• COVID-19: A record 36 deaths in last 24 hours (media)
• “Over 90 percent of victims in last 24 hours were not vaccinated” (RFE)
• Kurti: Impossible to have a long lockdown in the country (Koha/RFE)
• PDK leader: Another tragic day for Kosovo (media)
• LDK gives recommendations to government in fight against COVID-19 (media)
• First group of Afghan refugees arrive in Kosovo (media)
• Rama doubles down on Open Balkan, promises new approach with Kosovo (Exit News)
• Businesses eye boost, but also barriers, in ‘Open Balkan’ initiative (BIRN)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, August 27, 2021

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 2,098 new cases, 16 deaths (media)
• Government says 650,000 vaccines to arrive in early September (media)
• “Return to schools is not an alternative until COVID-19 numbers drop” (EO)
• Kosovo – Serbia dialogue to resume on September 7-8 (Radio Free Europe)
• KSF to receive donation of armoured vehicles from US on Monday (Klan Kosova)
• Ministry of Justice says vetting concept document is being finalised (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Petkovic: Annulment of verdict precondition for participation of Serbian List (Radio Mitrovica sever)
• Lajcak spoke with heads of Belgrade and Pristina negotiation teams (Radio KIM)
• Selakovic thanks Vietnam for support to Serbia’s territorial integrity (Kosovo-online)
• Serbs in Berkovo village, near Klina without water supply since July 13 (Radio KIM)
• KSF to receive armored vehicles, US donation (Kosovo-online)

International:

• Afghan Refugees Fleeing Taliban Arrive in Albania (Balkan Insight)

• COVID-19: 2,295 new cases, 18 deaths (media)
• PDK leader: Kosovo going through tragedy; Government needs clear plan (EO)
• Lajcak: Next dialogue meeting in early September (media)
• Brussels says 2013 agreement violated, government and KJC silent (Koha)
• KLI: Court of Appeals acted correctly in case of Ivan Todosijevic (media)
• Founders and opponents of Open Balkan to meet in Slovenia (Koha)
• 23 Albanians believed to be in suspected mass grave in the north (Telegrafi)
• Ex-Trump spy chief Grenell celebrates pro-Moscow Serb strongman (Spytalk)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, August 25, 2021

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 2,295 new cases, 18 deaths (media)
• Prime Minister Kurti received the Mayor of Tirana, Erion Veliaj (media)
• Trendafilova rejects request of Thaci’s defense for her withdrawal (RTK)
• AAK: The situation is very serious, get out of your shell of political interests (RTK)
• Suspicion that Mitrovica intellectuals are buried in a mass grave in Dreth (Koha)
• Protest: Killing of women to be treated as a national emergency (media)
• The U.S. Embassy: As long as domestic violence continues, women will never be equal (Koha)

Serbian Language Media:

• 23 new cases of Covid-19, one death registered in Serbian areas in Kosovo (KoSSev)
• EU: Pristina violated Brussels agreement in case of Ivan Todosijevic (Radio KIM)
• Raska-Prizren Eparchy, NGOs react to verdict to Ivan Todosijevic (media)
• Northern mayors urge Pristina to determine responsibility for Brussels agreement violation (RTS)
• Vucic: Todosijevic convicted because of truth (Radio KIM)
• Djuric: Vucic and I know people coming to State Department (N1)
• Hearing on lawsuit regarding Christ the Savior Temple land in Pristina postponed (Kosovo-online)
• Kosovo Judicial Council: Court employees in Mitrovica resumed working (KoSSev)

International:

• Kosovo Serbs Furious About Jailing of MP for ‘Ethnic Hatred’ (BIRN)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Stamenkovic: Kamenica has always been good example of co-existence (Kosovo-online, RTK2)

• COVID-19: 2,541 new cases, 14 deaths (media)
• Education Ministry not convinced by record number of infected children (Koha)
• Murder of 18 year old girl forces the state to act (Koha)
• Protest march in defense of women to be held in Prishtina today (media)
• Government allocates €40 million for economic recovery (Koha)
• President Osmani met with US Ambassador to Kosovo Philip Kosnett (media)
• Kosovo will provide shelter to around 2.000 Afghans (Radio Free Europe)
• Baraliu: Government not obliged to implement Association agreement (media)
• Suspected mass grave in village in Mitrovica North (RTK)
• Kosovo’s trade gap widens 39.5% y/y in July (Seenews.com)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, August 24, 2021

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 2,541 new cases, 14 deaths (media)
• Osmani signs agreement with U.S. for additional $ 3.8 million for Kosovo (RTK)
• President of the Specialised Chambers to visit Kosovo on 7 September (RTK)
• Government allocates 15 million euros for creation of new jobs (RTK)
• Kosovo and Northern Macedonia sign legal cooperation agreement (media)
• Isa Mustafa: The Association should not be established (media)
• Abbot: missing persons should not be used for political benefits (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Verdict to Ivan Todosijevic upheld, Serbian officials react (media)
• Vucic thanks Azerbaijan and India for respecting Serbia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty (Kosovo-online)
• KSF members again in Gracanica, Partes and Priluzje (Kosovo-online)
• WHO representative says situation related to Covid-19 deteriorating in Serbia (N1)
• Some 60,000 people in Serbia received third dose of anti-coronavirus vaccine so far (N1)

International:

• Kosovo Serb MP’s Jail Sentence for ‘Ethnic Hatred’ Upheld (BIRN)

• COVID-19: 1,927 new cases, 14 deaths (media)
• US Embassy: COVID-19 vaccines don’t contain microchips (media)
• The unsheltered during the pandemic (Koha Ditore)
• Murder of teenage woman sparks protest in Ferizaj (BIRN)
• “Hundreds of cases domestic violence, thorough vetting in justice is needed” (KTV)
• Delete profile: Online abuse of Kosovo women costing democracy (BIRN)
• Serbian List not sure if it will take part in October local elections (RFE)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, August 24, 2021

Albanian Language Media:

• Police arrest main suspect for murder of 18 year old girl in Ferizaj (media)
• Kurti: The murderer will get the merited punishment (Koha)
• COVID-19: 1,927 new cases, 14 deaths (media)
• 797 patients on oxygen therapy, 37 of them in serious condition (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• 26 new cases of Covid-19, one death registered in Serbian areas in Kosovo (KoSSev)
• Elek: Mitrovica North Hospital Center under Covid system again (KoSSev)
• 11-year-old Serb boy injured in Kamenica (KoSSev, Puls)
• Vucic: I didn’t get invitation for Brussels (Radio KIM)
• Petkovic: Kosovo Security Forces want to intimidate Serbian population (Radio kontakt plus)
• Rakic and Federici spoke about security, frequent attacks against Serbs (Kosovo-online)

International:

• Serbian arms used in Africa’s Sahel conflict: Amnesty International (BIRN)

• COVID-19: 1,067 new cases, 17 deaths (media)
• COVID-19 claims lives of 17 citizens in 24 hours, in Kosovo (Euronews.al)
• Kosovo leaders react to murder of 18 year old girl in Ferizaj (media)
• Haxhiu to join today’s protest in Ferizaj (media)
• Health Ministry asks CEC to change locations of 30 polling centers (media)
• Sami Lushtaku will not be able to run in local elections (Indeksonline)
• Nagavci: New school year to start on September 1 (Indeksonline)
• Defence Minister Mehaj in an official visit to Germany (RTK)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, August 23, 2021

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 1,067 new cases, 17 deaths (media)
• U.S. Embassy urges Kosovo people to get vaccinated: We will donate over 700,000 doses (Express)
• 15,577 diaspora voters registered for local elections (Ekonomia Online)
• Haxhiu: violence should be severely punished (media)
• KSF distributes masks to people throughout Kosovo (RTK)
• Dreshaj: The state is treating human lives only as daily figures (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• 22 cases of Covid-19 registered in Serbian areas on Saturday (Radio KIM)
• Petkovic: Reducing number of KFOR soldiers threat to peace and survival of Serbs (N1)
• 23 years since kidnapping of Radio Pristina journalists (Radio KIM)
• Petkovic on Serbian unity, incidents, upcoming elections in Kosovo (Vecernje Novosti, Radio Mitrovica sever)
• Selakovic with President of Egypt on continuation of good cooperation (Kosovo-online)
• Bregovic & Kalashnikov brought crowd to their feet in Korca, concert continued despite tear gas (KoSSev)