"Terrorism fears continued to disrupt international air travel yesterday. British Airways announced it was grounding its Saturday afternoon flight to the Saudi capital Riyadh, which it had also cancelled on Wednesday, due to security concerns. BA also cancelled a London-Washington flight for the second day running on Friday, due to reports of a “real and definite threat” of a Sept 11-style attack on the US capital," reported the AFP news agency.
"Brazil said on Friday it would not end court-ordered photographing and fingerprinting of US visitors, a tit-for-tat response to a similar US measure, despite grumbling over the US action. I consider the act itself absolutely brutal, an attack on human rights, a violation of human dignity, xenophobic and as bad as the worst horrors sponsored by the Nazis judge Julier Sebastiao wrote of the US measures, in his decision ordering Brazilian authorities to fingerprint and photograph all US visitors," reported the AFP news agency.
"Iran has rejected for the moment receiving a high-level US delegation that would have discussed humanitarian issues in the aftermath of last week's earthquake, the State Department said on Friday. Iran's response did not rule out such a mission in the future but deputy department spokesman Adam Ereli said the US offer had been based on the current severity of the situation on the ground in the devastated city of Bam and might no longer be valid as conditions there improve," reported the AFP news agency.
"The Al-Jazeera satellite channel broadcast an audiotape purportedly from al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, in which he urged Muslims to continue fighting a holy war in Iraq and the Middle East rather than cooperate with peace efforts," reported the Reuters news agency.
"British Prime Minister Tony Blair paid a morale-boosting surprise visit to his troops in southern Iraq yesterday, stressing the contribution the 10,000 soldiers were making towards building a new Iraq," reported the AFP news agency.
"Iraqi police claimed a US convoy opened fire on a car in northern Iraq, killing four people, including a woman and a nine-year-old child, while one US soldier died in a mortar strike and two more in a roadside bombing," reported the AFP news agency.
"Twice-cancelled British Airways Flight 223 landed safely outside Washington late on Saturday, as British officials warned more flights may be called off to prevent another Sept 11-style attack. The British Airways flight from London, which had been delayed for three hours on Saturday due to extra security procedures, landed without incident at Washington's Dulles International Airport," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Settlers accused Ariel Sharon of threatening the future of Zionism after the Israeli premier yesterday ordered the evacuation of two more settlement outposts as tens of thousands of Palestinians were cleared to work in Israel. The outposts at Tal Binyamin and Havat Maon join a list of four other West Bank outposts now slated to be dismantled in coming days," reported the AFP news agency.
"Thailand declared martial law in three southern provinces yesterday after a bomb blast killed two policemen following brazen attacks on Sunday, which authorities mostly blamed on bandits eager to protect lucrative weapons smuggling interests. Officials denied that the weekend attacks were connected to regional extremists linked to the August capture in Thailand of suspected Jemaah Islamiah operations chief Hambali, who is accused of planning the 2002 Bali bombings," reported the Malaysian Star newspaper.
"A military tribunal sentenced five young Israelis to a year in prison on Sunday for refusing to serve in the occupied Palestinian territories, one of those convicted said. Matan Kaminer, Noam Bahat, Shimri Tzameret, Adam Maor and Hagai Matar have already served 13 months on remand but they will now have to serve another year behind bars. Every day troops commit crimes in the occupied territories, Matar said at the Jaffa Military Court, referring to Israeli military actions in Palestinian territories. While we go to the stockade, they remain free. We did not expect anything else from the tribunal of an army which occupies and oppresses a whole people and from a regime which has forgotten the meaning of democracy," reported the news Agencies.
"Israel's justice minister called on Sunday for the route of a controversial West Bank barrier to be reconsidered, lest it draw sanctions because it cuts into occupied land. Yosef Lapid spoke as Arab nations pitched in with the Palestinians to prepare a case against the barrier for hearings in the International Court of Justice in The Hague, scheduled for next month at the behest of the UN General Assembly," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Saudi police have defused a grenade at a shop selling mobile phones in a residential suburb here, Saudi security source said. One source said the grenade at the middle-class, predominantly Saudi Sultana district was actually hollow, adding that he believed the incident was a hoax," reported the Reuters news agency.
"The Al-Jazeera satellite channel broadcast an audiotape purportedly from al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, in which he urged Muslims to continue fighting a holy war in Iraq and the Middle East rather than co-operate with peace efforts," reported the AP news agency.
"Foreigners entering US airports and seaports from all but 28 nations will have their fingerprints scanned and their photographs taken this week as part of a new programme to tighten border security. Brazil started fingerprinting and photographing Americans arriving at Sao Paulo's airport last week in response to the new US measures. Brazil's Foreign Ministry has requested that Brazilians be removed from the US list," reported the AP news agency.
"The French minister who visited the crash scene of an Egyptian Boeing 737 in which 148 people died said yesterday that there were no grounds to suspect a terror attack. French Transport Minister Gilles de Robien had said on Sunday that while no one could be absolutely certain, it appeared the crash was the result of a power failure," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Airlines in Europe and Africa vowed yesterday to cancel flights rather than comply with American demands to carry armed air marshals on some US-bound planes to guard against more Sept 11-style attacks. The statements by South African Airways and Thomas Cook Airlines, the charter flight arm of Europe's second biggest travel firm, deepened controversy over a move Washington sees as essential to outwitting al-Qaeda and other extremist groups," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Passengers arriving on Monday at Washington's main airport found the start of fingerprinting and photographing of foreign visitors quick – but invasive. It's very embarrassing for us. I don't think it's appropriate to do this kind of stuff, said Brazilian Carlos Pimenta, 36, on arrival at Dulles International Airport. His bags were piled high on a cart," reported the AFP news service.
"The United States on Monday expressed regret at Brazil's decision to begin fingerprinting and photographing Americans in response to similar border security measures introduced by Washington," reported the AFP news service.
"A Saudi man was charged on Monday with carrying firecrackers in carry-on luggage on a plane from Germany to Boston amid US warnings of an attack bigger than the Sept 11, 2001," reported the Reuters news agency.
"The army will prohibit troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan in coming months from retiring or leaving the service for other reasons for up to 90 days after arriving at their home bases. The military is suffering stress from global deployments of tens of thousands of troops in the wake of the 2001 attacks and an army official said the temporary stop loss order was to preserve cohesion in units as they reconstitute after serving in Iraq and Afghanistan," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Britain launched a top-level police investigation into the death of Princess Diana yesterday as a tabloid newspaper named her former husband Prince Charles as the person she suspected of plotting to kill her. More than six years after Diana died in a car crash in Paris, Royal Coroner Michael Burgess opened an inquest into her death by saying Britain's top police officer should investigate claims her death was not an accident but a deliberate plot," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Augustino Miozzo, the team leader of Italy’s Civil Protection Agency and Co-ordinator for the European Union for the Bam earthquake, has this message for the Iranian people:You are an amazing, resilient and courageous people. It is really amazing how the Iranians have reacted to the earthquake in Bam. They have come together tremendously," reported the Malaysian Star newspaper.
"Miozzo took offence at statements that the poor co-ordination of rescue efforts by the Iranian government was a stumbling block to better management of the disaster. No government in the world would have been able to co-ordinate (with) a disaster like this within one or two days, he added. Miozzo said Iranian authorities had actually done well under the circumstances. After two days the Iranians had mobilised thousands of medical personnel, and rescue and relief workers. Within five days they had electricity and also clean water supply. Even my country, which has experienced all sorts of disasters, from volcanoes, floods and earthquakes, could not have done as much as the Iranians have within such a short span of time," reported the Malaysian Star newspaper.
"Miozzo said the Iranian people have gone out of their way to make the Italians welcome. They are Muslims but on New Year’s Day they came to wish us Merry Christmas and gave us a card, thanking us for coming to help them. They also gave the women a red rose each as a token of their love and appreciation. This outpouring of love is something I will always treasure," reported the Malaysian Star newspaper.
"Australia’s Qantas Airways said yesterday that US authorities are now banning passengers from gathering near restrooms and other places on airliners flying to America – an order the Australian government thinks might be impractical," reported the Reuters news agency.
"French authorities took a woman wearing an electrically-heated coat off an airliner before it left Paris for the US city of Cincinnati on Tuesday in the latest security alert surrounding a trans-Atlantic flight. The woman was cleared of any suspicion but US authorities put the Delta Air Line flight through an intense security check when it eventually arrived at the midwestern city," reported the AFP news service.
"A senior aide to Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom held talks late last month with a senior Libyan official about the prospect of forging diplomatic ties. If Libya rejoins the family of nations and renounces its weapons (of mass destruction) Israel does not rule out dialogue with this country," reported the AFP news service.
"European Union offices were on heightened security alert on Tuesday as an international investigation intensified into a shadowy Italian anarchist group suspected in a string of booby-trapped letters sent to EU officials in five countries," reported the AP news agency.
"Looking to draw more Hispanics behind his re-election bid, President George W. Bush will propose a temporary worker programme to help millions of immigrants work legally in the United States, officials said. Facing a possibly close election next November, Bush is reviving an issue put on hold when the Sept 11 attacks raised American worries about terrorists slipping across US borders and prompted tighter control of foreigners entering and living in the country," reported the Reuters news agency.
"The United States announced an amnesty for hundreds of prisoners in Iraq yesterday and quadrupled funds for political transition as it stepped up preparations for the transfer of power to Iraqis in June. The change in policy, which follows last month's capture of the former Iraqi president, comes amid complaints by Iraqis that family members have been detained without good cause or merely for being in the wrong place at the wrong time," reported the Reuters news agency.
"France is searching for an Afghan on a US list of suspected terrorists because he – or someone who shares his name – failed to board a trans-Atlantic flight that was cancelled amid fears that planes may be attacked. They said investigators have not yet established whether that passenger was Abdou Hai himself or someone with the same name," reported the AP news agency.
"All nine people on board a US military UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter were killed Wednesday when it made a crash landing near the insurgency-hit Iraqi town of Fallujah," reported the AFP news service.
"A 57-year-old man was pulled from the rubble of Iran's earthquake, barely conscious but still alive because he had a source of water during the 13 days he was buried. Dr Shadnoush said that the case was difficult to explain scientifically – but water apparently would have been the key. People rarely survive being buried under earthquake rubble for more than three days," reported the AP news agency.
"America's first family has its share of parenting headaches with George Bush's twin daughters acting out their resentment at his chosen career with underage drinking binges and other escapades, excerpts from a new book published on Tuesday said. The book says both Bushes fell into the trap of spoiling their children because Laura Bush nearly lost them late in her pregnancy. Excerpts in yesterday's Washington Post departed from the media convention of granting privacy to the children of previous presidents, including Chelsea Clinton. Unlike Chelsea, who the book notes used her time in the White House to learn about world politics, the Bush daughters are portrayed as having few interests beyond drinking, parties and designer clothing," reported the Guardian.
"Five youths went off to face cold winter nights in concrete military prison cells, the price for refusing army service in the West Bank and Gaza – a stand that appeals to a small but growing number of Israelis. The five began one-year prison terms on Wednesday after courts refused to recognise them as conscientious objectors. They said they could not serve in the army because of the military's abuse of Palestinians," reported the AP news agency.
"The US government sent teams of scientists with radiation detection devices to four major cities over the New Year's holiday to search for dirty bombs, Homeland Security officials said on Wednesday. Although there was no fear of a specific plot to use a dirty bomb – radioactive material scattered by conventional explosives – officials said teams were dispatched to monitor radiation levels in Washington, New York, Las Vegas and Los Angeles during and leading up to New Year's celebrations," reported the Reuters news agency.
