Bomb Found on UPS Flight From Yemen to Chicago: Worldwide Terror Plot Underway?

Fox News has just reported an "ink toner cartridge" converted to a bomb, was found on a UPS flight from Yemen to Chicago, via London and on the ground there. Fox's Rick Levanthall says "investigators are seeking to stop a planned terror plot. Early reports said two UPS cargo flights are on the ground and being checked in New York and Newark, New Jersey. A "suspicious package" was removed from a UPS flight on the ground at Philadelphia's International Airport - the flight number is believed to be 218. A crew member of the Philadelphia flight reported a possible "radiological" package. A UPS truck has been quarantined in Queens, New York. On one of the flights, a pilot reported a package that was possibly "radiological." All the info is fast and incomplete. Continuing updates as they break.

See reporting on United Arab Emirates Flight 201 escorted by F-15's today into JFK airport in New York.

Update: Fox 10:35 AM CDT:
AP report: A package removed from a flight in Birmingham England is now said to be no threat.

Portland, Main - suspicious package (backpack) found outside federal court house. Court house was evacuated. Bomb squad on seen investigating a hazardous device.

SkyNews Heathrow and UK offices of UPS deny reports that any kind of bomb or any suspicious packages found today.

Newark, New Jersey flight has been released and is on its way to Kentucky.

Update Fox: Greg Palcot 10:45am:
UK East Midlands Airport: Police at 3:28 a.m. found a suspicious package in the distribution area of the airport. This is a small airport, and is one of two distribution centers for UPS.

Several suspicious packages removed from Philadelphia and and Newark.

Several suspicious packages originating in Yemen in Philadelphia and Newark. The "ink toner cartridge" converted to a bomb - maybe several.

Update 10:50 a.m.
Chicago's O'Hare Airport is also reported of concern now.
Flights on ground in Philly originated from Paris and Cologne.

Update 11:07 a.m. CDT:
Investigation now in Paris.
Toner cartridges were of clear casing, with white powder inside, in a UPS box.

Fox's John Scott: Off-record report: there was some kink of radiological component aboard a flight in Philadelphia. This report is now believed to be false.

One flight originated in Cologne, Germany.

Suspicious package in Brooklyn.

Update 11:11 a.m. CDT:
John Scott says the off-record report of a radiological component found is false.
UPS has no flight "originating" in Yemen.

Update 11:16 a.m. CDT:
Harris Faulkner is confirming that Portland, Maine officials say a suspicious package was found outside the Federal Courthouse at the corner of Market and Federal street. The Portland airport says have no UPS flights landing there today.

Update 11:50 a.m. CDT:
Trucks in Brooklyn and Queens have both been cleared.
In England the situation has been elevated

AP: Suspicious packages are a "dry run mail bomb plot."

Update 12:02 p.m. CDT:
Fox's Katherine Herridge reports, there is a possible link to al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and the Christmas Day bomber.

Update 12:07 p.m. CDT:
Synagogues under high alert after warning.
Suspicious packages in or from Dubai at a FedEx facility - the first time FedEx has been mentioned.
2:20 p.m. AP reports explosives WERE in a package destined for the U.S., and confiscated in Dubai today (Shep Smith - Fox News)

Update 12:18 p.m. CDT:
UPS with Fox would not confirm that the flights in Philadelphia have been cleared.

All flights from Yemen into U.S. have been stopped.

Update 12:28 p.m. CDT:
Baltimore: a "situation" with a bomb squad in Ann Arundel County - not at the airport.
The Baltimore story is that a woman came into a facility to "return" a package. She was told the facility could not accept a package for "return." The woman became frustrated, left the package on the counter and walked out. Authorities believe this incident will be nothing to do with terrorism, but out of an abundance of caution, it is under investigation.

All shipments from London to U.S. have been "embargoed."

Update 1:00 p.m. CDT:
Homeland Security has just increased security on passenger planes, as well as cargo planes.

Chicago found two 2 suspicious packages addressed to "religious" destinations.

A suspicious package is being investigated in San Francisco.

Update 1:11 p.m. CDT:
San Francisco: A passerby noticed a suitcase at the corner of Battery and Market. Police identified it as a suspicious package. The area has been closed to traffic. A bomb robot is on the seen. 1:40 p.m. The San Francisco situation has been cleared.

Chicago's Jewish community was warned of incoming packages. To be aware that harmful packages may be in-coming.

Posted by Maggie @ Maggie's Notebook
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