European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 15, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday May 15, 1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 3u.s., Iran Settle 3,000 financial claims the Hague Netherlands apr the United states and Iran have signed a $105 million settlement of 3,000 financial claims bringing the two countries one step closer to re establishing economic relations a . Official said monday. The settlement deals primarily with claims for under $250,000 stemming from the 1979 islamic revolution said the official speaking on condition of anonymity. It clears the Way for the Iran United states claims tribunal to Deal with about $16 billion in major claims whose Resolution could open the Way to normalizing economic ties Between the two nations the official said. The settlement was signed late sunday night by Timothy Ramish . Agent to the tribunal and iranian agent Ali Nobari. The most recent settlement talks began shortly after the release of american hostages Frank Reed and Robert Polhill by pro iranian kidnappers in Lebanon. But . And iranian representatives to the tribunal have repeatedly said the talks dealt Only with financial arbitration. A . State department official in Washington said last week he could not predict whether resolving the financial american named to head aids program at who Geneva up a or. Michael h. Merson an american specialist in infectious diseases was appointed director monday of the world health organization global program on aids. Merson from Brooklyn n.y., succeeded or. Jonathan Mann another american who headed the aids program from 1987 until last March 16 when he resigned in a policy dispute with who director general Hiroshi Nakajima of Japan. Mann wanted the acquired immune deficiency syndrome division to retain considerable autonomy instead of being More integrated with who worldwide regional activities. The United states pays $25 million or one Quarter of the annual aids program budget. Merson 44, was a member of the Federal centers for disease control in Atlanta before joining who in 1978. In 1984 he took Over the . Health Agency a diarrhoeal diseases control program. Cyclone death toll at 520 tainted water causing illness new Delhi India apr the death toll from a Cyclone that battered Southern India Rose to 520 people on monday As tens of thousands of homeless survivors salvaged what they could from the rubble of their Homes. Andora Pravesh the state that suffered the Brunt of the four Day storm reported that Rescue workers had found 510 bodies by monday. Ten people also died in the neighbouring state of tamil Nadu. Several coastal areas of Andora Pravesh on monday were still without drinking water after sea water washed into Wells and reservoirs. Many people were drinking Drain water and also using it to Cook causing stomach disorders. Press Trust of India reported. The government Hospital in the town of Vijayawada was swamped with gastroenteritis patients it said without elaborating. A there is no alternative. We can to get water so we have to get along until the sea recedes a the news Agency quoted a resident As saying in the Village of Edu Mondi which in the telugu language Means a very  disputes will result in the release of remaining hostages. The settlement deals primarily with americans who left behind personal possessions or were owed salaries by iranian companies when they fled Iran during the revolution. They were settled for a total of $50 million. The settlement also provided $55 million for repayment of a loan from the . Agency for International development. The tribunal was set up As part of the Algiers Accord of 1980, which resulted in Freedom for the american hostages held by iranian militants at the . Embassy in Tehran for 444 Days. The tribunal Nas three iranian three american and three third nation arbitrators. The biggest claim still before the tribunal valued at up to $ 11 billion by Iran is for military equipment which Iran ordered but did not receive As a result of the embargo imposed by the . Government. After the overthrow of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in 1979, Iran cancelled contracts for $9 billion Worth of weaponry including four destroyers under construction that were later taken Over by the . Navy. Remaining major claims totalling about $5 billion were filed by american Oil companies for property and operations taken by the iranian government As Well As for broken contracts. A aids is one of the major diseases of our time a he said following his new appointment monday. Merson said he would be emphasizing a treatment and prevention programs at country level and warned against any complacency about aids. The disease he said is spreading particularly rapidly in Africa from Urban to Rural areas and there also Are new focuses in Central America and Eastern Europe. Who estimates the total cumulative number of aids cases since the disease appeared in 1980 at Well above 600,000 with at least half of those cases so far having resulted in death. Officially reported cases to who amounted to 254,078 As of april 30. The United states in april for the first time since 1980 accounted for less than 50 percent of All reported cases a the share was 49.64 percent a because of improved reporting by african countries. Who experts said Africa accounts for Well Over half the estimated 600,000-plus  Demjan Juk conviction lawyer asks israeli justices Jerusalem apr a defense attorney told the israeli supreme court monday that convicted nazi War criminal John Demjan Juk was improperly extradited from the United states for trial and should have his conviction cancelled. The . Extradition agreement did not specify deportation for War crimes defense attorney Yoram Shef Tel told the five member Israel supreme court which began hearing an Appeal of Dema Njuki a conviction and death sentence. Demjan Juk 70, was found guilty of crimes against humanity and crimes against jews under a 1950 Law allowing prosecution of nazis and collaborators. Five prosecution witnesses said he was a Ivan the terrible a the sadistic guard who operated Gas Chambers that killed 800,000 jews at the nazi death Camp of Treblinka in occupied Poland during world War ii. Sheftel said he would argue that the three judge trial court was biased and that physical evidence used by the prosecution was forged. A once it is proven that the court dealt in Bias then the Clear conclusion will be to cancel the conviction especially in a Case where the sentence is death a said Sheftel. He also planned to introduce new testimony during the hearing that is expected to last five weeks. The testimony would be brought Forward to support Dema Njuki a Alibi that he was in a pow Camp for soviet soldiers and that another Man was a Ivan the  Sheftel opened his Appeal by arguing that the court did not have jurisdiction to try the ukrainian born Demjan Juk who was living in Cleveland when he was Dedor cd on feb. 28,1986. Sheftel said the .-Israel extradition treaty did not provide for deportation of suspects to stand trial for generalized John Demjan Juk s Handcuffs Are removed monday As his Appeal starts. Charges like genocide or War crimes. He said it provides Only for trial of suspects for specific cases of murder. Sheftel said the extradition treaty was careful to distinguish Between robbery and piracy and would have listed nazi War crimes if they were intended to in included As extraditable crimes. He said the death sentence should not be carried out when there was such a Large Clement of doubt about Dema Njuki a guilt. Demjan Juk walked into court wearing a dark Brown prison suit bearing the hebrew abbreviation  which stands for the prison service. He squinted in the Bright lights of the television cameras and muttered a Boker Tovy a a Good morning in hebrew a before being seated Between two police . Korea to release remains of . Soldiers Seoul South Korea apr North Korea monday said it will release the remains of some . Soldiers killed in the korean War and a South korean newspaper reported the Bush administration plans to upgrade contacts with the communist North. Chosun ilbo a leading newspaper quoted Anonymous sources As saying the United states wants to Send diplomats up to the ambassadorial level and will carry on such contacts in new unspecified locations. North koreans official korean Central news Agency monitored in Tokyo said the North korean government will return a some unearthed remains of . Soldiers to the United states through . Congressmen at the Border Village of Panmunjom May 28. There was no immediate comment from the Bush administration on the reports. North korean officials meeting last month with . Diplomats in Beijing offered to return the remains of five . Soldiers killed in the korean War Japan a Jiji news Agency reported saturday. . Diplomats reportedly have met North korean officials in Beijing eight times since Early last year in efforts to persuade the North to open its doors and improve relations with capitalist South Korea. . And North korean leaders have no diplomatic relations and the United states maintains 43,000 troops in rival South Korea to deter an attack from the North. According to defense department figures about 8,200 . Soldiers were unaccounted for at the end of the War with 345 of those listed As possible prisoners of War. North Korea is one of the last hard line communist states and one of the most isolated countries in the world. South korean foreign minister Choi to Joong has made a personal Appeal that the United states a be prudent in its contacts with North Korea according to Yon Hap South koreans National news Agency. Choi met last week with Richard Solomon the . Assistant Secretary of state for asian and Pacific affairs. Yon Hap said the two discussed North koreans return of the remains of . Soldiers killed in the 1950-53 korean War. It said Solomon reaffirmed the United states would not positively respond to North koreans Call for improved tics unless Quot it met a set of  these conditions included agreement for More Confidence building measures in the demilitarized zone dividing North and South Korea abandonment of terrorism and adherence to the safeguards clause in the nuclear non proliferation treaty