NEWS IN BRIEF.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 30 December 1926, Page 5

NEWS IN BRIEF.

. ♦ BY CABLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT. MOSCOW, Bee. 28. The first census taken since 1908 shows that there are 145,500,000 people within the Soviet’s territory. BUCHAREST, Dec. 29. Professor Hartmann, the Drench surgeon, is expected shortly to re-examine King Ferdinand, who recently underwent an operation for cancer. Ferdinand may later go to the Pasteur Institute in Paris for X-ray treatment. CONSTANTINOPLE, Dec. 28. Zaro Agha has a competitor in the race for the world’s longevity record m Telcu Agha, who, when he appeared to give evidence in a court case, gave his age iflis. 147 years, which has since been verified. • He is healthy and has the full use of his mental faculties, and easily recalls the events of 135 years ago. ' MAN AO UA, Dec. 28. Of the 400 soldiers of the Conservative Government forces covering a retreat in three days’ fighting with the Liberals (rebel) army at Las Perl as, many were killed while others were surrounded iand~eaptiired. Advices also te’ll of a fierce battle which is in progress between 1000 Conservatives* and. 1500 Liberals PARTS, Dec. 28. The whole of the Palace of Versailles i,s threatened with destruction through the ravages of a miscroscopic fungus, which, is turning the whole woodwork into a. powdery dust. Twelve million francs have already been spent in ,renovating the roof. The northern oart of the palace' roof of the famous Hail of Mirrors, wherein the treaty was signed in 1919, has also been treated, but much more must bo spent to save the historic building.