PORTRAIT OF THE WEEK
Mr Peter Lilley, the Secretary of State for Social Security, launched a campaign with the slogan: 'Know a benefit rip-off? Give us a telephone tip-off.' It was intend- ed to attract anonymous denunciations of suspected dole cheats. An unmarried moth- er had one of her healthy unborn twins aborted because she could not face looking after both; donors offered thousands of pounds to save the twin and an injunction was obtained to prevent the abortion, until Queen Charlotte's hospital announced that it had taken place weeks before. Govern- ment scientists said that cows might be passing on bovine spongiform encephalopa- thy to their calves; German farmers and ministers then agitated against British beef. Mr Douglas Hogg, the Secretary of State for Agriculture, was asked to kill many thousands more cattle. The Government suspended for a month the Post Office's monopoly in delivering letters for less than £1 as postmen announced five more one- day strikes. Underground train drivers in London went on strike for a day, too, for the seventh time. The telephone numbers of London and other cities are to be changed only 16 months after new numbers
were last introduced. Barclays Bank announced six-monthly profits of £1.5 bil- lion. Three Turkish Kurds and a Czech coach driver were jailed for smuggling heroin into England. William Hill reduced the odds on finding intelligent extraterres- trial life from 500-1 to 25-1 after a mete- orite from Mars that landed in Antarctica was said to contain traces of organic matter.
MR WILLIAM PERRY, the United States defence secretary, said that American forces in Saudi Arabia expected to be attacked by terrorists at any time. An attack by American forces on Iranian bases was also expected. Mr Bill Clinton, the Presi- dent of the United States, signed a congres- sional Bill imposing penalties on foreign companies investing in Iran. Twelve boys died in one motor crash in Iran and 11 girls in another on the same day. Bosnian Croats eventually agreed to take part in the admin- istration of the city of Mostar following local elections in which Muslims won the majority of seats; their initial refusal had put into question the success of national elections to be held next month. Chechen
rebels attacked Russian troops in Grozny. Erich Priebke, a former SS captain convict- ed by an Italian court of taking part in the massacre of 335 civilians, was released but then re-arrested pending the outcome of an extradition application by Germany. Gen- eral Mohamed Farah Aidid, a faction lead- er in Somalia, died, aged about 66, of wounds after a gun fight; his son promised to follow in his footsteps. Monsignor Pierre Claverie, the Bishop of Oran, in Algeria, was killed, aged 58, by a bomb a few hours after meeting M. Herve de Charette, the French foreign minister. Claudette Colbert, the actress, died, aged 92. Michel Debit, the first prime minister of the French Fifth Republic, died, aged 84. King Hussein of Jordan acted as an intermediary in negotia- tions between Syria and Israel. Muslim vigi- lantes in Cape Town set fire to a reputed ringleader of drug dealers. Megawatt Sukarnoputri, the leader of the Indonesian Democracy party, was summonsed to answer police questions in Jakarta. Elec- tricity failed all over the Malay peninsula, putting traffic lights and air-conditioning out of action and halting the national foot- ball final. CSH
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