Bay Ledger News Zonebill@blnz.comtag:www.blnz.com,2009:topics/biological_and_chemical_warfaretag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/20/Japan_marks_18th_anniversary_sarin_1ab4

Japan on Wednesday marked the 18th anniversary of a Tokyo subway nerve gas attack with ceremonies and floral tributes to honour the 13 people who lost their lives.

2013-03-20T12:11:35ZAFP Asian EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2012/06/21/journal_prints_controversial_bird_research_ca21

The US journal Science published research Thursday on how a mutant bird flu may spread among mammals and possibly humans, following months of controversy over the risks of bioterrorism.

2012-06-21T18:18:19ZAFP Global Editionby Kerry Sheridantag:www.blnz.com,2009:2012/04/24/Indonesia_police_probing_French_embassy_752d

Two French embassy staff in the Indonesian capital were put in isolation in hospital after coming into contact with a suspicious package, police said on Tuesday.

2012-04-24T12:07:19ZAFP Asian EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2012/02/29/Cancer_drugs_could_halt_Ebola_1985

Some cancer drugs used to treat patients with leukemia may also help stop the Ebola virus and give the body time to control the infection before it turns deadly, US researchers said on Wednesday.

2012-02-29T19:21:25ZAFP Global EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2012/02/22/Three_lawmakers_sent_threatening_letters_1eaf

Several US lawmakers received threatening letters containing a harmless white powder, but the sender warned more missives including a "harmful material" could follow, a Senate official said.

2012-02-23T03:22:26ZAFP Global EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2012/02/17/Deadly_bird_studies_stay_secret_183d

GENEVA/LONDON (Reuters) - Two studies showing how scientists mutated the H5N1 bird flu virus into a form that could cause a deadly human pandemic will be published only after experts fully assess the risks, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Friday.

2012-02-17T21:33:33ZReuters US Online Report Top News Stephanie Nebehay and Kate Kellandtag:www.blnz.com,2009:2012/01/20/Bird_researchers_suspend_study_deadlier_aec6

(Reuters) - Researchers studying a potentially deadlier, airborne version of the bird flu virus have voluntarily suspended their studies for 60 days because of concerns it could be used as a devastating form of bioterrorism, according to a letter published in the journals Nature and Science on Friday.

2012-01-20T00:54:02ZReuters US Online Report Health News Sharon Begleytag:www.blnz.com,2009:2011/12/21/Scientists_fight_back_mutant_flu_0905

Leading virologists on Wednesday warned of censorship after a US bioterror watchdog asked scientific journals to withhold details of lab work that created a mutant strain of killer flu.

2011-12-21T17:24:38ZAFP Global Editionby Richard Ingham and Annie Hautefeuilletag:www.blnz.com,2009:2011/12/20/Readiness_health_bioterror_emergencies_eroding_6c62

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Readiness for bioterror and health emergencies could erode nationwide as cash-strapped governments face cuts in spending, a study reported on Tuesday.

2011-12-20T15:58:21ZReuters US Online Report Domestic NewsREUTERStag:www.blnz.com,2009:2011/11/16/Judge_refuses_bail_Georgia_accused_18d8

GAINESVILLE, Ga (Reuters) - A federal magistrate judge refused to grant bail on Wednesday to four retired Georgia men jailed on charges linked to an alleged plot to bomb government buildings and spread a lethal biological toxin along major U.S. highways.

2011-11-17T02:33:40ZReuters US Online Report Domestic NewsAlan Sverdliktag:www.blnz.com,2009:2011/11/04/Alabama_blogger_derides_alleged_deadly_3ff2

BIRMINGHAM, Ala (Reuters) - An Alabama blogger whose online novel was cited as inspiration for four Georgia men's alleged plot to kill federal employees said on Thursday he had no connection to them and doubted they posed any real threat to the public.

2011-11-03T22:05:58ZReuters US Online Report Domestic NewsVerna Gatestag:www.blnz.com,2009:2011/10/31/Deal_reached_US_2001_anthrax_ef69

MIAMI (Reuters) - The widow of a Florida tabloid photo editor who was the first of five people to die in 2001 anthrax attacks in the United States has reached a settlement with the U.S. government in her wrongful death damages lawsuit against it, according to a court filing.

2011-10-31T22:15:14ZReuters US Online Report Health NewsREUTERStag:www.blnz.com,2009:2011/10/30/Deal_reached_US_2001_anthrax_5546

MIAMI (Reuters) - The widow of a Florida tabloid photo editor who was the first of five people to die in 2001 anthrax attacks in the United States has reached a settlement with the U.S. government in her wrongful death damages lawsuit against it, according to a court filing.

2011-10-31T00:29:37ZReuters US Online Report Domestic NewsREUTERStag:www.blnz.com,2009:2011/09/16/VEGAS_SAFER_33a0

Terror attacks spurred agency cooperation and high-tech safety measures, but experts concede: It still can happen anywhere. When anti-Muslim, right-wing extremist Anders Breivik set off a fertilizer bomb in Oslo and then went on a shooting rampage that killed 76 people, law enforcement analysts in Las Vegas sprung into action, examining how they would respond to a similar scenario. When authorities captured accused gunman Jared Loughner in connection with the January killing of six people outside a Tucson grocery store and the wounding of 14 more, including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., the same analysts contacted Arizona authorities to determine whether Loughner had any connection to Las Vegas. He didn't. But that was still considered a successful use of time at the Southern Nevada Counter-Terrorism Center, the existence of which is the single greatest step taken to improve terrorism preparedness in Las Vegas since 9/11.

2011-09-11T00:00:00ZLas Vegas SunStafftag:www.blnz.com,2009:2011/08/09/Rare_anthrax_case_diagnosed_Minnesota_c8e1

Minnesota health officials said Tuesday they are investigating a rare case of anthrax inhalation linked to exposure to the dreaded bacteria in the natural environment.

2011-08-09T22:29:07ZAFP Global EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2011/06/16/Bolton_court_bomb_ricin_charges_cbff

A British man appeared in court on Thursday accused of having instructions to make a bomb and being in possession of a recipe to make the deadly poison ricin.

2011-06-16T12:42:48ZAFP European EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2011/05/25/World_first_Cattle_plague_declared_5d6a

World farm monitors on Wednesday declared a cattle-killing virus that has been a curse through the ages had been wiped out, the first time an animal disease has been eradicated in human history.

2011-05-25T16:00:06ZAFP Global Editionby Richard Inghamtag:www.blnz.com,2009:2011/03/28/pleads_guilty_possession_ricin_43dc

A US man pleaded guilty Monday to illegal possession of ricin, a naturally-occurring poison used in murder and political assassinations and feared as a potential bioterror weapon.

2011-03-29T00:57:55ZAFP American EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2011/03/23/US_experts_Army_researcher_anthrax_7869

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A panel of experts that reviewed the psychiatric records of Army researcher Bruce Ivins said it agreed with the Justice Department's finding that he committed a series of deadly anthrax attacks in 2001.

2011-03-23T21:45:06ZReuters US Online Report Health NewsJames Vicinitag:www.blnz.com,2009:2011/03/10/Libya_mustard_gas_lacks_delivery_2f9d

Libya still has over 10 tonnes of mustard gas years after signing a treaty banning chemical weapons, but has destroyed the weapons systems for using them, a watchdog organization said Thursday.

2011-03-11T00:10:57ZAFP Global EditionBy Staff Reporter