PORTRAIT OF THE WEEK
Lord Havers announced his retirement after four months as Lord Chancellor, due to persistent ill health. He has been suc- ceeded by Lord Mackay of Clashfern, the first member of the Scottish Bar to hold the post. Following a political row over the terms on which Britain has acquired its new Trident missiles, Sir Geoffrey Howe firmly denied that Britain would be 'hiring' or 'leasing' them from the United States, although they would be maintained and 'processed'- in America in order, he said, to make substantial financial savings. An opinion poll showed that the Tories now enjoy greater support than at any time since Mrs Thatcher became Prime Minis- ter: 52 per cent against Labour's 32 per cent. Charges against three men of conspir- ing to kidnap members of the African National Congress were dropped at a London court. Mr Roy Hattersley called for an inquiry into allegations that 'people in high places' were involved. A Foreign Office spokesman said, 'It is preposterous to suggest that the British Government or British Government officials have been involved in illegal activities.' Ministry of Defence police mounted their largest ever fraud investigation by raiding the offices of the Marconi subsidiaries of GEC. The former champion jockey, Mr Lester Pig- gott, was jailed for three years after pleading guilty to a tax fraud involving £3.25 million. It was shown that he had tried to hide away his earnings in 17 secret bank accounts all over the world. The BBC announced staff cuts and a new 'leaner' image for the future as part of a five-year plan. After an absence of 25 years a 'Children's Hour' will be brought back to radio. Miss Claire Chovil, Head of Schools Radio, said that there would not, however, be a return to the 'Are you sitting comfort- ably? Then I'll begin' approach. In an elegant phrase, she said that she felt 'the vibes would be wrong'. St Peter's Church, Eaton Square — which housed one of the oldest church organ's in London, a Willis — was destroyed by fire.
TURMOIL continued in the world's stock markets. In one day's trading the Hong Kong index fell 33 per cent, leading one trader to comment, 'Looks like noodle for lunch today. No good. No good.' President Reagan began the process of trying to reach a compromise with congressional leaders over a package to reduce the federal budget deficit. In Miami an inves- tor who had suffered heavily in the recent
falls went into the office of his stockbroker and shot two of its staff, killing one of them. In London the City institutions which have underwritten the Govern- ment's sale of shares in BP asked for the sale to be cancelled. Hopes for an early summit between the American and Soviet leaders were stalled after a meeting in Moscow between Mr Shultz and Mr Gor- bachev, when they failed to agree again over the place of the Strategic Defense Initiative in the agreement. A settlement of the deal to reduce intermediate-range missiles is, however, thought to be still imminent. The US imposed a broad trade embargo against Iran following attacks on 'American and other interests' in the area. At the Communist Party conference in Peking, China's top leaders, Mr Deng Xiaoping and Mr Zhao Ziyang, made it clear that the 'open door' policy would continue against resistance from those with deep-rooted 'leftist' habits of thought. The Indian army took control of the city of Jaffna, although reports suggested that Tamil Tiger forces have retreated to re- group further inland. In separate sales in New York a diamond was sold for a new record price of $6.4 million, while a Guten- berg Bible went for $5.4 million. MStJT
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