The CNN Wire: Friday Aug 17

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.

Danger grows for Jamaica, Yucatan from strengthening Dean

(CNN) -- Hurricane Dean gained fury Friday as it moved across the Caribbean and headed toward a dangerous rendezvous Sunday with Jamaica, by which time forecasters fear Dean will be a destructive Category 5 monster packing 155 mph winds.

And even worse could be yet to come. The latest forecast predicts that by Monday, as Dean nears Cancun and other tourist areas along Mexico's eastern Yucatan coast, its sustained winds will be 160 mph, with gusts as high as 195 mph -- wreaking new havoc on an area heavily damaged just two years ago by Hurricane Wilma.

Friday evening, as Dean churned over the open waters south of Puerto Rico, the storm's maximum sustained winds reached 145 mph, putting it at Category 4 intensity and making it the strongest storm so far of the 2007 Atlantic hurricane seasons. (Posted 11:30 p.m.)

Powerful typhoon roars ashore in Taiwan

TAIPEI, Taiwan (CNN) -- Typhoon Sepat made landfall Saturday morning in eastern Taiwan with winds of more than 95 mph (155 km/h), knocking out electricity to more than 70,000 households and forcing the evacuation of some remote villages.

At least one death was being blamed on the storm, and government officials were urging residents to avoid coastal areas. (Posted 10:44 p.m.)

Utah rescuers injured - a breakdown

(CNN) -- The following is the latest CNN information on the status of the six rescuers injured in the effort to reach trapped miners in Utah:

Five of the six were at Castleview Hospital in nearby Price, Utah, but only one remains there. He is in stable condition in the intensive care unit. The hospital expects to release him over the next two to three days, a hospital spokesman said. Castleview treated and released three of the five.

The fifth rescuer is at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo, where he underwent six hours of surgery to repair facial fractures, according to hospital spokeswoman Janet Frank. Frank said he was in serious but stable condition and that the operation went as well as they expected.

The sixth injured rescuer is at Salt Lake City's University of Utah Hospital, being treated for "non-life threatening injuries," a hospital spokesman said. He was in fair condition Friday afternoon but would be staying the weekend, spokesman Chris Nelson said. (Posted 9:30 p.m.)

Peru quake death toll tops 500; rescue efforts continue

PISCO, Peru (CNN) -- Rescuers frantically dug through rubble in the cities and towns of southwestern Peru Friday, searching for signs of life beneath tons of debris left behind by a major earthquake that struck the coastal region two nights ago.

Aftershocks from Wednesday's 8.0 magnitude quake have continued. The most recent, with a magnitude of 4.9, rattled the region at about 4:30 p.m. (5:30 p.m. ET), about eight hours after a 5.9-magnitude aftershock.

The largest aftershock measured 6.3-magnitude and struck shortly after midnight Thursday morning, just a few hours after the main quake.

Peruvian officials said that the quake killed more than 500 people and injured more than 1,000. And they said the death toll is likely to rise.

The most serious damage was suffered in towns and cities along the country's Pacific coast south of Lima, the capital, including Chincha, Ica, Canete and Pisco. (Posted 7:45 p.m.)

Guilty pleas entered in Iraq oil-for-food scheme From CNN's Mythili Rao

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Two businessmen and two corporations pleaded guilty Friday to charges relating to the abuse of the U.N.'s oil-for-food program, according to a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.

U.S. District Judge Denny Chin accepted guilty pleas from Ludmil Dionissiev, David Chalmers, Jr. and two corporations operated by Chalmers -- Bayoil Inc. and Bayoil Supply and Trading Limited -- on charges related to cheating the U.N.'s humanitarian program of millions of dollars.

Chalmers and his corporations were charged with participating in a scheme to pay illegal surcharges to the government of deposed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in connection with purchases in the oil-for-food program from 2000 to 2003.

Dionissiev, who worked with Chalmers and the Bayoil companies to purchase oil, was charged with related smuggling infractions.

The now-defunct oil-for-food program was intended to provide for the humanitarian needs of the Iraqi people as the country faced international economic sanctions after the 1990-91 Gulf War. (Posted 7:22 p.m.)

From New York to Shanghai: on the trail of potentially deadly diabetes testing kits

(CNN) -- Johnson & Johnson is jealous of its reputation as a household name and a reliable supplier of medical and household products worldwide. And it routinely buys its own products in the marketplace to test they are authentic.

Last September, the company says in court documents filed last October but sealed until last month, it bought through a third party a consignment of diabetes blood-testing strips from a supplier in Brooklyn, N.Y. The strips were counterfeit -- triggering a global search for their source.

The strips are made by Johnson & Johnson subsidiary LifeScan under the OneTouch Ultra trademark. It's a valuable business -- worth billions of dollars in the United States alone, where some 10 million people use the product.

The company says that at about the same time of the counterfeit discovery, it began receiving complaints from customers in New Jersey, Wisconsin and New York about inaccurate readings. For a diabetic reliant on exact doses of insulin, an inaccurate reading of blood sugar levels poses a potentially serious risk. (Posted 6:05 p.m.)

Sources: White House spokesman Snow to step down

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- White House Press Secretary Tony Snow, who has been undergoing chemotherapy treatment for a recurrence of cancer, will step down from his position as early as next month, sources inside and outside the Bush administration told CNN Friday.

-- From CNN White House Correspondent Suzanne Malveaux (Posted 5:17 p.m.)

Princeton again ranked No. 1 college by U.S. News and World Report

NEW YORK (CNN) -- U.S. News and World Report Friday released its annual ranking of U.S. colleges despite increasing opposition from some college presidents over a part of the survey used to create the rankings known as the "reputation survey."

Princeton was ranked the number one college in America for 2008, followed by Harvard, unchanged from last year's rankings. More than 1,900 schools participated in the survey.

But Lloyd Thacker, executive director of the Education Conservancy, a non-profit organization that focuses on college admissions processes, told CNN the percentage of presidents participating in the reputation survey has dropped to 51 percent from 58 percent last year.

The "reputation survey," asks college presidents and top academic leaders to rate other colleges they know based on their opinion alone. Their responses count for 25 percent of the school's ranking. (Posted 5:02 p.m.)

Thompson tells CNN he's for same-sex marriage ban, reversing Roe

DES MOINES, Iowa (CNN) -- In comments likely to be music to the ears of religious conservatives, prospective Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson said Friday that he supports a federal constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage and believes the Roe vs. Wade decision legalizing abortion should be overturned.

In an interview with CNN Chief National Correspondent John King, during a swing through the key early caucus state of Iowa, Thompson also said he will make a statement "shortly" about getting officially in the race. And the former Tennessee senator said he does not believe entering the campaign months after all his major rivals will keep him from winning in Iowa come January.

Friday morning, Thompson held a private meeting with Iowa conservative activists, who indicated afterward that while they were comfortable with Thompson's positions, they were still somewhat skeptical whether his agenda would be translated into action.

Some religious conservative leaders have expressed dissatisfaction with the current announced GOP field, particularly the three strongest candidates, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Sen. John McCain and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. (Posted 4:48 p.m.)

Spokesman: Jets avoided collision at Los Angeles airport

LOS ANGELES (CNN) -- Two jets nearly collided on the ground Thursday at Los Angeles International Airport, activating an anti-collision warning system used by air traffic controllers, an FAA spokesman in California said Friday.

Ian Gregor said the incident was under investigation. He gave CNN this account:

Sources said the two planes passed within 30 to 50 feet of each other.

The incident occurred just days after the Federal Aviation Administration announced new steps to improve safety on airport runways. (Posted 4:04 p.m.)

4 dead in military search-and-rescue helicopter crash

(CNN) -- Three Marines and a sailor died Thursday when a military search-and-rescue helicopter crashed while returning to Marine Corps Air Station Yuma in Arizona after a training mission, officials said Friday.

A fourth Marine was injured, Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Yuma said in a statement. The HH-1N chopper crashed about 20 miles north of Yuma near the Colorado River.

The four were pronounced dead at 12:30 a.m. Friday at the scene of the crash, said 1st Lt. Rob Dolan, a spokesman for Marine Corps Air Station Yuma. Their bodies were taken to Naval medical facilities.

The injured Marine was taken to Yuma Regional Medical Center by another military search and rescue helicopter, the MCAS Yuma statement said. He was listed in stable condition.

The names of the troops were being withheld pending notification of relatives. The cause of the accident was under investigation, the military said.

A search was launched after contact with the helicopter was lost about 4 p.m. Thursday. It had completed a routine training mission at Yuma Proving Ground and was returning to the air station.

An additional search-and-rescue helicopter from the air station participated in the search, along with the Border Patrol, a 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing aircraft and search-and-rescue teams from Luke Air Force Base, the military said. (Posted 2:16 p.m.)

Flags lowered to mourn 3 rescuers at mine

HUNTINGTON, Utah (CNN) -- Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman ordered flags throughout the state lowered to half-staff Friday after three rescuers were killed trying to reach six trapped miners.

"Yesterday we went from a tragedy to a catastrophe," Huntsman said at a news conference.

He added, "These men died as heroes."

Authorities "suspended indefinitely" the underground efforts to tunnel through to the trapped miners, said Richard Stickler, director of the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration. But rescuers continued above-ground efforts to drill a fourth hole through to the mine.

One of those killed was a federal worker with MSHA, Stickler said. Another federal worker was among six rescuers injured. (Posted 2:11 p.m.)

Top U.S. commander in Iraq: Some progress in 'surge,' commanders hope politicians settle differences

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- The top U.S. general in Iraq believes progress has been made with the military escalation in Iraq called the "surge," and commanders hope there will be a breakthrough in Iraq's turbulent and halting political process.

Gen. David Petraeus was interviewed Friday on the Pentagon Channel. He and U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker are to deliver a report in mid-September to Congress about the state of affairs in Iraq and how to proceed in the future.

Asked about the effectiveness of the "surge," he said "we believe that we have taken the initiative away from the enemy" -- particularly the al Qaeda in Iraq militant group.

"Surge" refers to the buildup of nearly 30,000 more U.S. troops in Iraq this year. During the year, U.S. and Iraqi troops have bulked up their efforts in Baghdad and have targeted insurgents in the so-called Baghdad belts, regions around the capital where militants have established a strong presence. (Posted 1:54 p.m.)

3 killed, 6 wounded in Kashmir bombing

SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir (CNN) -- Three people were killed and six others wounded Friday in a bombing targeting the motorcade of an Indian police battalion commander in the village of Kawni, police said.

The target, a commanding officer of a battalion of the Indian paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), escaped injury, officials said. Two of his guards were killed, and a third person later died at a hospital.

"The escort vehicle of the CO was destroyed in the explosion resulting in on-the-spot deaths of two paramilitary troopers and injuries to six others. The CO, however, miraculously escaped the militant attack," a senior police official told CNN. (Posted 1:40 p.m.)

Vick executed dogs, co-defendants say

RICHMOND, Va. (CNN) -- Two alleged partners of Michael Vick say the NFL star helped execute dogs that didn't fight well, and that all three men "executed approximately eight dogs" in ways that included hanging and drowning, according to court documents.

The dogs were killed because they fared poorly in "testing" sessions in April at Vick's property in Virginia where the dogfighting venture was based, according to papers released following plea agreement hearings Friday for Purnell Peace, 35, of Virginia Beach, and Quanis Phillips, 28, of Atlanta.

Vick's co-defendants also stipulated that the money behind the Bad Newz Kennels dogfighting operation came "almost exclusively" from the Atlanta Falcons star.

Vick is now the only one of four men who has not accepted a plea offer. He was to make the decision by 9 a.m. Friday, but the hour passed with no word on the status of talks between his attorneys and prosecutors.

If he doesn't accept a deal, he likely will face additional charges in the case on Monday, when a grand jury convenes in Richmond, Va. (Posted 11:35 a.m.)

U.S. commander cites inroads with Sunnis, challenges with Shiite insurgents

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A top U.S. military commander in Iraq on Friday elaborated on two key trends in Iraq -- the inroads the U.S. and Iraqi forces are making in getting allies from the Sunni community and what the military believes is the worrisome effectiveness of Shiite insurgents.

Army Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno, commander of the Multinational Corps-Iraq, told Pentagon reporters via teleconference that efforts are being made to integrate once-hostile Sunnis into Iraq's security forces. But incorporating these anti-al Qaeda in Iraq forces has to be done in a timely fashion, he said.

"I think it's becoming more and more clear: Either you go to al Qaeda, or you come over and you want to reconcile with the government. I think that's where we are today.

"And that goes back to the importance it is now for us to then get these groups reconciled with the government of Iraq over the next several months, so we can continue to exploit these groups who want to then become part of the permanent government of Iraq security forces." (Posted 11:33 a.m.)

State Department weighs Eritrea as state sponsor of terror for its blacklist

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The State Department is considering putting Eritrea on a blacklist of state sponsors of terrorism for its support of extremist groups in Somalia, the top U.S. diplomat for Africa said Friday.

Assistant Secretary Jendayi Frazer told reporters the United States was in the process of putting together a dossier of information to see if Eritrea met the legal threshold for the designation and expressed confidence the United States could make a strong case.

She cited a recent report by UN monitors which found Eritrea is playing a "key role in financing, funding an arming terror activities" in Somalia, primarily supporting insurgents. (Posted 10:29 a.m.)

IRNA: Iran, Iraq officials sign 'border security pact'

(CNN) -- Iraqi and Iranian officials on Friday signed a "border security pact," an Iranian news report said.

The agreement was signed at the end of the first joint session, a three-day meeting between both sides in Tehran, according to the Iranian-run Islamic Republic News Agency.

Despite the hostility between Iran and the United States, Iraq's main ally in its war, this reflects the growing cooperation between the neighbors. Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki visited Iran last week, and the countries announced an agreement to build cross-border oil pipelines. (Posted 9:21 a.m.)

Fed cutting discount rate by half percentage point to 5.75 percent

NEW YORK (CNN) -- The Federal Reserve, reacting to concerns about the subprime lending crisis and the volatility in the financial markets that have resulted from it, announced Friday that it is cutting its so-called discount rate by a half percentage point, to 5.75 percent.

The central bank did not change its more closely watched, federal funds rate, which affects rates that consumers pay on various types of loans. That rate remains at 5.25 percent.

In a statement, the Fed said that it took the move on loans made directly from any Federal Reserve bank to "promote the restoration of orderly conditions in financial markets." (Posted 8:30 a.m.)

5 civilians killed in eastern Afghan fighting; nearly dozen arrests in south

(CNN) -- Five Afghan civilians were killed during a NATO operation on Thursday in eastern Afghanistan, and 11 arrests were made on Friday in the country's south.

These incidents come amid fierce fighting between the U.S.-led coalition and NATO troops and Taliban militants. The troops in Afghanistan are involved in a major operation against the Taliban in the Tora Bora region near the Pakistani border.

NATO and coalition forces have drawn criticism for civilian casualties that have occurred during such fighting. (Posted 8:29 a.m.)

U.S. soldier, boy, 13 insurgents killed during fighting in, near Iraqi town

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- U.S. troops fought it out with insurgents over the last 24 hours in and near Tarmiya, one of the many volatile spots on the northern Baghdad outskirts, the military reported on Friday.

A U.S. soldier and 13 insurgents, including a armed female wearing a ski mask, were killed.

Also, a boy was killed in a building during fighting. Many people were detained as well. (Posted 7:56 a.m.)

Utah mine rescue efforts temporarily halted in wake of 3 rescue worker deaths

HUNTINGTON, Utah (CNN) -- Part of the rescue efforts to save trapped miners in Utah's Crandall Canyon mine were suspended Friday after an apparent "underground seismic bump" killed three rescue workers and injured six more, a spokesman for mine operator Murray Energy Group said.

Michael Knowles said emergency work to clear the six trapped miners -- who have been underground since an August 6 cave-in -- would resume once Murray Energy Group received safety clearance from federal mine and safety officials.

Federal Mine Safety and Health Administration spokesman Rich Kulczewski told reporters an "underground bump" on Thursday -- an eruption of coal and rock caused by pressure from overhead rock as drilling removes surrounding rock and the material shifts -- occurred at 6:35 p.m. local time. (Posted 7:36 a.m.)

U.S. soldier killed, another wounded in fighting at Sunni mosque north of capital

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- One U.S. soldier was killed and another was wounded late Thursday when troops came under attack from a Sunni mosque in the Iraqi city of Tarmiya -- which is just north of the capital.

The ambush was followed by more fighting as an air weapons team engaged insurgents on the mosque roof with a Hellfire missile.

The U.S. military reported the incident on Friday. The soldiers are from 4th Stryker Brigade Combat, 2nd Infantry Division -- part of the U.S. force in northern Iraq called Task Force Lightning. (Posted 7 a.m.)

3 U.S. soldiers die in Iraq

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- Three U.S. soldiers died in Baghdad Thursday and a fourth was being treated for "superficial wounds," the U.S. military said.

Two of the dead included Multi-National Corps - Iraq soldiers who died in Baghdad from a "non-battle related cause," separate military statements said.

In addition, a Task Force Lightning Soldier was killed by enemy gunfire in Baghdad province. The military said another soldier was wounded during the incident.

Since the start of the war, 3,704 U.S. troops have died in Iraq. (Posted 5 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.)

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.) E-mail to a friend