José María Aznar, leader of the Popular Party, is elected as Prime Minister of Spain, replacing Felipe González. March 3–4 – Two suicide bombs explode in Israel, killing 32 people. The Yahya Ayyash Units admit responsibility, and Palestinian president Yasser Arafat condemns the killings in a televised address. Israel warns of retaliation. March 6 Mesut Yılmaz of ANAP forms the new government of Turkey (53rd government). A boat carrying market traders capsizes outside Freetown harbour in Sierra Leone, killing at least 86 people. Chechen rebels attack the Russian government headquarters in Grozny; 70 Russian soldiers and policemen and 130 Chechen fighters are killed. March 8 – China begins surface-to-surface missile testing and military exercises off Taiwanese coastal areas. The United States government condemns the act as provocation, and the Taiwanese government warns of retaliation. March 9 – Jorge Sampaio becomes the new Portuguese president. March 13 – Dunblane massacre: Unemployed former shopkeeper Thomas Hamilton walks into the Dunblane Primary School in Scotland and opens fire, killing sixteen infant school pupils and one teacher before committing suicide. March 14 – An international peace summit is held in Egypt in response to escalating terrorist attacks in the Middle East. March 15 – Fokker, a major manufacturer of small size aircraft, goes bankrupt in Netherlands. March 16 – Robert Mugabe is re-elected as President of Zimbabwe, although only 32% of the electorate actually voted. March 17 – Sri Lanka wins the Cricket World Cup by beating Australia in the final. March 18 – The Ozone Disco Club fire in Quezon City, Philippines kills 163 people. March 22 – Sweden's Finance Minister Göran Persson becomes the new Prime Minister of Sweden. March 23 – Taiwan (Republic of China) holds its first direct elections for president; Lee Teng-hui is re-elected. March 24 – The Marcopper mining disaster on the island of Marinduque, Philippines takes place. March 25 – The 68th Academy Awards, hosted by Whoopi Goldberg, are held at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles with Braveheart winning Best Picture. March 26 – The International Monetary Fund approves a $10.2 billion loan to Russia for economic reform. April April 3 A Boeing 737 military jet crashes into a mountain north of Dubrovnik, Croatia. All 35 people on board are killed, including United States Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown. Massacres of Hutus by Tutsis in Burundi take place with more than 450 killed within a