AAP Internet Bulletin 0800 Tuesday, Dec 15, 1998

AAP General News (Australia)
12-15-1998
AAP Internet Bulletin 0800 Tuesday, Dec 15, 1998





[A][COAL][NSW]

Coal miners consider appeal of back-to-work order

SYDNEY - Australias coal mining union may lodge an appeal against an Australian Industrial
Relations Commission (AIRC) order which late last night cut short by a day its planned 48-hour
strike over low coal prices.

In a late night ruling, the AIRC ordered 20,000 members of the Construction, Forestry
Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) to return to work, having found their action illegal under the
Workplace Relations Act.

The strike was called following union claims miners MIM, Shell and the North Goonyella Mine
accepted an 18 per cent drop in the price of coking coal, used for making steel.

However, outside the AIRC, CFMEU mining division general president Tony Maher said the
union had found some justification for their stoppage in Commissioner Greg Harrisons ruling.

"The decision clearly says the unions justified in its campaign and the only thing it (the
AIRC) disagrees with is the industrial action," Mr Maher said.

"We have actually got a lot to be pleased about ... we have convinced an independent person
we have got a lot of merit in the issues we have campaigned about."

In his ruling, Commissioner Harrison ordered the striking miners to return to work by 11pm
(AEDT) last night, but agreed with union submissions the strike was born out of frustration.

"I recognise that the unions campaign is born out of frustration and I accept the evidence
that it has sought alternate avenues over a long period of time," he said.

"Despite approximately 4,000 redundancies and increased productivity, the prospect of a
further round of job losses arises from recently reported reductions in coal prices," he said.

However, the current industrial protest was further harming the industry and was in breach
of the Act, he said.





[T][CRICKET BRIBES AUST][CRIK]

Warne breaks his silence over bookie affair

MELBOURNE - Australian leg spinner Shane Warne has broken his silence on the bookmaker
controversy, saying what has most disappointed him about the events of the past week has been
the suggestion that he had been involved in match-fixing.

Warne and Mark Waugh have been under fire since it was revealed last Wednesday that they
received $5000 and $6000, respectively, from an Indian illegal bookmaker four years ago to
provide weather and pitch information during the 1994 tour of Sri Lanka.

The incident, which was kept secret by the Australian Cricket Board, happened just before
the tour of Pakistan during which Warne, Waugh and off spinner Tim May revealed that Pakistani
batsman Salim Malik offered them $US200,000 each to throw a match.

Both Warne and Waugh refused to answer questions after reading short statements explaining
their actions at a news conference last week but Warne revealed his inner thoughts on the
controversy after his Victorian team drew with Queensland here yesterday.

"I think the thing that has most disappointed me is the link between what we did and
match-fixing which is two completely separate issues," Warne said.

"That seems to have got lost a little over the past week."

Warne's comments came on the day the ACB received a formal request for he and Waugh to
testify in Pakistan at this Fridays hearing in the match-fixing and bribery inquiry which
could result in Malik and other leading Pakistan players receiving a life ban.

Warne said he would decide in the next 48 hours, in conjuction with the ACB, whether he
would go to Pakistan and testify.

Waugh appeared before the Lahore inquiry, headed by Justice Malik Mohammad Qayyum, in
October but did not inform the court of his involvement with the Indian bookmaker.

Warne said his version of events would not differ from what he said four years ago and he
rejected any suggestion the fact that he and Waugh had received money from a bookmaker would
taint their credibility as witnesses.





[F][CROWN]

PBL shares expected to be hit on Crown deal

SYDNEY - Shares in Kerry Packers Publishing and Broadcasting Ltd (PBL), owner of Channel
Nine, will come under pressure today as the market digests its takeover of troubled casino
company Crown Ltd.

PBL watchers were stunned when the company announced last night that PBL would take over
the Crown operations, chaired by Mr Packers long-time friend Lloyd Williams.

While Mr Packers track record of buying under-performing assets cheaply makes him the king
of deal makers, this transaction has, initially at least, perplexed the market.

One fund manager, who declined to be named, questioned the combination of the two groups
saying there was little evidence of synergies between the two.

One analyst, again who requested anonymity, said: "Its extraordinary. It doesnt make any
sense to me."

Others were still trying to assess the nature of the deal, which was announced late
yesterday with few financial details.

For example, it was not known how the transaction affects PBLs balance sheet.

Crown has a mountain of debt, with total liabilities standing at $1.25 billion at the end
of financial year 1997/98.

PBL is issuing new shares for Crown, one of its own shares for every 11 of Crown, which
values Crown shares at about 55.8 cents each, or a total value of $555.3 million, compared
with its last trading price of 49 cents.

PBL previously had no investment in the troubled Crown group but its owner does. Kerry
Packer, through Consolidated Press Holdings Ltd, holds about eight per cent of Crown.





[I][MIDEAST CLINTON][MID]

Palestinians revoke anti-Israel charter elements

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - In the presence of President Bill Clinton, hundreds of top
Palestinian officials, including former guerrilla fighters, today stood and raised hands to
revoke Palestinian charter calls for the destruction of Israel.

"I hope this will close this chapter forever," Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat said.

A senior adviser to Netanyahu said the show of hands was acceptable.

"The issue, as far as we are concerned, is now off the table," David Bar-Illan said.

At Arafat's call, members of the Palestine National Council voted by standing with their
hands raised. The vote, which Netanyahu had insisted on, was not counted, but officials called
it nearly unanimous.

Addressing the delegates, which also included members of other Palestinian organisations,
Arafat recited a litany of differences with Israel, and renewed his call for a cessation of
Israeli settlements on the West Bank and the release of Palestinians from Israeli jails.

"We would like our sons and our boys to come back home," Arafat said. "They are the ones
who struggled for the peace process since its inception."

Israel has released 250 prisoners, but Netanyahu has said he will not release killers or
members of militant Islamic organisations. Palestinians say all prisoners should be eligible
for release.

Arafat also declared that Palestinians "will not go back to the ways before peace", and
would not "allow or tolerate any violence" that threatens the security of either Israelis or
Palestinians.

The meeting of the 727-member council was one of the requirements of the Wye River peace
accord Clinton helped negotiate. The accord says the delegates are to "reaffirm" a letter that
Arafat sent Clinton listing the clauses of the charter that are considered null and void.





[I][THAI CRASH][ASIA]

Thai crash black box to be analysed abroad

SURAT THANI, Thailand - While soldiers dragged the wreckage of a Thai Airways jet from a
muddy rubber plantation today, investigators said they will ask another country to analyse the
plane's black box to stop the mudslinging over who caused the crash that killed 101 people.

"We're seeking help from third countries. We want one to analyse the data," director-general
of the Department of Aviation Sawat Sitiwon said.

France has been ruled out because Airbus, the French manufacturer of the A310-200 that
crashed, is participating in the Thai investigation.

Both aviation authorities and the plane's pilot have been blamed for the crash of FlTG261,
which plunged to the ground during a heavy rainstorm on Friday in Surat Thani, 530km south west
of Bangkok.

Three Australians were among the 45 survivors.

Searchers recovered remains of the last victim yesterday, and military helicopters and
troops continued hauling out sections and shards of the plane from the flooded rubber
plantation where it crashed, about 700 metres from the airport runway.

Several of the survivors said the pilot, who died of his injuries after the crash, should
never have attempted a third landing after failing the first two times.

The Nation newspaper today derided a "macho mentality" it said existed among some of Thai
Airways' pilots and urged people not to fly the carrier.

It also said the air traffic controllers and Surat Thani airport officials were culpable
for not advising the pilot to divert to another airport because of the weather.

Sawat insisted today the airport's lack of state-of-the-art instrument landing equipment did
not cause the crash.

"The systems we have in place are capable of guiding the plane in a similar manner," he
said.





[T][OLY BRIBE AUST][OLY]

IOC members received cash from Melbourne Games bid

SYDNEY - Cash payments of between $5,000 and $10,000 were made to International Olympic
Committee members during the failed Melbourne 1996 Olympic bid process, it was reported today.

The Australian newspaper quoted senior members of the Melbourne bid committee admitting to
the payments but denying they were given in exchange for votes.

The Australian said one committee member, who refused to be named, said he was present when
the cash payments were being organised for IOC members.

However, he said he did not see money exchanged and doubted it would have been to buy
votes.

The newspaper said a staff member of the Melbourne bid team confirmed the story. The
official said about six IOC members refused the committees Qantas tickets as transport to
Australia, opting instead to use their national airline.

"Then theyd say: I want US dollars to pay for the return trip," the official was quoted
as saying.

The Olympic movement has been jolted by claims from senior IOC figure Marc Hodler that
cities bidding to host Games have paid for votes in an effort to stage the world's biggest
sporting event.

The Australian said about three of the 70 IOC members who visited Melbourne dropped strong
hints they would like to be given a car.

"It was said in jest," a senior official was quoted as saying. "But you could tell they
were hoping youd think it was a request."

The bid committee members said they had never been explicitly asked for money to buy IOC
votes, The Australian reported.





[F][Markets][summary]

World market report

In NEW YORK, stocks slid for a fifth
trading day, weighed down by further earnings disappointments and
US political uncertainties.

At 2pm (0600 AEDT) on Wall Street, the Dow Jones industrial
average was down 62.57 points to 8,759.19. The blue-chip index has
fallen more than 300 points since its close on Dec 7.

Broader stock indicators also slipped.

The NYSE composite index was down 6.74 at 558.08, and the
American Stock Exchange composite index was down 10.65 at 647.11.
The Standard & Poor's 500 index was down 16.09 at 1,150.37. The Russell 2000 index of small
companies fell 5.11 at 390.26.

Declining issues outnumbered advancing issues by an 7-to-3
margin on the New York Stock Exchange, where volume came to 463 million shares.

The Nasdaq market was off 37.47 at 1,991.84 amid sliding
Internet stocks. Yahoo! fell 3 3/16 to 192 1/2.

A trading frenzy has more than doubled the share prices of such Internet market darlings
since early October, even though many have yet to turn a profit.

Some market watchers pointed out that stocks in general are
ready for a breather after climbing steadily for weeks despite a
stream of disappointing earnings reports.

"The market frankly was due for a correction," said Charles
White, portfolio manager and president at Avatar Associates in New
York.

In LONDON, shares closed modestly lower, having fallen sharply at the outset on the back of
weak Asian markets and a dull pre-weekend close on Wall Street, dealers said.

The FTSE 100 index closed 7.2 points off at 5534.5, having
plumbed a low of 5468.4.

The FTSE 250 settled 30.4 lower at 4706.5 and the FTSE Small-Cap 4.8 adrift at 2007.8.

Volume at 4:53 PM was 675.1 million with 60710 trades executed.

Gilts closed down 0.24.

There was strong support for Railtrack, finally 141 pence
higher at 1542 amid hopes the company will be able to join the
London Underground Public-Private Partnership process.

In FRANKFURT, shares managed to claw back afternoon lows in a late spurt of trading as Wall
Street pulled back from early losses, although shares in floor trade closed lower with general
turnover still very thin, traders said.

The Xetra DAX closed at 4,563.26, up 20.24 from Friday's Xetra
close, having traded a range of 4,435.94-4,567.58.

In floor trade, the DAX closed at 4,522.86, down 13.34 from
Friday's floor close, having traded a range of 4,451.27-4,566.44.

In TOKYO, share prices closed near their lows, hit by renewed futures-led selling in late
trade amid caution over the near-term outlook for Wall Street, brokers said.

The Nikkei 225 closed down 294.02 points, or 2.0 pct, at
14,111.62, near a low of 14,103.86 points. The high was 14,349.18.

Volume was 306 million shares, with 862 issues lower, 306 higher and 143 unchanged.

The Topix index closed down 17.55 points at 1,100.61, while the
Nikkei 300 index was down 4.28 at 218.97.

In HONG KONG, share prices closed down but off their lows in light trading after a technical
rebound offset some of the early losses seen on Tokyo's downturn and concerns over the possible
impeachment of US President Bill Clinton, dealers said.

The Hang Seng Index closed down 126.79 points at 9,825.21, off
a high of 9,878.99 and a low of 9,714.01, on turnover of $HK3.30 billion.



[A][ATSIC][FED]

ATSIC to lose housing funding - report

SYDNEY - Federal Cabinet today is expected to endorse the removal of housing funding from
the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC), a move that could spell the end
for the countrys peak indigenous body.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported Cabinet was also expected to abolish special funding for
indigenous education under the Abstudy scheme.

Opposition Aboriginal Affairs spokesman, Daryl Melham said the expected changes including
cuts of $45 million from ATSIC running costs and $80 million to its housing program on top of
$470 million in overall cuts, would cripple the commission and irreparably damage the
reconciliation process.

"John Howard does not want special programs for indigenous people at all," he told the
Herald.

Indigenous sources said ATSIC would be effectively gutted by any loss of housing control.

At present federal funding for Aboriginal housing is administered by two agencies -- ATSIC
controls $220 million and the Department of Family and Community Services, through
state-territory agencies, $91 million.

A plan to amalgamate the two programs has been circulating since a review in May last year
recommended they be combined under ATSIC.





[X][MCI WorldCom]

MCI WorldCom bid for OzEmail worth $520m

NEW YORK - MCI WorlCom Inc said its bid for Australian Internet provider OzEmail Ltd is
worth $US322.8 million or $A520.0 million, at current stock prices.

The company said its UUNET Holdings Australia unit will buy
all of OzEmail's 146,732,714 ordinary shares at the
previously-announced price of $US2.00 per share, or $US20.00
per each American Depository Receipt.

MCI said that, after the deal is completed, OzEmail will become the Australian Internet arm
of its UUNET unit.

"The Asia-Pacific region is of key strategic importance to
us and the synergies between OzEmail and MCI WorldCom are
clear," said MCI WorldCom Vice chairman John Sidgmore.

"The local fiber we are deploying in Australia complements OzEmail's Internet presence and
the vast international resources of MCI WorldCom, particularly our worldwide Internet backbone,
will bring improved global connectivity to OzEmail's customers."





[A][LEGAL AID][VIC]

Gambling pits accused rapist against alleged victim

MELBOURNE - A man accused

of rape may cross-examine his alleged victim in court after Victorian Legal Aid (VLA) refused
to pay for a lawyer because he lost his money gambling, a report said today.

The Age reports today that VLA rejected the unemployed mans request to fund his defence,
saying he behaved unreasonably in gambling away nearly $14,000.

"The man, from Melbournes eastern suburbs, will have to defend himself at the trial and
possibly cross-examine his alleged victim if the decision stands," the paper said.

The man asked the County Court yesterday to make an order forcing the VLA to help him.





[A][TANNER][VIC]

Police search their own detective's office - report

MELBOURNE - Police yesterday reportedly searched the former office of suspended detective
Denis Tanner, named last week as the killer of his sister-in-law, Jennifer Tanner.

"Investigators into this case have executed a warrant at the Benalla CIB in relation to the
Jennifer Tanner matter," a police spokesman told the Herald Sun.

The search in the offices of Benalla CIB, was carried out by two officers from the homicide
squad taskforce set up to re-investigate the November 14, 1984 murder of the Bonnie Doon
mother, the report said.

State Coroner Graeme Johnstone last week found that Detective Sergeant Tanner shot dead Mrs
Tanner but did not recommend charging him.

The coroner has directed his report to the Office of Public Prosecutions, which will decide
whether charges will be laid.





[A][DROWN][NSW]

Church camping trip tragedy as three drown

SYDNEY - A church camping trip turned to tragedy when two teenagers and a man drowned at a
beach on the New South Wales mid north coast.

Members of the Christian group, from Cabramatta in Sydneys south west, were swimming at
Cellito Beach near the small coastal town of Pacific Palms when one got caught in a rip about
11.30am (AEDT) yesterday.

Ten other members of the group tried in vain to rescue the victim but also became caught in
the rip and were swept out to sea, a police spokesman said.

A 14-year-old girl, 16-year-old boy and 25-year-old man, all from the Cabramatta-Fairfield
area, drowned.

A 12-year-old boy was transported by rescue helicopter to Manning Base Hospital at Taree in
a serious but stable condition.

Police said the death toll could have been higher if not for the heroics of another
beachgoer who watched the tragedy unfold.

"A man who was laying on the beach saw what happened and took his boogie board and rescued
about six of them, so if he wasnt there it could have been a lot worse," he said.

The group was on the third day of a week-long holiday at the Sandbar Beach Caravan Park,
south of Forster.

Surf Life Saving Australia spokesman Steve Leahy said the deaths were preventable because
the group was swimming at an unpatrolled beach.

"The situation is very frustrating because if these people heeded our simple warnings to
swim at patrolled beaches and swim between the flags they would be going home tonight," Mr
Leahy said.





[A][LYSSAVIRUS DEATH][QLD]

Injections could have saved bat virus victim

MACKAY, Qld - The husband of a woman who became the second Australian to die of bat
lyssavirus at the weekend has to live with the agony that a $600 course of injections would
have saved her life.

Clint Todhunters wife, Monique, a 37 year-old mother of two, died in Mackay Base Hospital
on Sunday, two years after being bitten by a bat at a childs birthday party in 1996.

Yesterday, Mr Todhunter said his wife of 15 years leapt to a young girls aid after the bat
swooped down and landed on the childs back.

The bat sank its teeth into his wifes finger and he used his own hands to prise open its
jaw to free hers.

He said his wife was given a tetanus injection by her local GP and was advised the next day
about vaccinations for "a new virus" which would have required them to travel 300km north to
Townsville.

But with little known about lyssavirus at the time, the couple decided it was not
necessary.

"We were told it would cost about $600 and that we would have to go to Townsville for the
inoculation ... that it wasn't really necessary because it didn't appear to be a risk," Mr
Todhunter said.

For the next two years, everything appeared fine until Mrs Todhunter started complaining
about joint pain and a cold a few weeks ago.

She was diagnosed with lyssavirus last week, too late for doctors to save her.

Monique's parents, Andre and Anne-Marie Treboux, flew to Mackay from Switzerland this week
to be closer to their daughter and grandchildren.





[T][CRICKET ENGLAND][CRIK]

Australia set to win Ashes series against England

ADELAIDE - Australia is set to clinch its sixth consecutive Ashes series victory against
England at Adelaide Oval here today.

Mark Taylor's side enters today's final day of the third Test needing six wickets to take
an unbeatable two-nil lead in the five match series.

Australia hold the Ashes and even English wins in the last two Tests would not be enough to
pry the symbolic urn from Australian ownership.

The tourists resume today with hopes of avoiding defeat resting squarely with Mark
Ramprakash (43 not out) and Alec Stewart, who is yet to score.

England coach David Lloyd said his side would approach today's play positively.

"You approach every day in a relaxed state of mind and confident that you can do your job,"
Lloyd said.

"There is one team in the ascendancy and the other team who are working damn hard to come
out of it with some sort of result, and from our point of view that would be a draw.

"I'm not dejected, not disillusioned but very disappointed.

"We have come here with ambitions to win Test matches and at the minute we are second
best."

England's fight will be staged on a pitch taking alarming amounts of spin and keeping
occasionally low, Australian tweakers Colin Miller (3-36) and Stuart MacGill (0-14 from 12
overs) the keys today.





[T][SOCCER VIDUKA][SOC]

I was stalked in Zagreb streets: Viduka

MELBOURNE - Australian soccer international Mark Viduka joined Glasgow Celtic to escape
Croatia where he was victimised by the media and abused and stalked in the streets of Zagreb.

But he carried the emotional baggage with him to Glasgow and the continuing problems forced
him to take a complete break from the game, Viduka told a media conference here yesterday.

After only one training session at Celtics Parkhead ground after an $8 million transfer,
Viduka fled back to Zagreb to pack his bags and return home to Melbourne to rest.

The 23-year-old Victorian said he would not play for the Scottish champion until he had
fully recovered.

"I thought that once I escaped to a new country with similar values to Australia and a new
club that welcomed me with warmth and support that I would be able to once again excel at the
game I live for and love," Viduka said.

"But that wasnt the case. Halfway through my first training session with Celtic I realised
I was still experiencing the same feelings and stress that I felt at Croatia Zagreb.

"This is when I realised that in this state I was not able to perform to my full potential
for the Celtic club and the fans. I felt I could not make the change without having a rest."

A pale Viduka said he would be in Australia for Christmas with his family but added hed
love nothing better than to play against Celtics bitter rival Rangers.

However, his participation in the January 3 match at Rangers Ibrox Park looks doubtful.

"I dont know how long this is going to take to get over," he said.





[I][UK MCDONALD'S][UK]

McDonald's replaces spoons after drugs warning

LONDON - Fast food giant McDonald's has withdrawn plastic spoons after being told drug
dealers use them to measure out heroin fixes.

Detectives found the old-style spoons in the homes of suspected drug dealers during a
series of raids last week.

The fast food chain replaced spoons with flat stirrers a few months ago after police
advised that spoons could be used for mixing drugs.

The spoons hold 100 milligrams of powder, so can be used instead of scales to mix heroin
with substances such as glucose or milk powder.

Drug dealers are said to favour the spoons because they do not have to carry around sets of
scales, which can be incriminating evidence.

A spokeswoman for Lothian and Borders Police, which made the discovery, said today: "I can
confirm that some of the old-style spoons were found in the homes of suspected drug dealers.
Some of the spoons were obtained by police as evidence."

A McDonald's spokeswoman said: "There was a design change a few months ago and use by drug
dealers was one of the issues we were looking at after consultation with the police.

"The new stirrers are being phased in over a period of time."

Police from Lothian and Borders raided 250 homes during Operation Foil in the Edinburgh
area last week, recovering drugs and cash worth more than Stg500,000, ($A1.37 million) along
with guns and stolen property.

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