—⚡️🇷🇸🤝🇷🇴 NEW: Serbia and Romania have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop the multi-billion-euro Djerdap 3 hydropower plant on the Danube, with preparation of the project documentation set to begin later this year.

➡️ The project is expected to be built by US companies, marking a major entry of American firms into Serbia's energy sector.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

—🇧🇬/🇺🇦 NEW: Bulgaria will not participate in the so-called Coalition of the Willing, the group of countries supporting Ukraine, PM Rumen Radev has said, arguing that the conflict should be resolved through diplomacy rather than continued military assistance.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

—🇷🇸/🇽🇰 WATCH: Videos circulating online appear to show two Serbian Air Force J-22 Orao ground-attack aircraft flying at low altitude near Jarinje, along the administrative boundary between central Serbia and Kosovo.

➡️ The footage has not been independently verified.

🔗 Dunav Intel

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

—🇲🇰 NEW: North Macedonia’s ruling VMRO-DPMNE will return to using the Skopje building known as the “White Palace” as its headquarters.

➡️ The structure, whose design draws on ancient Macedonian motifs promoted by the party as part of its heritage, had faced possible confiscation.

➡️ A Skopje court acquitted former prime minister Nikola Gruevski of abuse-of-office charges linked to the building’s construction, removing the basis for its seizure.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

—🇷🇸/🇺🇸 NEW: Serbian FM Marko Đurić announced during his visit to Washington that Serbia will join the US-led Artemis Accords, the framework governing international cooperation in civil space exploration.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

—🇲🇩 NEW: Starting August 10, retailers in Moldova will be required to display the country of origin of products alongside the price tag.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

—❗️🇹🇷 WATCH: Turkish authorities have arrested 119 suspected members of the Islamic State (ISIS) in coordinated counterterrorism raids across around 30 provinces, according to the Interior Ministry.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

—⚽️🇸🇮 CRAZY: Slovenian referee Slavko Vinčić, who has been appointed to officiate the FIFA World Cup final, was briefly detained by police during a 2020 operation at a property near Bijeljina, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

➡️ Authorities said the raid uncovered cocaine, firearms and around €20,000 in cash, and media linked the gathering to Serbian influencer Tijana Ajfon.

➡️ Vinčić denied any involvement in criminal activity, telling investigators he had been invited to lunch and was released without being charged.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English