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Thanks to Jellyjam for the heads up.

Note: The following text is an exact quote:
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http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_1161.html

PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
This information is current as of today, Tue Aug 02 2005 15:16:06 GMT-0700.

Worldwide Caution

August 2, 2005

This Public Announcement updates information on the continuing threat of terrorist actions and violence against Americans and interests overseas. This supersedes the Worldwide Caution dated March 8, 2005 and expires on February 2, 2006.

The Department of State remains concerned about the continued threat of terrorist attacks, demonstrations and other violent actions against U.S. citizens and interests overseas. Americans are reminded that demonstrations and rioting can occur with little or no warning. Ongoing events in Iraq have resulted in demonstrations and associated violence in several countries; such events are likely to continue for the foreseeable future. Nation-wide elections in Afghanistan scheduled for mid-September may also trigger violent anti-American actions.

Current information suggests that al-Qa’ida and affiliated organizations continue to plan terrorist attacks against U.S. interests in multiple regions, including Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. These attacks may employ a wide variety of tactics to include assassinations, kidnappings, hijackings and bombings. Extremists may elect to use conventional or non-conventional weapons, and target both official and private interests. The latter may include facilities where U.S. citizens and other foreigners congregate or visit, including residential areas, business offices, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, schools, hotels and public areas.

In the wake of the July 2005 London bombings and the March 2004 train attacks in Madrid, Americans are reminded of the potential for terrorists to attack public transportation systems. In addition, extremists may also select aviation and maritime services as possible targets.

U.S. citizens are strongly encouraged to maintain a high level of vigilance, be aware of local events, and take the appropriate steps to bolster their personal security. For additional information, please refer to “A Safe Trip Abroad” found at http://travel.state.gov.

U.S. Government facilities worldwide remain at a heightened state of alert. These facilities may temporarily close or periodically suspend public services to assess their security posture. In those instances, U.S. embassies and consulates will make every effort to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens. Americans abroad are urged to monitor the local news and maintain contact with the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.

As the Department continues to develop information on any potential security threats to U.S. citizens overseas, it shares credible threat information through its Consular Information Program documents, available on the internet at http://travel.state.gov. In addition to information on the internet, travelers may obtain up-to-date information on security conditions by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the U.S. or outside the U.S. and Canada on a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444.

ON THE NET...

http://www.fbi.gov/terrorinfo/counterrorism/waronterrorhome.htm

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http://www.fbi.gov/page2/aug05/tsc080105.htm
AMERICA'S TERRORIST SCREENING CENTER (TSC)
Protecting America from Terrorist Attack

08/01/05

It's a place of anxious, serious faces—like you see at NASA's Mission Control right before a launch. People from different agencies and companies man the phones and computers 24/7 as queries come in from checkpoints across the country and world—all with one question: do I have a known or appropriately suspected terrorist on my hands?

Three scenarios:
1. Officer Jones from Atlanta in a patrol car says she got a suspected terrorist match on a name of a man she stopped for speeding—now she's looking for a physical description that will tell her if he’s the same person.
2. A Customs and Border Protection inspector calls from a Dallas airport about a person on an incoming international flight manifest—“give me more information: should I let this person into the country?”
3. A consular officer in Manila cables a list of visa applicants: should each one be granted a visa to visit the U.S.?

That's precisely what the TSC can tell them. TSC Director Donna Bucella, a former federal prosecutor, puts it this way: "We're here to get information to the people who can stop dangerous types from entering the U.S....and who can identify dangerous types who are already on our streets and arrest them. The TSC’s role," she adds, "places it squarely at the intersection of local law enforcement and the intelligence community, bridging the gap between national security, homeland defense, and the police officer on patrol.”

Want to learn more? We are posting information about the center on an inside page for your convenience. To date, we have included how it came into being; its mission; what it does; and why it does it. And don't miss its FAQs; they will tell you everything you wanted to know and then some:

Who is included in TSC's database: domestic terrorists like Timothy McVeigh? U.S. citizens? You?
Are people ever removed from the database?
If you have security issues when you cross into the U.S., or if you've been told that you're on an airline terrorist watchlist—does that mean you're in the database?
How is the Center prevented from encroaching on the civil liberties of Americans?
Stay tuned for more information. We will be adding more to the TSC site as it becomes available.

Links: Terrorist Screening Center Fact Sheet | FBI Counterterrorism website | More counterterrorism stories

NOTE: The following post is an exact quote:
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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1455725/posts

Vietnam: Ports ordered to be on the alert for strange diseases
vietnamnews ^

Posted on 08/02/2005 5:36:27 PM PDT by xVIer

Ports ordered to be on the alert for strange diseases http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/showarticle.php?num=02HEA020805 (02-08-2005)

HA NOI — The Ministry of Health is asking personnel at the nation’s entry points, such as airports, bordergates and harbours, to be on the alert for the penetration of strange diseases into Viet Nam.

All persons with a fever upon entering the country will be quarantined and given timely medical treatment, according to deputy health minister Trinh Quan Huan.

Huan said a strange disease transmitted from swine that occurred recently in China had not yet appeared in Viet Nam. "We have seen encephalitis B infections pass from pigs to human through mosquitoes. We now have vaccine to prevent the disease," said Huan.

Bird flu

A woman in Ha Tay Province tested positive for the H5N1 bird flu virus, bringing to a total of four the number people infected with the virus in the province since early this year, one of whom has died, said the director of provincial Preventive Health Centre.

Centre director Hoang Ñuc Hanh said Nguyen Thi Them, 49, was brought to the local hospital with symptoms of fever, coughing and chest pain on July 22. Three days later, she was moved to the National Institute for Clinical Research in Tropical Medicine and received the testing result there.

Hanh said Them’s family ate chicken bought at a local market some days before she showed signs of fever. A centre team has visited her village in Quoc Oai District to spray chemicals around the family and market. — VNS