NEWS IN DETAIL

[01] BODY OF FALLEN BOMBER JET'S PILOT DISCOVERED IN THE SEA

The body of the Greek Air Force's A-7 bomber jet pilot who crashed a few hours ago into the Messinian Gulf has been discovered drowned.

Rescue teams transported the body to an nearby hospital where according to the coroner's preliminary report the cause of death was drowning.

According to reports, prior to the crash the pilot activated the seat ejection system and fell into the sea approximately 100 meters away from the aircraft. He was conducting training maneuvers.

[02] MILITARY AIRCRAFT CRASHES IN MESSINIAN GULF, PILOT MISSING

A Greek bomber jet crashed into the Messinian Gulf this morning during training maneuvers.

According to reports so far, the pilots was equipped with a parachute but he has yet to be found.

Rescue teams have been alerted.

[03] INVESTIGATION PROCEEDS AT FULL SPEED AFTER ARREST OF ARSON SUSPECTS

The police have embarked on through investigations following the arrest of individuals suspected for arson in the prefecture of Elias at the Peloponnese.

The Minister of Public Order George Romeos yesterday presented relevant evidence. A Greek farmer and three other individuals whom he named as his accomplices have been charged with arson and are currently being interrogated.

Meanwhile, at Heraklion, Crete, three fire-setting devices have been discovered near the Knossos archaeological site.

[04] MASS EXODUS FOR THREE-DAY WEEKEND BEGINS TODAY

The last remaining city dwellers are expected to hit the highways, ports and airports today, fleeing to the countryside in order to enjoy the three-day weekend that begins tomorrow.

Planes, ships and trains are full to capacity and travelers are advised to proceed at the ports in a timely manner and book their return tickets in advance.

[05] GERMAN FOREIGN MINSTER COMMENTS ON THE CYPRUS ISSUE

German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel stated that the resolution of existing tension in the ties between Greece and Turkey will have a positive impact on Cyprus's accession negotiations with the European Union. In an interview with a German daily, Mr. Kinkel foretold that Greece will submit a veto to the EU's expansion should obstacles be set forth for the island's accession to the Community. Moreover, the German official said that it would unfathomable for Germany to differentiate itself from the Luxembourg decision calling for Turkey's adjustment to the European reality.

[06] BOMB HOAX FORCES CYPRIOT PLANE TO LAND IN ATHENS

Passengers aboard Cyprus Airways flight 326 from Larnaca to London suffered an unexpected delay in their trip last night when an unidentified person made a hoax bomb threat call to Larnaca control tower. According to news reports, the call was made at around 7pm, and according to control tower staff, the caller had a Cypriot accent. The control tower contacted the pilots, who landed at the closest airport, Athens. The passengers were evacuated and Greek airport security began a thorough search of the aircraft. With the search complete, the aircraft was cleared to continue on to Heathrow airport.

[07] US ENVOY TO CYPRUS THOMAS MILLER TO VISIT TURKEY ON MONDAY

The United States envoy for the Cyprus issue Thomas Miller is to visit Ankara on Monday, with the S-300 missiles and proposals for a no-fly zone that might prevent their deployment expected to be high on the agenda. Mr. Miller is exploring ways of postponing and eventually canceling the arrival of the Russian-made missiles to Cyprus. Turkey has threatened a military strike on the missiles if they are deployed. The idea of a no-fly zone, which might make the anti-aircraft missiles redundant, was first proposed by Greek Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos. Turkey has so far consistently opposed plans for a flight moratorium over Cyprus.

[08] SMOKING BAN TO BE ENFORCED AT ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES

The culture ministry has issued an order banning smoking in the country's archaeological sites and museums. The decision comes after repeated complaints by archaeologists and museum staff that some visitors extinguish their cigarettes on monuments .

[09] SERBIANS CLAIM VICTORY OVER KEY KOSOVO STRONGHOLD

Serbian forces reported yesterday that they had captured a key town from separatist Kossovo guerrillas, while NATO reviewed its intervention options and expressed concern about the fate of the displaced civilian population. Serbian police entered the village of Glodjane, near the Albanian border after a fierce two-day fight, according to the Serbian news agency Tanjug. Five Serbian policemen and two Yugoslav army soldiers were killed, it said. The Kosovo Information Center, under ethnic Albanian control, reported three Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) guerrillas were killed and 45 wounded. In Vienna, Austrian Foreign Minister Wolfgang Schussel, whose country holds the rotating E.U. presidency, condemned the attack. Speaking on behalf of the European Union, Schussel appealed to the Yugoslav government to avoid actions that would worsen the "already unbearable humanitarian situation."

[10] THOUSANDS OF ETHNIC ALBANIANS REMAIN ON THE RUN IN KOSSOVO

Thousands of ethnic Albanians remain on the run in Kosovo, international aid officials warned Wednesday.

Tens of thousands of people in the Serbian province have been displaced in the past two weeks, Amanda Williamson, spokeswoman for the International Committee of the Red Cross, said in Geneva.

[11] NATO REVIEWS INTERVENTION OPTIONS

NATO authorized its military officials yesterday to determine what contributions member states might be ready to make to possible air operations in Kosovo. The 16-nation alliance also said it would act "swiftly and credibly" if asked to help restore peace in the province. "NATO's military authorities have been authorized to informally approach nations on the forces which they would be ready to contribute to the possible air operations," a NATO spokesman said after the ambassadors met. "They (NATO ambassadors) will ensure that NATO will act swiftly and credibly should the occasion arise," the spokesman said. NATO Secretary-General Javier Solana said in a statement the alliance's ambassadors had reviewed military planning for a full range of options for the use of force to bring an end to violence in Kosovo and create conditions for negotiations. "Those options include the use of ground and air power and, in particular, the full range of options for the use of air power," he said.

Complete archives of the Macedonian Press Agency bulletins are available on the MPA Home Page at http://www.mpa.gr/ and on the U.S. mirror at http://www.hri.org/MPA/

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