Malta’s Labor Party wins vote

VALLETTA, Malta — The 10-year reign of Malta’s Labor Party
has been extended through its winning of 34 seats in the recent election,
and Prime Minister Dom Mintoff has been sworn in for another term.
The Nationalists got 31 seats. Mintoff campaigned on a policy of an

uidepesent Malta, while the Nationalists sought closer ties to the
est,

France to improve Libyan ties

PARIS — France’s foreign minister Claude Cheysson announced
‘that his country does not consider that Libya is playing a destabilizing
role abroad and wishes to improve relations with Tripoli.

4 The French government's intention to bring relations with Libya toa
normal level’ is regarded here as disapproval of U.S. accusations
against the African state.

The U.S. government recalled all its nationals from the country after
accusing its leader Colonel Gaddif of sending a “hit squad” to the U.S.
to assassinate President Ronald Reagan.

Don’t destroy Europe to save it

Over 250,000 West Germans gathered in Hofgarten University Park in Bonn recently to urge
successful talks between Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev and FRG head Helmut Schmidt.
Brezhnev’s proposal that both sides undertake to refrain from deploying new medium-range
nuclear missiles and modemizing old ones was met with an enthusiastic response in the
German press. NATO has approved plans to intoduce 572 new Cruise and Pershing II into their
arsenal. The Soviets have warned that such a move would force them to update their facilities.

No Angolan
talks with Unita

PARIS — ANGOP, the An-
golan News Agency, reports
that Luis J. de Almeida, Ango-
lan ambassador in France, has
issued a release stating that:

‘*The Government of the
People’s Republic of Angola
categorically denies reports
from Lisbon by the American
agency, Associated Press, that
the Angolan Government is
ready: to start talks with Unita,

a. group in the pay of Pretor-.

ia,’’ South Africa.

Unita was the anti-govern-
ment and anti-people’s force
supplied by the USA and aided
by the Chinese maoists.

Jobs not

Young Britons marched through downtown London in a recent demonstration against Prime Minister
x atcher’s austerity cuts. They urged the government to convert armament spending to deal with the
Cute housing and job shortage. Unemployment figures which have reached a 50 year high have hit
rhb People particularly hard. Over 270,000 high school and college graduates will enter the job market
© Coming year, swelling the jobless total. —

TASS PHOTO — A. STEPANENKO

Martial law in Gaza Strip

BEIRUT — The rebellion of the Palestinian population in the Trans-
jordan territory occupied by Israel has gained new strength while
troops in the Gaza Strip have forced striking workers to return to their
jobs at gun point.

Both regions, under Israeli occupation since June 1967, are protest-
ing Tel Aviv’s plans to introduce civil adminstration which will be used
as a cover up for annexation.

The Gaza Strip was completely sealed off while the army “‘re-
established order’’ after a nine day general strike. Violent clashes left
two Arab boys dead. Small businessmen were detained in their shops,
strikers were forced back to work at gunpoint. The strike by doctors
and pharmacists still continues under threats of arrest by the Israeli
forces. . ;

Over 4,000 Palestinians have been arrested in the last month, 2,500
are still in prison, almost half of these are women and children.

No Cuban troops in Guyana

CARACAS — The deputy minister of the interior of Venezuela,
denied Dec. 12 that there are Cuban troops in Guyana.

In a TV interview the minister stated that he did not “‘believe that
there are Cuban troops in Guyana and up to now no document, report
or analysis has come into my possession, or anything that could allow
me to say, seriously, that this may be a reality.”

Albania’s Prime Minister commits suicide |

BELGRADE — The Yugoslav News Agency reported Dec. 18 that
the Prime Minister of Albania, Mehmet Shehu had committed suicide.
The agency quoted a Radio Tirana bulletin reporting the death of the
68-year-old Shehu who has held office since 1954.

Step one to Spain entering NATO

MADRID — The protocol for Spain’s entry into the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization has been signed by the 15 member countries of the
military alliance. :

The step initiated the process of Spain’s entry into NA TO, since the
protocol must now be approved by the parliaments of all 15 countries.

The Atlantic Council, made up of the 15 ministers of foreign affairs
of the member countries and NA TO’s top decision-making body, will
now attempt to find a solution to the dispute between Greece and
Turkey. For the first time in the history of the Alliance, a meeting of the
defence ministers closed without a final communiqué.

Greece has accused the U.S. of increasing its military aid to Turkey
by 35%. Greek Prime Minister Andreas Papandreau told the military
chiefs that Greece sees Turkey as its main enemy, not the USSR.

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—JAN. 8, 1982—Page 5

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