PORTRAIT OF THE WEEK
M r Philip Lawrence, the headmaster of a Roman Catholic school in London, was stabbed to death outside the gates when he went to the defence of pupils being attacked by a gang of youths from else- where. Three men connected with drug trafficking were shot dead in Essex. The Irish Republican Army ruled out giving up the arms it holds as part of the decommis- sioning process. Mr John Major, the Prime Minister, is to meet Mr John Bruton, the Taoiseach of Ireland, to discuss peace in Northern Ireland. Sir David Lightbown, a Tory MP, died, aged 63; presuming the consequent by-election is lost by his party, the Government majority will be reduced to three. Sir David was the seventh Conser- vative MP to die since the 1992 general election. He collapsed while watching the Varsity match at Twickenham. Plans were dropped to build two nuclear power sta- tions costing £5 billion at Sizewell in Suf- folk and Hinkley in Somerset. Government guidelines on sensible drinking raised the weekly limit for men from 21 to 28 units. Mr John Redwood published a pamphlet against economic and monetary union in the European Community. A number of countries were mentioned by Mr Michael Howard, the Home Secretary, that are 'not giving rise to a serious risk of persecution'; they were Bulgaria, Cyprus, India, Ghana, Pakistan, Poland and Rumania, and anyone from them seeking asylum in this country would have the presumption of eligibility running against them. Mr Richard Branson made some allegations about bribery and the National Lottery that set off a confusing tangle of claims and counter- claims. Over the past year the pay of direc- tors was found to have risen by nearly twice that of other employees. Kathleen Harri- son, the actress, died, aged 103. Arthur Mullard, the actor, died, aged 85. Lavinia Duchess of Norfolk died, aged 79. Tom Burns, the editor of the Catholic weekly, the Tablet, for 15 years, died, aged 89. Many people claimed to have flu. Mr Tony Benn, the Labour MP for Chesterfield, asserted that there is a sewage sump under the Speaker's House in the Palace of Westminster that is pumped by a steam engine.
M. ALAIN JUPPE, the Prime Minister of France, held talks with unions which have disrupted his country by striking in protest against public welfare cuts. SNCF, the French state-owned railway, joined a con- sortium to bid for British Rail's heavy freight network. Two French airmen shot down over Bosnia in August were released by the Bosnian Serbs. Israeli troops with- drew suddenly from Nablus, leaving it under Palestinian control. Israel began talks with Syria, through United States mediation. Half a million people in Poland wrote letters protesting against the election of the new President of Poland, Aleksander Kwasniewcki, on the grounds that he had falsified his academic qualifications. The Institute for Cetacean Research, a Japanese organisation in charge of 'scientif- ic' whaling, is suing a British journalist who broke an agreement only to release pho- tographs that were approved by them. India launched a campaign to immunise 75 mil- lion children under four against polio. Frank Sinatra, the singer, was 80. The Unit- ed States federal speed limit of 51 m.p.h. was lifted and left to individual state legislation.
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