Weaver's News Spin

April 1999

A review of events and their interpretation.  

The Yugoslavia Crisis (1st) Three American soldiers are captured at the Yugoslav - Macedonia border, and paraded on national television. Comparisons with Sadaam Hussein, who pulled the same stunt in 1991, are obvious; this may be a propaganda miss by the usually unerring Milosevic. (3rd) Bombing raids destroy the Interior and Defence Ministries in Belgrade. As usual, the USA portrays this as a major breakthrough in their war; the Yugoslavs as a piece of aggression. This will clearly hurt the Serb command and control structure, but won't fatally damage it. (4th) Many NATO countries agree to take Kosovan refugees. Numbers haven't been discussed, but the UK government puts figures of "some thousands". This might give succor to Milosevic's mass emigration programme, but is a necessary sop to western public opinion. The refugees won't be allowed to remain once the war ends, assuming that's a going option. (6th) Yugoslavia offers a unilateral cease fire. The cease fire will apply to troops in the Kosovo area only, and co-incides with the Orthodox Easter this coming weekend. NATO regard this as being "too little, too late", and carry on anyway. There's no international military presence, no autonomy for Kosovo, and no removal of Milosevic; all are war aims (the last one unstated.) (7th) 65,000 refugees disappear from the Macedonian-Kosovan border. Some 20,000 of them are traced to southern Albania, while a number of others are found dispersed in the country. But it's not clear where 45,000 refugees are; Macedonian sources deny reports that they've been bussed back to Kosovo. The queues to leave Kosovo also vanish overnight, as all the Kosovans spontaneously figure that NATO won't bomb them any more, and return to their homes, according to Yugoslav sources. That most of them have no homes to return to is a quandry we may never resolve. (9th) Boris Yeltsin warns Russia will get involved if NATO uses ground troops. However, NATO says that there are no plans to deploy troops anyway, and Yeltsin's outburst is mainly aimed at domestic audiences. The Foreign Minister later denies that any such plans exist. Yeltsin's sackings today: nil. The guy is clearly unwell. (11th) Aid workers claim 400,000 are hiding in the Kosovan forests. They appeal to Milosevic to allow them in to work to feed and shelter these people. On Yugoslav television, we see two Australian relief workers confessing that they are spies, clearly building up for a refusal of this request. (12th) Yugoslavia requests union with Russia and Ukraine. NATO bombers hit a passenger train, with ten civilian casualties. NATO describes it as "an uncanny accident". (13th) There's a brief incursion into Albania by Yugoslav forces, trying to put a stop to the command structure of the KLA. Britain announces it's making a long-term incursion into Macedonia, adding 35% to its troop force in that country, to 6500. (14th) NATO hits a refugee convoy, killing about 70 of them. It takes a day for the west to admit to this, and they continue to claim that Milosevic is entirely to blame. British sources claim that "Arkan", a terrorist leader, and Ratko Mladic, one of the bad guys from the Bosnia war earlier in the decade, are involved in Kosovo. This comes as news to Sources in Bosnia, who took tea and sandwiches with Mladic just last Monday. (15th)

 

The Ireland Situation (1st) There's a glimpse of an agreement as all sides break talks for 10 days while they hammer out a settlement for representation in the NI Cabinet. (5th) A march in Belfast passes off peacefully in spite of being re-routed away from the traditional route. Meanwhile, Sinn Fein leaders suggest that the agreement hammered out last week might be something of a sell-out. (13th) Sinn Fein calls the agreement unacceptable, as it's not able to act as guarantor of IRA members. Governments respond by pointing out that this is already Plan F, and there's no Plan G.

 

See You In Court (2nd) It's reported that the handover of two suspects in the 1988 Lockerbie bombing is imminent. The two were accused back in 1991, but Lybia refused to discuss surrendering the pair to Scottish justice until early this year. They'll be tried under Scottish law in the Netherlands. A man's been arrested in New Jersey over last week's Melissa virus flap. The grounds under which he's been charged are unclear. (5th) The two Lockerbie suspects surrender to authorities in the Netherlands for medical checks and to meet their defence lawyers. International sanctions against Lybia are suspended, ten days short of seven years after their initial imposition. (6th) Victoria Aadams and David Beckham are in hot water over the design of their wedding invites. Tickets for the July 4 match feature a heraldic design - a swan floating on the Premier League trophy, with the letters "V" and "D" on a quartered shield. But the pair have no right to use any coat of arms, and it's possible that the two will be sent to jail over the offence against good taste. (7th) The Mardi Gra bomber, Edgar Pearce, pleads guilty to 20 charges involving blackmail attempts on Barclays bank and Sainsburys supermarket. The plot involved planting 36 viable bombs and explosive packages in the London area between 1994 and 1998. He's later jailed for 224 years, but will serve only 21. (9th) A driver is charged with going at 46mph in a 30 zone. "So what?" we hear you cry. The chap, who can't be named because we don't know it, was driving a Midland Metro tram down the Bilston Road in Wolverhampton. The tram has a top speed on 55mph, but must obey all speed limits on road sections. The Metro will open for business in June. (12th) The Home Secretary denies compensation to the family of a man murdered by State action. Derek Bentley was hanged over the murder of a policeman in 1954, but cleared last year. Jack Straw turns down requests for payment, saying that errors by judges don't fall under compensation rules. (14th) After a show trial, former Malaysian deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is found guilty of corruption and sedition. Most neutral observers condemn the trial, and five year jail sentence, as a farce. (15th) The extradition of General Pinochet is back on: UK Home Secretary Jack Straw gives the nod following the recent Lords ruling that his extradition remains lawful.

 

News In Brief (5th) Richard Dunwoody becomes the winningest jump jockey ever, passing Peter Scudamore's mark of 1689. (6th) St John's is hit by the worst snowstorm in many years, with the entire city paralyzed by the blizzard. 68cm falls in 24 hours - a city in Upper Canada couldn't cope with just 15cm back in January. Normal service is resumed in a day, as opposed to a week elsewhere. (8th) The Competition Commission - the replacement for the Monopolies and Mergers Commission - will investigate price-fixing allegations against British supermarkets. They're charged with over-charging the consumer and making excessive profits. (10th) Scotland beat France 36-22 in the Five Nations tournament. With just 20 minutes on the clock, the Scots are 33-19 up, but the early pace can't be sustained; this is a rugby match, not a basketball game. Scotland remain in the hunt for the title, but need Wales to defeat England tomorrow. France finish bottom of the table on by one point of points difference from Ireland, the first time they've anchored the league since 1307 [someone check this?] (11th) Wales sneak past England 32-31. The 8 from 8 goal-kicking of Neil Jenkins is the difference between the two sides, as England are never led - until the second minute of injury time, when a Williams try is converted by Neil. This means Scotland end the decade how they began it, as Five Nations Champions. Wales' wins this year come over the big two, England and France, both by one point. Expect them to beat Australia by a mile in the World Cup, but to lose to Western Samoa.

 

Football: Domestic (3rd) Chelsea catch up on the leading two, with a 1-0 win at struggling Charlton. MUN draw 1-1 at Wimbledon. Arsenal also draw, 0-0 at Southampton. Chelsea are 1 pt behind Arsenal, and 5 off MUN. Leeds are two further back. Newcastle come from behind to win a pulsating match 4-3 at Derby, while Leicester win a bad-tempered match 2-0 at Spurs. Coventry beat Sheffield Wednesday 2-0, dragging the Owls into the relegation fight, where Notts Forest go down 3-1 at Leeds. The Murkeyside derby ends Liverpool 3, Everton 2. Sunderland are cruising to the premier league, beating West Brom 3-0. (5th) Charlton move out of the Premier League relegation zone following a 1-0 win at Europe-chasing West Ham. Coventry leave Southampton in deeper trouble after beating them 1-0, and Sheffield Wednesday downing Everton 2-1. Middlesborough beat Wimbledon 2-0 in front of a crowd of 39,999 - one short of capacity. In the Second Division, Preston and Man City do neither any promotion favours, drawing 1-1. (10th) In a curtailed Premier League programme, Aston Villa get their first victory since January 16, winning 3-0 over Southampton; their pursuit of an automatic Europlace is helped by West Ham's 0-0 draw at Leicester. Derby almost condem Notts Forest to League football with a 1-0 victory, while Charlton lost ground with a 2-0 loss at Middlesborough. Elsewhere, the D2 race hots up as Fulham beat Wigan 2-0 in front of a crowd that includes Michael Jackson (the singer, not the Channel Four controller); Preston and Walsall lose at Macclesfield and Colchester respectively, allowing Man City to close the gap by beating Notts Co. Celtic book their place in the Scottish Cup Final, beating Hearts 1-0. (11th) Newcastle beat Tottenham 2-0 after extra time. A dull match is enlivened by a pair of wonderful Shearer blasts - one to secure the win, a second to try and take Goal of the Tournament from Ginola with a powerful 15 yard shot. Arsenal 0, Manchester United 0 (after extra time). The only goal of a match MUN dominated is ruled out for offside; the sides will meet again on Wednesday... (14th) Wednesday comes, and THE match of the season compresses enough drama to last a month into two hours. MUN hold the early advantage, and capitalise with a Beckham goal on 17 mins. They could have had more, but Arsenal exploded with Overmars on the hour, culminating in a Bergkamp goal on 68. The Gooners could have won it with a Bergkamp penalty in time added on, but Schmeichal saved. MUN, now reduced to ten men with Keane's double-yellow exit pressed forward in the extra time, culminating in a mazy Giggs run that may be even better than Ginola's. Manchester United 2, Arsenal 1 Ups and Downs SC1: Hibernians promoted as champions; Stranraer relegated. SC2: Livingston and Inverness Caledonian Thistle promoted. SC3: Ross County promoted. E1: Sunderland back up. E2: Fulham up for second time in three seasons. (9th) The Competition Commission rules that BSkyB cannot take over Manchester United. The bid, valuing the world's richest club at 600 million pounds, is blocked on grounds that it would be against the public interest. It would have allowed the sole holder of live Premier League rights an unfair advantage in the renewal of the contract in 12-24 months. European (7th) European Cup, Semi Final, 1st Leg Two wonderfully competitive games both end in draws. In Kiev, Dinamo draw 3-3 with Bayern Munich. Dinamo go 2-0 and 3-1 up, with two goals from Shevchenko, but sterling attack work from the Germans bring the game level in a wonderfully free-flowing match. It's the exact opposite at Manchester United, where Juventus take an early 1-0 lead, and sit back and defend for the rest of the match. But a Man U strike is ruled offside, they have a couple of other very close shots, and Ryan Giggs scores the equaliser in time added on. That match ends 1-1. (8th) Cup-Winners' Cup, Semi Final 1-1 draws in both matches. Chelsea have slightly the better of play against Real Mallorca, but the Spaniards sneak a first half goal. In Moscow, it's a more even game, and 1-1 is a fair result between Lokomotiv and Rome's Lazio. (6th) UEFA Cup, Semi Final, 1st Leg Parma win 3-1 at Athletico Madrid, in an exciting, open game. It's the exact opposite in Marseilles, where Bologna play defence, defence, defence in a 0-0 bore draw.

 

Cricket: Tests (#1454, 3rd-7th) Australia 303 (Ambrose 5/94, S Waugh 72*, Langer 51) and 306 (Langer 127, M Waugh 65, Walsh 4/78, Ambrose 3/55) West Indies 222 (Lara 100 off 83 balls, McGrath 3/64, Miller 2/39) and 211 (Griffith 56, McGrath 3/50, MacGill 3/80) Australia win by 176 runs, and square the series 2-2. South East Asia (ODI # 1427, 1st) India 196 (Ganguly 57, Singh 42, Saqlain 3/49) Pakistan 197/3 (Ahmed 89*, Inzamam 63*, Prasad 3/26) Pakistan win with 29 balls in hand. (ODI #1428, 4th, final) Pakistan 291/8 (Inzamam 91, Shahid 65, Prasad 2/37) India 168 (Azhar 5/38, Jadeja 41) Pakistan win by 123 runs Sharjah (ODI #1429, 7th) Pakistan 323/5 (Ijaz 137, Inzamam 59, Gough 3/55) England 233 (Hick 65, Flintoff 50, Saqlain 3/23) Pakistan win by 90 runs (ODI #1430, 8th) Pakistan 279/8 (Inzamam 107, Prasad 3/69) India 163/6 (Joshi 38, Mahmood 2/20) Pakistan win by 116 runs (ODI #1431, 9th) India 222/5 (Azharuddin 74*, Ramesh 60, Gough 2/42) England 202 (Fairbrother 57, Prasad 3/38) India win by 20 runs (ODI #1432, 11th) India 239/6 (Dravid 63, Gough 2/43) England 230 (Knight 84, Thorpe 79, Prasad 3/35) India win by 9 runs and will meet Pakistan in the final (ODI #1434, 12th) England 206 (Thorpe 62, Shoaib Aktar 4/37) Pakistan 144 (Salim 47*, Ealham 4/30) England win by 62 runs. (ODI #1435, 13th) Pakistan 205/9 (Khan 54, Malik 50, Agarkar 2/41) India 206/4 (Ramesh 82, Dravid 81) India win with 11 balls in hand Australia in the West Indies (ODI #1433, 11th) West Indies 209 (Fleming 3/41, Warne 2/30, Campbell 62) Australia 165 (Julian 35, Bryan 4/24) WI win by 44 runs, lead 1-0 (ODI #1436, Queen's Park, Greneda, 14th) Australia 288/4 (Lehmann 110*, Bevan 72*) West Indies 242 (Campbell 46, Warne 3/39) Aus win by 46 runs, level the series 1-1 English Domestic (13th) First day of the season proper launches with the traditional opening round of fixtures - champions Leicstershire against Essex, Kent versus Somerset, and Durham against Worcestershire is postponed by snow. It's expected that Durham will win the match if it goes to snowballs on Friday.

 

Tennis (4th) First round of the Davis Cup sees holders Sweden fall at the first hurdle, losing 3-2 to Slovakia. Australia overcome Zimbabwe 4-1, Russia triumph over Germany 3-2. Brazil upset Spain 3-2, South Africa overpower Belarus 4-1. Belgium oust the Czechs 3-2, and France defeat the Netherlands 4-1. The UK-USA match goes right to the wire, with the UK recovering from 2-0 down to take it to the final set. The USA win it 8-6, and the tie 3-2.

 

Passages Lyricist and composer Lionel Bart, 68. Best known for his West End and Broadway Musical Oliver!, Bart helped revive the moribund UK musical scene in the 1960s, setting the path for such luminaries as Lloyd-Webby, Rice, Mackintosh and Stilgoe. Singer and actor Anthony Newley at the age of 67. The former husband of Joan Collins launched his career in the 1948 film Oliver Twist. He co-wrote the musicals Stop the World - I Want to Get Off and The Roar of the Greasepaint - the Smell of the Crowd.

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