Republic of Kosovo

Lawmakers backed constitutional changes to set up a new war crimes court to try former Kosovo Liberation Army fighters despite strong resistance from opposition politicians and ex-guerrillas.

MPs voted for the resolution on Thursday calling for EULEX's work to be reviewed and alleged abuses within the mission investigated.

A vote to change the constitution to allow the establishment of a controversial new special court to try Kosovo Liberation Army guerrillas failed because not enough MPs voted in favour.

The International Monetary Fund office in Pristina has announced that an agreement has been reached with Kosovo on an economic programme that could be supported by a 22-month Stand-By Arrangement, SBA.

Missing persons associations from divided Mitrovica on Thursday accused both Kosovo and Serbia of failing to shed light on the fate of 1,655 missing persons from the Kosovo conflict.

PRISTINA - The United States Defense Ministry have expressed their support for Pristina authorities' efforts to transform the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) into armed forces, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kosovo said in a release on Tuesday.

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA - Leader of the Citizens' Initiative 'Freedom, Democracy, Justice' (SDP) Oliver Ivanovic and four more Serbs charged with grave crimes committed against ethnic Albanians in 1999 and 2000 pleaded not guilty at the trial which began in the Kosovska Mitrovica Basic Court on Thursday.

The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini announced on Tuesday that she will enlist an independent expert for a probe into allegations of corruption in the European Union rule of law mission in Kosovo-Metohija (Eulex).

Kosovo's head of state Atifete Jahjaga has received Bobi Bovev, the Bulgarian Ambassador, to mark the end of his mandate.

BELGRADE - The director of the Serbian government Office for Kosovo-Metohija Marko Djuric urged Farid Zarif, the head of the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), on Monday to additionally encourage Kfor, Eulex and the Pristina authorities to ensure security to Serbs in the province.