StrangeSights: Kosovo honours Blair with life-size statue; NASA asked to help find Loch Ness Monster; and, Alfa Romeo changes car name after Milan criticism

DAVID ADAMS provides a round-up of some stories on the odder side of life…

• As sculptor Agon Qosa put some of the finishing touches to a statue of Tony Blair, he thought about what the former British Prime Minister had done for Kosovo a quarter of a century ago. Qosa and other ethnic Albanians in Kosovo idolise Blair for his leadership role during a NATO bombing campaign in 1999 that halted Serb forces’ advances and ultimately helped the small Balkan nation win independence. Twenty-five years on, Qosa is completing a life-size clay statue of Blair that will be cast in bronze and placed on Blair boulevard in the eastern town of Ferizaj on 12th June, which marks the end of the 1998-99 Kosovo war. “I decided to have him in our town, in our Kosovo, to arrive happy and joyful,” Qosa said as he worked on the statue depicting Blair smiling in a suit, one arm raised in a wave. More than 13,000 people, mainly local Albanians, were killed in the 1998-99 war. Blair, who was Britain’s prime minister from 1997 to 2007, backed the NATO bombing of Serbia to force it to withdraw from Kosovo. Many supporters later became disillusioned with Blair over Britain’s subsequent role in the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, but many people in Kosovo share Qosa’s enthusiasm. According to the national statistics office, more than 10 people are named Tonibler, Toni or Bler – the spellings altered to fit local pronunciations. Bill Clinton, who was US President at the time of the NATO bombing campaign, also has a statue in Kosovo’s capital, Pristina. Bashkim Fazliu, the head of the Foundation “We Remember Tony Blair” who commissioned the statue to the former British prime minister, has invited him to the inauguration but said he had not yet received confirmation that he will attend. When Tonibler Gashi was born two years after the war, his father had no doubt about naming his first son after Blair. Gashi, now 22, was nine when he meet the real Blair in Pristina. “It was like meeting pretty much a prophet for our people…he shook my hand and I felt great,” he said. – FATOS BYTYCI, Ferizaj, Kosovo/Reuters

• NASA has been asked to help in the search for the Loch Ness Monster. The Loch Ness Centre has asked the US space agency to help with its latest search – scheduled to take place on the 90th anniversary of the first organised search for the monster, led by Sir Edward Mountain – from 30th May to 2nd June. In a statement on their website, the Loch Ness Centre said they were asking experts for help. “This includes scientists and universities, as well as pioneers of exploration NASA to provide equipment and expertise in the search. With new equipment from experts we’re hoping science can help uncover the mysteries of the Loch and the unexplainable sightings since the legend of Nessie began 90 years ago.” The request comes after the centre partnered with Loch Ness Exploration in a search last year – one of the largest to take place – captured loud underwater noises using a hydrophone as well as several potential sightings. The centre says there have been more than 1,156 sightings of the beast recorded on the Official Loch Ness Monster Sightings Register. As part of this year’s search, Loch Ness Exploration are looking for volunteers to take part in a surface watch of the Loch, keeping an eye out for breaks in the water.

• Stellantis-brand Alfa Romeo said on Monday it would change the name of its new “Milano” to “Junior” to end a row with Italy’s government, which last week criticised the choice of an Italian name for a vehicle made in Poland. “Although we think the ‘Milano’ name met all legal requirements, we took the decision to change it to ‘Junior’ to ease relations with the Italian government,” Alfa Romeo’s CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato said in a press conference. On Thursday, a day after Alfa Romeo’s first EV was officially launched in Milan, Italy’s Industry Minister Adolfo Urso said its name violated an Italian law that targets “Italian sounding” products that falsely claim to be Italian. “Milano” was meant to be a tribute to the northern Italian city where Alfa Romeo was founded in 1910. The “Junior” name also references the Italian brand’s history, as it evokes one of its successful models from the 1960s. Imparato said the group had not been happy to find itself drawn into the quarrel, but was now completely focusing on the commercial launch of the new model, which is built at the Tychy plant alongside other Fiat and Jeep models. “For us, the issue was closed this evening,” he said. He noted that the “Milano” name had been disclosed in December, and the decision to produce the car in Poland had been public for a long time. “The government just could have moved this criticism before, not the day after the launch,” Imparato said. Urso’s complaint was the latest in a war of words between Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s nationalist government and Stellantis, as the two sides hold talks on a plan to boost domestic auto production to one million units. Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares was quoted by Automotive News last week as saying that producing the “Milano” in Poland rather than Italy will shave 10,000 euros off its retail price, which starts at under 30,000 euros ($32,000) for its cheaper hybrid version. – GIULIO PIOVACCARI, Milan, Italy/Reuters