"The West has failed in the approach it's taken"

By WILLIAM J. KOLE Friday, May 09, 2008 For 13 years, he has eluded capture for atrocities a U.N. judge described as "scenes from hell ... written on the darkest pages of human history." Gen. via WQXI-AM Atlanta

Serbia's caretaker prime minister, Vojislav Kostunica , may be kingmaker after a May 11 general election in which pro-western forces are battling politicians who favor closer ties to Russia. via Bloomberg

EU special envoy to Kosovo Pieter Feith said on Wednesday that EULEX, the EU's special police and judicial mission in Kosovo, will assume all related responsibilities in the former Serbian province on June ... via Balkan Times

Edison High School Band Boosters is sponsoring "An Evening of Jazz" from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday at the high school auditorium. via Weirton Daily Times

"The humanitarian aid was provided at the request of the Serbian government and it is a sign of friendly relations between Russia and Serbia."

St Petersburg News.Net Wednesday 7th May, 2008 Pristina, May 7 The Red Cross has started distributing Russian humanitarian aid to the ethnic Serbian communities in Kosovo which declared independence from ... via St Petersburg News

"I want to emphasise once again that Serbia has the right and obligation to preserve its integrity and identity in a peaceful way and at the same time ensure its European future"

Leaders of central European countries discussed energy perspectives and challenges to the region during a summit in Ohrid Saturday, Macedonian media reported. via Earth Times

"The process of Euro-Atlantic integration should not be considered complete without the full inclusion of all Western Balkan states and Ukraine into the NATO Alliance and the EU"

At a two-day summit in Ohrid, representatives of 18 Central European countries discussed energy, infrastructure and EU enlargement. via SETimes news

"We think that the unilateral declaration of independence by Kosovo was a heavy blow to international law"

BELGRADE, Serbia -- Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a message to Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica on Sunday reassuring him of Moscow's unchanged position on the Kosovo issue. via Balkan Times

"We have decided to make full usage of the flexibility referred to by the European Commission to provide free visas to all individual applicants for whom that is a possibility,' said a joint statement by the 17 ... via RTE.ie

Serbia's Dragan Sutanovac urged Kosovo voters to choose pro-Western candidates. Also this week: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Montenegro sign a cross-border co-operation agreement. via SETimes news

BEOGRAD, 9. maja 2008. (Beta) - Vlada Srbije saopštila je da je na današnjoj sednici usvojila Nacrt zakona o potvrđivanju Sporazuma o stabilizaciji i pridruživanju Srbije Evropskoj uniji.

Kako je saopšteno, prilikom glasanja o tom Nacrtu, sednicu je vodio potpredsednik Božidar Đelić na osnovu ovlašćenja predsednika vlade. Premijer Vojislav Koštunica i ministri iz Demokratske stranke Srbije i Nove Srbije bili su protiv stavljanja na dnevni red sporazuma i napustili su sednicu kada se o sporazumu glasalo, dodaje se u saopštenju.

U nastavku sednice kojom je predsedavao premijer Koštunica, vlada je jednoglasno utvrdila Predlog zakona o potvrđivanju Sporazuma između Vlade Srbije i Vlade Ruske Federacije o saradnji u oblasti naftne i gasne privrede.

BEOGRAD, 9. maja 2008. (Beta) - Vlada Srbije usvojila je u četvrtak jednoglasno predlog zakona za ratifikaciju energetskog sporazuma sa Rusijom.

Za taj predlog glasali su svi prisutni ministri, a sednicom je predsedavao premijer Vojislav Koštunica koji je, zajedno sa ministrima iz Demokratske stranke Srbije prethodno izašao iz sale, za vreme izjašnjavanja o predlogu za ratifikaciju Sporazuma o stabilizaciji i pridruživanju sa Evropskom unijom, saznaje Beta.

Kostunica i ministri iz DSS-a su nakon usvajanja predloga da potvrđivanje ŠP-a bude prva tačka dnevnog reda izašli iz sale, pa je sednicu vodio potpredsednik Božidar Đelić, ali su se vratili kada je počelo razmatranje energetskog sporazuma.

BEOGRAD, 9. maja 2008. (Beta) - Predstavnici Liberalno demokratske partije (LDP) predali su danas na pisarnici Vlade Srbije zahtev Vladi da povuče sa današnje sednice predlog za ratifikaciju energetskog sporazuma sa Rusijom i nakon toga okončali protest.

Pristalice LDP, predvođene predsednikom te partije Čedomirom Jovanovićem, nešto iza podneva protestovale su ispred Vlade Srbije zbog najave da će na današnjoj sednici novom parlamentu biti predložena ratifikacija tog gasnog aranžmana.

Predsednik Odbora za evropske integracije LDP Vlado Pavićević, koji je okupljenima pročitao zahtev upućen Vladi Srbije, objasnio je da je skup organizovan u znak protesta zbog pokušaja "da se Srbija udalji od evropske ideje".

Skup pristalica LDP, koji su do sedišta Vlade stigli u protestnoj koloni krećući se centralnim beogradskim ulicama, protekao je bez incidenata.

BEOGRAD, 9. maja 2008. (Beta) - Predsednik Srbije Boris Tadić položio je danas venac na spomenik Neznanom junaku na Avali povodom 9. maja, Dana pobede nad fašizmom, saopšteno je iz Predsedništva.

"Pobeda nad fašizmom je najveće dostignuće ljudske civilizacije, jer je to pobeda i nad zlom u sebi! Slava antifašističkom pokretu Srbije! Nastavimo tim putem", upisao je predsednik Tadić u spomen knjigu.

Danas se u svetu i u Srbiji nizom manifestacija obeležava pobeda nad fašizmom u Drugom svetskom ratu.

BEOGRAD, 9. maja 2008. (Beta) - Povodom Dana Evrope, Slovenija, kao predsedavajuća Evropke unije, izrazila je iskreno zadovoljstvo što je Srbija potpisala Sporazum o stabilizaciji i pridruživanju, navodeći da to predstavlja prvi konkretan korak koji je Srbija ostvarila na svom evropskom putu.

U saopštenju ambasade Slovenije u Beogradu dostavljenom Beti, navodi se da to otvara mogućnost za sledeći korak, a to je sticanje statusa države kandidata za članstvo EU.

"Čvrsto smo uvereni da su to prave odluke za budućnost ovog društva, koje ulivaju optimizam pre svega mladim generacijama, koje uvažavaju evropske vrednosti i koje vode ka otvorenom društvu i pozitivnim promenama", navodi se u saopštenju.

Slovenija podseća da tokom svog predsedavanja posvećuje posebnu pažnju procesu proširenja EU, naročito pridruživanju Srbije i ostalih država zapadnog Balkana.

A martial-arts movie by David Mamet. It sounds like a jarring combination at first, as if the two just don't to go together - until you learn that Mamet himself is a purple belt in Jiujitsu. via Reading Eagle/Reading Times

"And rewarding. I'm happy to see it."

A year after the fire that scorched Griffith Park, wildflowers and new undergrowth prosper in the shadows of burned bushes on a hillside overlooked by the distant Griffith Observatory. via Daily Breeze

"There's an emerging backlash against nightclub- inspired interiors and a move toward a more authentic and comfortable residential feeling"

DIY DESIGN; It's checkout time; Hotels have long been fantasy fodder for do-it-yourself designers. via Hotels

"I'll Hold You in My Heart (Till I Can Hold You in My Arms)"

Country singer Eddy Arnold dead at 89 NASHVILLE, May 8 -- Singer Eddy Arnold died Thursday at a care facility near Nashville, said the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum. via Daily India

Los Angeles police said Thursday that a 28-year-old man suspected of sexually assaulting at least two children was in custody. via KNBC Los Angeles Channel 4

"We agreed to extend our negotiations, and they are ongoing"

Silicon Valley janitors have planned a march and rally today in downtown San Jose to demand higher wages and show support for striking janitors in Los Angeles. via ABC7News

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is expected to summon union leaders and building owners for a closed-door meeting today in a bid to prevent the newly declared janitors' strike from spreading. via Press-Telegram

Approximately one year after a fire tore through 820 acres of Griffith Park, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and City Councilman Tom LaBonge will hold a ceremony in the urban park to honor the firefighters who helped put down the blaze.

The fire began east of the Hollywood sign and quickly moved through Griffith Park, which prompted evacuations from the Los Angeles Zoo, Griffith Observatory, the Autry National Center, and municipal golf course.

Firefighters spent about three days extinguishing the blaze, which the Los Angeles Fire Department estimates burned 820 acres of the 4,200-acre park. Read more

"What I'm saying is we need to prioritize our resources"

Editor's Note: Los Angeles business leaders are warning that the impact of immigration raids could devastate the local economy. via News.ncmonline.com

A punch to the face that took the life of a homeless man last month in Reseda is being investigated as a homicide, authorities said. via Los Angeles Times