Cable briefs

Press, 11 May 1984, Page 6

Cable briefs

Adviser quits Martin Feldstein, President Reagan’s controversial chief economic adviser, has announced his resignation. Mr Feldstein said he planned to return to Harvard University on July 10 as a professor of economics and would also serve as president of the National Bureau of Economic Research, a private forecasting group. As chairman of Mr Reagan’s Council of Economic Advisers, Mr Feldstein had clashed with other Administration officials over what he saw as the growing dangers of the record Federal Budget deficits.—Washington. Visit off Moscow has abruptly, postponed a visit to Peking by the First Vice-Prime Minister, Mr Ivan Arkhipov, who would have been the highestranking Soviet official to go to China since 1969. The Soviet Embassy had told China that “the Soviet side said they were not fully prepared,” said a Foreign Ministry spokesman. No new date had been .fixed. Mr Arkhipov, one of three Soviet First Vice-Prime Ministers, was to have discussed trade and technical co-operation with Chinese leaders.— Peking. Ulster bombing A Northern Irish Territorial Army soldier has been killed by a booby-trap-bomb in Newry, County Down. Two other men were injured. The three worked for British Telecom and were in a van when the device went off. Territorial Army soldiers have not normally been targets for the I.R.A. or I.N.L.A.—Belfast. Gay bill The New South Wales Premier, Mr Neville Wran, has introduced a Private Member’s Bill in the state’s Legislative Assembly to decriminalise homosexual acts between consenting males over the age of 18. He said that while the age of consent for heterosexuals was 16, the political reality was that a higher age limit was necessary for the homosexual reform to be accepted by members of Parliament. Previous attempts to reform laws dealing with homosexuality have foundered on the age of consent.—Sydney. Royal engagement Princess Astrid, 21-year-old niece of King Baudouin of Belgium, is engaged to marry Archduke Lorenz of Austria, aged 26. The Princess is the daughter of Prince Albert, brother of King Baudouin, and Princess Paolo. She studied art history at Leyden and Geneva, and since December has been working as a volunteer nurse in hospitals in Michigan. Her fiance is the son of Archduke Robert and Archduchess Margherita. He works in a bank in Basle, Switzerland.— Brussels. Tall man dies Max Palmer, at 2.43 metres (eight feet) tall, reportedly the third-tallest man in the world, has died. He was 56. Mr Palmer, who weighed 215 kg (4751 b died of heart disease and kidney failure. A former drug addict, Mr Palmer spent the last 20 years travelling across the United States preaching to drug addicts and alcoholics. He earlier worked as a wrestler, movie actor, bartender, and bouncer.—Arnold, Missouri.