Edmonton Journal from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada • 10

A10 I PMONTON JOURNAL, Friday, Strtrmhfr H. 1978 him in iii mini i.i i Him. i iu'li" il mi mm in nn in m.n u. 1 1 Hf 4m i--Mjv 4 St -V. rs Nicaragua's National Guard troops roll into Leon Rebels withstand assaults clin of Nicaraguan commandos A fireman in Leon, Pedro Pablo Perez, said seven blocks were bumed in Leon's centre, destroying 90 businesses.

He said the fires began after rebels shot the locks off of stores with the intention of distributing food and goods to the townspeople. In Managua, the guerrillas distributed a statement calling for an uprising, and speculation mounted they might be planning an attack to coincide with Nicaragua's 157th anniversary of independence from Spain. Cross workers were killed. The Red Cross in Managua confirmed an ambulance had been fired on, but said further details were not available. National Guardsmen on the outskirts of town said they knew the rebels had at least one machine gun.

The soldiers said 500 troops were moved to Leon, many of them from Masaya, where the rebel uprising was crushed Tuesday and Red Cross workers were burning decomposing bodies found in the rubble of buildings. Somoza' power grip near state of collapse Analysis MANAGUA (AP) Nicaraguan commmidos backed by armored vehicles and helicopters pressed their assault today on the city of Leon, but rebels there and in two other northern citiislappeared to be holding on as Managua braced for a possible attack to coincide with the country's independence day. Lo)i, Nicaragua's second largest city, with a population of 100,000, has been occupied since Saturday by Sandjnista guerrillas seeking the overthrow of President Anastasio Somoza. The leftist guerrillas and ordinary citizens supporting them also hold two other major cities in northwest Nicaragua, Esteli and Chinandega. The rebels have lost control of the southern city of Masaya and are reported to have been repulsed in an attack on Penas Blancas on the Costa Rican border.

However, they are still entrenched in Diriamba, 32 kilometres south of Managua, Jinotepe, eight kilometres south of Diriamba, and Rivl $8 kilometres further south. Somoza has mobilized reserves of the National Guard, Nicaragua's army, to counter the rebel attacks; declared martial law; and placed Managua under an 8 p.m.-5 a.m. curfew. The Red Cross estimates 500 persons have been killed in the week's fighting. About 38 truckloads of troops moved into Leon Thursday and surrounded the town.

National Guardsmen and the guerrillas were shooting at virtually anything that moved. A small plane flew over the city Thursday afternoon warning by loudspeaker that "the National Guard is not responsible for what happens if you leave your houses." Helicopters flew over the city pounding rebel positions with machine-gun fire. The streets were barricaded and the fire was returned. Two armored vehicles were parked in front of the National Guard garrison. Guardsmen had been pinned down there for days exchanging shots with the rebels.

Journalists returning from Leon said a Red Cross ambulance was hit by machine-gun fire on the highway outside of town and that two Red Kroehler Sleep-or-Lounge. Save now on our contemporary style sleep-or-lounge, upholstered in 100 nylon or Olefin. Choose from a wide assortment of colors and patterns. By JOHN WARD NEW YORK (CP) There are signs that the reign of Nicaragua's dictator, Anastasio Somoza, may be toppling amid the civil war now raging. The Somoza family has ruled the Central American country for more than 40 years, but Its grip on power is failing against military and economic pressures by a broad coalition of opponents.

Left-wing guerrillas have taken several Nicaraguan cities and the country's business community remains united in a national strike that now is three weeks old. The hard-pressed dictator has declared a state of emergency and suspended constitutional guarantees as he struggles gainst a rapidly deteriorating situation. The United States, which originally trained and equipped the national guard the force which brought the Somozas to power and has kept them there has displayed a hands-off policy on the growing crisis. After supporting the Somoza family for 40 years, Washington has merely suggested that mediation by the Organization of American States might help to end the fighting. The struggle against the government was launched by Sandinista Liberation Front guerrillas last week and has claimed hundreds of lives.

The government initially dismissed the uprising as scattered snipers, but the fighting has become heavy in several urban centres. The fuse to the Nicaraguan powder keg began sputtering in earnest last January after the assassination of Joaquin Chamorro, a newspaper publisher and outright opponent of Somoza. Critics blamed his death on the government and began violent demonstrations and a two-week national strike. Then, late in August, Somoza's authority was badly shaken by a daring terrorist raid. Guerrillas seized hundreds of hostages in the capital building in Managua and exchanged them for jailed political prisoners, cash and safe passage to Panama.

The latest unrest has combined various facets of the opposition in common cause, including left-wing guerrillas, roman Catholic clergy, students, labor and business leaders. Samson Desks. Handy for den or study, our modern style desks feature an attractive single walnut color finish. Pedestal Double Pedestal World Digest Lamps. Light up your home with savings on our assortment of table and swag lamps.

All lamps in stock are now greatly reduced! SAVE 12" Black and White Television. Check this low price on our 100 solid state AC DC television set. Perfect for small apartments. lar flights in the Soviet Union in 1975, occurred more than three months ago. Norway outlaws skateboarding OSLO, Norway Skateboarding became illegal throughout Norway today.

The Product Control Council, saying that skateboards have caused deaths and accidents when skaters speed in street traffic, called a temporary ban six months ago, shortly after American producers introduced the toy to Norway. The council said 28 children died in skateboard accidents in the United States last year and more than 100,000 were injured. Ford executives arrested MONTEVIDEO The head of Ford Motor Uru-guyan subsidiary, his chief of operations and 19 Uruguayan employees are under arrest for allegedly trying to avoid payment of customs duties on imported automobile parts, police said. The 21 men are charged with removing parts from shipping crates before customs inspectors checked the contents, then declaring the parts missing. Strike protests disappearance BEIRUT Youths set up street barricades and bumed tires in western Beirut today as Moslem areas of Lebanon went on a one-day general strike to protest the disappearance of Imam Moussa Sadr, spiritual leader to 900,000 Shiite Moslems, the country's largest sect 0J Two killed by typhoon TOKYO At least two people were killed today when a typhoon swept across the southwestern tip of Japan's main Honshu Island.

Police said a 32-year-old man was blown offJ1tof and a 25-year-old woman was" killed when a bill-borJJiit her car. Well, the men didn't mind DARTMOUTH, England A pretty brunette stepped naked out of the Dart River on Thursday, and for 15 minutes streaked through the streets of this sleepy west coast yachting town. Police, in response to complaints from scandalized women, finally caught up with her, ushered her into a police station while her clothes were brought, then let ber go. "The men didn't seem to mind" a police official "But there are always a few types who don't like to think the men might be enjoying themselves." Stolen art discovered HAMBURG, West Germany A special anti-terrorist squad made a surprise discovery when it stormed into a hotel room here in search of a suspicious-looking, gun-toting guest Stolen art treasures worth $750,000 1 1 paintings signed by such masters as Picasso, Renoir, Degas and Utrillo were recovered, and five men arrested. Soviets suspend flights MOSCOW Passenger flights by the supersonic To-144.

the Soviet Union's much-delayed answer to the Anglo-French Concorde, have been suspended until the end of this year. Western aviation en peris in Moscow speculated that some serious problem may have developed with the droop-nosed 1 40-seat jetliner or even that one may have crashed, with the rest grounded pending an investigation. Tbe'tst confirmed flight of the Tb-I44, which began regu Argyll Warehouse 1 Mamcio I WMKMOUSE Ptx yr Vy REMEMBER: You can use your Bay Account Chargex Visa or Master Charge. Plenty of free parking. Minimal delivery charge.

Castro firm on troops Argyll Store Is located at E3 19 Argyll Road Phone 465-2404 Mayfleld Store Is located at 16337-111 Avenue Phone 433-5434 NAIROBI Fidel Castro said Thursday be has no intention of bowing to Western pressure and withdrawing thousands of Cuban troops he has sent to several African states. In a speech in Ethiopia, Castro defended his military intervention in Africa and said not one Cuban soldier is on African soil other than to "defend a just cause." "3..