Kryetari i Lidhjes Demokratike të Dardanisë, akademik Nexhat Daci nëpërmjet një mesazhi ju uron të gjithë qytetarëve të Kosovës Vitin e Ri, me dëshirat më të mira që këtë festë ta kalojnë me gëzime dhe në harmoni me familjet, me të afërmit, miqtë, shokët dhe dashamirët.
e hënë, dhjetor 31, 2007
WHEREVER YOU ARE ~~ HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
Image 'Copyleft' by Carlos Latuff
Wherever you are, whoever you are... heres hoping that you and yours have the best in the New Year. Let us hope that 2008 will usher in a lasting peace and justice for all of humanity... a year of love and understanding for all of us.
| AFRIKAANS | gelukkige nuwejaar |
| ALBANIAN | Gëzuar vitin e ri |
| ALSATIAN | e glëckliches nëies / güets nëies johr |
| ARABIC | aam saiid / sana saiida |
| ARMENIAN | shnorhavor nor tari |
| AZERI | yeni iliniz mubarek |
| BAMBARA | bonne année |
| BASQUE | urte berri on |
| BELARUSIAN | З новым годам (Z novym hodam) |
| BENGALI | subho nababarsho |
| BERBER | asgwas amegas |
| BETI | mbembe mbu |
| BOBO | bonne année |
| BOSNIAN | sretna nova godina |
| BRETON | bloavezh mat / bloavez mad |
| BULGARIAN | честита нова година (chestita nova godina) |
| BURMESE | hnit thit ku mingalar pa |
| CANTONESE | kung hé fat tsoi |
| CATALAN | bon any nou |
| CHINESE | xin nian kuai le / xin nian hao |
| CORSICAN | pace e salute |
| CROATIAN | sretna nova godina |
| CZECH | šťastný nový rok |
| DANISH | godt nytår |
| DUTCH | gelukkig Nieuwjaar |
| ESPERANTO | felicxan novan jaron feliæan novan jaron (Times SudEuro font) |
| ESTONIAN | head uut aastat |
| FAROESE | gott nýggjár |
| FINNISH | onnellista uutta vuotta |
| FLEMISH | gelukkig Nieuwjaar |
| FRENCH | bonne année |
| FRISIAN | lokkich neijier |
| FRIULAN | bon an |
| GALICIAN | feliz aninovo |
| GEORGIAN | გილოცავთ ახალ წელს (gilocavt akhal tsels) |
| GERMAN | ein gutes neues Jahr / prost Neujahr |
| GREEK | kali chronia / kali xronia eutichismenos o kainourgios chronos (we wish you a happy new year) |
| GUJARATI | sal mubarak |
| GUARANÍ | rogüerohory año nuévo-re |
| HAITIAN CREOLE | bònn ané |
| HAWAIIAN | hauoli makahiki hou |
| HEBREW | shana tova |
| HINDI | nav varsh ki subhkamna |
| HMONG | nyob zoo xyoo tshiab |
| HUNGARIAN | boldog új évet |
| ICELANDIC | farsælt komandi ár |
| INDONESIAN | selamat tahun baru |
| IRISH GAELIC | ath bhliain faoi mhaise |
| ITALIAN | felice anno nuovo, buon anno |
| JAVANESE | sugeng warsa enggal |
| JAPANESE | akemashite omedetô |
| KABYLIAN | asseguèsse-ameguèsse |
| KANNADA | hosa varshada shubhaashayagalu |
| KAZAKH | zhana zhiliniz kutti bolsin |
| KHMER | sur sdei chhnam thmei |
| KIRUNDI | umwaka mwiza |
| KOREAN | seh heh bok mani bat uh seyo |
| KURDE | sala we ya nû pîroz be |
| LAO | sabai di pi mai |
| LATIN | felix sit annus novus |
| LATVIAN | laimīgu Jauno gadu |
| LIGURIAN | feliçe annu nœvu / feliçe anno nêuvo |
| LINGALA | bonana / mbula ya sika elamu na tonbeli yo |
| LITHUANIAN | laimingų Naujųjų Metų |
| LOW SAXON | gelükkig nyjaar |
| LUXEMBOURGEOIS | e gudd neit Joër |
| MACEDONIAN | srekna nova godina |
| MALAGASY | arahaba tratry ny taona |
| MALAY | selamat tahun baru |
| MALTESE | is-sena t-tajba |
| MAORI | kia hari te tau hou |
| MARATHI | navin varshaachya hardik shubbheccha |
| MONGOLIAN | shine jiliin bayariin mend hurgeye (Шинэ жилийн баярын мэнд хvргэе) |
| MORÉ | wênd na kô-d yuum-songo |
| NORWEGIAN | godt nyttår |
| OCCITAN | bon annada |
| PERSIAN | sâle no mobârak |
| POLISH | szczęśliwego nowego roku |
| PORTUGUESE | feliz ano novo |
| ROMANCHE | bun di bun onn |
| ROMANI | bangi vasilica baxt |
| ROMANIAN | un an nou fericit / la mulţi ani |
| RUSSIAN | С Новым Годом (S novim godom) |
| SAMOAN | ia manuia le tausaga fou |
| SANGO | nzoni fini ngou |
| SARDINIAN | bonu annu nou |
| SCOTTISH GAELIC | bliadhna mhath ur |
| SERBIAN | srećna nova godina |
| SHIMAORE | mwaha mwema |
| SHONA | goredzwa rakanaka |
| SINDHI | nain saal joon wadhayoon |
| SINHALA | suba aluth avuruddak vewa |
| SLOVAK | stastlivy novy rok |
| SLOVENIAN | srečno novo leto |
| SOBOTA | dobir leto |
| SPANISH | feliz año nuevo |
| SRANAN | wan bun nyun yari |
| SWAHILI | mwaka mzuri / heri ya mwaka mpya |
| SWEDISH | gott nytt år |
| SWISS-GERMAN | es guets Nöis |
| TAGALOG | manigong bagong taon |
| TAHITIAN | ia orana i te matahiti api |
| TAMIL | iniya puthandu nalVazhthukkal |
| TATAR | yaña yıl belän |
| TELUGU | nuthana samvathsara subhakankshalu |
| THAI | สวัสดีปีใหม่ (sawatdii pimaï) |
| TIBETAN | tashi délek |
| TURKISH | yeni yiliniz kutlu olsun |
| UDMURT | Vyľ Aren |
| UKRAINIAN | Z novym rokom |
| URDU | naya saal mubarik |
| UZBEK | yangi yilingiz qutlug' bo'lsin |
| VIETNAMESE | Chúc Mừng Nǎm Mới / Cung Chúc Tân Niên / Cung Chúc Tân Xuân |
| WALOON ("betchfessîs" spelling) | bone annéye / bone annéye èt bone santéye |
| WELSH | blwyddyn newydd dda |
| WEST INDIAN CREOLE | bon lanné |
| WOLOF | dewenati |
| YIDDISH | a gut yohr |
International Village
International Willage, located just 5 minutes drive from downtown Prishtina is an ideal location for your home. Tucked away on this beautiful property are various houses that offer privacy without sacrificing a vibrant community with charm around every corner.
We keep Kosovo by approaching EU
Belgrade. Serbia President Boris Tadic is running the second race for the President of Serbia. Regardless of DSS decision whether it would support his candidacy or not, Tadic claims in his New Year’s interview with ‘Blic’ that Serbia Government shall remain in office even after January 20. He is convinced in his victory since, as he puts it, he has been always ready for difficult matches.
e diel, dhjetor 30, 2007
OBAMA CONTRASTS HIMSELF WITH ROMNEY
Obama loves his Republicans. He makes an open pitch for GOP voters in his stump speeches, even as he calls them out in his stump speeches, saying he can beat Mitt and Rudy and Huckabee. At a town hall in Knoxville today, he threw in Ron Paul. "They don't poll Ron Paul, but I can beat him too."
E Verteta4_U:
"They don't poll Ron Paul, but I can beat him too."
"They don't poll Ron Paul, but I can beat him too."
"They don't poll Ron Paul, but I can beat him too."
"They don't poll Ron Paul, but I can beat him too."
Guantanamo, lirohet austranliani qe luftoi per UCK-ne
david hicks 32 vjec i cili eshte konvertuar ne mysliman ka udhetuar ne maj te vitit 1999 drejt shqiperise per tu bere ushtar i ushtrise clirimtare te kosoves qe luftonte kunder trupave serbe.
Hicks not a threat: chaplain
A former United States Army chaplain who regularly counselled convicted terrorism supporter David Hicks at Guantanamo Bay detention centre says he does not believe Mr Hicks poses a threat to the Australian community now that he is free.
Mr Hicks was released from Adelaide's Yatala prison on Saturday after six years in custody, five of those spent at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.
Albania's foreign minister stripped of immunity, faces charges of corruption
TIRANA, Albania: Albania's parliament stripped the foreign minister of immunity Thursday, paving the way for the public prosecutor to charge him with corruption and abuse of power.
e mërkurë, dhjetor 26, 2007
e martë, dhjetor 25, 2007
Aktpadi e motivuar politikisht
Kryesia e LDD-së, në mbledhjen e rregullt të mbajtur më 24.12.2007 përveç çështjeve tjera diskutoi dhe analizoi rrethanat e krijuara pas ngritjës së aktpadisë ndaj kryetarit të LDD-së, akademik Nexhat Daci. Kryesia e LDD-së, pas diskutimeteve doli me këtë komunikatë për institucione, opinionin publik dhe media:
e hënë, dhjetor 24, 2007
Kosovo: Surroi Resigns Party Post
Pristina _ Veton Surroi, one of Kosovo’s best-known politicians, has stepped down from his post as leader of the ORA political party, after it failed to get into parliament in last month’s elections.
Kosovo PM to Create New Party
Pristina _ Kosovo’s outgoing Prime Minister Agim Ceku said on Monday that he will form a new political party after he leaves office.
e diel, dhjetor 23, 2007
Yes! I endorse Ron Paul for president!
We've unveiled the new endorsements page of our website, which lists people who have publicly endorsed Ron Paul for president. Have fun reading their statements and watching their video endorsements at: http://www.ronpaul2008.com/endorsements.
Pass It On!: 'al-Qaeda' Was In Fact A Database
“al-Qaeda” never existed in the form now claimed by the Bushites and the corporate media.
“al-Qaeda” was in fact a database of CIA-recruited and -trained mujahideen and an email address connected to that database.
Posted Dec 23, 2007 06:58 AM PST
Category: COVER-UP/DECEPTIONS
The literal translation of "Al Qaeda" is "The Base" (as in 'database', but in Arabic slang 'Al Qaeda" means toilet!
"Ana raicha Al Qaeda" is colloquial for "I'm going to the toilet". A very common and widespread use of the word "Al-Qaeda" in different Arab countries in the public language is for the toilet bowl. This name comes from the Arabic verb "Qa'ada" which mean "to sit", pertinently, on the "Toilet Bowl". In most Arabs homes there are two kinds of toilets: "Al-Qaeda" also called the "Hamam Franji" or foreign toilet, and "Hamam Arabi" or "Arab toilet" which is a hole in the ground. Lest we forget it, the potty used by small children is called "Ma Qa'adia" or "Little Qaeda".
So, if you were Osama, and you were forming a terrorist group, would you call yourself, "The Toilet"? (MR)
e shtunë, dhjetor 22, 2007
Barriers to resolving Kosovo problem
Regarding "Tackling the problem of Kosovo," a recent column by Dale McFeatters:
Koalicioni do të formohet me ato parti që kanë program më të përafërt me PDK-në
Reports say PDK LDK AND AAK might join together to form new government.
AKR & LDD anyone ?
Russia to veto UNSC resolution granting independence to Kosovo
On the EU and NATO's move to send a mission to Kosovo, to resolve the independence issue outside UN, Lavrov said: "If the EU recognises Kosovo's independence ignoring existing UN legal mechanisms and divide Serbia, tearing out Kosovo and depriving ethnic Serbs of their right to express their opinions, it will be putting itself outside the international legal framework."
So now, it looks like it's going to be NATO and the EU declaring the UN "irrelevant" because of the Kosovo issue??? (MR)
Greece, Bulgaria, Romania say Serbian EU membership not linked to Kosovo issue
ATHENS, Greece: Serbia's future lies within the European Union and its eventual entry into the bloc must not be tied to developments in Kosovo, the foreign ministers of Bulgaria, Romania and Greece said Saturday.
National Review's John Derbyshire: "Why I'm for Ron Paul"
"If [Ron Paul supporters] are crazy, though, I want to be crazy with them. I’m for liberty, too. That’s why I’m for Ron Paul."
John Derbyshire writing on the National Review's website.
e premte, dhjetor 21, 2007
"Independence date already set"
SKOPJE - Fatmir Limaj and Veton Surroi say they the know when Kosovo independence will be declared.
Kosovo Ex-Speaker "Indicted"
Pristina _ The former speaker of the Kosovo Assembly, Nexhat Daci, has been charged with abuse of office at the time he was holding that post, a Kosovo newspaper said on Friday.
e enjte, dhjetor 20, 2007
Russia: Kosovo and asymmetry of perceptions
Kosovo appears to be an archaic topic. The Yugoslav question was a 1990s issue, while the Kosovo issue has appeared to be one of those conflicts that never quite goes away but isn't regarded very seriously by the international community. You hear about it but you don't care about it. However, Kosovo is getting very serious again.
Karl Rove Worried About Ron Paul "Momentum"
Without mentioning his name, Karl Rove made it clear during a recent appearance on Hannity and Colmes that he is worried about people jumping on a bandwagon and supporting a candidate who picks up momentum as a result of the early Republican primaries being bunched together tightly.
Since Rove had already discussed the other Republican candidates in the Fox News piece, he could only have been referring to Congressman Ron Paul.
SLAUGHTERING OF CHILDREN ON THE EID
Islamic custom is to slaughter a lamb or a goat on the Festival of Eid Al-Adha, a custom that goes back to the time of Abraham our Father who slaughtered a beast rather than his son. This particular custom fulfills one of the basic principles of Islam, that being sharing and helping the poor. The slaughtered animal is shared with the community and a portion of it is donated to the needy.
Zionism has given a new meaning to the holiday, instead of animals being slaughtered, it is Palestinian children.
Presidency: EU must be ready to guide Kosovo to independence
The would-be EU presidency said here Thursday that the European Union must be ready to guide Kosovo to independence after the U.N. Security Council failed to settle the future status of the breakaway Serb province.
Russia warns UN it will veto independence for Kosovo
The EU agreed last week to send a mission to Kosovo to replace that of the UN, and to create support for possible independence. Russia said it will use its veto to deny such a mission the blessing of the UN, but the EU says the mission will go ahead with or without UN approval.
Looks like the UN is about to become "irrelevant" again, according to the EU, this time.
However this comes down, it is coming down ugly, unless the US and EU back off, which appears unlikely. (MR)
Slovenia's EU Plans for Kosovo
Brussels _ Slovenia’s Foreign Minister, Dimitrij Rupel, has expressed the hope that the Kosovo status issue will be resolved in the first half of next year.
The Balkans in 2008
Grim warnings about Kosovo’s future after its expected independence may have overstated the troubles ahead, but they have also blinded many to a host of other problems Serbia and the rest of the region will have to face.
PACE to discuss Kosovo in January 2008
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe will discuss the Kosovo problem in January 2008, PACE president Rene van der Linden said at a meeting with speaker of the Federation Council upper house of the Russian parliament Sergei Mironov on Thursday.
Karl Rove Worried About Ron Paul
My old opponent from Ron Paul Texas political days, Karl Rove, worries that Ron--whom he refuses to name--could win the nomination.
e mërkurë, dhjetor 19, 2007
Hopes Dim for U.N. Solution for Kosovo
UNITED NATIONS — The Security Council signaled Wednesday that it would not be able to resolve the status of Kosovo, the breakaway Serbian province, and that a solution would have to come from outside the United Nations.
Security Council unable to break Kosovo stalemate
The UN Security Council on Wednesday was unable to break the impasse over Kosovo, with Western envoys concluding that the status quo in the breakaway Serbian province was "unsustainable."
Kucinich's brother found dead
His brother Larry found him about 9 a.m. There were no signs of violence, officials said. The Cuyahoga County Coroner is performing an autopsy this hour.
UN Security Council Starts Discussions On Kosovo's Future
The UN Security Council meets on December 19 in New York to discuss Kosovo's future, a week after the end of internationally mediated talks that failed to secure agreement on the status of the province.
Pacolli: Not with the LDK (Express)
Express carries an interview with AKR leader Behgjet Pacolli, who is quoted as saying that he will not enter a coalition government if it includes the LDK. “In a government that would include both the PDK and LDK I wouldn’t feel comfortable. Because it would be impossible to express my engagement. I would be part of something that would damage my credibility,” he added.
Albania Loan for Power Company
Tirana _ The Albanian government announced on Wednesday that it was giving a €33 million loan to the Albanian Power Corporation, KESH, which is struggling to cope with the high price of electricity imports.
Festa e Bajramit simbolizon paqen
Kryetari i Lidhjes Demokratike të Dardanisë, akademik Nexhat Daci ka përgëzuar besimtarët musliman me rastin e Festës së Kurban Bajramit. Në telegramin e tij thuhet: Të gjithë qytetarëve dhe besimtarëve të Kosovës ua uroj festën e Kurban Bajramit. Festa e Bajramit të Vogël ose Kurban Bajramit është ditë që simbolizon sakrificën, paqen dhe begatinë e njerëzimit. Kjo festë shërben për forcuar dhe thelluar besimin në Zotin, mirëkuptimin, dashurinë dhe solidaritetin ndaj njëri-tjetrit.
UN tries to break Kosovo deadlock
The future of Kosovo is set to be debated by the UN Security Council in New York with Serbian and Kosovan Albanian representatives taking part.
UN Security Council debates Kosovo today
NEW YORK -- The United Nations Security Council will hold a closed session to discuss the Kosovo crisis today.
Kosovo Activist Calls for Radicalisation
Pristina _ The leader of one of Kosovo’s self-determination movements, Albin Kurti, told students on Tuesday afternoon that the people of Kosovo must be “radicalised” since there is no immediate prospect of full independence for the country.
E Verteta4_U : GOOD !
Albanian Opposition to Protest Poverty, Corruption
Tirana _ The Albanian Opposition, headed by the Socialist Party, will launch a series of protests on Thursday in Tirana’s Scanderbeg Square, against corruption and poverty.
e martë, dhjetor 18, 2007
The Apostles of Ron Paul
How does a 72-year-old conservative Texas congressman become the hottest thing in online politics? Ask the techies, hippies, tax haters, and war protesters who believe that only Ron Paul can save America from itself.
Mossad mission: Murder Iraqi scholars
More than 500 Iraqi scientists and professors have been murdered by Israel's Mossad intelligence agency, an Iraqi newspaper reports.
Serbs rally against Kosovo independence
SEVERAL thousand Serbs opposed to Kosovo's independence protested in the tense town of Mitrovica on Tuesday (early Wednesday morning AEDT) ahead of a crucial UN debate on the divisive issue.
UNHCR ready to respond to Kosovo independence
BELGRADE -- The UNHCR Mission to Serbia says the organization has a plan in the event of a declaration of Kosovo independence.
Koštunica in New York ahead of Kosovo debate
Vojislav Koštunica will hold meetings in New York ahead of the December 19 UN Security Council Kosovo debate.
e hënë, dhjetor 17, 2007
Rapper performs in Kosovo
Tens of thousands braved freezing temperatures in Kosovo's capital today to see US rapper 50 Cent perform in the territory known more for its political woes than party tunes.
Ron Paul Raises $6 Million in One Day
Candidate has most successful fundraising day in American political history!
Ron Paul raises $6M in 24-hour 'money bomb'
Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, raised an astounding $6 million and change Sunday, his campaign said, almost certainly guaranteeing he'll outraise his rivals for the Republican nomination in the fourth quarter and likely will be able to fund a presence in many of the states that vote Feb. 5.
Presidenti Sejdiu udhëtoi për në Nju Jork
Në seancën e Këshillit të Sigurimit të Kombeve të Bashkuara më 19 dhjetor, për të parën herë do të flasë presidenti i Kosovës, Fatmir Sejdiu. Pak para se të niset për në Nju Jork, ai dje tha se në fjalimin e tij do të përfshihen të gjitha pikëpamjet për të ardhmen e Kosovës.
Pritje e organizuar mërgatës shqiptare
Kryesia e LDD-së mbajti takimin e saj të rregullt nën kryesimin e kryetarit të kësaj partie akademik Nexhat Daci.
Serbia Call for Russian Troops
Belgrade _ The ultra-nationalist candidate in next’ month’s Serbian presidential election said Belgrade should invite Russia to deploy its troops in the country.
Serbia Asks for More Kosovo Talks
Belgrade _ Serbia’s conservative Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica travels to New York on Monday in a bid to urge the United Nations to hold more talks on Kosovo’s long-term status.
Albanian Miner Dies in Accident
Tirana _ An Albanian miner died on Sunday after an accident in the chromium mine of Bulqiza in northern Albania.
Kosovo Leader to Address UN
Pristina _ Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu is to seek support for his homeland’s independence in his first speech at a formal session of the UN Security Council, scheduled for December 19.
Kosovo Struggles to Forge an Identity
PRISTINA, Kosovo — When Kosovo recently held a contest to design a flag, the organizers insisted that it reflect the multiethnic population, shunning the nationalist symbols of the past.
e diel, dhjetor 16, 2007
Ron Paul or Revolution!
The Boston Tea Party marked a turning point in the evolution of America, resting upon the rallying cry "No taxation without representation!"
Posted Dec 16, 2007 12:21 PM PSTToday, we face a greater enemy than that confronting the Sons of Liberty over 200 years ago.
Category: CURRENT EVENTS
If the elections are rigged, if the people demand peace and yet are taxed to pay for war, then once again we have taxation without representation. (MR)
Kosovo independence could encourage Quebec separatists
PARIS -- Canada, fearful of stepping into the political minefield of Quebec nationalist politics, is remaining on the sidelines as the U.S. and Europe debate Kosovo's expected unilateral declaration of independence in early 2008, say analysts.
Albania welcomes EU decision to send mission to Kosovo
The Albanian foreign ministry said on Saturday that the tiny western Balkan country welcomed the decision of the European Union to send a supervising mission to Kosovo.
e shtunë, dhjetor 15, 2007
It Turns Out Ahmadinejad Was the Truthful One
Bush is such a liar. Or is he just out to lunch on the most important issue that he faces? In October, he charged that Iran’s nuclear weapons program was bringing the world to the precipice of World War III, even though the White House had been informed at least a month earlier that Iran had no such program and had stopped efforts to develop one back in 2003.
Mission agreed to stabilise independent Kosovo
European Union leaders agreed yesterday to send as many as 1,800 police officers, judges, prosecutors and customs officials to Kosovo next year to stabilize the Balkan province after its anticipated declaration of independence from Serbia.
Is World War III on Hold?
The White House campaign to stampede this nation into war, to smash Iran's nuclear facilities before she acquires the capability to build an atom bomb, has been derailed, probably for the duration of the Bush presidency.
Posted Dec 15, 2007 08:10 AM PSTCategory: WAR/DRAFT
... barring another 9-11, of course. (MR)
"DSS to boycott first round of presidential elections"
E Verteta4_U: This is why Kosovo should not wait for Serbs to hold elections.
Project Letterman
Jay Leno had Ron Paul on his show…let’s contact the Late Show with David Letterman and get Dr. Paul on that show. What a great opportunity for Dr. Paul to spread his message of peace and liberty to even more Americans.
Dega e Lidhjes Demokratike të Dardanisë në Nju Jork, inagurojë zyrën e re në Bronks
Zyra e re,e LDD-së, do të ndjek rrugën e Rugovës në Amerikë
e premte, dhjetor 14, 2007
Buy A Gun
Most of us are aware that the heroic actions of a brave woman at the New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado a few days ago saved the lives of perhaps scores, or even hundreds, of people. However, her bravery would not have counted for much had she not been armed.
Posted Dec 14, 2007 12:24 PM PSTCategory: RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS
There is one very good reason to own a gun right now. As the economy collapses, there will arise leaders who will, through some contorted logic and an imposed sense of community obligation, decide that the costs of the current melt-down should be passed onto the ordinary citizens, just as the S&L melt-down of the 1980s was ultimately paid for by the taxpayers who had been smart enough to stay out of the mess in the first place. Even now we are seeing banks hit by the sub-prime disaster seeking ways to pass those losses into their customers who did not even partake of the risky investments in the first place.
As the economy goes into full blown Chernobyl, expect the government to start to seize hard assets like gold and silver, "for the good of the nation." Despite the pretense of law, this will be looting of the population, plain and simple, and the people are morally entitled to defend themselves from such uniformed criminals.(MR)
Austria Nixes Kosovo Girl's Plea to Stay
A teenager who went into hiding for days to avoid expulsion to Serbia's restive Kosovo province will be allowed to finish the school year in Austria, but she cannot stay longer, the Interior Ministry said Friday.
UN Security Council agrees to hear Kosovo Albanians
UNITED NATIONS, Dec 14 (Reuters) - World powers reached a compromise on Friday to allow representatives of Kosovo to speak at a U.N. Security Council meeting next week on the future of the breakaway Serbian province.
Cat and mouse game
Scientists created a genetically modified mouse with no fear of felines and then put it in a room with a cat. What happened next...?
Kosovo ex-PM Haradinaj to be released by war crimes court for holidays
Ramush Haradinaj, Kosovo's former prime minister who is on trial for war crimes, will leave his jail cell to spend the holidays at home, the U.N. Yugoslav tribunal said Friday.
EU to Send Mission to Kosovo
Brussels_ Leaders of the European Union have agreed in principle to send a police and justice mission to Kosovo, and to offer Serbia a fast-track path to candidacy for EU membership.
whatreallyhappened.com | Web Safety Ratings from McAfee SiteAdvisor
We work hard to keep our site safe for browsing, and apparently somebody noticed. (MR)
E Verteta4_U: To all those who think WRH can give them a virus on their computer.
Kosovo Faces Golden Future
Pristina _ A new geophysical survey says Kosovo has bigger deposits of gold and other metals than previously thought.
News of the fresh discovery came in a report, entitled, “Kosovo: A Place of Gold”, issued by Kosovo’s Independent Commission for Mines and Minerals, ICMM, on Friday.
“Especially gold, nickel and chrome deposits under Kosovo’s surface seem to be larger than known so far. But also aluminium, copper, iron metals and lead-zinc deposits are spread over Kosovo’s territory and represent a huge potential for investment”, the statement said.
The deputy director of the ICMM, Naser Peci, said at a news conference that “the survey has enabled us to establish where these metals and minerals are, but it has not determined the exact size of these deposits.”
Experts believe greater investment will come once the uncertainty over UN-administered Kosovo’s status has been resolved.
“Kosovo has hundreds of prospective areas. Several foreign companies are already exploring for minerals, and there are liable to be many more companies coming after [Kosovo’s] status has been resolved”, said Nick Burcham, technical programmes consultant for the ICMM.
It was not clear from reports where in Kosovo the fresh deposits are located. Most of Kosovo's existing mines are in the north in Serb-controlled areas.
The survey, launched in September 2006, was conducted by a low-flying plane, which covered most of Kosovo’s territory, apart from the Ground Safety Zone at the boundary with Serbia because the Belgrade authorities did not give permission for overflights.
After eight years under UN administration, Kosovo is expected to declare its independence from Serbia in the coming months, although its economy may face initial difficulties if Belgrade imposes trade sanctions in retaliation.
Kryetari Daci priti në një takim z.William Walker
Kryetari i LDD-së akademik Nexhat Daci priti në një takim ish shefin e misionit të OSCE-së në Kosovë z. William Walker.
EU SUMMIT Parlt's Poettering calls for consensus to recognise Kosovo UPDATE
BRUSSELS (Thomson Financial) - The president of the European Parliament Hans-Gert Poettering called on EU leaders to reach a consensus on action for recognising Kosovo as it moves to independence over the next few months
EU Backs Independent Kosovo, Nears Clash With Russia
European Union leaders moved toward a showdown with Russia over influence in the Balkans by pledging to chart the way to statehood for Serbia's breakaway province of Kosovo.
Kosovo and Iran dominate Brown's first Brussels visit
Brown and his foreign secretary David Miliband will focus during their few hours with other EU leaders on Kosovo, Iran, globalisation and immigration.
Kosovo: Warning over Violence
Caglavica _ Kosovo’s minority Serbs may react violently when, as expected, Kosovo’s ethnic Albanian-dominated Assembly declares independence, according to a local political analyst.
Serbia Wants both EU and Kosovo
Belgrade _ Serbia’s team that took part in the abortive talks on UN-administered Kosovo’s status did not make any concessions which might insult its citizens’ dignity, according to President Boris Tadic.
EU Summit Debates Kosovo
Brussels _ Leaders of the 27 EU member countries are discussing their policy towards Kosovo, whose ethnic Albanian leaders are expected to declare independence from Serbia in the next few months.
Romania "will not recognize" Kosovo
Bucharest _ Romanian Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu said on Friday that his country would not recognize Kosovo’s expected unilateral declaration of the independence from Serbia.
e enjte, dhjetor 13, 2007
Europe's big four raise stakes on Kosovo
The EU's biggest four countries are pushing to impose and oversee independence in Kosovo without a fresh UN mandate, risking a showdown with a resurgent Russia and fierce resistance from Serbia, which vows no surrender of Kosovo.
New Jersey legislature votes to end death penalty
TRENTON, New Jersey (Reuters) - New Jersey on Thursday became the first U.S. state to legislatively abolish the death penalty since the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated capital punishment in 1976.
Swedish PM sees Kosovo move after Serb polls
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt said on Thursday he expected Kosovo's status to be resolved after a Serbian presidential election in late January, joining others in the West to favor that timeframe.
Kryetari Daci priti z.Carlo Binda
Kryetari i LDD-së akademik Nexhat Daci priti në një takim drejtorin e përgjithshëm të NDI-së z.Carlo Binda me bashkëpunëtorë.
Kosovo President: Independence Days Away
President Fatmir Sejdiu's remarks suggest Kosovo's ethnic Albanian majority will press on with declaring independence without delay, despite Serbian opposition.
It's not so much Serbia's opposition which has some very concerned about this step: it's Russia's opposition to this, and the degree to which it may pit Russia in a potential military confrontation with the US over this issue. (MR)
Balkan bagatelle
A JOKE has been circulating among diplomats concerned with the Balkans. The reply to the question, “what comes after December 10th?” is “December 11th.”
ADVISORY - EU story on Kosovo withdrawn
HELSINKI story quoting the European Union's enlargement chief Olli Rehn on Kosovo is wrong. Rehn was misquoted in the newspaper article.
E Verteta4_U: Either this is true or the EU knows that if they delay it until spring the Kosovars will not stand for it and declare independence right away.
Kosovo's Independence Stirs Fears of Violence
Leaders in Kosovo say the Serbian province will declare independence soon. As VOA's Barry Wood reports there is disagreement among outside observers over whether this move will promote or endanger stability in the Balkan region.
British ambassador says UNSC deal on Kosovo unlikely
Britain's UN Ambassador said Wednesday it was unlikely for the UN Security Council to reach an agreement on the status of the Serbian province of Kosovo.
EU to delay Kosovo status until early spring
HELSINKI (Reuters) - A solution to Kosovo's final status will be delayed until early spring, the European Union's enlargement chief was quoted as saying on Thursday, a day after Serbia set a crucial presidential election for January 20.
Forging unity on Kosovo independence bid top priority at one-day EU leaders summit
BRUSSELS, Belgium: Keen to avoid the mistakes of the past, European leaders will try to forge unity at summit talks Friday on how the EU will handle Kosovo's bid for independence from Serbia without inflaming new violence in the Balkans.
e mërkurë, dhjetor 12, 2007
Albania Launches Justice Reform
Tirana _ The Albanian High Council of Justice, headed by President Bamir Topi, launched a campaign on Wednesday to give judges and prosecutors the chance to have their voices heard over reforms.
Thaci to Form Kosovo Government
Pristina _ Hashim Thaci, the wartime leader of the Kosovo Liberation Army guerrilla force, has been asked to form the UN-administered territory’s new government.
Serbia Schedules Presidential Vote For January 20
Belgrade _ Serbian presidential elections will be held on January 20, 2008, Serbia's Parliamentary Speaker Oliver Dulic announced Wednesday.
Russia vows to stop unilateral Kosovan independence
War with Russia over Kosovo, anyone?
If the US continues its support for the indepdenence of Kosovo, that's precisely what we may be looking at happening.(MR)
e martë, dhjetor 11, 2007
Nurses: Cheney 'would probably be dead' but for government healthcare
Of course, the reason this hit a nerve is that this is absolutely true.
And if you haven't seen Michael Moore's "Sicko" yet on pay per view, it's something you just might want to take a look at right now. (MR)
EU-US showdown with Russia over Kosovo
David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, said that the diplomatic war of words could eventually lead to real fighting. Asked if Nato's 16,000 troops in Kosovo would need reinforcements if the situation deteriorated, he replied: "The short answer is yes."
Kosovo Embargo: “Business as Usual”
The Kosovo authorities remain relaxed about a threatened Serbian embargo, but some experts warn about possible energy and food supply problems, the more so as the government has done little contingency planning.
Kosovo: Steps towards Independence
Despite domestic pressure for a unilateral declaration of independence, Kosovo Albanian leaders are set to coordinate their homeland’s status with the international community.
Serbian PM Warns EU over Kosovo
Belgrade _ Serbia’s Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica warned the European Union on Tuesday that sending a supervisory mission to Kosovo could damage relations with Serbia.
e hënë, dhjetor 10, 2007
UN fears Serbs will disrupt a free Kosovo
PRISTINA, Kosovo: As Kosovo moves closer to declaring its independence, fears are rising that Serbia and Serbs in Kosovo's north could take steps to try to disrupt the province's shaky economy and scare off countries ready to recognize it as a sovereign state.
A difficult question for Kosovars: Who are we?
PRISTINA, Kosovo: When Kosovo recently held a contest to design a flag, the organizers insisted that it reflect the multi-ethnic population, shunning the nationalist symbols of the past.
Rice Fails to Convince Lavrov on Iran
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has failed to persuade Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the urgency of new sanctions for Iran, and the two have clashed over the future of Kosovo.
Posted Dec 10, 2007 08:32 AM PSTCategory: IRAN
That Secretary Rice thought for one millisecond that she could change Lavrov's mind on Iran demonstrates how clearly she is completely out of touch she continues to be with the realities of Russian geopolitical thinking. (MR)
Russia says Kosovo could trigger "chain reaction"
"I want to stress that UDI of Kosovo and recognition of such independence will not remain without consequences," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on the day mediation efforts between Serbia and Kosovo Albanian leaders officially expired.
Posted Dec 10, 2007 08:27 AM PST"It will create a chain reaction throughout the Balkans and other areas of the world," he told reporters, speaking through an interpreter after talks with Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos.
"Those who devise such plans must weigh up the consequences very carefully."
Category: RUSSIA
Translation: Russia wants unimpeded access to Kosovo's mineral wealth: so does the US and the West.
The recognition of Kosovo as an independent entity may have some very nasty repercussions no matter how it comes down.
Additionally, Russia doesn't want this to be a template for other Russian-controlled areas whose citizens might be thinking about breaking away from their Russian geopolitical orbit and declaring themselves independent. (MR)
Serbs to take West to International Court on Kosovo
E Verteta4_U: Looks like more delay for Kosovars!
Kouchner: Kosovo to wait for Serbian vote
French FM Bernard Kouchner says his country prefers a Kosovo decision after the Serbian presidential elections.
Kosovo negotions officially end today
Today marks the official end of the four-month Kosovo status negotiations between Belgrade and Priština.
Serbia Albanians Want Peacekeepers
Bujanovac _ A Serbia-based ethnic Albanian party on Monday demanded special autonomy for the country's volatile southern region and a deployment of international peacekeepers, a statement said.
Kosovo Wants Early Independence
Pristina _ The Kosovo Albanians’ senior spokesman, Skender Hyseni, has said Kosovo will declare its independence from Serbia well before May.
Serbia "Won't Trade Kosovo for EU"
Belgrade _ Serbia will not trade its determination to keep breakaway Kosovo within its borders for potential membership of the EU, Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic said on Monday.
EU Ministers Discuss Kosovo Crisis
Brussels _ EU foreign ministers are meeting in Brussels amidst calls for unity over policy towards UN-administered Kosovo which is seeking independence from Serbia.
Kosovo Call to Set Independence Day
10 December 2007 Pristina _ Around 3,000 people, mainly students, demonstrated in Pristina on Monday, demanding that Kosovo’s assembly should declare independence within a month.
e diel, dhjetor 09, 2007
Ljajić expects negative Del Ponte report
E Verteta4_U: MMM this and the final status report for Kosovo will also be given to the UN.
Milosevic's legacy In Kosovo, a critic who just won't quit
House arrest hasn't stopped Albin Kurti from railing against foreign diplomats who are expected Monday to announce their failure to broker an independence deal.
KQZ: PDK fitoi në 14 komuna, LDK në 6 dhe AAK në 3
Këshilli Qendror Zgjedhor, në një konferencë për media bëri të ditur rezultat preliminare për balotazh në 23 komuna të Kosovës. Sipas KQZ-së Partia Demokratike e Kosovës ka shënuar fitore në katërmbëdhjetë komuna, Lidhja Demokratike e Kosovës në gjashtë komuna dhe Aleanca për Ardhmërinë e Kosovës në tri komuna. Për komunën e Prishtinës ka shënuar fitore Isa Mustafa nga radhët e LDK-së me 58.8 për qind të votave. Rezultatet përfundimtare pritet të jepen në fund të javës së ardhshme.
RON PAUL on FACE THE NATION Veteran's day 2007
Ron Paul's Veteran's Day interview with Bob Schieffer CBS News
e shtunë, dhjetor 08, 2007
Serbia calls for more Kosovo talks in Belgrade
Serb Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica on Saturday warned Kosovo Albanians against an "illegal" declaration of independence and called for talks on the territory's future to resume.
Kosovo: Big Heroin Haul
According to the statement, the “seized narcotic substances were on the route to a further destination”. There was no indication where this might be.
Partition Kosovo
Why not settle the border by plebiscite, allowing the Serbians - clumped conveniently close to Serbia proper - to remain under Belgrade, while the Albanians opt for independence?
E Verteta4_U: This is what they wanted to do all a long.
e premte, dhjetor 07, 2007
UN Gets Report on Failed Kosovo Talks
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon received a report Friday confirming a deadlock in negotiations between ethnic Albanians and Serbia's government over the future of Kosovo.
No deal at Kosovo talks hands world the problem
Mediators on Kosovo's future dumped the problem on a divided international community on Friday, saying that rigid positions on sovereignty over the Serbian province had foiled agreement in four months of talks.
Troika Report Seals Negotiations' Failure
Brussels _ The international troika on Kosovo confirmed in its final report delivered to the Secretary- General of the UN that efforts toward achieving negotiated solution were unsuccessful because “neither party was willing to cede its position on the fundamental question of sovereignty over Kosovo”.
Gunmen Stop Bus in Kosovo
Gracanica _ Masked gunmen stopped a bus with Serb commuters on their way to the Kosovo capital, Pristina, and took the vehicle's ignition keys from the driver, police told Balkan Insight Friday.
Unfinished business
During the 1990s, the Balkans were the scene of Europe's deadliest wars and worst atrocities since World War II. More recently, the region has been relatively peaceful, but many of its problems have merely been kicked down the road. Now, one of the most dangerous is coming to a head, with a United Nations deadline on Monday for resolving Kosovo's political status.
Getting Kosovo wrong could plunge the Balkans back into turmoil. To avoid that, Serbia and Russia will have to quickly decide that they have more to gain from stability - and good relations with Europe and the United States - than from whipping up old hatreds.
Kosovo has been under international trusteeship since 1999 when NATO went to war to reverse Slobodan Milosevic's brutal campaign to drive out Kosovo's ethnic Albanian majority. While formally Kosovo is still a province of Serbia, there can be no question of returning it to Belgrade's control.
Earlier this year, international mediators worked out a reasonable compromise that acknowledges both the desire of Kosovo's Albanians for independence and the Serb minority's legitimate fear of persecution.
The international community will still oversee an independent Kosovo, and ensure that the Serb minority is protected and guaranteed substantial autonomy.
Kosovo's ethnic Albanian leaders are prepared to accept the deal. Unfortunately, the Serbian government and its patrons in Moscow are not.
Russia's position is cynical. It has no power to regain Kosovo for Serbia and the Kremlin plays its own secessionist games in Georgia and Moldova. President Vladimir Putin has simply been using Kosovo as a handy stick to beat the West and to remind the world that Russia still wields a Security Council veto.
Serbia's hopes for a brighter future depend on turning its back on Milosevic's nightmarish legacy and repairing relations with the European Union and NATO. But this is a hard idea to sell in Serbian politics, and no government will risk it as long as Russia is feeding illusions of nostalgic nationalism.
If Moscow makes good on its threats to veto the compromise, Kosovo's leaders will almost certainly declare independence. Most Western governments say that they would recognize the new (and militarily vulnerable) Kosovo. This would clearly not be a happy situation. But neither would the alternative: leaving Western peacekeepers sitting on the powder keg of an angry and frustrated Albanian majority.
The better approach, for all involved, would be an internationally supervised independence recognized by the United Nations. It is not too late for Moscow to play a more constructive role, and to bring Serbia along with it.
e mërkurë, dhjetor 05, 2007
UN confident of careful steps to Kosovo status
PRISTINA, Serbia, Dec 5 (Reuters) - The United Nations said on Wednesday it was confident Kosovo Albanians would not rush the West into a decision on the territory's fate after a Dec. 10 U.N. report on failed negotiations with Serbia.
"I fully sympathise with everybody who says we now need a solution very soon," the head of the U.N. administration in the territory, Joachim Ruecker, told a news conference. "But I also think it is very, very important to get the next steps right."
Ruecker said leaders of Kosovo's 90-percent Albanian majority understood the need to let the U.N. and European Union draw conclusions from the report, "and then go from there."
Kosovo Albanians say the next step is a declaration of independence, defying Russia and ending eight years of U.N.-imposed limbo since NATO bombs wrested control of the province from Slobodan Milosevic's Serbia.
But Kosovo's prime minister-apparent, ex-guerrilla fighter Hashim Thaci, has stressed the declaration will be made "in close coordination" with those countries likely to recognise it - the United States and major EU states.
Political sources in Kosovo say such a move is unlikely before mid-January, and might have to wait until after Serbia holds a presidential election -- possibly in late January - to avoid boosting the chances of Serb ultranationalists.
NATO BRACED
Mediators from the United States, Russia and the European Union ended four months of inconclusive talks last week in Austria, saying compromise had proved impossible.
Russia insists the issue be decided by the U.N. Security Council. Moscow has already blocked a Western-backed plan for EU-supervised independence by threatening to use its veto.
The mediators say their report, which is due by Monday, will not prescribe a solution, or a way forward. The Security Council is expected to discuss the document on Dec. 19.
Washington and almost all EU member states support Kosovo's independence as the best option for stability in the Balkans.
But they want to coordinate a declaration to minimise the fallout and protect the unity of the 27-member EU, which is preparing to deploy 1,800 police officers and judges.
"I know the people of Kosovo have enough maturity to let those international mechanisms work, let them draw their conclusions and then go from there to the following steps, which have to be decided by governments," said Ruecker.
Kosovo has been run by the United Nations since 1999, when NATO allies bombed for 11 weeks to halt the killing and ethnic cleansing of Albanian civilians - the 90-percent majority.
A 16,000-strong NATO-led peace force is braced for possible unrest or a backlash from the Serb north when Kosovo Albanians strike out alone. Serbia says it is lining up counter-measures, which could include a trade embargo and border closures.
Tension over Kosovo, Russia set to dominate NATO talks
BRUSSELS, Belgium: Mounting tension over Kosovo's drive for independence and the West's increasingly strained relations with Russia are expected to dominate meetings of NATO foreign ministers this week, forcing Afghanistan from its customary place at the top of the alliance agenda.
Alliance ministers are expected Friday to announce a continued commitment to keep NATO's 16,000-strong peacekeeping force in Kosovo if, as expected, the territory's ethnic-Albanian majority declares independence from Serbia after Monday's deadline for an internationally negotiated agreement.
Diplomats at NATO headquarters were hopeful all 26 NATO nations will pledge not to withdraw their troops, despite deep concerns by some allies over Kosovo's separatist plans. They said the allies were likely to agree that the current U.N. mandate for the peacekeeping force will remain valid after any unilateral declaration of independence.
The Kosovo issue comes to a head on Monday when a team of mediators from Russia, the United States and the European Union reports to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on their efforts to broker a deal between Serbia and the Kosovo's ethnic-Albanian leadership.
The last round of talks collapsed in Austria last week and with little hope of a last minute deal, Kosovo's politicians say they will unilaterally declare independence. The province has been run by the United Nations, backed by NATO troops, since 1999 when a bombing campaign by allied warplanes ended a Serb crack down on the separatists.
Although both Serbs and Kosovo Albanians have pledged to avoid a return to violence, NATO says its troops are ready in case trouble flares. Thousands of extra troops are being held in reserve in case reinforcements are needed quickly.
"No violence will be tolerated," NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said before the ministers' year-end meeting. "Anyone who thinks violence might be a solution to the problem is wrong."
Despite misgivings from Slovakia, Romania, Spain and Greece, most NATO nations have backed a plan for internationally supervised statehood for Kosovo. Russia, however, strongly supports Serbia's staunch opposition to Kosovo's breakaway ambitions.
The dispute is one of a series of disagreements that have seen NATO-Russia relations decline sharply over the past year. Moscow plans to pull out of a key Cold War era arms agreement on Dec. 12 in part in response to U.S. plans to install anti-missile defenses in Poland and the Czech Republic.
Russia Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will join his NATO counterparts for part of the talks on Friday. He cranked up the rhetoric Wednesday, blaming the West for hampering efforts to find a solution in Kosovo by encouraging separatists and accusing the U.S. of going back on an offer to cooperate on missile defenses.
Afghanistan will feature on the agenda. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is expected to step up pressure on European allies to provide more troops for the NATO force of 41,000.
Ministers may also discuss plans to appoint a senior international representative to coordinate international military and civilian efforts to stabilize the country. Diplomats say Britain's Lord Paddy Ashdown — a former international representative in Bosnia — has been considered for the post, but stress a final decision must be taken by the U.N.
Ministers from Israel and six Arab nations are also scheduled to join the NATO talks to discuss cooperation in fighting terrorism and wider developments in the Middle East after the agreement in Annapolis, Maryland, last week to resume negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians.
PM's adviser: Legal means include war
BELGRADE -- Prime Ministerial Adviser Aleksandar Simić says that there is still no solution to the Kosovo crisis anywhere in sight.
Simić said that Serbia would defend Kosovo by using all the means it had at its disposal.
"When someone fails to respect the Security Council, the only body that ought to react in times when there is a threat of aggression and war, particularly when someone does not observe Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter and the resolution that was adopted in line with it, then there is nothing else a country can do," Simić said late on Tuesday, in a live broadcast on Radio-Television Serbia (RTS).
Asked what was missing in Serbia’s daily claims that it would fight for Kosovo using all legal and political means, he replied that war was also a legal means, when no other options remained.
“Serbia has had negative experiences from certain armed clashes during the civil wars in the former Yugoslavia, and this is why we are more prudent and cautious now, but, of course, state interests are defended by war as well,” Simić stressed.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Party (DS) has called Simić’s comments irresponsible and dangerous.
“At a time when Serbia has pledged itself as a factor of peace and stability in the negotiating process, Simić, in his role as prime ministerial adviser, comes out with these menacing, dangerous comments that jeopardize Serbia’s position before the Security Council, sending the message that warmongering was being conducted in Serbia,” reads a DS statement.
The statement goes on to say that Simić is clearly not aware of the fatal consequences of the wartime policies that drove Serbia to fighting for Kosovo.
Albania’s Gay Flight
05 December 2007 Homosexuals face little choice but to leave Albania or put up with deep-rooted homophobia.
By Ben Andoni in Tirana
“Could I tell my mother that I am gay? She is nearly eighty-years-old now. I would never want to cause her such trauma at this stage in her life. My father - when he was alive - asked me, but I could not admit it to him either,” recalls the man in his forties, too afraid to give his name, too self-conscious, constantly looking over his shoulder.Getting in touch with Gjerji, as he wants to be called, was not an easy task. A form of underground credibility must be established through a network of intermediaries. Repeated cases in the past have taught the homosexual community that, in a traditional society like Albania, going public with their sexual orientation means losing their jobs, risking threats and possible rejection by their families.
“From what we know, the data that we have, there is a community of nearly 3,500 in Tirana alone,” says Genci Terpo, a lawyer with the Albanian Human Rights Group, AHRG.
Though the Albanian Parliament legalized homosexual relationships in 1995, more than a decade later, gays and lesbians are still heavily stigmatized, and a majority of them are choosing to leave, amidst fears that if their sexual orientation is discovered, their safety will be endangered.
“The attitudes toward homosexuality have not changed much, and they have to protect themselves,” says Terpo. “It’s not that now, in 2007, there is any real difference to what we have seen before. They continue to be subjected to discrimination in all walks of life, and that includes state institutions,” he adds.
In the past the majority of homosexuals leaving the country tended to pass through the illegal smuggling routes that were such a familiar feature of the Balkans during the 1990s. Now a growing number is turning to human rights organizations, like AHRG.
“Our biggest problem is identifying ourselves and the possibility of having a shared space where we can meet without fear. There are gay and lesbian clubs all over the world, even in Arab countries which are historically more traditional than ours, and yet here we live in fear” says S.L., a member of the Albanian Gay and Lesbian Association, ALGA.
S.L. says he has good reason for such fear. “We were sitting in a park when two police vans pulled over. The officers got out of the van and dragged us away. One of the drivers came over to me and kicked me repeatedly, his boot hitting my stomach. When I begged him to stop, he just shouted ‘Shut up you faggot’, and continued kicking me”, adds S.L., recalling the incident.
ALGA and AHGR have been trying to bring to the public’s attention the treatment of homosexuals in Albania. In addition to its publicity work, AHGR also provides legal representation, free of charge, for ALGA members in case of arrest or mistreatment.
According to S.L. a number of members from the organization are currently applying for asylum in EU countries due to the discrimination they face, and a few of them have already left.
The first case registered by ALGA was in 2002, when one of its members was granted asylum in the Netherlands through the assistance of AHRG, after being subjected to repeated psychological and physical violence from police officers.
Human rights reports on Albania concede that ingrained attitudes among the public leave Albanian gays and lesbians on the fringes of society. According to AHRG,
Albanian homosexuals face “intolerance, physical and psychological violence - often from the police - and discrimination in the workplace.”
A.A., another member of ALGA, has been granted asylum in Sweden. After being repeatedly harassed by police, he turned to AHRG to seek a way to leave the country.
“He was not able to go to school, had been stopped, harassed and tortured by the police,” confirms Elsa Ballauri, AHRG’s director. “It was not that difficult for the Swedish authorities to take a decision on his case.”
M.L. is another member of ALGA now applying for asylum.
“His life is in great danger, and he has to leave Albania. His family rejected him totally after finding out that he was gay, they have used violence against him, and now are a threat to his life,” says Ballauri in a written statement.
Another problem that is prompting Albanian gays and lesbians to leave the country - apart from the constant abuse and discrimination - is poverty.
“They are extremely marginalized, have no places where they can meet, and because of constant discrimination, are reduced to poverty,” says Klodian Rrepaj, the coordinator of the National HIV/AIDS program, which has tried to reach out to the community.
Although the position of homosexuals in Albania has been out of the limelight, that issue could come to the forefront as the country begins to get closer to the EU, as a result of its signing of a Stabilization and Association Agreement in June 2006. That agreement envisages Tirana’s eventual membership in the EU.
“If we had a chance for a normal life, we would not be so keen to leave. What’s hard to understand is that the levels of violence and discrimination against us are not changing, even though everything else that surrounds us is in a state of flux,” says Gjergji while sipping his espresso in a crowded, smoked-filled Tirana cafe.
“I don’t know,” he says in a dim voice. “I may be the next one to leave.”
Serbia in New Moves over Kosovo
Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic travelled to London on Wednesday to meet Britain’s Foreign Secretary, David Miliband, and other officials.
On Thursday Jeremic will fly to the United States to meet the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and ambassadors of the countries in the UN Security Council, Serbia’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
In his address to parliament on Tuesday Jeremic warned that Serbia had prepared “a set of measures” as a response to Kosovo’s anticipated unilateral declaration of independence and its subsequent recognition by individual states.
Jeremic said that the so-called Action Plan, drafted by his ministry for consideration by the government, envisaged options ranging from “doing nothing” to “recalling ambassadors for consultations” and finally to “severing diplomatic ties with countries that would move to unilaterally recognize the province.”
“We hope that there will be no need for the adoption or the implementation of the measures,” as Belgrade still “wants a compromise solution in the Kosovo status dispute,” Jeremic told lawmakers.
Ethnic Albanian-dominated Kosovo, a UN protectorate since the end of the 1998-99 war, wants full independence from Serbia which is offering it only a broad autonomy.
A number of Kosovo Albanian leaders have said they are ready to unilaterally declare their homeland’s independence shortly after the Troika of international mediators from the United States, the European Union and Russia submits its report about the deadlocked Kosovo talks to the UN Secretary-General on December 10.
Meanwhile, Pavle Jevremovic, Serbia’s ambassador to the UN, has announced that Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica will address the Security Council on December 19, at a session convened to review the Troika’s report on Kosovo talks.
He also urged Italy, which chairs the Security Council in December, to allow Kosovo Albanian leaders to attend the session, but not to let them deliver their speeches, said a statement from Serbia’s foreign ministry.
One of the options Belgrade has publicly ruled out is the use of force.
Dragan Sutanovac, Serbia’s Defence Minister, has repeatedly said that although the military are ready for all contingencies, they will not intervene in Kosovo.
Another top official, Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic, has said that “despite future developments, Serbia will not resort to violence [in Kosovo].”
Speaking at an international conference in Brussels on Tuesday, Delic said that “it would be pathetic to send a message to the world that the use of force is the only way of achieving goals.”Serbs Ponder Kosovo Options
Goran Svilanovic
As Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic started talks on Wednesday in Britain, ahead of flying to the US, Goran Svilanovic, a former Yugoslav Foreign Minister, said that Kosovo’s independence was a matter of months rather than weeks away, and that it was closely related to events in Serbia and to its relations with the EU. To read more, seehttp://www.balkaninsight.com/en/main/news/6762/
Svilanovic, now an official of the Stability Pact for South-eastern Europe, said that the timeframe for independence was linked in the first instance to the adoption of a report by a Troika of international mediators which is due to be submitted to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon by Monday, December 10.
Four months of talks, mediated by the Troika, ended in deadlock last week, with Kosovo’s Albanians insisting on independence, and Serbia not prepared to go beyond offering broad autonomy.
The independence timetable, according to Svilanovic, was also depended on further international moves, including a session of the UN Security Council on December 19, and in the slightly longer term to Serbia’s presidential vote, tentatively expected in early 2008, as well as the development of Belgrade’s relations with the EU.
Serbia is hoping to follow up its recent initialling of a Stabilization and Association Agreement with the EU by signing the document which is an important step on the way to its eventual EU membership.
“If it turns out that there are no avenues for new talks over Kosovo and if they [the Kosovo Albanians] declare independence, the EU will probably only acknowledge that move as a fact,” rather than actively support it, Svilanovic told Balkan Insight.
He also said that “only then…maybe in months…will some countries start to make their moves about what they have heard from Pristina and recognize [Kosovo’s] independence.”
“At some point, gradually, some EU member countries, perhaps the most powerful ones will also do the same, “ Svilanovic added, referring to recognition of Kosovo’s independence.
Another former top official, Serbia’s ex-Prime Minister Zoran Zivkovic, said that Kosovo independence was imminent “regardless of whether happens this December” or later.
Zivkovic, who served as prime minister after the assassination of his predecessor, Zoran Djindjic, in 2003, told Balkan Insight that “the only avenue is a partition of the province either through open or secret talks.”
“Kosovo’s north and some areas in the east may stay within Serbia, and the rest can be independent and that’s clearly negotiable. This is not the best nor the most democratic solution, but it offers both sides something so they can achieve some of their goals,” he said.
Zivkovic warned that “when Kosovo declares independence”, Serbs from the province’s northern and eastern parts “may opt to unilaterally declare they want to stay within Serbia, using exactly the same arguments as Kosovo Albanians” about their right to self-determination.
According to official data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, more than 200,000 Kosovo Serbs and other non-Albanians fled Kosovo following the end of the 1999 war, fearing reprisal attacks from extremists.
Many of the 100,000 Kosovo Serbs live in the northern and eastern areas, just outside Serbia, while the rest remains scattered in enclaves throughout Kosovo.
Serbia has insisted on its right to retain Kosovo as part of its territory, but Zivkovic described “Belgrade’s hiding behind the principle of sovereignty” as “lame”.
Albania President in Property Row
In remarks made on Tuesday, Topi accused the property restitution commissions of corruption and illegal practices.
“At this very moment when we are discussing this, I can assure you that somewhere property is being usurped, that somewhere an administration employee has started a day’s work with the thought in mind of making a personal profit, to get some kind of a deal,” Topi told a conference on property restitution..
The president’s remark came after a series of arrests of local officials in the village of Kashar, just outside the capital Tirana, on charges of embezzlement and falsification of property deeds.
Albania’s former communist regime did not allow private ownership of land. Since the collapse of the last communist government in 1991, a process for the restitution of confiscated property to the former owners has been under way.
Political analysts say this process has been marked by corrupt practices.
It is estimated that nearly 70% of the former owners have not yet had their land returned or been compensated for their former properties.
“People who have been directly affected by the abuse of power with the right of ownership are still uncertain whether justice is to be meted out to those who abuse their position,” the president said.
“There are people who for years have been smartly dressed, in fashionable suits, yet who have operated as real butchers when it comes to dealing with the properties of the citizens. It’s a disease which has unfortunately become a chronic ailment,” he added.Jozefina Topalli e kënaqur me mbështetjen që po i japë Turqia pavarësisë së Kosovës
Jozefina Topalli e kënaqur me mbështetjen që po i japë Turqia pavarësisë së Kosovës
 Kryetarja e Kuvendit të Shqipërisë, Jozefina Topalli po qëndron për vizitë zyrtare në Turqi, me ftesë të Kryetarit të Asamblesë Kombëtare të Turqisë, Köksal Toptan. Zonja Topalli, e cila është takuar me kryetarin e parlamentit turk, kryeministrin dhe presidentin, shprehu mbështetjen e plotë për pavarësinë e Kosovës dhe anëtarësimin e Shqipërisë në NATO. |
| "Çështja e ditës, në fakt, është Kosova dhe ne i jemi shumë mirënjohës Turqisë që mbështet paqen dhe stabilitetin në rajon dhe baza që siguron këtë paqe është "Plani Ahtisaari" dhe pavarësia e Kosovës. Unë, në fakt, i kërkova Kryetarit të Asamblesë Kombëtare edhe ushtrimin e të gjithë influencës së njohjes të tyre personale, të fuqisë së tyre diplomatike, të influencës që kanë në zonë, si vend lider që është Turqia për të marrë të njëjtën mbështetje edhe nga vendet e tjera. Jam shumë e kënaqur që Kryetari tha se ne do të bëjmë çdo gjë për të mbështetur paqen dhe stabilitetin në rajon", ka thënë Zonja Topalli. "Turqia është e gatshme të bëjë të gjitha përpjekjet e pafundme për vendosjen e stabilitetit dhe paqes finale në rajonin ballkanik. Urojmë dhe shpresojmë që brenda një kohe shumë të shkurtër do të zgjidhet çështja e Kosovës në formën që e gëzon të gjithë popullin e Kosovës, sigurisht, duke e kaluar në Këshillin e Sigurimit të OKB-së", ka thënë Kryetarit të Asamblesë Kombëtare të Turqisë, Köksal Toptan. /d. ndrenika/ |
Serbia says Kosovo Albanians should not speak at U.N.
Serbia has asked the U.N. Security Council to ensure Kosovo Albanian leaders cannot speak at a critical December 19 meeting on the future of the breakaway province, according to a letter seen by Reuters on Tuesday.
The council meeting that day will take up a report due to be submitted on Monday on international mediators' efforts to bridge the gap between Serbia's offer of broad autonomy and the Kosovo Albanian demand for full independence.
Leaders of Kosovo's 90-percent ethnic Albanian majority, backed by Washington and EU member states, say they will declare independence within months now that last-ditch talks have failed to reach agreement.
Serbia's main ally Russia, which opposes independence and has blocked previous Security Council action on Kosovo, insisted this week the council should have the final word on the future of the province.
In a letter to the Italian president of the council dated Tuesday and obtained by Reuters, Serbian Ambassador Pavle Jevremovic officially requested that Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica attend and make a statement at the December 19 meeting.
In the letter to Italian Ambassador Marcello Spatafora, Jevremovic said that under existing constitutional arrangements for Kosovo, its representatives could attend Security Council meetings but without the right to speak.
"I would appreciate if you ensured full respect for the provisions," he said.
Washington and most EU states see Kosovo's independence from Serbia as the best option for stability in the Balkans.
Russia, which holds a veto in the Security Council, has already blocked one Western-backed independence plan.
Kosovo has been under U.N. rule since 1999, when NATO bombs expelled Serb forces accused of the killing and ethnic cleansing of Albanian civilians while battling separatist rebels.
Almost 18 months of negotiations, led first by U.N. envoy Martti Ahtisaari, have failed to produce compromise.
Spatafora told a news briefing on Tuesday that council members would wait until they see the December 10 report on the most recent U.S., Russian and EU mediation efforts before deciding on the next steps.
e martë, dhjetor 04, 2007
US, French Units Move to Prevent Violence in Kosovo
The commander of NATO forces says U.S. and French units have been moved to a key outpost in Kosovo to help prevent violence in what he calls the "most volatile" region the alliance is dealing with. But the officer, U.S. General Bantz Craddock, also says community leaders in Kosovo are helping in the effort to avoid violence when the deadline for negotiations on the province's future passes next Monday. VOA's Al Pessin reports from Washington.
General Craddock told reporters at the National Press Club the American and French units have moved to Camp Nothing Hill in northern Kosovo, just 17 kilometers from the Serbian border. The general says those units should be "a very stabilizing factor," but he is also prepared to send additional forces to Kosovo, if necessary. "There will be those who want to create mischief, and that will be manifested as strife and potentially violence, in Kosovo. There will be, then, those who will respond to that, against the advice of, I think, calmer heads to not respond," he said. 
General Bantz Craddock (file photo)
General Craddock says community leaders in Kosovo want to avoid violence. "My conversations with the leaders in Kosovo tell me that they are sincere. They sincerely want to avoid violence, and they will work diligently to preclude it," he said.
The NATO commander also expressed concern that if the political situation changes in Kosovo the United Nations mandate for the NATO-led force there might no longer be valid. There is some concern that if Kosovo's government declares independence, it could not only spark violence, but it might put the status force, known as K-FOR, in some doubt.
"We can conceive of circumstances whereby an adjusted political landscape could pose questions that would have to be raised to the political level urgently, in order to get the necessary guidance for commanders to respond. We at allied command headquarters, my headquarters and K-FOR, are looking to the North Atlantic Council to make decisions and give us the authority, if you will, again, in this very complex, nuanced situation," he said.
The K-FOR commander made a similar appeal last week.
General Craddock says the force has extensive plans for nearly any sequence of events, and has rehearsed its responses to various scenarios. He said he is concerned about paramilitary groups in Serbia that are reportedly preparing for violence, but he says there is good cooperation between the NATO-led force and the Serbian military.
Albania Marks Army Anniversary
Tirana _ Albanian officials marked the 95th anniversary of the creation of the country’s armed forces with a military parade in the Albanian capital on Tuesday.
e hënë, dhjetor 03, 2007
Kosovo Election Results Published
Pristina _ Kosovo’s Central Election Commission, CEC, published on Monday the final results of the elections to Kosovo’s Assembly.
Croatia urges Serbs in Kosovo to be active players in politics
Croatian President Stjepan Mesic Monday urged ethnic Serbs in Kosovo to become active players in politics of the breakaway Serbian province.
Official: Kosovo blast injures seven, two in critical condition
A powerful blast rocked Kosovo's southwestern town of Prizren, injuring seven people and shattering more than 30 shop windows in a busy urban district, officials said Monday.
US officials say Iran nuclear weapons program stopped in 2003
This is getting played all over the mainstream media.
At the risk of being prematurely jubilant, it looks like the invasion of Iran has just been canceled!
There is still the possibility of a lone nut head-of-state trying to restart the wars with a false-flag attack, but right now, it looks like the war wagon just ran off the road to Tehran!
Chavez loses constitutional vote
Early report of victory was premature. The Bush-NeoCons have called Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez a dictator and a tyrant… but since when do dictators lose elections? (MR)
Sot u nisën për haxh 121 haxhinjtë e parë
Sot nga qendrat kryesore të Kosovës, në organizim të Kryesisë së Bashkësisë Islame me autobusë u nisen 121 haxhinj për të kryer haxhin në vendet e shenjta Mekë e Medinë të Arabisë Saudite. Në qendrat prej nga u nisën haxhinjtë, si tradicionalisht, u bë përcjellja e organizuar ku përfaqësuesit e Këshillave të BI bënë duanë e haxhinjve.
Treshja negociatore viziton sot Prishtinën dhe Beogradin
Treshja ndërkombëtare, në bisedimet për statusin e Kosovës, sot do të vizitojë Beogradin dhe Prishtinën, për t'i njoftuar palët me pjesët bazike të raportit, të cilin më 10 dhjetor duhet t'ia paraqesë sekretarit të përgjithshëm të Kombeve të Bashkuara, Ban Ki-Mun.
Kuvendi i Kosovës: PDK 37 deputetë, LDK 25, AKR 13, LDD 11, AAK 10, ORA mbetet jashtë
Komisioni Qendror Zgjedhor ka publikuar sot rezultatet e zgjedhjeve të 17 nëntorit për Kuvendin e Kosovës. Në legjislaturën e ardhshme, Partia Demokratike do të përfaqësohet me 37 deputetë, Lidhja Demokratike e Kosovës me 25, Aleanca Kosova e Re, me 13 deputetë, Lidhja Demokratike e Dardanisë me 11 dhe Aleanca për Ardhmërinë e Kosovës me 10. Ndërsa partia reformiste ORA me 4.1 % të votave të fituara, nuk ka arritur të kalojë pragun zgjedhor.
Chavez wins Venezuela vote
Chavez wins Venezuela. Putin wins Russia. And George "Because the Supreme Court SAYS so" Bush screams that it must be vote fraud. (MR)
e diel, dhjetor 02, 2007
EU floats a plan to slow down on Kosovo
BERLIN: Days before the United Nations makes its final judgment about the Balkan province of Kosovo, which is seeking independence from Serbia, European diplomats say they are finessing a plan designed to stall the recognition of its independence until early next year.
Më 10 dhjetor tubim në New York për pavarësinë
Në ditën kur është paraparë dorëzimi i raportit Sekretarit të Përgjithshëm të Kombeve të Bashkuara, Ban Ki Moon nga ana e treshes ndërkombëtare përfaqësuesit të Bashkimit Evropian, të SHBA-ve dhe atij të Rusisë lidhur me rezultatin e negociatave katërmuajshme shtesë për Kosovën, organizatat shqiptaro-amerikane me në krye Këshillin Kombëtar Shqiptaro-Amerikan do të mbajnë një tubim në New York në shenjë mbështetje dhe për njohje të pavarësisë së Kosovës.
e shtunë, dhjetor 01, 2007
Romney Supporters Caught Voting Multiple Times In Florida Straw Poll
E Verteta4_U:
To all those Albanians who think vote fraud does not take place in America !
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