Qld: Court stops Japanese student from going home

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Qld: Court stops Japanese student from going home

By Suzanne Klotz

BRISBANE, Dec 24 AAP - A Japanese student charged over the "horseplay" drowning deathof a friend in Brisbane, has had an application to return home to visit his sick motherin Japan refused.

Hiroki Suzuki, 19, is charged together with four other Japanese students of the manslaughterof their 18-year-old Taiwanese friend, Hsu Wei-Li, on November 29 this year.

The students were having a private barbecue at Brisbane's Mowbray Park, when a numberof them started throwing each other into the Brisbane River.

Wei-Li disappeared and his body was retrieved the next day.

In making an application to vary Suzuki's bail today, his solicitor Noel Barbi saidhis client wanted to leave Australia to go home to visit his mother who was scheduledto have a gynaecological operation in three days' time.

The crown opposed the application on the basis no extradition treaty existed betweenAustralia and Japan, and if he was allowed to leave the country they wanted a surety of$100,000.

Mr Barbi said Suzuki's family was not rich and they could only afford up to $10,000 bail.

He said Wei-Li's death came about as a result of "horseplay" and all of the accusedintended to defend the charge.

"The Japanese have a high amount of honour in these matters -- he wants to clear hisname -- he sees it as his duty," Mr Barbi said.

He said Suzuki wanted to return home to be with his mother before the operation, tolook after his younger brother and to take part in a coming of age ceremony to celebrateturning 20 and being inducted into manhood.

However, Magistrate Bill McKay refused the application, saying the lack of an extraditionarrangement with Japan meant it would be difficult to force Suzuki to come back.

Suzuki and the other accused are all on bail and have been remanded to reappear inthe Brisbane Magistrates Court on February 3.

AAP smk/jhm/csd/sb

KEYWORD: SUZUKI

Fed:Nats won't endorse Telstra sale until services up to scratch

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Fed:Nats won't endorse Telstra sale until services up to scratch

CANBERRA, Aug 16 AAP - Deputy Prime Minister John Anderson today vowed the NationalParty would not endorse the full sale of Telstra until telecommunications in the bushwere up to scratch.

Mr Anderson, the National Party leader, welcomed a second inquiry into telecommunicationservices in rural, regional and remote Australia, announced by Communications MinisterRichard Alston this morning.

He said the inquiry was in response to National Party concerns that telecommunicationservices needed to be examined to ensure that the recommendations of the previous Besleyinquiry had been implemented.

"We will not endorse the full sale of Telstra until the services are of a standardthat regional and rural Australians should expect," Mr Anderson said in a statement.

MORE so/sdh/de

KEYWORD: TELSTRA ANDERSON

Vic: Aussie trek to North Pole hits another snag

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Vic: Aussie trek to North Pole hits another snag

The Australian trek to the North Pole has hit another snag.

A Russian supply plane sent to check on Victorians JON MUIR and ERIC PHILIPS has becomestranded near the polar icecap after a deep crack opened on the icy runway.

The plane spotted the two men early last Friday, easing fears they'd run into troublein their attempt to become the first Australians to trek unassisted to the North Pole.

The pair's support team chartered the plan after the men's tracking beacon stoppedsending signals a week ago, and they hadn't used their solar-powered mobile phone for15 days.

Support team spokesman DAVE CLEMENT says the men have enough food and fuel to lastuntil at least the end of April.

And he says they're still on schedule to complete their 1,000-kilometre trek acrossthe ice in about 55 days.

AAP RTV bja/gfr/las/rsm/jmt

KEYWORD: ADVENTURERS (MELBOURNE)

Vic: Ansett reach groundbreaking deal over profit-share

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Vic: Ansett reach groundbreaking deal over profit-share

Ansett employees have entered into a five per cent profit sharing deal with the airline'sproposed new owners, the Fox-Lew syndicate, Tesna.

Tesna representatives reached an agreement during negotiations with the ACTU of behalfof the airline's 4,000 employees.

Despite reports there'll be no profit for two years, ACTU advocate RICHARD WATTS ishappy with the deal.

However, the issue of …

Fed: ACCC says OK to Telstra line rental hikes = 2

AAP General News (Australia)
08-28-2001
Fed: ACCC says OK to Telstra line rental hikes = 2

Telstra plans to increase residential line rental charges to $19.90 from September
1, its third price rise in 18 months.

The ACCC refused its permission for the hike last week because it was not satisfied
there were alternatives available to make sure the average bill of budget customers did
not increase with the rental price rise.

Telstra then submitted a revised plan with more protection for consumers.

The company promised to send a message to its lowest bill customers telling them about
the HomeLine Budget plan, available to pre-selected customers whose last two bills were
under $25.30 a month.

It agreed to republish its HomeLine Budget brochure and include details about eligibility,
pricing and rebate on its website.

Professor Fels said the ACCC had a limited role in approving Telstra price rises but
had been concerned about the $2 advance fee to take part in the budget plan.

"Additionally, there was a further deterrent in that customers would not always know
in advance how many calls they might make in the upcoming month and therefore if they
would benefit from the plan," he said.

"The ACCC was concerned that under the existing plan, customers could forfeit the $2
plan fee and not receive the rebate if they made more calls than they expected."

AAP kmh/daw/hu/br

KEYWORD: TELSTRA 2 CANBERRA

2001 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Fed: Aviation safety body to press for mandatory inspections

AAP General News (Australia)
04-11-2001
Fed: Aviation safety body to press for mandatory inspections

CANBERRA, April 11 AAP - The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) will press aircraft
maker Boeing and United States authorities to examine whether aircraft service advice
on safety updates should be mandatory.

CASA spokesman Peter Gibson said the move would follow the grounding of three Ansett
Boeing 767 aircraft found to have cracks in engine pylon mounts this week.

Mr Gibson said Boeing actually advised Ansett of the potential problem 14 months ago
but the company only acted recently.

He said CASA was not sure exactly what happened in the interim.

"It has to be remembered very clearly that these were recommendations for inspection
from Boeing," he said on ABC radio.

"They were never at any stage made mandatory. It is the concern that CASA has with
Boeing and we will be raising that issue with them.

"It wasn't something that Ansett was required to act upon at any time or within a set time frame.

"CASA has a view that we will be putting strongly to Boeing and the American Federal
Aviation Administration that they need to think more carefully about these service bulletins
when they are issued and whether they should be made mandatory."

Mr Gibson said the issue involved old aircraft and the inspections were intended to
maintain the aircraft at a high safety level.

He said it was important for anyone operating 767-200 aircraft or any other ageing
aircraft to follow instructions from the manufacturer carefully to avoid potential problems.

"We know the original documentation was issued by Boeing early in 2000. We know obviously
that Ansett acted upon the documentation just recently," he said.

"There is some talk of other reminders in other documents issued by Boeing in the meantime.

We are not yet clear exactly what that process was during that period.

"We also have reports that Ansett sought extensions from Boeing on these inspections.

We need to clarify all that with Ansett and Boeing to get a true picture of what happened."

Boeing in the US confirmed it issued the alert in March 2000 requesting airlines check
the engine mounts of all 767s.

Company spokeswoman Debbie Heathers said Boeing asked 767 operators to conduct inspections
within 180 days.

"We also went further and said if you find something, you need to fix it. But if you
don't find anything you need to continue inspecting this area in the aircraft every 18
months throughout the life of the airplane," she said on ABC radio.

"The preference is that it be carried out within 180 days.

"Boeing doesn't have the authority to make airlines conduct those checks. However,
we do have the FAA (Federal Aviation Authority) behind us. If the FAA thinks it is important
enough, they can put it out as an air worthiness directive.

"They have the power only in the US to make sure those are carried out. However, most
aviation authorities around the world do follow suit."

AAP mb/gmw

KEYWORD: ANSETT CASA (CARRIED EARLIER)

2001 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Fed: Let the election battle begin

AAP General News (Australia)
01-19-2001
Fed: Let the election battle begin

By James Grubel, Chief Political Correspondent

CANBERRA, Jan 19 AAP - Let the battle begin.

Federal politicians start to return from their Christmas break next week, marking the
unofficial start of the 2001 Federal election campaign.

Not that a Federal election is likely any time soon.

If all goes to plan, Prime Minister John Howard will call an election in the second
half of the year.

The most widely tipped date is sometime in November, with November 17 looking particularly
favourable as it would ensure the election was well clear of …