Headlines
- Due to severe weather conditions, NATO strikes against Yugoslavia weaker
- Yugoslavia refuses peace plan of UN Secretary General
- International officials expect new wave of 100,000 refugees from Kosovo
- In Banja Luka, exchange rate for YU Dinar and KM determined – 10,5 YU Dinar:1 KM
- Media environment in BiH – when would entities’ television serve the state
- Agreement on special relation of BiH Federation and Republic Croatia will be finalized in 2,5 month
Yugoslavia
Severe weather conditions were the main reason for weaker NATO strikes last night, NATO Headquarters announced. Agencies reported that the airport Slatina, near Pristina, and military targets on the Goles Hill were hit again. Yugoslavia refused the UN Secretary General peace plan explaining that the international military and political forces in Kosovo are not needed and unacceptable.
The USA State Secretary, Madeleine Albright, addressed to the citizens of Yugoslavia in Serbian language last night. She explained reasons for NATO strikes.
Kosovo – refugees
Coming of Kosovo refugees to Albania continued last night in the Kukes region where all capacities had already been full. Only during the last 24 hours, 25,000 people were expelled from Kosovo. According to the most recent data, some 339,000 refugees are in Albania. The Kosovo Albanians’ exodus over the Prokletije mountain range, covered with snow, continues.
Banja Luka
The RS Government determined the exchange rate of 1KM for 7,5 YU dinar last year, after the stopping of payment operations with the Federal Republic Yugoslavia. According to an official release of the RS Banks Association, the new exchange rate is 1KM for 10,5 YU dinar.
Doboj
During the NATO strikes against Yugoslavia, many oil refineries were destroyed. There was an information recently, that oil for Yugoslavia was imported from Bosanski Brod in RS. Denial of the reports came from Doboj.
Dubrovnik
The Kosovo crisis is the main topic of the local and international analysts. OBN’s journalist, Mujo Delibegovic, visited Dubrovnik and talked to the well-known Croatian academic, Ivan Supek.
Sarajevo
A novel “The Black Book of Communism” was publicly presented in Sarajevo today. The book was published in France and has been translated into Bosnian lately. The book is the result of a need to speak up on a topic that used to be a taboo for a long time.
One of the issues that were addressed in RS and BiH Federation today, was media. The Act Law on Transformation and Development of Electronic Media was discussed in Sarajevo.
Banja Luka
The RS Journalists’ Association refused a decision on prohibiting “Kanal S” made by IMC. They said that all media in RS were under pressure, which is a result of double standards for RS and BiH Federation.
Prijedor
The OBN’s correspondent made a research on the issue in Prijedor. Journalists are under political pressure and this was reason for establishing Journalists’ Association of the Prijedor region.
Sarajevo
A ratification of the Agreement on Special Relations between BiH Federation and Republic Croatia had been waited for 5 months. Now, although the Representative House of the BiH Federation Parliament has approved the agreement, the most important part of it, the annexes, is still to be determined.
At the seventh session of the SDA Main Board, the president of the party, Alija Izetbegovic, said that it was necessary to start initiatives for solving open questions with Croatia, such as the Ploce seaport, property relations, citizenship, borders and establishing of the contacts with democratic political parties in Croatia.
World
Dismissal of the government in India; presidential elections in Algeria; operation of the USA planes against Iraq; 40 bodies found in Columbia.
Ugljevik
The RS Ministry for Refugees and Displaced Persons did not have an accurate information on how many claims for return had been positively answered up to now, the vice minister, Petko Obucina, said. The current situation in Yugoslavia had direct consequences on the process of return in BiH. One of the examples is Glinje in the Ugljevik municipality. The return of Bosniak refugees was stopped due to the current events in Yugoslavia.
Prozor / Konjic
Last night, an explosion occurred in Prozor, when a mosque was damaged. Last week, some 30 Bosniak families returned to Prozor and the municipality officials determined this as a big step forward. People return to Konjic as well.
Sarajevo
Between 250 and 300 university students from Pristina, Sandzak, Belgrade, Nis and other Yugoslav towns, applied to the Sarajevo University. Having in mind the fact that most of the student centers are full, the question where to put these students is raised.
Banovici
A piece on the problems of the BiH students currently placed in three refugee settlements in the Banovici municipality.
Travnik
The Catholic Church in BiH pays great attention to the education of young people. Currently, there are 5 Catholic schooling centers in BiH and the one in Travnik has marked the first year of its establishing.
Zenica
The assembly session of the Blind People Association of the Zenica-Doboj Canton was held today in Zenica. There are 600 members of the Association and they appealed ministries to solve their main problems.
Sport
Results from the RS and BiH Federation football, basketball and table tennis matches were followed by the reports from the international sport scene.