Kosovo Security Modernization: Acting PM Albin Kurti says Kosovo needs a gendarmerie to bridge the gap between the Kosovo Police and Kosovo Security Force, warning that today’s threats include paramilitary groups, weapons smuggling, border incursions, and drone-enabled attacks on institutions and infrastructure. STEM & Youth Engineering: The University of Huddersfield sent 10 young women in engineering to the Global Engineer Girls (GEG) conference in Istanbul, part of a UK cohort aimed at boosting gender equity and opportunities for women in STEM, with students from Kosovo among the wider GEG community. Serbia–China Tech & Industry Push: During President Vučić’s May visit to Beijing, Serbia and China issued joint statements and discussed new investments, with Vučić stressing Serbia must invest in new technologies and robotics to stay competitive, while also highlighting meetings with dozens of Chinese firms. Kosovo–Turkey Defense Industry Watch: Turkey’s growing defense and industrial footprint in the Western Balkans is in focus again, with reporting pointing to a Turkish state-linked ammunition factory project in Kosovo as Ankara recalibrates influence. Western Balkans Policy Shift (US): A US State Department report frames the region’s future around “mutually beneficial partnerships” and stability, highlighting Corridor 8 as a strategic priority and warning that external powers like China and Russia can exploit regional vulnerabilities.