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Wednesday, September 13

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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.

1 dead, 16 wounded in a car bomb explosion

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- An Iraqi civilian was killed and at least 16 others wounded when a bomb planted in a parked car exploded in the Hurriya neighborhood in northwestern Baghdad Thursday morning, Baghdad emergency police said.

Separately, gunmen shot and killed Col. Muthana Ali Hussein with the Iraqi traffic police Thursday morning as he was leaving his home in the southern Baghdad neighborhood of Doura. (Posted 2:55 a.m.)

Russian banker dies after shooting

MOSCOW (CNN) -- The deputy chairman of Russia's Central Bank died Thursday morning after being gunned down by two assailants the night before near a Moscow football stadium, a medical source told Russia's state-run Interfax news agency.

Andrei Kozlov was attacked near the capital's Spartak football arena around 9 p.m., Interfax reported. His driver was also killed.

A medical source told Interfax that Kozlov suffered severe wounds to the head, but was also hit in the chest and stomach.

The source said Kozlov arrived at the hospital unconscious and underwent surgery, but never regained consciousness. (Posted 2 a.m.)

Two journalists shot and killed in separate attacks

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- Gunmen shot and killed two Iraqi journalists in separate incidents this week, leading the international media watchdog Committee to Protect Journalists to condemn the killings.

Baghdad emergency police officials said they discovered the body of Safaa Ismail Enad in eastern Baghdad riddled with bullets on Wednesday. He was a writer for al-Watan newspaper.

The New York-based CPJ said Enad was shot by two gunmen in a photo print shop after they entered the store and asked for him by name.

On Tuesday, another local journalist in Diyala province was ambushed and shot to death by gunmen while he was traveling between Baquba and Khalis, which is about 50 miles north of Baghdad, a Baquba police official said. (Posted 1:15 a.m.)

Student, gunman dead in Montreal college shooting

MONTREAL (CNN) -- A rainy afternoon turned deadly Wednesday when a gunman opened fire at a Montreal college, killing one student and wounding at least 19 others before being gunned down by police, authorities said.

Six of the wounded were critically hurt, and five more were seriously injured, hospital officials said. All the victims had gunshot wounds to the head, neck, abdomen or limbs.

Initial reports indicated that as many four people -- including a second gunman -- may have been killed, but Montreal police chief Yvan Delorme said only a single gunman was killed.

Later, Delorme said that a 20-year-old woman died at the scene from her injuries.

Delorme did not speculate on a motive for the shooting, but said it was not a hate crime or terrorism-related. (Posted 12:40 a.m.)

Former Texas Gov. Ann Richards dies at 73

(CNN) -- Former Texas Gov. Ann Richards, whose brassy, tough-talking persona and trademark white hair cut an indelible profile in Democratic politics, died Wednesday evening at her home in Austin, surrounded by her family, her spokesman, Bill Maddox said.

She was 73.

Richards, who served as governor of the Lone Star State from 1991 to 1995, announced in March that she was being treated for esophageal cancer.

Cecile Richards, her daughter, announced her death in a note sent to friends at 7:50 p.m. (8:50 p.m. ET), Maddox said. (Posted 12:40 a.m.)

Tropical Storm Helene forms; Gordon becomes a major hurricane

(CNN) -- Tropical Storm Helene formed in the eastern Atlantic Ocean late Wednesday as Gordon became a major hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Though Helene continues to move west, in the general direction of the Caribbean and the United States, it remains so far away from land that even long-term forecast models don't yet indicate whether it will pose any threat.

At 11 p.m., the center of the storm was about 565 miles west of the southernmost Cape Verde Islands, moving west-northwest at nearly 22 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. Maximum sustained winds were 40 mph.

Forecasters said the storm system will likely strengthen dramatically over the next three days, becoming a Category 1 hurricane with sustained winds of 80 mph by Saturday. By Sunday, the hurricane will be Category 2, with winds of nearly 100 mph.

Meanwhile, Hurricane Gordon, which is churning in the Atlantic well away from land, strengthened Wednesday, with maximum sustained winds reaching 120 mph. Passing the 115 mph threshold makes it the first major hurricane of the 2006 season, indicating an intensity of Category 3 or higher. (Posted 11:20 p.m.)

Rice skeptical of Iranian suspension offer, will push forward on sanctions

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Wednesday expressed skepticism that Iran is serious about suspending its uranium enrichment program and said the United States expects to "make some movement forward" on a sanctions resolution when U.N. diplomats convene in New York next week.

Rice said the cancellation of a meeting scheduled Thursday between the Iran's top nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani, and the European Union's foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, "should tell us something."

The U.N. Security Council demanded that Iran suspend it uranium enrichment program by Aug. 31 or face the possibility of economic sanctions. Iran missed that deadline but has said it would consider temporarily suspending its program as a condition for beginning talks with the United States. (Posted 8:17 p.m.)

Rice, Israeli foreign minister cautious about Palestinian unity government

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- As Palestinan factions continued to try to piece together a unity government Wednesday, the top American and Israeli diplomats expressed caution about whether such a government would meet the conditions necessary for resumption of international aid.

After meeting in Washington, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni both indicated that the international community was unlikely to accept a Palestinian unity government unless it renounced terrorism and accepted Israeli's right to exist. (Posted 8:16 p.m.)

Britain charges 6 arrested in London terror raids

LONDON (CNN) -- British authorities charged six men Wednesday in connection with anti-terror raids conducted earlier this month in south and east London, according to Scotland Yard.

Initially 14 men were arrested on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terror late on Sept. 1 and early on Sept. 2. Since that time, four other men have been charged in connection with the raids and two other have been released without charge.

Two more men remain in custody but have not yet been charged. (Posted 7:27 p.m.)

Warner sets up possible Senate showdown on military tribunals

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A group of Republican senators stepped up their opposition Wednesday to the Bush administration's plan to authorize military trials for suspected terrorists, with one calling a key part of the bill "ill-advised."

Sens. Lindsey Graham, John McCain and John Warner, the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, are at odds with the White House and the Senate's GOP leadership over the admnistration bill. Warner said his committee will meet Thursday morning to work on an alternate bill, which could lead to an election-year showdown within Republican ranks.

Among other provisions, the administration's bill would redefine the U.S. interpretation of part of the Geneva Conventions -- a move Graham called "ill-advised."

McCain's office also released a letter from retired Army Gen. John Vessey, who was chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the Reagan administration, opposing the administration bill. Vessey told McCain the measure "would undermine the moral basis which has generally guided our conduct in war throughout our history." (Posted 7:26 p.m.)

Tropical depression on verge of becoming Helene

(CNN) -- A tropical depression moving west in the eastern Atlantic Ocean is getting better organized and could become Tropical Storm Helene late Wednesday or early Thursday, and strengthen into a hurricane with nearly 100 mph winds by Monday, according to the latest forecast from the National Hurricane Center.

Though the system continues to move west, in the general direction of the Caribbean and the United States, it remains so far away from land that even long-term forecast models don't yet indicate whether it will pose any threat.

At 5 p.m., the center of the depression was about 445 miles west-southwest of the Cape Verde Islands, moving west at nearly 18 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. Maximum sustained winds were 35 mph, just shy of the 39 mph threshold to become a tropical storm.

Forecasters said the storm system will likely strengthen dramatically over the next three days, becoming a Category 1 hurricane with sustained winds of 80 mph by Saturday. By Sunday, the hurricane will be Category 2, with winds of nearly 100 mph. (Posted 5:49 p.m.)

Justice: 400-plus charged so far in Katrina fraud probe; thousands of cases possible

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Federal prosecutors in the Katrina Fraud Task Force have so far charged 412 people with trying to illegally benefit from the devastating hurricane and floods, according to a Justice Department report released Wednesday. But the report, marking the first anniversary of the task force, said that number could climb into the thousands.

"Disaster relief agencies have reported to law enforcement that they have identified thousands of questionable or possibly fraudulent payments to purported hurricane victims," the report said. To date the multi-agency command center in Baton Rouge has received more than 6,800 complaints or other fraud-related tips for investigators to pursue.

The report says the highly publicized prosecutions of even modest fraud schemes have had a major deterrent effect, prompting ineligible recipients of individual assistance benefits to voluntarily return $18.2 million dollars to FEMA and the American Red Cross.

The report was issued as Attorney General Alberto Gonzales met in New Orleans with about 170 members of law enforcement agencies who investigated and prosecuted fraud cases associated with Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma. --From Justice Producer Terry Frieden (Posted 5:19 p.m.)

20 wounded, gunman dead in Montreal college shooting

MONTREAL (CNN) -- A rainy afternoon turned deadly Wednesday when a gunman opened fire at a Montreal college, wounding 20 students before being gunned down by police, authorities said.

Eight of the wounded were critically hurt, hospital officials said.

Initial reports indicated that as many as two Dawson College students and a second gunman may have been killed, but Yvan Delorme, chief of Montreal Police Services, said only a single gunman was killed. He could not confirm reports of additional gunmen, but said police were still searching the school and a shopping mall across the street for any other possible suspects.

Delorme did not speculate on a motive for the shooting, but said it was not a hate crime or related to terrorism. (Posted 5:08 p.m.)

Armitage added to outed CIA officer's lawsuit after admission

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Former CIA agent Valerie Plame has added Richard Armitage to her lawsuit over the 2003 exposure of her job with the agency since the former deputy secretary of state has admitted disclosing it to journalists, her lawyers announced Wednesday.

Armitage said last week that he was the source who revealed Plame's position as a CIA operative to syndicated columnist Robert Novak back in 2003, touching off a federal investigation. Novak published her name in July 2003, after her husband, former U.S. Ambassador Joseph Wilson, raised questions about a key element of the Bush administration's case for war with Iraq.

In court papers, the couple say Armitage's disclosure -- which he said was unintentional -- violated their privacy and ruined Plame's career. But they did not include him in the conspiracy allegations leveled against three other Bush administration officials -- President Dick Cheney; his former chief of staff, Lewis "Scooter" Libby; and Karl Rove, President Bush's top political adviser.

In a column published Wednesday, Novak disputed Armitage's characterization of the disclosure as unintentional. "He made clear he considered (the information) especially suited for my column," Novak wrote. (Posted 4:40 p.m.)

Democrats intensify calls for Rumsfeld to resign

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- More Democrats have joined the chorus calling for Donald Rumsfeld to step aside, saying Wednesday that the secretary of defense has botched his stewardship of the war in Iraq and left the U.S. Army unprepared for any additional missions.

A resolution introduced by Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., accused Rumsfeld of a laundry list of missteps, including that he failed to send enough ground forces to Tora Bora in December 2001 to capture Osama bin Laden; capped the number of troops in Afghanistan, resulting in a resurgence in the Taliban there; and failed to anticipate the opposition of Iraqis to U.S. occupation.

In the Senate, Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., delivered a speech Wednesday saying Rumsfeld "misread the Iraqi situation entirely."

"He adamantly dismisses suggestions for a larger force in Iraq. He failed to object when the White House's Coalition Provisional Authority disbanded the Iraqi army, only to have them go underground and provide fodder for the insurgency. He insisted that the Iraqi people would view our soldiers as liberators not occupiers, and even failed to properly anticipate the equipment needs of our men and women in harm's way." (Posted 3:35 p.m.)

Warner sets up possible Senate showdown on military tribunals

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A Senate committee will move forward with a bill that would authorize military tribunals to try suspected terrorists without many of the provisions the Bush administration wants, its chairman said Wednesday.

The bill is backed by the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, Sen. John Warner, R-Va., and two other prominent Republicans -- John McCain of Arizona and South Carolina's Lindsey Graham. But the White House and the Senate's GOP leadership oppose the measure and back an administration-drafted bill that has raised the concerns of human rights groups and military lawyers.

Warner said his committee will meet at 10 a.m. Thursday to take up the bill, which also has the support of many Democrats. That could lead to a floor showdown with the administration-backed measure, an intramural GOP dispute most Republicans would rather not face so close to the November elections.

The key difference deals with an administration proposal to make changes involving Article III of the Geneva Conventions, which the White House believes are needed to protect CIA interrogators from being subject to war-crimes prosecutions. Warner, McCain and Graham oppose the changes because they believe they could lead to Americans captured abroad being denied protections afforded them under the treaty. --From CNN's Ted Barrett (Posted 2:32 p.m.)

Death of Anna Nicole's son set for coroner's inquiry

NASSAU, Bahamas (CNN) -- The coroner investigating the death of Anna Nicole Smith's son in the Bahamas said Wednesday that the case will come before a seven-member panel at a coroner's inquiry on Oct. 23.

Coroner Linda Virgill said Daniel Smith, 20, who died Sunday, did not die of natural causes.

"Any sudden death in the Bahamas is deemed suspicious, not just Daniel Smith's," said Virgill, who also is a magistrate judge.

She refused to comment on media reports that Smith had died of an overdose of anti-depressants, saying it would not be fair to comment since toxicology reports have not yet come back. Those are expected by midday Thursday, she said, but they won't be made public.

Smith was in the Bahamas visiting his mother, who had delivered a baby girl three days earlier. (Posted 2:24 p.m.)

U.S. urges sanctions against Iran; EU not giving up on nuclear talks

(CNN) -- Two weeks after Iran ignored a U.N. deadline to suspend its nuclear-enrichment program, the United States on Wednesday pushed again for sanctions against the Islamic republic.

European nations, meanwhile, indicated they will keep pursuing negotiations in an effort to resolve the diplomatic standoff.

The European Union's foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, had planned to meet Thursday with Tehran's top nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani. Instead, their representatives will meet and "continue working on an agreement," Solana's office said.

"Mr. Solana and Mr. Larijani will then assess the meeting and set a date for talks," the office said.

On Sunday, the men reported they had made progress in talks aimed at reaching a compromise to avoid possible sanctions.

The U.S. stance was presented in Vienna at a closed-door meeting of the 35-nation board of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog. (Posted 2:02 p.m.)

British arms-trafficking investigation has link to New Jersey

(CNN) -- British police have seized hundred of guns in rural England as part of an investigation into illegal gun trafficking that has ties to the state of New Jersey, according to British authorities.

"The operation --codenamed Mokpo-- was launched 18 months ago following a spate of shootings in north London involving gangs," a New Scotland Yard press release said. "United States law enforcement agencies are carrying out a linked operation in New Jersey."

Hundred of shotguns and automatic weapons were seized Wednesday when Metropolitan Police raided a house in Kent, England, according to the statement. They arrested a 55-year-old man suspected of illegally trafficking in firearms from the residence.

In Washington, a spokesman for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) confirmed that American law enforcement officials have been cooperating in the British investigation.

"For eight months, the ATF has worked with the UK in this case, and we are conducting follow-up work in the United States today," ATF spokesman Richard Morianos said Wednesday. --From CNN's Hussein Saddique (Posted 1:55 p.m.)

Baby steps being made in fighting childhood obesity

ATLANTA (CNN) -- Progress is slow in reversing the nationwide childhood obesity trend, a report released Wednesday by the Institute of Medicine said.

"Preventing Childhood Obesity: How Do We Measure Up?" is a follow-up to a report by the same body last year on the same subject.

Committee chairman Dr. Jeffrey Koplan said that if the United States doesn't address the issue of childhood obesity now, "we are going to be paying the price for it in disease, premature death and dollars for many, many years to come."

Koplan added that, while Americans are beginning to realize that childhood obesity is a serious problem, not enough money or resources have been invested to reverse the trend.

One of the consequences has been a dramatic increase in what used to be called maturity-onset diabetes among youth, the report said. That form of diabetes, whose complications can include limb loss, blindness and kidney disease, can often be reversed by exercise, weight loss and diet. (Posted 1:19 p.m.)

Annan: Middle East leaders call Iraq situation 'real disaster'

UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Wednesday Middle East leaders recently told him the invasion of Iraq has "been a real disaster" the region.

Speaking to reporters after his two-week trip through the Middle East, Annan said, "Honestly, most of the leaders I spoke to felt the invasion of Iraq and its aftermath has been a real disaster for them. ... They believe it has destabilized the region."

Annan went on to say there are essentially "two schools" of thought -- those who believe the United States should stay, "having created the problem, they cannot walk away," and those, "particularly in Iran," who "believe the presence of the U.S." is a problem.

Annan said his opinion is that "the U.S. has found itself in a position where it cannot stay and it cannot leave."

For U.S. forces to leave, he said, "the timing has to be optimum. ... It has to be arranged in such a way that it does not lead to an even greater disruption or violence in the region." (Posted 12:40 p.m.)

Disagreements among Palestinian leaders stall formation of unity government

RAMALLAH, West Bank (CNN) -- Disagreements among the Palestinian leadership are slowing down the formation of a unity government that could restore millions of dollars of international aid yanked after the Hamas party took power six months ago.

"We are committed to the signed agreement, and we hope that we will form the national unity government according to that agreement," Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said Wednesday.

On Monday, the Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz reported the two sides were able to cement a deal after Hamas agreed to indirectly recognize Israel by accepting a 2002 Arab peace initiative as part of the platform for the unity government.

The new government will include members of Abbas' moderate Fatah party, which currently holds no ministerial posts in the government.

The deal is expected to reopen the door for international aid, which is the main source of funding for the Palestinian government. (Posted 12:17 p.m.)

Senate committee clears way for vote on NSA wiretap program

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- On a party-line vote, the Republican-majority Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday approved a White House-backed bill to formally legalize the National Security Agency's warrantless surveillance program, clearing the way for floor consideration in the coming weeks.

At the same time, the committee blocked Democratic amendments aimed at curbing the reach of the program.

The bill, written by Chairman Arlen Specter, R-Pa., and agreed to by the White House after lengthy negotiations, would allow -- but not force -- President Bush to submit the secret and controversial NSA program to a special court to determine if the overall program is constitutional.

Bush has promised to do that if the bill is approved by Congress without substantial changes.

If the court determines the program is not constitutional, the legislation allows the administration to modify the program and resubmit it to the court. --From CNN Congressional Producer Ted Barrett (Posted 12:08 p.m.)

El Niņo returns

(CNN) -- Federal scientists reported Wednesday that El Niņo conditions have developed in the tropical Pacific, are likely to continue into early next year and could explain why the current hurricane season has been less active than originally forecast.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Climate Prediction Center said that, during the past two weeks, ocean temperatures in the equatorial Pacific increased "remarkably."

"Currently, weak El Niņo conditions exist, but there is a potential for this event to strengthen into a moderate event by winter," said Vernon Kousky, NOAA's lead El Niņo forecaster.

The developing El Niņo's effects can already be seen -- in drier-than-average conditions across Indonesia, Malaysia and most of the Philippines over the past 30 days, the agency said. (Posted 12:07 p.m.)

German Cabinet approves warship deployment to Lebanon

BERLIN (CNN) -- The German Cabinet Wednesday approved the deployment of warships to Lebanon as part of a multinational peacekeeping force aimed at strengthening the cease-fire between Israel and the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon.

The deployment must now be approved by parliament, which is expected to vote later in the week.

If approved, some 2,400 German naval and air force personnel will be sent to the region under a mandate that will last until Aug. 31, 2007.

Germany will not send ground troops to the Israeli-Lebanese border to avoid any conflict between German and Israeli soldiers. (Posted 8:24 a.m.)

Two hurricanes churn in the Atlantic; a third weather system nears hurricane status

MIAMI (CNN) -- With two hurricanes already blowing well out of harm's way in the open Atlantic, a new tropical depression formed off the coast of Africa Tuesday, and National Hurricane Center forecasters expect it to head west and strengthen into a hurricane by the weekend.

The five-day forecast from the National Weather Service shows the depression, now about 255 miles southwest of the Cape Verde Islands, moving in the general direction of the Caribbean and the eastern United States and strengthening by Sunday into a Category 2 hurricane, with winds in excess of 96 mph.

However, because of the erratic nature of hurricane movement, such long-range forecasts often vary. Some forecast models also show the storm making a slight northerly turn, which could send it out into the Atlantic instead of toward land.

At 5 a.m. forecasters said the "poorly organized" weather system was moving at 16 mph with maximum sustained winds near 35 mph.

The depression could reach tropical storm strength, with sustained winds in excess of 39 mph, Wednesday, the NHC said. If it reaches that threshold, it will be called Tropical Storm Helene. (Posted 6:43 a.m.)

Sources: All 4 attackers were Syrian

DAMASCUS, Syria (CNN) -- The four men who attempted to storm the U.S. Embassy in Damascus on Tuesday were all Syrian nationals, according to Syrian information ministry sources.

Three of the men were killed by Syrian forces guarding the embassy, and the fourth died later at a hospital, the ministry said. (Posted 6:29 a.m.)

Prosecutor asks chief judge to step down; trial continues

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- The chief prosecutor in the Anfal campaign trial demanded Wednesday that chief judge Abdullah al-Amiri step down, accusing him of bias toward Saddam Hussein and his co-defendants.

The judge rejected the request.

The Anfal campaign -- the series of eight separate military operations from late February to early September 1988 that were staged in the Kurdish region of Iraq -- is regarded by the United States "as one of the great atrocities against the Iraqi people" by Saddam Hussein.

Some estimates say more than 100,000 Kurds were killed and about 3,000 villages destroyed and that those who survived the mass murder were illegally detained and later executed. -- From CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq (Posted 5:43 a.m.)

173 people killed in Afghanistan since January

KABUL (CNN) -- A NATO spokesman announced Wednesday that 173 people in Afghanistan have been killed in suicide bombings since January, with Afghan civilians -- including children -- making up 87 percent of the victims counted.

The tally comes amid a large-scale NATO offensive in Kandahar province dubbed Operation Medusa, meant to quell the Taliban-led insurgency in the region. The operation is being spearheaded by Canadian and Afghan troops.

More than 330 insurgents and at least five Canadian soldiers have been killed in Medusa so far.

Militants in Afghanistan have increased their violence, mimicking Iraq-style attacks, which include suicide bombers, car and roadside bombs.

Medusa is designed to oust the insurgency in certain districts "so that displaced residents can return to their homes, allowing much-needed reconstruction and development projects to take place in relative stability," NATO said. (Posted 5:09 a.m.)

2 U.S. troops killed in Iraq

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- Two U.S. servicemembers were killed this week during operations around the capital, the U.S. military reported Wednesday.

Late Tuesday a U.S. soldier was killed when his vehicle struck a roadside bomb while traveling south of Baghdad.

On Monday, a U.S. Marine died from "injuries sustained due to enemy action" during an operation in Iraq's Anbar province, a Sunni stronghold west of Baghdad, the military said.

The Marine was serving in a battalion under I Marine Expeditionary Force.

Since the start of the war, the U.S. military has suffered 2,673 fatalities. (Posted 4:40 a.m.)

Roadside bomb kills 14; bodies found in southern Baghdad

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- At least 14 people were killed and 67 were wounded in central Baghdad Wednesday when a roadside bomb exploded near a police patrol, police said.

One police officer was among the dead and at least four received injuries from the blast, which took place around 8:30 a.m. near the Baghdad traffic police headquarters.

Shortly before noon, a car bomb detonated near a police patrol in the Zayouna section of eastern Baghdad, killing eight people and wounding 19, Baghdad emergency police said.

Three police died in the attack and four were wounded.

Around 9 a.m., a traffic policeman and three civilians were wounded when two mortars exploded near the Iraqi army's Al-Muthana recruiting center in northern Baghdad, police said.

In southern Baghdad's Dora neighborhood, police found four bodies. They are in addition to 60 slain bodies found dumped across the sprawling capital on Tuesday.

The bodies found are thought to be victims of Sunni-Shiite sectarian violence. Their manner of death, police said, is considered consistent with sectarian slayings.

Such bodies are dumped after being shot execution-style. They frequently show signs of torture. (Posted 4:33 a.m.)

2 rockets hit in central Jalalabad

KABUL (CNN) -- Two rockets hit the center of Jalalabad in eastern Afghanistan Wednesday, an Interior Ministry official said.

According to the official, the first exploded next to a courthouse in the city and the second landed in Jalalabad's Samarkhail section.

There were no immediate reports on injuries or damage. (Posted 3:31 a.m.)

Israeli general resigns

JERUSALEM (CNN) -- The man in charge of Israel's Northern Command during the Lebanon war has resigned, Israel Defense Forces said Wednesday.

According to IDF, Maj. Gen. Udi Adam has asked to leave his post as soon as possible and the army chief of staff has accepted his request.

IDF said the change in the Northern Command will "take place in an orderly manner." (Posted 2:34 a.m.)

Turkish city hit by blast, 11 dead

(CNN) -- A bomb blast in the southeastern Turkish city of Diyarbakir Tuesday evening killed 11 people and injured at least a dozen more, hospital officials said.

According to police, at least five of the dead were children.

There has been no claim of responsibility for the blast, according to the press office of the city's governor.

Diyarbakir, a city of more than a half million people on the Tigris River, is Turkey's largest majority-Kurd city.

The region is also home to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has waged a 22-year war against Turkey in which more than 37,000 people have died, mainly Kurds. Turkey and the United States consider the PKK a terrorist group.

Kurdish rebels, who seek autonomy from the Turkish government, were blamed for a bombing that killed two people in the southeastern city of Catak on Sept. 3.

The PKK claimed responsibility earlier this month for a series of bombings in Turkish tourist resorts and in Istanbul. Three people were killed in those attacks and dozens wounded. -- CNN Turk's Aysegul Savur contributed to this report. (Posted 2:20 a.m.)

Rhode Island's Chafee survives tough challenge on busy primary day

(CNN) -- Sen. Lincoln Chafee turned back a primary challenge Tuesday in Rhode Island, marking a defeat for conservative activists who denounced the maverick lawmaker as a "Republican in name only" and bolstering GOP prospects for keeping control of the Senate in November.

The Associated Press projected Chafee would defeat Cranston Mayor Steve Laffey. Chafee was capturing about 54 percent of the vote, to 46 percent for Laffey.

Despite the fact that Chafee has opposed President Bush on a wide range of issues, including the Iraq war, his win was a victory for the White House and national GOP groups. They pulled out all the stops help the incumbent senator, fearing a win by the more conservative Laffey would put the seat in Democratic hands come November.

One of the highest-profile races was in New York, where the Associated Press projected that Sen. Hillary Clinton, as expected, will win the Democratic nomination for re-election over Jonathan Tasini, a labor activist who has criticized the former first lady for her support of the Iraq war.

In November, she will face former Yonkers Mayor John Spencer, who won the GOP nomination over former Defense Department official K.T. McFarland, according to AP's projection. (Posted 11:10 p.m.)

Pentagon considers smoking ban for troops You've seen the iconic picture of a soldier with a cigarette dangling from his mouth, but that could soon be a thing of the past.

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