From the South China Morning Post this week in: 1975
Kowloon police were left to search for a gang of cheeky burglars who told them in a message left at the scene that they should face a firing squad. The burglary occurred at the San Fung China Product Emporium in Fung Tak Street, Tsz Wan Shan. The burglars took HK$1,950 from a safe in the manager's office, HK$500 worth of clothing and herbs valued at more than HK$10,000.
Before leaving the emporium, the burglars wrote two messages for the police. The second message read: 'Detectives of Kowloon Headquarters are too exhausted. Good morning to you all.' They also pasted a photograph of the manager's daughter on the wall, circled her head with chalk and wrote 'a very beautiful lady'.
A former Lord Chancellor disclosed that ministers in the previous Conservative cabinet had made an unwritten death pact in case one of them was kidnapped by guerillas.
Speaking in an interview with the BBC, Lord Hailsham said ministers of Edward Heath's government - in power from 1970 to 1974 - agreed that each one of them was expendable and was to be 'expended' rather than to give in to demands from kidnappers.
The pact was made in 1971 after the home of employment secretary Robert Carr was bombed.
The Post ran the following story as its lead sports item; sadly for fans in Hong Kong, it wasn't to happen: 'World heavyweight champion Muhummad Ali's final fight in an incredible career that made him a legend will take place in April or June 1975 in Hongkong or Iran.