—🇬🇷 WATCH: Greek tennis player Maria Sakkari picked up a beetle from the court during a tournament and carried it to the fence, but a few seconds later it was squashed by a ball boy.

🔗 Visegrád 24

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🇲🇩🤝🇲🇩 A HotNews journalist talked with a young man from Transnistria asking him about life in the enclave:

Transnistria is pretty much hermetically sealed from Moldova and, through extension, Romania. Very little information about life and the politics of the enclave becomes available for audiences in Moldova and Romania, due to the Transnistria secret services, the MGB, who patrol the enclave's borders and prohibit every foreign journalist from entering the region.

Although this interview is anecdotical, as it presents the opinion of one individual, it remains valuable insight into the region:

🔸 The younger generations born in Transnistria hope for a reunification with Moldova as they see the Transnistrian War and the current separation as something their parents' generation drama

🔸 Living standards in Transnistria are up to 4 times lower than in Moldova, a country who regularly ranks as the poorest in Europe

🔸 The younger generations in Transnistria (15-35 year olds) travel regularly between Tiraspol/other cities in the enclave to Chișinău and elsewhere in Moldova for work and school

🔸 The young view the ”border” between Moldova and Transnistria as an inconvenience which hampers freedom of movement

🔸 A lot of Ukrainians, mostly military aged men, likely escaping the draft, took refuge and were welcomed by the Transnistria authorities who, likely, experienced labour shortages before the war

🔸 Transnistria accutely suffers from brain drain and a rapidly aging population as most young adults move out permanently either to Moldova or get a Romanian passport and go to Romania proper or elsewhere in the European Union. Few people choose Russia as an option

🔸 Transnistrians are afraid of being dragged into the Russo-Ukrainian war by other actors

In other words, Transnistria, all by itself, has no future, because the young people leave in droves for better opportunities abroad, meaning either Moldova or use the lax rules on Romanian citizenship to get a passport and move to the EU.

🔗 https://hotnews.ro/cum-vede-un-tanar-din-transnistria-viitorul-regiunii-unificarea-cu-moldova-unde-salariile-sunt-si-de-4-ori-mai-mari-1782757

—🇹🇷 NEW: The Turkish Foreign Ministry announced that the Balkans Peace Platform meeting, led by Türkiye to promote peace and stability in the region, will be held in Istanbul today.

Attendees include the foreign ministers of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, separatist Kosovo*, North Macedonia, and Serbia, with Albania’s deputy foreign minister also participating.

🔗 The National Independent

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—🇷🇸/🇷🇺 UPDATE: Serbia will not join anti-Russian sanctions as long as the current government remains in power, Prime Minister Đuro Macut stated.

🔗 The National Independent

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This is how we handle our morning exercise routine in Bulgaria.

🔗 една българка

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—🇷🇸/🇷🇺 UPDATE: President Vučić said there will be no sanctions against Russia and that Serbia’s principled policy will not change, responding to Minister Starović’s remark that Serbia could impose sanctions a few months before joining the EU.

🔗 The National Independent

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—🇪🇺/🇲🇩 NEW: The European Council approved the inclusion of the Republic of Moldova in the Roam Like at Home zone, starting January 1, 2026.

Moldovan citizens will be able to make calls, send SMS, and use mobile internet in the EU at the same tariffs as in Moldova, with no extra charges.

🔗 EU in the Republic of Moldova

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—🇲🇰 North Macedonia still far from 9% unemployment target

The North Macedonian government announced months ago its goal to reduce unemployment to 9% and hire over 16,000 young people, primarily under the age of 29. While the unemployment rate has dropped to 11.7% in the first quarter of 2025, the target remains unmet. Youth unemployment continues to hover around 25%.

Among the key measures is a plan to offer up to €100,000 to young couples who move to rural villages and work in agriculture for at least a decade. This program is still under public review, with no data available on actual implementation.

🔎 Unemployment is improving, but the real impact of these policies has yet to be clearly reflected in the numbers.

📰 Balkan Spectator Newsroom

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—🇷🇸/🇪🇺/🇽🇰 NEW: Ivica Dačić, Serbia’s Interior Minister, said today that the international community deceived Serbia when it signed the Brussels Agreement.

“We entered all those agreements in good faith solely to reach compromises that would benefit everyone in Kosovo and Metohija. In the end, Serbia fulfilled all its obligations, while the Pristina side boycotted the process from the very beginning — with open support from some countries,” Dačić concluded.

🔗 The National Independent

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—🇭🇷 WATCH: This Shield Vehicle From Croatia Is Absolutely Insane.

🔗 BosarTiger Fella ⚜️🔱

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—🇽🇰/🇷🇸 No forced evictions in Leposavić—for now

Back in May, 17 Serbian families in Lešak (near Leposavić, northern Kosovo\*) were ordered by local authorities to vacate their homes—houses they had built over the past 20 years. The eviction notices sparked outrage, with residents vowing to physically resist demolition.

But in a sudden shift, Kosovo’s Minister for Communities and Returns, Nenad Rašić, and the ethnic Albanian mayor of Leposavić, Lulzim Hetemi, reached an agreement: no forced evictions or demolitions will take place, and a long-term solution will be sought.

🔍 The incident highlights ongoing tensions in northern Kosovo\*, where ethnic Serbs have faced increasing pressure since 2022 through administrative takeovers and property disputes.

📰 Balkan Spectator Newsroom

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—❗🇽🇰/🇷🇸 BREAKING: The Kosovo* Security Forces (KSF) today entered northern Kosovo* for the first time, marking a serious breach of the Brussels Agreement.

The KSF convoy entered the Serb-majority north accompanied by NATO's KFOR troops.

🔗 The National Independent

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—✈️ 🇷🇸/🇲🇪 NEW: Serbia offered to double bid for Podgorica and Tivat airports, but Montenegro denied receiving the proposal.

Serbian Finance Minister Siniša Mali announced a doubled concession offer for Montenegro’s main airports, citing Belgrade’s Nikola Tesla Airport success—but Montenegro’s Transport Ministry denies any formal or informal offer was received.

📰 Balkan Spectator Newsroom

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—NOTE: Meanwhile, the tender process itself is under scrutiny:

🛑 Three commission members resigned, citing irregularities.
⚠️ The IFC (World Bank adviser) reportedly withdrew.
✈️ Current bidders: Incheon Int’l Airport Corp & Corporación América Airports.

📰 Balkan Spectator Newsroom

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—❗🇧🇬 URGENT: Fires broke out at nearly 100 spots across Bulgaria this week, burning forests and homes, especially near Pirin and Maleshevo.

States of emergency were declared and EU help requested, as CCTV shows some of the fires were set on purpose.

🔗 една българка

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