European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 25, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page the stars and stripes tuesday wednesday december 25/26,1990 world today weather careless driving leave 17 dead in Greece Athens Greece apr seventeen people were killed in weekend traffic accidents As a wave of 4iad weather put a Damper on Greece a Christmas exodus. The coast guard ordered ships to remain tied at Ort around Greece As Gale Force winds swept oth the Aegean and ionian seas. The civil aviation authority said flights around the country were not  National weather service forecast countrywide showers and snowstorms. A police spokesman said 17 people had been killed and 116 injured in 91 traffic accidents since noon Friday. A it is within Normal Christmas limits and about the same As last year but still too Many a said the spokesman who asked not to be named. Bad weather was hampering the exodus he said but most of the accidents were due to careless driving. E italian Island celebrates Christmas with electricity Island of alicud1, Italy up after almost 100 years in the dark electricity has finally arrived on a tiny italian Island in time for Christmas. The Island of Alicudo 35 Miles North of Sicily in the volcanic Eolie Chain became officially hooked into the National Power Grid Over the weekend. The historic event was celebrated by the Island s 96 residents including the mayor and local Parish priest. A this is a great thing a said a 76-year-old woman. A at last we can finally do our washing with machines instead of by  Italy a state Energy company spent 5 billion lire $4.5 million on a 20-kilowatt transformer that will bring electric Power to the Island with Ess than a decade remaining in the 20th Century. Railway explosion kills 7, injures 48 in Russia Moscow apr a railway Tanker car loaded with liquid natural Gas exploded near two passenger trains in Central Russia killing seven people and injuring 48 others Tass reported sunday a v., the Force of the explosion blew the locomotive from one passenger train into the path of a second oncoming passenger train the official soviet news Agency said. Carriages on both trains caught fire and 16 were destroyed Tass said. Tass said the Tanker car was sitting on a railway siding when it exploded at Yel Nikoo station near Belgorod in South Central Russia. A a powerful blast wave struck a passenger train sitting on an adjacent track and threw its locomotive onto a third track into the path of the oncoming train it said. All those killed were passengers on the station Ary train which had been Ento Ute from the Black sea port of Kislo Godsk to Leningrad Tass said the oncoming passenger train was travelling Southeast from Moscow to Kharkov in the Ukraine. Soviet Congress new  a the Congress of people s deputies monday endorsed the concept of a new Union treaty designed to hold the 15 republics together and it voted to keep the word a socialist Quot in the country a name. The 2,250-member Congress endorsed the idea of preserving the soviet Union As a federation of equal Sovereign states guaranteeing the rights of All nationalities. The treaty must now be approved by the republics in popular re Ferenda. In the 1,365-to-189 vote with 170 abstentions the deputies also agreed to retain the name Union of soviet socialist republics. A legislative committee had proposed changing the name to the a Union of Sovereign republics Quot to reflect the republics growing autonomy. Alexander Zhuravlev a Deputy from the byelorussian capital Minsk set off a raucous debate by suggesting that the country Call itself simply a Russia a Zhuravlev said a your fatherland is russian and so i propose that we Call ourselves As we did in the past Russia.�?�. His suggestion was greeted by a chorus of hisses in the Kremlin meeting. Leningrad mayor Anatoly Sobchak proposed instead that the Congress adopt the name favored by the late Nobel prize winning dissident Andrei Sakharov a the Union of soviet republics of Europe and Asia a other delegates chipped in with Quot Union of soviet republics and a the treaty Between Russia and its  Congress chairman Anatoly Lukyanov Cut off the debate telling the deputies to a put your emotion  your  in a second non binding measure the Congress voted 1,491 to 88 with 141 abstentions to Back the Union treaty which president Mikhail Gorbachev has said is needed to keep the soviet state from breaking apart. The Congress the country a highest lawmaking body began the second week of its session monday and is expected to vote on the constitutional amendments to strengthen Gorbachev a presidency. Gorbachev wants direct control Over a reorganized executive Branch of government to Deal with a worsening Economy and a fragmenting Union. Robin Hood hijacking of food claimed by philippine rebels soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev checks the time during a debate in the Congress of Peoples  also is expected to make changes in the leadership before the end of the week is out including naming a vice president. The Union treaty which would replace a 1922 document would give More economic autonomy to the republics while the Central government in Moscow would retain control Over foreign policy banking taxation defense transportation Ana communications the treaty must be adopted by the 15 republics All of which have have declared some form of Independence or sovereignty. The Congress later voted to require every Republic to hold a referendum on the Union treaty and private property ownership. The supreme soviet the smaller standing legislature was asked to draft the precise wording of both referendums and set dates for voting. Gorbachev has said head like a vote on both issues this Winter. Manila Philippines up communist guerrillas claimed responsibility monday for the hijacking of a delivery trim ii he capital three Days ago and distributing its contents of Cutter and cheese to delighted slum dwellers. In a statement sent to news agencies the rebels of the communist new Peoples army said their action was part of operation yuletide seizure a Robin Hood style of robbing from the Rich and giving to the poor. Guerrillas hijacked a delivery Van of the food giant san Miguel corp. In suburban Quezon City Friday and brought it to a slum area in Manila near president Cora Zon Aquino s Palace police said. A newspaper report said the. Rebels emptied the Van of its contents of cheese and butter which poor filipinos can barely afford and distributed them to the residents who had lined up with plastic bags. The residents apparently had been informed beforehand of the gift giving activity a the report said. It said the goods were Worth 32,000 pesos $1,142. Police declined comment an the incident. A we undertook this action knowing that in these crisis Ridden times the Christmas season has brought nothing but bitterness and additional pressure to the impoverished a said the statement sent by the Alex Bongcayao brigade the new Peoples army hit squad operating in the capital. The rebels justified their acts a in the context of the people s protracted War against imperialism and its local minions the. Local capitalists who have sold their souls to  prices have shot up in the Philippines since Aquino raised Oil prices by an average of More than 45 percent As a consequence of the Gulf conflict. Communist rebels and left Wing groups have said the Oil Price increase was an imposition of the International monetary fund on the Aquino government As a precondition for the release of $700 million in new Loans Tokyo apr complaints from Black residents have led a Hiroshima shopping mall to put a White face and Beard on a huge rooftop Santa Claus it had portrayed As a Black Man a British professor said monday the 20-foot-tall Santa made his debut on nov. 1 As a Black Man with Eagger a Teddy fat lips Diamond studded rings sunglasses and sneakers clinging to a fake Brick Chimney above the Sun mall in Hiroshima 430 Miles Southwest of Tokyo. Such caricatures of Blacks Are common in japanese advertising but Are gradually becoming less popular because of charges of racial stereotyping. Peter Goldsbury a British professor of philosophy at Hiroshima University put a photo of the Black Santa on the cover of his local Magazine Hiroshima sign Post after he heard that Black foreigners living in the City were upset Over the Santa a exaggerated features. A i wanted to make people talk a Gold Bury said. Quot Hiroshima is supposed to be a Center of a a International peace culture,1�?T but Here was yet another example of undesirable cultural  after the nationwide newspaper Asahi Shimun also Drew attention to the Black Santa his face was coated with Light flesh coloured paint and a White Beard was added to camouflage his thick lips golds Bury said. Managers at the shopping mall were not available for comment monday because of a National Holiday. Japan has drawn harsh criticism from the United states in recent years for toys and books featuring Sambo Type characters and for politicians controversial remarks regarding Blacks. In november a japanese City that is bidding for the 1998 Winter olympics advised schools and libraries to destroy materials featuring the a a Little Black Sambo character a another stereotype that has drawn protests a a in an Effort to improve the City a image in August a citizens group forced a major publishing House to strike out expressions and drawings exaggerating physical features of Blacks in five popular comic books. In the most recent of a series of  Justice minister Seiroku Kajiyama in september angered minority groups when he likened american Blacks to prostitutes who a ruin the atmosphere of the neighbourhoods they move  the controversy Over that remark led two japanese politicians to visit the United states earlier this month in an Effort to Cool tempers and explain their plans to promote racial education in their country