• COVID-19: 1,383 new cases, 26 deaths (media)
• Kosovo receives additional vaccine doses, more expected by week’s end (media)
• Krasniqi to Kurti: COVID-19 situation alarming, requires urgent action (media)
• Borrell: Legally-binding agreement would resolve Kosovo's legal representation (media)
• Assembly Speaker Konjufca meets UN Assistant Secretary Jenca (media)
• Palmer's replacement does not change U.S. approach towards Kosovo (Koha)
• Minister Murati accuses predecessor of inflating cost for road construction (media)
• Playing War: Pitfalls and Potential of Video Games in the Balkans (BIRN)

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 1,383 new cases, 26 deaths (media)
• First meeting of Committee for coordination and assessment of situation with COVID-19, held (media)
• Kurti discusses COVID-19 measures with municipal mayors (media)
• President Osmani to participate in the Swiss Economic Forum (media)
• Kurti to participate at Bled Strategic Forum (media)
• The third group of 139 Afghan refugees is expected to arrive today (media)
• Haradinaj: Kosovo government is joking with diplomatic missions (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Covid-19 in Serbian communities: 26 new cases, two deaths (Radio Mitrovica sever)
• Rakic and Simic with Jenča: A large number of unresolved incidents against Serbs (Kosovo Online)
• UNICEF and WHO call for schools to remain open, with respect for measures (KiM radio, N1, FoNet)
• Trial for the murder of Oliver Ivanovic continues (KoSSev)
• The International Day of the Missing in Kosovo marked separately in Gracanica and Pristina (RTS, Radio Mitrovica sever, KiM radio)
• Blakaj: 22 years after the war, the two sides continue to count only the victims of one side (KoSSev)
• Petkovic: Evidence shows that there is a KLA archive (RTV Puls, Tanjug)

Opinion:

• Afghan Disaster Holds Lessons for Western Policy in Balkans (Balkan Insight)

International:

• EU Council Recommends Reinstating Travel Restrictions for Visitors from US, Israel, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia & Lebanon (schengenvisainfo.com)

• COVID-19: 932 new cases, 20 deaths (media)
• EU drops Kosovo from list of COVID-safe countries (Radio Free Europe)
• Kurti: EU to create new momentum for reforms; make enlargement fairer (media)
• Osmani: United Nations membership, a continuous goal of ours (media)
• Lajcak: Kosovo’s full international integration, a priority in dialogue (Koha)
• Haradinaj offers recommendations for managing COVID-19 situation (media)
• PDK calls on government to change approach to vaccination process (media)
• Kosovo PM urges Serbia to reveal truth about wartime missing (BIRN)
• “Kurti, Osmani won’t enter into talks before Serbia returns our loved ones” (ATV)
• Hoti: Kosovo to be ready; dialogue must end with mutual recognition (media)

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 932 new cases, 20 deaths (media)
• Kurti appeals to citizens to get vaccinated against COVID-19 (media)
• Kosovo leaders: Fate of the forcibly disappeared, top priority in relations with Serbia (media)
• ICRC: 23 years on, 1,630 people still missing in Kosovo (media)
• UNMIK calls on Pristina and Belgrade to redouble efforts for clarifying the fate of missing persons (Koha)
• EULEX and Kosovo Police develop database to facilitate investigation of war crimes and enforced disappearances (RFE/RTK)
• Kosovo receives U.S. donation of military vehicles (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Tanin reminds of the importance of clarifying the fate of missing persons (RTK2, Radio Mitrovica North, Kosovo Online)
• Gabriel Escobar the new State Department's envoy for the Western Balkans (Tanjug, Kosovo Online)
• Vucic at the Bled Forum; Rama, Zaev and Kurti at the panel on EU enlargement (Tanjug, Kosovo Online)
• ''Serbian list withdrawing from the elections is unrealistic scenario'' (Danas)
• The trial for the murder of Oliver Ivanovic continued today (Kosovo Online)
• Petkovic: And today, we ask when it will be possible to search nine locations in Kosovo (Kosovo Online)
• Rakic: Society’s moral obligation to uncover the truth about missing (Kosovo Online)
• In Gracanica six Covid-19 cases during the weekend (RTK2)

International:

• Afghans Evacuated From Kabul In U.S. Airlift Arrive In Kosovo (RFE)

• 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)