Serbia blocks Rio Tinto lithium mine days after Australia Djokovic exit

 

Tensions between Serbia and Australia have escalated after Belgrade pulled the plug on Rio Tinto’s plans for a huge lithium mine.

The miner was said to have been “blindsided” by the decision, which came less than a week after Novak Djokovic, the Serbian tennis star, was deported on the eve of the Australian Open. It also follows weeks of environmental protests in Belgrade and elsewhere in Serbia, which have clogged up key roads and bridges.

The ruling marks a dramatic U-turn by the Serbian government, which had given its blessing to the project despite a growing public backlash.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/serbia-blocks-rio-tinto-mine-days-after-djokovic-exit-mn0qcbmmk