Cable briefs

Press, 11 December 1981, Page 6

Cable briefs

Envoy to S.A. The Reagan Administration has selected a former journalist as its new Ambassador to South Africa, according to the Washington “Post.” It named the man as Herman Nickel, who worked as a correspondent in South Africa for “Time” magazine in 1961 and 1962, and was in effect ; expelled when the South Africans refused to renew his visa. The “Post” quoted Administration sources as saying that the Pretoria Government, which knew the nomination was proposed, was not expected to object to the appointment.—Washington. Cape Town blast An explosion has shaken the offices of the South African Department of Cooperation and Development (blafck affairs) in Cape Town. A police spokesman said sabotage was suspected. Noone was injured in the early morning blast. The department has offices on the ground floor of the building. The explosion was on the first floor—Johannesburg. Jobless drinkers Jobless men drink more beer than their mates in work, says a British report. They down an average of 15 pints a week, three more than those with jobs. An investigation by Public Attitude Surveys shows that the Midlands tops the jobless drinkers table. Jobless men there down 19. pints a week while workers put away 16.5 pints—London. Uganda killings More than 60 civilians in the trading centre of Ssemuto have been killed by men dressed in army, uniforms, including 20 who were stabbed to death on December 3. Residents of one town, 48km north of Kampala, said seven civilians had been killed in an anti-guerrilla sweep. Local residents blairae, Ugandan Army soldiers for the killings. The Government of President Milton Obote asserts that the attackers are guerrillas dressed in stolen Army uniforms.—Ssemuto. ' I : '' Lobster ruling A full Bench of the Australian Federal Court has decided unanimously that lobsters are not livestock. The Judges’ decision means that live lobsters airfreighted to Japan for the restaurant, trade may be eligible for an export incentive grant. A West Australian company, G.T.K. Trading, had applied to the Export Development Grants Board for grants in respect of its exports of the lobsters for the financial years ended June 30, 1978, and 1979—Sydney. • U.N. candidates Nine men are now in the running for the post of United Nations SecretaryGeneral after the announcement of four new candidates. The four new candidates are: Rafael Salas, of the Philippines, executive director of the United Nations Fund for Population Activities; Radha. Krishna Ramphul, the permanent United Nations representative of Mauritius; Carlos Julio Crosemena-Mon-roy, President of Ecuador from 1961 to 1963; and Santiago Quijano-Caballero, of Colombia, former director of the United Nations’ Office of Inter-agency Affairs in Geneva. Rights ‘hypocrisy’ Amnesty International has condemned what it calls hypocrisy throughout the world on human rights, saying many governments have double standards regarding abuses as more acceptable when committed by friends. Amnesty, in its 1981 annual report, also urged governments to stop subordinating human rights' to foreign policy goals. The report did not cite specific countries it deemed hypocritical—London. . ;