Balkaninsight.com

Bosnia and Serbia have opened a joint office in Istanbul, Turkey, hoping to stimulate trade between the three countries and Turkish investment.

Macedonia’s ruling centre-right VMRO DPMNE party is trying to stymie the formation of a strong opposition centre-right alliance for the December elections using tempting coalition offers.

Bosnia’s Federation entity is accused of hurrying sales of state-owned assets at knock-down prices on the stock exchange to get hold of instant cash.

This year’s Belgrade Jazz Festival will present a global roster of players from Latin America, Scandinavia and other countries across the world.

Russian Security Council chief Nikolai Patrushev has visited Belgrade amid speculation about Russian intrigues in Montenegro - and following alleged leaks from the Serbian police to a foreign intelligence service.

Macedonia’s Special Prosecution, SJO, is meeting fresh accusations of bias, unprofessionalism and even lying from both the regular judiciary and ruling party - which rights groups such the Helsinki Committee have dismissed as absurd.

Kosovo's special prosecution has filed indictments against 37 people in a major case of organized crime involving senior politicians and judges, and former MP Azem Syla.

Russia's Atomstroyexport has agreed to write off the interest that Bulgaria owes on its debt for the Belene project - if Bulgaria pays off its obligations in full by December 15.

Tension between Macedonia's ruling structures and the Special Prosecution, SJO, has heightened after one SJO investigator was arrested - and later released - and while another was thrown out of the headquarters of the secret police, UBK.

A delegation from the region controversially annexed by Russia is visiting Serbia and urging businesses to invest despite EU sanctions.

In an interview with BIRN, Kosovo President Hashim Thaci backs the controversial new war crimes court - and says Albanian leaders have every right to speak out on the subject of Kosovo.

The Serbian royal family is inviting guests from home and abroad – reportedly including British royalty – to attend the 'traditional Serbian' wedding this month of one of the late King Alexander's grandsons.

Bulgarian right-wingers plan 'peaceful' protests against refugees and migrants for Friday night in the cities of Sofia, Burgas, Yambol and Varna. 

Dramatic claims by the Montenegrin special prosecutor - that 'unprecedented' bloodshed was only narrowly averted on election day - have failed to resolve doubts about an alleged coup plot.

As Bosnian authorities arrest people involved in a controversial documentary on alleged arms trading, the Italian journalist accused of 'staging' the footage has dismissed the accusations.

Three former Serbian state security officers have been acquitted of the attempted murder in 2000 of the then opposition party leader Vuk Draskovic during Slobodan Milosevic’s rule.

The newly elected chief judge of Macedonia’s Constitutional Court is unlikely to restore the image of an institution now widely seen as a tool of the political establishment.

By continuing to bet on Milo Djukanović, the West and the EU risk falling into the ‘stability-versus-democracy’ trap - and discrediting the values they say they wish to uphold.

After its recent local election debacle, the main opposition party in Bosnia's Serb-dominated entity Republika Srpska is trying to consolidate, but the process is burdened by internal power struggles and divisions.

Secular campaigners plan rally demanding end to deals with Vatican which they say are too expensive and undermine secular values.