Cable news in brief

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33934, 29 August 1975, Page 9

Cable news in brief

Ambassador resigns President Ford has accepted the resignation of Mr Marshall Green as Ambassador to Australia and the Republic of Nauru. No successor has yet been named. — Washington.

Mercy mission The Indian Army and Air Force has mounted one of their largest peace-time operations to provide relief to the hundreds of thousands of people marooned by unprecedented floods in the eastern city of Patna. Transport aircraft from all over India are flying in essential food and medical supplies for the city, the capital of the state of Bihar, to a makeshift airfield at Bihta, a small town 15 miles away. Floodwaters surging through broken embank-

ments of the Ganges and Sone Rivers are reported to have swamped fresh areas in the eastern and central parts of Patna. — New Delhi.

Position clarified For the first time, India has spelt out its stand on recognition of the new Bangladesh Government since the coup d’etat in Dacca on August 15. “We continue to maintain normal diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of Bangladesh on the same basis as when we recognised Bangladesh in December, 1971,” an Indian Government spokesman said, adding that the Indian High Commission in Dacca called on the new Bangladesh President (Mr Khondker Mushtaque Ahmed) after the coup, and the Bangladesh envoy in New Delhi called on the Indian Prime Minister (Mrs Gandhi). The pro-Mos-cow Communist Party of India, a strong supporter of the Indian Government, has denounced the coup in Bangladesh, describing it as “part of a diabolical imperialist conspiracy.” — New Delhi.

U.S. pledge The United States Defence Secretary (Mr James Schlesinger) has reaffirmed in Seoul America’s commitment to defend South Korea; he gave a pledge that 42,000 American servicemen would remain in South Korea as long as they were required to meet United States oblig-

ations under the 1954 mutual defence treaty. Mr Schlesinger added that the United States, in a bid to help to upgrade South Korea's weaponry, had agreed that Seoul should purchase F 4 and F 5 jet fighters, but he did not disclose the number. — Seoul.

Triumph and tragedy A Polish expedition of 14 women has conquered what was the world’s highest unclimbed peak, the 25,984fthigh Gasherbrum Three, tn the Karakoram range, but three Polish male climbers were killed during their descent of another Karakoram mountain, the 26,400 ft-high Broad Peak, Polish Embassy officials in Islamabad report The three were members of la party of five who had ] reached the summit of the mountain, the twelfth-highest in the world. — Islamabad

Rolls rejected A brand new £22,000 RollsRoyce for the British Ambassador in Bonn failed to pass a German roadworthiness test last week because it had no anti-theft steeringwheel lock, but, after a flurry of diplomatic activity, the testers accepted an assurance by embassy officials that a steering lock was unnecessary since the chauffeur always remained with the car during the ambassador’s engagements. — Bonn.