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Thursday, May 31

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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 Time.

Lebanon launches new attack on militants inside refugee camp

(CNN) -- Lebanon's military Friday launched a new artillery attack on a Palestinian refugee camp north of Tripoli where Islamic militants have been holed up, according to CNN's Beirut Bureau Chief Brent Sadler.

The renewed fighting comes after more than a week of relative quiet between the military and the militants of Fatah al Islam, which is said to be affiliated with al Qaeda, inside the camp.

"This is some of the heaviest daylight artillery fire since the start of the campaign to root out the militant faction made up of a number of groups and militant fighters," Sadler reported on CNN. (Posted 1:20 a.m.)

Bombing wounds at least 16 Indian soldiers in Kashmir

SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir (CNN) -- At least 16 Indian soldiers were wounded when a roadside bomb exploded next to their convoy in central Srinagar early Friday, a senior police official said.

The attack took place outside the prestigious Girls Presentation Convent High School in the Rajbagh section of the capital, although classes were not yet in session. Authorities closed the school for the day.

Just a day earlier, three Indian paramilitary troops were wounded in another roadside bombing in the northern Kashmiri town of Sopore.

Militants fighting for Kashmir's separation from India have been carrying out attacks against the Indian security forces in Kashmir for 18 years.

While Kashmiri authorities estimate that 42,000 people have died during the separatist violence, various human rights groups and other organizations have put the number at over 80,000.

From Mukhtar Ahmad (Posted 1:15 a.m.)

State Department warns Iranian-Americans about travel to Iran

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The State Department Thursday updated its warning about travel to Iran to include specific mention of several Iranian-American citizens who have been detained and imprisoned recently.

"Recently, Iranian authorities have prevented a number of Iranian-American citizen academics, journalists and others who traveled to Iran for personal reasons from leaving, and in some cases have detained and imprisoned them on various charges, including espionage and being a threat to the regime," the new warning reads.

"Americans of Iranian origin should consider the risk of being targeted by authorities before planning travel to Iran. Iranian authorities may deny dual nationals access to the United States Interests Section in Tehran, because they are considered to be solely Iranian citizens."

Four Iranian-Americans have either been imprisoned or had their passports revoked in recent months, and another American -- former FBI agent Robert Livingston -- has been missing since March 8, when he was last seen on Iran's Kish Island. (Posted 8:35 p.m.)

Libby defense argues against jail time

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Defense attorneys for Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff late Thursday filed arguments against sending Lewis "Scooter" Libby to prison, and in a document filed with the court described some of the "heartfelt letters" sent to the court they hope will help.

"Distinguished public servant. Generous mentor. Selfless friend. Devoted father," the defense counsel wrote. "This is the rich portrait of Mr. Libby that emerges" from letters the lawyers say have come from people ranging from "administrative assistants to admirals, neighborhood friends to former colleagues, Democrats to Republicans."

Libby was convicted in March of four counts involving obstruction, perjury and making false statements during an investigation into how the covert identity of CIA operative Valerie Plame Wilson was leaked.

Her husband, a former ambassador, had openly questioned the Bush basis for invading Iraq, and accused the administration of getting back at him by revealing his wife's CIA connection.

-- From CNN's Paul Courson (Posted 6:48 p.m.)

Nancy Reagan says late husband's diaries published 'for history's sake'

LOS ANGELES (CNN) -- After Ronald Reagan left the California governor's mansion in 1975, Nancy Reagan says she and her husband discovered they had trouble remembering the day-to-day details of their eight years in Sacramento.

"So we vowed then and there that if ever anything presented itself, that we would keep a diary," she said.

And when the Reagans were presented with the White House in 1981, the late president kept that vow, reflecting on each day in a leather-bound diary, written in his own neat hand.

"He did not write it for history," Nancy Reagan told CNN's "Larry King Live" in an interview telecast Thursday. "He wrote it for himself. As a matter of fact, he used all the material that was in the diary to write his autobiography. It would remind him of things."

Four years after his death, Reagan's presidential musings, recorded in five handwritten volumes, have now been collected in a new book, "The Reagan Diaries," edited by historian Douglas Brinkley. (Posted 6:41 p.m.)

Amid U.S.-Russian chill, Rice blasts Moscow on democracy, human rights

BERLIN (CNN) -- Amid a new chill between the United States and Russia, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice upped the ante Thursday, blasting Moscow's record on human rights and democracy.

The German foundation Atlantic Bruecke (Atlantic Bridge) praised Rice for her work promoting German reunification in 1990, when she was a mid-level Soviet specialist at the White House under the first President George Bush.

The award dinner took place in Potsdam, the East German city where Josef Stalin met U.S. President Harry Truman in 1945.

Rice said the United States wants a strong Russia as a partner, but Russia needs to adhere to democratic norms, such as allowing an independent judiciary, a free press and free and fair elections.

-- From CNN State Department Producer Elise Labott (Posted 6:40 p.m.)

Iraqi civilian deaths up sharply in May

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- Iraq's civilian death toll grew sharply in May despite an ongoing push to pacify the Iraqi capital, reversing a similar steep decline in April, an Interior Ministry official said Thursday.

Figures compiled by the country's health, defense and interior ministries showed 1,949 civilians were killed in the past month, up 30 percent from 1,501 deaths recorded in April, the official said. May's toll also topped the 1,872 civilian deaths recorded in March and 1,646 in February.

The new totals include 746 bodies found dumped on the streets of Baghdad -- a hallmark of the sectarian warfare that has wracked the country for more than a year. Twenty-nine of those turned up on Thursday alone.

Another 2,023 civilians were wounded, according to the Interior Ministry count. (Posted 6:38 p.m.)

TB-infected lawyer's odyssey ends in Denver hospital

DENVER (CNN) -- Eight days after he learned he is infected with a rare, often fatal form of tuberculosis, the 31-year-old personal-injury lawyer who flouted doctors' orders that he not travel on commercial jetliners ended his intercontinental odyssey Thursday confined in isolation to a Denver hospital room that will likely be his home for the next several weeks, if not longer.

Andrew Speaker appeared "very emotional about what has gone on, what hoopla has generated regarding this, but understandable about the concern," Dr. Gwen Huitt told reporters at National Jewish Medical and Research Center, which specializes in treating drug-resistant forms of TB.

"He's doing extremely well, is in very good spirits," Speaker's primary physician said. "He's not coughing, he's healthy, he does not have a fever, so he is of low communicability at this point in time."

Speaker's 19-day, eight-flight journey has left public health officials scrambling to find his fellow passengers and determine whether any of them was infected in flight. (Posted 6:35 p.m.)

Judge says public can see letters regarding upcoming sentence for ex-Cheney aide

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A federal judge has ordered the eventual release of more than 160 letters filed with the court regarding the sentencing of Lewis "Scooter" Libby, scheduled for June 5.

The former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney was convicted in March of four counts involving obstruction, perjury and making false statements during an investigation into how the covert identity of CIA operative Valerie Plame Wilson was leaked.

Her husband, a former ambassador, had openly questioned the Bush basis for invading Iraq, and accused the administration of getting back at him by revealing his wife's CIA connection.

Libby was the only person charged in the probe. --From CNN's Paul Courson (Posted 5:36 p.m.)

Bush sending top aide to Baghdad to push Iraqis on benchmarks

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush announced Thursday that he's dispatching a top aide to Baghdad to push Iraqi leaders toward taking political steps to help settle the 4-year-old conflict.

Meghan O'Sullivan, who had previously announced plans to leave the White House, will instead go to Iraq "to help the embassy help the Iraqis meet the benchmarks that the Congress and the president expect to get passed," Bush told reporters after a meeting with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani.

U.S. officials have pushed Iraqi leaders for months to approve a formula for dividing the country's oil wealth, to ease the ban that keeps former members of ex-dictator Saddam Hussein's Baath Party from holding public jobs, and to hold elections in the country's 18 provinces.

Those steps and others aimed at promoting national reconciliation are among the 18 "benchmarks" set by Congress in the $120 billion spending bill Bush signed last week. The United States could withhold reconstruction funds if the Iraqis fail to meet those standards, though the bill allowed Bush to waive that penalty if he sees fit. (Posted 5:03 p.m.)

Criminal defendant with pending high court appeal dies in carjacking

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A one-time criminal defendant whose appeal was pending before the Supreme Court was shot and killed early Wednesday in St. Louis during a carjacking attempt gone bad, police said.

Mario Claiborne's appellate attorney notified the high court Thursday of a "suggestion of death" involving Claiborne. Federal public defender Michael Dwyer said he did not know the exact cause of death, but Claiborne's mother "confirmed his death to counsel."

Neither Dwyer nor officials in his office were immediately available to comment.

Claiborne's death is likely to mean the high court will eventually dismiss his appeal. --From CNN Supreme Court Producer Bill Mears (Posted 5:01 p.m.)

Silenced Venezuelan TV station finds new voice on the Web

(CNN) -- Radio Caracas Television (RCTV), the station silenced by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, has found a way to continue its daily broadcasts -- on YouTube, the popular video Web site.

Although the station is officially off the air, CNN's Harris Whitbeck said its news department continues to operate on reduced staffing, and the three daily hour-long installments of the newscast "El Observador" are uploaded onto YouTube by RCTV's Web department.

In addition, RCTV's Columbia-based affiliate, Caracol, has agreed to transmit the evening installment of "El Observador" over its international signal. The program, which will run at midnight, could reach about 800,000 people in Venezuela.

Although this is drastically reduced from RCTV's previous audience, its continued presence is a sign of hope for the staff. "We're just doing our job as journalists," said an employee of RCTV. "As long as somebody is seeing us, we consider what we are doing to be valid." (Posted 4:26 p.m.)

Iran, EU talk nuclear activities

MADRID (CNN) -- Talks with Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Thursday gave "new impetus" to efforts to schedule formal negotiations, the European Union's foreign policy chief said.

Javier Solana said he and Ali Larijani will meet again in two weeks, and their deputies will meet next week.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, their second session during Larijani's visit, the Iranian negotiator said, "We are quite serious to reach out for a solution to this problem as soon as possible since we have found common ground."

The two men deflected questions about suspension of Iran's nuclear activities. (Posted 4:20 p.m.)

Hurricane season kicks off Friday; predicted to be active

(CNN) -- With one storm already under its belt, the 2007 Atlantic hurricane season "begins" Friday, and forecasters have warned it could be busier than usual, although perhaps not to the level seen two years ago.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted earlier this month that 13 to 17 named storms will form in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico before the end of the year, with seven to 10 of them strengthening into hurricanes and three to five of those classified as major -- Category 3 or stronger, with winds exceeding 110 mph.

The average hurricane season brings 11 named storms, with six hurricanes and two major hurricanes. NOAA estimated the odds of a more active season at 75 percent.

Already, one storm has blossomed -- Subtropical Storm Andrea, which made its debut May 9. Subtropical storms differ from tropical storms in characteristics relating to wind and temperature, according to the National Hurricane Center's Web site. Nevertheless, Andrea briefly prompted tropical storm watches along the Georgia and Florida coasts before fading out. The storm did, however, dump some much-needed rain onto the drought-parched South. (Posted 4:16 p.m.)

TB man's father-in-law works at CDC

ATLANTA (CNN) -- The father-in-law of the man who has a hard-to-treat form of potentially fatal tuberculosis said Thursday he has been with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for 32 years as a research microbiologist whose area has included working with tuberculosis.

In a written statement, Dr. Robert C. Cooksey said, "First and foremost, I am concerned about the health and well being of my son-in-law and family, as well as the passengers on the affected flights. ...

"As a research microbiologist, my laboratory work involves identifying the characteristics and features of bacteria," he said.

"As part of my job, I am regularly tested for TB. I do not have TB, nor have I ever had TB. My son-in-law's TB did not originate from myself or the CDC's labs, which operate under the highest levels of biosecurity.

"I wasn't involved in any decisions my son-in-law made regarding his travel, nor did I ever act as a CDC official or in an official CDC capacity with respect to any of the events of the past weeks.

"As a parent, frequent traveler, and biologist, I well appreciate the potential harm that can be caused by diseases like TB. I would never knowingly put my daughter, friends or anyone else at risk from such a disease." (Posted 3:16 p.m.)

TB man's father-in-law works at CDC

ATLANTA (CNN) -- The father-in-law of the man who has a hard-to-treat form of potentially fatal tuberculosis works for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an agency spokesman said Thursday.

The man, Dr. Robert C. Cooksey, is a microbiologist who has himself worked on research involving tuberculosis in the National Center for Infectious Diseases, according to a CDC biography posted on the agency's Web site. (Posted 2:27 p.m.)

Official says Britons' captors posed as government workers, overpowered guards

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- The kidnappers who seized five Britons and two Iraqis on Tuesday were posing as guards and government workers on official business, Iraqi Finance Minister Bayan Jabr said Friday.

When they arrived at the finance ministry building, a computer and technology center far from the ministry's headquarters, some were wearing Iraqi Security Force uniforms and others were in civilian clothing with Integrity Commission badges, Jabr said. The commission's role is to battle government corruption.

The building was secured by guards from the Facility Protection Services who were not qualified, Jabr said.

He said he was told four British security guards were outside the room where a western computer expert was giving a lecture. The kidnappers overpowered the guards, then went into the room and seized the expert, he said. (Posted 2:24 p.m.)

Putin accuses U.S. of new imperialism, vows to develop new Russian missiles

(CNN) -- Less than a week before the G8 summit, tensions between the United States and Russia reached a new peak Thursday, with President Vladimir Putin accusing Washington of "imperialism" in developing a missile defense shield in Europe.

At a news conference in Moscow, Putin accused the United States of starting a new arms race in Europe. "Our partners are filling eastern Europe with new weapons," he said. What are we supposed to do? We cannot just observe all this. In our opinion it is nothing different from diktat, nothing different from imperialism."

The White House denied that a new Cold War is beginning and said the system is designed to defend allies vulnerable to ballistic missiles. White House spokesman Tony Snow said Washington is trying to reassure Russia that the anti-missile system is a defensive and not aggressive deployment.

Washington is currently discussing deployment of parts of the system with Poland and the Czech Republic.(Posted 1:14 p.m.)

Sources identify TB patient

(CNN) -- The Atlanta lawyer who contracted a hard-to-treat form of potentially fatal tuberculosis is Andrew Speaker, 31, multiple medical and law enforcement sources told CNN.

Hospital officials have not identified the man and his family has refused to talk to the media.

According to a wedding announcement in a Fulton County community newspaper, Speaker graduated from the University of Georgia law school and specializes in personal injury cases at his law firm.

His wedding was scheduled for May 18 in Santorini, Greece, with an extended honeymoon in Europe, according to the newspaper and the couple's registry site. -- CNN Senior Producer Mike Phelan contributed to this report (Posted 12:59 p.m.)

Iran, EU talk nuclear activities

MADRID (CNN) -- Iran's chief nuclear negotiator and the European Union's foreign policy chief held their second round of talks Thursday in Madrid, in what an EU aide called a "preparatory session" for formal negotiations that may follow.

Iran's Ali Larijani met with Javier Solana in Madrid in advance of the G8 Summit in Germany, at which U.S. officials hope to get other nations to agree to add pressure on Iran to suspend its nuclear activities.

The International Atomic Energy Agency -- the United Nations' nuclear watchdog agency -- issued a report last week saying Iran has not only ignored the call to halt its nuclear work but also has increased its activities. That prompted U.S. and British diplomats at the United Nations to announce they would press ahead for new sanctions against Iran.

The U.N. Security Council has so far imposed two rounds of limited sanctions on Iran. Negotiations last year between Iran and three European nations aimed at resolving the issue ended in stalemate. (Posted 12:13 p.m.)

Official: TB patient crossed into U.S. despite security warning

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The tuberculosis patient who decided to fly into Canada to avoid a no-fly order in the United States had his passport checked at the U.S.-Canada border, but was still allowed in the country despite being flagged by Customs and Border Protection, a Homeland Security official told CNN.

The CBP agent who processed his entry on May 24 has been placed on administrative duties while the investigation is continuing, the official said.

An alert that the man should be detained and isolated, and public health officials should be contacted, did show up on the CBP computer system, but the man was allowed to cross into the United States at Champlain, N.Y., the official said.

The man was at the border crossing for less than two minutes. --From CNN Homeland Security Correspondent Jeanne Meserve (Posted 11:56 a.m.)

Bush proposes meeting of nations to set goals on cutting greenhouse gases

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush proposed Thursday that the United States work with other nations to establish a new framework on global gas emissions to counter the effects of global warming.

"My proposal is this: By the end of next year, America and other nations will set a long-term global goal for reducing greenhouse gases," Bush told the Global Leadership Campaign in advance of next week's G8 summit, to be held in Germany.

To decide on that goal, the United States will meet with those nations that produce the most greenhouse gas emissions, including countries with fast-growing economies such as India and China, he said.

In addition to setting a long-term global goal, each country would set a mid-term national target, he said. Then, over the next year and a half, leaders from different sectors of the economy would form working groups to cooperate on ways to share clean-energy technology and best practices, he said. (Posted 11:49 a.m.)

TB patient leaves Atlanta hospital, taken to Denver hospital

ATLANTA (CNN) -- The man infected with a hard-to-treat form of potentially fatal tuberculosis left Atlanta's Grady Hospital early Thursday and was transferred to a hospital in Denver, Grady officials said.

He left Grady around 4:30 a.m. and was transported on a private plane to Denver's National Jewish Medical and Research Center, Grady's chief of epidemiology, Dr. Henry Blumberg, said at a news conference.

A news release from the Denver hospital said he arrived there at 9:45 a.m. (7:45 a.m. MT). "The patient walked into National Jewish. He said he felt fine," the release stated.

The patient was under isolation orders at Grady after tests last week confirmed he had extensively drug-resistant TB, or XDR TB, the most dangerous form of the illness. The man was in Europe for his wedding and honeymoon at the time of the diagnosis, although he was aware before the trip that he had a form of drug-resistant TB. (Posted 10:34 a.m.)

Nation's No. 5 airline leaves bankruptcy with fuller planes, higher fares, 9,000 fewer employees

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- A leaner Northwest Airlines is due to emerge from bankruptcy court protections Thursday, at the start of a summer travel season that should see fuller planes and higher fares for most U.S. flyers.

The nation's No. 5 airline in terms of miles flown by passengers, Northwest filed for bankrutpcy in September 2005. The filing came the same day as Delta Air Lines filed for bankruptcy, and put about half of the nation's air capacity in bankruptcy at that time.

While low-fare carriers such as Southwest have continued to grow in recent years, most of the other old-line airlines such as American Airlines and United Airlines have been trimming capacity. A 6 percent cut in industrywide capacity since September 2005 led to planes being about 80 percent full last year. And planes are expected to be even fuller this summer.

The tighter capacity has helped airlines raise fares. (Posted 10:07 p.m.)

United States sending more military supplies to Lebanon

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A second round U.S. military resupply flights for the Lebanese armed forces have begun arriving in Beirut, officials said Thursday.

U.S. military officials confirm the first of 13 expected C-17s flights arrived on Wednesday and will continue through next week.

The flights will come from Germany, carrying ammunition supplies requested by the Lebanese government.

The latest shipments include tank and artillery ammunition. --From Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr (Posted 10:48 a.m.)

Military announces 3 more U.S. soldiers killed

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- The U.S. military announced Thursday that three more U.S. soldiers have been killed in Iraq.

Two Multi-National Division-Baghdad Soldiers were killed Wednesday by an improvised explosive device. The bomb detonated as the troops were conducting combat operations in southwest Baghdad, the military said. Two other soldiers were wounded.

Separately, a soldier who was wounded Monday in an IED attack died of his wounds Tuesday, the military said.

The deaths bring to 3,473 the number of U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq. In May, 122 have died. (Posted 9:13 a.m.)

Clash in southern Afghanistan leaves 10 Taliban, 16 Afghan police dead

(CNN) -- Afghan security forces clashed with Taliban fighters Thursday in the southern Afghan province of Zabul, leaving 16 Afghan police and 10 Taliban fighters dead, an interior ministry spokesman told CNN.

Afghan and NATO forces have been battling Taliban militants in southern Afghanistan in recent months. -- CNN's Ben Brumfield contributed to this report (Posted 9:05 a.m.)

U.S. helicopter goes down in southern Afghanistan; 7 dead, mostly Americans

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A U.S. CH-47 Chinook helicopter went down Wednesday night in southern Afghanistan, killing all seven aboard, U.S. and NATO officials said.

Preliminary reports indicated the helicopter was shot down by a rocket-propelled grenade, officials said.

U.S. military officials said the crew of five American soldiers was killed. Two military passengers -- a British soldier and a Canadian soldier -- were also killed, according to those countries' ministries of defense.

Additionally, NATO officials said the team that responded to the crash was ambushed, forcing them to call in an airstrike. There was no immediate word on casualties during that attack. -- CNN Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr contributed to this report (Posted 8:49 a.m.)

Grady representative: TB patient leaves Atlanta hospital

ATLANTA (CNN) -- The man infected with a drug-resistant form of tuberculosis left Atlanta's Grady Hospital Thursday, a hospital representative said.

He had been under isolation orders at the hospital after tests last week confirmed he had extremely drug-resistant TB, or XDR TB, the most dangerous form of the potentially fatal illness.

At a news conference on Wednesday, Dr. Martin Cetron said the Centers for Disease Control is "working on a plan" to ensure the patient gets to Denver's National Jewish Medical and Research Center, but the CDC official offered no timetable.

The Grady hospital representative did not provide any details as to where the patient was heading after his release. (Posted 8:41 a.m.)

Two passengers on flight with TB patient say they didn't see anyone wearing a mask

ATLANTA (CNN) -- Two of the passengers who spent more than 10 hours near the man infected with a hard-to-treat form of potentially fatal tuberculosis said they didn't see anyone wearing a mask on the Atlanta-to-Paris flight or at the airport.

Officials in Georgia's Fulton County, who were unable to legally stop the man from traveling, had recommended he wear a mask to prevent spread of the infection.

Both Mark Hill and Beth Hawkins said on CNN's "American Morning" they have been tested for TB and must undergo a second round of tests in two months. Hawkins was seated about five or six rows away from the man, but said some of her fellow University of South Carolina students were seated in the same row.

"We had about 15 students altogether within about two rows of this man," she said.

Federal health officials said Wednesday they have just begun the process of finding about 80 air passengers on the two trans-Atlantic flights they feel are most at risk of having been exposed to extremely drug-resistant TB, or XDR TB.(Posted 8:27 a.m.)

Reports: Suspect in Litvinenko killing links British intelligence with poisoning

MOSCOW (CNN) -- Andrei Lugovoi -- the man British authorities have fingered for poisoning a former Russian spy in London last year -- told reporters Thursday he wasn't behind the ex-KGB agent's murder, but speculated the British government may have been, according to Russia media reports.

"I don't know who killed him," Lugovoi, a former security service agent-turned businessman, said at a Moscow press conference, according to a translation from Russia Today television.

He did, however, speculate on who was behind the poisoning of former spy Alexander Litvinenko, who died in November, several weeks after being exposed to toxic levels of polonium-210. -- CNN's Max Tkachenko in Moscow contributed to this report (Posted 7:16 a.m.)

U.S. military confirms suicide attack in Falluja; 1 Iraqi police dead, 8 people wounded

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- A suicide bomber detonated his explosives vest in Falluja on Thursday, killing one Iraqi police officer and wounding eight other people, a U.S. military spokesman in Anbar province told CNN.

The wounded include six Iraqi police and two civilians, he said.

Falluja is located in Anbar province, a Sunni-dominated region west of Baghdad that has been the scene of fighting during the Iraqi war between U.S. and Iraqi forces and insurgents.

Anbar has been hailed by the U.S. military as a success story in ridding the province of al Qaeda in Iraq militants through the cooperation of Sunni tribal leaders.

Last week, at least 28 people were killed and dozens of others wounded when a parked car bomb detonated during a funeral procession in central Falluja. -- From CNN's Jomana Karadsheh (Posted 7:06 a.m.)

Coalition, Iraqi raids round up 3 suspected terrorists; Iraq reports U.S. airstrike in Sadr City

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- U.S.-led coalition and Iraqi forces detained three suspected terrorists during operations in central and eastern Iraq Thursday morning, a U.S. military statement said.

In other developments, two people died in a U.S. airstrike in Baghdad's Sadr City neighborhood, according to an Iraqi Interior Ministry official.

The strike hit a house, wounding a third person, the official said.

The U.S. military was not able to immediately confirm the airstrike, but did say a raid in Sadr City netted two people thought to be members of an insurgent group. (Posted 6:12 a.m.)

Thai demonstrators protest disbanding former ruling party

BANGKOK (CNN) -- Growing numbers of yellow-headbanded demonstrators gathered Thursday in central Bangkok to protest yesterday's decision by a constitutional tribunal to dissolve Thailand's former ruling party.

Hundreds of Thai police kept a similar number of protesters from advancing on Royal Plaza, the administrative center of the capital, where supporters of Thai Rak Thai were planning to gather.

Jakrapob Penkair, a former spokesman for the party, said organizers were expecting up to 50,000 people to rally against the decision. But only a few hundred were on the streets of central Bangkok, possibly waiting for the heat of the day to pass before massing. --From CNN's Dan Rivers (Posted 5:30 a.m.)

U.S. helicopter goes down in southern Afghanistan

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A U.S. CH-47 Chinook helicopter went down Wednesday night in southern Afghanistan, killing all seven aboard, U.S. and NATO officials said.

Preliminary reports indicated the helicopter was shot down by a rocket-propelled grenade, officials said.

The crew of five Americans and two military passengers were killed.

Additionally, NATO officials said that the team that responded to the crash was ambushed, forcing them to call in an airstrike. There was no immediate word on casualties during that attack.

The incident occurred at 9 p.m. It comes amid fighting in the south between Taliban militants and NATO and Afghan forces. -- From CNN Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr (Posted 5:30 a.m.)

Is Iran arming the Taliban?

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Weapons crossing the border from Iran to Afghanistan may be winding up in the hands of the Taliban, the hard-line Islamic militia that is battling U.S. and NATO-led forces in Afghanistan, U.S. and British officials said Wednesday.

Coalition officials in Afghanistan said that they have intercepted some Iranian-made AK-47s, C-4 plastic explosives and mortars, and a NATO official said they have found one explosively formed penetrator bomb (EFP), which can pierce American armor.

The EFP is similar to the weaponry the United States says that Iran has provided to militants in Iraq, but the NATO official said that the weapon has not been traced directly to the Iranian regime.

Some analysts question whether the top echelons of the Iranian government are behind any transfer of arms from the Islamic Republic to the Taliban, Iran's long-time foe, suggesting that rogue elements -- perhaps the Quds force of Iran's Revolutionary Guard -- may be operating on their own.

But a U.S. official who requested anonymity told CNN that the United States believes that Iran's supreme leaders certainly know about these operations and could stop them if they wanted to. (Posted 8:18 p.m.)

North Korea says it's holding an American North Korea announced Tuesday that it is holding an American who illegally entered the country on Christmas Eve, possibly a Korean-American missionary who t ...

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