USA
Two leaders of a mosque in Albany, N.Y., were arrested in a sting operation on charges of providing support to terrorism by helping an undercover agent they thought was a terrorist buy a shoulder-fired missile, federal authorities said Thursday. Yassin Aref and Mohammed Hoosain, imam and founder of the Majid as-Salam mosque, respectively, have ties to a group called Ansar al-Islam, which has been linked to Al Qaeda terrorists. Meanwhile, according to network TV reports, new evidence about terrorist contacts inside the US suggests that a plot to attack financial targets could still be in the works.
The Federal Aviation Administration warned that it would take unilateral action to ease flight delays at O'Hare International in Chicago if the industry didn't fix the problem. A special discussion on addressing the problem that ripples through the nation's air system was set to continue Thursday between FAA and airline officials. Seven in 10 passengers flying to O'Hare connect to other flights.
While acknowledging that he doesn't think running for the senate in another state is a "good idea," Alan Keyes said he'd consider accepting the Illinois GOP's offer to be a candidate in November if "it's in the best interest of the state and the nation." Keyes, a former presidential hopeful, lives in Maryland and only needs to live in Illinois by the Nov. 2 election in order to run. He says he will announce his decision Sunday.
During its first public meeting on power plant safety since Sept. 11, 2001, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission said it would no longer reveal security gaps discovered at 103 US nuclear plants or the subsequent enforcement actions. Kept under wraps for several months until announced Wednesday, the new policy was adopted to keep US "adversaries" from getting the information.
A small group of soldiers angered by abuses at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison confronted guards allegedly responsible two months before news of the scandal broke but didn't alert the military's high command, The Los Angeles Times reported, citing Wednesday testimony in a preliminary hearing for Army Pfc. Lynndie England. The hearing in Fort Bragg, N.C., will determine if she must stand trial for her role in the abuse.
With a goal of making half of all new California homes solar in the next 10 years, state officials have proposed $100 million in annual rebates for installing solar panels. A monthly utility surcharge of about 25-to-30 cents per household would underwrite the effort.
