Cable Briefs (Press, 17 February 1989)

On 17 February 1989, a fragile truce was observed between Regular Army troops and hardline militiamen in Lebanon after intense fighting resulted in 50 deaths and 110 injuries. The conflict erupted as the troops clashed with the Christian Lebanese Forces militia, turning Christian areas into a battleground for 12 hours. In Israeli-Palestinian relations, a senior adviser to Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres held significant discussions with Palestinian activist Faisal al-Husseini, marking the highest-level talks between Israelis and pro-P.L.O. Palestinians to date. Al-Husseini had recently been released after an 18-month imprisonment without trial. The meetings took place in Jerusalem and involved exchanges of perspectives among several legislators from Peres's Labour Party. In a notable court case in Los Angeles, a jury awarded $14.5 million to Marc Christian, the former partner of actor Rock Hudson, who claimed that Hudson had concealed his AIDS diagnosis to continue their sexual relationship. The court found Hudson's actions amounted to “outrageous conduct,” causing Christian significant emotional distress upon learning the truth in July 1985, although he has tested negative for the disease. Internationally, Nigeria and Australia urged for sustained global efforts against South Africa's apartheid. Nigerian President Ibrahim Babangida conveyed this sentiment during a visit from Australian Foreign Minister Gareth Evans. In a controversial marriage, a 70-year-old Saudi man wed a 12-year-old girl, despite objections from the bride's grandfather, revealing divergent viewpoints on marriage laws within Islamic culture. Canadian scientists reported alarming findings regarding the ozone layer, revealing that frozen nitric acid clouds were depleting it above the North Pole. The researchers confirmed the presence of a ‘bite’ in the ozone layer, highlighting environmental concerns tied to the acid clouds. Prince Philip commenced a five-day trip to Lagos to support a campaign aimed at protecting Nigeria’s endangered gorillas, serving as the international president of the World Wide Fund for Nature. In a troubling incident in Tehran, Iranian police apprehended an eight-year-old girl and her family for trafficking heroin, underscoring serious issues of drug abuse within families. An avant-garde art exhibition in Peking faced security threats that led to its temporary closure, as police responded to warnings that the gallery could be bombed. Concerns over lasting environmental effects of the Chernobyl disaster resurfaced after reports of deformed animals on a Ukrainian farm, with alarming accounts of calves being born without heads and pigs with serious deformities. In maritime news, a Dutch chemical tanker sank during severe weather in the Algerian port of Skikda, with only two of the 29 crew members rescued, leaving the fate of the others uncertain. Finally, actress Jane Fonda and her husband Tom Hayden decided on a trial separation after 15 years of marriage, adding to the highlights of the day’s news.

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