The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has accepted Kosovo as a full member of this organization. The decision was announced yesterday at the IAFF congress in Beijing, where Kosovo received 187 votes. Kosovo’s Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Kujtim Shala, congratulated the leaders of the federation and Kosovo athletes, wishing them success in the further international advancement of this sport.

Head of Kosovo’s technical delegation in the discussions between Kosovo and Serbia held in Brussels, Rrahim Pacolli, has proposed to the government of Kosovo to stop the discussions with Serbia, due to the lack of implementation of the agreement on the freedom of movement. “Serbia’s non-implementation of the agreement for the free movement of the citizens shows once again lack of seriousness and stability demonstrated continuously by the Serbian political elite towards the international factor.

The Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Xhavit Haliti, writes in an opinion piece today that Kosovo’s future was put into question by two major events: the political stalemate and the special court. “The six-month political stalemate after the elections last year left our international friends worried for Kosovo. After that, the rejection of the special court also affected Kosovo’s relationship with the international community. The representatives of the European Union and the United States have asked Kosovo directly to establish the special court.

The paper reports that around 40 percent of women fit for work, are unemployed in Kosovo, while the employment rate among women of working age is about 13% while for men is 40%.

In Pristina on Sunday was held a symbolic march against homophobia, marking the International Day Against Homophobia, 17 May. The march was called by three organizations dealing with the protection of LGBT rights in Kosovo: The Center for Social Emancipation, Equality and Freedom Center and Center for Social Group Development. The event had the support of the American agency USAID, the Ministry of Culture and the Civil Right Defender. One of the participants of the march was also the American ambassador, Tracey Ann Jacobson.

Several news agencies carry today the opinion piece of the EULEX's Head of the Mission, Gabriele Meucci, distributed to the media on Wednesday. See below the full op-ed as written by Meucci:

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Mission in Kosovo, in the period March – April 2015,  organized a few workshops on the topic of women’s property rights.  The participants were informed on the procedures on registering properties and equal access to property by women and men. The OSCE Head of Mission in Kosovo, Jean-Claude Schulmberger, said that one of the reasons of gender inequality is connected directly to the unequal exercise of property rights.