Cable briefs

Press, 7 September 1989, Page 8

Cable briefs

Two nations to vote South Africa and the Netherlands will vote today in parliamentary elections.—NZPA-Reuter Ferry sinks, 28 die At least 28 people died and more than 100 are still missing after a ferry sank in a storm, north of Bali, Indonesian search and rescue officials said yesterday. They said 46 people had been rescued from the ferry Si Mawar.—NZPA-Reuter Further sheep barred Saudi Arabia yesterday rejected another 100,000 Australian live sheep, a federal government official in Canberra said. No reason was given.—NZPA-AAP U.S. leaves embassy The United States evacuated its embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, yesterday in the face of mounting antiAmerican protests from Christians in beleaguered east Beirut. The diplomats flew safely to Cyprus, a United States spokesman said —NZPA-Reuter Mechanic crashes jet A Belgian F-16 fighter jet, flown by a mechanic who did not know how, crashed in a remote area of Norway yesterday, the Norwegian Defence Command in Oslo said. The Belgian mechanic, in Norway on a N.A.T.O. course, took the plane for a ride without permission. “The man did not know how to fly and this is clearly what caused the accident,” said Colonel Gullow Gjeseth. “We fear that, he is dead.” — NZPAReuter. Sign of the times In the Israeli-Palestinian war of symbols, an hour makes all the difference. Israel turned its clocks back an hour to winter time at the week-end, but underground leaders of the uprising in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip ordered Palestinians to stay on “Palestinian summer time” until September 15. Israeli occupation forces, determined to crush even small gestures of defiance, ordered Palestinian schools to open at the same time as those in Israel. — NZPAReuter. Belize elections George Price, the populist leader who led Belize to independence from Britain eight years ago, has narrowly won general elections, according to results announced yesterday. His People’s United Party won 15 parliamentary seats against 13 for the ruling United Democratic Party in the election, ending five years of rule by the Prime Minister, Manuel Esquivel. — NZPAReuter. Jester jests too much A “court jester” at a London tourist attraction has been told by unamused employers that Britain’s Royal Family is no laughing matter. James Lovell, an actor, playing the Fool at an exhibition tracing the history of Britain’s monarchs, has made jibes about Queen Elizabeth’s family and joked about the recent separation of Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips. “James is under clear orders that ... he must confine himself to jesting about King Henry VHl’s time, or at least about people from the past, or sadly he will have to leave,” an exhibition director said. — NZPA-Reuter.