A review of events and their interpretation.
| Tuesday, 15 September Two top Democratic leaders in Congress have tough words for Clinton. He should stop nit-picking over legal niceties in favour of straight talk about the Lewinsky sex-and-perjury scandal. Senate leader Tom Daschle and House leader Richard Gephardt take Clinton to task over the way he handled the aftermath of his affair with Monica Lewinsky. The European Commission on Tuesday gives Pfizer Corp the green light to market its blockbuster anti-impotence pill, Viagra, in 15 European nations. The drug will be available by prescription only to men over 18.
The Atlanta Braves win their seventh consecutive NL divisional title as Tom Glavine picks up win 19 for the year. The Braves down the Philadelphia Phillies 4-2, and then the celebrations began. "I never get tired of celebrating," manager Bobby Cox. Glavine and John Smoltz are the only players remaining from Atlanta's first division winner of the decade in 1991.
Steve Young throws three touchdowns passes and runs for another as San Francisco routs Washington 45-10. The defeat is the Redskins' worst home loss in 50 years.
Aston Villa come from deep deep trouble to beat Norwegians Stromgodset 3-2; the Norgies had a 2-0 lead until the 83rd minute. Blackburn lose 1-0 in Lyons, Liverpool take Kosice 3-0, Leeds beat Maritimo of Portugal 1-0. Celtic come away 2-1 winners at Vitesse Guimares, and Rangers are held 1-1 at Beitar Jerusalem. Elsewhere, Brann Bergen beat Werder Bremen 2-0, Skonto Riga hold Dinamo Moscow to a 2-2 draw, while Marseille are on the end of the same result at Sigma Olomuc of the Czech Republic.
|
| Monday, 14 September The first real session of the Northern Ireland Assembly shows disunity on all the expected fronts. Republicans protest the venue - Stormont was identified with the Protestant-dominated government until 1972. Unionists object to the use of the Irish language in debates - they say only six people in the whole island speak it, and none of them are likely to attend. And all sides condem the beige and aqua outfits that the national side wore at the Commonwealth Games ceremony on Friday. It was designed not to offend any religious element, but committed gross crimes against decency. Viagra will not be prescribed on the NHS for the moment. The blue drug that perks up men's sex lives even more than Spamela Hamderson (or some lass working in your office, who's to say?) gets its European approval tomorrow. But it'll only be available on private prescription for the moment. Women's groups suggest that instead of letting men have this freebie, what about using the money to not charge sales taxes on sanitary products?
President Clintern speaks about the global economy and not some lass' globes that led him to be economical with the verité.
Sammy Sosa hits home runs 61 and 62 against the Milwaukee Brewers. It levels him with Mark McGwire, who hasn't homered since Wednesday night's historic strike.
In football action, Green Bay prove they're a force to be reckoned with, beating Tampa Bay. Dallas crumples to Denver, and Jacksonville takes victory over Kansas - that could prove crucial in the end of season seedings. Baltimore upset the Jets, Cincinnati shock Detroit and Oakland go "Boo!" very loudly to the Giants - so loudly that the visitors traipse back to the Big Bagel to cry to Mumsie Giant.
|
| Sunday, 13 September A mystery bidder enters the race for Manchester United FC. Bankers Salomon Smith Barney report that one of their clients has asked to speak with the club's advisors. This may be an attempt to top BSkyB's 623 million pound bid for the world's most famous club. The San Diego Padres wrap up the National League West title. Michael Schumaccer wins the Italian Grand Prix, beating Eddie Irvine in a Ferrari 1-2 at their home circuit. Ralf Schumaccer comes third, with Mika Hakkinen limping 4th following an engine problem. He and Michael are now level on points in the driver's championship. In the one-day international, Pakistan 246/9 (Afridi 56, Moin Khan 69*). India 195 (Mongia 41, Saleem Malik 4/36). Pakistan win by 51 runs Scary Spice marries long term boyfriend Jimmy Gulzar in Little Marlow. Both Mel B and Posh are expecting babies in the new year. |
| Saturday, 12 September President Clinton's attorney says Independent Counsel Ken Starr's investigation report was intended to humiliate and politically damage the president. The report is "personal, and not impeachable." The report, containing graphic details of the sexual relationship between Clinton and Monica Lewinsky, outlines a case for impeachment on 11 grounds, including perjury, obstruction of justice, witness-tampering and abuse of power. A CNN poll says 61% say he shouldn't be impeached. It looks like unconnected strikes at Air Canada and Northwestern are both over, following new wage structures that will give rises of around 6%.
Aston Villa go top of the Premier League after beating Wimbledon 1-0. Former leaders Liverpool are undone by a late score from Eyal Berkovic, losing 2-1 at West Ham. Takeover targets BSkyMUN beat Coventry 2-0 at Old Satelliteford. Wolves concede a late equaliser to leaders Sunderland to tie 1-1. It allows Huddersfield to take the 1st division lead.
In the Sahara Cup in Toronto, Pakistan make 189/9 (Anwar 35). India 193/4 (Ganguly 54*). India win by 6 wickets with 38 balls left.
|
| Friday, 11 September Yevgeny Primakov is confirmed as Russian PM. The first paramilitary prisoners are set free following the Northern Irish peace deal.
And Ken Starr's report is published. It's pre-empted by a rebuttal from the White House, claiming that Clinton did nothing immorral or illegal. These are words that will haunt him: having an intern suck him while he's talking on the phone to a Congressman isn't immoral? The 73 page report is a minor tabloid compared with the 445 pages of Starr's Sunday Times report.
The report itself lays out 11 grounds for impeachment, including claims that the President tampered with witnesses. He's accused of pursuing a strategy of deceiving the American People and Congress for many months. The clinching evidence was DNA on That Dress.
Clinton: lied on oath in the Jones case, and about his relationship with Lewinsky concerning the number of gifts and being alone with her. Great news for voyeurs, then; apparently, it's moral to do that. And he asked his co-workers in the White House to fib on his behalf.
|
| Thursday, 10 September Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov will be the new candidate for prime minister of Russia. Yeltsin nominates Primakov after Viktor Chernomyrdin asked the president not to name him as prime minister for a third time. "I cannot harm Russia. Russia has had enough upheavals this century. This is my choice." Portions of Ken Starr's report on President Clinton will be made available to the public on the Internet, possibly as early as tomorrow. The House Rules Committee votes this evening on the report's release to the Judiciary Committee, which would make it public. Republican and Democratic House leaders worked through the night to fashion the procedures for handling Starr's report on possible impeachable offenses by Clinton. The New York Yankees clinch the American League East with a 7-5 win over Boston. The Yankees need to go 10-9 in their last 19 games to break the American League win record set by the 1954 Cleveland Indians. |
| Wednesday, 9 September A catastrophic electrical failure aboard Swissair 111 may have led to the crash last week. Canadian investigators say that preliminary investigation of fragments recovered from the cockpit reveal signs of heat stress that could explain why smoke billowed around the pilots before the jet crashed.
Faced with a growing political and economic crisis, Russian President Boris Yeltsin has yet to decide on a candidate for prime minister and is considering measures to stabilize the economy. "We are waiting for the decision of the president," says spokeschap Sergei Yastrzhembsky, refusing to speculate on possible candidates for the post. The comments come as political jostling in the Russian capital intensifies, with former defense chief Alexander Lebed calling for Yeltsin to resign.
With one of his patented uppercut swings, Mark McGwire ropes a hard line drive just over the left-field wall at Busch Stadium to break one of baseball's most revered records. The St. Louis slugger has 62 home runs for the season, passing Roger Maris' 61 set in 1961. The fans, who had been buzzing throughout the historic at-bat in the fourth inning, erupted as soon as the ball left McGwire's bat. Many in the sellout crowd of 43,688 broke down and cried.
|
| Tuesday, 8 September Divers locate the cockpit voice recorder of flight 111 off Peggy's Cove, but bad weather prevents them from lifting it to the surface out of a 170 foot depth.
Wall Street opens 230 points higher following last week's 550 points fall, and word of interest rate cuts looming.
Ken Starr's report could well appear this week. The report on President Clintern's lack of morality may lead to his impeachment. To guard against this, the Clintern side wish to see the report before its official publication. It's either a crude attempt to tilt the odds back in his favour, or a trap that will level charges against Starr either way.
Mark McGwire hits homer 61 in his first at-bat against the Chicago Cubs. It ties his mark with the all-time record of Roger Maris.
|
| Monday, 7 September Russia's lower house of parliament again rejects Viktor Chernomyrdin for prime minister. The State Duma voted 272-138 against. Yeltsin gets one more shot at nominating a prime minister. He can opt for Chernomyrdin again, or select another candidate, and can dissolve Parliament and call new elections if the Duma rejects his nominee for a third time.
Sammy Sosa goes homerless for the first time in four games, Mark McGwire misses history by seven feet leaving Roger Maris still with the record for most home runs in a season. Neither of Maris' heirs apparent advance their season totals for home runs, but Mark McGwire gives fans in St Louis a thrill until his low line drive hooked seven feet foul. Now the two men will wait until they and their teams face each other Monday to continue their record chase.
Five NFL quarterbacks leave their opening games with injuries, putting the status of some of the league's top stars in question. Tennessee Oilers quarterback Steve McNair injured his right elbow in the second quarter of the Oilers' game against the Cincinnati Bengals. McNair was examined at halftime and X-rays were negative, but backup Dave Krieg took over for the second half. Elvis Grbac of the Chiefs also leaves at half time.
Staffordshire win the Minor Counties Championship, defeating Dorset on higher scoring rate.
|
| Sunday, 6 September Manchester United are in discussion with satellite broadcasters British Sky Broadcasting with a view to BSkyB buying the club. The club, valued at 550 million pounds, would help bankroll the company's bid for a large share of the forthcoming digital tv market.
Iran has a "substantial buildup" of military forces near its Afghanistan border in escalating tension over the fate of Iranian diplomats there. US defence adviser Samuel Berger, accompanying president Clinton on a visit to Ireland, says there had been "enormous hostility" generated by reports that 11 Iranian diplomats were captured by Taliban guards at the Iranian consulate in Mazar-i-Sharif, northern Afghanistan.
Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa each strike toward Roger Maris' single season home run record. Sosa blasts his 58th - three short of Maris' 1961 record, while McGwire moved within one in his first at bat. McGwire, Maris and Babe Ruth are the only three men to ever hit 60 home runs in one season - but Sosa is getting closer too.
|
| Saturday, 5 September David Trimble will meet Gerry Adams at Ulster's talks next week. It's the first time the heads of Unionist and Terrorist parties have spoken face to face.
The New York Yankees reach 100 wins on the earliest date
in major league history with an 11-6 victory over the Chicago White Sox. By reaching
# 100 on Sept 4 (US time), the Yankees accomplish the feat five days
earlier than the 1906 Chicago Cubs and the 1954 Cleveland
Indians. The '06 Cubs set the major league record for the fewest
games to reach 100 victories (132). The Yankees (100-38) set an
AL record, two days earlier than the '54 Indians. If the
Yankees go 17-7 or better during the rest of the season, they
break the AL record of 111 wins set by the '54 Indians and
the major league record of 116 set by the '06 Cubs.
The first round of European Championship Qualifiers produces a number of upsets. The biggest shock comes in Cyprus, where the side beats Spain 3-2. Denmark are held 0-0 in Byelorussia, while world champions France can only scrape a 1-1 draw in Iceland. The Ukraine beats Russia 3-2, Sweeden oust England 2-1, and Scotland go 0-0 in Lithuania. World cup semi-finalists Croatia are bumped 2-0 in Ireland. Italy provide the only normal result with a 2-0 win in Wales.
The One Day Trophy Final will go into (er) a second day, as rain prevents play before 4:30. Lancashire win the toss and elect to field, allowing Derbyshire to advance to 70/0 - Slater 34, Barnett 23. But then Austin (3/14) and Martin (4/19) start to get amongst the wickets, reducing the side to 92/7 by close of play. Cassar is the only other batsman to score more than 5!
|
| Friday, 4 September President Clinton says he's sorry for his affair with Monica Lewinsky. "I made a bad mistake. It's indefensible, and I'm sorry about it." The president regrets the relationship and misleading the American people, but has never before apologized for it so directly. Investigations continue into the plane crash last night, centering on inquiring why the pilot decided to go to Halif*x airport, rather than the nearer Yahmouth. Leicestershire take the lead with two weeks remaining in this year's cricket County Championship. Their 73-run victory over Warwickshire puts them five points clear of Surrey - beaten by Yorkshire - and seven clear of Lancashire. With Yorkshire and Gloucestershire 21 points from the lead there are still five potential champions. |
| Thursday, 3 September |
| A Swissair flight crashes off Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia. All 229 on board die, including a leading AIDS researcher. The flight, heading from New York to Geneva, exploded at about 1500 feet after the pilot reported smoke in the cockpit and attempted to land at Halifax. |
|
President Clinton arrives in Northern Ireland to show his support for the peace process. PM Blar meets Clintern at Belfast Airport. The two leaders set out for Stormont, the British government's headquarters in Northern Ireland. Clinton's one-day visit comes as the British and Irish parliaments are discussing new laws on paramilitary disarmament.
Mark McGwire is now just two away from Roger Maris' home run record after his 58th and 59th home runs. #58 is estimated at 497 feet, the third longest ever in the Joe Robbie Stadium. McGwire has four homers in his last two games and eleven since August 19. He's now three home runs ahead of Sammy Sosa, who hit #56 earlier. Both McGwire and Sosa are chasing Maris' record of 61 homers in a single-season set in 1961.
The bids for the Winter Olympics of 2006 close. Competing venues are: Sion, Switzerland; a joint bid from Helsinki, Finland and Lillehammer, Norway; Zakopane, Poland; Popard Tatry, Slovakia; Turin, France; Klagenfurt, Austria. The winner will be chosen in June next year. The 2002 competition will take place in Salt Lake City.
|
| Wednesday, 2 September Boris Yeltsin says Russia has a lot of tears and sweat to expend on its struggle to a free market and democracy. Clinton is encouraging but points out "there is no short cut." Both presidents describe their meeting as successful. A strike by Air Canada's 2,100 pilots begins as last-ditch contract talks with the Montreal-based carrier collapse. "Talks have failed," Air Canada's Nicole Couture-Simard told Reuters shortly after the strike deadline passed without a settlement. No further talks are scheduled and the airline has shut down operations across the country.
In a night that's a microcosm of this record-seeking baseball season, Big Mac goes deep twice and the world-beating Yankees nearly have another perfect performance from pitcher David Wells. Mark McGwire breaks Hack Wilson's 68 year-old National League record for home runs in a season with numbers 56 and 57 in St. Louis' 7-1 win over Florida. Wells (17-2) flirts with his second perfect game of the year, ending up with a 2-hitter in a 7-0 shutout of Oakland, New York's 99th win. Wells went perfect through 6 2/3 innings.
A Utah video store offers to edit tapes of "Tit'n'ic" for a small fee. For $5, they clip footage of a love scene between Kate Winsomelosesome and Leo DiLaine and a scene where she poses nude. Other edits cost $3. Paramount Studios say the editing is illegal.
|
| Tuesday, 1 September President Bill Clinton arrives in rain-soaked Moscow for a summit with Russian President Boris Yeltsin. Clinton is greeted at the airport around 8am by acting Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin, whose nomination as premier was defiantly rejected by the Duma yesterday. The vote cast a shadow of uncertainty on the outcome of the summit, because Clinton is now visiting a country with no official government.
Sammy Sosa hits his 55th homer to catch Mark McGwire for the major league lead and move within one of Hack Wilson's club and National League record set in 1930. Sosa has now homered in 14 straight series. It is his 30th of the season at home. The Cubs edge the Reds 5-4 as rookie phenom Kerry Wood improved to 13-6. Wood also homered.
The most successful movie ever is out on home video, as "Titanic" fans across North America stay up late and wait in line to be among the first to buy a copy of the video. "Titanic" videos went on sale just after midnight in each time zone and early figures suggest it could top Disney's "The Lion King", which sold about 30 million copies.
|
| front | local | mscl | music | news | sport |
| mail me | |||||