US working toward granting access to Hambali, Ashcroft says

NUSA DUA, Indonesia (AFP) - The United States is "working towards" giving foreign investigators access to top terror suspect Hambali in the context of the wider fight against terrorism, US Attorney General John Ashcroft said. Hambali was arrested in Thailand in August and is in US custody.


Filipino held in N. Ireland should face full force of law if guilty: Arroyo

MANILA, (AFP) - A Filipino man held in Northern Ireland on suspicion of funnelling money to a terrorist group should "face the full force of the law" if found guilty, Philippines President Gloria Arroyo says. Jaybe Ofrasio, 31, appeared in court on Wednesday after he was arrested last week following an international police operation which stretched as far as Australia and the Philippines, as well as Northern Ireland.

Terrorism Threat Grows in Indonesia

JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Recent battles between Muslims and Christians in a remote area of Indonesia show how this country's terrorism problem goes far beyond the al Qaeda-linked group blamed for Indonesia's most deadly attacks, a respected think tank said. In a report, the International Crisis Group said Tuesday that an outbreak of violence in central Sulawesi during October illustrates a split in strategy among militant Islamic groups that has brought new and frequently more-violent groups to the forefront of Indonesia's communal conflicts. Killed in the attacks, which surprised local residents with their commando-style military sophistication, were 13 Christian villagers living near the town of Poso.

Germans Search Mosques in Terror Sweep

Frankfurt, Germany - Feb. 6, 2004 - Police in Germany's Rhineland-Palatinate state searched dozens of mosques and Islamic organizations Friday, detaining one man, as part of efforts to clamp down on terrorism. Across the western state, about 150 officers conducted searches that also involved checking papers of more than 70 people, the state criminal office said in a statement. One man was detained on suspicion of being in the country illegally, it said. The searches were part of efforts to "further clarify Islamic structures," the statement said. Most of the searches were in the state capital of Mainz and the city of Worms.

(Contributed by Mr. Mayer Nudell, USA)

Food for Thought

Good to Know

How Much Do We travel

The amount of time that people spend on travel has been consistent at 1.1 hours per person per day in all societies. The average distance travelled is 7,400 miles per year. In total, the world population travels more than 16.6 trillion miles per year, 53% of which is by car, 26% by bus, 9% by rail, 9% by high-speed transport such as aeroplanes, and 3% by bicycle, boat and other means.

It is estimated that, due to developments in high-speed public transport, travel time will drop to only 12 minutes per person per day by 2050. Of the world traffic volume, 35% will be by car, 20% by bus, 41% by high-speed transport, and 4% by rail.  Which is good news. Currently, traffic congestion leads to huge negative economic and environmental impact across the world. Road congestion in the UK costs the UK economy £15 billion a year. It costs the US $100 billion a year. In Seattle, Washington for instance, a driver spends an average of 59 hours stuck in traffic each year. In the greater Seattle area there are more cars than people; each household makes an average of 10 motorcar trips a day. According to Sierra Club, "American cars and trucks account for 20 percent of the world's petroleum consumption."