Cable Briefs

Press, 14 March 1978, Page 8

Cable Briefs

Inflation forecast? A top Japanese economist [expects double-digit inflation m the United States in the [near future because of the [weakness of the dollar. Mr I Ichiro Takeuchi, of the Bank of Tokyo’s economic research division, has said in an interview that the dollar rias already dropped too far to prevent strong inflationary pressure. Even if President Carter now takes strong measures to stem the dollar’s fall, inflation will exceed 10 per cent “beforo the elections this fall,” Mr Takeuchi has said. — Tokyo. l\'-plant protest About 100.000 people have demonstrated against the building of a nuclear power plant near Bilbao, Spain. Marchers converged on the site chanting anti-nuclear slogans, and dozens of fishing boats sounded foghorns. Speakers from Leftwing parties and trade unions said the plant was a crime against the Basque people. Messages of support from anti-nuclear groups in Australia, Belgium. France, and West Germany were read out. Residents believe they will be endangered by pollution, and fishermen fear fish could be driven away. — Bilbao. Villagers hurt More than 10 villagers have been injured by Cambodian troops who opened fire on a village in eastern Thailand, Thai military sources have said. The shooting was in the Taphraya district, Prachinburi province near Cambodia, where more than 150 Thais have been killed in numerous clashes with Cambodian forces since last year. — Bangkok. Blast in cinema Five people have been Injured, two seriously when a bomb exploded in an Athens cinema showing a Soviet film, the police have said. They said the device went off at midnight during the late performance of a film called “The Rainbow.” No person or group has yet claimed responsibility for the blast. — Athens. Vaults raided Thieves have drilled their way into the vaults of a branch of Holland’s biggest bank in Amsterdam and rifled 90 safe deposit boxes, the police have said. The Algemene Bank Nederland estimated its own cash losses at 400,000 guilders (about $180,000), but there was no estimate of the value of the contents of the deposit boxes. — Amsterdam.