Cable briefs

Press, 11 July 1983, Page 10

Cable briefs

Singer held A Chinese opera singer of indeterminate sex has been arrested and charged with complicity in the case of a French official accused of spying for China. The singer, Shi Peipu, aged 45, appeared in court wearing a man’s grey suit but claiming to be a woman.—Paris. Avalanche toll An avalanche of ice, snow, and rocks has killed five mountain climbers and injured five others in the mountains above the French alpine resort of Chamonix. There were 15 people in the group. Officials said that five of them had escaped injury.—Chamonix. Missile plea An international conference of more than 3000 scientists has urged the West German Government

not to allow deployment of new American nuclear missiles this (northern) winter. In an appeal issued at the end of a two-day confernece, the scientists said that such a move would win time for the United States and the Soviet Union to agree on arms limitation. It would also help improve confidence.—Mainz. Game rooms Saudi Arabia has permanently shut down all electronic game rooms in the country after a study concluded that Saudi youths were squandering too much time in them, a Government official announced. The game rooms had been temporarily closed since last March. The order does not outlaw electronic games as such, which game room owners may now sell to schools, clubs and commercial enterprises. — Ryadh.