European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 30, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 8 the stars and stripes saturday november 30, 1985 still a Star a department Iton clerk in  puts out a 1986calendar adorned by decades old photograph of Elizabeth Taylor while a second clerk stacks War a of the calendars. The government con rolled press in Chinakas run several satiric commentaries on companies use of old and new stars photos to promote their products. China frees american convicted of starting hotel fire that killed 10 peking a a . Usin Cwman convicted of starting a hotel fire that killed 10 people in the Northeast City of Harbin was released thursday Tram prison without completing his 18-month sentence. Richard s. Ondrik 34. Of Kokomo. Ind., was accused of starting the april 18 Blaze at the Swan hotel in Harbin by smoking in bed. He was found guilty by a local court of criminal negligence and was fined $46,900 As Well As sentenced to prison. Ondrik an Energy specialist with a Hong Kong based company said prison authorities informed him of his re lease at 6 30 . And set him free later in the morning. He said prison authorities gave him a statement that said he was being let go because he had gone through re education followed prison discipline and been a Good  an official at the . Consulate in Shenyang said he had been informed that Ondrik was released but not Given any explanation. Ondrik said he hoped to leave for Hong Kong on Friday and travel from there to Honolulu where his parents Anthony and Louise Ondrik reside. There is no doubt that i will come Back to China if possible he added. Ondrik who was in Harbin on a business trip was not allowed to leave the City after the fire and he was formally arrested and put in a detention Center june 26. For two weeks after his arrest a Light burned brightly All night in Ondrik s detention cell. Under chinese Law he was denied bail unable to Call expert defense witnesses and presumed guilty when he entered the court. He testified during his july trial that he could not re member what happened before he awoke in a smoke filled room on the night of the fire. He said it was not his habit to smoke in bed Ondrik said he was treated Well in prison and was Given reasonably Good accommodations but he wanted a Little time to think and put Tom in perspective before commenting on the experience. He said he spent his time Reading and lifting weights and was provided with a Ping Pong table. The is. Consulate official who spoke on condition of anonymity said a consulate staff member went to Harbin wednesday night in connection with the release. He said Ondrik had to take care of visa formalities before leaving Harbin which is 310 Miles North of Shenyang. In Washington state department spokeswoman Sandra Mccarty also said she did not know the reason for Ondrik f release or what efforts led to it. The maximum sentence be could have received was seven Yean in prison. Ondrik who graduated from Indiana University with a master s degree in chinese studies is employed by Energy projects Southeast Asia Ltd. Of Hong Kong. Cigar smoker who was removed from plane freed Fay London court London a an american businessman who was arrested after a Brawl Over Cigar smoking on a trans world airlines jumbo Jet left a London court free thurs Day and lit a Cigar. Prosecutor Andrew Facey asked Uxbridge magistrates court to withdraw charges against Steven Varvaris 52, from Jackson miss., because British courts did not have jurisdiction in the Case. Outside court Varvaris said if anyone has a Check for 1.000 pounds 11.470i have a lot to say. But otherwise it s no  later he threw a plastic garbage can at photographers. The Boeing 747, on a flight from Athens to new York made an emergency Landing at London s Heathrow air port on nov. 8 after the Pilot radioed that there had been an incident on Board. Varvaris travelling with his wife was i arrested and charged with occasioning actual bodily harm to a fellow passenger. He spent a week in custody before being re leased on 3,500-pounds $5,075 bail. Prosecutor Facey told magistrates the incident had taken place in an american plane Over French airspace. The defendant and most of the witnesses were . This is a matter which according to British Law would be justiciable by american courts he said. Defense attorney Steven Booth said Varvaris strongly denied the alleged assault. He asked the court to pay costs saying his client had suffered a great Deal and the Finan Cial consequences of his arrest had been devastating. His wife who continued their original journey to new York because of business commitments spent $1,115 on an air ticket to return As a witness in the Case. The couple had also spent More than $1,000 on hotel Bills  living expenses in London since Varvaris was freed on bail said Booth. The court awarded costs from Central funds but no figure was Given. World today year s first truffles make debut in markets for As much As $180 per1gueux. France a the year s first truffle., scarce because of a summer drought Hare made their appearance in the Peri Tucux markets. With the Best of them bringing about $180, the Debra pics Are earning their name As the Black diamonds of the Ethe mar chants of the Perigord Region it truffle capital of the world located in South Central France warn that truffles will be scarce this year because of the drought. Truffles subterranean fungi which grow in the Wood lands have always brought handsome prices. Extremely difficult to cultivate. They arc sniffed Oul by dogs and hop attracted by the aromatic scent. Reporter shows Security lapse by breaking into set cockpit London up a reporter highlighted a breach insecurity at Heathrow Airport tuesday when he borrowed Airport overalls and a Security pass and managed to get into the cockpit of a concorde supersonic Jet. Armed with the pass the Sun newspaper journalist walked through the perimeter Fence turnstile Enchil i caged drove around the Airport in an airline truck an looked in the vip lounge used by the Royal family. Then he boarded the deserted British airways supersonic Jet sat in the cockpit for five minutes and had hit photograph taken there to accompany the paper i front Page Story. There was time enough to Plant guns or explosives he  could have got in like you did a Heathrow worker told him. A terrorist would just need to offer 200pounds $380 to borrow a pass and  British airways Public affairs spokesman David Burn Side told the Sun this should never have happened. The aircraft should not have been left unguarded. I would be checked before being loaded and we d expect any arms to be  Gorbachev impressed germans More than Reagan did poll says Cologne. Germany up soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev made a belter impression on germans than president Reagan and his wife Raisa vastly out shined Nancy Reagan in a popularity poll of the Geneva Switi Carland Summit released Here. The opinion Survey done by Enid Institute of Biele Feld for the Monitor television news documentary show on German television showed 32 percent of the respondent found Gorbachev More appealing against 23 percent who favored Reagan. Among the leaders wives people favored Raisa Gorba Chev Over Nancy Reagan by a lopsided 46 percent to culy 12 percent. Enid an opinion research organization popped its popularity question to 501 randomly selected Germain. Australian flies Wicker Basket Over Himalayan mountains Katmandu Nepal a a 37-year-old Australia balloon Pilot flew an open Wicker Basket across the Hima Layas marking the Bicentennial of Man s first flight in  flew across the  Peak. And la Jung him Al. The highest mountains that a hot air balloon has Ever flown Over Chris Dew Hinl of Sydney Australia said on his return from Northwest  is a 22,942-foot Peak and la Jung him Al stands 22,912 feet High. Dewhirst was accompanied by his colleague from Mel Bourne Australia Brian Smith 36, and Leo ,38, of London during the historic two hour flight. The i rec too off from Kaligan Daki the Earth s deep est Valley Between Annapurna and Dhaulagiri two giant peaks taller than 26,240 feet. Arian space to open firm to insure satellite launches Paris a Arian space. The commercial Refl of the european space Agency said it is setting up a company to insure satellite launches by the ariane rocket launch last september by an ariane rocket that a i w place two communications sales Lites into orbit was aborted due to a technical malfunction. Both satellite were led resulting in insurance Daims totalling $150  Market for satellite launches has been in danger of drying up because insurance companies have suffered string of heavy losses in the last two years a spokesman for Arian space  have paid out a total of $550 million Over tace last 20 months during which Lime they have taken premiums of Only $450 million. K