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 Tuesday, January 3
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. 30 killed, 36 wounded in Iraq funeral procession blast BAGHDAD (CNN) -- Thirty people were killed and 36 wounded Wednesday when a suicide bomber wearing an explosive vest detonated after blending into an Iraqi funeral procession, authorities said. The 1 p.m. blast occurred in Muqdadiya, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) northeast of Baquba, officials said. Those attending the funeral procession were on foot when the bomber mixed in among them. Earlier Wednesday, five people were killed and 15 wounded in a car bomb attack on an Iraqi police patrol in northern Baghdad. The casualties included police officers and civilians. The attack occurred about 10 a.m. in the Kadhimiya neighborhood. About an hour afterward, Iraq police commandos battled insurgents for about 30 minutes in western Baghdad's Gazaliya neighborhood. The firefight left one commando dead and 17 other people wounded, including 16 commandos. -- CNN Producers Mohammed Tawfeeq and Cal Perry contributed to this report. (Updated 6:37 a.m.) Palestinian militant group blocks Gaza-Egypt border crossing, storms election building JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Members of a Palestinian militant group, the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, blocked the entrance to the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt Wednesday morning, Palestinian security sources said. Earlier, about 40 gunmen with Al Aqsa stormed an election building in Rafah city on Wednesday to protest the arrest of a man suspected in connection with the kidnapping of three British hostages, Palestinian security sources said. They were demonstrating against the arrest of Ahed Al Hams, who was arrested Tuesday night by Palestinian police. Authorities believe he may be involved in the kidnapping of Kate Burton, a 25-year-old worker for the Palestinian rights group Al Mezan, and her visiting parents. The three were abducted in Rafah, along the Gaza-Egypt border, on Dec. 28 and freed Dec. 30. (Updated 5:13 a.m.) 12 of 13 miners die in mine accident; survivor hospitalized TALLMANSVILLE, W.Va. (CNN) -- Eleven of 12 miners initially reported to be alive after spending more than 41 hours trapped underground following a mine explosion were found dead, mine officials told friends and relatives early Wednesday, blaming the earlier erroneous report on a "miscommunication" between rescue crews and the command center. But some family members said they were told directly by the head of the mining company that the miners were alive. In all, 12 miners died, including a man whose body was found closer to the mine entrance Tuesday evening. The sole survivor, Randall McCloy Jr., was in critical condition and being transported Wednesday to West Virginia University Hospital in Morgantown after being stabilized at nearby St. Joseph's Hospital. "This is certainly not the outcome that we had hoped for and prayed for," said Ben Hatfield, CEO of International Coal Group. "There was a great deal of confusion between the rescue teams ... the information got misinterpreted or miscommunicated." The information, relayed at a briefing with friends and relatives, dashed their hopes of being reunited shortly with the missing miners. Angry and emotional, some of those who attended the briefing at Sago Baptist Church refused to comment. Many were among those who erupted in cheers amid the ringing of church bells three hours earlier after hearing the miners were alive. "They're liars, they're all liars," one woman yelled at CNN's Anderson Cooper and Randi Kaye. Interior Ministry operation snarls Baghdad; woman still missing BAGHDAD (CNN) -- A "heavy" operation conducted in Baghdad by the Interior Ministry on Wednesday virtually paralyzed the city, snarling rush-hour traffic and forcing many commuters to walk across bridges that were closed, according to police and eyewitnesses. Baghdad police said the operation, being conducted by the Interior Ministry, was linked to the disappearance of the sister of Iraqi Interior Minister Bayan Jabr. The woman has not been seen since Tuesday after gunmen ambushed her vehicle in western Baghdad, killing one bodyguard and wounding another, according to police. It was unclear whether she fled the scene or was kidnapped. An Interior Ministry spokesman told CNN on Wednesday there was no news on the woman's whereabouts or who might be responsible for the ambush. "We expect to see her picture on TV like others in the past," the spokesman said, but would not elaborate. (posted 4:20 a.m.) Russia, Ukraine "Gas War" Over MOSCOW (CNN) -- Russian and Ukrainian energy officials reached a deal Wednesday morning, ending a dispute over the price of Russian natural gas that caused shortages in the Ukraine and throughout Western Europe. Energy officials from both countries made a joint statement just after 10 a.m. (2 a.m. ET) -- three days after Russia stopped shipment of natural gas to its western neighbor. Ukraine gets about a third of its natural gas from Russia. Ukraine had been paying $50 per thousand cubic meters of gas when Russia demanded its Western-leaning neighbor pay $230 for the gas. Some observers said political motivations, not commercial ones, appeared responsible for the move, and could signify that Putin wants to use his country's vast energy supplies to ensure Russia once again becomes a regional power. They noted that Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko is a Western-leaning politician who won election over a Russian-backed candidate a year ago. Death toll in ice rink collapse at 13; 2 still missing BAD REICHENHALL, Germany (CNN) -- A 13th body was found early Wednesday in the rubble of a skating rink in southern Germany after the rink's roof collapsed under the weight of heavy, wet snow. The body was that of a boy between 12 and 16 years old, police said. Earlier Wednesday, authorities found the body of a 12-year-old boy. Two people -- a 35-year-old woman and a young girl -- remained unaccounted for, and 13 people out of the 18 injured remained hospitalized, three with serious -- but not life-threatening -- injuries. Meanwhile, other structures were checked, and some were evacuated, out of concern that a similar collapse might occur. In Traunstein, a train station was evacuated because of heavy snow on its roof, until the snow could be cleared. A store in a nearby area was also blocked off. (Updated 6:02 a.m.) Oil Ministry official gunned down in western Baghdad BAGHDAD (CNN) -- Gunmen shot and killed Rahim Ali al-Suddani, a director general with Iraq's Oil Ministry, and his son Wednesday morning in western Baghdad, police said. The drive-by shooting took place in the al-Amriya neighborhood around 8 a.m. (12 a.m. ET) According to police, al-Suddani was on his way to his work when gunmen attacked the car with small arms fire. Al-Suddani's driver was wounded in the attack. -- CNN Producer Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this story. (Posted 1:45 a.m.) UAE VP dies dies of heart attack DUBAI (CNN) -- The United Arab Emirates Vice President and ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid al-Maltoum, died Wednesday of a heart attack, the official WAM news agency reported. The UAE has announced a 40-day period of mourning. Latest landslide kills 14 in Indonesia; 85 dead in week of flooding JAKARTA, Indonesia (CNN) -- In the midst of a week of heavy rains and flash flooding in Indonesia's Central Java province, a hillside gave way near the village of Gunujraja early Wednesday, killing at least 14 people and sending 14 others to the hospital, authorities said. Of 185 houses in the village, at least 102 were covered by landslide debris or badly damaged. Officials also said a mosque was completely buried in the landslide, along with about 50 worshippers who were there for early morning prayers. The death toll is expected to rise, authorities said. They estimate more than 200 people are still missing. Combined with the flooding in East Java, at least 85 people have died. Rescue crews have had difficulty reaching a number of villages because of the devastation in the area. An earlier landslide and an overflowing river caused much of the damage, destroying as many as 2,500 homes, according to local media. Police estimated 5,400 people were left homeless. Hastert gives Abramoff-linked money to charity after lobbyist's plea WASHINGTON (CNN) -- House Speaker Dennis Hastert became the latest lawmaker to dump campaign contributions from clients of high-flying lobbyist Jack Abramoff, giving about $70,000 to charity after Abramoff pleaded guilty to corruption charges Tuesday. "The speaker believes that while these contributions were legal, it is appropriate to donate the money to charity," Hastert spokesman Ron Bonjean said. Bonjean did not specify which groups would receive the money. Abramoff pleaded guilty Tuesday to conspiracy, fraud and tax evasion charges in an agreement with federal prosecutors that could have a wide-reaching effect in Washington. Sources told CNN the former lobbyist may have thousands of e-mails in which he describes the influence-peddling in which he was involved and explains what lawmakers were doing in exchange for the money he was putting into their campaign coffers. A source close to the probe said investigators are currently looking at about half a dozen members of Congress, while a senior government official told CNN the probe involves about two dozen lawmakers and staffers. (Posted 8:25 p.m.) After Ukrainian gas debacle, EU reassesses (CNN) -- Energy ministers from the European Union planned to meet Wednesday in emergency session in Brussels to discuss how to respond to this week's short-lived attempt by Russia to boost the price for natural gas to Ukraine. EU Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs, who will preside over the meeting, said he is optimistic the issues can be resolved. "I'm quite confident that it will be resolved -- not tomorrow, but perhaps in coming weeks," he told CNN International. He said he wanted Russia and Ukraine to "find a solution as soon as possible." The still-unresolved dispute between Russia and Ukraine highlighted the vulnerability of Russia's customers in Europe, and sparked discussions in capitals across the continent about energy security and supplies. (Posted 7:07 p.m.) Rhode Island legalizes medical marijuana despite Supreme Court ruling (CNN) -- Seven months after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled federal laws criminalizing marijuana trump state efforts to legalize it for medical use, legislators in Rhode Island Tuesday defiantly voted to let state residents with debilitating illnesses light up legally, over the objections of Gov. Donald Carcieri. By a vote of 59-13, state House members voted to override Carcieri's veto of a bill authorizing the use of marijuana for medical use. The Senate had previously overridden the veto, which means the law will now go into effect. Carcieri, a Republican, said the measure appears to violate federal law and could create legal jeopardy for patients who avail themselves of it. "The consequence is that Rhode Islanders who rely on state law can still be prosecuted criminally by the federal government," the governor said in a statement. (Posted 6:53 p.m.) Federal government continues legal push to have accused terrorist released from military custody to face criminal charges WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Bush administration continued its hard-line legal stance in the case of an accused terrorist, asking the Supreme Court again Tuesday to order the immediate release of U.S. citizen Jose Padilla from military custody, so he can face criminal charges in federal court. In a filing with the high court, Justice Department lawyers argued a lower court was wrong to block the move, and accused Padilla's attorneys of flip-flopping positions on whether they approve of the transfer. The former gang member remains in a Navy brig in South Carolina, where he has been since shortly after his May 2002 arrest, when he was designated an "enemy combatant" by President Bush. --From CNN Supreme Court Producer Bill Mears (Posted 5:50 p.m.) U.S. intelligence officials say Iranians may have been tipped to U.S. agents in that nation WASHINGTON (CNN) -- In 2004, a CIA official mistakenly sent a spy, a U.S. agent inside Iran, information that could help identify many other U.S. agents in that country, according to former senior U.S. intelligence officials and other knowledgeable sources. The mistake was first reported in "State of War," a new book by James Risen of The New York Times, that went on bookstore shelves Tuesday. Calling it an "espionage disaster," Risen writes that "several of the Iranian agents were arrested and jailed" since the agent turned out to be a double agent for the Iranians. But knowledgeable present and former officials told CNN that is not true. Former intelligence officials told CNN a thorough "scrub" -- a damage assessment done in late summer 2005 -- found "no evidence" any U.S. spies in Iran had been rolled up as a result of the mistake, and knowledgeable sources said that remains true today. --From National Security Correspondent David Ensor (Posted 5:35 p.m.) Abramoff pleads guilty to fraud, conspiracy charges in plea deal with feds WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Former lobbyist Jack Abramoff pleaded guilty to conspiracy, fraud and tax evasion charges Tuesday, as part of a plea deal with federal prosecutors in which he promised to cooperate with the government in its investigation of some lawmakers on Capitol Hill. In the brief hearing before U.S. District Judge Ellen Segal Huvelle, Abramoff admitted that he did not disclose receiving kickbacks on payments from Native American tribes to a partner's PR firm, and said that some of his money did not go to charities as he had reported, but paid for a golf trip to Scotland. "Words can never express my sorrow and profound regret," Abramoff said at the conclusion of the hearing. "Nor can they express my sadness and regret for my conduct. I ask for forgiveness and redemption from Almighty." Court documents filed Tuesday outlined the charges against the former high-flying lobbyist -- who had connections to top Republican leaders in Washington, including former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. The documents describe how Abramoff, 46, and his business partner, Michael Scanlon, cheated clients of Abramoff's lobbying firm by urging them to use Scanlon's PR firm -- which in turn paid Abramoff a kickback. (Posted 1:17 p.m.) Baby Noor discharged, ahead of spina bifida surgery ATLANTA (CNN) -- Children's Healthcare of Atlanta on Tuesday discharged Baby Noor, the 3-month-old Iraqi girl suffering from spina bifida, following a series of medical evaluations ahead of a potentially life-saving operation, according to a hospital statement. Her surgery is tentatively scheduled for Monday. Noor, her father and grandmother arrived Saturday in Atlanta, where the infant was immediately taken to the hospital for evaluation by chief neurosurgeon Dr. Roger Hudgins, who will perform the surgery. "The infant is in good condition, is responsive and smiling, and seemingly resting comfortably," Hudgins said after the initial evaluation. (Posted 1:05 p.m.) Feds announce $765 million in funding for 'high-threat' urban areas WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Department of Homeland Security announced Tuesday $765 million in funding for "high-threat" urban areas as part of the fiscal year 2006 Urban Areas Security Initiative. The UASI announcement represents "a giant step forward" in implementing a risk-based strategy for allocating funds and comes after criticism that, on a per-capita basis, largely rural areas such as Wyoming got more of the funds than did more densely populated areas such as New York City, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff told reporters. "The fact of the matter is, we have learned some lessons, we have listened to some of the critics," he said. "The department is investing federal funding into our communities facing the greatest risk and demonstrating the greatest need in order to receive the highest return in our nation's security." DHS has identified 35 areas that encompass 95 cities with populations of 100,000 or more that are eligible to apply for and receive funding. (Posted 12:06 p.m.) U.S. military says it is investigating report that airstrike killed 6 civilians BAGHDAD (CNN) --The U.S. military carried out a series of airstrikes and raids against insurgents north of Baghdad, and is investigating reports that one of those airstrikes killed six family members. That strike flattened the family's house Monday night in the Sunni town of Baiji, about 125 miles (200 km) north of Baghdad, according to Wamir abd el-Wahab, a spokesman for the Salaheddin provincial governor's office. Three other family members were seriously wounded, but the father and a daughter survived relatively unscathed, el-Wahab said. "Why are they hitting civilians?" he asked. A U.S. military spokesman said the incident was under investigation. The U.S. military carried out 58 air missions over Iraq Monday, including one near Baiji targeting suspected insurgents. It was not clear if that airstrike -- the only one reported in the Baiji area -- was the same one the Iraqi official said resulted in civilian deaths. (Posted 9:50 a.m.) Sharon will cede power to Olmert during heart procedure JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will be under general anesthetic during a heart catheterization procedure Thursday and will cede his powers to Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert for about three hours, his office said Tuesday. According to a statement from his office, "Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will on Thursday ... undergo a heart catheterization at Hadassah-Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem; he will be anesthetized. "Cabinet Secretary Yisrael Maimon spoke this afternoon (Tuesday), with Attorney-General Meni Mazuz and updated him on the operation, including the need to anesthetize Prime Minister Sharon. It was decided, in agreement with the prime minister, that the prime minister would transfer his authority to Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Thursday morning for the duration of the operation and recovery, which the doctors estimate at approximately three hours." The procedure is intended to repair a small hole in Sharon's heart and to prevent future blood clots like the one that recently caused Sharon to suffer a mild stroke. The hole was discovered during tests after Sharon suffered the stroke on Dec. 18. A doctor said it was a not uncommon birth defect. (Posted 9:40 a.m.) Iran to restart nuclear research program TEHRAN (CNN) -- Iran will restart its nuclear research program to put idle atomic researchers back to work, the deputy head of the Iran Atomic Energy Organization said Tuesday on state-run television. Mohammad Saieedi said Iran's suspension of its research program was never intended to be permanent. He did not give a date for the resumption of work. Iran's nuclear programs are a source of contention with the West -- Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Sunday rejected a Russian offer to produce nuclear fuel in its plants for Iran, the latest effort to resolve a diplomatic impasse over Tehran's nuclear program. (Posted 7:31 a.m.) Arrest made in attack on international science conference NEW DELHI (CNN) -- Authorities in southern Indian have arrested a man associated with a Pakistani-based militant group in last week's attack on an international science conference in Bangalore that killed one person and wounded five others. According to Bangalore Police Commissioner Ajay Kumar Singh, Abdul Rahman, who claims to be the head of Lashkar-e-Tayyaba in southern Indian, was arrested Jan. 1 in Nalgonda. The attack occurred Wednesday in an auditorium at the Indian Institute of Science. Professor M.C. Puri was killed and the injured were identified as scientists and laboratory technicians. At the time, Bangalore police said the attack was considered terrorism, saying the institute -- a high-profile research and development site -- was apparently targeted, and the attack was meant to send some sort of message. (posted 3:50 a.m.) 
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