Pokie Freeze Plan
Illawarra Mercury
Thursday February 8, 2001
A new freeze on poker machines in NSW clubs may be extended to include other gaming venues under the State Government's new anti-gambling package to be delivered in the next few weeks.
Later in the year the Government will announce further anti-gambling measures as part of its harm-minimisation package, which is expected to address issues such as the speed of operation of poker machines and bet limits.
So far, a 12-month poker machine moratorium announced last month has applied only to clubs.
Plane fire furphy
Singapore Airlines yesterday denied its crew had overreacted when they apparently mistook sun reflecting off an orange exhaust seal for a fire in an engine.
The Singapore-bound SQ228 flight carrying 212 passengers left Melbourne Airport at 5.35pm on Tuesday, but soon returned after three crew reported seeing flames bursting from the top of one of its four engines.
After inspecting the plane, engineers from Singapore Airlines and Boeing said they had found no sign of fire.
Squid pickled
Scientists yesterday began preserving a near-perfect specimen of one of the ocean's greatest predators - a 12m, 200kg giant squid.
Hauled from the deep by fishing trawler off Portland in Victoria's south-west last week, the squid was quickly put on ice and delivered to the Melbourne Museum for display.
Museum marine scientist Mark Norman said the squid had been placed in a ``pickling coffin" for preservation. The museum hoped to put it on display alongside a humpback whale skeleton, he said.
© 2001 Illawarra Mercury