News beyond the farm

For the week preceding this Saturday, October 5th, 1996, here's what made the News Beyond the Farm:

Afghanistan's Taliban faction captured Jabal os-Siraj Sep 29th and started to consolidate their control on over two-thirds of the country. The United Nations sent envoy Norbert Dell to try to keep an all-out war from developing between the Taliban and previously-neutral faction leader General Rashood Dostram in the north-central region Oct 2nd. The next day, the Taliban imposed severe movement restrictions in their territory. On Oct 5th, they attacked forces of Ahmad Shah Masood in the Panjsher Valley. [Please note that "Taliban" is often spelled "Taleban" in the domestic press. On spelling matters such as this, I defer to the Christian Science Monitor, and they are still using "Taliban."]

The situation in Burma continues to become more complicated. On Sep 29th, the ruling SLORC government implemented roadblocks to prevent a planned convention of opposition leader and Nobel Laureate Aun Sang Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy. Suu Kyi managed to pass barricades and reach her residence Oct 2nd, and in a public statement she claimed the government held 800 NLD in jail. The government claimed only about 150 were actually in jail, and that their release was contingent on the actions of NLD leadership.

Domestically, the first Presidential debate is scheduled for Oct 6th. President Clinton spent only a couple days preparing with the help of former senator George Mitchell. Republican challenger Bob Dole spent most of the week preparing with a variety of help even including George Bush Oct 5th.

They're Talking About It:

In Shorts:

• Sri Lankan government forces captured the town of Kilinochchi from Tamil Tiger rebels Sep 29th. However, despite having no remaining stronghold, the rebels struck back and inflicted casualties Oct 1st.

• The new, multi-racial Bosnian Presidency met for the first time Sep 30th.

• The Senate passed the 1997 Federal Budget 84-15 Sep 30th.

• ValuJet Airlines resumed flying a limited flight schedule Sep 30th.

• NASA announced Sep 30th that a commercial entity called the United Space Authority will take over day-to-day operation of the Space Shuttle program.

• The United Auto Workers and Chrysler Corporation reached a labor agreement Sep 30th.

• Border clashes between Russian and Tajikistan occurred Sep 30th.

• In Peru, guerilla leader David Mesa Pena and fifty compatriots of the EPL group turned themselves in to the government Sep 30th.

• American League (baseball) umpires did show up for work Oct 1st after threatening to strike since Roberto Alomar of the Baltimore Orioles is being allowed to play pending appeal of his suspension for spitting at an umpire and insulting the umpire's son. A Federal Court ruled that the umpires might work through the World Series Oct 4th.

• The Pentagon admitted Oct 1st that up to 15,000 US troops may have been exposed to sarin during the war with Iraq and may therefore be suffering from Gulf War Syndrome.

• The White House announced that US troops will remain in Bosnian through March Oct 1st.

• On Oct 1st, 20,000 Indians in Bolvia demonstrated in La Paz for land reform.

• A South Korean diplomat was bludgeoned to death in Russia Oct 2nd, an apparent expression of outrage against the nation for the deaths of North Koreans held in captivity following the capture by the South of a submarine from the north apparently engaged in espionage. On Oct 5th, North Korea threatened to make lethal retaliation against the South.

• Russian President Boris Yeltsin announced he would make further communications in radio addresses Oct 2nd, then used his first address Oct 3rd to criticize those who think he should resign.

• An Aero Peru jet crashed in the Pacific Ocean off Lima killing all seventy people aboard Oct 2nd.

• Theodore Kaczynski, the accused unabomber, was indicted in New Jersey Oct 2nd, his first indictment outside of California. He still may receive only one comprehensive trial.

• The Educational Testing Service announced changes in the PSAT test writing section designed to eliminate bias against females Oct 2nd.

• A party favoring more local autonomy, the National Conference Party, won elections in India's state of Jammu and Kashmir Oct 2nd.

• Polish poet Wislawa Szymborska won the Nobel Prize for Literature Oct 3rd.

• The US Senate closed up for the term Oct 3rd; the House of Representatives ended the 104th Congress for good Oct 4th.

• A mystery light which flashed across the sky in the western United States Oct 4th was believed to be a meteor.

• The Dow Jones Industrial Average flirted with the 6000 level for the first time Oct 4th before closing at 5994.

• "LA Story" come true: Someone has been using marbles to shoot out windows from cars on Los Angeles-area freeways, peaking on Oct 4th.

• Israeli bombed Hizbollah position in southern Lebanon after an ambush of an Israeli battalion Oct 5th.

• A pair of bomb devices were aimed at the Honduran Congress in Tegucigalpa Oct 5th caused no injuries and only non-catastrophic building damage.

• Volcanic disturbances beneath Iceland's Vatnajokull glacier became more severe Oct 5th, and will lead to flooding even if a full eruption is not achieved.

• A bomb damaged the offices of French Prime Minister Alain Juppe in Bordeaux Oct 5th.

• Seymour Cray, one of the fathers of the supercomputer, died Oct 5th at the age of 71 from car-crash injuries.

Finally:

And that's what made the News Beyond the Farm.