■ Iran
Wanted: suicide attackers
An Iranian group calling itself the Committee for Suicide Operations of Iran said Monday it would be registering new volunteers for suicide attacks at a special ceremony later this week. In a statement, the group said the ceremony would be held tomorrow in Bushehr, where the county's first nuclear reactor is being built. Last month, the group claimed more than 15,000 Iranians had registered for suicide missions to Iraq's holy Shiite cities of Najaf and Karbala, where the shrines of the two Shiite Immams Ali and Hussein are located. The Teheran government has distanced itself from the Iranian volunteers.
■ United States
Missouri killings linked
Kansas City police said Monday they believe a single killer was responsible for the slayings of six people whose bodies were found within a blighted 18-block area frequented by drug addicts and prostitutes. Police were working with the FBI to develop a profile of the killer. One of those slain was found in July, but five others have been discovered since Thursday -- including those found after someone calling 911 told police where to look. All the bodies were discovered on vacant lots or near vacant houses or apartments in an area east of downtown where drug dealers and prostitutes were known to congregate.
■ United States
California fire blazes on
Firefighters were hampered by erratic wind and low humidity Monday as they made slow progress against a fire that had burned nearly 4,800 hectares and four homes in the Northern California wine country. The fire, which started Friday northeast of Geyserville in Sonoma County, had been 20 percent contained and full containment was not expected until today, said Janet Marshall, spokeswoman for the state Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The unpredictable wind and dry vegetation, compounded by often steep terrain, made the situation extremely dangerous for the 1,875 firefighters, Marshall said.
■ United States
TV leads to more teen sex
Teenagers who watch a lot of television with sexual content are twice as likely to engage in intercourse than those who watch few such programs, according to a study published yesterday. ?is is the strongest evidence yet that the sexual content of television programs encourages adolescents to initiate sexual intercourse?aid Rebecca Collins, a psychologist at the RAND Corp. who headed the study. The study found that youths who watched large amounts of programming with sexual content were also more likely to initiate sexual activities short of intercourse, such as oral sex.
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