—🇺🇾/🇦🇱 NEW: For the first time, the Catholic University of Uruguay in Montevideo is offering an A1-level Albanian language course, delivered online by Albanian teachers in Spanish and structured as a 60-hour Saturday program aimed at basic everyday communication and cultural familiarity with Albania and the Balkans.

➡️ The course, initiated by researcher Juan Manuel Montoro after several years of work in Kosovo, targets the wider 600‑million-strong Spanish-speaking world, with registrations opening from January 19 and a minimum of ten participants required.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

—🪖🇷🇸 WATCH: Republic of Srpska security forces held a large parade in Banja Luka today to mark Republic Day, commemorating the founding of the entity on January 9, 1992, with the event broadcast by RTRS.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

—UPDATE: The Oil Industry of Serbia (NIS) has arranged delivery of its first crude oil shipments for processing at the Pančevo Refinery, according to Serbian state news agency Tanjug.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

—We received a very interesting comment from a friend of the channel about what happened in Greece:

If you remember the train derailment a year or so ago, well, here's some information about that that fits into this.

During the investigation into the train derailment it came out that in the 2000s the Greek Government bought some new upgrades to the rail system that were just never implemented, "because politics." Big scandal. The derailment literally should not have happened, but politics.

The whole country is run on antiquated junk systems that should have been replaced years / decades ago, but between the economic crisis of the last 15 years and the political bullshit... So it's honestly not a surprise that some antennae or whatever went down and took the whole air control system with it.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

🇹🇷🇻🇪Erdogan says he's unaware of the rumours that Maduro was offered the chance to exile in Turkey

—🤝🇭🇷/🇮🇹 NEW: Croatia has welcomed Italy’s establishment of an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the Adriatic, which entered into force on 3 January 2026, completing the EEZ demarcation between the two countries and eliminating the former central strip of high seas so that the entire Adriatic is now under coastal-state EEZ jurisdiction.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

—🤝🇷🇸/🇷🇸 NEW: Prince Filip of Serbia hails Republika Srpska on the occasion of Saint Archdeacon Stephen’s Day, the patron saint’s day, and the Day of Republika Srpska.

On the occasion of Saint Archdeacon Stephen’s Day, the patron saint’s day, and the Day of Republika Srpska, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the leadership and the people of Republika Srpska.

These days remind us of the deep spiritual and historical thread that has connected the Serbian people for centuries, of the strength of faith that preserved us in the most difficult times, but also of the obligation to regard freedom—for which many gave their lives—not as something taken for granted, but as a duty to be safeguarded with wisdom, hard work, and responsible service to the people and to future generations.

May Republika Srpska persevere in its efforts to, while preserving its identity and tradition, contribute to peace, justice, and progress, as well as to stability and mutual understanding among peoples.

With faith in the future of the Serbian people, convinced that only through unity, work, and collective responsibility can what has been arduously achieved be preserved.

Prince Heir Filip

🔗 Prince Filip on X

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

—🇷🇴 Man showing off some serious horse power in Romania.

🔗 Visegrád 24

—🇽🇰 How geopolitically important is Kosovo to the West (scale 1–10)?

AI models:

- ChatGPT — 8/10
- Gemini — 8/10
- Perplexity — 7/10
- DeepSeek — 7/10
- Claude — 6/10
- Grok — 5/10

🔗 Kosovo Update

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

—🗳🇽🇰 NEW: The center-left Vetëvendosje (LVV) has consolidated its victory in Kosovo after the counting of overseas ballots, reaching 51.1% of the vote — its best result ever.

➡️ The party falls just four seats short of an absolute majority, which it could secure with support from ethnic minority parties.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

—❗️🪖🇽🇰/🇦🇱 NEW: Kosovo will for the first time produce military vehicles on its own territory, with the Defense Ministry confirming that “Shota” armored vehicles, currently manufactured in Albania, will now also be produced in Kosovo in cooperation with Tirana.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

—🇽🇰❌🇷🇸 NEW: Kosovo's President, Vjosa Osmani, stated that Serbia had claimed to have convinced “over 20 countries” to de‑recognize Kosovo and that her team had “managed to return over 20 non‑recognitions claimed by Serbia,” saying she personally reconfirmed recognition with all but one of those states.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

—✈️ 🇪🇬/🇷🇸 Egyptian intelligence in Belgrade?

➡️ Egyptian-registered Cessna Citation Sovereign (reg. SU-SMK, hex 0100F3) operated by Cairo-based Smart Aviation arrived in Belgrade from Riyadh under callsign SME583, amid claims the company has previously been used by Egyptian intelligence services for sensitive missions.

🔗 Dunav Intel

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

🇷🇴❤️‍🔥🇲🇩 — Greater Romania on the Way? In a new interview, Moldovan President Maia Sandu says for the first time ever that she would vote for reunification with Romania if a referendum were held.

📝She adds that there is no majority for it now, calling EU integration the most realistic way to protect Moldova’s sovereignty.

🔗 GeoInsider (@InsiderGeo)