December, 2008

• 6 December

  Bosnian TV Station Hit in Bomb Attack

  Sarajevo – An explosive device has been thrown at a local Bosnian broadcaster, Independent Television NTV Hayat, although there were no injuries and only minor damage. The attack took place Thursday night, at the time when there was no staff but only a night guard. Local police, who protected the …

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• 6 December

  Opposition Grows to Albania Wind Project

  Tirana – Opposition is mounting against a deal between Albania and Italy to build one of Europe’s biggest wind farms, after a Balkan Insight investigation lifted the lid on shady aspects of the agreement. In a protest held on Tuesday when the agreement for the wind farm was signed in …

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• 6 December

  Talks over New Romania Govt Begin

  Bucharest – Romanian President Traian Basescu has ended the first round of talks with political parties over the future Prime Minister, following the November 30 general election. “There were just preliminary discussions, so no final conclusion was reached yet. Negotiations will continue in the days to come,” said sources close …

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• 6 December

  Northern Kosovo Town Still Tense

  Pristina – Representatives of security and political authorities in the northern town of Mitrovica said on Friday that the atmosphere remains tense after several cars carrying the KS sticker denoting they were from Kosovo were demolished and an Albanian girl attacked. The head of the municipality, Bajram Rexhepi, said he …

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• 6 December

  EULEX ‘Will Function in Tense Kosovo Town’

  Pristina – The EU’s law-and-order mission, EULEX, will have a small presence in the Serb-dominated north of Kosovo when it launches on December 9, says a mission spokeswoman. Karin Limdal told the BBC that the European Union mission will be present at six police stations and the court in the …

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• 6 December

  More EU Countries to Recognise Kosovo?

  Pristina – The Czech Republic, the country who heads the up coming presidency of the EU, expects that more countries will recognise Kosovo in the coming year. Deputy Prime Minster for European Affairs, Alexander Vondra, said he expects recognitions to come from EU countries which have not done so yet.

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• 6 December

  Minister: Croatia Not Yet Ready for EU

  Zagreb – Croatia is not yet ready to become a member of the European Union, a Dutch newspaper quoted European Affairs Minister Frans Timmermans as saying. NRC Handelsblad reported that Timmermans said that he “completely disagreed’ with the assessment of EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn after the EU Commission said …

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• 6 December

  Kosovo to Open 22 Embassies in 2009

  Pristina – Kosovo’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it will open some 22 new embassies in countries around the world in 2009. In the Pristina daily newspaper ‘Zeri’, the ministry’s spokeswoman Albana Beqiri said these embassies will be set up by ambassadors, adding the that ministry will soon begin hiring …

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• 6 December

  Kosovo Security Force Delayed Until January

  Pristina _ The transformation of Kosovo’s Protection Corps, TMK, into Kosovo’s Security Forces, KSF, has been postponed until January because of delays in appointed a chief. The Kosovo’s Protection Corps, which is mostly made of former fighters from the Kosovo Liberation Army, will continue providing additional security along with NATO …

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• 6 December

  Armenia still rebuilding 20 years after earthquake

  GYUMRI, Armenia (Reuters) – Zhora Azizyan felt lucky when he was granted temporary housing made of concrete blocks rather than the railway cars given to others after the earthquake that devastated northwestern Armenia. But that was 1988. Now he struggles to paper over the cracks in the walls, and the …

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