Cable briefs

Press, 16 November 1981, Page 8

Cable briefs

Attack claimed A hitherto unheard-of Lebanese group has claimed responsibility for a gun attack on an American diplomat in Paris last week. Christian Chapman, United States charge d'affaires in France, was unhurt in the attack by a man he said was of Middle Eastern appearance. The United States Secretary of State (Mr Alexander Haig) later suggested Libya might have been responsible, but Libya denied it. A letter in misspelt French delivered early yesterday to the NZPA-Reuter . office in Beirut said the attack was made by the “Lebanese Revolutionary Armed Faction, Saleh ElMisri Group.” It said the attack was “our first message addressed to Reagan and his imperialist leader- ; ship which is embarking on a systematic destruction of ■ Lebanon and has declared by its latest manoeuvres an open war against all Arab liberation movements.” - Beirut.

Damage settlements

Relatives of three people killed in the collapse of two skywalks at the Hyatt Regency Hotel have received payments totalling nearly $NZ840,420 after settling their damage claims, court records say. The payments were the first stemming from the accident. Lawsuits seeking more than S3OOOM have been filed in conection with the July 17 collapse .which killed 113 people and injured 188. — Kansas City. 'Take it easy, Di’ Princess Diana has been advised to “take it easy - for her baby’s sake.” A gynaecologist at a leading London hospital said that by continuing her arduous schedule of public duties, she was running the two gravest risks to pregnancy — stress and exhaustion. Valerie Crow, professional adviser to the Royal College of Midwives, said: “While the Princess is suffering from morning sickness — which can be pretty awful — she should confine her public duties to the afternoons.” But it was during the morning that the Princess trudged across ploughed fields with her husband for a shooting party yesterday, Prince Charles’s .thirty-third birthday. — London.

Cancer detector A group of Japanese hos- ■ pital doctors and institute researchers have developed what is claimed to be the world’s first supersonic appa- ; ratus that can locate a breast cancer as small as “

smm ip diameter in only two minutes, the Kyodo news service has reported. The group, said the new device avoids’ errors that may occur from the conventional method of doctors feeling the breasts by hand to detect lumps and then confirm the cancer by X-rays, it said. According to Kyodo, the group, including Dr Yasuaki Takehara of the Kanto Chuo hospital, will report the achievement to the Japan Society of Supersonic Medicine this week. — Tokyo.

Reagan aids veterans

President Ronald Reagan, saying Americans had not been allowed to win the Vietnam War, has launched a programme to help former servicemen from the conflict who are still struggling with problems of readjustment. The Vietnam Veterans leadership programme is administered by Action, a Gov-ernment-run organisation of volunteers, which will try to supplement Government schemes providing jobs, business help, and health care. Mr Reagan, who during the 1980 presidential election campaign called the Vietnam War a noble cause, said the conflict was a tragedy partly because it demanded sacrifice from Americans who fought as bravely as any in the past. — Washington.'