Edward Heath

Edward Heath, the former prime minister who brought Britain into what is now the European Union but later lost his party's leadership to Margaret Thatcher, died Sunday. He was 89. Heath died at his home in Salisbury in southern England. The cause of death was not reported, but Heath had been in failing health since 2003 when he suffered a pulmonary embolism. "In every sense [he] was the first modern Conservative leader," Thatcher said of her former rival in a statement. "We are all in his debt."

Edward Heath, the former prime minister who brought Britain into what is now the European Union but later lost his party's leadership to Margaret Thatcher, died Sunday. He was 89. Heath died at his home in Salisbury in southern England. The cause of death was not reported, but Heath had been in failing health since 2003 when he suffered a pulmonary embolism. "In every sense [he] was the first modern Conservative leader," Thatcher said of her former rival in a statement. "We are all in his debt."

Edward Heath may no longer be Britain's Prime Minister, yet he remains a singularly busy man. Not only is he the Member of Parliament for Old Bexley and Sidcup, he is active in charity work for the disabled, is heavily involved in fundraising for repairs to Salisbury Cathedral (Heath owns a home just inside the cathedral close), and is a champion deep-water sailor.

Former Prime Minister Edward Heath, the longest-serving member in the House of Commons, said he will retire from Parliament after more than half a century. Heath, 84, said in a letter to his constituency in Bexley, southeast of London, that he will not run in the next general election, expected to be called sometime in the spring. Heath served one term as Conservative Party prime minister, from 1970 to 1974.

Former British Prime Minister Edward Heath said Monday that a united Europe was "logical and inevitable . . . the only question is when are we going to be wise enough to do it?" Heath, who served as prime minister of Great Britain from 1970 to 1974, spoke to a gathering of the World Affairs Council of Orange County at the Richard Nixon Library and Birthplace in Yorba Linda. Referring to today's world events, Heath said: "There are distractions in China, Africa and the Middle East. . . .

Former Prime Minister Edward Heath, the longest-serving member in the House of Commons, said he will retire from Parliament after more than half a century. Heath, 84, said in a letter to his constituency in Bexley, southeast of London, that he will not run in the next general election, expected to be called sometime in the spring. Heath served one term as Conservative Party prime minister, from 1970 to 1974.

Iraqis waited in long lines at gas stations Saturday to stock up before gasoline rationing begins Tuesday. A diplomat described the rationing as the "first bite" of the U.N.-sponsored sanctions. Lines of 20 to 30 cars snaked outside gas stations throughout the Iraqi capital, a day after Oil Minister Issam Abdul-Rahim Chalabi announced the rationing to conserve imported chemicals used in refining oil. Some stations ran out of gas.

An Iraqi merchant ship ignored more than 40 warning shots blasted across its bow by an American destroyer Sunday in an act of defiance that raises the prospect of a new confrontation at sea. The tense situation in the Persian Gulf continued after daybreak today as the Iraqi vessel sailed toward the Yemeni port of Aden after its captain made clear to the Navy destroyer O'Brien that he does not intend to return to Iraq, military officials said.

Authorities today sought an intruder who used weed killer to write the words "We were here" on the lawn of former Prime Minister Edward Heath's home, police said. The intruder slipped past a police guard at the front gate of Heath's 14th-Century mansion on property adjoining Salisbury Cathedral, 65 miles southwest of London, police said. A police spokesman said the incident occurred last week while the former Conservative Party leader was away.

Sam the Tailor, whose glittering clientele ranged from rock stars to royalty, has died, friends said Monday. He was 72. Sam, whose real name was Nariandas Melwani, died Sunday after being hospitalized for complications from a stroke he suffered two years ago. He came to Hong Kong from India in 1957 and set up a tailor shop in the tourist district of Tsimshatsui in Hong Kong's twin city of Kowloon.

An Iraqi merchant ship ignored more than 40 warning shots blasted across its bow by an American destroyer Sunday in an act of defiance that raises the prospect of a new confrontation at sea. The tense situation in the Persian Gulf continued after daybreak today as the Iraqi vessel sailed toward the Yemeni port of Aden after its captain made clear to the Navy destroyer O'Brien that he does not intend to return to Iraq, military officials said.

Iraqis waited in long lines at gas stations Saturday to stock up before gasoline rationing begins Tuesday. A diplomat described the rationing as the "first bite" of the U.N.-sponsored sanctions. Lines of 20 to 30 cars snaked outside gas stations throughout the Iraqi capital, a day after Oil Minister Issam Abdul-Rahim Chalabi announced the rationing to conserve imported chemicals used in refining oil. Some stations ran out of gas.

Former British Prime Minister Edward Heath said Monday that a united Europe was "logical and inevitable . . . the only question is when are we going to be wise enough to do it?" Heath, who served as prime minister of Great Britain from 1970 to 1974, spoke to a gathering of the World Affairs Council of Orange County at the Richard Nixon Library and Birthplace in Yorba Linda. Referring to today's world events, Heath said: "There are distractions in China, Africa and the Middle East. . . .

Edward Heath may no longer be Britain's Prime Minister, yet he remains a singularly busy man. Not only is he the Member of Parliament for Old Bexley and Sidcup, he is active in charity work for the disabled, is heavily involved in fundraising for repairs to Salisbury Cathedral (Heath owns a home just inside the cathedral close), and is a champion deep-water sailor.

Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher put aside old political wounds and went to a lunch honoring former Prime Minister Edward Heath, whom she defeated for the Conservative Party leadership 15 years ago. Heath's bitterness has never waned. He refused to serve under Thatcher and has kept up steady criticism of her policies. But he welcomed her in the Savoy Hotel Wednesday, and they chatted amiably among more than 500 guests marking Heath's 40 years in the House of Commons.

Leading Conservatives demanded former Prime Minister Edward Heath's expulsion from Britain's ruling party today for a string of attacks on the government that deeply embarrassed its European Parliament election campaign. In the space of two days, Heath has accused Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher of "patronizing, self-serving hypocrisy," Conservative Party Chairman Peter Brook of lying and the party machine of running a dirty tricks department. Heath's onslaught followed several speeches in which he angered the party by criticizing Thatcher's disagreement with many European Community policies.