Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19 report: Three deaths, 205 new cases (media)
• KSC doesn't comment if indictment against Thaci, Veseli is confirmed (KP)
• Specialist Chambers' mandate: KLA associations meet parliamentary parties (Telegrafi)
• Selimi: We are not afraid of justice but concerned when it tries to act politically (Klan)
• "Outcome of U.S. elections decisive for continuation of Kosovo-Serbia dialogue" (RFE)
• Albania's Assembly Speaker Ruci urges Cuba to recognise Kosovo (media)
• Suspect in the €2 million illegal transaction case surrenders to police (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• 20 new cases of Covid-19 registered in Serb areas in Kosovo on Saturday (Radio KIM)
• New ministers in Serbian government (media)
• Vucic: Vote on new government not unanimous, Covid-19 vaccine in March (N1)
• “Numerous attempts to change and revise centuries-long history” (Radio KIM, KoSSev)
• Petkovic: Serbia is UN member, Kosovo can’t be that (Danas)
• Serbs For Trump Initiative: Grenell visits Serbian Orthodox Church in Milwaukee (N1)
• Vucic: In 10 days, PCR laboratory in Mitrovica North (Radio Mitrovica sever)
• Spahiu: Americans have power in Kosovo; only the agreements they implement are valid (Kosovo Online)
• Petkovic with Braathu on dialogue and situation in Kosovo (Radio KIM)
• Kommersant: Lavrov visit intended to maintain influence in region (Beta, N1)

International:

• Next Serb Government Among Most Gender-Balanced In the World (Bloomberg)
• Mudde: Trump’s re-election would mean continuing support for populists around the world (EWB)
• Why the Balkan region should be on investors’ radar screens (intellinews.com)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Kosovo joins global call to action on women's economic empowerment (Koha/RTK)
• The limits in the checks and balances system enable informal governance to be effective in the WB (EWB)
• "Serbia needs to consider introducing new measures relating to Covid-19" (B92)
• Western Balkans suffocating from air pollution as heating season starts (balkangreenenergynews.com)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, October 23, 2020

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 169 new cases, two deaths (media)
• Szunyog: Kosovo and Serbia should make constitutional amendments (media)
• Selimi: European Union, Kosovo’s priority and strategic goal (media)
• Haradinaj withdraws slightly from the issue of future president (Express)
• CEC decides on five day election campaign in Podujeva (RTK)
• The government requests from the thieves return of 2.1 million euros (media)
• Suspect pleads not guilty for abuse of Kosovo’s treasury (Telegrafi)

Serbian Language Media:

• Specialist Chambers: The indictment against Thaci and Veseli remains confidential (Kosovo Online)
• Borell and EULEX to submit opinion on Thaci’s proposal to change the mandate of the Specialist Chambers by November 2 (KoSSev)
• Serbian Parliament Speaker: UNMIK to continue implementing its mandate (BETA, N1)
• Borrell: WB leaders should refrain from statements that add political divisions (Tanjug, Kosovo Online, N1)
• Vucic: Things more complicated than how Pristina imagines them (RTS)
• "Gone are the days when everything was decided by Russia and the United States" (B92, Tanjug)
• Lavrov canceled visit to Zagreb, but not Belgrade (B92)
• Grubjesic: Stance of German Ambassador Heusgen can’t be stance of EU (Vecernje Novosti, Kosovo-online)
• Mihajlovic: Albanian politicians should not hinder the projects from the Washington agreement (Kontakt plus radio, Kosovo Online)
• Invitations to Belgrade and Pristina to join PTEC as observers (Kontakt plus radio)
• Stano: Serbia expected 'to progressively align its policies with EU' (N1)
• US Energy Department delegation visits Belgrade (N1, Kosovo-online)

International:

• Kosovo Minister Under Pressure Over Cash Stolen from Budget (Balkan Insight)
• BSF: Stability, security and prosperity of the WB closely linked to the EU (EWB)

Humanitarian/Development:

• In Montenegro, Hopes Fade for News of the Wartime Missing (Balkan Insight)
• UN chief says G20 leaders must coordinate to fight COVID-19 (AP)

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 159 new cases, no deaths (media)
• Hoti: Abusers of power have no place in public institutions (media)
• EU doesn't know when Kosovo-Serbia dialogue will continue (RFE)
• Thaci, Veseli, Haradinaj meet in downtown Pristina (media)
• Kosovo FM Haradinaj-Stublla announces visit to Israel (media)
• Government to disburse €2mil to non-majority communities as part of economic recovery package (media)
• Osmani and two MPs propose amendment to economic recovery draft law (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Continuation of the Belgrade Security Forum, Vucic, Várhelyi, Lajcak, Hoti among the participants (Kosovo Online, Danas)
• The UN SC permanent members welcomed the resumption of dialogue; differ on the future of UNMIK (media)
• Dacic: Serbia patiently advocates dialogue, implementation of agreements reached (media, GoS)
• Dacic: Pristina misused online format of UN SC session (Kosovo-online, Tanjug)
• UNMIK chief says recent meetings on Kosovo show potential for solution (media)
• Petkovic: Hoti by threatening will not force Belgrade make concessions (RTS)
• Stano: Lajcak on daily basis works on continuation of dialogue (Tanjug)
• Djuric on the announced protests against „Mirëdita, dobar dan“: Nationalism flourishes in both Serbia and Kosovo (KoSSev)
• DFC Office chief says solve political problems to normalize relations (N1, Nedeljnik)

Opinion:

• Letter to the EU From the Western Balkans (Balkan Insight)

International:

• Kosovo: Show solidarity in face of COVID, UN Mission chief urges (UN News)
• Russia Moves to Open Defense Ministry Office in Serbia (The Moscow Times)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Life of Serbs and Albanians in Kosovo: Can an application help neighbors understand each other (BBC, Kosovo Online, B92, Vesti.rs, KIM radio)
• Study on divided narratives in Serbia and Kosovo (Radio KIM)
• Serbian anti-epidemic Crisis Team: No new measures, WHO: Lockdown last resource (N1)
• Kosovo Albanian Actor’s Spirit Lives on at Belgrade Festival (Balkan Insight)
• Marcos and Soldado: Colombian Shootout Sheds Light on Balkan Drug Ties (Balkan Insight)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, October 21, 2020

Albanian Language Media:

• Minister of Health: 124 new cases of COVID - 19, no deaths (media)
• Hoti: We have taken over the government at the worst situation (RTK)
• Hoti justifies dismissals of heads of Police, KTA and Customs (RTK)
• “Pausing from membership bids, so we don’t fail in the future” (media)
• Rohde reacts to disbanding of Anti-Corruption Task Force (media)
• NISMA and AKR with a joint parliamentary group (media)
• Tahiri invites the U.S. to open defense department office in Kosovo (RTK)
• Haxhiu: Vetevendosje members are being accused without facts (media)
• Kosovo’s Ambassador to France reacts amid threats (media)
• Budget committee doesn’t adopt economic recovery bill (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• 17 new cases of Covid-19 registered in Serb areas in Kosovo (KoSSev)
• Security Council today on the report of the UN Secretary General on Kosovo (media)
• Vucic: Elections latest by April 3, 2022, Dacic Assembly Speaker (RTS)
• Brnabic: Authorities face risk with early elections (BETA, N1)
• Reactions to Serbia's early vote (N1)
• Djilas: Vucic admitted that boycott succeeded (Danas)
• BETA's editor: Vucic starts campaign for early vote in Serbia he sets for 2022 (N1)
• Vucic and Medvedev on Moscow-Belgrade relations, coronavirus pandemic (N1)
• Djuric: Future government will deal with protection of state and national interests in Kosovo (Radio Mitrovica sever)
• Where is Biden's plan for Serbia? (B92)
• Hoti: No ZSO with executive powers (KIM radio, RTV Puls)

Opinion:

• Vucic Announced New Elections Even Before New Government Constitution (Balkan Insight)

International:

• BSF: Western Balkans is influenced by strong anti-Western narratives (EWB)
• EU-Western Balkans: Time is of the essence (eureporter.co)

Humanitarian/Development:

• New UN gender study: Women ‘far from having an equal voice to men’ (news.un.org, N1)
• Andjelka Cup received award for reporting on poverty (Radio KIM)
• Kon: Face mask and physical distance – 99 pct protection (N1)
• Coronavirus second wave: Which countries in Europe are experiencing a fresh spike in COVID-19 cases? (euronews.com)
• For Kosovo’s Judo Stars, Medals Must Wait (Balkan Insight)
• EU commissioner advocates joint migration management with Western Balkans (N1, Hina)

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 130 new cases, one death (media)
• Hoti: Unified character of Kosovo will not touched (media)
• Thaci announces date for mayoral elections in Podujeve, Mitrovica North (media)
• PM Hoti gives consent to opening diplomatic mission in Israel (media)
• Surroi: No conditioning the issue of missing persons (Koha)
• Former U.S. ambassador welcomes Biden program on Kosovo, Albania (media)
• Vetevendosje leader in Albania arrested by police (media)
• GLPS: Dissolving anti-corruption task force, attempt to interfere in judiciary (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Guterres called on Belgrade and Pristina for flexibility and creativity in overcoming differences (Danas, NMagazin, Beta, N1)
• Stano: Kosovo must fulfill obligations, if it has ambition to eventually join EU (Kosovo-online)
• Serbia's Vucic among 11 politicians awarded by Israel (N1)
• Belgrade marks 76th anniversary of liberation in WWII (BETA, N1)
• Journalists’ Association of Serbia and its branch in Kosovo condemned the attack on journalist Shkumbin Kajtazi (Kosovo Online)
• Rakic met with US delegation to discuss Washington agreement (Radio kontakt plus)
• Raska-Prizren Eparchy informs public on new protective measures ahead of festivities season (Radio Mitrovica sever)
• Serbian PM-designate met potential coalition partners, no statements (N1)

Opinion:

• Will Belgrade give in to Western demands & shift toward ‘mutual recognition’? (rt.com)

International:

• EWB panel: “Anti-Western Narratives in the Western Balkans” on the Belgrade Security Forum (EWB)
• Can Serbs determine the course of the American election? (Wall Street International Magazine)
• Joe Biden Woos America’s Bosnian, Albanian Voters Before Polls (Balkan Insight)
• Relations between Russia and Serbia are the best in history, says minister (TASS)
• How the EU candidate countries in the Western Balkans stand with fight against corruption? (EWB)