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.

UEFA WC Qualifiers

Live (1st Half):

🇦🇩 Andorra 0–0 🇦🇱 Albania (29’)
🏴 England 0–0 🇷🇸 Serbia (28’)
🇲🇩 Moldova 0–0 🇮🇹 Italy (28’)

Final Scores:

🇦🇲 Armenia 0–1 🇭🇺 Hungary

FT Results:

🇦🇲 Armenia 0–1 Hungary 🇭🇺
🇦🇩 Andorra 0–1 Albania 🇦🇱
🏴 England 2–0 Serbia 🇷🇸
🇲🇩 Moldova 0–2 Italy 🇮🇹

—I would spend hours studying these maps.

Balkan history is amazing!

Chinese control of Greece’s Piraeus Port—Europe’s fourth-largest—is expected to come under renewed scrutiny after Athens said it is in discussions with the United States about new investments in its maritime infrastructure.

Serbia will sign a contract with France's Alstom by December 15 for the construction of the first line of the planned Belgrade metro system.

Croatia has proposed major changes to its Foreigners Act and its asylum legislation to align with new EU rules on migration and single permits.

Foreigners Act – Key Points

Longer valid status during unemployment; easier employer changes after 6 months.

Permit processing extended to 90 days.

Up to 7-day detailed border checks under new EU Entry/Exit rules.

Mandatory Croatian A1.1 language exam after one year of residence.

Student residence permits may last up to 3 years.

Residence and seasonal permits could last up to 3 years; seasonal work allowed up to 9 months.

Digital delivery of documents; previous permits remain valid.

Extensions can be denied to employers on a “blacklist.”

Asylum & Protection Act – Key Points

Designed to reduce secondary movements and improve EU-level Dublin procedures.

Clearer rules for reception conditions, including allowances and protection for vulnerable groups.

Easier access to healthcare, education, and work.

New rules on movement restrictions and detention to curb system abuse.
Extra safeguards for minors; stronger guardian roles.

Integration obligations (language courses, workshops) for protection beneficiaries; non-compliance may reduce certain social rights.

Mandatory language and cultural courses for asylum seekers in reception centres.

New controlled-movement centres and faster Dublin transfers.

EU-wide safe-country list and binding solidarity mechanism (relocation, funds, or operational support).

The Dublin system is an EU framework (Dublin III Regulation law) that decides which single member state is responsible for examining an asylum application—usually the country where the person first entered the EU. If someone applies in another state, they can be transferred (“Dublin transfer”) back to the responsible country.

Bulgaria’s state administration salary reached 3,088 leva (€1,580) in Q3 2025, up 417 leva from 2024. It ranks 5th among economic sectors, with the highest pay in IT/telecom, finance, energy, and scientific professions; and the lowest in hospitality, agriculture, and other services.

Across the first three quarters of 2025, public-sector wages rose 14.2%, outpacing the private sector’s 11.3%. The overall average salary for Q3 2025 was 2,549 leva (€1,320), slightly down (0.9%) from Q2. Year-on-year, wages grew 12%, with the strongest increases in administrative support, construction, and education.

Employment fell by 28,900 (-1.2%) from June to September 2025, mainly in hospitality, agriculture, and real estate. Compared to a year earlier, total employment rose by 30,100 (+1.3%), led by health and social work, construction, and trade, while manufacturing and agriculture recorded the biggest declines.