News in the world that sounds suspiciously familiar, despite being almost 30 years ago.
From Lebanon comes word that Fighting between Lebanese guerrillas and Israeli forces and militiamen in southern Lebanon spilled into northern Israel, forcing civilians to take cover in bomb shelters until this morning. About 40 mortar-bombs and rockets were fired overnight, according to Lebanese and Israeli officials. Two of the shells fell in Israel’s western Galilee, one Israeli official said on condition of anonymity. However Israeli officials said they do not believe the guerrillas were aiming at Israeli territory in the midnight attack. “The Hezbollah have not lost their presence of mind. They didn’t (aim to) shoot into the area of Israel,” said Maj. Gen. Amiram Levine. Still, villagers in northern Israel spent the night in shelters.
Meanwhile, in Kenya: A nationwide strike called by advocates of constitutional reform turned violent Friday with mobs beating a policeman to death, looting shops and breaking windows in the capital. The strike, meant to send a united message to the government of President Daniel Moi, was observed only halfheartedly. While many shops closed in Nairobi, mainly in fear of looting, factories and government offices functioned normally. The government had warned the strike was illegal. An alliance of opposition members, clergy, lawyers and human rights groups hoped the strike would pressure Moi into accepting their demands for legal and constitutional reforms prior to general elections that have to be called before year’s end.
Mr. Moi, 73, has ruled Kenya for 19 years, reluctantly giving in to demands for multiparty elections in 1992. He now is seeking a fifth five year term.
And finally: In the latest U.S. attempt to salvage the Bosnian peace accords, trouble-shooter Richard Holbrooke secured new promises Wednesday from two Balkan presidents to live up to their end of the bargain. Holbrooke, the architect of the Dayton accords that ended the war in Bosnia, and Robert Gelbard, President Clinton’s envoy to Bosnia, extracted the promises more than eight hours of negotiations. Nearly all of the pledges have been made before and have not been kept, Croatian President Franjo Tudjman and Bosnian President Alija Izetbegovic agreed to a timetable of deadlines on some refugee returns, border posts, civil aviation and other hurdles that have dogged Muslim-Croat relations for months, “It’s a step forward, but we’re not going to pretend this will end !the problems,” Holbrooke said of the 10-point agreement that emerged from the talks. “Will we have the games we’ve had in the past? We’ll see.”
And along with the latest from Lebanon that’s just a little of went on this world, this August 7th in 1997 as reported by the BBC World Service Newsdesk program.
