Monday 28th July 2008 MEDIA HEADLINES IN ENGLISH

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

No agreement on Ban’s plan for Kosovo,
Bombs hit Istanbul, and
Tehran executes 29 criminals

KOSOVO
UN Security Council members failed to agree at a session Friday on Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's new plan for Kosovo. It envisions reconfiguring UNMIK in order to provide more authority to EULEX. In addition, it obliges UNMIK's chief Lamberto Zannier to conduct dialogue with Belgrade on several technical topics.

UNMIK chief Lamberto Zannier expressed his concerns at the session that his legal authority in Kosovo is undermined by Kosovo’s Constitution, seen by the territory’s government as the highest legal document. Zannier said Pristina is taking over the powers of a sovereign state, while Serbs continue to strengthen their parallel structures.

Also Friday, Kosovo’s Foreign Minister Skender Hyseni said before the Security Council that he is ready for direct talks with Serbia, adding that Kosovo will not talk about its status. His Serbian counterpart Vuk Jeremic, however, insisted Belgrade will never talk with a "breakaway" government.

Over the weekend, Kosovo institutions and political parties made positive assessments to Friday's meeting in New York, saying that the Council has accepted the real situation on the ground in independent Kosovo and that the transitional phase will go forward.

Serbia will use the recent arrest of Bosnian Serb leader wanted for genocide, Radovan Karadzic, as an argument for Kosovo. According to Serbia’s Prime Minister, Mirko Cvetkovic, Karadzic’s arrest is proof that his country respects international law which should also be respected in the case of Kosovo.

Unemployment remains the main concern for Kosovo citizens, according to a market research agency ‘Index-Kosova”. The interviewed for the poll shows that this problem overshadows those of electricity supply, economic revival, poverty, and the Mitrovica question. It also shows that the Kosovo government should have three priorities—the energy sector, the rule of law, and health care.

Kosovo has the lowest GDP in the region with 4 billion dollars and with a 2,4 per cent economic growth, according to CIA. Turkey is ranked in the first place, with 888 billion dollars.

REGION
Bombs killed 15 people and wounded around 140 in Istanbul late last night. Officials said one loud blast brought people into the streets of a busy shopping and eating area, then a larger bomb hidden in a rubbish bin exploded 10 minutes after.

At least 16 people have died in western Ukraine and northern Romania, where severe storms and flooding have forced thousands to abandon their homes. Hundreds of towns and villages on both sides of the border have been left without electricity and many bridges have been damaged.

Firefighters on Sunday put out a six-day-old blaze in Rhodes, a popular Greek holiday island where thousands of acres of forest have been destroyed. The firefighters, backed by aircraft from other European countries had struggled to prevent the fire from spreading since Tuesday.

INTERNATIONAL
Reports from Iran say 29 people have been executed by hanging in Tehran. Among them were convicts found guilty of murder, rape, armed robbery and drug trafficking, state television IRIB reported. Amnesty International, the human rights group, said that last year Iran carried out 317 executions.

The death toll in the serial bomb blasts that rocked the western Indian city of Ahmedabad on Saturday has risen to 49. A number of unexploded bombs have since been found. Meanwhile, police say they have arrested one man and detained several people for questioning.

Starting on Saturday, Mick Jagger will be entitled to a basic state pension of just under $180 a week. But he will have to wait another five years for free roof insulation -- that benefit is only available to Britons over the age of 70. The lead singer of the Rolling Stones turns 65 on Saturday, making him an old-age pensioner, albeit in name only.

WEATHER
Today it will rain with temperatures ranging between 24 and 14 degrees Celsius. The sun is expected to shine tomorrow, reaching 26 Degrees Celsius.

And that’s all for today, thank you for listening. Have a nice weekend!