Slitherine

I was under the impression that the weird objective issue was fixed?

I now find that every single objective I'm given is too far away to reach unless I intend to create a death stack and rampage directly through all intervening areas...

Example:

Playing as Macedonia I own by turn 50: Creta - Rhodus, Graecia, Epirus provinces but now I'm being given objectives in India, Persia, North West Africa and southern Egypt.

Is it because perhaps that to foster good relations with my bigger nastier neighbours I'm perfectly happy to relinquish closer objectives to maintain the peace?

That's rather weird because the objective should be in a nation neighboring you (with some sea in between). Don't you have by chance received a region far from your main turf?

no, it would show up on my regular cycling thru my provinces routine

I have a similar situation. As Rome, my objectives include Caledonia (owned by Picts et Caledonii), Brigantia, and Germania (both owned by Brigantes). My borders are nowhere near either of these nations.