LATE NEWS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24696, 27 August 1941, Page 8

LATE NEWS

BRITISH TROOPS IN IRAN OIL INSTALLATIONS OCCUPIED LONDON, Aug. 26. A British communique issued in Simla said that General Wavell’s troops have occupied oil installations at Bandar Shahpur. They have encountered no strong opposition, and no hostile feeling among the Iranian people themselves. Bandar Shahpur lies in the South-west of the country, and a pipeline connects it with Basra, British and Indian troops crossed the frontier at three points, supported by the R.A.F. and the Royal Navy. Planes of the R.A.F, dropped leaflets on a number of Iranian towns telling the people of the reasons' for the British and Russian ntove and pointing out that neither ..country Had any designs on the independence and integrity of Iran. ".-V. • '' A- Russian, communique this morning stated that Soviet troops crossed the. frontier at two points from the Caucasus, and , have advanced 25 miles. Other forces' entered Iran from the region of the Caspian Sea. JAPAN SHOCKED TOKIO, Aug. 26. Baron Ishii said Japan was shocked at the British invasion of Iran., -He expressed the opinion that the “ peace-loving American nation ” must equally be upset. He stressed the British view and said that invasion as a defensive action was unjustified. Britain could invade any country under a similar pretext. DUTCH EAST INDIES PRESS COMMENT ON SPEECH BATAVIA, Aug. 26. Diverging from the general press comment, the influential Batavian paper Bataviaasch Nieuwsblad says: “The Indies are carefully omitted from the countries enumerated by Mr Churchill as threatened by Japan. The British Government obviously d£es not; want to - enter into 1 logical and understandable, yet the speech will be regarded as disappointing by the Indies. The asset of the speech is that it can help to cure those of the blind faith that we will receive assistance if difficulites arise. It is better to rely upon ourselves, apd we shall do so if necessary.”

DEFENCE OF LENINGRAD ENEMY AT THE APPROACHES 1 V‘--V, ’ ' : ‘ •• v ‘ ■ , > : LONDON, Aug. 26. “The enemy is at the approaches to! Leningrad,” declared the Moscow radio last night; The announcer added that the city .was ready to repel the invader. He described sandbagging and,.other, measures, and recalled how General Kutozov defeated Napoleon. . He said the famous general’s grave in Kazan Cathedral was surrounded by flags captured from the enemy. “The enemy will never set foot on these ancient stones,” he said. The Germans have not bombed Moscow for seven nights.