The CNN Wire: Wednesday Aug 15

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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.

Major quake strikes coastal Peru; aftershocks rock country

(CNN) -- A magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck off the coast of central Peru Wednesday evening, according to the U.S. Geologic Survey. A series of aftershocks rocked the country in the hours that followed.

About 15 people have died, President Alan Garcia said on national television, and 70 people are injured. Peru's America TV reported a higher figure, saying 48 people were killed and 350 injured, citing officials.

In the aftermath, the government closed schools on Thursday, Labor Minister Susana Pinilla Cisneros said, adding that the Labor Ministry building in Lima was damaged in the quake along with other public buildings.

A series of at least 10 smaller earthquakes occurred in the hours following the original temblor -- most a few miles from its epicenter, but some also in central Peru. Their magnitudes ranged from 5.0 to 6.3. (Posted 2:20 a.m.)

Major quake strikes coastal Peru; aftershocks rattle country

About 15 people have died, President Alan Garcia said on national television, and 70 people are injured. Peru's Panamericana TV reported 17 people were killed and 70 injured.

Fund to be distributed among families, victims of Va. Tech shootings

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- About $7.7 million will be distributed among families and victims of the April 16 shootings at Virginia Tech University, a consultant for the implementation of the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund said Wednesday.

Families of the 32 people who died in the shootings will receive $180,000, said Kenneth Feinberg.

The victims who were most seriously wounded -- requiring hospital stays of 10 days and nights -- will receive free tuition and $90,000 in compensation, he said. Shooting victims who were hospitalized anywhere from three to nine days and nights will receive a payment of $40,000 plus college tuition.

Individuals who sustained non-gunshot-related injuries are also eligible for free tuition or a $10,000 payment. (Posted 11:15 p.m.)

Texas braces for Erin's landfall; Dean could hit Category 4 Monday

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (CNN) -- Bands of rainfall spun off by Tropical Storm Erin rolled ashore along the Texas Gulf Coast Wednesday night, as state officials mobilized National Guard troops and water rescue teams to deal with the storm's landfall Thursday morning.

Forecasters said Erin, with 40 mph winds, was not expected to achieve hurricane strength before reaching the shore. But up to 8 inches of rain and a storm surge of up to 3 feet are forecast for coastal areas of Texas, where a tropical storm warning was in effect.

Meanwhile, out in the Atlantic, Tropical Storm Dean was on the cusp of becoming the first hurricane of the 2007 season, and the latest long-range forecast has the storm reaching destructive Category 4 status -- with winds of at least 131 mph -- by Monday in the western Caribbean between Cuba and Mexico's Yucatan peninsula.

At 11 p.m. Wednesday, the center of Dean was about 625 miles east of Barbados, moving west-northwest at about 23 mph. The storm's maximum sustained winds were about 70 mph, and forecasters said it could reach the 74 mph threshold needed to become a hurricane Thursday morning. (Posted 11:10 p.m.)

Major quake strikes coastal Peru; tsunami warning issued

(CNN) -- A magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck off the coast of central Peru Wednesday evening, according to the U.S. Geologic Survey.

About 15 people have died, President Alan Garcia said on national television, and 70 people are injured. Peru's Panamericana TV reported 17 people were killed and 70 injured.

The major quake prompted a tsunami warning, issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, for Peru, Chile, Ecuador and Colombia, and a tsunami watch for Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, Mexico and Honduras.

Those warnings were later canceled, along with a tsunami advisory issued for Hawaii, the center said.

A tsunami was generated by the quake, but it was not large enough to be damaging to the Central or South American coast, Gerard Fryer with the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center told CNN. (Posted 11 p.m.)

Major quake strikes coastal Peru; tsunami warning issued

(CNN) -- A magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck off the coast of central Peru Wednesday evening, according to the U.S. Geologic Survey.

About 15 people have died, President Alan Garcia said on national television, and 70 people are injured. Peru's Panamericana TV reported 17 people were killed and 70 injured.

Those warnings were later canceled, but a tsunami advisory for Hawaii was not. The advisory means there is no immediate threat, but the situation is being monitored.

"An evaluation of the Pacific-wide tsunami threat is underway, and there is a possibility that Hawaii could be elevated to a watch or warning status," the center said in an advisory issued about 9:30 p.m. ET.

"If tsunami waves impact Hawaii, their estimated earliest arrival time is 2:14 a.m." Thursday, or 8:14 a.m. Thursday ET, the center said. (Posted 10:55 p.m.)

Appeal panel hears arguments on electronic surveillance lawsuits

SAN FRANCISCO (CNN) -- U.S. Department of Justice attorneys argued in federal court Wednesday that "state secrets" should require the court to dismiss legal challenges to the government's wiretapping and electronic surveillance program.

A lower court refused to dismiss two lawsuits last year, and the Department of Justice appealed to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco where oral arguments in both cases were heard in front of a three judge panel.

The two lawsuits involve so called "state secrets," which, if revealed, could assist terrorists, according to government filings.

The first lawsuit was filed by the Electronic Frontier Foundation against AT&T on behalf of four Californians who claim the telecommunications company and the government used equipment in an AT&T building in San Francisco to spy on citizens without a warrant.

The second lawsuit involves a now defunct Islamic charity which sued President Bush, claiming three of its attorneys were also victims of warrantless surveillance. No decision was made by the three judge panel Wednesday, and they have not indicated when they will rule on the government's motion to dismiss the lawsuits. (Posted 10:07 p.m.)

Major quake strikes coastal Peru; tsunami warning issued

(CNN) -- A magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck off the coast of central Peru Wednesday evening, according to the U.S. Geologic Survey. The magnitude was upgraded from a preliminary report of 7.5.

Seventeen people were killed in the quake and 70 injured, Peru's Pan Americano TV reported.

The major quake prompted a tsunami warning, issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, for Peru, Chile, Ecuador and Colombia.

The center also issued a tsunami watch Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, Mexico and Honduras, and a tsunami advisory for Hawaii. An advisory indicates there is no current threat to the area, but the threat status is being monitored.

A Chilean buoy about 440 miles from the quake site recorded a wave surge of about a foot after the quake. That foot could grow exponentially in shallower water, however, as it approaches shore, CNN meteorologist Chad Meyers said. (Posted 9:54 p.m.)

Unknown noise detected in collapsed Utah mine

HUNTINGTON, Utah (CNN) -- An underground listening device deployed on the mountain above the Crandall Canyon mine registered a "series of spikes" Wednesday, but officials overseeing the rescue of six miners trapped for nine days in the central Utah coal mine say there is no way to know whether the information might be significant.

Richard Stickler, director of the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration said that based on the location of the unknown noise, rescuers have decided to change the location of a fourth drill hole they are planning to bore down into the mine in an effort to make contact with the miners and determine the conditions inside.

Wednesday evening, a video camera and microphone were lowered into a third bore hole, which was completed earlier in the day, and Bob Murray, president and CEO of mine owner Murray Energy, said results of that surveillance should be available later in the night. After the camera and microphone are pulled out of the hole, a steel pipe will be inserted to draw air out of the mine for testing. (Posted 9:43 p.m.)

Major quake strikes coastal Peru; tsunami warning issued

(CNN) -- A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck off the coast of central Peru Wednesday evening, according to the U.S. Geologic Survey.

The major quake prompted a tsunami warning, issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, for Peru, Chile, Ecuador and Colombia.

The center also issued a tsunami watch Panama, costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador , Mexico and Honduras, and tsunami advisory for Hawaii.

There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries from the quake.

The quake struck at 6:41 p.m. (7:41 p.m. ET) and was centered 25 miles west of Chincha Alta, Peru, and 90 miles south-southeast of Lima, according to the USGS. The epicenter was 25 miles below the Earth's surface. (Posted 8:34 p.m.)

Major earthquake strikes offshore Peru

(CNN) -- A tsunami warning was issued Wednesday for Peru, Chile, Ecuador and Colombia after a major earthquake struck just offshore of Peru. (Posted 8:26 p.m.)

Major earthquake strikes offshore Peru

(CNN) -- A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck off the coast of central Peru Wednesday evening, according to the U.S. Geologic Survey.

The USGS initially reported three earthquakes, two of magnitude 7.5 and a magnitude 7.7, but later revised those reports, saying a computer glitch caused the multiple quakes to be reported.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said no widespread tsunami threat existed from the quake. However, it noted, "earthquakes of this size sometimes generate local tsunamis that can be destructive along coasts located within a hundred kilometers of the earthquake epicenter."

The quake struck at 6:41 p.m. (7:41 p.m. ET) and was centered 38 miles west of Chincha Alta, Peru, and 100 miles south-southeast of Lima, according to the USGS. The epicenter was 29 miles below the Earth's surface. (Posted 8:18 p.m.)

Army report: Soldiers' suicides up 15 percent in 2006

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The number of soldiers committing suicide increased 15 percent from 2005 to 2006, according to an Army report obtained by CNN.

The Army plans to release the data publicly on Thursday, CNN learned from Army officials. The numbers have not previously been released, despite repeated CNN requests for data covering the past seven months.

In 2006, 101 soldiers committed suicide, up from 88 in 2005, according to Army statistics. The rate of suicide jumped to 17.3 per 100,000 soldiers in 2006, from 12.8 per 100,000 the previous year.

The Army has concluded the "main indicators" for the 2006 suicides were failed relationships, legal and financial problems and "occupational/operational" issues. The "typical profile" of a soldier who commits suicide is one who is a member of an infantry unit who uses a firearm to carry out the act.

-- From CNN Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr (Posted 7:43 p.m.)

FAA takes new steps to deal with airport runway problems

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Federal Aviation Administration Wednesday announced new steps to alleviate runway problems at U.S. airports, particularly after a series of high-profile accidents and near accidents.

During a conference call with reporters, the FAA said the steps included new paint markings to help pilots navigate on the ground, safety reviews of the country's 20 largest airports and others where problems have occurred, and updated policies for airplane taxiing.

So far this year, the FAA said, eight near-collisions have taken place on runways at U.S. airports, including incidents in recent weeks in Fort Lauderdale, Philadelphia and New York.

Last year, high profile incidents took place at Chicago's O'Hare airport and Lexington, Ky.'s Bluegrass Airport. (Posted 7:38 p.m.)

Erin's rains reach Texas; Dean could hit Category 4 Monday

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (CNN) -- Bands of rainfall spun off by Tropical Storm Erin began to come ashore along the Texas Gulf Coast Wednesday evening, as state officials mobilized National Guard troops and water rescue teams to deal with the storm's landfall Thursday morning.

Erin, now with 40 mph winds, is not expected to achieve hurricane strength before reaching the shore, but up to 8 inches of rain and a storm surge of up to 3 feet are forecast for coastal areas of Texas, where a tropical storm warning is in effect.

Meanwhile, out in the Atlantic, Tropical Storm Dean is on the cusp of becoming the first hurricane of the 2007 season, and the latest long-range forecast has the storm reaching destructive Category 4 status -- with winds of at least 131 mph -- by Monday in the western Caribbean between Cuba and Mexico's Yucatan peninsula.

Neither the latest five-day forecast nor the latest computer models show Dean as a threat to Florida or the U.S. East Coast, although it could reach the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico early next week, with its path still uncertain. (Posted 6:15 p.m.)

Former NBA referee admits to gambling, providing inside information

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy was released on $250,000 bail after pleading guilty Wednesday to two felonies related to wagering on professional basketball games.

The 13-year veteran referee officiated and supplied inside information on games to other individuals for betting purposes over a four-year period.

Two of Donaghy's alleged co-conspirators, James Battista, also known as "Baba" and "Sheep," and Thomas Martino were also arraigned on Wednesday for involvement in the gambling ring. Neither of them entered a plea and both also have been released on an unsecured $250,000 bond. (Posted 4:46 p.m.)

Rescuers express optimism despite slow pace, no signs of life

HUNTINGTON, Utah (CNN) -- Nine days after tons of coal burst from the walls of the Crandall Canyon mine, a rescue supervisor whose cousin is one of six trapped miners vowed to bring them out alive, calling them "very tough men."

Efforts to clear the rubble from a 2,000-foot stretch of tunnel leading to where the miners were working was slowed to a snail's pace overnight by seismic bumps, and has progressed just 90 feet since Tuesday, according to Richard Stickler, director of the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration.

A third bore hole, drilled from a steep mountainside, reached a cavern Wednesday morning where rescuers believe the men may have sought refuge. A video camera will be lowered into it Wednesday afternoon to search for signs of the men, said Bob Murray, president and CEO of mine co-owner Murray Energy Group.

Two other holes aimed at another section of the mine have so far yielded no signs of life, but there were some encouraging clues. Although the mine floor was covered with two feet of coal rubble, there was a "survivable space" and breathable air, rescuers said. (Posted 4:15 p.m.)

Death toll in northern Iraq bombings still rising

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- The death toll in the suicide bombings Tuesday in northern Iraq has risen to at least 500, local officials in Nineveh province said Wednesday.

Iraqi Army and Mosul police sources put the number at 260, but have said it was likely to rise.

Suicide bombers targeted members of the Yazidi religious minority in the Tuesday night attacks, at least four vehicle bombs in three Yazidi areas about 100 km (62 miles) west of the city of Mosul.

Nineveh officials said the deadliest explosion destroyed dozens of houses and other buildings in Uzair village in the town of Baaj, where most of the homes were made of clay. The crater from that blast, officials said, was 7 meters (23 feet) deep and 300 meters (984 feet) across. (Posted 3:37 p.m.)

Death toll in northern Iraq bombings up to at least 260

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- The death toll in the suicide bombings Tuesday in northern Iraq has risen to at least 260, according to Nineveh province security officials.

They said at least 320 have been wounded. (Posted 3:06 p.m.)

NYPD releases report on homegrown terrorists

NEW YORK (CNN) -- In light of attacks and thwarted plots on foreign and domestic cities by so-called "homegrown terrorists," the New York Police Dept. released a report Wednesday exploring how the radical opinions and motives behind such attacks are formed and the threat these individuals pose on domestic soil.

The NYPD previously focused on homegrown terrorist groups once they were already formed and ready to plan attacks. The 90-page report titled "Radicalization in the West: The Homegrown Threat" studies the process by which their beliefs become radicalized and what drives the formation of these groups.

"This doesn't contradict the national intelligence... what this report does is look at the process, before people become terrorists, what we can do to intercede and prevent the process from going forward," NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly said at a press conference in New York Wednesday morning.

The report claims that homegrown terrorist groups are more often not directed by Al-Qaeda but they do model much of their ideology on values and beliefs shared with those of the radical Islamic terrorist network. (Posted 2:24 p.m.)

Anti-war posters draw fine threats from DC government

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The District of Columbia has threatened to levy a $10,000 fine against an anti-war group for plastering signs around the city, but organizers argue the yellow-and-black posters conform to city regulations and the fines are politically motivated.

The posters promote a march planned by Answer Coalition -- Act Now to Stop War and End Racism -- for Sept. 15 to coincide with the release of Lt. Gen. David Patraeus' Iraq status report to President Bush.

The group is coming up against some sticky disapproval from city officials who say the signs use an illegal adhesive and are plastered in illegal areas.

But the group hanging the posters said they used water soluble paste to put the posters on lamp posts, polls and traffic boxes. (Posted 2:21 p.m.)

Use of spy satellites for domestic purposes to be expanded

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The director of national intelligence has given the Homeland Security Department expanded authority to use the nation's spy satellites for domestic purposes such as monitoring the nation's borders and law enforcement, homeland security officials confirmed to CNN Wednesday.

Officials insist the satellites will not be used to do surveillance of communications -- they will be able to see only images. While declining to provide specifics, officials said there are certain details these satellites cannot pick up.

Officials involved in the program said legal authorities exist allowing such use of the satellites. Some civil rights advocates have voiced concerns about the use.

The expanded use of the satellites, which is scheduled to begin Oct. 1, will be rolled out in phases, a homeland security official said. At first they will be used for such missions as looking at the borders. Because there are complicated issues regarding laws and civil liberties, the satellites will not be used for law enforcement purposes until next year, the official said. (Posted 1:24 p.m.)

Death toll in northern Iraq bombings up to at least 250

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- The death toll in the suicide bombings Tuesday in northern Iraq has risen to at least 250, according to Iraqi Army and Mosul police.

They said at least 320 have been wounded. (Posted 1:10 p.m.)

Texas gets ready as Tropical Storm Erin churns through the Gulf

(CNN) -- The state of Texas began deploying National Guard units and water rescue teams to the coast Wednesday as Tropical Storm Erin swirled in the Gulf of Mexico, with an expected landfall in the Lone Star State on Thursday, forecasters said.

"Because storms have saturated much of our state this summer, many communities in this storm's projected path are at high risk of dangerous flash flooding," Texas Gov. Rick Perry said in a written statement. "We will work with local officials to provide the state resources necessary to ensure the safety of all Texas residents as this storm system moves over the state."

Three Texas Military Forces helicopters are being readied in San Antonio, the statement said, each with a two-person water rescue team, and six other swift-water rescue teams will be on standby.

If the storm continues on its current path, it's expected to make landfall near Corpus Christi Thursday afternoon, bringing possible rainfall amounts of up to 5 inches along the middle Texas coast, with isolated amounts of up to 8 inches, forecasters said. (Posted 12:57 p.m.)

Two defendants in Vick dogfighting case face plea hearings Friday

RICHMOND, Va. (CNN) -- Two defendants in the Michael Vick dogfighting case are scheduled to ask a court Friday to approve agreements reached between their attorneys and federal prosecutors to preclude their going to trial.

Another defendant pleaded guilty earlier, leaving only Vick in possible negotiations for a deal, which could help salvage his stellar football career. Without an agreement in place by the end of this week, Vick could face new, more serious charges when a grand jury reconvenes on Monday.

A federal grand jury in Richmond, Va., charged the Atlanta Falcons quarterback and his three co-defendants in mid-July with organizing bloody and vicious dog fights on property Vick bought in 2001. They also are accused of transporting and delivering dogs across state lines.

The plea agreement hearing for Purnell Peace, 35, of Virginia Beach, has been delayed from Thursday to 9 a.m. Friday in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District in Virginia. Quanis Phillips, 28, of Atlanta, will face federal Judge Henry Hudson immediately afterward, according to the court docket. (Posted 12:39 p.m.)

Former NBA referee admits to gambling and providing inside information

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy pleaded guilty in federal court Wednesday morning to two felonies related to wagering on professional basketball games he officiated and supplying inside information on games to other individuals for betting purposes over a four-year period.

The 13-year veteran referee stood before Judge Carol Bagley Amon in federal court in Brooklyn and admitted taking anti-depressants to cope with a severe gambling addiction that has cost him his reputation and career.

Over the period of about a year, Donaghy received payments for providing co-conspirators with winning picks based on classified information he obtained as an official with the league, prosecutors said in an affidavit. He tipped his co-conspirators through the use of encoded language based on information about players' physical condition and information about the relationship between referees and players in the league.

The two felony counts -- conspiracy to engage in wire fraud and transmitting wagering information to other individuals -- carry a combined maximum sentence of 25 years. A bail hearing is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon. (Posted 12:25 p.m.)

Briton security official shot dead in Kabul

(CNN) -- A manager at a private British security firm in Afghanistan has been shot and killed in Kabul, according to a spokesman for the company, ArmorGroup International.

"We did lose a manager today in Kabul to unknown assailants," Christopher Beese, spokesman for ArmorGroup International, said Wednesday.

He said next of kin have been notified and an inquiry into the incident has begun. The name of the man, a British national, was not released.

"It's bad news. He was a very well-respected man," Beese said, noting that the victim had experience in Afghanistan going back to the early 1980s. (Posted 12:14 p.m.)

Dean dances across Atlantic, Erin evolves into tropical storm

(CNN) -- Tropical Storm Dean is intensifying as it moves toward the Leeward Islands and is expected to become a hurricane by the time it reaches that area Friday, forecasters with the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami said.

And a tropical depression in the Gulf of Mexico has strengthened to become Tropical Storm Erin. It could make landfall Thursday near Corpus Christi, Texas.

At 11 a.m., Dean was spinning in the Atlantic about 1,045 miles east of the Lesser Antilles, moving west at about 20 mph with top sustained winds near 60 mph and higher gusts.

By 8 p.m. Sunday, according to the forecast, Dean is expected to reach Hispaniola as a Category 3 hurricane. However, because hurricanes often move in unpredictable ways, the actual path a storm takes often varies widely from the long-range forecast.

Erin, meanwhile, was centered about 250 miles east of Brownsville, Texas, with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph. Forecasters said it may dump up to 5 inches of rain along the middle Texas coast, with isolated amounts of up to 8 inches. (Posted 12:09 p.m.)

Major U.S.-Afghan offensive launched in Afghan region of Tora Bora

(CNN) -- Hundreds of U.S. and Afghan fighters have embarked on a major operation against militants in the eastern Afghan region of Tora Bora, near the Pakistan border, U.S. officials told CNN.

The troops are targeting "hundreds of hardened al Qaeda and Taliban in dug-in positions," said officials familiar with the intelligence. Air and ground strikes are under way in the region.

The operation started two days ago in the region, where al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was once thought to be hiding.

The Bush administration has been criticized for not sending enough ground forces to Tora Bora in December 2001 to capture the militant after the invasion that toppled the Taliban. (Posted 11:41 a.m.)

New military operation in southeastern Baghdad region kicked off

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- Iraqi and coalition forces on Wednesday started a new operation against insurgents in southeastern Baghdad, an "aviation-based combat offensive" that's part of an overall U.S.-led effort to target insurgent strongholds near the capital, the U.S. military said.

Called Operation Marne Husky, it is one of several campaigns designed to "choke the flow of bombs and weapons reaching the Iraqi capital."

"The operation will disrupt insurgents who fled the towns of Salman Pak and Arab Jabour in front of earlier U.S. offensives," the military said.

This comes in conjunction with another new offensive north of Baghdad. Operation Lightning Hammer was launched on Monday in Diyala province to target insurgents fleeing Baquba as a result of earlier operations as well. (Posted 11:20 a.m.)

Military: Bombings in northern Iraq 'trademark al Qaeda event'

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- A top U.S. official said the string of suicide truck bombings that killed and wounded hundreds in Yazidi villages in northern Iraq was a "trademark al Qaeda event" and "murder for the purpose of getting media attention."

Maj. Gen. Benjamin Mixon -- who leads U.S. troops north of Baghdad -- said in TV interviews from Tikrit on Wednesday that the attackers are "Islamic fundamentalists linked to al Qaeda" who are trying to influence public opinion" in the United States.

He said the bloody attacks Tuesday -- which killed at least 200 people and wounded at least 300 -- are attempts to "break the will" of the American people to show that the U.S. troop escalation is failing. Mixon said the buildup -- termed the "surge" by the Bush administration -- is in fact working.

The incident comes ahead of next month's report to Congress by Gen. David Petraeus and U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker -- who will be delivering a report about the state of American efforts to foster progress in Iraq. (Posted 10:43 a.m.)

Former NBA referee admits to gambling and providing inside information

The two counts -- conspiracy to engage in wire fraud and transmitting wagering information to other individuals -- carry a combined maximum sentence of 25 years.

Donaghy entered his plea after surrendering to authorities at the U.S. federal courthouse in Brooklyn. Prosecutors said the guilty plea was made in exchange for cooperating in other ongoing investigations surrounding organized crime members and gambling on professional sports. (Posted 10:26 a.m.)

Flossie fades, other storms intensify

(CNN) -- The islands of Hawaii dodged a bullet in the form of a hurricane overnight, as Flossie was downgraded to a tropical storm Wednesday. Before Flossie left, she buffeted the Big Island with strong winds and sporadic heavy rains.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Dean intensified as it moved toward the Leeward Islands and was expected to become a hurricane by the time it reached that area Friday, forecasters with the National Hurricane Center in Miami said.

And what is now Tropical Depression 5 is expected to transform into Tropical Storm Erin later Wednesday in the Gulf of Mexico. It could make landfall Thursday near Corpus Christi, Texas. (9:42 a.m.)

3 German federal police officers killed in Afghan bombing

(CNN) -- Three German police officers who worked at the German Embassy in the Afghan capital of Kabul have been killed in a bombing, German authorities said.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said that along with the three, another embassy worker was injured.

"Their job was to protect lives. Their work was important in the effort to stabilize and rebuild Afghanistan. Those behind this crime must be caught," Steinmeier said.

Twenty-one German troops have been killed in the Afghan conflict. (Posted 9:12 a.m.)

Sources: Former NBA ref to enter plea on gambling charges

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy will plead guilty in a U.S. federal courthouse in Brooklyn Wednesday on charges that he bet on games he officiated, according to sources close to the case.

Those sources tell CNN that Donaghy has been cooperating with prosecutors who are in the process of building a case against other people to whom Donaghy may have provided inside information on games he officiated.

NBA commissioner David Stern pledged to cooperate with investigators. He said the investigation is focused on the 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 seasons, during which Donaghy refereed 139 regular-season games, eight playoff games and four pre-season games. (Posted 9:10 a.m.)

Military: Bombings in northern Iraq have fingerprints of al Qaeda in Iraq

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- U.S. and Iraqi officials believe the string of suicide truck bombings that killed and wounded hundreds in Iraqi Yazidi villages in northern Iraq looked like the kind of action that al Qaeda in Iraq would carry out.

"This attack -- the spectacular nature of it, the complete disregard for human life, the car bombs that were used -- all have a consistent profile with al Qaeda in Iraq violence," said Brig. Gen. Kevin Bergner, Multi-National Force-Iraq spokesman.

An Iraqi Interior Ministry official also was adamant that the strikes were the work of al Qaeda in Iraq.

Tuesday's attacks killed at least 200 people and wounded at least 300 others. The attacks were in the villages of Qahtaniya, al-Jazeera and Tal Uzair in Nineveh province's Sinjar region -- where many members of the Yazidi religious minority live. That northwest area is near the Syrian border. (Posted 8:27 a.m.)

11 militants killed, 4 detained in raids

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- Eleven militants were killed and four were detained in a series of raids targeting al Qaeda in Iraq, the U.S. military in Iraq said.

The operations took place in Baghdad, north of Muqdadiya, and Kirkuk.

"Our operations are degrading the ability of the terrorists to operate freely," said Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, spokesman for Multi-National Force-Iraq. (Posted 7:51 a.m.)

Crash of U.S. helicopter does not appear to be result of 'hostile fire'

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- A deadly helicopter crash in Iraq's Anbar province does not appear to be the result of an attack, a U.S. military spokesman said Wednesday.

Five U.S. service members died Tuesday when a helicopter crashed in Iraq near Al Taqaddum Air Base in Anbar province, the military said.

The CH-47 Chinook helicopter went down while conducting a routine post-maintenance check flight. The crash is being investigated, and the names of the dead were not immediately released. (Posted 6:52 a.m.)

6 Italians shot to death outside German train station

BERLIN (CNN) -- Six Italian males were shot and killed near a train station in the western German city of Duisburg early Wednesday, police spokesman Hermann Josef Helmich told CNN.

Five of the victims, ages 16 to 39, were found dead -- all shot in the head -- when authorities arrived on the scene. The sixth died en route to the hospital.

Pedestrians heard shots outside the station around 2:30 a.m. (8:30 p.m. ET Tuesday), according to Helmich, and the victims were found about 100 yards (100 meters) away.

Police have opened an investigation into the shootings, but have not speculated as to a motive in the case. (Posted 4:25 a.m.)

Mattel recalls more than 20 million Chinese-made toys

BETHESDA, Md. (CNN) -- Facing its second toy recall in as many weeks, the CEO of Mattel Inc. insisted Tuesday that his company has "rigorous standards," and apologized for the global pullback of millions of toys.

The recall, which was announced by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, affects about 9.5 million toys in the United States, and 11 million in foreign countries. All the toys were made in China.

On Wednesday, a Chinese government agency said the problems were not the fault of the manufacturers, adding the toys were produced just as requested. (Posted 3:45 a.m.)

6 men shot to death outside German train station

BERLIN (CNN) -- Police found six men shot in the head outside the train station in the western German city of Duisburg early Wednesday, police spokesman Hermann Josef Helmich told CNN.

Four of the men were dead when authorities arrived on the scene. The other two died a short time later.

Shots were heard outside the train station after 2:30 a.m. (8:30 p.m. ET Tuesday), according to Helmich. The victims were found in two vehicles.

Police have opened an investigation into the shootings, but do not have a motive in the case. (Posted 3:10 a.m.)

Hurricane in Pacific, tropical storm in Atlantic, depression in Gulf

(CNN) -- Hurricane Flossie weaken as it inched closer to the "Big Island" of Hawaii late Tuesday, poised to brush the island's southern coast and deliver dangerous winds, pounding surf and potentially flooding rain into Wednesday.

Meanwhile, in the Atlantic basin, a tropical depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Dean. By Friday, the system is expected to become the first Atlantic hurricane of the 2007 season, on a path toward the Lesser Antilles and Puerto Rico.

And a tropical depression -- the fifth of the Atlantic season -- formed in the Gulf of Mexico late Tuesday, triggering tropical storm watches for parts of the Texas and Mexico coast. (Posted 3:10 a.m.)

Suicide bombings in northern Iraq kill 200

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- Suicide bombings in and near a northern Iraqi town that targeted a religious minority killed at least 200 people and wounded 200 others, Iraqi police said Wednesday.

The U.S. military said that Tuesday's bombings -- four at a crowded bus station in the Yazidi town of Qahtaniya and a fifth in the nearby town of al Jazeera -- destroyed 15 to 20 homes in the second community.

Qahtaniya is about 62 miles (100 km) west of the northern city of Mosul. Police officials said the blasts took place around 8 p.m.

The Yazidi sect is a mainly Kurdish minority, an ancient group that worships seven angels, in the form of peacocks, who are subordinate to the supreme god who created the universe. (Posted 2:45 a.m.)

Administration debates whether to designate all or part of Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist group

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Bush administration is involved in intense discussions over naming all or part of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps as a "specially designated global terrorist" group, a senior State Department official told CNN.

If made, the designation would come in the form of an Executive Order from President Bush.

Such a move would allow the Treasury Department to go after the finances of the group and those who do business with it.

"It would basically declare open season on these guys," the official said, adding move is being taken for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps' (IRGC) support for "all the bad actors" -- insurgents in Iraq, the Taliban in Afghanistan and other terrorist groups in the Middle East like Hezbollah and Hamas. (Posted 12:20 a.m.) E-mail to a friend

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