European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 6, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page b the stars and stripes Friday october 1989 Canada run rail service to be Cut Back next year Ottawa a Canada will scale Back its Lead ing passenger train service by half next year As a Money saving measure officials said wednesday. The announcement by transport minister Benoi Bouchard upset opposition lawmakers who said it meant the death of the government run service known As via  said the cuts scheduled for Jan. 15 will allow the government to reduce its annual via rail subsidies now at $640 million to $350 million by 1993.via rail president Ron Lawless said that 2,761 of the rail service s 7,300 employees will lose their jobs. Most of those will be let go in 1990. The cuts will leave via rail with three weekly train operating from Central Canada to the East and West coasts most of its existing Quebec Ontario combo trains a couple of regional routes and eight Remote  Liberal Leader John Turner said the move Means the via network is being  he said the cutback is really intended to eliminate Pas Senger rail service  in an attempt to appease critics. Prime minister Brian Mulroney of the conservative party announced a government commission into passenger travel in  said the commission will investigate the Best ways to move canadians Between the country major cities and what such a system would Cost. However new democratic Leader de Broad bpm another top opposition figure said formation of the commission is a Way to camouflage this unpopular  said the government would entertain proposals for private takeover of any of via s services. Monty Python comedy group Veteran Dies of cancer at 48 London a Graham Chapman a founding member of the Zany British comedy group Monty Python died of cancer at age 48 As his former colleagues talked to him about the Good old Days his adopted son said  was rushed to Maidstone general Hospi Tal in Southeast England from his nearby Home tues Day and died there wednesday night said his manager Don Epstein. Funeral arrangements have not been an  Chapman died fellow Monty Python comics Michael Palin and John Cleese were at his bedside said the adopted son John Tomiczek. Another Mem Ber of the troupe Terry Jones visited him earlier. Chapman an admitted homosexual and reformed alcoholic who smoked a pipe told reporters in August that a dentist found a cancerous growth on his tonsils during a routine examination. Later tests showed he was also suffering from cancer of the spine he  returned to his Home last month and was quoted As telling the Sun Britain s largest circulation newspaper that he had beaten the  was educated at Cambridge University and qualified As a doctor before turning to comedy. In 1968, he teamed up with Cleese Palin Jones Eric Idle and Terry Gilliam to film the television series Monty Python s flying  show made its debut on the British broadcast ing corp. On oct. 5, 1969, in a Slot previously filled Bya sunday religious discussion. The last original show was broadcast in december 1974.the group s Madcap and irreverent approach to comedy was a hit both in Britain and abroad. Chapman often appeared As a Stuffy army officer with a comical upper class accent. He sometimes appeared in full uniform to announce that a sketch was being stopped because it was too silly. Later he played the Lead in Monty Python s first two films King Arthur in Monty Python and the holy grail and Brian in life of  the group celebrated its 20lh anniversary three weeks ago by filming a television special to be released later this year. They had planned an anniversary party wednesday night in London but it was cancelled wednesday morning when it became apparent How ill Chapman was said Nancy Lewis a spokesman for Monty Python in new York. Jones now a film writer and director told Independent radio news that Chapman went out in True Python style with his usual alternative sense of timing last night we were going to have our anniversary party to celebrate 20 years of Python. It was 20 years today since the first program went out. I think it s the worst Case of party pooping i have Ever come across. We will All miss him. We loved him very  the Monty Python members had gone their Sepa rate ways since their third film Monty Python s meaning of life was released in 1983. Epstein said Chapman had been writing for television and movies in the United states and that a comedy film he produced and wrote was about to go into pre production. Chapman also starred As a Cranky old Knight in a English comedy television show called Jake s Jour Ney which lbs added to its fall 1988 schedule be cause of the writer s strike. Presbyterian minister sentenced for conferring in North Korea Seoul South Korea a a presbyterian min ister whose trip to communist North Korea for reunification talks created a political uproar in South Korea was convicted thursday of aiding an enemy Power and sentenced to 10 years in prison. Rev. Moon in Hwan walked out of Seoul District court in protest before judge Chung Sang Hak sentenced the dissident Leader to 10 years in jail on various charges of Aid ing North Korea. Moon said he refused to recon. Nize the court s authority Jand resumed to his cell. Sentence me As you please after i leave the court although i am not concerned about the pen Alty the 71-year-Oldclergyman said before Moon leaving the courtroom. About 100 dissidents sitting in the courtroom clapped when Moon walked out. The dissidents clapped derisively when the judge announced the sentence. Yoo won to a businessman who accompanied Moo non the trip to Pyongyang North Korea in March was also sentenced to 10 years in jail. The prosecution which had demanded a life sentence said the punishment was too Light and it would Appeal to a higher court for a tougher sentence. Defense lawyers said they would Appeal to have the term reduced. The judge said Moon and Yoo while acting out of idealistic Hopes of reuniting the Peninsula had aided the North korean attempts to undermine South Korea by sowing internal dissent North Korea poses a grave military threat to South Korea and there could be no excuse for Moon actions Chung said. Chung also noted Moon had backed North Korea s Call for withdrawal of the 43,000 . Troop based in South Korea and this was part of the communist government s attempts to undermine South Korea. Moon and other dissidents claim the United states keeps troops in South Korea to Block reunification of the Peninsula. . Navy ships Rescue 23 from sinking merchant ship Tokyo up the 23 Crew members of sinking South korean merchant ship were res cued by four . Navy ships in the North Pacific a . Forces Japan spokesman said thurs Day. The Crew of the pan dynasty a 21,000-ton cargo ship sent a distress signal tuesday when i began taking on water 600 Miles Southwest of the Aleutian Island Chain off Alaska said master sgt. Jake Rodrigus. The 23 Crew members were rescued wednes Day by four . Navy ships responding to the Call he said. 10 workers killed 21 Hurt in s. Korea factory fire Seoul. South Korea a ten Factor workers were killed and 21 others seriously injured Early thursday in a massive fire that ripped through a chemical Plant after a series of explosions company officials said. Scores of firefighters with More than 30 firetrucks fought the fire for four hours before bring ing the Blaze under control at Lucky Ltd s to Chon Industrial Complex 200 Miles South of Seoul. Most of the dead and injured worker were caught in flames when the facility exploded As they were working company officials said. Efforts to extinguish the Blaze were hampered by toxic Gas and a series of secondary explosions that made it difficult for firefighters to get near the fire the officials said. The fire broke out in an area used to make acrylonitrile butadiene Styrene a raw material used in making plastic products officials  officials who did not want to be named said the unit apparently exploded after it Over heated. Commonwealth Summit to discuss poor countries Kuala Bumpur Malaysia a de spite some Progress in dealing with the International debt problem Low income countries burdened with debts still need More assistance said a report prepared for the Commonwealth sum Mit opening oct. 18 in Kuala Bumpur. The report prepared by Commonwealth Secretary general sir Aridath Ramphal was re leased thursday through the official National news Agency a mama. The Heads of government of the Commonwealth Britain and 48 of its former colonies meet every two years to Dis cuss global problems. The report said rescheduling on More concessional terms has benefited several sub saharan african countries through a combination of subsidized interest rates longer Grace and maturity periods and partial debt write offs. But it added the Relief offered is limited since coverage is restricted to Low income debt distressed african countries pursuing International monetary fund adjustment policies. Danish prime minister reshuffles his Cabinet Copenhagen Denmark a conservative prime minister Poul Schlueter has named two new ministers in his minority Cabinet news reports said thursday. The reshuffle was necessary following Justice minister Hans Peter Clausen s election As speaker of the folketing or parliament on tuesday. Hans Engell a 41-year-old former defense minister lakes Over As Justice minister. Kent Kirk also 41, replaced Lars Gammel Gaard As fisheries minister. Kirk became known internationally As Cap lain Kirk in 1983 when he fished from his own trawler inside Britain s declared exclusion zone. Schlueter who Heads a Center right three party coalition called the reshuffle a Little generation  Connie Hedegaard 29, took Over from Engellau Leader of the conservatives parliamentary group a top Post in the party