Kosovo

With almost all votes now counted, the leader of the triumphant Vetevendosje party, Albin Kurti, said he planned to make Kosovo a 'good country to live in' – while his humbled rivals sounded a contrite note, pledging to be constructive in opposition.

A pre-trial judge at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague rejected appeals for release from former President Hashim Thaci and three co-defendants awaiting trial for of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Kosovo’s election complaints panel barred former Prime Minister Albin Kurti, leader of the Vetevendosje party, from running for parliament in February’s elections because he was convicted of a crime under three years ago.

Thirteen years after Kosovo broke away from Serbia, the two countries remain mired in mutual non-recognition, with deleterious effects on both. The parties need to move past technicalities to tackle the main issues at stake: Pristina’s independence and Belgrade’s influence over Kosovo’s Serbian minority.

Kosovo’s acting president, Vjosa Osmani, has set February 14 as the date for early parliamentary elections. Osmani's announcement on January 6 follows a decision by the Balkan country's top court to annul a parliamentary vote that was held in June to elect a new government.

Lawmakers in Kosovo gave their approval Tuesday for sending the country’s security forces to take part in international peacekeeping missions. The 120-seat parliament voted unanimously, with 92 present lawmakers, in favor of the move. Following a request from the U.S. Central Command, it will put Kosovo’s troops under the command of the National Guard of Iowa during peacekeeping assignments.

Kosovo’s political parties cannot agree about whether the next president should be chosen via negotiations or after new parliamentary elections following the resignation of Hashim Thaci to face war crimes charges.

Former Kosovar President Hashim Thaci has appeared for the first time before a war crimes court in The Hague to face charges of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity stemming from Kosovo’s war of independence more than 20 years ago.

Kosovo President Hashim Thaci has resigned from office, announcing that a special court at The Hague was indicting him for war crimes.

Kosovo’s government adopted a 16-point plan on Monday to implement the agreement that the country signed with the US at the White House in September, Kosovo media outlet Koha reported.