■ United States
Alcatraz's rocks marketed
The cash-strapped US National Park Service has come up with a novel way to raise money. It's selling parts of its notorious prison island Alcatraz rock by rock. The rocks are sold in boxes to tourists at the island's gift shop for US$4.95 a piece. They come from sections of the San Francisco Bay prison, like a decaying cell house and a guards quarters that are being renovated as part of a US$7.7 million project. Modelled on similar schemes adopted at the Berlin Wall and the Golden Gate Bridge, the project has the added advantage of saving workers the bother of having to ship the debris off the island.
■ Nigeria
Strike paralyzes country
A general strike over fuel prices that has paralyzed business in Nigeria entered its third day on yesterday and threatened to hit the heart of the country's oil-dependent economy. Faltering negotiations between union leaders and the government adjourned on Tuesday night without accord. At least eight people have died since the umbrella Nigeria Labour Congress launched the walkout on Monday amid violent clashes between police and union militants. The senior oil workers' union PENGASSAN raised the stakes on Tuesday by threatening a "total shutdown" of Nigeria's oil industry if the strike was not resolved by Sunday night.
■ United States
Bush fills war chest
US President George W. Bush raised a record US$34.2 million in the last three months, dwarfing a field of nine Democrats led by former Vermont Governor Howard Dean's Internet-driven US$7.5 million haul. Bush, who broke his own record of US$29.7 million in a single quarter in 1999, collected nearly two-thirds of his donations at a nationwide series of fund-raisers in the last few weeks. Contributions came from 95,000 donors in all 50 states and 82 percent of US counties. Bush will vastly outspend his Democratic rivals in the 2004 race, raising as much as $200 million to run for the Republican nomination even though he is unopposed.
■ United States
Student shoots teacher, self
A student shot and wounded a teacher and then killed himself Wednesday at a high school in the southern German town of Coburg. The teacher was shot in the thigh by the 16-year-old student. The student had entered a classroom at the high school armed with a pistol and fired a number of shots. The female teacher was hit in the leg when she tried to take the handgun away from him. Other students barricaded the door to the classroom and the teenage gunman then shot himself.
Agencies
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