Thursday 1st October 2007 MEDIA HEADLINES IN ENGLISH

You’re listening to NEWS REPORT, a summary of today’s media, prepared by UNMIK ON AIR

UN to discuss Kosovo on 8th of October
200 EU monitors deployed in Georgia
And seeking to save North Korean nuclear deal

Kosovo
The Serbian President Boris Tadic said yesterday that there is the possibility of partition of Kosovo, but only if all the other options related to Kosovo’s status fail. Tadic confirmed that while seeking all other options partition of Kosovo is not in the agenda. The UN general assembly will discuss the Kosovo issue on the 8th of October.

In response Kosovo Assembly Speaker Jakup Krasniqi said “Kosovo now has got its borders and those borders are being internationally recognized. Therefore, any effort for changing the borders of Kosovo opens new problems in the Balkans,” Mr. Krasniqi said

UNMIK’s Deputy head David Harland said that the court in the northern part of Mitrovica will be operational from Friday, October 3. “Only international judges and prosecutors will work in the first stage that will begin on Friday. After a period of 60 days, apart from internationals, we will try to include local judges,” said Harland said during a press conference Monday at the Media Centre in Çagllavica.

“Stop EULEX” will be the slogan of a protest organized for Thursday, 2 October, in all Kosovo Serbs areas. According to organizers, it will be a peaceful protest. “We are aware of this protest and measures will be undertaken so that it will be a peaceful protest, but we have not been informed officially,” KPS spokesperson Veton Elshani said

The Kosovo Assembly will hold an urgent session to approve 17 laws which the SRSG has sent back to the Assembly after entry into force of the Constitution of Kosovo. The same procedure was applied with the laws from Ahtisaari’s status proposal.

The head of International Civilian Office in Kosovo Pieter Feith said that Belgrade’s initiative to ask for the opinion of the International Court of Justice on the legality of Kosovo’s declared independence will slow down the consolidation of Kosovo statehood process. “In a broader sense, Kosovo case could be used as an analogy for other crises in the world which would not go well with other countries members of the UN,” said Feith

The FYR Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski refused to shake hands with Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi in a ceremony planned to mark the end of border demarcation between the two countries. “it wouldn’t be correct if the Macedonian prime minister shook hands with the prime minister of a country which it has not yet recognized and with which it has not yet established diplomatic relations.” the office of the FYROM Prime Minister said

REGION
European Commission agreed on Monday to provide 244 million euros in aid to Macedonia under the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance for the period 2008-2010. The assistance gives priority to institution building, improving governance and the rule of law.
A former Yugoslav army chief goes on trial today for his alleged role in atrocities in Bosnia including the Srebrenica massacre and siege of Sarajevo. The trial at the Yugoslav war crimes tribunal of former Gen. Momcilo Perisic hinges on the close links between the Yugoslav army and Bosnian Serb forces commanded by fugitive general Ratko Mladic.

INTERNATIONAL
European Union monitors were to begin deploying in Georgia on Wednesday to monitor a ceasefire and oversee a Russian troop pull-back after the August war in the Caucasus state. Monitors were to deploy from regional field offices in central and western parts of the country this morning. The European Union Monitoring Mission comprising 200 people aims to stabilise the region and ensure compliance by Georgia and Russia with an EU-brokered peace plan.

The chief U.S. nuclear negotiator arrived in North Korea today carrying a compromise aimed at salvaging a derailed nuclear disarmament pact. His trip comes with Pyongyang growing increasingly defiant toward international efforts to convince the communist state to eliminate its nuclear program. Hill said last night that his goal was to persuade North Korea's Vice Foreign Minister to agree to Washington's demand for a verification system to account for the North's nuclear arsenal.

Weather
This afternoon will be wet and overcast with some bright spells, and a low tonight of 8 degrees. Tomorrow, there will be rain with a high of 19 degrees Celsius.

And that’s all for today. Thanks for listening.