GOLDA MEIR QUITS AND BRINGS DOWN CABINET IN ISRAEL

Premier Golda Meir announced her resignation tonight, bringing down her month-old coalition Government and making new national elections likely in the next several months. Premier Golda Meir, in Jerusalem, asked cameramen to stop taking pictures as she left after yesterday's meeting. Defense Minister Moshe Dayan leaving the meeting in Jerusalem at which Premier Golda Meir said that she would resign. Cabinet was a month old.

Source: New York Times

VIETNAM PEACE PACTS SIGNED; AMERICA'S LONGEST WAR HALTS

The Vietnam cease-fire agreement was signed here today in eerie silence, without a word or a gesture to express the world's relief that the years of war were officially ending.

The Paris Peace Accords of 1973, intended to establish peace in Vietnam and an end to the Vietnam Conflict, ended direct U.S. military involvement and temporarily stopped the fighting between north and south. The governments of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam), the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam), and the United States, as well as the Provisional Revolutionary Government (PRG) that represented indigenous South Vietnamese revolutionaries signed the Agreement on Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Vietnam on January 27, 1973. The negotiations that led to the accord had begun in 1968 and had been subject to various lengthy delays. As a result of the accord, International Control Commission (ICC) was replaced by International Commission of Control and Supervision (ICCS) to carry out the agreement.

The main negotiators of the agreement were United States National Security Advisor Dr. Henry Kissinger and Vietnamese politburo member Le Duc Tho

Source: New York Times

BREZHNEV HAILS VIETNAM ACCORD AS TURNING POINT

Leonid I. Brezhnev, the Soviet Communist leader, today hailed the Vietnam cease-fire agreement as an important turning point in international affairs that not only would have a positive effect on Soviet-American relations but also could influence settlements in world trouble spots such as the Middle East.

Source: New York Times

BRITISH SOLDIERS KILL 13 AS RIOTING ERUPTS IN ULSTER

Deaths Come as Catholics Defy Ban on Londonderry March Soldiers Kill 13 in Londonderry as Rioting Erupts After March At least 13 persons were shot dead by British troops in Londonderry today when rioting broke out after a civil rights march held in defiance of a Government ban. It brought to 231 the number of deaths in Ulter since violence first broke out three years ago.

The bloody Sunday that claimed the lives of thirteen, young men in Londonderry was precisely what the Catholic Primate of All Ireland called it - an "awful slaughter!' It was the worst toll for one day in any city of Northern Ireland since the violence began.

The British Government has properly pledged an independent inquiry into the tragedy. In light of the fact that all the dead and nearly all the wounded were civilians, the investigation inevitably will have to look closely at the conduct of the paratroops involved in the affair. Yet, even the brief clips of the Catholic demonstration shown on American television prove beyond doubt that the provocation for the troops was deliberate and great. The demonstration itself was a self-advertised exercise in civil disobedience; a calculated violation of the ban on all parades ordered two weeks ago by the Stormont Government. The ban was aimed primarily not at the Catholic minority but at the July marches of the Orange lodges - and was bitterly resisted by the Protestant extremists.

More information can her found here.

Source: New York Times

SOUTH AFRICA HALTS CURRENCY TRADING

The South African Reserve Bank suspended foreign-exchange dealings until further notice today.

Source: New York Times

Death in Detention

According to the South African Police, Ahmed Timol fell from the 10th-floor window of Room 1026 of John Vorster Square by rushing across the room, opening the window and "diving through it".

Source: Sunday Times Heritage Project

South Africa Raids Homes of Clerics and Teachers

South Africa's security police raided the homes of churchmen, university teachers, student leaders and newsmen over the weekend in what was described as a nationwide drive against subversion.

Several persons were detained, amongst them a 24-year old arts student, David Davis, who heads a student group that is investigating pay scales for workers. Sources indicate that the raids took place in Durban, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, East London and other cities.

The raids took place by parties made up of uniformed and plain clothes men, exhibiting search warrants citing the Terrorism Act and the Suppression of Communism Act, two security laws that give the police broad powers.

Included in the raised was the Anglican Bishop of Port Elizabeth, the Right Rev. Philip Russell and a Franciscan priest, the Rev. Cosmas Desmond.

Source: New York Times

Zulu Chief's Call For Talks Rejected By South Africans

The leader of South Africa's Zulus, Mangosuthu Buthelezi, has called for a national multiracial conference, but the Government rejected his proposal today as "totally unnecessary."

Source: New York Times

President Tubman of Liberia Is Dead

President William VS Tubman of Liberia, leader of Africa's oldest independent republic, died today at the London Clinic. He was 75 years old. A Liberian Embassy spokesman here said Mr Tubman underwent a prostate operation today and died later from complications. The emabssy said Vice President William R Tolbert had been sworn in following news of Mr Tibman's death.

Source: New York Times

South Africa's Violent Society

In South Africa whites either accept the immorality of the racist system whilst enjoying the world's highest standard of living, or oppose the system and suffer harassment and police surveillance. There is no neutral position.

According to Joel Carlson, a former defence lawyer in South Africa, for years South Africa has hanged more people than any other country. It presently accounts for 47% of the total world hangings.

Violence in South African Society is rampant and inevitably it breeds more violence. The mood of the people when I left was more angry, more frustrated and with more potential for violence than ever before. The aparthied system had boomeranged. The seperated blacks in universities, churches and Bantustan homelands have produced an increasingly uncompromising black nationalism.

The security police regime has enacted laws violating the rule of law, such as:

1. the indefinite detention in solitary confinement incommunicado of persons suspected by the security police of committing terrorism and held at police pleasure specifically for the purpose of interrogation to obtain answers that satisfy the police;

2. the wide definition of offences such as "terrorism" as "acts embarrassing the administration of the affairs of State" or "striving to bring about change" and the provision that all are assumed guilty and must prove their innocence.

3. the power to make mass arrests and detentions and even to detain witnessed incommunicado.

The struggle cannot be contained. Inevitably the demands of the oppressed will be won.

Source: New York Times

Zulu Chief, in Talk With Vorster, Voices Misgivings on Apartheid

Prime Minister John Voster met today for the first time with the leader of the largest ethnic group amongst South Africa's 15 million blacks and discussed with him how apartheid could work.

Chief Gatsha Buthelezi, the foremost spokesman for four million Zulus, said in a news conference afterwards, he had told Mr Voster that he had reservations about the Government's policy of separate development, the official label for apartheid, or racial segregation.

Source: New York Times

Vorster Rejects Opinion of International Court of Justice

Prime Minister Vorster in a broadcast tonight rejected the World Court's opinion on south-West Africa as an "international political vendetta" against South Africa.

Source: New York Times

Clear Verdict on Namibia

The decision of the International Court of Justice was crisp and clear: "The continued presence of South Africa in South-West Africa being illegal, South Africa is under the obligation to withdraw its administration from Namibia [South-West Africa] immediately and thus put an end to its occupation of the territory."

Source: New York Times

TV Finally Approved by South Africa

The South African Government today approved the introduction of a television service.

Source: New York Times

Final Act of the International Conference on the Conservation of Wetlands and Waterfowl

The Imperial Government of Iran, in accordance with recommendations of earlier international meetings on wetlands and waterfowl conservation, convened an International Conference on the Conservation of Wetlands and Waterfowl, with a view to promoting international collaboration in this field.

The Ramsar Convention (The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, especially as Waterfowl Habitat) is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilisation of wetlands, to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future, recognising the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural, scientific, and recreational value. It is named after the town of Ramsar in Iran.

The convention was developed and adopted by participating nations at a meeting in Ramsar on February 2, 1971, and came into force on December 21, 1975.

Suncheon Bay (Ramsar site), not far from Changwon, Republic of Korea. 34°52'20.09"N 127°30'52.46"E

You can find a panorama image here.

Source: Wikepedia; Ramsar Convention on Wetlands

Nasser dies; Sadat Takes Over Eqypt

President Gamal Abdel Nasser, leader of Egypt for 18 years and hero of much of the Arab world, died today. The Government radio said the 52-year-old President was the victim of a heart attack.

The Eqyptian leader's death came only on day after a triumph of patient negotiation in which he overcame deep hostility and acheived an agreement to end fighting between the Jordanian Army and Palestinian Guerrillas.

Vice President Sadat took over as interim ruler.

Source: Nw York Times

Ex-Policeman Tells Court He Killed Somali President

A 22-year-old former policeman, Said Yusu Ismail, testfied today in a crowded and heavily guarded security court here that he had killed President Abdirashid Ali Shermarke.

Source: New York Times

Banks and Oil Companies Nationalized by Somalia

The Government of Somalia today nationalized all foreign banks and oil companies but said that compensation would be paid.

Source: New York Times

South African Teams Expelled From All Olympic Competition

South Africa was expelled today from the International Olympic Committee. That means the country cannot compete in the Olympic Games.

Source: New York Times

Zambia Leader Accuses West of Arming South Africa

President Kenneth D. Kaunda of Zambia tonight accused West Germany, France, Britain and the United States of arming South Africa "to its teeth" to enable it to attack black liberation movements.

Source: New York Times

JUSTICES OF THE PEACE AND COMMISSIONERS OF OATHS ACT 16 OF 1963

The purpose of the Justice of the Peace and Commissioners of Oaths Act is to consolidate and amend the laws relating to the appointment, powers and duties of justices of the peace and commissioners of oaths, and to provide for matters incidental thereto.

[Commencement Date: 1 December 1964]

Source: SABINET