Beyond the Bubble

International News

Eleven people from three countries were arrested within the past week for suspicion of terrorism as part of an anti-terrorist sweep, including a 17-year-old male from Britain.

The suspect was charged with conspiracy to cause explosions with intent to cause harm or damage, according to CNN. British anti-terrorist police arrested eight men in total, with ages ranging from 17 to 32, as part of the campaign launched last week. Additional suspects were also recently arrested in Canada and Saudi Arabia as a part of the sweep.

The sweep consisted of more than 700 police officers who conducted raids on the homes of possible terrorist suspects. In addition to finding half a ton of ammonium nitrate fertilizer â€" a substance used to make bombs â€" the police also took computer hard drives in order to try and find any possible connections between the suspects and any outside terrorist organizations.

National News

U.S. officials announced last week that millions of visitors from 27 countries, including some of its closest allies, will be fingerprinted and photographed upon entering the country beginning in the fall.

The new requirement is the latest addition to the U.S. VISIT program, an act created in accordance with a law passed by Congress in 2001 with the intention of producing a better system to track visitors in the United States.

Travelers from the specified 27 countries â€" among them Australia, Japan and England â€" are of particular concern because citizens of these countries are allowed to enter the United States freely without a visa for 90 days. The new restrictions are designed to maintain a watch over people who overstay their visas and are suspected terrorists.

"For the first time, we will have a comprehensive check against our watch lists for all international visitors coming from overseas under the U.S. VISIT program," said Asa Hutchinson, undersecretary for border and transportation security at the Department of Homeland Security, as reported by The Washington Post. "We did this because terrorists have a way of exploiting vulnerabilities and gaps in the system. This is a gap that we wanted to close."

After Sept. 30, only diplomats and citizens from Canada and Mexico with pre-cleared border crossing cards will be exempt from the new requirements.

College News

Cartoonist Bob Rost for Carnegie Mellon University's student newspaper, The Tartan, was fired after creating a controversial cartoon for their April Fools' Day edition. The error caused the newspaper staff to cease production for the remainder of the semester.

Rost, who declined to comment for the Pennsylvania News, drew a cartoon which depicted a goat using a racial slur after running over an African-American. The 12-page edition also included references to rape and mutilation.

A committee is currently in the works to further investigate the situation. The editor in chief of The Tartan attributed the lapse in judgment to fatigue, although he also declined to comment on the issue.

The University of Scranton also shut down its student newspaper after it parodied the film, "The Passion of the Christ," Georgetown University and school officials.

The University of Nebraska's student newspaper, The Gateway, did not suffer the same fate although the staff printed an April Fools' section that was deemed offensive to blacks. The Gateway staff made an official apology for their actions.

Entertainment News

Last week, the Osbourne family announced a new development in the family's struggle with drugs. As Jack Osbourne reached the one-year mark of sobriety, his sister Kelly sought treatment for her addiction to painkillers.

Sharon Osbourne intended to appear on CNN's "Larry King Live" to promote the start of the third season of their reality show on MTV, but instead discussed the specifics of Kelly's situation.

"I'm angry," Sharon Osbourne said, as reported by MTV.com. "I feel like I failed again. I can't take it."

The family first learned of Kelly's addiction from a reporter for a British tabloid who reportedly had a photograph of Kelly involved in a drug deal. Although Kelly initially denied having a drug problem to her parents, she eventually turned over bags containing more than 500 pills.

"Being a drug addict and alcoholic myself, I know telling the truth doesn't come easy," Ozzy Osbourne said, according to MTV.com.

- Compiled by Lance Dwyer