PORTRAIT OF THE WEEK
'Thank goodness there's no life on board.'
wo Iraqi diplomats sought political asylum in Britain; both had reached the ends of their careers. One had been ambas- sador to Canada; the other to Tunis. Britain complained to the United States at its proposed sale of 36 Skyhawk fighters to Argentina to replace planes destroyed in the Falklands war. Three miners were killed at Bilsthorpe colliery. Roof-bolts were initially blamed by the National Union of Mineworkers; these are giant nails driven into the roofs of tunnels to hold them up, instead of steel arches sup- porting them. But initial investigation sug- gested that an old neighbouring tunnel might have had a part in the disaster. Mr Michael Portillo, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, hinted that taxes might have to go up. Mr Martin Taylor, aged 41, is to become chief executive of Barclays. A decade ago he was a journalist on the Financial Times, and noted for his sharp comments on the banks. The stock market kept near its record high. Several bombs were let off in Northern Ireland. Mr Michael Howard, the Home Secretary, indicated that he wanted prisons to get tougher and that convicts should work more and have less recreation. Judge Stephen Tumim, the Chief Inspector of Prisons, said that providing work for pris- oners would cost money. A pressure group
complained that only one in four of women remanded in custody was found guilty upon trial, whereas one man in two was. Plans were afoot for the publication of budgets for the secret services, until now buried in other ministerial accounts. England won its first Test match against Australia since 1986 by 161 runs, bringing the series to a conclusion of 4-1 in Australia's favour. The Princess of Wales took her children to Dis- ney World in Florida. A dog called Barney was reprieved from destruction on being found not to be a pit-bull terrier, but at its release in Bristol attacked a police horse, which then trod on it.
CROAT forces agreed to let food and medicine through to more than 50,000 starving Muslims trapped in the south-west- ern Bosnian city of Mostar only if their troops were supplied too. Two United States transport planes scattered a few tons of ration packs over the city. In other parts of Bosnia fighting continued between Mus- lims and Croats, and President Alia Izetbe- govic of Bosnia announced that he could not recommend the Geneva peace-talk plans for the partition of his country to its parliament. The United States complained at China's reported deal to supply missiles to Pakistan. Nasa lost contact with the Mars Observer space probe which was meant to send back pictures of the planet. Some North Korean army officers seem to have been executed last year for an attempted coup. Right-wingers held politi- cians hostage in the north of Nicaragua and demanded the resignation of General Orte- ga, the former Sandinista commander of the army; in response left-wingers took hostages of their own in Managua. The new Prime Minister of Japan apologised in par- liament for his country's aggressive behaviour in the second world war. The United States sent 400 extra troops to Mogadishu to join 1,200 already working with United Nations forces there; several Americans have been killed there by fol- lowers of General Mohammed Farah Aidid. Civil disobedience began in Nigeria in protest at the annulment of the elections. The opposition in Togo boycotted this week's general election. Mr Rodney King, a black man whose videoed assault by Los Angeles policemen led to riots, was again arrested and charged with drunken driving. Los Angeles police alsb raided two homes belonging to Michael Jackson, the per- former. Mother Teresa of Calcutta was put into intensive care with malaria and heart problems. A heart found in a glass jar in the grounds of the former Bulgarian royal palace was claimed as that of ex-King Boris and buried in splendour. CSH
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