Monday 22nd September 2008 MEDIA HEADLINES IN ENGLISH

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

UNMIK to remain in Serb areas,
Slovenian government defeated, and
North Korea re-enabling nuclear reactor

KOSOVO
UNMIK will continue to be present in Serb majority areas even after downsizing in order to avoid a security vacuum. UNMIK deputy chief David Harland confirmed that the mission will be 70% smaller soon, from the current number of 4,000 employees, mainly policemen.

Skopje is not rushing to recognize Kosovo as an independent state, FYR of Macedonia Prime Minister said in a press release. Nikola Gruevski said they are in constant contact with NATO and EU officials “and there is nothing new with regard to Kosovo recognition.”

Serbia’s initiative to question the legality of Kosovo’s declaration of independence before the International Court of Justice will start its discussion today at the UN’s General Assembly. The US and the EU are working to stop Serbia’s resolution being approved at the session.

Kosovo’s President and Foreign Minister will continue lobbying today for further international recognitions of Kosovo’s independence. Albania’s President Bamir Topi has said that besides presenting achievements in his country, he would speak of Kosovo as a success story as well.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon will prepare a new report on Kosovo by the end of the month, outlining the UN’s role in Kosovo. The report is expected to be discussed at the Security Council in October.

Democratic candidate for U.S. President, Barack Obama, said he will work to strengthen Kosovo’s sovereignty and will help Kosovo in economic development. Speaking for the Albanian-American paper Illyria, this is the first attempt of the Illinois senator to reach out directly to the Albanian community living in the US.

Religion in Kosovo is generally respected by the Government, according to a report by the US State Department. The report read further that violence in society has decreased while the inter-ethnic tensions remain high especially after Pristina’s unilateral declaration of independence.

A demonstration took place yesterday before the Kosovo Assembly building against the political nominations in Kosovo’s institutions, saying that the only way to be employed in the Government is to know someone or bribe an official. The NGO “Fol 08” also raised concerns over the delay of electing the Ombudsperson and Central Elections Commission chief.

The Ashkalia community in Kosovo established its second political party yesterday which will be called Ashkalia Democratic Union (BDA). Danush Ademi was elected as the party leader. He stated that the party was established as a need to work for interests of Ashkalia community.

Kosovo police arrested six persons Saturday in Pristina, all believed to be linked with illegal weapons trafficking. The arrests were made in a string of coordinated action with the police in neighboring Albania, where the authorities arrested five persons,

REGIONAL
Slovenia's centre-left parties defeated conservative Prime Minister Janez Jansa in a parliamentary election yesterday, returning to power after a four-year break. Many in the small EU member state felt Jansa had failed to tame high inflation.

Five people have been arrested and significant quantities of weapons and explosives seized in a coordinated operation carried out by Bosnian and Slovenian police forces against a weapons’ smuggling ring. The group was illegally selling war material left over from Bosnia’s 1992-1995 war to criminal and separatist organizations in Europe.

A boat heading for the Greek coast carrying 83 illegal migrants on board has disappeared. The boat left the Egyptian city of Damietta three days ago and has since not been heard of. The Egyptian embassy in Greece has been urged to help locate the missing boat.

INTERNATIONAL
North Korea has stopped disabling the Yongbyon nuclear reactor and is making "thorough preparations" to restart it, a Korean foreign ministry official has said. Hyun Hak-bong said that Pyongyang had suspended work to put the plant out of action because the US had not fulfilled its part of a disarmament-for-aid deal.

Rescue workers evacuated some 200,000 people after flooding from one of India's largest rivers killed 16 people at the weekend. Large parts of India's coastal Orissa state were inundated after authorities were forced to open dozens of sluice gates of a dam on the Mahanadi River following heavy rain in the catchment area.

WEATHER
Today will have sunny intervals with a high of 13 degrees and a low tonight of 6 degrees; light rain will fall tomorrow with temperatures ranging from a high of 12 to a low of 6 degrees Celsius.

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