• COVID-19: 2,110 new cases, 4 deaths (media)
• Kurti appeals to people to get vaccinated against COVID-19 (media)
• Kurti government doesn’t feel responsible for alarming number of cases (Koha)
• Ministry of Education plans for new academic year to start in schools (RFE)
• Kurti meets German Ambassador Rohde (media)
• Bahtiri: Vetevendosje will win 15 municipalities in local elections (media)
• Osmani: Kosovo ready without hesitation to shelter Afghan refugees (BBC)
• Montenegro dismisses media reports about hosting Afghan refugees (BIRN)
• Think tank defends Serbia hosting secret Afghan Govt-Taliban talks (BIRN)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, August 18, 2021

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 2,110 new cases, four deaths (media)
• The U.S. Embassy: Anti-COVID vaccines do not change human DNA (media)
• PDK’s Hoxhaj gets second vaccine dose, calls on teachers to get vaccinated (Zeri)
• EU responds positively to Osmani’s request to monitor local elections (media)
• Kurti: Have to deal with the past; no luxury for mistakes or experiments (EO)

Serbian Language Media:

• EU spokesperson says Belgrade-Pristina dialogue activities continue (N1)
• KP: Three people detained over physical attack on young man in Mitrovica North (KoSSev)
• Vucic: Serbia to offer additional reward to find those responsible for crime in Gorazdevac (Kosovo-online)
• Leposavic-based TV Mir part of cable network in northern Kosovo again (Radio kontakt plus)
• Stojanovic on reasons why he decided to run for mayor (KoSSev)
• Serbian List in Gracanica: Branimir Stojanovic wishes harm to Serb people (KoSSev)
• Two Serbian nationals evacuated from Kabul, one remains (N1)
• Serbia donates coronavirus vaccines to Lebanon (N1)
• Bregovic confirms performance in Korca (KoSSev)

International:

• Balkan countries affirm US alliance by accepting Afghan refugees (politico.eu)
• Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia Prepare to Shelter Fleeing Afghans (Balkan Insight)

• COVID-19: 1,783 new cases, five deaths (media)
• Health Minister: 99 percent of tested samples resulted with Delta variant (media)
• Health Institute chief appeals for vaccination against COVID-19 (Indeksonline)
• Kosovo approves vaccinations for over-12s (Exit News)
• PDK’s Nikaj slams government for poor management of pandemic (EO)
• Osmani: Two Kosovars safely evacuated from Afghanistan (media)
• Kurti: I cannot disclose number of Afghans that will be sheltered (AP/Klan Kosova)
• Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia prepare to shelter fleeing Afghans (BIRN)
• Controversial Kosovo Serb powerbroker’s libel case dismissed (BIRN)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, August 17, 2021

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)
• U.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)

• COVID-19: 740 new cases, two deaths (media)
• Berlin: We’re aware of Open Balkan; we support Common Regional Market (media)
• Vaccination of groups over 12, allowed (RTK)
• Kosovo Government decides to shelter Afghans (Telegrafi)
• 94 political entities applied for local elections (Koha)
• LDK with three women mayor candidates for first time in Kosovo (Koha)
• Hoti reacts to Odalovic: Desire for massacres still runs in your blood (Zeri)
• 250 Afghan refugees to arrive in Albania this week (Voice of America)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, August 16, 2021

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 740 new cases, two deaths (media)
• Recommendations how to increase vaccination rates (Koha)
• Foreign Ministry working to evacuate three Kosovars from Afghanistan (media)
• “Frequent changes of government delayed issue of missing persons” (EO)
• VV, LDK and AAK to run with single list in Gracanica (Kallxo)
• €2.6 million for environmental protection and diaspora investments (media)
• Protest in front of Albanian PM office against Open Balkan (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Ten cases of Covid-19 registered in Serbian areas in Kosovo on Saturday (Radio KIM)
• UNS and its branch in Kosovo: Serbian List to invite journalists without selection to events of public significance (Radio KIM)
• Serbian List submitted list of candidates for mayors (Radio KIM)
• Vucina Jankovic new head of North Mitrovica administrative district (KoSSev)
• Citizens’ associations and Serbian media in Kosovo – Pandemic of security incidents (Danas)
• Serbian minister says third vaccine dose as of this week (N1)
• One more “KLA” graffiti inscribed in Gracanica (Radio KIM)
• "Wherever Americans were, they left eventually, Pristina must think about that" (B92, RTS)

International:

• Balkan states scramble to evacuate stranded citizens From Afghanistan (BIRN)
• Balkan countries offer refuge to Afghans after Taliban takeover (BIRN)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Wasted Water: Leaking Pipelines Threaten to Let Balkans Run Dry (Balkan Insight)

• COVID-19: 1,096 new cases, 4 deaths (media)
• Kosovo opens doors to Afghan refugees (Koha Ditore)
• US: Kosovo joins calls for safe departure of Afghans (media)
• Albright thanks Kosovo for offering to refuge Afghan allies (media)
• Citaku: Kosovo should shelter some refugees from Afghanistan (RTK)
• Kosovo parties ponder joint candidates in Serb-majority areas (BIRN)
• Kosovo without protect against Russian propaganda (Radio Free Europe)
• COVID-19 spike adds to jitters over new school year in Balkans (BIRN)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, August 13, 2021

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 1,128 new cases, three deaths (media)
• Vaccination of children and teachers, condition to return to schools (RFE)
• Rohde: Implementing court decision on Decan Monastery, long overdue (Express)
• Several political parties to announce joint list for Mitrovica North (Klan Kosova)
• Kosovo Assembly adopted only seven laws in the spring session (RTK)

Serbian Language Media:

• “Crime in Gorazdevac must not be forgotten” (Radio KIM)
• “KLA” graffiti in Gracanica; 18 yrs on, no one responsible for killing two Serb kids (N1)
• Rakic, Petkovic on crime in Gorazdevac (Kosovo-online)
• British Embassy welcomes court decision on Dragica Gasic’s flat, condemns attacks against her (Radio KIM)
• Flags of “Greater Albania“ displayed on south and north sides of Ibar River (KoSSev)
• EU on ‘Open Balkan’: We welcome commitment of leaders to regional cooperation (Kosovo-online)
• Serbian police chopper crews continue battling fires in Greece (N1, RTS)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Half of young Serbians want to leave country (FoNet, N1)

• COVID-19: 1,009 new cases and two deaths (media)
• Kosovo to impose new measures amid rising infections (Euronews Albania)
• LDK slams government: We are risking going to a total lockdown (media)
• Mimoza-Kusari Lila to run for Gjakova mayor (media)
• State Department: Common Regional Market, key to progress (VoA)
• Kosovo court sides in favour of media-famous Serb returnee (BIRN)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, August 12, 2021

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 1,009 new cases and two deaths (media)
• Beerfest festival in Prishtina cancelled amid growing COVID-19 cases (media)
• Albanian parties to run with one list in northern municipalities (Koha)
• Three Serbian nationals arrested in Gjilan, 11 kg of drugs seized (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• 13 new Covid-19 cases registered in Serbian areas in Kosovo (Radio KIM)
• Ksenija Bozovic appointed deputy minister (Kosovo-online, media)
• Attacked Nikola Peric feels well, needs to undergo nose surgery (TV Most)
• RFE: Serbian List officials from Kosovo selectively report double salaries (N1)
• Cyprus will not change stance on Kosovo (RTS)
• Davenport: Decision on Monastery’s land in Decane should be implemented (Kosovo-online)
• Tanaskovic: New Pristina’s tactic to appropriate Serbian heritage, UNESCO's decision important (Kosovo-online)
• Serbian Orthodox Church Patriarch Porfirije gets Instagram account (N1)

International:

• German statement revives Kosovo-Albania tensions about ‘Open Balkan’ project (BIRN)