Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00789ROO2100100008-0
           AROUND THE WORLD
           SOVIET.NUCLEAR TEST:
           The Soviet Union conducted
           an underground nuclear
           blast Wednesday at its test
           site in Semipalatinsk in cen-
           tral Asia, the Arst ever to be
           directly monitored by U.S.
           scientists on Soviet territory.
           SOLIDARITY MEETING: Soli-
           darity leader Lech Walesa
           and a government minister
           meet today to prepare for
           round-table talks between of-
           ficials and opposition leaders
           aimed at ending Poland's cri-
           sis, the government said.
           DISPUTES CHARGE: Con-
           fessed hijacker Mohammed
           Ali Hamadi denied that he
           led the 1985 TWA hijacking
           that claimed the life of a U.S.
           Navy diver and held 39
           Americans for 17 days.
           SPANNING THE GLOBE: PLO
           leader Ymer Arafat wished
           Israel "Happy New Year" in
           Hebrew, but Israeli officials
           dismissed it as a public rela-
           tions ploy. ... Masked men
           killed a Palestinian and
           dumped his body in Nablus
           in the West Bank, the seventh
           RANSOM REPORTED PAID
           FOR HOSTAGE RELEASE
                A $22.2 million ransom
           was believed paid to win
           the release of West Ger-
           man Rudolf Cordes from
           his captors in Lebanon, a
           West German newspaper
           reported Wednesday.
                Despite strong denials
           by his employer and gov-
           ernment officials, the dai-
           ly Bild said the money
           was deposited Into Arabi-
           an bank accounts to se-
           cure Cordes' freedom.
                He arrived home Tues-
           day after 20 months of
           captivity by pro-Iranian
           Shiite Moslems.
                Said Wolfgang Schaeu-
           ble, who heads West Ger-
           many's Middle Fast crisis
           group: "There were no
                Reuters
           CORDES: Employer, gov-
           ernment deny story
           deals. There were no con-
           ditions."
                Stern magazine said
           Cordes' employer paid a

           
           Private detective to deliv.
           er the ransom money.
           slaying in three weeks of an
           Arab suspected of collaborat-
           ing with Israel.
           AND IN KENYA: Thinking
           about a little illegal elephant
           hunting? Forget it, says Pres-
           ident Daniel arap Moi, who
           ordered park rangers to
           shoot poachers on sight.
           Goal: protect declining ele-
           phant herds.
           Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00789ROO2100100008-0