Weaver's News Spin

April 1999

A review of events and their interpretation.  

The Yugoslavia Crisis (17th) Aid workers say there are signs of starvation amongst refugees arriving at the border. NATO claims summary executions and mass graves are widespread in Kosovo. (18th) Five refugees killed by mine explosion on Albania - Serbia border. The device was planted by Serbs forces in an attempt to trap potential invading NATO forces. (19th) NATO confirms it may have struck a civilian convoy last Wednesday. A representative said the organisation "may have inadvertently struck civilian-type vehicles and civilian personnel." Doubt is cast on Yugoslav claims of 70 dead, though. Meanwhile, it's confirmed that Alistair Campbell, the chief British spin doctor, is helping out at NATO HQ. (22nd) With attacks on Milosevic's party HQ and personal Towers, NATO drops hints for a ground war. British foreign minister Robin Crook says that forces won't go into a hostile environment, but..... (23rd) NATO hits RTS, the Serbian television building, killing around 8 people. It's a shot at the "Propaganda Machine", according to NATO, but normal transmissions resume within four hours. (24th) We'll search vessels for oil, according to NATO sources, cutting off Yugoslavia's oil supplies. And NATO will defend countries that border Yugoslavia from Serb aggression. Will Yugoslav tv speak of defending those countries from NATO aggression? (29th) NATO misses badly. One group of bombs hits a housing complex, with around 15 killed. Another missile decides not to explode in Yugoslavia, creeps across the border and winds up exploding in Bulgaria.

 

Random Mutilations (17th) A bomb explodes in Brixton, South London. Eleven people are taken to hospital. The Government, while confirming it's an explosive device - possibly a nail bomb - ruled out Irish involvement. (19th) A white supremacist group claims responsibility for the blast. Police don't initially rule out the possibility it was a hoax call, but are now treating it as a racist incident. They also reckon that Brixton wasn't the original target, but became the victim after a bus being used to carry the bomb broke down there. (20th) Thirteen teens are killed in a murder at a Colorado school. The gunmen are believed to be members of the "Trenchcoat Mafia", a self-contained group at the school. (23rd) Five are injured outside a Rochdale supermarket as three gunmen in a stolen car fire into a knot of shoppers. (24th) Another nail bomb explodes, this time in Brick Lane, Stepney. Five people are treated for ear problems, but none is seriously hurt. Police link this to last week's explosion in Brixton, and blame minute right-wing groups. (30th) The third bomb blast in a fortnight kills two in a gay bar in Soho. Sixty are injured, twenty seriously. Police link this with the previous two bombings, following a claim of responsibility by a white supremacist group.

 

See You In Court (20th) The High Court denies a genetically modified food firm an injunction to stop protesters from attacking its plants. The judge said that there could be cases where a protest could be justified in doing this. (21st) Parents of Stephen Lawrence will sue the Met Police and five men accused of his death in 1993. They believe the cops mishandled the investigation, and are convinced of the guilt of the five. (28th) The EU will ban American beef in six weeks, owing to mis-labelled produce. While the EU's bar on genetically-tampered dead cow has been deemed unlawful by the WTO, they are entitled to turn back stuff that's labelled "not genetically modified" when it is. (30th) Dame Shirley Porter is cleared of any abusive of taxpayers money while in charge of Westminster Council in the 80s. The scheme to renovate houses in a way that would advantage the Conservative party locally was portrayed as an icon of sleaze, but the Appeal Court says that it wasn't illegal.

 

Other News In Brief (17th) The Indian government collapses after losing a no confidence vote by a single ballot. The Hindu National BNP has been heading a coalition for the past 13 months; opposition Congress Party hope to form a coalition of their own. It's the fifth government to fall in as many years. The President agrees to fresh elections on the 26th (18th) President Mugabe of Zimbabwe reverses his previous policy, and declares AIDS is a major problem for his country. Over 100 people are falling with AIDS-related diseases each week, according to government sources. (26th) The Bradford and Bingley building society will become a bank, following a vote by 29% of the membership to follow that course of action.

 

Football: Domestic (17th) MUN beat Sheffield Wednesday 3-0 despite fielding a virtual reserve side. Notts Forest go down to Spurs; Southampton and Blackburn draw 3-3 - one or other must go down. West Ham and Aston Villa both win. (18th) Chelsea lose ground in the title chase, drawing 2-2 with Leicester. Wigan win the League Trophy, beating Millwall 1-0 with an injury-time winner. (19th) Arsenal thrash Wimbledon 5-1 to move within a point of MUN. Four goals come in a breathtaking ten minute spell at the start of the second half. (24th) Another massacre from Arsenal, this time a 6-1 win at Middlesborough. The Gunners head the league by 2 points, but MUN have two games in hand. Villa go fifth after beating Notts Forest, a result that sends Forest down. Charlton and Blackburn lose, Southampton draw, leaving all three sides level on points. In the first division, Ipswich lose 2nd place to Bradford; Walsall are just two points from promotion from the Second division. (25th) MUN and CHE fail to close the gap at the top. MUN are held 1-1 to draw at 4th placed Leeds, coming from behind with a Colegoal. Chelsea go scoreless at Sheffield Wednesday, and are effectively out of the title race. Ups and Downs EP: Notts Forest relegated. FC: Cheltenham are promoted to play league football next season. SC2: Falkirk are relegated. European (21st) Bayern Munich and Manchester United are headed to the European Cup final. Munich score the only goal of the match to beat Dynamo Kiev. Juventus score twice in the first 11 minutes against MUN, but then cede pace and lose their first Euro-home match since the unification of Italy 3-2. Both sides progress 4-3 on aggregate. (22nd) Lazio and Real Mallorca are into the CWC Final. Lazio draw their home leg 0-0 against Lokomotiv Moscow to progress on the away goal rule. Mallorca down defending champs Chelsea 1-0, and win 2-1 overall. (20th) Marseilles and Parma will meet in the UEFA Cup Final. Marseilles need a late penalty to draw 1-1 with Bologna; Parma have a 2-0 win against Real Madrid. (25th) Feyenord win the Dutch championship with five games to spare.

 

Sharjah (ODI #1437, 16th: final) India 125 (Akram 3/11, Ganguly 50) Pakistan 129/2 (ul-Haq 39*, Kumble 2/28) Pakistan win by 132 balls Australia in the West Indies (ODI #1438, 17th, Port of Spain) Australia 242/7 (Waugh 74, Perry 3/45) West Indies 244/5 (Campbell 64, Adams 82, Fleming 3/49) West Indies win by six balls, lead 2-1 (ODI # 1439, 18th, Port of Spain) Australia 189/9 (Bevan 59*, Dillon 4/20) West Indies 169 (Simmons 42, Warne 3/35) Australia win by 20 runs, the series is 2-2 (ODI # 1440, 21st, Georgetown: 30 overs) WI 173/5 (Campbell 41, Williams 30*, Lee 3/39) Aus 172/7 (Waugh 71*, Gilchrist 44, Dillon 3/25) Although outscoring Aus by one run, a crowd invasion on the final ball prompts the match referee to declare a tie. Utter nonsense. WI 3, AUS 2. (ODI # 1441, Bridgetown, 24th) WI 249/8 (Jacobs 68, Warne 3/28, M Waugh 3/35) Aus 253/6 (Gilchrist 64, Ponting 43, King 2/50) Aus win with 9 balls in hand, lead 3-2. Carl Hooper announces his immediate retirement from international cricket after the game.

 

Other Sport (18th) Wayne Gretzky hangs up his skates after a 20 year career that's seen him break every scoring record in the book. His last match is a defeat for his New York Rangers at the hands of the Pittsburgh Penguins. (27th) Buffalo, Detroit and Dallas make the last eight in the NHL. Dallas (W1) overcome Edmonton (8) by one goal in each of their matches - the last goes 57 minutes into overtime. Detroit (W3) overcome Anaheim (6). And Ottawa (E2) are taken by Buffalo (7).

 

Passages (25th) Johnnie Walker, the BBC radio DJ, is suspended following scurrilous allegations that he's been involved with drug dealing. Walker, 55, famously left the BBC for the USA in 1976, complaining about the restrictive programming on Radio 1. He returned to Britain in 1990, hosting Radio 5's This Family Business and a Saturday show on Radio 1. His last shows were the weekday drivetime and Saturday afternoon shows on Radio 2. (26th) Gill Dando, the television presenter and notorious spoonerism, is murdered outside her house. She was 38. Dando rose from DevonAir to present BBC's Holiday programme, national news bulletins and the Crimewatch show. The Queen leads tributes to a talented broadcaster. (30th) Sir Alf Ramsey, football manager, 81. Sir Alf guided England to the World Cup championship in 1966, leading the national side for twelve years. He had risen to attention as the manager of Ipswich City, leading them to a completely unexpected League championship six years before.

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