11.   All are islands in the Pacific Ocean or Caribbean Sea and lie directly in the reported path of the nuclear waste shipment.

12.   Anti-nuclear activists want the plants shut down faster and say waste shipments are unsafe.

13.   Anti-nuclear groups say their aim is to drive up the cost of waste shipments and persuade utilities that nuclear plants are not economical.

14.   Area leaders also were expected to condemn nuclear waste shipments through the Caribbean, fearing a disaster that would irreparably harm tourism.

15.   But House Democratic leader Dick Gephardt of Missouri, expressed concern about the thousands of waste shipments that will have to crisscross the country.

16.   But Russian media speculated that the real reason for his abrupt return was a dispute over nuclear waste shipments to Krasnoyarsk region, where Lebed is governor.

17.   Earlier, Merkel said the government will tighten supervision of the industry and its waste shipments.

18.   German government agrees on banning nuclear waste shipments.

19.   Germany resumed nuclear waste shipments a year ago, following a three-year break imposed by the previous government after radioactive leakage was discovered in some containers.

20.   Germany said Friday that it will cut the number of nuclear waste shipments to try to reduce protests, but anti-nuclear groups denounced the decision.