—🇭🇺/🇷🇺 NEW: Hungary will seek to develop its relations with Russia based on mutual interest, FM Anita Orbán announced.

➡️ While emphasizing that Russia remains an important regional partner, the FM stressed that bilateral relations cannot be structured around a one-sided dependence.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

—☦️🇷🇸 WATCH: Thousands of people have gathered in Belgrade for the annual Spasovdan procession to celebrate the Feast of the Ascension.

➡️ The Orthodox Christian holiday, marking the ascension of Jesus Christ into heaven 40 days after Easter, served as a powerful expression of faith in the Serbian capital.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

🇹🇷🇹🇷⚖️📝 — Turkey court rules to oust opposition leader in latest blow to Erdogan's Kemalist challengers

➡️ Ankara's Court of Appeals has ruled that Türkiye's main opposition party, the CHP, acted illegally when it removed its long-time leader, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, during a 2023 party congress.

➡️ The court ordered Kılıçdaroğlu's immediate reinstatement and the removal of the current party leader, Özgür Özel.

➡️ The CHP rejected the ruling as an "attempted coup", ​while the government - which denies criticism that it uses courts to target political opponents - said it renewed Turks' faith in the rule of law.

🇹🇷 The Kemalist secular and centrist CHP, running roughly even with Erdogan's Islamic-rooted and conservative ruling AK Party in polls, has also faced an unprecedented judicial crackdown ​since 2024 in which hundreds of members and elected officials have been detained as part of corruption charges that the party denies.

@BellumActaNews

—🇸🇮 NEW: Slovenia’s center-right parties have officially signed a coalition agreement today to form a new government.

➡️ Supported by Speaker Zoran Stevanovic's Resnica party, the alliance secures a 48-seat majority in parliament, paving the way for Janez Janša (SDS) to return as PM.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

—🪖🇽🇰/🇺🇸/🇩🇪 NEW: Kosovo is actively negotiating with defense companies from the United States and Germany to acquire modern anti-aircraft weapons systems, Defense Minister Ejup Maqedonci announced.

➡️ The planned procurement aims to upgrade the operational capabilities of the Kosovo Security Forces amid ongoing efforts to bolster the territory's overall air defense infrastructure.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

—🇲🇪/🇦🇱 NEW: The town of Tuzi in Montenegro was decorated with Albanian and Montenegrin flags to mark Independence Day.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

—⚽️🇧🇦 WATCH: Bosnia and Herzegovina have announced their first-ever World Cup squad.

And the promo video is absolute cinema.

🔗 Football Tweet

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

—🇦🇱/🇯🇵 WATCH: Albanian PM Edi Rama welcomed with official state ceremony in Tokyo.

➡️ Japanese PM Shigeru Ishiba met with the Albanian leader during his official visit to Japan, reacting to Rama's physical stature upon their initial meeting by exclaiming, "Big!"

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

🇺🇸🇮🇱❌🇮🇷❗️ — CBS News reports that the Trump administration is preparing for a fresh round of military strikes against Iran

Some members of the U.S. military and intelligence community have cancelled their plans this weekend in anticipation of possible strikes

@BellumActaNews

🇺🇸🛸👽 — Phase 2 of the U.S. Department of War's UAP disclosure has been released, featuring 5.6 GB of video footage and over 70 MB of declassified documents regarding UFOs

@BellumActaNews

—📞🇷🇸/🇺🇦 NEW: Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić held a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

➡️ The two leaders discussed strengthening bilateral ties, the process of European Union integration for both nations, and the potential establishment of a free trade agreement between Serbia and Ukraine.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

—❗️🇲🇰/🇷🇸 North Macedonia opposition accuses deputy PM of ties to Serbian intelligence

➡️ Opposition leader Venko Filipče of the Social Democratic Union (SDSM) has accused Deputy PM Ivan Stoilković of maintaining links with Serbian intelligence connected to the government of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić.

➡️ Speaking amid an escalating espionage scandal over reported security breaches involving the office of President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, Filipče claimed sensitive data from the NATO member state is leaking daily.

➡️ He further alleged that Stoilković, who holds Serbian citizenship and supports the nationalist "Serbian World" concept, collaborates with foreign services and maintains ties with the pro-Kremlin Russian biker group "Night Wolves."

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

—🇧🇬 WATCH: Bulgarian PM Rumen Radev officially welcomes Eurovision winner Dara in Sofia.

➡️ The PM congratulated the singer and her team for their major victory, calling it a historic success for the nation.

➡️ During the reception, Radev revealed that during his recent official visit to Berlin, the German Chancellor welcomed him with the song "Bangaranga" and discussed Dara’s notable soft-power impact on European politics.

➡️ "Your dignified behavior following this victory is just as important as the achievement itself," Radev added.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English