European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 29, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday october 29, 1991 the stars and stripes a Page 3court to decide on poll tax liability by Amy Geiszler Jones . Bureau a court Date has been scheduled for what will be a precedent setting Case on the Issue of exempting British spouses married to american service members from the country a controversial poll tax. The Case is scheduled to be heard at 10 30 a.m., monday at the Royal courts of Justice the strand London said Liz Loughran who works for a solicitors firm in Bicester near Raf upper Heyford. Loughran has been representing a group of 13 wives married to american airmen stationed at upper Heyford who Are fighting the tax. American military and civilian personnel and their non British dependents Are exempt from paying the Community charge commonly known As the poll tax which went into effect in England and Wales in 1990 and in Scotland in 1989. Because of their citizenship British dependents must pay the charge however. The tax which pays for local services such As schools and Community maintenance varies based on Community if the court finds in favor of the spouse Sall the spouses can apply for a refund a us Loughran Everest conquerors australian Pilot Chris Dewhirst left and britons from left Eric Jones Andy Elson and Leo Dickenson look Down from the Gondola of a balloon that they flew Over mount Everest in the Himalayas. They were in Katmandu Nepal on sunday after making the first Ever hot air balloon flight Over the world s highest Peak. Expenditures. The judges ruling could affect an estimated 2,000 British spouses. Although the ruling would Only apply in England and Wales Scotland would Likely follow any verdict Loughran said. A if the court finds in favor of the spouse Sall the spouses can apply for a refund a from the first Date they paid the tax she said. An official with Cherwell District Council the wives opponent in the Case refused to comment on the upcoming . Planning massive exercise with South Korea Seoul South Korea apr the United states and South Korea plan a massive joint military exercise this week amid continuing cold War tension on the divided korean Peninsula sources said monday. Meanwhile a newspaper said the United states plans to use a similar exercise next year to withdraw its nuclear weapons from the South a a condition demanded by rival North Korea before it will open its own nuclear facilities for International inspection. . And South korean military officials plan to announce today the nov. 1-8 Field exercise dubbed a foal Eagle a involving 1 million to 3 million participants said . And korean sources. This is to be the 23rd year of a foal Eagle a which has never been publicly announced. President Bush announced a major  reduction Dan in september that included the withdrawal of All and and sea based tactical nuclear weapons from the korean Peninsula. He has not said when he would withdraw them. Washington reportedly has decided to also withdraw air launched nuclear weapons As Well. T. On monday the segue times a conservative South korean newspaper that is often reliable on military intelligence said that South Korea has been informed of a . Decision to pull out nuclear weapons during joint exercises that end next april. The United states and South Korea then would announce the completed withdrawal and demand that North Korea halt its nuclear weapons program and open its facilities to International inspections the paper said. Polish vote shows no Clear Winner Warsaw Poland apr indicating deep dissatisfaction with the path of economic austerity two painful years after democracy was won Poland a first free parliamentary elections in five decades have yielded no Clear winners. No one party was close to winning even a Quarter of the votes East sunday for parliaments lower House or the Sejm and the former communists finished a surprisingly close second to the Center left democratic Union of former prime minister Tadeusz Mazowiecki according to initial results. As Many As 19 parties were expected to sit in the 460-seat Sejm confirming fears of More of the kind of infighting that has impeded efforts to Deal with Poland a eco nomic woes and secure needed foreign investment. Preliminary results were not available to indicate the makeup of the 100-seat Senate the weaker parliamentary chamber. President Lech Walesa found the Prospect of continued instability sobering saying a one could have anticipated that. After such a period when we did not manage to solve that Many problems that society will be very  voter turnout was just 40 percent the state polling Agency said another indication of deep disaffection with economic Shock therapy. Wages Are Well behind inflation and unemployment stands at 10 percent. Final results Are not expected until wednesday. The wives Loughran represents were Given poll tax exemptions by a three member panel in april. In june however Cherwell District Council the local government Council for the area appealed the panels decision to Britain a High court asking for a Legal interpretation. Other councils where . Service members live a such As Forest Heath District Council which encompasses Raf Mildenhall and Raf Lakenheath and Suffolk coastal District Council which includes Raf Ben Waters and Raf Woodbridge a have offered their support to Cherwell a Appeal. Loughran is hoping other British spouses besides her clients will attend the hearing to offer their support. As a solicitor Loughran is not allowed to argue a Case at this level. A barrister instead will represent the women at mondays court hearing. Two of Loughrane a clients have already left the country because of their husbands reassignments she said. The unpopular poll tax is to be scrapped for a new Council tax in 1993. World10th soviet Republic declares Independence from wire reports Moscow a Turkmenistan on sunday became the 10th of the soviet unions 12 remaining republics to declare Independence from Kremlin Rule. Turkmenistan a parliament adopted the Independence declaration a Day after saturdays referendum on the Issue. The parliament had first declared the republics Independence on aug. 22. Two other soviet republics Russia and the Ukraine have declared themselves Sovereign states but stopped Short of outright proclamations of Independence from the Central government. The soviet unions former Baltic republics of Lithuania Latvia and Estonia were recognized As Independent following the failed soviet coup of aug. 18-21.quake strikes Japan Tokyo a a Strong earthquake rocked Southern and Central Japan on monday injuring a woman and forcing a temporary suspension of High Speed train service Between the port of Hakata on Kyushu Island and Hiroshima. A 41-year-old woman  prefecture about 550 Miles Southwest of Tokyo suffered slight injuries when a clock in a Bank waiting room fell on her head police said. The meteorological Agency said the temblor recorded an intensity of 4 on the japanese scale of 7 in the City of Fukuoka and registered 3 in Southern  too old to jump Avignon France an 88-year-old Frenchman became the worlds oldest sky diver last weekend when he jumped from a height of 13,200 feet it was announced sunday. Louis Garcia who celebrated his 88th birthday oct. 20, set the record saturday when he jumped Eyt Hieu. The two men floated in a free fall for 8,250 feet before with his instructor Didier Pey Thieu. Opening their parachutes witnesses  beautifies German Vatican City Pope John Paul ii on sunday beatified a 19th-Century German Churchman whose social work aided women and children gaining him the title of a the marxist  speaking to a group of pilgrims that included 30,000 germans gathered in St. Peters Square the polish Pope honoured father Adolf  to auction off shoes to Aid Volcano victims Manila Philippines apr Imelda Marcos plans to auction off her famous shoe collection to raise funds for victims of the mount Pinatubo Volcano Marcos aides said monday. President Corazon Aquino s chief aide Franklin Drilon said the government had no objection to the plan. The More than 1,200 pairs of shoes have been on display at the Malac Anang presidential Palace since the former first lady abandoned them when she and her late husband Ferdinand Marcos fled into exile in 1986. Imelda Marcos has said she will return Home next week to face tax charges and government officials have said she can claim her shoes and other abandoned possessions at that time. She will authorize a philippine journalist to handle the shoe auction said the aides who spoke by Telephone from new York on condition of anonymity. The aides said authorization to sell the shoes and other personal effects would be sent to Aquino a spokesman Tomas Gomez. Hundreds of thousands of people lost their Homes when mount Pinatubo erupted last june and devastated an agricultural area 60 Miles North of Manila. Nearly 700 people died in the eruption