Cabled briefs

Press, 26 May 1977, Page 8

Cabled briefs

Policy dismissed The Soviet news agency, Tass, has dismissed President Jimmy Carter’s foreign policy speech last week-end as an attempt to secure world leadership for the United States. The Tass report from Washington was the first mention in the official Soviet media of the speech, in which the President set guidelines for a new American foreign policy. — Moscow. Aid approved The United States House of Representatives has approved a $3200 million for-eign-aid biil including provisions aimed at strengthening President Carter’s diplomatic initiatives in southern Africa and the Middle East. During a spirited debate on United States African policy, the House over-rode strong conservative opposition and approved a $lOO million fund t" help the so-called frontline African countries. — Washington. Arms request President Nemery of Sudan who last week expelled 70 Soviet military advisers to the Sudanese Army, has asked for American military 1 aid. “All our military equipment here is out of date,” he told reporters. One half was Russian, he added. President Nemery made the aid request during talks he held with the visiting American Ambassador to the United Nations (Mr Andrew Young). —Khartoum Leadership doubt The leadership of the next Israeli Government is still in doubt despite assurances from Right-wing leaders that the ailing Mr Menachem Begin would become Prime Minister. Mr Begin, aged 64, who suffered a severe heart attack two months ago, was rushed to hospital early this week after complaining of chest pains, strain, and exhaustion after the General Election last week in which his Likud movement won 43 seats in the country’s 120member Knesset (Parliament). He will remain in hospital at least a week. — Tel Aviv. Children die

Four young sisters have died in a fire which swept through their terraced house. The four girls — all under eight — were trapped in the blaze at their home in Newport, Kent. Their mother escaped with her fifth daughter, aged eight, and another adult. It is believed they jumped from a bedroom window. — London.

Marijuana find Police searching for a light plane, believed to have crashed with a cargo of marijuana aboard, have accidentally discovered a marijuana plantation covering about 1500 hectares (3600 acres) in northern Columbia. The police said they also found a clandestine landing strip from which small planes were believed to have taken off with marijuana bound for the United States. — Bogota. Labour poll The leadership of the Australian Labour Party will be decided next Tuesday. The party’s leader, Mr Gough Whitlam, is being challenged by his former treasurer, Mr Bill Hayden, and there are three nominations at present for the deputy leadership now held by Mr Tom Uren. Canberra. Oil hint THE Oil Minister of Kuwait (Mr Abdul Muttaleb alKazemi) has said that he expects the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries to end its two-tier pricing system. During the first half of this year, oil prices charged by most O.P.E.C. members increased 10 per cent. But Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates only increased their prices 5 per cent. — Kuwait.

Fixation on Charles A 29-year-old American woman has been ordered to a mental hospital after she allegedly tried to break into Chevening, Prince Charles's 83-room country mansion. Prince Charles was not in the mansion at the time. The police said that the woman, Mrs Barbara Nieberg, had a fixation about Prince Charles. — Maidstone.

Rhodesians leave Fifty whites a day left embattled Rhodesia last month, according to official statistics released in Salisbury. The Central Statistics Office said that 1472 whites quit the country in April while only 438 immigrants arrived. This compared with 1537 emigrants and 606 immigrants in March. — Salisbury.

Israeli shelling Israeli gunners have shelled three Lebanese settlements near their border for the first time since the Right-wing Likud bloc won the Israeli General Election, according to local residents. The residents said that tension along the barbed-wire fence which forms the border with Israel was running high after Israeli spotter planes flew over the area a few hours after the shelling stopped at dawn. — Sidon (Lebanon).