European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 26, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 2 the stars and stripes monday september 26,19s8 news updates soviet satellite Moscow a a nuclear powered soviet satellite falling dearth is expected to re enter the atmosphere in the first week of october weeks Currier than originally estimated Tass reported saturday. The possibility Hinl the satellite Cosmos-1900, could release radioactivity has scared some europeans the official soviet news Agency said Cosmos-1900 was orbiting at a High Point of 133 Miles and Lowpoint of 120 Miles and was expected to reach the dense atmospheric Lay ers by ocl. 8. Tass had reported sept. 12 thai he satellite was expected to stay aloft until november. In its latest update Tass said the oct. S estimate would hold if the satellite s Light remained stable and if safely systems Don t kick in earlier to Jettison the nuclear apparatus on Board and boost it to a higher orbit the news Agency said a precise re Coniry Dale or location could no yet be predicted. Wright criticized Managua Nicaragua a a nicaraguan opposition Leader has accused House speaker Jim Wright endangering the lives of hundreds by charging that the Cia is promoting civil disturbances against the sandinista government Amirr Gurdian acting president of Llie. Nicaraguan democratic Coor Dinac said in a idler to Wright that he categorically rejected As irresponsible Wright s statements. Wright snid last tuesday he had Clear testimony from the Cha of an operation to foment protests to provoke the government int cracking Down on the opposition. A copy of of Indian s letter distributed to the news Media said the statements place in danger the live Sand Security of hundreds of democratic opposition leaders in  blasts in s. Africa Johannesburg South Afri Ca a bombs exploded at a Durban railway station and in a hol iday inn parking lot along the East London Beach area without harming anyone police reported sunday South Africa has been bit by about 50 bombings that killed 17 people and injured More than 200 this year. The government hat blamed most on the outlawed Afri can National Congress some of whose military Leaden publicly pledged in june to increase attacks on Whites in an Effort to end the system of racial separation 2 italians charged Grenoble France a two italians were charged sunday with involuntary homicide and in voluntarily causing injuries in connection with the train truck Colli Sion at a level crossing in Voiron that killed to people and injured66, judicial sources said. Train Driver Roger Champany 49, was killed instantly Friday when his train crashed into a oversized semitrailer truck lodged on the crossing about 22 mile Northwest of Grenoble. Jean Pierre Petit 42, one of the 300 passengers on the train died of his injuries a Day later of the 42 people hospitalized after the incident Only three remained under observation on Sun Day. Charged were Giorgio Guglieri 38, Driver of the truck and Enrico Borgogoni 57, Driver of the escort vehicle. Both live in Milan. Italy. And worked for the Zambetti com Pany of Floc same City. 14 seized in coup attempt pro Noriega paper reports Panama City Panama up authorities arrested 12 men and two women All panamanians for Alleg edly plotting a vol Cut u, Over throw of the regime or Gen. Manuel an Tonio Noriega a pro Noriega newspaper said saturday. The report was branded absurd by a . Official in Panama. The Story of the alleged coup attempt carried saturday in the pro Noriega Lac Silica newspaper also had been briefly reported Friday night on Channel 2 Tele vision a pro Noriega outlet. Neither the newspaper nor television reports gave details of the alleged plot. . Embassy spokesman Terence inc Ebony saturday denied any . Involvement in any plot and called the allegations absurd it s just one mow of the Noriega re Gime s efforts to distract attention away from their real problems and their real problem Are wha they Are doing to the Melves inc conc told United press International in a Telephone interview. Noriega was indicted in the United states in february on charges of drug trafficking. Shortly alter the indictments panamanian president Eric Arturo Del Vallec tried to dismiss Noriega As chief of the panamanian defense forces. But within hours Panama s pro no Riega legislature dismissed Dflvalle As president and named Manuel soils Palma. To succeed him. The Reagan administration has tried to get Noriega to step Down first with a series or severe economic sanctions an later through negotiations but Panama s strongman has defied Washington. The la critics and Channel 2 reports said the 14 panamanians arrested were members of a pro Delvalle group called the National patriotic corny inc. They said the committee receive funds both from Dflvalle and Panama s former ambassador to Israel Eduardo her Acra. La critics identified four of the people arrested As Alberto Conte an advertising executive Giavanni Taruichi a real estate entrepreneur. Cont i Lister Diana Del Rio de Barcz and Dilsia de Rey nol who was not further identified. The news reports said the committee maintained close Contact with groups that have demonstrated Agal nit the government in recent week including teachers and a labor Union representing employees of the government run water resources and electricity Institute. The reports said More arrests arc expected in coming Days Pentagon slows contractor payments As Cash fight fiscal year draws to end by John h. Cushman or. Washington not the Pentagon facing an apparent Cash shortage As it nears the end of the Federal govern ment s fiscal year Friday is postponing payments to suppliers until october Industry and government officials say. Corporate officials said delays in gel Ling the Money Wilt Cost the Industry Mil Lions of dollars in lost interest earnings. The Pentagon issued a Brier statement thursday that did not explain the delays. Ii is the department of defense policy to make payments in accordance with the terms of the contract the statement said. Normally Bills Are due and payable within seven to 30 Days. The department has not suspended payments to its  but government officials conceded that the Pentagon s purchasing agencies had been instructed to hold checks As Long As possible without violating con tracts. That apparently will mean that payments customarily made within seven Days of receiving Bill Wilt be paid closer to 30 Days after receipt. Contractor Are going to have to Wail a Little while for their Money a Penta gon official said. The policy took effect last week with out being announced. The Pentagon makes periodic Prog Ress payments to contractors while work on a project is going on. Compa Nies Are accustomed to receiving pay ments within about a week after they submit their Bill. Leroy Haugh a contract Law specialist at the aerospace industries association in Washington said the prompt payment act requires the government to pay its Bills within 30 Days or to pay interest on the unpaid balance. The Pentagon like other Federal Agen cies May not legally exceed limits on spending that Are set by annual appropriation measures. Throughout this fiscal year the Pentagon has had problem controlling its spending. In the summer it temporarily suspended the granting of certain contracts in an Effort to better control its Cash flow. The disruption in payment patterns has angered Many in inc military contracting Industry. The government has a legitimate and serious outlay problem said Jean a. Caffiaux a senior vice president of the electronic industries association. What they re doing is transferring it to Indus other people in the Industry who asked not to m identified because they did not want to offend their principal customer said they had approached the Pentagon and had been told by senior financial officials that there had been no change in policy. While that is technically True corporate executives said the government was using Laws and policies in unusual ways. Senior Pentagon financial manager refused to be interviewed about the silk Alion. Our companies Are All calling us about it Caffiaux said. It s a night Mare. They Are seeing big perturbations in their financial plans because of this. Some companies arc going to have tomorrow hundreds of million of  Many companies Send messengers Lothe Pentagon to pick up their Progress payments so that the Checki can be de posited the same Day and Start earning interest. The Industry s position is thai Progress payments should not be delayed for along an 30 Days As inc prompt payment act technically allows Hauth said. They Are a form of contract financing and traditionally have been paid in seven working Days he said. The government May borrow at lower interest rates than contractors and its periodic payments enable the contractors to avoid borrowing Money Tor their immediate cosh needs. If contractors do privately finance their operations the in Terest charges Are not allowed to be passed on to the govt Mienl. Grovey ill Hirohito watches sumo Tokyo a emperor Hirohito Lay in serious condition sunday but was Alert enough to watch the finals of the autumn sumo tournament on television. Thousands of Well wishers braved thunderstorms and cold rain to throng the Gates of the moated Imperial Palace in Central Tokyo under a sea of Bright umbrellas. Palace officials said 300,000 people have signed a dozen registries set up nationwide to Pray for Hirohito s re covery. The 87-year-old Monarch remained under intensive round the clock care by a team of court doctors after he vomited blood from an intestinal Haemorrhage sept. 19. The emperor has sat on Japan s chrysanthemum throne for nearly 62 years. His condition was serious but appeared stable Palace officials acknowledged that Hirohito discharged a Small amount of blood sunday morning. The officials would not confirm published reports that the emperor has can cer of the upper intestine. Cancer is rarely acknowledged publicly in Japan. The Imperial household Agency said Hirohito viewed inc final matches of he autumn grand sumo tournament on television. A fan of the ancient wrestling sport the emperor watched grand Cham Pion Chiyo Ofuji claim his 25th tournament title with a 15-0 record and commented a perfect Victory in t it meanwhile television stations re placed comedy and variety programs with More sedate documentaries out of deference to the Monarch. A Stream of Imperial relatives continued to pay respects at his bedside. Crown Prince Akihito who assumed his father s official duties thursday arrived from his nearby Palace with his wife Princess Michiko. Two of Akihito s children Prince him 28, and 19-year-old Princess Nori spoke briefly with their Grandfather and Hirohito s three daughters also paid vis its the Palace said. The emperor was running a slight fever 98.6 of in the evening a Palace spokesman said. The level although Down from its Peak saturday was still above his usual temperature of 95,9. Court physicians administered nearly a pint of blood bringing the transfusion total since sept. 19 to 5.53 pints. They also injected platelets to thicken Hirohito s blood which was thinning from the frequent transfusions and Mak ing it More difficult to Stop the bleeding doctors said