Turkey Rejoices as Sultans Win Women’s Volleyball Nations League
https://balkaninsight.com/2023/07/17/turkey-rejoices-as-sultans-win-womens-volleyball-nations-league/

Turkey’s President joined many others in hailing the victory of the 'Sultans of the Net' at the Volleyball Nations League in the US, calling it 'a historic success'.

Bosnian Sentenced for Threatening BIRN Journalists on Facebook
https://balkaninsight.com/2023/07/17/bosnian-sentenced-for-threatening-birn-journalists-on-facebook/

Bosnian court gives Nefail Cehic a suspended three-month prison sentence for threatening BIRN journalists on Facebook.

Tirana Mayor Slated by Watchdogs for Calling BIRN Journalist ‘Contract Killer’
https://balkaninsight.com/2023/07/17/tirana-mayor-slated-by-watchdogs-for-calling-birn-journalist-contract-killer/

Media watchdog tells Tirana Mayor to 'stop denigrating journalists' for doing their work – after calling Ola Xama 'a contract killer' for writing an article in BIRN about probes into disputed waste concession contracts.

Italy Still Views Albania Through a Colonial Lens
https://balkaninsight.com/2023/07/17/italy-still-views-albania-through-a-colonial-lens/

Italy once conquered Albania, claiming it was bringing civilisation to a barbarous people; judging from the language of its current diplomats, its mindset hasn’t changed.

Wings of Change: Why Armed Drones Are Proliferating in Western Balkans
https://balkaninsight.com/2023/07/17/wings-of-change-why-armed-drones-are-proliferating-in-western-balkans/

Armed drones are becoming a favoured means for Balkan countries to boost their military muscle and regional clout – but even though they are unlikely to trigger a war, their unchecked spread brings substantial risks.

For Budapest, Prague and Sofia, Brownfield Sites Are No Cure for Housing Blues
https://balkaninsight.com/2023/07/17/for-budapest-prague-and-sofia-brownfield-sites-are-no-cure-for-housing-blues/

Cities across Central and Southeast Europe are struggling to build enough affordable homes. A wave of old industrial sites are now about to be transformed into new neighbourhoods, though how much these will help house-poor locals is debatable.

Kosovo Guerrilla Leaders ‘Didn’t Directly Control Fighters’: Witness
https://balkaninsight.com/2023/07/14/kosovo-guerrilla-leaders-didnt-directly-control-fighters-witness/

Former Kosovo Liberation Army area commander Rrustem Mustafa told the trial of Hashim Thaci and other wartime guerrilla leaders in The Hague that contrary to prosecution claims, the KLA did not have a fully-established chain of command during the war.

Croatian Opposition MPs Quit Parliament Over Handling of ‘Gas Affair’
https://balkaninsight.com/2023/07/14/croatian-opposition-mps-quit-parliament-over-handling-of-gas-affair/

Opposition MPs demand debate in parliament over state purchases of gas at high prices – which then had to re-sold for a much lower price when the power utility ran out of space to store it.

Albania’s Parliament Greenlights ex-Deputy PM’s Arrest
https://balkaninsight.com/2023/07/14/albanias-parliament-greenlights-ex-deputy-pms-arrest/

Parliament voted on Friday to accept a prosecution request for permission to arrest former minister Arben Ahmetaj on corruption charges, though his whereabouts remain unknown

Serbia Stays Silent About Ban on Russian Anti-War Activist’s Return
https://balkaninsight.com/2023/07/14/serbia-stays-silent-about-ban-on-russian-anti-war-activists-return/

Serbian authorities have so far refused to explain why Russian anti-war activist Piotr Nikitin has been denied re-entry to Serbia after returning from a holiday via Germany - and for now remains at Belgrade airport.