European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 31, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 2 the stars and stripes thursday. August 31.1989 news updates dealer sentenced san Francisco up convicted colombian cocaine dealer Alvaro Becerra was sentenced to 40 years in prison with out possibility of parole by  judge Marilyn Hall Patel. Becerra 30, of Bogota was convicted by a jury earlier this year of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and distributing 88 pounds 40 pkg of cocaine in the Oakland califor Nia area. China tourism drops Beijing a the number of foreigners visiting China dropped Al most 50 percent in july and tourism nearly dried up in the month after the military crackdown on the pro democracy movement according to the state tourism  official China daily on tues Day quoted a state tourism administration report As saying 80,000 for eign nationals visited China in july Down 47.5 percent from the same month in 1988.businessmen Are included in the july visitor figure which was up11.3 percent from june. The report said China also received 4,700 overseas chinese Down 30.2 percent from the pre Vious year and 1.69 million compatriots from Hong Kong Macao an Taiwan Down 31.7 percent. China International travel serv ice handled Only 1,200 foreign tourists Down 93.7 percent China travel service received 41,100 tourists Down 58.2 percent and China youth travel service received Only 900 people Down 91.9 percent. Sardinia fire toll Olbia Sardinia up three people one of them a West Ger Man tourist died of severe Bur sin italian hospitals Early tuesday to bring to 11 the number of those who lost their lives in an outbreak of Forest fires along the Costa sme Ralda. Elisabeth Hugh Crew 38, sustained serious Burns Over 85 per cent of her body said a spokesman for the Burn treatment Center in the Turin Hospital where she  husband Helmut Heinz hug hirer was burned Over 65 percent of his body. An italian couple Giovanni de Iana 65, and Francesca Piluri 60. Died in a Palermo Sicily Hospital after suffering grave Burns Over 93 percent of their bodies authorities said. E. German Leader still very after surgery reportedly failed Bonn West Germany a a Gall bladder operation on 77-year-old East German Leader Erich Honecker reportedly failed indicating he remains seriously ill West German Security sources said wednesday. In West Berlin meanwhile City officials said they have Learned Honecker will not be attending the Leipzig East Germany Trade fair on sunday As had been planned. Honecker underwent a Gall bladder operation two weeks ago. The East Ger Man government said aug. 24 he was continuing on the Road to  but the Hess Ischer Rund Funk radio on wednesday said the West German government has received intelligence information indicating that Hon Cockcr s Condi Tion is More serious than official East German reports suggest. Government Security sources con firmed the radio report but would pro vide few details. But according to the sources Honcock or s surgeons were forced to abandon the Gall bladder operation because of the condition of the  the information was relayed to the West German government by the coun try s intelligence service the source said. There were no further details. The sources spoke on condition of strict anonymity. Honecker who turned 77 last Friday has not been seen in Public since his operation. Werner Kohlhoff spokesman for the West Berlin government said West Ber Lin mayor Walter Momper had hoped to meet with Honecker at the Leipzig fair but City officials have Learned that the East German Leader will not be there. East Germany s leadership attaches enormous prestige to the Leipzig Trad fair and Honecker traditionally opens the International  operation was the second time this summer Honecker was  forced him to leave the Warsaw pact Summit in Bucharest Romania on july 8 before its conclusion and the offi Cial East German Media later announced he was in a Hospital for problems related to  was released the following week but looked frail and tired during a Public appearance. The Reform resistant East German Leader has ruled the country of 16.6 Mil lion people since 1971, and he super Vised the building of the Berlin Wall 10 years  has strongly shunned the adoption of Kremlin style political re forms of the late 1980s, a actor in the recent surge of Legal and illegal refugee from East Germany to the West. Staff sergeant in Italy Berlin Soldier take Usa eur s top awards for 1989 Heidelberg West Germany Astaff sergeant stationed in Italy and a specialist assigned in Berlin have Bee named Usa eur s top no and sol Dier for 1989. A Board of 10 senior cos chose staff sgt. Byron ban on and spec. Anthony Mccoy for the annual awards in a com petition that featured soldiers and cos representing Usa eur s five major commands. Each Winner received a $1,000 saving Bond five Days of accommodations for himself and his family at any armed forces recreation Center location and a $700 cafes gift certificate. Barren assigned to he co 3rd ,325th inf regt Southern european task Force has spent eight years in the  platoon sergeant for the battalion s support platoon has attended in mamas Ter school and the Allied Mobile Force communication school. Barren graduated from Munich High school in 1978 and is serving his second tour in Italy after a Lour at fort Bragg,. Mccoy works As an automatic Dat telecommunications Center operator. He left the army following his original enlistment in 1984, but rejoined the organization in 1987 and was assigned Oberlin. He previously served a one year Tourin Korea before being reassigned to fort Hua Chuca Ariz. Others who reached the finals of the top no Competition included sgt 1st class Melquiades Dola concepion Btry 1st in 36th Field arty Vii corps staff sgt. James Collins he Btry 1st ,32nd Field arty v corps staff sgt Mark Perry a co 97th signal in 21sttheater army area Comdr sgt Mark Williams 42nd engr co combat sup port in Berlin brigade. Others who reached the finals of the top Soldier Competition included spec. Gary Cronin. 7th in 159th aviation regt Vii corps spec. Vanessa Paige Peacock a co 8th in 158th aviation regt v corps spec. Clayton Toups 66th my co 21st theater army area Comdr and sgt. Michael Slusser d Btry 3rd in. 325lh inf regt setae. Most countries have been dropping top rate for income taxes list shows civilian employee in Kaiserslautern Dies Sembach a West Germany abase civilian employee died monday in a Kaiserslautern Hospital after a Long Bat Lewith prostate cancer. Stanley j. Hajek 57, a communications management specialist with the 601st tac control Wing had been hospitalized since july 3, Hajek had worked at the 601st for 20 years said sgt. Jimmie Turner a base spokesman. Hajek a new York native is survived by his wife add Lucid and a daughter Karin. Funeral services Are planned for Fri Day at 2 . At the Chapel cemetery in Rodenbach West Germany. Correction the stars and stripes incorrectly re ported yesterday that travellers on leave May make reservations for the transient billeting facilities in Berlin. Washington a National in come taxes have been dropping All Over the world in recent years with the lowest top rate 10 percent now in Bolivia according to a list compiled by a  official. Switzerland is next with 11.5 percent a figure unchanged since 1985. Bruce Bartlett Deputy assistant Secre tary of the Treasury for economic policy found that of 86 countries Only two have raised their taxes. Luxembourg s top rate Rose to 58.8 percent from 57percent, while Lebanon went to 50 per cent from 40 percent. There were 55 countries that reduce their top rates including the United states which went to 28 percent from 50 percent. Bolivia s drop to 10 percent was from 30 percent. In 29 countries Bartlett found the top rate unchanged. Japan s rate was Down to 50 percent from 70 percent and the French rate to 56.8 percent from 60 percent Britain remained steady at 60 percent and West Germany at 56 percent. The highest rate was in Zambia which dropped from 80 percent Only to 75 per cent. Among Western Industrial coun tries the top rates were in the nether lands which has held steady at 72percent, and Sweden which dropped to the 72 percent level from 80 percent Bartlett said that since the invention of the income tax rates have been mov ing up until recently. He pointed out that his figures do not include social Security health and local income taxes such As state taxes in the United states. Although the top Federal rate in Canada is 29 per cent the total tax Burden of a resident of Quebec could be As High As 49.1 percent another caution in some countries the top rate can be charged on an income that is Low compared with those in West Ern Industrial countries Mexico s top rate of 40 percent is charged on income above $ i a 170. In Honduras almost next door incomes must reach $500,000before the 45  is required. Bartlett got his figures from two account ing firms Price waterhouse end Coopers and Lybrand. A spokesman Robert Levine said they were not checked with figures from the Treasury department itself. . Bus Ness failures fell in 1st half of 89 new York a . Business failures fell by 14.5 percent in the first half of 1989, the biggest drop in More than 10 years Dun and Bradstreet corp. Said in a report that suggested the econ omy is not tumbling into recession. The steady decline in business failure across the country underscores the Overall stability of the . Economy and offer further support for the soft Landing scenario said Joseph w. Duncan corporate economist and chief statistician for the business information  total of 26,234 companies failed in the first six months of 1989 is. 30,697 in the first six months of 1988, Dun and brads treet said monday in its twice yearly report on business failures. The figures reflect a continuation of a trend that began in 1987and showed a Sharp improvement in the weak farming and Oil regions. Failures declined everywhere except in the South Atlantic states one of the area that has Ted a 7-year-old economic expansion. The number of failures in that Region Rose 10.2 percent to 4,024 from 3,651. The area of greatest decrease was in the agricultural Belt of the Western and North Central states where failures declined 31.3percent, to 1,582 from 2,304