• Kosovo reports over 2,000 new daily COVID cases as Omicron surges (media) • New anti-Covid-19 measures to be discussed today (media) • Kurti: The government will increase support for consumers (media) • Kosovo’s electric bills could increase two-fold (Euractiv) • Hovenier: U.S. dedicated to strengthening the rule of law in Kosovo (media) • Gervalla in Athens to meet Dendias (Ekonomia) • EU millions for rule of law did not translate into substantive reforms (Koha) • RTK Director sacked; board cites numerous violations (media) • Serwer: Good on recognition but oversold on strategic impact (media) • Macron: Clear accession perspective of Western Balkans and EU reform (EWB) • Landscapes of industrial ruin (Kosovo 2.0)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, January 19, 2022 Albanian Language Media: • COVID-19: 2,050 new cases, no deaths (media) • Lajcak and Escobar expected to visit Prishtina and Belgrade (RFE) • Arrival of new SRSG and Head of UNMIK, Caroline Ziadeh (media) • From crisis to convergence: A strategy to tackle Balkans instability at its source (media) • “Kosovo selectively discriminated against for visa liberalization” (media) • Haradinaj suspects energy situation created to benefit “the energy mafia” (Koha) • Kosovo in 2022: No end in sight to life in limbo (BIRN) Serbian Language Media: • Covid-19: 51 new cases registered in Serbian areas (Radio KIM) • HLC: Investigations still opened on days of arrests of defendants (Radio KIM) • Lawyer: Second witness in case of Dusko Arsic interviewed, says he never heard about him (Kosovo-online) • Petkovic with French Ambassador Koshar on situation in Kosovo (Kosovo-online) • Epidemiologists warn of rapidly rising number of coronavirus cases (N1) • Djuric with Escobar: Serbia ready to contribute to progress of region (Kosovo-online) • Vucic: Peace, stability priceless (Tanjug) • Erdogan: 2021 was exceptional year for Turkey-Serbia ties (Tanjug) • Drecun: Kurti wants to interrupt practice of Serbs voting in Kosovo (Kosovo-online)

• COVID-19: 720 new cases, one death (media) • Latifi: Healthcare system prepared to handle increased hospitalisations (Koha) • The two-day rate of COVID-19 infections affects roughly 400 children (RFE) • Government pledges €75 million to subsidise energy for citizens and businesses (Kallxo) • LDK leader Abdixhiku opposes electricity price increase (media) • AAK ponders calling protests to oppose electricity price increase (Klan/RTK) • Lajcak, Peach discuss Kosovo-Serbia dialogue (media) • Hovenier: KFOR enjoys U.S.'s steadfast support (media) • Xhacka at UN SC: Women in Kosovo raped, killed as part of ethnic cleansing campaign (Koha/Klan)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, January 18, 2022 Albanian Language Media: • COVID-19: 720 new cases, one death (media) • What caused the outbreak of COVID this week in Kosovo (Express) • Pupils, teachers get infected; many schools move to online classes (Indeksonline) • Negative signals from France for visa liberalization (Express) • PDK: Increased electricity tariffs, biggest blow to the people (Telegrafi) • LDK: Government’s inaction forced ERO to increase electricity tariffs (Koha) Serbian Language Media: • Covid-19: 171 new cases registered in Serbian areas (KoSSev) • EU in Serbia: Higher turnout would be better, but referendum results positive (N1) • Pristina banned Serbs from voting in referendum; what about April elections? (N1) • UNS and its branch in Kosovo request police and prosecution to find out who was behind cyber-attack on Kosovo-online portal (media) • Vucic to pay one-day visit to Turkey (Tanjug) • Brnabic: Pristina’s decision disgraceful, I will ask EU officials about it (Kosovo-online) • Andric Rakic: Failure to hold referendum in Kosovo an overture to a ban on elections in April (Danas) • Escobar and Lajcak to visit Pristina on January 31, Belgrade on February 2 (Kosovo-online) • Visoki Decani Monastery: 133 attacks against Serbs recorded in Kosovo in 2021 (Kosovo-online) International: Kosovo Court Struggles to Contact Ivanovic Murder Trial Witnesses (Balkan Insight) Humanitarian/Development: Kosovo families fear losing homes in post-war legal shambles (BIRN) Kosovo Expects Doubling of Electricity Price as Energy Crisis Bites (Prishtina Insight)

• EU regrets Serb referendum not taking place in Kosovo (RFE/media) • Kosovo Serbs Vote in Serbian Referendum in Serbia – Not Kosovo (BIRN) • Serbia Opposition Voices Doubts About Referendum, Praised by EU (BIRN) • Haradinaj: Regulatory Office has proposed increase of electricity price by 80% (media) • Kosovo Police rebuts Serbian List allegations over Runik incident (media) • Anti-corruption agency opens case into Rakic's declaration of assets (Koha) • COVID-19: 728 new cases, no deaths (media)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, January 17, 2022 Albanian Language Media: • "Government, Presidency, Assembly joined in defence of the Constitution" (RTK) • Kusari-Lila: Assembly's resolution reconfirmed the will of all parties (media) • PDK's Tahiri: Assembly's session was a mockery of opposition (media) • AAK's Tahiri: Our position on referendum was principled (media) • Hyseni on Kosovo Assembly’s referendum resolution: Act of cowardice (media) • COVID-19: 728 new cases, no deaths (media) Serbian Language Media: • Serbian referendum: 30.63 percent of registered voters turned out, 59.71 percent voted pro (RTS) • Serbian officials’ reactions to Pristina ban on referendum (media) • Serbs protest against Pristina’s decision to ban referendum in Kosovo (Radio KIM) • Stano: Serbs in Kosovo should have been enabled to vote in referendum (RTS) • EU officials welcome outcome of Serbian referendum (N1) • Vucic: Citizens voted in favour of constitutional amendments (Tanjug) • Brnabic: Referendum major step in strengthening rule of law (Tanjug) • “Vucic announces referendum results before election commission” (N1) • Serbian opposition: low turnout, referendum didn’t go the way ruling authorities expected (RTS) • Vukadinovic: Referendum results blow to authorities, surprising for opposition (Radio KIM) • “Unsolved murder of Ivanovic disgrace for Belgrade, Pristina, and international community“ (KoSSev) • Vucic lights a candle in memory of Oliver Ivanovic (N1) • Office for KiM: Young man from Banja village attacked (Radio KIM) • Kosovo-online portal under hackers attack again (Kosovo-online) International: • Serbia Votes ‘Yes’ to Judiciary Constitution Changes (Balkan Insight)

• COVID-19: 771 new cases, no deaths (media) • Kosovo sends back Serbian ballots ahead of referendum (Deutsche Welle) • Lawmakers reject holding Serb referendum in Kosovo (The Washington Post) • President’s Chief of Staff: Kosovo kept a principled position (media) • Assembly adopts resolution against Serbian referendum in Kosovo (Express) • Kosovo Serbs travel to neighboring Serbia to vote in referendum (euronews.al) • Kosovo bans Serbian vote on constitutional changes on its soil (Al Jazeera) • Kosovo commemorates massacre where 45 were killed by Serbian troops (Exit) • Spahiu: Talk of Albanian unification Damages Kosovo (BIRN) • Panic as Kosovo pulls plug on its energy-guzzling bitcoin miners (The Guardian) • Podcast: War’s consequences on cultural heritage (Kosovo 2.0) • Serbia votes ‘Yes’ judiciary constitution changes (BIRN)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, January 14, 2022 Albanian Language Media: • Quint urges Kosovo Government to allow Serbia’s referendum (media) • Kosovo institutions issue statement on Serbia's referendum (media) • Kurti announces extraordinary Assembly session on Saturday (media) • Kurti's advisor says "established practice" was "bad practice" (Telegrafi) • Ahmeti: Serbia trying to destabilise Kosovo through referendum request (media) • LDK: Serbia's referendum in Kosovo is unacceptable (media) • PDK: Serbia's referendum in Kosovo is unconstitutional (G. Express) • AAK supports Government's position on Serbia's referendum (Klan) • GLPS: Serbia's referendum in Kosovo is not a human rights issue (media) • COVID-19: 585 new cases, no deaths (media) Serbian Language Media: • Covid-19: 34 new cases registered in Serbian areas (Radio KIM) • Quint on referendum: Pristina to allow Serbs to vote in line with established practice (KoSSev) • Vucic with Serb representatives from Kosovo and Metohija today (RTS) • Trajkovic: Kurti inspires Vucic (Radio KIM) • Blinken wrote to Kurti: Restore momentum to dialogue, fulfil Kosovo obligations (Radio KIM) • Friends of Oliver Ivanovic call on people to light candle in his honor on Sunday (KoSSev) • Vlajic: Verdict of Todosijevic annulled, new trial in February (Radio KIM) • Selakovic calls on voters to say yes at referendum (N1) • “Kosovo special police in Gracanica supported inspection in monitoring implementation of anti-Covid measures” (Radio KIM) • Orthodox New Year marked (Radio KIM) International: • Ex-Prosecutor: Serbia Impeded Probe of Kosovo Serb Politician’s Murder (Balkan Inisght) • Serbian Minister Denies Briefing Kremlin on Russian Opposition Meeting (Balkan Insight) Humanitarian/Development: • Activists handed over 290,000 signatures against Rio Tinto to Serbian Government (N1)

• U.S. Secretary of State Blinken writes to Prime Minister Kurti (media) • Kurti answers to Secretary Blinken: Looking forward to work together (media) • Konjufca: We don’t accept the Serbian association; this is a closed matter (T7) • Commentators: Borrell is proving he is not impartial (Kosovapress) • Vucic warns serious consequences if referendum in Kosovo not allowed (Koha) • Ex-prosecutor: Serbia impeded probe of Kosovo Serb politician’s murder (BIRN) • Kosovo human rights concerns raised in new report (Exit) • Hague prosecutors accused of failing to protect Kosovo case files (BIRN) • Meta on Open Balkan: Ambiguous initiative imposed from above (euronews.al)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, January 13, 2022 Albanian Language Media: • Kurti: Kosovo Serbs vote by mail or at the liaison office (DW Albanian, media) • Hovenier meets Bislimi: Committed to mutual recognition through dialogue (RTK) • British Embassy: Announcement of competition for Chief Prosecutor, surprising (RTK) • Borrell on Serbia’s referendum: Citizens should be allowed to vote (media) • From today, KSF can embark anywhere in the world (Klan) • Von Cramon: Shocked that Serbia wiretapped Russian opposition (media) • Kosovo Albanians Applying for EU Residency Reaches Over 70,000 (Exit) • COVID-19: 427 new cases, two deaths (media) Serbian Language Media: • Covid-19: 138 new cases registered in Serbian areas, no deaths (KoSSev) • Borrell spoke with Vucic on referendum, says people should be able to vote (B92) • “REC ready for referendum in KiM, waiting for response of those in charge” (KoSSev) • Serbian List, Municipality condemn police action in Gracanica, urge international community to react (Kosovo-online) • Kosovo special police units raided Gracanica municipal building (Radio KIM) • Gracanica: Organized transport for celebration cancelled because of special police action (Radio KIM) • OSCE Mission confirmed it received Belgrade’s request regarding referendum (KoSSev) • Odalovic: Voting took place during times of Haradinaj and Thaci (Radio KIM) • “3.000 people from Serbia filed lawsuits against NATO” (B92) • Threatening leaflet posted at church gate in Vitomirica village (Kosovo-online) • Oliver Ivanovic’s family says investigation into his murder obstructed (N1)