"The international community still faces challenges in Kosovo, and the Secretary-General welcomes the continued support by all nations for the [international peacekeeping] Kosovo Force and for the work of the UN mission there," his spokesman said today.

By a vote of 53 to 47, the US Senate rejected provisions of a military spending bill that would have cut off funds for US troops in Kosovo by 1 July 2001, forcing their withdrawal unless Congress authorized an extension. The US has well over 5,000 troops in the 37,000-strong international peacekeeping force in Kosovo.

The programme is intended to provide assistance only to the most vulnerable families, those who have no means of support or resources with which to survive, explained Evelyn Arnold and Muhamet Gjocaj, Deputy Co-directors of the Department of Health and Social Welfare of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK).

According to the department, the programme will be coordinated with the 'phase-down' of humanitarian assistance in order to ensure that no families are left without the means to meet their basic needs. Strict criteria have been established for eligibility, and applicants will have to provide evidence of their lack of means.

The programme will be implemented in two phases, the first, beginning in June, will provide assistance to those incapable of work, and the second, beginning in September will assist those unable to find work.

The body of Petar Topoljski, an ethnic Serb, who worked as a language assistant in Pristina for the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), was found in the village of Rimaniste and identified on Tuesday. He had been missing for about a week.

"Petar Topoljski's death marks a dark day for UNMIK, but also a dark day for Kosovo," Mr. Annan said in a statement read out at a memorial service in Pristina by UNMIK head, Dr. Bernard Kouchner. "Yet another UN staff member has become a victim of the senseless ethnic hatred that has plagued Kosovo for far too long," he said.

"The UN mission in Kosovo has one aim: to create a society in which such violence and hatred has no place, but we cannot succeed alone, and we cannot succeed if those who dedicate their lives to ending Kosovo's hatred become its victims," Mr Annan added.

Dr. Kouchner, expressing his own sympathy and concern, said that the investigation into Mr Topoljski's death would not rest until those responsible were brought to justice.

Mr. Hadzi Zulfi Mergja, first Roma member of the KTC

Registration offices are open for a three month period from 17 April to July 11 to register the entire population over the age of 16, but so far only 150,000 or 10 per cent of the total, have registered, Mr Fischer said.

Mr Fischer appealed to KTC members to set an example by registering themselves. The members agreed to make a special effort to encourage people to register, and made a number of suggestions for speeding up the process.

In other matters, KTC members urged that the appointment of a Special Envoy for missing and detained persons be speeded up.

Dr. Bernard Kouchner, head of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), also briefed the KTC on his meeting with Swiss and German ministers last week in Zurich. Dr. Kouchner said he had reiterated to both ministers that the return of Kosovars needed to be phased, orderly and humane, and cautioned against massive returns which could create social and economic problems. He had also asked that school children be allowed to finish their term before being returned to Kosovo. He noted that the two countries had been generous in giving asylum and said that the two ministers had agreed to work with UNMIK on an orderly repatriation.

Also today, Dr Kouchner welcomed the new Roma member of the KTC, Mr. Hadzi Zulfi of Prizren.

A body found in the village of Rimaniste was today identified as being that of Petar Topoljski, age 25, who worked for the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) Pristina Regional Administration, Dr. Kouchner said in a statement. UNMIK police, following indications he may have been kidnapped, mounted a search operation when Mr. Topoljski disappeared from his office a week ago.

"I condemn in the strongest terms this attack on one of our staff members, particularly one of our Serbian staff, who are dedicated to their work in spite of threats and isolation they must endure here," Dr Kouchner said. He pledged his commitment to bring the perpetrators to justice and expressed his condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Mr. Topoljski.

UNMIK had tried to create conditions of security for all its staff, but those intent on killing had found a way, Dr. Kouchner said.

The trial of Milos Jokic, who has been charged with genocide under the Yugoslav Criminal Code Article 141, was postponed until 20 June. The United Nations Mission Interim Administration in Kosovo (UNMIK) and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) would monitor the trial, which is open to the media and the public, Susan Manuel said today at a press briefing.

Responding to questions from journalists, Ms Manuel said that it was possible that the defence would ask for a deferral to a war crimes court, which has not yet been set up, but is expected to be functioning by July or August. She said that in the absence of any other court, the district court currently had jurisdiction.

Asked why the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) could not take over the case, Ms Manuel explained that the ICTY had shown no interest in the case, and was very supportive of the establishment of the war crimes court because many of the cases are not grave enough or of significant enough status for the ICTY, and that it "has its hands full" with the indictments already issued on Kosovo.