Belgrade  - Serbia is to pay 1 million dollars to relieve the pressure for extradition of a Serbian athlete who skipped bail in the United States after a near-fatal beating of a fellow student, local reports said Friday.

The daily Politika quoted "reliable sources" from Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic's cabinet saying that Serbia would pay a 900,000- dollar-compensation claim and 100,000 for bail to keep the fugitive, Miladin Kovacevic, at home.

Kovacevic, a 21-year-old former basketball player at Binghamton University in New York, is accused of assaulting fellow student Bryan Steinhauer in a bar brawl in May. He fled home on an emergency passport, issued after his family posted bail.

Pristina/Belgrade - Kosovo Albanians began celebrating the first year of independence Tuesday, while minority Serbs and Belgrade leaders vowed to continue challenging the secession.

Prime Minister Hashim Thaci and President Fatmir Sejdiu addressed the parliament in Pristina at a solemn session and paid respect to prominent politicians and rebels who launched the fight against Serbian authority in the 1990s.

Belgrade - The Serbian parliament on Tuesday passed new procedural rules in an attempt to end a stalemate that has resulted in a huge legislative backlog.

The new rules limit the time for debate on amendments the opposition proposes on bills and cuts the potential for delaying tactics of the sort that have effectively stalled the parliament since May 2008.

The measures also introduced a mandatory monthly session wherein parliamentarians will be able to pose questions to the prime minister and his cabinet.

Pristina/Belgrade - Kosovo Albanians were set to celebrate the first year of independence Tuesday, while minority Serbs and Belgrade leaders vowed to continue challenging the secession.

Prime Minister Hashim Thaci and President Fatmir Sejdiu were scheduled to address the parliament in Pristina at a solemn session, before paying respect to prominent politicians and rebels who launched the fight against Serbian authority in the 1990s.

Kosovo Serb deputies said they would boycott the session.

Belgrade  - A star-studded, award-winning movie adaptation of a best-selling German novel will open the Belgrade International Film Festival on Friday.

Stephen Daldry's adaptation of Bernhardt Schlink's best-selling novel, The Reader, will feature Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes, and David Kross, in a love story set in post-war Germany.

Fiennes will bring star power to the opening of the 37th Belgrade International Film Festival.

Belgrade  - Serbia's women's tennis team will be a strong favourite against Spain when the two countries meet in the Fed Cup World Group play-offs this April, Serbian tennis officials said Tuesday.

The matches will be played on April 25 and 26 and the four winning nations will qualify for the 2010 World Group, while the four losers will start in World Group II in 2010.

"I think our opponent is all right... I'm happy with the draw," Serbia's Fed Cup representation selector Dejan Vranes was quoted as saying.