[00:00.00] News No. 16
[00:07.76]At 18 hours universal time. Here is the news on the Voice of America.
[00:13.35]I'm Steve Norman in Washington.
[00:20.11]16.1 An emergency meeting of Bulgarian leaders has failed to end the country's political deadlock in the face of protest.
[00:26.62]The ruling Socialists refused to hold early elections as demanded by the opposition.
[00:31.32]And opposition leaders say the public is angry that the Socialists have not overcome Bulgaria' s economic crisis
[00:37.38]and national protests will continue.
[00:39.16]Thousands of demonstrators turned out in Sofia for a sixth day on Saturday.
[00:51.46]Some clashes occurred with police.
[00:53.24]The unrest in recent days is the worst since the downfall of the communism in 1989.
[00:58.23]16.2 Serbia's government may be moving closer to recognizing the results of November's contested local elections.
[01:04.37]The government said it is ordering a rapid new review of balloting and would punish anyone who committed election fraud.
[01:11.31]The move came after students met with two deputy prime ministers early Saturday.
[01:15.47]Students and opposition supporters have been demonstrating for two months now
[01:19.54]since the government annulled opposition victories in fourteen key cities.
[01:23.72]16.3 Efforts to break the deadlock in negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians moved to Cairo today.
[01:29.44]US mediator Dennis Ross discussed the issues with Egypt's President's Hosni Mubarak and a senior Palestinian negotiator.
[01:36.57]Mr. Mubarak met earlier with Palestinian leader Yasser Ararat.
[01:40.21]As Mr.Ross headed back to Israel,he said there is no agreement yet.
[01:43.86]16.4 Officials say Russian President Boris Yeltsin is doing better today in his fight against pneumonia.
[01:49.84]But as VOA's Elizabeth Arat in Moscow reports concern is growing over the ailing leader and his ability to continue to govern.
[01:56.82]Mr. Yeltsin was said to be more active Saturday and his condition more stable.
[02:01.78]A brief Kremlin statement added his temperature and blood pressure were normal.
[02:05.99]The Russian leader was hospitalized last Wednesday with pneumonia.
[02:09.18]His doctor said he could be released as early as Monday, but would need another three weeks of rest.
[02:14.84]The pneumonia follows Mr. Yelsin's heart surgery in November
[02:18.61]and is the latest episode in nearly two years of publicized health problems.
[02:23.20]The President's continued absences have prompted both liberal and conservative critics to call for him to retire.
[02:30.20]Opponents say he has let issues such as army reform, and paying state wages reach crisis proportions.
[02:36.40]The respected newspaper Consmorka Provda Saturday added it is obvious that the president has no strength left
[02:43.21]to attend properly to affairs of state.
[02:45.72]Elizabeth Arat,VOA news,Moscow.
[02:48.25]16.5 Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori says he is confident he can secure the release of the 74 hostages
[02:54.52]held by the Tupac Amaru rebels at the Japanese ambassador's residence in Lima.
[02:59.30]But he says that may take some weeks of negotiating.
[03:02.18]Mr. Fujimori's envoy Domingo Palermo is to resume face-to-face talks with the guerrillas today or possibly tomorrow.
[03:08.55]The rebels want the president to free hundreds of their imprisoned comrades. Mr. Fujimori is refusing to comply.
[03:15.81]16.6 The chief administrator for the international criminal tribunal on Rwanda
[03:20.36]is defending himself against accusations of financial mismanagement.
[03:24.09]As VOA's Scott Stern reports,the United Nations has launched an internal audit of tribunal accounts.
[03:29.61]Ankoneko Ardedey says he is the target of smear campaign by former employees and critics of the tribunal
[03:36.40]for trying to tarnish his reputation and effectiveness of the court.
[03:39.79]As tribunal registrar, Mr.Ardedey controlled finance,
[03:43.40]administration and witness protection in addition to issuing indictment and arrest warrants.
[03:48.70]The United Nations tribunal was established to try those responsible for the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.
[03:54.42]Now UN investigators are working into the allegation of fraud, mismanagement, sexual harassment and unqualified staff.
[04:01.29]Mr. Ardeley says he feels under no pressure to resign and he is confident that his work
[04:06.26]and the work of the tribunal will be fully vindicated.
[04:08.69]He said early allegations of sexual harassment have proved to be without merit
[04:12.84]and all financial accounts are in order and have been given to investigators who prepared a draft report.
[04:18.43]The new UN Secretary General Kofi Annan says he will take whatever actions seemed appropriate after reading the final report.
[04:25.17]Scott Stern,VOA news,Alusia.
[04:27.47]
[04:33.11]Hutu refugees who returned home from Tanzania.
[04:36.14]An army spokesman told the VOA that Hutus were killed by seven soldiers on Friday
[04:41.13]after they tried to escape from a detention center in Burundi.
[04:44.34]He says the refugees have been expelled from Tanzania last month.
[04:47.74]The spokesman said the soldiers involved in the shooting have been arrested.
[04:51.42]16.8 The United Nations says Tanzania has expelled some 120 Burundi Hutu refugees accused of fermenting trouble in camps in the Northwest.
[04:58.76]A spokesman for UN High Commission for Refugees says the refugees have already arrived in their ethnically divided country.
[05:05.42]The spokesman says the refugees were from Kigali camp,which had been hit by factional fighting between Hutu groups since December.
[05:12.89]16.9 The United Sates is sending a diplomatic envoy to Cyprus,
[05:16.71]Greece and Turkey to try to reduce tension arising from plans to deploy Russian-made antiaircraft missiles on Cyprus.
[05:23.76]The United States says it opposes Cyprus missile deal.
[05:27.08]But Washington says Turkey's threat to use force is absolutely beyond the bonds of acceptable international behavior.
[05:33.87]I'm Steve Norman in Washington. This is the Voice of America.
[05:38.16]16.10 The Sri Lankan government and Tamil rebels report heavy casualties from fighting for two northern military camps.
[05:46.02]The Tamil Tiger rebels say they killed at least 200 soldiers and lost about 140 of their own fighters.
[05:51.92]That was in the battle at Parenton in Elephant Pass on Thursday.
[05:55.34]The Sri Lankan army says it killed 350 rebels, wounded 700 others while losing 161 soldiers killed in the battle.
[06:02.84]There are no independent reports on the fighting. Journalists are barred from the area.
[06:06.45]16.11 Iran says it is willing to host a meeting of rival Afghan groups to discuss national reconciliation of Afghanistan.
[06:13.66]Iran's foreign minister said all groups would be invited including the Taliban,
[06:17.97]which Iran opposes. Iran continues to recognize as Afghanistan's govemment the administration ousted when the Taliban captured Kabul.
[06:25.91]16.12 Pope John Paul says the international community must not ignore the fate of millions of refugees and displaced people in Africa.
[06:33.30]The Pope said dialogue and negotiations should replace conflict in Central Africa,
[06:37.98]where violence and bloodshed continue to cause great pain and numerous victims.
[06:42.10]He made the comments on Saturday as he met with Tanzania's new ambassador to the Vatican.
[06:46.57]16.13 African mediators are launching a fresh round of talks in the Central African Republic,
[06:51.17]where rebel soldiers are demanding the resignation of President Arshlic Barasey.
[06:55.63]Mall, which is heading the negotiating team,
[06:58.22]says today's meeting will bring together a cross section of political,social,and religious leaders.
[07:03.60]The diplomats met this week with rebellious soldiers and say they hope to bring them deeper into those negotiations
[07:10.08]16.14 Here in Washington, President Clinton is meeting today with members of his cabinet to discuss the work ahead in the second term,
[07:16.56]which begins in a few days.
[07:18.00]VOA White House correspondent Dulberg Tate reports.
[07:20.97]President Clinton left the White House on a cold winter morning and walked across icy Pennsylvania Avenue to Blaire House,
[07:27.40]the presidential guesthouse and site of his daylong retreat with his cabinet.
[07:31.40]White House spokesman Mike McAnney says the meeting will explore national security issues
[07:35.94]and the US role in the world over the next four years as well as such domestic matters as balancing the budget,
[07:41.79]improving education,and protecting the environment.
[07:44.46]There will be a very productive and engaging session in which the president gets many insights from his cabinet members.
[07:50.96]We really guess a sense of how this team will work together in a spirited way carrying out president's agenda for the future.
[07:58.62]Both incoming and outgoing members of the cabinet are taking part in the meeting.
[08:02.51]Mr.Clinton held a similar session with his new cabinet when he prepared for his first term in 1993.
[08:08.18]Dulberg Tare,VOA news at the White House.
[08:10.95]16.15 Before beginning their cabinet retreats today, President Clinton addressed the United States by radio,
[08:16.25]saying he will send a Congress legislation aimed at eliminating gang violence and witness intimidation.
[08:22.54]In his weekly radio program,Mr. Clinton said he has asked the justice department in Washingtonm
[08:27.22]recommere ways to stop gang violence against witnesses.
[08:30.54]And the Republican Party also talked to the nation by radio.
[08:33.67]Senator Trent Lot says his party will press for laws to help children to gain access to good education in schools,
[08:39.50]free of violence and drugs.
[08:41.33]"... in better schools. We want every child to have a chance for a education in a school
[08:50.73]free from violence and drugs like my own children have.
[08:53.84]And like you,we want government to its solemn obligation to protect its citizens from crime."
[08:59.38]That's Senator Trent Lot.
[09:01.28]16.16 These are the hour's news headlines.
[09:03.06]In an emergency meeting, Bulgarian leaders failed to end the politica crisis as street protests continue for a 6th day there.
[09:09.67]And Serbia's Socialists-led government says it will order a new rapid reviev of contested local elections.
