European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 16, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday january. 16, 1993 world the stars and stripes a Page 9nations sign arms pact it would ban wide Range of weapons Paris apr dozens of countries on thursday signed an ambitious treaty to ban chemical weapons and Mojo than 120 were expected to sign by the close of a three Day ceremony Friday. The treaty if ratified by enough nations would be the f m time an entire class of weapons of mass de sir upon has been prohibited. It would ban deadly Mustard and nerve Gas As Well As the use of herbicides and riot control agents in warfare. South koreans foreign minister Lee song Ock expressed Hope the treaty will Lead a to the elimination of All types of mass destruction in the  he called on North Korea which is believed to be developing chemical and nuclear weapons to sign the pact. Pik Botha South africans foreign minister said he regarded the support among african nations for the treaty As a Progress to ensure that Africa is the first continent free of All  mass destruction.�?�. By mid morning thursday 40 More countries had signed the treaty for a total of 10s. The ceremonies were held at the Headquarters of the United nations educational scientific and cultural organization others signing thursday included Burma Costa Rica Al Salvador new zealand and the former soviet republics of Kazakhstan Tajikistan Georgia and Belarus. Among the 65 nations that signed wednesday were the United states Russia China India Pakistan Iran and Israel. . To Cut in Washington apr the United states will sharply Cut the number of troops stationed in Panama by 1995, from 10,000 to about 6,000, the Pentagon said thursday. The step is being taken As part of plans to Transfer the Panama canal to the Republic of Panama scheduled for dec. 31,1999. Under the 1977 Panama canal treaty All . Troops Are to be withdrawn from Panama and All . Military facilities Are to be transferred to the government of Panama by that Date. Almost All of the troops drawn from Panama will be army personnel said a senior military official speaking on condition of anonymity. Air Force Navy and Marine corps units also Are stationed in Panama but the cuts Are not expected to affect them for a year or so the official said. There Are some 10 major military installations and 4,800 buildings on about 85,000 acres of land that arc expected to be handed Over said the official. No decisions have been made on which units will be withdrawn nor where they might be sent. The Cut in troops will also mean a move for their family members. About 3,000 such dependents Are expected to leave the country during the first major phase of the troop Cut the official said. There were 22,750 . Troops deployed to Panama for operation just cause which lasted from dec. 20, 1989, to Jan. 31990, president Bush directed the deployment As a Means of toppling Gen Manuel Noriega. Noriega is serving a 40-year sentence in . Federal prison for a drug trafficking conviction last year. Iraq is the Only nation besides the United states and Russia that admits to having chemical weapons. It has said it will not sign the treaty. The United states estimates that eliminating its chemical weapons stocks May Cost $8 billion. It has ear marked $25 million to help Russia begin removing its stocks. Quot a a. A a. Morocco Algeria Tunisia and Mauritania also signed wednesday breaking ranks with other Arab countries which demand that Israel endorse the nuclear nonproliferation treaty. There were no new signatures from the Middle East by midday thursday. French and other officials at the conference say countries that done to sign could face embargoes on chemicals that could be used to produce the  must confirm whether they have chemical weapons and then destroy their stocks of the weapons and the factories that make them within 10 years after 65 nations ratify the treaty. The 10-Ycaf period can begin no earlier than january 1995. A signatory can demand spot inspections in another signatory. International inspectors can throw a cordon around a suspect site within 48 hours to prevent materials from being moved. . Secretary general Boutros Boutros Ghali one of the ceremony a opening speakers called the treaty a a historic result for which the entire International teat requirements the chemical weapons convention being signed this week would a ban the manufacture use. Stockpiling and Transfer of chemical weapons including Mustard and nerve Gas As Wel As herbicides and riot control agents in warfare. A allow a signatory nation to demand an inspection in another signatory within live Days. International inspectors of out Seal Oft a a suspect site within 48 hours to prevent materials from being moved. A require signatories to confirm whether they have chemical weapons and destroy them and the factories that make them 10 years after treaty takes effect. That would occur after 65 nations ratify it but not before january 1995. A create a 41-nation body with rotating membership charged with inspection and  body would be based at the Hague Netherlands. A amps Community can take  . Secretary of state Lawrence Eagle Burger urged Arab nations to sign saying such a move would be a step toward eliminating weapons of Niass destruction from the volatile Middle East. Barbie blahs a amps Dov car Mannheim elementary school fifth grader Michelle m. Ble during her lunch break last week so she used her Chandler feels a Little Jess Chipper than her Friend bar Lunchbox As a  to warn epileptics of game Tokyo a Nintendo co., the worlds largest video game maker will put notices on All its games warning epileptics that the devices could trigger seizures. Nintendo and its lawyers Are currently discussing How to phrase the warning in a Way that a a won to cause misunderstanding prejudice and fear a company spokesman Takashi Kawaguchi said thursday. He said the warnings would appear a was soon As  doctors say prolonged exposure to flickering lights and Small flashing Fig ures As Well As the Eye movement required in playing video games can trigger epileptic seizures especially among those who have a condition known As a photosensitive  in Britain several children Ages 10 to 15 reportedly have suffered epileptic fils while playing video games manufactured by japanese game makers in Michigan a 20-year-old american woman and her father have sued Nintendo a . Subsidiary demanding $2.61 million in compensation for allegedly causing a seizure the Kyodo news serv ice reported. Nintendo is considering producing products with fewer flashes of red Light which is considered by some to be a key Factor in triggering a seizure Kawaguchi said. Yas Fumi Mazda a paediatrician at Saga University of Medicine who has examined More than a dozen children who had suffered epileptic seizures after playing video games said a the Best solution for them is to quit playing video  in 1987, Maeda examined a 7-year-old boy who had fainted while playing Nin tendons super Mario Brothers. The boy had a seizure immediately after seeing a scene with numerous tiny Black and White blocks flashing. Mazda said stimuli from video games can exacerbate epilepsy. Nintendo has sold 25.4 million video game machines Here since 1983, 37.7 million in the United Stales and another 11.1 million in Europe and other countries since 1985. In Britain an epilepsy warning has been attached to some of Nintendo s products since six months ago