WA: Main stories in The West Australian

AAP General News (Australia)
04-14-2000
WA: Main stories in The West Australian

PERTH, April 14 AAP - Main stories in today's edition of The West Australian:

Page 1: Police officers could be forced to have drug tests under proposals being considered
by the WA Police Service. Picture story of 84-year-old former Olympic wrestler Joe Stenson
who runs a seniors' fitness class.

Page 2: From page one: Most of Joe (Stenson's) 40-odd class members are considerably
younger than he is.

Page 3: A pre-schooler Martin Chen who has spent all his short life in the Port Hedland
detention centre will be free within weeks after a High Court decision that he was entitled
to refugee protection in Australia because he would be persecuted if he and his family
were returned to China. Australian officials believe almost 300 boat people in three separate
boats may have drowned on their way to Australia late last month (Canberra).

World: The Zimbabwean High Court has ruled that the Government and police must end
black squatters' occupations of white-owned farms (Harare). Homer, an elephant seal, claimed
a boat ramp at the eastern New Zealand town of Gisborne last month and has caused mayhem
ever since squashing cars (Auckland).

Finance: North is tipped to achieve its aim of becoming one of the world's biggest
iron ore producers through a merger with the fourth biggest iron ore miner, Brazil-based
Caemi. Market analysts urged investors to quit technology stocks whose fundamentals they
do not understand and head for the safety of blue chip companies as the all-ordinaries
index, weighed down by the sliding Nasdaq, shed more than 1.5 per cent yesterday. Telstra's
grand plan to establish a $20 billion global Internet carrier network with Hong Kong-based
Pacific Century CyberWorks might yet include a third international carrier, a move that
would ensure universal telecommunications coverage. Preston Resources will give up a half
share of the Bulong laterite nickel project as part of a financial restructure of its
$308 million debt.

Sport: AFL: Fremantle no longer is intimidated by the West Coast shadow. So says inaugural
West Coast captain Ross Glendinning, now the Dockers chairman of selectors. Fremantle
has launched a bid to have Steven Koops' record cleared of an AFL Tribunal conviction
for taking a banned drug.

AAP dd/as

KEYWORD: FRONTERS WA

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