Editorial Office, Author at First Balkan Media

Slovenia Pledges Defense Spending Catch Up but Faces Fiscal and Political Hurdles

Slovenia left the NATO summit in Ankara as the alliance’s sole laggard on defense spending, having allocated just 1.61% of GDP to core defense in 2026, the only member state below the

July 9, 2026

Slovenia

Montenegro and Turkey Forge New Strategic Partnership at NATO Summit

Montenegro and Turkey have agreed to establish a High Level Cooperation Council as the two NATO allies moved to deepen political, economic, and defense ties during a bilateral meeting on the sidelines

July 9, 2026

Montenegro

Primož Roglič’s Future Remains Uncertain as Transfer Rumors Grow

Primož Roglič appears to be entering one of the most important decisions of the final stage of his cycling career, as his time with Red Bull Bora Hansgrohe is expected to end

July 9, 2026

Slovenia

Serbia’s Inflation Remains Within Target as Food Prices Ease

Inflation in Serbia remains within the target range of the National Bank of Serbia, while food prices have started to show signs of easing after a long period of pressure on household

July 9, 2026

Serbia

Croatia Says Serbia Is Not Cooperating in Search for Missing Persons from the War

Croatia is still searching for 1,725 people who went missing during the Homeland War, while officials in Zagreb say cooperation with Serbia remains extremely limited. Darko Nekić, state secretary at Croatia’s Ministry

July 9, 2026

Croatia

Ancient Roman Mosaic from Nin Immortalized on New Croatian Commemorative Stamp

A nearly 2,000 year old Roman mosaic depicting a stylized dog or wolf has been honored with a commemorative postage stamp, bringing one of Croatia’s most enduring archaeological treasures to a global

July 9, 2026

Croatia

UK Reaffirms Support for Bosnia and Herzegovina During High Level Visit to EUFOR Headquarters

The United Kingdom has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting peace and stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina following a high level visit to the headquarters of the European Union Force (EUFOR) at Camp

July 9, 2026

Bosnia & Hercegovina

Marta Kos: Macedonia Has a Real EU Opportunity, But Conditions Still Apply

European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos reaffirmed during her visit to Skopje that Macedonia’s path toward European Union membership remains open, but stressed that the implementation of the agreed constitutional amendments is

July 9, 2026

Macedonia

FIFA Refereeing Chief Defends Officials Amid Egypt’s Bias Claims After Argentina Thriller

FIFA’s head of refereeing Pierluigi Collina has publicly defended the integrity of match officials following Egypt’s explosive allegations that Argentina’s dramatic 3-2 comeback victory in the World Cup round of 16 was

July 9, 2026

Sport·Whats New

Oil Prices Rise Sharply as Markets Fear New Energy Shock

Oil prices have risen sharply on global markets as investors grow increasingly concerned that the latest escalation between the United States and Iran could threaten energy supplies and create a new oil

July 9, 2026

Business

Cut Off All Trade: Trump’s Shock Order Against Spain Shatters NATO Unity in Ankara

President Donald Trump on Wednesday ordered an immediate halt to all US trade with Spain, escalating a bitter feud over defense spending and Madrid’s refusal to support the American led war in

July 9, 2026

Politics

US-Iran Ceasefire Crumbles as Fresh Strikes Trigger Retaliatory Attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain

The fragile truce between the United States and Iran collapsed on Wednesday as American forces launched new strikes against Iranian military targets, prompting Tehran to retaliate with missile and drone attacks on

July 9, 2026

Politics