Thursday 24th July 2008 MEDIA HEADLINES IN ENGLISH

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

Zannier discusses law and order in Belgrade,
Karadzic to defend himself, and
New Nepalese president sworn in

KOSOVO
Meeting yesterday in Belgrade, the UNMIK Chief and Serbia’s Foreign Minister and Minister for Kosovo, agreed that a dialogue should start soon on police and justice in Serb-inhabited areas in Kosovo. Media reported also that Lamberto Zannier agreed to consult Belgrade on UNMIK’s reconfiguration, police and justice, but this was rejected by a UNMIK spokesman.

After the meeting in Belgrade, head of UNMIK Lamberto Zannier is expected to report on Kosovo to the UN Security Council on Friday. It is expected that Kosovo Minister of Foreign Affairs Skender Hyseni will attend the session as well, but whether he will address the Council is still to be determined.

Kosovo’s President and Prime Minister returned yesterday from their US visit where they met President George W. Bush. Kosovo leaders came back convinced about the future of the new state and security throughout its whole territory. They also received guarantees for Mr. Bush on new independence recognitions.

UNMIK will stop issuing travel documents for Kosovo citizens, according to the administration’s spokesperson, Russell Geekie. This comes following a decision of the Ministry of Internal Affairs that Republic of Kosovo passports will begin to be issued. Existing UNMIK travel documents will remain valid until they expire.

Yesterday in Staro Gracko, near Lipjan, a memorial service marked the 9th anniversary of the killing of 14 Serb farmers while they were harvesting their crops. The farmers were murdered shortly after the arrival of the NATO forces, but nine years later, the perpetrators still need to be brought to justice.

The Municipality of Mitrovica has started a three month project to clean and rehabilitate the Serb Orthodox cemeteries located in the south of the divided town. Also yesterday, UNMIK and KFOR inaugurated a pedestrian bridge linking the south and the north at the centre of Mitrovica.

Two Kosovars were left dead and three were injured in a traffic accident on Prizren – Suhareka main road Tuesday, according to the police. Both drivers of the cars were the victims of the accident. Elsewhere in the village Kopiliq of Skenderaj, one person was found dead, for whom the police suspect was hit by a lightning.

The Russian Ministry for Emergency Situations yesterday evening delivered medical equipment and supplies worth €382,000 for health care institutions in Kosovo to Belgrade. This is the second contingent of humanitarian aid to arrive in Serbia under the request from Russia’s top state leadership..


REGION
Radovan Karadzic will conduct his own defence at the Hague tribunal and is convinced he will be cleared of charges of genocide, associates of the war crimes suspect said yesterday. Karadzic's lawyer in Serbia said his client was in good mental and physical condition and, while not talking to investigators, was "defending himself with silence".

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has won parliamentary backing for a crime package critics say discriminates against immigrants. Under new laws, illegal immigrants convicted of crimes will now face jail sentences a third longer than those for Italians. Property rented to illegal immigrants can also be confiscated.

Police in Turkey have arrested a further 20 people over a suspected plot to overthrow the government, according to Turkish media. The arrests are part of an ongoing investigation into a shadowy ultra-nationalist group known as Ergenekon. Eighty-six people have already been charged with involvement in the group.

INTERNATIONAL
The first president of the newly-declared republic of Nepal, Ram Baran Yadav, was sworn into office yesterday. The largely ceremonial post was created after the abolition in May of the country's centuries-old monarchy.

The US House of Representatives has passed a massive housing rescue bill that could help struggling homeowners get cheaper loans. More than a million Americans have lost their homes in the worst housing crisis since the Great Depression. President Bush's overturn came despite his objection to a provision for $3.9bn in community grants to buy up and repair repossessed homes.

WEATHER
Today it will rain with temperatures ranging between 18 and 10 degrees Celsius. Light rain will fall tomorrow, with the highest temperatures reaching 22 Degrees Celsius.

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