AUGUST 21-28, 2000 VOL. 156 NO. 7/8

Milestones
BY ARYN BAKER

SENTENCED. KNOCK YOKOYAMA, 68, former comedian and ex-governor of Osaka, to 18 months in prison for sexual harassment; in Osaka. His victim, a college student who worked on his 1999 re-election campaign, said she felt vindicated. But she was disappointed the jail term was suspended, meaning Yokoyama will go behind bars only if he commits another crime in the next three years.

CONVICTED. ANWAR IBRAHIM, 53, Malaysia's charismatic former Deputy Prime Minister, of sodomy; in Kuala Lumpur. The verdict follows Anwar's two-year battle against what he has called a political conspiracy against him. It also removes him from the Malaysian political scene he once dominated as Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad's heir apparent. The conviction drew condemnation from foreign governments, human rights groups and jurists' associations.

DIED. FOUAD SERAG AL-DIN, 90, leader of Egypt's largest opposition party, al-Wafd; in Cairo. A longtime campaigner for democracy, he rose to leading positions in the party while still in his 30s and served in the Cabinet five times. "He invigorated the political life in Egypt," said Fotouh al-Shazly, a journalist from the party's newspaper.

DIED. SIR ROBIN DAY, 76, BBC broadcaster, known as the "grand inquisitor" for his piercing and aggressive interviewing style; in London. Day once asked ex-U.S. President Harry S. Truman if he regretted authorizing the dropping of the atomic bomb (he didn't). Said Margaret Thatcher: "I always enjoyed the joust. [Day] was tough and relentless."

DIED. JOSIAS CUNNINGHAM, 66, a respected leader in the Ulster Unionist Party, Northern Ireland's main Protestant political group, in a road accident; in Belfast. As president of the Unionists' ruling council, he became the navigator for party leader David Trimble, providing advice and momentum through the lengthy negotiation and subsequent implementation of the 1998 Good Friday Accords. Said Trimble: "He was a man of tremendous integrity, a man of tremendous commitment to serving the community through politics."

BORN. To betrothed actors CATHERINE ZETA-JONES, 30, and MICHAEL DOUGLAS, 55, the couple's first child, Dylan Michael; in Los Angeles.

BORN. To chameleon chanteuse MADONNA, 41, and director GUY RITCHIE, 32, her second child, Rocco, by caesarean section; in Los Angeles.

RETIRED. SIRIMAVO BANDARANAIKE, 84, Sri Lanka's Prime Minister and the world's first elected woman premier; in Colombo. A dominant force in her country's politics for four decades after succeeding her assassinated husband as head of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, Bandaranaike was elected Prime Minister in 1960 and served three terms. She is the mother of Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga. Said the Prime Minister: "I believe it is time for me to withdraw from the humdrum of busy political life, to a more tranquil and quiet environment."

Model Democracy

MINISTRY OF FASHION Every country likes to think it has the world's wisest, noblest parliament, but what about the best-dressed? In the U.S. House chamber, coats and ties are mandatory for men. Others aren't so stuffy. Some of the chic-est:

BERMUDA: Last month lawmakers made Bermuda shorts acceptable in Parliament. Safari suits and Nehru jackets for men were also allowed, as were pantsuits for women. Verdict: Very retro, very groovy.

SOUTH AFRICA: In 1994, Mandela's sweeping reforms introduced to Parliament traditionally African items, such as long floral shirts. Verdict: Fresh, casual and oh-so-now.

BRITAIN: The speaker of the House of Commons, Betty Boothroyd, has chosen not to wear the traditional wig, but the sergeant at arms still wears a sword. Verdict: Classic with a twist. The sword, while not practical, shows commitment.