Labels: Video, World Issues

"Today, the concept of business is to make money. Making money is the name of the business. And profit maximization is the mission of business. And I'm saying this is very narrow interpretation of human being. Human beings are much bigger than just making money. So I said, to be true to the human nature, we should include at least one more type of business, business to do good to people, without an expectation of making any personal gain out of it."

Mohammad Yunus

Labels: CSR, World Issues

By Changing Your Thinking,
You change your beliefs;

When you change your beliefs,
You change your expectations;

When you change your expectations,
You change your attitude;

When you change your attitude,
You change your behavior;

When you change your behavior,
You change your performance;

When you change your performance;
You Change Your Life!

- Author Unknown

Labels: World Issues

Pretty cool, huh? Imagine if you get bitten with this! :)

RAPEXTM is a new product that was developed to empower women to defend themselves against rapists. RAPEXTM is a device used by women to prevent rape and to identify the rapist. The RAPEXTM prototype was launched on 31 August 2005, at Kleinmond, Cape Province, South Africa.

more at www.rapestop.net

Labels: Fun, World Issues

Jeez... Officially, it was 39C yesterday... However, this is temperature outside of the city center, where they measure it...
Check out the temperature in Belgrade`s main street yesterday...



Edit - another photo from another source... again Belgrade downtown yesterday at noon...

Labels: Fun, Serbia, World Issues

An amazing way of analyzing data of worlds` importance... Really an eye-opening presentation of how the world is developing and changing, as well as how today`s approach to reducing poverty is completely wrong!

More at www.ted.com

Interesting, there`s even a Serbian guy, Sasa Vucinic, that fought his way from owning the only independent media in Serbia in 1991 (www.b92.net) to starting a fund to help independent media in 17 countries of developing world and trying to rethink the fund-raising... Check him out at http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/75

Labels: World Issues

Labels: Fun, World Issues

This is my homecity... :(

--------------------------------

Fresh blast in Kosovo

26 February 2007 | 11:35 | Source: AP

PRIŠTINA -- Explosion damaged several vehicles belonging to OSCE on Monday in Peć, a police official said. No one was hurt.
The blast occurred around 3:30 a.m. and was caused by an explosive device - possibly a hand grenade - that shattered windows or caused other light damage to seven vehicles in the parking lot of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)
Investigators were not certain whether the OSCE was the target of the attack, which occurred in a residential area in the city of Peć, some 80 kilometers west of Kosovo's capital, Priština, said regional police spokesman Avni Gjevukaj.
Two other vehicles that did not belong to the organization were damaged in the blast. There was no immediate comment from the OSCE mission in Kosovo.
Tensions in Kosovo are running high amid negotiations between the ethnic Albanians and Serbs over the disputed province's status.
Three U.N. vehicles were bombed in Priština a week ago. In other recent violence, two people were killed in clashes between police and ethnic Albanians protesting the U.N. proposal on Kosovo's final status.

Labels: Kosovo, Serbia, World Issues

By John Phillips
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
February 20, 2007

ROME -- Any attempt by the international community to deny Kosovo independence will set off "a new Balkan war," a senior Kosovar negotiator cautioned yesterday.
    Speaking as he prepared to take part in final talks between delegations from Kosovo and Serbia scheduled for today in Vienna, Austria, negotiator Ylber Hasa said Kosovars believe they already have made extensive compromises.

rest of the story at Washington Post

-----------------------------------------

I`m going home in a week... Hopefully not directly to war... :(

Labels: Kosovo, Serbia, World Issues

KLA claims responsibility for Priština blast

20 February 2007 | 09:59 -> 13:05 | Source: B92, FoNet, Beta, AP

PRIŠTINA -- Kosovo Liberation Army says it blew up three UN vehicles in Priština last night.

The scene of the explosion in Priština (FoNet)

The blast caused no injuries but raised tensions amid ongoing negotiations on Kosovo's future.
Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) distributed a statement to the media by e-mail claiming to have set up the explosion. Kosovo Police Service is yet to determine the authenticity of the statement.
Kosovo Liberation Army , now a disbanded force that fought against Serb forces during the 1998-1999 conflict, said it had regrouped in order to "avenge the death of two protesters" during a recent demonstration in Priština, adding it would avenge "any future injustice" against its people.

more at b92.net.

Labels: Kosovo, Serbia, World Issues

Comments?

Labels: Serbia, World Issues

Putin addressed a Security Forum in Munich accusing the US of trying to create a unipolar world... He was criticizing US for this or that before too, but never this strong... Is he negotiating a new "here`s more money to shut your mouth for a couple of years" deal or is he introducing the new Russia to the world?

--------------------------------------------

U.S. fuelling arms race: Putin

Vladimir Radyuhin

Russian President condemns indiscriminate use of force by America

MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin has ripped to pieces the concept of a unipolar world and blasted the United States for indiscriminate use of force, which provoked other countries to seek nuclear weapons.

Addressing a security forum in Munich, Germany, the Russian leader said, "The unipolar model of the world is not only unacceptable, but also unrealisable because in today's world, nobody has enough political or economic resources to enforce it".

Mr. Putin pointed out that the combined Gross Domestic Products of India and China based on purchasing power parity is already bigger than that of the U.S., while the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) countries have a larger GDP than the European Union. "There is no doubt that in the foreseeable future, the economic potential of these new centres of power will inevitably get converted into political clout and will strengthen multipolarity."

Attempts to impose the unipolar model by force have only generated more conflicts and more deaths.

String of conflicts

"We are witnessing an almost uncontained hyper use of force in international relations, which plunges the world into a string of conflicts," Mr. Putin told a gathering of 250 top officials and political leaders from around the world, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and U.S. Defence Secretary Robert Gates.

"One state, the United States, has overstepped its national borders and is imposing its legal system on other states," Mr. Putin said. "This is very dangerous. Nobody feels secure anymore because nobody feels protected by international law. This policy fuels the arms race... encourages countries to acquire weapons of mass destruction.

"They keep teaching Russia democracy, but don't want to learn it themselves. Why do they resort to bombings and shellings all the time? Could it be because of a lack of political culture, respect for democracy and law?"

Recalling NATO promises to the former Soviet Union not to deploy military forces in Eastern Europe, Mr. Putin asked: "Where are your promises? Why is it necessary to move the NATO military infrastructure to Russian borders? What has that to do with combatting global threats?

"The unipolar world is destructive, not only for those who live in it, but also for its master, because it destroys him from within as it has nothing to do with democracy".

Labels: World Issues

from www.b92.net/eng

-------------------------------

Russia fears chain reaction

9 February 2007 | 11:59 | Source: AP

SEVILLE -- Granting independence to Kosovo could inspire other breakaway regions in Europe and former Soviet Union, Sergei Ivanov warns today.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov spoke before holding planned talks with his NATO counterparts, who have backed a plan drawn up by U.N. envoy Martti Ahtisaari proposing internationally supervised statehood for the separatist Serbian province.
Ivanov issued a strong warning Friday that  Kosovo independence could spark 'chain reaction' among separatist regions. Russia has long expressed reservations about Kosovo's separatist aspirations, and Ivanov's comments underscored differences between Russia and the West. The issue of Kosovo's status will be discussed next month at the U.N. Security Council.
"If we imagine a situation where Kosovo achieves independence, then other people, people living in regions that are not recognized, will ask us: "are we not as good as them?" Ivanov told reporters.
"This concerns obviously the post-Soviet space, but also regions in Europe," he said. "This can create a chain reaction ... we must be careful not to open Pandora's box", Ivanov said.
Ivanov spoke after a meeting with German Defense Minister Franz Josef Jung, who restated Western support for Ahtisaari's recommendations and said NATO and Russia should work together to persuade the Serbs and Kosovo's ethnic Albanian majority to "accept this proposal in the interest of a peaceful and stable development."
Jung also rejected Serb requests for a delay in talks on the plan. "I would wish that the Security Council can vote on this in March, and vote positively," he said.
Moscow has often warned that Kosovo's status will serve as precedent for other nations with similar cases, including several breakaway provinces in the ex-Soviet Union. The Kremlin has hinted that, were Kosovo to gain independence, two pro-Russian rebel regions in Georgia and a breakaway province in Moldova, which enjoy Moscow's tacit support, could follow suit.
Serbian officials also have warned that an independent Kosovo could also serve as a precedent for independence movements elsewhere, notably in Spain's Basque Country or Catalonia.

Labels: Kosovo, Serbia, World Issues

from http://belgrade.org.yu/blog

----------------------------------------------------

...we got Marti Ahtisaari in Belgrade today. Ahtisaari decided to come despite Koshtunica pretended he wasn’t there luckily, Boris Tadic was home so he opened the door and let the Finnish guy do his thing.

So, after his press conference in Media centre, everything is clear.

Apparently, the only things Kosovo will get are: justice department not controlled by outside forces**, their own police, an army free from external*** control and constraint, sovereign constitution, autonomous border control, Serbia’s property will become Kosovo property, they will choose their own coat of arms, national anthem, flag and will get the right to apply for membership in all international organizations without having to ask Serbia first.

Whew, and here i was, thinking they were going to get independence. Thanks to Sloba and Radicals some years ago and now Koshtunica, that will not happen. As Borat would say: Great success!

*oh, and please spread the news: we’re online again!

**as in: Serbia

***as in: Serbian

-----------------------------------------------------

from B92.net

-----------------------------------------------------

Tadić: Independence unacceptable

2 February 2007 | 14:51 -> 18:36 | Source: B92, FoNet, Beta

BELGRADE -- “I told Ahtisaari that Serbia and I, as its president, will never accept Kosovo’s independence”, president Tadić said.

President Boris Tadić

“Imposed independence for Kosovo would contravene with the basic principles of international law and would represent a very dangerous political and legal precedent”, the Serbian president said in his address.
Boris Tadić added that the Kosovo status proposal submitted by UN special envoy Martti Ahtisaari does not specifically mention the word independence, but that it also leaves out the terms sovereignty and integrity, when it comes to Serbia’s jurisdiction over the province.
The president said that the proposal also dealt with a number of issues beside Kosovo’s status, such as decentralization, protection of the Serb Orthodox Church and its heritage in Kosovo, and international civilian and military presence there.
Tadić said he will ask all the parliamentary parties’ leaders to attend a meeting where he will present Ahtisaari’s blueprint.
Drašković: Ahtisaari overstepped mandate
Serbia’s outgoing foreign policy chief Vuk Drašković reacted to Ahtisaari’s proposal presented in Belgrade today by saying that the UN special envoy has “overstepped the mandate given to him by the UN secretary-general”.
“He turned the Kosovo status negotiations into a change of Serbia’s status, an internationally recognized state”.
The foreign ministry press release states that Serbia will point to this it its communication with the Contact Group, the UN Security Council, the EU and NATO.
Analyst: No mention of Kosovo army - good news
Military analyst Zoran Dragišić believes lack of any mention of Kosovo’s army or armed forces in Ahtisaari’s proposal is a positive development, as those represent “elements of statehood”.
“’Lightly armed forces’ are mentioned, but that refers to a kind of gendarmerie rather than an army, set to operate within the police force. That would not be unacceptable since even municipalities have police, which is not an element of statehood”, Dragišić says.
He added that Annex VIII of the proposal needed to be studied carefully, as, in his words, “the devil is often in the details”.
Dragišić thinks the existence of a Kosovo intelligence agency would be unacceptable for Serbia, since such agencies work as part of a country’s foreign policy, something a province cannot exercise.

-----------------------------------------------

read more:

International Reactions

Ahtisaari: UN Security Council to decide status

Halimi: Kosovo will reflect on south of Serbia

What do you think about this?

Labels: Kosovo, Serbia, World Issues

driving a Hummer in Iraq...

http://fishki.net/comment.php?id=17064

No comment....

Labels: Video, World Issues

Patient fixes hospital machine

A Bosnian hospital patient spent seven hours repairing hospital machinery so his operation could go ahead.

Doctors had told car mechanic Slobodan Mocevic, 56, his operation to remove a kidney stone was cancelled because of faulty equipment.

Mocevic asked to borrow a set of tools and then stripped down and repaired the Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy machine at the hospital in Kasindol.

He said: "I was in agony, and there was no way I could have waited any longer."

The device removes kidney stones by sending a sonic wave through a patient's body to break up the stone.

from http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_2168776.html?menu=news.quirkies

Labels: World Issues

So, what happens when leaders of a wannabe country are ex-terrorists educated by professional PR agencies from the West to show off as good guys?

Weapons seized, officials arrested in Kosovo

21 December 2006 | 14:19 | Source: Beta

PRIŠTINA -- Kosovo police (KPS) and KFOR confiscated a large amount of weapons in Glogovac last night.
KPS spokesman said that a significant amount of arms and ammunition was found in a van in the village of Štutica, Glogovac municipality, and confirmed that three people were arrested.
However, he did not disclose the identities of those placed in police custody. The media for its part speculates that a Kosovo government official is among those arrested last night.

Well, what happens is that they are commited to get Kosovo regardless of what Serbia or any other country thinks about it... Adn they smile in front of cameras, they visit Serbian enclaves and monasteries in Kosovo with foreign officials etc.. but they are also arming their fighters - poor stupid dudes that are willing to die for a stupid cause... and they are arming them even if UN (which is running Kosovo at the moment) doesn`t allow them to do so...

And in the end, the very same leaders stay untouched and some dude is arrested and will probably dissapear completely soon... Leaders will of course "condemn any illegal action regardless of who perpetrates it in the strongest terms and remains convinced that such people have no place in Kosovo’s government" and continue to use other dudes for the job...

The worst thing is that these poor dudes think that they are fighting for their "homeland" or "Great Albania" or even simply against "Evil Serbs", while they are actually fighting for the country that is supposed to serve those "leaders" as their own private land and a place where they can centralize their "business" of dealing drugs, firearms, lead prostituion etc...

I`m really trying not to write so much about Kosovo but recent moves and actions simply force me to do it... I can clearly see what is going to happen in Kosovo after final status is defined... One way or another, blood will be all over the place again...

And I hate that. And I don`t want to see that. Ever again.

Read the full story here and also check comments of dumbfucks from both sides (plus "peacefull foreigners").

Labels: Kosovo, Serbia, World Issues

so, another "personality cult" died...

Let`s see how the country will deal with this... I actually always wanted to go there and see how it looks like leaving over there, since what one knows about the country is not too good (like he forbid ballet, censored all cultural events, used wealth gained from natural resources to build golden statues of himself everywhere etc.). Unfortunately, never had a chance to do that... as I probably won`t have a chance to visit Cuba while Castro is still alive...

ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan - Authoritarian President Saparmurat Niyazov, who has ruled energy-rich Turkmenistan for more than two decades, has died, Turkmen state television and officials said Thursday. He was 66.

Labels: World Issues

The story continues... (am refering to this story)

Exactly the same system as in Kosovo and Southern Central Serbia. Macedonia too, I guess...

Ethnic Albanians demand release of terrorist suspects

18 December 2006 | 11:53 | Source: AP

PODGORICA -- Protests were held to free U.S. citizens accused of terrorist plots in Montenegro.

Relatives of two jailed U.S. citizens accused of plotting an ethnic Albanian insurgency in their native Montenegro rallied Sunday outside the U.S. Embassy here demanding freedom for the suspects.
"Help American citizens imprisoned without evidence" read a banner held by some of the several dozen protesters who claimed that the charges against cousins Rok and Kolja Dedvukaj were politically motivated.

Labels: Kosovo, Serbia, World Issues

This is one of the moments when I hate the whole NATO world...
This is not even comparable with genocides or massacres - they happen in one moment. And this... this is killing for decades... constantly...

If my child is born deffected, give me one good reason not to become terrorist and do my best to make them hurt as it hurts me?
UPDATE: were they helping Albanians in Kosovo while bombing? They live there now... along with lots of KFOR soldiers and UN stuff... they all suffer...

Depleted Uranium Missiles Found In Serbia
December 12, 2006 6:09 a.m. EST

Komfie Manalo - All Headline News Correspondent

Belgrade, Serbia (AHN) - Representatives from the directorate for the protection of the environment in Serbia has said that a total of 161 depleted uranium missiles have been recovered in the southern part of the country in the past weeks.

The states Beta news agency said the missiles were found in Reljan near Preservo after the 1999 NATO bombing campaign.

It was said that during the 78-day air strikes in the former Yugoslavia in 1991, NATO war planes dropped 31,000 missiles and bombs believed to contain depleted uranium, a kind of radioactive toxic material that has been linked to Gulf War syndrome and spiraling levels of cancer and birth defects in Iraq.

NATO has admitted 112 sites in Kosovo where it used depleted uranium. But it has not given Belgrade a complete list for the rest of Serbia.

Belgrade ordered a clean up operation in Reljan on October 1 and some 6.5 out of 12 hectares of contaminated grounds have been searched and cleared. A total of 2.4 cubic meters of contaminated soil has also been collected and removed.

Serbia has spent an estimated $450,000 for the clean up operation in the Reljan site.

Labels: Serbia, World Issues

as suspected, "the Great Albania" project continues... however, I thought they will wait until they get Kosovo first and then continue...

anyhow, it will be interesting to see reactions from albanian side on this...

Montenegro accuses ethnic Albanians of plotting insurgency

8 December 2006 | 11:05 | Source: AP

PODGORICA -- Montenegrin authorities indicted 18 ethnic Albanians, including five living in the United States.

Full story here

Labels: Kosovo, Serbia, World Issues

Serbia accepted into Partnership for Peace

29 November 2006 | 09:43 -> 17:21 | Source: B92

RIGA -- A decision was made at the NATO summit in Riga for allowing Serbia to unconditionally join the Partnership for Peace.

So we`re in... Yeah, this is not NATO partnership yet, but it is a road to NATO.. the very same NATO that bombed us `99... the very bombing that made us affraid to make babies because we`re not sure how the baby will look like (uranium bombs all over serbia - even NATO soldiers suffering in Kosovo)... jeez, do we forget easily or what?

So we`re in... Unconditionally as they say... Unconditionally my ass, if you ask me... they`ll ask for something really soon... Karla Del Ponte (main prosecutor at Hague Tribunal) already expressed dissatisfaction (some sources say she was throwing things in her office :)), so I expect her to ask for something special soon...

I just hope they won`t ask for Kosovo... if no other reason, then because Kostunica won`t give it... and even if he does, people won`t...

So let`s see what happens next... I expect them to ask for something within end of next week...

Labels: Serbia, World Issues

I wonder what would happen in any other country after such public display of disrespect to the country where you live...

to clarify something - each and every minority in Serbia is allowed to celebrate their national days (and even encouraged in a way through local municipalities` budgets) and display their national flag along with Serbian one, but only if they register so called National Council of respective minority (this is to protect from funny guys asking for funds from municipalities to celebrate "National Penguins day" or whatever they claim they are - because that`s another thing you can do in Serbia - you can actually declare as whatever you want to be :D). While most of the minorities did this, Albanians didn`t, for the sole reason that they expect this part of Serbia (southern central Serbia) to be next to get independence, after Kosovo.

And this is what they did...

Preševo Albanians remove Serbian, display Albanian flag

28 November 2006 | 14:19 -> 17:07 | Source: B92, Beta

PREŠEVO, BUJANOVAC -- Albanians in Preševo removed the Serbian flag and instead displayed three Albanian flags.

Serbian flag was taken off the municipal building as part of the Albanian national holiday celebrations in the south of Serbia. Preševo municipal president Ragmi Mustafa told journalists that the display of Albanian flags instead of the Serbian should ”not be viewed as an incident”, adding that ”Albanians in Serbia have the right to their own symbols”.

...

The organizers played the Albanian national anthem, after which the gathering paid tribute to the dead members of the officially disbanded Preševo, Medveđa and Bujanovac Liberation Army (UCPMB).

Now you tell me if it`s OK that they use local government`s money to pay tribute to the dead members of a terrorist group???

Which country would allow this? Which country would ignore this?

Indeed, only Serbia!

Labels: Kosovo, Serbia, World Issues

NATO may induct Serbia into Partnership for Peace

28 November 2006 | 18:29 | Source: AP

RIGA -- NATO may invite Bosnia, Montenegro and Serbia to join the Partnership for Peace at the Riga summit.
"I expect Serbia, Bosnia and Montenegro to be given a green light for the Partnership for Peace at this summit," Slovene Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel said. "For Slovenia it is important for the PFP to be enlarged and for the Adriatic Three to be given a clear signal for membership in the near future," Slovenia's foreign minister Dimitrij Rupel said on Tuesday.

Full story here

hmmm, very interesting... and I honestly don`t know how to see this... on one side, it can mean that they are offering this to show good will and support Serbia`s way to EU... it can also mean that they are changing their ideas regarding Kosovo`s status and that we will actually keep it... but it can also mean that they are giving us cookies and taking Kosovo from our hands...

I guess we`ll know in next couple of weeks... whatever it is, I expect more moves by the west soon...

This is also a big wind in the back for Kostunica and his Government... right before the elections in January...

Labels: Serbia, World Issues

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

A Kemalist youth organization appealed to YÖK demanding that a professor who criticized Atatürk be banned from the academic profession
ANKARA - Turkish Daily News
Secretary General of the Turkey Association of Youth (TGB) Osman Yılmaz has filed an appeal to the Higher Education Board (YÖK) for the dismissal of Professor Atilla Yayla, an instructor who criticized Kemalism in recent comments, from public duty and the academic profession.

There you go... However, I`m still waiting to see if there are any other brave groups in this country...

Full story

Labels: World Issues

I know that to most of you this will sound weird, but for me this is much bigger news then Pope`s visit to Turkey and implications that will bring...

This is simply bigger then it looks like. Living in Turkey for some 9 months I have learned already that here you can do basicly whatever you want except for one thing - do not ever criticize Ataturk!!

For those who don`t know, Ataturk is a father of Turkish nation - a founder of modern Turkey. He was the one to rebel against the Sultan and create a country that we today know as Turkey. He reformed almost everything, from language to the political and education system... Sounds good? Yup, it truly is... Not the way he did it though... At least not in my point of view... Some will say that revolution is revolution and whatever happens during the revolution is serving the cause... And I`m not gonna argue... No matter what`s my opinion on the subject...

Now, I do make jokes about Ataturk all the time with fellow aiesecers, for I know they won`t get me serious... And I even tested water with a couple of colleagues in my office , teasing them about Ataturk`s place of birth and education (he was born in Thessaloniki, Greece - and we all know about constant conflict between these 2 countries) - and the reaction was not that pleasant at all... a bitter smile was a clear message not to mess with this...
And unbelievably, whole country is all about Ataturk... Statues everywhere, photos everywhere, his thoughts are quoted in any occasion, been that politics or TV ads... His Al Pacino-looking face is on all money bills and coins...
Ok, some would say, it`s not the only country that has "The Leader"... Sure, but those countries like Turkmenistan, Cuba, North Korea are "somewhat" different :)
and they have their "leaders" still alive and kickin`...

Turkey is too modern to have this kind of idols, especially when... ok, I said I won`t argue his greatness and I`ll stick to it...

So anyways, this news below is for me much bigger then Pope having balls to visit an islamic country after the whole buzz with his message... Pope will come and leave, but this might be a beginning of something... something that can help this country switch from Big to Great... Or will this be a switch from Big to endlesly miserable...

 

Students defend 'heretic' professor who criticized Atatürk

Monday, November 27, 2006

While prominent Turkish liberal Professor Atilla Yayla is under fire for criticizing Kemalism, young liberals stand up for his right to speak out
MUSTAFA AKYOL
ISTANBUL - Turkish Daily News

"The problems began when the "heretic" argued that the era of Mustafa Kemal was “a period of regression, not progress.” He also criticized the abundance of photos and statues of Mustafa Kemal all around Turkey and warned that Turkey couldn't continue like this in its EU-driven process of democratization and liberalization. “Europeans will ask us,” said Yayla, “why this man's photos and statues are everywhere.”

Labels: World Issues

ISTANBUL, Turkey - Some 20,000 Muslims held an anti-pope rally in Istanbul on Sunday in a peaceful protest against Pope Benedict’s visit to Turkey this week.

Benedict, due to begin his first official visit to a Muslim country next Tuesday, angered many Muslims in September with a speech they took as an insult to Islam. He later expressed regret but did not offer an apology.

Youths wearing headbands with Islamic scripts, beating drums and waving Turkish flags chanted “the pope made a mistake, our patience has run out.”

Can`t wait to see what happens when he comes... Stay tuned...

Rest of the story

Labels: World Issues

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica - U.S. Coast Guards have seized a submarine carrying 3.5 tons of cocaine in the Pacific Ocean off Costa Rica and arrested three Colombians on board, the Costa Rican Coast Guard said Sunday.

Link

Labels: World Issues

First they tell us it`s not possible to join before 2014, then they tell us 2010 is fine, then they tell us they will slow down the process after accession of Bulgaria and Romania, then they tell us we`ll get in at 2009 if we let Kosovo to become independent, then they stop negotiations with us and finally this...

Grrrr, this really sucks...

And honestly, I wish they just leave us alone... I`m sick of Unions and stuff... Let Serbia be independent at once... Even if that means less wealth for us...
Just to finaly feel how is it to enjoy the benefits of what you do (instead of having to take care of other republics and keep feeding them)... To feel proud to be Serbian again (since this pride was heavily lost in last 50-60 years or was misinterpreted)...

Anyhow, the second news is that our economical reforms are quite good and that we are growing quickly... Not that we feel it that much because inflation is still quite high, but yeah, one can see impact of recent investments in Serbia... Belgrade is booming (was voted as SEE City of Future), Novi Sad is emerging as a big business center, Nis is still struggling but soon after the elections the improvement will be seen, Kragujevac is finally on a good way (after signing a strategic partnership between Zastava and Fiat), Indjija has become the best municipaity in the whole region etc...

First extradition, then candidacy in 2008

15 November 2006 | 13:02 | Source: Beta

BELGRADE -- The EU expects the next Serbian Government to extradite Ratko Mladić in a very timely manner.
If this is taken care of, Serbia will become a candidate-country for European Union membership in 2008, according to daily Blic.
Blic’s source adds that the EU will conditionally continue the discussions for signing the Stabilization and Association Agreement by the summer of 2007, if the new Serbian Government accepts the obligation of arresting Mladić with a definitive deadline for doing so.
The EU no longer believes in the Action Plan and is looking for a new date to be set, according to the daily. The source also says that Schengen visas could also be included in the package if all technical details are taken care of.
If this was to happen, Serbian citizens would be able to travel freely through the European Union without the need for visas, once Serbia becomes a candidate-country in 2008.

Serbia shows fastest growth

15 November 2006 | 08:48 | Source: B92

LONDON -- The EBRD stated that Serbia has shown the greatest amount of economic growth this year in Southeast Europe.

In the latest Transitional Report for Economic Trends in Southeast European countries, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development stated that Serbia had a 6.3 percent economic growth rate this year.
However, the region in total suffered a drop in economic productivity, from 6.9 to 4.7 percent, mainly because of Romania’s slumping economy.
In addition to Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria had good showings this year, with rates near six percent. The two countries will be joining the European Union in January.
The EBRD stated that industrial growth, mainly in the metal sector, a growth in exports, and larger domestic consumer demand linked to the expansion of crediting activity by banks, are responsible for the economic progress in the region.
Of all the former Communist countries, those of Southeast Europe have shown the most progress since last year, mainly because of the promise and perspective of joining the European Union many have received.
Still, the region is still very much behind Central Europe economically, a region which has show tremendous growth in recent years.

Labels: Serbia, World Issues

Very interesting Tag Cloud made by Chirag Mehta - it`s made out of 360 documents (1776-2006). You can even use the slider to change timeframe... pretty cool because you can see how US politics changed over time...

Picture and links are found at Svakodnevnica blog which I reccomend to all Serbian speakers...

Labels: World Issues

cross-posted from nomadlife.org.

---------------------------------------

2 days before the US elections, although the two are obviously unconnected and only a crazed conspiracy theorist would suggest otherwise.....

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The Iraqi High Tribunal on Sunday sentenced a combative Saddam Hussein and two other defendants to death by hanging for a brutal crackdown in 1982 in the Shiite town of Dujail.....(link)

There is an automatic appeal process for the death sentence, and he still has other trials to face, so it will be a while before the sentence is carried out.....perhaps sometime in October 2008?

--------------------------------------

My comment:

heh, in my country they start big projects before the elections... or raise salaries, start building new roads etc...
and we hate them for that... jeez, just realized how underdeveloped nation we are...

Labels: World Issues

World Bank urges boost for young

Developing countries must invest in young people, promoting education and health and developing essential skills, a major World Bank report says.
The World Development Report says there are now a record 1.3 billion people aged 12-24 living around the world.

Those numbers could create problems in many nations if societies do not adapt, World Bank officials warn.

Although the number of young in primary education is rising, the report says some 130 million cannot read or write.

Young people are thought to make up about half the world's unemployed, the report says.

It also estimates that about 100 million new jobs need to be created in the Middle East and across North Africa before 2020 to cope with the numbers of young people seeking work.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/5351524.stm

Labels: CSR, World Issues

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 13 ? The ambitious founders of Google, the popular search engine company, have set up a philanthropy, giving it seed money of about $1 billion and a mandate to tackle poverty, disease and global warming.

But unlike most charities, this one will be for-profit, allowing it to fund start-up companies, form partnerships with venture capitalists and even lobby Congress. It will also pay taxes.

Full text here

Labels: CSR, World Issues

this hurts...

...not only the act itself, but the crowd cheering... :(

this happened 2 years ago during March 17th pogrom in Kosovo...
Countless number of churches has been and is still being destroyed... there were 2400 before the war... now... well... noone really knows...

Labels: Serbia, Video, World Issues

...bombing of Serbia started... The "big and strong" NATO cowardly attacked my country from the air, attacking many non-military targets, killing 2500 people, dropping uranium bombs (which makes us affraid to have a baby these days - you never know if it will be born with an extra head or leg), trying out their new weapons...
I`m still pissed off... even if 7 years have passed... the only thing that calms me down is the fact that history told us that no dominant force is there forever... they will be fucked up soon... one way or another...
What history also tells us is that Serbia will always be around, sometimes strong, sometimes weak... but always an important factor in Balkans... liked it or not, that`s how it is... ;)

check out some pics made by a friend of mine, who is a news photographer - http://www.focus.co.yu/bombardovanjeeng1.htm

Labels: Kosovo, Serbia, World Issues

...yesterday in Vienna...
I`ll write more about the proposed solutions later, but until then, check out this BBC Belgrade video on "Why are Serbs reluctant to give up Kosovo". It doesn`t cover all the reasons, nor it is expected from BBC though, but it is still a nice presentation of what Serbs think about it...

Click here and then click on video file on the right side.

Labels: Kosovo, Serbia, World Issues

For everyone interested in negotiations over Kosovo, this may be a relevant link:

http://www.srbija.sr.gov.yu/kosovo-metohija/

If you find other links also relevant for the topic, please leave a comment with the link...

Labels: Kosovo, Serbia, World Issues

... passed as if it were 7 days... I still remember all the details, all the faces, all the pain...

For those that don`t know me that good, I`m talking about a massacre in "Panda", a local pub in my hometown, Pec. It happened back in 1998, during the "war" in Kosovo, when 2 masked terorists jumped into a bar and killed 6 people with automatic guns... 6 of my really close friends... I should`ve been in that pub that day, for I`ve been there every bloody day and night for more then 3 years... I missed going there only once... when I heard of the massacre, beside the pain I felt like I dissapointed them... I should`ve been there... as I always was when we partied, watched football, played cards... damn, that is one fucked-up feeling, trust me...

I thought if I should upload this pic or not, and decided to do it... I think everyone should see it and think just for a second about the life... about how easy it is to take it from someone...



BTW, in most of the western media, this was an incident, not massacre...

Rest in peace, my dear friends...

Labels: Kosovo, Serbia, World Issues

A year after the tragic March events last year in which Kosovo Serbs and Roma experienced their "Kristallnacht" despite the presence of thousands of NATO led peacekeepers and the UN Mission hardly anything seems to have changed to the better in Kosovo. Although the international community strongly condemned the ethnic Albanian riots and the Kosovo Government reconstructed under the international pressure one part of destroyed homes, only a handful of 4000 expelled Serbs and Roma have returned to their homes. They don't feel safe in a society in which ethnic discrimination has become a regular pattern of life and in which no one can grant them security and freedom. Medieval Serbian churches are still in ruins, Christian cemeteries still covered by garbage and desecrated, there is no freedom of movement and normal life - the remaining Serbs remember the tragic anniversary in constant fear of renewed Albanian violence while explosions in Kosovo cities warn that the restive province is still a powder keg.

more on http://www.kosovo.com/news/archive/2005/March_17/1.html

Labels: Kosovo, Serbia, World Issues