EU Accession Watch: North Macedonia’s opposition SDSM says PM Hristijan Mickoski’s private Brussels visit could signal an EU negotiating breakthrough, pointing to the “French proposal” that would include Bulgarians in North Macedonia’s Constitution. State Budget Politics: North Macedonia parties received nearly €9 million from the state budget for regular operations in 2026, with VMRO-DPMNE taking a record €2.5 million and SDSM’s funding falling about 40% to around €1 million. Public Safety: The Crisis Management Center issued a code red warning for very high fire risk across eastern, central and southern regions, citing worsening conditions and 25 wildfires in the past 24 hours. Health Alerts: West Nile virus continues to spread in Europe, with North Macedonia listed among affected countries as Greece records the highest numbers. Business & Services: iuteGroup expanded its Myiute app with iuteMarket, an integrated shopping service available in Albania and North Macedonia. Sports (Local Interest): Shkendija host Hibs in the Conference League second leg in Skopje on Aug. 13, with Hibs carrying a 2-1 aggregate advantage.