Monday 15th September 2008 MEDIA HEADLINES IN ENGLISH

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

Kosovo closes on Europe,
Albanian whistle-blower dead, and
Nigeria militants warn of oil war

KOSOVO
Kosovo is close to starting a EU stabilisation and association process, European Commission Director for the Western Balkans Pierre Mirel said on Friday after meeting Kosovo’s President. "Even though Kosovo has still not signed a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA), it is part of that process," he said.

UNMIK chief Lamberto Zannier and Serbian Minister for Kosovo Goran Bogdanovic met in Belgrade to continue technical negotiations on the judiciary, the police, expropriated Serb property in Kosovo, and the issue of kidnapped and missing persons. The two also discussed the problem of humanitarian aid transport.

Kosovo Foreign Minister Skender Hyseni met with Islamic Conference officials Saturday, where he asked from member states not to support Serbia’s request at UN General Assembly to ask an opinion from the International Court of Justice on Kosovo’s independence.

State Secretary in Serbia’s Ministry for Kosovo, Oliver Ivanovic, said yesterday “the current Kosovo status is provisional and Kosovo’s path to Europe passes through Serbia.” He said there can be no status talks at the moment but that after a certain period of time the issue will once again gather Albanians and Serbs around the table.

AAK leader Ramush Haradinaj met with officials of the Albanian parties of Presevo valley where he was informed about the concerns for non-recognition of University of Prishtina diplomas by Serbian authorities. Presevo valley political representatives asked that their issue is also discussed at the Kosovo Assembly.

At a roundtable organized by KIPRED institute in Pristina on bilateral relations between Kosovo and FYR of Macedonia, it was concluded that Skopje has not recognized Kosovo yet because of its internal issues. However, relations with Kosovo are good, officials from Skopje said.

Enver Sekiraqa, one of the main suspects of the murder of a KPS officer last year, escaped a police operation to arrest him on Saturday night in Pristina. Media report that investigation units received information that Sekiraqa was seen in a restaurant in Vranjevc neighborhood, while during the intervention police ran into slight resistance.

According to a survey conducted by the NGO “Straight to Europe”, Kosovo Serbs want to continue to stay in Kosovo. 72% said they want to stay, while 28% said they will leave Kosovo. Both Albanian and Serb respondents declared that unemployment and energy are the biggest concerns for them.

In Peja, police arrested two persons suspected of drug possession. One of the arrested is an officer in the Police’s anti narcotics unit, who was carrying 100 grams of cocaine. Also in Peja, police arrested two persons related to the seizure of around 30 kilos of gold and around 200,000 Euros, which illegally entered Kosovo.

REGIONAL
Moscow says Serbia will benefit from EU membership but warns that Brussels will increase pressure on Belgrade to recognise Kosovo’s independence. Aleksandar Konuzin, Russia’s ambassador to Serbia, said that pressure would mount as a consequence of Moscow’s own recognition of the two Georgian breakaway regions.

In Albania, Kosta Trebicka a key witness who uncovered evidence of public corruption deceptive practices by a contractor in a Pentagon-sponsored arms deal, was found dead on a mountain road east of the country. Initial investigations by the police show that Trebicka died in a road accident. US investigators are assisting the ongoing investigations of the general prosecutor.

A ferry has sunk near the north-western Turkish port of Bandirma, leaving at least one person dead. The vessel is said to have carried some 100 people and more than 70 trucks to Istanbul. Civil defence teams, including divers and local fisherman, have been mobilised to rescue passengers from the Marmara Sea.

INTERNATIONAL
Militants in Nigeria's oil-rich Niger Delta region say they have "declared war" on the government after battling security forces guarding facilities. Both sides say their opponents suffered heavy losses. The militants’ violent campaign for a bigger part of the area's oil wealth has cut Nigeria's oil output by more than 20%.

The fourth-largest investment bank in the US, Lehman Brothers, says it will file for bankruptcy protection after losing billions of dollars, amid a growing global financial crisis. The move threatens to deal a further blow to the global financial system, as banks unwind their deals with Lehman.

The most senior judge in Saudi Arabia has said it is permissible to kill the owners of satellite TV channels which broadcast immoral programmes. Sheikh Salih Ibn al-Luhaydan said some "evil" entertainment programmes aired by the channels promoted debauchery.

WEATHER
Rain today with a high of 15 degrees and a low tonight of 9 degrees; light rain again tomorrow with temperatures will range from a high of 1 to a low of 8 degrees Celsius.

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