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===== AIM Evening NEWS for Tuesday, September 19, 2000 =====
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US TROOPS ABUSED CIVILIANS IN KOSOVO
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PRISTINA, September 19, 2000 (Guardian)

Soldiers in a US army unit whose motto was "shoot 'em in the
face" beat and abused civilians in Kosovo, according to an official
army report prepared published yesterday. It found that the soldiers
had violated the basic standards of decency and humanity because they
had not been prepared properly for a peacekeeping role in the area.

The army released the 1,100-page report into the behaviour of A
company, 3rd battalion, 504th parachute infantry regiment yesterday.
The report amounts to a devastating indictment not only of the way in
which members of the unit behaved in Kosovo but also of the way in
which they were prepared for their assignment.

It concluded that the commanders of the unit should have been
aware of what was being done by their troops. The failure of the
senior officers to put a brake on the activities of their men meant
that they effectively "perpetuated a volatile situation".

The report, which is highly critical of the command structure
and training of the unit, could be used as ammunition in the
presidential campaign. The Republican candidate, George W Bush, has
criticised the Clinton administration, and by implication his rival
Al Gore, for supposedly running down the military and allowing it to
become demoralised and underfunded.

The report comes in the wake of the conviction last month of
Staff Sergeant Frank Ronghi for rape and murder. Ronghi has been
sentenced to life for killing a young girl while he was on
peacekeeping duty in Kosovo, and the case has severely damaged the
reputation of the US troops in the area.


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PATRIARCH PAVLE ABOUT STATEMENT OF BISHOP FILARET
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BELGRADE, September 19, 2000 ( I-NET )

Serbian Patriarch Pavle said today that statement of Bishop
Filaret, who criticized opposition and gave support to the government
at state-run television last evening, is not the position of the
Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC).


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KOSTUNICA'S UNPLANNED SPEECHES IN GRDELICA AND VLASOTINCE
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GRDELICA, September 19, 2000 (BETA)

Serbian Democratic Opposition presidential candidate Kostunica
today visited Grdelica. It had not been previously planned for
Kostunica to deliver a speech in this town, however, about 1,500
citizens demanded that he address the crowd. Local residents had
already had in place a public-address system and welcomed him with
flags of the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS). About 5,000 people
live in Grdelica.

In Vlasotinac Kostunica was greeted by about 1,000 citizens
flying flags of the Democratic Party of Serbia and the Democratic
Party. Kostunica also spoke live on program of the local television
in Vlasotince Rosulja TV.


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DRASKOVIC: OPPOSITION DOESN'T STAND A CHANCE
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BELGRADE, September 19, 2000 ( I-NET )

Leader of Serbian Renewal Movement (SPO) Vuk Draskovic said in
his interview to "Welt" on Tuesday that the forthcoming elections
will be "disaster for democratic forces" and that opposition has no
chance to win.


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MILUTINOVIC IN PANCEVO RAFINERY
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PANCEVO, September 19, 2000 (RTS)

Serbian President came to Pancevo refinery to inaugurate the
most complex department for fluid-catalytic cracking, as well as
other capacities ruined during NATO aggression. Refinery was renewed
4 months before the dead line.

Addressing to the workers and authorities of the Refinery,
president Milutinovic said that renewal of Serbia should occur in all
the areas.


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MILOSEVIC TO VISIT MONTENEGRO
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PODGORICA, September 19, 2000 (FoNet)

People's Socialist Party (SNP) officially confirmed that
Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic will join their final
preelectoral meeting tomorrow at 1300 hours in Berane. Public
statement of SNP states "Milosevic comes to Montenegro as amongst his
own, as a friend of Montenegro and it's people".


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MONTENEGRO INVITED TO UN SUMMIT
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EUROPEAN UNIT, September 19, 2000 ( I-NET )

Montenegro is invited to take part at EU and Balkan's countries
summit, which was initiated by French President Jacques Siraq.

Summit will be held on 24th November in Zagreb, Croatia.


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EU CARROT TO YUGOSLAV VOTERS
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EUROPEAN UNION, September 18, 2000 (BBC)

The European Union has delivered its strongest message yet to
the Serbian people that a vote to oust President Slobodan Milosevic
in forthcoming elections would bring an end to economic sanctions.

In a statement released on Monday, EU foreign ministers said: "A
choice, leading to a democratic change, would lead to a radical
modification of the European Union's policy towards Serbia."

"The metamorphosis of FR Yugoslavia into a genuine pluralistic
and open society will result in its membership in the Council of
Europe", the joint statement of the oldest European political
organisation representing forty-three European countries, among them
all the former Yugoslav republics, except for Bosnia-Herzegovina and
FR Yugoslavia, said.

Calling the poll "a crucial political choice," the ministers
said the new policy will also involve reconstruction aid and help
bring Yugoslavia out of international isolation.

The EU imposed a wide range of sanctions, including an oil
embargo, financial sanctions and travel restrictions against Belgrade
last year over its persecution of ethnic Albanians in Kosovo.


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BLAIR CHALLENGED OVER DONATION 'LIES'
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LONDON, UK, September 19, 2000 (BBC)

The Conservatives are demanding an inquiry into allegations that
Tony Blair and Gordon Brown lied over a £1m donation to the Labour
Party. They have asked the standards watchdog, Lord Neill, to
investigate whether he was misled over the donation, made by Formula
One chief Bernie Ecclestone.

The allegations are contained in a new book by political writer
Andrew Rawnsley of The Observer and serialised in the Daily Mail. The
book says that Mr. Blair believed he would be forced out of office
over the affair, only six months into his term of office. According
to the Mail, Mr. Blair told a friend at the time of the crisis: "This
is the end ... they'll get me for this."

Mr Rawnsley says Mr. Blair and Mr. Brown were embroiled in two
lies over the donation from the multi-millionaire racing chief. The
allegations are: Mr. Brown told BBC Radio 4's Today programme he knew
nothing about the donation, but admitted privately afterwards that he
had lied, saying: "If this gets out, I'll be destroyed."

Mr Blair claimed he had sought the advice about the £1m donation
from Lord Neill before any journalists had been in touch. In fact,
the prime minister contacted Lord Neill only after reporters began to
break the scandal. And his letter asked for advice about a second
offered donation, not the first, according to Mr. Rawnsley's book.

Downing Street dismissed the allegations and ridiculed the Daily
Mail report.


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INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND ANNUAL MEETING
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PRAGUE, Czech Republic, September 19, 2000 (BBC)

The International Monetary Fund and its sister organisation the
World Bank hold their annual meetings from today in Prague. The IMF
will be publishing its annual World Economic Outlook, which forecasts
a faster rate of growth in the global economy in 2000 and 2001 than
it earlier expected. About 18,000 economic experts from 180 countries
will be taking part. Protest groups have said they will try to
disrupt the proceedings. They accused the IMF and World Bank of
favouring industrialised countries to the disadvantage of developing
countries.

The International Monetary Fund has warned that high oil prices
are a significant threat to global prosperity. The report comes as
protests over high fuel prices spread to Israel, and continue to
cause chaos in several European countries.

The International Monetary Fund says continued economic growth
in most parts of the world seems likely for the next few years -
unless the United States gets into economic trouble.

The report, released every six months, says the overall outlook
is "encouraging" for all major regions of the world.

Canada's growth is expected to drop to 2.8 per cent next year,
largely because the United States is also expected to slow down.

Europe is expanding rapidly and even Japan's economy may finally
be recovering, the IMF says.

The report says Asia is recovering from the economic chaos that
devastated much of the region in 1997 and 1998.


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ISRAEL CALLS INDEFINITE 'TIMEOUT' IN PEACE TALKS WITH PALESTINIANS
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WASHINGTON, USA, September 19, 2000 (Associated Press)

Israel has called an indefinite "timeout" in peace talks with
the Palestinians, with the explanation that Palestinian leader Yasser
Arafat has hardened his position on the unsettled issues, an Israeli
official said Tuesday.

The talks have foundered mostly over the future of Jerusalem.
Arafat, who heads the Palestine Liberation Organization, has demanded
sovereignty for the Palestinians over the eastern part of the city.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak has offered only some local control
of Arab neighbourhoods.

Israeli Foreign Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami had said Monday that the
parties needed to come to agreement by mid-October "at the latest" -
a date spurred by U.S. presidential elections in November and the
reconvening of Israel's parliament in late October.

Barak is expected to try to shore up his coalition government
after recent defections designed to protest his sweeping concessions
to Arafat, including the promised exchange of virtually all of the
West Bank and Gaza for a Palestinian state.


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MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD ARRESTS IN EGYPT
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ALEXANDRIA, Egypt, September 19, 2000 (BBC)

The biggest Islamic group in Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood, has
accused the government of trying to stop it from playing a part in
the country's upcoming elections. The Muslim Brotherhood has been
outlawed by the Egyptian Government, which accuses the group of
encouraging violence in order to establish an Islamic state. The
organisation says it is seeking such a state through peaceful means.

Although the Muslim Brotherhood is banned from taking part
openly in political life, it informally nominates and supports
candidates running as independents.

Fifteen members of the Brotherhood have been arrested in the
Mediterranean city of Alexandria over the past few days, in what one
of the group's leadership called an attempt to scare them.

The arrests came as the human rights group Amnesty International
accused the Egyptian authorities of systematically harassing
opposition politicians, and of placing a muzzle on civil society.

The first of three rounds of legislative elections, for 444
seats in the People's Assembly, is due to take place on 18 October.


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FIRST EVER INDIAN WOMAN MEDALIST
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SYDNEY, Australia, September 19, 2000 (BBC)

An Indian weightlifter has become the country's first medal
winner in the 2000 Olympics - as well as the first ever Indian woman
to win a medal.

Karnam Malleswari, from the southern state of Andhra Pradesh,
won bronze in the women's 69 kg category.

Malleswari said comments printed recently in India Today
magazine had put her under pressure, but made her try harder for a
medal.

"The magazine said I was overweight, drinking beer and eating
too much chicken and cheese. Also, that I was getting old and was not
serious about my training," she said.

"Let them ask me or my coach now if I was overweight - I have
won a medal for India."

She described herself as being "overwhelmed with pride."

However, she said it would be her last competition.


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THE NEWS
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Evening news edited by Milka Zrnic

AIM, Belgrade, September 19, 2000 18:30


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