PORTRAIT OF THE WEEK
Ratner's truth game John Major denied that recession was deepening, saying that Britain was recover- ing from its economic problems. The Treasury select committee doubted that the prediction that the recession would be short-lived. Marks & Spencer announced 850 redundancies. Two self-governing hos- pitals announced that 900 jobs must go, and the Government announced that 100 more hospitals would be self-governing in 1992. The House of Lords rejected the War Crimes Bill a second time, compelling the Government either to invoke the Par- liament Acts to ensure the Bill becomes law or to back down. Beryl Goldsmith, secretary to Norman Tebbit, persuaded the Government to review council tax rates in the City of London, where she said her small flat would cost more than Michael Heseltine's large house. A female bank robber who held up staff with a toilet roll to pay the poll tax and other bills was jailed for four years. A Northern Irish male academic reported that women did not truly wish to become rich, and claimed their personalities must differ from those of men. Susan Whybrow, who plotted with her flying instructor to murder her hus- band, a barrister, in a faked gardening
accident, was jailed for eight years. The Countryside Commission appealed to countryfolk not to stare at black tourists. The Revd Al Sharpton, an American black activist, began a tour of Britain. Rachel McLean, an undergraduate at St Hilda's College, Oxford, went missing, feared abducted; police divers searched the Cher- well for her body. British Rail and Aslef agreed to go to arbitration over a 7 per cent pay offer. British Gas agreed to hold price rises below the inflation rate for five years. Archaeologists uncovering mediaeval Cambridge found a lot of wine bottles.
IRAQI Kurds began to return to 'safe havens' in Iraq guarded by allied soldiers, though most were too frightened to move from refugee camps at the borders. Allied forces led by Royal Marines extended the security zone in north Iraq to reassure them. There was unanimous EEC support for a British plan to use UN police to protect the Kurds in future, but the UN appeared to be dragging its feet. Iraqi Shi'ites said promises on human rights and elections made to the Kurds by Saddam Hussein were worthless. Moscow offered to sponsor a Middle East peace confer- ence. Boris Yeltsin appealed to militant miners in Siberia to end their strike. President Gorbachev offered to resign as leader of the Communist party Central Committee, but was asked to stay. Ger- many said that Gorbachev was preferable to any likely successor. The Soviet Union appealed for more aid for victims of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster on the fifth anniversary. At least 63 people died in an earthquake in the Soviet republic of Geor- gia. Hundreds were killed in a cyclone in Bangladesh. Two died as thousands rioted in Albania against Communist rule. Thousands of Nigerian Christians fled the northern state of Bauchi after around 220 Christians and Muslims were murdered by Islamic militants and government troops brought in to stop the killing. The Ugan- dan army killed 400 rebels. China announced huge increases in basic foods. Winnie Mandela failed in her attempt to become leader of the ANC's women's league, suggesting a loss of confidence in her within ANC ranks. Holland decided to end its foreign secret service to save money. Diners in an Ontario restaurant chipped in to fly a 50-year-old lobster back to sea first class instead of eating it. SB
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