Norman Lamont

Finance ministers from the Group of Seven major industrialized nations met informally for dinner Sunday to discuss a broad range of topics, British, U.S. and other officials said. The ministers were in London for today's inauguration of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The private dinner for U.S. Treasury Secretary Nicholas F.

In an effort to kick-start Britain's ailing economy, the Bank of England will cut its minimum lending rate by one percentage point to 7%, the lowest rate in nearly 15 years. The rate cut was among several measures designed to combat inflation announced Thursday by Chancellor of the Exchequer Norman Lamont in his autumn statement before the House of Commons. Conservative Party members cheered the announcement, and the Financial Times stock market index rose 29 points.

The county medical examiner on Saturday identified Norman Lamont Jones, 31, of South San Diego as the man slain by police following a robbery at a Mission Valley shopping center. Jones died of gunshot wounds at the scene Friday night after he pointed what turned out to be a toy gun at officers in the parking lot at Fashion Valley, a police spokesman said Saturday. Five police officers surrounded Jones in the parking lot after responding to an armed robbery call at 6:58 p.m.

The flagging British film industry welcomed new tax-relief measures proposed by the country's Conservative government this week. But filmmakers said the steps, designed to stimulate feature production in the United Kingdom, did not go far enough. "Disappointing," said Giselle Dye of the British Film Institute. "But a step in the right direction."

Prime Minister John Major, acting Thursday to "refresh" his embattled government, removed Chancellor of the Exchequer Norman Lamont, who has taken much of the blame for Britain's long-running recession. In a shake-up of senior Cabinet ranks, Home Secretary Kenneth Clarke replaced Lamont as the equivalent of finance minister, and Clarke was succeeded by Environment Secretary Michael Howard.

The scandal over the collapse of the London-based Bank of Credit and Commerce Internatonal (BCCI) has touched off a political furor here that threatens to tarnish the laurels Prime Minister John Major won at the economic summit. On Friday, Chancellor of the Exchequer Norman Lamont appeared in Parliament to announce that an independent inquiry will examine the collapse of the controversial bank.

Prime Minister John Major rallied a battered Conservative Party behind him Friday, ending his party's annual conference with a rousing speech calling on Tories to follow his lead on Europe. He seemed successful in his attempt to isolate his party critics who object to close relations with the European Community, buoyed by the lukewarm reception accorded Lady Thatcher, his predecessor and a Euro-skeptic.

After months of acrimonious debate and hurtful political infighting, the House of Commons voted Thursday night to ratify the Maastricht Treaty on European unity. The bill now goes to the House of Lords, where its approval is expected despite fierce opposition from Tory peers led by former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

Douglas Hurd, Britain's long-serving foreign secretary, announced his retirement Friday but pledged his active support for Prime Minister John Major's gamble to maintain the leadership of the ruling Conservative Party. Hurd's surprise decision came less than 24 hours after Major announced that he is moving up the date of the party leadership election among Tory members of Parliament from November to July 4.

Britain's chief financial minister was under pressure Sunday to resign after using public funds to pay legal fees for evicting a sex therapist from his house. In an unusual midnight statement, Chancellor of the Exchequer Norman Lamont admitted that $7,000 was paid by the Treasury toward $35,000 in legal fees needed to oust a tenant, dubbed "Miss Whiplash" by the tabloids, from the basement flat of his London house 18 months ago.