Winter Wonderland: Young Villagers Transform Kosovo Churches into Christmas Attractions

In villages near Gjakova/Dakovica in Kosovo, young volunteers each year turn local places of worship into festive masterpieces that draw thousands of visitors each December. For several years now, young volunteers from villages around Kosovo’s southwestern town of Gjakova/Djakovica have transformed local churches into enchanting winter attractions. Funded by local believers and nearby families, their…

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CEC Rejects Election Certification for Belgrade-Backed Kosovo Serb Party

Kosovo’s Central Election Commission has declined certification for the Srpska Lista, the largest Serbian-majority political party in Kosovo, for participation in the parliamentary elections scheduled for February 9, 2025. The decision can be appealed. The biggest Kosovo Serb party in Kosovo, the Belgrade-backed Srpska Lista (Serbian List), has not been certified for participation in the…

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Ulpiana Forum Discussion: Global Diaspora Strategies For Combating Misinformation

Amid a digital age where information flows rapidly, diasporas worldwide play an increasingly critical role in combating misinformation and cultivating reliable knowledge systems. During a recent panel discussion, experts shared insights on how their initiatives counter misinformation while fostering civic engagement. During a panel at Ulpiana Forum in Prishtina, panelists underlined the importance of civic…

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Kosovo, Serbia Pledge to Implement Declaration on Wartime Missing Persons

EU mediator welcomes promise by Kosovo and Serbia to finally implement the 2023 declaration, intended to help find the remaining missing persons from the 1998-99 war, calling it “an important step towards bringing closure to families”. The chief negotiators of the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, Besnik Bislimi and Petar Petkovic, in a meeting mediated by the EU…

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BIRN Report Highlights Kosovo’s Struggle to Detect Early Warning Signs of Terrorism and Radicalisation

A BIRN report on Kosovo’s mechanisms for terrorism prevention revealed significant shortcomings in implementing the national strategy on early prevention. The report emphasises the need for stronger coordination between central and local authorities to combat both religious and right-wing political extremism. Kosovo faces significant shortcomings in implementing the national counterterrorism strategy, which relies heavily on…

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Kosovo’s Renowned Photojournalist ‘Freezes’ History on Flag’s Double-Headed Eagle Wings

A new exhibition in Ferizaj showcases the work of prominent Kosovo-based photojournalist Hazir Reka, whose images serve to raise awareness among foreign audiences about the suffering of Kosovo Albanians under Slodoban Milosevic’s regime. Kosovo war photojournalist Hazir Reka symbolically rang a school bell on November 28 to announce the opening of his newest photography exhibition…

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Kosovo Takes Careful Steps Towards Remembrance of Wartime Rape

Forced to flee their homes by shelling, S.N., her two young daughters, mother-in-law and sister-in-law had taken refuge in Dragaqine/Dragacin, south-central Suhreke/Suva Reka municipality. Two days later, Serb soldiers surrounded the village. Now 52-years-old, S.N. has never before spoken of what followed, though rumours and reports surfaced within weeks. “Every night Serbian soldiers dragged three…

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‘Forgotten Recordings’: Criminal Investigations in Kosovo Often Use Unlawful Wiretapping of Suspects

Court monitors discovered several cases where Kosovo institutions violated the law on surveillance by illegally wiretapping citizens during criminal investigations. Murat Mehmeti, a tax inspector in Kosovo, was wiretapped for several months in 2016 by the country’s Special Prosecution. The surveillance ultimately proved Mehmeti’s innocence, but the prosecutor handling the case failed to inform him…

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President Osmani: Preserving Alliances and Constitutional Values Key to Kosovo’s Future

Kosovo’s President Vjosa Osmani underscored the critical importance of upholding constitutional patriotism, strengthening international alliances, advancing dialogue with Serbia, and advocating for the rights of Albanians in the region in her yearly address to the assembly. In her annual parliament address on Thursday, Kosovo President Osmani highlighted the importance of constitutional patriotism and safeguarding alliances…

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Kosovo Indicts Yugoslav Army Ex-Reservist for War Crimes Against Villagers

Srdjan Lazovic, a Kosovo Serb arrested in June, is accused of taking part in the mass detention and torture of hundreds of civilians at a village in the Malisheve/Malisevo area in 1999. Kosovo’s Special Prosecution on Tuesday said it has indicted a former reservist member of the Yugoslav Army for war crimes against civilians in…

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