Scam call centres, Macedonian Railways locomotives, a bail for the Lottery boss, an interpellation for Stoilković

The scam call centres were uncovered by a German prosecutor

Seven arrests, searches at 17 locations and more than 100 servers seized - that is the tally of the operation against an online investment-fraud network with over four million euros in damage and victims in at least 50 countries. According to Europol, some of the call centres that phoned the victims operated from Macedonia, Albania and Kosovo. The investigation was opened by a complaint from a German couple back in 2022 and led by the prosecutor's office in Itzehoe. The Interior Ministry called its participation "yet another confirmation of our active contribution", but it isn't saying how many of the arrested are from Macedonia, or how long offices with staff, phone lines and salaries were running here.

Railways: nine locomotives and 119 million euros on paper

The State Audit Office opened the books of ŽRSM Transport for 2024. Of 62 locomotives, nine run. Of 47 passenger carriages, two are in regular service, and of 1,382 freight wagons more than a thousand aren't allowed on the tracks. For years the balance sheet has carried goodwill of around 119 million euros, almost 79 percent of the reported assets, which the auditors say has no basis at all. The company has posted a loss every single year from 2014 to 2024. Management says the findings are "long-standing and systemic in nature". True - and that is exactly why the question of who was in charge all this time doesn't expire.

A million-euro bail, and a Škoda in the asset declaration

The former director of the State Lottery, Perparim Bajrami, walks out of detention on a bail guarantee in real estate worth 1,140,781 euros, before the legal deadline runs out on 8 November. In his asset declaration he listed an inherited house registered to his parents, a Škoda and a 10,000-euro loan. Whose property backs the guarantee, the court's statement doesn't say. That proves nothing on its own, and the accused is innocent until the court says otherwise. But it is reason enough for the Anti-Corruption Commission to open the file.

The sheep vaccines arrived, the food agency director left

On the evening of 3 November, 400,000 doses of vaccine against sheep and goat pox landed at Skopje airport, a donation from the European Union. A few hours later Oliver Milanov, director of the Food and Veterinary Agency, resigned - and it was a party, the Socialist Party of Macedonia, that publicly confirmed the change, thanking him for representing the party with dignity. The new director, Jovica Andovski, was welcomed as "an example of a loyal and honest party member". More than 10,000 head of livestock have been destroyed, and on why the director is leaving right in the middle of an epidemic - not a word.

Alta Banka: 10,000 denars a week of your own money

Since the National Bank imposed temporary administration, Alta Banka customers can withdraw or spend no more than 10,000 denars a week. The branches are closed, cards have been swallowed by ATMs, and more than 5,000 people on social assistance are waiting for a counter to open. Deposits are insured up to 30,000 euros, but access to them, for now, is not. The opposition SDSM has also announced an interpellation against central bank governor Trajko Slaveski over what happened at the bank.

An interpellation for Stoilković, the majority stays silent

SDSM and its coalition filed an interpellation against Local Self-Government Minister Ivan Stoilković: glorifying Ratko Mladić, convicted of genocide, alleged ties to Serbian intelligence structures, and insults and threats against MPs. The minister says MPs will hear his answer in parliament, DUI will first discuss it within the party, and the ruling VMRO-DPMNE is keeping quiet for now. A minister in a NATO member state and content glorifying a man convicted of genocide - the majority will have to answer that with a vote.

Apples sent back from Bulgaria, the pesticides unnamed

In five days, Bulgaria's food safety agency sent back two shipments of Macedonian apples, 40.4 tonnes in total - one with a pesticide banned in the EU, the other with residues above the permitted limit. Farmers on social media are calling it politics, but Bulgaria applies EU rules, which apply equally to Polish and Italian apples. What exactly was found and who is behind the shipments hasn't been published. And if the apples aren't fit for the EU, are they fit for our tables?

Water "until repaired", accessibility without an answer

Part of Skopje's Bunjakovec neighbourhood and the Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi primary school are without water from 8:30 today, and the water utility marked the end of the outage as "until the repair of the fault is completed" - no time, no estimate. In Veles, meanwhile, only 20 of 80 institutions answered whether a wheelchair user, a blind or a deaf person can get in and get things done on their own. Of those that did answer, 57 percent have no lift, and not one offers information in Braille.

America punished those in power at the ballot box

The Democrats won both houses of Congress in the midterm elections of Trump's term, and Elon Musk's 168-million-dollar campaign in Texas didn't stop Democrat James Talarico from taking the Senate seat. Trump replied that he wasn't on the ballot and announced he would govern by veto: "I have ultimate power."

Hackers heated up freezers across Europe

In more than 115 shops across at least six European countries, someone remotely raised the temperature in the freezers to 50 degrees, and the attackers didn't ask for a single cent. The meat went in the bin, the fridges stand empty. How well protected are the cooling systems in shops across the Balkans?

Handball: Macedonia sets off for EURO 2028

Tonight at 19:00 in the Boris Trajkovski hall, the men's national team opens EHF EURO 2028 qualifying against Luxembourg, with six wins from six matches against this opponent, and the goal is a ninth European Championship in a row. In the domestic derby, Vardar beat Pelister 31:23 in front of packed stands at Jane Sandanski.

The heavier part of the day reads as a single line: a German prosecutor found out about the call centres, the auditor about the railways, a party statement about the change at the food agency. The institutions that should have known first were the last to answer today - if they answered at all.