Developments in Kosovo

[TirAlb]

http://www.liberianobserver.com/news...es_Kosovo.html

Liberia recognised Kosovas independence today.

[zefs]

Fines for ‘Kosovo is Serbia’ T-Shirt Men
balkaninsight.com

Pristina04 June 2008 Kamenica _ Kosovo Serbs are in outcry over a local court’s move to fine two men for wearing t-shirts reading “Kosovo is Serbia.”


Zivojin Rakocevic, editor of Kosovo Serbs’ magazine Glas Juga, claims the decision is violating their basic human right, the freedom of expression.

“How modern is Kosovo after becoming independent, we clearly see through this meaningless punishment,” Rakocevic told Balkan Insight.

Milos and Milomir Stojanovic from Gjilan/Gnjilane were arrested by Kosovo Police Service on the Kosovo–Serbia border.

The Minor Offences’ Court in Kamenica, eastern Kosovo, fined them € 250 each, for promoting slogans that could stoke inter-ethnic tension. Both of them were released once they paid the fee.

“I am considering wearing a t-shirt that says ‘Kosovo is Serbia: Freedom of Expression – 250 euros,” Rakocevic said, complaining that the fine was way too high, considering the average salary of Kosovo Serbs is some € 150.

Kosovo human rights watchdogs said they are still gathering information regarding the case and were unable to comment.

Balkan Insight also tried to contact the judge of the case but that was not possible.

[chicagogeorge]

Originally Posted by TirAlb

Thats because very often in the past Albanian surnames were changed,or were slavisated by adding vic,at the end.Their languge is totally different,even music is not that similar,Kosovars use mostly the cifteli for their songs,the same as North Albanians,and serbs don't,and i dont know what to say about food,because i don't know the serbian one.

I understand what you are saying.

How different is the Northern Albanian and Kosovar from Southern Albanian?

[Makedonia25]

Kosovo: life after independence

YouTube - Kosovo: life after independence " title="YouTube - Kosovo: life after independence" target="_blank">YouTube - Kosovo: life after independence

[TirAlb]

Double Win for Ogilvy Kosova






On June 17th Fisnik Ismaili (Executive Creative Director) of Ogilvy Kosova receives a phone-call late at night from Cannes Lions telling him he has to fly out early in the morning to Cannes to collect Gold for the NEWBORN.
There’s few things in life you can say you’ve done, or rather there’s few things you can add to your “Things I want to do before I reach 30″ list - Gold in the Permanent Environmental Category at Cannes Lions would have topped that. Gold in Cannes comes to Prishtina and joins its buddy Silver Clio received few weeks back in Miami, Florida.

The team at Ogilvy and all who worked on this monument that represents a day etched deep in history of Kosova are proud to say that they were once part of this art piece that moved hearts, and still electrifies chills on my neck.

Writing & talking about this feat seems not to fulfill my appetite towards NEWBORN. Simply enjoying the moment and smiling back in pride seems nice enough to simply say ‘wow’ with a cute little question mark for an intonation........

http://www.newborn-kosova.com/

[Makedonia25]

YouTube - UN split over EU mission role in Kosovo " title="YouTube - UN split over EU mission role in Kosovo" target="_blank">YouTube - UN split over EU mission role in Kosovo

[Makedonia25]

YouTube - Inside Story - Kosovo tensions - 30 Jun... " title="YouTube - Inside Story - Kosovo tensions - 30 Jun..." target="_blank">YouTube - Inside Story - Kosovo tensions - 30 Jun...

YouTube - Inside Story - Kosovo tensions - 30 Jun... " title="YouTube - Inside Story - Kosovo tensions - 30 Jun..." target="_blank">YouTube - Inside Story - Kosovo tensions - 30 Jun...

[Grace]

the problem with splitting is that there are 100,000 Albanians in Presevo valley, bordering, but not attached to Kosovo. So if Serbs of N Mitrovica go on "we have the right to determine", than those Albanians can declare their own 'parliament' as well. maybe they'll work out an exchange.

[TirAlb]

U.S. to pledge $400 million in aid for Kosovo

WASHINGTON, July 2 (Reuters) - The United States will pledge $400 million in aid to Kosovo next week at a donors conference expected to raise more than $1 billion for the newly independent state, a senior U.S. official said on Wednesday.

The donors conference aims to strengthen the government of the former Serbian province, which declared independence in February, nine years after NATO bombing drove out Serb forces because of their ruthless tactics against an insurgency.

"The United States is going to throw in $400 million over the next four years," Assistant Secretary of State Dan Fried told reporters of the U.S. pledge at the donors conference to be held in Brussels on July 11.

"We expect total pledges of well over $1 billion which will ... help the Kosovar government get off to a good start," he added.

Kosovo, whose population is 90 percent ethnic Albanian, declared independence on Feb. 17 after nine years under U.N. administration and is still in the process of establishing its governing institutions.

Some of its ethnic Serb minority, supported by Serbia and Russia, bitterly opposed independence but the declaration has produced relatively little violence in the latest step in the tortuous break-up of Serb-dominated Yugoslavia over the last two decades.

The Bush administration requested the bulk of its pledge from the U.S. Congress more than a year ago, well before Kosovo declared independence, out of a certainty that the region would need financial help whenever it declared independence.

A U.S. official who asked not to be named said that the of the $400 million U.S. pledge, Congress has already approved about $291 million.

He said the money will go toward debt relief to help Kosovo when it assumes part of Serbia's sovereign debt.

It will also help to establish governing institutions such as the police, the judiciary and government ministries and to spur economic growth through job creation programs, he said. (Reporting by Arshad Mohammed; editing by Jackie Frank)


http://www.reuters.com/article/europ.../idUSN02428386

[Tsontos]

If the Miss Universe Pageant is anything to go by, Kosovo is a bona fide independent state. Miss Kosovo was pretty damn hot. I wonder what her occupation was before this though.