Long, Hard Winter

This winter has been heralded as the worst winter in more than 60 years.  With record snowfalls, sub-zero temperatures, and avalanches it has been a long, hard winter for those in Kosovo.  A few weeks ago it was said that some 150 villages had basically been cut off from the rest of the world as roads were impassible.  Southeast European Times has a neat little photo essay highlighting the difficulty of winter in Kosovo villages.

On 10 February, an avalanche buried the village of Restelica.  Amazingly a 5-year-old girl was pulled out from under 10 meters (33 feet) of snow that killed nine other members of her family including her parents.

MTCowgirl's Kosovo News

• Rising domestic violence in Kosovo worries experts
• NATO updates plans for Kosovo drawdown
• Kosovo has highest unemployment rate in Western Balkans
• Kosovo judiciary endures threats and lack of security
• US Ambassador, Christopher Dell, ends mandate in Kosovo

It has been a while so here is MTCowgirl's Interesting News/Commentary...
As usual, these articles do not reflect personal opinion but were found to be "interesting"

• Kosovo farmer blames KFOR for stressed chickens
• Dutch politician says Balkan people are not Europeans
• Mercedes-Benz refuses to deal with government contractors over concerns on Kosovo corruption
• Tales from the US Embassy in Pristina...the lovesick American who needed a loan...twice
• Art and identity in Kosovo