Cable news in brief

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33514, 20 April 1974, Page 15

Cable news in brief

Aviation deal The Japanese Government today decided to. sign a civil aviation agreement with China, the Foreign Minister (Mr Msayoshi Ohira) announced after a Cabinet meeting. Mr Ohira has said that working-level talks on: the pact had been reached in Peking. The prospects of such an agreement have, angered Taiwan, which has| threatened to stop aircraft using its airports ■ and air space.—Tokyo, April I 19.

Fault in spacecraft A malfunction in the flight data system of the Mariner 10 spacecraft has affected the sending of scientific information back to Earth. Lab officials hope that the spacecraft will still be able to make a fly-past of Mercury in September. — Pasadena, California, April 19.

Bishop accused Portugal has accused the Bishop of Nampula, in Mozambique, and 11 Roman Catholic missionaries expelled last week from Mozambique, of distributing a document which was highly offensive to the Portuguese nation. The missionaries, nine of whom have returned to Rome, have maintained that their document was intended for presentation to a meeting of local bishops in Moazmbique and not for wider publication. In it, they called for greater Church independence from the State authorities and questioned the Church's silence on the war in Mozambique. — Vatican City, April 19.

Political funds The Italian Government has decided to set aside $63 million a year — taxpayers’ money — to finance the seven main political parties. — Rome, April 18. Oi7 production The Arabian American Oil Company (Aramco), which produces most of Saudi Arabia's oil, produced 2,677 m barrels of crude oil in 1973, an increase of more than 500 m barrels on the previous year. — Beirut, April 19.

’Spies' held The South Korean Central * Intelligence Agency has arrested five people alleged ! to be North Korean spies operating from Japan and an offshore South Korean island. The C.I.A. last month announced the arrest of 47 I spies in South Korea. — ‘ Seoul, April 19. j Oil well An American company, > Amoco, will begin drilling : Fiji’s first oil exploration . well, north of Viti Levu, late next year. — Suva, April 19.