|
Home | Asia | Europe | U.S. | World | Business | Tech | Science | Entertainment | Sport | Travel | Weather | Specials | Video | I-Reports |
|
Adjust font size:
    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 Time. Palestinian security sources: Israeli airstrike kills militantGAZA CITY (CNN) -- An Israeli airstrike in eastern Gaza City hit a vehicle, killing one member of the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad on Wednesday morning and wounding three others, Palestinian security sources said. Other security sources said group members had been launching rockets into Israel. Israel Defense Forces denied conducting an airstrike in Gaza.Israel Defense Forces denied conducting an airstrike in Gaza, but said its forces did fire on a militant, killing him. Separately, Israeli and Palestinian sources reported a ground incursion by Israeli forces into the northern Gaza community of Shaja'iya, east of Gaza city, where two Palestinians died in the fighting. According to Palestinians sources, the dead were members of the Hamas and Fatah military wings. Israeli and Palestinian sources reported a second Israeli incursion in southern Gaza, near Khan Yunis, where two Palestinians were killed. -- CNN's Ben Wedeman and Talal Abu-Rahman contributed to this story (Posted 2:49 a.m.) U.S. Marine dies in Anbar provinceBAGHDAD (CNN) -- A U.S. Marine died during combat operations in Anbar province Tuesday, a military statement released Wednesday said. Since the start of the war, the U.S. military has suffered 3,567 deaths in Iraq. (Posted 12:54 a.m.) Obama: Bill, not Hillary, prepared to be president on 'day one'CHICAGO (CNN) -- Presidential contender Barack Obama claimed Tuesday that he's not questioning rival Hillary Clinton's qualifications, though he says only her husband is "prepared to be President on day one." His comments came Monday night as the two leading Democratic candidates both raised money in Chicago in the final week of second quarter fund-raising. A reporter asked Obama about the Clinton campaign touting her experience at recent events. "The only person who is probably prepared to be President on day one is Bill Clinton, not Hillary Clinton," Obama said. "I think we're all very qualified for the job. The question is who can inspire the nation to move beyond the politics that have bogged us down in the past." Meanwhile, former President Clinton sent a fund-raising e-mail Tuesday for his wife's campaign that used the same "day one" phrase. In the message, Clinton wrote, "America is ready for change, and we need a president ready to lead on day one. Ready to end the war in Iraq and restore America's standing in the world." Later in the message, he said, "Hillary is the best candidate for president because she'll stand up for them -- she already does every day in the Senate." (Posted 9:33 p.m.) 2008 hopefuls scramble for cash as quarterly deadline nearsWASHINGTON (CNN) -- With a Saturday night deadline for second-quarter fund-raising ahead, presidential candidates from both major parties are scrambling across the country to rake in the cash before the clock runs out. Though the first votes of the 2008 campaign won't be cast until January, early fund-raising is a major indicator of a candidate's performance. And among the most closely watched contenders this time is John McCain, who placed third among GOP hopefuls in the first quarter. McCain, the Arizona senator mounting his second presidential bid, blamed himself for collecting a mere $12.5 million in the first three months of 2007, and sounded an optimistic note earlier this month. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who topped his Republican rivals with nearly $21 million in the first quarter, tried to talk down expectations for the current term at a fund-raiser in Boston on Monday and said he would contribute money to his campaign from his personal assets -- estimated to top $190 million. (Posted 8:40 p.m.) Ex-Cabinet deputy gets 10 months in Abramoff probeWASHINGTON (CNN) -- A federal judge ordered the former No. 2 official in the Interior Department to prison for 10 months Tuesday, blasting him for giving false testimony to a Senate committee investigating disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff. J. Steven Griles served as deputy secretary of the Interior during President Bush's first term. In March, he pleaded guilty to a federal charge of obstructing a congressional probe of allegations that Abramoff swindled Indian tribes out of millions they paid to help sway lawmakers on gambling issues. At sentencing, federal prosecutor Armando Bonilla said Griles "was carrying Mr. Abramoff's water at the Department of the Interior." Griles admitted misleading Congress about a "unique relationship" with Abramoff, who pleaded guilty to a raft of corruption charges in 2005 and has cooperated with investigators in a sweeping Capitol Hill influence-peddling probe. (Posted 8:02 p.m.) House Republicans vote to oppose Senate immigration planWASHINGTON (CNN) -- House Republicans voted overwhelmingly late Tuesday in favor of a resolution opposing an immigration reform plan being debated on the Senate floor, a move that could place a significant roadblock in front of the measure if it clears the Senate. By a vote of 114-23, the House Republican Conference approved a statement by Rep. Pete Hoekstra of Michigan that simply read: "Resolved the House GOP Conference disapproves of the Senate immigration bill." The vote came during a closed door meeting. House Democratic leaders have previously said they would not bring the immigration bill to the Senate floor unless at least 70 of the 201 GOP members were on board. -- From CNN's Evan Glass (Posted 7:55 p.m.) House Democrats will try to defund Cheney's executive officeWASHINGTON (CNN) -- A key House Democrat said Tuesday he would try to strip funding for the executive branch of Vice President Dick Cheney's office because of its recent assertion that his legislative role exempts the office from complying with regulations requiring executive branch agencies to report on their handling of classified information. Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., said he would introduce the legislation as an amendment to an annual spending bill later this week. The vice president's office said Emanuel was playing politics. Last week, Cheney's office asserted that it was not bound by the presidential order requiring executive branch agencies to report how many documents they classify or declassify to the National Archives. The vice president said his position as president of the Senate puts him in a different position, straddling the legislative and executive spheres. While not commenting directly on the executive-versus-legislative question put forward by Cheney's office, the White House has defended the vice president's position in his standoff with the National Archives, saying the executive order requiring reporting excluded the president and vice president. Tuesday, Cheney's chief of staff, David Addington, offered an explanation of the vice president's position that was more in line with the White House. (Posted 7:41 p.m.) After key vote, Senate to start work on immigration amendmentsWASHINGTON (CNN) -- Supporters of a Senate immigration reform bill will begin trying to protect their precariously crafted plan from potentially deadly legislative shrapnel Wednesday morning, as senators start to consider more than two dozen amendments to the controversial proposal. In an early sign of contentiousness ahead, opponents of the bill tied up the floor for 50 minutes Tuesday evening by forcing the text of the amendments to be read in full by a Senate clerk, rebuffing a normally routine request by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to dispense with the reading. Opponents relented after Reid agreed to delay proceedings on the bill until 10 a.m. Wednesday to give senators more time to digest the text of the amendments, which he said took longer than expected to prepare. Democratic leaders were also still working on the final list of changes to the bill that will be considered. Earlier Tuesday, the immigration bill cleared a key hurdle when senators voted 64-35 to move ahead with its consideration. However, the tally illustrated deep divisions among Republicans -- and the shaky foundation on which the measure's fate rests. (Posted 7:35 p.m.) F-15 crashes off Oregon coast during training(CNN) -- An F-15 fighter jet went down Tuesday off the Oregon coast during a training mission, the Oregon Air National Guard said. The plane went down at about 1:35 p.m. (4:35 p.m. ET), said Erin Parks, chief of the National Guard's crisis action team. There was no immediate word on the fate of the pilot. Two choppers were searching for the pilot, officials said. The cause of the crash was under investigation. The jet was from the 142nd Fighter Wing Oregon Air National Guard and was based at Portland Air Base. (Posted 7:35 p.m.) Blaze near Lake Tahoe 'spots' across fire lineSOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. (CNN) -- Wind gusts breathed new life Tuesday afternoon into the Angora fire south of Lake Tahoe, causing it to "spot" across a fire line and threaten new buildings, a fire official said. "We're going to attack those spots and get lines around those and not let them develop any further," said Capt. Chuck Dickson of California Interagency Firefighters Team 1. "That's what our game is." The stronger winds had caused sparks to ignite across Highway 89 and set at least one house afire, he said, adding that he did not know whether new evacuations had been ordered. Two days after it began, the Angora fire had destroyed at least 276 homes and other buildings south of Lake Tahoe and threatened to engulf another 1,000 structures, a fire official said Tuesday. (Posted 6:30 p.m.) Second GOP senator in 2 days breaks with Bush on IraqWASHINGTON (CNN) -- Another Republican senator broke with the Bush administration over Iraq on Tuesday, warning that the United States must began planning for a "responsible military disengagement" from the 4-year-old conflict. "I think everybody knows that we fumbled the ball right from the beginning on this," Sen. George Voinovich, of Ohio, told CNN. "And I think that one way they can make up for it is to say we're going to do this disengagement in a comprehensive way, involve the world community, make sure that area is stabilized and that we don't end up with chaos and a civil war." Voinovich laid out his plan in a letter to President Bush the day after Indiana's Richard Lugar, the ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, warned Bush that the current U.S. campaign to stabilize Iraq is unlikely to achieve results in the time left by flagging public support at home. "The president and some of his advisors may be tempted to pursue the 'surge' strategy to the end of his administration, but such a course contains extreme risks for United States national security," he said. (Posted 5:56 p.m.) 29 charged with conspiring to smuggle counterfeit goodsNEW YORK (CNN) -- After a 19-month coordinated initiative by federal authorities, 29 defendants were charged Tuesday with conspiracy to smuggle more than 950 shipments of counterfeit purses, watches, sneakers, jackets and jeans manufactured primarily in China, customs officials announced. The contraband included fake Coach, Chanel, Louis Vitton, Burberry, Fendi and Marc Jacobs handbags, Rolex watches, Nike footwear, North Face jackets, True Religion jeans, and other big-name knock-offs. If authentic, the merchandise would have been valued at $700 million, according to estimates by officials with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection agencies. The smugglers' operations relied on ports of entry at Newark, N.J., Houston, Texas, Long Beach, California, Staten Island, New York, and New York City, and used money laundering and fraudulent documentation practices to move shipments into the country, officials said. --From CNN's Mythili Rao (Posted 4:59 p.m.) Mobster tried to blackmail CIA over Castro plots, documents revealWASHINGTON (CNN) -- Mobster John Roselli, hoping to avoid deportation, threatened to expose CIA plots to kill Cuban leader Fidel Castro, but the CIA refused to intercede on his behalf, according to a trove of documents released Tuesday. The plots -- which included efforts to use poison pills against the communist revolutionary -- were scotched after the failure of the Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961, according to one memorandum released under the federal Freedom of Information Act. Roselli, one of the top Mafia figures in Los Angeles, had been convicted in 1968 of entering the United States illegally and was awaiting deportation. His appeals exhausted, his attorney approached the CIA in 1970 to warn that "if someone did not intercede on Roselli's behalf, he would make a complete expose of his activities with the agency." Then-CIA Director Richard Helms was told about the threat that November, "and it was decided that the agency would not in any way assist Roselli," the document states. (Posted 4:47 p.m.) Police: Wrestler killed wife, son before committing suicideFAYETTEVILLE, Ga. (CNN) -- Professional wrestler Chris Benoit asphyxiated his wife, Nancy, and the couple's 7-year-old son, Daniel, placing Bibles beside their bodies before hanging himself in a basement weight room at their suburban Atlanta home over the weekend, authorities said Tuesday. The three bodies were discovered about 2:30 p.m. Monday by police, who were checking on Benoit at the request of his employer, World Wrestling Entertainment. Benoit missed two appointments over the weekend, including a pay-per-view event in Houston. Autopsies determined the cause of death was asphyxiation for all three family members, said Lt. Tommy Pope of the Fayette County Sheriff's Office. Authorities believe Nancy Benoit died sometime Friday and Daniel sometime Saturday, and that Benoit committed suicide later Saturday. Asked about news reports that Benoit strangled his wife and smothered his son, Pope would say only that the cause of death for both was asphyxiation -- literally, a lack of oxygen to the brain, which could have been caused by either. (posted 4:21 p.m.) Brits bomb insurgents near BaghdadBAGHDAD (CNN) -- A British Royal Air Force GR-4 Tornado bombed a building Tuesday near Salman Pak, southeast of Baghdad, killing six insurgents, the U.S. military said. The Tornado dropped a 2,000-pound bomb after the insurgents attacked an Iraqi police station and checkpoint, destroying a guard tower and four vehicles, it said. After the attack, the insurgents fled into a mosque and fired on the checkpoint from the rooftop. From the mosque, the insurgents fled into a nearby building, which was bombed by the Tornado. U.S. Kiowa Warrior helicopters also responded to the checkpoint attack, firing .50-caliber rounds and rockets at about 30 insurgents, the military said. (Posted 4:11 p.m.) Poll: Support for war in Iraq reaches new lowWASHINGTON (CNN) -- A new low of 30 percent of Americans say they support the U.S. war in Iraq and, for the first time, most Americans say they don't believe it is morally justified, a poll released Tuesday said. In the poll, which was carried out Friday through Sunday, 30 percent of respondents said they favor the war in Iraq; 41 percent said they oppose it because they think the 2003 decision to go to war was a mistake; 26 percent said they oppose it because they think it has been mismanaged; and 3 percent said they had no opinion. Support is down 4 points from what it was May 4-6, when 34 percent of respondents said they favored the U.S. war in Iraq. Asked during the latest poll how things are going for the United States in Iraq, more than two-thirds (69 percent) said badly -- 4 percent said "very well," 26 percent said "moderately well," 25 percent said "moderately badly" and 44 percent said "very badly." (posted 4:03 p.m.) Militant group threatens again to kill kidnapped BBC reporterGAZA CITY (CNN) -- The militant group in Gaza claiming to hold BBC correspondent Alan Johnston released a statement to media organizations including CNN Tuesday, renewing its threat to kill the British journalist who has been held in Gaza since March 12. The group, Army of Islam, blamed Hamas militants for kidnapping two of its members Tuesday morning while they were leaving a Gaza mosque after morning prayers. A Hamas spokesman confirmed that its forces arrested two individuals with links to Army of Islam in Gaza. In the statement, Army of Islam appears to link the detention of its members with the renewed threat to Johnston's life, declaring the "kidnapping" a declaration of war. (Posted 3:26 p.m.) Claim of responsibility for Mansour Hotel bombing posted on InternetBAGHDAD (CNN) -- A claim of responsibility for the suicide bombing at a central Baghdad hotel on Monday has appeared on the Internet, and it is said to be from a notorious militant group. The Islamic State of Iraq, which includes al Qaeda in Iraq, said it carried out the attack in retaliation for an assault, according to the Web posting. The authenticity of the statement cannot be confirmed by CNN. The bomber detonated his explosives at the Mansour Hotel, killing at least 12 people -- most of them Sunni and Shiite tribal leaders who were meeting as part of Iraq's reconciliation effort, Iraqi authorities said. The U.S. military gave a different casualty count, saying nine people died. The statement said the attack was in response to actions by "apostate police who entered one of the wholesome houses of one of our noble Anbar kin and they held the father in one of the rooms and took one of his Muslim pure daughters and violated her honor, and therefore her father came to the mujahedeens complaining to almighty about the violation of his honor." (Posted 2:55 p.m.) Senate gets another chance to debate immigration bill, but future uncertainWASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Senate managed Tuesday to get the 60 votes needed to revive an immigration-reform bill that is one of President Bush's legislative priorities, but the battle over the issue isn't over. The 64-35 vote gave senators the chance to begin debating about two dozen amendments, split evenly between Republicans and Democrats, under an agreement brokered by a bipartisan group of senators who crafted the compromise measure -- Senate Bill 1639. However, another vote -- also requiring 60 votes to pass -- is to be held Thursday on whether to end debate, and send the bill to the floor of the Senate for a final vote. That could come by the end of the week. "We are certainly pleased with the early vote on the motion to proceed," White House spokesman Tony Snow told reporters shortly after the Senate decision. He said he looks forward to the debates. (Posted 1:58 p.m.) 21 bodies found Tuesday in BaghdadBAGHDAD (CNN) -- Police in Baghdad found 21 bodies across the capital Tuesday, Iraq's Interior Ministry said. This brings the number of corpses dumped this month alone in Iraq's capital to 504. Police believe the deaths are the result of sectarian violence. --From CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq (Posted 1:44 p.m.) Spanish police arrests 3 Moroccans suspected of having terrorist tiesMADRID (CNN) -- Spanish police Tuesday arrested three Moroccan men wanted by authorities in their home country for their alleged links to al Qaeda, Spain's Interior Ministry announced. Mohamed Laksir, 23, and Moulay Lahoucine Miftah Idrissi, 27, were taken into custody in Barcelona on Tuesday morning, and hours later police there arrested Mohamed Akazim, 32. All three are wanted on international arrest warrants issued by Morocco. Moroccan authorities allege the three belong to a terrorist group that was preparing to carry out attacks, the ministry said in a written statement. They are accused of being involved in a terrorist cell that recruits and indoctrinates militants in radical Islamic theories with the aim of sending them to terrorist training camps in the Sahel region of northern Africa. --From CNN Madrid Bureau Chief Al Goodman (Posted 1:18 p.m.) Former school guard pleads guilty in case of woman missing 10 yearsNEW YORK (CNN) -- A former school security guard, accused of harboring and having intercourse with a teenage runaway in his home outside of Pittsburgh for over a decade, pleaded guilty Tuesday to all the counts brought against him, and was sentenced to five to 15 years in prison. Were it not for a plea bargain, Thomas John Hose, 49, of McKeesport, Pa., could have faced "over 100 years if convicted on all counts," said his attorney, James M. Ecker. Completion of the trial had been delayed by a series of setbacks. It was postponed in February after Hose stabbed himself in the stomach, inflicting only superficial wounds, and then again in May because of what Ecker described as Hose's "serious emotional problems." The victim, 25-year-old Tanya Kach, testified at a preliminary hearing last year that Hose had threatened to kill her if she tried to leave him. --From CNN's Aurore Ankarcrona (Posted 1:13 p.m.) Appeals panel may rule at any time whether Libby stays free pending appealWASHINGTON (CNN) -- A special federal appeals panel may soon rule whether to jail Vice President Cheney's former chief of staff, Lewis "Scooter" Libby. Libby, convicted in March of perjury and obstruction, has been ordered by the judge in the criminal trial to report to prison as soon as authorities determine where he will serve his 30-month sentence. The decision on where to detain him is expected within weeks, according to defense counsel and court officials. But his defense attorneys have filed what they consider an urgent motion with the U.S. Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit, to keep him out of prison pending appeal of the convictions. --From CNN's Paul Courson (Posted 1:09 p.m.) Lake Tahoe grows slightlySOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. (CNN) -- Fire officials said Tuesday that the Angora fire, burning south of Lake Tahoe, has charred 2,750 acres since it began Sunday afternoon. That is up slightly from 2,400 reported Monday. Calm winds over the past day have helped firefighters attack the blaze. (Posted 12:54 p.m.) U.N. agency, Iraq government agree to rebuild Shiite shrine in SamarraBAGHDAD (CNN) -- A U.N. agency and the Iraqi government "have concluded an agreement" on rebuilding Al-Askariya Mosque, the revered Shiite shrine bombed last year and earlier this month, the United Nations said Tuesday. The project will start "as soon as security conditions are guaranteed and will continue over a period of 10 months," the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization said. The United Nations said Iraq "is expected to provide $3 million of the $8.4 million project, with the rest coming from the U.N. Development Group Iraq Trust Fund." The agreement was signed on Sunday by UNESCO and the Iraqi government. (Posted 12:44 p.m.) Senators revive immigration billWASHINGTON (CNN) -- After weeks of controversy, the Senate managed Tuesday to get the 60 votes needed to revive an immigration-reform bill that is one of President Bush's legislative priorities. With the 64-35 vote, senators can begin debating about two dozen amendments, split evenly between Republicans and Democrats under an agreement brokered by a bipartisan group of senators who crafted the compromise measure -- Senate Bill 1639. (Posted 12:37 p.m.) Blair to become Mideast envoy for QuartetWASHINGTON (CNN) -- Outgoing British Prime Minister Tony Blair will become an envoy for the Mideast Quartet, State Department officials and Quartet diplomats said Tuesday. An announcement on the appointment is likely to come Wednesday, the officials said. The idea, endorsed by both President Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, has been discussed in recent days with the British government and other members of the Quartet, which is comprised of the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations. The United States has already spoken with Israelis and Palestinians, who both expressed interest in the proposal, senior officials said. Assistant Secretary David Welch, the State Department's top envoy for the Middle East, discussed the idea with Blair in London last week. State Department spokesman Tom Casey declined to confirm the Blair appointment but told reporters that the Quartet discussed the issue at a meeting in Jerusalem Tuesday. --From CNN State Department Producer Elise Labott (Posted 11:51 a.m.) Gunmen assassinate Baghdad University officialBAGHDAD (CNN) -- Gunmen shot and killed a top Baghdad University official Tuesday, the Interior Ministry told CNN. Nihad Mohammed al-Rawi, the deputy dean of Baghdad University, was being driven home from work when gunmen intercepted his car and shot him. Al-Rawi's driver and a passenger, his daughter, were unharmed. The incident occurred around 2 p.m. in western Baghdad's Yarmouk district. A university security officer told CNN al-Rawi's death is a great loss, describing the academic as a true nationalist and a great man. --From CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq (Posted 11:21 a.m.) Report: Iraqi president visiting Iran(CNN) -- An Iranian state-run news agency reported that Jalal Talabani, Iraq's president, has arrived in the Iranian capital, Tehran, to "confer with Iranian officials on ways of expanding bilateral ties." The Islamic Republic News Agency said Talabani arrived Tuesday night at Mehrabad airport, where he was greeted by Praviz Fattah, Iran's energy minister. IRNA also reported President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was to "accord formal welcome to Talabani at the president's office. " "Iraqi security is top on the agenda of his talks with Iranian president," IRNA reported. (Posted 10:47 a.m.) Firefighters hope to control fire near Lake Tahoe before winds kick upSOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. (CNN) -- Firefighters Tuesday hope to get a better handle on the Angora fire, which has destroyed at least 275 homes and buildings south of Lake Tahoe and threatens 1,000 others, before winds kick into high gear later in the week. Lower winds on Monday helped firefighters attack the blaze, which has charred 2,400 acres since it began on Sunday afternoon. "The fire didn't move yesterday, so that was a very good sign," Frank Mosbacher of the U.S. Forest Service said on CNN's "American Morning" on Tuesday. "The resources that came from all over the place were able to keep the fire pretty much where it was at the end of the first day." Firefighters contained 40 percent of the blaze by Monday afternoon and hope to have it fully under control by Sunday, fire officials told CNN's Chris Lawrence. The winds have also died down on Tuesday but wind gusts over 30 miles per hour are forecast for Thursday into Friday. (Posted 10:40 a.m.) U.S. military admits mistakenly killing Pakistani civilians in cross-border firefightWASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. artillery and airstrikes inadvertently killed about nine civilians inside Pakistan on Saturday, a military spokesman for the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan said Tuesday. The incident took place in the Bermel district of Paktika province when U.S. forces were engaged in a firefight with more than 50 suspected insurgents along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. There had been initial reports of potential civilian casualties, and ISAF has confirmed that artillery and helicopter gunfire from positions just inside Afghanistan accidentally hit a hotel across the border in Pakistan, killing the civilians. The spokesman said ISAF is certain that no U.S. ground forces crossed into Pakistan to chase the insurgents. However, the U.S. military felt it was under imminent threat from the insurgents, so it continued to pursue the insurgents across the border by air, and launched the strikes in Pakistan. --From CNN Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr (Posted 10:50 a.m.) Arrest warrant issued for Sunni culture ministerBAGHDAD (CNN) -- Authorities in Iraq have ordered the arrest of the country's Sunni culture minister, accused of killing two of the sons of a politician targeted in an assassination attempt two years ago. The Iraqi Judiciary Council issued a warrant for Assad al-Hashimi, who wasn't home when his central Baghdad house was raided in the early morning hours Tuesday. Al-Hashimi is accused of ordering the assassination of parliamentary candidate Mithal al-Alusi on Feb. 8, 2005. Al-Alusi escaped unharmed but two of his sons were killed in the incident, government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh told CNN. Al-Alusi was a leading figure in the secular Iraqi National Congress Party but he was expelled from the party after visiting Israel. --From CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq (Posted 9:42 a.m.) Bush makes 11th hour plea for Senate passage of immigration billWASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush made an 11th hour plea Tuesday, asking the Senate to pass an immigration bill that has been languishing in that chamber since early June. His comments came just a couple of hours before the Senate was to vote on a procedural motion to move ahead with the immigration reform measure, which needs 60 votes to pass. If that hurdle is cleared, senators would begin considering some two dozen amendments, split evenly between Republicans and Democrats under an agreement brokered by a bipartisan group of senators who crafted the compromise bill. The bill includes "tough" restrictions on worksite enforcement, border security and tamper-proof identification cards. It also offers a path to citizenship to the estimated 12 million people in the United States illegally. "I view this as a historic opportunity for Congress to act," Bush told an audience of supporters at the Eisenhower office building. "This is a moment for people who have been elected to come together, focus on a problem and show the American people we can fix a problem." (Posted 9:40 a.m.) Criminal investigation to probe alleged detainee abuseWASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. military has opened a criminal investigation into allegations that an Afghan detainee earlier this month was tied to the back of U.S. military vehicle and threatened with being dragged, officials from the U.S. military and International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan tell CNN. Details were published in the German magazine Focus, including a photograph showing an Afghan man tied to a U.S. military vehicle. The article was written by a German reporter traveling with the U.S. unit from the 82nd Airborne Division and Afghan troops in early June in Ghazni province. The article says that man was tied to the back of the vehicle and then a U.S. soldier started the engine and threatened to drive away unless the man offered information. After several minutes the engine was switched off and the man was released. "This alleged behavior goes against everything the U.S. military stands for and believes in," said Col. Martin Schweitzer, commander of NATO forces in the province. The U.S. soldier alleged to be involved in the incident has been removed from duty pending the outcome of the investigation. --From CNN Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr (Posted 8:58 a.m.) Hilton completes jail stayLOS ANGELES (CNN) -- Hotel heiress Paris Hilton was released from a Los Angeles-area jail early Tuesday after serving 23 days for violating her probation on a 2006 reckless driving conviction. With the paparazzi swarming around her, Hilton walked out with a big smile on her face and into a waiting SUV with her parents inside. She exited the jail at about 15 minutes after midnight. The media dogged Hilton as she made her getaway, jockeying for position and snapping photographs of the socialite for miles along the Los Angeles freeway system. Hilton did not return to her home, where she lives with her parents in West Hollywood, but went to a family compound in Bel Air. -- CNN's Ed Payne and Matt West contributed to this story. (Posted 8:49 a.m.) Gunmen in Baghdad kill Sunni sheikhBAGHDAD (CNN) -- Gunmen in southwestern Baghdad on Tuesday shot and killed a Sunni Arab sheikh, Iraq's Interior Ministry said. Sheikh Hamid al-Shujairi, a tribal leader from the Wasit province city of Suwayra, was ambushed around 10:30 a.m. in the district of Saydida. Gunmen intercepted the sheikh's car and sprayed him with bullets, the ministry said. --From CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq (Posted 8:47 p.m. ) U.S. military admits mistakenly killing Pakistani civilians in cross-border firefightWASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. artillery and airstrikes inadvertently killed about nine civilians inside Pakistan on Saturday, a military spokesman for the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan said Tuesday. The incident took place in the Bermel district of Paktika province when U.S. forces were engaged in a firefight with more than 50 suspected insurgents along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. There had been initial reports of potential civilian casualties but few details. The matter is politically sensitive because U.S. forces are prohibited from operating inside Pakistan. It would be up to the United States to offer compensation to the Pakistanis, the official said. Afghan President Hamid Karzai has been asking ISAF to use more caution to prevent civilian casualties in combat operations. Dozens of Afghans civilians have been killed in recent operations. ISAF says it exercises caution, but Taliban fighters often use civilians as shields. --From CNN Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr (Posted 8;34 a.m.) Spanish police arrests 2 Moroccans suspected of having terrorist tiesMADRID (CNN) - Spanish police Tuesday arrested two Moroccan men wanted by authorities in their home country for their alleged links to al Qaeda, Spain's Interior Ministry announced. Mohamed Laksir, 23, and Moulay Lahoucine Miftah Idrissi, 27, were taken into custody in Barcelona on international arrest warrants issued by Morocco, whose authorities allege the two belong to a terrorist group that was preparing to carry out attacks, the ministry said in a written statement. They are accused of being involved in a terrorist cell that recruits and indoctrinates militants in radical Islamic dogma with the aim of sending them to terrorist training camps in the Sahel region of northern Africa. Their arrests stem from an investigation that began in December 2005 after Moroccan police dismantled a terrorist network that had links to Spain and a close relationship with Salafist-style terrorist groups, the statement said. --From CNN Madrid Bureau Chief Al Goodman (Posted 8:33 a.m.) Firefighters hope to control fire near Lake Tahoe before winds kick upSOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. (CNN) -- Firefighters Tuesday hoped to get a better handle on the Angora fire, which has destroyed at least 240 homes and buildings south of Lake Tahoe, before winds kick into high gear later in the week. Lower winds on Monday helped firefighters attack the blaze, which has charred 2,400 acres since it began on Sunday afternoon. The wind remained low Tuesday but gusts over 30 miles per hour are forecast for Thursday into Friday. "If they don't get a good handle on it today, it will be back out of control," CNN Meteorologist Chad Myers said. The National Weather Service has issued a smoke advisory, warning people that there is a thick layer of ash in the air making it extremely difficult to see and breathe. (Posted 8:14 a.m.) U.N.: Palestinian refugees on Iraq-Syrian border need 'urgent' help(CNN) -- The U.N. refugee agency said Tuesday that more than 1,400 Palestinian refugees in camps on the Iraq-Syrian border are in "urgent need" of medical care and humanitarian help. Palestinians living in Iraq are among the hundreds of thousands who have been fleeing violence in Iraq and the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees "has repeatedly called for international support for the Palestinians but with few results," the agency said. The agency estimates that there are 15,000 Palestinians still in Iraq -- "less than half of the estimated figure in 2003." The agency said the "situation remains grim" as well for Palestinians in Baghdad. A UNHCR team visited a refugee camp on the Iraqi side of the border recently and found "four children and one young man in urgent need of medical care." (Posted 6:36 a.m.) 2 insurgents killed in coalition raidsBAGHDAD (CNN) -- Coalition forces in Iraq on Tuesday killed two insurgents and seized two others in raids "targeting al Qaeda in Iraq leaders and their bombing network," the U.S. military said. The incidents occurred southwest of Baghdad, in Mosul and east of Baiji. "Dismantling the bombing network and killing or capturing its operatives are a high priority for us," said Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, Multi-National Forces-Iraq spokesperson. (Posted 6:12 a.m.) Hilton completes jail stayLOS ANGELES (CNN) -- Hotel heiress Paris Hilton was released from a Los Angeles-area jail early Tuesday after serving 23 days for violating her probation on a 2006 reckless driving conviction. With the paparazzi swarming around her, Hilton walked through a phalanx of sheriff's deputies with a big smile on her face and into a waiting SUV with her parents inside. She exited the jail at about 15 minutes after midnight. Hilton, 26, surrendered to authorities on June 3 and spent all of the 23 days, save one, at Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood, Calif. She was sentenced to 45 days for the probation violation, but served about half the term, gaining credit for good behavior. (Posted 5:35 a.m.) Flood waters threaten dam in South YorkshireLONDON (CNN) -- South Yorkshire authorities evacuated 250 homes as water from torrential rains threatened to break through Ulley Dam in Rotherham Tuesday. Storms a day earlier inundated South Yorkshire, killing three people and leaving 60,000 homes in the region without power, police said. Among the dead were a 68-year-old man, a 14-year-old boy and a 20-year-old. According to police, this June has been the rainiest for the Sheffield area since recordkeeping began 125 years ago. "This unprecedented heavy rain led to the rapid flooding of the rivers in both the Lower Don and Sheaf valleys," a South Yorkshire police statement said. "This flooding has caused severe disruption to the highways network in Sheffield, including road closures and a major strain on the public transport network." (Posted 5:35 a.m.) Hilton completes jail stayLOS ANGELES (CNN) -- Hotel heiress Paris Hilton was released early Tuesday from a Los Angeles-area jail after serving 23 days for violating her probation on a 2006 reckless driving conviction. (Posted 3:20 a.m.) Wrestler found dead at metro Atlanta homeFAYETTEVILLE, Ga. (CNN) -- Pro wrestler Chris Benoit, his wife, Nancy, and their 7-year-old son, Daniel, were found dead Monday at their metro Atlanta home, according to Fayette County authorities. "We're viewing it at the moment as a murder-suicide," said Fayette County District Attorney Scott Ballard. "The sheriff's office has already very thoroughly investigated and, with the crime lab, will continue to investigate and I'm quite confident, in a few days, we'll have a lot more answers than we have right now." Benoit's employer, the WWE, called the sheriff's department after the wrestler missed two appointments over the weekend, including a pay-per-view event in Houston. The WWE mourned Benoit, 40, on its Web site, hailing him as one of the great champions of professional wrestling. (Posted 12:20 a.m.) Lugar urges Bush to change course in IraqWASHINGTON (CNN) -- Republican support for President Bush's Iraq war policy suffered a significant crack Monday evening, when Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana, a well-respected GOP voice on foreign affairs, took to the Senate floor to urge the president to change course in Iraq "very soon" to avoid further damage to America's military readiness and long-term national security. "Our course in Iraq has lost contact with our vital national security interests in the Middle East and beyond. Our continuing absorption with military activities in Iraq is limiting our diplomatic assertiveness there and elsewhere in the world," he said. Lugar, the ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, also sounded a pessimistic note on the prospects for internal political progress in Iraq, saying he sees "no convincing evidence that Iraqis will make the compromises necessary to solidify a functioning government and society, even if we reduce violence to a point that allows for some political and economic normalcy." (Posted 10:25 p.m.) |
Get up-to-the minute news from CNNCNN.com gives you the latest stories and video from the around the world, with in-depth coverage of U.S. news, politics, entertainment, health, crime, tech and more. |
| © 2007 Cable News Network. A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved. Terms under which this service is provided to you. Read our privacy guidelines. Contact us. Site Map. |
 |
|
External sites open in new window; not endorsed by CNN.com
Pay service with live and archived video.