Reporter’s diary

Press, 28 December 1987, Page 2

Reporter’s diary

Snide... NEW Zealand and the Prime Minister are not at the top of the popularity poll in French newspapers. Consider these comments on the return of Major Alain Mafart to Paris. “Le Parisien” said, “Not for nothing is the capital of New Zealand named Wellington. This far-off satellite of Britain still thinks itself to be living in the Waterloo era.” “France-Soir” asked why Mr Lange was shouting so loudly, and it said there were other reasons for New Zealand’s animosity. “Our nuclear tests in the Pacific cause a lack of taste for sheep from the antipodes. Mr Lange is anxious to sell his sheep; he also sold us, at a very high price, the stingy clemency he bestowed on our agents. Now he is trying to insult

France — let’s send him another cheque and he will shut up.” Test cases JUST in passing, note that the Australian test cricket team has forsaken its customary beer for the duration of each test against New Zealand. The beer ban arose during the World Cup when the players forsook alcohol on the eve of each of the one-dayers. It (or something) worked then, and they won the World Cup. Hence the repeat treatment. Thumbs up MONSTER frogs, fish, chickens and collie dogs provide what is known as “extensive animal action” in the film, “Leonard Part 6,” as they kill eight undercover agents. The Royal New Zealand

S.P.C.A. does not object to the manner in which the animals are made to perform. During filming, the American Humane Association supervised what appears to be rather bizarre “animal action” and proclaimed it acceptable. Game of the name A NEW law on family names went into effect in Finland at the beginning of 1986. A wife was allowed to keep her maiden name when marrying; the husband could adopt the wife’s surname, or, in traditional manner, the husband’s name could be common to both partners. The results? According to the Population Register Centre, almost 24,000 of 26,000 couples wed last year chose the traditional way — using the husband’s last name. In al-

most 1950 marriages, each partner kept his or her own surname. Only 116 couples chose the wife’s maiden name as their common name. Rules is rules RULES forbidding Britain’s prisoners from receiving musical Christmas cards because they might contain drugs were criticised by penal reformers. Types of padded Christmas cards were banned when officials were told they might carry cannabis, heroin and cocaine inside their contoured trees and reindeer. But prison officers, reluctant to incur the wrath of prisoners and their families, put the cards aside instead of cutting them open. The ruling was called “silly, crazy, illogical and petty.” —Jenny Feltham