Highlights of the AAP news file am Monday, April 19

AAP General News (Australia)
04-19-1999
Highlights of the AAP news file am Monday, April 19
BREAKFAST ROUND-UP: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 0430.

KOSOVO (BELGRADE) NATO has stepped up airstrikes,
pummeling refineries, bridges and dozens of other
industrial and military targets in what it claims is a highly
successful round of assaults on Yugoslavia.

But the refugee crisis is deepening despite a 25th straight
day of attacks aimed at making
President SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC halt his offensive in Kosovo and
agree to a political settlement
for the Serbian province.

Ethnic Albanians continue to pour out of Kosovo at the rate
of a thousand an hour, bringing
Serb forces closer to emptying the province of its ethnic
Albanian majority.

In the latest tragedy, a car carrying a family across the
border to Albania from Kosovo struck a land mine planted by
Serb forces at the edge of a narrow mountain path, killing
three
children, their mother and grandmother.

NATO has also raised chilling evidence of what it says are
43 mass grave sites in Kosovo - some dug by groups of Kosovo
Albanians rounded up by Serb forces to bury their ethnic
kinsmen.

In one of the most active periods of the military campaign,
the alliance's jets have flown 500 missions in a 24-hour
period.

KOSOVO CARE (CANBERRA) Two CARE workers accused of spying
by Yugoslavia should finally be allowed access to
Australian diplomats this week.

Senior Yugoslav Foreign Ministry spokesman MILISLAV PAIC
has denied his government has any
obligation to allow consular officials access to STEVE PRATT
and PETER WALLACE, who have now
been held for nearly three weeks.

But Mr PAIC says Australian officials will be allowed to
see the two CARE workers this week as a goodwill gesture by
the Yugoslavs.

However, even before the men have faced any court, Mr PAIC
has declared them guilty of espionage.

INDON TIMOR (DILI, East Timor)

At least one man has been shot dead in more violence in the
East Timor capital Dili, following the rampage against
independence supporters in which 20 people died.

Dozens more are still unaccounted for after Saturday's
killing spree, which police and troops made no apparent effort
to prevent.

East Timor Police say 13 people were killed and five
seriously wounded on Saturday, but other reports say 20 bodies
have been recovered.

The local military information office says one person was
killed in Becora yesterday
morning, but have given no details.

Australia's accused the Indonesian military of turning a
blind eye to the murderous rampages,and is demanding the
paramilitaries be disarmed.

Prime Minister JOHN HOWARD says there's growing evidence
the militias have been given the
green light by the Indonesian armed forces.

INDIA (NEW DELHI)

India's Hindu nationalist government has resigned after
losing a confidence vote by a single ballot -- an ominous
margin signaling continued political turmoil.

Prime Minister ATAL BIHARI VAJPAYEE has given his
resignation to President KR NARAYANAN, but has agreed to stay
on as caretaker until a new government is formed.

The Indian parliament voted 270-269 to out VAJPAYEE's
government.

The main opposition Congress Party met last night for 30
minutes, during which the leaders authorised party chief SONIA
GANDHI -- heir to India's foremost political dynasty -- to
decide on the allies and the shape of a future government.

Party spokesman ARJUN SINGH says the party will now wait
for the president to invite the group to form a government
rather than stake a claim to power.

TAX (CANBERRA)

The final battle on the GST starts today when the Senate
commences the marathon debate that will decide the fate of the
government's radical new tax system.

The debate kicks off with the tabling of the major Senate
report into the GST.

It's sure to demand major changes such as the exclusion of
food from the tax, or massive increases in compensation for
low income earners.

However Prime Minister JOHN HOWARD yesterday made clear the
government has no intention of
compromising the GST, and is prepared to risk the entire tax
plan to prevent it being watered
down.

He says some fine tuning is possible.

BRIEFLY.

The head of the IRA's political wing says Northern
Ireland's peace accord is in free-fall, and Britain must move
to create a promised home-rule coalition to run the troubled
province.

School leavers will be able to take part in work for the
dole programs within three months under an expansion of the
scheme to be unveiled today by Employment Services Minister
TONY ABBOTT.

Four youths remain barricaded on a roof at a New South
Wales central coast maximum security
detention centre today after rioting at the institution
yesterday.

The board of telecommunications group AAPT Ltd will meet
today to discuss a $1.5 billion takeover bid launched by rival
Cable and Wireless Optus Ltd on Friday.

Former New South Wales Supreme Court judge VINCENT BRUCE
reportedly wants an $80,000 judicial pension.

The Victorian opposition's called for the release of a
government report into deaths in custody after the 10th death
at the privately run Port Phillip Prison in less than two
years.

MONICA LEWINSKY, the former White House intern who came
close to toppling US President BILL CLINTON, reportedly is
planning to move to Britain in an attempt to shrug off her
troubled past.

SPORT

OLY VOLLEYBALL (SYDNEY)

Olympic organisers could be forced to rethink plans to hold
Olympic beach volleyball at Sydney's Bondi Beach in the face
of virulent public protest.

Local mayor PAUL PEARCE says Waverly council may not sign a
key agreement with Games organisers, jeopardising the choice
of venue.

Councillor PEARCE says that while the council has helped
draft the principles of an agreement with the Olympic
Coordination Authority to allow up to 20 per cent of Bondi
Beach and its amenities as a games venue, it hasn't signed a
legal contract.

About 1,000 residents opposed to the volleyball event at
Bondi attended a fiery public
meeting at Bondi Pavilion yesterday.

SOCCER ENGLAND (LONDON)

A late equaliser from Leicester City's STEVE GUPPY has
destroyed Chelsea's hopes of putting pressure on English
premier league leaders Manchester United in a 2-2 draw in
London.

Chelsea seemed to be cruising towards a 2-0 victory before
an own goal and a piece of GUPPY brilliance earnt City the 2-2
draw.

Chelsea are now one point ahead of third-placed Arsenal and
three points behind United but Chelsea's two rivals both have
a game in hand.

TENNIS FED AUST (KLAGENFURT)

Australia women's doubles team has been defeated to give
Austria victory in the Fed Cup tennis match in Klagenfurt.

Australia's ALICIA MOLIK and RENNAE STUBBS lost to BARBARA
SCHETT and BARBARA SCHWARTZ of Austria in straight sets, 6-3
6-3.

Austria won the Fed Cup second world group tie three-two.

JUVENILE (SYDNEY)

Four youths remain barricaded on a roof at a New South
Wales central coast maximum security detention centre today
after rioting at the institution yesterday.

The NSW Department of Juvenile Justice says three youths
surrendered earlier and Corrective Services negotiators
continue to talk to the remaining four on the roof at the
Kariong Detention Centre near Gosford.

The NSW Ombudsman is conducting an investigation into last
month's disturbances, which will be extended to include the
latest riot.

ENDS BULLETIN AAP RTV

KEYWORD: BREAKFAST ROUND-UP

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