Headlines - 23.11.2013 Syria and Kosovo cannot be compared (dailies) There can be no parallels drawn between the international military intervention in Kosovo in 1999 and the current situation in Syria, concluded panelists in an international seminar hosted by the Kosovo Foreign Ministry. The moderator of the event, British analyst Tim Judah, said that intervention in Kosovo had a humanitarian character while former US State Department spokesperson James Rubin said that Kosovo is a success story and is now transforming into a normal and modern country. He also noted that the problem in Syria is much more complicated than the Kosovo case. Prime Minister of Kosovo Hashim Thaçi also stressed that there can be no comparison of the two situations. Veseli to succeed Thaçi in PDK (Tribuna) The paper reports that there could be changes to the leadership of the Democratic Party of Kosovo with its current head, Hashim Thaçi, being replaced by the party’s deputy leader and former head of Kosovo Information Service (SHIK), Kadri Veseli. Political analysts consider that the rivalry between Thaçi and Veseli has been present for quite some time but was not very visible from the outside. “In PDK structures Veseli enjoys great support and this makes him powerful vis-à-vis Thaçi”, said analyst Imer Mushkolaj.   Serbia’s power in Kosovo is 19,000 votes (Koha Ditore) Candidates from the Serb Civic Initiative, supported by the Government of Serbia, have managed to secure a total of 19,255 votes in the latest local elections in Kosovo. More than half of voters from the Serb community voted in the first round of local elections for candidates of other Serb parties which secured 22,354 votes. French troops to withdraw from the north? (Epoka e Re) Around 300 French troops deployed as part of KFOR in the north of Kosovo will withdraw mid next year, reported international media. The decision is said to have been taken by the French President Francois Hollande and is due to the difficulties France has with military missions in Africa. Two more months of detention for “Drenica Group” (dailies) President of the trial chamber in the so-called “Drenica Group” case decided to extend detention period to the eight accused men for two more months. Defence attorney of the former KLA commander Sylejman Selimi who is charged with war crimes said that the decision is unfair and insulting and that they will appeal it.