Tuesday 5th August 2008 MEDIA
HEADLINES IN ENGLISH
You’re listening to NEWS REPORT, a summary of
today’s media, prepared by UNMIK ON AIR
Security Forces Minister appointed,
Opposition returns to FYROM’s assembly, and
Al-Bashir indictment raises tensions in Sudan.
KOSOVO
The Government has appointed Fehmi Mujota to be the first minister of
Kosovo’s Security Forces (KSF). Mujota has a master’s degree
in political science, is a member of Kosovo’s Assembly and a former
mayor of Shtime. The ministry will manage the creation of KSF and its
transformation from the Kosovo Protection Corps.
The United States officially recognized Kosovo passports
as a legitimate travel document and allowed the issuing of visas for
this document, the US embassy in Pristina reported. The US continues
to recognize UNMIK travel documents until they expire.
FYROM’s Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki stated
that conditions are not met yet for recognizing Kosovo’s independence.
Ali Ahmeti, leader of Democratic Union of Albanians and current partner
in the Government, stated that Macedonia will recognize Kosovo in the
near future.
Interior Minister Zenun Pajaziti has said that the
creation of a special Serb police within KPS structure is not acceptable.
Pajaziti added that such an approach is non-functional and as such unacceptable
by institutions of the Republic of Kosovo.
Mitrovica Mayor, Bajram Rexhepi, criticized UN’s
internal report on events of 17 March 2008 in north Mitrovica saying
that it ‘amnesties’ violent actions of Serb extremists that
caused the death of a UN police officer. The UN report said UNMIK police
and KFOR applied unnecessary force while trying to enter UNMIK courts.
The Secretary of Serbia’s Ministry for Kosovo,
Oliver Ivanovic, assessed that UNMIK should be a mediator between Serbs
and Albanians. He emphasized that Serbs will not recognize Pristina
institutions, adding that certain autonomy in command is the only realistic
solution for Kosovo Serbs in the police structures.
Kosovo citizens continue to have most trust in KFOR
and the least in courts, according to the latest “Early Warning
Report” issued by UNDP. 75% of respondents were happy with the
work of Kosovo Assembly, 71 per cent with the work of Kosovo prime minister
and 48% stated to be pleased with UNMIK’s work.
Power supply will continue to be poor over the next
two days, the Energy Corporation announced yesterday. KEK is failing
to produce even half of the production to satisfy the consumer needs,
and currently is producing 370 MW. The total consumption during peak
hours in Kosovo is about 900 MW.
Serbia’s agriculture Ministry’s website
has been attacked by a group of hackers from Kosovo. The site’s
homepage features the title “The Republic of Kosovo”, as
well as its flag, supplemented by independence facts, its leaders and
countries which have recognized Kosovo. A day earlier, the hackers attacked
the website of the Montenegrin parliament.
REGION
US Senator Chuck Schumer is threatening to push the US Government to
withhold aid from Serbia because the county has failed to return Miladin
Kovacevic, who is suspected in an Binghamton bar beating in May. Serbian
officials say it is against their law to extradite its citizens and
suggest Kovacevic be prosecuted in Serbia.
FYROM’s main opposition Social Democratic party
returned to parliament yesterday after the President pardoned a key
opposition figure accused of corruption. President Branko Crvenkovski
on Saturday pardoned Zoran Zaev, the mayor of Strumica and vice-president
of the opposition Social Democrats.
Volkswagen, Europe's biggest car maker, plans to move
an assembling line from Slovakia to Bosnia, the director of Volkswagen's
partner firm in Bosnia said yesterday. Volkswagen already runs a small
operation in Sarajevo, assembling Volkswagen and Skoda models.
INTERNATIONAL
The African Union (AU) has accused the International Criminal Court
of "pouring oil on the fire" by seeking the arrest of Sudan's
president for war crimes in Darfur. AU Commission Chairman Jean Ping
urged the UN Security Council to suspend the investigation into the
Sudanese president for genocide as soon as possible.
A court in Kyrgyzstan has convicted nine medical workers
for infecting 24 children with HIV. The doctors and nurses, all from
one hospital, were sentenced to between three and five years for causing
the infections through negligence. The medics said poor hygiene and
equipment at the hospital were to blame.
WEATHER
It will be sunny today, reaching 32C; with overnight lows of 18C. Tomorrow
will also be sunny, reaching 27C.
And that’s all for today, thank you for listening.