28 January 2022 Skopje – North Macedonia registered 1,908 new COVID-19 infections after 5,834 tests were conducted in the past 24 hours, as well as 22 deaths and 1,129 recoveries, the Health Ministry said on Friday. Skopje — Macedonian skiers Ana Cvetanovska, Dardan Dehari, and Stavre Jada will take part in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, North Macedonia’s Olympic Committee announced. Skopje – No one is negotiating the identity,  language and other identity-related characteristics, Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani stressed while addressing the Foreign Affairs Committee in Parliament about the course of the negotiations and ongoing relations between North Macedonia and Bulgaria. Skopje – The issue involving the agreements with Bulgaria, which are crucial for the citizens, to be conditioned with a daily politics issue, such as early elections, lacks seriousness, Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani said Friday. Whoever tries to tie a strategic interest with a partisan interest, they would lose, he noted. “The citizens will identify it and punish it, I’m sure of it.” Skopje – President Stevo Pendarovski met Friday with representatives of OMO Ilinden and several other civil society organizations from the Republic of Bulgaria, discussing their activities in the fields of human rights, promotion of tolerance and building a civil society. Skopje – North Macedonia’s Government at a session on Friday decided to extend until Feb. 28, 2022, the price freeze of basic food products, including bread, sugar, flour – type 400, sunflower oil, milk containing 2.8, 3.2 and 3.5 percent of fat, fresh meat and delicacies, cheese, cottage cheese, rice, eggs, and pasta. Skopje – North Macedonia’s Government at its Friday’s session adopted the 2022-2024 Economic Reform Programme, which identifies key challenges to strengthen competitiveness and growth of the economy. Skopje – Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski met Friday with Greek Ambassador to North Macedonia Roussos Koundouros. Ambassador Koundouros conveyed Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis as well as Greece’s strong and unequivocal support for start of North Macedonia’s EU accession negotiations as soon as possible. Skopje – Health Minister Bekim Sali said Friday there was no need further restrictions to be introduced in the country so as to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Skopje – The second semester in schools will begin with in-person attendance because the epidemiological situation allows for this, said Health Minister Bekim Sali on Friday, adding that the Ministry would conduct a random screening of pupils. Skopje – Health Minister Bekim Sali received Friday the “Pfizer” booster shot at a vaccination site within the Skopje-based Faculty of Economics, part of the joint campaign of students from the faculties of medicine, dental medicine and pharmaceutical sciences. Skopje – Minister of Labor and Social Policy Jovanka Trenchevska met Friday with Gabriela Kulebanova, vice president of the Macedonian Chambers of Commerce (SSK), for talks on current cooperation, challenges facing the economy amid the pandemic and the impact of the economic and energy crisis on the sustainability of the businesses and workers. Skopje – A commemoration in honor of Macedonian conductor and composer Aleksandar Dzambazov, who died on January 25 aged 85, was held Friday in Skopje, where his song “Skopje Rhapsody” was played that replaced the traditional moment of silence. Skopje — Fatmir Limani, former deputy director of North Macedonia’s Power Plants (ESM), has joined the Besa Movement, the party’s leader and current Tetovo Mayor Bilal Kasami told a news conference Friday. Kumanovo – EU Ambassador David Geer visited Friday Kumanovo, as part of his municipal visits, where he met with Kumanovo Mayor Maksim Dimitrievski to discuss protection of the environment and EU-funded projects implemented in the city in the northern part of the country. Sofia – Preparations are under way for Bulgaria and North Macedonia on February 4 to mark together the 150^th birth anniversary of Goce Delchev, Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov announced Friday in Parliament. Sofia – Deputy chair of the Bulgaria’s National Assembly and Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) deputy leader Kristian Vigenin addressed Friday the lawmakers of the Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB), noting that the BSP, when it was in opposition, had never allowed to be attacked on the issue of North Macedonia, MIA’s Sofia correspondent reported. Moscow – Russian President Vladimir Putin has reiterated his country’s demands for binding security guarantees in Europe during a phone call with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, the Kremlin announced on Friday. Moscow – Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has said he considers a war in Europe to be possible, but only if Belarus or Russia are subjected to military aggression. London – Daniil Medvedev overcame a mid-match meltdown to defeat Stefanos Tsitsipas and set up an Australian Open final clash with Rafael Nadal.