Wednesday 20th August 2008 MEDIA HEADLINES IN ENGLISH

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

EULEX operational by late autumn,
Belgrade selects mayor, and
French soldiers in Afghanistan killed

KOSOVO
The chief of the EU’s rule of law mission in Kosovo, EULEX, says he hopes the mission will be fully operational by the end of autumn. “EULEX is ready to face all the challenges and remains committed in supporting the rule of law in Kosovo,” Yves De Kermabon said yesterday after signing the technical agreement with UNMIK.

The move was greeted on Monday by Kosovo authorities who want to see UNMIK handing out the powers to them and the incoming EU mission. Meanwhile, Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu called for communication between internationals and locals on exercising competencies and in the transfer of the remaining competencies.

Serbia’s Minister for Kosovo said that Serbia opposes any kind of agreement between UNMIK and EULEX without the approval of the UN SC. Goran Bogdanovic underlined that the agreement of the two missions will mean the legalization of Ahtisaari’s plan which was not accepted in the UN, and was rejected by Belgrade.

Kosovo’s new Defense Minister said that Kosovo will build a continuous partnership with NATO fulfilling its standards and necessary capacities in the defense area. Fehmi Mujota also stressed that the new defense organisms of Kosovo will focus on regional defense cooperation with Albania, Macedonia and Montenegro.

The new Central Election Committee (CEC) was sworn in before the President of Kosovo yesterday. Zait Xhemaili, the CEC head, stated that the CEC members will respect the Constitution and applicable laws in the preparation of election process. Kosovo President announced that there will be municipal elections in 2009

Great Britain recognized Kosovo passports and from midnight on Aug. 19, it will start issuing visas to passport holders, the British Embassy in Pristina announced yesterday. Great Britain will continue to recognize the travel documents issued by UNMIK, and the procedure of visa application remains unchanged.

Kosovo’s Interior Ministry said that so far they have issued over 55,000 passports, and that the issuing process is now completely normalized. Additionally, the ministry said passports will have to be picked up within two weeks.

A KPS police investigator was hit by a vehicle around noon on Tuesday. The vehicle was later located and three persons with the surname Potoku were arrested, and the case was qualified as atempted murder. The investigator suffered a leg broken, and wounds in the head and back.

REGION
The assembly for the Serbian capital has elected a pro-European mayor, his deputy and new council members. Dragan Djilas, from the Democratic Party, was elevated after the Democrats struck a deal with the opposition pro-European Liberal Democratic Party, ending weeks of deadlock.

Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic has asked the UN war crimes tribunal to replace the judge in charge of the preparatory stage of his trial. In a letter to The Hague tribunal, he said presiding judge Alphons Orie had a "personal" interest in convicting him, to reinforce rulings in his earlier cases against Bosnian Serbs.

A suspected suicide bomber has detonated a car packed with explosives in southern Turkey. At least six policemen were injured during the blast at a motorway checkpoint near the city of Mersin. Reports said police had been tipped off about the car when they stopped it some 10km from the port city.

INTERNATIONAL
Ten French soldiers have been killed in an ambush by Taleban fighters east of the Afghan capital, Kabul. A further 21 French soldiers were wounded in one of the heaviest casualty tolls suffered by international peacekeepers in Afghanistan. President Sarkozy insisted France remained committed to the fight against terrorism.

Russia has rejected a draft UN Security Council resolution on Georgia, which called on Russia to pull back its forces to the positions held before the current conflict. Moscow earlier dismissed a Nato warning that normal relations were impossible while its troops remained in Georgia.

Zambian leader Levy Mwanawasa has died in a Paris hospital after suffering a stroke in June. He was 59. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon honoured Mr. Mwanawasa saying hewas at the forefront of Zambian politics at a time of exceptional challenge and change in his country and in the southern African region as a whole.

WEATHER
Today will be sunny with temperatures ranging from a high of 30 to 16 degrees C overnight. More sun tomorrow, with temperatures reaching highs of 29 degrees C.

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