The paper’s Brussels-based correspondent writes today in an opinion piece that it is a major mistake that Kosovars, as a sign of respect to those who helped us become independent, leave their fate in the hands of foreign embassies, even after eight years of independence. “Britain’s exit from the EU, the risk that Donald Trump might become President of America, and Turkey’s pro-Russian approach, are just a few signs that Kosovo cannot expect that others will have the energy, patience and desire to manage Kosovo’s affairs.

The air quality in Kosovo is far away from European standards and exceeding the allowed rates. Among the biggest polluters in Kosovo are considered the power plants of the Kosovo Energy Corporation, but also the old cars and coal used for heating during the winter, Koha Ditore reports. The risk from the polluted air had alerted the World Bank, who, through a survey conducted earlier in the year, said that within one year there are 800 premature deaths in Kosovo due to air pollution.

Agreements between Kosovo and Serbia have many shortcomings and this was clear very early on, writes Augustin Palokaj, the paper’s Brussels-based correspondent and columnist. The first one, according to Palokaj, is that the agreements do not have international status and have not been reached between two equal parties. Second, they pertain to Kosovo’s internal affairs to which apparently Serbia has a say in. It is also unknown whether these agreements were actually signed by relevant Kosovo and Serbia officials or merely initialed.

Koha Ditore re-runs an opinion piece by Dani Rodrik that originally appeared on Project Syndicate. Rodrik is Professor of International Political Economy at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. He is the author of The Globalization Paradox: Democracy and the Future of the World Economy and, most recently, Economics Rules: The Rights and Wrongs of the Dismal Science.

Koha Ditore runs an analysis originally by Reuters.

European leaders greeted the defeat of Turkey’s coup on Saturday with relief as it averts chaos and keeps alive a deal that has helped to stem the migration crisis threatening the continent.

Brussels-based correspondent Augustin Palokaj writes in an opinion piece that judging from statements made by politicians in Kosovo, U.S. President Barack Obama is more concerned about the fate of some pastures and mountains along the Kosovo-Montenegro border than about the killing of police officers and street protests in the U.S., the chaos in Turkey following the coup attempt, the fight against terror, the NATO Summit or the U.S. presidential elections.

Editorial by Andrew Russell, UN Development Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative

15 July marks the World Youth Skills Day, a day when the world recognizes the value of helping young people to develop the skills necessary to contribute to better futures for all. While more and more young people have better opportunities for education and skills development than ever before, some 75 million adolescents globally are out of school, are deprived of a quality education, and unable to acquire the skills they need for a prosperous life.

Kosovo government's commission for verification of victims of sexual violence during the war has not yet been established, while the verification of the victims cannot be done without this commission, the paper reports. Sokol Havolli, advisor to Prime Minister Isa Mustafa, told the paper that it is very important to receive the applications initially. According to him, the secretariat for accepting the applications is functional and one cannot say that the process is being delayed.

Lumir Abdixhiku, considers that it is already clear that the new political generation, just as their predecessors, does not recognize moral as an element of policy making. “While the older ones used to hide their dirty political businesses of embezzlement and usurpation, the younger ones mock the others and express them openly with miserable public bragging.”  Abdixhiku warns that this reduces the regenerating potential of Kosovo, while increasing challenges against the capturing of the state.

The paper’s opinion writer, Enver Robelli, recalls the European Summit held in Porto Carras, Greece in 2003, with the countries of the Western Balkans.  He quotes the statement made from the Summit that “The EU stresses that it supports without any reservation the European orientation of the Western Balkans countries. The Future of the Balkans states is in the European Union.” He also mentions the appeals made at that time for reforms, arrests of the suspects for war crimes, and return of refugees.