News stories from Sunday September 12, 1982
Summaries of the stories the major media outlets considered to be of particular importance on this date:
- A final report on Raymond Donovan, the Secretary of Labor, is expected to be issued tomorrow by Leon Silverman, the special federal prosecutor in New York. Mr. Silverman would not say whether he had uncovered anything to alter his initial finding in June of "insufficient credible evidence" to warrant prosecuting Mr. Donovan, whose spokesman in Washington said, "We expect a clean bill of health." [New York Times]
- A nuclear freeze referendum passed by a 4-to-1 ratio in Austin, Tex., and its backers said the vote was a "clear signal" that Americans want an end to the nuclear arms race. The unofficial referendum carried in all 110 precincts in Austin by 14,060 to 3,451 votes. [New York Times]
- Citicorp disguised foreign loans and other transactions to avoid foreign banking regulations, according to confidential government and bank documents. Documents of the Securities and Exchange Commission show that Citicorp subsidiaries in Latin America, Europe and Asia have avoided requirements on setting aside certain funds as reserves, on liquidity and on legal lending limits by muting billions of dollars in loans and deposits through offshore banking centers. The documents show that senior bank officials were aware of or approved some of the practices. [New York Times]
- The Miami River would be the hub of a recreational and commercial center in Miami under a new five year plan. The river flows for five and a half miles northeast from the Miami International Airport to Biscayne Bay in downtown Miami. Development of the river's banks is the aim of Miami River Revival Committee. [New York Times]
- A change in the 1972 Clean Water Act by the Reagan administration is encouraging localities to scale back sewage treatment plants, which will increase the flow of organic pollutants into rivers and coastal waters. The federal Environmental Protection Agency said it expected up to 85 applications from New York and New Jersey for exemptions that permit the discharge of the incompletely treated sewage. The new policy, adopted following a major reinterpretation of the 1972 law, applies both to existing plants and plants under construction. Nationwide, as many as 800 exemption applications are expected, according to a General Accounting Office study. [New York Times]
- A plea for Israelis and Arabs to back the American call for new Middle East negotiations was made by Secretary of State George Shultz, who said there is now "a moment of unprecedented opportunity" for peace in the region. In a speech in New York to the national leadership of the United Jewish Appeal, Mr. Shultz strongly defended President Reagan's Middle East proposals and said the parties had to sit down to overcome the signficant differences among the Arab, Israeli and American positions. [New York Times]
- Fighting in Beirut broke out between regular Lebanese army troops and a small group of leftist militiamen after the militiamen opened fire on a Moslem delegation on its way east to pay its respects to President-elect Bashir Gemayel. It was the first major challenge to the Lebanese army's efforts to help maintain security in the capital since the departure of the Palestine Liberation Organization. [New York Times]
- A missile launching site in Syria was reportedly destroyed by Israeli warplanes, the third such air strike since Wednesday. Six launchers were destroyed in the three attacks according to the Israeli military command. Each was said to have rockets in launching positions. [New York Times]
- 39 West German soccer fans were killed in Pfaffikon, Switzerland, when a locomotive struck their bus at a rail crossing. Officials said the barriers were not down when the bus passed through a level crossing about 12 miles south of Zurich. [New York Times]
- Hua Guofeng was removed from the Chinese leadership. The older party veterans remained in their posts. Mr. Hua's name -- he was Mao Tse-tung's chosen successor -- was conspicuously missing from the list of members of both the new Politburo and its Standing Committee, or inner circle, who were elected by the first session of the new Central Committee. The omission means that a declining political career has ended. [New York Times]