The United Nations says the failure by Kosovo lawmakers to form a government more than two months after elections is causing the country to miss out on "important" economic and social opportunities.

The head of the UN mission in Kosovo, Zahir Tanin, said on August 16 that the deadlock sparked by an inconclusive June 11 snap election has caused the cancellation or deferral of financial aid and investment in the country, according to RFE/RL.

http://www.finchannel.com/~finchannel/world/67333-un-warns-kosovo-that-political-stalemate-is-harming-economy-social-opportunities

First Deputy Prime Minister Ivica Dačić said that there is no consensus of large countries, primarily Russia and China, to remove the topic of Kosovo from the UN agenda and to abolish the UN mission in Kosovo or to repeal the Resolution 1244.

The end of Wednesday's UN Security Council on Kosovo session saw "a fierce debate" between Serbian FM Ivica Dacic and Kosovo's US ambassador, Vlora Citaku.

On that occasion, Dacic told the Western countries they were hurting the Serbian people by advocating the abolition of UNMIK, the UN mission in Kosovo and Metohija - something also supported by Pristina, but opposed by Serbia, Russia, and China.

Award-winning investigative journalist Parim Olluri was attacked late last night in Kosovo capital by unidentified assailants.

Parim Olluri, the director of Insajderi news outlet, was attacked last night in front of his apartment on Bajram Kelmendi Street in Pristina. At the time of the attack, he was accompanied by his wife who fainted but was otherwise unharmed.

Olluri, known for his investigations into corruption cases and the former editor of BIRN’s Gazeta Jeta ne Kosove, suffered light bodily injuries and was taken to the Clinical Centre in Prishtina.

Kosovo and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia signed today protocol for creation of a new border point in Stancic.

Kosovo’s Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs, Emanuel Demaj, said that this agreement is very important as it enables free movement of the people from both sides. “Kosovo has fulfilled all its obligations with regards to the opening of the border point,” Demaj said.

The failure to create new institutions in Kosovo two months after the holding of parliamentary elections, has mined the process of dialogue for the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia.

While the Serb leadership has launched several proposals for the solution of pending issues between the two countries, Kosovo’s politicians have not issued any declarations in regards to this.

Serbia’s Foreign Minister, Ivica Dacic has suggested for the solution of the Serb-Albanian conflict to come through a historical compromise.

Serbian Minster of Defence, Aleksandar Vulin thanked Russian Ambassador to Serbia Alexander Chepurin, on the principled position of Russia toward Kosovo and asked the Ambassador, that Moscow, as it was the case so far, does its utmost to prevent entry of Kosovo to Interpol, Danas daily reported.

The two officials also spoke about current military co-operation between the two countries.

Whatever model is offered as a platform by Belgrade to solve the decades-old Kosovo and Metohija puzzle, it will not be liked by "world powers."

The daily Vecernje Novosti writes this, adding that this is the case because bringing this painful topic to an end would mean the loss of a lot of leverage that these powers are using to try to keep Balkan nations "on a leash."

Ivica Dacic seems to be in charge of making waves these days - after the Kosovo "delimitation" proposal, he has spoken about "Holbrooke's Kosovo letter."

The Serbian foreign minister and first deputy prime minister spoke for the tabloid Srpski Telegraf, to recall that no state body in the country is in possession of the original copy of the Dayton Agreement - the peace accord that in 1995 ended the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

It has been nearly 18 years since Natasa Scepanovic has seen her parents.