A political novice with only a three-month stint as fuel and energy minister under his belt Mr Kiriyenko may have been chosen

A political novice, with only a three-month stint as fuel and energy minister under his belt, Mr Kiriyenko may have been chosen by Mr Yeltsin as a bargaining chip in negotiations over the next premier with parliament The Russian press has been seething with speculation. The jobs of two key players – foreign minister Yevgeny Primakov, and defence minister Sergei Sergeyev – are considered safe.Whether Mr Kiriyenko becomes prime minister remains uncertain. But although he fired them all, Mr Yeltsin has already indicated that he does not intend to dispense with many ministers beyond Mr Chernomyrdin, his leadingmarket reformer Anatoly Chubais and the interior minister, Anatoly Kulikov. But it also belongs to his broader ambition to win a place in history as a reformer. Tomorrow, he hopes to bask anew in the international limelight by hosting a summit with French president, Jacques Chirac, and Helmut Kohl, the German Chancellor.The little-known Mr Kiriyenko, 35, has been given a week by Mr Yeltsin to form a government. “We must create an environment in which everyone knows and feels that a failure to fulfil orders means death,” he said, “You will have immediately to submit your resignation.”Mr Yeltsin’s latest flourish of the axe through the ranks of his team was clearly timed.

On 9 April, the Communist opposition plans mass demonstrations to call for the removal of the government, and to protest at Russia’s vast wages and pension arrears and economic disarray. As he did so, Boris Yeltsin fired off a second cannonade in his eccentric campaign to prove to his countrymen and the world that he remains in charge of Russia, despite his ailments and the struggling economy.
In a cameo performance on television one day after dismissing his entire government, including premier Viktor Chernomyrdin, the 67-year-old President turned his ire on his own aides. A DAY after being plucked from obscurity to become acting prime minister of a huge and restless nuclear power, Sergei Kiriyenko, yesterday began work in forming a government – without knowing for sure whether his own job is permanent, writes Phil Reeves. But we must protect our homes.”n Decani (AP) – One policeman was killed and several were seriously wounded yesterday at Rzic, near Decani in Kosovo yesterday, the Yugoslav news agency Tanjug said.. But it would be absurd to suppose Serbia’s tough policy will spell an end to the Albanians’ struggle for Kosovo’s independence Drenica is seeing the radicalism of despair “There is no KLA,” claims one woman in Tushille “We’re all for the KLA,” says another A third woman declares: “I want the peaceful way. For two days, we slept in the mountains,” says Mihane, 41, cradling her young daughter.”My brother and sister have been killed My uncle was killed Now I’m not afraid of war.

Nothing can be worse than what they [the Serbs] have already done.”The five-country contact group – Britain, France, Germany, Russia and the United States – meets today to decide what to do about Serbia’s brutal crackdown, but President Slobodan Milosevic has rarely been bothered about international criticism before.In one respect, the Albanians in Tushille seem crushed. There was a visit this week from Medecins sans Frontieres, bringing medicines. But food supplies do not get through.”We fled our village when the police started shooting. Foreign journalists and aid workers are the only people who travel through this dead zone.Just west of the deserted village of Lausha, a bumpy track runs down along a stream, past a frozen waterfall, to the hamlet of Tushille Here, hundreds of refugees are gathered In the schoolroom, they wait listlessly Other than bread and water, there is nothing to eat. Occasionally, you pass a small group of men who stand silently watching the road.