Cable briefs

Press, 3 February 1987, Page 6

Cable briefs

Patient

progressing Davina Thompson, the world’s first triple transplant patient, was allowed to leave her hospital ward yesterday. Mrs. Thompson has made such good progress after receiving a new heart, lungs, and liver six weeks ago that doctors are allowing her to move into a flat in the grounds of Papworth Hospital, near Cambridge, with her miner husband, Peter, and her daughter, Stephanie, aged nine. It is hoped she will be able to return to her home in South Yorkshire in a few weeks. — London. Hero promoted Major-General Dan Shomron, a hero of Israel’s 1976 Entebbe rescue operation, has been named as Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces. General Shomron, aged 49, will take over in April from Lieutenant-General Moshe Levi, who is ending a four-year term. He led the daring Israeli commando raid on July 4, 1976, that freed 102 hostages held by Arab and West German gunmen’ at Entebbe airport in Uganda. — Jerusalem. Caught in China More than 10,000 Hong Kong holidaymakers were stranded in China, some for several days, when border transport clogged up with families returning to the British colony after the Chinese New Year festival. — Hong Kong. Tourists saved Thai marine police rescued 65 tourists after a freak storm sank their tour boats in the Andaman Sea off southern Thailand. The tourists, mostly from Bangkok, were celebrating the Chinese New Year by visiting Terutao and nearby islands near the Malaysian border. — Bangkok.

Peruvians drown At least 60 people died and 10 are missing afer a river burst its banks during heavy rain near the town of Villarica in eastern Peru. Two villages near Villarica were also under water after the Entaz River flooded, leaving 500 people homeless. — Lima. Asylum sought A Chinese journalist based in Bonn has asked the West German authorities for political asylum, the weekly magazine, “Spiegel,” reports. It named him as Chen Mingxiang, a correspondent for Radio Peking, and said he had been based in the West German capital since September. — Bonn. Costly chair An American colonial mahogany armchair went under the hammer for a record $U52.75 million ($5 million) at a New York auction held by Sotheby’s. The buyer was a New York antique dealer, Leigh Keno, who specialises in American furniture. — New York. Arms sale McDonnell Douglas was the leading United States arms exporter and Saudi Arabia the top importer in 1985, the latest year for which figures are available, according to a private report prepared by the non-profit Investor Responsibility Research Centre. - McDonnell led American arms exporters with SUSI. 62 billion in prime contract awards in 1985, it said. — Washington. Actress praised Vera Andzhaparidze, a fiery-eyed Georgian actress who rose to fame on screen in the Stalin era, has died, aged 90. Soviet newspapers praised “Veriko” for civic passion and innovation in her work in films and on the stage. — Moscow.