Cable Briefs

Press, 24 February 1978, Page 5

Cable Briefs

Talks end President Hafez al-Assad of Syria and Soviet leaders have ended two days of talks which apparently concentrated on ways in which the Kremlin can help Arab opponents of Egypt’s initiative towards Israel. Western diplomats said the wording of their final communique, coupled with the fact that the Soviet Defence Minister (Mr Dmitry Ustinov) attended the discussions, strongly suggested that Soviet military aid to Syria was among the I topics covered ,n their talks. I This possibility seemed to be ! strengthened by a visit to the Soviet Union at the same time by Major Abdel;Salam Jalloud, a prominent 'member of the Libyan leadership, whose -'ountry is reported to have offered Syria ;$1 billion for arms purchases. —Moscow.

; Bill passed I The British Labour Gov'ernment's bill for limited home rule for Scotland has cleared its final hurdle in the House of Commons, but still faces months of debate in the House of Lords. The Ibill, which has been much battered during its passage through the Lower House,! had a majority of 40 —297 j votes to 257 — at the third-1 reading stage In the House! of Commons. The House of Commons will start detailed discussion on a similar bill for Wales next week. It, too, I is expected to have a stormy ■passage through Parliament. ' —London.

‘All well in Dili’ No big security problem at present exists in the former Portuguese colony of East Timor now incorporated into Indonesia, the Speaker of the Indonesian Parliament (Mr Adam Malik) has said. He said a recent visit to the area as leader of a Parliamentary delegation had indicated to him "everything is very happy in Dili.” He! said efforts by Fretelini guerrillas to attract mass! support were being frustra-! ted by an improved availability of food in Dili itself' and in rural villages. — Ja-| karta.

Judge steps down The judge in the sex-crime tria’ of the movie director Roman Polanski, has agreed to step down and let the prosecution and defence attorneys pick another judge to sentence Polanski, now a fugitive in France. Superior Court Judge Laurence Rittenband denied charges by Polanski’s attorney that he had displayed prejudice against the director, but said he would remove himself from the case to avoid needless delays and court proceedings if he contested the petition to remove him. Polanski’s lawyer said the director might not return for sentencing. — Los Angeles. I