Tuesday 23rd September 2008 MEDIA HEADLINES IN ENGLISH

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

UNMIK back in charge of Mitrovica courts,
Romanians to get money if return home, and
Leaders convene for UN assembly

KOSOVO
UNMIK has retaken control of the Municipal and District Court building in north Mitrovica from KFOR. UNMIK spokesman Alexander Ivanko said yesterday the Courts were to due to start work on October 3, at first staffed only by international judges and prosecutors.

Acting deputy chief of UNMIK David Harland said Belgrade is giving signals to re-establishing the rule of law in northern Kosovo. “It seems for their own reasons, but for the first time they said they will not insist on parallel institutions and on the Serb jurisdiction in the North,” Harland said in an interview with a Pristina daily.

Kosovo’s President and Foreign Minister continued to lobby for support for international recognition of Kosovo at a reception in New York hosted by the U.S. President George W. Bush ahead of the session of the UN General Assembly. They met US Ambassador to the UN, Zalmay Khalilzad, with whom they discussed the recognition process and the upcoming work of the UN General Assembly.

The Serbian Helsinki Committee presented yesterday in Pristina a report on Serb enclaves in Kosovo, which criticizes Serbian and Russian policies towards Kosovo. The report says that this propaganda which supports the idea of Kosovo’s partition is the main reason why Kosovo Serbs look to Belgrade rather than Pristina.

Belgrade’s policy towards Kosovo must change for the relationship between Serbs and Albanians to improve, said President of Kosovo Assembly Jakup Krasniqi after a meeting with chief of Project for Interethnic Relationships Livia Plax. All sides should contribute in order to build neighborly relations, said Plax.

During a visit in Pristina, the Lithuanian Defense Minister Juozas Olekas said his country will support Kosovo to train diplomats, in Euro-Atlantic integrations, in building the Security Force, and in economic development.

Fifty new international staff have joined EULEX mission over the weekend, enlarging the mission’s presence. “These new arrivals will be followed by 100 new ones per week,” said Yves de Kermabon, the head of the mission yesterday.

However, Belgrade reacted yesterday through the State Secretary in the Ministry for Kosovo. Oliver Ivanovic ruled out the possibility that the judges of EULEX would be deployed to the courts in Kosovo Serb areas. Ivanovic added that the talks between Belgrade and UNMIK “will result that Serb and other judges will stay to work” according to UNMIK regulations.

REGIONAL
The situation in the south of Serbia is stable, the State Secretary in the country’s Defense Ministry said. Dusan Spasojevic, who is also the vice-president of the Coordination Body for that region, added that more attention be devoted to development and the economy, the integration of Albanians into state and social life.

Thousands of coal miners from Bosnia’s Federation entity are to hold a major strike on October 2 and protest against their poor living and working conditions. This could be one of the biggest strikes in Bosnia this year and reflects a difficult social and economic situation.

Every emigrant who returns to Romania will receive €20,000 from the state budget, the leader of Romania’s opposition says. "If (my party) wins the general elections this fall, I promise you that every Romanian who returns will receive this money as a first installment, as well as facilities for starting a business", Mircea Geoana said.

INTERNATIONAL
World leaders are meeting in New York for the annual UN General Assembly. George W Bush, in his last speech to the assembly as US president, is expected to focus on his rescue plan for US financial institutions. Tensions between Russia and the West in the wake of the Georgia conflict are also expected to come up.

Iran has been asked by the UN's nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, for a substantive response to allegations that it is developing a nuclear weapon. Without more information from Iran, the IAEA cannot provide assurances about the country's nuclear programme, says the agency's head, Mohamed El Baradei.

About 40 people have been killed in the Somali capital, mostly when shells were fired on the busy Bakara market. Witnesses say Ethiopian troops fired mortars after insurgents launched simultaneous attacks on the two main African Union peacekeeping bases.

WEATHER
Today it will rain with a high of 14 degrees and a low tonight of 5 degrees; light rain will fall tomorrow with temperatures ranging from a high of 16 to a low of 10 degrees Celsius.

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