German man divorces wife because of allergic reaction and Vietnamese refugees refuse to resettle in Ireland: headlines from four decades ago

A German man divorcing his wife because of an allergic reaction and Ireland being ticked off by choosy Vietnamese refugees made the headlines this week four decades ago. August 5, 1979 ● Another Kowloon landmark could disappear if an offer by New World Development to redevelop the YMCA’s 50-year-old headquarters on Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, into a high-rise block was accepted. New World proposed a building of up to 450,000 sq ft, of which one-third would be for YMCA’s use and the remainder for commercial purposes. The construction cost was estimated at HK$135 million (about US$27 million at that time) or HK$300 per square foot. ● Hong Kong had been described as a very attractive market in Midland Bank’s publication Spotlight. The magazine said: “With a few tariff barriers, a domestic market heavily dependent on imports and significant re-export trade, Hong Kong remains a very attractive market for foreign exports.” August 6, 1979 ● A Beijing student wrote a protest poster in his own blood and put it up on the Democracy Wall on Xidan Street. Liu Shanyi, 30, protested against “persecutions” against him by the Gang of Four radical political faction. August 7, 1979 ● China allowed a Chinese-born Jesuit priest to return home for the first time since the communist revolution in 1949, officials of the Roman Catholic order said. The visit to his homeland by Father Michael Chu was seen as an indication that Beijing might let the Jesuit order officially return to the country after three decades of enforced exile. ● A pilot’s mistake put airport police across Asia on red alert as air traffic control towers tried to decipher reports that an airliner had been hijacked. The 33-strong Special Duties Unit and air traffic controllers at Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Airport were mobilised while radio staff at its control tower waited for confirmation on whether a Pakistan International Airlines Boeing 707 had been taken over after take-off from Tokyo’s Narita Airport. It was later revealed that the pilot had mistakenly pushed the “hijack alarm” button in the cockpit. August 8, 1979 ● The strongest earthquake in two decades jolted a large section of northern California, breaking some windows, disrupting telephone services in some places and shaking San Francisco’s skyscrapers. But the only human casualties were five people who were taken to hospitals with heart attack. The quake, measuring 5.7 on the Richter scale, was felt in as far away as Sacramento, 145km to the east, and 80km to the south in San Jose. ● Three Americans, accused of trying to smuggle Bibles and other religious items into Czechoslovakia, were expelled after more than a month in detention. Accident site turns into picnic spot and dead woman ‘informed’ of her death inquiry: headlines from four decades ago August 9, 1979 ● An Irish radio station called the South China Morning Post wanting to find out why 50 Vietnamese refugees had refused to resettle in Eire. When told several incidents of this sort had happened in the past that went unnoticed, radio commentator Kevin Healy was silent. Ireland had offered to take 1,000 refugees from Hong Kong that year. August 10, 1979 ● A man wearing a paper bag over his head walked into a laundrette at Oxnard, Los Angeles, pulled out a revolver and demanded the manager to hand over his wallet. The gunman grabbed the wallet but took only US$4. The manager was so impressed that he wanted so little, he offered to say a prayer for him. The robber dropped the money and ran off screaming. ● Canada might be having second thoughts about its commitment to take 12,000 Vietnamese refugees that year. It was reported that immigration officers were getting increasingly frustrated with some refugees being choosy about where they would settle. Officials said most refugees who rejected Canada’s offer said they wanted to live in the US. Sex in the city of Beijing and a dozy burglar in Oklahoma: headlines from four decades ago August 11, 1979 ● A German man suffered from skin rashes and pimples because he was allergic to his wife’s red hair. And even after his wife cut her hair off, it grew back too soon, to worsen his skin condition again. So after four years of ticklish matrimony, the couple divorced on the advice of doctors. Remember A Day looks at significant news and events reported by the Post during this week in history

German man divorces wife because of allergic reaction and Vietnamese refugees refuse to resettle in Ireland: headlines from four decades ago

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;} A journey back through time to look at significant news and events reported by the South China Morning Post from this week in history

A journey back through time to look at significant news and events reported by the South China Morning Post from this week in history