Serbia cancels agreement on free movement with Kosovo (Zeri)
The office of Kosovo’s Minister for Dialogue, Edita Tahiri, in a letter to the members of the Technical Group on Border Security, has announced that the agreement for mutual recognition of vehicle insurance signed in Brussels between Kosovo and Serbia on 23 June was canceled. The agreement was foreseen to enter into force on 24 July. According to the announcement, the cancellation was made after the Serbian side failed to make the necessary preparations required for its implementation. The paper writes that the head of the Kosovo delegation technical group, Rrahim Pacolli, said that such actions show that Serbia and the international community are not serious. Pacolli also proposed to stop the talks with Serbia until the implementation of this agreement.
Special court, 85 votes in favor (Zeri)
The paper reports that only four out of 13 Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) MPs, who didn’t support the establishment of the special court, have not changed their minds on the issue. According to the paper, it is expected that 85 MPs will vote in favor for the constitutional amendments that enable the establishment of the special court. Sources within the PDK told the paper that against the special court are expected to vote Nait Hasani, Ganimete Musliu, Fadil Demaku and Raif Qela. It is expected that the issue of the special court be put to vote next week.
Government failed to prepare law on Trepca mining complex (Koha)
The paper reports on its front page that opposition MPs reminded Prime Minister Isa Mustafa on Thursday that his government has failed to meet the self-announced deadline to submit to the Assembly the strategy and the law on the Trepca mining complex. Vetevendosje MP Glauk Konjufca said it was completely unserious and irresponsible for the government to imply in one of its meeting that the law on the mining complex will be submitted only next year. In his response to the MPs, Prime Minister Mustafa remarked that he hasn’t forgotten about the mining complex.
Police: Those arrested in Badovc were preparing terror attack (Koha)
The Kosovo Police Anti-Terror Deputy Director, Fatos Makolli, said on Thursday that the people recently arrested in Badovc Lake were in the initial phase of preparing a terror attack. Adding to the Badovc Case, Makolli said the suspects were known for their terror activities and that the police had credible information that they were preparing a terror attack. “The location where we arrested them was a coincidence,” he said. During a debate on KTV, Makolli also said that religious organizations that operated in post-war Kosovo had influenced the growth of radicalism and targeted the youth.
Kosovo government reacts to Politico story (Bota Sot)
The spokesperson for the government of Kosovo, Arban Abrashi, reacted on Thursday to a recent article published by Chuck Sudetic in Politico.eu. “The article by Chuck Sudetic titled ‘The bullies who run Kosovo’, which addresses the situation in Kosovo and the debate on the establishment of a special court, is based on pure speculation. He refers to anonymous sources and exaggerates the circumstances. Sudetic makes scandalous and racist assessments, while giving no evidence of such serious accusations,” Abrashi said.
Kosovo and UK sign cooperation agreement (dailies)
The Ministry of Kosovo Security Force and the United Kingdom on Thursday signed a cooperation agreement in the field of security and defense. This document will be in force until 2017 in case of any legal change in the mandate of the KSF.
400,000 unresolved cases in Kosovo courts (Koha)
During a conference organized by the USAID in Pristina on Thursday it was said that there is a backlog of 400,000 cases in Kosovo’s courts. Participants remarked that this is causing serious damage to the rule of law area and to the country’s economic development.
Salih Mekaj under house arrest (Zeri)
The Basic Court of Pristina has ordered on Thursday one month house detention for Salih Mekaj, President of the Court of Appeals. Mekaj is suspected for abuse of official position and authority.
The scandal with the Indian “millionaires” (Zeri)
The paper on its front page reports that six Indian citizens were arrested by the Kosovo Police while trying to illegally migrate to the European Union through Kosovo. The six individuals were part of a delegation of 29 businessmen who allegedly came to Kosovo to make investments. According to the paper, these individuals also met with Kosovo government senior officials.
Former NLA commander killed in Kumanovo (dailies)
All dailies report that on Thursday afternoon, the main candidate running for head of the Democratic Union for Integration (BDI) branch in Kumanovo, Xhemail Rexhepi, was killed. According to the media, he was killed by the supporters of Bajram Limani who a month ago was appointed as head of this branch directly by Ali Ahmeti.
