Nigerian unions end strike

Nigerian unions end strike

NIGERIA: Nigeria's trade unions called off on Tuesday a week-long
general strike over fuel prices, which had raised tensions in
Africa's most populous country just days before the arrival of
U.S. President George W. Bush.

But they said President Olusegun Obasanjo, who left on Tuesday
for an African summit in Mozambique, must order an investigation
into "the murder of innocent and defenseless Nigerians by the
police" after a union leader accused police of killing at least
10 demonstrators in Lagos.

The violence has cast a shadow over Bush's scheduled visit on
Saturday to the country of more than 120 million people, which is
a major supplier of oil to the United States.

The leaders of the umbrella Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) said
in a statement after an all-night meeting they were ending the
strike to ease the suffering of ordinary Nigerians.

It said a compromise deal had been struck with the government
to increase the fuel price from the previous level of 26 naira
(20 U.S. cents) a liter to 34 naira, rather than the 40 naira
originally announced. -- Reuters

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SPACE-MARS
Finally, NASA sends Mars Rover on its way
JP/12/ATW

Finally, NASA sends Mars Rover on its way

UNITED STATES: Despite a late glitch that stopped the countdown
at seven seconds, the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) managed to launch its latest Mars mission
successfully on Monday after fixing the problem and resetting the
clock.

The liftoff ended almost two weeks of frustrating delays for
the space agency. Engineers had to scramble to diagnose a problem
with a pressure valve on the first stage of the Delta 2 rocket in
order to get the rocket off at 11:18 p.m. EDT (9:18 a.m. on
Tuesday in Jakarta), 43 minutes late.

When the six-wheeled Mars Expedition Rover Opportunity reaches
the Red Planet, it will scour the surface for signs that could
point toward ancient life.

Already speeding toward Mars is the first of the twin rovers,
named Spirit, which launched on June 10.

But the Delta rocket holding Opportunity had been idled since
June 25 by scheduling and technical problems, bad weather, and
even an errant fishing boat in restricted waters near the launch
site.

The US$400 million mission finally got away in spectacular
fashion, streaking across the night sky over Florida like a
massive fireball, lighting up the beaches below. -- Reuters

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AFGHAN-PAKISTAN (UPDATE 4, PICTURE)
Afghan leader condemns Pakistan embassy attack
JP/12/ATW

Karzai condemns Pakistan embassy attack

AFGHANISTAN: Afghan President Hamid Karzai condemned a raid on
the Pakistan embassy on Tuesday by demonstrators angry about an
alleged Pakistani incursion, and apologized to Pakistani
President Pervez Musharraf.

Pakistan lodged a formal protest with the Afghan government
after the attack and accused Afghan security forces of allowing
protesters to ransack the embassy. No one was hurt in the
violence.

"I strongly, strongly, strongly condemn this action," Karzai
told a news conference.

"Those who committed this act are not the enemies of Pakistan.
They are the enemies of Afghanistan, peace in Afghanistan. They
are enemies of friendship between Afghanistan and Pakistan."

The Afghan Foreign Ministry said it would pay compensation for
the damage and guarantee the mission's security. -- Reuters

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Peru sched-lead
Peruvian police question top Shining Path leader
JP/12/ATW

Police question top rebel leader

PERU: Police on Monday interrogated one of the last top original
leaders of Peru's feared Shining Path insurgency, captured over
the weekend after a lengthy police operation.

Florentino Cerron Cardoso, 43, also known as "Comrade
Marcelo," is accused of 122 murders, 92 terrorist attacks and
other armed incidents, including arson, said Gen. Marco
Miyashiro, chief of Peru's anti-terrorism police force.

Cerron, 43, made a living selling exotic flowers. He was
arrested peacefully with his wife on Saturday in the central
Andean city of Huancayo, 300 kilometers (186 miles) east of Lima,
Miyashiro said.

Cerron was a member of the Shining Path's central organizing
committee. He appeared in a video seized in 1986 at a Shining
Path hideout of a wedding attended by several rebel leaders.

The video -- a key tool for authorities trying to identify
leaders of the secretive group -- is referred to as "Zorba the
Greek" because in it the group's legendary leader, Abimael
Guzman, is seen dancing to the film's theme music.

The Shining Path waged a bloody war against the Peruvian state
starting in 1980.

Up to 60,000 people were killed in political violence between
1980 and 2000 in fighting between the government, the Shining
Path and the smaller pro-Cuban Tupac Amaru Revolutionary
Movement, the head of the country's Truth and Reconciliation
Commission said in June. -- AFP