Cable Briefs

Press, 28 February 1980, Page 8

Cable Briefs

Papers freer South Korean newspapers were allowed for the first time in five years to carry photographs of the Opposition leader, Kim Dae Jung, fuelling speculation that the Government plans to rehabilitate prominent dissidents. The censored local dailies, however, were still not allowed to print his name and identified him only as an “Opposition leader” or an “influential leader in the Opposition camp.”—Seoul. Gandhi wins The Congress (I.) Party of Mrs Indira Ghandi has shown that its standing with the voters is undiminished, winning four out of five parliamentary by-elections. The results hold out little hope of success for the Opposition -parties in the coming important assembly elections in nine states. — New Delhi. Visit delayed Pope John Paul II has postponed his visit to the largely Roman Catholic Philippines from this month to November, to allow passions generated by the January 30 local elections to cool, the Archbishop of Manila, Cardinal Jaime Sin, has said. Members of his party hinted that the trip might also now include a visit to Japan. Cardinal Sin returned to Manila yesterday from a synod of cardinals in Rome at which the Pope expressed his regret at having to postpone the visit but said he would definitely visit in November. —Manila. More floods Heavy rain has brought fresh flooding to Iran’s stricken south-western province of Khuzestan, where some 250 people died in widespread floods two weeks ago, the “Kayhan” newspaper has said. At least six people have died and local officials said hundreds of families had been made homeless by renewed flooding in the last two days, according to “Kayhan.” — Teheran. Island occupied Vietnamese troops have occupied a small island in the South China Sea off the west coast of the east Malaysian state of Sabah, informed sources have said. The sources said Malaysian survey officials had found Falau Kecil Amboyna island, about 160 km off the coast and claimed by Malaysia, was taken over by a Vietnamese garrison in the middle of 1977. Both Malaysia and Vietnam were now taking steps to find a peaceful settlement of the dispute over the island, the sources said. — Kuala Lumpur.