up049801|Stradivarius violin sold for record price|<strong>Stradivarius violin sold for record price</strong><p>In April 1998, a 271-year-old "Kreutzer" Stradivarius violin was sold at auction in London for just under one million pounds sterling. It is believed this is the highest price ever paid for a musical instrument.</p>
up049802|Mogae sworn in as Botswana's president|<strong>Mogae sworn in as Botswana's president</strong><p>In April 1998, Festus Mogae was sworn in as president of Botswana at a ceremony in Gabarone.</p>
up049803|Maurice Papon found guilty of crimes against humanity|<P><B>Maurice Papon found guilty of crimes against humanity</B></P><P>In April 1998, a court in Bordeaux, France, found Maurice Papon guilty of crimes against humanity for his role in the deportation of Jews from France between 1940 and 1945, during World War II. After the longest trial in French history, Papon became the first French government official to be convicted of war crimes. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison.</P>
up049804|World's longest suspension bridge opens|<strong> World's longest suspension bridge opens</strong><p>In April 1998, the Akashi Kaikyo bridge in Japan opened to traffic. It is the world's longest suspension bridge, measuring almost four kilometres. The bridge, which took 10 years to build, connects Kobe city with Shikoku Island, via the island of Awaji.</p>
up049805|Northern Ireland peace treaty is signed|<P><B>Northern Ireland peace treaty is signed</B></P><P>In April 1998, a historic peace treaty was signed by leaders of Sinn Fein, the Ulster Unionist party, six other political parties, and the prime ministers of the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom. The new settlement was reached after 22 months of negotiations and was scheduled to be put to the people of Ireland and Northern Ireland in a referendum in May 1998.</P>
up049806|New Armenian prime minister appointed|<strong>New Armenian prime minister appointed</strong><p>In April 1998, President Robert Kocharyan appointed Armen Darbinyan as Armenia's prime minister.</p>
up049807|O'Meara wins the Masters|<strong>O'Meara wins the Masters</strong><p>In April 1998, Mark O'Meara won the Masters golf competition, claiming his first major trophy in the sport.</p>
up049808|Pol Pot dies|<strong>Pol Pot dies</strong><p>On April 15, 1998, former dictator Pol Pot died of a heart attack at the age of 73. He was found dead in a hut on the Thailand-Cambodia border where he was under house arrest, pending trial for his crimes against humanity.</p>
up049809|Fred Davis dies|<strong>Fred Davis dies</strong><p>Fred Davis died on April 16, 1998 at his home in Denbigh, Wales. He was 84 years old.</p>
up049810|Linda McCartney dies|<P><B>Linda McCartney dies</B></P><P>Linda McCartney died of cancer on April 17, 1998, while on holiday with her husband, Paul McCartney, in California, U.S.A.</P>
up049811|Octavio Paz dies|<strong>Octavio Paz dies</strong><p>Octavio Paz died at his home in Coyoacan, Mexico City, on April 19, 1998. He was 84 years old.</p>
up049812|The Red Army Faction closes|<strong>The Red Army Faction closes</strong><p>In April 1998, the Red Army Faction announced its intention to disband after three decades of terrorist activities.</p>
up049813|James Earl Ray dies|<strong>James Earl Ray dies</strong><p>James Earl Ray died on April 23, 1998, in hospital in Nashville, U.S.A. He was 70 years old.</p>
up049814|Constantine Caramanlis dies|<strong>Constantine Caramanlis dies</strong><p>Constantine Caramanlis died in Athens on April 23, 1998, at the age of 91.</p>
up049815|Russia's new prime minister takes power|<strong>Russia's new prime minister takes power</strong><p>In April 1998, Sergei Kiriyenko is elected to the position of prime minister by the State Duma, who had rejected him on two previous occasions. President Boris Yeltsin had warned that he would dissolve parliament if his candidate were rejected a third time.</p>
