Cable briefs

Press, 19 December 1981, Page 8

Cable briefs

No tax cuts-Reagan

President Reagan, confronted with the prospect of unprecedented Budget deficits, has ruled out any new tax increases as a way of narrowing the gap between what the Government takes in and what it spends. “I have no plans for increasing taxes in any way," Mr Reagan said. A White House, spokesman later said the President was not ruling out closing loopholes in current tax laws as a way to raise additional revenue. — Washington Generals honoured General Antonio de Spinola, the monocled colonial war hero who became Portugal’s first president after the 1974 revolution,. has been promoted to marshal, the highest rank in the Portuguese Armed Forces. The decision to confer the title on General Spinola was taken by the Council of the Revolution. Portugal's highest military body, which in 1975 had drummed him out of the Army. His promotion represents an act of reconciliation aimed at smoothing over the political quarrels that divided the military after the 1974 revolution. But the council balanced the honour

conferred on General Spinola. a symbol of the Right, by- also promoting to marshal his political opponent and successor, General Francisco da Costa Gomes, who was Portuguese president from September, 1974. until June, 1976. — Lisbon.

Reservists disarmed

The Zimbabwean Government is disarming police reservists, a further move towards normality since the ending of the Rhodesian guerrilla war two years ago, according to a police spokesman. The reservists, stood down since independence last year, had now been asked to hand in their weapons. — Salisbury. Talks end

Israeli, Egyptian and American officials have concluded the latest round of. negotiations on Palestinian autonomy apparently without achieving any breakthrough' in the talks which began in June, 1979. An Egyptian team of experts returned to Cairo after a week, of talksjj with Israeli and American officials on the plan to grant self-rule to the 1,200,000 Palestinians of the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip. — Tel Aviv.