European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 14, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Pages stars and stripes saturday april 14 2007 in the world South Korea planning to Ifil troops from Iraq Seoul South Korea South Korea one of the closest us Al lies in Iraq is preparing a plan to pull its 1300 troops out of the country a defense ministry offi Cial said Friday the South korean presence in Iraq began in 2003 with a 600strong contingent the coun try sent 3000 More troops the Fol lowing year at Washington re quest making it the United states biggest coalition partner after Britain however the troop Levels have since gradually declined amid Ris ing Public opposition to the mis Sion Calls for withdrawing the troops reached their Peak when islamic insurgents beheaded a South korean civilian working in Iraq in june 2004 after Seoul rejected demands to withdraw its forces South Korea now has about 1300 troops in Iraq n Korea urged to act As deadline looms Beijing North Korea was urged to Start disarming its nuclear programs As the final hours ticked away on a saturday dead line but a top us nuclear envoy refused to say what Steps will be taken once it passes Pyongyang has until saturday to begin shutting Down its main nuclear reactor but will Likely miss that deadline because it has refused to take action Over a Dis Pute Over the release of North korean funds Frozen in a Macau Bank there is no reason Why the dark cant get on with the task of  said us assistant Secretary of state Christo Pher Hill using the official name of the democratic Peoples re Public of Korea Italy train workers stage 8hour walkout Rome train workers in Italy were staging an eight hour walkout on Friday causing disruptions and cancellations across the country railway company Trenita iia said that Midway into the protest about 40 percent of workers had walked off the Job forcing it to cancel More than half of scheduled trains the strike scheduled to last until 5 pm was called amid con tract renewal negotiations and to protest plans to Cut staff at Treni Tania unions said Oil Rig support ship capsizes killing three London Rescue helicopters scoured the frigid North sea on Friday for signs of five Crew men missing after their norwegian Oil Rig support vessel Cap sized off Northern Scotland three people were confirmed dead after thursdays incident the coast guard said seven other Crew members were rescued and were being treated in a Shetland Hospital the Bourbon Dolphin capsized West of the Shetland islands off Scotland Northern tip All the Crew members were norwegian from wire reports euro at 2year High after cola Cut staff and wire reports Frankfurt Germany less than two weeks after us troops in Germany Learned they would be losing More than 14 per cent of their costo living allow Ance the euro reached a two year High against the Dollar on Friday the euro climbed above s135 on foreign trading Friday mov ing close to its Al time record amid expectations of a european interest rate hike in june and persistent uncertainty Over the us Economys strength the military accommodation Exchange rate used by military banking facilities in Europe will be s13885 on Mon Day meaning 1 euro is Worth conversely is will be Worth 07202 euros on monday at those same military Banks the lowest rate since dec 292004 when is was Worth 07149 euros the weakening Dollar is particularly bad news for us service members in Germany who Learned March 31 that their cola aimed at making sure troops purchasing Power is equal to their stateside counterparts would fall 14 percent by june 1 for Many troops that would mean about a month the reason for the drop Accord ing to maj Brian Kehl chief of us air forces in Europe accounting and finance operations Branch was because inflation had risen in the United states on some goods prices might be lower in the us than Germany but across the Broad spec Trum of those goods it was definitely a higher inflation in the us Kehl said at the time a Check of the defense depart ments per diem travel and transportation committee web site shows that cola rates for troops in Europe will not change on monday despite fridays news the web site tracking the civilian equivalent to the cola known As Post allowance has not changed since april 1 quake rattles Mexico City Acapulco by Niko Price the associated press Acapulco Mexico a jarring Magni tude6 earthquake rocked Southern Mexico Early Friday knocking out Power in parts of Mexico City and Acapulco swaying tall build Ings and sending frightened people into the streets in their pyjamas civil defense officials in Mexico and the Pacific coast state of Guerrero where the quake was entered said there were no reports of any deaths or widespread damage but Doz ens of buildings in Mexico City were evacuated amid reports that they suffered structural damage and officials were inspecting them to determine if they were still Safe among them were a five Story apartment building that was leaning precariously and an other Graffiti covered Art Deco apartment Complex riddled with fissures some two dozen families residents of both buildings spent the night in the Street or in their cars one person was injured falling Down stairs trying to get out of a building the Strong quake which bit at local time was Felt strongly from the Pacific coast resort of Acapulco to the Mountain capital of Mexico City because it was entered 40 Miles Northwest of Acapulco and just 18 Miles below the earths surface the us Geo logical Survey said Many of Mexico earthquakes Are Cen tired out in the Pacific Gerard Fryer of the Pacific tsunami warn ing Center said the quake was too Small and too far Inland to produce a tsunami several aftershocks followed including one predawn magnitude54 that was Felt throughout much of Southern Mexico emergency officials reported a few Small tourists stand outside their hotels Friday following a magnitude6 earthquake in Acapulco Mexico the quake which hit at am was Felt strongly from the Pacific coast resort of Acapulco to the Mountain capital of Mexico City because it was entered Inland 40 Miles Northwest of Acapulco and just 18 Miles below the surface the us geological Survey said isolated Gas and water leaks but they were quickly fixed Mexico City civil defense Secretary Miguel Moreno Brizuela said the quake knocked out Power to about 20 percent of the Homes in the capitals downtown District although it had been mostly restored by late morning there were also reports of scattered outages in Acapulco about 100 people from one Community near Acapulco were evacuated to a Park after a nearby water treatment Plant reported a chlo Rine leak civil Protection official Nadia Vela said at the High Rise Beac Side Fairmont Acap Ulco Princess hotel hundreds of guests rushed outside huddling on deck chairs Asse purity officials used megaphones to urge them to remain Calm we flew out of bed the building was Shak ing said Marcy Olsen 41 a manager of Gas stations in Minnesota i said i think this has to be an earthquake we looked out the door and everyone was leaving she was on vacation with her husband Brian 46 and their 13yearold twin Daugh ters where we Are from theres no such thing Brian Olsen said blizzards and cold yes but no earthquakes emergency medical teams attended to Resi dents of Mexico City and tourists in Acapulco who suffered panic attacks the capital is built on a Sandy Lake bed that shifts and shimmies magnifying earthquakes and Many still remember the magnitude81 quake in 1985 that levelled parts of Mexico City killing some 10000 people Alfredo Sanchez a 37yearold construction worker renovating a Century old House in downtown Mexico City was awoken by shouts from his coworkers to get up and take Refuge under the Concrete beams they had just installed in the old building when i was lying Down i didst feel it so much but As soon As i got up i Felt it said Sanchez who stood outside on the sidewalk with his workmates after the temblor Tor our own safety we got out world Bank Board meets to consider Wolfowitz future the associated press Washington the world Banks executive directors will move quickly on deciding what action to take against Paul Wolfowitz amid Calls that he resign As the organizations president after acknowledging helping a close female Friend get transferred to a High paying Job the Bank said the directors were reviewing a report prepared by a panel that examined the contract Given to Shaha Riza who has dated Wol Fowitz the Banks staff association has called for the resignation of Wol Fowitz who on thursday apologized for his actions the controversy has overshadowed this weekends semiannual meeting of the world Bank and International monetary fund Riza was Given an assignment at the us state department in september 2005 shortly after Wolfowitz became Bank presi Dent in compliance with Bank rules prohibiting romantic relationships Between supervisors and subordinates but she remained on the world Bank payroll and Wolfowitz helped arrange for a generous pay raise in a statement thursday the Bank said the executive directors will move expeditiously to reach a conclusion on possible actions to take but it did not say when it expected to announce a decision