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Bosnia and Herzegovina is set to begin negotiations for EU membership, marking a significant milestone eight years after the formal application was submitted. Following a recommendation from the European Commission last week, EU leaders have approved the initiation of talks. European Council President Charles Michel extended congratulations to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s leaders, affirming their place within the European family. He emphasized the importance of continued efforts for progress, a sentiment echoed by Borjana Krišto, Chairwoman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who expressed gratitude for achieving the necessary compliance with EU requirements.

The approval for Bosnia’s EU talks has been welcomed as a positive development by leaders across Europe. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hailed it as a good message for the entire region, while Croatia’s Prime Minister Andrej Plenković described it as a historic day for Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The road to EU membership has been long for Bosnia, with the country formally obtaining candidate status in 2022 after applying for membership in 2016. In the past year, Bosnia has made strides in passing laws aligned with EU priorities, particularly focusing on areas such as democracy, the rule of law, fundamental rights, and public administration reform.

Despite progress, Bosnia remains ethnically and politically divided, a legacy of the 1992-95 war. Further economic and democratic reforms will be necessary before formal EU accession can occur.

The EU’s commitment to the Western Balkans has been underscored by recent events, particularly in light of the conflict in Ukraine. Other countries in the region, including Albania, Georgia, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey, and Ukraine, are also at various stages of the EU application process.

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An operation is in progress to rescue around 200 cattle, calves, and horses stranded on Krcedin island in the River Danube, near Belgrade, Serbia. Rising water levels last week prevented the livestock from returning to shore. The evacuation, which began on Tuesday, has saved approximately 60 animals so far. Harsh weather conditions, including freezing temperatures and concerns about starvation, have intensified the urgency of the rescue mission.

Krcedin island, located on the left bank of the Danube, experienced a sudden rise in water levels due to melting snow caused by unseasonably mild weather in late 2023 in the Balkan region. The island is situated 3km from the shore and approximately 50km upstream from Belgrade.

Farmers had been appealing for days to have their livestock rescued as conditions deteriorated. On Tuesday, a rescue team comprising the Serbian military, the emergencies department, the forestry agency, and local citizens used a raft to transfer about 60 animals to safety. However, further attempts faced setbacks, including the replacement of the first raft due to missing railings and the breakdown of its replacement after only two runs.

Environmental group Eko Straza reported that the stranded cattle were exhausted, having lost up to 50kg of their weight. A new boat was hired to continue the rescue on Wednesday. Transporting dozens of wild horses, which are not accustomed to human contact, posed additional challenges.

With freezing conditions and the threat of hunger, speed has become crucial in the evacuation. Cattle breeder Milenko Plavsic expressed concern that some of his animals had already died, and the remaining ones were at risk. He explained that, in a normal year, the animals would return home by wading through shallow waters for 10km, but the high water levels have prevented grazing.

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Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has declared victory in snap parliamentary elections, with his Serbian Progressive Party projected to secure almost 47% of the vote, potentially gaining an absolute majority in the National Assembly. Opposition parties, part of the Serbia Against Violence (SPN) coalition, lagged behind with around 23% and alleged electoral fraud in favor of the government, calling for a recount.

While the SPN had hoped to win control of Belgrade in local elections, initial results showed the ruling party slightly ahead in the capital. The SPN claimed electoral fraud, demanding the annulment of the vote in Belgrade and hinting at possible protests. The ruling party has been in power since 2012, and despite opposition efforts, it appears set to maintain control.

Serbia, a candidate for EU membership, faces pressure to normalize relations with Kosovo, which declared independence in 2008. Ethnic Serbs in Kosovo crossed into Serbia to vote, adding a layer of complexity to the political landscape.

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Kosovo has sought the release of three border patrol personnel, accusing Serbia of ‘kidnapping’ them.

Serbian authorities reported they apprehended three “fully armed” Kosovo police officers near their common border, while Kosovo officials stated the trio was “kidnapped” while patrolling the region.

On Wednesday, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti condemned Serbia for the men’s kidnapping and demanded their release. They were apprehended 300 metres (330 yards) inside Kosovan territory near the border, he added.

“The entry of Serbian forces into Kosovo territory is an act of aggression aimed at escalation and destabilisation,” Kurti stated on his Facebook page.

Kosovo Interior Minister Xhelal Svecla also condemned the “kidnapping,” which he described as “violating any agreement and violating international norms.”

The minister urged the international community to “immediately increase pressure on Serbia not only to release our police officers, but also to cease its provocations.”

However, according to Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, the three were apprehended as far as 1.8km (one mile) within Serbian territory, near the town of Gnjilica. Kurti was also accused of encouraging violence, according to him.

“We are at a fork in the road as to whether we will have peace or not… “And there is one man in the Balkans who wants to incite conflict at any cost – Albin Kurti,” Vucic remarked during a live TV broadcast.

He denied that Serbian police had entered Kosovo, claiming, “They did not even set foot there.”

Despite the fact that a NATO bombing operation forced Serbian security forces out of Kosovo in 1999, Belgrade continues to see it as a southern province.

Last month, riots in four primarily Serb communities in northern Kosovo, just outside Serbia, injured 30 NATO forces and 52 Serbs.

It erupted as Serbs protested against ethnic Albanian mayors who took office following a 3.5 percent turnout in a municipal election. The election was boycotted by Serbs in the area.

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A man identified only by his initials has been arrested after a mass shooting in Serbia in which eight people died and 14 were injured. The attacker opened fire from a moving car near a village 60 km south of Belgrade after an argument with a police officer.

The manhunt involved more than 600 police officers, and the suspect was eventually discovered hiding at his grandfather’s house. The shooting followed an attack in which a 13-year-old boy killed nine people at a school in Belgrade.

President Aleksander Vucic pledged a “practical disarmament” of the country, and announced new security measures, including the hiring of 1,200 new police officers, a ban on new gun permits, tougher penalties for illegal weapons possession, and psychological checks of gun owners. Serbia has very strict gun laws, but has one of the highest levels of gun ownership in Europe, with an estimated 39.1 firearms per 100 people.

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The community in central Belgrade is in mourning after the worst school shooting in Serbian history, which took place at the Vladislav Ribnikar elementary school. A 13-year-old student entered the school armed with two guns and a “kill list”, and killed eight fellow students and a security guard. Six other children remain in hospital.

Mourners are arriving at the school to pay their respects and lay flowers and toys. Students from the neighboring college stood in silence to remember the victims.

A 19-year-old student named Alex Oborina expressed the sentiment that many are feeling, that as a society, they have failed because a 13-year-old should not be able to grab a gun and shoot his friends. He adds that this is probably the worst thing that has ever happened in his life and hopes that they can use this tragedy as a stepping stone to rebuild.

Some are questioning whether the fact that the suspect is only 13 years old will make it harder for Serbian society to come to terms with the school shooting since he is too young to face prosecution. However, one mourner notes that justice would never be served for the parents who lost their children, regardless of the perpetrator’s age.

The motive for the attack is still unclear. Seven of the eight victims who were killed were girls. Mourners are leaving flowers and candles at the site of the shooting, with one mother of two saying that her 10-year-old son asked what would happen if a shooting happened at his school.

She believes that her country needs to look beyond just the actions of one teenager and address issues of violence both online and in real life urgently, as she fears that this tragedy may be the beginning. She adds that they need to take care of their kids and address the problems in their society.

The woman responsible for preventing violence in Serbian classrooms, Milja Krivokuca, says that nothing in the suspect’s school records showed any sign of his capability for such violence. She notes that the most important thing now is to support everyone, stabilize the situation, and retrospectively review if something could have been done differently. Two teacher unions have announced a strike to demand better protection for staff and pupils.

President Aleksandar Vucic has suggested lowering the age of criminal liability from 14 to 12 in response to the tragedy, and Krivokuca agrees with this proposal, stating that it is necessary to secure maximum protection for schools. She suggests that Serbia should compare its legislation with other European countries and beyond where legal responsibility starts at 12 or 10 years old.

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A shooting at a school in Belgrade, Serbia, resulted in the deaths of at least eight students and a security guard. Six other pupils and a teacher were also injured and taken to the hospital. The suspect, a 14-year-old seventh-grade student, was arrested, and officials claim that he used his father’s gun. The motive behind the attack is currently under investigation.

The police immediately cordoned off the area, and an intensive investigation is underway to determine the circumstances that led to the tragedy. Parents were heard crying in the streets around the school hours after the shooting, with some still unsure if their children were alive. Some of them expressed frustration with the lack of information provided by the police.

Parents of students who were caught up in the shooting pleaded with police officers for any information about their children’s whereabouts, while others frantically called hospitals and doctors in Belgrade. Local media showed images of the suspect, who was handcuffed and had his head covered by a jacket, being led away from the scene by police.

Three pupils who were injured in the shooting were transferred to a local hospital, where two boys were stable but had gunshot wounds to their lower extremities, while a girl had a serious head injury and was undergoing surgery. The teacher who was shot was fighting for his life. The shooting is a rare occurrence in Serbia, which has strict gun laws, but gun ownership is among the highest in Europe.

The western Balkans are flooded with illegal weapons following wars and unrest in the 1990s, and Serbia has the third-highest number of firearms per 100 people in the world.

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After weeks of escalating tensions between Serbia and Kosovo, the Serbian army claims it is at its “highest level of combat readiness.” Asserting that he will “take all measures to protect our people and preserve Serbia,” President Aleksandar Vucic.

The threat-making is more pronounced than ever and comes in response to reports in Serbian media that Pristina is getting ready to launch “an attack” on ethnic Serb districts of north Kosovo. Regarding the charges, the Pristina administration has remained silent.

However, it has already charged Mr. Vucic with playing “games” to cause a commotion. After a conflict in 1998–1999, Kosovo, which has a predominately ethnic Albanian population, seceded from Serbia. Both Serbia and the ethnic Serbs who reside there reject Kosovo’s claim to independence.

Belgrade charges Kosovo with preparing “terrorism against Serbs” in regions where 50,000 people of ethnic Serb descent reside.

Pristina claims Belgrade is responsible for the “paramilitary formations” that erected barricades on December 10 in the majority-Serb regions of north Kosovo.

The European Union has been making mediation efforts. The 27-member bloc is requesting “maximum restraint and urgent action” as well as “personal contributions to a political settlement” from the heads of Serbia and Kosovo. Following contradicting accounts about a gunfire incident that left no one harmed, Belgrade has recently strengthened its armed presence on the border. Ethnic Serbs allegedly came under attack, according to reports from Belgrade, but the assertion was denied by Kosovo authorities in Pristina.

Nevertheless, Serbia appeared to use the reports to justify intensifying its military presence on the border.

Harsh words have been the extent of hostilities so far, but Serbia put its troops on combat alert on Monday. Kosovo has threatened to take matters into its own hands if NATO’s KFOR peacekeeping force does not remove the barricades.

All parties have been urged to refrain from provocations by NATO, which has about 3,700 peacekeeping troops in Kosovo. Its KFOR troops have been essential in maintaining the calm for years. The European Union has warned that it will not put up with attacks on EU police or criminal activity in Kosovo where it has a rule-of-law mission.

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The Miss Glam World 2022, organized by Pegasus and presented by Manappuram DQUE was won by Valentina Vasilic from Serbia along with Vaishnavi Sharma from India as first runner-up and Jechen Ladree from Bhutan as second runner-up. The event was marked by the presence of Pegasus Chairman Dr. Ajit Ravi and some eminent personalities including Bibin, MD, Zaya The Infinity Elegance. The Miss Glam World contest winners were crowned by Manappuram Finance Ltd MD and CEO V P Nandakumar.

The beauty contest was conducted on August 27th at Gokulam Convention Centre in Kochi wherein 21 contestants participated from all around the world. Parakkat Jewelers designed a gold crown to be given to the Miss Glam World winners. The first runner-up and second runner-up each earned gift prizes of Rs 60,000 and Rs 40,000, while the Miss Glam World 2022 title winner received a DQUE gift reward of Rs 1,00,000.

To watch the event visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAtRhwxGLnE

Video Courtesy: UT TV CHANNEL 

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Manappuram and DQUE presents Miss Glam World 2022 title is now owned by Valentina Vasilic from Serbia along with Vaishnavi Sharma from India as first runner-up and Jechen Ladree from Bhutan second runner-up.

Manappuram Finance Ltd MD and CEO, V P Nandakumar crowned the winners of Miss Glam World pageant conducted on August 27th at Gokulam Convention Center, Kochi with 21 beauties from all around the world. Pegasus Chairman Dr. Ajit Ravi and Bibin, MD, Zaya The Infinity Elegance, were also present during the ceremony.

The winners of Miss Glam World were presented with a gold crown designed by Parakkat Jewelers. The Miss Glam World 2022 title winner received a DQUE gift prize of Rs 1,00,000, while the first runner-up and second runner-up received gift prizes of Rs 60,000 and Rs 40,000, respectively.

Manappuram Finance Limited and DQUE are the main partners of Miss Glam World 2022 organized by Pegasus Global Pvt Ltd. Amrut Veni, SAJ Earth Resorts and Convention Center, Unique Times, and DQUE Face and Body Skin Friendly Soap are powered by Partners. The competition is organized to showcase the diverse and rich cultural values ​​of the country and promote tourism.

Co-partners are FICF, Parakkat Resort, Kalpana International, Nechupadam Dental Clinic, Times New, UT World, Aiswaria Advertisements, Europe Times, Photogenic Fashion and Weddings, UT TV, Udaya Sounds, Green Media, Juzt Shine Family Fitness, Good Day Hotels and Resorts, Akshay Inco and JD Institute of Fashion Technology.

Sub Title Winners

Miss Glam World Solidarity – Odella Yei Floma

Miss Glam World Fashionista – Thadaza Sorn

Miss Glam World Talent – Annisa Pretty Musa

Miss Glam World Sensational – Nirashini Gunasegaran

Miss Glam World Diligent – Michelle Elise Berthina Van De Vin

Miss Glam World Inspiring – Cynthia Veronica florenciani Agüero

Miss Glam World Vivacious – Marta Sánchez de Nieva Ballesta

Miss Glam World Shining Star – Sarah Bulus

Miss Glam World Best Ramp Walk – Vivian Hernandez

Miss Glam World Tenacious – Maeva Balan

Miss Glam World Renaissance – Valentina Vasilic

Miss Glam World Adorable – Irina Shrestha

Miss Glam World Fitness Icon – Daria Gubanova

Miss Glam World National Costume – Endgel Ponicio Da Cruz

GD Singh (Entrepreneur and Philanthropist), Dr Jaya Mahesh (fitness therapist), Sandeep Malani (film director) Hari Anand (Fashion Designer) and Lucie (International Yoga Trainer) were on the judging panel. The winners of the subtitles were selected by a panel of eminent persons.

Pegasus Global Pvt Ltd is the only company in the world that excluded the infamous Bikini round in their pageants and focuses more on talent and personality.

Indra Parmentier from Belgium, Jechen Ladree from Bhutan, Endgel Ponicio Da Cruz from Brazil, Thadaza Sorn from Cambodia, Maeva Balan from France, Vaishnavi Sharma from India, Annisa Pretty Musa from Indonesia, Odella Yei Floma from Liberia, Nirashini Gunasegaran from Malaysia, Badema Halilovic from Montenegro, Monika Clarke from Namibia, Irina Shrestha from Nepal, Michelle Elise Berthina Van De Vin from Netherlands, Sarah Bulus from Nigeria, Cynthia Veronica florenciani Agüero from Paraguay, Vivian Hernandez from Philippines, Katarzyna Justyna Gajewska from Poland, Daria Gubanova from Russia, Valentina Vasilic from Serbia, Marta Sánchez de Nieva Ballesta from Spain and Pham Ngoc Xuan Quynh from Vietnam were the contestants. The event was organised as per the pandemic norms set by the government.

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