Cable briefs

Press, 5 November 1984, Page 6

Cable briefs

S.A. lures miners

Hundreds of British coalminers are applying for jobs in the South African mining industry, lured by high wages and low living costs, and about 290 have already been taken on, a London newspaper reports. “The Sunday Times” said that two of South Africa’s largest mining colorations would send officials this week to Britain’s mostly strike-bound coalfields in search of more recruits. Goldfields of South Africa, Ltd, would interview up to 300 miners who have applied for jobs, and Gencor (U.K.), Ltd, whose parent company owns coal, gold, platinum, and uranium mines in South Africa, would get 100 applicants, it said.—London.

Ports closed Lebanese Navy gunboats have begun enforcing a Government ban on illegal, mili-tia-run. ports,a military spokesman said. The Gdveriiment, anxious to shut down eight illegal ports draining the Treasury of badly needed revenue, has authorised the Armed Forces to open fire and confiscate or sink ships failing to heed the ban.— Beirut. Baby stable The transplant of a baboon’s heart has kept “Baby Fae” alive for nine days, but doctors say that it is too early to declare success. She remained in hospital in serious but stable condition yesterday as doctors gave her drugs to prevent her immune system from rejecting the organ. “She’s right on target, according to her physicians,” said a hospital spokesman. “Her vital signs are stable. She spent a good night and shows no signs of rejection, clinical or otherwise.—Loma Linda.

Probation The ailing 71-year-old father of the singer, Marvin Gaye, has been sentenced to five years probation for shooting his son. Superior Court Judge Gordon Ringer said that any jail time for Marvin Gay sen. would impose a death sentence. Gay pleaded guilty on September 19 to voluntary manslaughter.—Los Angeles. Airlift starts Transport aircraft of the Royal Air Force began arriving in Addis Ababa at the week-end to begin a threemonth airlift of food from an Ethiopian port to famine victims in remote areas of this country. The R.A.F. planes, one from Czechoslovakia and another from East Germany, also parked on the tarmac, were among the first to arrive to launch an international airlift of emergency food supplies to save an estimated six million Ethiopians threatened with famine and starvation.—Addis Ababa. Prices frozen

The Israeli Government has ordered consumer prices to be frozen at Friday’s

levels after a wage and price agreement with trade unions and industrialists in an effort to control inflation. Under the agreement prices and wages will be frozen for three months. Workers will forgo one-third of the monthly cost-of-living allowance, which has traditionally guarded them against inflation. A 5 per cent income tax reduction is expected to compensate employees for a part of the allowance loss. No new taxes will be levied during the three-months — Jerusalem. Plotters' plans The Honduran President, Dr Roberto Suazo Cordova, said yesterday that plotters who planned to assassinate him and overthrow his Government had also intended to kill military chiefs. He told a crowd in his home town of La Paz, 60km north of the capital, that the conspirators had planned to kill the Armed Forces chief of staff, Major-General Walter Lopez Reyes, and other commanders. Brigadier-General Jose Bueso Rosa, the former Army Chief of Staff, surrendered to the police in Chile on Saturday after the United States ’ Federal Bureau of Investigation accused him and eight others of being in the plot—Tegucigalpa. Fly eradicated The Mediterranean fruit fly has been eradicated from Florida, says the state’s Commissioner of Agriculture, Mr Doyle Comer. The campaign cost an estimated SUSI.SM ($3.07M) and was shared equally between the Federal and Florida departments of agriculture. The campaign began June 19 when four Mediterranean fruit flies were trapped in Miami’s Little Havana area. Thirteen adult flies, 12 males and one unmated female plus one larva were found during the campaign—Miami. Fire deaths At least 42 people were killed and 40 others injured in a fire that destroyed the Nile Delta village of alDahreya at the week-end. The fire burned for 20 hours and destroyed 250 mud houses in the village, about 120 km north of Cairo. The fire started in a farmer’s house while his wife was baking bread and rapidly spread through the village, carried from house to house by burning rats and fanned by strong winds—Cairo. Washington blast A bomb has exploded at the entrance of the American Civil Liberties Union, a law group that defends controversial causes on behalf of individual liberties. A spokesman for the organisation said that there were no injuries but there was extensive damage to the doorway area of the second-floor suite of offices in a five-storey building near the United States Capitol. A large poster of the United States Bill of Rights, the basic doctrine for individual liberties, was left with a gaping hole, he said.—Washington.