European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 22, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 2 the stars and stripes monday october 22,1990 news updates ferry disaster London apr a judge has acquitted a company and seven of its former employees of manslaughter charges in the sinking of a ferry off the coast of Belgium three years ago. The disaster on the Herald of free Enterprise left 193 people dead. The Justice sir Michael John Turner told the jury on the trials 27th Day to find a amp of european ferries Dover ltd., three former directors and two former seamen not guilty. He said the prosecution had failed to prove manslaughter. He also ordered the jury to acquit two other former seamen. Prosecutors had said they would drop their Case against them. If convicted the company would have faced an unlimited Fine. The seven men could have received a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. The victims relatives fought for More than three years to bring what was believed to be Only the second charge of corporate manslaughter against a company. In the first Case a construction company was acquitted in 1965.murder trial set los Angeles a a dec. 7 trial Date has been set for the allegedly obsessed fan accused of killing actress Rebecca Schaeffer last year. Robert John Bardo came to court in a wrinkled prison to shirt and Panama pants and sat staring at the top of the counsel table throughout the hearing. His lawyer Steven Galindo said Bardo is constantly medicated and appears to be improving mentally with the help of drugs. Bardo is charged with first degree murder. He is also charged with special circumstances of lying in wait which could bring him the death penalty if he is convicted. Schaeffer 21, was shot to death in the doorway of her Fairfax apartment building july 18, 1989. Bardo was arrested the next Day in his Hometown of Tucson ariz., for running in and out of traffic on a freeway. Police soon linked him to schaeffers killing. He was described him As an obsessive fan of the actress. Schaeffer co starred with Pam Dawber in the lbs to comedy  sister same from 1986 to 1988, playing Patti Russell the younger sister of Dawber a character  Ivory ban Beijing up China will join a global ban on Ivory trading to protect the endangered african elephant an official report said saturday. Chinese officials issued a notice last week ordering a halt to Ivory exports beginning january 1991, the English language China daily reported. China a decision to join a world ban on Trade in elephant tusks brings Beijing into line with the convention on International Trade in endangered species which in 1989 declared the african elephant an endangered species and voted to ban Ivory trading. But the cites agreement permitted China to allow trading in tusks acquired before the ban was initiated providing import and Export firms apply for a government permit according to the China daily report. China has been Active in trading on the world Ivory scene for Many centuries. At amp to cafes phone Center opens monday in Frankfurt Frankfurt Germany a amps the first . Military calling Center is expected to open monday at the Terrace club in Frankfurt. The calling centers a joint project of at amp to and the  and air Force Exchange service Are designed to make it easier for service members to Call Home while providing dividends for military morale and recreation programs. The calling centers Are part of a three year contract that will Lead to the installation of 2,065 phones in eight countries Over the next eight months. The phones will link callers toll free to at amp to operators in the United states. Calls can then be made collect or charged. Callers can save an estimated 25 percent compared to european rates an cafes official said. A 10-minute Call through the German bundles Post for example costs about 32 Marks or $21. The at amp to charge is $14.25 for the same Call the official said. The phone centers could generate As much As $27 million in dividend payments to recreation programs during the term of the contract the spokesman added. That estimate is based on at amp to a $140 million in projected reve nue. At amp to has guaranteed $13.3 my. Lion in dividend payments. Phone centers will also open this week at the Topper club in Frankfurt the military Airlift come terminal at Raf Mildenhall England the base Exchange at Raf Lakenheath in England and recreation centers at Soester Berg a in the Netherlands and at Aviano air station Italy. Calling centers will also be installed at bases in Belgium Turkey Greece and Spain the phones will be located mainly in cafes shopping malls some dormitories and recreation centers. Aoun supporter family members slain by gunmen at Beirut Home Beirut Lebanon up a unidentified gunmen burst into the Home of Dany Chamoun a supporter of ousted Christian Gen. Michel Aoun and shot him dead sunday along with his wife and two sons officials said. Police said Chamoun 54, his wife Ingrid and his 8-year-old son Tarek were killed instantly. Chamouni a second son Julian 6, later died in a Hospital from his wounds police said. The Chamouni a 11-month-old daughter escaped discovery by the assassins and was unharmed sources close to the family said. The killers armed with Silencer equipped weapons stormed Chamouni a House in the syrian controlled Christian District of Baarda Southeast of Beirut at 6 30 a.m., officials and radio reports said. The assailants who drove two German made Bow cars sprayed Chamoun and his family with gunfire after knocking on the door of his fifth floor apartment a radio station reported. Witnesses said the bodies of Chamoun and his wife were riddled with several bullets in the head and Chest. A i think this incident is designed to stir trouble and inter communal discords a said Marwan Hamadeh a former druze moslem minister. Chamoun son of former Christian maronite president Camille Chamoun supported Aoun in his a War of liberation against the syrians last year and in his recent military Campaign against the Christian lebanese forces militia of Samir Geagea. Druze warlord Walid Jumblatt accused the lebanese ambassador in Paris Johnny Abdo a former intelligence chief of masterminding the assassination in collaboration with Geagea. Dany Chamoun and his wife Ingrid in a photo taken earlier this year. A it is the intelligence network of this ominous ambassador in Paris who collaborates with the Hakim a Jumblatt said referring to Geagea who is Well known by his Nom de Guerre Hakim. Prime minister Selim Hoss arrived at Chamouni a House shortly after the shootings As the victims parents and other relatives were wailing and crying. Hoss strongly condemned the a ugly crime that took the lives of Dany Chamoun and his  a such a Savage action is committed by an enemy with evil intentions against the March of reconciliation and legitimacy a he said. Hoss revealed that contacts were under Way with Chamoun during the past few Days and that the victim expressed a openness positiveness and  a the May have been killed because of this responsible attitude a Hoss said. Sources who requested anonymity revealed that Chamouni a wife contacted Hoss sometime last week and expressed fear Over the future of her family and husband. Chamoun had launched a bitter Campaign against the Hoss government and called it a a garbage  following the ouster of Aoun last week the government has been trying to implement a Security plan for unified Beirut by entrusting the lebanese  with restoring Law and order. All militias were to be dissolved within six months in line with an internationally backed peace agreement approved by the lebanese parliament in the resort town of taif saudi Arabia last october. President Elias Herawi currently on an official visit to Damascus Syria immediately contacted military and Security officials upon hearing about the slayings. He expressed his sorrow and regret and strongly denounced the a horrible criminal  he said the crime would be discussed during the next session of the Council of ministers a because this action was in fact an infringement of state  lebanese troops Loyal to the syrian backed  commander Gen. Emile la Houd cordoned off Chamouni a residence and barred journalists from approaching witnesses said. The killing of Chamoun and his family came amid reports that syrian forces had executed scores of Aouni a soldiers after the Christian strongman gave up last week. Rebel Buddhist monks abandon standoff As  troops move in Rangoon Burma apr rebellious Buddhist monks their monasteries ringed by troops gave in sunday to an ultimatum by the military government to end their refusal to participate in religious ceremonies with soldiers. The government empowered  commanders on sunday to try the dissident monks under martial Law. Reports reaching the burmese capital of Rangoon from Mandalay the Center of the Defiance Campaign said the monks ended their refusal to minister to soldiers in a formal announcement. In an afternoon broadcast official Rangoon radio broadcast a decree by the prime minister Gen. Saw Maung empowering  commanders to bring monks before military tribunals for activities deemed disruptive to buddhism. The decree said some members of illegal monks organizations had a been engaging in activities that disrupt the purification perpetuation and propagation of buddhism. Armed troops cordoned off Buddhist monasteries in Mandalay on saturday after the military government said it would dissolve monks groups involved in the Boycott. ,. About 85 percent of Burma a 40 m lion people Are Buddhist. About 300,000 monks live in monasteries around the country. In Buddhist societies monks Are regarded As the Community a spiritual leaders and also play a key role in popular celebrations and various rites. Monks emerged at the head of ant government protests during the 1988 pro democracy uprising which the  suppressed by killing thousands of people