European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 22, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday of but y?3�, 1903 world the stars and Iran accuses West of lying politicizing Rushdie threat Nicosia Cyprus a the Tehran government has sent a seven Page letter to London accusing the West of maintaining double standards and spreading lies about Iran the islamic Republic news. Agency re ported saturday. The Agency said president Hashemi a Sfanjani accused Britain of trying to politicize Iran s 4-year-old death threat against Salman Rushdie a naturalized briton whose novel the satanic verses is perceived by Many muslims As blasphemous to islam. Britain told Iran on thursday that a recent renewal of the death sentence was an outrageous infringement of or. Rushdie s rights and a violation of International Law the foreign office said. Foreign minister Douglas Hogg made the comment in a meeting thursday in London with Gholamreza Ansari Iran s charge d affaires in London the office said. However 1nsa on saturday quoted Ansari As deny ing that his meeting with Hogg dealt with Rushdie. He said they met so he could deliver a Sfanjani t letter. A Sfanjani repeated in his utter to prime minister John major that the death sentence issued by the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini could not be revoked said the news Agency monitored a Nicosia. Copies of the letter were sent to the leaders of the 11 other european Community countries the Agency said. A Sfanjani a to accused the West of spreading false propaganda about Iran. In an apparent response to reports about Iran s re cent arms buildup he said his country s defense budget was by far the lowest in the  he also said his country s human rights record criticized both by the United nations and other Independent groups was the Best in the Middle  contrast he said the International Community was hypocritical in its attitude toward Israel which was not Only aggressive and expansionist but inhumane in its behaviour towards palestinian  american actor Charlton Heston returns a pen to Marine Lance Cpl. Daniel Ropp of grass Valley calif., after Auto graphing some somalian Money for the service member during a visit to Mogadishu on Friday. Actor sees risk in  Somalia Aid Mogadishu Somalia a actor Charlton Heston said saturday that he was heartened by famine Relief and reconstruction in Somalia but that he was concerned . Command of Allied forces could endanger Relief efforts. Heston also said he agreed with  efforts to confiscate weapons in Somalia despite his vocal opposition to gun control in the United states. I feel informed encouraged and a bit of anxiety he said after visiting the Southern town of Barbera one of the areas hit hardest by hunger and civil War. What was verging on the Edge of a catastrophic col lapse of the whole operation As far As getting any Aid anywhere has been turned around Heston 68, told a news conference on the second Day of a three Day visit. Heston touring on behalf of the relict group care said he is worried that when the . Command takes Over the . Security Council May not approve the same Tough enforcement rules that Are now allowed  forces. They have to be aggressive in doing that or it will All go Back to what it was Heston said. Heston arrived Friday and met with Marine it. Gen. Robert b. Johnston who commands . Forces in so Malia and . Special envoy Robert b. Oakley. The actor known Best for his roles in the movies Den Hur and the ten commandments was scheduled to visit the southwestern City of Bairoa and a medical Post in the area before returning to los Angeles said care spokeswoman Cynthia Osterman. Japan orbits satellite to study a rays in space. I. 11 ,.tokyo a Japan on saturday launched a scientific satellite equipped with four a Ray telescopes to study the evolution of the universe Japan s Institute of space and astronautical science said. After liftoff at Kagoshima space Center in Southern Japan the $83 million 924-Pound satellite Asuka entered orbit in six minutes the Institute said. Officials said u has a life Span of five to six years and will be capable of detecting a rays a form of radiation emitted by some stars. A rays cannot be observed Onearth because they Are absorbed into the atmosphere. U s researchers assisted japanese scientists in the project and the . National aeronautics and space administration is to cooperate in operating the satellite and collecting and assessing data from it the Institute said. Asuka was named after the ancient Asuka culture in the sixth and seventh centuries when korean immigrants transmitted Buddhist culture to Japan. It succeeds the satellite Ginga or Galaxy which was launched in 1987 and completed its Mission in november 1991. Asuka is the fourth in a series developed by the Institute part of the education ministry. Japan has another space Center at Tanega Shima which is operated by the National space development Agency. Iraq threatens execution for Trade in banned goods Baghdad. Iraq Iraq Uranin under . Unction Paul sunday thai u would execute traders do Ling a banned foreign luxury foods. The government in augut banned Trade a Ranee of Good including fancy foreign can watches Andic weary along with More commonplace consumer items such As washing machines. It ordered traders and retailers to Clear the goods from their shops by dec. 10, but shoo owners merely moved the goods to Homes and warehouses. The goods continue to be available on the Black  government wants to ensure that hard currency is spent for importing much heeded food instead of luxury goods. As Iraq suffers under the embargo imposed by the United nations alter the persian Gulf War prices of essential commodities Chicken meat Lour and Rice have risen up to 50 percent since december. Elephant punishes train Dhaka Bangladesh an elephant whose calf was knocked Down by a locomotive blocked the next train that passed on the tracks and pummelled the engine until it could no longer run. After hitting against the engine for 15 minutes the elephant walked away into the Jungle leaving about 200 passengers stranded for More than five hours the itt Afaq newspaper reported sunday. I spotted the elephant less than half a Kilometre a Quarter mile away and blew the whistle to War nit Driver Arzoo Miah told itt Afaq. But the elephant did not Budge. Miah halted the slow moving train a few Yards away from the pachyderm but said he was shocked to see it move up to the train and bang against the engine with its forehead. The condition of the elephant s calf was not Clear. The engine developed trouble and could not move until a replacement locomotive sent five hours later hauled the train away it Tefas said. Man to die for acid attack Beijing a chinese court has sentenced a Man to death for disfiguring his former Girlfriend by throwing sul uric acid on her an official newspaper reported sunday. The Shanghai intermediate people s court sentenced i Yinghua on saturday for disfiguring pan Ping 24, a Bank employee who suffered Burns Over 30 percent of her body including her face neck Torso and limbs the guangming Ribao reported. I threw the acid on pan last fall after she broke up with him the paper said in an earlier report. Neither report gave any other details about the incident. Several Shanghai news organizations have set up a fund that has collected $5,226 for pan s medical Bills the report said. The paper did not say if i was executed y immediately. Ship sinks second adrift Umu Iden Netherlands one ship Sank and another was adrift off the dutch coast sunday As storm Force winds whipped the North sea a coastguard official said. No lives were lost. Coast guard spokesman Gerrit Miedema said the swedish flagged freighter North Queen capsized and Sank in Jie avy seas near the Small Island of . Three lifeboats from the dutch and German Rescue services were on the spot before the leaking Grain Carrier overturned Ana the nine Man Crew was winched to safety by a German naval helicopter Miedema said. A second vessel the German registered Linda Duck was adrift Northwest of the dutch Island of Ter Schelling after a Freak wave smashed into the Bridge and its electricity Supply Cut out Miedema said. Prevailing winds were carrying the ship away from the Shore and two lifeboats and a helicopter were standing by he said. The six member Crew was in no immediate danger. Miedema said Rescue services would wait until the storm abated before trying to Tow the Linda Buck to the nearest port