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Federal
authorities receive attack threat to Liberty Bell
PHILADELPHIA
(AP) — Federal authorities kept a close watch on the Liberty
Bell on Thursday after receiving a “nonspecific” threat
that someone planned to attack it. It was not being closed to tourists,
though.
Security
at the historic block that includes the Liberty Bell pavilion, Independence
Hall and a federal courthouse, and the surrounding Old City neighborhood,
was tightened after authorities issued a warning about the bell’s
safety Wednesday.
The
bell opened for visitors as usual Thursday, and a handful of people
lined up to get in.
The
threat didn’t say when an attack might occur but was considered
serious enough to warrant increased patrols, said Linda Vizi, spokeswoman
for the FBI in Philadelphia.
An
area terrorism task force made up of the FBI, other federal agencies,
Philadelphia police and Pennsylvania and New Jersey state police
“is in the process of determining whether there is any veracity
or substance to the threat,” Vizi said.
Officials
encourage routine mammograms for women
WASHINGTON
(AP) — Women age 40 and older should get a mammogram every
year or two, federal health officials said Thursday, reaffirming
government backing of the breast cancer test even as European scientists
have raised doubts about its effectiveness.
The
U.S. Preventive Services Task Force reviewed eight major studies
of mammography and concluded there is “fair evidence”
that getting one regularly could reduce the chances of dying from
breast cancer by about 20 percent over 10 years.
The
evidence that mammograms save lives is strongest for older women
— those ages 50 to 69 — but the task force decided some
benefit likely will be gained by the younger women as well.
It’s
unclear if getting a clinical breast exam at the same time, or doing
breast self exams, also helps reduce deaths, the panel said.
Thursday’s
decision updates the task force’s last recommendation, in 1996,
that set age 50 as the time for mammograms to start. Separately,
the National Cancer Institute already had urged mammograms for 40-somethings.
Peace
Corps interest rises among Americans
WASHINGTON
(AP) — The number of Americans seeking information about the
Peace Corps has risen 39 percent since President Bush’s State
of the Union address rallied volunteers for the war against terrorism.
Bush
called for all Americans to commit themselves to at least two years
of volunteer service and announced an expansion of the Peace Corps,
along with AmeriCorps and Senior Corps. The number of Peace Corps
volunteers will double to about 15,000 over the next five years
under Bush’s planned expansion.
Last
week, the president announced plans to send a team of Peace Corps
veterans to Afghanistan to assess future aid efforts there.
Agency
spokeswoman Ellen Field said Thursday, in light of the increased
interest, agency officials are trying to shorten the application
process, which typically takes three to six months. “We’re
trying to shorten it to between 90 and 120 days,” Field said.
The
Peace Corps hopes soon to return volunteers to three areas it pulled
out of after the Sept. 11 attacks — Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
and Kyrgyzstan.
Argentines
must have visas to enter United States
WASHINGTON
(AP) — Argentines must now obtain a visa in order to enter
the United States, the Justice Department said Wednesday. The government
cited an increase in the number of Argentines who are remaining
illegally on U.S. soil to avoid the economic crisis
in their homeland.
Argentina
has been one of 29 countries whose citizens have not been required
to obtain U.S. visas for entry into the United States. Citizens
from these countries may remain in the United States for 90 days.
Argentines
who intend to travel to the United States for business or pleasure
will have to get a nonimmigrant visa. State Department spokesman
Richard Boucher said the new rules affecting Argentines were to
take effect Thursday.
A
Justice Department statement said Argentina’s participation
in the visa waiver program “is no longer compatible with the
enforcement of immigration laws of the United States.
The
decision follows Argentina’s economic collapse that has led
to a 20 percent unemployment rate and economic uncertainty.”
On
Wednesday, long lines of Argentines angry and dismayed by the pending
change formed outside the U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires as they sought
permission to travel to the United States.
Khamenei
accuses U.S. of dominating other nations
TEHRAN,
Iran (AP) — The United States’ claim of fighting terrorism
and promoting peace in the Middle East are a cover for its goal
of dominating and controlling the wealth of other nations, Iran’s
supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said, state-run Iranian radio
reported Thursday.
“The
rhetoric of the U.S. administration in fighting against terrorism
and defending the peace process in the Middle East are only a cover
for the hegemonistic plans of the United States to dominate and
control the wealth and vital resources of other nations,” Khamenei
said.
His
remarks were part of a statement issued Wednesday to mark the annual
Muslim pilgrimage, or hajj.
“It
is a shame that a country with a long record of sponsoring terrorist
operations, a country that planned and undertook military coups
in many parts of the world, a country with the largest arsenal of
weapons of mass destruction, and a country that continues to support
the most dangerous terrorists of the world is now going to take
the lead in the war against terrorism,” Khamenei said, referring
to the United States.
Last
month, President Bush said in his State of the Union address that
Iran was part of an “axis of evil” — along with Iraq
and North Korea — because it seeks weapons of mass destruction,
an allegation Iran denies.
Peace
prize committee receives record nominations
OSLO,
Norway (AP) — A record 157 nominations ranging from President
Bush to the Salvation Army have been made for this year’s Nobel
Peace Prize after the awards committee added six names Thursday
at its first meeting of the year.
Olav
Njoelstad, acting secretary of the awards committee, said the final
list included 122 individuals and 35 organizations, the largest
number ever nominated for the world’s most coveted prize.
He
also announced that this year’s prize amount will be $943,000.
The
five-member committee keeps the nomination list secret, although
other sources reveal some of the nominations — including those
of Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair for fighting terrorism
and trying to secure world peace following the Sept. 11 terrorist
attacks.
This
year, those nominated include Bush, Blair, former New York City
Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, the Salvation Army, the Rome-based Catholic
group Church of Sant’Egidio for peace and humanitarian efforts,
the Mission of Mercy humanitarian group for work in Latin America,
and the SOS Children’s Villages aid group.
Njoelstad
said the committee prepared a short list of its candidates for further
study ahead of its next meeting on April 29, at which time the list
will be trimmed further. The decision will be announced in mid-October,
as usual.
Egypt
train disaster kills near 370 in fire Wednesday
CAIRO,
Egypt (AP) — Relatives looked through bodies burned beyond
recognition in the capital’s morgue Thursday, trying to identify
loved ones killed in Egypt’s worst train disaster, as investigators
pledged to quickly uncover the cause of the fire that killed at
least 370 people.
On
the eve of one of the country’s biggest family holidays, relatives
traveled from villages of southern Egypt to converge on Cairo’s
main morgue, where bodies were brought from the train that caught
fire Wednesday. Some brought coffins in which to take their dead
home.
Some
170 bodies have been identified so far, the Middle East News Agency
reported.
Most
of the passengers on the crowded train were men who work in Cairo,
traveling alone back to their home villages in the south to see
family during the major Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, or the “Feast
of the Sacrifice.”
Stick-wielding
riot police stood on the streets around the morgue in case grief
and anger erupted into anti-government protests. The scene was calm.
The
government announced $665 compensation for families of the dead
and $222 for the injured.
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