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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. Coalition forces raid Taliban compounds in eastern Afghanistan(CNN) -- U.S.-led coalition and Afghan forces detained 16 militants and killed an undetermined number of others in raids targeting Taliban fighters in eastern Afghanistan's Nangarhar province, a U.S. military statement said. Acting on "credible intelligence," coalition forces launched operations early Friday on three compounds in the Sherzad district -- all suspected of being bases for Taliban and foreign fighters. "Taliban forces inside two of the compounds attempted to engage coalition forces as they approached," the statement said. "The forces fired on the militants, killing the assailants and quickly securing the compounds." There were no civilian casualties in the operations, according to the military. (Posted 1:20 a.m.) Authorities investigate chemicals found in N.Y. homeNEW YORK (CNN) -- Several blocks were cordoned off and a few dozen homes were evacuated in Staten Island, N.Y. Thursday evening, as police investigated a "large amount" of chemicals found at a home and a nearby commercial storage facility, police said. According to New York Police Sgt. Kevin Hayes, authorities found less than a thousand pounds of chemicals in the home, including potassium nitrate, sulfur, mercury, and peroxide. At the off-site storage facility, authorities found about 1,500 of chemicals, mainly potassium nitrate. The NYPD's Paul Brown said there is no indication the chemicals were being used for bomb-making or anything terror-related. According to Brown, the man was purchasing the chemicals in bulk and reselling them on the internet. Potassium nitrate can be used to make gunpowder, rocket fuel or to clean septic tanks. It is the oxidizing (oxygen-supplying) component of gunpowder. Potassium nitrate can also be used to cure meats. According to Hayes, police have a man in his 50s in custody, who has been cooperative with investigators. (Posted 12 a.m.) Authorities investigate 'large amount' of chemicals found in N.Y. homeNEW YORK (CNN) -- Several blocks have been evacuated in Staten Island, N.Y., as police are investigating a "large amount" of chemicals discovered at a home, police said. Agents from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are on the scene questioning an individual who had ordered "what appears to be potassium nitrate," from a chemical dealer in Ohio, according to an ATF official. The dealer notified local ATF when the individual placed a second order for delivery in August. ATF notified New York police it was planning to question the person, and NYPD followed up by mobilizing full-force with their bomb squad and hazmat teams, according to the ATF official. Officials from local police and fire, the state Department of Environmental Protection and ATF were on scene trying to determine exactly what kind of chemicals were inside, police say. Police were seen removing items from the home. At this time ATF officials say there are no federal explosives violations, but say there might be a possibility of storage violations. (Posted 10:30 p.m.) Former Ala. governor, ex-HealthSouth CEO sentenced to prison(CNN) -- Former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman and ex-HealthSouth CEO Richard Scrushy (prono: SKROO-shee) were both sentenced to more than six years in prison for their roles in a corruption case dating from Siegelman's term in office. U.S. District Judge Mark Fuller sentenced Siegelman to seven years and four months in federal prison and fined him $50,000. A jury in Montgomery convicted him last June of charges including bribery, conspiracy to commit mail fraud and four counts of mail fraud and obstruction of justice, but acquitted him of numerous other counts, including racketeering and extortion. Scrushy -- who was acquitted in a massive corporate fraud case involving HealthSouth in 2005 -- was sentenced to six years and 10 months in prison and fined $150,000. He was convicted of bribery, conspiracy to commit mail fraud and four counts of mail fraud. (Posted 9:39 p.m.) Byrd vows to continue 'until this old body gives out'WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Hitting back at recent media reports suggesting time was taking a toll on his physical and mental faculties, Sen. Robert Byrd of West Virginia told his fellow senators Thursday that his only infirmity is age -- and "it is not a bar to my usefulness as a senator." The longest-serving senator in American history, who will turn 90 this year, also vowed that "I will continue to do this work until this old body gives out." Reading slowly from a prepared text on the Senate floor, his hands visibly shaking from a type of tremor he has had for years, Byrd said he felt "compelled to address head on the news stories in recent weeks that have pointed out the shocking discovery that I am growing older." Defending old age, the white-maned senator said that "in a culture of Botox, wrinkle cream and hair dye, we cannot imagine that becoming older is a good thing, an experience to look forward to and a state worthy of respect." (Posted 8:51 p.m.) Clyburn goes after Thomas after high court rulingWASHINGTON (CNN) -- The highest-ranking black lawmaker in Washington took direct aim at the only black member of the Supreme Court after the high court decided Thursday to sharply limit the use of racial considerations in public school admissions. House Majority Whip James Clyburn, D-S.C., released a bluntly worded statement saying that "never in my wildest dreams did I think I would live to see the Supreme Court of the United States undercut the basic tenets of our society." "What's more disturbing is the way this Supreme Court has worked systematically with the help of at least one who benefited from all the efforts that he seems hell-bent on undermining," Clyburn said -- an apparent reference to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Thomas, the court's only black member, voted with the majority in the 5-4 decision striking down school admissions plans in Seattle and Louisville, Ky. The justice, who grew up in a small town in segregated Georgia, went on to attend the College of the Holy Cross and Yale Law School. His strong opposition to the use of racial considerations in hiring and education -- both on the bench and as an official in the Reagan administration -- has generated criticism from civil rights activists, who charge that Thomas himself benefited from such programs on his way to the Supreme Court. (Posted 7:49 p.m.) Democrats unsuccessfully try to withhold Cheney fundsWASHINGTON (CNN)-- A constitutional question spanning the length of Pennsylvania Avenue turned into a budgetary spat on Thursday as House Democrats unsuccessfully tried to withhold money from the office of the vice president after he claimed that his office is not in the executive branch. The measure failed by a 217-209 vote, Cheney angered and confused many Democrats last week by arguing that his legislative role exempts him from complying with a presidential order requiring executive branch agencies to report on their handling of classified information. Cheney's office this week changed its stance -- arguing instead that the executive order was never meant to include the president or the vice president's office. But that did not stop Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., from pushing forward with his amendment to the Financial Services appropriation bill, which funds part of the executive branch. -- From CNN Congressional Producer Evan Glass (Posted 7:23 p.m.) Switches by 18 senators doomed immigration billWASHINGTON (CNN) -- On Tuesday, during a key test vote on the Senate's immigration reform bill, 64 senators voted to move ahead and consider the measure, along with more than two dozen proposed amendments to the sweeping plan. It was a narrow, but crucial, victory for the bill's supporters, who needed 60 votes to get over the potentially fatal procedural hurdle. Fast forward less than 48 hours later, after senators had taken votes on less than a third of the proposed amendments. Asked again to vote on a procedural motion to keep the bill alive, only 46 voted 'yes,' a switch of 18 votes that likely doomed immigration reform for this Congress. The group of switching senators included 12 Republicans and six Democrats. The Republicans included Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who had indicated before the first vote that his support for launching the debate did not necessarily mean he would support the bill down the road. (Posted 7:03 p.m.) Immigration bill's failure likely to impact 2008 White House raceWASHINGTON (CNN) -- Thursday's failure of an immigration reform bill in the Senate is likely to be felt on the presidential campaign trail, particularly among GOP hopefuls playing to a base where passions against the sweeping proposal ran high. The impact could even be seen on the Senate floor Thursday, where Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas, who is seeking the 2008 Republican nomination, switched positions in the middle of the vote once it became clear the measure would fail. During a procedural vote to move the measure forward to a final vote, Brownback -- who has previously expressed support for the immigration overhaul championed by President Bush -- initially voted to proceed. But in the Senate, lawmakers can switch their votes until the final tally is called, based on how the vote is going, which is exactly what Brownback did. His presidential campaign later issued a press release in which he said, "I voted against the Senate immigration bill because I am not convinced it would fix our broken immigration system and it would most likely repeat the mistakes of the 1986 reform." (Posted 5:47 p.m.) Lady Bird Johnson released from Texas hospital(CNN) -- Former first lady Lady Bird Johnson was released Thursday from an Austin, Texas, hospital, according to her spokeswoman. Elizabeth Christian said Johnson, 94, is at home and resting comfortably. The Austin American-Statesman reported that Johnson was admitted to the hospital because she had a low-grade fever. Johnson's husband, 36th president Lyndon Baines Johnson, died in 1973. (Posted 5:16 p.m.) Couple suspected of trying to collect reward after girl's disappearance in Portugal, police, government officials sayMADRID (CNN) -- Police arrested an Italian man and a Portuguese woman early Thursday in southern Spain and were looking into their possible links to the disappearance of young Madeleine McCann in Portugal last month, Spanish government and police officials told CNN. The Italian man was arrested on a French international arrest warrant on an unrelated case for "criminal activity," a police statement said. The suspect, identified only by his initials, D.C., had previously served an 18-month sentence in France for mistreating his daughter, a minor, the statement added. A police official told CNN the arrest warrant was for the alleged torture of a child. The Portuguese woman, his romantic partner, was arrested because she was with him at their luxury home in southern Spain, but was not named on the French warrant, the police official said. The police statement identified her only by her initials, A.D. --From CNN Madrid Bureau Chief Al Goodman (Posted 4:21 p.m.) Authorities search doctor's office in wrestling deaths probeATLANTA (CNN) -- Local and federal authorities served a midnight search warrant Thursday on the office of a Carrollton, Ga., doctor as part of their investigation into a double murder-suicide at the suburban Atlanta home of a professional wrestler. No arrests were made in connection with the search at Dr. Phil Astin's office, said Fayette County Sheriff's Office Capt. Mike Pruitt. Authorities were seeking documentation on wrestler Chris Benoit's visits to Astin and prescriptions given to Benoit, said Drug Enforcement Administration spokesman Chuvallo Truesdell. DEA assisted with the search warrant execution, and the sheriff's office contacted the DEA for help from one of its specialists in prescription drugs, he said. Police have said Benoit, 40, strangled his wife, Nancy, and suffocated their 7-year-old son, Daniel, then placed Bibles next to their bodies before hanging himself on a portable weight machine over the weekend inside his lavish home outside Atlanta. (Posted 3:41 p.m.) FDA blocking import of 5 species of seafood from ChinaROCKVILLE, Md. (CNN) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday announced it is blocking the import from China of five species of seafood until their importers can prove they are not contaminated. "FDA is initiating an import alert against several species of imported Chinese farmed seafood because of numerous cases of contamination with drugs and unsafe food additives," said Dr. David Acheson, the agency's assistant commissioner for food protection, in a conference call with reporters. The seafoodcited are catfish, eel, shrimp, basa and dace, he said. Basa is similar to catfish; dace is similar to carp. The medications cited include two antifungals -- malachite green and gentian violet -- and two antibiotics -- fluoroquinolones and nitrofurans. None of them is approved for use in farmed seafood in the United States and some of them have been shown to cause cancer when fed to laboratory animals for "prolonged periods of time," Acheson said. (Posted 3:05 p.m.) Fed holds rates steady, still worried about inflationNEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The Federal Reserve left a key short-term interest rate unchanged Thursday and indicated it is still worried about inflation, a sign that the central bank will leave rates alone for a while instead of cutting them despite concerns about a sluggish economy. In its widely watched statement, the Fed eliminated its characterization of core inflation as being "elevated," saying that "readings on core inflation have improved modestly in recent months." But the Fed added that "a sustained moderation in inflation pressures has yet to be convincingly demonstrated." Nonetheless, the market seemed to like the news. Stocks, which were trading higher before the Fed's announcement, extended their gains following the release of the statement. (Posted 2:45 p.m.) Seattle school officials continue to focus on diversity(CNN) -- Seattle school officials said Thursday they are clear that they cannot use "race-specific" rules to increase diversity in their schools but believe they can accomplish similar goals with "race-conscious measures." The school officials reacted Thursday after a landmark Supreme Court decision that race cannot be a factor in the assignment of children to public schools in America. The ruling came in reaction to two specific school plans -- one in Seattle and one in Louisville, Ky. -- both of which aimed at maintaining racial diversity in their systems. The decision found that the "tiebreaker" rules used by Seattle Public Schools were illegal, but Seattle officials reacted by focusing on language in the decisions that endorsed diversity. "The main thing is that our nation's highest court has reaffirmed that diversity matters," said Raj Manhas, the superintendent of the Seattle Public Schools. (Posted 2:41 p.m.) Fed leaves interest rate unchangedNEW YORK (CNN) -- The Federal Reserve decided to keep a key interest rate at 5.25 percent Thursday, as most economists had anticipated. The nation's central bank opted not to change the federal funds rate, a short-term rate that influences rates on consumer and corporate loans. The decision, widely expected on Wall Street, marks the eighth consecutive meeting in which the Fed decided to leave rates alone after raising rates 17 straight times from June 2004 through June 2006. --From CNN's Scott Spoerry (Posted 2:18 p.m.) FDA bans import of 5 species of fish from ChinaROCKVILLE, Md. (CNN) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday announced it is banning the import from China of five species of fish because they may be contaminated with medications. The fish cited are catfish, eel, shrimp, basa and dace, an FDA official said. The medications cited include two antifungals -- malachite green and gentian violet -- and two antibiotics -- fluoroquinolones and nitrofurans. Alerts have been issued in the past, but Thursday's announcement is the largest. Some fish farmers in China use the medications to reduce the incidence of disease among their fish. The FDA does not allow domestic fish farmers to use the antibiotics because they can wind up entering the human food chain, resulting in an increase in drug resistance. And the agency has not determined that either of the antifungals is safe for human consumption. (Posted 2:01 p.m.) Couple suspected of trying to collect reward after girl's disappearance in Portugal, police, government officials sayMADRID (CNN) -- Police arrested an Italian man and a Portuguese woman early Thursday in southern Spain and were looking into their possible links to the disappearance of young Madeleine McCann in Portugal last month, Spanish government and police officials told CNN. The Italian man was arrested on a French international arrest warrant on an unrelated case involving the alleged torture of a child, the police official said, and the woman was detained because she was with him. After their arrests, police began checking further and suspect they may have "made a call trying to collect the reward," for the return of Madeleine, the police official said. And the government official said, "It could be a person that was trying to collect the reward." Both officials insisted on anonymity and cautioned that no firm links have yet been established with the case of Madeleine. --From CNN Madrid Bureau Chief Al Goodman (Posted 1:58 p.m.) Bush touts 'surge' strategy, gets emotional talking about soldier's deathNEWPORT, R.I. (CNN) -- President Bush on Thursday championed his current "surge" strategy in Iraq and delivered an impassioned defense of what he calls the global war on terror -- imparting the message in his customary easy-going and straightforward manner. This time, his own rhetoric clearly touched a nerve as the plain-speaking president addressed an appreciative audience at the Naval War College in Newport, R.I., about the death of a soldier. The commander-in-chief choked up while discussing Sgt. Cory M. Endlich, 23, of Massillon, Ohio -- killed in the Iraqi city of Taji on June 9. "Corey was an Ohio boy," Bush said. "He wanted to join the Army so badly that his dad let him start training his senior year of high school. He was deployed to Iraq. It tells you something about his character that when his mom asked him if he needed anything she said the only things he asked for were only coloring books, crayons, and candy for the Iraqi children he had defended." (Posted 1:42 p.m.) Palestinian PM: 'Intensive' cooperation with Israel is key to maintaining West Bank securityRAMALLAH, West Bank (CNN) -- The new Palestinian government is seeking "intensive and active cooperation" from Israel to ensure that the chaos that recently gripped Gaza does not re-emerge in the West Bank, Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad told CNN on Thursday. "We have sent that message (to Israel) and we are waiting to get started with this," Fayyad told CNN's Ben Wedeman, in his first interview with a Western network since he was appointed to the post more than a week ago. Fayyad rejected the notion that his stance on dealing with Israel might be seen by some Palestinians as collaborating with the occupying force in the West Bank. "I have thick skin when it comes to these characterizations," he said. "They don't matter in the least; it doesn't concern me. I know what I want to do, I know what the mission is -- to serve the interests of the Palestinian people." (Posted 1:13 p.m.) Bald eagle removed from list of endangered speciesWASHINGTON (CNN) -- The bald eagle's long journey to recovery after being listed as an endangered species was certified Thursday with its removal from that list. "Today I am proud to announce that the eagle has returned," Secretary of Interior Dirk Kempthorne told a crowd gathered to celebrate the bird's comeback. The ceremony was held outside the Jefferson Memorial in honor of the founding father who helped declare the bald eagle as America's emblem in 1782. It opened with a Native American blessing on behalf of Mother Nature. Numbers of the species reached record lows in the 1960s, mostly because of loss of habitat and DDT poisoning. --From CNN's Karen Hopkins (Posted 1:06 p.m.) CNN analyst: Decision ranks among court's biggestWASHINGTON (CNN) -- The sharply divided Supreme Court ruling Thursday that race cannot be a factor in the assignment of children to public schools is likely to be a landmark, a CNN analyst says. "This is going to rank with the great decisions in court's history, starting with Brown v. Board of Education in 1954," said CNN Legal Analyst Jeffrey Toobin, who was in the Supreme Court chambers for the announcement of the opinions. "What this court said was even though only a few slots were determined by race (in the school districts involved), that's too many. You just simply can't consider race in deciding which school kids go to. "The swing vote, Justice Kennedy, said maybe you could possibly do it sometimes. But clearly the message of the court majority here is that race is out as a consideration in school assignments. And a lot of districts still use it and are considering using it, and they're going to have to change." (Posted 12:04 p.m.) Economic growth revised higher but inflation ticks upNEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The economy grew at a slightly faster pace in the first quarter than previously thought, the government said Thursday, but the reading also included slightly higher inflation pressures. Gross domestic product, the broadest measure of the nation's economic activity, grew at a 0.7 percent annual rate in the first quarter, the Commerce Department reported, up from the 0.6 percent rate reported a month ago, but slightly below the 0.8 percent pace forecast by economists surveyed by Briefing.com. As was the case with the previous reading, the pace of growth is the weakest since the fourth quarter of 2002. The PCE price deflator, a measure of prices paid by consumers, picked up a bit, growing at a 3.5 percent rate in the quarter, versus the 3.3 percent estimate a month ago. The even more closely watched core PCE deflator, which strips out volatile food and energy prices, grew at a 2.4 percent rate, up from 2.2 percent. (Posted 11:47 a.m.) Senate vote appears to leave immigration bill 'dead'WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. Senate effectively killed a sweeping immigration overhaul bill Thursday, dealing a major blow to President Bush and to a bipartisan group backing the legislation. The Senate was 14 votes short of the 60 needed to cut off debate and advance the bill. Some senators had said if the Senate voted this way, immigration reform would be "dead" for this Congress. Only 46 voted in favor of "cloture," or cutting off debate, while 53 voted against. President Bush had lobbied heavily for support for the bill, creating what many analysts viewed as a test of his power in the remaining years of his administration. (Posted 11:40 a.m.) Justices toss out public school choice plans that use race as a factorWASHINGTON (CNN) -- A bitterly divided Supreme Court Thursday issued what is likely to be a landmark opinion -- ruling that race cannot be a factor in the assignment of children to public schools in America. The court struck down public school choice plans in Seattle and Louisville, concluding they relied on an unconstitutional use of racial criteria, in a sharply worded pair of cases reflecting the deep legal and social divide over the issue of race and education. A conservative majority led by Chief Justice John Roberts said other means besides race considerations should be used to achieve diversity in schools. "The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race," he wrote. (Posted 11:36 a.m.) Al-Maliki says detained al Qaeda fighters in Iraq talked of plots targeting other countriesBAGHDAD (CNN) --Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Thursday said al Qaeda fighters detained in Iraq mentioned the group's plans to target "a number of countries that are suffering from religious and sectarian problems." Al-Maliki's office passed along his remarks, which said al Qaeda is plotting to take advantage of internal strife in unstable regions. The prime minister said al Qaeda is "receiving backbreaking strikes in Iraq" and "is smuggling its members to other countries that are easier to infiltrate in order to open new battles to cover up for its defeats." "It deeply bothers us that these brotherly nations will confront what the Iraqi people are suffering from and that is the epidemic of terrorism." The statement did not specify the countries. (Posted 11:07 a.m.) Windy, dry conditions threaten to fuel 3,100-acre wildfireSOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. (CNN) -- A day after making significant progress in containing a wildfire raging south of Lake Tahoe in California, firefighters Thursday are bracing for blustery winds and dry conditions that could threaten their efforts in coming days. Wind gusts over 30 miles per hour are forecast for later in the day, which could spread burning embers near the Emerald Bay housing subdivision, threatening 750 homes there. The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for high winds until Saturday. As of 7:30 a.m. (10:30 a.m. ET), CNN's Dan Simon reported that winds were still light. Winds had been forecast to increase Wednesday but did not, allowing firefighters to contain more than half of the fire and hold the blaze to about 3,100 acres. Containment of the fire was at 55 percent Wednesday night. No structures or homes were lost Wednesday. (Posted 10:55 a.m.) Justices toss out public school choice plans that use race as a factorWASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that public school choice plans in Seattle and Louisville relied on an unconstitutional use of racial criteria. The 5-4 opinion reflected the deep legal and social divide over the issue of skin color and education. A conservative majority led by Chief Justice John Roberts said "the way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race." More than a half century after the high court outlawed segregation in public schools, the justices were deeply divided over one controversial outgrowth of that decision: What role race should play, if any, in assigning students to competitive spots in elementary and secondary schools. The cases from Kentucky and Washington state revisit past disputes over race and education, stemming from the landmark 1954 Brown v. Board decision. --From CNN Supreme Court Producer Bill Mears (Posted 10:24 a.m.) Supreme Court rules in favor of Texas killer in issue of mental competenceWASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 on Thursday that Texas cannot proceed with the execution of a double murderer, but did not go so far as to agree with allegations by his lawyers that the man is severely mentally ill and does not know why he will be put to death. Scott Panetti, who killed his estranged wife's parents in 1992, allegedly does not comprehend his impending capital punishment is because of the crimes he committed. He wore a purple cowboy costume during his 1995 murder trial and tried to subpoena Jesus Christ and the late President John F. Kennedy. But a conservative majority of the justices said lower courts did not give full consideration to claims he was mentally competent to be executed. "The state court failed to provide procedures to which (Panetti) was entitled under the Constitution," wrote Justice Anthony Kennedy for the majority. --From CNN Supreme Court Producer Bill Mears (Posted 10:18 a.m.) U.S. soldier killed by Baghdad bombBAGHDAD (CNN) -- A U.S. soldier was killed by a roadside bomb Thursday in eastern Baghdad, the U.S. military said. The bomb struck a combat patrol. Another soldier was wounded. The number of U.S. troops killed in Iraq this month now numbers 93. The death toll for U.S. military personnel in the Iraq war stands at 3,570. (Posted 10:12 a.m.) Northeast utilities work to restore power to nearly 20,000NEW YORK (CNN)-- Nearly 20,000 people in the Northeast were still without power Thursday after thunderstorms that knocked out power for approximately 385,000 people. There were still homes and businesses without power in New York, Philadelphia, New Jersey, and Southern Connecticut. Joe Petta, a spokesman for Con Edison, the New York utility, told CNN that as of Thursday morning there are 4,400 customers without power in the New York city borough of Queens, 4,000 in Westchester County, 150 in The Bronx and 50 in Staten Island. "We hope to have customers back up by late today and the hardest hit areas up by tomorrow," Elizabeth Clark, another spokeswoman for Con Edison told CNN. Cameron Kline, a spokesman for PECO, which handles the electricity and power in the Philadelphia region, said there are currently 7,100 outages in their area and they "have additional crews in the field that are working as quickly as possible." --From CNN's Joann Rizzo (Posted 9:18 a.m.) Iraqi authorities probe report of 20 beheaded bodies; 3 British soldiers killed in BasraBAGHDAD (CNN) -- Iraqi authorities were investigating a report of a grisly find on Thursday -- 20 decapitated bodies in a region southeast of Baghdad where U.S. troops have been targeting insurgent strongholds along the banks of the Tigris River. Violence also erupted in Baghdad and in Basra. In the capital, bombs and mortar rounds killed at least 28 people. In the southern Iraqi city of Basra, three British soldiers were killed and another critically wounded when a roadside bomb struck their patrol Thursday morning, the British military confirmed. The Interior Ministry was told by the National Police officers about the beheaded bodies, and coalition troops and security forces went to the location to investigate the report. The ministry at present regards the beheaded bodies' report as unconfirmed. The troops said the bodies were said to be in militant stronghold of Salman Pak, where U.S. forces kicked off Operation Marne Torch, near the Tigris River. The report comes a day after fighting Wednesday night in Salman Pak between insurgents and U.S. and Iraqi troops. Six Iraqi security forces were killed and eight others were wounded in the fighting, the Interior Ministry said. (Posted 8:39 a.m.) 4 dead in Baghdad car bombingBAGHDAD (CNN) -- Four people were killed and 10 were wounded Thursday by a car bomb at a filling station in western Baghdad, the Interior Ministry said. It exploded at a queue of cars waiting for gas in the Mansour district. At least 10 cars were burned in the noontime blast. --From CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq (Posted 8:37 a.m.) Brown begins UK Cabinet shake-upLONDON (CNN) -- Newly installed British Prime Minister Gordon Brown started appointing members of his cabinet Thursday in a re-shuffle expected to be the biggest shake-up in government since the Labour Party came to power in 1997. Alistair Darling, a longterm political ally of Brown and formerly in charge of transport, was named to the key position of Chancellor of the Exchequer -- the finance role previously held by the new prime minister himself for 10 years. Former environment minister David Miliband replaced Margaret Beckett as foreign secretary, becoming at 41 the youngest politician of the modern era to hold one of the UK government's four senior cabinet posts. (Posted 8:36 a.m.) At least 22 die in Baghdad car bombingBAGHDAD (CNN) - A car bomb exploded at a bus station in southwestern Baghdad's Bayaa neighborhood Thursday morning, killing at least 22 people and wounding 31, an Iraqi Interior Ministry spokesman said. Bayaa is a predominately Shiite neighborhood. The 8:15 a.m. (12:15 a.m. ET) attack burned at least 40 cars and damaged half a dozen shops. A few minutes earlier, two people died and 14 were wounded when two mortar rounds landed in the busy Shurja market in central Baghdad. -- CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this story. (Posted 4:40 a.m.) Police: 20 decapitated bodies found southeast of BaghdadBAGHDAD (CNN) -- Iraqi National Police said they found 20 decapitated bodies in the town of Madaen, southeast of Baghdad Thursday, according to an Interior Ministry official. Iraqi security and coalition forces were being sent to the location to investigate, the official said. Madaen is about 15 miles (25 km) southeast of the Iraqi capital.-- CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this story. (Posted 4:35 a.m.) Suicide bomber strikes Western convoy in Kabul(CNN) -- A suicide bomber detonated himself along a Kabul road as a convoy carrying Western workers passed by Thursday morning, killing one of the workers and an Afghan woman, according to an Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman. Five foreign workers and three other civilians were wounded in the attack, Zmarai Bashiry said. Bashiry said the nationality of the workers, who apparently were trainers, was not immediately known. According to NATO spokesman Sgt. 1st. Class Dean Welch, a NATO facility in the Pagrami district of Kabul appeared to be the target of the blast, but he said the bomber "did a poor job and innocent people paid the price." (Posted 4:30 a.m.) Lebanese military: Army kills six militants south of TripoliBEIRUT (CNN) -- Six militants died in clashes with Lebanese soldiers south of Tripoli early Thursday, a Lebanese army official said. The firefight in Kalamoun is believed to have involved Fatah al-Islam militants who fought the Lebanese military at the Nahr al-Bared refugee camp near Tripoli last month. -- CNN's Nada Husseini contributed to this story (Posted 4 a.m.) Kiichi Miyazawa, Japanese PM in early '90s, is deadTOKYO (CNN) -- Former Japanese Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa is dead at the age of 87, according to his family. Miyazawa, who served as prime minister for nearly two years from 1991 to 1993, may be best known in the United States for an incident in 1992 when President George H.W. Bush vomited in his lap during a state dinner in Japan. (Posted 3:45 a.m.) At least 20 die in Baghdad car bombingBAGHDAD (CNN) - A car bomb exploded at a bus station in southwestern Baghdad's Bayaa neighborhood Thursday morning, killing at least 20 people and wounding 35, an Iraqi Interior Ministry spokesman said. The 8:15 a.m. (12:15 a.m. ET) attack burned at least 40 cars and damaged half a dozen shops. A few minutes earlier, two people died and 14 others were wounded when two mortar rounds landed in the busy Shurja market in central Baghdad. -- CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this story. (Posted 3:20 a.m.) Roadside bomb kills 3 British soldiersBAGHDAD (CNN) -- Three British soldiers were killed and another was critically wounded when a roadside bomb struck their patrol in Basra in southern Iraq Thursday morning, according to a British military spokesman. The soldiers were walking on a patrol in the al-Antahiya district in southeastern Basra when the explosion happened, the military said. These deaths bring to 156 the number of British troops killed since the Iraq war began in March, 2003. (Posted 2:30 a.m.) At least 20 die in Baghdad car bombingBAGHDAD (CNN) - A car bomb exploded in southern Baghdad Thursday morning, killing at least 20 people and wounding 35 others, an Iraqi Interior Ministry spokesman said. (Posted 2:10 a.m.) |
 | Boy spent 11 days wandering New York subwayA 13-year-old teenager with Asperger's syndrome spent 11 days in October wandering New York's vast subway system until a police officer recognized him from ... |
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