Cable Briefs

Press, 12 October 1979, Page 6

Cable Briefs

Cold war *still on’ The former American Secretary of State. Dr Henry Kissinger, has said that the world is no safer now than .during the 'cold war" era m the 19505. Di Kissinger, who arrived in West Germane this week, detailed m a television interview areas in the world where he said the Soviet Union had expanded its influence. "In the last three years, we have seen Cuban troops in Angola. Ethiopia. South Yemen, and Libya, a Soviet combat brigade in Cuba, two invasions in ■Zaire, a Communist revolution in Afghanistan, and Soviet penetration of Cambodia :(Kampuchea) through Vietiiiam. "What happened in the I cold war that was so much ■ more terrible than what is happening today?" he asked. —Bonn j Students protest ■ The full 2000-strong stuident body of the People's I University in Peking I marched through the streets iof the capital on Wednesday demanding that army units I occupying more than 60 per 'cent of the campus be removed. The students marched round Tien An Men Square in the centre of the city and then gathered outside the main gate of Zhongnanhai, the central compound which houses China’s State council, and announced they were going on strike until their demands were met. — Peking. Leyland demand Pay rises of up to $66 for nearly 1000.000 Leyland car workers have been demanded by union leaders as the ailing firm neared the “crunch” point in its clash with the unions over a plan to axe 25,000 jobs. The new claim would mean floor sweepers and others in the lowest grade would earn $206 a week while skilled men would have a basic wage of $250 a week. The firm immediately said it could not pay the demand. The demand was “quite unrealistic.” The claim came as the six-man board of British Leyland was meeting in London to give what is expected

•to be conditional approval of the latest survival plan for the company. — London. Minister to appeal Papua New Guinea’s National Planning Minister (Mr I John Kaputin), who was 'jailed on Wednesday, is to i appeal. Mr Kaputin was jailed for 10 weeks with hard labour for failing to obey a court order. Mr Kaputin is the second Minister to be jailed within a month. The Justice Minister (Mrs Nahau Rooney) was jailed on September 11 for eight months for contempt •of court, but was released ■ the next day. — Papua. Quarrel fixed The Iranian Deputy Prime Minister (Mr Sadeq” Tabatabai) has flown home after i a brief surprise visit to reasi sure Bahrain of revolutionary Iran’s friendship. Spokesman for both Bahrain and Iran expressed satisfaction with the visit, arranged through the mediation of Syrian President (Mr Hafez Assad). President Assad stepped in as mediator as a (verbal war between Iran and (some Gulf countries threatened to escalate over statements by some Iranian clergymen reviving old Irainian claims to the countries, (especially Bahrain.—Bahrain, Press bound ' Haiti’s new press law calls for jail terms of up to three years for journalists who insult President Jean-Claude Duvalier or his mother, the Government has announced. Insulting comments or articles about lower-ranking officials can result in sentences of up to a year in jail, and private printing companies must submit their jobs to the Government for approval. Haiti, in the Caribbean, has long been considered one of • the most tightly-controlled countries in the Western Hemisphere. — Port - au Prince. Sinclair probe The New South Wales special investigator, Mr Michael Finnane, has said he is working on a number of further reports into the affairs of companies connected with the former Federal Primary Industry Minister, lan Sinclair. Mr Finnane, a barrister appointed bv the N.S.W, Attorney-General (Mr Frank Walker) last May to inquire into a number of Sinclair family’ companies, presented his first report several weeks ago. Allegations against Mr Sinclair in the report led to his resignation from the Federal Cabinet and his senior Parliamentary posts.— Sydney. Rhoodie ripples Arrest warrants are reported to have been issued for two South African businessmen who took refuge in Britain after working with South Africa’s newly-convic-ted former Information Secretary, Eschel Rhoodie. David Abramson and Stuart Pegg have been charged with violating currency-exchange regulations while their company, Hortors, fronted for Dr Rhoodie’s Information Department, the “Rand Dailv Mail” has reported—Johannesburg.