• Tools:
• Save |
• Print |
• E-mail |
• Most Popular |

Tuesday, September 26

Adjust font size:

Editor's Note: The CNN Wire is a running log of the latest news from CNN World Headquarters, reported by CNN's correspondents and producers, and The CNN Wire editors. "Posted" times are Eastern Daylight.

Anna Nicole Smith's attorney says he is father of her baby

(CNN) -- An attorney representing former Playmate and stripper Anna Nicole Smith told CNN Tuesday he is the father of her baby girl, born earlier this month in the Bahamas, and that he plans to marry Smith.

"Anna and I have been in a relationship and we love each other, and it's been going on for a very long time, and because of my relationship as her lawyer, we felt that it was best to keep everything hidden, and we've actually done a pretty good job of that," Howard K. Stern told CNN's "Larry King Live."

Asked if he was the baby's father, Stern said, "Yes, sir. Proud father ... Based on when the timing of when the baby was born, there really is no doubt in either of our minds." (Posted 10 p.m.)

Professor alleges Allen used racial slur

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (CNN) -- A college professor elaborated Tuesday on his allegation that Sen. George Allen of Virginia used a racial slur in his presence about a quarter century ago.

Chris C. Taylor, chairman of the department of anthropology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, told CNN that he was a graduate student at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville in 1981 or 1982 when he and Allen's then-wife, Anne, worked together as photographic models for a local shopping center advertisement. (Posted 9:18 p.m.)

Chase notifies 2.6 million customers about lost data

NEW YORK (CNN) -- After a nearly two month investigation, Chase Card Services has begun notifying more than 2 million customers that tapes containing their personal data were mistakenly thrown away with the trash, the company told CNN Tuesday.

In early September, Chase began mailing letters to 2.6 million current and former Circuit City credit card account holders that computer tapes containing their personal information had been mistakenly identified as trash and tossed away.

Paul Hartwick, senior vice president of business affairs for the company, said they became aware of the missing data in mid-July after a routine security audit showed the tapes, which were kept in a locked box, were not properly accounted for. (Posted 9:17 p.m.)

White House denies withholding Iraq intelligence report until after election

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The White House Tuesday denied a charge by the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee that a new intelligence estimate focusing on Iraq is being kept in draft form so that its contents won't be publicly known until after the midterm elections in November.

Frances Townsend, the White House homeland security adviser, said the report in question was only commissioned in August and is still months away from being complete.

While intelligence estimates normally take up to a year to finish, Townsend said National Intelligence Director John Negroponte has "agreed to try and have this thing done in four to six months or so, because it requires drafting and coordination throughout the intelligence community."

The planned release date is now January, she said. (Posted 7:38 p.m.)

Intelligence estimate fuels debate of Iraq war's effect on terrorism

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- With midterm elections just six weeks away, the Washington political world was roiled Tuesday by a debate between a White House insisting the war in Iraq is a vital front in the war on terror and Democratic critics insisting the conflict was an epic blunder that's made the terror threat appreciably worse.

Central to the tug-of-war was a classified national intelligence estimate on terrorism, put together by U.S. intelligence agencies in April. Over the weekend, details from the report were leaked to the media, prompting Democrats opposed to President Bush's Iraq policy to charge that even his own intelligence agencies had concluded the war was a mistake.

But Bush counterattacked Tuesday, ordering National Intelligence Director John Negroponte to declassify and release key findings of the estimate to stop "speculation" in the wake of what he charged were politically motivated leaks. (Posted 7:23 p.m.)

Sources: Israeli airstrike kills teenage girl, injures 3

(CNN) -- An Israeli airstrike in Rafah, Gaza, killed a 13-year-old girl and wounded three other people, according to Palestinian hospital sources in the border town.

The Israel Defense Force said the building its aircraft struck was used as cover for a weapons smuggling tunnel. Israeli army officials said that they had given residents a telephone-call "heads up" of the coming attack and dropped leaflets warning of the strike as well. (Posted 7:22 p.m.)

Missing WWI Soldier Honored at Arlington

ARLINGTON, Va. (CNN) -- Under a picture perfect blue sky, Army Pvt. Francis Lupo was finally laid to rest Tuesday at Arlington National Cemetery.

According to the Pentagon, the World War I soldier from Cincinnati, Ohio, had been missing since 1918, when he was participating in the French-American attack on the Germans near Soissons, France.

Lupo, a member of Company E, 18th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, was killed in action, but his remains were never found.

In 2003, a French archaeological team preparing for a construction project found human remains, a boot fragment and a wallet with Lupo's name on it. Military scientist were also able to use DNA to help identify Lupo. (Posted 7:21 p.m.)

Myanmar blasts U.S., others, in General Assembly speech

UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- Myanmar's foreign minister Tuesday accused the United States and other states of ganging up on his country, saying they were seeking to impose their will on developing countries in pursuit of their own political agenda.

In a speech to the U.N. General Assembly, Foreign Minister Nyan Win did not specifically mention the United States but was clearly referring to Washington when he said "powerful states" on the council "had created an "environment of hostility in the "international community."

"To our dismay and frustration, there has been glaring abuse of the mandate entrusted to the Security Council by its member states by unjustly placing the situation of Myanmar on the agenda of the Security Council by alleging that it poses a threat to regional peace and security," Win said. "Nothing could be further from the truth."

The Security Council voted Sept. 15 -- in a U.S. initiative -- to add Myanmar to its formal agenda on the grounds it threatened international peace and security. While 10 of the council's 15 members voted to add it to the agenda, China, Russia, Qatar and the Congo Republic voted "no" and Tanzania abstained. (Posted 6:09 p.m.)

Pakistani president: Iraq war has not made world safer

(CNN) -- The war in Iraq has not made the world safer from terror, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf maintained to CNN Wednesday, saying he stands by statements on the subject he makes in his new book, "In the Line of Fire."

In the book, Musharraf -- a key ally who is often portrayed as being in complete agreement with U.S. President George Bush on the war on terror and other issues -- writes he never supported the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq

"I stand by it, absolutely," Musharraf told CNN's "The Situation Room." Asked whether he disagreed with Bush, he said, "I've stated whatever I had to ... it (the war) has made the world a more dangerous place."

Musharraf said he agreed to cooperate in the war on terror in the interest of Pakistan.

"The first thing that came to my mind was Pakistan, Pakistani interest, Pakistan security," Musharraf said. "So as far as Pakistan interest is concerned, we ourselves are victims of terrorism and we, ourselves, are against al Qaeda or any form of terrorism related to (the) Taliban. ... However, we took into account, certainly, that we are a nuclear state. Destabilizing a nuclear state would certainly cause a lot of upheaval in the world." (Posted 5:59 p.m.)

Intelligence estimate says Iraq 'cause celebre' for Islamic jihadists

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The insurgency in Iraq has become a "cause celebre" for Islamic jihadists, shaping a new generation of terrorist leaders and operatives -- but, if the jihadists are perceived to have failed in Iraq, fewer fighters "will be inspired to carry on the fight," according parts of a national intelligence estimate on terrorism released Tuesday.

The report also concluded that while U.S. counterterrorism efforts have "seriously damaged" al Qaeda, the terrorist network "will continue to pose the greatest threat to the homeland and U.S. interests abroad by a single terrorist organization."

However, if efforts at democratic reforms in Muslim countries progress and they develop more responsive political systems, support for the jihadists could erode, the report concluded.

"The jihadists' greatest vulnerability is that their ultimate political solution -- an ultra-conservative interpretation of shari'a-based governance spanning the Muslim world -- is unpopular with the vast majority of Muslims," the report said. "Exposing the religious and political straitjacket that is implied by the jihadists' propaganda would help to divide them from the audiences they seek to persuade."

Key findings of the intelligence estimate were declassified and released Tuesday on orders from President Bush, after portions were leaked to the media over the weekend. (Posted 5:52 p.m.)

Red Cross visiting 14 high-profile terror suspects at Gitmo

(CNN) -- Members of the International Red Cross plan to meet privately with each of the suspected 14 al Qaeda operatives transferred to the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, earlier this month, and relay messages to their families, an IRC spokesman said Tuesday.

The group arrived at the U.S. naval base over the weekend, and are to stay about two weeks.

"We deliver ourselves the messages to the families in the countries concerned," said Simon Schorno.

He said the IRC visitors aren't concerned about accusations against inmates.

"This is not an interrogation by the International Red Cross," he said. "It's really a way for a detainee to be able to share with outsiders any concerns he might have had about his detention, any claims to possible ill treatment or any expressions about his conditions." (Posted 4:03 p.m.)

71 arrested in capital anti-war protests

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- After a series of Iraq war protests Tuesday, U.S. Capitol Police said they had arrested 71 people.

Demonstrators held sit-ins, prayer services and sing-alongs at four locations in the Capitol complex, including the central atrium of the Senate Hart Office Building. In a throwback to the Vietnam era, protesters strummed guitars, sang peace songs, held flowers and wore hats made out of balloons.

The peaceful effort was coordinated by the National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance -- which has organized dozens of such anti-Iraq-war actions in the District of Columbia and around the country -- and included several religious and secular groups.

The largest number of arrests, 33, were for unlawful conduct inside the Hart Building, said Sgt. Kimberly Schneider of the Capitol Police.

2 accused Colombian drug operators plead guilty

At protests held outside the Hart Building and at two locations near the Capitol itself, 23 people were arrested for crossing a police line and 15 for demonstrating without a permit, she said. All 71 were cooperative with police, she said. --By CNN Radio's Lisa Goddard (Posted 3:48 p.m.)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Two alleged Colombian drug kingpins, a pair of brothers, pleaded guilty Tuesday to a charge of conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States and will plead guilty to money laundering in a deal with the U.S. government, the Justice Department announced.

Gilberto and Miguel Rodriguez-Orejuela, considered the last real leaders of the Cali cartel, appeared in federal court in Miami and were sentenced to 30 years in prison.

"These two men were responsible for importing more than 200 tons of cocaine into this country over the course of many years," Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said at a Justice Department news conference hailing the plea agreements. "While at the height of their power, the intimidation and violence of their cartel held the people of the Colombian countryside hostage to fear."

In court, officials said the two men agreed to hand over $2.1 billion in assets from the profits received for selling cocaine as part of the deal, which officials said was reached after months of negotiations. --From CNN's Kevin Bohn (Posted 2:49 p.m.)

Romania, Bulgaria cleared for EU entry

(CNN) -- The executive body of the European Union recommended Tuesday that Romania and Bulgaria become full EU members on Jan. 1, with conditions that the Balkan nations meet targets for reform, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said.

The recommendation by the European Commission is expected to be approved by EU leaders in October, expanding the EU to 27 members.

Although the commission recognized that the two Balkan nations have made significant progress in meeting standards set by the EU, its report recommends sanctions if the countries do not continue improvements. (Posted 1:49 p.m.)

Leading Dem calls on White House to release another intelligence report specifically on Iraq

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A leading Democrat Tuesday called on the White House to release a second, previously publicly unknown national intelligence document that focuses solely on Iraq.

Rep. Jane Harman, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, insisted there is a draft National Intelligence Estimate that has not been revealed to the public.

"I have learned there is an NIE on Iraq, specifically on Iraq, that has been left in draft form at the National Intelligence Council," the California congresswoman said at a news conference.

Harman said the document has been kept in draft form so that it won't be seen before midterm elections. --From CNN's Lisa Goddard (Posted 1:40 p.m.)

Bush: 'Perceived' Pakistan, Afghanistan frictions no impediment to hunting down 'high-value targets'

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush on Tuesday said he rejects the assertion that the "perceived" tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan are undermining the laborious task of hunting down Osama bin Laden.

Both of those Asian governments have accused the other of not doing enough to fight terrorism and capture bin Laden, the al Qaeda leader who is thought to be hiding somewhere along the Afghan-Pakistan border.

Bush and Afghan President Hamid Karzai appeared before reporters at a press conference a day before they and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf will attend a dinner together.

"It's in President Karzai's interest to see bin Laden brought to justice. It is in President Musharraf's interests to see bin Laden brought to justice. Our interests coincide," Bush said. (Posted 1:08 p.m.)

Bush declassifying key judgments of intelligence estimate

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President George Bush on Tuesday said he will declassify "key judgments" of the national intelligence estimate that a recent news story reported says the war with Iraq has worsened terrorism.

Bush, speaking at a news conference with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, said making key aspects of the document available will clear up speculation about the report, which he said is causing "some people" to erroneously conclude that "going into Iraq was a mistake."

"I, of course, read the key judgments on the NIE. I agree with their conclusion that because of our successes against the leadership of al Qaeda, the enemy is becoming more diffused and independent. I'm not surprised the enemy is exploring the situation in Iraq and using it as a propaganda tool to recruit more people to their murderous ways."

Bush said it is "naive" for people to think that "it's a mistake ... that going on the offense against people who want to do harm for the American people makes us less safe." (Posted 12:33 p.m.)

High court to hear appeals over use of union dues for politics

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Supreme Court agreed Monday to hear two appeals relating to the use of labor union dues on certain political causes.

The pair of cases from Washington state were among nine appeals accepted by the justices in advance of the court's new term, which will begin Monday. Several of those cases may be put on an expedited schedule, to fill several open slots in the high court's December docket.

At issue in the Washington disputes is how far states can go to protect public employees represented by a union from having their mandatory dues illegally spent on partisan politics, including candidates and issues many workers may not support.

State officials were among those who brought the high court appeal, on behalf of public school teachers who refused to join their union. Under state law, those non-union workers are still charged dues, but only to help pay for labor negotiations. Those fees cannot be spent on most types of political activities, under the 1992 law, "unless affirmatively authorized by the individual." --From CNN Supreme Court Producer Bill Mears (Posted 11:55 a.m.)

3 police officers in Iraq killed in Monday car bomb strike

(CNN) -- Three local police officers were killed in a car bomb strike Monday morning in Iraq's Babil province, police told CNN.

The incident occurred at the recently constructed Jurf As Sakhr police station around 7:30 a.m., the military said in a statement issued Tuesday. Jurf As Sakhr is south of Baghdad and north of Musayyib.

"Soldiers of Company B, 1st Battalion, 67th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, engaged a white two-door sedan and its occupants as the vehicle barreled through the front gates of the IP station," the statement said.

"Simultaneously, terrorists attacked several guard towers at the patrol base adjacent to the station with indirect and small-arms fire. The vehicle continued toward the station and detonated when it impacted the northwest corner of the structure," the U.S. military said. (Posted 11:10 a.m.)

Rice takes on Clinton over terror fight

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has taken on former President Clinton, rejecting his assertions that President Bush failed to carry on adequate anti-terror efforts before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

"What we did in the eight months was at least as aggressive as what the Clinton administration did in the preceding years," Rice told the New York Post in comments published Tuesday. "The notion that somehow for eight months the Bush administration sat there and didn't do that is just flatly false."

Rice's remarks followed a televised interview in which Clinton, pointing to his efforts as president to kill al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, lashed out against "the right-wingers who are attacking me now," saying the same people had accused him of being "obsessed" with bin Laden.

"They ridiculed me for trying. They had eight months to try. They did not try. I tried. So I tried and failed," he said on "Fox News Sunday." He added that he "left a comprehensive anti-terror strategy" to the Bush administration

"We were not left a comprehensive strategy to fight al Qaeda," Rice told the Post.

Both Rice and Clinton pointed to the bipartisan commission that investigated the Sept. 11 attacks. The commission, in a 2004 report, criticized both the Clinton and Bush administrations for not having done enough. (Posted 10:47 a.m.)

Vatican excommunicates Zambian archbishop who openly supports married priests

ROME (CNN) -- The Vatican announced Monday it has excommunicated a Zambian archbishop who has riled the Roman Catholic Church by supporting marriage among Catholic priests.

The final straw for Emmanual Milingo -- the archbishop of Lusaka, Zambia -- was a service last weekend in Washington, D.C., in which he ordained four married priests as bishops without the consent of the Holy See. The four priests were also excommunicated by the Vatican.

Five years ago, Milingo broke his own vows as a Catholic priest by marrying a woman in a mass wedding service in New York officiated by Korean evangelist Sun Myung Moon, founder of the Unification Church. Months later, he repented and was forgiven by the Vatican.

But Milingo has not stopped pushing for the Catholic Church to change its policy of not allowing priests to marry. He recently formed a group called Married Priests Now and is calling for the return of approximately 150,000 former priests who are now married, according to his Web site. (Posted 10:40 a.m.)

Blair vows to advance peace in Mideast

MANCHESTER, England (CNN) -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair vowed Tuesday to help bring peace to the Middle East.

"From now until I leave office, I will dedicate myself to advancing peace between Israel and Palestine," he said in his last speech in the annual meeting of the Labor Party.

Blair has not given an exact date for his leaving office. He was elected in 1997, and has served a record three terms in office.

He stressed that the world is far different from the one in 1997 -- more global and less secure because of rising terrorism. (Posted 10:27 a.m.)

Poll: Americans split down the middle on Afghan conflict

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. citizens are not as supportive of the war in Afghanistan as they once had been, a new poll shows.

A once nearly unified public is now split down the middle on the long-standing conflict, with 50 percent favoring the war, 48 percent opposing it and 2 percent with no opinion.

At the start of the Afghan war, roughly 9 in 10 Americans supported the military action, and as recently as 2003, roughly two-thirds of Americans backed the operation.

Interviews with 1,009 adult Americans on the subject were conducted by telephone from Sept. 22 to 24 by Opinion Research Corporation.

The sample included 908 registered voters (sampling error plus or minus 3 percentage points) and 573 likely voters (plus or minus 4 percentage points). (Posted 9:56 a.m.)

2 U.S. soldiers die in 'non-combat' incident

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- Two U.S. soldiers died on Tuesday in a "non-combat incident" southwest of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, the U.S. military said in a news release.

The soldiers, with Multi-National Division - Baghdad, died around 1:45 p.m.

The number of U.S. military deaths in the Iraq war now stands at 2,703. (Posted 9:55 a.m.)

18 killed in scattered Iraq violence; 2 bodies found dumped in Baghdad

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- A spurt of attacks in Iraq on Tuesday resulted in the deaths of 18 people, including three in a suspected rampage by a Shiite militia, police told CNN.

Gunmen thought to be militia members opened fire on civilians in the predominately Sunni neighborhood of Amel in western Baghdad, killing three people and wounding 10, police said.

The gunmen then headed to a nearby mixed area -- Bayaa -- and set Sunni shops on fire, police said.

Police also found two bodies in Baghdad Tuesday -- both showing signs of torture. Police have recovered 62 bodies in the capital since Sunday.(Posted 9:54 a.m.)

Federalism touches raw nerve as Iraqi lawmakers debate its merits

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- It was a raucous day in Iraq's parliament, now beginning the arduous task of drafting legislation on the creation of autonomous regions -- a touchy and divisive issue.

The session was dedicated to the presentation and the first reading of a draft federalism bill put forward by the United Iraqi Alliance, the Shiite coalition that is the country's most powerful political bloc.

There were interruptions and threats of walkouts from lawmakers. One parliamentarian voiced objections that the Kurdish regional government is developing its own constitution.

Council of Representatives Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani banged his gavel repeatedly as parliamentarians shouted at each other and threatened to remove those disrespecting parliamentary procedures.

Under federalism, Iraq's government would be decentralized and Kurds, Shiites, and Sunni Arabs could have separate autonomous areas. (Posted 9:53 a.m.)

Ebbers set to report to federal prison to begin 25-year sentence in WorldCom fraud

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Ex-WorldCom CEO Bernard Ebbers will report to a federal prison Tuesday to begin his 25-year sentence for his role in an $11 billion accounting fraud.

Ebbers, who was convicted by a jury in March 2005 of nine counts of conspiracy, securities fraud and other crimes that led to the phone company's July 2002 bankruptcy, is due to report to the federal prison in Yazoo City, Miss. (Posted 8:42 a.m.)

Suspected al Qadea member tells Spanish court he was tortured at Guantanamo, pleads not guilty

MADRID (CNN) -- The trial of a suspected al Qaeda member resumed Tuesday in Madrid, with the Moroccan-born defendant entering a plea of not guilty to charges he was a member of a terrorist group and arguing that he was tortured while held, earlier, in the U.S. Guantanamo Bay facility, CNN partner station CNN Plus reported.

After the court session concluded, the defendant, Lahcen Ikassrien -- who is free on bail -- showed reporters outside the courtroom various marks on his arms and back that he said resulted from torture at Guantanamo, where he was held after being captured in Afghanistan, a CNN Plus reporter said.

The trial of Ikassrien began Sept. 6 at before a three-judge panel at Spain's National Court, but was quickly suspended at the request of his defense lawyer.

Prosecutors are expected to seek eight years in prison for Ikassrien, but the exact sentence sought won't be known publicly until Wednesday, which is expected to be the second and final day of the trial. --From CNN Madrid Bureau Chief Al Goodman (Posted 8:01 a.m.)

Saddam ejected for second straight day

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- For the second day in a row and the third time in a week, former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was ejected from the courtroom for disrupting his genocide trial.

The chief judge also removed Hussein's six co-defendants, court officials said.

An hour's recess was called and then the session resumed.

None of the defendants were to return to court Tuesday. A U.S. official close to the court said the the defendants have the option of viewing the trial remotely, but would not be forced watch.

The outbursts began less than two hours into the session as Hussein interrupted the testimony of Tuesday's second witness, complaining that the testimony, along with the court, was unjust. (Posted 7:21 a.m.)

Italian soldier killed in roadside bombing near Kabul

KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- An explosive apparently targeting an Italian convoy near the Afghan capital of Kabul on Tuesday killed an Italian soldier and a child, authorities said.

The three-vehicle convoy was carrying six Italian military personnel around 8 a.m. about six miles south of Kabul when it was struck by an improvised explosive device, according to Italy's Defense Ministry.

The slain soldier -- identified as Maj. Cpl. Giorgio Langella -- is the eighth Italian military member to die in the Afghan conflict.

The soldiers are part of NATO's International Security Assistance Force, a deployment throughout Afghanistan consisting of many nationalities.

Two of the Italians were seriously wounded and three, including a female soldier, were slightly wounded, the ministry said.

ISAF said that along with the dead child, five Afghans were wounded.

Rome Bureau Chief Alessio Vinci contributed to this report (Posted 7:19 a.m.)

Suicide bomber kills at least 17 in Lashkar Gah

(CNN) -- At least 17 people died Tuesday morning when a suicide bomber detonated in Lashkar Gah, the capital of Afghanistan's southern Helmand province, according to Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman Zmarai Bashiri.

"This morning at around 9:30 a.m. a man blew himself up outside the security department in Lashkar Gah city," Bashiri said. "Seventeen people were killed, including six police officers and 11 civilians. Eighteen other people were injured.

"This was the work of the enemies of Afghanistan," he said. (Posted 3:45 a.m.)

Abe elected prime minister by Japanese parliament

TOKYO (CNN) -- Japan's parliament Tuesday elected Shinzo Abe as the country's new prime minister, giving him more than 70 percent of the vote in the lower house and nearly 57 percent in the upper chamber.

Abe was expected to name his cabinet later in the day.

He is seen as a hawkish Japanese nationalist, who endorses tighter military ties with the United States.

Last week, Abe, 52, was elected president of the Liberal Democratic Party by a two-thirds majority. (Posted 1:20 a.m.)

Thailand suffers 17th fatality from bird flu

BANGKOK (CNN) -- A 59-year-old Thai man has died from bird flu, bringing the nation's death toll from the virus to 17 -- and three in 2006.

According to Thai Health Ministry official Kamnuan Ungchusak, the victim lived in the village of Nong Bua Lamphu, which is in a poverty-stricken region about 375 miles (600 km) northeast of Bangkok.

"He touched dead chicken and fell ill. His relatives took him to hospital, but it was too late," Kamnuan said Tuesday. "The patient died on August 10."

Laboratory tests confirming the link to avian flu were only completed last week, according to Kamnuan. (Posted 1:10 a.m.)

Arab League calls for U.N. peacekeepers in Syria Arab League members Sunday called for a joint peacekeeping mission in Syria with the United Nations and urged members to support the Syrian opposition as it ...

---

• Gadhafi son arrested in Niger, Libya says
• Adele dominates Grammys; Houston remembered
• Greene: Are cigarette makers right this time?
• Indian baby's case unearths dark world
• Opinion: Why CPAC swoons over Santorum's fury

• Questions linger about Romney
• Santorum: I don't rig straw polls
• Topsy-turvy GOP race enters 'lull week'
• Ticker: Santorum cites 'two-man race'
• Teen transplant patient abducted

• Talkin' 'Icky Thump' blues (1:40)
• 'Why you treat yourself bad?' (3:15)
• Soviet culture returns (3:47)
• Unseemly rap lyrics targeted (3:29)
• Now In The News