Cable briefs

Press, 11 May 1989, Page 8

Cable briefs

Injured crew ‘stable’ Five United States sailors injured in a fire that killed six crew aboard a combat supply ship were in a stable condition, a United States military hospital spokeswoman said yesterday. The fire was apparently caused by a fuel oil leak in the engine room of the U.S.S. White Plains on Tuesday. The ship was on routine exercises in the South China Sea about 160 km from Hong Kong when the fire broke out.—Manila. Students repeat call More than 5000 students took to the streets of Peking again yesterday calling for democracy and freedom of the press, throwing traffic in the Chinese capital into confusion for the third time in two weeks. A petition signed by more than 1000 journalists demanding talks with senior party leaders on the state of the party-controlled media was handed to officials on Tuesday.—Peking. Coup crushed Guatemala’s fledgling civilian Government survived a second coup attempt in a year on Tuesday as loyal troops put down an uprising led by rebel Army officers. The bid to overthrow the three-year-old Government was led by 12 disgruntled former and active army officers, officials said. They, along with about 300 rebel troops, briefly held several Government offices before giving up.—Guatemala City. Strikers occupy island More than 1500 striking workers have occupied Cockatoo Island, determined not to budge until the Defence Minister, Kim Beazley, gives them an as- , surance of employment at the dockyard until 1992. The 1500 various tradespeople from 19 different unions have occupied the administration block on the northern aspect of the island. —Sydney. Picasso record An intense, brooding Picasso self-portrait brought a record for the artist of $U547.85 million (SNZ76.B million) at Sotheby’s auctioneers yesterday, stunning a capacity crowd and making it the second-highest-priced painting ever sold. The price for "Yo Picasso" smashed the former record for a Picasso of SUS3B.S million ($62.6 million), set last year for the artist’s “Acrobate et Jeune Arlequin,” and placed it second to the all-time record for a painting of 5U553.9 million ($87.6 million), set in 1987 for Van Gogh’s “Irises.”—New York. Swede new president A Swedish conservative parliamentarian, Anders Bjorck, has been elected president of the 23-nation Council of Europe. Bjorck, aged 45, the youngest president of the council, was backed by 101 members of the assembly, with 47 votes going to his only rival, a Danish liberal, Bjorn Elmquist.—Strasbourg. Quake hits resort An earthquake hit the tourist island of Tenerife early yesterday, sending people into the streets but causing no damage. The quake, a tremor lasting 37 seconds, measured 4.5 on the open-ended Richter scale but there were no reports off injuries or damage. Drug cult arrest Mexican police have arrested an eighth member of a voodoo-style cult of drug smugglers blamed for the ritual slaying of 15 people near the United States border, law enforcement officials said yesterday. The suspect was identified only as Enrique Calzada. He was picked up by police in Mexico City.—Mexico City. Bomber forced down A United States bomber capable of carrying nuclear weapons made an emergency landing on Tuesday after developing engine trouble two minutes into a routine training flight over Britain. The Fill bomber landed safely and the two crew were unhurt. Officials refused to disclose whether the homber was armed at the time. —London. Strike hits BBC British Broadcasting Corporation journalists and technicians began a 48-hour pay strike on Tuesday, severely disrupting radio and television programmes. Most live broadcasts were cancelled as senior journalists, talkshow hosts and disc jockeys joined picket lines to demand 16 per cent rises.—London. Chair for gunman A man who killed two children and wounded nine other people in a shooting rampage at a school has been sentenced to the electric chair. Judge James Moore imposed the death penalty rather than life in prison on James Wilson, aged 20, 12-days after Wilson pleaded guilty but mentally ill to murder and other charges in the attack at Oakland Elementary School in Greenwood.—South Carolina. Customs seize camera Two British businessmen were arrested on Tuesday after airport officials seized a high-technology camera about to be smuggled to the Soviet bloc, the Customs Office said. Security sources said they believed the two men may have been part of an operation that has already smuggled millions of pounds worth of sophisticated optical and laser equipment to Eastern Europe. Neither man was identified.—London.