Washington, D.C.

EPA study seeks to tighten airborne soot standards

New federal health standards that limit the amount of soot in the air do not adequately protect the elderly and people with respiratory problems and should be tightened, according to an internal government report.

The findings could become the basis for additional pollution-control requirements to reduce the amount of microscopic soot emitted by diesel-burning trucks, cars, factories and power plants.

Such a step would put the Bush administration at odds with business groups.

The new findings are in a draft paper by Environmental Protection Agency staff and are being circulated for review by outside scientists.

The 1997 standards have not yet had significant impact. They were delayed by several years of litigation as industry opponents unsuccessfully challenged the rules all the way to the Supreme Court.

Boston

New archbishop greets victims of priest abuse

Archbishop Sean O’Malley, wading into a small knot of protesters after Mass on Sunday, said more needed to be done to heal the wounds of the church’s priest sexual abuse scandal.

O’Malley talked with victims and advocates in the impromptu sidewalk meeting after one of the protesters approached the archbishop as he shook the hands of parishioners as they left the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.

“We want to make sure that all of the survivors get all the help they need,” O’Malley said. “The church has taken action. We need to take more.”

O’Malley made the comments five days after the announcement that the archdiocese had reached a settlement of $85 million with 552 alleged clergy sex abuse victims.

O’Malley was installed in July as head of the Boston Archdiocese.

Colombia

Leftist rebels seize eight foreign tourists

Suspected rebels kidnapped eight foreign tourists who were headed to archaeological ruins in the mountains of northern Colombia, authorities said Sunday.

The four Israelis, two Britons, a German and a Spaniard were seized late Friday in the snowcapped Sierra Nevada mountains, about 465 miles north of the capital, Bogota, said Gen. Luis Alfredo Rodriguez, head of Colombia’s police operations.

British Embassy spokesman Alfonso Morales confirmed that two British men were among those detained.