European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 21, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 8 a the stars and stripes thursday March 21,1991 Moscow apr a president Mikhail Gorbachev on tuesday ordered Price in creases next month on Many foods and consumer goods to bolster the crippled soviet Economy an official said some prices would Rise tenfold. Prices for nearly half of All consumer products will be lifted the head of the soviet Price committee was quoted As saying. Some of the items have remained at the same prices since the 1960s. In his decree tuesday Gorbachev ordered the Long dreaded Price hikes to take effect april 2, the official news Agency Tass reported. Transportation and communications prices also will Rise Tass said. A 1 a. A Pound of beef will quadruple in Price from about a Ruble $1.80. A quart of milk will go from 36 Kopek 58 cents to 50 Kopek 80 cent according to the reformist newspaper Komsomol Skaya pravda. A loaf of bread the Staple of the soviet diet will triple from the current 20 Kopek 32 cents. Some scarce goods such As cars electronics wine Beer Cognac Wood and construction materials will increase by As much As 10 times said the head of the state Price committee Vyacheslav sen Chagos. Children a goods will become three times As expensive he said in part to discourage Small adults from buying children a clothes. \ but prices for Vodka Coffee fuel and other everyday goods will remain the same Sench Agov said in an interview tuesday in the workers Tribune newspaper. A a. The increases Stem from cuts in huge government subsidies to Farmers and. Manufacturers and Are aimed at bringing the prices of goods closer to the. Real costs of producing them said Sench Agov. Production of almost All food and Many consumer goods has become unprofitable he said. The increases Are a a very important and necessary elements of the transition to a Market Economy. The government plans to compensate soviets for the Price increases beginning with this weeks paychecks. Workers will receive 60 rubles $96 a month on top of the average salary of 270 rubles $420while retirees students and invalids will get  will receive 220 to 260 rubles $352 to $416 per child per year in in world taxable subsidies soviet television re Many soviet prices Are absurdly Low or ridiculously High. A videocassette for example is More expensive than a 1,200-�?zmile plane ticket Farmers Market prices for food Are already As much As 10 times higher than state prices. Most of the Money from the Price in creases will remain with the producers to eliminate government subsidies Tass said some will be used to raise salaries to leading employees in education health care social Security culture and archival work. A a the Price reforms were originally announced in january but details of the timing and extent have emerged bit my bit. Champ takes on computer world chess Champion Gaty Kasparov makes a move As he checks out the opposition the deep thought 1&2 computer at the debit computer and electronics fair under Way in Hannover Germany. There was no de dared Winner because Kasparov and the machine were Only replaying parts of classic chess  City announces More anti pollution plans from wire reports Mexico City a in an Effort to improve Mexico City a filthy air the government plans to upgrade Public transportation vehicles to get smog belching taxis and minibuses off the streets. .4 a a it will also release hourly pollution readings to let the Public know just How dirty the air really is. Tuesdays announcement was part of a major anti pollution Campaign that began monday with the closing of a state owned Oil refinery in a Northern Industrial suburb. The 18th of March refinery a major polluter supplied fuel for Mexico City a More than 15 million residents. Now that it is closed the government will have to turn to imports temporarily to meet demand for gasoline. Officials blame Mexico City a 3 million plus vehicles for 75 percent to 80 percent of the air pollution. Mexicans use vehicles an average 11 years nine out of 10 taxis Are More than 6 years old. 4tamil attack beaten Back Colombo sri Lanka a government troops beat Back a night orig rebel attack on two military Camps in j at least 14 tamil guerrillas officials said wednesday. A. At least five soldiers were killed and another 48 in jury. In the raids said military officials speaking on condition of anonymity v t5 simultaneous attacks on the Silav Atturi and Kokiku Kadayam Camps in the District of Mannar were launched late tuesday they said the two Camps about 136 Miles North of the capital City of Colombo Are five Miles . Rebels were beaten Back after the troops called for air support at Dawn wednesday the officials said. Helicopter gunships and bombers attacked rebel positions and the guerrillas retreated the officials said. Rick have been killed since tamil land Gan filing in 1983 for an Independent Home Brussels Belgium apr authorities provided heavy Security tuesday at the opening of an opera based on the Achi lotauro hijacking and the slaying of a handicapped american jew on Board. The topic is so sensitive that opening night would have been delayed for fear of terrorism if the persian Gulf War was still being fought said Interior minister. Louis Tabback. He was responsible for Security in the Minnaie theater where the show opened. A any Village fool a and there Are quite a few Here a could have called to say that a bomb would go off a he said. But a the death of Klinghoffer Quot directed by Peter Sellars ended its first night with nothing More violent than the loud clapping of a sellout crowd for Sellars composer John Adams librettist Alice Goodman and choreographer Mark Morris. The three hour production with a East of 200, deals with the killing of wheelchair bound Leon Klinghoffer during the 1985 hijacking of the cruise ship Achille Lauro. The ship currying 400 passengers was hijacked by four palestinian terrorists off Egypt in october 1985. The terrorists demanded the release of 50 prisoners held by Israel. The terrorists later surrendered in Exchange for Safe conduct. But their plane was forced by the . Air Force to land in Italy where some were released and others convicted and jailed. Before the premiere Security police searched the ornate theater for bombs. Sources said special agents were mixed with the crowd looking for any terrorists. Before the opening Sellars emphasized that the opera did not seek to manipulate emotions or score political Points. Rather he said it aimed to reach a a human level beyond All political  a it is put on stage to launch a discussion a he said. So liars Adams Goodman and Morris have previously made operas based on political events. In 19s7, Thev created Nixon in China a in which the former president and China s Mao Zedong and Chou in Lai Sang and danced through their historic encounter. But Nixon a visit was easier to convert into Light hearted fare than the Klinghoffer tragedy. Stage Loo a More Liki Affolt gang than a luxury Ocean liner. Arias ant l Sony Ted a a Pught of palestinians and jews intertwined suggested the Fate of the two people Wai Hill  tourists did not Wear loud Bermuda header a f be rothst did not do the typical aral headdress. Everybody was almost identically dressed Home singers played both american tourists and pales Timian terrorists. _ during the persian Gulf War tensions surrounding bin Hunce More 5igj staff at theater complained they considered themselves in danger during rehearsals according to Tabback. I a do Ion organizers also feared possible Legal trouble. They had lawyers Monitor every word. The death of Klinghoffer is to run for six More performances in Brussels before moving to Lyon semenibh111 its pm so premiere is scheduled for september at the Brooklyn Academy of music in new