European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 17, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 8 a the stars and stripes sunday May 17, 1992 former soviet republics sign defense agreement Tashkent Uzbekistan apr Russia and five other states of the former soviet Union have agreed to a Mutual defense system in which each nation pledges to assist the others in Case of an attack. Russian president Boris Yeltsin praised the agreement As demonstrating the strength of the 5-month-old Commonwealth of Independent states and said he expected other republics might sign it later. Five of the commonwealths 11 member presidents skipped the Summit that concluded Friday and sent lower ranking officials to fill in. The most prominent Absentee was ukrainian president Leonid Kravchuk who has clashed with Yeltsin on the role of the Commonwealth the future of the Black sea Fleet and other issues. Russia Kazakhstan Tajikistan Uzbekistan Turkmenistan and Armenia signed the collective Security agreement. Not signing were Ukraine Belarus Moldova Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan. Under the Mutual defense agreement each signatory state will be prohibited from using Force against another. A Independent states with the right to create their own armed forces Are now entering a defensive Union a said Kazakhstan president Nur Sultan a. Nazar Baev. A if there is aggression against a member state of the collective Security Union it will be considered an act of aggression against All  Yeltsin said he regretted that Only six states signed the agreement but told reporters that Commonwealth leaders had achieved the a Best results so far. A but considering that Many of the leaders were prime ministers and not Heads of state they May not have the full authority to sign such a document of global importance. So i think the number of signatures will increase a Yeltsin  All 11 delegations agreed on a plan for implementing the conventional forces in Europe treaty to reduce non nuclear forces. The leaders also agreed to form a peacekeeping Force and to Cut the size of the former soviet army. In All they signed at least six documents after eliminating most of the original 20 proposals. The agreement by six states to collectively guard external Borders and internal boundaries was reached despite at least four of the 11 Commonwealth states creation of separate armies outside the joint Commonwealth command. It was a Halfway step Between dissolution of the former soviet military and a rigid centralized Force. Vote fraud charges abound As Ramos takes philippine Lead Miriam defensor Santiago is calling for demonstrations against what she maintains is election fraud. Manila Philippines apr Fidel Ramos widened his Lead saturday Over Miriam defensor Santiago As the fiery anti graft crusader prepared to launch demonstrations to protest a wholesale election fraud in the presidential count. Santiago was seeking to recapture the spirit of a people Power protests that president Corazon Aquino Rode to Power after fraud marred elections in 1986. Aquino who supports Ramos charged that Santiago lacked the a moral authority to Issue such a Call. There were mounting allegations of fraud in mondays balloting in which filipinos voted for a new president and 17,000 other officials. A team of 19 foreign observers joined in the criticism alleging fraud vote buying and voter intimidation. Provincial officials of a Volunteer organization authorized to tabulate and report election results said someone padded the vote totals in Legazpi Southeast of Manila and possibly elsewhere. Meanwhile additional troops were sent to counting centers in the Manila area and elsewhere. Police said they feared extremists would attack the centers to destroy election records. Santiago had been leading in the tally until Friday. But Media citizens Quick count a private company that is counting the vote reported that Ramos moved ahead saturday with 761,026 votes to 634,122 for Santiago. Eduardo Cojuangco a businessman and close associate of former president Ferdinand Marcos was third with 467,167 votes. About 13 percent of the 27 million votes had been tallied by saturday. Marcos widow Imelda was running sixth and acknowledged she had lost. She thanked those who voted for her. A deep in our hearts we know we won although subsequent events showed Many of the ballots were not properly credited to me a she said. Old Bills stolen at destruction site London up a up to $91 million May have been stolen from a Bank of England depot Northeast of 1 Ohulon where worn out Bank notes Are destroyed the daily mail reported Friday. I our men and four women have been arrested and a Large Quantity of Cash has been recovered following raids at four locations by the fraud squad and the regional rime squad in Essex county 37 Miles Northeast of London. Scotland Yard said. Police continued that officers investigating the alleged theft from note destruction depot Early thursday raided locations in Essex. Around $721mmhi was recovered from one House and More Bank notes Ocie found at two other houses the daily mail said. There was no mention of the fourth location. Police also were checking Bank accounts believed to contain millions the British broadcasting corp. Said. A following a period of surveillance officers from the fraud squad and the regional crime squad visited four addresses. Thursday morning in connection with an allegation of theft from the Bank of England note destruction depot Over a period of time a a Scotland Yard spokesman said. The eight arrested were released without charge pending further investigation the spokesman said. Scotland Yard refused to disclose the amount of Money involved. World moroccan aliens missing after Motorboat capsizes from wire reports Algeciras Spain a at least 20 moroccans disappeared and were believed drowned when the Small boat in which they were trying to reach Spain capsized in the Strait of Gibraltar on Friday news reports said. Four moroccan survivors told reporters in the Southern port of Algeciras that they left the North coast of Morocco Early Friday with the 20 others in a shallow boat equipped with an outboard motor. They said a storm capsized the Craft. The four were picked up by a ship in the narrow Strait that separates Europe from North Africa and taken to a Hospital suffering from exposure and exhaustion the reports  France offers incentive Paris a state owned air France on Friday announced a frequent flier program for full fare passengers that will take effect june 1. Air France said Only passengers residing in France will be eligible for the a a frequency plus program although Points will be tallied on International flights. The number of Points granted will depend on distance travelled the class occupied and the Type of fare. Passengers can use the Points As credit for either tickets or excess baggage charges and the Points can be transferred to a third  held in bombings Taipei Taiwan a police on saturday arrested a Man who allegedly planted bombs at three Mcdonald a restaurants apparently As an anti american protest. One policeman was killed in the explosions. Chen Hsi Chieh 28, was arrested at Dawn in a friends Home in the Taipei suburb of Chungho a Day after emerging from 12 Days of hiding in a Mountain in Central Taiwan police said. Pan be min who allowed Chen to stay at his Home told reporters that Chen had developed an anti american  hits Sharks Cairns Australia a a Fisherman Friday claimed he punched two Sharks to survive 10 hours in shark infested Waters and swam nine Miles after falling into the Coral sea from a Small cargo ship. Kelly Rafferty 38, had already reached Shore when a Queensland state emergency service Crew found him near the Mouth of a Creek known for its crocodiles. He was suffering from hypothermia Low body temperature but was in Good condition. A i slapped a 12-foot Tiger shark out of the Road got some stingers out of my feet and punched a 4-foot Java shark on the Way to Shore a said  service for no who died of leukaemia set Stuttgart Germany a amps a a memorial service for a Soldier who died May 12 of leukaemia will be held at 3 30 . Tuesday at the Robinson Barracks Chapel in Stuttgart. Staff sgt. Christopher Langmaid 28, died at Brooke army medical Center in san Antonio army spokesman George Huettig said. His funeral is scheduled for monday in his Hometown of Cass City Mich. Langmaid joined the army eight years ago. He was assigned As a Tanker to 3rd in 34th army regt in Bobingen a Stuttgart suburb in 1989. When the unit acquired new tanks with less Interior space the 6-foot-4-Inch Langmaid sought a Transfer to the criminal investigation come according to chief warrant officer 2 Robert Vaughn a command special agent. Langmaid served in operations desert shield and desert storm and was a master Mason in Solomon Lodge 822 in Stuttgart. He was serving with the 6th military police det criminal investigation at Wallace Barracks in Stuttgart when leukaemia was diagnosed in february Vaughn said. His survivors include his wife Jasna and his Stepson Marko