Cable briefs

Press, 19 December 1988, Page 10

Cable briefs

W.A. cyclone Residents of the Karratha region on Western Australia’s north coast have been advised to remain indoors and batten down again after a cyclone lashed the area early yesterday morning. Though winds at time exceeded 200km/h, cyclone Ilona caused little damage. No serious injuries were reported. — Sydney. Dong down Vietnam has devalued its currency against the United States dollar by about 8 per cent. The SUSI now fetches 2800 dong.—Bangkok. Singer jailed The soul singer, James Brown, has been sentenced to six years in prison for failing to stop for police during a twostate car chase, but was acquitted of assault with intent to kill. An Aiken. County jury deliberated more than three hours before finding Brown, known by fans as “the Godfather of Soul,” guilty of two counts of aggravated assault and of failing to stop for police.—Aiken, South Carolina. Curfew likely Sri Lanka’s Parliament extended a state of emergency for a further month after the Government said 405 people had been killed by Left-wing Sinhalese rebels in the past 30 days. A senior military source said that a 24-hour curfew would probably be imposed throughout the island to prevent violence after the polls close in today’s Presidential election. — Colombo. Govt may quit Greece’s socialist Government, beleaguered by scandals and high-level resignations, will quit if its 1989 Budget bill is not passed today, the Prime Minister, Andreas Papandreou, said. —Athens. Noise control Japan will use new laws to crack down on noisy anti-Soviet demonstrations during a visit this week by Soviet Foreign Minister, Eduard Shevardnadze, a Foreign Ministry official said. The Ministry has designated nine areas where excessive noise will be banned. The locations include the Soviet embassy and the Prime Minister’s official residence. —Tokyo.

Islamic ruling A leading body of Muslim jurists ruled that birth control was permissible in Islam if man and wife agreed. “Temporary birth control is allowed in order to separate periods of pregnancy ... provided that the spouses consult and consent in accordance with Islamic law,” the Islamic Fich (Jurisprudence) Academy said. The academy, which represents jurists from 46 Islamic nations, held a six-day conference on ethical issues.—Kuwait. Massage girls give Bangkok’s massage parlour girls have joined a national surge to give money and provisions to southern provinces hit by flooding and landslides last month in one of Thailand’s worst natural disasters. Four hundred girls from five massage parlours owned by one chain said they were donating 10 baht (NZ64C) from the fee for each of their 90minute sessions to send cash and supplies to the flooded area, where more than 350 people were killed—Bangkok. Royal arrested The 18-year-old son of the Duke and Duchess of Kent was arrested last week for possessing cannabis, police said on Saturday. Lord Nicholas Windsor, the couple’s youngest son, who is nineteenth in Ijne to succeed to the Throne, was released after an hour-and-a-half without charges being laid, a police spokesman said, stressing that he had not benefited from “special treatment.” —London. Bill scrapped South Korean lawmakers bowed to public pressure and decided to scrap a bill giving themselves an 85 per cent pay increase, party officials said. A National Assembly panel on Wednesday unanimously passed the bill raising monthly pay for members of Parliament to 3.26 million won (SNZ732I) next year from 1.76 million won (5NZ3952). Parliamentary floor leaders of four political parties hurriedly met on Friday and decided to submit a new bill later this month which jvill raise salaries by less than 15 per cent. —Seoul.