Cable Briefs

Press, 15 July 1978, Page 9

Cable Briefs

Redgrave bottom

The Oscar-winning actress Vanessa Redgrave, making her third attempt to win a seat in the House of Commons, finished last of the five candidates in the Moss Side by-election this week. Fighting the seat for the extreme Left Workers’ Revolutionary Party, Miss Redgrave polled onty 394 votes. — London.

[ Job lor Whitlam ‘ The Australian National University in Canberra has confirmed the appointment of former Prime Minister, Mr Gough Whitlam, to its staff as a three-year visiting fellow, lecturing in political science, social studies, and international studies. Mr Whitlam is expected to resign from Federal Parliament this month. — Canberra.

Rome fire A fire believed to have been set by arsonists, destroyed part of the architecture department of the University of Rome this week. There were no casualties, but teachers and students had to be rescued by firemen. — Rome. i dust. better off Australia’s current account ‘deficit in June was :sAustl76M — the lowest ! since February. It had a [trade surplus of SI27M, the [best since last December. In June last year it had a deficit [of $227M. — Canberra. Pacific row bid i A former Marines heavy--weight boxer left San Diego yesterday to row to Australia in a borrowed boat. Mr Pat Satterlee, aged 26, of San Diego, hopes to row the 12,870 km to Sydney in a year. His departure had been delayed more than six times by equipment failures. His boat, Britannia 11, was loaned to him by John Fairfax, who with Sylvia Cook made an unprecedented row across the Pacific in 1972. — San Diego. Queen Mary’s ghost?

A radio operator on the QEII has picked up a message which he believes might have been sent 10 years ago by the Queen Mary. The message was received off. Tahiti while the Canard flagship was cruising towards Australia earlier this year, and there is spec-; ulation that it may have bounced back to Earth from outer space. “The signal was old fashioned, the date was wrong, and the signaller used old time zones,” said the QEII radio operator.— London.

’ Poll ‘crooked’ I Bolivia’s main opposition I parties have jointly accused , ; the military Government of a “gigantic fraud” over the ! results of Sunday's Presidential elections. The latest, results indicate that with 69 ; per cent of the votes [ counted, the Government- | backed candidate. General ; Juan Pereda Asbun, has capi tured more than the 50 per [ cent needed for outright election. A group of inter- [ national observers agreed [with the opposition and said: “The election was crooked from start to [finish.” — La Paz. ! Gang killings?

i Two Boston men have ,‘been arrested for the bloody ] slaughter of five men last ] month in what authorities at i the time said was a gangland execution linked to i drugs. The victims were : slain while they played ] backgammon during the ] early morning hours ati i Blackfriars Lodge, a down«| | town disco. — Boston. Krakatoa atcake I Sightseers and reporters'] ! are converging on the West |Java coast to witness the] i fulfilment of a French mystic’s prediction that Kra-i |katoa, the island volcano I which 95 years ago caused I thr world’s biggest recorded explosion, would erupt I again this week-end. As if to indicate that the mystic and astrologer, Alain Ventre, ! aged 45, had been right in I his warnings earlier this year, Krakatoa has been active for the last two days. — Jakarta. Singh back The ousted Indian Home] ■ Minister, Charan Singh, has] : withdrawn his resignation] from the ruling Janata Party] national executive and central Parliamentary board.] ’ signalling an end to the; (crisis in the party lead-] I ership. It was not immedi-l lately clear, however, ; 'whether Mr Singh would] iseek reinstatement as Home] 'Minister. —New Delhi. |