Cable Briefs

Press, 20 July 1979, Page 5

Cable Briefs

Abortion proposal A Royal commission report on’Britain’s free National Health Service has recommended a big switch from private to State-funded abortions. The commission, which has been studying the Government-financed health service for three years, recommended that threequarters of Britain’s abortions be paid for from public funds. Last year half the 122,000 abortions carried out on British women were done privately. — London.

Basques jubilant Basque politicans have returned home in triumph from Madrid after negotiating a wide-ranging autonomy statute for their strifetorn northern region with the Spanish Government. Agreement on the draft homerule statute, which still has to be formally approved by the Spanish Parliament and a referendum in the< Basque country, came after more than two weeks of intensive negotiations. Diplomatic sources say that if the autonomy statute becomes law towards the end of this year, as seems likely, newly-de-mocratic Spain will have taken a big s’ep towards resolving its most dangerous problem, Basque separatist violence. — Barcelona. Lule accused

A Ugandan leader has accused the former President, Professor Yusufu Lule. of seeking to return to power by working with the ousted dictator, Idi Amin. The chairman of the National Consultative Council (Mr Edward Rugumayo) told a news conference that Professor Lule was fomenting unrest in Uganda. “Lule and his supporters are already working with Idi Amin and his henchmen to form an anti-Ugandan force,” he said. The accusation came after Professor Lule said in Nairobi that Uganda had become a satellite of Tanzania and was being terrorised by Tanzanian troops.—Kampala. Police back

Hawaii’s police officers have returned to their jobs, ending their strike action after a state court judge issued a back-to-work order. The action began when officers began calling in sick on Saturday night. More than 90 per cent of the 1800 officers employed by the state’s four counties joined the protest, which was prompted by a dispute over wages. There were no reports of serious crime problems during the action.—Honolulu.