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The U.S. government has determined that one scientific test, among many conducted since North Korea's announced nuclear test, was consistent with a nuclear explosion, a senior administration official said Friday night. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, cautioned that the administration has not made a definitive conclusion about the nature of the explosion. "The betting is that this was an attempt at a nuclear test that failed," the official said. "We don't think they were trying to fake a nuclear test, but it may have been a nuclear fizzle _ an effort that failed." The official spoke on...

WASHINGTON — Oil prices jumped to a record above $75 a barrel on Wednesday, propelled by a rally in gasoline that analysts said could send average U.S. pump prices past $3 a gallon by the weekend. Recent snags in oil-shipping and refining along the Gulf Coast have raised traders' concerns about motor-fuel supplies at a time when demand continues to rise despite soaring prices. The start of a new fiscal quarter also has brought more speculative money into the market, brokers said. "Everybody thought we'd hit a price that would create permanent demand destruction. But demand for gasoline is rising,"...

The Fairfax County police officer who shot an unarmed man to death in January will not be charged with a crime, the county's chief prosecutor announced this afternoon. From the start, Fairfax police declared that the killing of Salvatore J. Culosi Jr., 37, was an accident and that the SWAT officer who fired had done so unintentionally. Fairfax Commonwealth's Attorney Robert F. Horan Jr. said that when a person fires a gun without malice and unintentionally kills someone, "they do not commit a crime." "I feel for the family of the victim in this case," Horan said. "You have to....

WASHINGTON (AP) - Authorities were concerned with terrorism threats in the air and on the ground Saturday. The British government delayed a London-to-Washington flight for three hours and U.S. officials monitored heavily secured stadiums hosting the first round of football playoffs. British Airways (BAB) 223, the most scrutinized flight since the United States declared a high terrorism alert Dec. 21, lifted off from Heathrow Airport just after 1 p.m. EST after intensive security checks. The plane had the all-clear earlier from Britain's Transport Department. The subsequent checks added to the misery of passengers on a flight also detained in Washington...

This supersedes the Worldwide Caution dated November 21, 2003. The text of that Caution is being reiterated below to remind U.S. citizens of the continuing threat that they may be targets of terrorist actions and to alert them to the raising of the Homeland Security threat level from Yellow (Elevated) to Orange (High). This Worldwide Caution expires on June 21, 2004. The U.S. Government remains deeply concerned about the security of U.S. citizens overseas. U.S. citizens are cautioned to maintain a high level of vigilance, to remain alert and to take appropriate steps to increase their security awareness. We are...

U.S. On Alert After Saudi Bombing WASHINGTON, Nov. 10, 2003 (CBS/AP) In response to the weekend bombing in Saudi Arabia, the Department of Homeland Security today issued an "Informational Bulletin" to U.S. law enforcement authorities to be on guard for similar style attacks in the U.S., reports CBS News Correspondent Bob Orr. A spokesman for DHS says there is no intelligence suggesting such an attack is planned, the bulletin is simply being distributed to raise awareness. Domestic agencies are being cautioned to watch for terrorists who may seek to disguise themselves as police officers and/or security guards. In Saturday's bombing...

Elite NPA assassins target George Bush? By Karl B. Kaufman, Reporter and Anthony Vargas, Correspondent THE communist New People’s Army has deployed at least 50 of its “elite, highly trained” troops in Metro Manila to carry out an assassination assignment on US President George W. Bush, who is scheduled to visit the country on October 18, military sources said. Requesting anonymity, the source said the deployment began as early as August “to establish an intelligence network” that would relay information and details to the NPA chain of command about Bush’s eight-hour visit. “Their first assignment is to link up with...

Out at the Prom More gay teens than ever are taking same-sex dates to prom. And instead of sparking controversy, schools are saying, what’s the big deal? By Julie Scelfo NEWSWEEK WEB EXCLUSIVE June 9 — Allen Wolff readied himself for prom like millions of other teenage boys. On the afternoon of May 25, the 17-year-old from Syracuse, New York, showered and shaved, leaving intact a thin goatee, donned a rental tux and silver vest, then coated his normally spiky locks with a generous portion of hair gel. AFTER ESCORTING HIS date into the balloon-enhanced splendor of the Baker High...

Plot to bomb embassies in Thailand foiled Arrests of 4 suspected members of Jemaah Islamiyah announced BANGKOK, Thailand -- Police have broken up a cell of the Islamic militant group Jemaah Islamiyah and foiled a plot to bomb embassies in the country, officials in Thailand and Singapore said today. Three Thai men alleged to be members of Jemaah Islamiyah, the group suspected in last year's bombing on the Indonesian resort island of Bali, were arrested today in raids on their homes in the Muslim-dominated Narathiwat province, 710 miles south of Bangkok, police said.

Man Sought In Yale Bombing 2:47 PM EDT,May 22, 2003 By DIANE SCARPONI, The Hartford Courant NEW HAVEN -- FBI agents investigating the explosion of what they believe was a pipe bomb at Yale University's law school were showing students a sketch of a man they want to identify. The sketch is of a man in his 20s or 30s with a round face and glasses, a law student said Thursday on the condition of anonymity. The student refused to say what race the man in the sketch appeared to be. The FBI is trying to identify the man and...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency has raised its warning of possible terror attack against military facilities in the United States to its highest level, defense officials said on Wednesday. Responding to that change in threat from "significant" to "high," the military will deploy additional mobile anti-aircraft missile systems and increase air patrols in the Washington area, according to the officials, who asked not to be identified.

Montgomery County Police Chief Charles Moose, known for leading the sniper investigation, voiced support in Annapolis Thursday for three new gun bills. One would refine the definition of banned "assault weapons" to include specific military features. Supporters say it would close a loophole that allows gun manufacturers to skirt current laws. "These weapons have no real use in our neighborhoods," Moose said. "The rapid-fire weapons do not improve the livability for the citizens of the state of Maryland." Another bill would require owners to notify authorities if they lose a gun. Chief Moose said police waste valuable time tracking down...

NEW YORK -- Hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons and the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network said an economic boycott of Pepsi would start next week unless the company runs an ad featuring the rapper Ludacris that was pulled last year. "Falling out of favor in the hip-hop community could be very damaging," Simmons said Wednesday. He also wants Pepsi to issue an apology and donate $5 million to his charity organization. Pepsi yanked the Ludacris ad in August, a day after Fox News Channel's Bill O'Reilly ran a segment criticizing the company for using the rapper. O'Reilly questioned Ludacris' appropriateness as a...

All tests on a letter found at a D.C. postal facility have come back negative for anthrax, said Thomas Day, a vice president with the U.S. Postal Service. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A61996-2003Jan15.html

<p>WASHINGTON — The FBI has issued an alert to be on the lookout for Amer El-Maati, a Kuwaiti-born man sought in connection with possible terrorist threats in the United States.</p> <p>El-Maati is described as 29 years old, 6-feet-tall, 209 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes.</p>

Kathleen Kennedy Townsend says Maryland voters were looking for a change. She says being Lieutenant Governor made it difficult to get her message out that she would be an agent for change. Townsend spoke this morning with reporters before starting a hike with her family on a trail near Annapolis. She wouldn't be drawn into criticism of Democratic Governor Parris Glendening, who said election night that Townsend ran the worst campaign in the nation. Townsend said her eight years as Glendening's lieutenant governor made it difficult to convince voters that she would bring about the change they wanted. Townsend says...

Top terrorist figures met in South America to plan new attacks on U.S. targets, intelligence sources tell CNN. Details soon.

The trouble with terrorism is that it produces too many psychotherapists. I'm trying to figure out what to do with them. My first thought was to take them to the sewage treatment plant over at Blue Plains and plunk them in, but I figured it would contaminate the sewage. I am a radical environmentalist, and deeply concerned with the rights of coliform bacteria. Nuke the shrinks, I say, and save the E. Coli. Bacteria are people too. Anyway, terrorism. We have a sniper lurking about Washington who has killed nine or so people. He has also started a moping industry....

BOWIE, Md. — Police say ballistic evidence they have recovered from a 13-year-old boy shot in front of his school in Bowie, Md., Monday links the shooting to several in the Washington area. Evidence recovered from the teen has been linked to the other shootings in the Washington area, Prince George's County Police Chief Gerald Wilson said today. The boy, who sustained a single gunshot wound to the chest, was in critical but stable condition following almost three hours of surgery at Children's Hospital in Washington, D.C., and doctors said they were "satisfied" with how he got through the operation....

BALTIMORE -- Former Colts great Johnny Unitas, one of the top quarterbacks of all time, died Wednesday of a heart attack at the age of 69, a Ravens spokesman confirmed. Unitas was working out with a therapist when he suffered the heart attack. The Hall of Famer was taken to a Baltimore hospital where he was pronounced dead. When he retired in 1973, Unitas left behind records for most pass attempts (5,186), most completions (2,830), most total yards (40,239), most touchdowns (290), most 300-yard games (26) and most consecutive games throwing touchdown passes (47). He led the Colts to one...