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Tillbaka till hemsidan
July 05
- BELGRADE: The town of Klina is the only urban area to which Serbs have returned. Less than a dozen of them returned last summer. Their neighbours welcomed them by throwing a bomb on one of their houses. But what matters is that the return process to the urban areas in Kosovo has started.
"Glas javnosti", 20. 7. 2005.
- BELGRADE: The decision by the City Parliament in Belgrade to place containers for temporary accommodation for Romas in the "Dr Ivan Ribar" settlement has not just caused daily protests by the residents of the settlement but it has also cause a disorder in the real-estates market in this part of the city. The reports from the ground are contradictory - some real-estate agencies say it is too early to talk about the negative effects of the Parliament's decision and other agencies are getting information from the ground that people give up the purchase of the apartments in the "Dr Ivan Ribar" precisely due to the mass settling of the Roma.There is a "word" going around that the prices for the apartments in the "Dr Ivan Ribar" have dropped from 1.100 to 600 euros per square meter but none of the real-estate agencies have confirmed this. However, real-estate agents say that the new situation will definitely influence the prices in this part of the city.They say in the "Elita Internacional" real-estate agency in Belgrade that lots of people are asking about the prices for the apartments in the "Dr Ivan Ribar" and checking whether they have started to set up the containers for the Roma. They are comparing this with the similar situation in the part of Belgrade called Zeleznik where the prices also dropped after the Roma had settled there and people were massively giving up the purchase of the properties that could be bought at half the regular price.
"Glas javnosti", 20. 7. 2005.
- ZAGREB: Two Serb returnees, brothers Cedo and Mirko Medic, were attacked in Ostrovica near Benkovac two nights ago. They have severe injuries.The attackers were probably two persons from the neighbouring Lisani Ostrovicki. First they attacked the Zanetic family of Croatian ethnicity and then they attacked the Medics.Ostrovica has 80 inhabitants, of whom 90% are Serbs. Two Croat families, the Zanetics and the Mijailovics, live in peace with their fellow villagers of Serb ethnicity.
"Glas javnosti", 20. 7. 2005.
- BOR: Petar Jovanovic, pensioner of Bor, wrote to the local commission for refugees in Bela Palanka offering to the state of Serbia to buy his house and 50 ares of land in Vitanovac near Svrljig for 1.000 euros and accommodate a family of Serb refugees or displaced Serbs. If the state can't even afford that much money, he would give away the whole property to a refugee family who would like to settle there."I own 8 hectares of land and I would let the family use the land for free. But it's no use. I haven't received any reply from the refugee commission in Bela Palanka, where there are a large number of refugees. It seems to be too hard for them to take a pencil and a paper. The house is 12 by 6 meters, two stories, with a large cellar and water system. The only thing it doesn't have is a fixed phone line", says Jovanovic, adding that his daughter and granddaughter live and work in Bor and they are not interested in living in a village or in farming.
"Glas javnosti", 20. 7. 2005.
- PRISTINA: Yesterday the leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo, Hasim Taci, accused Bajram Kosumi's Government of corruption and stressed that with such insitutions Kosovo is threatened by the postponement of the talks on the final status. He said at yesterday's session of the Kosovo Parliament that they were "the most corrupted government and the most corrupted ministers in the world". "The status of Kosovo can't be sold without complete freedom of movement, freedom of return, without respecting minority rights and without outrooting the organized crime", stressed Taci.
"Glas javnosti", 21. 7. 2005.
- BELGRADE: How displaced Serbs are living in Kosovo today, what kind of problems they are facing and how much understanding the authorities in Belgrade have for their basic problems, as well as many other issues, were the subject of a round table organized yesterday by the Forum for Ethnic Relations."Displaced Serbs of Pristina, who have found refuge in Gracanica, are living on the verge of existence, with no basic living conditions. they are living in apartments for which they have to pay high rents, in containers or in abandoned Roma houses with no electricity, water or bathrooms. An additional problem is the return of the Roma who left for Gemany due to bad living conditions and obtained asylum there. The German authorities had decided to get them back to Serbia so the deportations started in May. Now we have a new problem - the Roma are returning to their homes and displaced Serbs have no place to go", says Dusan Janjic, coordinator of the Forum for Ethnic Relations.He added that we are facing three serious problems in Kosovo - the bad situation for Serbs, the lack of a plan for the integration of Serbs and the lack of plans for the prevention of extremism.The displaced Serbs who attended the round table said they didn't want to live in enclaves but they want to move freely like their Albanian neighbours.A big problem for Serbs in Kosovo is that there is no jobs. It is one of the reasons why Serbs have started lately to massively leave Kosovo, said the participants of the round table.
"Glas javnosti", 21. 7. 2005.
- SMEDEREVO: Ivan Tomic (21) and Mihajlo Stojadinovic (20) of Smederevo, have been arrested on suspicion of painting graffiti on July 10th on the buildings in the center of Smederevo inciting ethnic, racial and religious hatred.The two of them wrote "The freedom of speech is an Arian concept", "Inflation is Jewish", "Stop the Jewish control over our government and private sectors" and drew swastikas.The investigative judge has appointed 30 days imprisonment for them.
"Glas javnosti", 21. 7. 2005.
- SKOPJE: On the occasion of the latest terrorist attacks on the police stations in Vratnica and the settlement of Bit Pazar in Skopje, leader of the Democratic Party of Serbs in Macedonia, Ivan Stoiljkovic, has invited the Macedonian press, who are speculating and blaming the members of the Serb community, to announce the names and evidence that they have or if they don't, to publically apologize to the members of the Serb community in Macedonia.
"Glas javnosti", 21. 7. 2005.
- ZAGREB: According to the "Veritas", around 130 civilians were killed in Sisak during the war and in Osijek - at least 180.The Croatian President, Stjepan Mesic, said yesterday that the investigation should determine what happened in Osijek in 1991 and those responsible should answer for it.Asked whether in 1991 he had any knowledge of what was happening in Osijek, Mesic said that "there were reports of inadmissible things going on in Osijek". "In my conflict with a certain policy, there was nothing I could do. There were attempts to replace Glavas (former war commandant of Osijek) so he came to the Army but he still stayed in Osijek", said Mesic adding that killing civilans and prisoners isn't Croatia's interest.
"Glas javnosti", 23. 7. 2005.
- BANJALUKA: Head of the office of the Serb Democratic Forum, Drenko Gacesa, has stated that there is a sharp drop in the numbers of Serb returnees in Croatia because they are afraid for their safety, because of intimidations and harassments and said that Croatia's official reports of 117.000 Serb returnees are doubtful. According to Gacesa's records, only 70.000 Serb refugees have returned to Croatia.
"Glas javnosti", 23. 7. 2005.
- ZAGREB: An opinon poll conducted by the "Puls" agency show that Croatia's citizens would like to see Bosnia&Herzegovina in the European Union the most and Serbia&Montenegro the least - 68% of the questioned people support Bosnia&Herzegovina's membership of the EU and only 15% are against; 48% support Serbia&Montenegro's EU membership and 33% are against; 65% support Macedonia's EU membership, 59% support Albania's membership and 57% support Turkey's EU membership.
"Glas javnosti", 23. 7. 2005.
- NOVI SAD: Stickers reading "Chetnik are a disgrace for the Serbian people. Executions are OK! Death to fascism" signed by the organization "Antifascist Action of Novi Sad".It says in the organization's proclamation to the public that the Antifascist Action along with Belgrade based "Antifascist Front" organization protests against the attempts by the official authorities in Belgrade to "rehabilitate the criminals, quislings and collaborators from Second World War".
"Danas", 23.-24. 7. 2005.
- PODGORICA: On Thursday, the NGO named "Serb Corps" of Podgorica sent a letter full of threats to two Albanian leaders in Montenegro, Mehmet Bardi and Ferhat Dinosa and the authors of the letter call some Montenegran state leaders and some intellectuals advocating Montenegro's independence mobsters who will "steal the referendum by force, deceit and blackmail, like they stole every other election so far".Vice-president of the Democratic Party of Socialists, Dragan Kujovic, has said for Radio Free Europe that the state authorities will react about the threats.
"Danas", 23.-24. 7. 2005.
- PRISTINA: The UN court sentenced Kosovo Albanian named Memet Morina (aged 29) to 18 years in prison for attempted murder during the anti-Serb protests last March, his lawyer Akif Tuhina announced. He beat up Zlatibor Trajkovic in the street, said Tuhina. He announced an appeal to the Supreme Court.So far more than 70 indictments are brought against the participants of last year's March violence and 7 perpetrators are already convicted.
"Vecernje novosti", 23. 7. 2005.
- BELGRADE: UNMIK police and KFOR patrols are securing the Serb village of Zupce near Zubin Potok as of yesterday because the village was attacked from the direction of the neighbouring Albanian village of Kosutovo two days ago.
"Glas javnosti", 26. 7. 2005.
- PRISTINA: A new, eighth daily newspaper in Albanian named "Tema", started coming out yesterday. Besnik Hoti, editor-in-chief of the new daily, has stated for TV Kosova, that the "Tema" will be an entirely different daily paper from the others that come out in Kosovo. "The daily will be entirely neutral and independent, with a clear vision to show the truth and the reality in Kosovo", said Hoti and added that no political party or association or the government are behind the "Tema".
"Glas javnosti", 26. 7. 2005.
- SKOPLJE: Gafur Adili, political leader of the Albanian National Army (ANA), has stated for the Skoplje "Lajm" daily that the ANA fighters and members of the Fund for the National Unification of Albanians are gathered in the village of Kondovo. "Our members are not only in Kondovo but also everywhere where there are Albanians", said Adili, adding that Macedonia and all the other similar artificial states are a "time bomb" in the Balcans. Adili is hoping that in November of 2012 when Albania is marking 100 years of its existence, "all the Albanian regions will be unified into one single Albanian state"."Albania is the only state in the world that borders on with Albanian territories and Albanians. Not only will Kosovo become independent soon but Serbia will also renounce Presevo, Medvedja, Bujanovac and the regions of Toplica and Sandzak", added Adili.
"Glas javnosti", 26. 7. 2005.
- BELGRADE: Bajram Haliti, member of the Roma World Parliament, who is in charge of the issues of the Roma of Kosovo in exodus, said yesterday that more and more countries are forced to sign readmission agreements with the EU.He reminded that Serbia&Montenegro had recently signed a similar agreement so a couple of dozens of thousands of Roma, mostly from Serbia&Montenegro, will most probably be deported back in a few weeks because of their failed struggle to get a resident permit. The Council of Europe estimated in 2003 that 50.000-100.000 Serbia&Montenegro's citizens of Roma ethnicity will be returned to Serbia&Montenegro and it is believed that the number is even larger. In a written statement for the TANJUG news agency, Haliti points out that the agreements with many western countries state that "politically persecuted persons enjoy asylum pending the administrative and then, as a rule, the court process".
"Glas javnosti", 25. 7. 2005.
- ZAGREB: A family from Serbia&Montenegro has been attacked in Zagreb - their car was destroyed and the 80-year-old driver was beaten up, announced the Zagreb Police Department yesterday.The motive for the attack is still unknown but it is believed that the
attackers were "bothered" by the Belgrade licence plates on the car which was parked on a parking lot in the suburb of Zagreb called Sesvete.The 80-year-old driver, his 74-year-old wife and their 47-year-old daughter were in the car.The driver has a hematoma and a scratch on his neck. He was provided with medical aid at the police station in Sesvete.The police haven't revealed the family's identity.
"Glas javnosti", 25. 7. 2005.
- PANCEVO: About a hundred Roma from the settlement of Mali Rit in Pancevo protested yesterday outside the Town Hall in Pancevo demanding better living conditions and for the settlement to be moved to some other location.The settlement was set up 80 years ago on a marshland near the place where the Tamis flows into the Danube.140 Roma families live in the settlement with no electricity and only 2 faucets for the entire settlement.The protesters were shouting "We want apartments" and demanded for electricity to be installed in the settlement and for a road to be built to connect Mali Rit with the rest of Pancevo.Srdjan Nikovic, president of the municipality, who received the Roma's representatives, said that it would be too expensive and impossible to arrange the location of the settlement and build new houses there because the terrain is inadequate for the construction of any buildings.He announced that the municipality of Pancevo would apply with the Serbian Government and the international foundations for the construction of apartments in order to solve the housing problems of some of the Roma families.
"Danas", 26. 7. 2005.
- NOVI PAZAR: The "Lola" Association in Novi Pazar has sent out a public appeal to their fellow Roma to include their children into the education process.Due to constant migrations, it is difficult to establish the number of Roma in the area but according to the records of the local elementary schools, few Roma children are included in the education and it is irregular.The first organized gathering of the Roma children was started by the local Red Cross a year and a half ago. The preschool program is intended for the children aged 6-10 whose families came from Kosovo to Novi Pazar municipality in 1999. These families "built" their homes on the former municipal garbage dump in Batnjik. Twenty-six children of Batnjik spend 4 and a half hours at the Red Cross, three times a week."Our preschool is implementing the curriculum issued by the Ministry of Education, just like any other preschool. A few months ago, we had a revision by the Ministry of Education and they gave our work a very high grade. We were told that there was a possibility for us to enter their financing program", says Ljiljana Kostic, secretary of the Red Cross in Novi Pazar.She stresses that the parents are also very pleased with the preschool and thanks to the Red Cross's preschool program, some children left the camp for the first time since 1999.The children go to the preschool and back in an organized manner - the Red Cross drives them in one of its vehicles.The children's socialization is visible. They have the opportunity to apply what they learn at the preschool in the competitions with the children from the Daycare in Tutin and their fellow Roma included in a similar program in the Red Cross of Tutin.The opening of a preschool in the village of Blazevo has been announced with a lot of pomp. It will be located in the local elementary school building in Blazevo and it is to start working in the autumn.According to unofficial statistics, Blazevo has 250 children who are not included in any form of education.
"Danas", 26. 7. 2005.
- SOMBOR: According to the latest census, around 420 Roma live in Sombor municipality.Nebojsa Vladisavljevic and Milan Nikolic of the Forum of the NGO Roma
in Sombor say that they estimate the actual number of the Roma at
around 3.000.The Roma have been hiding their ethnicity ever since Second World War when a large number of Roma were killed and later it was easier to get a job if you hide your Roma ethnicity.Vladisavljevic and Nikolic say that there are 7 Roma NGOs in Sombor with around 1.000 members.How do the Roma support themselves? There are still very few of those who are registered employees or who have earned a pension.It is estimated that at least half the Roma population needs a regular job.The Roma mostly support themselves by playing, singing and various forms of the "grey economy". They sell all sorts of things - feathers, scrap iron, fruits, horses, fish, sedge, they make and sell tubs and other wooden objects but there are also those who are true masters in
old furniture restoration.Very few Roma own farmland but lots of them make money by working on the local farms during the agricultural seasons."There are, of course, no reliable data on the sources of income or the economic situation of our fellow Roma. The living is very hard for some of them, especially those whose housing problems aren't solved, but there are also those who have bought or built magnificent houses, apartments and farms. Those living abroad are the strongest economically but there are people here who have prospered thanks to their skills. It is also an important fact that around 150 members of
the local Roma community have finished secondary school in the last couple of years and16 are going to college. In other words, we are not feeling like second-rate citzens, there is no discrimination, only individual excesses. For example, a child won't sit next to a Roma child at school. But neither does another Roma child because the child in question has lice. There is no discrimination in education, health care/.../ The problem is, of course, unemployment, but many other residents of Sombor municipality have the same problem. We live in various parts of the town, there is only one Roma settlement in the municipality and it is in Backi Monostor but there is no mention of ghettoization, the settlement is a tourist attraction. It is also important that mixed marriages are not few", says Vladisavljevic.
"Danas", 25. 7. 2005.
- BELGRADE: Court fees in Serbia are increased by 30% as of yesterday, due to the inflation in the last 4 years.
"Glas javnosti", 27. 7. 2005.
- SARAJEVO: The Association of Missing Persons' Families East Sarajevo has sent another request to the highest authority of the Federation of Bosnia&Herzegovina and the Canton of Sarajevo to protect the sites of the mass and individual graves of the Serb civilians and soldiers who were killed during the war in Bosnia&Herzegovina."The Federation's authorities are trying to remove all the traces of the crimes committed against Serbs in 10 Sarajevo municipalities so now they are levelling and concreting the graves and the city's funeral parlor is selling the burial locations", said the president of the Association, Milan Mandic, for the news media in Republika Srpska.He quoted an example that he had seen with his own eyes - an attempt to remove the traces of a crime in the "Lav" cemetery in Sarajevo. There were 39 Serb victims buried in one location and 27 in another.
"Glas javnosti", 27. 7. 2005.
- BAR: Four persons have been arrested in Bar for stoning 3 buses with tourists from Kosovo who were on their way to Ulcinj. The incident took place on Monday and it was reported immediately.
"Glas javnosti", 27. 7. 2005.
- KOSOVSKA MITROVICA: Deutsche Welle reports that according to UNMIK's
economists, Serbs in the enclaves living on 1 euro a day have the lowest standard in Kosovo.UNMIK's economists are warning that the national income in Kosovo is 600-800 euros per resident, the same as the African state of Togo.The very bad living conditions have forced the Serbs to "turn" to the Kosovo budget receiving Kosovo's pensions, welfare and salaries. Publically or tacitly, Serbs are working in Kosovo institutions and, apparently, mostly because of the salaries, Deutsche Welle reports.According to the Pension Fund of Kosovo, 24.713 Serbs receive pensions from Pristina which is 40 euros a month; 4.632 Serb families are registered with the Center for Social Issues and they receive monthly
welfare of 30-60 euros.Deutsche Welle has found out in the Ministry of Local Self-government that 2.500 Serbs receive regular salaries from Kosovo's budget - around a dozen Serb representatives in the Kosovo Parliament, over 180 Serbs working in the Ministry of Return; there are also Serbs working in the remaining 12 ministries; 54 Serbs working in the Kosovo Protection Corps, 700 in the Kosovo Police Service and more than 100 in the judiciary and other institutions.
"Glas javnosti", 28. 7. 2005.
- BUGOJNO (Federation of Bosnia&Herzegovina): The Town Library in Bugojno has thrown out the books by Croatian and Serbian authors which are now sold in the street for 1 or 2 KM, reports the Zagreb "Vecernji list" daily.The "Vecernji list" reports that there is panic and fear in Bugojno over this new discrimination against Serbs and Croats.The same source claims that some of the books were rare and they were kept as exhibits."The article in the 'Vecernji list' is incorrect, tendentious and aimed to create a gap between Bosniaks and Croats", said the organizer of the cultural activities in the Cultural and Sports Center in Bugojno which is the owner of the Library.
"Glas javnosti", 28 .7. 2005.
- BELGRADE: The Union of Highschool Students of Serbia conducted an opinion poll at the end of this school year and it shows that nearly half the boys have commited a criminal offence and 1/4 have been arrested.More than 2/3 of the highschool students drink alcohol and 1/4 have tried drugs.More than 75% read books rarely or never.2/3 get 50-150 dinars in pocket money every day.Almost all the participants of the poll have a computer at home.The poll was part of a project for highschool students financed by the European Union in cooperation with the European Movement in Serbia.650 students from the secondary schools in Belgrade participated in the poll."The results would probably be different if students from all over Serbia took part in the poll", says Suzana Krstic, psychologist.
"Glas javnosti", 29. 7. 2005.
- NIS: Yesterday the Municipal Court in Nis sentenced one person to 5 months imprisonment, 7 persons to 3 months and acquitted two persons for torching Islamaga's Mosque on March 17th, 2005.Petar Misic, who is sentenced to 5 months, says that his sentence is the highest "because of the books". "They said that I had entered the mosque and torched the books but I actually moved them away so they wouldn't get burnt down. Nobody's books should be burnt, I am a christian", says Misic.Bogdan Ivanisevic, Human Rights Watch investigator, says for the "Danas" daily, "In the explanation of the verdict, there was no mention of the offence in question being ethnically or religiously motivated. It turns out that the mosque was just an ordinary building and not a building of a symbolicvalue/.../ The court regarded the motives as mitigatory circumstances/.../ It says explicitly that there was 'partly justified citizens' anger'. And 'despite the justified anger, the act was wrong because it couldn't help the people in Kosovo'. Like the most important thing was whether the act was a favour to the Serbs and the Serb cause. And not whether any damage was done to the victims", says Ivanisevic.He is reminding that only one person has been convicted in the case of the torching of the mosque and the Islamic school in Belgrade and the numerous incidents that took place on the occasion.He says that the Human Rights Watch is preparing a report on ethnically motivated violence which is to be presented in the autumn.
"Danas", 27. 7. 2005.
- BELGRADE: Marko Nicovic, former head of the Narcotics in the Belgrade Police Department, has said for the "Danas" that more than 700.000 victims of sex-trafficking have passed through the territory of Serbia&Montenegro in the last 5 years.
"Danas", 28. 7. 2005.
- BELGRADE: Rasid Kurtic, vice-president of the Roma National Council of Serbia&Montenegro, and another 15 members of the Council, have started an initiative to replace the president Vitomir Mihajlovic because of the abuse of funds and arbitrariness.As Kurtic said at yesterday's press conference, 9 million dinars have been spent so far withoutthe Council adopting a financial report or the final account and the public must know how the money was spent.They appealed to Serbia's Government to suspend the financing of the Council pending the adoption of the financial plan for this year."The Supervision Board's report says that, for example, 210.000 dinars were spent on travels abroad and we know for a fact that all the expenses for the travels were covered by theorganizers. Also, the report says that 940.000 dinars were distributed on the scholarships for highschool students and the Council has never received a list of those children and we don't know if they have received the money or not. We don't know how the 3,5 million dinars have been spent that we have received from the Government since the beginning of this year", said Kurtic pointing out only part of the unclarities in the work of
the Council.The members of the Council demand Mihajlovic's resignation for moral reasons and for Ljuan Koka's arrogance to be stopped, who, according to them, has proclaimed himself to be the president of the Executive board of the Council.
"Danas", 28. 7. 2005.
- BELGRADE: The Humanitarian Law Fund has issued a statement saying that the officers of the Police Department in Becej arrested Baskim Krueziju on July 25th for an information interview about his knowledge of some criminal acts committed in his neighbourhood. After making a formal statement, the "informal part" of the interview started during which his ethnic feelings, his privacy and honor were brutally insulted.According to the statement, the police wanted to know why Krueziju lived in Becej and not in Pristina "where he belongs", what was he doing here when he should go back "down there", if he was aware what could happen to him here because of his last name, that is, because of his ethnicity etc. but also why he married a woman of Serb ethnicity and why he had children with her.The Fund points out that it is inadmissible for a state agency to treat a citizen in a way that could be qulified as ethnic or any other form
of discrimination."The events like the one indicated above lead to suspicion that the state and the society are still far from the level of civic and, especially, minority rights and freedoms enjoyed by the modern democratic world today", says the statement.
"Danas", 28. 7. 2005.
- BELGRADE: Better days are expecting Serbia in the autumn.Milan Parivodic, Minister of External Economic Relations, announces that it realistic to expect "the start of an investments explosion" to turn Serbia into "a tiger in the Balcans".Bankers agree that similar optimism is justified because more and more foreigners want and will invest into Serbia.However, economists are more cautious in their estimates.
"Blic", 28. 7. 2005.
- CAVTAT: Milutin Simovic, Minister of Agriculture of Montenegro and Petar Cobankovic, Minister of Agriculture of Croatia, signed a Memorandum on War Damages in Cavtat yesterday obliging Montenegro to pay 375.000 euros in damages to Croatia for 268 cows that the soldiers of the Yugoslav Peoples Army took from the farm in Grude to Montenegro in 1991.
"Vecernje novosti", 28. 7. 2005.
- ZAGREB: Serbs and their official representatives will not take part in the celebration of the anniversary of "the liberation of the occupied part of Krajina" in Knin on August 5th. Ratko Gajic, Serb representative in the Croatian Parliament, says the biggest problem is that the "Storm" is celebrated in Knin and Croatia as an action of "moral purity in which the rules of warfare are strictly respected". "That is simply not true", says Gajica.
"Vecernje novosti", 29. 7. 2005.
"Glas javnosti", 31. 7. 2005.
- PODGORICA: Six persons of Roma ethnicity have been arrested for fighting using chains and axes. According to our information, two groups of Roma youths engaged in a fight in the refugee camp in Vrela Ribnicka in Podgorica on Thursday. They were using chains, axes, metal bars etc. No one was injured seriously.After questioning them, the investigating judge released them pending trial.
"Glas javnosti", 31. 7. 2005.
- KRAGUJEVAC: 6.000 families in Kragujevac are living on 1 US dollar a day, which is below the poverty line.The most vulnerable are former "Zastava" workers, pensioners whose income is 3.000-7.134 dinars a month, the 865 refugees and the 13.000 IDPs from Kosovo housed in Kragujevac, several hundred single and old people's households, and also the employees of several state-owned companies who haven't received any salaries for at least 6 months, and in some companies - for up to 2 years.The list of unemployed persons is increasing every day - on May 31st Kragujevac had 21.974 unemployed persons and a total of 56.565 registered employed persons whose "salaries can't even cover 60% of the basic monthly necessities for a family of four. Around 10.000 residents of Kragujevac are working as unregistered labor for private employers who pay 3.000-8.000 dinars a month", says Dragan Ranic, president of the "Independence" Trade Union.
"Blic", 30. 7. 2005.
- DIMITROVGRAD: This year the municipality of Dimitrovgrad has paid insurance for all 4.000 households in the municipality so they are now insured against thunder, flood, fire, breaking and entering, against waterworks and sewage pouring out. Vasil Aleksov, deputy president of the municipality, says the decision was made to get the insurance because whenever a natural catastrophe hit the area, the citizens came to the Town Hall asking for help. Since the municipality could only help them in a symbolic way because the local budget was small, they decided to get the insurance.
"Blic", 30. 7. 2005.
- ZAJECAR: The "Timok" is the only cinema in Zajecar. It was opened in 1925 and it was closed two days ago due to the lack of funds. It is uncertain when and whether it will open again.The three employees in the cinema haven't received any salary since January.
"Blic", 30. 7. 2005.
- In Serbia 60.000 people die from heart diseases every year. Montenegro will pay 375.000 euros in war damages to Croatia for the 268 cows taken from a farm in Croatia to Montenegro during the war.
"Vecernje novosti", 31. 7. 2005.