Tuesday 29th July 2008 MEDIA HEADLINES IN ENGLISH

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

UNMIK reconfiguration going forward
Violent protests expected today in Belgrade, and
Bombs hit pilgrims in Baghdad

KOSOVO
The United Nations and the European Union have concluded technical talks on the start of full deployment of EULEX in Kosovo. Media report that the UN Department for Peacekeeping Operations has given its approval of the plan for a significant downsizing of UNMIK by the end of the year and EULEX’s entry.

Too much attention is being paid to the north at the time when there are other crucial issues and challenges for Kosovo, according to the US Ambassador in Pristina, Tina Kaidanow. She added that “the US President and others have made it clear that we believe that Kosovo must remain whole.”

The Kosovo Government is making continuous efforts to reassert law and order in the northern Kosovo, Deputy Prime Minister, Hajredin Kuçi, said. Pristina will return its judges and customs officials to this area, Kuci added, saying that the use of force is not a tool to be used to restore control over the north.

UNMIK Customs chief, as well as the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Environment have been temporarily suspended after being held responsible for allowing dangerous toxic tanks to enter Kosovo and lacking decisions to deal with them up to today. Head of Customs Naim Huruglica is also being held responsible for a series of violations found at the institution by the Auditor General.

AAK party chairman Ramush Haradinaj accused the Government of hiring people on ‘party fanatics’ basis. At a press conference yesterday Haradinaj said the Government is not allowing an investigation into corruption in the Government, adding that officials are also interfering with the work of police.

Russian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Titov said yesterday that Russia would be willing to cooperate with EULEX, “but only as part of UNMIK and in agreement with Belgrade and UNSC consent for its deployment.” Moscow does not rule out the possibility of withdrawing its police officers if Resolution 1244 is violated.

The Government adopted yesterday a proposal by the Ministry of Economy to reduce taxes on personal salaries and for corporations, which will be reduced from 20 to 10%. According to the Minister of Economy, Ahmet Shala, the changes in the fiscal policy will create the ground for a more robust economic development.

Kosovo Judicial Institute (KJI) published yesterday the list of the candidates that will attend training for judges and prosecutors. Of 172 applicants, 31 were selected for the training which will begin in September. The project was implemented with the assistance of the UNDP and the OSCE.

Former president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the CoE and rapporteur for Kosovo, Lord David Russell-Johnston, died a day before his 76th birthday, the CoE announced. Lord Russell-Johnston proposed supervised independence of Kosovo in January 2008.

REGION
Hard-line supporters of Radovan Karadzic, war crimes suspect, are threatening to bring violent chaos to Belgrade today with a huge rally in his support. The rally organisers - the right-wing Serbian Radical Party - were bringing in supporters from all over Serbia and Bosnia.

Turkey's prime minister has implied the bombings that killed 17 people in Istanbul on Sunday were the work of the Kurdish separatist PKK group. Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the attacks were a "cost" of the military campaign against the PKK based in northern Iraq. The PKK has denied having anything to do with the bombings.

Zoran Zaev, vice president of the main opposition Social Democrats and the mayor of Strumica, a town in southeastern FYROM, has been accused of abuse office and taken to a detention facility. The Skopje District Court ruled that Zaev is to remain in police custody for the next 30 days.

INTERNATIONAL
Three female suicide bombers killed 28 people and wounded 92 when they blew themselves up among Shi'ites walking through the streets of Baghdad on a religious pilgrimage yesterday. In the northern oil city of Kirkuk a suicide bomber killed 22 people and wounded 150 at a protest against a disputed local elections law.

The new Australian government has abandoned the country's controversial policy of jailing all asylum seekers. In a major overhaul of immigration rules, the policy of detaining would-be asylum seekers in often remote jails will now be used only as a last resort. Human rights groups have welcomed the move.

WEATHER
Today the sun will shine with temperatures ranging between 26 and 14 degrees Celsius. Tomorrow will also be sunny, reaching 26 Degrees Celsius.

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