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Heavy rains, flooding lash sourthern Nepal and northern India . In Nepal, flooding has forced as many as 50,000 from their homes . India officials say at least 74 people have died in the state of Uttar Pradesh .

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KATHMANDU, Nepal (CNN) -- Monsoon flooding has left 50,000 people homeless in Nepal and killed at least 74 people in northern India, according to officials. Monsoon rain has bought heavy flooding to southern Nepal, pictured, and northern India. The Nepalese army Thursday used helicopters to rescue residents in southeastern Nepal who were stranded on treetops and roofs after monsoon flooding forced more than 50,000 people from their homes. In northern India monsoon flooding destroyed mud huts and killed at least 74 people, officials said. The deaths were in the state of Uttar Pradesh. The latest casualties bring to more than 300 the number of people killed in India since the start of this year's monsoon season. Nepalese officials said at least four southern villages were inundated with water after the embankment on the Saptakoshi River burst Monday. Some 40,000 people were now living in government-run relief camps; others had gone to other villages to stay with relatives, authorities said. Nepalese Home Ministry officials said there were unconfirmed reports of deaths related to the flooding but authorities could not reach the affected areas to verify those reports. Police and army troops had been using elephants, boats and helicopters to rescue stranded villagers in Sunsari district, about 400 km (249 miles) southeast of Kathmandu, since Monday. Nepal amd India are in the midst of the annual monsoon season. Copyright 2008 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.

Programs used to select young lawyers for summer interns and honors program . Investigation stems from firing of U.S. attorneys in 2006 . Members of selection committee screened out liberals and Democrats, report says . Hiring process changed in 2007 to stop political bias from occurring .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Justice Department officials blocked liberals and people with Democratic Party ties from a highly selective program that funneled young lawyers into government jobs, according to an internal investigation released Tuesday. A bias against liberals existed in a Justice program meant to hire young lawyers, an investigation found. Esther Slater McDonald, a political appointee at the Justice Department, "wrote disparaging statements about the candidates' liberal and Democratic Party affiliations on the applications she reviewed and ... she voted to deselect candidates on that basis," said the report by Inspector General Glenn Fine. McDonald, who has left the department, refused to be interviewed for the investigation. The report, the first official investigation to document politicization of the Justice Department during the Bush administration, is an offshoot of the larger investigation of Justice Department politics triggered by the furor over the firing of nine U.S. attorneys. It found two of three members of a screening committee considered political views and experience when choosing new lawyers for the Justice Department Honors Program and Summer Law Intern Program. The report found that McDonald and Michael Elston, the chief of staff to Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty, engaged in misconduct, an administrative violation. The third member of the screening committee, career lawyer Dan Fridman, was cleared of any involvement in the politicization of the process. Elston was interviewed by the investigators, who asked him about the role of former Justice Department official Monica Goodling in politicizing the selection process. Elston told investigators he could not recall Goodling telling him to select lawyers who appeared to share Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' philosophy. Goodling testified before a House panel last year that she had told Elston he should identify such candidates. Goodling directed Elston to lead the selection committee in 2006. She and Elston have both left the Justice Department. She refused to be interviewed for the inspector general's report. As a result of the controversy, the hiring process was changed in 2007 to insulate hiring decisions from political considerations. Both Justice Department policy and federal law prohibit discrimination in hiring for career positions on the basis of political affiliations. The report did not find clear evidence that an earlier screening committee took political considerations into account. It says data from 2002 shows a disparity in the hiring of liberal and conservative candidates, but there were no complaints about the committee's work from 2003 to 2006, when Goodling put Elston in charge of the process. The report Tuesday is the first of perhaps several to be issued as the broad-ranging investigation into the role partisan politics has played in the Justice Department during the Bush administration. Goodling is expected to be a central figure in later inspector general reports examining efforts to increase the influence of conservatives in the department. The Justice Department Office of Professional Responsibility, a separate watchdog office that monitors prosecutorial conduct, joined in the inspector general's investigation. CNN's Terry Frieden contributed to this report.

NEW: As sustained winds fall off, system demoted to tropical storm . NEW: Hanna could return to hurricane level later in day, forecasters say . NEW: Tropical Storm Ike moving toward Caribbean Sea . Hanna's path could include the U.S. Atlantic coast from Miami to Massachusetts .

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MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- The storm called Hanna weakened from a hurricane to a tropical storm Tuesday morning as maximum sustained winds eased down to 70 mph, the National Hurricane Center said. This satellite image from Monday shows Hanna over the southern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands. Despite the downgrade, Hanna dropped torrential rain on the eastern Bahamas, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and Haiti. Hurricane warnings remained in effect. Hanna's path and strength remain uncertain, but the latest forecast map from the National Hurricane Center predicts it still could make landfall as a major hurricane on the southeastern U.S. coast by Friday evening. Hanna's path early Tuesday appeared to be a "meandering" loop across Turks and Caicos, but atmospheric changes over the western Atlantic are expected to steer the storm northwestward over the next two or three days, according to forecasters. As of 5 a.m. ET, Hanna was a Category 1 storm on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale with sustained winds of 80 mph (129 kph) and gusts of up to 100 mph. iReport.com: Watch Hanna lash Turks and Caicos Islands . Three hours later, it was downgraded to a tropical storm as winds fell below the 74 mph threshold for hurricane status. It could return to hurricane status later Tuesday or on Wednesday, forecasters said. Hanna's line of fire could include the U.S. Atlantic coast from Miami, Florida, to Massachusetts, according to the hurricane center's long-range forecast map. Charleston, South Carolina, appears in the middle of this "cone of uncertainty," with Hanna potentially making landfall there Friday. "It appears that the center has been meandering," forecasters said. The history of hurricanes that have been where Hanna is now might argue against its heading toward the southeastern United States. None of the September storms that passed within 200 miles of Hanna's current location has gone there, with most heading into the Gulf of Mexico and others going to New England or Nova Scotia. Still, forecasters said, "the model guidance is remarkably well clustered" in support of its forecast path for Hanna. Meanwhile, forecasters were keeping an eye on Tropical Storm Ike, which was gaining strength in the mid-Atlantic and appeared headed for the Bahamas later in the week. It had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph Tuesday morning.

Artworks worth $163M stolen in Zurich art heist . Haul includes pieces by Cezanne, Van Gogh, Degas and Monet . Heist follows recent thefts in Switzerland of artworks by Picasso .

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(CNN) -- Swiss police were scrambling Monday in search of three masked men who stole four Impressionist paintings worth about $163 million (180 million Swiss francs) Sunday in a heist police characterized as "spectacular." Claude Monet's "Poppies near Vetheuil" was one of the famous paintings stolen by the armed robbers. The three men entered the E.G. Buehrle Collection -- among the finest collections of Impressionist and post-Impressionist art in the world -- in Zurich, Switzerland, at around 4:30 p.m. CET (8:30 a.m. ET), police said. One of the men threatened personnel at the museum's front door with a pistol and forced them to the ground, police said, while the other two men went into an exhibition room and stole four oil paintings by Paul Cezanne, Edgar Degas, Claude Monet and Vincent van Gogh. Afterward, the three men loaded the paintings -- Monet's "Poppies near Vetheuil," Degas' "Count Lepic and his Daughters," Van Gogh's "Blossoming Chestnut Branches" and Cezanne's "Boy in a Red Vest" -- into a white car parked in front of the museum and then drove off, police said. Police said the men were wearing dark clothes and hoods, and one of them spoke German with a Slavic accent. They were all of average height, police said. There is a reward of $91,000 (100,00 Swiss francs) for information leading to the return of the paintings, police said. The Swiss art heist follows the recent theft in Switzerland of two paintings by Pablo Picasso, Bjoern Quellenberg, a spokesman for the Kunsthaus, a major art museum in Zurich, said. The 'dumbest' form of art crime » . The director of the Kunsthaus serves on the E.G. Buhrle private art foundation's council, Quellenberg said. In that theft, thieves stole the paintings, the 1962 "Tete de Cheval" ("Horse's Head") and the 1944 "Verre et Pichet" ("Glass and Pitcher") by Picasso. They were on loan from a German museum and valued at $4.5 million when they were stolen February 6, according to news reports. E-mail to a friend .

Ex-FARC hostages leave Texas medical center 10 days after rescue . Freed men ask for privacy, saying they want to spend time with relatives . Men ask media to not forget about hostages who still held in Colombia .

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(CNN) -- Three Americans rescued last week from captivity in the Colombian jungle left a medical center for their homes Saturday, hoping for some time out of the spotlight as they reconnect with loved ones. Left to right, Thomas Howes, Keith Stansell and Marc Gonsalves address reporters before flying home Saturday. Keith Stansell, Marc Gonsalves and Thomas Howes -- hostages of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia for more than five years -- left the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas. "There's family members that are waiting for us, and just imagine if you hadn't seen your family in 5½ years," Stansell said, asking the media to allow the former captives some space. "Let us go home and be family men again." "We're going to come out and we're going to talk, but right now, what we want to do is rest," Gonsalves said. All three were headed home to Florida, and Stansell and Howes flashed their new Florida driver's licenses before they boarded a plane. The three men had been undergoing a reintegration process at the medical center. FARC had held the three U.S. government contractors since February 2003 after their plane went down in a remote region of the South American country. They and former Colombian presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt were among 15 hostages rescued on July 2 in a Colombian military operation. The three Americans arrived at Brooke Army Medical Center later that day. The three Americans urged the media not to forget the hundreds of other hostages still held by FARC. "Don't forget the people that are still there," Stansell said. "There are fellow hostages that are still there. Some have 10 years [as a hostage]," he said. "Right this minute, they're in chains, looking for food, and they're on the run. And their families haven't seen them in 10 years." It is estimated that FARC holds some 750 hostages. The leftist rebel group took up arms in 1964 and grew from a rag-tag band of 48 fighters to a self-styled "people's army" of more than 21,000 combatants in 2001, according to Colombian government figures. The government now estimates the FARC fighting force has dwindled to around 8,000 after a wave of desertions. On Saturday, the rescued Americans talked of looking forward to spending time with their relatives. "We're going to go home now. We're going to rest, we're going to unwind for about a month and a half," Gonsalves said.

NEW: Bush says he was "firm" with Putin and that the "violence is unacceptable" Vice President Dick Cheney said Russian aggression "must not go unanswered" Violence has continued to rage between Russia and western ally Georgia .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush condemned the escalated violence between Russia and U.S.-backed Georgia on Sunday, while Vice President Dick Cheney said aggression against Georgia "must not go unanswered." President Bush chats with Russian Prime Minister Vladmir Putin at the start of the Olympic opening ceremonies. "My administration has been engaged with both sides of this trying to get a ceasefire," Bush told NBC's Bob Costas in an interview in Beijing, China, where the president has attended Olympic events. Bush was filmed speaking to Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin during Friday's opening ceremonies and said Sunday that he "was firm with Vladimir Putin" and that "this violence is unacceptable." Violence has continued to rage between Russia and the western ally since Thursday, when Georgia launched an operation to crack down on separatists in South Ossetia territory. Russia said it wanted to protect its peacekeepers already in South Ossetia following ceasefires in years past. But Georgia called it a full-on invasion. And while Russia has accused Georgia of a genocidal plot to cleanse the region of ethnic Ossetians loyal to Russia, Georgia accuses Russia of executing a long-planned war with the aim of taking control of the region -- including a key pipeline that carries Asian oil to Black Sea ports. "I expressed my grave concern about the disproportionate response of Russia," Bush said of his talk with Putin. "We strongly condemn bombing outside of South Ossetia." Putin says he's concerned about the flood of refugees arriving in Russia from South Ossetia. Russian officials said more than 30,000 refugees have left South Ossetia and crossed into Russia over the past two days, Interfax reported. "The actions of the Georgian authorities in South Ossetia are a crime, of course, primarily a crime against their own people," Putin said, according to Russian news agency Interfax. Meanwhile, Cheney talked to Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili on Sunday, telling him that Russia's aggression against Georgia "must not go unanswered." Cheney's spokeswoman Lea Ann McBride said the vice president spoke to Saakashvili to express "the United States' solidarity with the Georgian people and their democratically elected government in the face of this threat to Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity." Georgia withdrew its forces Sunday and offered a ceasefire, which Russia refused. "The vice president told President Saakashvili that Russian aggression must not go unanswered, and that its continuation would have serious consequences for its relations with the United States, as well as the broader international community," McBride said. Saakashvili has called on the United States and the world community to stop the "intervention and invasion of my sovereign country." "I think the U.S. is the most powerful country in the world," he told CNN. "I think the U.S. has lots of leverage. And I think there are lots of diplomatic means that it could be done through." Two senior officials have told CNN the United States sent envoy Matt Bryza to the region to help with mediation.

NEW: American asks to meet with FAA, calls fines "excessive" Airline accused of not having timely inspections of emergency lighting systems . Two planes flew combined 58 times before problems corrected . Airline also fined for "past deficiencies" regarding drug and alcohol testing.

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(CNN) -- Federal regulators announced $7.1 million in fines against American Airlines on Thursday over maintenance issues and problems with its drug- and alcohol-testing programs. American Airlines was fined for allowing aircrafts to fly while they knew they needed repairs. "The FAA believes the large total amount of the fine for these violations is appropriate because American Airlines was aware that appropriate repairs were needed, and instead deferred maintenance," the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement announcing the decision. "In intentionally continuing to fly the aircraft, the carrier did not follow important safety regulations intended to protect passengers and crew." American can still appeal the fines, the FAA said. The FAA also found the airline maintained inadequate drug- and alcohol-testing programs and failed to inspect safety lighting on a "timely" basis. The Fort Worth, Texas-based carrier said Thursday evening that it disagreed with the findings and called the penalties "excessive." "In accordance with FAA procedures for handling these matters, we have requested to meet with the FAA after we have had time to thoroughly review their findings, so that we may discuss the issues," the airline said in a written statement. "Since these matters are ongoing with the FAA, we will not have any further comment at this time." Nearly $4.5 million of the proposed fines stem from American's continued operation of two MD-83 jetliners in December 2007 after pilots reported problems with the autopilot systems, the FAA said. The two planes were flown a combined 58 times before the problems were corrected -- and one flew 10 times after an FAA inspector notified the airline that it had wrongly deferred needed repairs. In one incident, the autopilot disconnected during a landing on December 21, the FAA said. "American technicians did not check for the actual problem, and instead deferred maintenance using an inappropriate MEL (minimum equipment list) item. The plane flew another 36 passenger-carrying flights during December 21-31." The problem was later traced to a piece of radio gear separate from the autopilot, the FAA said. Meanwhile, a different MD-83 flew four flights without a fully functioning autopilot after American mechanics put off repairs. Regulators also accuse American of operating planes without timely inspections of their emergency lighting systems. In April, American canceled more than 3,000 flights to conduct inspections of wiring bundles in wheel wells of its 300 MD-80 jets, snarling air traffic for five days. The FAA ordered American and several other airlines to examine the wiring, which had the potential to start fires or cause landing gear to malfunction.

USOC, IOC claim fake ticket sites have bilked customers using their trademark . Sites www.BeijingTicketing.com and www.beijing-2008tickets.com named in suit . One site claims "We assure 100 % guaranteed tickets delivery"

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(CNN) -- The U.S. Olympic Committee and the International Olympic Committee are expected to ask a federal judge Monday to shut down Web sites they allege scam customers trying to buy Olympic tickets, according to court documents. The Web site www.beijingticketing.com is accused in a lawsuit of scamming Olympic ticket buyers. The IOC and the USOC filed lawsuits on July 22 against several Web sites -- primarily www.beijingticketing.com and www.beijing-2008tickets.com -- for illegally using Olympic trademarks to dupe customers into giving them credit card, passport and banking information. Lawyers for the IOC and USOC are expected to petition U.S. District Court Judge Jeffrey White on Monday to permanently shut down several sites listed in the lawsuit. The lawsuit names the company XL & H Ltd, known as Xclusive Leisure & Hospitality Ltd. and six other Web sites believed to be fraudulent. Several consumers who purchased tickets from the site contacted the USOC when they did not receive tickets, despite numerous calls and e-mails to the Web sites founder, according to a USOC press release. The scam has hit Olympic fans in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, England, Japan, China and Norway, according to media reports. Australian Olympic Committee President John Coates told local media that relatives of the country's softball team had been victims of the site. The Sydney Morning Herald reported that the New South Wales Government set up a hotline for those duped out of tickets. The hotline has received hundreds of calls from around the globe with consumers detailing losses as high as $57,000. The IOC and USOC successfully secured a restraining order on July 23 in federal court in Phoenix, Arizona, that shut down www.beijing-2008tickets.com, according to court documents. That site is now shut down and no contact information is available. The site www.BeijingTicketing.com priced tickets for Friday's Olympic opening ceremony at about $2,000, with events such as swimming selling for between $300 and $500. The site is the first entry that comes up for a Google search for "Olympic tickets," second only to the authorized dealer of Olympic tickets, www.cosport.com. The Web site ww.beijingticketing.com site lists a London phone number, which rang unanswered. The site lists an office address in Arizona. The site boasts tickets for nearly every Olympic event, with some events showing sell-outs already. The site also looked to assure ticket buyers of its authenticity with a note at the bottom of the site. "Beijing 2008 Ticketing is a well known tickets agent and a trusted market place for buyers to find book Olympic tickets," the note stated. "We assure 100% guaranteed tickets delivery."

Half Chinese, half Egyptian, Chinn made his name as a chef in Vietnam . Worked on Wall Street and as a stand-up comic before becoming a chef . Has published cook books and has own cookery show called 'World Cafe Asia'

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(CNN) -- Celebrity chef Bobby Chinn has tried his hand at a number of things. Chinn's face for television: Picking up his Asian TV Award in 2007. English boarding school taught him that food could be an awful experience; Wall Street taught him that creativity was more important than money and a stint as a stand-up comedian taught him that you can't always get it right. Half Chinese, half Egyptian, Chinn's grandmothers were his first introduction to the variety and pleasure that food can bring. While his palate was subdued by the meals he was given at school in England when he was a boy, his meandering route to becoming a chef came some time after attaining a degree in Finance and Economics. Moving to New York after graduating he worked on Wall Street. "You didn't produce anything at the end of a day and you didn't breathe fresh air, you didn't know what the weather was like outside because you were on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. It's like the dungeon of capitalism where time and money met," he told CNN's Talk Asia. Chinn escaped "the dungeon" after a year and a half to the sunny climes of California, but it wasn't to laze around. An addiction to high-octane and challenging environments saw Chinn explore the possibility of being a stand-up comic. "I was always afraid to talk in front of the class and now I am trying to make them laugh" he told CNN. "One day you are really funny and then you go to another gig the same night and nobody laughs and then at the same time you are living a life of poverty. When you are bombing as a comic I don't think there can be a worse life." While finding out the hard way how funny, or not, he was, Chinn was working front-of-house in restaurants, nurturing his love of food. His break came when Hubert Keller from San Francisco restaurant Fleur de Lys took him on as a volunteer in his kitchen. "He gave me a job and after one week he said 'OK, you can stay.' And then when you work with one really great chef, then I think you can work anywhere," he said. After also training with chefs in France, Chinn made his own mark on the culinary world when he opened his first restaurant in Vietnam in 1995, and at first found the going tough. "Supplies were not consistent, the language barrier, the taste barrier, the hygiene barriers. Those are very taxing on a person like me with very little patience." A high-energy chef and now a TV celebrity who presents "World Café Asia" -- he won an Asian Television Award in 2007 -- Chinn is aware that being flavor of the month on TV is transitory. "It is just a machine that feeds on people like me and then spits me out when my time is done. You just have to go with the flow."

Pantoliano is co-founder of the advocacy group No Kidding, Me Too . "Sopranos" actor has new film about mental illness . He says he has met with Obama and McCain camps to discuss issue . Pantoliano hasn't decided whom to vote for in November .

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(CNN) -- Actor and filmmaker Joe Pantoliano, known for his role as Ralph Cifaretto on the HBO series "The Sopranos," attended the Democratic National Convention on Monday to raise awareness about people living with mental illness. Joe Pantoliano has met with the Obama and McCain camps to promote mental health and recovery. Pantoliano, founder and president of the eight-month-old advocacy organization No Kidding, Me Too, released a teaser of his new film about various forms of mental illness. At the CNN Grill, he answered five questions for CNN.com. CNN.com: What are you doing out here in Denver? Pantoliano: I've always been fascinated by the political process ever since I was a kid. ... I always love the festive partying, the camaraderie, the working for the candidate, whether it was somebody in the 3rd Ward where I lived in New Jersey in Hoboken or a senator or a congressman or even when a president would come. I remember when President Kennedy came down to Hoboken in '61 and I was only 10 years old. I was with the Kennedys tonight. CNN.com: Are you a Barack Obama supporter? Pantoliano: I'm advocating my organization. I'm going to the [Republican National Convention} next week. I'm speaking on mental illness and the miracles of recovery; that's what the movie is about. I've met with the Obama chief of staff and the Obama people; I've met with McCain people. Mental illness is on the tip of their minds. CNN.com: Who are you voting for? Pantoliano: I don't know yet. Watch how celebrity endorsements can backfire » . CNN.com: Where are the hot spots in Denver? Where are people hanging out? Pantoliano: Here, the CNN Grill. It's all they're talking about. I really like Denver. The security is less kinetic [than] it was four years ago. That whole fear thing that this administration has played on our nerves; I think I have post-traumatic stress over that. What happened was I became addicted to the news. iReport.com: Are you in Denver? Share sights, sounds . CNN.com: Do you think that coming out to a convention helps you make up your mind better than sitting in your living room? Pantoliano: I'm an independent. I can be inspired tonight by Michelle Obama's speech, and then something happens next week, so I'm going back and forth. I'm a flip-flopper. The difference that I see between the Republicans and the Democrats are that the Democrats really are a force of what the melting pot of our society is. Obama really represents that. Obama represents what America is today. CNN's Michael Senzon contributed to this report.

Relatives of Spanair crash victim given the wrong remains, CNN+ reports . Initial probe finds family given the wrong urn, not the body was wrongly identified . Spanair flight crashed during take off last week from Madrid airport . 154 died, 18 survivors still in hospitals, two injured released from hospital .

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MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- Relatives of a woman killed in a Spanish airline crash were erroneously given the remains of another victim, and then were asked by authorities to return them, CNN partner network CNN+ reported Thursday. The victims of the crash were first laid out at a Madria convention center. A Madrid judge has opened an investigation into the error, and judicial sources say the initial indication is that the mixup occurred not in the proper identification of the victim, but in delivering the wrong remains to the family in question, CNN+ reported. The family Wednesday received an urn numbered 104, and were told it contained the ashes of their loved one, Pilar Gonzalez Ferreira, who died in the crash. But as the family was preparing to leave Madrid, officials called to tell them about the error and asked for the return of urn 104, CNN+ reported. Instead of urn 104, the family was supposed to have received urn 134, which actually contains the remains of Pilar Gonzalez, CNN+ reported, citing judicial sources and another family which also lost a relative in the crash. The Spanair MD82 jet crashed last week at Madrid's airport as the plane was trying to take off, killing 154 people. The aircraft, bound for Spain's Canary Islands, managed to rise only slightly before coming down quickly to the right of the runway, its tail section hitting the ground first, just off the asphalt. Then the out-of-control plane skidded and bounced at least three times as it careered 1,200 meters (3,840 feet) across uneven terrain and exploded, coming to rest in a gully, a top official of the investigative commission told a news conference in Madrid on Tuesday. Many of the bodies were badly charred from the fire, and authorities have used DNA samples to carry out numerous identifications. By Thursday, 126 victims had been identified, CNN+ reported. Just a few dozen families are still waiting to receive the remains their loved ones. Most are gathered at a Madrid hotel near the airport. Nineteen people initially survived the crash, but one died in hospital last weekend. Fourteen survivors remain hospitalized in Madrid; one had returned to her native Sweden for further hospitalization there, and another was in a hospital in the Canary Islands. Two other survivors, including a six-year-old boy, were released from hospital earlier this week.

CNN numbers: 112 Americans killed this year, compared with 111 last year . Operation Enduring Freedom has killed 585 Americans since 2001 . Numbers include those who died outside Afghanistan as part of Enduring Freedom .

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(CNN) -- More U.S. troops have died in Afghanistan this year than in any year since the U.S. invaded the country following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Soldiers at a U.S. base in Afghanistan on Thursday honor the victims of September 11, 2001. According to numbers CNN has compiled from military statements, 112 American troops have died in Afghanistan in 2008, compared with 111 in all of 2007. The death toll has sparked concern among the U.S. military and its allies. Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a congressional committee Wednesday that the U.S. is "running out of time" to win the war in Afghanistan. Mullen said the U.S. needs better nation-building initiatives and a stronger cross-border strategy with Pakistan to ensure victory over Islamic militants in the poor Asian country. "We can't kill our way to victory, and no armed force anywhere, no matter how good, can deliver these keys alone. It requires teamwork and cooperation," Mullen told the House Armed Services Committee. In addition to those killed in Afghanistan, the military also includes troops who died outside the country if they were part of Operation Enduring Freedom, the war launched nearly seven years ago in and around Afghanistan. The broader count includes two Americans who died in Djibouti in 2008. The 2007 count includes two Americans who died in Ethiopia, two in the Philippines, one in Mali, one in Pakistan and one at sea near the Horn of Africa. According to CNN numbers, 585 Americans have died in the course of Operation Enduring Freedom, 506 of them in Afghanistan. The numbers include hostile and nonhostile incidents. Both the U.S.-led coalition and the NATO command announced three more deaths Thursday -- a British soldier in southern Afghanistan on Wednesday and two others in eastern Afghanistan on Thursday. The nationalities of the latter two have not been disclosed. The British death brings the country's toll to 118. Other countries, including Canada, Germany, France and Spain, also have lost troops in Afghanistan.

Moscow: Russian bombers using Venezuela airfield to train over neutral waters . Russian defense ministry spokesman: NATO fighters followed bombers . News agency: Venezuelan president says he'd welcome Russian air force . Move comes amid growing tension between Washington and Moscow .

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(CNN) -- Two Russian bombers have landed at a Venezuelan airfield where they will carry out training flights for several days, the Russian defense ministry said Wednesday. Russia's Tupolev TU-160, pictured here in 2003, is a long-range strategic bomber. The Tupolev Tu-160 strategic bombers landed at Venezuela's Libertador military airfield and "will spend several days carrying out training flights over neutral waters, after which they will return to the base," the ministry added. NATO fighters followed the bombers on their 13-hour flight over the Arctic Ocean and the Atlantic, the defense ministry said. It said the Russian flights were carried out in strict accordance with international rules governing airspace above neutral waters, and that the aircraft did not violate the borders of other states. Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said such joint exercises between nations are not unusual. "We exercise all around the globe and have joint exercises with countries all over the world. So do many other nations." The U.S. will monitor the Russian-Venezuelan training, said Pentagon officials who asked not to be identified as they are not authorized to speak on the information. On Monday, Russia announced it might hold joint naval maneuvers with Venezuela in the Caribbean. The declaration came amid increased tension between Russia and the United States over Russia's invasion last month of the former Soviet republic of Georgia, a U.S. ally that aspires to join NATO. On Monday Russia denied any link between that announcement and the conflict in Georgia, although Russia has criticized U.S. support for Georgia. Russia has also objected to the missile defense system agreement, signed between the United States and Poland and the Czech Republic in August, that places a ground-based ballistic defense facility in the two eastern European nations. Russia has said the deal threatens its security, while the United States has said that the system is to guard against rogue states such as Iran. Earlier this month, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, whose comments have frequently antagonized Washington, said it would welcome the Russian air force, according to Russian news agency Novosti. "If Russian long-range bombers should need to land in Venezuela, we would not object to that either. We will also welcome them," Chavez said on September 1, according to Novosti. CNN's Mike Mount contributed to this story .

Senator's weight, blood pressure and cholesterol are all healthy, doctor says . Obama is an "intermittent smoker," doctor says . Obama has quit smoking several times, is currently using Nicorette gum . GOP presumptive nominee Sen. John McCain released records last week .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Democratic presidential front-runner Sen. Barack Obama is in excellent health, according to a statement from his doctor, released by the campaign. Besides being an "intermittent smoker," Sen. Barack Obama is in excellent health, his doctor says. Obama, 46, last saw Dr. David Scheiner in January 2007, shortly before he declared he was running for president. Scheiner, who has been Obama's primary doctor since 1987, observed that the Illinois senator's diet, weight, blood pressure and cholesterol were all healthy. "In short, his examination showed him to be in excellent health," Scheiner said. Obama "exercised regularly, often jogging three miles. His diet was balanced with good intake of roughage and fluids. ... On physical examination, his blood pressure was 90/60 and pulse 60/minute," Scheiner wrote. The Illinois senator has been an "intermittent" cigarette smoker who has "quit on several occasions and is currently using Nicorette gum with success." Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, released his health records last week. McCain's doctors also described him as being in "excellent health," despite a history of skin cancer, and said there appears to be no physical reason why the 71-year-old candidate could not carry out the duties of the office. Obama released a one-page statement from his primary care physician. He did not release any medical records or make his doctors available to the media. By contrast, McCain made more than 1,000 pages of medical documents available to journalists, including CNN's chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Four of McCain's doctors held a conference call with reporters after the records were made available. McCain has had four malignant melanomas removed. Three of them -- on his left shoulder, left arm and left nasal wall -- were limited to the top skin layer and were not invasive. They were removed in 1993, 2000 and 2002. But a fourth melanoma proved to be invasive and was removed from his left lower temple in 2000, said Dr. John D. Eckstein, an internist who has been overseeing McCain's treatment for 16 years at the Mayo Clinic's campus in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Abu Uthman suspected of masterminding Jill Carroll's 2006 kidnapping . Uthman and another al Qaeda in Iraq suspect captured this month, military says . Carroll, a U.S. journalist, was abducted in 2006 but released unharmed weeks later .

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BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- U.S.-led forces captured two men believed to be senior al Qaeda in Iraq leaders, including one suspected of planning the 2006 kidnapping of U.S. journalist Jill Carroll, a military statement said. Jill Carroll, seen here in an interview following her 2006 release, was held for nearly three months in Iraq. Coalition forces captured the suspects in Baghdad on August 11 and 17, according to the statement. The suspects were identified as Salim Abdallah Ashur al-Shujayri, also known as Abu Uthman, and Ali Rash Nasir Jiyad al-Shammari, also known as Abu Tiba. Abu Uthman is suspected of masterminding Carroll's abduction, the statement said. Carroll, a freelance reporter for The Christian Science Monitor, was abducted in January 2006 and freed unharmed in March of that year. Both men are suspected of overseeing car or suicide bombings targeting Iraqis with the intent of inciting sectarian violence, the statement said. Abu Tiba is suspected to have been in charge of as many 15 al Qaeda in Iraq "attack cells," providing them with money, weapons and explosives, according to the statement. The men were also suspected of being connected to other kidnappings, the statement said. "The capture of Abu Tiba and Abu Uthman eliminates two of the few remaining experienced leaders in the AQI [al Qaeda in Iraq] network," the statement said.

Long gas lines reported as Hurricane Ike approaches . Gas prices jumped overnight in Canada . Police had to restore order at North Carolina gas stations . Are you in Ike's path? Send photos, videos .

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(CNN) -- Cheri Morgan spent about half-an-hour in line at a Houston-area gas station on Thursday before evacuating the city. iReporter Cheri Morgan says drivers were panicking Thursday at a Houston, Texas, gas station. "Everyone was driving crazy and they really need some kind of traffic flow at the gas stations. It's wild," she said. "Everybody's rushing and panicking. I could have stayed, but I thought it was best to just get out of there." Morgan said it took her about five hours to make the 200 mile drive to San Antonio -- a trip that normally only takes about three hours. Ike is expected to make landfall on the Gulf Coast of Texas, which is home to many of the country's oil refineries. That's led to a scramble at gas stations as people try to fill up before the storm hits. iReport.com: Are you in Ike's path? People were filling up their cars and their gas cans at a Sam's Club in College Station, Texas, iReporter Kyle Norton told CNN.com. "The lines were a tad ridiculous," the 30-year-old banker said. Norton said his 2002 Dodge Ram pickup was on empty, so he had no choice but to wait in line for an hour. Despite the long lines, Norton said gas was about $3.49, which is pretty normal for the area. He said a friend had to go to four different stations before he could find one that still had regular unleaded. iReporter Jeremy "Clete" Terrell said the lines also were long at the Costco in Alpharetta, Georgia. "I was getting gas and realized that everybody else was too," he said. iReporter Curtis McNeely said a Kangaroo Express station in Evansville, Indiana, imposed a 10 gallon limit. "It's causing paranoia more than anything," he said adding that people are returning to the gas station to fill up multiple times. A spokeswoman for the company that runs the Kangaroo Express chain says it's imposed a limit at its 1,660 stores because gas supplies are tight. Several stations in Ocala, Florida, were limiting sales if they still had gas to sell, iReporter Christine Bailey said. Canadian Ian McIntosh said gas prices jumped 57 cents per gallon overnight in Milton, Ontario. "This stuff's in the tanks, it's just sitting in the gas stations, they're using this as a windfall event," the retired teacher said. McIntosh said he heard prices were going up on the news, so he and his wife got gas last night -- along with many other residents of the Toronto suburb. "A gas station that would normally have three or four cars -- you had 15 cars and you had to line up to get to the pumps," he said. Rumors that gas would jump to $6 a gallon caused a panic in Sylva, North Carolina. iReport.com: Police called in at mountain gas station . Lines were a half-mile long Thursday night at the stations that stayed open, and police were called in to maintain order, iReporter April Brendle said. "Supposedly there was a fight at one station," she said.

Four children, one 18 months old, are among cult members holed up in cave . Cult leader to face charges he set up a violent organization, news agency reports . News agency: Cult members have threatened to commit suicide if police use force . The "true Russian Orthodox Church" believes end of the world is coming in May .

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MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- Members of a Russian doomsday cult barricaded themselves in a cave to wait out the end of the world as the cult's leader underwent psychiatric exams Thursday, Russian media reported. The cult, which calls itself the "true Russian Orthodox Church," believes the world will end in May. The cult leader is in police custody awaiting proceedings on charges that he set up an organization "whose activity is associated with violence on citizens and instigation to refuse to perform their civil duties," according to the state-funded Itar-Tass news agency. Four children are among 29 cult members holed up in a ravine in Russia's Penza region, where they apparently dug a cave. One of the children in the cave is 18 months old, reported Itar-Tass. Temperatures in the cave are below 54 degrees Fahrenheit (12 degrees Celsius), the Russian news agency reported. The cult members have refused law enforcement requests to come out or release the children, and they have threatened to commit suicide if police resort to force, according to Russian state television. The cult, which calls itself the "true Russian Orthodox Church," believes the end of the world will come in May 2008. Prosecutors announced Thursday they are opening criminal proceedings against the cult's leader, Father Pyotr Kuznetsov. Kuznetsov, 43, is "under the supervision of investigators," Olig Troshin, a Penza prosecutor, told Itar-Tass. A law enforcement source in Penza told the Russian news agency Interfax that Kuznetsov "is being examined by psychiatrists." Several clergymen, police officers and agents of the Russian Ministry for Emergency Situations are outside the cave. "It is obviously some kind of insanity," Mitropolitan Kirill, a high-ranking Russian Orthodox Church official, told Russian television. "It is perhaps even a medical case. A very dangerous phenomena is happening in Russia's religious life." He added, "What we're seeing in Penza right now is a most vivid example of what could happen to a country, to a society, if this society is deprived of proper religious education." E-mail to a friend . CNN's Maxim Tkachenko contributed to this report.

Georgian official said South Ossetia had fired on Georgian villages first . Women, children, elderly being evacuated from the conflict zone . Georgia split by Russian-backed separatist movements in South Ossetia .

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(CNN) -- Six people were killed and 13 wounded in the shelling of South Ossetia by Georgian forces, South Ossetian officials said Saturday, according to Russia's Interfax news agency. Officials of the breakaway Georgian region said the shelling was part of a Georgian military operation, Interfax reported. Georgia initially suggested Russian peacekeepers were to blame, drawing heated denials from the Russian Defense Ministry, which called the allegation "dirty informational provocation." Later, however, Mamuka Kurashvili, the commander of Georgian peacekeeping operations, told reporters that four people were wounded when several Georgian villages were fired upon from South Ossetia, and Georgia "had to return fire." Women, children and the elderly were being evacuated from the conflict zone because of fears that Georgia would continue military operations against the region, according to the South Ossetian Information and Press Committee as reported by Interfax. South Ossetia's government held a special session on the violence, the Russian news agency said. "If Georgia continues provocative actions, we will announce the recruitment of volunteers not only in the North Ossetia but in the entire North Caucasus and also carry out general mobilization in South Ossetia," South Ossetian leader Eduard Kokoity told Interfax. Georgia, located on the Black Sea coast between Russia and Turkey, has been split by Russian-backed separatist movements in South Ossetia and another region, Abkhzia. Accusations often fly on both sides, and the South Ossetian leadership has alleged that Georgian troops stage attacks to create a pretext for military action. South Ossetia declared its independence from Georgia in the early 1990s after a bloody war there between ethnic Georgians and Ossetians. The region's independence is not internationally recognized. Russian, Georgian and South Ossetian troops participate in a mixed peacekeeping force there and have maintained a fragile peace broken occasionally by fighting. On Friday, as reports of the shelling began, Russia expressed "its most serious concern about the escalation of tensions in South Ossetia." Moscow said it was taking measures to prevent escalation of the conflict as it urged both Georgia and South Ossetia to look for diplomatic ways to calm the situation.

Zimbabwe's inflation rate soars to 11.2 million percent . A loaf of bread costs 1.6 trillion Zimbabwe dollars . Official rate is world's highest but some analysts fear it may be more . Zimbabwe officials blame international sanctions and rising global food prices .

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HARARE, Zimbabwe (CNN) -- Zimbabwe's inflation rate has soared in the past three months and is now at 11.2 million percent, the highest in the world, according to the country's Central Statistical Office. Zimbabwe's inflation rate has soared to a world high. Official figures dated Monday show inflation has surged from the rate of 2.2 million percent recorded in May, despite the government's price controls. The country's finance minister confirmed the new figure in an interview but said the rising inflation rate was not confined to Zimbabwe alone. "While our case has been aggravated by the illegal sanctions imposed by the Western powers, rising food prices are a world phenomenon because of the use of bio-fuel," said Samuel Mumbengegwi. "But we will continue to fight inflation by making sure that prices charged are realistic." In February, the price of a loaf of bread in the country was less than 200,000 Zimbabwe dollars. On Monday, that same loaf of bread cost 1.6 trillion Zimbabwe dollars. Analysts have said the Zimbabwean government's official inflation rate figures are conservative. Last week, one of Zimbabwe's leading banks, Kingdom Bank, said the country's inflation rate was now more than 20 million percent. The locally-owned bank predicted tougher times ahead for Zimbabwe in the absence of donor support and foreign investment in an economy that has been in freefall for almost a decade. Once considered the breadbasket of Africa, Zimbabwe has been in the throes of an economic meltdown ever since the country embarked on a chaotic land reform program that has decimated commercial agriculture. Analysts say the crisis has worsened following President Robert Mugabe's disputed reelection in the June 27 presidential run-off. His challenger Morgan Tsvangirai boycotted the race over widespread allegations of violence and voter intimidation. The economic crisis has destroyed Zimbabwe's currency and made it difficult for Zimbabweans to buy basic commodities, electricity, fuel, and medicines. Many Zimbabweans have left the country amid rising unemployment and deepening poverty. Last week a summit in South Africa of regional African leaders failed to persuade Zimbabwe's political parties to agree to form a government of national unity, which observers view as the best way to end Zimbabwe's record recession.

Alberto Paloschi is moving from Milan to Parma in a co-ownership deal . The 18-year-old scored with his first touch in his Milan debut in February . Lyon are interested in signing Milan right-back Massimo Oddo .

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(CNN) -- Parma have signed AC Milan's 18-year-old Alberto Paloschi in a co-ownership deal, the Serie B club announced on their Web site on Wednesday. Paloschi scored with his first touch when he made his debut as a Milan sub in February. Paloschi made an instant impact when he made his debut for Milan in February, scoring against Siena with his first touch as substitute. He scored twice in seven appearances last season but his prospects of regular first team football this season diminished sharply after the signings of Andrei Shevchenko and Ronaldinho. Parma were relegated from Serie A last season.. Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani has said that that Italy full-back Massimo Oddo could be leaving soon. Galliano told Gazzetta dello Sport: "Lyon are interested in our full-back and anything is possible." The 32-year-old former Lazio right-back is likely to lose his first team spot to new signing Gianluca Zambrotta from Barcelona. Oddo was in Italy's World Cup winning squad in Germany in 2006 but was not chosen for the Euro 2008 finals in June. Lyon already have an Italian at left-back in Fabio Grosso, who was also a World Cup winner in 2006.

Witnesses said fight broke out after someone was smoking in bathroom . One person taken into custody at Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, airport . Witness: "I saw the guy holding his head with the blood coming out" Plane held two hours in North Carolina while FBI interviewed passengers .

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(CNN) -- A JetBlue flight from Boston, Massachusetts, to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was diverted Saturday when a fight broke out after someone was smoking in the bathroom, federal officials said. A JetBlue plane was held in North Carolina for two hours while passengers were interviewed. One passenger aboard JetBlue Flight 455 was taken into custody at Raleigh-Durham International Airport in North Carolina after the plane landed about 5:45 p.m. A federal Transportation Security Administration spokeswoman said one person was injured in the face by what may have been a punch. She said the fight involved three people who are thought to be related. According to the airline, there were 88 people and four crew members aboard the jet. The flight had been scheduled to leave Boston at 1 p.m. but did not take off until 3:11 p.m., spokeswoman Alison Eshelman said. Eyewitnesses said the scuffle was between two brothers, one of whom was angry that his brother had smoked on a plane. One passenger interviewed by CNN affiliate WFOR said the fight left one of the men bloody. "I saw the guy holding his head with the blood coming out," Mike Rocha said. The jet was held at the North Carolina airport for about two hours while FBI investigators interviewed passengers.

Strong earthquake shakes southern Iceland on Thursday afternoon . U.S. Geological Survey says quake was 6.1 magnitude . Epicenter 50 kilometers (30 miles) east, south-east of the capital Reykjavik . Residents near epicenter told to check on relatives .

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(CNN) -- An earthquake shook southern Iceland on Thursday, reportedly causing injuries and damaging roads and buildings. A seismograph at the Institute of the Earth Sciences, University of Iceland, shows earthquake activity. The 6.1 magnitude temblor struck about 3:46 p.m. (11:46 a.m. ET), according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Its epicenter was about 50 km (31 miles) east-southeast of the capital, Reykjavik, and was about 10 km (6.2 miles) below the Earth's surface. It was unclear exactly how many people were injured or the severity of their injuries, Olli Tynes, a journalist with Reykjavik's Channel 2, told CNN. A hospital in a town near the epicenter was also reported damaged, and some wings have had to be evacuated, he said. There were no reports of fatalities, but "great material damage," Tynes said. Roads and bridges in the area have been closed. The Associated Press, quoting civil defense authorities, reported 15 to 20 people from Selfoss, near the epicenter, were taken for medical treatment. Iceland's emergency management agency has swung into action, and rescue crews were headed to the area most affected by the quake. Tynes said he has been speaking to residents of the towns closest to the epicenter. "They said they thought the world was coming to an end," he said. "They thought they were going to die." There have been no reports of homes collapsing, as most homes in Iceland are built to withstand earthquakes, he said. Alti Mar Gylfason said he had received reports of damage to the road that rings the island nation. The quake was felt nationwide, he said. "It was a little bit like you're sleeping in a waterbed, you know ... everything floats around," he said, adding that people poured out of buildings into the street. "This is not something we experience on a normal basis." Although Iceland is seismically active, its last major quakes were on June 17 and June 21, 2000, with quakes of 6.5 and 6.4, respectively. The temblors damaged homes and buildings, but caused no serious injuries.

NEW: Sailor shoots two female colleagues, then self, Navy says . Incident occurred at U.S. Navy support facility in the country . Navy says incident was not terror-related . Base supports U.S. Fifth Fleet, whose operations span 27 nations .

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (CNN) -- An American sailor fatally shot two female sailors before shooting himself Monday inside a U.S. military barracks in Bahrain, the Navy said. The alleged shooter, a male, survived the self-inflicted gunshot and was in critical condition at a military hospital in Bahrain, the Navy said. The man was under heavy security. The motive for the shootings is unclear, but the Navy said the incident was not terror-related and it involved only U.S. military personnel. The shootings occurred about 5 a.m., the Navy said in a news release. The base was closed for about an hour after the shootings. A Navy spokesman in Bahrain refused to provide any other details about the incident. Naval Support Activity Bahrain supports the U.S. Fifth Fleet, whose operations span about 7.5 million square miles across 27 countries. Included in the fleet's area of responsibility are the Arabian Gulf, Red Sea, Gulf of Oman and parts of the Indian Ocean. The support base is located just outside Manama, the capital. Bahrain, a U.S. ally, is an island nation in the Persian Gulf, wedged between Qatar and Saudi Arabia. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Barbara Starr and Caroline Faraj contributed to this report.

Indonesia to withdraw from OPEC at end of the year, energy minister says . Purnomo Yusgiantoro says Indonesia more of an oil consumer than producer . Low production means Southeast Asia's only OPEC member is net oil importer .

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JAKARTA, Indonesia (CNN) -- Indonesia will withdraw from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries at the end of the year, the country's energy minister told foreign journalists Wednesday. Indonesia has become a net importer of oil due to declining production levels. Purnomo Yusgiantoro said the move follows declining oil production levels in Indonesia that have left the country a net importer of oil. "In the future, if our production (comes) back again to the level that gives us a status as a net oil exporter, then I think we can go back to OPEC again," he said. "But today we decided that we are pulling out of OPEC." It was not immediately clear what effect Indonesia's decision will have on global oil prices. However the move was not unexpected. Indonesia, which joined OPEC in 1962, is the only southeast Asian country in the 13-nation oil cartel. Oil production there has steadily decreased in the last decade because of disappointing exploration efforts and declining production, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Since 1996, total production has dropped by 32 percent. The country's current output quota for crude oil as set by OPEC is 1.45 million barrels a day -- well above its production capacity. In 2006, Indonesia imported more oil than it exported. CNN's Kathy Quiano contributed to this report .

DEA says two agents regularly accepted and solicited bribes . They and four others allegedly smuggled illegal contraband and drugs . Investigation has led to the indictment and prosecution of more than 20 people . Arrests follow a lengthy investigation by state and federal authorities .

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NEW YORK (CNN) -- Two U.S. customs agents were arrested on charges they helped smuggle drugs and other contraband through New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport. The DEA says two customs officials at JFK International Airport helped smuggle drugs and contraband. Customs supervisor Walter Golembiowski and officer John Ajello face narcotics, bribery and conspiracy charges in the case, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Golembiowski and Ajello regularly solicited and accepted bribes to allow contraband to pass through undetected, the DEA said. Two airport workers and two others were also charged with importing counterfeit goods. Some of those items included Rolex, Cartier and Chanel watches and designer sunglasses, the DEA said. On several occasions, Golembiowski was captured on audio and video taking bribes to aid his co-conspirators in bringing in illegal drugs and counterfeit goods. "Smuggling any kind of illegal commodity raises troubling issues at a time of deep concern over national security," said Michael J. Garcia, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York. "The threat is heightened when a government official accepts bribes to help smugglers breach our borders." The arrests came as a result of a lengthy sting operation by a state, local and federal task force. Prosecutors said numerous recorded meetings and phone calls captured the suspects talking about plans to smuggle hashish, ecstasy and other illegal items. The investigation has led to the indictment and prosecution of more than 20 people -- "from distributors to overseas sources of supply" -- and the seizure of more than 600 pounds of imported hashish and other drugs from the United States and France, according to the statement.

Founder of dissident group: China, India need to be more persuasive with junta . Maung Zarni questions usefulness of ASEAN regional group over disaster . Activist criticizes Myanmar junta for not doing more to help victims .

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- The founder of the Free Burma Coalition accused Myanmar neighbors China and India on Thursday of failing to do their share of "heavy lifting" in aiding victims of the Myanmar cyclone. A young survivor waits for relief supplies by a makeshift house in Bogaley. Maung Zarni, a visiting research fellow at Oxford University, said both nations could do more in trying to persuade the Myanmar junta to allow international aid workers and equipment into the country. Zarni also slammed the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), for the same reason. "The latest episode involving the junta's handling of the cyclone victims in Burma really calls into question the meaning and the usefulness, the value of ASEAN," he added. The organization of 10 nations promotes economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region. "China isn't doing its share of heavy lifting, and the same can be said about India as well," Zarni said. "China is a country on the rise, and it can really repair its tarnished reputation around Tibet if it puts pressure on the regime and says, 'This is unacceptable, even to Chinese standards.'" Zarni was referring to critics of last fall's Chinese crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators, led by Tibetan monks. He directed most of his criticism toward Myanmar's military rulers, who he said are solely concerned with their own security and political ambitions, while neglecting the cyclone victims. The government has been bitterly criticized for being too slow in responding to the May 2 disaster, then blocking large-scale, international emergency aid. The government has relented somewhat in the past few days. The official death toll from Cyclone Nargis rose Thursday, with Myanmar state television reporting more than 40,000 fatalities. Many believe the toll will be much higher. Watch scenes of widespread destruction » . Referring to Myanmar's 75-year-old top leader, Than Shwe, Zarni complained, "His major number one concern is his own personal and family security, and also other officers who are caught in a system where fear and rewards are manipulated to whip them in line." The government's response to the cyclone is complex, and has "psychological, institutional and personal dimensions," which have produced an "institutionalized madness," Zarni said. The Irrawaddy newspaper, which covers Myanmar and Southeast Asia, said a team of ASEAN experts would arrive in Yangon on Thursday to assess the scale of the disaster and requirements for aid. ASEAN Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan said Wednesday that the Myanmar government had agreed to grant visas to an "emergency rapid assessment team." The Myanmar government also agreed to accept 160 relief workers from India, China, Bangladesh and Thailand, the newspaper said.

George Ryan, co-defendant claim they didn't get fair trial in 2006 . Justices refuse to intervene in case, give no reason why . The men were convicted on charges related to bribery . Ryan, a Republican, served as Illinois governor from 1999-2003 .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Former Illinois Gov. George Ryan and a co-defendant lost another legal round at the Supreme Court on Tuesday and will remain in prison on federal racketeering and fraud convictions. Ex-Gov. George Ryan walks out of a Chicago, Illinois, courthouse after his April 2006 conviction. Ryan and businessman Larry Warner claimed they did not receive a fair trial, but the justices, without comment, refused to intervene in the case. Justice John Paul Stevens refused last fall to grant bail for the 74-year-old Ryan, a move that would have kept him out of jail to file more appeals. The disgraced ex-governor reported to a federal prison in Wisconsin in November to serve a 6½-year sentence. The men were convicted in April 2006 for fraud in a case stemming from bribes paid for various state licenses. Their lawyers claimed the trial judge improperly removed two jurors while deliberations in the case had commenced, but a federal appeals court upheld the convictions. Ryan, a Republican, served as governor from 1999 to 2003. He retired following investigations into political corruption in his administration. He also was noted for issuing a moratorium on capital punishment in his state in 2000 over concerns innocent inmates might be executed. The case decided Tuesday is Warner and Ryan v. U.S. (07-977).

Rebel group claims responsibility another strike on a gas pipeline . MEND group say it killed 11 government soldiers in fighting following sabotage . Group says pipeline belongs to Shell Petroleum Development Company .

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LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) -- A rebel group that has been attacking oil pipelines in southern Nigeria claimed responsibility on Monday for another strike and said it killed 11 government soldiers in fighting that followed the sabotage. A fire burns following an attack on a pipeline in Nigeria in December 2006. The Nigerian military confirmed an attack on an oil pipeline and an explosion, but called the claim that 11 soldiers were killed a "lie" and "pure propaganda." The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, or MEND, issued a statement saying it "successfully sabotaged another major trunk pipeline" belonging to the Shell Petroleum Development Company in the country's Rivers State. "Minutes after the sabotage, our fighters encountered a military gunboat which opened fire blindly on the advance guard. We flanked them in a counter-attack and killed in close combat all the drunken soldiers numbering eleven, collecting their weapons, ammunitions and bullet-proof vests before using dynamite to sink the gunboat with its dead occupants," MEND said. MEND also said they found two "traumatized, adolescent girls" who were gang-raped by Nigerian soldiers. "They were dropped off in the neighboring village by our men who have since returned safely to camp," the statement said. The military had no immediate response to that claim. Analysts say that one reason for record high gas prices in the United States is a spate of attacks on oil pipelines in Nigeria, the fourth largest supplier of oil to the United States. Exxon and Shell are two of several companies that had been extracting two million barrels of oil a day in Nigeria. Yet rebel attacks on oil pipelines in the Niger Delta have cut overall production by roughly 10 percent -- meaning 200,000 fewer barrels of oil on some days. The rebel group hopes to secure a greater share of oil wealth for people in the Niger Delta, where more than 70 percent of the population lives on less than a dollar a day. MEND has bombed pipelines and kidnapped hundreds of foreign oil workers, typically releasing them unharmed, sometimes after receiving a ransom payment. The Nigerian government has proposed a peace summit to find a solution to the region's problems, but an immediate resolution does not appear in sight.

More than 400 children likely to return to families, CNN's Jeffrey Toobin says . Mother says she'll wait until children are with her before she rejoices over ruling . Parents say children have suffered from separation . Agency that took children says it's considering next move .

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(CNN) -- Children from a polygamist sect who one mother says are "hurting very badly" in state custody are likely to be returned to their parents, a CNN legal analyst says. FLDS member Margaret Jessop says her children "feel betrayed by adults." A Texas appeals court ruled Thursday that the state had no right to remove hundreds of children from the Fundamentalist Church of Latter-Day Saints' ranch in Eldorado on April 3, based on the suspicion that a few were being sexually abused. A sect mother who has four children in state custody said the matter has not been fully resolved because an appeal to the Texas Supreme Court is possible. "I'm very grateful, but I'd like to see the children in my arms before I rejoice greatly," Margaret Jessop said on CNN's "Larry King Live." Watch Jessop react to the ruling » . But a permanent reunion of families is likely, said Jeffrey Toobin, CNN senior legal analyst. "Based on this ruling I think it's clear that if it stands, all these kids are going back with their mothers," Toobin said on CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360°." Jessop and other FLDS parents said they had been permitted visits with their children in foster care. Zavenda Young said two of her children were sent to Waco, Texas, and two to Hockley, 148 miles away. "They're in Boys and Girls Country in Hockley. And it's just a -- it's an institution," she told host Larry King. Their father, Edson Jessop, said the experience has been rough on the children. "You can see it's a lot of stress on them," he said. "Every time we leave, they go through that trauma again. It's enough to rip your heart out." "They feel betrayed by adults, and they're hurting very badly," Margaret Jessop added. The Texas Child Protective Services Department's Web site says the agency has been "coordinating with many professional service and government agencies to ensure the safety, health and comfort of the children and women in Eldorado." A statement from the agency Thursday said it's working out a response to the court ruling. "Child Protective Services has one duty -- to protect children," the statement said. "When we see evidence that children have been sexually abused and remain at risk of further abuse, we will act. ... We will work with the office of the attorney general to determine the state's next step in this case."

CDC: 64 confirmed measles cases in nine states since January . 64 patients ranged in age from 5 months to 71 years . 63 of the 64 were unvaccinated or had unknown vaccination status . Highest number reported for same time period since 2001 .

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ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Sixty-four cases of measles have been diagnosed in the United States this year, the most in seven years, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Measles is a respiratory disease whose familiar symptom is red blotches on the skin. In all but one of the cases, the people who contracted measles had not been vaccinated. Some were too young to have gotten the shots, which are administered from 12 to 15 months of age. The CDC released the statistics Thursday to "serve as a reminder that measles can and still does occur in the U.S. Ongoing measles virus transmission was declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000, but the risk of cases and outbreaks from imported disease remains," the organization said in a news release. Interactive: More about measles » . In 54 of this year's cases the victims imported the measles from other countries, the CDC said. Dr. Anne Schuchat, the director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said many of the imported cases came from European nations and Israel. Watch more on the measles outbreak » . "Many people have forgot about measles in the United States," she said Schuchat at a news conference Thursday. "It is very important for travelers heading off to Europe to make sure their immunizations are up to date." The cases were reported in nine states, it said, and cases are being treated in Wisconsin, Arizona, Michigan and New York. Measles is a viral disease that can be deadly if not treated. The 64 patients ranged in age from 5 months to 71 years. Fourteen patients were hospitalized but no deaths were reported. E-mail to a friend .

Judge declares mistrial in the retrial of Miami terrorism case . Men accused of plotting to target Chicago's Sears Tower and bomb FBI offices . Defendants faced up to 70 years in prison if convicted of conspiracy charges . First trial ended in a mistrial in December, also because of a hung jury .

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MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- A judge has declared a mistrial in the retrial of six men accused of plotting terrorist acts with al Qaeda. Narseal Batiste, the group's alleged ringleader, testified he wasn't serious about the terrorism threats he made. The decision comes after 13 days of deliberation and marks the second time government prosecutors have failed to convince a jury that the six defendants were guilty of terror-related charges. It is unclear whether the government will pursue a third trial against the defendants. The first trial ended in a mistrial last December after nine days of deliberations left a jury hopelessly deadlocked on the six defendants. A seventh was acquitted. The defendants are known as the "Liberty City 7" because authorities say the men operated out of a warehouse in Miami's Liberty City housing project. After their arrests in June 2006, federal officials said the homegrown terror plot may have included as its possible targets the 110-story Sears Tower in Chicago -- the tallest building in North America -- as well as the FBI's Miami offices and other sites. E-mail to a friend . CNN's John Couwels contributed to this report.

Officials: Luis Aguilar, 32, was placing spike strips to stop the smugglers . Border agents believe two cars involved had entered the U.S. illegally . The incident occurred over the California state line from Arizona . Both vehicles drove back across the border and into Mexico .

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(CNN) -- A U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agent was killed Saturday when he was struck by a car driven by a suspected narcotics smuggler, officials said. Luis Aguilar, 32, who was assigned to the Yuma, Arizona, border patrol station, died Saturday, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Commissioner W. Ralph Basham said in a statement. "Agent Aguilar's death serves as another stark reminder of the risks our front-line agents and officers face each day," Basham said. Aguilar was trying to place spike strips in the path of two vehicles believed to have illegally entered the country from Mexico when one of the vehicles hit him, agent Michael Bernacke, a spokesman for the agency's Yuma sector, told The Associated Press. Both vehicles drove back across the border into Mexico, the AP said. The fatal incident occurred in the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area near Andrade, California, Basham said. Andrade is just over the California state line from Arizona. The area is popular with off-road vehicle enthusiasts but also is frequently used by smugglers carrying people or drugs, the AP said. Aguilar is survived by his wife and two children, along with his brother, who is also a border patrol agent, a Homeland Security Department statement said. "I am outraged by this tragic loss," said Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said Saturday. "I have spoken to the Mexican ambassador, who gives me both his condolences and deep assurance that their government will be resolute in tracking down the perpetrators and bringing them to swift justice." Federal, state and local authorities are working with Mexican police and military authorities to apprehend the suspected killers, he said. E-mail to a friend .

NEW: Texas Rangers pursue Rozita Swinton regarding phone calls to a crisis center . NEW: Search of Swinton's home reveals evidence that possibly links her to the calls . Police arrest the woman for making a false report to police in a separate case . Phone calls prompted Texas raid, but officers then got a second search warrant .

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(CNN) -- A Colorado woman is being pursued as a "person of interest" in connection with phone calls that triggered the raid of a Texas polygamist ranch, authorities said Friday. Rozita Swinton, 33, has been arrested in a case that is not directly related to the Texas raid. Texas Rangers are seeking Rozita Swinton of Colorado Springs, Colorado, "regarding telephone calls placed to a crisis center hot line in San Angelo, Texas, in late March 2008," the Rangers said in a written statement. The raid of the YFZ (Yearning for Zion) Ranch in Eldorado, Texas, came after a caller -- who identified herself as a 16-year-old girl -- said she had been physically and sexually abused by an adult man with whom she was forced into a "spiritual marriage." The release said a search of Swinton's home in Colorado uncovered evidence that possibly links her to phone calls made about the ranch, run by the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. "The possibility exists that Rozita Swinton, who has nothing to do with the FLDS church, may have been a woman who made calls and pretended she was the 16-year-old girl named Sarah," CNN's Gary Tuchman reported. Swinton, 33, has been charged in Colorado with false reporting to authorities and is in police custody. Police said that arrest was not directly related to the Texas case. Authorities raided the Texas ranch April 4 and removed 416 children. Officials have been trying to identify the 16-year-old girl, referred to as Sarah, who claimed she had been abused in the phone calls. FLDS members have denied the girl, supposedly named Sarah Jessop Barlow, exists. Some of the FLDS women who spoke with CNN on Monday said they believed the calls were a hoax. While the phone calls initially prompted the raid, officers received a second search warrant based on what they said was evidence of sexual abuse found at the compound. In court documents, investigators described seeing teen girls who appeared pregnant, records that showed men marrying multiple women and accounts of girls being married to adult men when they were as young as 13. A court hearing began Thursday to determine custody of children who were removed from the ranch. E-mail to a friend .

Frankie Dettori's favorite recipe from his new cookbook: Aubergine Parmigiana . Leading jockey spends many months dieting but when "off-duty" loves food . Opened first of "Frankie's" restaurants in 2004, now chain of six worldwide . Released Italian family cookbook with chef Marco Pierre White in March, 2008 .

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(CNN) -- Leading jockey Frankie Dettori may have spent most of his life on a diet, but when it comes to his favorite pastimes food is right up there with racing. Around five years ago Dettori met Michelin-starred chef Marco Pierre White and asked him where he could go out with his young family to eat. "I couldn't answer the question," Marco Pierre White told CNN, "and that's how Frankie's was born. That simple." They opened their first restaurant in London in 2004. Now there are four in London, one in Shanghai and one in Dubai. This March, a cookbook followed: "Frankie Dettori's Italian Family Cookbook." This is his favorite recipe. Enjoy! Frankie: "My father loved this particular dish as, although it's vegetarian, it has the meaty and slightly smoky texture of a good steak. To this day it makes me think of childhood Sunday lunches." Parmigiana di Melanzane / Aubergine Parmigiana . INGREDIENTS . 1 kg aubergines . extra virgin olive oil . Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper . 2 garlic cloves, chopped . 3 x 400g cans of good quality tinned tomatoes, sieved and chopped . a small handful of fresh basil leaves . a large handful of finely grated Parmesan . 1½ kg fresh Mozzarella, cubed . Preheat the oven to 180 C/350 F/Gas Mark 4. Cut the aubergines in ½cm strips, lengthwise. Sprinkle each slice with salt and layer on a plate. Cover with a plate of the same size and add a heavy weight on top (such as a large bottle of water) so that water can be squeezed out of the aubergines. Set aside for 2-3 hours. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a saucepan, add the garlic and fry until slightly golden. Add the tomatoes and basil, and cook over a medium heat for 25 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Season to taste. Remove the weight from the aubergine, thoroughly rinse the slices and pat dry. Generously cover the bottom of a large frying pan with olive oil and place over a high heat. In batches, brown the aubergine slices on both sides, lowering the heat and adding oil as required. Drain the slices on kitchen roll as you go along. Cover the bottom of a 23cm x 30cm ovenproof dish with a thin layer of tomato sauce; add a layer of aubergine slices, then top with a handful of the cheeses. Ladle some tomato sauce over this and continue layering, finishing with one of tomato sauce and a sprinkling of cheeses. Bake for 15-20 minutes to heat through and melt the Mozzarella, then set aside for a few minutes to cool. Cut into squares and serve warm. Serves 8 . Preparation time: 3 hours . Cooking time: 50 minutes . Courtesy: Harpercollins Publishers E-mail to a friend .

NEW: Birmingham say police investigation involves agent and two footballers . Club temporarily suspend shares amid corruption probe by the English police . Co-owner David Sullivan and managing director Karren Brady both interviewed . Police raided City in March as part of investigation into corruption in football .

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(CNN) -- English club Birmingham City have released a statement to explain why co-owner and managing director were interviewed by police in a corruption probe. Birmingham co-owner David Sullivan was interviewed by police on Wednesday night. The Premier League outfit temporarily suspended share trading on the London Stock Exchange on Thursday morning after David Sullivan -- who owns the club with David and Ralph Gold -- was questioned and bailed by officers from City of London's economic crime unit along with MD Karren Brady. The club released a statement on Thursday afternoon to "clarify the situation" before trading resumed at 1300 GMT. "The City of London Police investigation is focusing on payments to a football agent and two players dating back to 2002-03," it said. "There is absolutely no allegation that any director of the company or the club itself has benefited financially from any of this activity. "In so far as there may be any implications for the company, these are not considered material to its financial affairs and they are in relation to the payment, or possible non payment of PAYE and National Insurance contributions. The club and its directors are co-operating fully with the police in this investigation and will continue to do so." Birmingham was raided by the unit last month as part of an ongoing investigation into corruption in English football. The club said at the time that the inquiries related to an unrelated third party. Birmingham released a statement on Wednesday night confirming that Sullivan and Brady "willingly attended" the interviews "by long-standing appointment." "Birmingham City Football Club is fully committed to helping the police with their inquiries," read a statement on the club's Web site. Police confirmed that they questioned a 59-year-old man and a 39-year-old woman on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud and false accounting and that they were released on bail, the UK Press Association reported on Thursday. A London Stock Exchange statement read: "At the request of the company trading on Aim for the under-mentioned securities has been temporarily suspended from 7.30 a.m., pending an announcement." Shares in the company had been selling for 35.5p until the announcement half an hour before the start of trading, PA reported. Sullivan, 59, was in 2004 named Britain's 68th richest man by the Sunday Times, with assets of more than $1 billion. He made his fortune through pornography and newspapers. Brady, 39, became Britain's youngest managing director when Birmingham floated on the stock market in 1997 and is married to professional footballer Paul Peschisolido. She is also non-executive director of Channel 4, Mothercare and Sport England. PA reported that she made no comment as she left her home in Knowle, Solihull, shortly before 8 a.m. today. Dressed in a dark suit, Brady left the gated property at the wheel of a black 4x4 Porsche. E-mail to a friend .

Mark Penn is CEO of public relations giant Burson-Marsteller . Penn met with Colombia ambassador over trade pact . Colombia fired Penn's company on Saturday . Penn will continue to have advisory role in campaign .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. Hillary Clinton's chief presidential campaign strategist is quitting his post amid criticism of his public relations firm's contacts with the Colombian government over a pending free-trade deal, Clinton's campaign announced. Mark Penn will continue to advise Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. Mark Penn and his political consulting firm will continue to advise the New York senator's Democratic presidential bid, but Penn will give up his job as chief strategist, campaign manager Maggie Williams said. "After the events of the last few days, Mark Penn has asked to give up his role as chief strategist of the Clinton campaign," Williams said. Clinton did not answer reporters' questions about Penn's exit during a campaign stop in New Mexico on Sunday. Penn is CEO of public relations giant Burson-Marsteller and is president of Penn, Schoen and Berland, his political consulting firm. Friday, he acknowledged he had met with the Colombian ambassador to the United States earlier in the week in his role as Burson-Marsteller's chief to discuss the pending U.S.-Colombia trade pact, which Clinton has criticized on the campaign trail. Penn called the meeting "an error in judgment that will not be repeated," and apologized. That prompted Colombia's government to fire the company Saturday, calling the remarks "a lack of respect to Colombians." Clinton and top aides were sharply critical of rival Democrat Barack Obama in February when reports indicated that his top economic adviser had suggested to a Canadian official that Obama was not as supportive of changes to the North American Free Trade Agreement as the Illinois senator claimed to be on the campaign trail. Penn said Friday that Clinton's opposition to the U.S.-Colombia pact, which the Bush administration is trying to push through Congress, "is clear and was not discussed" during his meeting with the ambassador. And Clinton spokesman Mo Elleithee said Penn's meeting was "not in any way done on behalf of the campaign." But Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell -- a key Clinton backer in his state's April 22 primary -- suggested Sunday that Penn needed to go. "I think you've got to make it very clear for someone who is a consultant, who you are representing and who you are not representing, and I would hope that Mr. Penn, when he talked to the Colombians, made that clear. And it doesn't sound to me like he did, and that's something the campaign should take into question," Rendell told NBC's "Meet the Press." Sources in the Clinton campaign said that Penn realized this weekend that he needed to step aside, and that Clinton was disappointed that he had met with the Colombians. E-mail to a friend .

Low-cost carrier cites high price of jet fuel . ATA and Aloha also closing after bankruptcy filings . Skybus says passengers can seek refunds from credit card firms .

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(CNN) -- Skybus Airlines announced Friday it is shutting down its passenger flights -- becoming the third airline this week to cease operations. Skybus Airlines joins ATA and Aloha Airlines, which announced shutdowns earlier this week. The low-cost carrier couldn't overcome "the combination of rising jet fuel costs and a slowing economic environment," the company said Friday. "These two issues proved to be insurmountable for a new carrier." Skybus, an Ohio-based airline founded in 2004, will cease operations effective Saturday. Earlier in the week, ATA Airlines and Aloha Airlines announced they would shut down flights as both companies work through bankruptcy filings. ATA, an Indiana-based low-cost charter airline, filed for Chapter 11 status Wednesday as a result of financial problems "following the loss of a key contract for our military charter business," the company said. The company started operation in 1973. Hawaii-based Aloha Airlines announced Sunday it would shut down its passenger operations this week after filing for bankruptcy protections last month, concluding 61 years of service. In its bankruptcy filing, Aloha said it was unable to generate enough revenue from its inter-island passenger flights because of below-cost fares by competitors Mesa Air Group's go! airline. The company said it was forced to match the competitor's fares during an unprecedented increase in the cost of jet fuel. Skybus said all flights Friday would be completed; passengers with reservations for Saturday and beyond were told to seek refunds from their credit card companies. E-mail to a friend .

Japanese police arrest U.S. sailor for allegedly killing a Japanese taxi driver . U.S. Navy presence in Japan has been marred by reports of rape and crime . In 2006, U.S. civilian military staffer jailed for nine years for raping two women .

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TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- Authorities have arrested a U.S. sailor on suspicion of robbery and murder in the death of a Japanese taxi driver. The U.S. military handed him over Thursday at Yokosuka Naval Base, south of Tokyo. A Yokosuka police spokesman identified the sailor as Olatunbosun Ogbogu, a 22-year-old Nigerian national. Taxi driver Masaaki Takahashi, 61, was found dead March 19 of stab wounds to the neck about a mile from the base in Yokosuka. The presence of U.S. in Japan has sparked controversy this year amid reports linking service members to crimes. In March, the U.S. military said it plans to court martial four Marines accused of raping a 19-year-old woman in Hiroshima last year. Authorities are also investigating allegations that a member of the U.S. military raped a Philippine woman on the island of Okinawa. And a U.S. Marine was detained in the rape of a 14-year-old girl until the girl dropped the allegations. As Ogbogu was arrested, the U.S. ambassador to Japan, Thomas Schieffer, met with Japan's foreign minister. "We're dealing with human beings that do criminal acts from time to time," Schieffer told reporters afterward. "And I think justice is going to be done in this matter because we've been able to work so closely together." Watch the U.S. ambassador to Japan discuss the case » . The U.S. military presence in Japan has at times bred resentment among locals, who have long complained about crime, noise and accidents. Anti-American sentiments boiled over in 1995 after three American servicemen kidnapped and gang-raped a 12-year-old Okinawan schoolgirl. Two years ago, a U.S. civilian military employee was jailed for nine years for raping two women. E-mail to a friend .

NEW: Georgian president criticizes Gorbachev for "vindicating lies and deceptions" Gorbachev says Russian called up forces in response to violence in Tskhinvali . Georgia says Russia backed separatists who broke cease-fire and sparked violence . The former president says U.S. is jeopardizing ties with Russia by backing Georgia .

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(CNN) -- Georgian leaders may be blaming Russia for the conflict raging in South Ossetia, but former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev said Thursday "there is no doubt" that Georgia provoked the clash. Mikhail Gorbachev told CNN's Larry King that Russia called extra troops into Georgia to stem violence. Gorbachev told CNN's Larry King that Russia moved additional forces into South Ossetia in response to "devastation" in the South Ossetia city of Tskhinvali. "This was the use of sophisticated weapons against a small town, against a sleeping people. This was a barbaric assault," said Gorbachev, the last president of the former Soviet Union. But Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, who also appeared on CNN's "Larry King Live" Thursday, said he was "profoundly shocked" that Mikhail Gorbachev would use a television appearance "for basically vindicating lies and deceptions." Last week, Georgia said it launched an operation into South Ossetia after a cease-fire was broken with artillery fire from Russian separatists that killed 10 people including civilians and peacekeepers. It accused Russia, which also has peacekeepers in the region, of backing the separatists. Hours later, the Russian news agency Interfax reported that Russian authorities said 10 Russian peacekeepers had been killed and 30 wounded in an attack by Georgians. "Western television didn't show what happened in Tskhinvali," Gorbachev said. "Only now they're beginning to show some pictures of the destruction. So this looks to me like it was a well-prepared project. And with any outcome, they wanted to put the blame on Russia." Watch Gorbachev discuss "barbaric assault" » . He called Georgia's claims that Russia is attempting to dismantle its democracy "all lies from beginning to end." In response, Saakashvili expressed disappointment with the sentiments from Gorbachev, who he said he once respected. "This is the man, Mr. Gorbachev, who helped to, you know, bring down KGB kingdom. And he is the one who is, you know, justifying what the KGB people are doing right now in my country," Saakashvili said. "Shame on him. Shame on you, Mr. Gorbachev, for perpetuating the very regime you helped to defeat and you fought against as the head of the Soviet Union." Gorbachev also said the United States is jeopardizing its fragile relationship with Russia by backing Georgia. Watch Gorbachev discuss U.S.-Russia relations » . "There is a chance for our two countries to develop a new agenda for cooperation so as to promote both U.S. and Russia interests, and the interests of other countries, and the interests of stability, particularly in the hotspots in different continents," said Gorbachev, who won the Nobel Peace Price in 1990.

Scottish club Hibernian appoint Finn Mixu Paatelainen as their new manager . The 40-year-old replaces John Collins, who resigned from his post last month . Paatelainen was a popular figure during two different playing spells with Hibs .

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EDINBURGH, Scotland -- Hibernian have named former striker Mixu Paatelainen as their new manager in succession to John Collins -- who resigned last month in frustration at the lack of funds available to buy new players. Paatelainen was a popular playing figure in the distinctive green of Hibernian. The Finn, who enjoyed two playing spells with the Scottish Premier League club, joins from Finnish side TPS Turku. The 40-year-old, who also played for Dundee United, Aberdeen, St Johnstone and St Mirren in Scotland -- as well as Bolton and Wolverhampton in England, confirmed he is relishing the challenge of his new job. "I am very happy to take up this opportunity," Paatelainen said. "Everyone knows of my great affection for this club and I believe my desire to see teams play exciting, attacking and intelligent football fits well with the club's philosophy. "I will bring energy, hard-work and leadership to the squad. I am also committed to working with players, as individuals and groups, to help them to improve. "If I can help one player improve, the team is better. If I can help all players improve, we are much better." Capped 70 times by Finland, Paatelainen helped Turku finish third in the Veikkausliiga last year. Compensation for his release has been agreed. His two playing stints with Hibernian were from 1998-2001 and 2002-2003, either side of a spell with French side Strasbourg. Paatelainen may know some of the Hibernian players who have come through the youth set-up, having been involved in coaching of the club's youngsters during his second playing spell. Hibernian chairman Rod Petrie said: "We are delighted Mixu has agreed to take up the challenge and opportunity of managing Hibernian. We are convinced that he was the strongest candidate, and he impressed us a great deal during his interview. "He has a clear vision of the type of football he wants to play, has strong ideas on man-management and demonstrates excellent leadership qualities. I am sure he will further enhance his growing reputation." E-mail to a friend .

Bus carrying high school students tips over on Minnesota interstate . One person killed, three critically injured, authorities say . Two buses from Pelican Rapids, Minnesota, were on way home from Chicago, Illinois .

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(CNN) -- A bus carrying high school band students tipped over Saturday on Interstate 94 northwest of Minneapolis, Minnesota, killing one person. The bus that was carrying school band members rests upright after it crashed Saturday in Minnesota. Three people were critically injured, authorities said. A second bus traveling with the one that crashed wasn't affected, according to a report posted on the Web site of the Pelican Rapids School District. The students from Pelican Rapids High School were returning from a band trip to Chicago, Illinois, when the accident happened near Albertville, Minnesota, the Minnesota Highway Patrol said. Forty-eight people, including the driver, were on the westbound bus that tipped over about 6 a.m., the Minnesota Highway Patrol said. Everyone on that bus was taken to hospitals for treatment or evaluation, the school district said. Watch rescuers work at the scene » . Pelican Rapids is in west-central Minnesota. The cause of the accident is being investigated. E-mail to a friend .

Some 200 Palestinian refugees from Iraq will go to Iceland, Sweden . 2,300 Palestinians "are living in desperate conditions along the Iraq-Syria border" Plans under way to send some refugees to war-torn Sudan .

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(CNN) -- Iceland and Sweden plan to take in about 200 Palestinian refugees from Iraq who have been living in refugee camps along the Iraqi-Syrian border, the U.N. refugee agency said Tuesday. More than two dozen refugees stranded at the Al Waleed refugee camp for the last two years will be headed to Iceland in the next few weeks, the agency said. In addition, 155 Palestinians in the Al Tanf refugee camp have been accepted for resettlement in Sweden, it said. Many Palestinians living in Iraq have gotten caught up in the violence that has engulfed the country since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 and have had to flee their homes. The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees said that out of the estimated 34,000 Palestinians who lived in Iraq since 2003, about 10,000 to 15,000 remain. The UNHCR says about 2,300 Palestinians "are living in desperate conditions along the Iraq-Syria border." They are, the UNHCR says, "unable to return to Iraq or to cross the borders to neighboring countries." It says the Al Waleed camp has 1,400 people and Al Tanf about 900. "UNHCR has repeatedly called for international support for the Palestinians but with few results. Few Palestinians in the border camps have been accepted for resettlement or offered shelter in third countries; 223 Palestinians left to non-traditional resettlement countries such as Brazil and Chile. "Some urgent medical cases were taken by a few European countries, but this is a very small number out of the 2,300 Palestinians stranded in the desert," the UNHCR said in a statement. It noted that Sudan has made an offer to take in some of those Palestinians, and said "UNHCR and Palestinian representatives are finalizing an operations plan that will enable this to take place." Refugees International recently asked the United States government to intervene and resettle the Palestinians in the United States instead of Sudan, which itself is engulfed in sectarian fighting and whose government has been condemned for atrocities. "The Palestinians being resettled in Sudan is obviously not an ideal or preferred solution," State Department spokesman Kurtis Cooper told CNN last month. "But we accept the judgment of the UNHCR that it is preferable to the Palestinians continuing to be stranded in the border area in extremely dire circumstances."

Benazir Bhutto International Airport on high alert . Intelligence reports indicated airport was under threat of an attack . Officers combed through the airport compound looking for explosives . Danish intelligence says one of its employees was killed in Marriott hotel attack .

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ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Police tightened security at airports across Pakistan Thursday after receiving reports of a possible suicide attack at the international airport that serves Islamabad. Pakistan's capital was rocked by a suicide attack on the city's Marriott Hotel at the weekend. Officers emptied the parking lot at the Benazir Bhutto International Airport, on the outskirts of Islamabad, said Parvez George of the country's Civil Aviation Authority. Flights were going out of the airport, but police cleared the terminal building of the large crowds that usually gather to see relatives arrive or depart, George said. Muhammad Asghar of Islamabad Police told CNN that authorities placed the airport on high alert after intelligence reports indicated it was under threat of an attack. The country's capital city is on edge since a deadly blast Saturday night at the Marriott Hotel. The explosion killed more than 50 people, including two U.S. military personnel and the Czech ambassador to Pakistan. The bombing wounded more than 250 and sparked a fire that left the hotel in ruins. On Thursday, the Danish intelligence service said one of its employees, Karsten Krabbe, was among the victims of the blast. Krabbe, a 53-year-old married father of two, was a security adviser at the Danish Embassy in Islamabad, which was targeted by a suicide bomber in June. That attack killed six people and wounded more than 20. "Karsten Krabbe lost his life in a cowardly and ruthless terror attack," the Danish intelligence service said in a statement. Reacting to the Saturday's attack, the U.S. government barred employees from major hotels in several Pakistani cities, the U.S. Embassy in Pakistan said. The Embassy in Islamabad added Lahore on Wednesday to a list of three other cities in which U.S. personnel are no longer allowed to visit or stay in major hotels. The Embassy took the measures because of general security concerns, said spokesman Lou Fintor Thursday. He did not comment on a specific threat. In addition to the hotel restriction, the Embassy temporarily suspended visa and other routine consular services for Thursday and Friday. It said it will make available emergency services for U.S. citizens who need passports or are arrested. And an advisory reminded Americans in Pakistan to avoid crowds and demonstrations and to keep a "low profile." It said Americans should vary times and routes while traveling to avoid setting patterns. And it said a travel warning issued on August 7 still stands: U.S. citizens should defer nonessential travel to Pakistan due to continuing security concerns. -- CNN's Zein Basravi and Reza Sayah, and Journalist Nasir Habib contributed to this report .

Former Beatle Paul McCartney to play in Tel Aviv, Israel, in September . Beatles concert was banned by Israel in mid-1960s . Stories differ as to why Fab Four were banned by Israel .

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JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Some 43 years after a Beatles concert was -- according to popular belief -- banned by Israel, Paul McCartney has announced he'll perform there in September. Paul McCartney says he's looking forward to playing a concert in Israel next month. The show, which will be held September 25 in Tel Aviv, had been rumored for months. Promoters are saying it will be one of the biggest concerts ever held in Israel, and they hope it will encourage other top stars to come to Israel. A web site offering tickets for the concert put prices at 1,500 shekels and 490 shekels or between $426.86 and $139.44 U.S. dollars. Israelis "will finally get the chance to experience a night of music and history they have been waiting decades for," a news release on McCartney's Web site announced Wednesday. Two plane loads of equipment will be arriving with around 100 McCartney production people. The concert will cost around $10 million to produce and the organizers said they are hoping to make a profit. In the mid-1960s, when the Fab Four from Liverpool, England, ruled the music charts, a concert in Israel was proposed. It never happened. The long-told story maintained that Beatlemania was deemed too potentially injurious to Israel's youth. A more recent theory, however, blamed the ban on a tiff between competing concert promoters. Whatever the reason, Israelis never got to experience The Beatles live. Earlier this year, Israel's ambassador to Britain, Ron Prosor, visited Liverpool and apologized to The Beatles for the "misunderstanding." In a letter Prosor wrote: "There is no doubt that it was a great missed opportunity to prevent people like you, who shaped the minds of the generation, to come to Israel and perform." McCartney and Ringo Starr are the only surviving Beatles. John Lennon was slain by a deranged gunman in 1980; George Harrison died of cancer in 2001. McCartney is billing the Tel Aviv show his "Friendship First" concert. "I've heard so many great things about Tel Aviv and Israel, but hearing is one thing and experiencing it for yourself is another," McCartney said in the news release. "We are planning to have a great time and a great evening. We can't wait to get out there and rock."

Mohammed Ali al-Moayad, aide were convicted of supporting terrorism . Court says prejudicial evidence denied pair a fair trial . Al-Moayad, Zayed may be retried or cases may be dismissed . Witness said al-Moayad boasted about giving money to Osama bin Laden .

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NEW YORK (CNN) -- A New York appeals court Thursday overturned terrorism convictions for a Yemeni cleric and his personal assistant, saying they did not receive a fair trial. Sheik Mohammed Ali al-Moayad and Mohammed Mohsen Zayed, were sentenced in 2005 to 75 and 45 years in prison, respectively, after being convicted of conspiring to provide material support and resources to foreign terrorist organizations. They now can have new trials under a different judge. The lawyer for al-Moayad, Robert Boyle, said, "I'm extremely gratified at the court's decision. I believe it is legally and factually correct. I hope my client, who is elderly and not in good health, will be given the opportunity to return to his family in Yemen." The three-judge panel was unanimous in its decision, citing evidentiary errors that likely influenced the outcome of the trial. The judges found that certain pieces of evidence presented by prosecutors were prejudicial and had the effect of denying al-Moayad and Zayed a fair trial. Zayed and al-Moayad were arrested in 2003 in a sting operation that culminated in Germany. The government's case relied largely on secretly videotaped conversations between the defendants and a pair of undercover FBI informants at a Frankfurt hotel in 2003. One of the informants, Mohamed Alanssi, testified that al-Moayad boasted about giving money, weapons and recruits to al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. The charges were brought in the Eastern District of New York because al-Moayad allegedly collected terrorist funds at the al-Farooq mosque in Brooklyn. Now that the appeals court has vacated the convictions, prosecutors have the option of appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court if they feel there is a constitutional issue. They can retry the case or move to dismiss. Al-Moayad, who is in his 60s, is incarcerated at the Supermax prison in Florence, Colorado, as is Zayed. Boyle said he had called the prison and as of 4 p.m. Thursday was still waiting to speak to his client. CNN's Deborah Feyerick contributed to this report.

More foreign fighters entering Afghanistan from Pakistan, general says . "We're facing a tougher threat," so more troops needed "as quickly as possible" U.S. Gen. David McKiernan commands NATO forces in Afghanistan . McKiernan has sought three more brigades of U.S. troops than one promised .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The commander for NATO forces in Afghanistan said Wednesday that more military presence is "needed as quickly as possible." U.S. troops are seeing an increased threat in Afghanistan, Gen. David McKiernan says. Gen. David McKiernan said the additional military capability is needed because of "an increased number of fighters" coming into Afghanistan from Pakistan's lawless tribal regions. "It's a significant increase from what we saw this time last year," he said at the Pentagon. "We're facing a tougher threat right now, especially in the east where we have the U.S. division," he said. "And so the additional military capability [is] needed as quickly as possible." He said what's necessary includes "boots on the ground" as well as support such as "helicopters, increased intelligence assets, logistics, transportation and so on." Just over a week ago, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said that a Marine battalion will head to Afghanistan in November and an Army brigade in January, but no more forces will be available for deployment to Afghanistan until spring or summer of 2009. The week before Gates' announcement, McKiernan had asked for four more brigades -- three more than the one approved to go in January. Three brigades add up to as many as 12,000 troops. The defense secretary, speaking before the Senate Armed Services Committee last month, expressed caution about adding too many troops in Afghanistan. "I think we need to think about how heavy a military footprint the U.S. ought to have in Afghanistan," he told the committee. Instead, Gates said, there should be a focus on increasing the size of the Afghan army. McKiernan, who took command of NATO's International Security Assistance Force earlier this year, said his request of an additional 3,500 people to train the Afghan army and police is still under review. McKiernan noted that he is "cautiously optimistic" regarding Pakistan's military operations against Taliban and al Qaeda fighters inside its borders. "What we're seeing is Pakistani leadership taking on a deteriorated militant sanctuary in the tribal areas that has deteriorated over last several years," he said. McKiernan said it is "probably too early" to see if Pakistan's military clampdown in its tribal areas has had any effect on stemming militant activity in Afghanistan. "We're watching those very closely to see if there's a cause and effect with the strength of the insurgency on the Afghan side of the border," he said. "But we think that's a positive step that they are taking on those militant sanctuaries."

Treasury Department targets members of Colombia rebel group . The group, known as FARC, has been deemed a narco-terrorist organization . Action also prohibits Americans from doing business with FARC .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. Treasury Department on Tuesday froze the U.S. assets of eight members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, which it has deemed a narco-terrorist organization. The Treasury's action, termed a "designation," also prohibited Americans from conducting business with FARC. "Today's designation exposes eight 'International Commission members' of the FARC," said Adam Szubin, director of Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control. "Through their service to the FARC as international representatives and negotiators, these persons provide material support to a narco-terrorist organization." The organization, comprised of Colombian leftist rebels, is best known as FARC, its Spanish acronym. The eight in Tuesday's designation represent the FARC in Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela, Panama, Mexico and Canada, the Treasury Department alleged. "As representatives of the FARC and members of its International Commission, these individuals work abroad to obtain recruits, support and protection for the FARC's acts of terrorism," the department said in a written statement. "Some are also themselves violent criminals." One, Jairo Alfonse Lesmes Bulla, was arrested in August for allegedly plotting the assassinations of some South American officials, Treasury said. Bulla represents FARC in Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay, according to the department. Another, Orlay Jurado Palomino, who represents FARC in Venezuela, is wanted in Colombia on charges of kidnapping, rebellion and terrorism, the department said. And Francisco Antonio Cadena Collazos, who represents FARC in Brazil, was arrested in August 2005 at the request of Colombia on charges of rebellion, the Treasury statement said. A fourth, Nubia Calderon de Trujillo, was recently granted asylum by Nicaragua, the department said. The other four are Ovidio Salinas Perez; Jorge Davalos Torres; Efrain Pablo Rejo Freire; and Liliana Lopez Palacios, according to the Treasury statement.

Involved in anti-communist activities as a student in Gdansk . In 1989 Tusk co-founded the KLD (Liberal and Democratic Congress Party) In 1997 he was voted into the Polish Senate . Became prime minister of Poland after 1997 parliamentary election .

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(CNN) -- At 51 years of age, Polish prime minister Donald Tusk has come a long way. As part of the Kashubian minority living in the Gdansk Region, he was born to working-class parents -- his father a carpenter and his mother a nurse. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk was elected in November 2007. As a student of History at the University of Gdansk in the late 1970s, a period of growing discontent with the Communist regime in Poland, he became actively involved in the creation of the opposition Students' Solidarity Committee, founded in reaction to the murder of student activist Stanislaw Pyjas by the State Security Service. Despite his anti-communist activities, he successfully finished his studies in 1980 and joined the Independent Solidarity Trade Union movement. When the Communists imposed martial law in 1981 he continued with his underground activities, writing pamphlets about the ideas of liberal economist Friedrich Hayek and the concept of private property. His heroes became former U.S. president Ronald Reagan and British prime minister Margaret Thatcher. With the fall of Communism in 1989, the Solidarity Movement splintered. Lech Walesa, the former Solidarity Leader was elected President, while Tusk went on to co-found the KLD (Liberal and Democratic Congress Party) with other well-known figures. The Party stood for among other things: free market economy, privatization, individual freedom of Polish citizens and Polish accession to the EU. The following year, during the 1991 Parliamentary elections, the KLD won 37 seats in the lower house of the Polish Parliament. Not being able to follow up on their success in the 1993 elections, the KLD merged with the larger Democratic Union Party (UD) to form a new party called Freedom Union (UW). Tusk soon became Deputy Chairman and in the 1997 elections, he was voted into the Senate. In 2001, Tusk formed the Civic Platform Party (PO), winning seats in that year's parliamentary elections and becoming Deputy Speaker in parliament. But the Civic Platform was not able to sustain its success in the 2005 elections. Tusk and his party lost both the presidential and parliamentary elections to Lech Kacczynski's PiS (Law and Justice Party). This setback was not to last as Tusk triumphed over Jaroslaw Kaczynsky's PiS in the October 2007 elections and became prime minister of Poland. Tusk's economic policies are pro-business: less bureaucratic hurdles and state interference making it easier for entrepreneurs to start businesses. He is also trying to woo back more than a million Poles who left the country to work in other European Union countries after it joined the EU in 2004. Tusk is a keen footballer, viewed in his youth as a promising striker. He is married to historian Malgorzata and has two children, Kasia and Michal.

Attack was conducted by "bloody separatist group," Interior minister says . 2 explosions, minutes apart, hit residential area in Turkey's largest city Sunday . Those arrested were responsible for earlier bombing June 15, says minister .

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ISTANBUL, Turkey (CNN) -- Turkish authorities have arrested 13 people in connection with blasts that killed 17 people in Istanbul last week, Interior Minister Besir Atalay said Saturday. Video from last week's bombing in Istanbul shows bloodied people being loaded into ambulances. Of those arrested, 10 were sent to judicial court, Atalay said in a televised news conference. He described the attack as the "work of the bloody separatist group," but did not identify a group by name. No one has claimed responsibility for the blasts, which went off within minutes of each other in Istanbul's crowded Gungoren community. About 154 people were wounded, state-run Anadolu news agency reported. Istanbul Gov. Muammer Guler, who called the blasts "an act of terror," said last week that the explosive devices were placed 15 meters (49 feet) from each other. The first was a stun grenade that was detonated to draw attention before the second blast went off, he said. The other, a bomb, had been placed in a trash can. Turkey -- a candidate for European Union membership -- has pushed its anti-terror campaign on multiple fronts. Tensions between Turkey » and Kurdish rebels have risen over the Kurdistan Workers' Party's increasing attacks and Turkey's subsequent crackdown. The rebels, known as the PKK, have waged a decades-long battle for an autonomous Kurdish region in Turkey's southeast. Last month, 86 people -- including former military officials, journalists, politicians and businessmen -- were indicted on charges of being involved with an alleged terror group called Ergenekon, which aims to topple the Turkish government. The arrests and indictments dramatize the sharp and serious political tensions between the country's Islam-rooted ruling party -- the Justice and Development Party, or AKP -- and its outspoken critics from the nation's secularist population.

"The warm air is very active this year", said Li. Current snowstorm calls for the first-ever, most severe red warning . Hundreds of thousands of people have been stranded, dozens killed .

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(CNN) -- The recent snowstorm in China, which has stranded hundreds of thousands of people across the country and killed dozens, is related to the La Nina phenomenon, according to a Chinese weather expert . Suzhou, China, is blanketed by the most snow the city has had in 25 years, according to I-Reporter Susan Arthur. La Nina is the opposite of El Nino, which follows El Nino and occurs every few years. During La Nina, sea temperatures over eastern equatorial Pacific are lower than normal. La Nina enhances Arctic weather systems and causes a cold winter in Asia, including in China. As warm and moisture air from the south meets cold air in the north under freezing temperatures, snow forms. "The warm air is very active this year," said Li Weijing, deputy director-general of the National Climate Center of China. As a result, persistent snowstorms occur in central and western China, paralyzing the transport and electricity systems. The current storm, which hit just ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday -- China's busiest shopping season -- has shut much of the nation down. China's transportation system and power grid have been paralyzed this week. The storm also has cost the nation's economy $4.5 billion, according to figures released Wednesday by the Civil Affairs Ministry. Watch how Nanjing is coping with the unusual weather » . The winter precipitation had caused at least 49 deaths due to collapsed roofs and treacherous travel conditions, the Ministry of Civil Affairs and local officials said. More than 177 million Chinese were expected to travel by train, and 22 million more by plane, for the February 7 Chinese Lunar New Year, also known as the Spring Festival. China uses a color system for its snowstorm warning: . The current once-in-50-years snowstorm calls for the red warning, the first time such a warning has been issued since the system launches. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Clarence Fong contributed to this report. Copyright 2008 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.

Militants kill eight people and injure at least 17 in latest attacks . Insurgents killed a coalition soldier in eastern Afghanistan . Soldier's name and nationality held until family members could be notified .

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KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Fighting raged in Afghanistan over the weekend, with a suicide bombing slaying six people, a NATO-led soldier and an Afghan police officer dying in an "altercation," and troops killing several insurgents in battles, authorities said. Fighting between the Taliban and NATO forces continues to rage in Afghanistan. The suicide bombing on Sunday killed six people in a bazaar in Spin Boldak, located in Kandahar province, NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said on Monday. Along with the deaths, at least 17 people were wounded, and ISAF condemned the assault. Four of those killed were Afghan border police officers, ISAF said. The location is in southern Afghanistan. The ISAF soldier and an Afghan police officer were killed after seven people were apprehended in connection with a roadside bombing in Paktia province on Sunday that targeted an Afghan National Police and ISAF patrol. The location is in eastern Afghanistan. "The detained civilians were then transferred to the ANP station at the Jaji District Center. While at the district center, there was an altercation during which an ANP officer and one ISAF soldier were killed," ISAF said in a Monday news release. The U.S.-led coalition on Monday reported fighting between U.S. and Afghan troops and insurgents over the last two days -- Sunday in Kandahar province and Saturday in Helmand province. "Several insurgents" were reported killed in both incidents. Two insurgents died in fighting on Friday in another southern region -- Zabul province, the coalition said on Monday.

Committee cited Ahtisaari's "significant" part in Namibia's independence . Worked with others this year to find a peaceful solution in Iraq . Helped broker a deal in troubled Indonesian province of Aceh in 2005 . Ahtisaari left office in March 2001 .

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(CNN) -- Former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari has won the 2008 Nobel Peace Prize, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced Friday. Former Finland President Martii Ahtisaari twice worked to find a solution in Kosovo. "Ahtisaari is an outstanding international mediator," said Ole Danbolt Mjoes, chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee. "Through his untiring efforts and good results, he has shown what role mediation of various kinds can play in the resolution of international conflicts." The committee cited Ahtisaari's "significant" part in establishing Namibia's independence and his "central" role in solving the question of the Indonesian province of Aceh in 2005. Watch as Finland celebrates the announcement » . Ahtisaari twice worked to find a solution in Kosovo -- first in 1999 and again between 2005 and 2007. He also worked with others this year to find a peaceful solution to the problems in Iraq, the committee said. Ahtisaari and his group, Crisis Management Initiative, also contributed to resolving other conflicts in Northern Ireland, Central Asia, and the Horn of Africa, the committee said. "The Norwegian Nobel Committee wishes to express the hope that others may be inspired by his efforts and his achievements," Mjoes said. The committee awards the peace prize annually according to guidelines laid down in the will of its founder, Alfred Nobel. He specified the prize should go to whoever "shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses." The prestigious prize includes a medal, a personal diploma, and 10 million Swedish crowns ($1.4 million) in prize money. Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore shared last year's prize with the Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change. The committee plans to award the prize to Ahtisaari on December 10 at Oslo City Hall in Norway. The peace prize is one of five Nobel prizes awarded annually. The others -- for physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, and literature -- were announced this week and will be awarded in Stockholm, Sweden later this year.

Strong quake measuring 6.1 in magnitude strikes southern Iran . Epicenter located about 55 km west-southwest of Bandar e-Abbas, Iran . NEW: Quake destroys nearly 200 villages, according to Iran's Press TV . NEW: Head of provincial disaster management: At least 6 dead, 46 others injured .

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(CNN) -- A strong earthquake measuring 6.1 in magnitude struck southern Iran on Wednesday, according to a report from the U.S. Geological Survey. The citadel at the city of Bam, Iran in 2005, hit by a quake in 2003 when 30,000 people died. The quake demolished nearly 200 villages in Iran's Hormozgan Province, according to Iran's Press TV, citing the head of the provincial disaster management headquarters, Yasser Hazbavi. At least six people were killed and 46 others were injured, Hazbavi told Press TV. People panicked and fled buildings when the temblor struck in the quake-prone region around 3:30 p.m. Iranian time (1100 GMT), Iran's state-run IRNA news agency reported. It also knocked out power to the region. See map of quake's epicenter » . The epicenter was located 35 miles (55 km) west-southwest of Bandar e-Abbas, Iran -- just across the narrow Strait of Hormuz from the United Arab Emirates -- according to USGS. Mehdi Rezapoor, head of the Iranian Seismological Center, said it was "a medium-sized quake." Speaking on Press TV, Rezapoor had no details on damage, but said that based on the quake's strength, "I don't think it was very extensive." The quake shook nearby Dubai, where CNN staff members said they felt the building they were in shake for about 15 to 20 seconds. "From my office window at the Dubai Media City where all foreign media are located, I can see that a lot of offices have evacuated buildings," CNN Dubai Bureau Chief Samson Desta said. "I can see up to perhaps 200 people who have taken refuge out in the streets, causing somewhat of a traffic jam." There was no evidence of any damage in Dubai, where there are a lot of high-rise buildings. Iran lies on a series of seismic fault lines and has experienced devastating earthquakes -- most notably in December 2003 when a 6.6 magnitude quake devastated the ancient city of Bam in southeast Iran, killing at least 30,000 people.

Technical University of Munich doctors transplant arms on 54-year-old farmer . Farmer had lost both his arms in an accident six years ago . 40 people conduct operation; several years spent preparing for the surgery . Donor matched the patient in sex, age, skin color, size and blood group .

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(CNN) -- Doctors at the Technical University of Munich have conducted the world's first double-arm transplant on a 54-year-old farmer who had lost both his arms in an accident, officials said. After transplant surgery, this farmer has new arms. His condition "is very good under the circumstances." The operation was conducted at the university's "Klinikum rechts der Isar" last week, the clinic said in a statement Friday, following several years of preparatory work. The man's condition "is very good under the circumstances," the statement said. "Now it is a matter of avoiding future wound healing disorders, infections, strong side-effects caused by the drugs and in particular any rejective reaction." A team of 40 people participated in the transplant surgery, conducted July 25 and 26. The donor matched the host in sex, age, skin color, size and blood group, the statement said. The transplant subject had lost both his arms at the upper arm level six years ago, and two attempts with artificial limbs had been unsuccessful.

Girl born with eight limbs makes first public appearance since surgery . Surgeons say Lakshmi Tatma, two, "coping very well," making good progress . Lakshmi released from intensive care Tuesday; appears at press conference . Operation lasted 27 hours and involved 30 surgeons working eight-hour shifts .

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BANGALORE, India (CNN) -- Two-year-old Lakshmi Tatma, an Indian toddler born with four arms and four legs, made her first public appearance Tuesday, a week after surgeons in India successfully removed her additional limbs. Doctors said Lakshmi was recovering well as she appeared Tuesday at a news conference. Lakshmi, wearing a plaster cast on her legs to keep her feet up and her legs together to help her wounds heal, was carried into a news conference Tuesday as her doctors announced she was being released from intensive care. "She is coping very well," lead surgeon Dr. Sharan Patil said. "She is being carried around by her mother and her father." Several of her doctors, all of them smiling, described her recovery over the past week "very steady and good progress," one saying she is "out of the woods" as far as serious medical issues are concerned. Watch the recovering little girl meet the media » . The operation a week ago lasted 27 hours and involved a team of some 30 surgeons, all specialists in pediatrics, neurosurgery, orthopedics, and plastic surgery, working in eight-hour shifts. Lakshmi's extra limbs were part of a conjoined twin which stopped developing in the womb. It had a torso and limbs but no head, and was joined to Lakshmi at the pelvis. Doctors said that without the surgery, Lakshmi would have been unlikely to survive beyond early adolescence. The surgery involved the removal of the extra limbs and the repositioning of Lakshmi's organs. When Lakshmi was born into her poor, rural Indian family, villagers in the remote settlement of Rampur Kodar Katti in the northern state of Bihar believed she was sacred. As news of her birth spread, locals queued for a blessing from the baby. Her parents, Shambhu and Poonam Tatma, named the girl after the Hindu goddess of wealth who has four arms. However, they were forced to keep her in hiding after they were approached by men offering money in exchange for putting their daughter in a circus. The couple, who earn just $1 a day as casual laborers, wanted her to have the operation but were unable to pay for the rare procedure, which had never before been performed in India. After Patil visited the girl in her village from Narayana Health City hospital in Bangalore, the hospital's foundation agreed to fund the $200,000 operation. Planning for the surgery took a month, Patil said, and Lakshmi spent that month in the hospital. Many villagers, however, remained opposed to surgery and were planning to erect a temple to Lakshmi, whom they still revere as sacred. E-mail to a friend .

NEW: Bermuda Weather Service issues tropical storm watch . NEW: Hurricane Bertha's fringes expected to reach Bermuda on Saturday . The Category 1 hurricane is causing large swells, high surf on Bermuda beaches .

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MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- A tropical storm watch was issued Friday for Bermuda as Hurricane Bertha moved closer to the Atlantic island, causing swells and high turf on its beaches. A satellite picture from 5:45 a.m. ET Friday shows Hurricane Bertha over the Atlantic. As of 8 p.m. ET Friday, the center of Bertha was about 250 miles (402 km) southeast of Bermuda. The Category 1 storm was moving north-northwest at near 5 mph (8 km/h). The National Hurricane Center said a gradual turn toward the north is expected Friday night and Saturday, followed by a continued slow motion toward the north or north-northeast on Sunday. "On this track, the center of Bertha is expected to slowly pass to the southeast and east of Bermuda during the next couple of days," the agency said in an advisory. Bertha's maximum sustained winds are at near 90 mph (145 km/hr), with higher gusts, the hurricane center said. See Bertha's path » . The Bermuda Weather Service issued a tropical storm watch for the island around midday, meaning tropical storm conditions are possible in the area, the hurricane center said. The center advised those on the island, a self-governing British colony, to monitor Bertha's progress closely. Bertha's intensity has fluctuated. At its peak Monday, it was a major Category 3 hurricane with top winds of 120 mph (193 km/h). Its wind speed dropped to 75 mph (121 km/h), barely hurricane strength, before picking up once again and reaching Category 2 intensity late Wednesday, with top sustained winds of 105 mph (169 km/h). See how hurricanes are classified » . The storm formed July 3 off Africa near the southern Cape Verde Islands. It strengthened into a hurricane Monday. The first tropical storm of the season, Arthur, formed May 31 near the coast of Belize and dumped heavy rain on Central America and southern Mexico.

NEW: Environmental official says area surveyed, no traces of chemical remain . Toxic cloud forms Saturday after chemical leak at Pennsylvania plant . Three residents taken to hospital; extent of injuries not known .

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(CNN) -- Residents of a western Pennsylvania neighborhood can return home Sunday after a chemical leak forced them to evacuate the night before. Hundreds of residents were forced to flee Saturday after a chemical leak in Petrolia, Pennsylvania. Authorities surveyed the neighborhood in Petrolia and determined that no traces of the toxic chemical remained, said Freda Tarbell, spokeswoman for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. A leak at the Indspec Chemical Corp. plant in Petrolia on Saturday formed a cloud affecting at least 2,000 residents -- some of whom fled their homes. Others huddled indoors with their windows shut, authorities said. Three people were taken to hospitals, but officials could not immediately say why. Watch why residents were asked to evacuate » . It was not immediately clear how many people were injured, though plant manager Dave Dorko said all employees and inspectors at the plant were safe and accounted for. Tarbell described the chemical as fuming sulfuric acid, which is also known as oleum. The plant uses the chemical during its production process, she said. The plant produces a chemical called Resorcinol -- essentially a strong glue used in the tire industry. The leak affected between 2,000 and 2,500 residents, Tarbell said. Some stayed the night with friends and relatives and some sought refuge in shelters. Others opted to stay indoors and "shut their windows and doors to make sure the acid cloud was not entering their home," she said. Ed Schrecengost, a former Indspec employee, said firefighters showed up at his son's wedding reception, urging the guests to leave. "It's about as dangerous as you can get," Schrecengost told CNN affiliate WPXI. "It's a very fuming acid. A quart bottle of this material could fill a household in two seconds." Dorko said the leak was caused by an overflow from a tank. The material, he said, evaporates easily, creating a toxic cloud. CNN's Saeed Ahmed and Janet DiGiacomo contributed to this report.

Plans for revolutionary 420-meter rotating skyscraper in Dubai unveiled . 80-story Dynamic Tower has been designed by architect David Fisher . Advanced plans to build second tower in Moscow . Tower will be built from prefabricated units; due to be completed by 2010 .

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(CNN) -- Ambitious plans to build a revolutionary 420-meter shape-shifting skyscraper in Dubai have been unveiled by architects. The 80-story Dynamic Tower, described as the "world's first building in motion," will also be the first skyscraper constructed from prefabricated units, according to a press statement released by New York-based architect David Fisher's Dynamic Group. Each floor would be capable of rotating independently, powered by wind turbines fitted between each floor. "You can adjust the shape the way you like every given moment," Fisher said. "It's not a piece of architecture somebody designed today and that's it. It remains forever. It's designed by life, shaped by time." Watch how the tower would spin and twist » . Apartments will sell for about $3,000 per square foot, making each unit range in price from about $4 million to $40 million. Work on the tower is to be completed by 2010, according to Dynamic's Web site. Fisher said that plans to build a second rotating skyscraper in Moscow were at an advanced stage and that the group intended to build a third tower in New York. He said developers and public officials in Canada, Europe and South Korea had also expressed interest in the project. But some have expressed skepticism. Fisher has never built a skyscraper before. He says he has teamed up with reputable architects and engineers in the United Kingdom and India. Although he has received a development license for construction in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, he has not disclosed the site of the building. The Moscow mayor's office said that it was looking into the project and that a decision had not been made. Fisher has called prefabricated construction techniques the "future of architecture" and says they will radically transform 4,000-year-old "brick-on-brick" building methods. By using preconstructed parts, Fisher said each story could be built in just seven days, resulting in environmentally cleaner building methods. He said that just 600 people on an assembly site and 80 technicians on the construction site would be needed to build the tower, compared with about 2,000 workers for a traditional project of a comparable scale. "It is unbelievable that real estate and construction, which is the leading sector of the world economy, is also the most primitive," Fisher is quoted as saying on Dynamic's Web site. "Most workers throughout the world still regularly use trowels that was first used by the Egyptians and then by the Romans. Buildings should not be different than any other product, and from now on they will be manufactured in a production facility." Dubai is experiencing a construction boom, with the Burj tower set to claim the title of the world's tallest building when it is completed in 2009. It is already home to the world's largest mall, and despite being in the Middle East, it boasts the largest indoor snow park in the world.

MDC decries Mugabe move to allocate key ministries to his ZANU-PF party . Defense, justice, and media given to party, report says . MDC says move violates power-sharing agreement .

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HARARE, Zimbabwe (CNN) -- Robert Mugabe's political rivals Saturday accused the Zimbabwean president of "ambush" in allocating key ministries to his own party in defiance of a power-sharing agreement aimed at ending political turmoil in the country. The opposition MDC accuses Mugabe of "ambush." Zimbabwe's state-run Herald newspaper reported that ministries inlcuding defense, justice, and media, were being placed in the hands of Mugabe's ZANU-PF. Party spokesman Bright Matonga said the move had cross-party support but the Movement for Democratic Change's Nelson Chamisa decried the move is an "ambush" that puts the power-sharing deal in jeopardy. Under the deal reached last month, Mugabe stays in office but shares power with MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who became vice president. Arthur Mutambara, who leads a splinter MDC faction, became deputy vice president. "The MDC dismisses ZANU-PF's unilaterally gazetted wish list of ministries, which is a betrayal of the wishes, expectations and aspirations of the majority of Zimbabweans," the MDC said in a statement. "It is a giant act of madness which puts the whole deal into jeopardy." The plan outlined in The Herald would give 14 government ministries to ZANU-PF and 13 to the MDC. Three ministries would go to Mutambara's faction. Among the ministries reportedly allocated to ZANU-PF are defense, home affairs, foreign affairs, justice and legal affairs, and media and information. Ministries given to Tsvangirai's MDC would include constitutional and parliamentary affairs, economic planning, health, labor, and sport, arts and culture, the paper said. Mutambara would oversee education, industry and commerce, and regional integration and international cooperation. The ministry of finance, the paper said, remains in dispute. The MDC accused the ZANU-PF of trying to undermine the work of former South African President Thabo Mbeki, who helped broker a deal to end months of violence following a disputed election. The paper said Mbeki was due to to go Zimbabwe to resolve the question of the finance ministry. Mbeki mediated the power-sharing talks that aimed to resolve the disputed March election. Tsvangirai won the most votes in March but not enough to avoid a runoff, according to the government's official count. Tsvangirai withdrew from the June 27 runoff days before the vote, saying Mugabe's supporters had waged a campaign of violence and intimidation against opposition supporters.

Blaze not contained, firefighting efforts could last four days, official says . iReporter: "It's just the saddest thing because there's no way to stop it" Blaze burning vegetation near the top of Mount Livermore's 788-foot peak . All park workers, campers are safe, fire official says .

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SAN FRANCISCO, California (CNN) -- A wildfire threatened to decimate historic Angel Island, the largest in the San Francisco Bay, and a Marin County fire official warned it could take up to four days contain the blaze. At 9:15 p.m. Sunday the fire was burning only on the southeast side of the island. The fire, which began about 9 p.m. Sunday, had consumed about 250 acres of vegetation near the top of Mount Livermore's 788-foot peak, Battalion Chief Mike Giannini said Monday. iReporter Bob Austrian, 45, of Tiburon, said he could see the blaze from his home about 4 or 5 miles from the island. He noticed the blaze at 9:15 p.m. Sunday. It "started as a little red glow" on the southeast side of the island and worked its way over the top and around the side of Mount Livermore, he said early Monday morning. Watch the island burn » . "It's still ripping right now," Austrian said at 5 a.m., noting that the blaze posed "quite a spectacle" with the town of Belvedere in the foreground and the Bay Bridge that connects Oakland and San Francisco serving as a backdrop. Fire crews and equipment were being ferried to the island to battle the blaze, Giannini said. About 200 firefighters were already involved in the effort or en route, he said. None of the blaze is contained, and Giannini said he expects the firefighting effort to last for three to four more days. Austrian, who has visited the island at least a dozen times, said he's concerned that firefighters won't be able to douse the blaze. The island is mostly vegetation with a few historic buildings, foot trails and access roads. iReport.com: See, share images of the blaze . Even with the necessary manpower and firefighting resources, he said, it will be difficult to reach the actual blaze. "It's just the saddest thing because there's no way to stop it," Austrian said. Fire officials said earlier that all of the park workers and campers on the island were safe. Angel Island -- a hilly grass- and forest-covered island -- is the largest in San Francisco Bay. The island was used as a quarantine station for immigrants suspected of carrying diseases starting in the late 19th century. It's now a place for hiking, biking, camping and boating.

Prince Bandar bin Sultan: U.S. did not engage Saudis in serious, credible way . All but four of September 11 hijackers were Saudi nationals . U.S. official: Bandar's comments should be taken "with a grain of salt" Bandar was the Saudi ambassador to Washington for nearly 22 years .

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(CNN) -- Saudi Arabia could have helped the United States prevent al Qaeda's 2001 attacks on New York and Washington if American officials had consulted Saudi authorities in a "credible" way, the kingdom's former ambassador said in a documentary aired Thursday. The comments by Prince Bandar bin Sultan are similar to the remarks this week by Saudi King Abdullah that suggested Britain could have prevented the July 2005 train bombings in London if it had heeded warnings from Riyadh. Speaking to the Arabic satellite network Al-Arabiya on Thursday, Bandar -- now Abdullah's national security adviser -- said Saudi intelligence was "actively following" most of the September 11, 2001, plotters "with precision." "If U.S. security authorities had engaged their Saudi counterparts in a serious and credible manner, in my opinion, we would have avoided what happened," he said. Watch Bandar's comments » . Bandar was the Saudi ambassador to Washington for nearly 22 years before he was replaced in 2005. A knowledgeable U.S. official told CNN that Bandar's comments should be taken "with a grain of salt." On Monday, Abdullah told the BBC that Saudi Arabia had sent warnings to British authorities before the London subway bombings that killed 52 people -- the city's bloodiest day since World War II. "We have sent information to Great Britain before the terrorist attacks in Britain," Abdullah said. "But unfortunately, no action was taken, and it may have been able to avert the tragedy." The September 11 attacks killed nearly 3,000 people in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania. All but four of the suicide hijackers who carried out the plot were Saudi nationals, and after the attacks, the kingdom was widely criticized for having tolerated Islamic militancy. The Saudis have called the criticism unfair, pointing out that al Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden's original grievance was against the country's ruling family, which invited U.S. troops into the kingdom after the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990. A string of attacks on Western compounds, oil installations and Saudi institutions between 2003 and 2006 were blamed on al Qaeda's followers. And Saudi officials say that since 9/11, they have taken steps to ensure charitable donations do not fall into the hands of al Qaeda. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Pam Benson contributed to this report.

The two Britons will be deported after they complete their sentence . The pair were arrested at a Dubai beach shortly after midnight on July 5 . They were charged with with illicit relations, public indecency, public intoxication . Although a relatively moderate Gulf state, Dubai adheres to certain Islamic rules .

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (CNN) -- A court in Dubai has sentenced two Britons to three months in prison for having sex on a public beach in the Muslim country. File image of one of the co-accused -- Vince Acors -- arriving at court in Dubai in September. After they complete their sentence, the pair will be deported. They also have to pay a 1,000 dirhams ($367) fine for public indecency. Police charged Michelle Palmer, 36, and Vincent Acors, 34, with illicit relations, public indecency and public intoxication after their arrest at a beach shortly after midnight on July 5. Both denied that they had intercourse. "The public (prosecutor) failed to produce corroborative evidence against my clients concerning having consensual sex and committing indecent gestures in public," said the pair's lawyer, Hasan Mattar. He said the pair will appeal the verdict. Watch how case stirs up Dubai's bar scene » . The United Arab Emirates (UAE) -- where Dubai is located -- is home to thousands of expatriates and is among the most moderate Gulf states. Still, the oil-rich Gulf kingdom adheres to certain Islamic rules. More than a million British visitors traveled to the UAE in 2006, and more than 100,000 British nationals live there, according to the British Foreign Office. The country is in the midst of a building boom to position itself as one of the world's premier tourist destinations. It is already home to the world's largest mall, the world's largest tower, and -- despite being in the Middle East -- boasts the largest indoor snow park in the world. -- CNN's Caroline Faraj contributed to this report .

NEW: High school rowing coach had been on trip with students to South Carolina . A 10-inch-long diamondback rattlesnake killed by blast from fire extinguisher . Victim treated at hospital; bite reportedly not life-threatening .

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ARLINGTON, Virginia (CNN) -- A suburban Washington man was bitten Monday by a rattlesnake that found its way into his luggage, a fire department spokesman said. An Eastern diamondback rattlesnake appears in a photo from the U.S. Geological Survey. "He felt a sharp pain, brought his hand out and saw the bite," said Benjamin Barksdale, assistant chief and chief fire marshal of the Arlington County, Virginia, Fire Department. Andrew Bacas zipped his bag shut and called 911 at about 9:30 a.m. ET, the official said. "He was conscious and alert but a little anxious," Barksdale said of the victim. The bite from the young Eastern diamond rattlesnake was not life-threatening, and the man is being treated at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church, he said. "We took the bag outside and used a [carbon dioxide] fire extinguisher to freeze the snake," killing it, Barksdale said. Bacas, a high school rowing coach, had been on a six-day trip to Summerton, South Carolina, with about 80 students, said Mike Krulfeld, director of student activities at Yorktown High School in Arlington. Krulfeld said he did not think the incident was a student prank. "It's been rare to find a coach who is as well-liked and highly regarded as Andy. I would find it hard to believe they would do anything even in the name of a prank that would cause harm to him," Krulfeld said. The Web site of the school's crew team warned members to take precautions unpacking from the trip, adding, "It's advisable to open bags and unpack outdoors." "It got into his bag somehow at the location where they were staying," said Kay Speerstra, executive director of the Animal Welfare League of Arlington. "Nobody noticed it until he was unpacking, and then he definitely noticed it." Speerstra said the snake was about 10 inches long and appeared to be a juvenile. E-mail to a friend .

"D.L. Hughley Breaks the News" premieres on CNN October 25 . Comedian Hughley known for "The Hughleys," "Studio 60" Show to feature interviews, comedic takes on the news .

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(CNN) -- When news breaks, D.L. Hughley will be ready to mock it. D.L. Hughley starred in "The Hughleys" and "The Original Kings of Comedy." CNN announced Wednesday that it will premiere a new, "unconventional" weekend show hosted by comedian D.L. Hughley. "D.L. Hughley Breaks the News," as the show is currently titled, will feature Hughley's humorous take on the week's events. It will also include interviews with newsmakers and reporters, according to the network. "D.L. Hughley Breaks the News" is scheduled to debut Saturday, October 25. "I am very excited for the opportunity to work with the network that I have watched for a very long time, and that to a large extent, has shaped my comedic view," Hughley said in a press release. "CNN offers the perfect blend of news and information on a local, national and international level. What more can a comedian ask for?" "D.L. is a news junkie who is bursting with things to say about what is going on in the world -- most of them funny, all of them thoughtful, none of them predictable," said Jon Klein, president of CNN/U.S. "When you watch as much news as our audience does, there comes a time you just want to stop and laugh -- and that time will be Saturday nights at 10 on CNN." The show will resemble the late-night talk shows of Jay Leno and David Letterman more than Jon Stewart's "Daily Show," according to Hughley. Hughley is known for his acting and his standup performances. The comedian spent four seasons on his own sitcom, "The Hughleys," and was one of the stars of Aaron "West Wing" Sorkin's series, "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip." The performer was also one of the "Original Kings of Comedy," along with Bernie Mac, Steve Harvey and Cedric the Entertainer. CNN and CNN.com are units of Time Warner.

Gunman took a dozen hostages in a suburban Chicago bank Friday . Police: Suspect held knife to officer's throat and demanded his gun . Suspect was found with a bullet wound to his head, officials said .

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WHEATON, Illinois (AP) -- A gunman who took a dozen hostages in a suburban Chicago bank after wresting a gun from a police officer Friday died after shooting himself in the head, police said. Hostages were released Friday after a gunman killed himself in suburban Chicago, police say. The standoff began around 1:30 p.m., after a Wheaton police officer responded to a call of a hit-and-run accident near the bank. When the officer arrived, the suspect grabbed the officer from behind, held a knife to his throat and demanded his gun, Deputy Chief Thomas Meloni said. During an ensuing struggle, the officer was cut on a forearm and the suspect was able to take the gun and run the lobby of the Wheaton Bank & Trust, where he ordered everyone to the floor, Meloni said. Police in Wheaton, about 20 miles west of Chicago, did not immediately release the gunman's identity. As officers evacuated nearby businesses and homes and shut down streets and rail service, hostage negotiators talked to the gunman by phone. They were able to persuade him to release 10 hostages, leaving two behind, Meloni said. "At one point the suspect began to close the blinds from inside the bank and he disconnected the phone contact with the hostage negotiators," Meloni said. Shortly afterward, about 4:15 p.m., officers heard a single gunshot and they rushed in, Meloni said. He said the man was dead of a single gunshot wound to the head. A spokeswoman for Central DuPage Hospital, Amy Steinbruecker, said the hospital treated and released the police officer who scuffled with the suspect for minor injuries. Television footage showed dozens of people running from the four-story bank building, which includes other businesses, with their hands above their heads. "We locked our office door, turned off the lights, drew the blinds," said Donna Price, 52, of McHenry, who works in the office building. "Then we heard a knock on the door and it was a SWAT guy. He told us to get out right now. "I said, 'Let me get my purse.' He said, 'No, now."' Price said police held people in a stairwell of the building before ordering them out. "We all had to put our hands up on the back of our heads and run," Price said from a convenience store across the street where more than 100 people were crowded.

Two Harbors, on Catalina's west end, is much quieter than Avalon . Paddling tours visit secluded coves and mysterious caves . Free hiking permits allow visitors to wander the island at will .

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(Coastal Living) -- Barefoot on the sandy shore of Catalina Island, Kim Francis shades her eyes from the sun and peers back to mainland California. "I can't believe we're 22 miles from Los Angeles," she says, grinning. "I may never go back." Paddlers can experience Catalina from the water's surface. Behind her, the rugged terrain of Two Harbors stretches over rolling hills crossed by winding paths. Near the ferry dock, the modest village (a gift shop, an activities booth and one restaurant) buzzes with visitors. They come here to Catalina's west end -- away from Avalon, the island's much larger settlement -- to hike and watch wildlife. Many have their first try at snorkeling and paddling, says kayak guide Jason Clarke. Adjusting his colorful mask and snorkel, Jason plunges from the 45-foot catamaran Garibaldi into Isthmus Cove and encourages a tour group to do the same. "You won't find kelp forests like this just anywhere," Clarke says. "And always cross your fingers for a dolphin." Paddlers can experience Catalina from the water's surface, with tours that visit secluded coves and mysterious caves, all open for exploration. A few strokes of the paddle separate kayakers from pelicans, sea lions and a bison, which watches from land. "If his tail wags, the buffalo is in a good mood," says Rod Jackson, who helps run Hummer tours to see bison. "But never get too close." The bison have been on the island since the 1920s, when they were brought in as film extras. Today, they number nearly 250 and are protected by the Catalina Island Conservancy. "Sometimes we get a rebel," Jackson says, gesturing to a lone bison across from the area's only inn, The Banning House Lodge. Free hiking permits allow visitors to wander the island at will. Adrenaline junkies will want to tackle Boushay Trail, which climbs 1,800 feet to Silver Peak, the highest point west of Two Harbors. Those who make it to the top will be rewarded with sweeping Pacific views. And, like Kim Francis, they may not want to leave. Best of the west end . For comprehensive information about all of the businesses listed, visit visittwoharbors.com. Stay: The Banning House Lodge, a rustic 1910 bed-and-breakfast with 11 rooms, has no TVs, clocks or telephones. Some rooms provide views of Isthmus Cove and Catalina Harbor. (Room 11 has spectacular cove vistas.) Winter rates start at $89; call 310/510-4228. To camp in the area, call 310/510-8368, or to rent a cabin between November and April, call 800/626-0720. Play: Visitor's Center; 310/510-4205. Dive and Recreation Center; 310/510-4272. For charter-fishing day trips to Two Harbors, call Afishinado Charters at 323/447-4669 or visit fishcatalina.com. Dine: The Harbor Reef Restaurant and the Harbor Reef Saloon serve fresh seafood entrées, steaks and unique cocktails. We recommend the signature Two Harbors "Buffalo Milk" -- a sweet (and strong) concoction of liqueurs, vodka and whipped cream; 310/510-4215. E-mail to a friend . Enter to win a monthly Room Makeover Giveaway from MyHomeIdeas.com . Copyright © Coastal Living, 2008 .

Police in Switzerland have recovered two artworks stolen earlier this month . Masterpieces stolen in Zurich art heist were worth $163 million . Haul included pieces by Cezanne, Van Gogh, Degas and Monet . The van Gogh and Monet were found, the Cezanne and Degas remain missing .

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(CNN) -- Police have recovered two of the four Impressionist paintings stolen earlier this month in a daring museum heist, police in Zurich, Switzerland said Tuesday. Claude Monet's "Poppies near Vetheuil" has been recovered by Swiss police. The Monet and van Gogh oil paintings were in good condition, police said, and the search continued for the other two -- a Cezanne and a Degas. A parking lot attendant at the Psychiatric University Hospital in Zurich found the paintings Monday afternoon in the back of an unlocked white car, police said. It was not clear how long the car, an Opel Omega with stolen license plates, had been parked on the lot, police said. "The two paintings, worth about 70 million francs($64 million), are in good condition and are still protected by the original glass covering," police said in a statement. Three masked men stole the four paintings in what police called a "spectacular" heist Feb. 11 at the E.G. Buhrle Collection -- among the finest collections of Impressionist and post-Impressionist art in the world. One of the men threatened personnel at the museum's front door with a pistol and forced them to the ground, police said, while the other two men went into an exhibition room and stole four oil paintings by Paul Cezanne, Edgar Degas, Claude Monet and Vincent van Gogh. Afterward, the three men loaded the paintings into a white car parked in front of the museum and then drove off, police said. The paintings recovered Monday are Monet's "Poppies near Vetheuil" and van Gogh's "Blossoming Chestnut Branches." Still missing are Degas' "Count Lepic and his Daughters" and Cezanne's "Boy in a Red Vest." The four paintings are worth a total of about $163 million (180 million Swiss francs). A reward of $91,000 (100,00 Swiss francs) has been posted for information leading to the return of the paintings, police said. A Zurich police task force, which includes an art expert, had received tips from around the world, police said. The task force was looking into possible connections with other art thefts inside Switzerland and abroad. The Zurich heist followed the recent theft in Switzerland of two paintings by Pablo Picasso, said Bjoern Quellenberg, a spokesman for the Kunsthaus, another major art museum in Zurich. The director of the Kunsthaus serves on the E.G. Buhrle private art foundation's council, Quellenberg said. In that theft, thieves stole the 1962 "Tete de Cheval" ("Horse's Head") and the 1944 "Verre et Pichet" ("Glass and Pitcher") by Picasso. They were on loan from a German museum and valued at $4.5 million when they were stolen February 6, according to news reports. E-mail to a friend .

September amount is biggest monthly fundraising total for a presidential campaign . Obama campaign added 632,000 new donors in September . McCain accepted $85 million in federal funds for last two months of campaign .

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DUNN, North Carolina (CNN) -- Barack Obama's campaign announced Sunday the Democratic presidential candidate raised $150 million in donations in September, setting a new high-water mark in campaign fundraising. Barack Obama calls a prospective voter from a headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri, on Saturday. In a campaign video, Obama campaign manager David Plouffe said a record 632,000 new donors gave to the campaign, with the average contribution under $100. More than 3 million donors have given so far. The Obama campaign raised $65 million in August. Regardless of the stunning haul, Plouffe told supporters the campaign still needed more money because of "the slime that we're getting from the McCain campaign." Plouffe cited recent attack ads and automated phone calls in battleground states and said the campaign needed to have every resource to "fight back." "Their campaign is going to descend even more into the gutter," he said. Plouffe also said the campaign was expanding its reach to compete "aggressively" in West Virginia. Tightening polls in Georgia and North Dakota meant more money and resources could be sent to those two states in the remaining days, he said. "We can't afford to make any cuts. We have to execute everything we think is required to win," Plouffe said of their battleground strategy. "None of us can look back on the night of November 4 or the morning of November 5 and wished we had done something extra." The McCain campaign accepted $85 million in federal matching funds for the last two months of the campaign. The Obama campaign opted out of the matching funds program and is free to raise and spend as much money as it can. CNN's Paul Steinhauser and Sasha Johnson contributed to this report.

Ginza offers world-class shopping - check out the food hall in Mitsukoshi . Takeshita-Dori is where teenagers pick up their "cosplay" costumes . Omotesando is lined with boutiques, including Louis Vuitton and Prada . Akihabara, or "Electric Town," is the place to buy electronics and manga .

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(CNN) -- For a world-class shopping experience you should head to glitzy Ginza. As well as flagship fashion outlets, the area boasts one of the city's best department stores, Mitsukoshi (4-6-16 Chuo Dori). The real treat here, as at many Tokyo department stores, is the fantastic basement-level food hall ("depachika"). For the complete Mitsukoshi experience, there's an ever bigger store in Nihombashi. The "Electric Town" of Akihabara is tech-head's heaven. Next door is Matsuya, another big department store, and while you're in the area don't miss the Sony Building (5-3-1 Ginza, Chuo-ku). Your inner games geek won't be able to resist the entire floor devoted to the PlayStation. If you've ever wondered where Tokyo teenagers buy their wacky cyber-goth manga-inspired attire, the answer is Takeshita-Dori, a narrow street in Harajuku. On Sundays the street fills with fashion-conscious teens, dressed to impress. For the less adventurous, but more discerning shopper, Harajuku's main thoroughfare, Omotesando is lined with elegant boutiques, including Louis Vuitton, Prada and Loveless (3-17-11 Minami-Aoyama). Looking unlike any shop you've seen before, Loveless has three floors of hip Japanese clothing and a basement decked out like the dungeon of some deranged medieval aristocrat. Harajuku is also home to six-floor Kiddy Land (6-1-9 Jingu-mae), one of the city's best toy stores, with a huge selection of Hello Kitty products. The area around Shibuya Station is a buzzing epicenter of shopping activity. Among its highlights are Tokyu Hands (Takashimaya Times Square, 5-24-2 Sendagaya), a department store that sells everything you could ever need, and plenty of stuff you had no idea even existed (electrically heated pilllows anyone?). A Bathing Ape (1 - Rise Bld. 13-17 Udagawa-Cho) offers funky T-shirts and trainers in an art gallery-style space, and Mandarake (Shibuya Beam B2 31-2 Udagawacho) is the place to satisfy your manga cravings, should you have any. For more manga, and a glimpse into the future, you'll want to go to Akihabara. Also known as Electric Town, Akihabara is a district of electronics stores clad in illuminated signs. Visit after dark for the full "Blade Runner" experience. Yodobashi Camera sells everything from next generation cell phones to cameras that aren't yet available outside Japan. For something more sedate, Daikanyama is a refined area popular with in-the-know fashionistas, while Jimbocho is the city's used-book quarter. Marunouchi was once a drab business district but is fast becoming the city's hottest shopping area. Shin-Marunouchi (just opposite the Marunouchi exit of Tokyo Stations) is a huge building, with the lowest seven floors devoted to chic shopping. The basement "depachika" is a feast for foodies. Tokyo International Forum (5-1 Marunouchi 3-chome, Chiyoda-ku) is a vast space used for art exhibitions and as a concert hall. It also boasts excellent shopping and hosts a flea market every other Sunday. Where to stay | What to see | Where to be seen | Where to eat | Where to shop . ...................... Do you agree with our Tokyo picks? Send us your comments and suggestions in the "Sound Off" box below and we'll print the best.

Ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra convicted of corruption, sentenced to jail . Court rules Thaksin facilitated wife's purchase of Bangkok real estate in 2003 . Thaksin, who lives in exile in UK, unlikely to serve time in jail .

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BANGKOK, Thailand (CNN) -- A Thai court has found deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra guilty of corruption, and sentenced him in absentia to two years imprisonment. Thaksin Shinawatra lives in self-imposed exile in London. The case stemmed from a Bangkok land deal while Thaksin was in office. He was convicted of violating a law that bans ministers or their wives from conducting business with government agencies. Thaksin, who now lives in the United Kingdom, is unlikely to serve any jail time. He fled from Thailand in August just as he was to appear in court. In the land deal, Thaksin's wife, Pojama, is accused of using her husband's political influence to buy undeveloped land from a government agency for about a third of its estimated value. Watch more about the verdict » . The case is one of several corruption cases against Thaksin and his family that are winding their way through the legal system. The billionaire is accused of abusing the country's system of checks and balances and bending government policy to benefit his family's business. Thaksin has consistently denied that he or his family was involved in any wrongdoing. In August, Thaksin and his wife skipped a court appearance and fled to the United Kingdom rather than testify in the real-estate case. He said he did so because he did not think he would get a fair trial in Thailand. Thaksin, a telecommunications tycoon, once owned the English Premier League Manchester City Football Club but sold his stake this year. His party won two landslide victories before he was deposed in a bloodless military coup in September 2006 after massive anti-government street protests. He returned to Thailand after his allies in the People Power Party won nearly half the seats in the lower house in December's parliamentary elections and formed the ruling coalition. In recent weeks, the country has seen daily demonstrations from anti-government protesters who want PPP leaders purged from the Cabinet. They have laid siege to the Government House -- the seat of the Thai government -- since August 26. The protesters -- led by the People's Alliance for Democracy -- contend that the PPP is trying to amend the constitution so Thaksin does not have to face charges. In September, Thailand's Constitutional Court stripped then-Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej of his position, ruling that he had violated the constitution by appearing as a paid guest on a television cooking show. The PPP responded by picking Thaksin's brother-in-law as Samak's replacement -- further inflaming the protesters. CNN's Dan Rivers contributed to this report.

NEW: Death toll rises to eight in two blasts, official says; more than 100 wounded . NEW: Mexican president says federal officials will help investigate . Explosions occurred during independence day celebration in Morelia .

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MEXICO CITY, Mexico (CNN) -- Eight people were killed and 101 were wounded in two explosions during a celebration of Mexico's independence day Monday night, a Mexican official said Tuesday. Wounded people get help after blasts Monday night during an independence day event in Morelia, Mexico. Two people remained in grave condition, said Roman Armando Luna Escalante, secretary of health in Michoacan state. Eleven of the wounded were children, Luna Escalante said. None of them are gravely injured. The explosions occurred around 11 p.m. near the governor's residence in Morelia, the capital of Michoacan. The second blast happened shortly afterward a few blocks away. Officials would not say if they have any suspects or if any group has claimed responsibility. Some experts pointed to drug cartels or insurgents. "It could be a warning to the federal government, which has put a lot of money and manpower to deal with drugs, which are very powerful there," said Peter Hakim, president of the Inter-American Dialogue, a Washington-based think tank on Western Hemisphere affairs. "It could be leftist guerrilla groups that occasionally throw a bomb. "The problem is that this is part of a real wave of violence that is consuming Mexico." Last week the bodies of 24 people, bound and shot execution-style, were found in Atlapulco, a town just south of Mexico City. Those killings Friday came roughly two weeks after tens of thousands of Mexicans marched on the nation's capital, calling for greater government action against the wave of violent crime. Non-governmental groups estimate there have been more than 1,500 killings in Mexico this year linked to organized crime. In late August, Mexican President Felipe Calderon met with the country's 32 governors to develop a plan to battle the rise in violent crime. Calderon, who was born in Morelia, condemned the attacks and said federal officials will redouble efforts to help state authorities investigate. More than 1,500 soldiers and federal police were maintaining order Tuesday, which marks the 198th anniversary of what Mexicans regard as their independence day. Festivities typically start the night before because on September 16, 1810, shortly before dawn, a priest in a village in the state of Guanajuato rang a church bell and called on Mexicans to fight for independence from Spain. The celebration in Morelia on Monday night was one of hundreds nationwide to celebrate that call for independence, which Mexico formally achieved in 1821.

Young rugby player, paralyzed after accident, commits suicide in Switzerland . Police interview man and woman about the death of Daniel James, 23 . It is illegal in UK and much of Europe to assist with suicide . Assisted suicide is legal in Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg .

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- Police have launched an investigation after a young disabled sportsman traveled to Switzerland to commit suicide, UK media report. Daniel James, who played rugby for England under-16s, was paralyzed during match practice last year. Daniel James, 23, from Sinton Green in western England was paralyzed from the chest down in March 2007 when a rugby scrum collapsed on top of him during match practice, dislocating his spine, the UK's Press Association has reported. Worcestershire Coroner's Service, which is conducing an inquest into the circumstances of his death, states on its Web site that James died on September 12 after he "traveled to Switzerland with a view to ending his own life. He was admitted to a clinic where he died." The inquest was adjourned on September 19 for reports. West Mercia police say that a man and a woman are helping the force with their enquiries. Assisting someone to commit suicide is illegal in the UK, as it is in most other European countries. What do you think of assisted suicide? James, who played rugby for England under-16s, was a university student at the time of his injury last year. He is believed to be the youngest person from the UK to have traveled to Switzerland to commit suicide. In a statement Friday, reported by PA, James' parents said that he had attempted to kill himself several times already. Watch why James opted for suicide » . "His death was an extremely sad loss for his family, friends and all those that care for him but no doubt a welcome relief from the 'prison' he felt his body had become and the day-to-day fear and loathing of his living existence, as a result of which he took his own life. "This is the last way that the family wanted Dan's life to end but he was, as those who know him are aware, an intelligent, strong-willed and some say determined young man," PA reported James' parents as saying. "The family suffered considerably over the last few months and do wish to be left in peace to allow them to grieve appropriately." James' parents added that their son, "an intelligent young man of sound mind," had never come to terms with his condition and was "not prepared to live what he felt was a second-class existence". Adrian Harling, the family solicitor, would not comment on the investigation, PA reported. More than 100 people from the UK who have committed suicide in Switzerland have traveled to the Dignitas Clinic in Forch. It is not known if James attended the clinic. Switzerland, along with Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, are the only European countries where authorities will not prosecute those who assist with suicide.

U.S. State Department says Cuba rejects $5 million in aid . Island nation reeling from storms, including hurricanes Ike and Gustav . U.S. temporarily suspends some restrictions on groups sending aid to Cuba .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The United States Agency for International Development, USAID, on Monday urged the Cuban government to think again about its refusal of direct U.S. assistance for hurricane victims. "We call on the Cuban government to reconsider their decision on the United States offer, which we made with no preconditions and whose only objective was to get relief to people in dire need." USAID administrator Henrietta Fore said in a Monday afternoon conference call with reporters. Fore said the United States over the weekend had offered to begin relief flights as soon as Tuesday to Cuba, on civilian aircraft, delivering plastic sheeting, blankets and hygiene kits. The first flight would have brought aid worth $349,000. "And while we wait for the Cuban government's reconsideration of the United States offer we will continue to implement other components of our $5 million assistance package," Fore added. The United State will immediately obligate approximately $1.5 million in emergency humanitarian assistance to reputable international relief organizations and nongovernmental organizations. Fore said she will be in Honduras on Tuesday to inspect hurricane damage and review aid needs there. Earlier in the day, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack gave the first information that United States had made a weekend offer -- and the Cuban government had refused -- of $5 million in hurricane relief. The United States on Saturday "informed the Cuban government that the U.S. government is committed to providing up to $5 million in relief assistance to Cuban hurricane victims and that we could fly emergency relief supplies to Cuba as soon as the Cuban government authorized such assistance," McCormack said at his daily briefing. "On the 14th of September, just yesterday, the Cuban government informed us they would not accept a donation from the United States," he said. The United States has temporarily suspended some restrictions on private aid groups, sending assistance and money to Cuba. And McCormack said Monday he United States had in recent days licensed agricultural exports to Cuba worth $250 million, including lumber for reconstruction.

Trade route between the two sides the first in six decades . A heavy military presence occupies strip of land known as the Line of Control . Kashmir a source of bitter dispute between India and Pakistan since 1947 . Trade meant to bolster a 2004 peace accord between the South Asian rivals .

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NEW DELHI, India (CNN) -- More than a dozen trucks loaded with fruits, spices and other goods Tuesday crossed the line dividing Kashmir as India and Pakistan opened a symbolic trade route in the disputed region for the first time in more than 60 years. Kashmiris watch as Indian trucks cross into the border town of Chakothi in Pakistani-administered Kashmir. To cheers and band music, the first trucks rumbled from the Pakistani side across a white bridge to a brightly decorated trade center festooned . Apple-laden Indian trucks heading the other way were also warmly welcomed. It is hoped the move will ease tensions in the troubled Himalayan region, which has been a conflict flashpoint between nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan who both lay claims to the territory. "Today, we have regained our lost market," said Ghulam Rasool Bhat, president of the Kashmir fruit growers' association. Watch more about the historic day » . "We are sending the sweet Kashmir apple as the first consignment. This is sure to sweeten the relation between the two neighbors. The beginning of the trade between the two Kashmirs will further improve the relations and lead to a peaceful resolution of the bitter problem," he said. The trucks were subjected to thorough security checks before they crossed the bridge, one of the few crossing points in the heavily militarized 742-kilometer (460-mile) Line of Control, the de facto frontier that divides the region. Kashmir has been a major source of dispute between India, and Pakistan since the two countries were partitioned at the end of British rule in 1947. Muslim Kashmiris sided with Pakistan to the north, while the Hindu south joined India. For the past 18 years, Kashmir has been wracked by a bloody separatist campaign. Authorities say up to 43,000 people have died, but rights groups and non-governmental organizations put the death toll at twice that. Violence had dropped off since the countries began a peace process in 2004, but it surged after the state government in Indian-controlled Kashmir announced plans in June to donate land for a Hindu shrine. Muslim protests following the decision prompted a government U-turn that triggered Hindu demonstrations calling for it to be restored. Subsequent violence left 40 dead and hundreds wounded. It is hoped Tuesday's route opening will bolster the peace agreement and combat lingering mistrust between India and Pakistan. A bilateral cease-fire has been holding in the region for more than four years. A bus service connecting the divided Kashmir began amid much fanfare in 2005 but struggled under the weight of elaborate security checks and stifling bureaucracy. "This is a great emotional moment, as it brings to mind my grandfather, who used to drive lorries on this road," said Muzhar Hussain Naqvi, who drove the leading Pakistani truck. CNN's Sara Sidner and Mukhtar Ahmad contributed to this report .

Bolivian leader to "review issues of mutual interest" with Iran's president . Bolivian President Evo Morales has sought to improve ties with Iran . Bolivia, Iran "staunchly opposed to U.S. hegemony," Morales says . Morales met with Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi before Iran trip .

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TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- Bolivian President Evo Morales arrived Monday in Iran on his first official visit to the country, the Iranian Press TV reported. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, right, greets Bolivia's leader, Evo Morales, on Monday in Tehran. Morales is expected to meet with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to "review issues of mutual interest" between the Islamic republic and the leftist South American nation, according to the national news agency IRNA. The Bolivian leader arrived in Tehran from Libya, where he met with Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. Morales has described Iran and Bolivia as "two friendly and revolutionary countries," Press TV said. "The two countries are both energy producers and are staunchly opposed to U.S. hegemony." Morales, a former labor organizer and the country's first indigenous president, was elected in 2005. Like Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, with whom he maintains strong ties, Morales has sought to improve his relationship with Tehran.

Four arrested on suspicion of involvement" in hotel blast in Pakistani capital . More than people died in September 20 attack on Marriott hotel, 250-plus injured . Authorities have not said how they believe the men are related to the blast .

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ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistani authorities have arrested four men in connection with the suicide truck bombing of a Marriott Hotel last month in Islamabad that killed more than 50 people, officials said Friday. More than 50 people died in last month's attack on the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad. The men appeared Friday before a magistrate in an anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi, police and Pakistan Federal Investigation Agency investigators said. Although they have not been charged, the magistrate is allowing police to hold them for a week while the investigation continues. The magistrate ordered them back to court on October 31. Authorities have not said how they believe these men are connected to the September 20 bombing. The men -- one of whom is a doctor -- were arrested at different times in different places, authorities said, but gave no additional details. They identified them as: Dr. Muhammad Usman and Tehseen Ulla Jaan, both from Peshawar; Ilyas Rana Muhammad, from a village near Faiselabad in Pakistan's Punjab province; and Hameed Afzal Muhammad, from Toba Taik Singh district, also in Punjab province. In addition to the dozens killed, some 250 people were wounded in the suicide truck attack, which sparked a fire that left the hotel in ruins. The hotel, located near the diplomatic section of Islamabad, had been popular among tourists visiting Pakistan. It was crowded the night of the bombing.

New rules require visa-free visitors to the U.S. to register details before departure . The process could take 72 hours but last-minute applications are possible . The system, introduced this month, will become compulsory next January . Once authorized, travelers can travel for up to two years or until their passport expires .

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- This month the U.S. government has introduced major changes that will affect millions of travelers to the U.S. who do not need a visa. Instead of filling in the green visa waiver form en route, short-term visitors must register their details online at least three days before they depart. The measure is designed tighten security and make it harder for terrorists who are citizens of the participating countries to easily obtain entry to the U.S. The new system, known as the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), does not become compulsory until January 12, 2009. But travelers are urged to prepare for the new rules in advance. ESTA applies to citizens from the 27 Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries that includes most of western Europe in addition to New Zealand, Japan, Brunei and Australia. Visitors are recommended to submit applications no later than 72 hours before departure in case further inquiry is necessary. But the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has assured travelers that the system can handle last-minute and emergency requests. Applications can be made at any time, even if travelers have no specific travel plans. And if itineraries change, information can be easily updated on the ESTA Web site. Once travelers are authorized, they can travel for up to two years or until their passport expires, whichever comes first. From mid-January, travelers who have not received approval may be denied boarding, delayed processing, or denied admission at a U.S. port of entry. Passengers must submit the same information that is currently required in the I-94 immigration form. This includes biographical data, travel information as well as questions regarding communicable diseases, arrests and convictions. Registration is possible through the U.S. government ESTA Web site. In most cases, eligibility for travel will be approved immediately. Applicants who receive an "Authorization Pending" response will need to check the Web site for updates. Applicants whose ESTA applications are denied will be referred to Travel.State.Gov for information on how to apply for a visa. ESTA does not change the rules for citizens from countries that require visas. But the U.S. is due to extend the visa waiver program and has signed agreements with eight countries including the Czech Republic, Hungary and South Korea. Travelers are advised that ESTA does not guarantee entry into the United States. The final decision rests with the immigration official at the port of entry.

Alleged agents accused of trying to stop a U.S. citizen from talking to authorities . Miami-based Guido Alejandro Antonini Wilson tried to enter Argentina with $800,000 . Cash is believed to have been for Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner election campaign .

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Four alleged Venezuelan agents have been arrested in the U.S. and charged with trying to persuade a U.S. citizen to keep quiet about a growing international election scandal. Miami businessman Guido Alejandro Antonini Wilson . The U.S. Justice Department said the four wanted to prevent Guido Alejandro Antonini Wilson, a businessman from Miami, Florida, from talking to authorities. On August 4, Antonini Wilson flew in a privately chartered aircraft from Caracas, Venezuela, to Buenos Aires, Argentina, where customs officers discovered $800,000 in cash in his possession. The U.S. Justice Department said Wednesday the four men charged wanted to stop Antonini Wilson from revealing the origin of the $800,000. "The complaint filed today outlines an alleged plot by agents of the Venezuelan government to manipulate an American citizen in Miami in an effort to keep the lid on a burgeoning international scandal," Kenneth Wainstein, assistant attorney general for national security, said in a written statement. The agents, who worked for the government of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, wanted to ensure Wilson did not disclose "the source and destination and the role of the government of Venezuela in the attempted delivery of the approximately $800,000," the statement said. The Justice Department statement does not say Chavez personally knew of the transaction, but says the office of the vice president and members of the Venezuelan Intelligence Directorate were aware of the matter. U.S. Attorney Alex Acosta in Miami said: "Today's complaint alleges an effort by the agents of Venezuela to travel to the U.S. for the purpose of coercing our citizens to help conceal the true nature of a growing international scandal." Although documents did not identify which candidate was to receive the donation, federal law enforcement officials confirmed the funds were intended for the campaign of Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, who went on to win the election. The four men -- three Venezuelans and one Uruguayan -- made an initial court appearance in U.S. District Court in Miami on Wednesday afternoon. Those named in the complaint are identified as Moises Maionica, 36; Antonio Jose Canchica Gomez, 37; Rodolfo Edgardo Wanseele Paciello, 40; Franklin Duran, 40; and Carlos Kauffmann, 35. Officials said Gomez remains at large. After Argentine customs found the $800,000 on Antonini Wilson, they seized the cash and sent him to Miami. Later, however, an Argentine judge issued an order for him to appear in court and, at the request of the Argentine government, Interpol issued an international wanted notice for him, U.S. State Department officials said. The officials said that on August 31, the Argentine judge requested Antonini Wilson's extradition. The request was delivered to the State Department on September 4, and Justice and State are currently reviewing the extradition request. The U.S. officials said they do not expect to take any further action while the Justice Department is pursuing its investigation and prosecution of the Venezuelan and Uruguayan nationals arrested in Miami. Antonini Wilson is not in custody, they added. E-mail to a friend .

Casey Anthony led out of parents' home Friday night past cheering crowd . She is charged with forgery, fraudulent use of personal information, petty theft . Anthony already accused of child neglect, making false statements, obstruction . She had been out on bail in disappearance of 3-year-old daughter, Caylee .

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ORLANDO, Florida (CNN) -- The mother of missing Florida toddler Caylee Anthony was arrested and charged Friday with forgery, fraudulent use of personal information and petty theft, the Orange County Sheriff's Department said. Casey Anthony was taken into custody Friday night at her parents' home in Orlando, Florida. The charges relate to Casey Anthony's use of "some monies and checks in an account that did not belong to her and she knew that," Orange County Capt. Angelo Nieves said. Orange County Sheriff's Department officers ushered a handcuffed Anthony through a crowd of protesters that had gathered outside her parents' Orlando home. The protesters cheered as Anthony -- wearing a T-shirt with Caylee's picture and the words "Have you seen me?" -- was taken to a unmarked police car. The dramatic scene played out live on CNN Headline News' "Nancy Grace." Watch Casey Anthony being taken into custody » . Anthony had been out on bail after being charged with child neglect, making false official statements and obstructing a criminal investigation into her daughter's disappearance. On Thursday, a bounty hunter who had posted bond for Anthony said he planned to revoke the bond. Watch bounty hunter Leonard Padilla explain why he wants to revoke bond » . The new charges carry an initial $3,000 bail, Nieves said. Anthony reported her 3-year-old daughter missing in July, a month after the last known sighting of her. Law enforcement sources said DNA evidence suggested that a strand of hair in the trunk of a car linked to Casey Anthony was Caylee's. Nieves confirmed reports that tests had "indicated human decomposition was present and located in the defendant's vehicle." After holding onto "high hopes" that Caylee could be found alive, Nieves said Friday, "that hope is somewhat diminished." Anthony told police that a babysitter kidnapped Caylee, but police found inconsistencies in her story, according to police reports. Police learned of the car from Anthony's mother, Cindy Anthony. At that time, Cindy Anthony told authorities that it smelled as if a dead body had been in the trunk. Cindy Anthony has since said she believes that her granddaughter is alive.

George Michael cautioned after being arrested for drugs in London public toilet . Pop star was released with a caution for possession of class A, class C drugs . Press reports claim police were tipped off by a suspicious toilet attendant .

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- Pop star George Michael was cautioned by police in London after being arrested in public toilets on suspicion of possessing drugs, the UK's Press Association reported. George Michael has talked candidly about drug use in the past. In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said a 45-year-old man had been arrested in the Hampstead Heath area of London on Friday. He was later released with a caution for possession of class A and class C drugs. The statement did not name Michael, but other sources confirmed his identity. Reports Sunday said Michael had been arrested following a tip-off to police from a suspicious toilet attendant, PA said. The 45-year-old, who has sold more than 100 million records worldwide, has talked openly about his use of drugs in the past. In an inteview with the BBC last year he admitted: "I'm a happy man and I can afford my marijuana so that's not a problem." Last May he pleaded guilty to driving while unfit through drugs and was banned from driving for two years after being found slumped behind the wheel of his car.

Z$1,000 note can only purchase a loaf of bread . Zimbabwe's agro-based economy in free-fall for more than a decade . Robert Mugabe blames country's economic collapse on sanctions .

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HARARE, Zimbabwe (CNN) -- The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) has introduced a $1,000 note -- $10 trillion in the old value -- as the country battles to end cash shortages in the hyper-inflationary environment. Zimbabwe's currency is trading around Z$350 -- $35 trillion in the old value -- against U.S. dollar. However, analysts said the new note -- which can only buy a loaf of bread -- will not ease pressure on cash shortages because of the ever-increasing prices. "It will not make even a small impact. What we need in Zimbabwe is a clear change of policies, start production and then inflation will start easing up," said John Robertson, an economic consultant. "The zeros seem to be coming back no matter how often they slash them." In August, Zimbabwe slashed ten zeroes on the currency; two years earlier the country slashed three zeros. The zeroes keep bouncing back in the country that has an inflation rate of 11.2 million -- the highest in the world. Zimbabwe's agro-based economy has been on a free-fall for more than a decade now. The situation was exacerbated by the destruction of commercial agriculture in 2000 when President Robert Mugabe's government embarked on a violent land grab from white farmers and gave it to inexperienced black farmers. Mugabe denies that he is to blame for the country's economic collapse, citing economic sanctions that have been placed on Zimbabwe. Since 2000, Zimbabwe's currency has been depreciating against major currency. It is trading around $350 Zimbabwean dollars -- $35 trillion in the old value -- against the U.S. dollar.

Police board KLM flight in Cologne early Friday to arrest suspects . Two suspects said to be Somali man, 23 and German born in Somalia, 24 . Police say "farewell" letters found from the men .

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BERLIN, Germany (CNN) -- German federal police seized two suspected terrorists from a Dutch passenger aircraft at Cologne airport Friday shortly before it was due to take off for Amsterdam, officials told CNN. The arrests were made at Cologne's airport. A 23-year-old Somali national and a 24-year-old German citizen who had been born in Mogadishu were arrested on a KLM plane at 6.55 am local time (0455 GMT), a police spokesman said. Police said "farewell" letters had been found from the men that led them to suspect they were intending to carry out terror attacks. It was not revealed where the letters were found or how long the men had been under observation. Walter Roemer, press spokesman at Cologne-Bonn airport, said that the arrests had been "very unspectacular". He said federal police boarded the plane and arrested the two suspects, "without them showing any resistance." The two had been among 40 passengers en route to Amsterdam. All those on board were asked to disembark while the suspects' luggage was identified. The plane took off for Amsterdam after a delay of one hour and 20 minutes. She said everyone was then forced to leave the plane, and there was a "baggage parade" to see whose bags belonged to whom. Watch more details on the incident. » . Amsterdam's Schipol airport Web site listed flight KL 1804, the scheduled morning flight from Cologne to Amsterdam, as having arrived at 9.17 am local time, one hour and two minutes after it was due to arrive. In September 2007, German authorities arrested three suspected militants planning what were described as "massive" attacks on American targets in Germany. German media said at the time that potential targets could have included Ramstein Air Base, the U.S. military's main installation in Germany, or the major international hub of Frankfurt Airport. Terrorism expert Sajjan Gohel told CNN the arrest showed Germany faces a major threat from extremists. Watch Gohel explain details behind the arrests » . "This was a long term operation, there was a couple of individuals that the German intelligence agency was monitoring," he said. "The feeling was that they had come back specifically with the purpose of planning and plotting a terrorist attack." CNN's Diana Magnay in Berlin contributed to this report . Copyright 2008 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.

Maria Sharapova withdraws from the Bejing Olympics due to a shoulder injury . Russian star aggravated the injury in three-set win at Rogers Cup Wednesday . Sharapova now a serious doubt for the final grand slam at Flushing Meadows .

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(CNN) -- The Beijing Olympics has lost one of its major attractions after Maria Sharapova pulled out of the tennis tournament with a shoulder injury. Sharapova has treatment for a shoulder injury that has ruled her out of Olympics. The Russian world number three sustained the injury in beating Marta Domachowska of Poland at the WTA tournament in Montreal and immediately underwent an MRI scan to determine the extent of the problem. The result was not encouraging and Sharapova told her official Web site of her disappointment. "I'm currently packing up real quick to hop on a plane to New York for a second opinion (on the injury) but I wanted to let you all know first that there is no chance of me competing in Beijing," she said. "The timing is so unfortunate and this makes me more sad than anything." It is another shattering setback for 21-year Sharapova who started the year with a brilliant victory at the Australian Open but has since been struggling with injury and loss of form. Wednesday's match in Montreal was her first since a disappointing exit from Wimbledon. "After the match I knew there was something seriously wrong with my shoulder," she added. Sharapova's appearance in the final grand slam of the season at the U.S. Open, which takes place almost immediately after the Beijing Games, must also be in serious doubt. Sharapova joins a growing list of Beijing casualties, including Athens silver medallist Amelie Mauresmo and fellow Frenchwoman Mary Pierce. Meanwhile, Vera Zvonareva will replace Sharapova in the Russian team for Beijing, spokesman Vladimir Kamelzon has confirmed.

NEW: Bill passes by 236-189 vote . Democrats' plan would expand offshore drilling, but Republicans not satisfied . Some Republicans fought proposal, saying too many areas still would be banned . Republican representative: "This is not 'yes' to drilling. This is 'yes, but' "

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The House of Representatives on Tuesday night passed an energy bill clearing the way for more oil drilling off U.S. coasts, but not nearly as much as Republican leaders wanted. The bill was passed by a vote of 236-189. Many Republicans opposed the bill because it would allow new oil drilling only between 50 and 100 miles offshore. Republicans generally want to allow new drilling starting 3 miles from shore. Republicans also objected to provisions repealing tax cuts for the oil industry and what they said was a lack of incentive for states to allow drilling on their land. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, told reporters Tuesday: "The American taxpayers have been ripped off for years on offshore drilling. This bill changes that." Before the vote, Pelosi said the bill presented a choice between "the status quo, which is preferred by Big Oil," and "change for the future to take our country in a new direction." Fifteen Republicans voted for the largely Democrat-backed bill. Thirteen Democrats voted against it. The Senate, meanwhile, could vote on various energy proposals, including more offshore drilling, as early as this week. The House bill would require states to give their permission for drilling on their land. It also would offer incentives for renewable energy, require the government to release oil from its emergency reserve, and force oil companies to drill on federal lands they already lease from the government. Democratic leaders had previously opposed Republican-led efforts to repeal a 1981 law barring most offshore drilling. But they changed course over the August recess, saying their new plans would allow some expanded drilling. See where U.S. offshore drilling is banned » . But Republicans say the House bill wouldn't expand offshore drilling enough. Before the vote, Rep. Mike Pence, an Indiana Republican, called the bill "a charade," denying it would do what its backers claim. "This is not 'yes' to drilling. This is 'yes, but,' " he said. "This is 'yes, but no drilling in Alaska, no drilling in the Eastern Gulf, no drilling inside 50 miles,' " Pence said. "This is 'yes, but no litigation reform that will prevent radical environmental attorneys from tying up leases even before a single shovel of dirt is turned.' " Democrats and Republicans traded harsh words on the House floor Tuesday in the debate over the bill. Rep. Anthony Weiner, a New York Democrat, said President Bush's "idea of an energy policy is holding hands with the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, embracing him with a big smooch." When the Republicans "controlled Congress, [they] passed their own energy bill, signed into law by the president. We got into this mess," Weiner said. But Rep. Jeb Hensarling, a Texas Republican, shot back that the Democrats' bill is a "sham" and a "fraud." "This is a bill designed to ensure Democrats' re-election, not designed to ensure affordable energy in America," Hensarling said. Hensarling also complained about how the bill was brought to the floor: "No amendments, no substitutes, no committee hearings. Is this democracy? No."

Athletes met age requirements, international commission concludes . Some writers, others suspected girls were younger than rules allowed . Chinese team won gold medal in Summer Olympics at Beijing . Passports, identity cards, household records examined .

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BEIJING, China (CNN) -- The Chinese women's gymnastics team did not use underage competitors during this year's Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, the International Gymnastics Federation said Wednesday. Widespread reports claimed that gold medal winner He Kexin was only 14 years old. The federation said it has concluded its inquiry into the matter after it confirmed the gymnasts' ages through official documents that the Chinese Gymnasts Association provided. The documents included passports, identity cards and household registers. However, the organization intends to further investigate the ages of two gymnasts, Dong Fangxiao and Yang Yun, who participated in the 2000 summer games in Sydney, Australia. The federation said it did not consider the explanations and evidence that Chinese authorities provided in regard to those athletes as satisfactory. The International Olympic Committee had asked gymnastics officials to clarify the situation after numerous commentators, bloggers and others questioned whether about half the members of China's team were old enough to compete. Watch tiny gymnasts work out » . Athletes must be at least 16 in the year the games take place. In women's gymnastics, younger girls can have an advantage over older competitors on account of their often smaller, lighter and more agile bodies. The Chinese women's gymnastics team won a gold medal in a team competition at the Beijing games, and five members won individual medals. One of the challenges came from a blogger known as "Stryde Hax." The blogger claimed to have uncovered proof that Chinese gymnast He Kexin is only 14. In Internet searches, "Stryde Hax" allegedly uncovered Web pages showing lists complied by China's General Administration of Sport that show a 1994 date of birth for He. CNN was not been able to independently verify the information, but snapshots of the Web pages appeared to back up the claim. Other bloggers joined the search and reported similar results. The New York Times conducted its own investigation, producing similar results that seem to implicate He and two other members of the team. The Times uncovered a 2006 biography on He that lists her birthday as January 1, 1994. The International Gymnastics Federation, however, has said that those gymnasts were eligible and that the ages on their passports were correct. Chinese gymnastics coaches also defended their team. "Asians have different figures than people from the West, so that's what caused their suspicion," said Huang Yubin, head coach of the men's and women's teams, referring to media inquiries. "They shouldn't be suspicious."

Portuguese police case file reveal more leads in Madeleine McCann disappearance . Email from British police suggests Madeleine taken by pedophile ring . Ring followed three-year-old girl before snatching her, reports claim .

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(CNN) -- British police were told in March this year that missing girl Madeleine McCann may have been kidnapped by a pedophile ring which followed her three days before her abduction, according to reports. Madeleine McCann went missing in May 2007 after being left at a holiday apartment in the Algarve region. Britain's Daily Telegraph and The Sun newspapers both reported Thursday that an email released this week as part of the documents compiled by the Portuguese investigators probing Madeleine's disappearance revealed the connection to the ring. Madeleine was 3 when she disappeared May 3, 2007, while she was on holiday with her family at the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz. Her disappearance prompted headlines worldwide. According to the newspapers, the email was sent on March 4 by a London-based Metropolitan Police intelligence officer to Leicestershire police -- Madeleine's home county -- who then forwarded it on to investigators in Portugal more than a month later. In the email, which both newspapers printed a copy of, the officer writes that "intelligence suggests that a pedophile ring in Belgium made an order for a young girl three days before Madeleine McCann was taken. "Somebody connected to this group saw Maddie, took a photograph of her and sent it to Belgium. The purchaser agreed the girl was suitable and Maddie was taken," the officer wrote. The Daily Telegraph reported the Portuguese police then asked Interpol to investigate. However, nothing appears to have come of the lead. Watch how Madeleine McCann may have been abducted to order » . Belgium has already featured in the case, with a reported sighting on the Dutch/Belgian border last August already discounted. The case files, released by the Portuguese investigators this week after they shelved the investigation for lack of evidence last month, have provided a raft of leads for the media to report. On Tuesday, the documents revealed a previously undisclosed sighting of Madeleine in the Netherlands shortly after her disappearance. The possible sighting of Madeleine in May 2007 stemmed from a report by a Dutch shopkeeper, who told authorities she encountered a little girl in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. She said the child identified herself as Maddie and said she was taken from her mother while on holiday. "I start to ask where her mommy was," Anna Stam said. "She couldn't tell me that. I wanted to give her a balloon, but she didn't want that. She only wants her mommy, she said. And she said that these people took her from her mommy." At one point, authorities had named the girl's parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, as "arguidos," or suspects, along with a British man living in Portugal, Robert Murat. But a spokesman for the Portuguese public prosecutor's office said authorities found no evidence of involvement by any of the three and were no longer considering them "arguidos." After closing the case, police turned their case file -- containing up to 30,000 pages -- over to attorneys and private investigators working for the McCanns. The McCanns have vowed to keep searching for their daughter. .

Russian bombers will use airfield for training over neutral waters, Interfax reports . Russian Defense Ministry spokesman: NATO fighters followed bombers . Venezuelan president had said he'd welcome Russian air force, Novosti reports .

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(CNN) -- Two Russian bombers have landed at a Venezuelan airfield, from which they will carry out training flights for several days, the Russian Defense Ministry said Wednesday. Russia's Tupolev TU-160, pictured here in 2003, is a long-range strategic bomber. The Tupolev Tu-160 strategic bombers landed at Venezuela's Libertador military airfield and "will spend several days carrying out training flights over neutral waters, after which they will return to the base," Interfax reported, citing the Russian Defense Ministry. Col. Alexander Drobyshevsky, a ministry spokesman, told Interfax that NATO fighters followed the bombers on their 13-hour flight over the Arctic Ocean and the Atlantic. "All flights by air force aircraft have been and are marked by strict conformity to the international rules on the use of air space over neutral waters," Drobyshevsky told Interfax. The U.S. will monitor the Russian training, said Pentagon officials who asked not to be identified because they were not authorized to speak on the information. On Monday, Russia announced it might hold joint naval maneuvers with Venezuela in the Caribbean. The declaration came in the wake of increased tension between Russia and the United States over Russia's invasion last month of the former Soviet republic of Georgia, a U.S. ally that aspires to join NATO. Russia on Monday denied any link between that announcement and the conflict in Georgia, although Russia has criticized U.S. support for Georgia, and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has long antagonized Washington. Earlier this month, Chavez said Venezuela would welcome the Russian air force, according to Russian news agency Novosti. "If Russian long-range bombers should need to land in Venezuela, we would not object to that either. We will also welcome them," Chavez said on September 1, according to Novosti. CNN's Mike Mount contributed to this story .

Author J.K. Rowling pens Harry Potter prequel for charity auction . Autographed 800-word piece will raise money for dyslexia charity . Previous autographed Rowling pieces have raised millions of dollars .

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling is writing a prequel to her best-selling series to be auctioned for charity -- but at just 800 words, it may lack some of the magic fans of the boy wizard might be hoping for. Autographed copies of J.K. Rowling's work have fetched millions of dollars at auction. Rowling's hand-written prequel, signed by the author, will be auctioned alongside works by other famous writers to raise cash for a dyslexia charity. Despite the brevity of the piece, experts believe it could fetch big money, since other autographed works by the blockbuster author have sold for millions of dollars. "We never dreamed that J.K. Rowling would donate something so precious, and we're incredibly grateful," said Gerry Johnson, managing director of Waterstone's, the UK book chain organizing the auction. "I can't begin to guess how much it will raise at auction." A previous 93-word storycard from Rowling, which referred to the book "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," sold in 2002 for $53,000. Rowling later produced seven hand-written copies of a new work, "The Tales of Beedle the Bard," one of which sold for $3.9 million in 2007. "Given the enormous interest we have seen in recent times for autograph work by J.K. Rowling, the prospects for her storycard are good to say the least," said Philip Errington, a specialist at Sotheby's auction house, which is helping to organize the sale. The card on which the story is written -- measuring 14.6 by 20.9 centimeters (5.75 by 8.25 inches) -- is signed "JK Rowling 2008." The author signs off with the message: "From the prequel I am not working on -- but that was fun!" Alongside Rowling, 13 other authors invited to contribute to the June 10 auction include Margaret Atwood, Sebastian Faulks, Nick Hornby, and Tom Stoppard. A book featuring all 13 cards will go on sale in August. All profits from the book will benefit Dyslexia Action and English PEN, a writers' association, Waterstone's said.

Actress Liv Tyler says "Hulk" role came unexpectedly . Tyler plays Betty Ross in new film version of Marvel superhero . Tyler says she was huge fan of TV show with Bill Bixby .

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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Liv Tyler doesn't like to be bothered by her agents at night. But it's a good thing she took their call pitching her "The Incredible Hulk." Liv Tyler plays Betty Ross, a colleague of Edward Norton's Bruce Banner, in "The Incredible Hulk." "My agent called me one night ... I had just put [son] Milo to bed. It was like 9 o'clock at night, and I always get grumpy with them when they call me really late," she told CNN. "They said, 'Marvel would like to fly you to Los Angeles tomorrow. Will you get on a plane to come and meet for 'The Hulk'? And I said I can't come tomorrow, but I can come the next day." The flight turned out to be well worth it -- though Tyler said she was discombobulated by the speed of it all. "I went and met with [director] Louis [Leterrier] and they offered me the part that day," she said. "I was kind of floored because it just happened so quickly and I didn't get to read the script. ... [But] it was kind of a no-brainer." In the new "Hulk," "The Lord of the Rings" actress plays Betty Ross, a former colleague of scientist and Hulk alter ego Bruce Banner (Edward Norton). She said working on the film brought back memories of her childhood watching the TV show starring Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno. (Ferrigno has a cameo in the new film.) "I loved the TV show when I was a kid," she said. "I used to watch it all the time with my mom. It was our favorite show." Tyler, 30, said that she felt a tremendous sense of responsibility to the "Hulk" mythology, particularly since a 2003 film on the character met with mixed reviews. Watch Tyler, Norton and Leterrier on the latest "Hulk" » . "Well, a lot of people would say -- even I said -- 'Oh, they're making "The Hulk"?' Didn't they do that already?" she said. But she added, "The fans love this so much ... and there's so much detail to the story, I always feel quite stressed about that, like I really want to do the part justice. ... I definitely feel that responsibility and want to do the best job that I can." CNN's KJ Matthews contributed to this report.

Mother of missing 3-year-old Caylee Anthony charged with theft . Arrest is her second relating to alleged theft from friend . Authorities: Casey Anthony waited nearly a month before she reported girl missing . Casey Anthony is "person of interest" in disappearance, authorities say .

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(CNN) -- The mother of a missing toddler on Monday was arrested in connection with an alleged theft from one of her friends, Florida authorities said. Monday's arrest of Casey Anthony, mother of missing 3-year-old Caylee Anthony, was her second relating to the theft case and her third since the child disappeared three months ago. The latest charges -- passing a forged check, fraudulent use of personal identification and petty theft, according to an arrest affidavit released by the Orange County Sheriff's Office -- related to a theft from Casey Anthony's friend Amy Huizenga, authorities said. Anthony and her missing daughter have garnered national headlines and served as fodder for nightly crime shows, which show pictures of the wide-eyed toddler during their coverage. Watch Nancy Grace with the latest on the arrest » . Caylee disappeared in mid-June, and her mother waited nearly a month before reporting the disappearance, authorities said. Since then, evidence has mounted that Caylee is dead, authorities said. Anthony was first arrested on July 16 after she told detectives lies about her daughter's disappearance, according to police. She was charged with child neglect, making false official statements and obstructing a criminal investigation. While out on bail, Anthony on August 29 was arrested on suspicion of forgery, fraudulent use of personal information and petty theft related to the Huizenga case. She remained in jail until early September, when her $500,000 bail was posted anonymously. Police have labeled Anthony a "person of interest" in the case of her missing daughter. Anthony initially said she didn't immediately report her daughter missing because she was conducting her own investigation. Later, she told police she gave Caylee to a baby sitter. But investigators said they soon learned that the address she gave them was an apartment that hadn't been occupied for months.

NEW: California Public Utilities Commission passed ban Thursday . Phone records show engineer texting during work hours on day of crash . Engineer Robert Sanchez was among 25 people killed in Friday's crash . Investigators determined the brakes on train he was driving were not applied .

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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- The California Public Utilities Commission banned texting on the job Thursday after it was shown that a Metrolink train engineer involved in last week's deadly collision near Los Angeles sent text messages from his cell phone. It was unclear what 46-year-old Robert Sanchez was doing at the time of the crash Friday. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating claims that he was sending text messages when his commuter train slammed into a Union Pacific freight train in Chatsworth. Twenty-five people were killed, including Sanchez, and at least 130 were injured. Investigators subpoenaed the phone records of the engineer and determined that he "had sent and received text messages on the day of the accident, including some while he was on duty," according to an NTSB statement Wednesday. Investigators were trying to determine at what time the messages were sent. The commission's emergency order passed unanimously Thursday. In pushing for the ban, Commission President Michael Peevey said that cell phone use by engineers "may have been a factor" in train accidents this year in San Francisco and Sacramento, California. He did not elaborate on details of those incidents. Thursday's order is temporary until the state commission decides whether to make it permanent. Metrolink prohibits cell phone use by engineers on the job, but Peevey emphasized that there is no federal or California regulation barring cell phone use by engineers while trains are moving. The NTSB had determined that the brakes on the Metrolink train were not applied before the collision and that stop signals at the scene were working properly, said Kitty Higgins, an NTSB member assigned to the investigation. Metrolink has said its train, carrying about 220 passengers, failed to stop for a red signal. Watch expert tell what it's like to drive a train » . Twenty-four bodies were found at the scene after the head-on collision during rush hour Friday in the northwest Los Angeles suburb. A 25th victim, a man in his 50s, died at a hospital. More than 130 people were injured. The agency has said it also has been in contact with the two teenagers who told a local television station they were exchanging text messages with the engineer just before the crash occurred. Higgins said investigators have interviewed the Metrolink train conductor, who had worked with Sanchez since April. The conductor "had no issues of his time working with the engineer and on how the engineer operated the train," she said. Watch as callers to 911 describe the crash » . The engineer took a two-hour nap during his midday break on the day of the collision, the conductor told investigators. Sanchez was a subcontractor who worked for another company.

Ward Churchill said 9/11 attacks were justified reaction to U.S. Mideast policies . University of Colorado says 9/11 essay not reason he was fired . Dismissal due to plagiarism, falsification in other papers, university says .

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(CNN) -- A professor who compared some victims of the al Qaeda attack on the World Trade Center to Nazis was fired Tuesday by the University of Colorado's Board of Regents. Professor Ward Churchill wrote that some 9/11 victims were "little Eichmanns." Ward Churchill raised hackles with a 2002 essay that argued the September 11, 2001, attacks were a justified reaction to U.S. policies in the Middle East, and said the hijackers who killed nearly 3,000 people in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania had "the courage of their convictions." But the regents said Churchill's firing was unrelated to the essay, which went largely unnoticed for three years. Instead, it cited "deliberate and repeated research misconduct." A university investigation had found cases of plagiarism and falsification in previous papers by Churchill -- allegations that surfaced after his essay became widely known. "The Board of Regents affirms that its decisions in this matter have been made solely on the basis of the allegations of research misconduct against Professor Churchill and have not been influenced or motivated by extrinsic considerations, Professor Churchill's political and social views or a desire to punish Professor Churchill for expression of his political or social views," the university announced. CU interim Chancellor Phil DiStefano recommended Churchill's dismissal in June 2006 after a university committee completed its investigation. Churchill's essay drew little notice until a 1,800-student college in upstate New York invited him to take part in a 2005 forum on prisons and Native American rights. The invitation was rescinded after criticism from then-New York Gov. George Pataki, then-Colorado Gov. Bill Owens and hundreds of relatives of those killed in the attacks created a media firestorm. The piece had called some of those who died in the World Trade Center "little Eichmanns" -- a reference to Adolf Eichmann, the Gestapo officer who was one of the chief architects of the Holocaust -- arguing they were "a technocratic corps at the very heart of America's global financial empire." Churchill, who had tenure, stepped down from his post as head of CU's ethnic studies department amid the flap but remained on staff. He had no immediate reaction to Tuesday's decision. E-mail to a friend .

German owners of DHL announce 9,500 job cuts . Owner Deutsche Post says U.S. air and ground operations to wind up . Officials in Ohio had hoped to prevent job losses .

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(CNN) -- German logistics giant Deutsche Post said Monday it was cutting 9,500 jobs as part of a major program to restructure its loss-making DHL delivery service in the United States. DHL's restructuring is expected to result in heavy job losses. Deutsche Post said it would discontinue its U.S. ground and air delivery operations based out of Wilmington, Ohio, following an outsourcing agreement with UPS. DHL Express will continue to operate between the United States and other nations, the company said in a statement. DHL's 9,500 job cuts are on top of 5,400 job cuts announced earlier this year. The statement said DHL was shutting down all ground hubs and reducing its number of stations to 103 from 412. The company said it was making the cuts to improve profitability and "to prepare the company for the economic challenges ahead." DHL Express is owned by the German company Deutsche Post World Net. Officials in Ohio had been hoping to prevent layoffs. State senator Sherrod Brown sent a letter Sunday to DHL Express Chief Executive Officer John Mullen and urged employment officials in Washington for emergency funds to assist workers and communities affected. In May, Deutsche Post announced plans to outsource air services with UPS. Brown says the plan would mean shutting down DHL's hub in Wilmington and cutting at least 8,000 jobs. Brown testified at two congressional hearing this year that centered on the proposal. Prior to the announcement, Wilmington Mayor David Razik said he was preparing for the worst. "Given the state of the economy and the world wide economic collapse we know it can't be good news," he told CNN Sunday night. "Freight is down significantly, DHL is losing customers, they have laid off sales personnel in other locations. We really think it's certainly not going to be good for Wilmington."

NEW: Airline CEO says situation being monitored, doesn't comment on flights . Al-Shaabab militants threaten flights with statement, graphic on Web . African Union forces spokesman says he's not received official warning . Al-Shaabab group is seeking to oust Ethiopian forces from Somalia .

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(CNN) -- Islamist fighters battling for control of Somalia have threatened to close Mogadishu's only airport, warning all airlines to stop flights into the Somali capital by early Tuesday. African Union peacekeepers keep guard recently at the international airport in Mogadishu, Somalia's capital. "Any plane which uses or lands at the airport, we will consider it a military plane and we will not be held responsible for what happens to it," the Al-Shaabab militia said in a Web posting. The statement said the airport would be closed at 1 a.m. Tuesday (6 p.m. ET Wednesday). The statement was posted on www.kataaib.net, a Web site frequently used by Al-Shaabab. A graphic posted along with the statement shows a plane about to land at Mogadishu's international airport. As the plane approaches, a man with a shoulder-fired missile appears and a red-circle target is placed over the plane. The Somali word for "Warning!" flashes at the same time. Nairobi, Kenya-based Daallo Airlines, which operates flights four times a week into Mogadishu, is "monitoring the situation," the company's chief executive officer told CNN. "We haven't received any warning directly," Howard Leedham said. He said he was made aware of Al-Shaabab's warning through the local media, and would not say if any of the four weekly flights would be canceled or rescheduled as a result. "All I can say is we're monitoring the situation very closely," Leedham said. "We have employees down there, and so we're monitoring the situation." Maj. Barigye Ba-Hoku, a spokesman for African Union forces in Somalia -- many of whom are based at Mogadishu's airport -- said he has not received an official warning from Al-Shaabab about the airport's closure, but "we take the warning seriously." "We have taken precautionary measures, but that's all we can do," Ba-Hoku told CNN. Al-Shaabab is an Islamic militia that has launched a bloody battle to seize control of Somalia and oust Ethiopian forces, which are helping Somali government forces try to rout the Islamic fighters. It is a splinter group of the Islamic Courts Union, which pushed out Somalia's transitional government in 2006. The ICU was deposed in December of that year following Ethiopia's military intervention. In its statement, Al-Shaabab said it has been forced to shut down the airport because it is being used by a variety of "infidel forces," including Ethiopia, Burundi, and Uganda. Burundi and Ugandan forces make up the bulk of the AU mission in Somalia. Al-Shaabab also said U.S. and Israeli security officials "regularly" land at the airport. "So based on all these issues, we -- Al-Shaabab fighters -- are notifying all business people in Mogadishu, particularly to those of the airlines, that the airport is officially closed from the date on 16th September," it said. Journalist Mohamed Amiin Adow contributed to this report.

NEW: Congress enacts most of farm bill over Bush's objections . NEW: Portions of bill sent to the president are now law, Pelosi says . Section of farm bill left out in version sent to President Bush . Bush vetoed bill because he says it's too generous to wealthy farmers .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Congress enacted a $300 billion farm bill Thursday over President Bush's objections, but questions remain about whether a clerical error will keep the bill from going into effect. Congress voted to override President Bush's veto of a $300 billion farm bill. The Senate voted 82-13 to override the president's veto of the bill Thursday, a day after the House voted 316-108 to override the veto. Both override votes exceeded the two-thirds majority required by the Constitution. A portion of the bill, however, remains in legal limbo. Before the House override vote Wednesday night, lawmakers discovered that the version sent to the White House last week was missing a part. The discovery raises questions about whether that section of the bill, which dealt with authorized trade and food aid, would become law. The discovery of the missing section, "Title III," prompted concerns from House Republicans that the override vote was improper. Democrats said the matter stemmed from a clerical error. But Republicans pounced on the "fiasco," which they said would require a temporary extension of the current farm bill. "What's happened here raises serious constitutional questions -- very serious," said Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio. "I don't see how we can proceed with the override as it occurred." However, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday that the override votes in both chambers of Congress would allow the sections of the bill that were sent to the president to become law. "So, the farm bill minus Title III would be enacted" after the override votes, Pelosi said. "But I'm optimistic that we will be able to get Title III as well, either on its own or by sending the full bill again." "Obviously, we want the complete bill. But ... we have obviously consulted with those who are expert on the Constitution and congressional action and presidential signatures, vetoes and overrides." In order to start the process of Title III to become law, the House passed the entire farm bill again Thursday by a vote of 306-110. It is unclear what the Senate will do. It could pass the entire bill again, as the House did, or it could pass the portion not sent to the president as a free-standing bill. Two-thirds of the $300 billion in spending for the farm bill would go for nutrition programs such as food stamps. Another $40 billion would go toward farm subsidies, and $30 billion is allocated for payments to farms to keep land idle and other environmental programs. After vetoing the farm bill, Bush said it "continues subsidies for the wealthy and increases farm-bill spending by more than $20 billion, while using budget gimmicks to hide much of the increase." The president said it would hurt efforts to improve American farmers' access to overseas markets. Congress has passed one bill over Bush's objections: a $23 billion water-project legislation that the president vetoed in 2007. CNN's Deirdre Walsh and Ted Barrett contributed to this report.

Diplomat was kidnapped and his bodyguard killed in Peshawar, northwest Pakistan . Authorities believe he was kidnapped while traveling from his home to consulate . On Wednesday, gunmen shot and killed an American aid worker in Peshawar .

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ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Iran has condemned the kidnapping of one of its diplomats in northwest Pakistan on Thursday, calling it an "act of terrorism," an Iranian foreign ministry spokesman said. Pakistani policemen inspect a bullet-riddled car of a kidnapped Iranian diplomat on Thursday. "Pakistan should do its best to protect foreign diplomats and their residential places," the spokesman Hassan Qashqavi said, according to Iran's state-run IRNA news agency. At least four gunmen abducted Heshmatollah Attarzadeh near his home in Peshawar as he headed to work at the Iranian consulate, according to Pakistani police and Iranian diplomatic officials. His bodyguard, a Pakistani police officer, was shot and killed when the two men tried to resist, a Peshawar police official said. Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi also "strongly condemned" the attack, and informed Iran that the government "will take all necessary measures for his safe and early recovery." Attarzadeh is a commercial attache for the Iranian consulate in Peshawar. It is the second attack targeting a foreign worker in Peshawar in two days. An American aid worker was shot and killed outside the Iranian consulate in Peshawar on Wednesday. Stephen Vance worked for a non-profit foundation funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development that helped find jobs for people in Pakistan's tribal regions, according to a statement from his employer, the Cooperative Housing Foundation International. "Stephen had fully immersed himself in the community in which he worked," the statement said. "He dressed traditionally and even sent his children to local schools." Vance, 52, a native of California, is survived by his wife and five children -- all of whom lived with him in Peshawar -- CHF International official Bill Holbrook told CNN. The attacks come less than three months after gunmen opened fire on a vehicle carrying the senior U.S. diplomat in Peshawar, Lynne Tracy. She escaped unharmed. Peshawar is the capital of Pakistan's North West Frontier Province, an area rife with Islamic extremists and the site of recent clashes between security forces and militants. In late June, Pakistan's military launched an offensive in the province -- the biggest push against extremists in the tribal region since the civilian government took power in March. Islamic militants vowed to retaliate. Since then, militants have launched several deadly attacks. Pakistan's new government has tried to negotiate a deal with militants as part of its efforts to bypass military might and achieve peace through talks.

U.S. Muslim leaders respond to comments reportedly made by al Qaeda official . Official said President-elect Barack Obama fit Malcolm X's definition of "house Negro" Official also denigrated Secretaries of State Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice .

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NEW YORK (CNN) -- Spiritual leaders of New York's African-American Muslim communities lashed out Friday at a purported al Qaeda message attacking President-elect Barack Obama and, using racist language, comparing him unfavorably to the late Malcolm X. Ayman al-Zawahiri said Obama was the "direct opposite of honorable black Americans" like Malcolm X. The imams called the recorded comments from al Qaeda second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahiri "an insult" from people who have "historically been disconnected from the African-American community generally and Muslim African-Americans in particular." "We find it insulting when anyone speaks for our community instead of giving us the dignity and the honor of speaking for ourselves," they said in a statement read during a news conference at the Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial, Educational and Cultural Center. The al Qaeda statement, an 11-minute, 23-second audio message in Arabic with subtitles in English, appeared on the Internet on Wednesday. Its authenticity has not been confirmed. The message said Obama represents the "direct opposite of honorable black Americans" like Malcolm X. Watch al Qaeda official criticize Obama » . The speaker also said Obama, former and current Secretaries of State Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice and "your likes" fit Malcolm X's description of "house slaves." An English translation of the message used the term "house Negroes," Malcolm X's term for blacks who were subservient to whites. The term refers to slaves who worked in white masters' houses. Malcolm X said those slaves were docile compared with those who labored in the fields. iReport.com: Should Obama react to comments? Malcolm X, the fiery African-American Muslim activist from the 1950s and 1960s, was an early member and leader of the Nation of Islam. He left that group in 1963 over disillusionment with its then-leader, Elijah Muhammed, but remained a Muslim. After months of death threats, he was assassinated in 1965 by members of the Nation of Islam, who shot him 16 times at close range. The three men who were convicted of the crime have been paroled. On Friday, Imam Al-Hajj Talib 'Abdur-Rashid, recalling Malcolm X's legacy, said that he "stood for human rights and the principle of self defense ... international law. He would have rejected, and we who are Muslim African-Americans leaders reject, acts of political extremism." The Council on American-Islamic Relations also condemned Zawahiri's comments in a statement issued Thursday. "As Muslims and as Americans, we will never let terrorist groups or terror leaders falsely claim to represent us or our faith," the statement said. "We once again repudiate al Qaeda's actions, rhetoric and world view and re-state our condemnation of all forms of terrorism and religious extremism."

Man pleads not guilty to charges of felonious assault . Police: Youths admitted defacing McCain sign several times . It is the only McCain sign on a street full of Obama signs, police say . Teenagers probably will not be charged; one was shot in arm .

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(CNN) -- A Warren Township, Ohio, man faces charges of felonious assault after authorities say he fired his rifle at two teens who were attempting to deface his McCain presidential campaign yard sign. Police say the man's sign is the only McCain sign on a street full of Obama signs. Kenneth Rowles, 50, pleaded not guilty to the charge Monday, according to CNN affiliate WBNS. Bail was set at $10,000. Rowles told police he was sitting on his porch Saturday when a tan SUV pulled up and a black youth jumped out and ran toward his house, screaming, "This is for Obama." He said another male was hanging out of the passenger window screaming the same thing. Rowles said he went inside, got his rifle and fired three shots to scare the youths away, according to a Warren Township police report. He told officers he believes that the men "were the same two that have been destroying his McCain sign." Just hours before the shooting, Rowles called police and said that a car had stopped in front of his house and that a black male "ran up and said something about Obama," according to the report, and "damaged his sign again." One of the youths, 17-year-old Kyree Flowers, was shot in the arm, according to a police report. He and the second youth, Patrick Wise Jr., 16, told police they were in the car attempting to leave when Rowles fired at them. "Kyree stated that he witnessed the homeowner trying to shoot Patrick but he was having trouble chambering a round," the police report said. The teens admitted that they had defaced the McCain sign several times, Warren Township police Lt. Don Bishop told CNN. Rowles' is the only McCain sign on a street full of Obama signs, he said. Bishop said the teenagers probably will not be charged -- and are unlikely to damage campaign signs again, as the incident scared them. Warren Township is in Trumbull County not far from Cleveland, Ohio.

Japanese company recalls 5 products after finding they contained melamine . Chemical blamed for deaths of four children in China, thousands sickened . Food safety authorities around the globe pull candies from shelves . EU announces a ban on imports of baby food containing Chinese milk .

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TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- A Japanese food corporation has recalled five products after determining they contained the chemical melamine that has been blamed for the deaths of four children and sickening thousands of others. Officials stresses though that there were no reports of anyone becoming ill from consuming the sweets, which were made with ingredients imported from China, according to a representative of Tokyo's Marudai Food. The recall was issued several days ago. Tests found a ratio of 37 milligrams of melamine per kilogram of the products, the company said Friday. Japan is the latest country to report products tainted with melamine after thousands of Chinese children fell ill. The illnesses were traced to infant formula to which the toxic chemical had been added in Chinese dairy plants. Nearly 53,000 children in China have been sickened by the formula or other products containing melamine. Four babies have died, and five Hong Kong children have suffered melamine-related illnesses. Dozens of countries have banned or recalled Chinese milk products. Watch how the scandal has spread beyond milk » . Hong Kong officials said Friday that a type of Heinz cereal and wasabi crackers were recalled after they were found to contain excessive melamine. Test results for another 40 samples of baby food are pending, said Hong Kong's Centre for Food Safety. Earlier Friday, the maker of a widely distributed Chinese candy linked to the melamine scandal said it would stop selling the confection in China. The manufacturer, Guanshengyan, had already recalled exports of White Rabbit Creamy Candies, and food-safety authorities worldwide have pulled them from shelves. On Thursday, the European Union joined authorities worldwide in banning the import of Chinese milk products for children. Chinese authorities have arrested 18 people in a nationwide investigation. They include two brothers who face charges of selling contaminated milk; the brothers could face death if convicted, according to China Daily, a state-run newspaper. Watch Chinese government reaction » . The raw milk used to produce powdered baby formula had been watered down, and the chemical melamine was added so it would pass quality checks, the newspaper said. Adding melamine makes a product seem to have a higher protein level. Melamine is commonly used in coatings and laminates, wood adhesives, fabric coatings, ceiling tiles and flame retardants. It is the same industrial contaminant that was found last year in pet food produced in China that poisoned and killed thousands of U.S. dogs and cats. Watch the fallout from the scandal » . Health experts say ingesting melamine can lead to kidney stones, urinary tract ulcers, and eye and skin irritation. It also robs infants of much-needed nutrition.

NEW: A fourth and final suspect has turned himself in, police say . Student government, religious groups plan prayer vigils for students . Two students killed, one wounded Sunday night, officials say . Shooting prompted lockdown at University of Central Arkansas in Conway .

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(CNN) -- The fourth and final suspect in the fatal shooting of two Arkansas university students turned himself in Monday, University of Central Arkansas police said. The first suspect was apprehended while driving about three minutes after the Sunday night shooting. The others were detained later, said Lt. Preston Grumbles. The suspects were identified as Kawin Brockton, 19; Kelsey Perry, 19; Mario Toney, 20 and Brandon Wade, 20. Police released little details on the suspects other than the fact that they were not university students. "It does not seem at this time that it was a random act," he said, but police are "unsure of the precise motive." He said there was "no indication" the shooting was gang-related. University police released the names of the victims Monday. Ryan Henderson, 18, of Little Rock, Arkansas, and Chavares Block, 19, of Dermott, Arkansas, were killed. Block was a sophomore pre-engineering major. Henderson was a freshman who had not yet declared a major. The university's student government will hold a candlelight vigil in memory of the students at 5 p.m. (6 p.m. ET) Monday. Religious organizations on campus will host a prayer vigil Tuesday. A third victim, Martrevis Norman, was treated at a hospital and released. He is not a student at the university, said Lt. Rhonda Swindle of UCA campus police. A hospital representative earlier told CNN that the survivor was shot in the leg. "This is something you pray never happens," interim university president Tom Courtway said, visibly upset. "But it happened." The shooting, which happened outside a dorm, prompted a campus lockdown and the cancellation of Monday classes. Courtway said classes will resume Tuesday. Watch police describe the shooting » . The shots were fired near Arkansas Hall and the Snow Fine Arts Center at 9:22 p.m., Swindle said. Freshman Sam Hausen, who was about 50 feet (15 meters) away from the shooters when the gunfire began, said, "I heard about five or 10 shots and, at first, I thought it was just firecrackers, because everybody always clowns around out there, but I just realized that it wasn't firecrackers." As he began running away, he saw one of the wounded students hit the ground and another stumble into the dorm, he said. "I saw a couple cars speed off," Hausen said. "I don't know if they were the shooters or not." Student Lauren Knight, who was walking to the library when the shooting started, said students scurried for safety. When the campus lockdown was ordered, Knight was stuck with other students for several hours inside the library, she said. The university serves about 12,500 full-time students in Conway.