A review of events and their interpretation.
Saturday, 13 FebruaryIt looks like there's a settlement over the Lockerbie suspects. Two Lybian suspects will be handed to Scottish authorities for trial in a Dutch court before Scots judges. This doesn't settle the fundamental point - very strong evidence that Palestinian elements, not Lybians, were behind the 1988 attack, and that this has been used for the past 7 years as a United Statist attack on Lybia. Agriculture secretary Jack Cunningham assures people that geneticaly fiddled food is safe. It's clear that the government is worried by the recent bad press, and have put forward some of their medium-sized guns to state their case. Amazing scenes at Highbury, where Arsenal offer Sheffield United a replay of their FA Cup 5th round match. The Gunners scored the winner in the 74th minute straight from an injury stoppage; that breaks a convention in all football games, and may be ungentlemanly conduct. United hold up play for 6 minutes, and come close to leaving the pitch. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger figures that their 2-1 victory is not convincing, and offers a replay, an outcome accepted by the FA. |
Friday, 12 FebruaryThe results of Clinton's Impeachment Trial are finally announced. It comes as a surprise to exactly no-one to find he wins. Needing 67 votes to convict, one motion falls 55-45, the other is tied 50-50. The reaction of many Americans is "Stuff Bill and Monica, we wanna hear about Chandler and Monica." The government refuses to ban genetically modified food in spite of mounting concerns, backed by reputable scientific evidence, casting doubt on the safety of the tampered grub. Under pressure from big business and President Impeached, PM Blah says there's nothing to worry about. This is the same government that bans people from eating beef off the bone, owing to a non-existent risk of contracting a disease that might arguably be related to BSE. Luc Robitaille assists on three goals in the last 3:08, including the game-winner by Jozef Stumpel with three-tenths of a second left, as the Los Angeles Kings rally to beat the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3. Sandy Moger starts the furious comeback with his third goal of the season and Donald Audette gets his ninth with 1:48 left. |
Thursday, 11 FebruaryRussian President Boris Yeltsin dispatches his interior minister to a remote part of the country. Rather than becoming the 10 millionth sacking of his presidency, Sergei Stepashin is going to the site of a fire that killed at least 19 people at a regional police headquarters. He has a suspicion that organized crime might have been responsible for the blaze in Samara, but is set to keep his counsel to himself. A demo for more federal cash to house Canada's homeless turns ugly when protesters rough up Joe Clark and police arrested 11. The minor party (Progressive Conservative) leader went into the crowd of about 150 before heading to Parliament Hill. Protesters swore, kicked and jostled him to chants of "Tory, Tory, Tory; Out, out, out." The jeers drowned out Clark’s words and he retreated. The same happened to the non-entity leader of the NDP. |
Wednesday, 10 FebruaryThe Liberals retain power in the Newfoundland provincial election, but their overall majority is reduced from 26 to 16. Premier Brian "Weenie" Tobin claims a significant victory, but this dents his chances of leading the national Liberal party in the near future. Two examples of religious intolerance in the USA. A mad religious person claims that Teletubby Tinky Winky is a homosexual icon, as he uses a purse and has a triangular antenna. The other Teletubbies have just one word: "Noooooooo....." before the Noo-Noo attacks and tidies up the mess where the twit's brains should be. Australia 232/8 (Wells 3/30, Bevan 69*) England 222 (Hussain 58, McGrath 4/45) Australia win by 10 runs as the last 5 England runs fall for 18. |
Tuesday, 9 February - Festival of ApolloPerhaps the headline in the conservative Oslo daily Aftenposten says it best: Impeachment confuses the world. Editors and journalists around the world wonder why Americans have made such a big deal about a politician’s private life - even if it is their president. "We see this as completely crazy," says Helen Vogt, foreign editor of the Norwegian news agency NTB. The Senate begins the end of the trial, with motions to stop boring the pants off C-SPAN, CNN and News 24 viewers - both of them. The Canadian Forces inoculated troops headed to the Persian Gulf with the anthrax vaccine knowing it wasn’t fully tested, CTV News report. The Canadian military stopped the program after a US FDA report surfaced which found nearly two dozen health violations at the company which made the drug. The network says a memo, produced in the US and given to Canadian military doctors days before the program started, said studies had not been performed to see if the vaccine was linked to cancer, or has any effect on fertility. Independent films fare extraordinarily well in the Oscar nominations, with "Shakespeare in Love" taking the most nominations - 13 - while "Elizabeth" and Italian film "Life is Beautiful" captured seven apiece. Nominees for best picture were "Life Is Beautiful," "Elizabeth," "Saving Private Ryan," "Shakespeare in Love" and "The Thin Red Line"; both Steven Spielberg, director of "Private Ryan" and Roberto Benigni, who directed "Life Is Beautiful," were nominated in that category as well. Theoren Fleury scores the winner in the first period and Fred Brathwaite makes 35 saves as the Calgary Flames defeat the Edmonton Oilers 2-1. Phil Housley also nets in the first period for the Flames, who halt a four-game winless skid. Doug Weight has his first of the season for Edmonton; they outshot Calgary 36-26 but lose for just the third time in their 10. |
Monday, 8 FebruaryKing Hussein of Jordan, killed by cancer after 47 years as a pivotal figure in the turbulent Middle East, makes his final journey to an emotional farewell from a grieving nation and a galaxy of world leaders. Draped in a Jordanian flag, Hussein’s coffin is borne from the Bab al-Salaam (Door of Peace) palace on the outskirts of Amman by six royal males, led by his young successor King Abdullah, 37, and 18-year-old Crown Prince Hamza. The Royal Family withdraws its seal of approval from the tobacco company that makes Benson and Hedges cigarettes. The move, hailed by anti-smoking groups, is the most public sign yet of royal opposition to tobacco. A palace spokesman said Gallaher has until the end of the year to remove the Queen’s coat-of-arms from all its packaging. The Colorado Avalanche has just 12 shots on net but extends their franchise-best winning streak to 12 games with a 3-0 victory over the Dallas Stars. |
Sunday, 7 FebruaryKing Hussein of Jordan passes away, 63. He flew home Thursday from the US where he was having cancer treatment. Hussein had been king since he was 17, survived numerous assassination attempts, and is credited as the architect of the recent Middle East peace process. Five suspects in the death of Stephen Lawrence in 1993 may still face trial. Although three of their number were acquited of murder in 96, a report is set to suggest ending the law stopping suspects of being tried twice for the same offence. Melbourne (ODI): Australia 310/8 (Gilchrist 154 - the highest ever ODI by an Aussie; Ponting 61) Sri Lanka 267 ao (Lee 5/33, Tillekaratne 42) Australia win by 43 runs |
Saturday, 6 FebruaryJordan's Crown Prince Abdullah is sworn in as regent before members of the Cabinet after King Hussein, who remains on a life support system, was declared unable to rule. The move makes Abdullah, Hussein's 37-year-old son, the nation's de facto sovereign to prevent a "constitutional vacuum" created by the King's incapacity to rule. Jordan's Information Minister Nasser Joudeh says the Cabinet, in deputizing Abdullah, handed him all the powers and responsibilities of the king. France and Scotland open the last Five Nations championship with wins. France take a 10-9 win in Ireland, only snatching the lead with a last-minute penalty. Scotland keep their noses ahead of Wales throughout, winning 33-20. |
Friday, 5 FebruaryThe Patent Office rejects an application to trademark the image of Princess Dead of Wales, made by the executors of her estate. The Memorial Fund filed the application in October 1997, in order to extend its vast powers over a "fitting" tribute to a late 90s religious icon. The concept of just letting the woman drop out of the limelight never entered their minds. Clearly the way the Trollope of Wales (dead) would have played it herself. Sydney (ODI) England 210/8 (Wells 39, Alleyne 38*, Dale 2/28) Australia 211/6 off 47 (Ponting 43, Lehmann 41, Mullally 2/31) Australia win by 4 wickets with 18 balls |
Thursday, 4 FebruaryBlasting the West for threatening force to get peace talks on Kosovo moving, a top ruling party official tells the Serbian Parliament that it should vote to send a delegation to a peace conference two days away. The Socialist Party "thinks that we should show that we are fighting for peace and to defend Kosovo everywhere where Kosovo is discussed," according to the party’s secretary-general, Gorica Gajevic. Thomas Devlin takes personal bankruptcy to a new level. Devlin, a former manager of Bre-X Minerals, has spent the past nine months in bankruptcy, citing more than $3 billion in debt - $3,017,796,497.00, to be exact. He owes $1.4 million to Revenue Canada, $200,000 to La Caille Development Inc, $369,000 as part of a dispute with brokerage C.M. Oliver and $3 billion in potential liability from the Bre-X fiasco. The number 10 is significant in NHL action for two teams at opposite ends of the standings. The Colorado Avalanche get their franchise-record 10th straight win by beating the Buffalo Sabres 5-3, while the Washington Capitals routs the Tampa Bay Lightning 10-1. The Avalanche are in third place in the Western Conference, while the Capitals are third from bottom in the Eastern Conference. |
Wednesday, 3 FebruaryRussian President Boris Yeltsin set foot in his Kremlin office for the first time this year and resumed normal service straight away - firing some of his staff and approving the resignation of the country’s top judicial official. The ailing president sacks four of his advisers, and gives deputy chief of staff Sergei Prikhodko a second job as head of the presidential foreign-policy department, the presidential press service said. Yeltsin's popularity rating is now 0.2%, accurate within 3.3%. Parliamentarians from four parties present a common front in support of recognizing gay and lesbian couples in federal legislation. Liberal Bill Graham, Tory Diane St. Jacques, Bloc Quebecois Real Menard and NDP Svend Robinson are backing a private-member’s bill that would change the federal definition of spouse to include homosexual relationships. Sydney (ODI) (44 overs) Sri Lanka 181/7 (De Silva 52*, Karatharana 54, Alleyne 3/27) England 170/9 (Knight 58, Wells 26, Chandana 3/35) Sri Lanka win by 11 runs |
Tuesday, 2 February - Groundhog DayWhite House prosecutors, looking for contradictions in past testimony, question presidential friend Vernon Jordan about his role in helping Monica Lewinsky find a new job. It's the second of three closed-door depositions this week, as the House team tries to bolster its impeachment case against President Bill Clinton. The Senate trial resumes Thursday. Tragedy strikes in Ontario, where the Groundhog in Kitchener passed away earlier in the week, just two days before his big day. Over in Pennsylvania, though, it's cloudy, which means spring is looming large. Apparently. England football boss Glenn Hoddle is booted out of office following a dire run of results. The clincher was the fourth repetition of his views that disabled people are paying for sins in a former life. Under his charge, England had a 8 win, 3 draw, 3 lost run in competitive matches; 17 wins, 5 defeats and 6 draws all told. |
Monday, 1 February - ImbolcProsecutors and the White House legal team question Monica Lewinsky under oath in President Clinton’s impeachment trial. Representative Ed Bryant, the lone House prosecutor to quiz Lewinsky, and presidential lawyers Cheryl Mills, Nicole Seligman and David Kendall took the eight-hour, videotaped deposition at Washington's Mayflower Hotel. A charter jet enroute to Jamaica from London makes an unscheduled stop in Virginia after fighting broke out among passengers. Twelve people -- six English and Irish couples -- were removed from the Boeing 767 in Norfolk, Virginia, according to David Parsons of Airtours International. Although the rowdy passengers were questioned by airport police and FBI agents, none of the travelers face criminal charges in the US. Airtours are expected to bill them for the costs of diverting the plane, but ten of the twelve will fight the claim, claiming no involvement in the rowdy behaviour. The Denver Broncos are back on top of the world. The Broncos, led by legendary quarterback John Elway, clobber the Atlanta Falcons 34-19 to win their second straight Super Bowl. Elway, wrapping up his 16th NFL season, is the game’s MVP. He completes 18 of 29 passes for 336 yards and one touchdown and runs three yards for another score. |
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