Tuesday, January 9

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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.

U.S. soldier shot, killed in Diyala province

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- A U.S. soldier died Tuesday during combat operations in Diyala province, a Wednesday military statement said.

The Task Force Lightning soldier was assigned to the Army's 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division.

With the death, the U.S. military has suffered 3,015 fatalities in Iraq. (Posted 2:25 a.m.)

Murtha to hold hearings on Gitmo

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Rep John Murtha, D-Pa., said Tuesday that he planned to hold hearings on closing down the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and threatened to "cut off the money" to make it happen.

"This is an eyesore to the country," the veteran congressman, chairman of the House Defense Appropriations subcommittee, said of the facility, where about 400 of a peak 750 detainees from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are kept.

Murtha said Congress could easily effect the change he seeks.

"We just cut off the money," he said.

The congressman did not give a date for the Guantanamo hearings to begin.

Murtha, a decorated former Marine, also told CNN that he is working on a proposal, first reported in Tuesday's Wall Street Journal, that would tie the president's request for billions in additional war funding to current troop readiness levels. (Posted 9:04 p.m.)

House passes 9/11 implementation measure

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The first item on the House Democrats' "100 hours" legislative agenda -- a measure to implement some of the recommendations of the 9/11 commission -- passed Tuesday evening.

The final vote was 299 to 128. Nearly 70 Republicans crossed party lines to vote for the package, which mandates full inspection of air and sea cargo entering the United States and shifts more homeland security funding to communities with high-risk terror targets.

The House spent about 6 hours and 20 minutes of floor time considering the measure, which leaves about 93 hours and 40 minutes on the Democrats' 100-hour clock.

Next up on Wednesday will be a bill to raise the federal minimum wage to $7.25 per hour over the next two years. (Posted 7:20 p.m.)

Official: Bush to announce 20,000 more troops to Baghdad, Anbar

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush is prepared to send about 20,000 more U.S. troops to Iraq in an effort to pacify the Iraqi capital, with the goal of handing control of the country to Iraqi troops by November, a U.S. official said Tuesday.

Most of the additional troops would be sent to Baghdad, where American and Iraqi troops fought a 10-hour street battle with insurgents on Tuesday. But about 4,000 would be dispatched to the restive Anbar province, the heart of the Sunni Arab insurgency, the official said.

Though the hope is that Iraqi forces would take control of security by November, U.S. troops would remain to support and back up the Iraqis, the official said.

As part of the plan, Iraq's government has promised to send in more of its own troops to fight alongside the American forces -- and to take on the militia behind Shiite Muslim cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, a key supporter of Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, sources familiar with White House deliberations told CNN. (Updated 11:30 p.m.)

U.S. soldier killed in Diyala province

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- A U.S. soldier was killed Tuesday while conducting combat operations in Diyala province, the military said in a statement.

The Task Force Lightning soldier, assigned to the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, is the 3,015th American servicemember to die in the Iraq war. Eleven troops have died so far this month. (Posted 6:53 p.m.)

Judge rejects media request for daily audio recordings in Libby trial

From CNN's Paul Courson

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The judge in the upcoming trial of Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff will not provide the media with daily audio recordings that will be made by the court stenographer.

Jury selection in the trial of Lewis "Scooter" Libby begins Jan. 16 in a trial expected to last at least a month.

The recordings requested by news outlets are "not the official record of the proceedings," wrote U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton, saying they are made only to ensure the accuracy of the written transcript which documents the case.

Libby resigned as Cheney's chief of staff in October 2005 after he was indicted on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice. He pled not guilty and vowed to fight charges he lied about his knowledge of a CIA operative, Valerie Plame. (Posted 6:52 p.m.)

New Orleans officials announce initiatives to combat crime wave

NEW ORLEANS (CNN) -- Hoping to stem a crime wave that has seen nine murders in the first eight days of 2007, New Orleans city officials unveiled a series of initiatives including a voluntary curfew for citizens.

The initiatives unveiled include an effort to expedite homicide cases through the criminal justice system; aggressive prosecution of murder cases; more police officers on the street; a Courtwatchers program; expanded Neighborhood Watch programs; more crime cameras; and assistance offered to families of murder victims. The initiatives are to start immediately, Nagin said.

Although a curfew was considered, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin said authorities decided to make it a voluntary one. Between the hours of 2 a.m. to 6 a.m., "We are recommending that people limit their activities on the streets," he said. Those on the streets during that time, however, will be subject to increased drug and alcohol checkpoints throughout the city. (Posted 6:48 p.m.)

Authorities investigating cause of Malibu fire that destroyed 5 oceanside homes

MALIBU, Calif. (CNN) -- Authorities Tuesday checked for lingering embers in the smoldering remains left by a fast-moving wildfire that claimed five tony beachfront mansions -- causing an estimated $60 million or more in damages -- while investigating the fire's origin.

"At this point, nothing is being ruled out in terms of the cause," said P. Michael Freeman, chief of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

Six other structures, including a guest house, were damaged by the wind-driven fire, which scorched a total of about 20 acres.

One of the destroyed homes belongs to actress Suzanne Somers, who toured the remains Tuesday. Neither she nor her husband, Alan Hamel, were home when the flames destroyed their home and car. (Posted 5:52 p.m.)

Commuter train crash near Boston kills 2

From CNN Correspondent Dan Lothian

BOSTON (CNN) -- A commuter train crashed into a truck Tuesday afternoon in suburban Boston, killing two track maintenance workers and injuring a third, the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority reported.

The crash happened about 1:45 p.m. in Woburn, about 15 miles north of downtown Boston, when the train hit a transit authority service truck, MBTA spokeswoman Lydia Rivera said. The injured survivor was flown to a nearby hospital, and the cause of the crash was under investigation, she said.

No passengers aboard the train were hurt, Rivera said. (Posted 3:34 p.m.)

U.S. troops scramble for cover during intense firefight

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- Pinned down by insurgent fire on a Baghdad rooftop, U.S. troops crouched to dodge bullets ricocheting off walls, their every breath a thin mist from the cold. Helicopters droned overhead, sending off Hellfire missiles at insurgent positions. Fighter jets patroled the skies.

Thunderous explosions rattled buildings, the salient signatures of both U.S. missiles and insurgent mortars and RPGs.

It was some of the most intense fighting of the nearly four-year-old war, a 10-hour-long firefight involving almost 1,000 U.S. and Iraqi troops along Haifa Street in central Baghdad, a stronghold of the Sunni insurgency.

Heavy incoming fire kept the soldiers trapped on the crenalated rooftop for at least two hours. Shouting directions to each other as bullets zinged past their ears, they fired back at the insurgents. (Posted 3:22 p.m.)

Bush announces selection of Fielding to replace Miers as White House counsel

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Longtime Washington lawyer Fred Fielding will replace Harriet Miers as White House counsel, a post he held during Ronald Reagan's presidency, President Bush said in a statement Tuesday.

Fielding, 67, was White House counsel from 1981 to 1986. He served most recently on the independent commission that investigated the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington, and was part of Bush's transition team after the 2000 election.

"Fred's exemplary legal career has equipped him with the judgment and expertise necessary to serve in this important position," the president said in a statement. (Posted 3:20 p.m.)

Kennedy says more troops for Iraq an 'immense new mistake,' demands vote

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A leading Democratic senator demanded Tuesday that Congress vote on President Bush's reported plans to send more U.S. troops to Iraq, calling the idea "an immense new mistake."

"The president may deny the plain truth, but the truth speaks loudly and tragically," Sen. Edward Kennedy told an audience at the National Press Club. "Congress must no longer follow him deeper into the quagmire in Iraq." Kennedy, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, introduced legislation Tuesday that would prevent Bush from sending additional troops to Iraq without congressional approval. The measure states the conflict "no longer bears any resemblance" to the military action Congress authorized in 2002.

"An escalation, whether it is called a surge or any other name, is still an escalation, and I believe it would be an immense new mistake," said Kennedy, one of 22 Democrats and one Republican in the Senate who voted against the war in the first place. "It would compound the original misguided decision to invade Iraq. We cannot simply speak out against an escalation of troops in Iraq. We must act to prevent it."

Kennedy's bill could set up a showdown between the new Democrat-controlled Congress and the White House over Bush's anticipated new strategy for Iraq. Kennedy's bill would likely need to pass with veto-proof margins to become law. (Posted 2:21 p.m.)

Sen. Johnson's condition upgraded to fair

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The condition of Sen. Tim Johnson was upgraded Tuesday from critical to fair, his press secretary told CNN.

Julianne Fisher said the 60-year-old Democrat from South Dakota will start rehabilitation this week at George Washington University Hospital.

On Dec. 13, after slurring his speech during a talk with reporters, Johnson underwent surgery at the hospital for a hemorrhage inside the brain cavity caused by a hereditary condition wherein blood vessels are too close together -- an arteriovenous malformation.

Doctors said their corrective surgery was successful.

Johnson's precarious health has caused anxiety among Democrats in the U.S. Senate, where they hold a 51-49 majority.

Should Johnson fail to finish his term, his successor would be named by South Dakota's Republican governor, Mike Rounds.

During Johnson's recovery, Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., has replaced Johnson as chairman of the Senate Ethics Committee.

-- CNN's Dana Bash contributed to this story. (Posted 1:59 p.m.)

Maliki: Iraq nixed U.S. request to delay hanging to quell deal rumors

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- Iraq's prime minister said Tuesday that he turned down a request from the U.S. government to delay the hanging of Saddam Hussein because he wanted to send a strong message to his countrymen that no deal was being considered that would let the former dictator escape his court-ordered punishment.

"The situation in the country was shaky with many rumors about possible deals between Saddam and the government," Nouri al-Maliki told reporters. "These rumors, which were started by Saddam's defense lawyers, created tension among the people and we felt the necessity of terminating this man who was troublesome in his life and troublesome in his death."

The hanging was carried out Dec. 30.

Maliki acknowledged that the U.S. ambassador had asked him to postpone the execution by 10 days to two weeks, "but we refused because of what I described earlier: the tension in the country was high. We didn't want to leave the door open for trouble and we didn't want the victims' families to take to the streets in protest."

Maliki appeared undisturbed by the fact that someone shot cell phone video of the hanging, which showed Saddam being taunted in the moments preceding his execution.

The video "was an isolated act committed by a man who acted naively and in violation of the law," he said. "We launched an inquiry, we detained the man and he will get his punishment.

"He took the pictures and shared them with some friends over mobile phones. Then someone forwarded the video to the media and this man had no idea what kind of act he was committing or where his act would lead him." (Posted 1:40 p.m.)

U.S. Treasury designates Iranian bank as supporter of WMD proliferation

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. Treasury Tuesday designated Iran's fifth-largest state-owned bank as a supporter of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

The designation of Bank Sepah prohibits "all transactions between the designees and any U.S. person and freeze any assets the designees may have under U.S. jurisdiction," according to a statement from the Treasury Department.

Stuart Levey, under secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, said Iran is "facilitating its proliferation and terrorism activities through the world's financial system, using its state-owned banks and an array of front companies and other deceptive techniques specifically designed to evade the controls of responsible financial institutions."

Bank Sepah is a key provider of financial services to two Iranian missile firms, Levey said.

The designation is in line with a United Nations Security Council resolution passed Dec. 23 that requires states to take "actions to deny Iran access to the materials and services that support its nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities," a statement from Levey said.

In Tehran, the head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council and nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani said the United States is "making a mistake in their calculations."

"These things are not new... they have done things like this before, this kind of abusing our banking system," he said.

"These are nothing important and they will not make any impact on the will of Iran." -- Journalist Shirzad Bozorgmehr contributed to this report (Posted 1:36 p.m.)

Advocates optimistic embryonic stem-cell bill will pass this time

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A bipartisan group of politicians on Tuesday expressed optimism that they can muster enough votes to override a threatened veto of federal funding of research involving embryonic stem-cells.

"We have the momentum, we have the votes, we have the support of the public," Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo., told reporters about the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act.

Last year, the House passed the same bill 238-194 and the Senate passed it 63-37, not enough to override Bush's sole exercise of his veto power.

At the time, Bush said that the research "crosses a moral boundary that our decent society needs to respect."

Last week, White House spokesman Tony Snow said the president's position has not changed.

The House is slated to take up the matter again on Thursday and the Senate intends to take up the legislation in short order.

Meanwhile, the president has not been receptive to discussing the matter, DeGette said. "Tragically, again, the president has refused to meet with us."

But Rep. Mike Castle, R-Del., said he still hoped to put together legislation that Bush would sign, and cited possible amendments that might make it more palatable to the president, including funding for embryo adoption, putting informed consent into the law and creating an ethical oversight body.

"We aren't sure exactly what they're looking for but, hopefully, they will be receptive to suggestions," Castle said.

The issue has split the Republican Party, with Bush siding with the Catholic Church and social conservatives against the GOP's more moderate voices.

Supporters include former Sen. Bill Frist, R-Tenn. -- a physician -- and former first lady Nancy Reagan, whose husband's long battle with Alzheimer's disease helped draw attention to the issue.

Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, described the bill as "the pre-eminent pro-life position," in that it ensures that embryo farming would not occur and that the embryos would be used solely for research, not for implantation.

He noted that any government-funded research would involve only embryos that would otherwise have been discarded by in-vitro fertility centers after their customers no longer have any use for them.

"Why shouldn't we have the option of letting them be used for stem-cell research to save lives and to give hope to people?" he asked.

Sen. Orrin Hatch agreed. "I can't understand how we can cast aside and destroy at least 7,000 embryonic stem cells per year and say that that is pro-life," the Republican from Utah said. "The federal government should not be hamstringing any promising field of research."

Researchers hope to treat Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, insulin-requiring diabetes and spinal-cord injuries by turning stem cells into those cells missing or destroyed by disease or injury. But the use of embryonic stem cells has troubled people who believe that life begins at conception.

Absence of federal funding has not stopped the work. Some states, such as California, are circumventing the restriction by funding the work themselves.

But, with a budget of $29 billion, the National Institutes of Health is the biggest single source of funding for clinical research.

Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., said it was "scandalous" that eight years have passed without federal funding being available.

He called on members of Congress who voted against the bill last year "to be brought to their senses," and for pressure to be put on Bush too.

"There ought to be a Million-Person March organized on the mall ... that can be heard in the living quarters of the White House," he said.

DeGette said recent research into the use of stem cells taken from amniotic fluid is promising, but does not obviate the need for research involving embryonic stem cells.

She cited a letter from Dr. Anthony Atala, who carried out the research on amniotic stem cells at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C., in which he said his work complements embryonic stem-cell research, but that work on the latter is still needed.

Harkin called on reporters to exercise restraint on such matters. "Beware of overhyping incremental advances on medical research, especially when they're published on the eve of a congressional debate," he said.

He accused some reporters of "breathlessly touting" Atala's study on amniotic fluid as a source of stem cells as if it made all other forms of stem-cell research irrelevant.

In 2001, Bush signed an executive order limiting federal funding of stem-cell research to those embryonic lines then in existence. The compromise was intended to placate the critics, but researchers have since found those stem-cell lines are contaminated and unusable for research. Researchers complain that new, more promising cell lines are not eligible for use.

Stem cells are typically taken from days-old human embryos and grown in a laboratory into lines or colonies. Because the embryos are destroyed when the cells are extracted, some people link the process to abortion.

Where one falls in the debate comes down to when one believes that life begins, with those Americans who believe life begins when sperm hits the egg typically opposing the work.

But studies show that many Americans disagree.

Last week, an Opinion Research poll carried out for CNN found that 62 percent of Americans said they favored federal funding for stem-cell research, while 32 percent opposed it.

That's up from a 54 percent approval last October. The polls had sampling errors of plus or minus 3 points.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said that she would not be deterred, even if the bill fails to pass this year. "I'm strongly of the view we should pass the bill again and again and again and again, until we get a president who will sign it. Hopefully, this president will recognize that time has come." (Posted 1:35 p.m.)

Somali villagers report new airstrikes near Kenyan border

MOGADISHU, Somalia (CNN) -- Villagers in southern Somalia reported more airstrikes in their region Tuesday, although it was not clear if the attacks were carried out by Ethiopian or U.S. helicopters.

Tuesday's airstrikes struck targets in villages near the Kenyan border, local residents told journalist Mohamed Amin.

On Sunday night, a U.S. aerial gunship carried out an airstrike on suspected al Qaeda targets in the same area, Pentagon and White House spokesmen confirmed.

It was the first overt U.S. military action in Somalia since the U.S. military pulled out of Mogadishu in 1994, months after militia fighters loyal to a Somali warlord shot down two Black Hawk helicopters, killing 18 U.S. special forces.

Ethiopia's air force has carried out airstrikes as part of its military effort to support Somalia's interim government forces in their battle against Islamist fighters.

A senior Pentagon official said Sunday's U.S. airstrike targeted five al Qaeda operatives who fled to southern Somalia late last month after Ethiopian-backed Somali troops forced Islamist militants out of the Somali capital, Mogadishu.

The operatives are believed to have been behind the 1998 bombings of the U.S. embassies in Tanzania and Kenya, U.S. military officials said.

U.S. officials have accused the Islamic Courts Union -- which wrested control of Mogadishu from a U.S.-backed coalition of warlords in June -- of harboring al Qaeda terrorists, including suspects in the 1998 bombings. The Islamists have denied the allegations.

The U.S. Department of Defense offered no details on whether Sunday's airstrike was successful, or whether the U.S. military has carried out further airstrikes.

White House spokesman Tony Snow confirmed a U.S. miltiary operation was carried out in Somalia overnight Sunday, but referred all specific questions on the incident to the Pentagon. Snow added that he did not believe the U.S. Congress was consulted on the matter.

The operation, carried out by an Air Force AC-130, was launched based on intelligence that al Qaeda operatives were in that location.

Responding to news of the operation on Tuesday, Somalia's interim President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed had few details, but supported its goals.

"I don't know that airstrike was in two places or not, but if its confirmed, I agree with the Americans to target those who were behind the bombings of U.S. embassies in East Africa."

Additionally, the Pentagon official said, the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower has moved within striking distance of Somalia, but its jets have not been put to use.

-- CNN Senior Pentagon Correspondent Jamie McIntyre contributed to this report (Posted 1:08 a.m.)

Clock starts ticking on House's 100 hour promise

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The clock counting down the first 100 hours of legislative action in the House began ticking at around 1 p.m. Tuesday.

The first item on the agenda was consideration of a bill to implement recommendations from the independent commission that investigated the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. (Posted 1:02 p.m.)

Charred homes smolder in Malibu after wildfire rips through neighborhood

MALIBU, California (CNN) -- As dawn broke on the beaches of this upscale neighborhood Tuesday, small flames lit the smoldering remains of at least four homes destroyed by a fast-moving wildfire Monday.

Four other homes and a guest house were damaged by the wind-driven flames that scorched 20 acres and everything in them, according to Los Angeles County Fire Inspector Ed Lozano.

One of the homes involved belongs to actress Suzanne Somers. Somers' publicist, Sandi Mendelson, said the actress and her husband, Alan Hamel, were not at home when the flames destroyed their home and car.

"My nature is to look at the glass half-full," Somers said in a statement released by her publicist. "I don't have a son or daughter in Iraq. I haven't lost a loved one. We will rebuild, and I truly believe we will learn something great from this experience."

The first call about the fire came at about 5 p.m. (8 p.m. ET) Monday as it was burning in the area of the Pacific Coast Highway and Malibu Road, according to a spokesman for Los Angeles County Fire Department.

A Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department spokesman said that evacuations had been ordered on the west end of Malibu Road, which runs parallel to the Pacific Coast Highway.

Highly combustible and oily brush were easy fodder for the flames, which swept down the slopes of the coastal canyons, pushed by the Santa Ana winds.

The area sees such fires every two to three years.

In 1993, actor Sean Penn lost a home in Malibu in a wildfire.

-- CNN's Chris Lawrence contributed to this report (Posted 12:55 p.m.)

Clock to begin ticking on House's 100 hour promise around 1:30 p.m.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The clock counting down the first 100 hours of legislative action in the House will begin ticking around 1:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Despite earlier guidance from House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer that the Democrats would start their clock at noon, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office has now decided it will not start until approximately 1:30 p.m. because they wanted it to begin with debate on a bill to implement recommendations from the independent commission that investigated the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

"For the remainder of the 100 hours agenda, the clock will begin each day at the start of legislative business and end with the termination of that day's legislative business (beginning of special orders)," said a statement from Hoyer's office.

In the run-up to November's midterm election, House Democrats vowed that if they won a majority, they would put the country on a new course by passing six major pieces of legislation, addressing Democratic priorities, in just 100 hours of floor time.

However, the "100 hours" legislation will have to clear the Senate, which operates at a more languid pace, and President Bush could use his veto pen to derail measures he finds objectionable.

On Monday, Pelosi worked to buttress support for House Resolution 1 -- on the implementation of the 9/11 Committees recommendations -- and appeared with two former Democratic congressman who served on the 9/11 commission, Lee Hamilton and Tim Roemer, who both offered their endorsements.

"If this bill ... is enacted, funded and implemented, then the American people will be safer," said Hamilton, who estimated that about half of the commission's recommendations have not yet been put into place. "We are -- all of us on the 9/11 commission -- deeply pleased that the speaker and the leadership of the House have decided to put this bill forward with the number one designation."

House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., said Monday that under the provisions of H.R. 1, all air cargo would be screened within three years and all shipped cargo in about four years. The measure also would change the way homeland security funding is distributed to states.

"All states will receive a minimum amount of funding, but the rest of the money will be targeted based on risks," Thompson said.

Lawmakers from New York and other states with potential terror targets have long complained that too much of the federal funding earmarked for homeland security is being sent to states and communities where the risk of an attack is low.

The House resolution will also require federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to better share information, and it sets up a grant program to fund communications improvements so that all first responders can talk to each other over "interoperable" systems, Thompson said.

In a move aimed at addressing another key recommendation of the 9/11 commission, the House will take up a separate measure Tuesday to create a new select committee designed to better integrate U.S. intelligence oversight with the appropriations process.

The new panel would include members from both the Intelligence Committee, which authorizes and oversees intelligence programs, and the Appropriations Committee, which holds their purse strings.

"We will have the ability of both committees to work together to see to it that we conduct oversight not only of budget actions, but also of activities of the intelligence community," said Rep. David Obey, D-Wis., chairman of the Appropriations Committee.

The 9/11 commission recommended that intelligence oversight by Congress be reorganized, calling it "dysfunctional."

In the first 100 hours of legislative action, the House also plans to consider proposals on the minimum wage, stem cell research, prescription drug prices in Medicare, student loans and energy. (Posted 12:34 p.m.)

Explosion, violence in Mogadishu signal ongoing chaos

MOGADISHU, Somalia (CNN) -- A massive explosion ripped through a main square in southern Mogadishu late Tuesday, sparking a gunbattle, according to sources in the Somali capital.

It is unclear who was involved in the attack, which happened near the K4 square in the capital, journalist Mohamed Amin told CNN.

K4 -- which stands for "kilometer-four" -- is a strategic road junction that connects Mogadishu's airport and seaport.

Ethiopian troops backing the interim Somalian government's forces have established two camps near the square and were the target of a rocket-propelled grenade attack two nights ago.

Islamist fighters abandoned Mogadishu in late December as Ethiopian and Somali troops advanced on the capital. Since then, chaos has gripped the capital city.

Dangerous "freelance" militia fighters who have no allegiance to any group or individual are patrolling Mogadishu's streets with pistols and handguns, Amin told CNN.

The gunmen have forbidden people from speaking on cell phones in public and are imposing other restrictions, he said.

Somalia's interim President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed promised Tuesday to track down militia fighters contributing to the anarchy in the capital. (Posted 12:31 p.m.)

U.S. sub hits Japanese tanker; no injuries reported

From CNN Senior Pentagon Correspondent Jamie McIntyre

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A U.S. submarine collided with a Japanese oil tanker late Monday, U.S. and Japanese officials said.

According to the U.S. Navy and Japan's Foreign Ministry, the USS Newport News was in the Arabian Sea south of the Straits of Hormuz when it hit the tanker Mogamigawa.

A U.S. Navy official said the sub was "operating at an appropriate, safe navigational depth at the time of the incident."

There were no injuries, but there was some damage, a senior U.S. Navy official told CNN. "Neither ship is in extremis," the official said, meaning the damage was not serious enough to put the ships in jeopardy.

According to Navy spokeswoman Lt. Ruth Rayburn in Manama, Bahrain, damage to the Newport News was being evaluated and the incident was under investigation.

"I am relieved to hear that there were no casualties and no oil leak as a result of the accident," said Japanese Transportation Minister Tetsuzo Fuyushiba, adding the tanker was headed to the nearest port in the United Arab Emirates to be checked for damage. According to Fuyushiba, Tokyo has asked Washington for details of the accident.

The incident recalled a previous collision between a U.S. submarine and a Japanese ship. On Feb. 9, 2001, the USS Greeneville struck the training ship Ehime Maru during an emergency ascent demonstration. Nine people, including four high school students, were killed. Twenty-six others on the ship were rescued.

-- CNN Correspondent Kathleen Koch contributed to this report (Posted 11:42 a.m.)

Kennedy to push for congressional OK for any U.S. troop hike in Iraq

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. Edward Kennedy introduced a bill Tuesday that would require congressional approval before President Bush escalates troop levels in Iraq.

In addition, no money can be spent to send additional troops to Iraq unless Congress approves additional forces.

The Massachusetts Democrat is to address the National Press Club Tuesday afternoon.

The legislation will likely set up a showdown between the new Democratic-controlled Congress and the White House over Bush's anticipated new strategy for Iraq, which reportedly includes sending at least 20,000 U.S. troops to curb the violence there.

Bush is to address the nation with details of his plan Wednesday night.

As a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, the Massachusetts Democrat has been a leading opponent of the war, and has consistently called for a political solution to the escalating violence.

According to advance excerpts of Kennedy's comments, he introduced the legislation "to reclaim the rightful role of Congress and the people's right to a full voice in the president's plan to send more troops to Iraq."

Kennedy voted against the March 2003 invasion of Iraq, and calls that "the best vote I've cast in my 44 years in the United States Senate."

In January 2005, Kennedy urged the United States to begin withdrawing its troops. He compared the war in Iraq to the protracted Vietnam War, drawing intense criticism from the Bush administration. Kennedy believes that, as with Vietnam, the best solution to the Iraq crisis is political, not military.

"The American people sent a clear message in November that we must change course in Iraq and begin to withdraw our troops, not escalate their presence," Kennedy says, referring to the midterm elections that wrested control of Congress from Republicans to Democrats

"An escalation, whether it is called a surge or any other name, is still an escalation, and I believe it would be an immense new mistake."

"It would compound the original misguided decision to invade Iraq. We cannot simply speak out against an escalation of troops in Iraq. We must act to prevent it," Kennedy adds.

The senator stressed that his support of the forces in Iraq won't waver.

"The best immediate way to support our troops is by refusing to inject more and more of them into the cauldron of a civil war that can be resolved only by the people and government of Iraq."

"The mission of our armed forces today in Iraq bears no resemblance whatever to the mission authorized by Congress," according to Kennedy.

The 2002 Iraq War Resolution "authorized a war to destroy weapons of mass destruction. But there were no WMDs to destroy. It authorized a war with Saddam Hussein. But today, Saddam is no more. It authorized a war because Saddam was allied with al Qaeda. But there was no alliance."

"Our history makes clear that a new escalation in our forces will not advance our national security," Kennedy says. "It will not move Iraq toward self-government, and it will needlessly endanger our troops by injecting more of them into the middle of a civil war."

Addressing the debate over whether the sectarian violence in Iraq has risen to the level of a civil war, hsi bill says: "On March 5, 2006, General (William) Nash said 'we're in a civil war now; it's just that not everybody's joined in."

Nash, now retired, served in the Vietnam War and in Operation Desert Storm (the first Gulf War) before becoming commander of U.S. forces in Bosnia. He is a senior fellow with the Council on Foreign Relations.

Kennedy also quotes other government current and former leaders to buttress his case.

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell said in December, "I am not persuaded that another surge of troops into Baghdad for the purposes of suppressing this communitarian violence, this civil war, will work."

And Gen. John Abizaid, head of the U.S. Central Command who will retire in March, said increasing troops numbers is not the answer.

Kennedy's bill is one of several attempts by Democrats to prevent an escalation of the war.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority leader Harry Reid both indicated Monday they might consider blocking new funds for a troop spike, while other senators have said they are considering legislation to cap the number of troops authorized to fight.

"Senator Kennedy's resolution underscores the significant opposition on the Hill, and with the American people, to the president's plan. This is only one of several ideas about how to respond to the president's proposal on Iraq," said Jim Manley, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

Republican Sen. John Warner has also said in recent weeks that Congress might need to reauthorize the war effort. But he said Monday he won't advocate such a debate until after Bush announces his new plan.

--CNN's Congressional Producer Ted Barrett contributed to this report (Posted 11:16 a.m.)

Two students shot outside high school in Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS (CNN) -- Two students were shot outside Western High School Tuesday, a Clark County Schools police official told CNN.

Lt. Ken Young said it appeared to be a kind of "road rage" incident in which the suspected shooter followed the victims to school and shot them in the parking lot.

The students were taken to University Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries, Young said.

CNN affiliate KVBC reported the incident stemmed from a verbal altercation at a convenience store near the school.

The suspect has not been apprehended, Young said.

Dean of students Leslie Russell told CNN that police were finishing their investigation in the parking lot and classes were being held as usual at the school. (Posted 11:10 a.m.)

Fierce battle between U.S., Iraqi forces in Baghdad Sunni stronghold; at least 50 insurgents dead

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- In some of the fiercest fighting the Iraqi capital has seen in months, about 1,000 U.S. and Iraqi forces Tuesday battled insurgents from the ground and the air along Haifa Street in central Baghdad, a stronghold of the Sunni insurgency, CNN's Arwa Damon reported.

At least 50 insurgents were killed in Tuesday's battle, which began before dawn and continued for more than 10 hours, an Iraqi defense ministry spokesman said.

Another 21 insurgents were detained, including three Syrians and two Sudanese, the spokesman said.

Some of the U.S. soldiers involved in the fighting said it was the most intense fighting they had seen in their deployment. according to Damon, who is embedded with the U.S. Army's 3rd Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division.

In addition to sniper and machine gun fire, insurgents fired rocket-propelled grenades and mortar rounds that shook entire buildings, Damon reported.

At one point, U.S. forces were pinned down on rooftops for hours because of the intensity of the incoming rounds, some of which ricocheted within feet of the soldiers.

Throughout the day, gunfire could be heard in the background of Damon's live reports. Video showed Apache attack helicopters firing Hellfire missiles at targets on the ground and U.S. fighter jets patrolling the skies over Baghdad.

The aircraft were sent in at midday Tuesday to support the ground forces fighting what the military described as a "sophisticated enemy."

"This isn't a rag-tag bunch of insurgents running around trying to make trouble," CNN's Michael Holmes said, citing U.S. military sources. "This is a very coordinated operation."

The sources said the insurgents -- a combination of Saddam loyalists and al Qaeda in Iraq fighters -- include snipers positioned on rooftops, gunmen patrolling the streets in pairs who were "falling back and regrouping" during the firefight, Holmes reported.

At one point, insurgents fired machine guns and RPGs from a mosque, prompting U.S. forces to return fire, Damon said. The insurgents pulled back only to return later to the mosque and continue their assault on U.S. and Iraqi troops.

The fighting, which took place along a two-mile stretch of Haifa street, ended around 4 p.m. (8 a.m. ET).

An Iraqi military official said the military clampdown on Haifa Street is not part of the new Baghdad security plan, announced Saturday by Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.

That plan is not expected to get underway for awhile, the official said.

The violence along Haifa Street began Saturday after Iraqi police -- trying to recover bodies dumped near the Sheikh Maarouf cemetery near Haifa Street -- came under intense gunfire and withdrew, an interior ministry official. The Iraqi army, which controls the area, became involved in an intense gun battle and requested help from the U.S. military, the official said.

At least 11 insurgents were killed in Saturday's clashes and several others detained.

The fighting continued on Sunday. Eight Iraqi soldiers were killed and six others were wounded when they ran out of ammunition in the midst of a firefight with insurgents.

While U.S. soldiers operating in the same area responded to the initial request for back-up, the U.S. military began its major assault on the Haifa Street militants Tuesday morning.

In 2004, the Haifa Street neighborhood was the scene of intense street battles. After they subsided, the U.S. military was able to turn over security responsibilities to Iraqi security forces.

Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said Haifa Street harbors many "terrorist hideouts," which are the main targets of Iraqi and U.S. forces.

"The operations will be thunderous and stealthy to stop groups in that area from threatening Baghdad's security," al-Dabbagh said. "We're going to clear this area and, God willing, Haifa Street will never threaten the Iraqi people."

-- CNN's Jomana Karadsheh, Ryan Chilcote and Sam Dagher contributed to this report (Posted 11:07 a.m.)

Shooting outside high school in Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS (CNN) -- As many as two people were shot outside Western High School Tuesday, CNN affiliate KVBC reported.

Officer Martin Wright with Las Vegas Metro Police confirmed there was a shooting at that school but said the number of victims is not known at this time.

KVBC reported the incident stemmed from a verbal altercation at a convenience store near the school.

The suspect apparently followed the victim or victims to the school and shot them in the parking lot, the local station reported.

The victims were taken to University Medical Center, KVBC said.

The suspect has not been apprehended, the station said.

Dean of students Leslie Russell told CNN that police were finishing their investigation in the parking lot and classes were being held as usual at the school. (Posted 11 a.m.)

Kennedy to push for congressional OK for any U.S. troop hike in Iraq

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. Edward Kennedy intends to introduce legislation Tuesday that would require congressional approval before President Bush escalates troop levels in Iraq, and is to discuss his proposal during an afternoon appearance at the National Press Club.

Bush is to address the nation with details of his proposal Wednesday night.

"Today I am introducing legislation to reclaim the rightful role of Congress and the people's right to a full voice in the president's plan to send more troops to Iraq," according to advance excerpts of Kennedy's comments.

"My bill will say that no additional troops can be sent and no additional dollars can be spent on such an escalation, unless and until Congress approves the President's plan," according to excerpts from the speech.

Kennedy voted against the March 2003 invasion of Iraq, and calls that "the best vote I've cast in my 44 years in the United States Senate."

"The way to start is by acting on the president's new plan," according to Kennedy.

"An escalation, whether it is called a surge or any other name, is still an escalation, and I believe it would be an immense new mistake."

"It would compound the original misguided decision to invade Iraq. We cannot simply speak out against an escalation of troops in Iraq. We must act to prevent it," Kennedy adds.

The senator stressed that his support of current forces in Iraq won't waver.

"The best immediate way to support our troops is by refusing to inject more and more of them into the cauldron of a civil war that can be resolved only by the people and government of Iraq."

"The mission of our armed forces today in Iraq bears no resemblance whatever to the mission authorized by Congress," according to Kennedy.

The Iraq War resolution "authorized a war to destroy weapons of mass destruction. But there were no WMDs to destroy. It authorized a war with Saddam Hussein. But today, Saddam is no more. It authorized a war because Saddam was allied with al Qaeda. But there was no alliance."

Kennedy's bill is one of several attempts by Democrats to prevent an escalation of the war.

--CNN's Congressional Producer Ted Barrett contributed to this report (Posted 10:38 a.m.)

Shooting outside high school in Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS (CNN) -- A shooting occurred Tuesday outside Western High School, according to Officer Martin Wright with Las Vegas Metro Police.

The number of victims is not known at this time, Wright told CNN. (Posted 10:36 a.m.)

Fierce battle between U.S., Iraqi forces in Baghdad Sunni stronghold; at least 50 insurgents dead

At least 50 insurgents were killed in Tuesday's battle, which began in the pre-dawn hours and lasted for over 10 hours, an Iraqi defense ministry spokesman said. Another 21 insurgents were detained, including three Syrians and two Sudanese, the spokesman said.

"We are seeing U.S. and Iraqi troops being attacked by snipers, by mortar rounds, by small arms fire," said Damon, who was embedded with the U.S. Army's 3rd Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division.

"This is all part of an ongoing effort to secure Haifa Street."

Throughout the day, gunfire could be heard in the background of Damon's live reports. Video showed Apache attack helicopters and U.S. fighter jets patrolling the skies over Baghdad, occasionally firing at targets on the ground.

The aircraft were sent in midday Tuesday to support the ground forces fighting what the military described as a "sophisticated enemy."

"This isn't a rag-tag bunch of insurgents running around trying to make trouble," CNN's Michael Holmes said, citing U.S. military sources. "This is a very coordinated operation."

The fighting ended around 4 p.m. (8 a.m. ET).

An Iraqi military official said the military clampdown on Haifa Street is not part of the new Baghdad security plan, announced Saturday by Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.

That plan is not expected to get underway for awhile, the official said.

At least 11 insurgents were killed in Saturday's clashes and several others detained.

The fighting continued on Sunday. Eight Iraqi soldiers were killed and six others were wounded when they ran out of ammunition in the midst of a firefight with insurgents.

While U.S. soldiers operating in the same area responded to the initial request for back-up, the U.S. military began its major assault on the Haifa Street militants Tuesday morning.

Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said many "terrorist hideouts" are along Haifa Street and are the main target of Iraqi and U.S. forces.

-- CNN's Jomana Karadsheh, Ryan Chilcote and Sam Dagher contributed to this report (Posted 9:51 a.m.)

Basque separatist group ETA takes blame for Madrid airport blast

From CNN Madrid Bureau Chief Al Goodman

MADRID (CNN) -- The Basque separatist group ETA claimed responsibility Tuesday for the Madrid airport bombing on Dec. 30 that killed two people, but ETA also insisted, in a statement to a Basque newspaper, that its 9-month-old cease-fire remained intact.

Authorities had already blamed the car-bomb attack on the separatist group. The attack killed two Ecuadorean immigrants and caused slight injuries to about 20 other people.

After the bombing, which collapsed a five-story parking garage and caused other damage at the airport's newest terminal, the government said the fledging peace process was finished.

ETA assumed blame for the blast in the Basque newspaper Gara, where ETA often takes responsibility for attacks. There were three warning calls before the bombing, including one in the name of ETA.

Also Tuesday, police arrested two suspected members of ETA in southern France, the Spanish Interior Ministry said in a statement.

The arrests of the two men were the first such detentions since the airport car bombing. Both suspects had been sought in connection with a car bomb seized in Spain's northern Basque country last week, as well as a nearby ETA weapons hideout discovered December 23, Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba told a news conference in Madrid.

Spain's Interior Ministry identified the suspects as Asier Larrinaga Rodriguez and Garikoitz Etxebarria Goikoetxea, and distributed their photographs.

French police, working with Spanish police, arrested both suspects near the southern French town of Ascain, near the Spanish border, the statement said.

The separatist group had promised that its cease-fire -- declared March 22 -- would be "permanent," raising hopes for an end to nearly 40 years of ETA violence blamed for more than 800 deaths and thousands of injuries. ETA wants an independent Basque homeland.

ETA has traditionally used southern France, just north of Spain's Basque region, as a rear-guard logistics base. But in recent years, increased French and Spanish police cooperation has made it more difficult for ETA operatives in France.

There are about 500 ETA convicts or suspects in Spanish jails and more than 100 more in French jails, authorities have told CNN. (Posted 9:19 a.m.)

Turkish foreign ministry: Plane carrying Turkish workers crashes north of Baghdad; 30 dead

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- A plane carrying Turkish workers crashed Tuesday morning near an airport in Balad, Iraq -- north of Baghdad -- killing 30 and injuring two others, Turkey's foreign ministry told CNN.

The plane, operated by a company based in Moldova, went down in heavy fog about two and a half kilometers northwest of Balad, the ministry said. It had departed from Adana, Turkey around 6 a.m. (7 a.m. Baghdad time) and crashed about six hours later. (Posted 8:58 a.m.)

Basque separatist group ETA takes blame for Madrid airport blast

From CNN Madrid Bureau Chief Al Goodman

After the bombing, which wrecked a five-story parking garage and caused other damage at the airport's newest terminal, the government said the fledging peace process was finished.

ETA made its claim of responsibility in the Basque newspaper Gara, where ETA often takes responsibility for attacks. There were three warning calls before the Madrid airport blast, including one in the name of ETA. Authorities had already blamed the attack on the separatist group.(Posted 8:38 a.m.)

U.S., Iraqi forces fight insurgents in the heart of the capital

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- In some of the fiercest fighting the Iraqi capital has seen in months, about 1,000 U.S. and Iraqi forces Tuesday battled insurgents along Haifa Street in central Baghdad, a stronghold of the Sunni insurgency, CNN's Arwa Damon reported.

At least 50 insurgents were killed in Tuesday's firefight, which began around 6 a.m. local time (10 p.m. Monday ET) and follows three days of violence in the neighborhood, an Iraqi defense ministry spokesman said. Another 21 insurgents were detained, including three Syrians and two Sudanese, the spokesman said.

"We are seeing U.S. and Iraqi troops being attacked by snipers, by mortar rounds, by small arms fire," said Damon, who is embedded with the U.S. Army's 3rd Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division.

"This is all part of an ongoing effort to secure Haifa Street."

By midday Tuesday, the U.S. military sent in fixed-wing attack aircraft and Apache attack helicopters to support the ground forces.

The Iraqi and U.S. military clampdown on Haifa Street appears to be part of a new Baghdad security plan, announced Saturday by Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.

"The Baghdad security plan will hunt down all outlaws regardless of their sectarian and political affiliations," al-Maliki announced during a speech at an Iraqi Army Day parade.

At a news conference Tuesday, Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said the Baghdad security plan will take the "positive side of previous plans and avoid the mistakes that happened during the past plans."

One of those failed plans was "Operation Together Forward," which was launched in June and failed to stem the growing insurgency in Baghdad.

"Operation Together Forward was a failure because we were not able to hold the areas," Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno, the newly installed day-to-day commander of military operations in Iraq, told CNN over the weekend. (Posted 8:26 a.m.)

Jordan kills suspected al Qaeda militant

AMMAN (CNN) -- Jordanian security forces killed a suspected al Qaeda-linked militant during a shootout in the northern Jordanian city of Irbid on Tuesday, a government spokesman said. (Posted 7:12 a.m.)

U.S., Iraqi forces fight insurgents in the heart of the capital

BAGHDAD (CNN) --About 1,000 U.S. and Iraqi forces Tuesday waged a fierce firefight with insurgents along Haifa Street in central Baghdad, a stronghold of the Sunni insurgency, CNN's Arwa Damon reported.

The firefight began around 6 a.m. local time (10 p.m. Monday ET) as Iraqi police were trying to recover bodies dumped in the Haifa Street area, which is under Iraqi control. The Iraqi police came under intense gunfire and requested back-up from the U.S. military.

"We are seeing U.S. and Iraqi troops being attacked by snipers, by mortar rounds, by small arms fire," said Damon. "This is all part of an ongoing effort to secure Haifa Street."

Later in the day, the U.S. military sent in fixed-wing attack aircraft and Apache attack helicopters to support the ground forces.

The operation follows a weekend in which eight Iraqi soldiers were killed when they ran out of ammunition in the midst of a firefight with insurgents.

Damon is embedded with the U.S. Army's 3rd Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division.(Posted 7:10 a.m.)

Iraqi government has 'no objection' to more U.S. forces in Iraq

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said Baghdad has "no objection" to an increased number of U.S. troops in Iraq, which President Bush in expected to call for in an address Wednesday.

"The goal set by the Iraqi government is to protect the Iraqi people and Baghdad and other areas," al-Dabbagh said Tuesday. "If this is going to be accomplished through ... an increase in coalition forces, the Iraqi government has no objection to this and supports this trend."

Al-Dabbagh spoke at a joint news conference with U.S. military spokesman Rear Adm. Mark Fox, who replaced Maj. Gen. William Caldwell.

Sources said Bush's plan will call for sending at least 20,000 U.S. troops to Baghdad and perhaps other areas in the region. (Posted 7:08 a.m.)

Police arrest 2 ETA suspects in France, following bombing at Madrid airport

MADRID (CNN) -- Police arrested two suspected members of the Basque separatist group ETA in southern France Tuesday, the Spanish Interior Ministry said in a statement.

The arrests were the first such detentions since a car bomb exploded at a Madrid airport parking garage on December 30, killing two people and ending a nine-month ETA cease-fire.

Both suspects were arrested near the southern French town of Ascain, the statement said.

The separatist group had promised its cease-fire -- declared March 22 -- would be "permanent," raising hopes for an end to nearly 40 years of ETA violence blamed for more than 800 deaths and thousands of injuries. ETA wants an independent Basque homeland.

The car bombing at Madrid's airport killed two Ecuadorean immigrants, caused slight injuries to about 20 others and severely damaged the parking garage. (Posted 5:50 a.m.)

U.S., Iraqi forces fight insurgents in the heart of the capital

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- U.S. and Iraqi forces battled insurgents in central Baghdad Tuesday, trading intense fire along busy Haifa Street, CNN's Arwa Damon reported.

At midday (4 a.m. ET), Damon said about 1,000 soldiers were engaged in a "fierce gunbattle" in an area of the capital known as a stronghold of the Sunni insurgency. At that point, the fighting had been underway for six hours.

According to Damon, the troops were under intense mortar, small arms and sniper fire.

The effort to secure the Haifa Street area follows a weekend in which eight Iraqi soldiers were killed when they ran out of ammunition in the midst of a firefight with insurgents.

Damon is embedded with the U.S. Army's 3rd Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division. (Posted 4:30 a.m.)

U.S. sub hits Japanese tanker; no injuries reported

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A U.S. submarine collided with a Japanese oil tanker late Monday, U.S. and Japanese officials said.

According to the U.S. Navy and Japan's Foreign Ministry, the USS Newport News was surfacing in the Arabian Sea south of the Straits of Hormuz when it hit the tanker Mogamigawa.

According to Navy spokeswoman Lt. Ruth Rayburn in Manama, Bahrain, damage to the Newport News was being evaluated and the incident was under investigation.

According to Fuyushiba, Tokyo has asked Washington for details of the accident. (Posted 2:40 a.m.)

Wildfire hits Malibu

LOS ANGELES (CNN) -- A wind-driven wildfire swept across 10 acres and burned at least 6 homes, destroying four of them, in upscale Malibu Monday, a spokesman for Los Angeles County Fire Department told CNN.

The first call about the fire came at about 5 p.m. (8 p.m. ET) as it was burning in the area of the Pacific Coast Highway and Malibu Road.

Fire spokesman Chris Friedman said 150 firefighters with 20 engines and helicopters were fighting the blaze.

A Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department spokesman said that evacuations had been ordered on the west end of Malibu Road, which runs parallel to the Pacific Coast Highway. (Posted 2:05 a.m.)

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World

Boxer Johnny Tapia's 'crazy life' ends

The crazy life of Johnny Tapia -- a five-time world champion boxer who once wrote that he had been "raised to fight to the death" -- ended this week at age 45.

Tuesday, January 9

U.S. soldier shot, killed in Diyala province

Murtha to hold hearings on Gitmo

House passes 9/11 implementation measure

Official: Bush to announce 20,000 more troops to Baghdad, Anbar

U.S. soldier killed in Diyala province

Judge rejects media request for daily audio recordings in Libby trial

New Orleans officials announce initiatives to combat crime wave

Authorities investigating cause of Malibu fire that destroyed 5 oceanside homes

Commuter train crash near Boston kills 2

U.S. troops scramble for cover during intense firefight

Bush announces selection of Fielding to replace Miers as White House counsel

Kennedy says more troops for Iraq an 'immense new mistake,' demands vote

Sen. Johnson's condition upgraded to fair

Maliki: Iraq nixed U.S. request to delay hanging to quell deal rumors

U.S. Treasury designates Iranian bank as supporter of WMD proliferation

Advocates optimistic embryonic stem-cell bill will pass this time

Somali villagers report new airstrikes near Kenyan border

Clock starts ticking on House's 100 hour promise

Charred homes smolder in Malibu after wildfire rips through neighborhood

Clock to begin ticking on House's 100 hour promise around 1:30 p.m.

Explosion, violence in Mogadishu signal ongoing chaos

U.S. sub hits Japanese tanker; no injuries reported

Kennedy to push for congressional OK for any U.S. troop hike in Iraq

Two students shot outside high school in Las Vegas

Fierce battle between U.S., Iraqi forces in Baghdad Sunni stronghold; at least 50 insurgents dead

Shooting outside high school in Las Vegas

Kennedy to push for congressional OK for any U.S. troop hike in Iraq

Shooting outside high school in Las Vegas

Fierce battle between U.S., Iraqi forces in Baghdad Sunni stronghold; at least 50 insurgents dead

Basque separatist group ETA takes blame for Madrid airport blast

Turkish foreign ministry: Plane carrying Turkish workers crashes north of Baghdad; 30 dead

Basque separatist group ETA takes blame for Madrid airport blast

U.S., Iraqi forces fight insurgents in the heart of the capital

Jordan kills suspected al Qaeda militant

U.S., Iraqi forces fight insurgents in the heart of the capital

Iraqi government has 'no objection' to more U.S. forces in Iraq

Police arrest 2 ETA suspects in France, following bombing at Madrid airport

U.S., Iraqi forces fight insurgents in the heart of the capital

U.S. sub hits Japanese tanker; no injuries reported

Wildfire hits Malibu

Boxer Johnny Tapia's 'crazy life' ends

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