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Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33417, 26 December 1973, Page 9

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Dutch gift The World Council of Churches has announced that the Dutch. Government has decided to give 5U5179.000 to its special fund to combat racialism. —Geneva, December 25.

\Neiv link A telephone service has been inaugurated between South Africa and Afghanistan, the South African Postmaster General has announced. —Pretoria, December 25.

Exodus in C.hina More than 8 million educated young people have left Chinese cities and towns over the last five years to settle in rural areas. Peking’s official news agency, Hsinhua, reports.—Tokyo, December 25.

Top dog Poland’s most successful police dog this year is Dan, credited with the capture of two men guilty of rape, and with the recovery of stolen money to the equivalent of BNZ36Bo.—Warsaw, December 25. Pan or expected Radio Israel reports that the Soviet Union ballet dancer, Valeri Panov, and his wife, Galina, are due to 'arrive in Vienna later today, after a long struggle to | obtain exit visas from Mosjcow. Mr Panov, who formerly danced with the Leningrad Kirov Ballet, had been trying to leave for Israel for (many months, and recently iwent on a hunger strike in (a bid to influence the !authorities. It was reported (last week that he had been (offered a visa to leave without his wife, who is not Jewish. but that he (tad refused, j—Tel Aviv, December 25.

Jugoslav land more The Jugoslav Parliament has passed a law reauiring all tillable land whicn has not heen cultivated for a year to be hired to co-oper-atives or private owners for cultivation.—Belgrade December 23.

Londoner’s choice A British Government survey among London’s employed married men shows that watching television and going for outings are among the most popular leisure-time activities. Playing a musical instrument is much lower on the list, and going to church, (last —London. December 25.

II urning of cut The United States armed forces will have, to stop bucfing oil in Japan from midJanuary, the Japanese Foreign Minister (Mr Masayoshi Ohira) announced today. The i Government had earlier told I the United States that it I would have to reduce oil (supplies to her troops in Japan because of the oil (crisis. —Tokyo, December 25. Drugs haul The authorities in Port St Joe, Florida, have seized between 15 and 20 tons of marijuana worth SUS6m. the largest such seizure in American history. The marijuana 'was being loaded on to trucks, after it had been carried from the Gulf of Mexico (to a farm by canal boat, when jit was seized. A man identified as “Sparky” Raffield was ! arrested at the scene, and is i (being held in the Gulf i (County Prison on a I|SUSISO,OOO bail on a charge i(of possession of marijuana • j Four other men were ■ arrested, but thev have, not . been identified.—Port St Joe (December 25.