European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 16, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 8 the stars and stripes Friday february 16. 1990 Black history month Ronald Mcnair born oct. 12, i9so, in Lake City s.c., Ronald Mcnair tins the second Wick american Astro naut in space. Mcnair graduated manna com laude from North Carolina at state University Ith a Bachelor s degree in physics in 1971. He earned a doctorate in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of technology in 1976. Mcnair an expert in laser physics was selected for the Astro naut corps in 1978. In his spare time he played saxophone in an 18-piece swing band made up of Johnson space Center employees. Mcnair was killed in the explosion of the space shuttle Chal Lenger in january 1986. This is another of a series of paintings by spec. James Scott appearing ibis month in the stars and stripes. Harrods to close fur Salon after 140 years of sales by the Washington i nil 1 Ondon another venerable English tradition has bitten the dust after 140 years of sales. Hands. Britain s Best known department store wednesday announced it is closing its world famous fur Salon. Although a statement from the company insisted the decision was made on commercial and economic grounds  animal rights campaigners Here called the move one of their biggest triumphs yet against the flagging fur Industry. "1 was  Denis Grosvenor harrods Mam fur supplier told the daily Telegraph. Pulling furs out of harrods is like pulling the troops out of Northern Ireland. It s in British and plays straight into the hands of the anti fur  in recent years. House of Fraser harrods corporate owner has been hit by a rash of firebomb attacks on its British stores. The company decided to discontinue furs at its 62 House of Fraser stores in january 1989. Harrods. Which is Fraser s flagship joined the list wednesday shutting Down the second floor Salon that after generations had become a landmark for aspiring conspicuous Consumers from Britain and overseas. We re bursting at the seams All Over the store and we were allotting 5.000 Square feel of prime space to the fur Salon it just did t make sense anymore. Said Andrew Wiles press spokesman for harrods. He said the Salon is still a healthy business but not As it used to be. We feel we can do better Selling other  Wiles refused to divulge Stiles figures but news re ports Here said fur sales at harrods had dropped 40 percent in the past three years. According to govern ment figures. British fur traders sold less than $19 million Worth of goods in the first half of 1989. Com pared with an annual figure of $80 million in 1987 and $136 million in 1984. But Oro Sicnor. President of Ciro Sicnor Canada which has operated the Salon for the past 15 years did t buy the economic argument. I Don t know How harrods can blame economic  he said. We have done about $1.3 million Worth of business in the last  Oro Sicnor. Whose company supplied harrods with More than 3.000 furs per year said he was just about to sign a new five year contract Worth $34 million when he was told the Deal was off. The fur Salon will officially close april 21, but the store plans to fade it out in style with a going out of business Sale beginning Friday that will offer discounts of 50 percent to 75 percent. The big Star promises to be a full length russian Sable coat to be reduced from $ 135.000 to a Mere $68,000. Ran an Leader vows Rushdie will be killed Nicosia. Cyprus api an iranian Radical Leader thursday said Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini s death sen tence on author Salman Rushdie will be earned out. Parliament speaker Mahdi Karrumi addressing the legislature on the first anniversary1 of the death sentence said however much Salman Rushdie May be kept under guard eventually a moslem will carry out the edict. An iranian opposition group the Muja Hedum Khaliq. Or people s holy warriors said Karrumi s re Marks were nothing More than an attempt to divert attention from an increasing Power struggle in Iran. Last feb. 14. Khomeini ruled that Rushdie should be killed for allegedly blaspheming islam in his novel the satanic  Khomeini who died in june declared the Indian born British author an apostate and said he must die for his irreverent treatment of Prophet Mohammed. Islam s founder in the novel. Rushdie 42. Has spent the past year in hiding under tight Security. He broke an almost yearlong silence earlier this month when he defended his novel in a British newspaper. Pope tells Anderson s sister hell Pray for hostage -,.,f. It a. T a to is Titt Finin Iii to in Liim in riphl1 in is Pope John Paul ii shakes hands with Peggy say in Vatican City. Vatican City a Pope John i aul ii met wednesday with the sister of Terry Anderson the longest held Western hostage in Lebanon and said he would Pray for him and for in end to the bloody conflict in the Middle East country. Your brother is u journalist and he is a hostage. This is a terrible terrible  John Paul told Peggy say. Speaking in English. Anderson chief Middle East correspondent for the associated press was Sei de in Beirut. Lebanon on March 16. 1985. Say was received in a private Audi ence by the Pope during a tour of Europe and the Middle East in her efforts to free her brother. She said the Pope assured her that he would be pruning with me. As he docs every Day. For an end to the conflict in Lebanon and peace and reconciliation for the people  she added that the Pope said he would Pray for not on Terry Ander son but All of the  say recalled to the Pope How another american hostage a roman Catholic priest the Rev. Lawrence Martin pc non. Had celebrated mass for Ander son using bits of dried bread and water instead of wine. Anderson had pulled fibres from his Doormat and made rosaries for the two of them she Lold the Pope. Junco was freed in 198n after nearly 19 months As a hostage and was received by the Pope before returning to the United slates. After the audience. Say met with re porters before heading to the next Stop on her tour the european parliament s committee o Huma rights i Stras Bourg. Fiance. Seventeen other Western hostages seven americans Lour britons two West germans two Swiss an italian and an irishman Are being held in Lebanon. A showed the Pope a Philo of an Derson s daughter. Sulom who was born several months after he was taken hostage and an older daughter. A Fri Kllc. Now 14. Larry Heinie ring. Who has been serving As a special assistant to a president and general manager Louis d. Boccardi on the Anderson Case also attended the audience. Before coming to Rome say and a executives met with the International committee of the red toss in Geneva. They will also meet with the Arch Bishop of Canterbury. Robert Kuncic. In London. Enesco director general Federico mayor in Paris and syrian foreign minister Farouk Al Sharaa in Damascus. Syria. The group Hopes to Confer with pal Estine liberation organi action chief Yasser Arafat say has said efforts to meet with Ira Nian officials received no response. Sheik Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah. Spiritual head of he Abollah. The pro iranian shiite moslem movement in Lebanon declined to meet with the group outside Lebanon. Anderson is being held by a group calling itself islamic jihad or islamic holy War generally believed to be one of several groups operating under the umbrella of Hezbollah