Cable news in brief

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32819, 20 January 1972, Page 11

Cable news in brief

Aust, dispute

About 20,000 telephone linemen throughout Australia will stop work at midday on Wednesday of next week to consider further action in their pay dispute, which has put more than 20,000 telephones throughout the country out of action. The Australian Postal Workers’ Union is refusing to repair or install telephones and has banned the handling of telephone accounts, which normally bring in slm a day.--Sydney, January 19. Battle in Monterrey Two urban guerrillas and a policeman died today during a three-hour gun battle at a block of flats in Monterrey, about 600 miles north of Mexico City. About 200 armed troops and policemen surrounded the flats after being told that the guerrillas were in the building by their leader, Professor Jorge Enrique Ruis, who had been arrested and charged with two bank raids last week. —Mexico City, Jan. 19. U.K. and Bangladesh The British Government yesterday resisted pressure in Parliament to recognise Bangladesh at once. The Foreign Secretary (Sir Alec Douglas-Home) said that recognition was under consideration, and that he was in close touch with a number of Commonwealth and other nations about it. He promised another statement soon.— London, Jan. .19. China visit possible The French Foreign Minister (Mr Maurice Schumann) said in Tokyo last night that, if the situation allowed, there was a possibility that he would visit China this year. An invitation for such a visit was issued when a Chinese trade mission was in France last autumn. —Tokyo, Jan. 19. • Amnesty by Amin Nrisaki Kisule, the man sentenced to life imprisonment 20 months ago for the attempted murder of the former Ugandan President, Dr Milton Obote, was among the 3000 prisoners released by President Amin yesterday. —Kampala, Jan. 19. Mine tragedy

Seven miners were killed and 12 were injured by an explosion in the State-owned Georgi-Dmitrov mine at Pemik, in South-West Bulgaria today. The Bulgarian Prime Minister (Mr Todorov) has appointed a Government commission to inouire into the cause of the disaster.— Vienna, January 19.

Plastic minesweeper The largest plastic ship in the world was launched at Southampton yesterday. She is the £2m prototype minehunter H.M.S. Wilton, which is 153 ft long and displaces 450 tons. The first of the existing minesweeper fleet, H.M.S. Coniston, was launched from the same yard, Vosper - Thomeycroft’s, 20 years ago. — Southampton, Jan. 19. Gromyko for Tokyo

The Soviet Union Foreign Minister (Mr Andrei Gromyko) will be accompanied by one of Russia’s leading experts on China when he leaves for Japan on Satur-

day. The expert is Professor Mikhail Kapitsa, who has written an authoritative work on China, and heads the Foreign Ministry department dealing with the People’s Republic.—Moscow, Jan. 19. T.W.A. dismissals

The American Trans World Airlines today dismissed seven London executives, including a senior cargo executive who had been with the company for 25 years. T.W.A. said in a statement that the changes had nothing to do with the economic situation, but were made to strengthen the organisation. —London, Jan. 19. Flooding in Venice A high tide, four feet above the normal level, surged into the snowbound city of Venice today, flooding the lower-lying areas around St Mark’s Square and the Rialto Market. Warning sirens sounded to give Venetians time to leave their ground floors and move carpets and furniture out of reach of the water. The high water also invaded the whole town of Chioggia, at the southern end of the Venice lagoon.—Venice, January 19.

Radiation victims A Massachusetts electronics firm has agreed to pay damages totalling more than SUSIm to three men—one of whom lost an arm and legs—affected by radiation exposure. The High Voltage Engineering Corporation settled out of court yesterday, minutes before a jury was to be selected.—Pittsburgh, Jan. 19. Train kills boys Two boys, both aged 16, were hit by a train and killed while crossing a railway line on their way to school near Lecco, Italy, yesterday. The police say that snow on the line muffled the noise of the approaching train, and when the boys saw it at the last minute, the slippery surface prevented them getting clear. —Lecco, January 19. Change of allegiance The American black militant, Eldridge Cleaver, in selfimposed exile in Algiers, says he intends to forsake the Black Panther movement and return home to fight with the “Afro-American Liberation Army.” Formerly the Black Panther’s information “minister” and head of their international section, he has been living as a political refugee with his family in Algiers since 1969.—Algiers, January 19. Accused of pollution About 600 firms have been notified during the last 10 weeks that they may be charged with polluting rivers and other waterways in the Italian province of Milan. If charged after questioning by an investigatory magistrate, the managers of the firms face prison sentences of up to 10 years.—Milan, January 19. Seals protected The Canadian Minister of Fisheries (Mr Jack Davis) has announced a restricted one-year ban on the hunting of seals in the Gulf of St Lawrence. The ban, on sealhunting from aircraft and ships, does not apply to landbased hunters, who, however, catch only a minority of the seals killed each year.— Ottawa, January 19.

Chaos in Scotland

Blizzards which swept Scotland today brought chaos to roads, stranded motorists, and delayed trains. Snow and ice on the electricity power lines caused a short-circuit, blacking out for hours an area from Fort William and {Arbroath to the Pentland iFirth.—London, January 19.