Cable Briefs

Press, 17 April 1980, Page 8

Cable Briefs

Strike wavers A crippling Japanese transport and general public sector strike showed signs of collapsing yesterday less than two hours after it started. Most private railway companies, which are used each day by millions of .commuters, .accepted wage increases averaging 6.72 per cent after striking for 100 minutes. They had been seeking a 7.34 per cent increase. It was not immediately clear how the union back-down would affect Japan’s State-run national railway system, used by 18 million people a day, which began a three-day strike this morning to back demands for increases of more than 8 per cent.—Tokyo..

Sinatra inquiry Frank . Sinatra and several of his close . associates are under investigation by a Federal grand jury to determine if they received money from,receipts skimmed from a ' now-bankrupt suburban New York theatre. A court brief has been filed concerning an appeal of a contempt citation against Louis (Louie) Dome Pacella, a restaurant owner alleged to have gangland ties, for refusing to answer the grand jury’s questions about Sinatra, the singer’s associates, and the Westchester Premier Theatre.—New York. .

* Charter violated 9 The.' Soviet Union has clearly contravened the Olympic Charter by refusing visas-.. -to South - African spectators, .the Australian Htjme. Affairs ’Minister (Mr Bob Ellicott) has said. Mr Ellicott told the House of Representatives that according, to. reports 700 South Africans who had applied for Russian visas'through a travel agency had been turned down.—Canberra. .

Refugees to go ". iSome 300 Cuban refugees from -the 10,000 who have been packed into the grounds of the,Peruvian Embassy Will fly to Costa Rica today, the first to leave since they sought asylum at Easter,.’diplomats have said. Costa Rica, Peru, and Ecuador have said they will take 1500 of . the refugees. A further . 3500, will be allowed ipto America.—Havana.