Subject: HEADLINES 14 - 15 September 1995 (14-Sep-1995) UPI is reporting that Britain agreed to ban all nuclear tests under a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty being negotiated in Geneva, and urged China and Russia to follow suit. Britain agreed now that a CTBT should mean an absolute ban on test explosions involving the release of nuclear energy. A proposal for this "zero yield" position came from the US. Under the test ban treaty being negotiated in Geneva, small test explosions would be permitted after the agreement comes into effect. (14-Sep-1995) Reuter is reporting that a British judge fined the state-run operator of nuclear reactors Nuclear Electric 250,000 pounds ($387,000) for safety lapses after an accident at the Wylfa plant in Wales two years ago. After a part of a crane broke and fell into the reactor during refuelling in August 1993 it took nine hours to shut down the reactor. The reactor stood short before a melt-down. (14-Sep-1995) Reuter is reporting that the Bulgarian parliament ratified the international Vienna convention on safety at nuclear facilities, after signing the convention one year ago. Bulgaria has a controversial nuclear power plant at Kozloduy. (14-Sep-1995) Reuter is reporting that a malfunction in the cooling system halted a reactor at a Russian nuclear power plant Smolensk (350 km/200 miles west of Moscow) but the incident did not lead to contamination. (14-Sep-1995) Reuter is reporting that Germany is ready to discuss France's offer to extend its nuclear shield over its key ally and neighbour, although non-nuclear Germany has reacted warily, insisting that it does not want to gain even indirect control over such weapons. France raised the possibility of spreading its nuclear deterrent umbrella over Europe after coming under intense fire from its European neighbours over its nuclear testing. (14-Sep-1995) UPI is reporting that pope John Paul II condemned nuclear waepons testing, but he stopped short of directly criticizing French President Jacques Chirac over his refusal to halt atomic weapons tests in the South Pacific. "France has its reasons -- one shouldn't place too much importance on these tests." said the pope on the way to a week-long visit of Afrika. The pope has long opposed the proliferation of nuclear weapons and was an ardent opponent of the arms race during the Cold War years. (14-Sep-1995) UPI is reporting that the organizers of a weeklong film festival in Manila said Thursday they are boycotting French films to protest France's nuclear testing in the Pacific. The Makati city council (Makati is the financial district of Manila) passed a resolution Wednesday asking the french embassy to "transfer its offices to another location outside the city . . immediately" unless the French government cancels its remaining nuclear tests. The Manila city government early this week urged its constituents to boycott French products such as wine, perfume and clothing. (14-Sep-1995) Reuter is reporting that France mended fences with Japan over nuclear testing. In talks of a special Japanese envoy with Chirac, Nobuo Matsunaga expressed Tokyo's "strong regret" at last week's underground test and asked France to reconsider its programme, but also said Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama that he did not want the issue to cloud bilateral relations. (14-Sep-1995) Reuter is reporting that the European Commission announced that three environment and nuclear safety experts would leave Brussels on September 17 for a week-long inspection trip to French Polynesia. France authorised the mission on Wednesday in a goodwill gesture intended to ease European criticism of the tests. (14-Sep-1995) Reuter is reporting that Greenpeace is pondering how to relaunch its campaign against French nuclear tests, curtailed by the seizure of its two biggest ships off the South Pacific test site. The group's leaders were considering fresh plans and its lawyers were discussing legal action to try to recover the ships. (14-Sep-1995) Reuter is reporting that the 16-member South Pacific Forum called on France to refrain from further tests in the region and for other countries to try to persuade Paris to stop. The forum will review France's status as a post-forum dialogue partner if testing continues. (14-Sep-1995) Reuter is reporting that French Polynesia's independence movement will, following to the Hiti Tau group leader Tetiarahi, wage a growing campaign of violence to force the French out, after France going ahead with underground nuclear testing. Support for violence is not unanimous within the independence movement. (14-Sep-1995) Reuter is reporting that France barred a Greenpeace boat from entering the port of Marseille on Friday, citing an anti-terrorist plan adopted following a series of bomb attacks in France. Privately, officials acknowledged their main fear was that Greenpeace activists would try to mount a demonstration during Sunday's visit to the port by Culture Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy. The vessel was be allowed into the nearby commercial port of La Joliette. (14-Sep-1995) Reuter is reporting that Greenpeace said it is being sued by the French Federation of Wine Growers (CNIVE) over alleged calls to boycott French products. (15-Sep-1995) UPI is reporting that Experts from North Korea and the Korean Energy Development Organization (an international consortium comprising the United States, South Korea and Japan) ended three days of talks on a contract to provide light water nuclear reactors to Pyongyang. Simultaneous a nuclear energy official from KEDO arrived in Seoul to consult with South Korean government on the contract talks. Under an agreed framework reached between Washington and Pyongyang in Geneva last October, the United States agreed to provide North Korea with the reactors in return for Pyongyang freezing and ultimately dismantling its suspected nuclear program. (15-Sep-1995) Reuter is reporting that a million signatures, from customers of the British-based cosmetics chain Body Shop Plc, urging France to halt its nuclear weapons tests were delivered to President Jacques Chirac's office. (15-Sep-1995) Reuter is reporting that at least 26,000 reservations of tourists have been cancelled in Tahiti since rioters rampaged through Papeete last week in protest against French nuclear tests. (15-Sep-1995) Reuter is reporting that Indonesian Environment Minister Sarwono Kusumaatmadja attacks the French nuclear tests and says that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries share the same sentiments in strongly protesting and condemning the French nuclear test in the South Pacific. (15-Sep-1995) Reuter is reporting that Greenpeace admitted making mistakes during its campaign against French nuclear tests in the South Pacific but denied a British newspaper report it would "court martial" activists involved.