CABLE BRIEFS

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32589, 24 April 1971, Page 17

CABLE BRIEFS

Strikers’ concession Striking ships’ stewards have exempted 14 tankers two bulk ore carriers and eight cargo ships from the national maritime stoppage whi'-h has tied up more than 100 vessels around Australia for 12 days. Besides helping to avert widespread retrenchments in Australia’s heavy industry, the move will allow at least some essential supplies to reach remote areas of Queensland, West Australia and South Australia. The 800 strikers, ' demanding pay increases, ■ are members of the Marine 1 Stewards’ and Pantrymen’s 1 Association.—Sydney, April 22. Paris victory The French Government has easily defeated a Leftwing censure motion after a rare two-day debate on foreign and domestic policy. The censure motion, the first the present Government has had to face, received the votes of only 95 of the 487 members of the National Assembly, most of that support coming from the Socialist and Communist groups. —Paris, April 22. ‘Wet for whisky’ The state of Texas has legalised the sale of hard liquor in saloons for the first time for more than 50 years. Governor Preston Smith has signed into law a bill repealing the article of the state Constitution which closed the bars in 1919, during national prohibition. A series of local elections will now decide which areas want to “go wet for whisky.” At present, Texans can buy only beer or wine in public bars and restaurants, and some areas ban even these.—Austin, April 22. Canberra sentence Two young Bulgarians have been imprisoned for 18 months for a bomb attack on the Russian Embassy in Canberra in February. Nikolai Yordancff Daskaloff, aged 20, a labourer, and Peter N’toloff Petroff, aged 24, a welder, were convicted yesterday in the Supreme Court in Canberra. —Canberra, April 22. Yemen change The ruling Republican Council in Yemen has offered its resignation to the recently-formed Consultative Council (Parliament) and has refused to remain in office until a new cpuncil is formed. The Consultative Council is believed by some political to favour a collective leadership for the coun-try.—-Cairo, April 22. U.S. loan to India The United States has made a loan to India of SUSISm to finance essential import requirements. This is in addition to the SUSISSm loan made last month.—New Delhi, April 23. Aust. Egypt deal With credit facilities, Egypt will buy three million tons of wheat and flour from Australia over the next three years, the Middle East News Agency reports.—Cairo, April 23. G.A.T.T. meeting The 78 member-countries of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade will hold an unofficial meeting on the last three days of this month to discuss present world trade trends.—-Geneva, April 22.

Sahara project A Syrian-Liberian company has won a tender to supply irrigation engines and pump's for Libya’s Kurfra agricultural project, under which it is hoped that thousands of acres of mid-Sahara Desert close to the Egyptian and Sudanese borders will be reclaimed and planted with wheat and used for sheepbreeding. The project was begun a few years ago by the American Occidental Oil Company, but was nationalised after the Libyan revolution.—Tripoli, April 22. Aust, proposal Foreign fishing vessels trespassing in Australian waters would be subject to more stringent penalties under legislation introduced in the House of Representatives yesterday. As well as having the power to impose fines of up to $lOOO the bill proposes that courts of summary jurisdiction must order the forfeiture of offending vessels.—Canberra, April 22. Bank rate hint The Japanese Minister of Finance (Mr Takeo Fukuda) said today that a reduction in Japan’s bank rate now would be desirable, because it would stimulate the national economy, increase imports, and prevent a sharp rise in external reserves. He did not say, however, when the Bank of Japan would lower its discount rate. Tokyo, April 22. Edmund Lowe dead The American actor, Edmund Lowe, a suave fashionplate in scores of films, and the tough “Sergeant Quirk” in the silent film, “What Price Glory?” has died at the age of 81. Mr Lowe was married to the late actress, Lilyan Tashman.—Hollywood, April 23. Explosion plan Australia’s largest nonnuclear explosion to provide rock-fill for the Ord River dam in the north-west of Western Australia, will take place later this month. The blast, using more than 500 tons of explosive, will be set off on April 29 or 30 to produce one million cubic yards of material for the dam wall. —Perth, April 22. Climb delayed Bad weather has halted the progress of the international Mount Everest expedition for the last four days, but may improve tomorrow, according to a radio message received in New Delhi from the jointleader, Colonel James Roberts, an Indian-born Briton now resident in Nepal. The Japanese climbers, Mr Reizo Ito, aged 24, and Mr Naomi Uemura, aged 29, were forced on Tuesday to abandon their Camp Three on the previously unclimbed south-west face, which begins at 22,000 feet. The only Indian member of the expedition, Major H. Bahuguna, aged 32, died last Sunday from a combination of exhaustion, exposure and frostbite.—New Delhi, April 23. Indian plea India has appealed for international aid for the 258,734 refugees she says have been driven out of East Pakistan by what she describes as "the extreme brutality,” of the West Pakistan authorities. The Minister of State for Rehabilitation (Mr R. K. Khadilkar) said that some of the refugees were staying with friends and that others were lodged in 55 camps established near the border.—New Delhi, April 22.