European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 5, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 2 the stars and stripes Friday augusts 1988 news updates italian Gulf Force Rome a the Senate on tuesday approved a decree pro Viding financing for Italy s naval task Force in the persian Gulf through the end of 1988. The chamber of deputies approved the measure on july 17. The decree provides 84 billion lira about $63 million for the Fleet. The provision was supported by prime minister Ciriaco de Mita s five party coalition which holds a comfortable majority in both houses of parliament. The communist party opposed the measure reiterating its opposition to Italy s military presence in the Gulf. In september 1987, Italy sent four frigates and four support ships to the persian Gulf to protect italian merchant vessels following an iranian speedboat attack on an italian freighter Italy withdrew two ships in Jan uary and defense minister Vale Rio Zanone last month announced the withdrawal of a third reducing the Force to two frigates and three support ships in the Gulf. Spy exile reviewed Paris a France is negotiating discreetly with new Zea land about the return to Pacific Island exile of at least one of two French agents convicted in the at tack on the Greenpeace ship rain Bow Warrior the newspaper be Monde reported wednesday. The newspaper without citing sources for its report said socialist Premier Michel Ricard thought it important for the Honor of France that Alain Rafart recently promoted to lieutenant colonel return to the military base at Hao. It said defense minister Jean Pierre Cheve nement was opposed and reported that aides to presi Dent Francois Mitterrand had reservations about the idea. A team of French agents Sank the Rainbow Warrior in Auckland Harbor As it was preparing to sail on a protest voyage against French nuclear tests in the South Pacific. Brezhnev relative Moscow a the son in Law of the late soviet Leader Leo nid i. Brezhnev will go on trial sept. 5, charged with taking bribes Worth More than $1 million the official soviet news Agency Tass said wednesday. Tass said Yuri Chur Banov who held the Post of first Deputy Interi or minister while Brezhnev was alive will be tried in open court by the military collegium of the soviet supreme court. Eight others some of them officials in the Interior ministry will be tried along with Churba nov Tass said. It quoted Alexan Der Boyev who is expected to be the prosecutor at the trial. It said Chur Banov had pleaded guilty. Chur Banov married Brezhnev s daughter Galina and held a Posi Tion of Power until Brezhnev died in 1982."churbanov is charged with taking bribes in the late 1970searly 1980s from the leaders of uzbek s ministry of the Interior Heads of a number of regional departments of the Interior in the same Republic and other officials Tass  said the total value of the bribes Chur Banov was alleged Mohave accepted was equivalent to $1.1 million at the official Exchange rate. Space shuttle valve trouble gives program new setback Cape canaveral Fla. A America s space program suffered another setback thursday when a computer reported a valve problem and aborted the test firing of space shuttle discovery s engines a fraction of a second be fore ignition. There was no word on How Long it would take to ready the discovery again for the test but launching control Center commentator Hugh hams said tentatively we re going for a 48-hour  that would mean an attempt saturday. It was the fifth postponement of the test in two weeks. The test is considered crucial for qualifying the discovery for the first shuttle flight since the challenger explosion 2 la years ago. It s another problem said James Fletcher of the National aeronautics and space administration. It s a Good thing it happened on an Fri and not on a  Fri stands for flight Readi Ness firing the official name of thurs Day s test. The engines were to have begun firing six seconds before the Zero Mark in an otherwise perfect countdown. The shut Down came just after the go for main engine Start was issued but before Igni Tion actually began Harris said. The shuttle s master computer system had taken control of the countdown 31 seconds be fore ignition. When it detected a problem in the computer that controls the engine firing sequence it automatically sent a shutdown signal Nasa said. We had just got up to the Point of main engine Start Harris said. Harris said the computer did not see that the engine bleed valve had fully  he said engineers were trying to determine if there was a faulty valve or if the sensor had Given an incorrect read ing. The bleed valve vents excess gases. Harris said that immediately after the shutdown the launching team remotely began to make the vehicle Safe As it sat on the pad its tank loaded with 385,000 Gallons of liquid Hydrogen and 143,000 Gallons of liquid oxygen. He said the propellants would be drained from the fuel tank and the igniters in each engine would have to be re placed before another attempt. Program managers have been Groom ing the discovery for the first shuttle flight since the loss of the challenger and its Crew of seven in an explosion 73 seconds after liftoff on Jan. 28, 1986. The Mission is scheduled for late sep tember but even before thursday Many officials believed that the launching would slip into october because of ear Lier delays in the engine test and an unresolved Gas leak in a steering engine sys tem that is separate from the Mam engines. Senate approves Trade legislation Reagan says he intends to sign it Washington a the Senate approved major legislation wednesday it Union to combat . Trade deficits and presi a a measure also maintains a Poten Dent Reagan sent word immediately that Tjai $2.5 billion in new agricultural subs he will sign the measure ending three ies years of wrangling Over the Issue. & statement wednesday the vote was 85-11, with Senate i evening called it a responsible Trade Nance committee chairman and Bijj while this is not perfect no democratic vice presidential candidate Bill j 128 pages in length Ever is on Lloyd Bentsen saying afterwards balance it we strengthen America s in what we have seen Here is the most Ter National  piece of Trade legislation in 60 Reagan h my approval when it reaches my  Marine silencing equipment to the Sovi Hole in the foreign corrupt practices act. The measure would Clamp sanctions on Toshiba corp. Of Japan and Kongs Berg Vaupen Fabrik of Norway for the action of their subsidiaries in Selling sub Marine silencing equipment to the soviet Union. This is a Strong Bill but not a protectionist Bill said sen. John c. Danforth a to. Sen. Max Baucus d-mont., said the measure signals that America can gov Ern we be put our House in order the Bill repeals the Windfall profits tax posing International Trade violations. Ness. It strengthens the Reagan adm Nistra fifty democrats joined 35 Republic 4. 1 _u.wa4