Cable Briefs

Press, 19 August 1978, Page 8

Cable Briefs

Demand dropped A Soviet court has dropped its demand for a retraction trom two American correspondents found guilty of slandering Soviet tele- ! vision a month ago. The court accepted a request from a television representative to terminate the case, against Craig Whitney of the “New York Times” and Haroid Piper of the “Baltimore Sun” because "world public opinion” had since learned that their reports were slanderous. The pair paid fines imposed by the court, while refusing to withdraw what they Fad said. — Moscow.

Italian Pope likely With one week to go before the opening of the conclave to elect a new Pope, high Vatican sources have said that the next Pontiff probably, will be another Italian. The sources said initial indications from the daily meetings of Roman Catholic cardinals who will vote on the next Pope were I that tne conclave will be wide open, with as many as a score ot princes of’ the Church being mentioned as candidates. However, the sources said the final choice for the next Pope was likely ! to fall on an Italian, as has (been the case for the last 455 years. — Rome.

Ex-agent charged A former U.S. Central In-1 : telligence Agency employee; has been arrested in Chicago! on charges that he delivered! a stolen national defence" document to a Soviet agent in Athens, Greece, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has announced. According to the F.B.L, William Kampiles, employed as a watch officer for the Central Intelligence Agency from March to November, 1977, is alleged to have removed a top secret document, entitled “KHII, system technical manual,” from C.I.A. headquarters while employed there • and sold it to a Soviet agent for $3OOO. — Washington. M.E. warning Piesident Jimmy Carter; has declared that a new. Midale East conf'ict could flare up if next month’s; summit meeting ot the; ; United States, Egypt, and Is-; rael aoes not get peace negotiations moving again He i called the meeting — to; comprise himself, the Prime ! Minister of Israel (Mr Men-1 achem Begin), and President ! Anwar Sadat of Egypt at his Camp David mount retreat! — a serious political risk! with no guarantee of success. “I pray and hope th? whole nation and the whole world will pray, that we do! not fail, because failure could result in a new con-i flict in the Middle East,” Mri Carter said — Washington. Marine killed

A young Royal Marine has been killed and a soldier injured in a car-bomb blast in the Irish border town of Forkhill, the 238th soldier to die since the troubles began. Within an, hour, an Ulster policeman was desperately driving eight miles for help — with four bullets in his back. The policeman kept driving after being fired at on I his way to work and was : later said to be not seriously; hurt. The Provisional Irish ; Republican Army claimed responsibility for both attacks. — Belfast. New divisions

Fresh divisions have ap- i peared in India’s ruling Ja-i Inata Party over a proposed | I peace formula to patch up I ;the quarrel between the; ; Prime Minister (Mr Morarjii ■Desai) and the ousted Home! Minister, Charran Singh. The; formula calls for Mr Singh; to take over as party presi-; dent and end the two-month-old squabble between the two leaders which has threatened to split the Janata Government. But three Cabinet members were reported to be opposed to the move along with dozens of Janata members of Parlia;ment. — New Delhi.