Domenici requests more staff at Santa Teresa port:
SANTA TERESA, N.M. (AP) - The Santa Teresa port of entry into the state needs more inspectors and a new booth to accommodate a growing number of passenger vehicles, U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici said.
The Republican senator toured the port over the weekend with Jim Coleman, director of the New Mexico Border Authority, Customs Port Director Lupe Ramirez and others to outline its needs, mainly additional Immigration and Naturalization Service inspectors and a new inspection booth.
Domenici, a member of the Senate appropriations subcommittee that funds the INS, requested the additional personnel in a letter to INS Commissioner James Ziglar. He said an appropriations bill for fiscal year 2002 contains $25.4 million to add 348 INS inspectors nationwide, as well as $66.4 million to add 570 Border Patrol agents
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America West to receive $429M government loan:
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WASHINGTON (AP) - Cash-strapped America West Airlines said Monday it has met the government's conditions to receive federal backing for a $429 million loan.
The deal is expected to be signed and the money available by the end of the week, the airline said.
America West is one of only two airlines to apply for the $10 billion in loan guarantees approved by Congress to help airlines following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
A loan guarantee essentially makes the government a co-signer on the company's loan. In America West's case, the government would agree to pay back up to $380 million if the airline defaults.
The Air Transportation Stabilization Board approved the federal aid Dec. 28 with the condition America West provide assurances it would keep down labor costs and give the government the option of buying a third of the airline's stock at a fixed price
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Spacewalkers position crane, antenna on station:
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - An American astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut ventured out on a spacewalk Monday to move a construction crane and install a radio antenna on the international space station.
It was the first spacewalk for Carl Walz and Yuri Onufrienko since they moved into the space station last month. Walz was the first one out, exiting 250 miles above the Pacific.
The spacewalkers complained of a continual high-pitched beeping as they floated outside. Russian engineers were not immediately certain what was causing the noise in the spacesuits.
The spacewalkers' main task was to move a Russian-built crane, nearly 50 feet long when fully extended, from its temporary berth on the U.S. side of the orbiting outpost to a permanent location on the Russian side.
They planned to use another, virtually identical Russian crane to carry out the job. The goal was for both cranes to be located, ultimately, on the Russian docking compartment that was launched in September. Each crane is capable of moving more than 3 tons of equipment
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Bush hosts Ramadan dinner for Muslim leaders:
WASHINGTON (AP) - Reaching out to the world's Muslims, President Bush hosted a Ramadan break-the-fast dinner Monday at the White House.
"I appreciate your support" for the war against terrorism, the president said in brief remarks in the State Dining Room before representatives of 53 Muslim nations.
"Tonight that campaign continues in Afghanistan so that the people of Afghanistan will soon know peace," said Bush. "The terrorists have no home in any faith. Evil has no holy days."
The administration's message is a counterpoint to claims made by suspected terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden, who accuses the United States of waging a war against Islam.
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U.S. to train Filipino troops fighting extremists:
MANILA, Philippines (AP) - About 650 U.S. soldiers will join Filipino troops in a training program that will allow them to observe the Philippines' war against Muslim extremists linked to Osama bin Laden, the Philippines' defense secretary said Monday.
The six-month series of exercises will start this month and could be extended to the end of the year in the southern port city of Zamboanga and nearby Basilan island, where thousands of Filipino soldiers are fighting Abu Sayyaf guerrillas holding an American couple and a Filipino nurse hostage.
Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes said about 650 U.S. military personnel, including 150 members of special forces units, will join 1,200 Philippine soldiers in the exercises, called "Balikatan" or "shouldering the load together."
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Prague P.M. orders Radio Free Europe to relocate:
PRAGUE, Czech Republic (AP) - The Czech prime minister demanded Monday that the U.S. broadcaster Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty move its headquarters out of downtown Prague because of the risk of terrorist attacks.
"On the side of the Czech Cabinet, the decision has been unequivocally made," Prime Minister Milos Zeman said in an interview with Frekvence 1 radio. "I think it is stupid to offer the terrorist a target in the center of Prague."
Zeman said the U.S. and Czech governments had been negotiating a move for three months and that the station will have to respect any agreement reached by the two governments.
"Our partner (in talks) is the United States, not Radio Free Europe," Zeman said.
