AAP Internet Bulletin 0001 Sunday Dec 20, 1998

AAP General News (Australia)
12-20-1998
AAP Internet Bulletin 0001 Sunday Dec 20, 1998

[A][SKASE][UK]

Skase rushed to hospital

Fugitive Australian businessman Christopher Skase has been rushed to hospital on the
Spanish island of Majorca.

Skase, 50, was rushed to the Palma clinic on Friday and was kept under observation in
casualty overnight, a journalist from the Majorca Daily Bulletin said.

No details of Skase's condition were immediately available.

"It appears to be quite a serious scare," said journalist Humphrey Carter.

Skase's hospitalisation comes just days after reports that a Spanish court had lifted an
order suspending moves to expel the former Qintex chairman from the country.

Skase has been battling most of this year against the Spanish government's decision to
refuse him residency and to force him from his island retreat. In the past his alleged
ill-health has been a major weapon in his campaign against extradition.





[I][IRAQ][MID]

Baghdad rocked as Guard targeted

Explosions shook central Baghdad for a third straight night, as the US-led bombing
targeted five divisions of President Saddam Hussein's Republican Guard, seen to be most
essential to his defence.

The strikes came hours after Hussein, dressed in his field marshal's uniform, had gone on
air, exhorting his people to continue their resistance against US And British air strikes.

The most powerful explosions came shortly after 4am Saturday (1200 AEDT). The horizon
glowed orange with flames.

The strikes on the Guard barracks - the US military hopes before they had a chance to
disperse - is a shift from 1991 when the Guard weapons were targeted.

The Pentagon has said that more than 200 missiles hit 50 sensitive sites in the first
attack, including President Saddam Hussein's military intelligence headquarters in Baghdad.

"By God's will, you will be victorious," said Saddam, dressed in field marshal's uniform,
during his first national address since US and British attacks began.

The Iraqi leader, declaring he would not "compromise or kneel" in the showdown over arms
inspections, made his remarks hours before the United States and Britain launched a third
night of airstrikes from ships based in the Persian Gulf and in Kuwait.

Almost all potential weapons sites that UN Inspectors had been monitoring before Iraq
stopped cooperating with them have been hit in the raids, Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz
said.

Iraq's refusal to allow inspectors into all sites led to the present crisis.

In announcing the start of the strikes, President Clinton recognised it would be offensive
to the United States' Arab allies if the attacks continued into Ramadan.

But National Security Adviser Sandy Berger said the strikes would not necessarily end with
the beginning of Ramadan.

"That is not an automatic deadline," Berger said.

US Defence Secretary William Cohen said there have been no American casualties reported.

The strikes have divided the 15-member Security Council, with Russia, China and Kenya
supporting Iraq's demand for a cease-fire.

Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said Moscow would insist on the dismissal of UNSCOM
chairman Richard Butler, whose negative report about Iraq triggered the US-British action.

In the report, Butler said Iraq had reneged on its November 14 pledge to cooperate with his
inspectors. He cited Iraq's refusal to allow entry into five sites, including an office of
Iraq's ruling Baath Party.

Butler defended his report and dismissed as "utterly wrong" any suggestion that it was
timed to help Clinton deflect attention from impeachment proceedings over the Monica Lewinsky
affair.





[I][US SANTA]

I'll kill your dog! - Love, Santa

When Geri Linnell's little boy mailed his letter to Santa, she assumed he'd get a cheery
response - not one filled with racial slurs.

Justin Linnell is one of three young recipients of hateful or obscene replies from St Nick,
in a Letters to Santa program run by the US Postal Service's Royal Oak district office.

The letter to the kindergarten student was peppered with racial slurs and promised Santa
would try to steal the boy some of the presents on his list.

It was signed: "Love, Big Red".

The boy's older brother had begun reading the letter to him, then "stopped when he realised
it wasn't what it was supposed to be," Mrs Linnell said yesterday ... "somebody's sick idea of
a joke".

The letter to five-year-old Jimmy Krzywiecki was worse, calling him a brat, then telling
him Santa didn't like him and wouldn't bring him any presents.

It ends by threatening that, if the boy doesn't leave pickled bologna for Santa, "I will
kill your dog! Love Always, Santa Klaws".

The Yank posties hope to find the author, but that could be difficult. Letters to Santa are
answered by volunteer groups on special Santa stationery and who already this season have sent
2,700 letters.





[I][US LOTTO][US]

Lotto scam man jailed

EGO - A Canadian businessman who built a multi-million dollar telemarketing empire selling
Australian lottery tickets to Americans at inflated prices is now in prison for six months.

A plea bargain deal will also provide $US8 million ($A12.95 million) in restitution to his
elderly victims.

James Blair Down, 55, of Vancouver could have been sentenced to six years behind bars but
was given a lower range penalty by a Federal District Court in Seattle and will also serve a
three year term of supervised release.

The high flying international lottery promoter had pleaded guilty to operating his lottery
scam from several Canadian locations and a luxurious facility in Barbados where he re-sold
lottery tickets from Australia, Spain, Ireland and Canada.

Australian Tattslotto prizes formed the backbone of the lucrative business that
investigators say used "strong arm" telephone soliciting methods against ageing and lonely
Americans at up to 14 times their face value roughly $US200,000 ($A323,600) worth of lottery
tickets from Australia every week.

It is illegal under US law to distribute any lottery material through the post or solicit
lottery entries over the telephone.

Judge Barbara Rothstein also ordered $US8 million ($A12.95 million) seized from Down to be
paid in restitution to almost 300 victims. The average age of the lottery buyers was 74.





[T][CRICKET BRIBES][CRIK]

Waugh and Warne to give evidence

It is not yet known if the evidence Mark Waugh and Shane Warne will give by video link to
the Pakistan cricket bribery inquiry next week will be made in public.

An Australian cricket board spokesman said today the exact time and place for the
Australian players to give evidence had not yet been finalised.

The ACB has been negotiating with Pakistani judge Malik Mohammed Qayyum over his request to
re-examine the pair following their admission that they took money to provide a bookmaker with
information about pitch and weather conditions during Australia's 1994 tour of Sri Lanka.

Neither the ACB nor the players had been keen for them to return to Pakistan to give
evidence.

The spokesman said the ACB had heard back from the judge's office overnight agreeing to a
video link which will enable him to question them.



[I][US CLINTON][US]

Turncoats part of impeachment mix

Accused of "high crimes and misdemeanors" for his actions in concealing a sexual affair,
President Bill Clinton stood on the brink of impeachment yesterday in a House torn by
partisanship.

Sombre Republican leaders were bringing four articles of impeachment to a vote on the House
floor, marking the first time in 130 years that an American chief executive has faced such a
threat. An Associated Press telephone survey showed a majority of politicians supported at
least one article.

Prior to the voting, first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton planned to visit Capitol Hill to
give a pep talk to dispirited Democrats. Mrs Clinton's efforts represented yet another unusual
turn of events in a week in which the bitter fight over Clinton's future converged with the US
military attack on Iraq.

Adding to this remarkable mix: some conservative House Republicans were rethinking their
support for the speaker-designate, Bob Livingston, a Lousiana Republican, after he admitted to
sexual infidelity.

In an extraordinary day of tense and partisan debate, the US House of Representatives
closed on impeachment of President Bill Clinton - the first time a chief executive has been
cited for high crimes and misdemeanours on the floor of Congress in 130 years.

An Associated Press phone survey of House members found 219 lawmakers said they would
support at least one article of impeachment, one more than a majority. Another 201 were
opposed.

Democratic Leader Dick Gephardt implored Republicans to allow a vote to censure Clinton,
thus sparing a scandal-weary public the spectacle of a US Senate trial on allegations stemming
from the president's efforts to cover up a sexual relationship with Monica Lewinsky.

Republican Charles Schumer conceded that "unless a miracle occurs," there would be enough
Republican votes today to impeach Clinton on at least one of four articles. A Senate trial of
uncertain duration would follow next year, with Chief Justice William Rehnquist presiding.

The Democrats may yet march en-masse from the House chamber today after Republicans crush
their attempt to substitute censure for impeachment. They intended to return in time to vote
against the articles of impeachment.

A separate vote is scheduled for each of the four articles of impeachment lodged against
William Jefferson Clinton, the 42nd president of the United States. He was accused of:

* Perjury before a federal grand jury.

* Perjury in the Paula Jones sexual harassment lawsuit.

* Obstruction of justice.

* Abuse of power.





[A][SMALL][FED]

Senate set to overturn dismissal law

The Senate is now certain to overturn regulations exempting small business from unfair
dismissal legislation for new employees, but a proposal to bring the Senate back early has
been rejected by opposition and minor parties.

Workplace Relations Minister Peter Reith proclaimed the exemption by regulation after
having the measure repeatedly blocked in the Senate.

The government needs the support of just one non-government Senator to keep the exemption
in place, and had been courting independent Mal Colston.

But Senator Colston today branded the regulation as unfair and called for the Senate to be
recalled to overturn it.

"Mr Reith brought down his regulations just after the Senate rose, thinking they would not
be considered until the Senate next met in mid-February," Senator Colston said in a statement.

"As a result workers on federal awards in small business enterprises will have no
protection from unfair dismissal over Christmas and the new year."

But Senator Colston said this could be defeated if a majority of Senators requested the
president of the Senate reconvene at an earlier date.

"There will be a cost to bring the Senate together early, but it would be a salutary lesson
for ministers not to try to bypass the Senate," he said.

However Senator Colston's proposal was rejected by Greens Senator Bob Brown, meaning it
will not have the numbers.

Senator Brown said he did not support the plan, because of the cost involved in recalling
the Senate, and he instead called on the government to withdraw the exemption in the face of
clear evidence it would be rejected by the Senate.





[I][THAI CRASH]

Canada to analyse Thai plane data

The flight and data recorders from a Thai Airway jet that crashed and killed 101 people
last week will be sent to Canada for analysis, The Nation newspaper has reported.

Results of the analysis will be sent to Thailand about two weeks after the black boxes are
dispatched to Canada on January 2.

Wichai Pratheeppreecha, chief investigator of a committee set up to find causes of the
crash, said the delay in sending the tapes to Canada was because of the holiday season,
according to The Nation.

TG Flight 261 crashed on December 11 in a heavy rains during its third attempt to land at
the airport in Surat Thani, 530 km south-west of Bangkok.

Some of the 45 survivors blamed the pilot for continually trying to land in bad weather and
not turning back to Bangkok or diverting to another airport.

The airport at Surat Thani also had its instrument landing system removed during
renovations. The ILS is designed to aid pilots attempting to land in bad weather.

Air safety experts have said, however, that there are always several factors that
contribute to a crash.

Wichai said the public may never know the contents of the voice and data recorders as it
was routine by international standards to keep them secret, according to The Nation.





[I] [US CHOCOLATE]

Chocolate: fat, happy, but no high

Chocolate may make you fat, it may make you happy, but it won't get you high.

Scientists in Italy report that, contrary to earlier reports, certain substances in
chocolate do not appear to mimic the effects of marijuana on the brain.

The Italian researchers reported that cocoa contains no more of the suspect substances than
such uncelebrated foods as milk or oatmeal. Furthermore, they said, most of the substances -
known as endocannabinoids - are broken down in the digestive system before they reach the
brain.

Vincenzo Di Marzo, of the Istituto per la Chimica di Molecole di Interesse Biologico in
Naples, said it would take at a 10 tonne chocolate bar to detect any psychoactive response
from the brain.

Di Marzo and his colleagues tested unfermented cocoa beans, cocoa powder, and finished
chocolate to measure levels of endocannabinoids and to analyse their biological effects.

They were following up on a report published in 1996 that suggested chocolate could make
people feel good because of the substances "that could act as cannabinoid mimics".




[I] [CANADA SANTA]

Santa's obscene song was wrong

A major Canadian retailer has ordered singing Santa figurines removed from store shelves
after complaints that the song they sing is an obscene version of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed
Reindeer".

The battery-powered Santas warbled a locker-room version of the Christmas tune in a voice
similar to that of the late singer Burl Ives, explained a spokesman for the Canadian Tire
Corporation.

"I had to listen to it three times. I thought it was a skip, but then I heard it," said
Frank Ehrhardt, assistant manager of hardware and other goods at the Welland store.

The lyrics were in part: "Rudolph the red nose dickhead, has a shiny nose that blows."

Full refunds will be offered to customers who return the Santas, which were made in China.

The glitch was likely caused by "someone at the manufacturing plant having a bad night,"
Ehrhardt said.

[A][TOLL NATIONAL][FED]

National holiday toll rises to seven

The national road toll for the Christmas-New Year holiday period stands at seven following
the deaths of two drivers in South Australia.

A 21-year-old man, from the far northern suburb of Elizabeth Downs, died in Royal Adelaide
Hospital from injuries he received when his car hit a tree in Crouch Road at north-eastern
Golden Grove on Friday morning.

A 22-year-old Aldgate man has also died from injuries he received when his car collided
with a truck in the south-eastern foothills suburb of Belair on Friday morning.

Early on Saturday two passengers of vehicles were killed in separate accidents on New South
Wales roads.

A woman in her 70s died on the Bells Line Of Road at Bilpin in the Blue Mountains west of
Sydney shortly before 3am (AEDT), after the car hit a tree.

And a 15-year-old boy from Warwick Farm died at 3.45 am (AEDT) after the Mazda RX7 he was
travelling in mounted a kerb and hit a power pole at Mount Pritchard in Sydney's west.

Single fatalities occurred in Victoria, NSW and Tasmania on Friday.



[A][HEALTH BUNGLE][NSW]

Equipment may have infected 11 with HIV

Eleven patients have been warned they may be infected with the HIV virus because a piece of
equipment at a NSW hospital was not cleaned properly, health officials said tonight.

All received colonoscopies at Cooma Hospital on November 19. They were not told of the
potential health risk until three weeks after their treatment, the Health Department said.

The Southern Area Health Service (SAHS) acknowledged the colonoscope might not have been
properly disinfected, leading to a Health Department investigation into the incident.

But Health Department director-general Mick Reid said the risk to patients was "absolutely
minimal" as both colonoscopes had been sterilised, but one of them had not been to the
manufacturer's standard.

"A full investigation into infection control procedures following two recent incidents is
already underway," Mr Reid said.

"Clearly we are concerned, that is why we have taken immediate action to examine the issues
involved and ensure the optimum patient care."

"There were a large number of procedures on that day so another machine was brought in with
slightly different sterilisation procedures," he said.

"Both machines were sterilised between procedures."

He said the New South Wales health control panel had advised the risk to patients of
infection from either HIV, hepatitis B or hepatitis C was "minimal".

NSW Health Minister Andrew Refshauge said procedures were in place to ensure the same thing
did not happen again.

It is the second incident in recent months in which a risk of contracting HIV was presented
to patients.

In September a Queanbeyan dental clinic was found to have used a faulty steriliser, putting
about 70 patients at risk.



[S][CRICKET ENGLAND]

Run feast a boost for Poms

England's beleaguered cricketers enjoyed a morale-boosting run feast yesterday, but the
tonic was tempered by the tattered state of the Australian XI's bowling attack.

Michael Atherton, who celebrated his temporary return to captaincy by winning the toss and
batting all day for a chanceless 154, led England to 3-298 at stumps on the first day of the
four-day match in Hobart.

He will resume today with Graeme Hick, on 14.

But Australia's second best team, brimming with players desperate to catch the selectors'
eyes, looked more like a hospital XI.

Medium pacer Paul Reiffel bowled nine balls then retired with a groin strain.

This brought Allan Border, who's coaching the Australians, to the field as 13th man. Soon
the venerable figure was scurrying towards the boundary in pursuit of an off drive.

However, before too many demands were made on Border's athleticism, Sam Fingas, a
17-year-old local grade cricketer, was given an unexpected chance to mingle with the elite.

Batters with varying degrees of bowling expertise were soon queueing up for their turn and
it was Stuart Law who made the initial breakthrough.

Mark Butcher looked utterly solid until, on 25, he fell for a sucker ball. Law's first of
the match, a long hop, was pulled straight to Corey Richards at square leg.

John Crawley, the English Test batsman in greatest need of a confidence-building innings,
didn't have one.

His timing was astray and he survived a big lbw appeal and a dropped catch before he was
given out, perhaps dubiously, caught behind off Greg Blewett for 27.

That brought in Mark Ramprakash, one tourist who is in form, and he and Atherton lifted the
tempo either side of tea as Australian XI captain Darren Lehmann was forced to rely almost
exclusively on his spare part bowlers.

Ramprakash looked as if he was enjoying himself, especially a straight driven six off Law.

He hit 65 before going for a ferocious pull off Michael Bevan and chopping into his stumps.
Ramprakash and Atherton put on 139 in 142 minutes.





[T][GOLF AUST][GOLF]

Storm stops Appleby charge

An electrical storm halted sentimental favourite Stuart Appleby's sizzling third round
charge at runaway leader Craig Spence yesterday to leave the $300,000 Coolum Classic hanging
in the balance.

All but six of the 56 professionals must return at 6am today to finish their third rounds,
although Craig Mears (71), Adam Crawford (72), Adam Le Vesconte (73), Stuart Thompson (73),
Paul Harford (76) and Lucas Parsons (78) will be able to sleep in after beating the storm.

When played was officially stopped, Spence (65-67) was 14 under after 46 holes, Appleby
(69-70) 12 under through 47 holes and Paul Moloney (68-68) and Peter Senior (73-70) next on
eight under after completing 46 and 51 holes respectively.

Appleby - who dragged himself out of bed at 4am yesterday to complete his storm-stalled
second round with a 70 - scorched around Coolum's front nine layout in a blistering 30 shots.

He launched his third day assault with three successive birdies before officials sounded
the warning siren at 4.08pm (local time) when he was playing the 480m par five 12th hole
coming off is sixth birdie.

After stepping on the first tee seven shots behind Spence, Appleby - ranked in the world's
top 50 - was charged up when he came off the course trailing his 24-year-old rival by just two
strokes.

The storm stoppage coincided with Spence posting his first bogey in 46 holes at the
difficult 379m water-carry 10th where he missed the green left and failed to get up and down.

NSW professional Robert Willis produced a dream start to his third round with four
successive birdies and also hit the flag stick with his tee shot into the 159m par 3 sixth
hole.





[T][SHIELD WA][CRIK]

Fitzgerald century has SA on top

A century from opener David Fitzgerald has South Australia in a strong position late on day
one of its Sheffield Shield match against Western Australia at the WACA Ground in Perth.

The former WA batsmen posted a career high 167 before being caught behind off the bowling
of Sean Cary.

South Australia is 4-316 shortly before stumps, with Jeff Vaughan on 64 and Ben Johnson on
13. Cary and Jo Angel have two wickets each for WA.

Steve Waugh's one and only Sheffield Shield appearance for the summer yesterday gave the
languishing New South Wales the edge with a resolute century on the opening day of the match
against Victoria at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Led by Waugh's 116, NSW went into stumps at 5-303 on the first day Mark Waugh and Shane
Warne met on a cricket field since the bookmaker scandal reared up a fortnight ago.

Victorian captain Warne went without a wicket but bowled well and at times looked closer to
recovering the form which would put him back in the Test team following shoulder surgery in
April, while Mark Waugh helped pull NSW back into the match with 64 out of a 136-run third
wicket partnership with his twin brother.

After Mark was dismissed with the total on 170, Steve Waugh and Shane Lee put NSW in
command at 3-257 until young Victorian left armer Mathew Inness claimed the pair within two
overs to put the Vics back in the match at 5-262 and add to his prized scalps of Test openers
Mark Taylor (4) and Michael Slater (15) in the first hour.

Tasmania's powerful batting lineup should cruise to first innings points after a lamentable
first day by Queensland at the Gabba.

Captain David Boon and Michael DiVenuto will be looking to take charge after Tasmania
bowled out Queensland for a paltry 164 in favourable bowling conditions.

Tasmania then stormed out of the blocks with a streaky but nevertheless effective 60 from
opener Dene Hills and were 2-98 at stumps needing just another 66 for two points.

Hills brought up his 27th Shield half century from only 61 balls with eight boundaries and
the six.

But he fell for 60 when he failed to offer a shot to Andrew Bichel in the first over of his
second spell.

Queensland paceman Adam Dale again proved why he has the best figures of any bowler in the
country with a typically frugal return and was desperately unlucky with three leg before
shouts.

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