Remember A DayElderly nun throwing knockout punch at robbers, Saudi bank serving women only and China’s population exceeding one billion: headlines making the news 40 years ago
- A journey back through time to look at significant news and events reported by the South China Morning Post from this week in history
An elderly nun throwing a knockout punch at robbers, a Saudi bank serving women only and China’s population exceeding one billion made the headlines 40 years ago this week.
January 27, 1980
● The hunt for the “Yorkshire Ripper” had been extended to Hong Kong. A tape recording of his voice, sent to Hong Kong Police, was broadcast on local TV programme, Police Call, on the off chance that someone might recognise his voice. All of the serial killer’s 12 victims had been prostitutes, except the last one who was a second-year university student.
● A 10-year-old boy played with death when he took home a live hand grenade. When his mother saw the explosive weapon she called police who sent bomb disposal experts to their home in Pok Fu Lam. The grenade was found near the old Mount Davis defence post where police later discovered four more grenades and detonated them on site.
January 28, 1980
● The US Olympic Committee had asked the International Olympic Committee to either shift that year’s summer Olympics from Moscow to elsewhere, or postpone or cancel the Games in protest against Soviet military intervention in Afghanistan. Canada immediately followed the US move by recommending a boycott by its athletes if the Soviet Union had not withdrawn its troops by February 20 that year.