23 APRIL 1983, Page 38

Portrait of the week

Aleast 39 people were killed, and another 140 injured, when a pick-up truck loaded with explosives was blown up in the courtyard of the United States em- bassy in Beirut. A group calling itself the Islamic Struggle Front, believed to have links with the regime of the Ayatolla Kho- meini in Iran, took responsibility for the at- tack. In Poland, former Solidarity leader Lech Walesa was detained by police for the second time within a few days, and the government threatened to cancel the Pope's visit if Solidarity urged demonstrations on May Day. The Romanian government ordered that all typewriters should be licensed, and the Romanian refugee Stancu Papusoiu, deported from Britain a few weeks ago back to Bucharest, re-emerged in the West to fall foul of the authorities in Austria, being moved from a refugee camp to prison. Independence Day in Zimbabwe was celebrated with ferocious threats against Joshua Nkomo's ZAPU Party by the Prime Minister, Mr Mugabe, and the President, Mr Banana, and a display by the Korean-trained Fifth Brigade, whose soldiers demonstrated kung-fu techniques. Sir Richard Attenborough, after collecting eight Hollywood Oscars for his film Gan- dhi, ran into trouble for his intention to at- tend separate white, black and Indian premieres of his film in South Africa: following an outcry, Sir Richard declared that he would only present the film if it was open to multiracial audiences. In Australia, the new Prime Minister, Mr Bob Hawke, achieved virtual unanimity on a prices and incomes policy from a conference of unions, employers and ministers of his government. David Hempleman-Adams abandoned his attempt to walk to the North Pole 180 miles from his destination after be- ing trapped in his tent by a blizzard which prevented the arrival of airborne supplies.

Ahome, the Government announced ac- ceptance of recommendations by a Royal Commission which will require all new cars to run on lead-free petrol by 1990 at the latest. The Independent Television companies canvassed the idea of closing down Channel Four, until the dispute with Equity about the fees of actors in TV com- mercials is over. On the troubled TV-am station, Mr Timothy Aitken replaced his cousin Jonathan as chief executive, and the two women presenters, Anna Ford and Angela Rippon, were sacked. The strike continued at British Leyland's Cowley works over three minutes' washing time for the workers at the end of each shift which management wishes to abolish. A 36-year- old worker at BL's Longbridge plant in Bir- mingham, depressed at being laid off because of the Cowley strike, committed suicide. National union officials moved in to try to reach a settlement, but were resisted by the workers, shop stewards and local officials. The Home Secretary retreated from the controversial Clause 10 of the Police and Criminal Justice Bill in the face of protests by bishops, social workers and doctors: clergymen, medical practi- tioners and others would have been re- quired to deliver confidential records to the police, under orders from a circuit judge. Journalists were pressing for a similar dispensation. Mr Peter Tatchell decided not to run again after his defeat by a Liberal in the recent Bermondsey by-election. Mr Tatchell blamed Fleet Street's concentra- tion on his homosexuality for his downfall.

Peter Sutcliffe, the Yorkshire Ripper, 1. serving a life sentence for the murder of thirteen women, appeared in court in the Isle of Wight in the case of a fellow- prisoner accused of wounding him. Under cross-examination, he asserted that what was wrong with the world today was 'greed, immorality and depravity'. More than 5,000 unemployed teenagers are to be given a year's course in the armed forces as Part of the Government's youth training in- itiative. Sir Larry Lamb, former editor of the Sun, was appointed editor of the Dail,' Express in place of Mr Christopher Ward, A wartime Spitfire fighter was sold at auc- tion for £260,000. A hunt whipper-in was cleared of cruelty and criminal damage charges brought by the owner of a 15-year- old cat mauled to death by hounds, when the court accepted that he had been attack- ed by residents as he tried to retrieve the fox and lead the hounds away from the cat. And the deaths were announced this week of avant-garde composer Elizabeth Lutyens and the Buddhist Old Bailey judge, Sir

'On the plus side, we've saved a fortune In soap.'