US moves to boost police powers

The FBI is on full alert for fresh attacks

The US House of Representatives has passed a bill which would give police greater powers to combat terrorism.

This move follows a warning by America's Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) that there may be more attacks within the United States in the next few days.

Certain information, while not specific to target, gives the government reason to believe that there may be additional terrorist attacks ... over the next several days

Federal Bureau of Investigation

The FBI also warned that US interests overseas could be at risk.

The House bill, which proposes letting law enforcement agents wire tap terrorist suspects and share intelligence about them, differs slightly from a similar bill approved in the Senate.

The two bills will now have to be reconciled before going to President Bush.

'Credible' threat

The FBI said it had received information which led it to believe that the threats of more terrorist activity were credible.

Many people in the US are taking precautions

It said it had asked all local law enforcement agencies to be on the highest alert, and called on people to be vigilant.

President George W Bush, speaking on Friday, said Americans should not be intimidated by the threats.

"Our government will fight terrorism across the seas. We'll fight it here at home and the American people need to fight terrorism as well by going to work, going to ballgames, getting on airplanes...They will not take this country down."

Earlier this week, a spokesman for the al-Qaeda network of Osama Bin Laden - prime suspect for the 11 September attacks - warned there were "thousands of young people" willing to carry out suicide attacks in "a storm of aeroplanes".

The FBI's warning came after several nerve-wracking incidents in the United States.