Beyond the farm

For the week preceding this Saturday, November 4th, 1995, here's what happened Beyond the Farm:

Voters in Quebec voted to remain a part of Canada Oct 30th, but not by a large margin. 50.4% of a high, 85%, turnout voted against independence, just 50,000 more than those voting for the referendum. Despite the loss, pro-sovereignty forces vowed that evening to hold another referendum in the near future. Following the "no" vote, Quebec's Prime Minister Jacques Parizeau resigned Oct 31st, citing his inability to convince the electorate of the value of independence. Lucien Buchard, who led the "whea" campaign for only its final few weeks, is expected to be elected to take Parizaeu's place.

A school bus carrying disabled children was hijacked in Dade County, FL Nov 2nd by a man who had become deranged over a dispute with the IRS. Catalino Sang claimed to have a bomb strapped to his leg as he ordered a cellular phone from the police and for the bus driver to head to his former workplace, the famous Joe's Stone Crab restaurant. After the 15-mile trip, police shot Sang as he appeared to be pulling for a weapon while alighting from the bus. Bus driver Alicia Chapman has been labeled a hero for keeping the children calm throughout the 75-minute ordeal, telling them to "take a nap."

In the Balkans:

• In Croatia, the ruling HDZ party of Franjo Tudjman won a commanding 44.2% of the popular vote Oct 30th and will be able to maintain control of that country.

• Peace talks opened Nov 2nd at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio between Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevik, Croatian President Franjo Tudjman, and Bosnian leader Alijah Izetbegovik, mediated by US envoy Richard Holbrooke.

• The Bosnians and Croats announced Nov 2nd that they would exchange 300 refugees within one month.

• The US State Department protested the detainment of Christian Science Monitor correspondent David Rohde Nov 3rd. The Bosnian Serbs have held Rohde for a week because he "entered [their] territory illegally"; Rohde broke the story of mass executions after the fall of Srebrenica earlier this year.

They're Talking About It:

In Shorts:

• Former South African defense minister Magnus Malan was charged with 13 political murders from some years ago Oct 29th.

• Tanzanian elections were held in most areas Oct 29th but because of a lack of polling material some areas had to vote later in the week. The ruling party ended up winning 19 of 24 seats, prompting calls of fraud from 10 of 12 opposition groups.

• Reformer Grigory Yavlinksy's and right-winger Alexander Rutskoi's parties were banned from the Russian Presidential election Oct 29th, but courts reversed the bannings over the next four days.

• 100,000 civilians fled Jaffna, Sri Lanka Oct 31st as the government prepared an offensive against the rebel stronghold city.

• Nigerian poet and activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and three others were sentenced to death in that nation Oct 31st in what is regarded by outsiders as a highly political court case.

• Israel bombed parts of southern Lebanon Nov 1st.

• A law to ban so-called "partial birth" abortions passed the House Nov 1st; abortion rights advocates claim that the bill, which criminalizes the procedure and allows for the jailing of doctors, is the first step toward criminalizing all abortions.

• President Clinton and congressional leaders started intense discussions over the federal budget Nov 1st.

• Local elections in South Africa Nov 1st resulted in a sweep by the African National Congress.

• The House of Representatives voted 249-172 Nov 1st to repeal the District of Columbia's domestic partner law.

• Colombian President Ernesto Samper declared a "State of Calamity" in his nation Nov 2nd.

• President Clinton professed a desire to return to a more conservative, "new democrat" approach to the presidency in an interview Nov 2nd with author Ben Wattenberg.

• The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed to a record 4825.57 mark Nov 3rd.

• With President Boris Yeltsin still in the hospital and apparently in failing health, Prime Minister Vicktor Chernomyrdin assumed more direct responsibility for the Power Ministries Nov 3rd, though both the Kremlin and Chernomyrdin emphasized Nov 4th that Yeltsin still technically controls the Power Ministries.

• Typhoon Andrea, described by some as a "super-typhoon," hit the Philippines Nov 3rd, causing severe flooding and at least 476 deaths.

• A memorial for the anniversary of the Pan Am flight 103 bombing was held at Arlington National Cemetery Nov 3rd.

• The Pentagon announced plans to buy 80 more C-17 transport planes Nov 3rd.

And that's what happened Beyond the Farm.

Beyond the Farm is designed to provide a reasonably short summary of a week's events for people who would otherwise have no chance to keep up with current events. It may be distributed/forwarded/posted anywhere. Comments, criticisms, and requests for e-mail subscription additions or deletions should be e-mailed to "lance.gleich@leland.stanford.edu." "http://www.stanford.edu/~lglitch/btf/btf.html" on the World Wide Web for back issues. Congratulations on keeping up with the world around you!