Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 1765 new cases, five deaths (media)
• Ministry to discuss additional anti-COVID measures today (Koha)
• Kurti: Sheltering Afghans in Kosovo is done in coordination with US (media)
• S. Senate and Ambassador thank Kosovo for agreeing to provide shelter to Afghan refugees (Express)
• About 9 thousand applications from diaspora for October 17 elections so far (Telegrafi)
• Caka-Nimani meets UK Ambassador Nicholas Abbott (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• 18 new cases of Covid-19 in Serbian areas in Kosovo (KoSSev)
• Stojanovic hands over candidacy for mayor in Gracanica, reactions follow (Radio KIM, media)
• Aleksandar Arsenijevic candidate for mayor in Mitrovica North (Kosovo-online)
• Kosovo Serb media editors on Serbian List attitude toward media (KoSSev)
• Serb young man assaulted in Boshnjak mahala, Radojevic informs Carabinieri Commander on incident (Kosovo-online)
• Anti-Albanian graffiti inscribed than painted over in Gracanica (Radio KIM)
• Serbia’s nationals could return from Afghanistan during day, N1 learns (N1)
• Lawsuit of Milan Radoicic against Rada Trajkovic rejected (KoSSev)
• Belgrade surprised by Twitter move (N1)

International:

• Serbia ‘Hosted Afghan Govt-Taliban Negotiations’, Says Ex-Minister (Balkan Insight)
• Twitter Labels Numerous Media Accounts in Serbia ‘State Affiliated’ (Balkan Insight)

Albanian Language Media  

COVID-19: 1765 new cases, five deaths (media)

Kosovo has recorded 1765 new cases with COVID-19 and five deaths from the virus in the last 24 hours. 121 persons recovered from the virus during this time. There are 10,183 active cases with COVID-19 in Kosovo.

The Hospital and University Service of Kosovo has announced earlier today that 466 patients are hospitalized in Covid clinics and general hospitals. According to the announcement, 392 are confirmed positive with COVID-19, 349 are with oxygen therapy and 18 are in serious health condition.

Ministry to discuss additional anti-COVID measures today (Koha)

The Ministry of Health announced that Minister Arben Vitia will meet today with other heads of health institutions and those involved in the implementation of measures against COVID-19 to discuss the epidemiological situation in Kosovo and the undertaking of other anti-COVID-19 measures.

The announcement did not specify at what time the meeting will be held, however Koha has learned that this is expected to happen at around 15:00 hours.

Last week the government of Kosovo decided on new anti-COVID measures after the addition of new cases. Most of the measures will take effect on August 20th. They are mainly related to the conditioning of citizens to use gastronomy only if they are vaccinated.

Kurti: Sheltering Afghans in Kosovo is done in coordination with US (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said today that details of providing shelter to Afghan refugees in Kosovo are being discussed with the United States and that in addition to the humanitarian aspect it also involves a dimension of Kosovo’s alliance and partnership with the United States.

“The United States is Kosovo’s key ally and irreplaceable strategic partner. The sheltering of refugees from Afghanistan, in addition to a humanitarian aspect, also involves the dimension of our alliance and partnership with the US. The US has continuously supported us, and this is only a small part of our contribution to their great aid and support for our people.”

Kurti told reporters that the Kosovo government has been working on the issue for a month now and that teams have been established in cooperation with US authorities.

“Citizens all over the world not only deserve but are also entitled to democracy. We hope for the good of the people of Afghanistan. The government has been in regular contact with the United States to make organisational and strategic preparations for sheltering a number of Afghan refugees,” Kurti said.

U.S. Senate and Ambassador thank Kosovo for agreeing to provide shelter to Afghan refugees (Express)

U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee has thanked Kosovo and Albania for agreeing to shelter Afghan refugees who are fleeing their country after Taliban forces took over control of the state following U.S. troops withdrawal.

The Committee refers to Kosovo and Albania as friendly countries who agreed to provide shelter to vulnerable Afghans.

“Amid the turmoil and chaos of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, we are so grateful to friends like Albania and Kosovo for agreeing to provide temporary safe-haven to vulnerable Afghans, including SIVs,” it is written in an official Twitter post of the Committee.

Ambassador of the United States of America to Kosovo Philip S. Kosnett, also praised the readiness of institutions, but also of the people of Kosovo for the hospitality of Afghans.

“On behalf of the United States, my deepest thanks to the government and people of Kosovo for your willingness to offer refuge to our Afghan partners on their journey to a new life.  Once again, Kosovo demonstrates leadership on the global stage,” Kosnett tweeted. 

About 9 thousand applications from diaspora for October 17 elections so far (Telegrafi)

The application of diaspora voters for the local elections to be held on October 17 is continuing. The deadline for registration for voting outside Kosovo started on July 10, and will end on August 18.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Central Election Commission (CEC) Secretariat, Burim Ahmetaj stated that so far they have received about 9 thousand applications.

During this 40-day period, the most eligible Kosovo citizens living outside of Kosovo had the opportunity to apply for registration to vote by mail.

Meanwhile, all applicants who meet the legal criteria to register as a voter abroad can vote during the postal voting period, which begins on September 17 and ends on October 15, 2021.

Otherwise, political entities have the right to 30 days to campaign. 

Caka-Nimani meets UK Ambassador Nicholas Abbott (media)

The President of the Constitutional Court of Kosovo, Mrs. Gresa Caka – Nimani, received in a meeting the Ambassador of the United Kingdom in Kosovo, Mr. Nicholas Abbott. Among other issues, they discussed the work and functioning of the Court after the departure of two constitutional judges in June this year, as well as the importance of preserving its functional independence, as a necessary precondition for the protection of constitutionality in Kosovo.

President Caka-Nimani also stressed the importance of increasing transparency at work, advancing the professional capacity and better communication of the Court with the public, on which occasion she expressed her gratitude for the assistance that the government of the United Kingdom has offered to the Constitutional Court of Kosovo in this regard.

Ambassador Abbott, after wishing President Caka-Nimani success in fulfilling her obligations in her new position, underlined the importance of preserving the institutional integrity of the Constitutional Court and pledged to continue with support in the future.

Serbian Language Media

18 new cases of Covid-19 in Serbian areas in Kosovo (KoSSev)

Out of 53 tested samples in the Serb-populated areas in Kosovo, 18 were positive for Covid-19, Crisis Committee of Mitrovica North announced today, KoSSev portal reports.

At the same time five persons completed a two-week isolation period.

The new cases are registered as follows: six in Leposavic, five in Zubin Potok, three in Zvecan, two in Mitrovica North and one each in Gracanica and Priluzje.

Currently there are 50 active cases in the Serbian areas in Kosovo. 

Stojanovic hands over candidacy for mayor in Gracanica, reactions follow (Radio KIM, media)

Former Kosovo Deputy Prime Minister Branimir Stojanovic handed over candidacy for a mayor in Gracanica to the Central Election Commission in Pristina for the upcoming local elections, Radio KIM reports. Stojanovic was Gracanica mayor in 2013.

As media report, Stojanovic said he has decided to run for a mayor due to multiple reasons. According to him, a large number of Gracanica people were dissatisfied with a candidate Serbian List put forward, but also over a manner in which it took place, alleging the candidate was imposed.

He also said his candidacy shall not jeopardize Serbian unity, adding he will insult no one and was prepared to face “a fierce campaign” of the Serbian List, whose candidates for mayors have support from the Serbian state leadership.

Meanwhile, Serbian List officials, whose member Stojanovic was earlier, and Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director Petar Petkovic reacted to his candidacy.

Serbian List representatives, in a media conference in Gracanica today called upon people in Gracanica to remain united and not to quarrel during the election campaign, accusing a former member of their party of treason.

Serbian List candidate for Gracanica mayor Ljiljana Subaric didn’t address the media. Asked by Radio KIM why she can’t talk to the media, Serbian List President Goran Rakic said she could not speak as the election campaign has not started yet.

Current Gracanica mayor Srdjan Popovic and President of Interim Municipal Authority of Pristina Ljubinko Karadzic were also present in a conference. Both called for unity and support to Ljiljana Subaric.

Srjdan Popovic said that the Serbian List would “continue gathering the Serbs under one flag and under that flag our survival and remain shall be defended”.

“We are here to extend our full support to the candidate for mayor Ljiljana Subaric, in front of our state and simply continue our struggle for survival and remain of our people”, Popovic added

Ljubinko Karadzic, described by the media as a close associate of Branimir Stojanovic and in family relations with him, said there is no room for division at the upcoming elections. He also extended support to the Serbian List candidate Ljiljana Subaric.

Earlier, Serbian List Vice President, Igor Simic reacting to Stojanovic’s candidacy said that Stojanovic “guided by vanity in a regretful manner has failed the fidelity test”.  He also added that “desire for position and political power were stronger than awareness on the importance of unity, significance of the political harmony and vitally important relations with Serbia”.

Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director Petar Petkovic also reacted to Stojanovic’s candidacy by saying that “candidacy of a political opportunist Branimir Stojanovic, who will be a candidate at the local elections in Gracanica against the Serbian List was a direct support to the enemies of Serbia, those working against the Serbs and Serbian unity in Kosovo and Metohija. And that is why we say it clearly, it is only the Serbian List candidates who have support of the official Belgrade and state of Serbia”, Petkovic said. 

Aleksandar Arsenijevic candidate for mayor in Mitrovica North (Kosovo-online)

Newly established Civic Initiative Serbian Survival handed over to the Central Election Commission a candidacy for a mayor in Mitrovica North and a list of candidates for municipal councilors for the upcoming local elections, Kosovo-online portal reports.

Candidate of this initiative for Mitrovica North mayor is Aleksandar Aresijevic who told Radio kontakt plus he decided to run for a mayor due to known and unknown people, expecting him to do so. He added he expects a fair campaign.

“The List was named Serbian Survival for a reason, since the life of our community in Kosovo and Metohija has been a fight for mere survival for a long time”, he said.  

As he said further, the goal of the candidacy is to fight for better living standards, democracy, better organization of the city and freedom of the citizens in North Mitrovica.

Kosovo Serb media editors on Serbian List attitude toward media (KoSSev)

Belgrade-based Danas daily spoke to the editors of KoSSev and Radio Gorazdevac about their experiences in communicating with Serbian List (LS), KoSSev portal reports.

Earlier, the Association of Journalists of Serbia (UNS) and its branch in Kosovo sent a protest note over, as they said, Serbian List selective media invitation. The SL handed over its candidate list to the Central Election Commission for the upcoming local elections in Kosovo scheduled for October 17th but only a few media outlets in Kosovo and correspondents to the pro-government newsroom were invited to report on the event, claimed the Association.

Lazarevic: It has been full silence and censorship

“As far as I know, I believe that KoSSev is the only Kosovo Serb media outlet entirely blacklisted from SL within their activities as a political party. It has been for several years now that we do receive neither a statement, answers to our inquiries, nor invitations to public events. They do not respond to our calls and messages. There has been full silence and censorship“, the editor-in-chief of the KoSSev portal, Tatjana Lazarevic told Danas.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/2W5Bswx

Serb young man assaulted in Boshnjak mahala, Radojevic informs Carabinieri Commander on incident (Kosovo-online)

Three young men of Albanian ethnicity have beaten up late last night a young man of Serb ethnicity in the Boshnjak mahala settlement in Mitrovica North, Kosovo-online reports. Mayor of Mitrovica North Milan Radojevic informed today Italian Carabinieri Multinational Special Unit Commander Colonel Stephan Fedel about the incident.  

During the meeting, Radojevic expressed particular concern over, as the portal reported, the fact that one of the suspects, who took part in beating up Serb young man, is a member of Kosovo Security Forces.

He called upon KFOR members and all their units to increase the presence and vigilance on the ground in order to prevent such attacks against the Serbs.  He also welcomed the swift reaction of the Kosovo police North region members who identified the attackers and arrested some of them. Radojevic also urged police to increase patrols and visibility on the ground.

At the end, he thanked Colonel Fedel over the good cooperation expressing hope it would continue in the future as well.

Anti-Albanian graffiti inscribed than painted over in Gracanica (Radio KIM)

On premises rented by mushroom processing factory “DAB” in Gracanica, graffiti “Death to Shiptars” and “Kosovo is Serbia” were inscribed, Pristina-based Koha reported. RTV KIM said that following the news they went to the spot, however, the graffiti were painted over.

The workers saw the graffiti this morning and reported the case to the police which conducted an investigation. Owner of the factory, who wished to remain anonymous, said he perceives the act as an ethnic hatred, although, as he said, he attempts to make good relations with the Serbs there. Workers also told Radio KIM they do not know who has painted over the graffiti.

This is the third graffiti in Gracanica during couple of days. Previously “KLA” graffiti was inscribed in the center of Gracanica, then the same one on the walls of the private house that has been meanwhile covered with a drawing of a Serbian flag.

The mushroom processing factory “DAB” in Gracanica hit the Serbian media headlines in February this year, after its workers had beaten up Serb-boy Luka Dimitrijevic who was on their property with friends.

The company said that youngsters are gathering in front of their premises on a daily basis and make the noise with vehicles and  motorbikes. They also said they informed police about that on several occasions. 

Serbia’s nationals could return from Afghanistan during day, N1 learns (N1)

According to official information N1 obtained from Serbian Foreign Ministry, “there is a shift in the right direction” regarding the evacuation of citizens in Kabul and who want to return to Serbia – Marko Pribak and Aleksandar Cvejic.

A woman from Serbia is in another part of Afghanistan.

So far, there is no information that the evacuation is ongoing, but N1 learns that it could happen during the day for the military part of the airport in Kabul, the only place where the planes can take off from since the civilian part is closed for traffic. That’s why Serbia could not send a plane to pick its nationals up.

Lawsuit of Milan Radoicic against Rada Trajkovic rejected (KoSSev)

The Higher Court in Belgrade has rejected the lawsuit Milan Radoicic, Serbian List Vice President filed against Rada Trajkovic, President of the European Serb Movement from Kosovo, KoSSev portal reports.The lawsuit on harming the honor and reputation was rejected as unfounded.

Commenting on the verdict, Trajkovic told KoSSev portal “the justice will be served only when he (Radoicic) is brought before the court to prove his innocence regarding the murder of Oliver Ivanovic”.

“This brings no satisfaction to me, but I want to believe this is the introduction to or beginning of what we all expect, since it is the most important that he proves his innocence before the court in Pristina”, she added.  

Belgrade surprised by Twitter move (N1)

Serbian Ministry of Culture and Information said on Tuesday it was surprised by Twitter’s decision to label several country’s media as state-affiliated, including the two public broadcasters – RTS and RTV, N1 reports.

The Ministry added it did not go into what made “this multilingual site to go from exchanging opinions and freedom of speech, which they vow is their job, to censorship of certain media in our country“.

Later on Tuesday, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said that “in fact, it says all the best about those media”, Twitter mentioned.

He added he couldn’t “wait to have his Twitter account shut down, to be another (former US President Donald) Trump in the world. To be clear that Taliban spokespersons have free access to that social network… I congratulate all the media which resist that obedient network and who spread liberal aspirations and ideas. I wish them much success”.

Vucic said that “we as a state don’t finance the most of those media” mentioned by Twitter.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3xRbKsx

International 

Serbia ‘Hosted Afghan Govt-Taliban Negotiations’, Says Ex-Minister (Balkan Insight)

Former Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said that Serbia hosted talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban three times at unspecified dates in the past and that there was a temporary ceasefire as a result.

Former Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic, who is now the president of the Serbian parliament, said on Tuesday that negotiations between the Afghan authorities and the Taliban were held in secret in Serbia a few years ago.

“They came three times, I was their host. The president, the current president of Afghanistan [Ashraf Ghani], was on a video link, there were representatives of the Afghanistan Peace Council and some representatives of the Taliban, in other words their factions,” Dacic told Pink TV on Tuesday.

He added that “we [Serbia] did not interfere in [the negotiations], the atmosphere was correct and the common assessment was that some progress was made at that time, a truce was declared”.

“However, when the great powers saw that we were doing it, then they said ‘so come on, we will do it, in Doha, in Qatar’. You saw the result,” Dacic said.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/2VUEyDO

Twitter Labels Numerous Media Accounts in Serbia ‘State Affiliated’ (Balkan Insight)

Twitter has labelled a number of well-known newspapers and TV stations in Serbia as media where ‘the state exercises control over editorial content through financial resources and direct or indirect political pressures’.

Twitter has started to label accounts belonging to various pro-government media in Serbia as state-affiliated media.

Among those it deems affiliated with Serbia’s government are the dailies Srpski Telegraf, Kurir, Informer, Politika, and three free-to-air channels – Happy, Prva TV and B92, RTV Pink’s online portal, as well as the news agency Tanjug.

The label appears on the profile page of the Twitter account and on the Tweets sent by and shared from these accounts. Labels contain information about the country the account is affiliated with and whether it is operated by a government representative or is a state-affiliated media entity.

These labels include a small icon of a flag to signal the account’s status as a government account and a podium for state-affiliated media. In the case of state-affiliated media entities, Twitter will not recommend or amplify accounts or their Tweets with these labels to people.

As noted in Twitter’s rules and regulations, Twitter defines state-affiliated media as “outlets where the state exercises control over editorial content through financial resources, direct or indirect political pressures, and/or control over production and distribution.”

None of the media affected has yet reacted publicly to the new rule.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3CUbJrr