WHAT HAPPENED ON 22nd April 1999?

21st April 1999

WEDNESDAY'S HIGHLIGHTS AT WESTMINSTER

The Prime Minister told MPs he had sent a message to President Clinton expressing "shock & sympathy" over the high school massacre in Denver. Tory peers attacked Home Secretary Jack Straw's decision to allow the extradition to Spain of Chilean former dictator General Augusto Pinochet. Tory leader William Hague accused the Government of flooding all businesses with a "production line of red tape".

22nd April 1999

GROUND TROOPS GO IN WHEN SAFE SAYS UK

Nato ground forces will be sent into Kosovo when it is "appropriate & safe" to do so Robin Cook has said. But the Foreign Secretary said they would not be used in a "hostile environment" ` where Serbian forces still posed a military threat. Earlier Bill Clinton & Tony Blair backed Nato's decision to revive plans for the deployment of ground troops. The two leaders said they were "confident" air strikes would work.

22nd April 1999

BLAIR AND CLINTON DISCUSS KOSOVO CRISIS

Tony Blair has held two hours of talks with President Clinton in Washington on Nato's campaign against Yugoslavia. The talks came amid growing speculation that the alliance might be forced to send ground troops into Kosovo. A Downing St spokesman said both men believed the air campaign was working. But a BBC correspondent said British diplomatic sources suggested another four to five weeks of bombing could pave the way for ground troops to go in

21st April 1999

TUESDAY'S HIGHLIGHTS AT WESTMINSTER

Foreign Secretary Robin Cook conceded British troops could go to Kosovo if Serb forces were worn down by bombing. The Government had previously insisted ground forces would only be sent in to police an agreement between both sides. The Government dismissed a Tory plea to think again about its plans to scrap the centuries-old rights of hereditary peers to sit & vote in the Lords. The move came at the committee stage of the House of Lords Bill.

22nd April 1999

GROUND TROOPS GO IN WHEN SAFE SAYS UK

Nato ground forces will be sent into Kosovo when it is "appropriate & safe" to do so Robin Cook has said. But the Foreign Secretary said they would not be used in a "hostile environment" ` where Serbian forces still posed a military threat. Earlier Bill Clinton & Tony Blair backed Nato's decision to revive plans for the deployment of ground troops. The two leaders said they were "confident" air strikes would work.

22nd April 1999

What People were saying on

"I still wear my wedding ring. I also wear another ring which I bought myself which I call my disengagement ring."

Margaret Cook first wife of the Foreign Secretary Robin Cook.

"I like to know that there is a pink beautiful world of romance out there to dip into when times get tough."

Actress and novelist Jane Asher on romantic fiction.

"I'm fed up with corporate downsizing. Pamela Anderson's breast reduction is the final straw."

Mick Bolton of Leeds in a letter to the Daily Mail. }

21st April 1999

WEDNESDAY'S HIGHLIGHTS AT WESTMINSTER

The Prime Minister Tony Blair said that a Nato land force invasion of Kosovo remained an option. He said the alliance was determined to succeed ahead of talks with President Clinton in Washington. He refused to condemn Labour's Alice Mahon's visit to Belgrade. Mr Blair denied the Government had "defamed" the BBC's world affairs editor John Simpson over his reporting from Belgrade of the Kosovo conflict.

22nd April 1999

GROUND TROOPS GO IN WHEN SAFE SAYS UK

Nato ground forces will be sent into Kosovo when it is "appropriate & safe" to do so Robin Cook has said. But the Foreign Secretary said they would not be used in a "hostile environment" ` where Serbian forces still posed a military threat. Earlier Bill Clinton & Tony Blair backed Nato's decision to revive plans for the deployment of ground troops. The two leaders said they were "confident" air strikes would work.

22nd April 1999

SERB HEADQUARTERS ATTACKED BY HARRIERS

RAF Harriers have defied poor weather conditions to hit at the heart of Serb forces in Kosovo an RAF spokesman said The Harrier GR7s based in southern Italy struck at an enemy headquarters north of the Kosovo capital Pristina Group Captain Glenn Edge said. The planes dropped cluster bombs on the headquarters as part of "continued offensive air operations". Group Captain Edge said all the aircraft returned safely.

21st April 1999

In the European press there is more

criticism of the Nato operation in the Balkans: "One month of war for what results?" asks the Paris dailyLe Monde. "Nato's strategy has achieved none of the goals the allies had set themselves when the operation began". "Nato has failed. It has gone over the edge from the political diplomatic military & humanitarian standpoints " saysLiberation.

22nd April 1999

GROUND TROOPS GO IN WHEN SAFE SAYS UK

Nato ground forces will be sent into Kosovo when it is "appropriate & safe" to do so Robin Cook has said. But the Foreign Secretary said they would not be used in a "hostile environment" ` where Serbian forces still posed a military threat. Earlier Bill Clinton & Tony Blair backed Nato's decision to revive plans for the deployment of ground troops. The two leaders said they were "confident" air strikes would work.

22nd April 1999

IRAQI AIR DEFENCE SITES HIT SAYS US

US warplanes have bombed Iraqi air defence sites in the Allied-imposed northern no-fly zone after being threatened by anti-aircraft fire. F-16s fired missiles at an Iraqi radar site east of the city of Mosul said a US Air Force statement from Incirlik Air Base in southern Turkey. US F-15s also dropped laser-guided bombs on anti-aircraft sites. One Iraqi was killed & four others wounded the Iraqi military has claimed 6

21st April 1999

TUESDAY'S HIGHLIGHTS AT WESTMINSTER

Robin Cook hailed Libya's surrender for trial of the two men suspected of carrying out the Lockerbie bombing. He said further thawing of relations depended on progress in the case of the shooting of WPc Yvonne Fletcher. Treasury Chief Secretary Alan Milburn told MPs the average household would be #380 a year better off after the Budget But Shadow Chief Secretary David Heathcoat-Amory said the Finance Bill was a "story of cooked statistics".

22nd April 1999

GROUND TROOPS GO IN WHEN SAFE SAYS UK

Nato ground forces will be sent into Kosovo when it is "appropriate & safe" to do so Robin Cook has said. But the Foreign Secretary said they would not be used in a "hostile environment" ` where Serbian forces still posed a military threat. Earlier Bill Clinton & Tony Blair backed Nato's decision to revive plans for the deployment of ground troops. The two leaders said they were "confident" air strikes would work.

22nd April 1999

What People were saying on

"I still wear my wedding ring. I also wear another ring which I bought myself which I call my disengagement ring."

Margaret Cook first wife of the Foreign Secretary Robin Cook.

"I like to know that there is a pink beautiful world of romance out there to dip into when times get tough."

Actress and novelist Jane Asher on romantic fiction.

"I'm fed up with corporate downsizing. Pamela Anderson's breast reduction is the final straw."

Mick Bolton of Leeds in a letter to the Daily Mail. }

21st April 1999

x67/ ihC

The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung believes cracks in the German coalition government over the Yugoslav conflict look set to widen. "Environment minister Juergen Tritten is now emerging as the leader of a large faction in the Green Party that is unhappy about Nato airstrikes". Suddeutsche Zeitungsays if the Greens clearly reject the Nato operation at their party conference they would have to bear the consequences & withdraw from the German coalition.

22nd April 1999

GROUND TROOPS GO IN WHEN SAFE SAYS UK

Nato ground forces will be sent into Kosovo when it is "appropriate & safe" to do so Robin Cook has said. But the Foreign Secretary said they would not be used in a "hostile environment" ` where Serbian forces still posed a military threat. Earlier Bill Clinton & Tony Blair backed Nato's decision to revive plans for the deployment of ground troops. The two leaders said they were "confident" air strikes would work.

22nd April 1999

US DENIES ATTEMPT TO "KILL MILOSEVIC"

The Pentagon has denied Nato is trying to kill Yugoslavian President Slobodan Milosevic despite admitting that one of his presidential homes had been bombed. Yugoslavia had said Nato had tried to assassinate Mr Milosevic. Pentagon spokesman Ken Bacon hinted there could be further strikes on his homes & offices. Serbian TV showed pictures of one of Mr Milosevic's residences gutted after being bombed overnight.

21st April 1999

WEDNESDAY'S HIGHLIGHTS AT WESTMINSTER

The Prime Minister Tony Blair said that a Nato land force invasion of Kosovo remained an option. He said the alliance was determined to succeed ahead of talks with President Clinton in Washington. He refused to condemn Labour's Alice Mahon's visit to Belgrade. Mr Blair denied the Government had "defamed" the BBC's world affairs editor John Simpson over his reporting from Belgrade of the Kosovo conflict.

22nd April 1999

GROUND TROOPS GO IN WHEN SAFE SAYS UK

Nato ground forces will be sent into Kosovo when it is "appropriate & safe" to do so Robin Cook has said. But the Foreign Secretary said they would not be used in a "hostile environment" ` where Serbian forces still posed a military threat. Earlier Bill Clinton & Tony Blair backed Nato's decision to revive plans for the deployment of ground troops. The two leaders said they were "confident" air strikes would work.

22nd April 1999

YELTSIN URGES BLAIR TO CALL OFF STRIKES

Russian President Boris Yeltsin has urged Tony Blair to call a halt to the Nato air strikes against Yugoslavia. Itar-Tass news said Mr Yeltsin had told the Prime Minister the strikes could not resolve the problem. He also told Mr Blair by phone that the raids "presented a serious danger to international peace". Mr Blair should invigorate efforts aimed at finding a political settlement to the crisis Mr Yeltsin added.

21st April 1999

GET REFUGEES OUT OF MACEDONIA UN URGES

The UN refugee agency is appealing to Western governments to take Kosovo Albanian refugees away from Macedonia as relief camps there are full. The Macedonian government has once again been keeping refugees trapped in no-man's-land on the border it says. Some 3 000 refugees have finally been allowed to enter through the Lojane border point after two days' waiting. UN workers said Macedonian troops had stopped them taking supplies to them.

22nd April 1999

GROUND TROOPS GO IN WHEN SAFE SAYS UK

Nato ground forces will be sent into Kosovo when it is "appropriate & safe" to do so Robin Cook has said. But the Foreign Secretary said they would not be used in a "hostile environment" ` where Serbian forces still posed a military threat. Earlier Bill Clinton & Tony Blair backed Nato's decision to revive plans for the deployment of ground troops. The two leaders said they were "confident" air strikes would work.

22nd April 1999

BLAIR AND CLINTON DISCUSS KOSOVO CRISIS

Tony Blair has held two hours of talks with President Clinton in Washington on Nato's campaign against Yugoslavia. The talks came amid growing speculation that the alliance might be forced to send ground troops into Kosovo. A Downing St spokesman said both men believed the air campaign was working. But a BBC correspondent said British diplomatic sources suggested another four to five weeks of bombing could pave the way for ground troops to go in

21st April 1999

SHARE PRICES

22nd April 1999

GROUND TROOPS GO IN WHEN SAFE SAYS UK

Nato ground forces will be sent into Kosovo when it is "appropriate & safe" to do so Robin Cook has said. But the Foreign Secretary said they would not be used in a "hostile environment" ` where Serbian forces still posed a military threat. Earlier Bill Clinton & Tony Blair backed Nato's decision to revive plans for the deployment of ground troops. The two leaders said they were "confident" air strikes would work.

22nd April 1999

COURT HEARS CASE OF CUDDLY "IMPOSTERS"

The High Court is hearing the case of five alleged impostors ` cuddly toys said to be illegally based on the TV cartoon South Park. South Park copyright owners Time Warner Entertainment claim the toys are copies of the show's main characters. They are demanding an injunction banning Playmakers UK from importing and marketing the Chinese-made toys. Judge Mrs Justice Arden admitted she had never seen the show.