Diplomacy
The G8 group of key Nato nations and Russia agree seven principles for resolving war but fudge question of Nato troops taking part in Kosovo peacekeeping force; US says they must, Russia's foreign minister Igor Ivanov (right) says only with Yugoslav agreement; and so far, Milosevic says no to that.
Yugoslavia accuses Nato of conducting "genocidal" air strikes with cumulative bombing power so far equal to nine Hiroshima-type atomic bombs; letter to UN Security Council says: "The air strikes were aimed at destroying the power grid of the country. They constitute unprecedented crimes, genocidal in nature, as they target the entire population of Yugoslavia and are aimed at provoking shortages of food and other essential provisions which would cause widespread famine and, eventually, a humanitarian catastrophe of unseen proportions."
The Campaign:
Yugoslav media reports Nato pounding targets across Yugoslavia as huge oil dump fires blazed after overnight raids; four people claimed injured; strikes against Novi Sad; Serb state television claimed Nato attacked civilian targets near Uzice; targets also hit in Sremska Mitrovica; Nato bombs also claimed hit civilian areas in village near Pristina; huge blazes at oil dumps in Nis; Prahovo Danube river port fuel depot on border with Romania also targeted.
Nato claims good progress in destroying Serb forces in Kosovo, says Alliance aircraft have hit 300 pieces of Serb military equipment, including 200 tanks or heavy guns; only two Danube bridges remain in Serbia, total of 31 bridges attacked; two major railroads into Kosovo closed, plus two major roads from Serbia to Kosovo; all Serbia's oil refining capacity destroyed.
Refugees:
First group of 150 refugees to Ireland due Monday; second group of 150 due Thursday, says Liz O'Donnell; initial group going to Killarney, next group to Kildare barracks and Baltinglass hostel; further refugees to Waterford and Cork; government has pledged to take 1,000 of the 841,364 Kosovo refugees.
Macedonia says new refugees must match numbers leaving country for other locations; fears grow for 4,000 refugees stuck inside Kosovo not allowed into Macedonia.
Bill Clinton pays emotional visit to Kosovo refugees at asylum centre west of Frankfurt, Germany. "You will go home again, in safety and in freedom," he says before returning to US.
UNHCR says number of Muslim refugees arriving Bosnia from Serbia's Sanjak region has declined sharply for reasons unknown; Sanjak, on border between Serbia and Montenegro, has 20,000 Muslims in Bosnia.
Mary Robinson says Yugoslav people must be told of "blatant, flagrant violations of human rights" carried out in their name in Kosovo; Mrs Robinson, in Albania, added she hoped to confront President Milosevic in Belgrade on May 11/12 with proof of atrocities: "So far every family I have talked to has told me they did not leave their homes because of the [Nato] bombings... They left their homes because they were driven out physically."
And. . . .
The US soldiers freed by Milosevic have been a warded the Purple Heart, a medal given to troops wounded in combat; Sgts Christopher Stone and Andrew Ramirez, and Corporal Steven Gonzales also get prisoner-of-war medals and Nato commendation.
Quote of the day:
From the beginning it was clear that Nato would conduct the war to the end. And it was clear we could not win it. Now it is only a question of time. Milosevic is finished, but he will try to stay in power. - Zoran Djindjic, former Mayor of Belgrade, leader of main opposition party in Serbia