CABLE BRIEFS

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33515, 22 April 1974, Page 13

CABLE BRIEFS

Air crash

A United States Air Force Cl3O transport aircraft has crashed on takeoff from Andersen Air Force base, Guam, and all six crewmembers aboard are feared dead. — Agana, Guam, April 21. Growth rate

Industrial production in the Soviet Union for the first quarter of 1974 was 8.3 per cent ahead of the same period last year, the Government has announced. The growth rate, based on figures issued by the Central Statistical Board, is far ahead of the 6.8 per cent growth rate planned for the entire year. — Moscow, April 21.’ Flood victims Twenty-three people are dead and 49 are missing in serious flooding in Per-: nambuco State in north-east Brazil. In the neighbouring states of Rio Grande do Norte, Ceara and Piaui, where all rivers are in flood, the number of homeless is estimated at 115,000. — Recife, Brazil, April 21. Wine additive

The Spanish Cabinet has fined a Madrid wine firm 322.600 pesetas (about $NZ3,600) and ordered it to pay 1.3 million pesetas (about SNZI6,OOO) in costs for putting bromine and colouring additive in wine. Bromine is a non-metallic dark-coloured and poisonous substance. The wine firm was named as A. G. E. Bodegas Unidas S.A. — Madrid, April 21. Missionary funds I The Roman Catholic Church collected more than I SUS4Om throughout the I world for missionary work iin 1972—a third more than the previous year. — Vatican City, April 21. Arms theft Thieves have stolen 192 anti-tank and anti-personnel mines from a military’ ammunition depot near Bulach, in Switzerland. A police spokesman would not comment yesterday on the possibility of the weapons having been stolen for use by overseas guerrillas; — ißulach, April 21.

Obituary

The former Pakistani President, Field-Marshal Mohammad Ayub Khan, died of a heart attack at his home yesterday. He was 67. He ruled with an iron hand for 11 years after taking power in a bloodless military coup in 1958. He introduced a series of reforms, bringing Pakistan closer to her giant neighbour, China, and he succeeded in keeping the nation united, despite growling tension between its geographically and culturally divided east and west wings. He lost the Presidency amid political unrest in March, 1969, and has lived quietly since then. His private secretary says that he will be buried today’ at his home village of Rehana, four miles from Islamabad. There is no word from the Government on whether he will receive a State funeral. — Islamabad, April 21.

Radio talks About 470 delegates from 90 member countries of the International Telecommunication Union will start a scheduled seven-week session in Geneva tomorrow to update the world’s maritime radio regulations. The conference will consider more than 2000 proposals on such subjects as distress frequencies, the routing of radiotelegrams, the use of satellite systems and distress operations involving manned spacecraft. — Geneva, April 21.