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University Daily Kansan, December 2, 1983
NEWS BRIEFS From United Press International
November retail sales high with holiday gain expected
The nation's retailers reported yesterday that sales boomed in November, amid predictions that shoppers would spent more money this Christmas than they had in the past five years.
"Merchants across the country should have a merry Christmas with average sales gains as high as 12 to 15 percent," said John L. Cohn, executive vice president of the Independent Retailers Syndicate in New York.
"Even with inflation, real sales increases could be 9 to 10 percent." Sears Roebuck and Co., the largest U.S. retailer based in Chicago, reported a 31.5 percent rise in November sales for the four weeks ending Nov. 26.
Kmart Corp., the No. 2 retailer with headquarters in Troy, Mich., had a 10.5 percent increase. Third-ranked J.C. Penney Co., New York, scored an 8 percent gain.
Freeze group mov shift its strategy
WASHINGTON — Leaders of the nuclear freeze movement will gather in St. Louis today to consider shifting their strategy from lobbying Congress for resolutions to cutting money for new nuclear weapons.
A position paper prepared for the meeting said the 600 activists attending must make that decision in setting priorities for next year, because they were faced with an "intransigent" President Reagan and a foot-dragging Congress.
"The performance by our elected representatives in Washington is outrageous and intolerable," said the briefing paper written by Randall Kehler, national coordinator of the Washington-based Nuclear Weapons Freeze Campaign. He said the paper was based on discussions and 200 questionnaires answered by freeze leaders.
Executions won't end, bishop savs
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A Roman Catholic bishop led the fight to spare Robert A. Sullivan from the electric chair said yesterday that he had little hope that executions would cease in view of the 207 inmates now on Florida's death row.
Signing death warrants and executing death row inmates is “the easy way to give people the impression something is being done to reduce the number of people who commit murders.”
Snyder told reporters following a memorial mass for Sullivan that he was "not exactly hopeful" the executions would stop, especially since Gov. Robert Graham had signed 65 death warrants.
3 sought in Heineken kidnapping
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands — Freddie Heineken rested at home yesterday as police searched for the three key suspects and more than $8 million in missing ransom money paid before the beer bar was rescued from a 21-day kidnapping.
Another prime suspect, Robbie Griforth, 34, was arrested at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport late Wednesday when he arrived by London from Spain, where he maintains a second home, said police spokesman Bernhard Scholten.
"He is an important member of the kidnap gang, as are the three others we still want to find," Scholten said. "We do not know what he was doing in Spain or how long he had been away."
Worker doubts suspect shot Aquino
MANILA, Philippines — A worker at the Manila airport who may have witnessed the killing of Benigno Aquino said yesterday he was not convinced that the suspected assassin held by the government shot the opposition leader.
Jose Orias, 24, a station loader employed by Philippine Airlines, told a government investigatory panel that he watched from the cockpit of a plane 50 yards away Aug. 21 when Aquino emerged from a jet at the airport.
Orias said he saw a man in a blue run up behind "四 or five" security escorts and appear to strike Aquino in the head with his fist. He said he could not see whether the man attacking Aquino carried a gun because Aquino's head obstruced his view.
German official may lose immunity
BONN, West Germany — A Bundestag committee recommended yesterday that the parliamentary immunity of Economics Minister Count Otto Lambsdorff should be lifted so he can stand trial on charges of taking a $50,000 bribe.
If Parliament approves, Lambsdorff will be the first Cabinet member to be taken to the courts in the 36-year-old history of West Germany. If found guilty, he could face a maximum five-year jail term.
The motion said Lambsdorff's protection as a member of parliament should be waived so he can be formally charged with corruption and accepting inducements from the giant Flick concern in a $175 million tax and slush fund scandal.
Parliament is to decide today on the matter
Consumer group lists harmful tovs
WASHINGTON — "Manglers," clay-like creatures that children are instructed to dismember, and "Baby Alive," a doll that dirties its diapers and everything else, are some of the worst Christmas toys available this year, a consumer group said yesterday.
The Consumer Affairs Committee of Americans for Democratic Action, warning that some toys can injure or kill children, released a list of toys that should be avoided.
It said in its 12th annual toy survey that there had been 20 toy-related deaths so far this year and more than 130,000 injuries treated in hospital.
The group said that shortages of hot items would conjure up Yuletide scenes of desperation reminiscent of "wartime rationing."
WEATHER FACTS
UPI WEATHER FOTOCAST
Today, rain is expected from the west Gulf Coast to parts of the Tropics.
Locally, today will be cloudy with a 30 percent chance of rain or freezing rain with a high around 35, according to the National Weather
Tonight will be cloudy with a 40 percent chance of freezing rain. The low will be around 20.
Tomorrow will be mostly cloudy with a chance of rain and a high around 35.
Soviet session expected to bring out Andropov
By United Press International
MOSCOW — The Supreme Soviet will convene Dec. 28 in a session that may clear up the mystery surrounding the health of President Yuri Andropov who has not been seen publicly since August.
Western diplomas said it would be inconceivable that Andropov not appear at the meeting if he were exercising leadership.
If Andropo does not appear, it is considered possible that the government will announce that he will be nominated for a seat and will name an interim or new leader.
A well-informed Western official said that Andropov was a “very sick person” and “not able to perform his official functions.”
The official would not specify the nature of Andropo's illness but said the Communist Party chief "may well recover."
A one-sentence announcement by the official Tass news agency said: "The Presidium of the U.S.S.R. Supreme Soviet has decided to convene the ninth session of the tenth U.S.S.R. Supreme Soviet in Moscow on Dec. 28."
His absence has touched off speculation and rumors, the most frequent being that he was suffering from a serious kidney aliment and might have been injured. However, officials, when asked, have said only that he was suffering from a cold.
ANDROPOV, 69, who is officially suffering from a cold, was last seen at a meeting Aug. 18 with nine visiting U.S. senators. He missed the Nov. 7 military review in Red Square commemorating the Bolshevik Revolution, the most important holiday on the Soviet calendar.
According to a Soviet source familiar with government proceedings, Andropov will almost certainly appear at the meeting of the Supreme Soviet, or parliament.
"The November parade was important, but ceremonial," he said. "The Supreme Soviet is more important than the military; the year and announce plans for the next."
ANDROPOV was unanimously elected president at the last session of the Supreme Soviet in mid-June. A that time, Andropov appeared to be in frail health with a shuffling gait and trembling hands.
GLOBE AND MITT'S IN WOOLS, LEATHERS, GORETEN AND
THUMBLE TO KEEP THOSD DIGITS EXPLAINED
Aussies start investigating secret service raid of hotel
CANBERRA, Australia — The Australian government ordered an inquiry yesterday into a practice mission by secret service trainees who burst into a major hotel, broke down a door with sledgehammers and threatened the manager at gunpoint.
By United Press International
"It was a particularly nasty, and as far as I am concerned, intolerable incident," said Foreign Affairs minister. In his explanation to Parliament.
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--wearing masks and armed with submachine guns and tear gas, burst into the hotel, raced to the 10th floor, then entered a room door with dexhammers.
the sound alternative is...
MON 6 to 6:30pm
The counter-terrorist exercise was held to instruct the agents in rescuing hostages, Hayden said, with the Sheraton Hotel in Melbourne selected as the target — a major American city. The operation required one agent to pose as a hostage held in a hotel room by two "strong-arm men."
Rice said there were 400 guests in the hotel at the time of the incident. There were no reports of injuries.
ALTERNATIVE CONVERSATIONS
MON 12am to 3am
MON. NIGHT THRASH
Sheraton manager Nick Rice said he was assaulted by one of the men after he went to the floor to investigate the commotion, and staff members were ordered into a kitchen before the gunmen fled.
To the laughs of members, Hayden said the Australian Secret Intelligence Service trainees were to have used "deception and subversion" to gain control of the supposed hostage. Wednesday night
M-F 12pm to 6am
Hayden said Justice Robert Hope, a senior judge already heading a government commission of injury into Australia's intelligence organisation, said he had done a full investigation into the affair and report to the government.
PROGRESSIVE ROCK JAZZ
M-SAT 9 to 9:05pm
ALTERNATIVE DIMENSIONS
Rice said when that he got to the 10th floor, he saw a man wearing a rubber mask and carrying a submachine gun standing in the broken
SAT 10pm to 2am ETHNIC COWBOY
SUN 1pm to 4pm
SON 1pm to 4pm SHIN Apr to Jun
SUN 4pm to 7pm
SUN 10pm to 1pm MODERN IA77
SOUL VOYAGE
Hayden said it was clear that the exercise was either poorly conceived or carried out, or both.
SUN 7pm to 10pm BLUES
INSTEAD, the five trainees.
"Next moment he grabbed me and we started wrestling."he said.
SUN 10pm to 2am INDUSTRIAL
JAY BOWL FALL HILL
TEAM
JAY BOWL FALL HILL CHAMPIONSHIP BOWLING TOURNAMENT TEAM
PADRE ISLAND
Sun by Padre
Sea by Ft. Lauderdale
Snow by Winter Park
Spring Break Escapes by SUA
Get ready for your Spring Break vacation NOW. Stop by the SUA Office, Main Union, for more information about the trips, or call 864-3477.