Turkey: Afghan mission accepted

Turkey officially agreed Monday to take over from Britain the command of the peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan for six months, the government said.

The announcement, which came after a Cabinet meeting, said the date of the handover would be agreed upon after negotiations with the member countries of the mission and the United Nations. British officials said they did not believe it would take place before June.

Turkey, a NATO member, was the first Muslim country to contribute troops to the mission. Turkey has said that it would enlarge its force to about 1,000 troops if it assumes command.

New Mexico: Mental health parity urged

President Bush called on Congress Monday to grant new guarantees that insurance for mental health disorders is as comprehensive as that offered for other illnesses.

Congress is considering legislation that would force health plans to grant “mental health parity” in coverage. Bush has long favored such legislation; he signed a similar bill as Texas governor and has worked behind the scenes with lawmakers this year to get it done.

“Remarkable treatments exist and that’s good, yet many people too many people remain untreated,” Bush said at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. “Our country must make a commitment: Americans with mental illness deserve our understanding, and they deserve excellent care; they deserve a health care system that treats their illness with the same urgency as a physical illness.”

Philadelphia: Flights in 4 cities detained

A jet that took off for Florida was forced to return to the airport because several passengers of Middle Eastern appearance had purchased one-way tickets for cash, passengers said Monday.

The incident in Philadelphia was one of four Sunday in which air travelers of Middle Eastern appearance or descent were questioned by the FBI. The other flights were in Houston, Washington, D.C., and Baltimore.

In all cases, the passengers were freed after questioning.

Iowa: Teen charged in plot to poison prom punch

A teen-ager has been charged with administering a dangerous substance after he allegedly plotted to poison the punch at the Villisca High School prom.

Robert David Dumler, 15, initially faced a more serious felony charge of terrorism. But Montgomery County Atty. Bruce Swanson said Monday that the terrorism charge must involve firing a weapon or the use of an incendiary device.

Dumler was arrested Friday after reports that he planned to spike the punch at Saturday’s dance with a substance that would make people seriously ill or kill them, Police Chief Butch Rulla said.

Rulla said another teen turned over a plastic vial of an unknown liquid that belonged to Dumler. The liquid was being tested.