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 Friday, November 25
Editor's Note: CNN News Update is a running log of the latest news from CNN World Headquarters, reported by CNN's correspondents, producers and Wires.CNN editors. 9 slightly injured in Scotland train derailment LONDON (CNN) -- Nine people sustained minor injuries Saturday when a train derailed in heavy rain near the Scottish city of Inverness, police said. The front car of the three-car Edinburgh/Inverness train slid off the tracks about 7:15 a.m. local time, said Duncan McKenzie, spokesman for Scotland Police, Northern Constabulary. Ninety-four people were on the train. Nine of them sustained minor injuries and went to the hospital to be checked, McKenzie said. Heavy rain was falling at the time of the derailment, he said. (Posted 4:46 a.m.) At least 75 dead, 53 injured after two buses reportedly swept away by floods NEW DELHI (CNN) -- At least 75 people were killed and 53 injured when rising floodwaters reportedly swept two crowded buses away Friday in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, according to Indian media and authorities. In the first incident, in Tanjavure district, official Veera Shanmugha Moni said Saturday that 49 bodies had been recovered and 36 people were injured. In the second incident, in Ramnathapuram, officials told CNN 27 people were dead and 17 people had been taken to hospitals. At least 73 people were believed to be on board, authorities said, and many are unaccounted for. Heavy rains have plagued Tamil Nadu for days, according to media reports. (Posted 2:16 a.m.) At least 12 dead, 397 wounded in Chinese earthquake BEIJING (CNN) -- At least 12 people were killed and 397 wounded, 20 seriously, Saturday when a 5.5-magnitude quake struck eastern China, according to Chinese officials and reports from state-run media. The quake struck about 8:49 a.m. (7:49 p.m. Friday ET), according to China's Xinhua news agency and the U.S. Geological Survey. Its epicenter was on the Hubei-Jiangxi provincial border, about 15 miles west-southwest of the city of Jiujiang in Jiangxi province -- home to 361,000 people. There were conflicting reports on the number of fatalities. Xinhua reported 14 deaths, while China's seismological bureau reported 12. In Jiujiang county, more than 8,000 homes collapsed and 29,000 were damaged, according to Xinhua. In Ruichang, more than 500 houses collapsed and 100,000 were damaged. (Updated 4:13 a.m.) 1 U.S. contractor, 4 Iraqi civilians wounded in car bombing From CNN Producer Arwa Damon BAGHDAD (CNN) -- A U.S. contractor and four Iraqi civilians were wounded Saturday when a roadside bomb struck a U.S. patrol, the military said. The explosion occurred about 8:30 a.m. (12:30 a.m. ET) in western Baghdad, a U.S. military spokesman said. The patrol was escorting two civilian vehicles at the time. The injuries were described as minor, the spokesman said. The five were transferred to a Humvee and taken to a hospital. (Updated 2:01 a.m.) Premier visits city affected by toxic spill; resident sues company BEIJING (CNN) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Saturday toured the city of Harbin, where water service has been disrupted by a 50-mile-wide toxic spill in the city's main water source, the Songhua River, and praised efforts to get the city back on track. Meanwhile, government officials appeared ready to punish those responsible for the 100-ton benzene spill, and a Harbin resident filed suit against a petroleum company over the incident. Ding Ning, a resident of the Chinese city of Harbin, filed suit Thursday against Jilin Petrochemical Company, a subsidiary of the China National Petroleum Corporation, in the court of Nangang District of Harbin, China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported. Jilin Petrochemical owns a plant where an explosion took place Nov. 13, spilling the benzene into the river. Used in gasoline, benzene is a cancer-causing substance. The 50-mile toxic spill flowed downstream, reaching Harbin, which has a population of 9 million people, this week. Officials were forced to cut off the city's water service for four days, and the spill has sparked widespread unease among residents, who were not notified of the potential health threat for days after the blast. Xinhua reported Saturday that local officials said water service should resume Sunday night as planned. (Updated 3:35 a.m.) U.S., Iraqi troops kick off Operation Tigers in Ramadi BAGHDAD (CNN) -- About 550 U.S. and Iraqi troops kicked off Operation Tigers on Saturday in eastern Ramadi, the military said in a statement. The operation is the fourth in a "series of disruption operations" in Ramadi, the capital of Iraq's restive Anbar province, aimed at stabilizing the region in preparation for Iraq's Dec. 15 elections. The previous operations were Panthers, Bruins and Lions, the military said. About 400 Coalition Forces and 150 Iraqi Army soldiers were participating in the operation. Meanwhile, the military said Saturday that telecommunication services had been restored to many of the 1.3 million residents of Anbar province. (Posted 12:15 a.m.) 1 Swedish soldier killed in Afghanistan, 3 wounded KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- One Swedish soldier with the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan was killed and three others were wounded, including one critically, in a bomb attack on their vehicle, the Swedish Defense Ministry said Saturday. The soldier died early Saturday at a hospital in Kabul that is run by the International Security Assistance Force, the NATO peacekeeping force in Afghanistan. Another soldier remains in critical condition at that hospital, and two others are in stable condition at a separate facility, the ministry said. The attack happened around 3:40 p.m. (6:10 a.m. ET) Friday when a roadside bomb detonated near their vehicle on the outskirts of the city of Mazar-e-Sharif, in northern Afghanistan, according to the ministry. (Posted 8:58 p.m.) Gaza border crossing into Egypt now under Palestinian control (CNN) -- In a historic and symbolic moment for Palestinians, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas took a few steps from Gaza into Egypt Friday -- the first time a Palestinian crossed the international border with it under the control of Palestinians. "The opening of this border is important," he said, "because it means the Gaza Strip will not be a big prison." Abbas was on hand for the ceremonial opening of the Rafah Crossing, a main crossing from southern Gaza into Egypt that had been closed in September as Israel withdrew its forces and settlers, ending its 38-year occupation of Gaza. Intense U.S.-led negotiations earlier this month led to the deal for the border to be put under Palestinian control. While the Rafah Crossing is officially under Palestinian control, dozens of monitors from the European Union will be there for at least the next 12 months with the final say in any dispute about who and what is allowed in and out of the territory. The Israelis will also be closely watching via security camera. (Posted 6:42 p.m.) Cleveland Islamic leader arrested; U.S. seeking his deportation WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Federal agents in Ohio Friday arrested the Muslim cleric who leads the Islamic Center of Cleveland, in a step officials say begins the process of forcing his removal from the United States. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested Imam Fazwaz Mohammed Damrah, 44, at his suburban Cleveland home on terrorism-related administrative charges, which will allow them to seek his deportation in immigration courts, ICE said. Damrah is accused of having solicited funds and provided support to terrorist organizations, the agency said. Damrah previously was stripped of his U.S. citizenship for concealing an affiliation with designated terrorist organizations when he applied for U.S. citizenship in 1994. He was sentenced to six months of confinement for having hidden his former ties to Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Islamic Committee for Palestine, and Al-Kifah Refugee Center, officials said. --From CNN Justice Producer Terry Frieden (Posted 5:09 p.m.) DHS, FBI issue 'routine' advisory on shopping malls as terrorist targets WASHINGTON (CNN) -- As the holiday-buying season goes full throttle, law enforcement officials have reissued an advisory warning that shopping areas could be attractive targets to terrorists. "This is a pro forma thing. It's not based on any new intelligence," a Department of Homeland Security official stressed, adding there is no information that al Qaeda has a current plot involving retail shops in the United States. The advisory sent out Tuesday by DHS and the FBI to state and local law enforcement partners said law enforcement and private security officers should always be on the alert for possible surveillance at shopping areas, which might be a precursor to an attack. FBI officials said such precautions are "routine and protective." Such alerts have been issued in the past. --From Senior Producer Carol Cratty (Posted 5:07 p.m.) Wisconsin father, 9-year-old daughter killed in fall through ice (CNN) -- The bodies of a 9-year-old girl and her father were pulled from an icy Wisconsin pond Friday afternoon, hours after they fell into the frigid water during an ice skating excursion, authorities said. The accident happened while a second sibling, a 6-year-old girl, watched. Sheboygan County Sheriff Michael Helmke said the 44-year-old father had gone to the pond, located on the outskirts of Cedar Grove, to ice skate with his two daughters. "One of the daughters fell through. The father attempted to rescue her and he went through as well," Helmke said. The 6-year-old girl then ran to a nearby aunt's house, and authorities were called. Authorities said the ice on the pond was about 3 inches thick, but thinner in some areas. The pond was about 8 to 10 feet deep. (Posted 4:28 p.m.) Actor Pat Morita dead (CNN) -- Actor Pat Morita, who was best known for his portrayal of Mr. Miyagi in the "Karate Kid" movies, died in a Las Vegas hospital Thursday, his long-time manager and his publicist said Friday. He was 73 years old. The cause of death was kidney failure, Morita's long-time manager, Arnold Soloway, told CNN. He said Morita had been in Las Vegas' Sunrise Hospital for approximately a week and a half, awaiting a liver transplant. The family plans a memorial service as early as next Wednesday in Las Vegas, Soloway said. Details have not been arranged. (Posted 3:36 p.m.) Rescue operation launched on icy Wisconsin pond (CNN) -- Dozens of rescue crews converged Friday on a partially frozen pond in Cedar Grove, Wis., where a witness reported two people might have fallen into the icy water, authorities said. Rescuers dressed in red protective suits edged their way into the frigid water, tethered together and to those on shore. Two inflatable rafts also were combing the pond, with rescuers using poles to try to detect anything that might be submerged. Video from the scene showed at least three fire trucks on the shore of the pond with two ladders extended into the water, and ambulances were on standby nearby. (Posted 3:02 p.m.) Investigators in Hariri probe to question Syrian officers in Vienna (CNN) -- Syria is permitting U.N. investigators probing the Rafik Hariri assassination to question five of its intelligence officers in Vienna. The development -- disclosed Friday at a news conference in Damascus, where Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Walid Moallem spoke to reporters -- came after negotiations. The question of venue had led to a delay in the U.N. investigation into the February assassination of Hariri, the former Lebanese prime minister who was killed with 20 others in a Beirut truck bombing. German prosecutor Detev Mehlis is heading the probe. His commission issued an interim report last month that implicated Syrian and Lebanese intelligence services in the assassination. The five people to be questioned were not identified at the press conference. The date of the interviews is not yet clear. (Posted 1:03 p.m.) Black Friday shoppers turn out to get bargains NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Bargain-hungry shoppers braved the early hours, chilly temperatures and growing crowds as they raced to stores early Friday morning to score the juiciest deals on some of the "must-have" holiday items. First reports indicate some big crowds at discounters, including Wal-Mart, with a brawl seen at one of its Florida stores. Shoppers began lining outside the J.C. Penney store at the Westfarms Mall in Farmington, Conn., about 4:30 a.m. to take advantage of the early bird extra discounts -- also known as "doorbuster sales" -- which typically last until noon. Lines up to 400 people deep were reported outside the Sears store at the Twelve Oakes Mall in Novi, Mich. "Sears is offering free $10 gift cards to the first few hundred shoppers. So that may have something to do with the early crowd," said mall spokesman Dan Jones. Besides gift cards, Sears is also hoping to lure shoppers with its own doorbuster deals from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m., including 40 to 70 percent off on jewelry and 20 percent off on Kenmore appliances. (Posted 8:31 a.m.) Soccer legend George Best dies LONDON (CNN) -- George Best -- one of the most gifted soccer players to ever hit the field -- has died, hospital sources told CNN Friday. The one-time Manchester United star from Northern Ireland had been gravely ill with infections. He had been in the hospital since the beginning of October and was placed on a life support machine last week. Beloved by millions of soccer fans, especially during the 1960s, Best played in 1968 for Manchester United when it won the European Cup, the first British club to achieve that goal. That same season, he was named European Footballer of the Year. The 59-year-old British sports legend needed a liver transplant three years ago after many years of alcohol abuse. (Posted 8:19 a.m.) Indonesia to produce Tamiflu under agreement with Roche JAKARTA (CNN) -- Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche will allow Indonesia to produce its antiviral drug Tamiflu in preparation for a possible pandemic of avian influenza, the company said Friday in a statement. It was unclear when manufacturing would begin. A meeting to finalize details was set for Saturday. Roche is the world's sole supplier of Tamiflu, which has shown some promise in treating bird flu in humans, and supplies are already back-ordered. Seven people in Indonesia have died of the H5N1 strain of bird flu, according to the World Health Organization. Overall, 131 people have been infected with the strain, in China, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia, the WHO reported, and of those 68 have died. Tamiflu is not a vaccine but an anti-viral drug that combats viral infections. (Posted 6:50 a.m.) Supporters of jailed Ugandan opposition leader to press issue at summit From CNN International Correspondent Alphonso Van Marsh (CNN) -- Supporters of jailed Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye plan to question Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on Besigye, as well as Museveni's dedication to democracy, during the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting Museveni is attending in Malta, a spokesman said Friday. Supporters of Besigye's Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) will ask Museveni about his "commitment to democratic principles and free press," said Sam Akaki, a London-based FDC spokesman. Besigye was arrested in October, and on Thursday was "dragged before a military court and charged with treason," Akaki said. At the time of Besigye's arrest, Maj. Gen. Kale Kaihura, Uganda's police inspector general, told CNN authorities had "collected evidence linking Besigye to the People's Redemption Army, which is being organized to overthrow the government of Uganda." Police have also collected evidence linking Besigye to another group, the Lord's Resistance Army, he said at the time. The arrest reportedly sparked protests in central Kampala, Uganda's capital city. (Posted 6:25 a.m.) British rock singer detained in Vietnam on suspicion of child sex abuse (CNN) -- British rock singer Gary Glitter has been detained in Vietnam on suspicion of child sex abuse, authorities said Thursday. Glitter, who was popular during the 70s, was arrested Nov. 19 in Ho Chi Minh City, the state-run Vietnam News Agency reported. Police in the Vung Tau province may hold him up to four months without charges, the British Home Office said. Glitter, whose real name is Paul Francis Gadd, is under investigation for allegedly having sex with underage girls, including a 12-year-old, Nguyen Duc Thinh, deputy head of the police investigation department in southern Ba Ria-Vung Tau province, told Vietnam News Agency. (Posted 5:29 a.m.) U.S. soldier killed in tank accident south of Baghdad BAGHDAD (CNN) -- A U.S. soldier died Thursday when an M1 Abrams tank was involved in a single-vehicle accident south of Baghdad, the military said Friday. The soldier was assigned to Task Force Baghdad. No further details were released about the incident, which the military said was under investigation. The soldier's name was being withheld pending notification of relatives. The death brings to 2,105 the number of U.S. troops who have died in Iraq. (Posted 2:09 a.m.) 
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