The CNN Wire: Thursday Aug 16

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.

U.S. soldier dies in Iraq

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- A U.S. soldier with Multi-National Corps - Iraq died in Baghdad on Thursday of a "non-battle related cause," a U.S. military statement released Friday said.

The death is being investigated.

Since the start of the war, 3,703 U.S. troops have died in Iraq. (Posted 2:45 a.m.)

Hurricane Dean bears down on Caribbean islands

(CNN) -- Powerful Hurricane Dean swirled ever closer to the sun-kissed picturesque islands of the Caribbean Thursday night, prompting forecasters to extend tropical storm warnings to the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

Dean, a Category 2 storm with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph, was expected to pass near the islands of St. Lucia and Martinique early Friday morning, on its way across the Lesser Antilles into the Caribbean, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Both St. Lucia and Martinique were under a hurricane warning, as were the islands of Dominica and Guadeloupe. People on the islands were being warned to finish preparations to protect their safety and property.

At 2 a.m., Dean's center was located 85 miles (135 km) east-southeast of Martinique and about 90 miles (140 km) north-northwest of Barbados, moving west at about 25 mph. The center of Dean was expected to pass very near the islands of St. Lucia and Martinique around 8 a.m. ET. (Posted 2:10 a.m.)

3 rescue workers killed, 6 injured trying to free trapped miners in Utah

HUNTINGTON, Utah (CNN) -- Three rescue workers were killed and six others were injured Thursday night during an apparent "underground seismic bump" at a Utah mine, according to hospital officials and a Utah Department of Natural Resources spokeswoman.

The workers were attempting to free six miners who have been trapped in the Crandall Canyon mine since an Aug. 6 collapse. (Posted 2:10 a.m.)

Freed South Korean hostages return home

SEOUL (CNN) -- A pair of South Koreans, held hostage for nearly a month by the Taliban in Afghanistan, returned home Friday, arriving in Seoul in the early afternoon.

The two women -- Kim Kyung-ja and Kim Ji-na -- appeared briefly before reporters, looking subdued and tentative.

"I am sorry for causing such concern and I am thankful for being released," Kim Kyung-ja said.

"My greatest concern is for the safe release of our remaining group," said Kim Ji-na.

The women were then taken by ambulance to a military hospital in the outskirts of Seoul for a medical examination and psychiatric counseling. (Posted 1:55 a.m.)

3 rescue workers killed, 6 injured trying to free trapped miners in Utah

HUNTINGTON, Utah (CNN) -- Three rescue workers were killed and six others were injured Thursday night during an apparent "underground seismic bump" while attempting to reach six miners trapped since an Aug. 6 mine collapse, according to hospital officials and a Utah Department of Natural Resources spokeswoman. (Posted 1:55 a.m.)

Freed South Korean hostages return home

SEOUL (CNN) -- A pair of South Koreans, held hostage for nearly a month by the Taliban in Afghanistan, returned home Friday, arriving in Seoul around midday.

The two women -- Kim Kyung Ja and Kim Jina -- appeared briefly before reporters, looking subdued and tentative, before leaving with government officials. They were released from Taliban custody on Monday and left the country Thursday, according to the South Korean foreign minister's office.

Twenty-three Koreans -- church volunteers -- were kidnapped on July 19 when they were traveling on a bus from Kabul to Kandahar.

The Taliban killed two male hostages and have long said they would kill others unless their demands were met. But the two women, said to be ill, were released in a "gesture of goodwill."

Nineteen other hostages -- 14 women and five men -- are still being held. Taliban and South Korean officials held talks on Thursday over their fate, a Red Cross official told CNN. (Posted 12:50 a.m.)

1 rescue worker killed, 8 injured trying to free trapped miners in Utah

HUNTINGTON, Utah (CNN) -- One rescue worker was killed and eight others were injured Thursday night during an apparent "underground seismic bump" while attempting to reach six miners trapped since an Aug. 6 mine collapse, an official told reporters. (Posted 12:30 a.m.)

Hurricane Dean bears down on Caribbean islands

(CNN) -- Powerful Hurricane Dean swirled ever closer to the sun-kissed picturesque islands of the Caribbean Thursday night, prompting forecasters to extend tropical storm warnings to the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

Dean, a Category 2 storm with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph, was expected to pass near the islands of St. Lucia and Martinique early Friday morning, on its way across the Lesser Antilles into the Caribbean, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Both St. Lucia and Martinique were under a hurricane warning, as were the islands of Dominica and Guadeloupe. People on the islands were being warned to finish preparations to protect their safety and property.

At 11 p.m., Dean's center was located about 160 miles south-southeast of Martinique and about 80 miles northeast of Barbados, moving west at about 25 mph.

Forecasters said the storm could dump as much as 10 inches of rain in some mountainous areas, which could trigger flash floods and mudslides. Storm surge flooding as high as 4 feet was also forecast, with battering waves. (Posted 11:35 p.m.)

Officials: At least 9 rescue workers injured at Utah mine

HUNTINGTON, Utah (CNN) -- At least nine rescue workers -- who were attempting to reach six miners trapped since an Aug. 6 mine collapse -- were injured Thursday night in an apparent "seismic bump" at a Utah mine, officials said.

"An accident occurred during the rescue effort at the Crandall Canyon mine at 6:30 MDT," said a statement from the Mine Safety and Health Administration. "At least nine rescue workers suffered injuries in the accident. At this time, it is believed the accident was caused by a bump. We are in the process of conducting a headcount to ensure that everyone is accounted for."

Jeff Manley, CEO of Castleview Hospital in nearby Price, where two people were taken, told reporters his facility was expecting as many as 11 people. One person, he said, suffered very serious injuries.

The families of the affected rescue workers have been notified, Manley said.

Earlier, six ambulances and two medical helicopters converged on the, site of a prolonged rescue effort for the six trapped men. (Posted 11:20 p.m.)

Hospital: at least 9 rescue workers injured at Utah mine

PRICE, Utah (CNN) -- At least nine and possibly as many as 11 rescue workers who were attempting to reach six trapped miners were injured in an accident at the Crandall Canyon mine Thursday evening, said Jeff Manly, CEO of Castleview Hospital.

One was very seriously injured, Manly said.

The Mine Safety and Health Administration said a seismic "bump" appeared to be the cause of the accident. (Posted 11:10 p.m.)

Ambulances, helicopter converge on Utah mine

HUNTINGTON, Utah (CNN) -- Six ambulances and two medical helicopters converged on Utah's Crandall Canyon mine, site of a prolonged rescue effort for six trapped miners, Thursday night, with at least two people taken to a hospital in the nearby town of Price, officials said.

An official from the Utah Department of Natural Resources told CNN there had been some seismic activity at the mine and some of the rescue workers were injured. No details were immediately available. Officials at Castleview Hospital in Price said a statement would be forthcoming.

CNN Meteorologist Chad Myers said that seismic charts showed a "bump" occurring about 6:39 p.m. local time (8:39 p.m. ET). It was recorded by a machine called a helicorder, Myers said. An earlier one happened about 3 p.m. The activity was under magnitude 1.0, so would not be reported by the U.S. Geologic Survey, he said.

The ambulances arrived at a high rate of speed after 7 p.m., according to CNN employees at the scene. As one left, paramedics could be seen working on someone in the back. (Posted 10:41 p.m.)

Rescuers scour rubble for survivors of deadly Peru earthquake

PISCO, Peru (CNN) -- A full day after a terrifying earthquake ravaged parts of Peru's southwest coast, soldiers and rescue workers dug through the rubble of the main Catholic church in the devastated city of Pisco Thursday night, while residents whose homes were leveled huddled around campfires to ward off the South American winter chill.

The church toppled Wednesday evening when a powerful 8.0-magnitude earthquake struck the seaside city during a Mass commemorating the Assumption of Mary. As the grim search continued for the 20 to 30 people believed trapped in the rubble, relatives of the missing stood nearby, watching somberly.

Earlier in the day, Peruvian President Alan Garcia arrived by helicopter in the city of 68,000, about 160 miles southeast of the capital, Lima, where an estimated 80 percent of the homes were destroyed. Residents yelled, "Help us, help us," as Garcia passed by.

-- From CNN Correspondent Harris Whitbeck (Posted 10:40 p.m.)

Ambulances, helicopter converge on Utah mine

HUNTINGTON, Utah (CNN) -- An official from the Utah Department of Natural Resources told CNN there had been some seismic activity at the Crandall Canyon mine and some of the rescue workers were injured. No details were immediately available. Officials at Castleview Hospital in Price said a statement would be forthcoming.

Ambulances, helicopter converge on Utah mine

HUNTINGTON, Utah (CNN) -- Six ambulances and a medical helicopter converged at Utah's Crandall Canyon mine, site of a prolonged rescue effort for six trapped miners, Thursday night, with at least two people taken to a hospital in the nearby town of Price, officials said.

The reason for the activity was not immediately clear. Officials at Castleview Hospital in Price said a statement would be forthcoming.

The ambulances arrived at a high rate of speed, according to CNN employees at the scene. As one left, paramedics could be seen working on someone in the back.

Employees for mine operator Bob Murray told CNN they were "in an emergency situation" and had to keep the phone lines open. (Posted 10:19 p.m.)

Hot river water forces electric utility to shut down nuclear reactor

(CNN) -- The Tennessee Valley Authority shut down a reactor at its Browns Ferry nuclear facility in north Alabama Thursday after water from the Tennessee River became too hot to cool the unit, a TVA spokesman said.

John Moulton said authorities shut down Browns Ferry's Unit 2 at 5:42 p.m. CT, just after the peak period of electricity use for the day.

Moulton said guidelines call for action if the river temperature averages 90 degrees over a 24-hour period and "it was going to exceed that limit."

Temperatures at the facility, near Athens, Ala., have been in the upper 90s for days. Adding to the problem, Moulton said, has been an extended drought that has left mountain reservoirs with a lack of cool water that could be moved downstream to Browns Ferry.

All of TVA's other power units are running, Moulton said, but the agency will buy more power to "fill the gap" left by the Browns Ferry reactor's shutdown. (Posted 10:05 p.m.)

NASA: No repair necessary for shuttle

(CNN) -- After lengthy deliberation, NASA managers determined Thursday that Endeavour astronauts will not need to conduct a repair to damaged tiles on the space shuttle.

The tile was gouged 58 seconds after lift-off Aug. 8 when a piece of insulating foam fell off the external fuel tank, ricocheted off a strut and hit the underside of the orbiter just below the right landing gear door.

While the damage site is not large, measuring about 2.5 x 3.5 inches, the gouge is deep and penetrates all the way through the tile to the base.

For nearly a week, teams of engineers at multiple NASA centers have been running tests and conducting a complex thermal analysis of the gouge to determine if the damaged area can safely withstand the 2,500 degree temperatures that Endeavour's belly experiences during atmospheric reentry. All indications are that it can, officials said. (Posted 9:07 p.m.)

Attention turns to strengthening Dean as Erin leaves Texas waterlogged

MIAMI (CNN) -- The system that was once known as Tropical Storm Erin sloshed ashore on the pancake-flat and already-waterlogged Texas coast Thursday, triggering widespread flooding that contributed to at least one death, as meteorologists turned their attention to a strengthening Hurricane Dean, poised to menace the Caribbean before heading for Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula.

As of 8 p.m. ET, Dean's outer bands were sweeping the Windward Islands, part of the Lesser Antilles chain that divides the Caribbean from the Atlantic. The storm's center was about 205 miles east of Martinique, moving west at near 23 mph.

Dean is at Category 2 intensity, with maximum sustained winds of near 100 mph with higher gusts, the National Hurricane Center said. Stronger winds, especially gusts, were possible on higher terrain, however, forecasters said. A 58-mph gust was reported on St. Lucia as Dean's outer rainbands moved through. (Posted 8:20 p.m.)

FAA issues new rules on cockpit security

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Four years after airlines were required to install reinforced cockpit doors, the Federal Aviation Administration this week issued rules requiring other cockpit security measures, but a pilots' union denounced them as doing nothing to improve aviation security.

The new rules require airlines to provide a way for pilots to visually monitor the area immediately outside the cockpit door and a way for flight attendants to discretely communicate with pilots if they see anything suspicious.

But peepholes already found in almost every cockpit door and the planes' existing internal phone systems are sufficient to meet the new requirements, the FAA said, provided that airlines establish protocols for their use.

-- From CNN Producer Mike M. Ahlers (Posted 6:41 p.m.)

Two bodies from site of bridge collapse identified

(CNN) -- Human remains found in vehicles that plunged into the Mississippi River when an interstate bridge collapsed earlier this month in Minneapolis were identified as being those of two women unaccounted for after the incident, the Hennepin County medical examiner's office said Thursday.

The bodies are those of Vera Peck, 50, of St. Anthony, Minn., and Christina Sacorafas-Mosher, 45, of White Bear Lake, Minn., the office said on its Web site.

Peck was in a car with her son, Richard Chit, 21. Chit's body previously had been found and identified. Sacorafas-Mosher was on her way to dance class, authorities have said, and had called to leave a voice-mail message saying she had been delayed by traffic on Interstate 35W.

Remains were found in one vehicle brought to the shore about 3:30 a.m. Thursday, the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office said. Three other vehicles were recovered from the bottom of the river Wednesday, one of which was found to contain remains, the department said. (Posted 5:41 p.m.)

Dean 'means business' as it bears down on Caribbean

MIAMI (CNN) -- A strengthening Hurricane Dean was poised Thursday to menace the Caribbean before heading for Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula.

As of 5 p.m., Dean had attained Category 2 intensity, with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph and higher gusts, according to the National Hurricane Center, and was expected to strengthen further, possibly becoming the first major hurricane of the 2007 Atlantic season.

"This storm means business," CNN meteorologist Chad Myers warned.

After it crosses the Lesser Antilles early Friday, forecasters expect Dean to reach Category 4 strength as it brushes Jamaica on Sunday. It is forecast to reach the Yucatan late Monday, still as a Category 4. Some computer models show Dean reaching Category 5 strength, Myers said. (Posted 5:02 p.m.)

Erin dumps rain on Texas

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (CNN) -- The system that was once known as Tropical Storm Erin sloshed ashore on the pancake-flat Texas coast Thursday, bringing torrential rainfall and triggering widespread flooding near Houston, where heavy rain and flooding have been all-too-common occurrences this year.

Erin made landfall early Thursday near the city of Lamar, north of Corpus Christi, as a tropical depression, with winds of 35 mph.

However, one of Erin's rain bands parked itself over the city of Houston, dumping 6 inches of rain in about four hours, said CNN meteorologist Chad Myers.

The good news, Myers said, is that the rain is moving out of the area and should be gone by Friday. Although Erin lost its organization, the system is still moving at about 15 mph. (Posted 3:23 p.m.)

Poll: Majority say they won't trust Petraeus report

(CNN) -- A majority of Americans don't trust the coming report by the Army's top commander in Iraq on the progress of the war, and even if they did, it wouldn't change their minds, according to a new poll.

President Bush has frequently asked Congress -- and the American people -- to withhold judgment on his troop buildup, or "surge," in Iraq until Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker issue their progress report in September.

But in a new CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll released Thursday, 53 percent of respondents said they suspect that the military assessment of the situation will try to make it sound better than it actually is. Forty-three percent said they will trust the general's report.

CNN Polling Director Keating Holland said he doesn't think the mistrust is directed at Petraeus so much as what he represents. "It does seem to indicate that anyone associated with the Bush administration may be a less-than-credible messenger for the message that there is progress being made in Iraq," Holland said. (Posted 3:16 p.m.)

Mountain bumps slow rescue progress; hopeful vibration fades

HUNTINGTON, Utah (CNN) -- A vibration rescuers Wednesday night called a "sign of hope" that six trapped miners might still be alive has faded away and "could have been anything," a mine official said Thursday.

The effort to clear coal rubble from the only path out for the men "is going disappointingly slow," said Bob Murray, president and CEO of mine co-owner Murray Energy Group.

Video recorded by a camera lowered into a third hole drilled toward where rescuers thought the miners might have found refuge revealed a cavity that could sustain life with water and good air, but there were no signs of the miners.

Ten days after the walls of the Crandall Canyon mine burst, filling at least 1,800 feet of the main tunnel with coal, rescuers are still over 1,000 feet from reaching the section where the men were believed to be working, Murray said. (Posted 3:05 p.m.)

President Garcia promises help after hundreds killed in Peruvian quake

(CNN) -- The day after an 8.0-magnitude earthquake shook southern Peru, killing at least 400 people and injuring 1,500, President Alan Garcia toured the area most affected and promised help would arrive shortly.

"Since the highway is shut, it doesn't permit help at this time," Garcia told residents of Pisco, site of more than 200 deaths. Garcia, who traveled the 260 km (160 mi) southeast of Lima in a helicopter, said arrangements were being made to get water and food into the town of about 68,000 residents.

Some 80 percent of the city's housing stock -- much of it adobe -- was damaged, America TV Peru reported. Its video showed block after block of houses in ruins.

Amid the wreckage of a church that collapsed Wednesday night as services were being held, people searched for missing relatives. Several children wandered aimlessly. "Oh, my God, who do these little children belong to?" Garcia asked. (Posted 3:02 p.m.)

Padilla, co-defendants found guilty on terror charges

MIAMI (CNN) -- Accused "enemy combatant" Jose Padilla was found guilty Thursday on charges he conspired to kill people in an overseas jihad and conspired to fund and support overseas terrorism.

Padilla's two co-defendants, Adham Hassoun and Kifan Jayyousi, also were found guilty on the three counts: conspiracy to murder, kidnap, and maim people in a foreign country, conspiracy to provide material support for terrorists, and providing material support for terrorists. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 5. All three defendants face life in prison.

After the decision was announced, Padilla's mother, Estella Lebron, told CNN her son will appeal the verdict. "I'm not surprised by anything in this place anymore," she said. "This is a Republican city." (Posted 2:55 p.m.)

Greece to hold early elections next month

ATHENS (CNN) -- Greece's conservatives moved Thursday to hold snap elections next month, hoping to win a fresh mandate for economic and social reforms.

Government spokesman Theodore Roussopoulos said Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis will lead the country to early elections on Sept. 16, six months ahead of their scheduled date.

"We have made steady strides in improving our economy ... but more needs to be done," Roussopoulos told journalists after a flurry of meetings between the prime minister and senior cabinet members, including the county's finance minister, George Alogoskoufis. (Posted 2:50 p.m.)

Coalition death toll in Iraq war reaches 4,000

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- The number of coalition military deaths in the war in Iraq has reached 4,000, another gloomy milestone in the long and tough fight.

The toll rose when the U.S. military reported the death of an MNC-I soldier in "non-battle-related causes" on Thursday in Baghdad.

Most of the fatalities -- 3,702 -- have been U.S. military service members. The nearly 300 others hail from the assorted countries that have supported the U.S.-led effort that started in March 2003.

The numbers are based on a CNN Library count of official figures from the various countries involved in the Iraq war. (Posted 2:43 p.m.)

Padilla found guilty on terror charges

MIAMI (CNN) -- Accused "enemy combatant" Jose Padilla was found guilty Thursday on charges he conspired to kill people in an overseas jihad and conspired to fund and support overseas terrorism.

Padilla's two co-defendants, Adham Hassoun and Kifan Jayyousi, were also found guilty on the three counts as charged: conspiracy to murder, kidnap, and maim people in a foreign country, conspiracy to provide material support for terrorists, and providing material support for terrorists.

Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 5. (Posted 2:25 p.m.)

Fighting in Diyala leaves 21 dead

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- The U.S. military in Iraq reported the deaths of 21 insurgents in Diyala province fighting Wednesday in what was characterized as an "unprecedented combined action" effort of Iraqi police and citizen volunteers,

The joint force of police and the volunteers, who call themselves the Baquba Guardians, "defeated a coordinated attack of approximately 40 to 60 al Qaeda terrorists" in the southern Buhriz region near Baquba, the U.S. military said in a statement released Thursday.

Coalition attack helicopters backed up the fighters, who fought off a "coordinated attack" by militants.

The U.S. military is leading two major offensives against Diyala insurgents -- Arrowhead Ripper in Baquba and Lightning Hammer in the Diyala River valley. (Posted 2:17 p.m.)

U.N. official says at least 450 dead from Peru quake

(CNN) -- Cadavers covered with sheets were lined up in the street Thursday in Chincha near Peru's southern coast, after Wednesday night's 8.0 magnitude earthquake that killed at least 450 people and injured 1,500.

The latest casualty figures came from the deputy emergency relief coordinator for the United Nations, Margareta Wahlström. In addition, she said, nearly 400 houses were destroyed.

President Alan Garcia has sent three of his cabinet ministers to the affected areas.

Peru will likely put out a call for international aid, "preferably monetary," said Vladimir Kocerha, spokesman for Peru's Embassy in Washington. (Posted 1:45 p.m.)

Bombs placed in houses emerges as threat to U.S., Iraqi troops

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A U.S. military official is reporting the growing prevalence of a deadly tactic used by insurgents in Iraq -- the placement of bombs in houses.

Lt. Gen. Carter Ham, director for operations for the Joint Staff at the Pentagon, told reporters that there have been a few instances in recent weeks and months in which U.S. and Iraqi soldiers have been subject to attacks from improvised explosive devices placed inside buildings.

It's not a particularly new technique, he said, but it is becoming more common and is a threat to soldiers entering and clearing a building.

"It has occurred in Baghdad and in other sites as well," Ham said. (Posted 1:35 p.m.)

Death toll from Peru quake nears 400

(CNN) -- Cadavers covered with sheets were lined up in the street Thursday in Chincha near Peru's southern coast, after Wednesday night's 8.0 magnitude earthquake that killed at least 387 people and injured 1,050.

The latest casualty figures were provided to the Peruvian Embassy in Washington by Peru's Institute of Civil Defense, embassy spokesman Vladimir Kocerha told CNN.

"People are still flocking into the hospitals," he said.

Hardest-hit was Pisco, located 260 km (160 miles) southeast of Lima. Two hundred of Pisco's 68,000 residents died in the quake and 70 percent of the city's housing was damaged, Kocerha said, citing a report from the minister of health. (Posted 1:20 p.m.)

Verdict to be announced in Padilla trial

MIAMI (CNN) -- After less than two days of deliberations, the jury in the Jose Padilla terror trial reached a verdict Thursday, according to an official in Judge Marcia Cooke's office.

The verdict will be announced at 2 p.m. ET.

Padilla and two co-defendants were on trial on charges of conspiracy to fund and support Islamic terrorism overseas. (Posted 12:37 p.m.)

State Department worker indicted for alleged anti-Arab threats

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A longtime worker at the U.S. State Department has been indicted by a federal grand jury on allegations he threatened officials of the Arab American Institute, including its leader, James Zogby.

A federal grand jury indicted Patrick Syring after investigators said they documented threats and intimidation in a series of e-mails and telephone voice mail, dating back to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon last July.

According to the court document, one of the e-mails allegedly from Syring, dated July 17, 2006, stated "the only good Lebanese is a dead Lebanese."

Syring, who was based in Washington, this month began a retirement transition program as he concluded work as an assignment officer in the human resources unit at the State Department, according to an official in that office. (Posted 12:33 p.m.)

In southern Afghanistan, 'number of insurgents' killed in fighting

(CNN) -- A "number of insurgents" in southern Afghanistan died Thursday in fighting between Taliban militants and Afghan and coalition troops, the U.S.-led coalition said

The incident occurred in Helmand province's Regay village. It was the latest battle over a violent period in recent days in the south of the country and the "second attack in successive days" in the region, the coalition said.

It said insurgents "attacked the patrol with mortar fire" and the troops fired back, killing the militants "with accurate small-arms and mortar fire."

There were no civilian injuries, and none for coalition or Afghan troops as well, the coalition said. (Posted 12:12 p.m.)

Two more sets of human remains recovered from bridge collapse

(CNN) -- Recovery crews have pulled two more sets of human remains from vehicles that fell into the Mississippi River when a bridge collapsed in Minneapolis earlier this month, officials announced Thursday.

Remains were found in one vehicle brought to the shore about 3:30 a.m. Thursday, the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office said.

Three other vehicles were recovered from the bottom of the river Wednesday, one of which was found to contain remains, the department said.

The county medical examiner will be working to identify the remains and notify families, the sheriff's office said. (Posted 11:37 a.m.)

At least 337 dead, hundreds injured following major quake off Peruvian coast

(CNN) -- Rescuers in Peru frantically combed through rubble Thursday for possible survivors from Wednesday evening's powerful earthquake that struck off the coast, killing at least 337 people and injuring 1,350, officials said.

The U.S. Geological Survey, which originally put the quake's strength at 7.9 magnitude, has upgraded it to 8.0.

President Alan Garcia said the worst destruction appeared to be in Canete, Chincha and Ica. He declared at a state of emergency, and said the government is going to "ensure that regional and local governments, civil defense institutions and ministries can spend what they need to, rapidly and immediately."

Giorgio Ferrario of the International Red Cross said the organization has sent an assessment team to the area. A major highway along the coast was nearly destroyed, and rescuers were severly hampered by fallen debris. (Posted 11:35 a.m.)

ICRC: Taliban, South Korean resume talks over hostages

(CNN) -- Taliban and South Korean officials resumed discussions Thursday over the fate of 19 South Korean church volunteers held hostage in Afghanistan, a Red Cross official told CNN.

Carla Haddad, a media relations officer for the International Committee of the Red Cross, confirmed to CNN that the talks are taking place in the office of the Afghan Red Crescent Society in Ghazni province.

The ICRC has been taken a role as a "neutral intermediary" in the discussions, but it has not participated in the negotiations.

The talks resumed after negotiations between the Taliban and South Korea that started late last week led to the release of two female hostages. Those negotiations were held in the same Red Crescent location. (Posted 10:43 a.m.)

Erin makes landfall on Texas coast with heavy rain, weakens to tropical depression

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (CNN) -- The system that was known as Tropical Storm Erin made landfall on the pancake-flat Texas coast early Thursday, but came in as a tropical depression with winds of 35 mph and heavy rain.

Erin's biggest threat continues to be inland flooding -- especially south of Houston -- where heavy rain and flooding have been common occurrences since March.

At 7 a.m. CT (8 a.m. ET), the center of the storm was hitting the coast near Lamar, Texas, about 25 miles northeast of Corpus Christi, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.

It was moving to the west-northwest at 12 mph, the NHC said, and that movement inland is expected to continue throughout the day Thursday. (Posted 10:33 a.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 uses the statistical analysis to account for shifts in its overall size from year to year. The 2006 figure of 101 includes two deaths in which there has not been a final ruling, but officials said they are likely to be ruled suicides. (Posted 10:32 a.m.)

Three sailors missing after Navy plane crashes in Atlantic

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Three U.S. Navy sailors are missing at sea after a command and control plane crashed while conducting exercises in the Atlantic, Wednesday night, Navy officials said Thursday.

The plane, an E-2C "Hawkeye," crashed after it launched from the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman off the Virginia-North Carolina coast about 11p.m. Wednesday, Navy officials said.

Navy officials said they do not yet know what caused the plane to crash, and search and rescue missions are still underway from units on the Truman, the carrier USS Eisenhower and the Coast Guard.

The twin engine plane usually carries a crew of five, but had only three aboard during the flight.

The plane was part of a training squadron, VAW 120, and is based at the Naval Station Norfolk in southern Virginia. (Posted 9:38 a.m.)

Rescuers to drill fourth hole following 'a sign of hope' from mine

HUNTINGTON, Utah (CNN) -- Bostered by "a sign of hope," rescuers planned to begin drilling a fourth hole at the Crandall Canyon mine Thursday after an underground listening device registered a "series of spikes."

But officials overseeing the rescue of six miners trapped for 10 days in the central Utah coal mine say there is no way to know for certain whether the information detected by the device might be significant.

"We saw some indication of noise for a period of about five minutes that we had not seen before," Richard Stickler, director of the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration said Wednesday. "We're not sure what it means."

Bob Murray, president and CEO of mine co-owner Murray Energy Group, told reporters, "Don't read too much into this noise we picked up. ... But it is a sign of hope."

Stickler said that based on the location of the unknown noise, rescuers have decided to change the location of the fourth drill hole that they hope will reach the area where the miners are. (Posted 9:38 a.m.)

Iraq government: Death toll in northern Iraq at more than 400

BAGHDAD (CNN) --The Iraqi government says the death toll in Tuesday's suicide truck bombing attacks in northern Iraq stands at more than 400 but the toll is expected to rise.

Brig. General Abdul Karim Khalaf, Ministry of Interior spokesman, told CNN on Thursday that 300 others were wounded in the series of attacks in Yazidi villages in Nineveh province -- the bloodiest single attack of the Iraq war.

This latest figure was reported a day after local officials said that more than 500 have been killed.

Both Khalaf and local officials said the toll is expected to grow as crews continue to search the rubble in the aftermath of the bombings, which occurred Qataniya, Tal Uzair, and al-Jazeera. The area is west of Mosul, the largest city in northern Iraq. (Posted 9:37 a.m.)

At least 337 dead, hundreds injured following major quake off Peruvian coast

(CNN) -- Rescuers in Peru frantically combed through rubble Thursday for possible survivors from Wednesday evening's powerful 7.9 earthquake that struck off the coast, killing at least 337 people and injuring 1,350, officials said.

President Alan Garcia declared at a state of emergency, and said the worst destruction appeared to be in Canete, Chincha and Ica.

He said the government was going to "ensure that regional and local governments, civil defense institutions and ministries can spend what they need to, rapidly and immediately."

Giorgio Ferrario of the International Red Cross said the organization has sent an assessment team to the area. A major highway along the coast was nearly destroyed, and rescuers were severly hampered by fallen debris.(Posted 9:36 a.m.)

Countrywide forced to tap line of credit, toughening loan standards

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Embattled Countrywide Financial, the nation's No. 1 writer of mortgage loans, was forced to tap an $11.5 billion line of credit Thursday to address its looming liquidity crunch, and it said it is toughening the underwriting standards on the home loans it will make going forward.

The unusual step taken by Countrywide only fed fears about the problems facing the company.

The mortgage lender has seen much of the demand for its mortgage-backed securities dry up in recent weeks in the face of rising delinquencies and defaults for its loans.

That credit crunch sparked fears Wednesday that the company could be facing the risk of bankruptcy, and it helped spark a selloff in the broader U.S. stock market, as Countrywide shares plunged 13 percent. (Posted 10:35 a.m.)

Housing starts, permits fall to lowest level since 1997

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Housing starts and permits both fell to the lowest levels in more than a decade, as the latest reading on the battered housing and home building markets both came in below expectations Thursday.

Housing starts fell to an annual rate of 1.38 million in July from a revised 1.47 million rate in June. Economists surveyed by Briefing.com had forecast starts would fall to a 1.41 million pace in June.

The latest reading is the lowest level of starts since January 1997.

Building permits, which are often seen as a snapshot on builders' view on the state of the market, fell to an annual rate of 1.37 million from the June figure of 1.41 million, marking the lowest level since October 1996. Economists had been forecasting a rate of 1.4 million. (Posted 8:51 a.m.)

Shiite, Kurdish politicians announce key political agreement, urge Sunnis to join

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- Iraq's top Shiite and Kurdish leaders Thursday announced and signed a new political agreement designed to help foster national unity and end the stalemate over key legislation in Iraq's parliament.

A key Sunni leader -- Vice-President Tariq al-Hashimi -- was a no-show at the meeting, but his counterparts in the Shiite and Kurdish factions hope he and his influential Iraqi Islamic Party will eventually join their efforts.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, a Shiite and the Dawa Party leader, and Iraqi President Jalal al-Talabani, Kurdish and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan leader, announced the move at a press conference in the Green Zone.

They were accompanied by Massoud Barzani, the leader of the Kurdish autonomous region and the head of the Kurdish Democratic Party, and Abel Abdul Mehdi, Iraq's Shiite vice president. (Posted 8:27 a.m.)

Erin makes landfall on Texas coast, weakens to tropical depression

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (CNN) -- The system that was known as Tropical Storm Erin made landfall on the pancake-flat Texas coast early Thursday, but came in as a tropical depression with winds of 35 mph and some heavy rain.

The center of Erin hit the coast near Lamar, Texas, about 25 miles northeast of Corpus Christi, the National Hurricane Center said.

In the past 12 hours, while it was still a tropical storm, Erin dumped as much as four inches of rain in some regions of the Lone Star state.

The system also sparked tornado warnings further inland from the middle Texas coast.

Erin's biggest threat continues to be inland flooding, in a state that has been water-logged for the past four months. (Posted 8:20 a.m.)

Rescuers to drill fourth hole following 'a sign of hope' from mine

HUNTINGTON, Utah (CNN) -- Bostered by "a sign of hope," rescuers planned to begin drilling a fourth hole at the Crandall Canyon mine Thursday after an underground listening device registered a "series of spikes."

But officials overseeing the rescue of six miners trapped for ten days in the central Utah coal mine say there is no way to know for certain whether the information detected by the device might be significant.

"We saw some indication of noise for a period of about five minutes that we had not seen before," Richard Stickler, director of the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration said Wednesday. "We're not sure what it means." (Posted 7:15 a.m.)

13 terrorists killed, 16 detained in Iraq raids

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- Coalition troops killed 13 insurgents and arrested 16 others Wednesday and Thursday in a series of raids targeting "al Qaeda in Iraq's foreign terrorist and bombing networks."

The raids occurred in Samarra, north of Muqdadiya, and Baghdad.

"The Iraqi people continue to demonstrate their choice for an Iraq free of brutal terrorism and harmful foreign influence," said Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, MNF-I spokesperson.

"Our operations continue to target those who conduct indiscriminate violence against Iraqis." (Posted 6:56 a.m.)

2 U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq combat

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- Two U.S. soldiers were killed Wednesday during combat north of Baghdad, the U.S. military said on Thursday.

Six other soldiers were wounded in the incident. The troops were from Multi-National Division-Baghdad.

This brings the number of U.S. military deaths in the war to 3,701 and the number of troop deaths in August to 43. (Posted 6:51 a.m.)

Dean becomes a hurricane; Texas braces for Erin's landfall

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (CNN) -- The first hurricane of the 2007 season -- Hurricane Dean -- churned through the Atlantic Thursday as Tropical Storm Erin closed in on the Texas Gulf Coast, the National Hurricane Center reported.

At 5 a.m. ET, Hurricane Dean was producing sustained winds of 75 mph and was located about 485 miles east of Barbados and about 590 miles east of Martinique. The storm was racing to the west at 25 mph and was expected to reach the Lesser Antilles on Friday.

Tropical Storm Erin was expected to roll ashore along the Texas Gulf Coast around midday Thursday, as state officials mobilized National Guard troops and water rescue teams to deal with the storm's landfall. (Posted 6:28 a.m.)

At least 337 dead, hundreds injured following major quake off Peruvian coast

(CNN) -- A major 7.9 magnitude earthquake that struck off the coast of central Peru killed at least 337 people and injured another 1,350, Peru's Health Ministry said Thursday morning.

The quake struck Wednesday evening and was followed by a series of strong aftershocks that sent people fleeing into the streets.

President Alan Garcia said the worst destruction appeared to be in Canete, Chincha and Ica.

"We have declared a state of emergency in the Ica Department and we are going ... to ensure that regional and local governments, civil defense institutions and ministries can spend what they need to, rapidly and immediately, in order to solve the problems that exist there." (Posted 6:25 a.m.)

U.S. military: 'highly sought' bomb smuggler arrested near Baghdad

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- U.S.-led coalition forces detained a "highly sought" bomb smuggler with alleged ties to Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps Quds Force Thursday during a pre-dawn raid northeast of Baghdad, the U.S. military said.

Also during the raid coalition forces killed three weapons smugglers and arrested five others.

According to the military, the "high priority special groups weapons smuggler" was responsible for transporting "explosively formed penetrators (EFPs), Katyusha rockets and other weapons from Iran into Iraq."

In addition, the military contends the smuggler had "direct ties to senior militant leaders and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force."

For months U.S. officials have stated Iranian agents from the Quds force have been helping train and equip militants in Iraq and have been supplying insurgents with the high-tech, armor-piercing EFPs.

Iran has denied these assertions. (Posted 5:35 a.m.)

Baghdad shopping center targeted with car bomb, 9 killed

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- A parked car bomb exploded at a busy shopping center in central Baghdad, killing at least nine people and wounding 17 others Thursday morning, Iraq's Ministry of Information said.

The bomb went off in the parking lot of Rusafi, a shopping complex where textile and leather is sold.

Meanwhile, north of the capital U.S.-led coalition forces killed three weapons smugglers and arrested six others -- including one classified as a "high priority special groups weapons smuggler" -- during a pre-dawn raid, the U.S. military said.

On Wednesday, two parked car bombs exploded in a market north of Baghdad in Kirkuk, wounding nine people, a Kirkuk police official said Thursday.

Shortly before the blast, Iraqi police were tipped off that the cars were rigged with explosives, but the injuries occurred despite their warnings.

Kirkuk is about 240 km, or 150 miles, north of Baghdad, and has a mixed ethnicity, with large populations of Arabs, Kurds and Turkmens. (Posted 4:10 a.m.)

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.) E-mail to a friend