Sports & Youth: Greece beat North Macedonia 73-42 in the FIBA U18 Women’s EuroBasket Division B, taking control early and staying dominant to extend an unbeaten start. Local Sports & Europe: Hearts and Hibs’ possible European play-off opponents were outlined, with Shkendija mentioned as a potential hurdle for Hibs in the Conference League. Skopje Events: The Skopje Junior European Cup 2026 is set for August 8–9, bringing 346 athletes from 34 countries to compete in judo weight categories. Business & Payments: Israeli fintech Nayax launched its cashless payment services in North Macedonia, expanding card acceptance for unattended retail like vending, parking and self-service kiosks. Culture & Film: Ohrid hosted the 9th Beach Film Festival, where Broken Voices / Sbormistr won Best Film and Macedonian student Tilting at Windmills took the Small Wave – Student Award. Diplomacy & Infrastructure: Serbia’s PM Djuro Macut met North Macedonia’s PM Hristijan Mickoski in Ohrid, focusing on transport, energy connectivity, agriculture and tourism, including railway plans. EU-Region Transport: Bulgaria and North Macedonia held the first joint committee meeting for a cross-border railway tunnel under Corridor 8, setting rules and a preliminary timetable. Travel Value: Skopje ranked among Europe’s cheapest destinations for a three-star hotel stay and for a cheap pint, reinforcing its “budget-friendly” appeal.