A review of events and their interpretation.
| Sunday, 15 November It's claimed that President Clinton had started bombing raids on Iraq when the climbdown letter was made yesterday. There's no verifiable proof of this matter, so we don't know whether this is just part of the USA's spin on their agressive tendencies. Clinton accepts Iraq's intentions, but warns that "one false move" will bring the bombers rolling again. Sign of the times as Conservtive leader William Hague defends living outside wedlock. The Tory party, traditionally pro-marriage, is led by someone who shared a hotel room with his ffiancee FFion Jenkins two months before their wedding. Back in the Cup, and Luton sneak past Boreham Wood 3-2. But Emley, Leigh and Hendon take replays against Rotherham, Fulham and Hendon respectively. |
Saturday, 14 November Warometer: 10%. At ease, soldierIraq will allow UN monitors to resume their duties, thus lifting the threat of bombing missions from the US-UK. British tourists evacuated from Israel are considering suing HMG over their use as political pawns.President Habibie ordered troops to take all necessary measures to restore order as mob rule seizes the streets of Jakarta. Smoke rises from fires across the city as people set vehicles alight and vandalized shopping centers. Police fire tear gas at a crowd in east Jakarta that had attacked a police station. A crowd of thousands hurls stones at a shopping mall and at security forces. Others set a military truck and army tents on fire. President Clinton settles the Paula Jones case for $850,000. The out-of-court settlement seems to have split the difference between the latest offers from both sides.
South Africa beat a battling Wales 28-20 in rugby, only taking the lead in injury time.
Football: Villa stay top as Dion Dublin scores 3 in their 4-1 win at Southampton. Arsenal and Spurs draw 0-0, allowing Man Utd - 3-2 winners over Blackburn - to go 2nd. Leeds go 5th, downing Liverpool 3-1. |
| Friday, 13 November Iraqis line up their vehicles at petrol stations. The UN Security Council meets on the crisis over weapons inspections. Chances for a peaceful resolution are dwindling. The United States, declaring its patience exhausted, reinforces its already powerful forces in the Gulf. Britain urges its citizens to leave Israel, worried that nation might bear the brunt of revenge attacks. Toy Bair and foreign secretary Robin Crook write syndicated newspaper articles warning there's no other option. And President Clintern pulls out of a visit to Asia - he'll send VP Al Bore instead. But there are other indications that it will be at least a week before an attack. Warometer: It's the same build-up as for Gulf War II in 1990-1, but done even faster than the abortive one in February. 56%New York Yankees skipper Joe Torre is AL Manager of the Year for his efforts in guiding the Yankees to the most combined wins by a team in Major League history. Boston's Jimy Williams comes a distant second followed by Anaheim's Terry Collins, third in the voting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.Sharjah: Zimbabwe 196/9 (50 overs), India 197/0 (30 overs). India win by ten wickets and win the Cup. |
| Thursday, 12 November Prime Minister Tony Blair says Iraq faces imminent military action unless it backs down over the row over weapons inspectors. British aircraft in Kuwait could take part in any strike and the US has ordered extra aircraft and troops into the area. US and UK nationals have been advised to leave the area while they still can. Warometer: the US-UK axis has clearly set its sights on letting blood, and they're more determined after February's snub. 47%"Titanic" star Leonardo DiLaine has put on 20 pounds, thanks to a combination of junk food, nightclubbing and a knee operation that's kept him out of the gym. The extra pounds have Danny Boyle, director of DiLaine's next movie "The Beach," a little worried. His $20 million starring role will require him to spend a lot of time in bathing suits and shorts. |
| Wednesday, 11 November US Defense Secretary William Cohen warns Saddam Hussein that time is running out for Iraq to comply with UN arms inspections. President Clinton is still looking at possible political solutions to avoid airstrikes against Baghdad. "The president has made no decision with respect to our response to Iraq's flagrant violation" of U.N. mandates. It's still bellicose enough to awaken the Warometer: 37%from its nine-month break. The Warometer rates the chance of airstrikes within the next 10 days.Germany's Social Democrat Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder pledges to create a "new centre republic" by fighting unemployment, cutting taxes and reforming the European Union. Speaking in his inaugural address to parliament, Schroeder repeats his campaign promise to give Germany a new start by modernizing Europe's biggest economy and promoting private initiative, while emphasizing government protection for society's weakest members. Ben Grieve easily wins the AL Rookie of the Year award, highlighting a season in which his left-handed swing made an immediate impact. The 22-year-old right fielder for the Oakland Athletics is the only candidate named on all 28 ballots. |
| Tuesday, 10 November Disaster-torn Honduras appeals for relief on its large debts in the wake of Hurricane Mitch, which killed 10,000 last week. An aid operation is launched in Britain, with appeals to get food, clothing and medicine to the area. Eleven major charities hope to raise 10 million pounds ($25 million) over the next two weeks. A band of about 50 armed men stage a hit-and-run assault on the Yetwene diamond mine in Angola. Six are dead, and others are held hostage. There's a small oil leak on the Hibernia platform. About 12 barrells of oil spill into the ocean, but it stops production until the source is found and plugged. A row over the status of Conception Bay South. The town council want to become a City over the next few years. But Andy Wells, mayor of St John's, says that there's only room for one city on the Avalon, and it ain't CBS.
Kordell Stewart passes and runs the Pittsburgh Steelers to a 24-point halftime lead and a 27-20 victory. It leaves the Green Bay Packers (6-3) two games back in the NFC Central, while 6-3 Pittsburgh are a game behind Jacksonville in the AFCC. Defensive end Keith McKenzie gets Green Bay's first touchdown after bolting 88 yards for the longest fumble return TD in Packers' history.
Sharjah: Zimbabwe 259/7 (50 overs), Sri Lanka 235 (48.5 overs). Zimbabwe win by 24 runs and qualify for Friday's final. |
| Monday, 9 November The Dalai Lama says his people are "fed up" with Chinese rule. Speaking to the International Campaign for Tibet in Washington, he pleads for international help, saying his homeland and culture are "in danger of extinction." Problems after the Goose Bay Airport awards the snow-clearing job to the Woodward Group, owned by airport director Peter Woodward. He left the meeting before it discussed the contract, but other contractors smell sweet fried rat. Pharmacists will no longer sell tobacco products in stores. The ban on selling cigarettes will come into effect by July 2000. It's expected that government-funded dispensing fees will rise as a result.
Chicago Bears' rookie Curtis Enis is out for the season after tearing a cruciate ligament in his sides' 20-12 defeat to the St Louis Rams. Vinnie Testaverdie leads the NY Jets to a 34-12 humbling of Buffalo. Seattle take advantage of four turnovers to beat
Kansas City 24-12; the first Seahawks victory since 1994 and handed Kansas' fourth
straight loss. San
Francisco (7-2) overcome an early 16-0 deficit to beat Carolina
(1-8) 25-23. Arizona (5-4) squander a 9-point lead in the final
1:39, then came back to beat Washington (1-8) 29-27 on Joe
Nedney's 47-yard field goal with two seconds left.
Sharjah: India 179 (49.5 overs), Sri Lanka 98 (39 overs). India win by 81 runs.
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| Sunday, 8 November Another cabinet minister comes out of the closet. Only, it's not Peter Meddlesome, as everyone expected, but completely unknown Agriculture secretary Nick Brown. This now makes two declared gays in the cabinet, and a number of others who don't have the honesty. The BBC suggests Prince Charles isn't ready to be king just yet. It's an opinion apparently shared by Palace officials, who say he won't be ready until he's been through the process of the reigning monarch leaving the throne by fair means or fowl.
Greg Rusedski thrashes Pete Sampras in the final of the Paris Indoor Open. The 6-4, 7-6, 6-3 victory puts Greggles on course for a place in the lucrative end of season finale in Hanover.
Peshawar: Pakistan 217/7 (50 overs), Australia 220/5 (48.1 overs). Australia win by five wickets, lead the three-game series 2-0. |
| Saturday, 7 November House Speaker Newt Gingrich decides to step down not just from the speakership, but also leave Congress. "Today I have reached a difficult personal decision. I will not be a candidate for Speaker of the 106th Congress," says a written statement. It's reported Gingrich told friends that it's unlikely he'll return at all when Congress reconvenes in January.
Aston Villa beat Spurs 3-2 to go 4 points clear atop the Premier League; new signing Dion Dublin scores two. Middlesborough draw 3-3 at bottom Southampton, but Liverpool lose 2-1 to Derby. North of the border, Celtic thrash Dundee 6-1.
Sharjah: Sri Lanka 196 (49.4 overs), Zimbabwe 197/3 (46.1 overs). Zimbabwe win by seven wickets.
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| Friday, 6 November A blast in central Jerusalem leaves two dead and at least 20 injured, threatening the Middle East peace process. A car goes off at the entrance of an outdoor market in central Jerusalem, packed with weekend shoppers. News of the blast prompts the Israeli Cabinet to indefinitely postpone ratification of the recent peace accord. Cuban exiles ask the Clinton administration to follow Spain's example by opening a criminal case against Cuba's leader Fidel Castro. The Cuban American National Foundation urges Clinton to instruct Attorney General Janet Reno to prosecute Castro for the murder of three US citizens and Cuban exiles shot down by MiG-29 jets in February 1996.
Karachi: Australia 324/8 (50 overs), Pakistan 238 (47.2 overs). Australia win by 86 runs. |
| Thursday, 5 November The US Government puts up a $5 million reward to catch the man wanted for two embassy bombings. Osama Bin Laden has been indicted for the attacks in Africa and could face the death penalty in a 238-count indictment. In Malaysia, ousted Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim mocks a key witness giving evidence against him after the witness claimed testimony had been misunderstood. On the fourth day of a corruption and sexual misconduct trial, the prosecution's first witness, former police intelligence chief Mohamed Said Awang complained the defense had "twisted" his testimony. A baby is left in a toilet in Gonzego High, St John's. The kid is just a few days old; social services would really like to contact the mother. Moors murderer Myra Hindley loses her appeal bid and must stay in prison until she dies. The Court of Appeal rules "life meant life" and that she would have no chance of parole. It's a political decision, pandering to popular opinion, just like the decisions of previous Home Secretaries to keep her there. |
| Wednesday, 4 November American mid-term elections result in small gains for the Democratic party, led by Bill Clintern. They have a net gain of 5 House seats, and one Senate seat. As is traditional on these occasions, both parties claim a major achievement. High street grocers Sainsbury's are slapped with a 425,000 pound fine. They've been found guilty of safety breaches after a warehouse worker dies. This comes on the back of an ongoing muttering about the high prices that all supermarkets charge. Jack Straw denies the government's family green paper is about lecturing people on how to live. It will promote marriage with 2.2 kids as the norm. Cross-Channel ferries are hit by a wild-cat strike in Calais. One ferry is forced to return to Dover after being denied entry to the port; aggrived customers have no comeback against these lawless people. |
| Tuesday, 3 November In an urgent appeal for international help, the President of Honduras describes the damage wrought by Hurricane Mitch as "a panorama of death, desolation and ruin." Search crews throughout Central America, meanwhile, press on with the task of recovering bodies from the mudslides that wiped out entire communities. The death toll could top 7,000. Michael Irvin scores his first touchdown of the year, Troy Aikman is back from a broken collarbone and Deion Sanders returns a punt for a touchdown as the Cowboys rout the hapless Eagles 34-0 for Philadelphia's worst start since 1975. |
| Monday, 2 November A new poster campaign launched by an old people's charity sparks controversy by featuring pictures of bodies in a mortuary. The charity hopes the hard-hitting images will raise awareness about the need for elderly people to keep warm and eat well. Others suggest that it's just a scare tactic to raise funds and profile. The Government suggests it's even more Euro-batty than previously thought. A comment to the CBI conference in sunny Birmingham from gay trade minister Peter Meddlesome suggests that it's now a question of when, not if, the UK will be dragooned into Economic and monetary Union.
Tampa Bay ends Minnesota's winning streak with a 27-24 home victory. The Bucs are now 4-4. John Elway leads Denver to three fourth-quarter TDs as the Broncos rally 33-26 over Cincinnati. They're now the only
unbeaten team in the NFL. The Bengals (2-6) managed to tie it at
26-all with 2:54 left, but Terrell
Davis' wraps up on a 5-yard run with 58 seconds left.
The NY Jets (5-3) shock the Chiefs (4-4) with a 20-17 win; a field goal at time expired is the crucial score. Tennessee notches up its first win at Three Rivers in five games, beating Pittsburgh 41-31, and surviving 24 points from three touchdowns in the last 9 minutes.
The AFC East is a four-way tie, with Buffalo, Miami, New England and the Jets all 5-3. The Central has 6-2 Jacksonville a game ahead of Pittsburgh, Denver's opposition in the West comes from the unexpected Raiders, 6-2, two games clear in 2nd. |
| Sunday, 1 November - All Saints' Day United Nations weapons inspectors suspend their monitoring operations in Iraq following Baghdad's decision to end all cooperation with them. "We are advised not to go out for inspection until further notice," an official says. The news comes after the United Nations Security Council unanimously condemned Iraq's refusal to cooperate, calling the move a "flagrant violation" of UN resolutions. Mika Hakkinnen is crowned World Drivers' Champion. He wins the Japanese Grand Prix, the last of the season, as rival Michael Schumaccer crashes out midrace with a blown tyre. |
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