. Skopje — Of the 3,337 people tested for the coronavirus over the past 24 hours, 399 received a positive result, the Ministry of Health said in a press release Tuesday. Skopje – A total of 791,141 people have been vaccinated by October 4,, with 737,979 fully vaccinated, and 425 received a third booster dose, the Ministry of Health (MoH) said on Tuesday. Skopje – United States President Joseph Biden spoke Monday with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, stressing that the accession process should continue with countries of the Western Balkans, including North Macedonia, said U.S. Ambassador Kate Mary Byrnes on Tuesday. Washington – US President Joe Biden spoke on Monday with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, emphasizing the importance of leveling the playing field in the international tax system, the White House said in a press release. Athens – North Macedonia’s President Stevo Pendarovski is paying a two-day official visit to Greece on Tuesday and Wednesday, which is a first historic visit organized at high level by the two countries, MIA’s Athens correspondent reports. Athens – President of North Macedonia Stevo Pendarovski arrived in Athens on Tuesday morning for a two-day official visit to Greece, which is a first historic visit organized at high level by the two countries. Athens – The Prespa Agreement, its full and consistent implementation, possibilities to deepen bilateral cooperation were in the focus of a meeting between North Macedonia’s President Stevo Pendarovski and Greece’s President Katerina Sakellaropoulou at the presidential palace in Athens.   Skopje – Our ultimate goal is to provide jobs for all young people, so they are motivated to open their business here, and things are already moving in that direction. I believe we will be an excellent example in the region regarding startups, innovations and technology development, said Prime Minister Zoran Zaev on Tuesday. Skopje – Startups are the future of our economy and we can position our country as a regional hub through joint activities. The Government, ministries and institutions will provide real and specific support, and will undertake measures and steps to put in practice the measures on paper, towards easier creation of policies and strategies for development of the Macedonian start-up eco-system, said Prime Minister Zoran Zaev on Tuesday. Skopje — Slovenia will host a summit of heads of state and government of the EU member states and Western Balkan partners at Brdo near Kranj on Oct. 6, following an informal dinner of members of the European Council this evening hosted by the Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša, according to an announcement by the Slovenian Presidency of the EU. Skopje – The Brdo summit will not decide on anything, I am always an optimist but we also have to be realistic. We cannot expect the first intergovernmental conference or opening of chapters from this meeting, but clear messages from the EU over the Western Balkans’ integration in the Union, something that all regional states urgently need, said Prime Minister Zoran Zaev on Tuesday, ahead of tomorrow’s EU-Western Balkans Summit in Slovenia. Brussels – Enlargement Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi favors Serbia’s EU bid and plays down democracy concerns. Critics also accuse Várhelyi of not acting as an honest broker in the Skopje-Sofia dispute and unlocking of membership talks, Politico reports as EU leaders prepare to meet their Western Balkan counterparts in Slovenia on Wednesday. Athens – I was reassured at the meetings that the Prespa Agreement would be respected, irrespective of the positions by some in the years before, that it is valid and that they want its full implementation, President Stevo Pendarovski told Macedonian media outlets after meetings with Greek top officials, MIA reports from Athens. Athens – We are probably the most prepared candidate in the history of the European Union. We need and deserve a real opportunity to start accession negotiations, and we are relying on you, on your support, as always, said President Stevo Pendarovski at Tuesday’s meeting with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, MIA reports from Athens. Sofia — Bulgaria’s President Rumen Radev will represent Bulgaria at the European Union-Western Balkans summit on Oct. 6 in Brdo pri Kranju, Slovenia, said the Presidential Press Secretariat. Skopje – The future of the EU and the Western Balkans are inevitably linked, therefore challenges such as the pandemic must be overcome through a common and unified approach, Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani told Tuesday the Warsaw Security Forum’s roundtable on “The EU – a Reliable Partner for Western Balkans? Lessons Learnt from the Global Pandemic.” Skopje – Ahead of Wednesday’s EU – Western Balkans Summit, North Macedonia’s Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani met with his Finnish counterpart Pekka Haavisto in Warsaw on Tuesday, exchanging views and expectations in terms of the role and revitalization of the EU enlargement policy. Skopje – If necessary, we will use mechanisms in place to prevent price hikes, said Economy Minister Kreshnik Bekteshi on Tuesday regarding yesterday’s warning by the food processing industry that prices are set to increase sharply. Kriva Palanka – French Ambassador Cyrille Baumgartner. has presented Elena Nikolovska, French language teacher at the Kriva Palanka primary school, with Ordre des Palmes académiques (Order of Academic Palms), a national order bestowed by the French Republic on distinguished academics and teachers and for valuable service to universities, education and science. Skopje – Education Minister Mila Carovska extended greetings on the World Teachers’ Day, celebrated annually on Oct. 5, to the teachers thanking for their commitment and hard work during these difficult times over the past year and a half. Stockholm – Three scientists – Syukuro Manabe, Klaus Hasselmann and Giorgio Parisi – have won the 2021 Nobel Prize in Physics for their work on climate modelling and complex physical systems, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced on Tuesday. Luxembourg – Spain, France and Greece called on Monday for an EU-level response to address rapidly burgeoning energy prices, warning of the need to keep citizens on board with the transition from fossil fuel dependency to more renewable energy. Skopje – Following the launch of two new direct flights of the Russia’s Nordwind Airlines from Moscow and St. Petersburg to Skopje, 11 Russian tour operators accompanied by Nordwind representative are paying a visit to North Macedonia. Skopje – The fifth edition of the Media Festival Skopje (MFS) kicks off on Tuesday evening with a discussion dedicated to this year’s theme “Women in Media.” New York – Six hours after Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp — three of the most-used apps in the world — went down Monday, their services slowly began coming back online for a few users. Berlin – Kylian Mbappe has revealed he asked to leave Paris Saint-Germain in July amid interest from Real Madrid as he wanted the Ligue 1 side to receive a transfer fee.