News stories from Monday May 18, 1981
Summaries of the stories the major media outlets considered to be of particular importance on this date:
- The Pope's recovery progressed to the point where he could be removed from the intensive care unit of a Rome hospital to a private suite. Italian authorities appeared to be pulling back from the theory that his assailant had acted with the support of an international terrorist ring. [New York Times]
- There was no trace in West Germany that the Pope's alleged assailant, Mehmet Ali Agca, a Turkish fugitive, had been in West Germany from the time of his escape from an Istanbul prison in 1979 and his entry into Italy, West German officials said. Their investigation began after officials in Bonn disclosed last week that they had been told at least 10 times by Turkish informers that Mr. Agca had been hiding in West Germany, where there is a large Turkish community. [New York Times]
- Coal talks were recessed abruptly in Washington by union leaders about two hours after they had begun. Coal industry negotiators who had gone to Washington for the meeting immediately left the city -- "on call" for a possible return. An industry offer on Friday was rejected by Sam Church, president and chief negotiator of the United Mine Workers Union, and remained unchanged over the weekend. [New York Times]
- Two pipe bombs were mailed to separate diplomatic offices in Manhattan, but were defused by the Police Deparment bomb squad, which was called by office employees. The bombs, mailed to the United States mission to the United Nations and the Honduran consulate, were similar to one that killed a man early Saturday at Kennedy International Airport. [New York Times]
- Protection against self-incrimination under the Constitution was significantly expanded by the Supreme Court in two unrelated murder cases. One decision immediately invalidates the death sentences of about 30 death row inmates in Texas. [New York Times]
- William Saroyan died of cancer at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Fresno, Calif., at the age of 72. He was born in Fresno. His parents were refugees from the Turkish massacres in Armenia. Despite little formal schooling and a background of poverty, he began writing at an early age, turning out hundreds of short stories, several novels and plays. One of his plays, "The Time of Your Life," produced in 1939, won a Pulitzer Prize, which the author rejected on the ground that businessmen were not qualified to judge art. [New York Times]
- A "search for geniuses" secretly conducted for the John D. and Catherine MacArthur Foundation of Chicago has found 21 "exceptionally talented individuals" who will receive grants ranging from $24,000 to $60,000 annually for five years. The persons benefiting from the grants may spend the money and their time as they choose without the obligation of producing a scholarly paper or artistic work. The foundation hopes that they will make "discoveries or other significant contributions to society." [New York Times]
- Soviet oil production will be adequate in the 1980's, keeping the Soviet Union independent of imported petroleum, the Central Intelligence Agency said in a new study of Soviet oil production that has potential effects on American foreign policy. The C.I.A. study said that contrary to the agency's previous estimates, the Russians will not be competing for Middle Eastern or other foreign oil sources by 1985. Earlier C.I.A. reports forecast a decline in Soviet oil production by 1980 and Soviet imports of 3.5 million barrels a day by 1985. [New York Times]
- Italy's liberal abortion law will stand. A referendum proposal that would have repealed the law that permits abortion in the first 90 days of pregnancy for women over 18 years of age, was upheld by a margin of 2 to 1 in voting on Sunday and Monday. [New York Times]
- Damascus again was the destination of the American special envoy to the Middle East. Philip Habib returned to the Syrian capital for a third round of talks with Syrian leaders aimed at preventing an Israeli-Syrian clash over Syria's missiles in Lebanon. But Mr. Habib, who has spent more than a week shuttling between Israel, Syria, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia, was given a cool welcome by the newspaper of Syria's ruling Baath Party. [New York Times]
- Menachem Begin rebuffed U.S. efforts to persuade Saudi Arabia to use its influence with Syria and urge Damascus to back down in its dispute with Israel over the Syrian missile emplacements in Lebanon, which Israel threatens to attack. Mr. Habib reportedly won Saudi Arabia support for his peace mission. Prime Minister Begin ridiculed the suggestion that Saudi Arabia's influence could help ease the Syrian-Israeli confrontation. [New York Times]
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Stock Market Report
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 985.77 (-0.18, -0.02%)
Arms Index is the ratio of volume per declining issue to volume per advancing issue; a figure below 1.0 is bullish. | |||||||||||||||
| Market Index Trends | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | DJIA | S&P | Volume* |
| May 15, 1981 | 985.95 | 132.17 | 45.46 |
| May 14, 1981 | 973.07 | 131.28 | 42.75 |
| May 13, 1981 | 967.76 | 130.55 | 42.59 |
| May 12, 1981 | 970.82 | 130.72 | 40.34 |
| May 11, 1981 | 963.44 | 129.71 | 37.63 |
| May 8, 1981 | 976.40 | 131.66 | 41.85 |
| May 7, 1981 | 978.39 | 131.67 | 42.59 |
| May 6, 1981 | 973.34 | 130.78 | 47.10 |
| May 5, 1981 | 972.44 | 130.32 | 48.99 |
| May 4, 1981 | 979.11 | 130.67 | 40.66 |