[ALBSA-Info] Daily News Summary

[irma spaho]

>
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>Dateline:  The Hague
>Source:  Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA)
>13/04/00
>
>NATO COMMITTED TO ARRESTING WAR CRIMINALS: ROBERTSON
>NATO Secretary-General George Robertson on 13 April met with Chief
>Prosecutor of the U.N. war crimes tribunal Carla Del Ponte and declared
>NATO¹s support for the arrest of indicted war criminals, DPA reported.  "We
>will eventually get Karadzic, Mladic and Milosevic ... but they are on the
>run. They will be caught. They should look very carefully at what happened
>to Arkan in Belgrade, who never managed to make it to the justice of The
>Hague, but faced the rough justice of the Balkans," Del Ponte said, quoted
>by DPA.  The tribunal prosecutor thanked Robertson for NATO¹s recent arrest
>of indicted Bosnian war criminal Momcilo Krajisnik but said the capture of
>all indicted war criminals remains the objective, according to DPA.
>
>
>Dateline:  Belgrade
>Source:  Associated Press (AP)
>13/04/00
>
>OPPOSITION CALLS ON SERB CITIZENRY TO JOIN RALLY
>Serb opposition leaders on 13 April called on the republic¹s citizens to
>join the 14 April anti-government demonstration in Belgrade, AP reported.
>"We expect the rally to present a turning point and encourage the 
>opposition
>to build up pressure on the regime," AP quoted Vladan Batic, a leader of 
>the
>Alliance for Change.  In order to minimise turnout at the rally, the
>government of Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic warned of potential
>"terrorist acts" at the demonstration, according to AP.  "They are even
>trying movie piracy.  All that's left is that they start handing out 
>whiskey
>and peanuts so that the people would stay in their homes," opposition 
>leader
>Dragoljub Micunovic said, quoted by AP.   TV Politika plans to broadcast
>recent Hollywood hits to coincide with the demonstration.  According to AP,
>it is unlikely that the television station bought the rights to the movies.
>
>
>Dateline:  Belgrade
>Source:  Reuters
>13/04/00
>
>FOREIGN JOURNALISTS BARRED FROM SERBIA AHEAD OF RALLY
>Four Japanese, one Canadian and one German journalist, as well as three
>Spanish trade union officials, were turned back at the Belgrade airport on
>13 April, one day before a major opposition rally, Reuters reported, citing
>the Beta news agency.  Earlier in the day, a journalist working for Reuters
>was prevented from entering Serbia at the Croatian border.
>
>
>Dateline:  Pristina
>Source:  Associated Press (AP)
>13/04/00
>
>BALKAN RELIGIOUS LEADERS CALL FOR RECONCILIATION
>Prominent religious leaders from Kosovo and Bosnia opened a three-day tour
>of religious sites Kosovo  with a call for reconciliation in the Balkans, 
>AP
>reported.   "We commit ourselves to pursue more active co-operation as
>religious leaders and among our communities.  Together we support the
>building of strong local, democratic organisations," AP quoted a statement
>issued by the Inter-religious Council of Kosovo.  Religious leaders from 
>the
>Islamic, Orthodox Serb, Catholic and Jewish faiths are taking part in the
>Kosovo tour.
>
>
>Dateline:  Washington, D.C.
>Source:  Associated Press (AP)
>13/04/00
>
>NATO ASKS FOR MORE KOSOVO PEACEKEEPERS
>NATO has asked member countries for an additional 3,500 troops for its
>Kosovo operations, but it is unlikely that more U.S. forces will go
>according to Pentagon spokesman Kenneth Bacon, AP reported.  The 3,500
>troops would prove to be only a small increase in the size of the 39,000
>strong peacekeeping force, with most of the new arrivals replacing
>battalions that are leaving.
>
>
>Dateline:  Belgrade
>Source:  Reuters
>13/04/00
>
>OPPOSITION PARTY FACES LAWSUIT ON EVE OF RALLY
>The Serbian Renewal Movement, Serbia¹s largest opposition party, received
>word on the eve of a major opposition rally that it had been fined five
>million dinars in a libel case dating back six years, according to Reuters,
>citing Ivana Primovic, the Serbian Renewal Movement¹s lawyer.  The fine is
>the equivalent of about USD $100,000 at the black market rate and USD
>$400,000 at the official rate.  "For six years this case had not moved and
>then suddenly they call a hearing on 29 March to which they do not summon
>us, and then the ruling arrives," Reuters quoted Primovic as saying.
>Another opposition group, the Democratic Party, has also been sued and has 
>a
>court date the day of the rally.
>
>
>Dateline:  Belgrade
>Source:  Associated Press (AP)
>13/04/00
>
>YUGOSLAVIA¹S OFFICIAL WEB SITE HACKED
>Hackers broke into and defaced the Internet site of Serbia¹s Information
>Ministry, along with several other web sites belonging to Serb companies 
>and
>political parties, AP reported, citing the state-run Tanjug news agency.
>The Information Ministry blamed "American and Albanian propagandists" and
>likened the incidents to the NATO air campaign last year, vowing to
>"undertake appropriate measures against those who committed such an act of
>violence," quoted AP.  Meanwhile, a group of Serb hackers claimed to have
>successfully hacked into at least two Kosovo Albanian web sites.
>
>
>Dateline:  Belgrade
>Source:  Associated Press (AP), Reuters, Tanjug
>13/04/00
>
>MILOSEVIC MEETS WITH NEW AUSTRALIAN AMBASSADOR
>Marking the first time in months that a Western diplomat has taken part in
>such a meeting, Australia¹s new ambassador in Belgrade, Charles Stewart,
>presented his credentials to Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic,
>according to AP.  "Milosevic said he was convinced bilateral ties between
>the two countries would continue to develop successfully and mutual
>interests in economic, cultural, sports and other relations would be
>fulfilled," Reuters quoted the Yugoslav government, citing the Tanjug news
>agency.  The Australian government defended the move, noting its large
>Serbian community and insisting that the ambassador had delivered a clear
>message on human rights to Milosevic, according to wire services.
>
>
>
>Dateline:  Pristina
>Source:  Reuters
>13/04/00
>
>U.N. ASKS COUNTRIES TO SLOW RETURN OF REFUGEES
>In an open letter, the head of the U.N. Mission in Kosovo Bernard Kouchner
>appealed to countries to avoid forced returns and to help more in
>reintegrating returning refugees, Reuters reported.  "Bearing in mind that
>the returns are just starting, and that we already have problems with too
>many arriving simultaneously and with lack of regard for the dangers to
>ethnic minorities, it is crucial that we put things right quickly.
>Otherwise the tens of thousands of returnees expected this year will swamp
>the capacity to absorb them," Reuters quoted.
>
>
>Dateline:  Belgrade
>Source:  Reuters
>13/04/00
>
>U.N. ORGANISATION REJECTS NATO REFUGEE FIGURES
>Eduardo Arboleda, Deputy Chief of the U.N. High Commission for Refugees
>office in Belgrade, rejected NATO assertions that as many as 25,000 Serb
>refugees could return to their pre-war homes in Kosovo, Reuters reported.
>"I have no idea where they get these figures from.  They are not in charge
>of returning people," Reuters quoted Arboleda during a news conference.  
>The
>U.N. refugee official stated that his organisation could not yet commit to
>the repatriation of refugees to the province as their security could not be
>guaranteed, according to Reuters.
>
>
>Dateline:  Zagreb
>Source:  Associated Press (AP)
>13/04/00
>
>CROATIA DRAFTS WAR CRIMES CO-OPERATION PACT
>The Croatian government on 13 April announced it has drawn up a declaration
>of co-operation with the International War Crimes Tribunal in an effort to
>ease investigations into war crimes committed during the country¹s 1991 war
>for independence, AP reported.  "We cannot allow our independence war to be
>sullied by hiding certain war crimes and their perpetrators," Prime 
>Minister
>Ivica Racan was quoted by AP.  The declaration is due for debate and
>ratification in Croatia¹s parliament on 13 April.
>
>
>Dateline:  Shkoder, Albania
>Source:  Reuters
>13/04/00
>
>MONTENEGRO, ALBANIA WORK TOGETHER TO FIGHT CRIME
>Montenegrin and Albanian police have agreed to co-operate in their fight
>against crime for the first time in 50 years, Reuters reported, citing the
>Albanian police.  "We decided to exchange information on criminality on 
>both
>sides of the border.  This means that people who commit crimes in Albania
>and seek refuge in Montenegro to cover their tracks will be identified by
>Montenegrin police and vice versa," Reuters quoted Albanian police chief
>Bilbil Mema.
>
>

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