Cable briefs

Press, 3 January 1985, Page 6

Cable briefs

Blind man sees

A blind man awoke from an operation to remove two teeth and astonished doctors by saying he could see. lan Kirby, aged 20, went blind five years ago with a rare disease of the eyes and was told that he would never see again. He went into hospital just before Christmas to have two wisdom teeth removed. Doctors said the effects of the anaesthetic may have restored his sight. — London. Arms cost Nicaragua’s defence spending will rise to 40 per cent of the national Budget this year from 25 per cent in 1984, said the junta co-ordinator, Daniel Ortega Saavedra. Mr Ortega, who will be sworn in as President next week, said that this was necessary because of what he called continuing threats of an invasion by the United States. “If 1984 was difficult, 1985 will demand more sacrifices, especially in public services such as water, light and telephone,” he said. — Managua. Baby for actress Pia Zadora, an American actress, celebrated the New Year by giving birth at 2 a.m. on Tuesday to a 3.45 kg girl. The baby, named Kady, was the first child for Ms Zadora, aged 28, and her husband, Meshulam Riklis, aged 59, chairman of the

board of Rapid America Corporation. Ms Zadora named the baby for the lead character she played in a 1980 film, “Butterfly.” — New York. Swiss slow down Swiss drivers face lower speed limits and new taxes on highway use after a traffic law package took effect on New Year’s Day. The speed limit outside cities has been lowered to 80km/h from lOOkm/h. On the fourlane hihways, the maximum was lowered from 130km/h to 120km/h. — Geneva. Tilt reduced Unusually wet weather last year stabilised the subsoil under Italy’s leaning tower of Pisa and reduced its additional tilt to 0.48 mm compared with an annual average of 1.20 mm, officials said. — Pisa. Rare sight Emperor Hirohito of Japan made one of his rare public appearances yesterday with the annual ritual of bestowing New Year greetings on well-wishers from the balcony of his Imperial Palace. Crowds trooped into the palace grounds in wellordered relays of about 15,000 people. They cheered and waved flags as Emperor Hirohito, aged 83, flanked by Empress Nagako and other family members delivered a simple “Happy New Year” message. — Tokyo.