Kosovo

Journalists and media advocates are concerned that a new law in Kosovo could give the government greater control. The new law seeks to license online media, give the Independent Media Commission, or IMC, power to monitor news websites, and increase the number of politically appointed members of the body, … .

The Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague on Tuesday found former Kosovo Liberation Army member Pjeter Shala guilty of three war crimes charges, including the arbitrary detention and torture of at least 18 detainees at the Kukes Metal Factory in Kukes, Albania and the murder of one prisoner.

Germany's armed forces are to continue their deployments in Kosovo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and off the coast of Lebanon as part of international missions, lawmakers in Berlin agreed on June 27.

A scheduled meeting between the leaders of Serbia and Kosovo aimed at renewing of the process of talks on the normalization of relations between the two countries failed to take place in Brussels on June 26 amid continued signs of animosity on both sides.

To restore its credibility, particularly in its pursuit of EU and NATO membership, Kosovo needs to demonstrate full alignment with Western policies. Sustained Western diplomatic engagement with both Kosovo and Serbia is essential in the coming months to prevent the already precarious security situation from deteriorating further.

On the first anniversary of violent protests in Serb-dominated northern Kosovo that left 93 peacekeeping troops injured, NATO's Kosovo mission KFOR called for the perpetrators to face justice.

EU and U.S. officials have expressed mounting concern at uncoordinated actions by Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti's government that threaten to further raise tensions with ethnic minority Serbs in the north of that Balkan country.

[…] Prime Minister Albin Kurti told a press conference on Wednesday that Russian hackers’ aim was “a hybrid war which, if successful, would result in the destabilisation of Kosovo’s security, stability and welfare institutions”.

Balkan states Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Serbia have tumbled down the latest press freedom rankings compiled by media watchdog Reporters Without Borders, which highlighted on Friday the threat around the world from political authorities. … Kosovo and Bosnia register significant decline.

The presidents of Serbia and Kosovo traded accusations on April 22 at a session of the UN Security Council in New York called to consider a report on the work of UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK).