Top story: After two months of nearly nonstop attacks that have cut the country's oil output by 300,000 barrels per day, Nigeria's MEND rebels have declared a ceasefire and say they seek negotiations with the government. Lagos had offered a truce three weeks ago.
The six-month ceasefire comes in response to the freeing of rebel leader Samuel Okah on Monday, though just before his release, MEND attacked the main oil depot serving Lagos.
In an interview with the BBC, Okah described the attack as a welcome president and said that MEND is "repared to dialogue with government, and prepared to arrive at an amicable, mutually acceptable resolution of the problem." The rebels are demanding the withdrawal of government troops from the Niger Delta and a more equitable distribution of oil profits.
The government response was skeptical. "It's a welcome development, but we are continuing to do our normal assignment of maintaining law and order," a spokesman for Nigeria's military told CNN.
World oil prices were unaffected by the development.
Milestone: China's foreign reserves passed $2 trillion for the first time.
Middle East
- A new report by former Israeli soldiers says the army used reckless force in its incursion into Gaza last year.
- The Palestinian government has suspended broadcasts of Al Jazeera in the West Bank after what it says was unbalanced reporting on President Mahmoud Abbas.
- U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is in the United Arab Emirates working to promote financial ties with the gulf states.
- Polls show Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party likely heading for nearly its first defeat in half a century.
- In a new audio message, Al Qaeda second in command Ayman al-Zawahri accused the U.S. of meddling in Pakistan's affairs.
- The foreign ministers of Pakistan and India are meeting on the sidelines of a summit in Cairo to discuss antiterrorism measures.
Europe
- Former Polish Prime Minister Jerzy Buzek was elected as the first president of the European parliament from Eastern Europe.
- Four security personnel were killed in a militant attack in Chechnya.
- President Nicolas Sarkozy used France's Bastille Day festivities to call for military modernization.
Americas
- The twelve bodies found alongside a road in Mexico's Mihoacan state turn out to be Federal Police officers.
- Obama administration officials wrapped up their first talks with Cuba's government on Tuesday, describing them as productive.
- Talks on Honduras's political crisis will resume on Saturday.
Africa
- In his testimony at his war crimes trial yesterday, former Liberian President Charles Taylor denounced the charges against him as "lies."
- World pirate attacks doubled in the first half of this year, driven by a surge of pirate activity off the Somali coast.
- Workers on South Africa's World Cup stadiums will end a week-long strike.
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