News Briefs
By Lawrence Baum, Publisher
Gaza, Israel: Israeli forces bomb Arafat's offices after more violence

Israeli forces bombarded the Gaza offices of Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat, killing six members of his personal guard hours after an attack on an Israeli military checkpoint killed six Israelis yesterday. The Israeli army said Israeli forces-including sea-based missiles and F-16 fighter jets-attacked Arafat's compound early today in retaliation for the "latest terror attack and the fact that the Palestinian Authority is not doing anything to deal with these attacks," according to CNN.com. While Israel has launched attacks on the Gaza compound before, this marked the first time Israel had targeted Arafat's actual office, said Palestinian sources. The Israeli cabinet will meet today to discuss its position in the wake of the latest violence. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has been under pressure from the Israeli right to take hard-line measures or launch an all-out war against the Palestinians for the continued attacks.

Noble, Georgia:Crematory furnace breaks, bodies pile up over 20 years

Law enforcement officers discovered dozens of rotting corpses in sheds and on the grounds of the Tri-State Crematory Friday. As of yesterday, the investigators believed that more than 200 bodies that were neither cremated nor buried will be discovered at the crematory. Some of the bodies had been there for years and were nearly skeletal, while others, fresh from the funeral home, still bore toe tags. Others had become mummified and may have been at the site more than 20 years, according to The New York Times. Officials said there was apparently no foul play involved with any of the bodies. The crematory's furnace had broken down several years ago and the owners could not afford repairs. The crematory's manager, Ray Brent Marsh was charged with five counts of theft by deception and 11 more bodies were discovered at his home Monday. There are no laws regareding the mistreatment of corpses in Georgia.

Boston, Massachusetts: Middle aged intern applicants accuse magazine of ageism

The Atlantic Monthly has been charged with two cases of age discrimination by the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD) for rejecting applications from Susan Wozniak, 54, and Jonna Jackson, 41. Wozniak, who applied for an internship at The Atlantic Monthly in October 2000 was told in two meetings with the magazine that her age didn't fit the guidelines of the internship, which typically go to college students in their 20s. The Atlantic Monthly failed to show up for a hearing scheduled this January before the MCAD and said Monday that it has no recollection of Wozniak, according to The Boston Globe. Wozniak said she and other nontraditional students are being punished for attempting to reenter the work force after raising children. Nationwide, most magazine internships go to college students or recent graduates in their 20s, according to The Globe, but they usually do not rule out qualified older people.

Issue 17, Submitted 2002-02-20 02:00:40