SECTION: NEWS; NATION/WORLD BRIEFS ; Pg. 32

LENGTH: 559 words

HEADLINE: Feds indict fugitive bomb suspect Rudolph

BODY:
Serial bombing suspect Eric Robert Rudolph was indicted Wednesday, nearly three years after he vanished in the North Carolina mountains, for deadly bombings beginning with the blast at the 1996 Olympics. The federal indictments formalize charges filed previously against Rudolph for the death of a policeman at an abortion clinic in Birmingham and for three Atlanta bombings. "Now that he has been indicted, when Rudolph is arrested he will proceed immediately to trial," U.S. Attorney Doug Jones said. Catholics urge justice reform

The U.S. Roman Catholic bishops Wednesday called for sweeping reforms in the nation's criminal justice system, rejecting the use of mandatory sentences and the death penalty and advocating an approach that includes compassion for crime victims and rehabilitation for criminals. The bishops also approved statements during their annual fall meeting in Washington denouncing mistreatment of immigrants and encouraging Catholics to welcome them into their parishes.

Galapagos stations seized

Fishermen protesting limits on their lobster catches seized control Wednesday of the Charles Darwin Foundation's research stations on the Galapagos Islands. Fernando Espinoza, director of the foundation, said the fishermen had seized offices, installations and volunteer stations on the islands of Isabela, Santa Cruz and San Cristobal. He said the fishermen caused minor damage. No injuries were reported.

South to get fire-ant eater

A tiny Brazilian fly whose larvae literally eat the heads off of fire ants will be unleashed across the South under a government program to control the vicious ants that are a menace to homeowners, farmers and wildlife. The Agriculture Department, which claims the gnat-like phorid fly is of no danger to anything other than fire ants, announced plans Wednesday to release hundreds of thousands of them in the South and possibly in California.

Boston targets mercury

The Boston City Council voted to ban the sale of mercury thermometers Wednesday, joining a nationwide push to remove them from America's medicine cabinets as a threat to lakes and streams. The mercury often enters the environment after the thermometers are incinerated or disposed of in landfills, health activists say. The resolution still needs approval from Mayor Thomas Menino, who has not taken a position.

Women advancing, study says

Gains in education and income and an increased presence in politics helped women boost their economic and social status in recent years, a study released Wednesday says. Yet even states rated highly in the new report must progress for women to gain equality with men, said Heidi Hartmann, president of the nonprofit Institute for Women's Policy Research. On average nationally, women working full time made 74 cents for every dollar their male counterparts made, the report found.

Sinn Fein to fight Trimble's move

In a new blow to Northern Ireland's peace accord, Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams said Wednesday his party would launch a legal battle against sanctions leveled by the Protestant leader of the province's power-sharing government, David Trimble. The dispute revolves around Trimble's ban on Sinn Fein government ministers' official contacts with the Irish government, which came amid the dispute over the Irish Republican Army's disarmament timeline.

LOAD-DATE: November 17, 2000