European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 27, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 the stars and stripes world tuesday july 27,1993 Yeltsin softens Impact of Ruble Trade in decree Moscow a president Boris n. Yeltsin on monday modified the Central Bank s sweeping invalidation of billions of old rubles a Surprise move that had stunned russians and threatened a government crisis. Me said citizens would be Given More time to Trade old rubles for new Bank notes and he increased the amount they could obtain immediately in Cash. The Central Bank announced  Only banknotes printed this year would be valid for purchases be ginning monday and gave russians two weeks to Exchange old Bills for new. The move 4s intended to com Bat inflation by removing Cash from the Economy. Amounts above 35,000 rubles $35 about five weeks average wages were to be credited to savings accounts that could not be touched for at least six months. That would sorely test most russians who de Pend on Cash for most transactions and avoid putting Money into Banks because interest rates lag behind inflation. Yeltsin raised the Cap on Cash exchanges to 100,000 rubles excluding 10,000-Rublc notes issued in iw2, which he said could be exchanged in unlimited amounts. Mis decree extended the period for exchanging old notes until aug. 31. Sonic smaller denominations also will remain valid for purchases throughout August. The Central Bank s decree had sent russians Scurry ing to try to get rid of their old rubles Over the week end but Many vendors refused to accept the old. Bills. The finance ministry condemned the decree Mon Day and Yeltsin s Cabinet called a special meeting Todeal with the situation after the president returned Early from his vacation. The speaker of parliament Ruslan Kha Bulatov had warned monday that lawmakers would oust All officials who imposed the decree unless the deadline for exchanging old Bills was extended and the amount people could get in Cash increased. In a television address Kha Bulatov charged that the Ruble invalidation was. Confiscating russians wealth and violating their human rights. This aggravates the social economic situation in the country even More and it must be urgently corrected he  frantically crowded around state run Sav Ings Banks monday trying to get hew 1993 Bank notes for their old soviet and russian rubles. But Maybanks remained closed. Villagers in Comilla Bangladesh try to pump drinking water from a Well that is nearly submerged by flooding. Floods leave 2,700 dead millions homeless in Asia new Delhi India a Monsoon floods that have killed 2,700 people in South Asia have left Mil Lions of bangladeshis homeless with no drinking water food or Medicine. Five weeks of heavy Rains in Bangladesh Northern India and Nepal have driven Many poor people out of their mud houses in Rural areas of All three countries especially Bangladesh. In Assam a state in northeastern India where the bulk of the nation s Tea is grown the houses of More than 2 million people have been washed away by the flooded Brahmaputra River which also has submerged Tea estates wildlife sanctuaries and Rice Fields. Of those killed in South Asia s flooding 1,600 of them reportedly died in Nepal a nation in the Hima Layas where overflowing Rivers and streams Are causing landslides and cutting off Large Rural areas from help. Across Bangladesh newspapers reported monday people Are suffering waterborne diseases such As Diar Rhea and cholera. There Are also severe shortages of lifesaving drugs water and food. Details were not Avail Able because of poor communications. A new Strain of cholera that can kill children in a few hours without medication was claiming thousands of lives in India and Bangladesh before the Monsoon even began in june. On sunday 24 people died in flooded areas of ban Gladesh the daily morning Sun said raising the nation s death toll to 360 in four weeks of floods. The Bangladesh government has said 21 million people have been affected by the floods. About 420,000 mud and Straw huts have reportedly been destroyed and 17,000 cows and buffaloes have been killed. Rice crops on thousands of acres of farm land have been ruined. In India s Assam floodwaters have submerged about 200,000 acres of Rice crops and dozens of Tea estates. As the flooded Brahmaputra River began to recede India s toll Rose to 746 fatalities with the deaths of 29 people in Assam on sunday. Seven states in northeastern India remained Cut off from the rest of the nation by flooding for a seventh Day. Cambodian police officer killed by . Peacekeeper from wire reports phenom penh Cambodia a . Peacekeeper from Australia fatally shot a cambodian police officer who ran into the australian s unit firing his gun monday a . Official  . Military spokesman it. Col. John Weiland confirmed the report but declined to give details. He also declined to release the peacekeeper s name the . Official who spoke on condition of anonymity said the police officer had been firing at a suspect who climbed Over the Gate of the australian communications unit in phenom penh about 3 . Monday. But he said the peacekeeper did not know about the suspect and Only saw a Man later identified As a police officer come running into the compound shooting up to 30 rounds of Small arms fire. The peacekeeper returned fire to protect against what he thought might be an attack on australian soldiers steeping nearby in tents the official said. The unidentified police officer died immediately. Taiwan May Cut defense Taipei Taiwan the defense ministry has proposed slashing Taiwan s 470,0 x Strong armed forces by 70,000 in 10 years a leading local newspaper reported monday. The defense ministry confirmed that it is discussing the proposal but declined to elaborate. The United daily news quoting unnamed military sources said the ratio of armed forces to Taiwan s population will shrink to 1.7 percent in 10 years from the current 2.3 percent the fifth highest in the world. The plan also Calls for the lowering of the ratio of officers to soldiers which now stands at one officer for every four soldiers. Eight slain at Pool halt Bogota Colombia hooded gunmen with machine guns opened fire on a Pool Hall killing eight people and wounding eight police said sunday. The killings occurred late saturday in the Medellin suburb of Bello. The assailants whose exact number and motive were unknown escaped police said. Lawmaker protests whaling London police arrested a British lawmaker who chained himself to a railing outside the norwegian embassy on monday to protest Norway s decision to resume commercial whaling. Police officers called the City fire brigade to release Tony Banks of the opposition labor party after their attempts failed. Ranks a prominent animal rights activist was among 35 people arrested during a protest organized by the environmental group Greenpeace. The group was protesting Norway s decision to resume commercial whaling after a six year break. The move is in Defiance of a global ban imposed by the International whaling commission in 1986. Peacekeeper cypriots Hurt Nicosia Cyprus a . Peacekeeper and nine greek cypriots were injured sunday when demonstrators tried twice to Cross the line splitting Cyprus and engaged in scuffles with turkish troops. The demonstration was staged by about 1,000 greek cypriot motorcyclists who Rode along the 130-mile dividing line to protest the 19th anniversary of the turkish occupation of the Northern third of the Island. Holy anniversary marked Santiago de Compostella Spain thousands of roman Catholic pilgrims carrying staffs and Scallop shells gathered to commemorate the mullenary of this sacred site on the Northwestern tip of the iberian Peninsula. King Juan Carlos Queen Sofia and prime minister Felipe Gonzalez joined Young pilgrims at a sunday mass in Santiago s Cathedral where the remains of the apostle St. James Are said to have been discovered 1,000 years ago. In medieval times the journey to the most important pilgrimage site in Christendom after Jerusalem and Rome often began As far away As Vienna Austria and Venice Italy. This year pilgrims following the Way of St. James walked at least 93 Miles along the route that enters Spain from France at Roncesvalles in the pyrenees