—UPDATE: Israeli Ambassador to Kosovo has praised PM Albin Kurti for his support regarding the attacks against Iran.

Prime Minister Albin Kurti was the first leader in the Balkans to openly express his support. Kosovo has stood side by side with the US and the EU in opposing Iran's nuclear ambitions. We greatly appreciate Kurti's stance.

🔗 kos_data

✅ Follow us on @balkanspectator

—🗳 UPDATE: Ruling party wins repeat local election in Kosjerić with narrow 44-vote lead.

Following a court-ordered rerun, the ruling list secured 197 votes vs 153 for the opposition. Turnout reached 81.5% of 434 registered voters, reversing the opposition's previous lead.

📰 Source: Serbia's Office for Public and Cultural Diplomacy

✅ Follow us on @balkanspectator

🇷🇴🤝🇮🇱 The Romanian MoD selected the Israeli Rafael Advanced Defense Systems as the winner of the 1.9 billion EUR tender for short range air defense systems (SHORAD)

Rafael will supply Romania with its SPYDER V/SHORAD system. 18 V/SHORAD batteries will be delivered by the Israelis including radars and the complementary missiles.

@Wallachian_Gazette

—🇷🇸/🇱🇨 NEW: Serbia and Saint Lucia sign visa-free travel agreement during OAS General Assembly in Antigua and Barbuda.

The deal allows citizens of both countries to travel visa-free for up to 90 days within any 180-day period, boosting tourism, business, and cultural exchange.

📰 Source: Serbia's Office for Public and Cultural Diplomacy

✅ Follow us on @balkanspectator

—🇷🇸 NEW: NEWSMAX to establish regional media hub in Belgrade by end of 2026, covering Eastern and Central Europe.

The project includes bureaus for Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and the Western Balkans, with additional offices in Brussels and Washington, in partnership with "mts".

📰 Source: Serbia's Office for Public and Cultural Diplomacy

✅ Follow us on @balkanspectator

—❗️🇷🇸 BREAKING: Novak Djokovic, the greatest tennis player of all time, has expressed his support for the student-led protests in Serbia by making the signature “pump it up” gesture used by demonstrators calling for snap elections.

🔗 The National Independent

✅ Follow us on @balkanspectator

🇬🇷🤝🇮🇳-India has reportedly offered its Long-Range Land Attack Cruise Missile (LR-LACM) to Greece. The missile has a range exceeding 1,000 kilometers and is designed for precision strikes against strategic targets.

📝NOTE: The LR-LACM is subsonic and can be equipped with either conventional or nuclear warheads, making it a versatile option for long-range deterrence and deep-strike capabilities.

—🇬🇷/🇱🇾 NEW: Greece will deploy two frigates and an additional naval vessel off the Libyan coast to deter rising migrant crossings toward Crete and Gavdos.

This operation, coordinated with Libyan authorities, aims to send a clear message to smugglers and reduce dangerous sea voyages originating in northeastern Libya.

📰 Source: Balkan Spectator Newsroom

✅ Follow us on @balkanspectator

—🇽🇰/🇺🇸 USAID is concluding decades of work in Kosovo.

Former US Ambassador to Kosovo Jeff Hovenier said the agency made lasting contributions to the country’s postwar recovery and development.

🔗 kos_data

✅ Follow us on @balkanspectator

—❗️🇷🇸 BREAKING: Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has pardoned four SNS activists accused of attacking students—including breaking a female student’s jaw—in Novi Sad in late January.

➡️ They were formally charged with violent crimes for assaults carried out during the night of January 27–28, 2025, in front of SNS party offices, where one female student suffered a broken jaw when struck with a baseball bat. As of July 2, the Ministry of Justice forwarded Vučić’s pardon order to the Novi Sad Basic Court, suspending all charges.

➡️ The court also lifted the house-arrest and electronic monitoring previously imposed on one defendant, D.N. (22), effective July 3. The case file has been remanded back to the presiding judge for further action.

➡️ SNS MP Vladimir Đukanović had publicly appealed to President Vučić to pardon the young SNS activists on trial in Novi Sad for allegedly defending party office premises.

📰 Source: Balkan Spectator Newsroom per direct source in Serbia.

✅ Follow us on @balkanspectator