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    Editor's Note: The CNN Wire is a running log of the latest news from CNN World Headquarters, reported by CNN's correspondents and producers, and The CNN Wire editors. "Posted" times are Eastern Daylight. Hussein judge sackedBAGHDAD (CNN) -- The Saddam Hussein genocide trial resumed Wednesday with a new chief judge, just a day after Iraq's government demanded that the judge overseeing the trial be replaced because of his statement that the ousted leader was not a dictator. The name of the new chief judge is Mohammed Oraibi Majeed al-Khalita. Responding to the change, defense attorneys for Hussein immediately left the courtroom. A short time later, the former Iraqi leader argued with the new chief judge and was ejected. On Tuesday, Ali Dabbagh, a spokesman for Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, said Chief Judge Adullah al-Almiri could no longer be considered impartial and said the government has the administrative authority to remove him. (Posted 2:53 a.m.) Solana given more time to negotiate with IranUNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- Huddling on the issue of Iran's nuclear program, the foreign ministers of the United States, China, Russia, Germany, France and Britain agreed to give European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana more time to reach a possible deal on suspending Tehran's uranium enrichment program. Nicholas Burns, the U.S. undersecretary of state, told reporters late Tuesday that negotiations were in "extra innings," but would not go on endlessly before ministers would seek to implement sanctions that were approved by the U.N. Security Council. Under Resolution 1696, Iran must end its nuclear activities or face the possibility of economic sanctions, although China and Russia -- both veto-wielding members of the Security Council -- have been reluctant to sanction Iran or agree on what sanctions should be put in place. A Bush administration official told CNN that the White House is giving diplomacy "every chance to succeed" and is "willing to let Solana see it through," but reiterated that there is a "timeline" for the Iranians to suspend enrichment. (Posted 2:04 a.m.) 3 officers killed in suicide truck explosion; 35 bodies found around the capitalBAGHDAD (CNN) -- A suicide truck bomber detonated his explosives at the entrance of an Iraqi police base Wednesday, killing three police officers and wounding eight more in Dora, a southern neighborhood in Baghdad, Iraqi emergency police said. Three civilians were also wounded. Four other civilians were wounded during a mortar attack in northeast Baghdad Wednesday, police said. Across the Iraqi capital, police said they found 35 unidentified bodies in the 24-hour period ending at 6 a.m. Wednesday. Police said they have found 227 bodies throughout the city in the past seven days. (Posted 2:03 a.m.) Missing 'Baby Abby' found alive in MissouriUNION, Mo. (CNN) -- A woman who had lost her own baby after a full-term pregnancy kidnapped a week-old infant, attacking the child's mother with a knife, and attempted to pass the baby off as her own until a relative noticed makeup covering a birthmark on the baby's forehead, police said Tuesday. The woman, intially identified by police as Shannon Beck, but who later claimed to have a different name, was arrested in connection with the disappearance of 11-day-old Abigale "Abby" Lynn Woods, who became known as "Baby Abby." The woman's age was not immediately known. Abby was turned over to authorities Tuesday by Dorothy Torres, the suspect's sister-in-law, and a person identified as a friend. The child was checked out at a hospital and found to be in good condition, and she was reunited with her family, said Franklin County, Mo., Sheriff Gary Toelke. The baby was expected to be released from the hospital Tuesday night, he said. (Posted 2:03 a.m.) Gordon takes aim at Azores; Helene slides to Category 2MIAMI (CNN) -- Hurricane Gordon was approaching the eastern Azores early Wednesday after forecasters earlier dropped hurricane warnings for the western part of the island chain. As of 11 p.m. ET, Gordon was about 95 miles southwest of the island of Terceira in the Azores and 130 miles west of the island of Sao Miguel, the National Hurricane Center said. It was moving east at about 33 mph. "On this track, the center will pass near or over the eastern islands of the Azores in a few hours," forecasters said. Meanwhile, forecasters downgraded Hurricane Helene to a Category 2. It was meandering west-northwest in the central Atlantic with top winds of 110 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. Helene was expected to make a turn toward the northwest, and could become a Category 3 storm again on Wednesday, the NHC said. (Posted 11:13 p.m.) Thailand army leader says coup completeBANGKOK (CNN) -- In a nationally televised address Wednesday, the head of Thailand's army and newly declared leader said the military's coup d'etat was complete and promised power would be returned to the people as soon as possible. Flanked by the country's military and security force leaders, Gen. Sonthi Boonyaratglin said Tuesday's coup was necessary after months of political turmoil. Sonthi claimed power while Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was at the United Nations in New York. Thaksin insisted his government remained in control even as Sonthi and the chiefs of the armed forces met with King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Through a spokesman, Sonthi said that he and the Party of Democratic Reform -- a previously unknown opposition party -- had taken power with the support of the country's armed forces. He declared martial law, and international news channels such as CNN and the BBC were taken off the air. (Posted 11:12 p.m.) Missing 'Baby Abby' found alive in MissouriUNION, Mo. (CNN) -- A woman who had lost her own baby after a full-term pregnancy kidnapped a week-old infant, attacking the child's mother with a knife, and attempted to pass the baby off as her own until a relative noticed makeup covering a birthmark on the baby's forehead, police said Tuesday. The woman, intially identified by police as Shannon Beck, but who later claimed to have a different name, was arrested in connection with the disappearance of 11-day-old Abigale "Abby" Lynn Woods, who became known as "Baby Abby." The woman's age was not immediately known. Abby was turned over to authorities Tuesday by Dorothy Torres, the woman's sister-in-law, and a person identified as a friend. The child was checked out at a hospital and found to be in good condition, and she was reunited with her family, said Franklin County, Mo., Sheriff Gary Toelke. The baby was expected to be released from the hospital Tuesday night, he said. The suspect miscarried a full-term fetus on Friday, the same day Abby was abducted and the baby's mother, 21-year-old Stephanie Ochsenbine, was attacked with a knife, authorities said. (Posted 10:02 p.m.) Iranian leader: U.N. must 'rescue' Security Council from 'hegemonic powers'UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- With the U.N. Security Council considering whether to impose sanctions on his country over its nuclear program, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called Tuesday evening for reforming the council to rescue it from "exploitation" by what he termed "hegemonic powers." "The abuse of the Security Council as an instrument of threat and coercion is indeed a source of grave concern," Ahmadinejad said in a speech to the U.N. General Assembly. "As long as the council is unable to act on behalf of the entire international community in a transparent, just and democratic manner, it will neither be legitimate nor effective." The Iranian leader once again insisted that his country's nuclear program was "transparent" and designed to generate electricity, not weapons -- and that Iran's right to pursue nuclear energy was legally recognized under international law. "Which governments object to these rights? Governments that themselves benefit from nuclear energy and the fuel cycle," Ahmadinejad said. "Some of them have abused nuclear technology for non-peaceful ends, including the production of nuclear bombs, and some even have a bleak record of using them against humanity" -- a reference to the United States, the only country to ever use a nuclear weapon in wartime. (Posted 9:47 p.m.) Senators, White House still seeking agreement on CIA interrogation billWASHINGTON (CNN) -- Leading Republican senators and the White House worked Tuesday to forge an agreement that would allow the CIA to continue using "alternative" interrogation techniques on suspected terrorists. After days of deadlock, a bid by the White House to compromise prompted a new sense of optimism. "All I can say is, it's (a) very constructive and, I think, productive process of consultation going on," said Sen. John Warner of Virginia, chairman of the Senate Armed Forces Committee, who along with panel members Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and John McCain of Arizona has been leading the opposition to the original Bush administration's plan to "clarify" what U.S. law considers acceptable treatment of prisoners under Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions. "We're going to regroup to review progress to date and the possibility of further exchanges of ideas," Warner said. (Posted 8:04 p.m.) Sudan's president rejects U.N. force for Darfur, blasts 'propaganda'UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- Sudan's president categorically rejected calls for a U.N. peacekeeping force for the country's troubled Darfur region Tuesday and blamed Israel for a propaganda campaign to weaken his country by lying about the crisis. "We under all conditions totally reject a transition from the African Union force," President Omar al-Bashir told reporters, calling the international effort to get a U.N. force into the country "an attempt to dismember Sudan." Al-Bashir said the proposed mandate for the mission would turn the country's western region "a zone outside the authority of Sudan," calling it a "typical replica of the coalition forces in Iraq." (Posted 8:03 p.m.) FDA: Spinach-linked illness expands to 131 people in 21 statesWASHINGTON (CNN) -- As investigators combed through fields on nine farms in Monterey County, Calif., searching for the source of an outbreak of illness linked to the consumption of raw spinach, a federal health official said Tuesday that the disease has affected 131 people in 21 states. That's up from 114 cases in 21 states on Monday, Dr. David Acheson, chief medical officer for the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, told reporters in a conference call. "There are no confirmed positives, but it's too early to have those yet," Acheson said. Typically, about 25 percent to 30 percent of cases of E. coli infection require hospitalization. In the current outbreak, 66 of the 131 people infected by the 0157:H7 strain -- more than half -- have been hospitalized, and 20 of them have hemolytic uremic syndrome, a form of kidney failure, he said. (Posted 7:00 p.m.) Bush challenges U.N. to support reform in Middle EastUNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- Speaking to an vast assemblage of world leaders and diplomats, President Bush on Tuesday challenged members of the United Nations to join the United States in battling extremism in the Middle East by supporting voices of moderation and reform in the region. "From Beirut to Baghdad, people are making the choice for freedom, and the nations gathered in this chamber must make a choice as well," Bush said in his annual address to the U.N. General Assembly. "Will we support moderates and reformers who are working for change across the Middle East, or will we yield the future to the terrorists and extremists?" "America has made its choice. We will stand with the moderates and reformers," Bush said. "We know that when people have a voice in their future, they are less likely to blow themselves up in suicide attacks." Bush also answered critics who say his policies in the Middle East, particularly the war in Iraq, have made the region more unstable. "This argument rests on a false assumption -- that the Middle East was stable to begin with," Bush said. "The reality is that the stability we thought we saw in the Middle East was a mirage." (Posted 5:37 p.m.) Panel recommends limiting access to Social Security numbersWASHINGTON (CNN) -- The federal government should limit access to Social Security numbers in employee records as part of the effort to fight identity theft, the President's Identity Theft Task Force said in interim recommendations issued Tuesday. The advisory panel said the government should "take steps to eliminate, restrict or conceal" employees' Social Security numbers and instead should use employee identification numbers when practical. The task force also suggested using different methods of proving identity, such as biometrics. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales unveiled the recommendations at a news conference. "These criminals are clever and sophisticated, and leave their victims with more than financial loss," he told reporters. From Senior Producer Carol Cratty (Posted 5:15 p.m.) Army chief claims power in Thailand while prime minister attends U.N.BANGKOK (CNN) -- Thailand's military leadership attempted to seize power while Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was out of the country Tuesday, but his government insisted it remained in control. Tanks and troops surrounded government offices and the palace of King Bhumibol Adulyadej as Gen. Sonthi Boonyaratkalin, the Thai army's chief of staff, declared himself the country's new leader. Sonthi and the chiefs of Thailand's navy and air force met with the king early Wednesday to declare themselves in control of the country, according to a televised statement. Sonthi said through a spokesman that he and the Party of Democratic Reform, a previously unknown opposition party, had taken power with the support of the country's armed forces. He declared martial law, and international news channels such as CNN and the BBC were taken off the air. The coup leaders declared Wednesday a holiday, with schools, banks and the country's stock market closed. Thaksin was at the United Nations, where he was scheduled to speak to the General Assembly. On a station still under his government's control, he declared the state of emergency and insisted his government remained in charge of the armed forces and the capital. (Posted 3:57 p.m.) Gyurcsany defends decision not to resign as protests continueBUDAPEST, Hungary (CNN) -- Hungary's prime minister Tuesday said audiotaped statements in which he admitted lying about Hungary's economy were taken out of context, and continued to maintain he will not resign, even as thousands of flag-waving protesters converged on government buildings in the capital. "I am not ready to resign," Ferenc Gyurcsany told CNN. "Speaking about this lying issue, you know, the context in which this statement was used was much wider, and it did not refer to the economy precisely, but it referred to the fact that in the last 10 or 15 years, the whole Hungarian political elite was not ready to face the necessity of reforms, and it started to make the people believe that they can be free without bearing that responsibility. ... This is perhaps two or three sentences from a very long speech." Gyurcsany's insistence that the statement referred to the past 10 to 15 years is in contrast to the words on the audiotape, aired on radio Sunday: "We lied throughout the past one and a half or two years." (Posted 3:40 p.m.) State judge declares photo ID law unconstitutionalATLANTA (CNN) -- A Georgia judge Tuesday blocked enforcement of a state law that requires voters to show photo identification. Judge T. Jackson Bedford Jr. of the Superior Court of Fulton County cited the Georgia Constitution, which says that everyone "shall be entitled to vote" if they meet the criteria listed in that document. "Nowhere in the Constitution is the legislature authorized to deny a registered voter the right to vote on any other ground, including possession of a photo ID," he wrote. (Posted 3:32 p.m.) Spinach-linked outbreak of E. coli spreads to 22nd state(CNN) -- The outbreak of E. coli linked to tainted spinach spread Tuesday to a 22nd state when Colorado officials reported they had confirmed a case in Gunnison, a spokesman for the Colorado Department of Health told CNN. Three other suspect cases -- two in Boulder and one in Denver -- are under investigation, said spokesman Mark Salley. All individuals reported having eaten raw spinach prior to becoming ill. (Posted 3:01 p.m.) Police identify 2 suspects in Duquesne University shooting(CNN) -- Pittsburgh police Tuesday identified two suspects in the shooting of five Duquesne University basketball players early Sunday morning. One of the suspects, Brandon Baines, 19, was arrested Tuesday morning but the other, William Holmes, 18, remains at large, and is "extremely dangerous and armed," Cmdr. Thomas Stangrecki told reporters.Both men are from the Pittsburgh suburb of Penn Hills, he said. They will be charged with aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, possession of an illegal firearm, and criminal conspiracy, he said. Duquesne University President Charles Dogherty described the condition of one of the victims, Sam Ashaolu, 23, as "very serious." He sustained a serious head wound. Two others remain hospitalized in fair condition. Two others were treated and released after the shooting. --From CNN's Hussein Saddique (Posted 2:14 p.m.) Shuttle return pushed back a day by weather, unidentified debrisJOHNSON SPACE CENTER, Texas (CNN) -- The landing of space shuttle Atlantis was delayed from Wednesday to Thursday, because of a stormy weather forecast and the discovery of an unidentified piece of debris floating by the aircraft, NASA said Tuesday. Atlantis' payload bay camera captured the image at 2:45 a.m., officials at Johnson Space Center in Houston told CNN. The source of the debris, and its size, were not immediately known, the officials said, but NASA engineers and image analysts were analyzing the images. Space Shuttle Program Manager Wayne Hale said engineers and flight controllers are developing a plan for inspections that may be performed Wednesday to ensure that Atlantis is safe for re-entry. (Posted 1:42 p.m.) Bush says U.S. will talk with Iran when it suspends its enrichment activitiesUNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- Speaking at a meeting just ahead of his speech to the 61st meeting of the U.N. General Assembly, President Bush said the United States would meet with Iran once that nation suspends its uranium enrichment activities. For now, Bush said, and until the Iranians can prove they've stopped such activities, negotiations with Tehran will take place only with the EU-3: France, Germany and Britain. "Should they (Iran) continue to stall, we will then discuss the consequences of the stalling. And one of the consequences, of course, would be some kind of sanction program," Bush said. In his speech later to the General Assembly, the president reached out to the Iranian people, telling them, "the United States respects you." "We respect your country. We admire your rich history, your vibrant culture and your many contributions to civilization," Bush said. "You deserve an opportunity to determine your own future, an economy that rewards your intelligence and your talents, and a society that allows you to fulfill your tremendous potential." However, he said, the country's rulers are holding back its people from all of that. (Posted 1:30 p.m.) Iraqi government wants Hussein judge sackedBAGHDAD (CNN) -- Iraq's government demanded the judge overseeing Saddam Hussein's genocide be replaced because of his statement that the ousted leader was not a dictator. Ali Dabbagh, a spokesman for Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, said Chief Judge Adullah al-Almiri could no longer be considered impartial and said the government has the administrative authority to remove him. "We believe that Judge al-Almiri has lost his neutrality after describing Saddam as 'not a dictator' before the procedures of this trial are over," Dabbagh said. "This hurts the feelings of the Iraqi people, and so the government has asked that Judge al-Almiri be replaced by another judge, which the Iraqi High Tribunal will pick." (Posted 12:52 p.m.) Cheney: Intelligence critical to winning war on terrorWASHINGTON (CNN) -- As senators tried Tuesday to craft a compromise bill on CIA surveillance acceptable to the White House, Vice President Dick Cheney was touting the importance of intelligence to the war on terror. The best intelligence comes from the terrorists themselves, he said at the National Automobile Dealers Association's annual meeting. Cheney said intelligence, surveillance and financial tracking are the three keys to defeating terrorists. He said he favors harsh treatment of terror suspects, given their goal of seizing a Middle East country and overthrowing other governments. "The terrorists have laid out these ambitions time and time again in their own words," he said. (Posted 12:41 p.m.) General sees no U.S. troop cuts in Iraq until springWASHINGTON (CNN) -- There is likely to be no reduction in American forces in Iraq until at least spring 2007, and troop levels are expected to remain the same until then, the top U.S. commander in the Middle East said Tuesday. About 147,000 U.S. troops are now in the Middle East nation. Army Gen. John Abizaid said the troop strength is needed because of the continuing sectarian violence, especially in Baghdad. He made his comments to reporters at a breakfast meeting. The military had hoped to bring two Army brigades, or about 10,000 troops, back to the United States, but that appears to be on hold. No details on that possibility had been made public. --From CNN Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr (Posted 11:34 a.m.) Iraq announces shutdown of Kurdish rebel groupBAGHDAD (CNN) -- Iraq's government Tuesday announced it will shut down the offices of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in an effort to maintain good relations with neighboring Turkey. "The PKK still operates illegally on border areas in the north of the country and might have offices under different names," government spokesman Ali Dabbagh told CNN. "In order to maintain good ties with Turkey and other neighboring countries, we have decided to shut down their offices all over the country." Dabbagh announced the government's decision at a news conference Tuesday. The PKK is a militant separatist movement accused of staging cross-border attacks from Iraq into Turkey. (Posted 10:35 a.m.) Former DHS official offers no contest to charges of soliciting a minor for sex over the InternetMIAMI (CNN) -- A former spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security entered a plea of no contest in Polk County, Fla., Tuesday to charges regarding his alleged solicitation of a minor for sex over the Internet. Brian Doyle, 56, made the plea to seven counts of using a computer to seduce a child and 15 counts of transmitting material harmful to a minor, Polk County state's attorney spokesman Chip Thulberry told CNN. Investigators say he engaged in sexually explicit conversations online and sent pornographic movie clips to a person he thought was a 14-year-old. As part of a plea deal, Doyle will be sentenced to five years in jail, Thulberry said. Sentencing will be Nov. 17. (Posted 10:21 a.m.) Latest figures on housing starts show builders pulling backNEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Home builders continued to pull back from the weakening real estate market as housing starts and building permits both fell more than forecast in August, according to a government report issued Tuesday. Housing starts in August fell to an annual pace of 1.67 million, down from 1.77 million pace in July. The starts marked a 6 percent decline from July and a nearly 20 percent drop from a year earlier. The housing starts are at the lowest level since April 2003. Economists surveyed by Briefing.com had forecast starts would drop to a 1.74 million rate. (Posted 10:16 a.m.) U.S. military announces recent deaths of 3 soldiersBAGHDAD (CNN) -- The U.S. military Tuesday announced the recent deaths of three U.S. soldiers in Baghdad, two of them killed in attacks in the Iraqi capital. The third, assigned to a medical task force, died Monday from non-combat injuries. The military news release said the soldier's death is under investigation and offered no other details. On Sunday, one soldier died when his vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb in north-eastern Baghdad. Another was killed after being hit by small-arms fire in the north-central part of the capital. Both were with Multi-National Division-Baghdad. Since the start of the war, 2,686 U.S. military personnel have died in Iraq. (Posted 9:46 a.m.) Navy assessing plans for how to handle possibility of Iran conflictWASHINGTON (CNN) -- A top Navy official has asked his staff for an updated assessment on how the Navy would supply warships and troops in the event military action was ordered against Iran, a senior Navy official has confirmed to CNN. The official said that over the past four to six weeks, the chief of naval operations, Adm. Michael Mullen, has held a series of internal meetings with his staff to review the Navy's plans. The official emphasized that Mullen's work is aimed at ensuring Navy plans are up to date given the U.S. concerns about Iran, but it does not indicate that the Navy has any word about potential future military action. --From CNN Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr (Posted 9:45 a.m.) Hungarian PM vows to stay in office despite taped admission he lied for yearsBUDAPEST, Hungary (CNN) -- Hungary's prime minister Tuesday stood by his refusal to resign after massive protests sparked by the release of an audiotape in which Ferenc Gyurcsany admitted that he lied about Hungary's economy for two years. "I'm staying and (I'll) do my job," Gyurcsany said. "I'm extremely committed to fulfill my program. These are difficult adjustments and reforms. I know it's very difficult for the people but this is the only route or direction for Hungary." Hours earlier, protesters seized the headquarters of Hungary's state television network and set fires in and around the building. Smoke and tear gas wreathed the headquarters of state broadcaster MTV, where police clashed with demonstrators around midnight Monday. Officers turned water cannon on protesters, and several officers were injured during the demonstrations, police spokesman Lajos Nenet told CNN. The turmoil exploded Sunday, when state radio aired an audiotape of Gyurcsany telling members of his ruling Socialist Party that his government had lied about the state of the country's economy throughout its two years in office. -- Journalist Akos Erdelyi contributed to this report. (Posted 7:17 a.m.) Car bomb kills 2, wounds 24 in western BaghdadBAGHDAD (CNN) -- At least two people were killed and 24 were wounded when a car bomb exploded in western Baghdad Tuesday morning, Iraqi emergency police said. The attack took place around 10:45 a.m. (2:45 a.m. ET) near a police station in the Amil neighborhood. (Posted 5:05 a.m.) Japanese Cabinet passes financial sanctions against North KoreaTOYKO (CNN) -- Japan's Cabinet Tuesday approved financial sanctions against North Korea that essentially ban transactions between Pyongyang and a list of 15 companies and one individual with ties to the North's missile and weapons programs. Tokyo's move follows an earlier U.N. Security Council resolution condemning July's missile tests by North Korea. On the list are a Swiss company, Kohas AG, and its president, along with 14 North Korean companies located in Pyongyang. (Posted 12:10 a.m.) |
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