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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. Baghdad airport, closed for Saddam sentencing, reopenedBAGHDAD (CNN) -- Baghdad International Airport reopened Tuesday morning after the Iraqi government lifted a two-day around-the-clock curfew imposed in anticipation of the sentencing of former Iraq President Saddam Hussein to death. Ministry of Transportation spokesman Ahmed Abdul Wahab confirmed to CNN the airport was reopened Tuesday. Complete pedestrian curfews in place for Baghdad and throughout the Iraq provinces of Diyala and Salaheddin were lifted at 4 p.m. Monday (8 a.m. ET), an official with the Iraqi Interior Ministry told CNN. A vehicle ban was lifted at 6 a.m. Tuesday (10 p.m. Monday ET). the official said. A daily curfew in the capital from 11 p.m. until 6 a.m. will remain in effect, the official said. The former dictator and six other defendants were tried for crimes against humanity during a brutal 1982 crackdown on the Shiite town of Dujail after a failed assassination attempt on Hussein. ^-- CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this story. (Posted 2:34 a.m.) IDF withdraws troops from Beit HanounJERUSALEM (CNN) -- The Israeli army withdrew from Beit Hanoun Tuesday morning, six days after moving into the northern Gaza town to root out militants who have been firing rockets into southern Israel, an Israel Defense Forces official said. The Israeli military remained in Gaza in positions outside of Beit Hanoun, the IDF official said. (Posted 11:43 p.m.) Upper Midwest, Northeast bellwether for House control(CNN) -- House Republicans nervous about their prospects for keeping a majority may know soon after the polls start closing Tuesday night whether or not they've managed to pull a last-minute rabbit out of their political hat, in spite of the Iraq war, an unpopular president and a series of scandals. The fates of 16 GOP incumbents facing tough races in a swath of states stretching from the Atlantic seaboard to the Ohio River Valley are likely to a bellwether for whether Democrats can shift the 15 seats they need to win control of the House for the first time since 1994. In Kentucky and Indiana, where the last polls close at 7 p.m., Democrats have five Republican incumbents in their cross-hairs. In Ohio, where voting stops at 7:30 p.m., there are three more. And at 8 p.m., numbers will start rolling in Connecticut, where three moderate GOP lawmakers are trying to fend off challengers, and Pennsylvania, where five Republican-held seats are very much up for grabs. Significant Democratic gains among those seats will be a harbinger of a long, unhappy night for the GOP faithful. However, if Republican candidates can hold most of them, they could be on their way to defying widespread expectations that the House will switch to Democratic hands. (Posted 11:41 p.m.) Virginia officials warn of possible deceptive calls to voters(CNN) -- Virginia election officials expressed concern Monday over reports of deceptive phone calls made to voters ahead of Tuesday's midterm elections, but were hesitant to launch an immediate investigation for fear of politicizing the vote. James Alcorn, policy advisor for the Virginia State Board of Elections, said the board had notified the U.S. Department of Justice and the state's attorney general's office, but that neither state nor federal officials were likely to "get involved" until after the election. The immediate response to the allegations, he said, was voter education. Alcorn said the state board had received a "handful" of calls and complaints about alleged deceptive phone calls made to potential voters. Jean Jensen, secretary of the board, said it had received two notarized complaints, one from a voter in Arlington and the second from a man in North Hampton. (Posted 8:42 p.m.) Senate control hinges on battles in 9 states(CNN) -- Democrats have their hopes of regaining control of the Senate pinned on voters in nine states Tuesday, with former President Bill Clinton taking the stage to stump for candidates in two of those races on the eve of the vote. But while many analysts say Democrats are poised to recapture the House of Representatives for the first time since 1994, regaining the Senate is seen as less likely. Democrats need a net gain of six seats among the 33 at stake Tuesday to claim control of the chamber for the first time in four years. But only nine races are considered competitive, and five of those seats are held by Republicans in states President Bush carried in 2004. (Posted 8:40 p.m.) Justice Dept. announces destinations of 850 election observers, monitorsFrom Justice Producer Terry Frieden WASHINGTON (CNN)-- The Justice Department Monday announced it has dispatched an army of more than 850 election observers and monitors to polling places where they see a potential for racial or ethnic discrimination or other violations of voting rights. After weeks of weighing requests for a federal presence at potential trouble spots, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and his Civil Rights Division lawyers decided to send the poll watchers to 69 jurisdictions in 22 states. The federal authorities are being sent to monitor a wide variety of specific issues, but in some cases, as in New Orleans, the observers will be there primarily to provide support to a wobbly post-Katrina election system which could be overwhelmed by residency issues. The federal force includes more than 500 trained observers from the Office of Personnel Management who are going to many places with troubled histories certified by the Attorney General or the federal courts under provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1965. Those locations include polling places where allegations of racial, ethnic, and language discrimination have surfaced in the past -- some as far back as the 1970s. (Posted 7:41 p.m.) Democrats poised to pick up majority of governorships Tuesday(CNN) -- While the pitched battle to control Congress has taken center stage during the midterm elections, voters in 36 states will also elect governors Tuesday, with Democrats poised to win control of a majority of governorships for the first time in 12 years. Democrats need to make a net pickup of four governorships to get to the magic number of 26. Heading into the balloting, five GOP-held seats are considered likely to switch, and races for six others are down to the wire. By contrast, just four Democrat-held governorships appear to be within possible Republican reach, and two of those are leaning Democratic. (Posted 7:33 p.m.) YouTube named Invention of the YearNEW YORK (CNN) -- YouTube, the video-sharing Web site, can now add "Invention of the Year" to its growing list of honors this year, Time magazine announced Monday. The publication chose YouTube over inventions such as Gardasil, a vaccine that prevents a cancer-causing sexually transmitted disease, and CrustaStun, a device that electrocutes a lobster in five seconds, and is touted as a humane alternative to boiling. "Only YouTube created a new way for millions of people to entertain, educate, shock, rock and grok one another on a scale we've never seen before," Time magazine said in its Best Inventions 2006 report. --From CNN's Zak Sos (Posted 5:28 p.m.) Diplomat: Announcement possible on Palestinian unity governmentUNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- The Palestinian Authority could announce a national unity government led by "an independent technocrat" as early as Monday night or Tuesday morning, according to a senior Palestinian diplomat. Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian observer at the United Nations, told reporters Monday that the new prime minister would be from neither the Hamas nor Fatah movements. The new government would have individuals with "technical skills from Hamas, Fatah, from other groups and independents," he said. "It would take the form of national unity government with the technocrat flavor." The effort to create a unity government "has been a roller-coaster," he added. "Often we think that we are so close to it and then it escapes us." (Posted 5:25 p.m.) Palestinians seek U.N. help to gain cease-fireUNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- Palestinians called for an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Monday to help establish a cease-fire with Israel, preferably one monitored by U.N. observers. Riyad H. Mansour, Palestinian observer to the United Nations, told reporters he has called on the Security Council to "shoulder its responsibility" and help quell the latest violence in Gaza, which has led to the deaths of 50 Palestinians and injuries to many others since last Wednesday. Israel has been engaging in military operations in Gaza to root out militants that have been firing rockets into southern Israel. Mansour said that the Palestinians would be willing to accept a mutual cease-fire and would welcome U.N. observers to keep the peace. (Posted 5:07 p.m.) Rove rebukes Florida candidate's absence at Bush rallyPENSACOLA, Fla. (CNN) -- President Bush tried to rally Republican supporters in Florida at an event the state's GOP candidate for governor skipped Monday, raising the hackles of a top White House aide in the final hours before the midterm elections. Charlie Crist -- the man seeking to replace Bush's brother Jeb as Florida's chief executive -- has said his no-show was not a statement about the president, whose approval rating was 35 percent in a CNN poll released Monday. But it appeared to have irked the president's top political adviser, Karl Rove, who told reporters, "Let's see how many people show up in Palm Beach on 24 hours notice versus eight or nine thousand people in Pensacola." Bush plugged Crist's campaign at the top of his remarks in Pensacola, telling supporters, "He's experienced, he's compassionate and he'll work hard on behalf of all the citizens in this important state." And he put in a word for the Senate campaign of Rep. Katherine Harris, who trails incumbent Democrat Bill Nelson by a wide margin in published polls. Harris did not appear with Bush at the rally, either, though she spoke earlier in the afternoon. (Posted 4:49 p.m.) 4 suspected Islamic militants arrested in SpainMADRID (CNN) -- Spanish police arrested four suspected Islamic militants in Madrid on Monday on suspicion of document forgery to aid "Islamic warriors" traveling through Spain and elsewhere in the European Union after fighting for the insurgency in Iraq. The four -- three Algerians and an Egyptian -- are suspected of collaborating with an Islamic terrorist group and forging official documents, an Interior Ministry statement said. Police said they seized a forged Italian residency document, photocopies of passports and residency documents and material to make forged documents; along with two laptop computers and 21,600 euros in cash, the statement said. --From CNN Madrid Bureau Chief Al Goodman (Posted 2:51 p.m.) Down to the wire, GOP pushes momentumWASHINGTON (CNN) -- At the tail of end of an election season widely viewed as the Democrats' chance for a resurgence, the GOP focused Monday on building momentum, telling its base and undecided voters that any rumors of the party's demise in Congress have been greatly exaggerated. "My prediction is we will maintain our majorities in the House and Senate. ... I think there's momentum," Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman told CNN. He also released an open memo headlined, "New polls say our party is heading into Election Day with strong momentum." A CNN poll released Monday found the percentage of likely voters who plan to vote for Democrats in Tuesday's congressional elections increased in the past week, and that voters supporting Democrats seem less likely to change their minds. (Posted 2:34 p.m.) Study on prosecutions of FBI referrals prompts sharp Justice, FBI criticismWASHINGTON (CNN) -- A new Syracuse University study questioning the Justice Department's limited prosecution of FBI terrorism referrals drew stinging criticism from Justice and FBI officials Monday.= The report says federal prosecutors had rejected 87 percent of terrorism referrals from the FBI for prosecution in a nine-month period ending on June 30. The Justice Department had prosecuted only 19 cases during the period, it said. The report by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) at Syracuse said the rejection rate compared with 33 percent of referrals in 2001. It questioned why prosecutions are decreasing at a time FBI counterterrorism resources are increasing. "I would take the numbers with a grain of salt," Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said Monday. Gonzales told reporters he had not read the report, but he said the figures probably include a number of hoax-related referrals. And Justice Department Deputy Director of Public Affairs Brian Roehrkasse said, "It is astonishing that TRAC continues to present statistics that demonstrate a fundamental misunderstanding of the basic principles on how federal investigations and prosecutions work." --From Justice Producer Terry Frieden (Posted 2:29 p.m.) Prosecutors to seek 38,000-year prison terms for main defendantsMADRID (CNN) -- Prosecutors in the Madrid train bombing case will seek prison terms of about 38,000 years for each of the seven prime defendants in the trial due to start next February, according to a prosecution order released Monday and viewed by CNN. The long prison terms will be sought for six suspected Islamic terrorists, as well as a seventh man, born in Spain, who is accused of providing the others with explosives used in the attacks. The long prison terms sought were calculated based on murder charges against the seven prime defendants for each of the 191 people who died in the attacks on Madrid commuter trains on March 11, 2004, and for the attempted murders of the 1,824 others who were wounded, said the 232-page prosecution order. The trial is expected to last for months. The defendants -- if convicted of all the charges -- would serve a maximum of only 40 years in prison, under Spanish law, which prohibits the death penalty, the prosecution said. --From CNN Madrid Bureau Chief Al Goodman (Posted 2:24 p.m.) Wildfire threatens homes in Southern California cityRIALTO, Calif. (CNN) -- A fast-moving wildfire has consumed nearly 500 acres near homes and a country club in this Southern California city, officials told CNN. Fanned by winds clocking 30 miles an hour, flames about 10:30 a.m. (1:30 p.m. ET) were moving toward about 100 newly built homes and the Rancho Verde Country Club, said Bill Peters of the California Department of Forestry. "Its very problematic at this point," he said of the persistent winds. "We have a couple of hundred firefighters there right now." No injuries had been reported from the blaze, which began in an industrial area of Rialto, Peters said. (Posted 2:10 p.m.) Hussein verdict doesn't shake Dems' Iraq focus in campaign homestretchWASHINGTON (CNN) -- The conviction of Saddam Hussein by an Iraqi court over the weekend apparently did nothing to scare Democrats away from making the war the central focus of their national campaign in the final hours before Tuesday's pivotal midterm elections. In a conference call with reporters Monday, Rep. Rahm Emanuel, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said he wanted to reiterate "we have an election here that's very clear about whether we can continue the course set by the president and Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld and the vice president in the war in Iraq, or whether we're going to have a new direction that Democrats have advocated." Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean carried the same message, telling CNN, "If you want to stay the course like the president suggests and do what we're doing, vote for the Republicans. If you want a new direction in the country, vote for the Democrats." (Posted 1:57 p.m.) Mud prevents move of WWII carrier to new homeNEW YORK (CNN) -- The USS Intrepid, a legendary World War II aircraft carrier that was to launch Monday morning for the first time in 24 years, will remain docked on the Hudson River for the time being after getting stuck in the mud right before its scheduled send-off. "The old gray lady, she didn't want to leave New York, she dug her heels in, just didn't want to leave her home here," Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum President Bill White said. "We're, of course, a little disappointed to say the least." The Intrepid was scheduled to launch with great fanfare early Monday from Pier 86 on the Hudson River. The 27,000-ton aircraft carrier, no longer able to generate its own power, was to be pulled by tug boats five miles down river to a new temporary home in Bayonne, N.J., passing the Statue of Liberty along the way. Despite the anticipated high tide on the Hudson, plans for the journey were called off for the day around 10:30 a.m. Monday after the ship's propellers got stuck in the mud. --By CNN's Stacey Francisco (Posted 12:01 p.m.) Post-Saddam sentencing curfews being liftedBAGHDAD (CNN) -- A curfew set prior to the death sentence imposed Sunday on former Iraq President Saddam Hussein is being lifted. Complete pedestrian curfews in place for Baghdad and throughout the Iraq provinces of Diyala and Salaheddin were lifted at 4 p.m. Monday (8 a.m. ET), an official with the Iraqi Interior Ministry told CNN. A vehicle ban is to be lifted at 6 a.m. Tuesday (10 p.m. Monday ET). the official said. A daily curfew in the capital from 11 p.m. until 6 a.m. will remain in effect, the official said. No information was available on when Baghdad airport will be reopened, the official said. The airport's closure also was part of security measures imposed prior to the sentencing. (Posted 11:15 a.m.) Saddam defense claims former Iraq leader's death sentence invalidBAGHDAD (CNN) -- Sentences returned against former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and six co-defendants in their trial for torturing and killing of civilians are "null" and a "mockery" of justice, defense lawyers said Monday. Hussein and two co-defendants were sentenced Sunday to be hanged, while four other defendants were sentenced to prison terms ranging up to life. One defendant was acquitted for lack of evidence. The sentences were automatically appealed under Iraqi law. Defense lawyers called the sentences politically motivated, timed, they said, to "consolidate the electoral campaign of George W. Bush." The lawyers also questioned the impartiality of the judges of the Iraqi High Criminal Court. "Those judges revealed in more than one instance, and by more than one statement, that they are un-impartial, un-independent and biased against the president and his comrades," the defense lawyers' statement said. It called upon "all international, Arab and local bodies, parties, personalities and activists whether political or legal to adopt the necessary stand in order to put an end to this mockery." (Posted 10:23 a.m.) Soldier dies of wounds from Afghanistan battleKABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- An American soldier has died from wounds received during fighting in Afghanistan, the U.S. military said Monday. U.S. Army Specialist Isaiah Calloway, of Jacksonville, Fla., died Oct. 30, the U.S. military said. Calloway, 23, was shot during fighting in Marah, Afghanistan, the U.S. military said.Calloway was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment based in Hohenfels, Germany, the military said. This brings the number of U.S. military fatalities in Afghanistan since U.S. forces entered the country on Oct. 7, 2001 to 274. (Posted 8:09 a.m.) Poll: Democrats hold 58-38% edge over likely congressional votersWASHINGTON (CNN) -- The percentage of likely voters who plan to vote for Democrats in Tuesday's congressional elections increased in the past week, and those voters supporting Democrats also seem less likely to change their minds before casting ballots, according to a CNN poll conducted over the weekend. Democrats hold a 58 percent to 38 percent advantage over Republicans among likely voters in the survey released Monday morning, compared to the 53 percent to 42 percent advantage reflected in the poll a week ago. Pollsters asked people who identified themselves as being likely to vote which party's candidate they would you vote for in their congressional district if the election were being held today. On this question, the poll has a sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. In the so-called "poll of polls," which averages the results of five national surveys, the Democrats have a 53 percent to 41 percent margin over the Republicans. When asked if it is possible they could change their mind before election day, 17 percent of those likely voters who supported Republican congressional candidates said they might instead chose the Democrat, while just 10 percent of those supporting Democrats said a switch was possible. The poll's sampling error on this question was plus or minus 6 percentage points. The CNN poll, conducted by telephone on November 3-5 by Opinion Research Corporation, interviewed 1,008 adult Americans, including 636 likely voters. (Posted 6:29 a.m.) Poll: Bush approval drops again; 41% say they'll send a message with voteWASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush's popularity took another dip over the past week, and four out of 10 likely voters said their disapproval of the job he is doing will impact how they cast their congressional ballots on Tuesday, according to a new CNN poll. Bush's approval rating fell to 35 percent, with 61 percent of those polled saying they disapproved of the way he is handling his job as president, in the survey conducted on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This represents a two point decline in Bush's approval rating compared to the CNN poll conducted a week earlier and it is four points lower than the survey taken two weeks ago. The poll's sampling error on the approval rating question is plus or minus 3 percentage points. In the same poll, 41 percent of likely voters said they would be sending a message about their disapproval of Bush when they vote Tuesday. Another 42 percent said their opinion of Bush is not a factor in their congressional voting, while 16 percent said they would be sending a vote of support for Bush when they cast ballots Tuesday. On this question, the poll has a sampling error of plus or minus 4 percentage points. The CNN poll, conducted by telephone on November 3-5 by Opinion Research Corporation, interviewed 1,008 adult Americans, including 636 likely voters. (Posted 6:28 a.m.) Two U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq copter crashBAGHDAD (CNN) -- A U.S. Army helicopter crashed in Iraq's Salahaddin province, killing two U.S. soldiers, according to the U.S. military. The military said there was no ground fire observed in the area at the time of the crash, but the incident is under investigation. The two soldiers were with Task Force Lightning and were attached to 25th Combat Aviation Brigade, the military said. The U.S. military's Camp Victory is located in Tikrit in the Salahaddin province, north of Baghdad. This brings the number of U.S. military fatalities in the first six days of November to 18. The number of American fatalities in the war is 2,836. October's death toll for U.S. forces was 105, the fourth-highest monthly total of the war, more than three-and-a-half years after it started. (Posted 4:24 a.m.) Israeli missile hits Gaza school bus, killing teenJERUSALEM (CNN) -- A school bus carrying Palestinian students was hit by an Israeli missile, killing a 15-year-old and wounding nine other students at a school in the northern Gaza town of Beit Lahiya Monday morning, according to Palestinian medical sources. An Israel Defense Forces official said Israeli aircraft launched a missile at the school because a group of Palestinian militants were there collecting rocket launchers. An Israeli military source said the group of militants fired two rockets on Israeli towns on Sunday from within the school compound. (Posted 3:23 a.m.) Sharon's heart function improves as infection threat subsidesJERUSALEM (CNN) -- Former Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon has been moved out of an intensive care unit, three days after he was taken there for treatment of an infection that threatened his heart function, a spokesman at the Haim Sheeba Medical Center said. Sharon, who has been comatose since suffering a stroke in January, remained in stable condition Monday as his heart function has improved, the spokesman said. (Posted 2:53 a.m.) Klansman serving life for civil rights killing dies at 82(CNN) -- Former Ku Klux Klan Imperial Wizard Samuel Bowers, who was serving a life term for the 1966 murder of civil rights leader Vernon Dahmer, died Sunday at 82, a spokeswoman for the Mississippi Department of Corrections told CNN. Bowers died of cardiopulmonary arrest in the hospital unit of the state penitentiary at Parchman, Miss., spokeswoman Tara Booth said. He had been in the hospital since last December. Bowers was found guilty of murder and arson in the 2 a.m. firebomb killing of the 58-year-old voting-rights advocate as he, his wife and two of their children slept in their home in rural Mississippi. Dahmer stayed in the house and shot at the Klan members as his family escaped the flames and bullets. Four all-white juries were unable to reach a verdict until, in the fifth trial in 1998, a racially mixed jury returned a guilty verdict in less than three hours. Bowers was not among the Klan members who carried out the firebombing, but he planned the scheme. (Posted 2:52 a.m.) Ecevit dead(CNN) -- Bulent Ecevit, the Turkish politician, poet and journalist whose career spanned nearly half a century, died Sunday at 81. Ecevit died at 10:40 p.m. (3:40 p.m. ET), in a military hospital in Ankara, where he had been in a coma since suffering a stroke on May 18, the hospital said in a written statement. His lungs collapsed, it said. Soon after the news was made public, thousands of mourners gathered outside the hospital in a show of grief over the death of the former prime minister and former member of Turkey's Parliament whose secularist leanings and intellect helped shape his country's politics. (Posted: 10:22 p.m. ET) |
 | Source: Explosives enough to blow hole in jetInvestigators combed through Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab's history Sunday in hopes of learning how the British-educated son of a Nigerian bank executive ended ... |
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