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University Daily Kansan
Nation/World
Tuesday, Jan. 21, 1986
News Briefs
Black dissidents facetrial in South Africa
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — Twenty-two black dissidents charged with trying to topple South Africa's white-minority government went on trial yesterday and will face the death penalty if they are convicted.
The 22 members of the United Democratic Front, South Africa's largest legal opposition group, all pleaded innocent to the charges of high treason in a circuit court in Delmas, about 40 miles east of Johannesburg.
Man stops respirator
The gunman told the doctor he and his brother had talked about this before and he said his brother never would have wanted to be put on a life support system.
PHOENIX, Ariz. — A 19-year-old gunman disconnected his comatose brother from life support apparatus and held off hospital doctors with a shotgun for two hours until he was talked into surrender yesterday, police said.
Whipple was arrested for attempted murder, three counts of kidnapping and three counts of assault.
Robert Whipple, the gunman, removed the respirator and intravenous feeding unit from his brother John, 28, in the John C. Lincoln Hospital. John was admitted for a drug overdose Thursday, and doctors said he had little chance for survival. Doctors turned the man's life support system back on.
Editor retains post
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Barry Bingham Jr. said yesterday that he had patched up differences with his father and would remain as editor and publisher of The Courier-Journal and The Louisville Times until the newspapers and two other family companies are sold.
Bingham Jr. labeled his father's decision to sell the papers irrational and ill-advised and resigned after his father announced the sale Jan. 9.
From Kansan wires.
People cheer bloodless coup
The Associated Press
MASERU, Lesotho — Thousands of people danced in the streets yesterday to welcome an apparently bloodless coup that ousted the authoritarian prime minister, Chief Leaba Jonathon, a day after he declared himself in complete control.
The takeover by a military commander described as a moderate appeared to presage the end of a South African economic blockade that had nearly paralyzed this mountain kingdom since the first of the year. South Africa, whose territory surrounds Lesotho, accused Jonathan of harboring guerrillas.
Maj. Gen. Justin Lekhanya, who overthrew Jonathan, is said to be about 55 years old. He commands the 1,500-man Lesotho Paramilitary Force that serves as both army and police.
Government radio reported the coup at dawn to the 1.3 million people of Lesotho, which is about the size of Maryland. The radio said Oxford-educated King Moshoeshoe II, 47, remained as head of state.
No information was available on the whereabouts of Jonathan or
It appears that Lekhanya wants friendlier relations with South Africa, because nearly everything the kingdom needs comes across the borders from South Africa.
members of his Cabinet, who also were swept from office.
Chief Jonathan told reporters Sunday, "Although you never know, I would say that I am in complete control. Before never in my 30 years in politics have I been so accepted."
Twenty-four hours later, Lesotho radio said that Jonathan had been deposed, and that there was peace and calm prevailing over the country.
South African authorities began delaying shipments into Lesotho at the first of the year, saying they were looking for arms and guerrillas. Fuel, medicine and some food were in short supply by Monday.
Hours after the coup, South African radio said the first goods train in some time had crossed the border into Lesotho.
Roelof F. Botha, South Africa'a foreign minister, said his country would welcome any lessening of tension in Lesotho.
The announcement of the coup
Population: 1.4 million. Language: English, Sesotho (official). Adult literacy: 60 percent. (compared with 50 percent for black South Africans.)
LESOTHO/Almanac
People:
Geography:
Capital: Maseru, pop. 80,000. Area: 11,716 sq. mi., completely surrounded by South Africa. Arable land: about 13 percent.
Economy:
Exports: diamonds and wool. Imports: food, fuel and nearly all manufactured goods. Sends about half its labor force, 140,000 men, to work in South Africa.
Government:
Constitutional monarchy. Head of state: King Moshoeshoe II. Before the coup, Leabua Jonathan was prime minister since independence in 1966.
said, "This step has been taken to restore peace and national reconciliation, which has been a problem of politicians in Lesotho. The police
and foreign companies should carry out their activities as if nothing has happened."
Conrail sale is first item on agenda
Congress convenes in Washington
United Press International
WASHINGTON - The second session of the 99th Congress opens today, but lawmakers will be getting off to a slow start on what promises to be a year beset by budget battles and election pressures.
What began as a short work week because of the Martin Luther King holiday will be even shorter, with the House planning no legislative business today or Friday, and the Senate also most likely to begin the weekend early.
The work schedule again will be interrupted in less than three weeks when Congress leaves town Feb. 8 for its 10-day Lincoln-Washington recess.
When Congress adjourned for the year Dec. 20, Senate Majority Leader Robert Dole announced that the first item of business today would be the bill authorizing the sale of the government-owned Conrail to a private railroad firm, Norfolk Southern Corp.
a critic of the deal, asked Dole to postpone action on the bill because a competing group had submitted a new, higher bid to acquire the freight rail carrier. Dole, however, was sticking to his announced schedule. Metzenbaum urged a delay until it was clear who is offering the best deal.
Sen. Howard Metzenbaum, D-Ohio
A House Foreign Affairs subcommittee, reflecting Congress' concern about developments in the Philippines, planned another hearing today on investments in the United States by Filipino officials, including embattled President Ferdinand Marcos and his wife.
The House scheduled just one bill for consideration this week — the measure to limit the amount of time banks can hold checks before giving customers use of their money.
The pace of work on Capitol Hill was expected to pick up after President Reagan's State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Jan. 28 and release of his proposed 1987 federal budget Feb. 3.
Yacht ready to rescue Yemen visitors
United Press International
British officials said between 600 and 1,000 foreigners, only a few of them British, remained stranded in the capital city of Aden, where new fighting was reported yesterday between rebels and backers of President Ali Nasser Mohammed.
Rebels and government supporters both claimed control of the strategic
LONDON — The royal yacht Britannia cruised off the coast of South Yemen yesterday, awaiting another opportunity to rescue several hundred foreigners trapped in the midst of a bloody, week-old rebellion in the Marxist state.
pro-Soviet Arab state. Mohammed's whereabouts were unclear.
Queen Elizabeth II's private yacht Britannia diverted to South Yemen on Friday and cruised off Aden in hopes of mounting another rescue effort.
A British Defense Ministry spokesman in London said there
were no immediate plans to move the Britannia closer to shore for an evacuation. The ship will remain on hand in case of a further evacuation, he said.
During the weekend, the Britannia plucked more than 600 foreigners of various nationalities from the battle-torn beaches of the capital.
Union says it will fight airline cuts
From Kansan wires
The attendants' union said an all-out war had been declared.
MIAMI — Eastern Airlines said yesterday that it would lay off 1,010 flight attendants and cut the pay and privileges of the remaining 6,000 in an effort to ward off creditors' threats to declare default on its $2.5 billion debt.
"It is absolutely essential to get this company back on the financial footing it needs," said Eastern President Joseph B. Leonard, adding that Eastern hoped to eventually recall the furloughed attendants.
The layoffs of attendants with less than five years seniority will be effective Feb. 4, along with a 2 percent pay cut on top of an 18 percent wage reduction instituted two years ago, Leonard said. Other employees also will eventually be affected, he said.
Eastern will maintain its flight schedule. he said.
Leaders of Transport Workers Union Local 553 had predicted the layoffs and had expected pay cuts of up to 33 percent.
Local president Robert Callahan vowed to fight the action.
He would not specify what action the union would take, promising only that workers would not strike before March 1. The attendants' union has no contract, and no further talks were scheduled with Eastern, which has a total of 41,000 employees.
Earlier this month, Eastern's creditors ordered the Miami-based airline to get significant labor concessions or face default on its $2.5 billion debt to about 60 lenders, including Chase Manhattan Bank, Citibank and a number of European banks.
Eastern's $6.3 million profit last year was its first since 1979. Eastern Chairman Frank Borman said the airline had lost $335.5 million since 1960.
Borman said Eastern had been battered by low-cost rivals, such as People Express and Continental, and must trim $250 million from its $1.75 billion labor costs during 1986.
Eastern hopes to save an estimated $250 million by the end of 1986 from the layoffs and wage cuts, Leonard said. He said the airline also planned to change the wage and benefit structures of another 17,000 employees from its two other principal unions, representing pilots and machinists.
REPRESENTATIVES FROM TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED WILL BE IN THE K.U. BOOKSTORE LOCATED IN THE KANSAS UNION BUILDING ON JANUARY 22 AND 23 TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ON TI'S NATIONWIDE SERVICE ORGANIZATION.
AS AN ADDITIONAL SERVICE, TI WILL OFFER ON-THE-SPOT EXCHANGES OF SELECTED MODELS (QUANTITIES WILL BE LIMITED)
HOURS: January 22, 1986 — 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
January 23, 1986 — 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
BE SURE TO SEE ONE OF THE TI REPRESENTATIVES WHILE THEY ARE ON THE KU CAMPUS THE 22ND AND 23RD
TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED