Cable briefs

Press, 21 April 1984, Page 10

Cable briefs

Jackson ‘fine’ The pop star, Michael Jackson, was “doing fine” aa day after laser surgery to repair his scalp, which was burned while filming a television commercial, a hospital spokeswoman said. During the 80-minute surgery a palm-sized section of scar tissue was removed and Jackson’s scalp, with hair growing on it, was stretched to cover the burn area. The area was left scarred and bald after Jackson’s hair caught fire from fireworks used in the filming of the commercial for PepsiCola.—Culver City, California. Hoax charges A man has been remanded in custody by the Baimsdale Magistrate’s Court in eastern Victoria on two charges relating to a series of bomb threats made in Melbourne recently. John Charles Dixon-Jenkins, of Gosford, New South Wales, pleaded not guilty and told Mr Michael Conolly, S.M., that he was a political prisoner. He said that he intended going on a hunger strike until he was released. Dixon-Jenkins was remanded to appear in Melbourne on Monday.—Melbourne. Papal Mass Pope John Paul II celebrated a Holy Thursday Mass in St Peter’s Basilica at the start of four days of Easter ceremonies that have attracted more than one million pilgrims and tourists to Rome. Seventeen cardinals, 50 archbishops and bishops, and more than 1000 priests attended the Mass, renewing vows of celibacy and obedience in the presence of the Pope.—Vatican City. Security inquiry The British Government has ordered a top-level inquiry into how the traitor, Michael Bettaney, became a trusted member of the secret service. Bettaney, aged 34, a middle-ranking officer in MIS counterespionage, was jailed for 23 years this week after being found guilty on 10 spying charges. His case has now been referred to the Security Commission, headed by Lord Bridge, for investigation and advice on its implications for security.—London. Eiffel jump A young British couple has become one of the few people ever to parachute off the Eiffel Tower in Paris. They made the 300-metre jump from the top of the tower while scores of English tourists pleaded with them not to do it. The first parachute jump off the tower was made by a Frenchman in 1911, but few people have tried since because it was considered too dangerous. Amanda Tucker and Mike McCarthy hid parachutes in their rucksacks and slipped past security guards to climb to a tiny space at the top of a lift shaft before leaping off. There was one unforeseen hitch for the skydivers. As they stood triumphantly on the lawn two policewomen ran up, shouting, “It’s against the law to walk on the grass.”—London. ’Copter shot at A United States Army helicopter carrying two United States senators came under fire in Honduras near the border with El Salvador this week and made a forced landing. All seven people aboard were unharmed. Senators Lawton Chiles (Dem., Florida) and Bennett Johnston (Dem., Louisiana) were on board the unarmed helicopter as part of a fact-finding mission.—Washington. K.G.B. chief promoted The Soviet K.G.B. chief, Viktor Chebrikov, has been promoted to the rank of marshal, becoming the first head of the security organisation to hold the title since the rule of Josef Stalin. The award marked Marshal Chebrikov’s third promotion

in five months, and Western diplomats said that it marked him as a powerful and rising figure in the Soviet leadership under the President, Mr Konstantin Chernenko. Marshal Chebrikov. a Ukrainian, became head of the K.G.B. in December. 1982. The last K.G.B. chief to hold the rank of marshal was the feared Lavrenti Beria, who was executed after Stalin’s death in 1953.—Moscow. Man, 123, dies The man believed to be the oldest American, a former manual labourer who worked in a foundry until his 116th birthday, has died. He was 123 and two months short of his 124th birthday. Arthur Reed was born in Buffalo, New York, in 1861. As a small child he left Buffalo with his mother, who worked as a cook for Union soldiers during the Civil War. Although he had no written proof of his birth date, his age was verified through records of the Social Security Administration, which said that he had received benefits since 1944 —San Francisco. Proposal rejected New Caledonia’s Territorial Assembly has unanimously rejected French Government proposals for internal autonomy in the territory. The 32 members present at the meeting of the assembly, an elected body with limited iocal powers, voted against the plan, which is due to go before the French Parliament next month. It calls for a new consultative assembly in which tribal chiefs representing the island’s 6000 indigenous Melanesians would for the first time share power with the European population of about 50,000. The proposed assembly would function alongside the Territorial Assembly, which would elect a new nine-member Government to assume part of the executive power exercised by a Paris-ap-pointed High Commissioner.—Noumea. Mrs Trudeau weds Margaret Trudeau, the former wife of the Canadian Prime Minister,— has married an Ottawa businessman. Her new husband is Fred Kemper, a wealthy real estate agent. The Trudeaus’ divorce was completed on April 2 after a separation of almost seven years. The couple married in 1971 and separated in May, 1977.—Ottawa. Turk cleared A Turk extradited from West Germany has been cleared of giving the man who shot Pope John Paul a false passport, a judicial official says. Omer Mersan was taken to Italy on April 12 to be questioned by Judge Ilario Martella, who is investigating . possible conspiracy in the assassination attempt on the Pope, in 1981. Mr Mersan was suspected of giving the Papal assailant, Mehmet Ali Agca, a false passport. A spokesman in the judge’s office said that Mr Mersan’s position had been cleared up.— Rome. Ripper’s wish The Yorkshire Ripper, Peter Sutcliffe, says that he would like to become a priest, “The Sun” reports. Sutcliffe, who killed 13 women, had told police of his plans in a letter he wrote from Broadmoor Prison, the London tabloid said. He had asked the police for their help in getting him ordained.—London. Unconscious mother A woman, unconscious in hospital after a road accident 11 weeks ago, has given birth to a baby girl. Although the baby was six weeks premature she weighed 2.6 kg and was doing “very, very well,” said her father. A spokesman at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, said that the mother was “stable.”—London.