FOR a team so thoroughly sold on the virtues of preparation and forward planning, England currently bear a disturbing resemblance to a Formula One team attempting to win a grand prix with one of the moredecrepit examples of an Indian motorised rickshaw. Mr Mandela raised the issue with Mr de Klerk in what is understood to have been a telephone conversation before their peace summit in Johannesburg 10 days ago. The caterers are staying on for Sunday, which is ominous.(Graphic omitted). That is not to say that it has improved dramatically, rather in patches But people do not find it such a dangerous subject.

Second, it relies heavily on a combination of street abuse and psychological jargon to cover the inadequacy of its response. It was a great happiness in his old age to see twin grandchildren. And most controversially, the argument is strengthened that the poll tax drove poorer voters off the register in marginal constituencies and helped the Conservative Party to win the last election.The figure of 1.8 million is the difference between the raw returns from the national headcount carried out on 21 April last year and the best previous official estimate of the total population of England and Wales. Interviewed by independent psychologists, the children insisted that social workers had lied, and that no harm had befallen them. But introduction of the partial bill is going to be the first real test of whether a majority of Legco members are willing to follow Mr Patten and go against China, even on minor issues..

Which British company wants to supply the aggregate for Europe's motorways by razing a Hebridean mountain?R is for redundancy It was a cracking year for pay-offs. Keith Baker, a solicitor with Croft Baker, a London practice that specialises in advising owners of property in Spain and France, believes many aspects of the regulations are draconian. Mr Baker has written to the international division of the Inland Revenue, asking it to take the issue up with the Spanish authorities. Mr Kambara's rods are masterpieces - he only makes about two dozen a year, and the most elaborate ones sell for 450,000 yen ( pounds 2,500) each. An eccentric but highly original naval physician, TL Cleave, published a book in 1966 blaming many diseases of modern civilisation on the modern habit of eating carbohydrate (sugars and starches) in refined form, stripped of their bulky, chewy coverings. When I went off, I walked crookedly, because they were right round my knees It was fairly fearsome, I must say. For the six months to June, the Leeds-based building materials group reported pre-tax profits up 13 per cent to pounds 18.4m Sales increased 17 per cent to pounds 102m Turnover was up in each area of Spring Ram's operations.

THE president-elect, Bill Clinton, yesterday moved to give his future administration the imprint of real change by naming three women - all unfamiliar faces in Washington - to important domestic posts. However, the team has strength in depth, with Mary Thomson another of the favourites for the individual prize.Thomson, a comparative newcomer to the team, is rated the world's top three-day eventer. TWO CONTENDERS are emerging to succeed David Coleridge as chairman of Lloyd's of London. IN TWO great countries of post- war colonial Africa, Nigeria and Kenya, Philip Rogers earned and received respect and affection and in both he made abiding contributions to their progress towards independence. After being educated at Blundell's, Rogers joined the British American Tobacco Company, with which he was to make his working life; and, posted to Nigeria, he began his years of success not only as a businessman but also in a wide variety of voluntary service. Despite understandable signs of rustiness during the defeat against a West Indian Board XI in Grenada, the Derbyshire fast bowler took four wickets in what was his first meaningful work-out since returning home for a knee operation after the first Test. If only they could understand that.Except that the reaction of the Lord's crowd last week seems to have been rather less violent.