WASHINGTON — Eight U.S. embassies in Europe have received suspicious letters of white powder, the FBI said Tuesday in what the agency called a hoax.
Additionally, more than 40 governors’ offices nationwide, including Washington’s Gov. Chris Gregoire, have gotten the letters, an FBI spokesman said.
All postmarked from Texas, the letters appear to be from the same source, and have tested negative for any dangerous toxin or other threat.
A State Department spokesman said the envelopes were sent to U.S. embassies in Berlin; Bucharest, Romania; Bern, Switzerland; Brussels, Belgium; Dublin, Ireland; Copenhagen, Denmark; Riga, Latvia; and Rome.
Florida: No 2nd autopsy on girl’s remains
A judge in Orlando has denied requests from the mother of a missing Florida toddler to force investigators to turn over their photos, videos and drawings from the woods where a girl’s remains were found last week. Casey Anthony was charged in October with killing daughter Caylee, who was reported missing in July. The remains have not been positively identified and autopsy results are expected within the next few weeks.
N.Y.: Cop in YouTube shove pleads (see the video to the right)
A New York City police officer who was shown in a YouTube video knocking a bicyclist to the pavement in Times Square during a protest has pleaded not guilty to charges related to the incident. Patrick Pogan, 23, was arraigned Tuesday on two felony and three misdemeanor charges in state Supreme Court. Pogan is accused of knocking Christopher Long off his bicycle without justification on June 25 during a protest. Pogan had filed charges of resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and obstructing government administration against Long, but those charges were dismissed.
Ohio: Body found in towed car
A man killed in a car crash was left dead in the crumpled vehicle when it was towed away, and the body was not discovered until family members found it two days later, police said. An officer who handled the crash failed to check the vehicle before it was towed, Cleveland’s safety director said. Emil Azzam, 50, of Lakewood died instantly from head and neck injuries when his car crashed Friday on a snowy roadway, the coroner ruled.
Bosnia: Gitmo detainees arrive
Three Guantanamo prisoners were flown to Sarajevo on Tuesday and were being released to their families in the first detainee transfer ordered by a U.S. federal judge, an attorney for the men said. A judge in Washington ordered the release of the Algerian-born men last month, saying the U.S. government’s case was not strong enough to continue holding them. The three were expected to be released to relatives, an attorney for one of the men said.
West Bank: Elections coming ‘soon’
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Tuesday he’ll call general elections “very soon,” signaling that he’s ready for a new showdown with the Islamic militant Hamas. Hamas, which wrested control of Gaza from Abbas 18 months ago, contends that his term as president ends Jan. 8. Abbas initially said he has another year, but polls indicate most Palestinians disagree with him. Hamas could block elections in Gaza, and it’s not clear whether Abbas would agree to hold elections only in the West Bank since that would deepen the split between the territories.
B.C.: Whistler gondola tower collapses
More than 50 people were evacuated from about 30 gondola cars after a tower supporting the cables partially collapsed Tuesday at the Whistler ski resort, which is to host the alpine events of the 2010 winter Olympic games. A passenger said other riders were complaining of sore backs, and one man had a bloody head. It took more than three hours to evacuate the 53 people stranded in about 30 gondolas. The resort said the gondola section where the incident took place is approximately 30 feet above the ground.
From Herald news services
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