Thousands of people marched in Bucharest, Romania, demanding higher wages, lower taxes, and action against inflation as the government implements austerity measures to curb a budget deficit exceeding 9% in 2024, one of the EU’s highest.

The protest, organized by the National Trade Union Bloc, opposed tax hikes, wage and pension freezes, and public sector job cuts. Unions accused the government of “impoverishing the population,” while officials aim to reduce the deficit to 8.4% in 2025 under EU commitments.

Political analyst Cristian Andrei warned that the government’s slow reforms and loss of public trust make balancing the budget difficult, saying ordinary citizens “are the ones struggling, not those at the top.”

Thousands of Turks are traveling to Greece, especially Alexandroupolis, to shop for groceries and essentials that cost up to two-thirds less than in Turkey. With food inflation still high and the lira strengthening, cross-border shopping trips have surged — 6% of all Turks traveling abroad in 2025 did so mainly to shop, the highest share in over a decade.

Items like meat, cheese, and chocolate are significantly cheaper in Greek supermarkets such as Lidl, while Turkish prices have soared despite government efforts to cool inflation. Since Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek adopted orthodox policies in 2023, the lira’s real value rose and food inflation slowed to 35% from 54%, but overall grocery costs remain burdensome — up 144% since he took office.

Travel agencies now run €50 day trips from Istanbul and other cities, offering several hours of shopping followed by local dining. Critics, including opposition leader Ozgur Ozel, blame President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s policies for forcing citizens to “shop abroad to fill their cupboards.”

Despite long border queues, many Turks say the savings and quality make the trips worth it.

Experts and rights groups warn that Montenegro’s response to online speech is inconsistent and politically selective, leaving citizens uncertain about the limits of free expression.

Recent cases — including police questioning of journalist Vesna Rajković Nenadić over a satirical Instagram comment and charges against columnist Brano Mandić for mocking a professor — were dropped after public backlash but exposed arbitrary enforcement.

While the constitution protects free speech, laws against hate and incitement are vague online, and institutions often lack expertise to apply them fairly. Authorities react strongly to criticism of officials but are slow or ineffective in addressing genuine hate speech or online threats.

Between 2020 and May 2025, there were 637 reported social media-related offences, mostly misdemeanors. Cases range from inciting hatred to insulting officials, with enforcement varying widely by municipality.

Albania has become the 64th nation to join the Israel Allies Foundation, launching its own Israel Allies Caucus in parliament in Tirana.

The cross-party group — chaired by Romina Kuko of the Socialist Party and Gazment Bardhi of the Democratic Party — aims to promote faith-based diplomacy and strengthen Albania–Israel relations.

Both leaders emphasized the initiative’s symbolism, reflecting Albania’s historic protection of Jews during World War II and its ongoing support for Israel in international forums.

Josh Reinstein, president of the Israel Allies Foundation, praised Albania’s moral legacy, saying its membership reinforces global unity around shared biblical values “at a moment when standing with Israel is more important than ever.”

Kosovo’s Special Prosecution has charged Rozeta Hajdari, acting Minister of Industry, Entrepreneurship, and Trade, with abuse of office and disclosing state secrets over the alleged misuse of €2 million in state reserves in 2022.

The indictment claims Hajdari and ministry officials bypassed public procurement laws by classifying purchases of wheat, oil, and sugar as “state secrets” to avoid competition.

Two officials, Irfan Lipovica and Hafiz Gara, and businessman Ridvan Muharremi are co-defendants, accused of illegally negotiating and mediating contracts with Turkish and Polish suppliers.

The prosecution argues the “state secret” classification was unlawful. It has also summoned Prime Minister Albin Kurti to testify, though he has twice ignored the summons, accusing prosecutors of bias.

Hajdari’s allies, including former Justice Minister Albulena Haxhiu, call the case politically motivated, while opposition MPs from the PDK and LDK claim Kurti himself directed the decisions, portraying Hajdari as merely following his orders.

Somali Orthodox Christians, Saudi Arabian Wahhabists and Ghanaian Catholics rejoice at the recent poll indicating that they are welcome in all corners of the Balkans.

Multiculturalism wins once again!

#BREAKING | Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić says "war between Europe and Russia is becoming increasingly inevitable — Everyone is preparing for it".

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—Congrats, that was the weirdest story I saw in Big 2025.

She got sentenced 11 years in the UK prison system. The current stash of crypto she stole from 128k people in China is worth approximately $7.3billion.

No one knows what the UK government is going to do with the crypto.

“I had never seen a rabbi before,” Vladimira recalled. “It felt like time stopped. I desperately wanted to go talk to him. I wanted to tell him that I was a Jew too. But I was too afraid.”

https://www.chabad.org/news/article_cdo/aid/7113897/jewish/A-New-Chapter-for-Croatias-Jews.htm

Rio Tinto will mothball its $2.4 billion Jadar lithium project in Serbia.

Despite its potential significance, the project has faced heavy community opposition.

Researchers have confirmed that remains found in a Dominican monastery on Budapest’s Margaret Island belong to Béla, Duke of Macsó (c.1245–1272), a descendant of Hungary’s Árpád and the Rurik dynasties.

Excavated in 1915, the bones showed 26 sword wounds suggesting a violent, coordinated assassination. Long thought lost, the remains were rediscovered in museum collections in 2018.

Genetic testing verified Béla’s royal lineage, linking him to King Béla III and the Rurikid line of Kievan Rus. Radiocarbon and isotopic analyses showed a high-protein diet and childhood spent near modern-day Croatia or Serbia.

Forensic reconstruction confirmed Béla faced multiple attackers wielding sabres and longswords, consistent with historical accounts of his 1272 murder by political rivals. The findings, published in Forensic Science International: Genetics, solve a 700-year-old historical mystery.

Montenegro’s parliament has voted to join NATO’s Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine (NSATU) initiative. The measure passed with 44 votes in favor, five against, and two abstentions.

Under the plan, Montenegrin personnel will train Ukrainian forces only within NATO countries. Defense Minister Dragan Krapović said the move fulfills commitments made at the 2024 NATO Summit in Washington.

Some coalition members, including the Democratic People’s Party, opposed the decision, warning it could strain relations with Russia.

NSATU is one of two Ukraine-related missions Montenegro plans to join, alongside an EU-led initiative.

Lirie Delishi, 25, a mother of three, has become the first woman extradited from Britain to Albania after losing her appeal to remain in the UK. She faces a four-month prison sentence for using a fake Romanian passport in 2019.

Judge John Zani ruled that Britain must not be seen as a “safe haven” for fugitives, rejecting Delishi’s claim that extradition would violate her right to family life under the ECHR.

Delishi, who studied computer engineering and lives in the UK with her partner Edmond and their children, argued that her imprisonment would devastate her family.

She is expected to serve her sentence with her newborn at Pojska women’s prison in western Albania, pending appeal.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni reaffirmed plans to transfer migrants and asylum seekers to Italian-run detention centres in Albania, defying rulings from Italian courts and the EU’s top court.

Under a 2024 deal, Albania agreed to host up to 3,000 migrants at a time in two centres near Shëngjin, where Italy would process asylum claims under its own laws. The plan could handle up to 36,000 people annually.

Rights groups have condemned the scheme as “illegal” and “dehumanising,” and repeated court rulings have blocked deportations, leaving the facilities empty for months.

The European Court of Justice ruled in August that Italy’s list of “safe countries,” including Egypt and Bangladesh, failed to meet EU standards. Despite this, Meloni insists the project will continue, calling it essential to control migration.

After the fatal stabbing of Aleš Šutar in Novo Mesto by a suspected Roma man, Slovenia passed the “Šutar Act”, expanding police powers to search homes and cars without warrants, increase surveillance, and reintroduce automatic number-plate recognition.

Critics say the law unfairly targets the Roma community, but Prime Minister Robert Golob insists it combats “crime, not ethnicity.” Roma leaders and rights advocates warn it risks collective punishment, while officials admit Roma integration remains limited despite years of recommendations.