July 7, 1999

23:50 About 2 thousand people protested tonight in the centre of Leskovac, demanding their fellow citizen, who was sentenced to 30 days imprisonment for calling upon people to come to the protest asking for resignation of the head of the district and resignation of the YU President, to be released from prison.

23:48 Teletext TSR1, Switzerland - Several thousand Albanians crossed the main bridge in Kosovska Mitrovica Wednesday, wishing to go over to the Serbian part of the town. They marched in front of several hundred Serbs who were waving flags and shouting "Serbia and This is Serbia". About a hundred Serbs armed with "sticks and stones" tried to push off the "young Albanians". cca 20 French soldiers had to intervene to calm the Albanians and the Serbs, who were simultaneously shouting SERBIA and KLA.

23:30 At least 3,000 people signed a petition for Slobodan Milosevic`s resignation in Nis today. Opposition activists organized signing in 10 locations in this town, second in size in Serbia, inspite of the police ban.

23:19 BBC2, Newsnight - reports that the Conservative Party demands an investigation on the military effect of  NATO bombing ('is it only 13 tanks`). The Government is opposed to it and claims it is not important any more. The reporter explains this would be very embarrassing for the Government if it was proved Milosevic gave in because of the damages NATO inflicted upon towns and the infrastructure.

23:15 Monte Negro announced tonight it will prevent attempts of the authorities in Belgrade to install the so-called `federal police` in Monte Negro. `Each attempt of such a police actins we will regard as an illegal act and an attack on the constitutional position and authority of Montenegrin police`.

23:00 Norwegian Foreign Minister and chairman of OSCE, Knut Wolenbeck, met the Montenegrin Foreign Minister, Branko Perovic, today in Skopje, since the authorities in Belgrade refused to issue visa to him, requesting him to come to Belgrade before Podgorica. Visit of the chairman of the Parliamentary Assembly, lord Russel-Johnston, to Monte Negro has been announced for tomorrow.

21:34 Portoroz (Slovenia) - Berlusconi`s channel TG 5, beside other news from FRY, reports that a suicide per day is commited in Belgrade!?

21:30 In a written mesaage to the Italian Prime Minister Massimo D`Alema, Cuban leader Fidel Castro offered help in resolving the poor humanitarian situation in Kosovo. The help would consist of sending doctors and medical staff to the region.

20:20 President of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent, dr Astrid Helberg, will arrive to official visit to Monte Negro tomorrow, to learn about the total humanitarian situation.

19:55 SPO released a statement saying that "SPO openly supports the justified people`s protest in Leskovac". The  statement also asks for releasing Ivan Novkovic and resignation of Zivojin Stefanovic, head of the Jablanica district.

19:50 The Hague - UN Secretary General, Koffi Annan appointed the American Patricia M. Wald, as new president of the International Tribunal for War Crimes in the territory of the former Yugoslavia, announced the Hague Tribunal.

19:40 Democratic Party announces they would submit a proposal for the declaration demanding resignation of the President Slobodan Milosevic, at the session of the City Assembly Thursday.

19:35 According to Washington Post, NATO is changing its strategy regarding the acceptance of new members. Since it has previously been determined that the Baltic states in the north (toward Russia) have a primacy, NATO now wants first to accept the Balkan countries, claiming the main threat to Europe is coming from the south (from this region).

19:30 Dutch TV reports that Albanians from Orahovac protest against the arrival of Russian troops.

19:00 Delegation of representatives of Serbian media in Podunavlje visited today several Serbian organizations in Zagreb, trying to stimulate Serbian MPs to raise the topic of poor financial situation of Serbian media in Podunavlje.

18:38 I spoke by phone with my friends from Kosovska Mitrovica (around 13:30) and they told me about the peaceful demonstrations of the Albanians in that town. According to them, there were cca 4,000 Albanians, which French soldiers let pass through in several groups to the SERBIAN part. Demonstrations were accompanied by peaceful gathering of the citizens of Kosovska Mitrovica, Leposavic, Zvecan, Zubin Potok and all villages
near Kosovska Mitrovica. Albanians returned to their part of the town while Serbian songs were sang.

17:00 President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the European Council, Lord Russel-Johnston, will visit Monte Negro Thursday, at the invitation of the Monte negro president Milo Djukanovic, it was stated in the seat of the European Council.

16:10 In today`s interview to radio "Moscow Echo", representative of the Moscow Assembly stated that Moscow Government would reconstruct one of the demolished bridges on the Danube, as well as the TV  building in Belgrade. He added the Yugoslav side is expected to do all preparations for the building.

16:03 According to Radio Monte Negro, Minister of Education of the Serbian Government ordered the directors of all schools in the territory of Srpska Republika not to allow enrollment of children from Kosovo to their schools and not to employ teachers who escaped from Kosovo?!

16:00 MUP Leskovac apprehended Vjaceslav Nesic, brother of Dobrosav Nesic, president of the Board for Human Rights in the town. According to Nesic`s family, he was apprehended after the intervention of the head of
Jablanica district, who accused Tuesday night nesic for organizing of protest manifestations in Leskovac.

15:50 Programme of German contribution to the reconstruction and peace securing in Kosovo is to be adopted at today`s session of the German Government. The programme includes sending of cca 250 German policemen to Kosovo, to secure peace and order in the region as part of International police forces. 50 policemen will be engaged in the investigation the Hague Tribunal for war crimes is performing in the territory of the former Yugoslavia.

15:40 About a thousand Kosovar Albanians crossed the bridge in Kosovska Mitrovica which separates this town in two parts - Serbian and Albanian part. Colonel Claud Vicar, commander of the French unit in the sector, assessed the situation as a "new symbolic opening" of the bridge in the town divided between two ethnic communities.

14:45 Last night a ship with 802 refugees from Kosovo arrived to the Italian port Bari, most of whom are Romes (Gypsies), but also Asians, Serbs and Albanians. The refugees have been accomodated in a centre near the airport Bari-Paleze. Another ship with Gypsies refugees arrived this morning from Monte Negro.

14:30 British newspapers report today that the pressure on Slobodan Milosevic to resign was continued yesterday with the protest named "Now or never", which gathered thousands of people in the streets of Uzice. Another mass manifestation happened Monday night in Leskovac, where cca 20,000 people went out onto the streets. Ivan Novkovic, editor of TV Leskovac, interrupted broadcasting of the programme in the half-time break of the basketball match Yugoslavia - Germany and broadcasted the previously prepared video material, in which he appealed to the citizens to come to demonstrations in the centre of the town.

13:35 Radoslav Brdjanin, Republika Srpska MP has been put in prison today of the International Court for War crimes in the Hague. The tribunal is charging Brdjanin for crimes against humanity. Chief prosecutor of the Hague Tribunal, Louise Arbour, reiterrated that states in whose territory the indicted for war crimes are staying were primarily responsible for their arrest. She added that during her visit to Bosnia & Herzegovina she told the Serbian officials she was ready to reveal some names from the secret indictement, if they proved they were willing to cooperate with the Hague Tribunal.

13:10 Foreign media report that a series of mistakes which brought to bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade began when a US intelligence officer randomly specified addresses in the targeted street, based on numbers of buildings in the parallel streets. According to the document, ublished by State Department yesterday in 14 pages, this officer, trying to locate the address of the YU Federal Directory for Supply and Procurement, took a map of the city from 1997 and located te building 300 metres away from the desired target. It turned out that was the new address of the Chinese Embassy, whose moving out from downtown has not been marked  in any American map.

12:40 According to the London`s "Guardian", Yugoslav Governement is hiding from its people the evidence on catastrophic ecological consequences of NATO air strikes. The article is named "The Greens warn that Belgrade is hiding the toxic time bomb".

12:20 In accordance with the decision of German authorities, return of Kosovo Albanians, who were transported in an organized fashion to Germany during the bombing, will start today. This relates to 15,000 refugees, who will be transported to Skopje by planes.

11:55 Central prison in Pristina will in future be under control of an international private company. It is assumed the british `Group 4` will probably got this job.

11:40 Last night, in the village Likovac near Srbica, French KFOR members, stationed in Srbica, killed 4 and captured 20 KLA members, stated French captain Lorain Morene. He added that armed Albanian terrorists fought with KFOR members who asked them to give their amrs over. Noone of KFOR soldiers was injured.

11:20 British Defence Minister George Robertson stated Great Britain would withdraw 700 soldiers from Kosovo, including the HQ of the armoured brigade. Robertson explained tehy need to simplify and more efficiently organize commanding of the British KFOR troops.

11:05 Delegations of OSCE, headed by the presiding of the organization,    Norwegian Foreign Minister Knut Volebek, will not be able to come to the planned visit to Monte Negro today, since Yugoslav Foreign Affairs Ministry refused to issue visas to them. Thus, OSCE delegation will first have to land in Belgrade, and only then to go on o Podgorica.

11:00 One more Russian plane IL-76 took off from Riazan air base, for Kosovo. This is the 6th plane to leave for the southern Serbian province since yesterday, and the last for today.

10:50 International Red Cross Committee began visiting Kosovo Albanias in prisons in Serbia. A delegation of this humanitarian organization visited the prison in Sremska Mitrovica and plans to visit prisons in Zajecar, Novi Pazar and Prokuplje. Red Cross representative stated that Serbian Government gave them a list with 500 names of kosovo Albanians in prisons in several locations in Serbia. The same source said they are in contact with KLA representatives, in order to establish the fate of 140 Serbs kidnapped last year.

10:40 Five Kosovo Albanians were wounded during thier attempt to illegally cross the border between kosovo and Macedonia, when a mine exploded. They are in a hospital in Tetovo (Macedonia) now.

10:30 Legislature Board of Monte Negro Assembly rejected the Proposal of the Law on providing funds of solidarity for Serbia, for removing the consequences of the NATO aggression against FRY, proposed by the Socialist National Party, as well as the Proposal for a resolution regarding the situation with public media whose founder is the Monte Negro Assembly. The Board gave a `green light` to the Proposal of the final account of the Monte negro budget for 1998., as well as to proposals for decisions on amendments and supplements in organizing the newspaper agency „Pobjeda“ and RTV Monte Negro.

10:20 Today`s issue of Vecernje Novosti report that the talks of the governing Democratic Party of Socialists of Monte Negro and Parliamentary parties from Serbia, regarding the relations of the two federal units have already begun, `far from the public eyes`. DPS "is not hiding that contacts with SPS have already been made" and the talks will be held next week in the Federal Assembly.

10:10 BETA agency reports, from sources in Postanska stedionica, retired persons from Kosovo & Metohija, who used to be delivered their retirement money at home, and are now somewhere in Serbia, will not be able to receive cheques through their accounts current until they have a permanent place of residence.

09:55 On the occassion of the great Serbian holiday Ivanjdan, holy archiereic lithurgy will be held in Mileseva monastery, and inauguration of the newly appointed Meleseva episcope Filaret, Patriarch Pavle will also be present.

09:45 Agency SRNA reports that Carlos Westendorp, civilian representative in Bosnia & Heryegovina, stated after the meeting in Banja Luka with the Vice-Presidet of Serbian Republic, Mirko Sarovic, that "the international community is encouraging negotiations of the Serbian democratic Party and the coalition 'Sloga'". He said his offer to Sarovic to take over the function of the president of Serbian Republic instead of Nikola Poplasen, whom he had deposed, was still valid, but it should not be discussed on a daily basis. "It is much more important to see how the talks regarding the government will end; this issue can be resolved after reaching of the agreement", stressed Westendorp.

09:30 Journalists and photo-reporters, invited by the Republican Ministry of Information to a reception in honour of the Rising Day, were driven out yesterday, without any explanation, from the building of the Serbian Presidency. After they, according to accreditations delivered in advance, received formal passes for the reception, one of the protocol members took them to the festivity hall. - Who are these? - asked the security staff at the entrance of the hall. - Journalists. - What journalists? Tanjug and RTS are here already.

09:15 Delegation of the opposition block - Alliance for Changes, will go to Kosovo Thursday, where it will talk to Serbs living there and the representatives of the Serbian Orthodox Church, announced the Alliance`s representatives in Uzice Tuesday.

09:00 It was announced in Athens that Albanian Foreign Minister, Paskal Milo, was to visit Athens Friday, July 9, at the invitation of Greek Foreign Minister, Jorgos Papandreu. Greek state newspaper agency MPA, based on Tirana`s media articles, reports they will discuss bilateral relations and the situation in the region.

08:40 Hungarian Foreign Ministry stated that representatives of the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians and the Democratic Party of Vojvodina Hungarians reached an agreement on a 3-step autonomy, which, beside the autonomy of Vojvodina, includes demands for a territorial and personal autonomy of Hungarians in Vojvodina. Beside officials of Hunagrian Foreign Ministry and the Bureau for Hungarians in Diaspora, the meeting was attended alos by representatives of SVM and DPVM.

08:20 Leaders of the opposition block 'Alliance for Changes' announced in Uzice yesterday there was a possibility protests would be held on a daily basis throughout Serbia, with the demand for the YU President Slobodan Milosevic to reisgn. In front of more than 6,000 people, leaders of the Alliance also asked for forming of provisional governments in Serbia and FRY, which would get the country back into the world and prepare free and democratic elections at all levels.

08:00 Pentagon spokesman, Kenett Bacon, stated that Russian peacekeeping troops in Kosovo would be under the "tactical control" of the British general, KFOR commander, although they would have the option to refuse to obey orders in contrast to the Moscow policy. Bacon said Pentagon`s attitude was that the agreement of lst Monday between Russia and NATO, regarding deployment of Russian forces in Kosovo, was "very similar" to the agreement Moscow and Washington reached in Helsinki last month.

07:40 At a press conference yesterday, SPO president Vuk Draskovic categorically stated "there is now way the party would enter the Federal Government". Asked if SPO is ready to call upon Slobodan Milosevic to resign, Draskovic repeated his party stood for changes in accordance with the Constitution. He explained that from the legal point of view Milosevic has been legally elected, so he is to be replaced in the legal manner.

07:20 Supreme NATO commander for Europe, US general Wesley Clark, visited yesterday members of the peacekeeping forces in Kosovo, it was stated in Brussels. Belgian media report that Clark stated NATO officers had been cooperating with KLA members during the aggression against Yugoslavia. "KLA fighters played an important role on the ground during the air strikes", said Clark.

07:00 Radio "Svetigora" reports that a constitutive session of the National church-political council was held yesterday in Gracanica monastery; the council is to represent the interests of Serbs in Kosovo.

02:10 As a high ranking official of Monte Negro Interior Affairs stated, the number of Monte Negro police forces has been significantly reduced in the last several days. This does not mean, reports Podgorica`s paper "Vijesti", that IA reservists would take off their uniforms, because the assessment of the security situation cannot allow that. The direct reason is an attempt to recruite military reservists for the future federal police which, according to the plan from Belgrade, would control border crossings and have extensive authority in the territory of Monte Negro.

01:55 If everything went according to the plan, the international community will work intensely this month on further elaboration of the realization of the so-called Pact on Stability of Southeast Europe. This agreement has been signed by NATO member countries, Balkan countries and international institutions.

01:40 Protest in Leskovac, cca 30,000 citizens protest against Slobodan Milosevic. In Nis, leaflets against the YU President can be found everywhere.

01:30 About 2,000 protestors had a confrontation with police Tuesday in Leskovac, when they attempted to march toward the Leskovac police HQ, requesting freeing of Ivan Novkovic, employee of a local TV, sentenced to 30 days of imprisonment because of organizing a protest meeting.

01:20 The main body of Russian KFOR began arriving to Pristina. 4 transport planes landed at Slatina airport yesterday, the 5th is expected to arrive today. Commander of Russian forces at Pristina airport, general Anatolii Voickov, stated the main task of his soldiers was to ensure safety to all citizens of Kosovo, regardless of their nationality. Greek agency Ana reports meantime, referring to sources in Athens, that 4 Russian ships with troops and artillery for Kosovo are to arrive next week to north-Egeic ports Thesalonikhi or Volos.

01:15 Deputy spokesman of the US State Department, James Folly, stated USA wanted to help democratic changes in Serbia in any way it can, they wanted to improve the poor humanitarian situation, but would not do anything which would help Slobodan Milosevic remain in the power. "Serbian people deserve a better leadership and surely does not deserve to be lead by a suspected war criminal" stressed Folly.

01:10 BETA agency reports that police in Nis has banned collecting signatures in Nis for resignation of YU President Milosevic, organized by the Board for Citizens` Initiative, but the Board stated it would not obey oral bans.

01:00 Last night in Leskovac the protestors broke windows and demolished the fence in front of the house of the head of Jablanica district, Zivojin Stefanovic, whose resignation was demanded in the protests last Monday. Yesterday protestors had a confrontation with the police, requesting freeing of Ivan Novkovic, employee of the local TV, who was sentenced 30 days of imprisonment for organizing of the said protests.

00:50 CNN showed a large fire in Atlanta, caused by a direct strike of a thunder onto a building.

00:30 ITV News London - Russian commanders in Kosovo confirm they will receive orders from NATO.

00:10 When I was at work tonight, a collaborator, a Dane, asked me: What`s the matter with Serbs? Have they gone mad? Until yesterday they were all shouting, supporting Milosevic, while bombs were dropping on their heads, they all defied NATO bombs and would not subdue, now they are all against him. Why didn`t they protest before the bombing? They are mad! What could I reply when I cannot understand that myself? I just left.