Kosovo

Warning of political deadlock and growing tensions, the top United Nations official in Kosovo stressed need for Belgrade and Pristina to “avoid measures that might erode trust”, as he briefed the Security Council via video link on the Secretary-General’s latest report on developments in the area.

Preliminary counts from Sunday’s municipal elections in Kosovo indicate that most major Albanian-majority municipalities – including Pristina, Peja/Pec, South Mitrovica and Prizren – are probably heading to a second round of voting after indecisive results across much of the country.

Kosovo Parliament Speaker, Dimal Basha, declared parliament inaugurated after the election of a Serb deputy speaker, despite objections by the biggest Serbian party.

A US decision to suspend a "strategic dialogue" with Kosovo has rocked the Balkan country's establishment, singling out Prime Minister Albin Kurti as a source of growing frustration in Washington -- his country's prime political and military guarantor.

Jelena Djukanovic denied charges of using her position in the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe's mission to supply Serbia's intelligence agency, the BIA, with sensitive information. 

The court is now reviewing the legality of the parliament’s August 26 and 28 sessions, which failed to elect a deputy speaker from the ranks of Kosovo’s Serb community, a position guaranteed to them by the constitution. On August 30, Dimal Basha, the newly elected speaker, from the Vetevendosje party, which won the February elections, declared parliament inaugurated.

Kosovo MPs voted for Dimal Basha as parliament speaker. But the five-month-long political logjam continues, due to a failure to elect a deputy speaker from the Serb community.

Just a few metres from the bridge that divides South and North Mitrovica, across which cars are not allowed to pass, the Kosovo government opened a new bridge on Tuesday, despite objections from local ethnic Serbs and warnings from the international community.

Despite a Constitutional Court ruling, and after months of deadlock, Kosovo MPs failed to elect a speaker and constitute a new parliament again, as two candidates from the biggest party did not get enough support.

Kosovo’s Constitutional Court on Friday gave MPs another 30 days to elect a speaker and constitute a parliament, but changed the terms for candidacies for the speaker’s post after months of political deadlock.