The CNN Wire: Saturday Aug 18

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.

NYC authorities hunt for cause of building blaze that killed 2 firefighters

NEW YORK (CNN) -- New York City authorities worked through the night Saturday in efforts to discover what sparked a seven-alarm fire at Deutsche Bank building just south of Ground Zero that killed two firefighters earlier in the day, a statement from the governor's office said.

"The fire's cause is yet unknown," New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer said. "My office has directed all relevant state agencies to work with the city to determine the cause and to take all necessary precautions."

Earlier, the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) said two firefighters died battling the blaze. They were Joseph Graffagnino (prono: graff-uh-NEEN-oh), 33, of Ladder Company 5, and Robert Beddia, 53, of Engine Company 24. Graffagnino was an eight-year FDNY veteran, and Beddia was a 23-year veteran, the department said.

They died after becoming "trapped in maze-like conditions on the 14th floor of the building," an FDNY statement said. (Posted 2:10 a.m.)

2 NYC firefighters killed while battling 7-alarm blaze

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Two firefighters were killed Saturday while battling a blaze at the Deutsche Bank building just south of Ground Zero, according to the Fire Department of New York (FDNY).

Joseph Graffagnino, 33, of Ladder Company 5, and Robert Beddia, 53, of Engine Company 24, "became trapped in maze-like conditions on the 14th floor of the building," said an FDNY statement. "They suffered severe smoke inhalation and were taken to NY Downtown Hospital in cardiac arrest, where they succumbed to their injuries."

Doctors said the amount of carbon monoxide in the firefighters' lungs was sufficient to cause cardiac arrest, Mayor Michael Bloomberg told reporters. The mayor called the fire "another cruel blow" to the city. Both firefighters' units also lost firefighters in the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center.

"I'd like to remind everyone, these are the men and women who rush into danger when we run away," Bloomberg said. "They make the ultimate sacrifice." (Posted 11:34 p.m.)

Fourth bore hole yields no signal from trapped miners

HUNTINGTON, Utah (CNN) -- A fourth hole drilled into part of a Utah mine, where six miners have been trapped underground since a mine collapse 12 days ago, yielded no signals from the men, but officials Saturday said they refuse to give up, announcing plans to drill a fifth hole.

Meanwhile, a team of experts was being assembled to determine whether tunneling efforts can continue in the mine after a seismic "mountain bump" Thursday resulted in the deaths of three rescue workers.

The bore hole pierced the mine, at a depth of about 1,400 feet, at about 9:15 a.m. Saturday, said Richard Stickler, director of the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration. Crews attempted to signal to the miners by making noise with the drill and by setting off three rounds of explosive charges, then maintained a "quiet period" in order to listen, he said. "We did not detect any signals from the miners underground," he said.

But officials from Murray Energy, which operates the mine, said they are not ready to give up. "Make no mistake about it, this continues to be a rescue effort," said Rob Moore, the company's vice president. "I want to make that clear ... We have encountered setbacks. We have incurred losses. But we have not, and we will not, give up hope." (Posted 11:27 p.m.)

Dean brushes Haiti, Dominican Republic on its way to Jamaica

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (CNN) -- Hurricane Dean, a Category 4 storm described by forecasters as "extremely dangerous," brushed the southern coasts of Haiti and the Dominican Republic with high winds Saturday night as it roared through the western Caribbean on a collision course with Jamaica.

At 11 p.m., Dean's maximum sustained winds had decreased slightly to 145 mph, but the storm was still a strong Category 4. It is forecast to reach Category 5 intensity, with winds in excess of 155 mph, before bearing down on Jamaica. Hurricane-force winds extended 60 miles from the center; tropical-force winds extend up to 205 miles.

The massive storm, whose eye is surrounded by two eyewalls, was about 360 miles east-southeast of Kingston, Jamaica, and 170 miles south-southeast of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. It was moving west at 17 mph and was expected to continue moving west or northwest over the next day. "On this track, the core of the hurricane will pass just south of the southern coast of Haiti tonight and will be near Jamaica Sunday," the National Hurricane Center said.

The storm has been blamed for at least five deaths as it crossed the Lesser Antilles. (Posted 11:06 p.m.)

2 NYC firefighters killed while battling 7-alarm blaze

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Two firefighters were killed Saturday while battling a blaze at the Deutsche Bank building just south of Ground Zero, according to the Fire Department of New York (FDNY).

The firefighters became trapped while fighting the fire, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg told reporters. Both were taken to Beekman Hospital in cardiac arrest and later were pronounced dead, he said. Doctors said the amount of carbon monoxide in their lungs was sufficient to cause cardiac arrest, Bloomberg said.

The mayor called the fire "another cruel blow" to the city. Both firefighters were in FDNY Ladder Company 5, which also lost firefighters in the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center.

Bloomberg released one of the firefighters' names. Joseph Graffagnino, 34, had eight years with FDNY. He was assigned to Ladder 5, Engine 24, Battalion 2, the fire department said. The second firefighter's name was not released because relatives had not been notified, the mayor said.

"I'd like to remind everyone, these are the men and women who rush into danger when we run away," Bloomberg said. "They make the ultimate sacrifice." (Posted 9:43 p.m.)

2 NYC firefighters killed while battling 7-alarm blaze

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Two firefighters were killed Saturday while battling a blaze at the Deutsche Bank building just south of Ground Zero, according to the Fire Department of New York (FDNY).

The firefighters became trapped while fighting the fire, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg told reporters. Both were taken to Beekman Hospital in cardiac arrest and later were pronounced dead, he said. Doctors said the amount of carbon monoxide in their lungs was sufficient to cause cardiac arrest, Bloomberg said.

The mayor called the fire "another cruel blow" to the city. Both firefighters were in FDNY Ladder Company 5, which also lost firefighters in the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center.

The seven-alarm fire began about 3:40 p.m. on the 14th or 15th floor of the building and spread through multiple floors. Its cause was not immediately known. No civilian injuries were reported, officials said. Some 60 units and up to 250 firefighters were on the scene. (Posted 9:15 p.m.)

2 NYC firefighters critically injured while battling 7-alarm blaze

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Two firefighters were in critical condition Saturday after being injured while battling a blaze at the Deutsche Bank building just south of Ground Zero, according to the Fire Department of New York (FDNY).

The injured firefighters were taken to Beekman Hospital, FDNY said. The seven-alarm fire began about 3:40 p.m. on the 14th or 15th floor of the building and spread through multiple floors. Its cause was not immediately known. No civilian injuries were reported, officials said. Some 60 units and up to 250 firefighters were on the scene.

But by about 8:30 p.m., the fire was all but extinguished, said Andrew Troisi, spokesman for the city's Office of Emergency Management. The seventh alarm was issued because of a shift change which occurred as firefighters continued to monitor the scene for potential flare-ups, he said.

The building was damaged in the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center, by falling debris from the twin towers, according to the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, which has since acquired the building. Deconstruction operations began in March for the 40-story building, according to the LMDC. It is currently deconstructed to the 26th floor. (Posted 8:49 p.m.)

Hurricane Dean worries prompt NASA to move Endeavour landing up a day

(CNN) -- Faced with the possibility that Hurricane Dean could force an evacuation of the Johnson Space Center if it comes ashore near Houston next week, space shuttle program managers decided Saturday to move Endeavour's landing up one day, from Wednesday to Tuesday.

Shuttle reentry and landing is directed out of Mission Control Houston. The current plan calls for Endeavour to undock from the International Space Station early on Sunday, one day ahead of schedule.

In order to do that, Endeavour crew members had to cut short a spacewalk on Saturday and accelerate a number of other activities, like cargo transfers, that had been on the docket for Sunday.

In the end, astronauts did complete all of their work to flight controllers' satisfaction, and the hatches between the shuttle and station were sealed in advance of undocking Sunday morning. The astronauts will work through a series of pre-landing procedures on Sunday and Monday, including a thorough inspection of the shuttle's wing leading edges and nose cap for any micrometeorite or orbital debris damage that might have occurred while the shuttle has been in space. (Posted 8:48 p.m.)

2 suspects in Newark killings arrested in D.C. area; 5 in custody

NEWARK, N.J. (CNN) -- Two suspects in the deadly schoolyard shootings in Newark, N.J., earlier this month were arrested overnight in the Washington D.C. area, law enforcement sources told CNN on Saturday. Authorities have now arrested five people, and are seeking a sixth in connection with the brutal killings.

"It was a really dramatic and intense pursuit," said Dave Turner, spokesman for the U.S. Marshals Service. One of the two people just picked up is Rodolfo Godinez -- a 24-year-old Nicaraguan immigrant described as a "principal player" in the case. He was arrested early Saturday in Prince George's County, Md., in what was described as a "flophouse" for day laborers and is now being held in the county jail. He was in an apartment with eight other males at the time.

Godinez's 16-year-old half brother was picked up later at another location, in Woodbridge, Va. He is in a juvenile facility in Prince William County, Va. They will both face extradition hearings on Monday.

The two suspects were wanted in the Aug. 4 murders of Terrance Aeriel, 18; Dashon Harvey, 20, and Iofemi Hightower, 20. (Posted 8:10 p.m.)

Island of Hispaniola feels high winds from Hurricane Dean

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (CNN) -- Hurricane Dean roared through the open waters of the western Caribbean Saturday, hovering precariously close to Category 5 intensity and packing high winds that were buffeting the Dominican Republic and Haiti by mid-afternoon.

The National Hurricane Center described the storm as "extremely dangerous." Hurricane warnings were issued for Jamaica and parts of Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

At 8 p.m., Dean's maximum sustained winds remained near 150 mph, only 6 mph short of a Category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale used by meteorologists. The storm was expected to fluctuate in intensity over the next 24 hours, and is forecast to reach Category 5 intensity on Sunday before bearing down on Jamaica.

The massive storm, whose eye is surrounded by two eyewalls, was about 405 miles east-southeast of Kingston, Jamaica, and 165 miles south-southeast of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. "Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic has been experiencing tropical storm force wind gusts for the past several hours," the NHC said.

Dean was moving west-northwest at 17 mph and was expected to continue that motion over the next 24 hours. "On this track, the core of the hurricane will pass just south of the southern coast of Haiti tonight and be near Jamaica on Sunday," forecasters said. (Posted 8:09 p.m.)

2 NYC firefighters critically injured while battling 5-alarm blaze

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Two firefighters were in critical condition Saturday after being injured while battling a blaze at the Deutsche Bank building just south of Ground Zero, according to the Fire Department of New York (FDNY).

The injured firefighters were taken to Beekman Hospital, FDNY said. The five-alarm fire began about 3:40 p.m. on the 14th or 15th floor of the building and spread through multiple floors. Its cause was not immediately known. No civilian injuries were reported, officials said.

The building has been draped in black since shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on New York and Washington and is now being deconstructed floor by floor. (Posted 6:58 p.m.)

Obama to limit presidential debate appearances

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. Barack Obama will limit the number of debates and forums he will attend and instead focus more of his time campaigning in key presidential primary and caucus states, the Illinois Democrat's campaign manager announced on Saturday.

In a statement posted on Obama's Web site titled "Debates and forums going forward," campaign manager David Plouffe notes that Obama has already participated in seven debates and 19 forums. With just a little more than four months before the Iowa caucuses, the Obama campaign has decided to take more control of the senator's schedule.

"Unfortunately, we simply cannot run the kind of campaign we want and need to, engaging with voters in the early states and February 5 states, if our schedule is dictated by dozens of forums and debates," Plouffe wrote. "Ultimately, the one group left out of the current schedule is the voters and they are the ones who ask the toughest questions and most deserve to have those questions answered face to face."

The Illinois Democrat will participate in the five remaining Democratic National Committee-sanctioned debates, a September debate sponsored by Univision in Florida and two Iowa debates in December. Obama will also consider participating in forums -- events where candidates are not on the stage at the same time -- but Plouffe noted, "we are unlikely to accept many of these." (Posted 6:47 p.m.)

Crews finish drilling fourth hole into Utah mine

HUNTINGTON, Utah (CNN) -- Crews on Saturday finished drilling a hole into part of a Utah mine, officials said -- the fourth such attempt to reach six miners trapped by an Aug. 6 mine collapse.

Dirk Fillpot with the Mine Safety and Health Administration said the drill reached down to the desired depth of about 1,400 feet. Crews were in the process of removing the drill bit so a listening device and cameras could be inserted -- a process which could take several hours, he said.

No sound has been heard from the miners during the three previous attempts to contact them by lowering a microphone and cameras through drilled holes. Video cameras have shown no sign of them. Officials said earlier this week that they detected a peculiar vibration, but mine operator Bob Murray conceded, "It could have been anything."

It was enough, however, to persuade rescuers to drill the fourth bore hole toward the vibration. It was expected to pierce the mine cavity more than three miles from the entrance, far from where the six miners were believed working at the time of the collapse. (Posted 6:44 p.m.)

Island of Hispaniola feels heavy winds from Hurricane Dean

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (CNN) -- Hurricane Dean roared through the open waters of the western Caribbean Saturday, hovering precariously close to Category 5 intensity and packing high winds that were buffeting the Dominican Republic and Haiti by mid-afternoon.

The National Hurricane Center described the storm as "extremely dangerous." Hurricane warnings were issued for Jamaica and parts of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. At 5 p.m., Dean's maximum sustained winds remained at 150 mph, only 6 mph short of a Category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale used by meteorologists.

The storm was expected to fluctuate in intensity over the next 24 hours, and is forecast to reach Category 5 intensity on Sunday before bearing down on Jamaica.

The massive storm, whose eye is surrounded by two eyewalls, was about 455 miles east-southeast of Kingston, Jamaica, and 165 miles south of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. "Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic has been experiencing tropical storm force wind gusts for the past several hours," the NHC said. (Posted 5:47 p.m.)

Island of Hispaniola feels heavy winds from Hurricane Dean

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (CNN) -- Hurricane Dean roared through the open waters of the western Caribbean Saturday, hovering precariously close to Category 5 intensity and packing high winds that were buffeting the Dominican Republic and Haiti by mid-afternoon.

The National Hurricane Center described the storm as "extremely dangerous." Hurricane warnings have been issued for Jamaica and parts of Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

At 2 p.m., Dean's maximum sustained winds remained at 150 mph, only 6 mph short of a Category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale used by meteorologists. The storm was expected to fluctuate in intensity over the next 24 hours, and is forecast to reach a Category 5 intensity Sunday before bearing down on Jamaica.

The massive storm, whose eye is surrounded by two eyewalls, was about 505 miles east-southeast of Kingston, Jamaica, and 175 miles south of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. (Posted 4:15 p.m.)

Michael Deaver, Reagan aide, has died

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Michael Deaver, a close adviser to President Ronald Reagan, has died, Deaver's family told CNN on Saturday.

The 69-year-old had been struggling with pancreatic cancer and died at his home on Saturday in Bethesda, Md.

"Over the past several months, he battled pancreatic cancer with the courage, grace and good spirit that he carried throughout his life. We are so proud of him. In the end, he stood as the model of a man who not only loved life, but lived life right, one day at a time," his family said in a statement released by the Edelman public relations firm. Deaver was a vice chairman of Edelman International. (Posted 2:20 p.m.)

11 slain bodies found in Baghdad

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- Eleven slain bodies were found across Baghdad on Saturday, all believed to be victims of sectarian violence, Iraq's Interior Ministry told CNN.

The number of bodies found dumped in the capital this month stands at 279. Authorities said they couldn't initially identify the people.

The presence of corpses on the Baghdad streets has been a daily occurrence since the bombing a year and a half ago of the Askariya Mosque, the Shiite shrine in Samarra, sparked Sunni-Shiite violence and widespread population dislocation. (Posted 2:18 p.m.)

Island of Hispaniola feels heavy winds from Hurricane Dean

(CNN) -- Hurricane Dean roared through the open waters of the western Caribbean with close to Category 5 intensity on Saturday, and heavy winds were buffeting the Dominican Republic and Haiti by mid-afternoon.

The National Hurricane Center described it as "extremely dangerous" and listed these details about the hurricane in its 2 p.m. EDT advisory.

Hurricane warnings remain in effect for Jamaica and parts of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. (Posted 2:10 p.m.)

Names of killed Utah rescuers released

(CNN) -- Authorities have released the names of the three dead Utah rescue workers, part of a team tunneling through a coal mine to save six trapped miners.

The Emery County, Utah, sheriff's office on Saturday listed the three as Gary Jensen, Brandon Kimber, and Dale Ray Black. They were killed Thursday evening when a "mountain bump" dislodged part of a wall, destroying roof supports and temporarily trapping them.

Six other rescuers were injured. Janet Frank of Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo, Utah, said the one victim who underwent six hours of surgery on Friday for facial fractures has been upgraded from "serious but stable" condition to fair condition. (Posted 2:02 p.m.)

Michael Deaver, Reagan aide, has died

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Michael Deaver, a close adviser to President Ronald Reagan, has died, Deaver's family told CNN on Saturday. (Posted 1:04 p.m.)

Top Sunni leader confers with new Shiite-Kurdish alliance

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- The leaders of a new Shiite and Kurdish political alliance in Iraq were meeting with a top Sunni Arab leader on Saturday -- a breakthrough in the effort to bring the Sunni Arabs into a new political alliance forged to generate momentum for national reconciliation.

Tariq al-Hashimi, a Sunni and one of Iraq's two vice presidents, was attending the meeting with the other leaders in an organizational run-up to a political summit that Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has been planning.

The meeting started in the late afternoon and lasted for a few hours, and it may resume on Sunday, al-Maliki's office said. Al-Hashimi's office said agreements were reached on several issues for the summit, such as the agenda and who will attend. (Posted 12:38 p.m.)

Billy Graham hospitalized with intestinal bleeding

(CNN) -- Rev. Billy Graham, the 88-year-old legendary Christian evangelist, was hospitalized in North Carolina early Saturday for evaluation and treatment for intestinal bleeding.

He was admitted to the Mission Health & Hospitals in Asheville, N.C., near his home in Montreat and is listed in fair condition, a hospital spokesman said in a written statement.

"Mr. Graham's physicians said the illness does not appear to be life-threatening, as Mr. Graham's condition had stabilized over the hours following admission and treatment. (Posted 12:36 p.m.)

Al-Maliki travels to Syria next week

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- Iraq's prime minister, who recently completed an official visit to Iran, is headed to Syria next week, his office confirmed on Saturday.

Nuri al-Maliki will travel to Syria on Monday for a three-day official visit to the Arab neighbor, his first.

He will be accompanied by a delegation that will include the ministers of trade and oil. Both Iran and Syria have been criticized by the Bush administration for their actions -- or lack of them -- during the war. (Posted 12:16 p.m.)

Jamaica braces for Hurricane Dean

(CNN) -- The government of Jamaica -- bracing for Hurricane Dean -- issued a hurricane warning late Saturday morning, meaning that hurricane conditions are expected within the area within the next 24 hours, according to the National Hurricane Center.

"I think the Jamaican people have taken the warning very seriously," said Lincoln Robinson, spokesman for Jamaican Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller, referring to government announcements ordering people to be prepared.

Jamaicans were rushing to supermarkets to stock up on groceries, batteries and nonperishable food items, said Jamaican reporter Kirk Abraham. "There are long lines." (Posted 11:45 a.m.)

2 suspect in Newark killings arrested in D.C. area; 5 now in custody

NEWARK, N.J. (CNN) -- Two suspects in the deadly schoolyard shootings in Newark, N.J., earlier this month were arrested overnight in the Washington D.C.-area, law enforcement sources told CNN on Saturday.

Authorities have now arrested five people, and are seeking a sixth in connection with the brutal killings of the three college-age youths.

One of the two people just picked up is Rodolfo Godinez -- a 24-year-old Nicaraguan immigrant described as a "principal player" in the case. He was arrested in Prince George's County, Md. in what was described as a "flophouse" for day laborers and is now being held in the county jail.

Godinez's teen-age half brother was picked up at another location, in Woodbridge, Va. He is in a juvenile facility in Prince William County, Va. (Posted 11:46 a.m.)

Hurricane warning issued for Jamaica

(CNN) -- The government of Jamaica -- bracing for Hurricane Dean -- issued a hurricane warning Saturday, according to the National Hurricane Center's 11 a.m. report. This means that hurricane conditions are expected within the area within the next 24 hours. (Posted 10:51 a.m.)

Top Sunni leader meets Saturday with new Shiite-Kurdish alliance

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- The leaders of a new Shiite and Kurdish political alliance in Iraq were meeting with a top Sunni Arab leader on Saturday -- a breakthrough in the effort to bring the Sunni Arabs into a new political alliance forged to generate momentum for national reconciliation.

Tariq al-Hashimi, a Sunni and one of Iraq's two vice presidents, was attending the meeting with the other leaders in an organizational run-up to a political summit that Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has been planning.

The meeting started at 4 p.m. local, or 8 p.m. EDT. (Posted 10:05 a.m.)

Two insurgents killed, 16 detained in operations against al Qaeda in Iraq

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- Coalition troops in Iraq killed two insurgents and seized 16 others in raids on Saturday targeting senior leaders of al Qaeda in Iraq and the group's bombing networks.

The raids were in Baghdad, Tarmiya north of the capital, and other regions across the north -- Baiji and Tikrit in Salaheddin province, southwest of Kirkuk in Tameem province, and Mosul in Nineveh province, the U.S. military said.

"We are constantly assaulting the al-Qaeda in Iraq network, from the highest levels of leadership to the operatives who carry out attacks," said Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, MNF-I spokesperson. (Posted 8:40 a.m.)

Interpol issues heads-up on Iraqi warrant for Saddam Hussein daughter

(CNN) -- The international police organization Interpol has issued an alert to authorities across the world that the eldest daughter of the late Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein is wanted by Iraqi authorities.

The Iraqi government has issued an arrest warrant for Raghad Hussein -- age 38. She has been charged with inciting terrorism and crimes against life and health.

Interpol -- based in Lyon, France -- issued a Red Notice in the case. That is a request to police anywhere to help track her down and extradite her to Iraq. She has been living in Jordan. (Posted 8:07 a.m.)

North, South Koreas postpone meeting due to N. Korean flooding

(CNN) -- A scheduled summit between North and South Korean leaders has been postponed one month because of the havoc in the north caused by flooding there, the presidential office in Seoul said Saturday, according to South Korea's Yonhap news agency.

The summit -- which would have been the first in seven years -- was slated to be held Aug. 28 to 30 in the North Korean capital, Pyongyang. A joint statement released by the two governments Aug. 8 said the meetings would aim to raise relations between the two nations "to a higher level."

On Saturday the agency reported the meeting would be rescheduled for Oct. 2 to 4 in Pyongyang. (Posted 7:28 a.m.)

Jet hijackers escorted off plane in southwest Turkey, no injury reports

ANTALYA, Turkey (CNN) -- Two men who hijacked a Turkish passenger jet bound for Istanbul from Cyprus surrendered to officials in southwest Turkey after three hours of negotiations Saturday, video footage at the scene showed.

The names and nationalities of the hijackers were not released, but witnesses on board the Atlasjet Airlines plane told reporters the men were speaking a mix of Arabic and "bad English" and said they were brothers of Muslims. They also claimed to have a bomb.

They demanded to go to either Iran or Syria, but instead the plane made an emergency landing at an airport in the southern resort city of Antalya. (Posted 7:07 a.m.)

Cat 4 Hurricane Dean muscles across Caribbean

(CNN) -- Hurricane Dean gained fury Saturday 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.

Saturday morning, as Dean churned over the open waters south of Puerto Rico, the storm's maximum sustained winds reached near 150 mph with higher gusts, putting it at Category 4 intensity and making it the strongest storm so far of the 2007 Atlantic hurricane seasons. (Posted 5:33 a.m.)

At least 15 dead in suicide bomb attack on American security contractor convoy

(CNN) -- A suicide bomber killed at least 15 people and wounded 25 others in an attack launched on an American security firm convoy Saturday morning in southern Afghanistan, an Interior Ministry spokesman told CNN.

According to Zemarai Bashary, the bomber was "heading in a crude model vehicle" when he "attacked the USPI convoy in the 7th District of Kandahar City."

The spokesman said he did not immediately know how many of the victims were contractors with the U.S. company or the nationalities of the dead and injured.

"We are investigating the case and police are down in the spot," Bashary said. "I think they are all Afghans, but it's not clear yet because all of them are in the hospital." (Posted 3:24 a.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.) E-mail to a friend