New York
Aid to gay partners of victims varies
NEW YORK - Most gay partners of those killed in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington have received charitable aid comparable to what surviving spouses have gotten, advocates say. But, illustrating the vagaries of laws relating to gay couples, survivors in Virginia cannot receive state aid. And the federal government, which will oversee distribution of its own compensation fund, has yet to release guidelines on whether gay partners will qualify. (AP)
Dust at WTC site contains few toxins
NEW YORK - Bird's-eye scientific snapshots of the World Trade Center disaster site, as well as chemical tests on dust samples, show only pockets of asbestos contamination following the collapse of the twin towers. Federal officials say recovery workers at ground zero should continue to wear respirators and other protective equipment. But they said ongoing studies show the plume of dust and grit that blanketed Manhattan after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks contains very low concentrations of dangerous materials and poses no serious environmental and public-health hazards. (AP)
Romania
European leaders vow to aid freedom
BUCHAREST - European foreign ministers opened an antiterrorism conference yesterday with a vow to strengthen the continent's fledgling democracies, where continued unrest has created ''a fertile breeding ground'' for terrorists. Joining forces, ministers of the 55-nation Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said more intervention in the Balkans and the former Soviet republics was needed to stop terrorism from taking root. (AP)
Italy
Tax police target funds to terrorists
MILAN - Italian tax police said yesterday they were searching a dozen companies in and around Milan as part of a crackdown on Islamic cells allegedly supporting Osama bin Laden's Al Qaeda. Some 50 organized crime officers were involved in the searches in Italy's financial capital, nearby Varese, and other towns in the northern Lombardy region, police said in a statement. (Reuters)
Florida
Tabloids may seek a warmer climate
DELRAY BEACH - American Media Inc.'s chief said yesterday he may move the tabloid empire out of Florida because of lack of support from county and business leaders following his building's anthrax contamination. The company publishes six supermarket tabloids - including The National Enquirer, Globe, and Weekly World News. ''If we're not being treated like a good corporate citizen, I think we should seriously consider moving,'' said chief executive officer David Pecker, as he held a newspaper article in which local business leaders criticized the Palm Beach County Commission's decision last month to give AMI $390,000 as incentive to stay. Employees will make the final decision, Pecker said. (AP)
Washington
Female pilot fights body veil policy
The Air Force's highest-ranking female fighter pilot, Lieutenant Colonel Martha McSally, sued yesterday to try to overturn a policy requiring servicewomen to wear restrictive Muslim clothing when off base in Saudi Arabia. Female military personnel in Saudi Arabia must wear black head-to-foot robes called abayas and ride in the back seat when off base. McSally said the policy is unconstitutional and discriminatory. The US Central Command said the policy helps protect women from harassment. (AP)
