WASHINGTON, D.C. : Protesters End Fast Over Gift to Cuba

Three protesters ended a 94-day fast when the Treasury Department released more than 300 computers it had seized as an illegal shipment to Cuban medical centers. But under a federal agreement, the United Methodist Church will take custody of the computers until the government decides if they meet requirements for humanitarian aid. The Methodist Church, which volunteered as an intermediary in the dispute, agreed to ensure that the equipment “is not exported to Cuba in the absence of a license,” says the deal drawn up by the Treasury Department. Minneapolis-based Pastors for Peace launched a highly publicized move in January to ship 395 used computers and related parts to Cuba. But U.S. Customs agents in California and Vermont seized the computers because the pastors did not have government permission to send aid to Cuba.