Anthrax fears raised at NY Times

THE New York Times was last night investigating an envelope received at the paper containing white powder, raising fears of a possible recurrence of anthrax-tainted letters sent to newsrooms and other offices in late 2001.

“At about 12.30pm (5.30pm Irish time) this afternoon... an employee opened an envelope that contained a white powdery substance. The envelope was handwritten and addressed to the New York Times, not to any individual. The postmark was from Philadelphia with no return address,” said Times spokeswoman Catherine Mathis.

Emergency vehicles and an ambulance were parked outside the newspaper’s offices on 43rd Street to investigate the incident. The New York Police Department declined immediate comment.

The Times has been criticised in recent weeks for writing about the Bush administration’s covert efforts to stamp out terrorism financing.

This week, protesters rallied outside the newspaper to object to the paper’s decision to publish details about terrorism financing and other stories about secret government programmes to monitor phone conversations of US citizens.