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Protesters Demand Kosovo Serb Politician Ivanovic’s Release (Balkan Insight)

A group of around 30 people rallied on Monday in front of the EU rule-of-law mission, EULEX offices in the Kosovo capital, calling Ivanovic a political prisoner and demanding he be released until the verdict in his trial.

Ivanovic went on hunger strike on Friday after EULEX decided to extend his custody until October 6.

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US Criticises Balkans over Human Trafficking (Balkan Insight)

All Balkan countries except Macedonia do not meet minimum standards in combatting human trafficking and some fail to punish the perpetrators adequately, the US State Department said. Most Balkan countries do not meet the “minimal required standards” in fighting human trafficking but are demonstrating substantial efforts to achieve them, said the annual report published by the US State Department on Monday. Macedonia is the exception - due to the large number of convictions for human trafficking, it is considered a country that fully meets the required standards, the report said. Bulgaria ho

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Serbia Vows to Stop Kosovo Joining UNESCO (Balkan Insight)

Serbia’s Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic has sent a letter to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon saying that Kosovo’s request to become a member of UNESCO is unacceptable under international law, Serbian public broadcaster RTS reported on Sunday.

“Kosovo, as a territory under the UN’s administration, in line with the current and binding UN [Security Council] resolution 1244, cannot be considered a state subject to international law, and thereby it cannot qualify for admission into UNESCO,” RTS cited Dacic as saying in his letter.

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Top Judge's Detention Shakes Kosovo Judiciary (Balkan Insight)

The detention of the head of the Appeals Court earlier this week is seen as major blow to the image of the Kosovo judiciary - thoough some say it could be a chance for a fresh start. The detention of the head of the Appeals Court, Sali Mekaj, earlier this week is one the most high-profile arrests ever made involving a member of the Kosovo judiciary, with analysts calling it a “blow” to the legal system. “The detention of the head of the Appeals Court is without doubt a serious blow to the judicial system. This position...

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Kosovo Serbs Oppose Honour for Rights Activist (Balkan Insight)

Serb politicians in Kosovo’s ethnically-mixed Klina municipality are opposing the naming of a street after Belgrade-based human rights activist Natasa Kandic, saying she does not represent them. Serb councillors in Klina said the street should not be named after activist Natasa Kandic, the founder of the Humanitarian Law Centre NGO, which has investigated war crimes by Belgrade’s forces during the late 1990s Kosovo conflict. “Our community does not agree with naming the street after Natasa Kandic… Kandic does not represent our community,” said Bozidar Sarkovic, a councillor in the Klina loca

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Kosovo Plans to Join UNESCO by November (Balkan Insight)

Kosovo said it had filed an application to join UNESCO amidst Belgrade's insistance that this would entail 'indirect recognition' of its independence. Prime Minister Hashim Thaci announced on Thursday that Kosovo had applied to join the UN's culture arm, UNESCO, marking another step to achieve full recognition of its independence. “We have just applied for membership in UNESCO, the UN agency for education, science and culture.

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Kosovo Neighbours Pledge to Work Harder on Returnees (Balkan Insight)

Representatives of Kosovo's neighboring countries met in Pristina to coordinate efforts on returning around 20,000 persons displaced from the Kosovo war who are willing to return.

Representatives from Montenegro, Serbia, Macedonia and Kosovo, dealing with the issue of displaced persons from the 1999 conflict, met in Pristina on Wednesday to discuss regional solutions to a problem persisting 16 years since the war in Kosovo ended.

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Kosovo to Reform Taxes To Help Businesses and Poor (Balkan Insight)

Kosovo MPs will vote on significant tax reforms on Thursday, expected to lessen the burden on the poorest members of society as well as boosting businesses and investors. The Kosovo government is pushing for significant tax reform, aimed at stimulating investment, as well as lowering VAT on basic consumer goods, aimed at the helping the poor. MPs in the assembly are due to vote on the changes on Thursday. Muhamet Mustafa, a member of the ruling Democratic League of Kosovo, LDK, and an economist, told BIRN that current high tax rates on imports deter investors and businesses. “If an investo

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Kosovo Police Arrest Macedonia Shootout Suspect (Balkan Insight)

Kosovo police have arrested Sulejman Osmani, suspected of involvement in the two-day shootout in Kumanovo, Macedonia, in May, and wanted by the authorities in Macedonia. Kosovo Police arrested Sulejman Osmani, aka "Commander Sula", on Tuesday, acting on an arrest warrant issued by the Macedonian police. Osmani is suspected of having taken part in an armed battle in May against Macedonian special police in a densely populated outskirt of the town of Kumanovo. The fierce fighting left eight Macedonian officers and ten armed men dead, while an additional 35 police were wounded. “Yesterday, Ko

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