European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 13, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday january 13, 1992 the stars and stripes b Page 3simon s concert met with cheers Johannesburg South Africa apr Paul Simon opened his South african concert tour saturday to roars of approval and a Small demonstration by militant Blacks outside the stadium. The estimated 30,000 to 40,000 fans a virtually All of them White a stood and cheered As Simon opened his a born at the right time tour with his hit song the obvious child. He dedicated his performance to the recently slain headman to Haballa a Black South african who Sang on Simon a 1986 Graceland album. Simon is the first International Star to perform in South Africa since the lifting of the cultural Boycott against the country last year. He has the backing of the government and leading Black groups but a number of Small militant Black organizations have protested saying the cultural Boycott should remain until there is a Black government. The concert featured most of the songs on Graceland and selections from his rhythm of the saints album. It concluded with classics such As homeward bound and sounds of silence which Drew the strongest cheers of the night. Simon also Sang with South african Miriam Makeba who returned to the country last year after decades of exile and the South african vocal group Ladysmith Black Mam Bazo founded by to Haballa and his brother. After the show Simon said he was a extremely pleased with the turnout and the response by the audience a a spokesman said. Several dozen Black demonstrators chanted slogans such As a go Home Paul Simon a and handed out pamphlets entitled a Paul Simon born at the wrong  the demonstration was peaceful but police maintained a huge presence that included armoured vehicles bomb sniffing dogs and a helicopter. Those entering the stadium were searched for weapons bottles or other items that could be used to disrupt the show. The Azania Peoples organization which organized the protest threatened violence earlier in the week and an affiliated group claimed responsibility for a Paul Simon raises his guitar in song during the Start of his South african concert tour saturday evening in Johannesburg. Grenade attack on the offices of the tour promoter. A we. View Paul Simon As an opportunist who appears on South african platforms against the wishes of the majority of the oppressed and at the expense of the workers a the organization said in a leaflet handed out saturday. Thami Mierwa Leader of the Azania youth organization said the goal of demonstrators would be to prevent the concerts from starting. But police capt. Eugene Opperman said a we cannot allow a minority group to dictate to the masses what they should or should not  Simon said Friday that he did not a wish to make a political statement by coming  a i Hope the concerts. Will allow people to put aside their differences and simply enjoy the pleasure of the music a he said. The crowd was much smaller than the predicted 60,000, and no More than 5 percent of the audience was Black. Some Blacks at the concert said they had been threatened by other Blacks. African National Congress president Nelson Mandela hosted a reception for Simon on Friday night and said a artists Are now free to come to our  the Anc for years led the Call for cultural sanctions to protest apartheid. It changed its position last year As the United nations and other groups and countries called for an end to South africans cultural isolation. Simon a visit has drawn particular attention because of the Success of his Graceland album which featured Black South african  Wake up to confusing times Moscow apr its not enough that Many russians Are confused about the name of the country they Are living in. By next week they might not know the time of Day. In a revival of a stalinist Era decree Russia has decided to move its clocks ahead one hour on Jan. 19 in a bid to save electricity and gain an extra hour of Winter Daylight. The restoration of a decree time a As the old time was known will be followed three months later by another hours jump ahead to a summer time a on the last sunday in March. That will leave Russia four hours ahead of get. The confusing switch Back to decree time is the latest upheaval in a country that is leaving its citizens dizzy with change. As part of the collapse of communism and the soviet Union itself cities streets and subway stations have been renamed. Even the National evening news program has had three titles since the coup in August. Dictator Josef Stalin a government instituted a decree time in 1930, moving clocks ahead one hour for the summer but not setting them Back in the autumn. In 1981, the soviet Union instituted a summer time in the Spring although it never had reverted to Standard time. As a result the country was two hours ahead during the summer months instead of one. Thousands in Moscow join anti Yeltsin demonstration Moscow a thousands of people angered by soaring prices waved red soviet flags and portraits of Josef Stalin on sunday during rallies organized by pro communist groups to protest the policies of russian president Boris n. Yeltsin. In another sign of growing concern Over economic problems in the former soviet Union the news Agency Tass reported that leaders of the fledgling Commonwealth of Independent states would meet Jan. 24 to discuss the Pace of reforms. Protesters in Moscow scentral Maneth Square demanded resurrection of the soviet Union Power a in the hands of the working people a and a return of prices to previous state subsidized Levels russian television reported. A photographers said about 5,000 people participated covering a Small portion of the huge Square next to the Kremlin. Russian television and lass estimated As Many As 55,000 took part in the rally organized by pro communist groups such As Trudo Vaya moskva Moscow labor and Nashi our. In St. Petersburg about 100 people picketed in front of the Winter Palace holding signs that read a take the country a traitors to court a the russian information Agency reported. The vesti television news show said a similar mass meetings of bolsheviks were held in the russian cities of Rostov and Chelyabinsk As Well As in the turkmen capital of Ashkhabad. The rally in Moscow was about the same size As similar pro communist demonstrations in recent weeks to denounce Yeltsin. But the reports of rallies in other cities indicated the Small hard line groups might be gaining support As a result of the soaring prices that have accompanied his plan for a a necessary but painful transition to a Market Economy. Since controls were lifted Jan. 2, prices for food clothing cars and other consumer goods have As much As quadrupled. The anti Yeltsin rallies have not attracted near the numbers of pro Reform demonstrations that flooded cities across Russia before and during the August coup attempt. Leaders of other former soviet republics also let prices Rise to avoid having russians flowing in to cart off cheaper goods. But officials in some cities already have Cut regulated prices on some Staple items to head off Public unrest. Yeltsin has shown some sensitivity to the despair. In the russian City of Ulyanovsk Southeast of Moscow officials said saturday that they would lower prices of bread Dairy products and other items after Yeltsin travelled there and became enraged when he found prices on Many items were far beyond the reach of the average  the Republic of Turkmenistan president a Parma Rad Niyazov halved the prices of butter and some meat products radio Moscow said sunday