News of the Day

Thursday, December 10
Around 1,500 Serbs taking part in a peace march from Orahovac arrived in Dragobilje to express solidarity with the relatives of persons kidnapped in Kosovo. Ibrahim Rugova said that an investigation should be opened to determine the fate of 136 Serbs who have gone missing in Kosovo since last March.

Friday, December 11
The value of the dinar continued to drop on the black market, in spite of the Federal Government's prediction that the drop is unfounded. The government blamed the dinar's fall on black market operators and the independent media. Black market dealers placed the exchange rate at 8.2 dinars for one German mark.

Saturday, December 12
According to figures released by the Federal bureau for labor and migrations, there were 850,320 unemployed persons in Yugoslavia in September, which is 0.7 percent more than the month before. The overall September incomes stood at 9.124 billion dinars, while expenses amounted to 7.261 billion dinars.

Sunday, December 13
The Montenegrin government proposed next year's budget at 3.699 billion dinars.

Monday, December 14
At least 30 armed ethnic Albanians were killed and 12 were wounded in a clash with Yugoslav border guards when they tried to enter Yugoslavia illegally. Six young men were killed and three were wounded in a terrorist attack on a cafe in the town of Pec.

Tuesday, December 15
Richard Holbrooke said, after talks he had in Yugoslavia, that neither the Serbs nor the ethnic Albanians turned down Christopher Hill's draft plan on a solution to the Kosovo crisis, adding that the plan is still being elaborated as it is based on a negotiating process.

Wednesday, December 16
The black market exchange rate dropped to 7.5 dinars for one German mark after measures adopted by financial institutions.

Quotes

Statement of the Week
"I have no regrets and my conscience is clear", said Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic to the daily Washington Post.
 
Balance
Belgrade car thieves proved that they don't discriminate their targets on an ethnic basis; a few months after snatching a car driven by the wife of the US charge d'affaires in Belgrade, they took away a Mercedes owned by the Chinese embassy staff. At the time of issuing this edition of the weekly Vreme, the black 300 SE Mercedes still hasn't been found. Its plate number is CMD-88-A-01

The Patriotic League of Yugoslavia,
An organization trained to love its motherland, said the following about Yugoslavia's head patriot and what he said to the daily Washington post: "This is yet more evidence of our president's just, wise, determined and freedom-seeking statements, resulting from the depth of the unique efforts invested by Yugoslavia's genuine patriots.
We wish to express our support and appreciation to Slobodan Milosevic, Yugoslavia's leading patriot for his immense efforts to defend our country's dignity and vital interests"(Tanjug).