Thursday 7th August 2008 MEDIA HEADLINES IN ENGLISH

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

No Secret Negotiations with Belgrade, says UNMIK
Serbia’s ‘Zemun Clan’ found guilty, and
Coup in Mauritania

KOSOVO
The UN Security Council yesterday discussed an internal report on the 17 March unrests in Mitrovica, where an UNMIK policeman was killed and 150 people were injured. Russia pointed out that the UNMIK representatives were responsible for the unrests and that the decision to storm the courthouse was wrong.

During the consultations, British deputy UN ambassador Karen Pierce accused “the Serbian extremists for the planned actions which would turn the wheel of history back to 1999,” adding that the Serbs were actually looking for ways to open the door for a “soft division of Kosovo”.

Reacting to the UN’s internal report on March events, Mayor of Mitrovica Bajram Rexhepi said yesterday that “the report which blames KFOR and UNMIK for the incidents encourages Serb extremist to continue with violence.”

There are no secret negotiations between UNMIK Chief and Belgrade on issues opened up by the UN Secretary General, said UNMIK spokesperson Aleksandar Ivanko yesterday. Stating that UNMIK is transparent, Ivanko rejected rumors in Pristina that UNMIK was part of any negotiations “behind anyone’s back”.

The Kosovo Government has established a committee to undergo inquiries whether the Ministry of Returns and Communities misused €2 million on returns projects. Minister Boban Stankovic has been accused by a former staff member that the funds have been allocated on family and friendship basis.

Kosovo Serb leaders, who would take part in the carrying out of decentralization in Kosovo, should be elected by the government in Pristina and not be appointed by Belgrade, according to the Special EU Representative in Kosovo Pieter Feith, who visited a Serb village in Vitia yesterday.

The biggest opposition party, Alliance for New Kosovo (AKR), has accused UNMIK of trying to legalize Serb parallel structures in Kosovo. “Zannier should go home, if he continues in this way! He should sit and read the Constitution of Kosovo, not violate it,” the AKR said yesterday. The party also criticized the work of the Government.

Kosovo Police identified and interrogated three youth, two Serbs and one Albanian, in relation to the two separate interethnic incidents that occurred on Monday. This brings the number of arrested to six. Three civilians and one UNMIK police officer were injured in the incidents.

Kosovo-based Council for Defence of Human Rights and Freedoms (CDHRF) strongly condemned violence in Mitrovica classifying it as one of the worst interethnic clashes. The Council added that north Mitrovica is a place where the there is no rule of law and also blamed Kosovo institutions for “contenting to this situation.”

The Swiss Embassy in Pristina has informed Kosovo’s Interior Ministry that it has officially recognized the passports of the Republic of Kosovo. However, media report that citizens holding Kosovo passports cannot be issued Schengen visas, since this is a decision of Brussels; and they can only be provided with individual EU state entry visas.

REGION
A judge in Serbia sentenced 26 members of the as "Zemun Clan" to a total of 465 years in jail. Judge Milimir Lukic found the group guilty of joint criminal activity, 18 murders, three abductions and two terrorist attacks. Milorad Ulemek "Legija", a former special police commander was the prime suspect.

A Bulgarian court has declared the country’s debt-ridden steelmaker Kremikovtzi insolvent. It is expected that the bankruptcy of Kremikovtzi will lead to a sale of a 71% stake in Bulgaria’s largest steel mill, whose debts are currently estimated at around €800 million.

Tirana is turning a blind eye to the problem of companies controlling Albania’s mineral wealth defaulting on their contracts. Foreign companies that have won major concessions from Albania to operate precious copper, gold, chromium and silver mines are failing to uphold their contracts, media report.

INTERNATIONAL
Presidential guardsmen seized Mauritanian President Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi in a coup on Wednesday after he sacked several top army officers. A military-led ruling council is now in control. The African Union condemned the coup and demanded a return to constitutional government.

Demonstrators have taken to the streets of the Venezuelan capital Caracas to oppose moves to bar nearly 300 politicians from standing for election, though no candidates concerned have been convicted of any crime. Protestors say the ban reflects a further concentration of power in the hands of President Hugo Chavez.

WEATHER
It will be sunny today, reaching 29C, with overnight lows of 17C. Light rain is expected tomorrow, reaching 31C.

And that’s all for today, thank you for listening.