Concerns over contraceptive pill and American journalist freed by Soviets

This week in 1986 and health watchdogs planned to question a professor over claims that his work on long term side-effects of a new generation of contraceptive pills were fabricated. Prof Michael Brigg’s research is said to have concerned possible risks of heart and arterial disease in women after prolonged use of the pill.

In other news and Nicholas Daniloff, the American reporter accused of spying in Moscow, arrived in West Germany after being freed by the Soviet Union earlier the day before. “It’s wonderful to be here at last in the West,” he said in a brief statement on arrival at Frankfurt airport. “It’s obvious to everyone what has happened...the case against me was fabricated.” There was no word on what agreement US and Soviet officials had made to free Daniloff in a case that had become a personal issue between President Reagan and the Soviet leader, Mr Mikhail Gorbachev.

Also in the news and a target list was planned to be drawn up of the most dangerous members of terrorist organizations with intelligence about them being shared by police forces and security services throughout the EEC on a new hot line. The targeting of leaders and organisers of terrorist movements, combined with regular high level assessments of terrorist threats was the most significant of a package of measures agreed by European Ministers attending a counter terrorism summit in London.

In music news and Cliff Burton, the second bassist for metal band Metallica, was killed in a bus accident during the Damage, Inc. Tour.

In other entertainment news and day time TV was about to change forever after the Australian TV soap opera, Neigbours, launched on BBC1, more than a year after it debuted in Oz.

And finally, a British gardener broke a world record this week – for a carrot almost 10ft long! Mr Ken Ayliffe (59), a painter from Talgarth, near Brecon in Wales, had grown a 118-in carrot in a drainpipe which weighed just about one pound.