pan0wski

21 June 2025 – A major forest fire broke out early this morning in the area of Pisak, a coastal village situated between Omiš and Makarska on the Dalmatian coast.

The blaze is reported to have started in the forest above the Adriatic highway, which has since been closed to traffic in that section.

The fire has spread rapidly, fuelled by strong winds and dense pine woodland, and has moved dangerously close to residential areas in Pisak and Marušići and evacuations are underway as there are houses at risk.

[...]

There is growing concern among residents that the fire may have been deliberately set. “People have seen someone on a motorbike over the past few days, and there are suspicions that they are starting fires,” one local resident told reporters.

The Republika Srpska government says a deal with China’s ELINC is purely about protecting data, but a lack of transparency and limited means of oversight has critics worried about the potential for surveillance.

Concern is growing over a cyber-security software deal between the Republika Srpska entity in Bosnia and Herzegovina and China’s ELINC, owned by a conglomerate sanctioned by the United States over alleged ties to China’s ‘military-industrial complex’.

Bypassing regular public procurement procedures, the pro-Russian government of predominantly Serb-populated Republika Srpska signed the 29-million-euro, 10-year deal in June 2024, though it only became public thanks to media reports.

As Israel and Iran continued to exchange fire, sparking fears of a wider conflict in the Middle East, several Balkan countries have transported their citizens home by plane.

Hundreds of citizens of Balkan states have been urgently repatriated by their governments as fears grow of a further escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, with Israel and Iran continuing to bomb each other’s cities.

#Israel #IsraelIran #IranIsrael #Balkans

As Israel and Iran continued to trade missiles and airstrikes on Saturday, Croatian consul Ivica Sertić and his wife Katica were injured in the Iranian attack on Tel Aviv.

The news was confirmed Saturday by Foreign Affairs Minister Gordan Grlić Radman. The couple was injured when their apartment building was hit. They are shaken but their injuries are minor. They spent the night in the emergency room but have since been discharged.

Personal comment: I'm glad that the injuries are minor and I hope they both recover fast.

Montenegro’s parliament on Thursday approved a request to send a non-combat military contingent in support of Ukraine as part of an EU mission.

Montenegro’s parliament on Thursday voted to send members of the armed forces to join the European Union’s Military Assistance Mission, EUMAM, in support of Ukraine – the first of its kind since the beginning of the war.

The decision was supported by 49 MPs in the 81-seat parliament. Most remaining lawmakers were absent or abstained.

Defense Minister Dragan Krapovic emphasized that Montenegrin troops would not be deployed to Ukraine itself but would instead hold non-combat roles within the EU mission framework.

Kosovo has agreed to host up to 50 immigrants deported from the US – one of the few countries to respond positively to a US request for its allies to take in deportees.

Kosovo on Wednesday offered to shelter up to 50 people deported from the US as President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal or unauthorised immigrants steps up.

“Individuals who are subject to this decision, during the time of their stay in Kosovo, will act in line with the legislation in force and enjoy rights designated according to the law,” the Kosovo government said.

Personal comment: I'm surprised that they didn't offer to take more.

Former Regional Development and EU Funds Minister Gabrijela Žalac has been sentenced to two years in prison for corruption, under the terms of a plea deal with prosecutors.

Žalac and three other defendants - who remain on trial - are accused of influence peddling, abuse of office, and manipulating public procurement. According to prosecutors, their actions caused losses of at least 300,000 euros to Croatia and over 1 million euros to the European Union.

"I have no comment..." said Žalac as she left the Zagreb County Court on Thursday.

Personal comment: I bet she won't even serve the full two years. She will be released after a short while for "good behavior" or something like that...

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Ivan Anušić and Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia General Tihomir Kundid officially presented the basic documents to reintroduce compulsory military service, which was abolished in 2008.

"An employed conscript undergoing basic military training is entitled to a compensation of 1 100 euros net per month, paid food and transportation costs, paid leave and all other applicable rights..." Minister Anušić said.

Conscientious objectors will have the option of three months of training in the civil protection system, or four months of work in local government. Fines for men who do not serve will range from €250 to €1320.

Police in Split acted swiftly today following reports of a mass altercation between Torcida and Bad Blue Boys in the Pujanke district, just hours before the highly anticipated derby between Hajduk Split and Dinamo Zagreb at Poljud Stadium.

What a bunch of morons.

Seen flying in front of the county administration building.

Exactly five years ago on 22 March - at 6:24 am - Zagreb was hit by a devastating earthquake measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale.

The epicenter was seven kilometers north of the city center, in Markuševac. It was the strongest earthquake to hit the Zagreb area in the last 140 years.

Tragically, a fifteen-year-old girl lost her life, while the capital city and surrounding area suffered an estimated 11.5 billion euros in damage.

A government order to ban TikTok to protect children from violent material came into force more than a week ago, but the mobile phone app for the video-sharing platform is still partially working in Albania.

Albanian internet providers were ordered to block TikTok in the country on March 13 after a government decision to impose a one-year ban – but it was still working for some users in its mobile phone app version on Friday.