Kosovo and Serbia's main border crossing was opened on Thursday as the roadblocks were removed, said state-run TV as it announced a step towards easing tensions in the region.&nbsp;According to the report, trucks and cars were seen queued in front of the Serbian side's border point where the barricades were placed, as Kosovo police confirmed that they officially re-opened the crossing.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced that the barricades will be removed after Brussels and Washington appealed for de-escalation of tensions.

ALSO READ|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kosovo-pm-kurti-submits-a-formal-application-to-join-european-union-543424">Kosovo PM Albin Kurti submits a formal application to join European Union</a>

"Barricades will be removed, but the mistrust remains," said Vucic as quoted by the state-run RTS television on Wednesday, while holding a meeting with representatives of Kosovo Serb.

Almost a dozen of protesters, who were present at a barricade in Rudare, expressed dissatisfaction over the decision of opening the border crossing.

"It makes no sense, we fought for rights that were not fulfilled, we feel cheated, abused," said one of the protesters.

"Why did we come to the barricades, if everything ended this way?," questioned the other protester.

WATCH|&nbsp;Tensions diffuse between Kosovo and Serbia with the removal of roadblocks

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On Wednesday, the Pristina court ordered that the former police officer, whose detention led to Serbs setting barricades, should be released from jail and placed under house arrest.

The main border crossing between Kosovo and Serbia was closed after trucks and tractors were used by the Serbian protesters to stop the traffic.

Since November, tensions have escalated in Northern Kosovo after ethnic Serb workers working as Kosovo's prosecutors, judges and police, walked away from their jobs.

The ethnic Serbs were protesting against the ban imposed on Serbs from using Belgrade-issued vehicle licence plates in Kosovo, a policy which Pristina eventually scrapped.

(With inputs from agencies)

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

Kosovo and Serbia's main border crossing was opened on Thursday as the roadblocks were removed, said state-run TV as it announced a step towards easing tensions in the region.

Kosovo and Serbia's main border crossing was opened on Thursday as the roadblocks were removed, said state-run TV as it announced a step towards easing tensions in the region. According to the report, trucks and cars were seen queued in front of the Serbian side's border point where the barricades were placed, as Kosovo police confirmed that they officially re-opened the crossing. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced that the barricades will be removed after Brussels and Washington appealed for de-escalation of tensions. ALSO READ| Kosovo PM Albin Kurti submits a formal application to join European Union "Barricades will be removed, but the mistrust remains," said Vucic as quoted by the state-run RTS television on Wednesday, while holding a meeting with representatives of Kosovo Serb. Almost a dozen of protesters, who were present at a barricade in Rudare, expressed dissatisfaction over the decision of opening the border crossing. "It makes no sense, we fought for rights that were not fulfilled, we feel cheated, abused," said one of the protesters. "Why did we come to the barricades, if everything ended this way?," questioned the other protester. WATCH| Tensions diffuse between Kosovo and Serbia with the removal of roadblocks On Wednesday, the Pristina court ordered that the former police officer, whose detention led to Serbs setting barricades, should be released from jail and placed under house arrest. The main border crossing between Kosovo and Serbia was closed after trucks and tractors were used by the Serbian protesters to stop the traffic. Since November, tensions have escalated in Northern Kosovo after ethnic Serb workers working as Kosovo's prosecutors, judges and police, walked away from their jobs. The ethnic Serbs were protesting against the ban imposed on Serbs from using Belgrade-issued vehicle licence plates in Kosovo, a policy which Pristina eventually scrapped. (With inputs from agencies)

Serbs remove roadblock between Kosovo and Serbia border crossing as tensions ease

Following a left-wing outcry, Brazil's election chief on Sunday announced the removal of traffic police obstacles that had "delayed" voters during a crucial presidential election.&nbsp;

Alexandre de Moraes, the head electoral judge, said at a press conference that it was decided to stop these procedures in order to not delay voters.&nbsp;

Workers Party (PT) leaders published a tonne of videos on social media of voter buses being halted at checkpoints, mostly in Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's electoral stronghold (2003-2010).

Lula, 77, wrote that "what is happening in the North-East is unacceptable."

However, Moraes said that "no bus was turned back and all could vote."

The superior elections court outlawed all traffic police (PRF) operations that would interfere with voting on Saturday night.&nbsp;

The head of the PT, Gleisi Hoffman, claimed on Twitter that Silvinei Vasques, the chief of the traffic police, should be detained for "non-respect" of the ruling.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/eu-urges-russia-to-reverse-decision-to-suspend-grain-deal-529655">EU urges Russia to reverse its decision of suspending Ukraine grain deal</a>

On Sunday morning, the divisive Vasques posted an Instagram story asking Brazilians to support the incumbent far-right Jair Bolsonaro.&nbsp;

More than 500 obstacles were in place at noon, according to the newspaper Folha de So Paulo, which is 70 per cent more than during the first round of voting on October 2.&nbsp;

(with inputs from agencies)

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1  width=&quot;100%&quot;"></iframe>

Following a left-wing outcry, Brazil's election chief on Sunday announced the removal of traffic police obstacles that had "delayed" voters during a crucial presidential election.

Following a left-wing outcry, Brazil's election chief on Sunday announced the removal of traffic police obstacles that had "delayed" voters during a crucial presidential election. Alexandre de Moraes, the head electoral judge, said at a press conference that it was decided to stop these procedures in order to not delay voters. Workers Party (PT) leaders published a tonne of videos on social media of voter buses being halted at checkpoints, mostly in Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's electoral stronghold (2003-2010). Lula, 77, wrote that "what is happening in the North-East is unacceptable." However, Moraes said that "no bus was turned back and all could vote." The superior elections court outlawed all traffic police (PRF) operations that would interfere with voting on Saturday night. The head of the PT, Gleisi Hoffman, claimed on Twitter that Silvinei Vasques, the chief of the traffic police, should be detained for "non-respect" of the ruling. Also Read: EU urges Russia to reverse its decision of suspending Ukraine grain deal On Sunday morning, the divisive Vasques posted an Instagram story asking Brazilians to support the incumbent far-right Jair Bolsonaro. More than 500 obstacles were in place at noon, according to the newspaper Folha de So Paulo, which is 70 per cent more than during the first round of voting on October 2. (with inputs from agencies)

Brazil: More than 500 roadblocks 'delayed' voters during presidential election

During the height of the coronavirus pandemic, Microsoft employees slept in the company's data centres, according to Kristen Roby Dimlow, a Microsoft Human Resources Executive.&nbsp;

"In certain countries, there was huge lockdown...so we'd have our employees choose to sleep in the data centre," she said. "They were worried they'd get stuck at a roadblock, trying to go home," she said.

Remote working was impossible for some Microsoft employees in technical roles. Some employees at sites that house servers for Microsoft's online services, such as Microsoft Teams, were among those affected, CNBC reported.&nbsp;

If data-centre staff didn't want to come on-site during the epidemic, the corporation allowed them to work from home as much as possible.

Data centres, on the whole, are not locations where people sleep. Aisles can be hot from the air coming off servers and cold from the air conditioning used to keep the machines from overheating.&nbsp;

Greenpeace published a report in 2011 that ranked the top 10 cloud computing companies based on the sources of electricity used in their data centres.

Data centres consumed up to 2% of all worldwide electricity at the time, and this figure was expected to rise.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

During the height of the coronavirus pandemic, Microsoft employees slept in the company's data centres, according to Kristen Roby Dimlow, a Microsoft Human Resources Executive.

During the height of the coronavirus pandemic, Microsoft employees slept in the company's data centres, according to Kristen Roby Dimlow, a Microsoft Human Resources Executive. "In certain countries, there was huge lockdown...so we'd have our employees choose to sleep in the data centre," she said. "They were worried they'd get stuck at a roadblock, trying to go home," she said. Remote working was impossible for some Microsoft employees in technical roles. Some employees at sites that house servers for Microsoft's online services, such as Microsoft Teams, were among those affected, CNBC reported. If data-centre staff didn't want to come on-site during the epidemic, the corporation allowed them to work from home as much as possible. Data centres, on the whole, are not locations where people sleep. Aisles can be hot from the air coming off servers and cold from the air conditioning used to keep the machines from overheating. Greenpeace published a report in 2011 that ranked the top 10 cloud computing companies based on the sources of electricity used in their data centres. Data centres consumed up to 2% of all worldwide electricity at the time, and this figure was expected to rise. (With inputs from agencies)

Unable to travel home, Microsoft staff slept in data centres during COVID-19 lockdown: Executive

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/taliban-call-off-peace-talks-with-us-officials-189044">US diplomats and the Afghan Taliban</a> have seen cause for hope in talks to end the United States' longest war, but the pivotal issues of a ceasefire and the militants sitting down with the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/no-pact-struck-with-us-over-deadline-to-end-afghan-war-taliban-178172">Afghan </a>government are far from being resolved.

Areas in which both sides have hailed progress - plans for the withdrawal of foreign troops 17 years after the US-led ouster of the Taliban and assurances that Afghanistan won't become a base for al Qaeda or Islamic State - still need detailed negotiation, sources on both sides said.

The withdrawal, for example, is contingent on a ceasefire that the Taliban have yet to discuss.

"We want to be absolutely sure that the US is leaving before we call off the fight," said a senior Taliban official on condition of anonymity.

But a senior US official privy to the negotiations was clear a ceasefire had to come first: "How could we even do a withdrawal without a ceasefire?"

And the Taliban's assurances on counter-terrorism also come with caveats.

They say they can guarantee the United States the security of the half of the country they now control, but they would have to be in an interim government to be sure of stopping al Qaeda or Islamic State from attacking anywhere else.

Left to watch the unlikely US and Taliban tango as he eyes a second term, Western-backed Afghan president Ashraf Ghani refuses to accept an interim government as part of any deal.

"We want peace, we want it quickly, but we want a proper plan ... so the mistakes of the past do not repeat," Ghani said in a televised address on Monday, referring to a bloody history of failed governments, military coups and civil war.

Ghani mentioned the deaths of previous rulers, including former President Najibullah, who was hanged from a Kabul lamppost when Taliban guerrillas swept into the capital in 1996.

NEW NEGOTIATOR

The next round of talks will be held in Qatar on February 25 when Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, a former mujahideen fighter against the Soviet occupation of the 1980s, will head the Taliban side following his release last year from eight years in a Pakistani jail.

US officials told Reuters they hope he will have the authority to negotiate on the ceasefire and the need for discussions with the Afghan government. The Taliban have so far refused to talk to the government which they dismiss as a puppet of the United States.

Baradar, a co-founder of the movement and a former military commander in western Afghanistan, will enter new talks from a position of relative strength as its new political chief, Taliban officials said.

For years, the Taliban have fought to expel foreign forces and drive the government from power, so they can restore their version of hardline Islamic law across Afghanistan.

After intensifying attacks over the last two years, the Taliban are more powerful than any at other time since they were toppled by Western forces.

And senior Taliban officials say they know the United States and other foreign forces are tired and want out. While they, meanwhile, can sense victory and a future role in government.

"If the Afghan government and the Taliban have an agreement, it will involve altering government arrangements in some respect, creating a more inclusive government and consolidating the Afghan security forces and the Taliban in some new security architecture," said James Dobbins, a former diplomat who is now senior fellow at the RAND Corporation think-tank.

Dobbins, who was the Obama administration's special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan in 2013, said it would take a long time to reach a deal that would be sustainable.

But however much time the talks took, the senior US official privy to the talks, who did not want to be identified, insisted: "We will not leave Afghanistan without a deal. We want to leave a good legacy."

UNCERTAIN FUTURE

Doubts have increased in recent weeks whether US President Donald Trump would stomach a protracted presence in Afghanistan amid mixed signals from Washington.

US officials told Reuters last month that Trump had issued verbal orders to plan for a withdrawal of about half of the 14,000 US troops in Afghanistan. However, they said he could reverse course.

The US troops in Afghanistan are part of a NATO-led mission and a US counterterrorism mission largely directed at groups such as Islamic State and al Qaeda.

Some 8,000 troops from 38 other countries are participating in the operation, known as Resolute Support.

Diplomats and military attaches from many of those countries describe an intense desire to leave. Italy is considering sending home its 900 troops within a year.

The period after any deal and withdrawal is also fraught with risks.

&nbsp;Kabul-based Western envoys say little hard thought has been given to how aid plans and other support would have to be intensified and tailored to fit a new era of peace, and possible power-sharing.

Some also warn of a spike in violence as fighters on both sides return to villages and start new lives.

Afghans and regional diplomats also fear a US bid to cut a hasty deal with the Taliban could allow militia groups to exploit ethnic rivalries to usurp power.

Then there is the worry that the country's nascent democracy and women's rights could crumble in the absence of foreign forces.

Ghani made clear this week they are worries he shares, even if question marks remain over his ability to shape events ahead.

"I, as an elected leader in charge of 35 million Afghans, ... know what are the probable dangers and threats after the peace deal."

US diplomats and the Afghan Taliban have seen cause for hope in talks to end the United States' longest war, but the pivotal issues of a ceasefire and the militants sitting down with the Afghan government are far from being resolved.

US diplomats and the Afghan Taliban have seen cause for hope in talks to end the United States' longest war, but the pivotal issues of a ceasefire and the militants sitting down with the Afghan government are far from being resolved. Areas in which both sides have hailed progress - plans for the withdrawal of foreign troops 17 years after the US-led ouster of the Taliban and assurances that Afghanistan won't become a base for al Qaeda or Islamic State - still need detailed negotiation, sources on both sides said. The withdrawal, for example, is contingent on a ceasefire that the Taliban have yet to discuss. "We want to be absolutely sure that the US is leaving before we call off the fight," said a senior Taliban official on condition of anonymity. But a senior US official privy to the negotiations was clear a ceasefire had to come first: "How could we even do a withdrawal without a ceasefire?" And the Taliban's assurances on counter-terrorism also come with caveats. They say they can guarantee the United States the security of the half of the country they now control, but they would have to be in an interim government to be sure of stopping al Qaeda or Islamic State from attacking anywhere else. Left to watch the unlikely US and Taliban tango as he eyes a second term, Western-backed Afghan president Ashraf Ghani refuses to accept an interim government as part of any deal. "We want peace, we want it quickly, but we want a proper plan ... so the mistakes of the past do not repeat," Ghani said in a televised address on Monday, referring to a bloody history of failed governments, military coups and civil war. Ghani mentioned the deaths of previous rulers, including former President Najibullah, who was hanged from a Kabul lamppost when Taliban guerrillas swept into the capital in 1996. NEW NEGOTIATOR The next round of talks will be held in Qatar on February 25 when Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, a former mujahideen fighter against the Soviet occupation of the 1980s, will head the Taliban side following his release last year from eight years in a Pakistani jail. US officials told Reuters they hope he will have the authority to negotiate on the ceasefire and the need for discussions with the Afghan government. The Taliban have so far refused to talk to the government which they dismiss as a puppet of the United States. Baradar, a co-founder of the movement and a former military commander in western Afghanistan, will enter new talks from a position of relative strength as its new political chief, Taliban officials said. For years, the Taliban have fought to expel foreign forces and drive the government from power, so they can restore their version of hardline Islamic law across Afghanistan. After intensifying attacks over the last two years, the Taliban are more powerful than any at other time since they were toppled by Western forces. And senior Taliban officials say they know the United States and other foreign forces are tired and want out. While they, meanwhile, can sense victory and a future role in government. "If the Afghan government and the Taliban have an agreement, it will involve altering government arrangements in some respect, creating a more inclusive government and consolidating the Afghan security forces and the Taliban in some new security architecture," said James Dobbins, a former diplomat who is now senior fellow at the RAND Corporation think-tank. Dobbins, who was the Obama administration's special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan in 2013, said it would take a long time to reach a deal that would be sustainable. But however much time the talks took, the senior US official privy to the talks, who did not want to be identified, insisted: "We will not leave Afghanistan without a deal. We want to leave a good legacy." UNCERTAIN FUTURE Doubts have increased in recent weeks whether US President Donald Trump would stomach a protracted presence in Afghanistan amid mixed signals from Washington. US officials told Reuters last month that Trump had issued verbal orders to plan for a withdrawal of about half of the 14,000 US troops in Afghanistan. However, they said he could reverse course. The US troops in Afghanistan are part of a NATO-led mission and a US counterterrorism mission largely directed at groups such as Islamic State and al Qaeda. Some 8,000 troops from 38 other countries are participating in the operation, known as Resolute Support. Diplomats and military attaches from many of those countries describe an intense desire to leave. Italy is considering sending home its 900 troops within a year. The period after any deal and withdrawal is also fraught with risks. Kabul-based Western envoys say little hard thought has been given to how aid plans and other support would have to be intensified and tailored to fit a new era of peace, and possible power-sharing. Some also warn of a spike in violence as fighters on both sides return to villages and start new lives. Afghans and regional diplomats also fear a US bid to cut a hasty deal with the Taliban could allow militia groups to exploit ethnic rivalries to usurp power. Then there is the worry that the country's nascent democracy and women's rights could crumble in the absence of foreign forces. Ghani made clear this week they are worries he shares, even if question marks remain over his ability to shape events ahead. "I, as an elected leader in charge of 35 million Afghans, ... know what are the probable dangers and threats after the peace deal."

Afghanistan: Ex-mujahideen fighter Abdul Ghani Baradar to head Taliban talks with US in next round

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