Balkan Spectator
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Fitch Ratings suggests Hungary's fiscal deficit target is likely to be exceeded, contrary to the government's plans, due to factors like high interest costs, weak growth, and increased spending.

While the government has raised its target for 2025, Fitch's own forecasts indicate a wider deficit, and other agencies like S&P Global have also noted fiscal pressures. This situation, combined with other fiscal pressures, could impact Hungary's credit rating.
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Forwarded from Eurointel+
🇮🇱 🇦🇱 Israeli Elbit Systems will supply Albania with ATMOS howitzers, SPEAR mortars, and Magni-X/Thor drones, and will help Albania build its own defense industry.
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Why do people oppose the lithium mine project in Serbia?

Water Contamination: The mining process uses toxic chemicals like sulfuric acid, risking groundwater contamination and pollution of nearby rivers, which could harm drinking water and agriculture.

Soil Degradation: Toxic mining waste (tailings) could seep into the soil, degrading farmland and causing erosion, while land clearing would destroy fertile agricultural areas.

Air Pollution: Dust from mining and emissions from machinery could degrade air quality, harming both health and the environment.

Biodiversity Loss: Habitat destruction from land clearing and disruptions to local ecosystems could threaten wildlife in the Jadar Valley.

Health Impacts: Local communities may suffer from respiratory diseases, waterborne illnesses, and displacement due to the mine's expansion.

Long-Term Environmental Damage: Even after the mine’s closure, risks like acid mine drainage, groundwater contamination, and ecosystem degradation could persist for years, potentially making the region less viable for agriculture or habitation.

We know these are realistic concerns because they have already occurred at existing lithium mines in Bolivia, Argentina, Chile, Australia and China.

The Jadar Valley is the agricultural hub of Serbia producing wheat, corn, fruits and vegetables that are staples to the Serbian population. It's in this valley that the lithium deposit sits and why it's such a controversial topic.
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A monumental 3,200-year-old Bronze Age fortress has been discovered atop Papuk Mountain in northeastern Croatia, at 611 meters above sea level. Excavations led by Professor Hrvoje Potrebica from the University of Zagreb revealed a sophisticated defensive system with three layers: tamped earth, stone block walls, and compacted soil.

An inner wall, built with dry-stone masonry, was found within the outer fortification, suggesting advanced engineering and social organization.

The site, spanning four hectares, is larger than typical hillforts, indicating a planned settlement with possible political and social significance. Pottery fragments date the fortress to the Late Bronze Age (1200–1000 BCE), challenging previous assumptions that the site belonged to the Celtic La Tène period.

This discovery rewrites the region’s history, showing a highly organized Bronze Age society predating Celtic influence. The use of stone for fortifications is rare in prehistoric Balkans, emphasizing the strategic importance of the site. The Gradina fortress offers new insights into the social, defensive, and cultural dynamics of southeastern Europe during the Bronze Age.
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A massive fire destroyed the Vjesnik tower, a landmark skyscraper in downtown Zagreb, Croatia, on November 17, 2025. The blaze started near the top of the 16-story building and spread rapidly, causing severe damage but no casualties. The building, largely empty at the time, was gutted by the fire, which reportedly spread through ventilation shafts. Around 100 firefighters struggled to control the flames, which were eventually extinguished by midday. Zagreb's mayor, Tomislav Tomasevic, confirmed the extensive damage and expressed hope for a speedy renovation of the prominent structure.
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—🇹🇷 WATCH: Turkey’s regional clout surges as Ankara cements alliances across Somalia, Sudan, Djibouti, and Libya, Israeli media reports.

➡️ A landmark security pact with Somalia now places Turkish forces on the ground, extending Ankara’s operational reach from the Mediterranean deep into Africa.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English
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Newly passed bill in the US on releasing the Epstein files has a standard "AG can retract" passage of wording.

Pam Bondi is the AG and we know what she did with the first "release".
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How Russia will attack Europe.

Russian citizens will be able to control the AI tanks from the comfort of their homes deep inside Russian territory using only their PS5 and/or PC.

Iran and North Korea will attempt to clone Sadam Hussein using his DNA left behind in his hiding hole.
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Forwarded from The Global Eye
#BREAKING | Greece and Germany Advance Plans for Migrant 'Return Hubs' in Safe African Countries

Greece and Germany are collaborating on an EU-backed initiative to establish "return hubs" in secure African nations for irregular migrants who cannot be repatriated to their countries of origin, Greek Migration Minister Thanos Plevris announced today.

The Global Eye | Subscribe
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—🇷🇴/🇪🇺 NEW: Romania has been selected to host a European AI Center, with Minister Radu Miruță announcing the country’s transition “from ambition to infrastructure” as it aims to become a creator—not just a user—of advanced technology.

➡️ Other countries were also chosen for the new initiative.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English
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—🛢🇷🇴❌🇷🇺 NEW: Romania’s Energy Ministry reaffirmed it will strictly enforce sanctions against Russian oil giant Lukoil, refusing to prolong any US-imposed deadline past November 21.

➡️ Bucharest is pushing for a rapid transfer of Lukoil’s local operations to comply with EU and US measures, stressing there will be no exceptions or return to Russian crude imports.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English
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—🇹🇷/🇷🇴 NEW: Turkish President Recep Erdoğan will make an official visit to Romania in early 2026, highlighting efforts to strengthen bilateral relations and regional cooperation.

➡️ Turkey remains Romania’s primary regional ally and was among the first to support Romania’s NATO accession.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English
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Forwarded from /CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global (Dieter von Steiglitz)
🇮🇱🤝🇺🇸 In a normal world, this should be an immense scandal in Europe.

Le Monde has a long article describing the hellish life of Nicolas Guillou, a French judge at the ICC in The Hague, due to U.S. sanctions punishing him for authorizing arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant for war crimes in Gaza.

Guillou's daily existence has been transformed into a Kafkaesque nightmare. He cannot: open or maintain accounts with Google, Amazon, Apple, or any US company; make hotel reservations (Expedia canceled his booking in France hours after he made it); conduct online commerce, since he can't know if the packaging is American; use any major credit card (Visa, Mastercard, Amex are all American); access normal banking services, even with non-American banks, as banks worldwide close sanctioned accounts; conduct virtually any financial transaction.

He describes it as being "economically banned across most of the planet," including in his own country, France, and where he works, the Netherlands.

That's the real shocking aspect of this: the Americans are:
- punishing a European citizen
- for doing his job in Europe
- applying laws Europe officially supports
- at an institution based in Europe
- that Europe helped create and fund

and Europe is not only doing essentially nothing to protect him, they're actively enforcing America's sanctions against their own citizen - European banks closing his accounts, European companies refusing him service, European institutions standing by while Washington destroys a European judge's life on European soil.

Again, in a normal world, European leaders and citizens should be absolutely outraged about this. But we've so normalized the hollowing out of European sovereignty that the sight of a European citizen being economically executed on European soil for upholding European law is treated, at best, as an unfortunate technical complication in transatlantic relations.

🔗 Arnaud Bertrand
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—❗️🗳🇽🇰 BREAKING: Kosovo President has called snap parliamentary elections for December 28 after Vetëvendosje! leader Albin Kurti failed to secure a governing majority.

➡️ Political infighting and disagreements over foreign policy triggered the collapse of Kurti’s coalition.

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Forwarded from Eurointel+
🇷🇸 - Serbian president Vucic claims that Europe is preparing for a military conflict with Russia.
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Forwarded from The Bosnian Kingdom
Will get back to regular posting soon, busy with bureaucracy.

Ajvar, kajmak, jogurt, luk
Na stolu, pravi je gurmanski huk!
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Forwarded from Eurointel+
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🇹🇷 - Video of an octopus attacking a diver in Turkey goes viral.
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Eurointel+
🇹🇷 - Video of an octopus attacking a diver in Turkey goes viral.
Cowards, asking for a knife.

If an octopus clings on you, you should NOT yank at it.

Water helps reduce the suction power (a little) it has. Grab it's legs where it's skinny and pull them back. If you can't do it, ask someone else to do it.

Another method is to give the octopus something else. Sleight of hand trick. Slide an object under it and move its attention.
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