Cable briefs

Press, 9 May 1984, Page 10

Cable briefs

Italian jolt A powerful earthquake shook southern Italy yesterday, injuring at least 40 people, leaving hundreds of families homeless, and causing widespread damage to roads and buildings. No deaths were reported. Most of the casualties were hurt by falling masonry. The ’quake measured 8 on the open-ended Mercalli scale. The National Geophysics Institute said that the ’quake’s epicentre was in a mountain village in the sparsely populated southern regional of Abruzzo. — Rome. Smoking law Smokers can now be put out of public places in New South Wales by the police using force if necessary, under new powers, the “Daily Telegraph” reports. The new police powers apply to the eviction of smokers from theatres, public halls, and other places of entertainment. Regulations under the Theatres and Public Halls Act say that a licensee can order the removal of people continuing to smoke after

they have been asked not to, and call the police. — Sydney. Boy rescued Firemen have rescued a 15-year-old boy who had been trapped in an 11-metre shaft for six days without food or drink. Doctors said that he was suffering from severe dehydration and had lost his sense of time, but was cut cf danger. He was found in tho half-metre-wida shaft by municipal workers who were checking a nearby bridge when they heard cries. — Geneva. Indian N-boost India is negotiating with the Soviet Union to buy nuclear power plants which use enriched uranium, says the chairman of India’s Atomic Energy Commission. Raja Ramanna said that India planned to have a nuclear electricity production capacity of 10,000 megawatts by the year 2000 and that the Soviet plants would help the country reach the target. — New Delhi.