The CNN Wire: Monday Aug 20

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Editor's Note: The CNN Wire is a running log of the latest news from CNN World Headquarters, reported by CNN's correspondents and producers, and The CNN Wire editors. "Posted" times are Eastern Time.

Monster Dean bears down on Yucatan with catastrophic punch

CHETUMAL, Mexico (CNN) -- Just hours away from crashing into Mexico's Yucatan peninsula, Hurricane Dean picked up intensity in the western Caribbean Monday night and burgeoned into a Category 5 storm -- capable of inflicting catastrophic damage when it makes landfall early Tuesday.

Squalls of heavy rain and wind were rolling on shore in the Yucatan, where conditions were rapidly deteriorating as Dean's eye moved closer to the coast.

As of 1 a.m. (2 a.m. ET), Dean's maximum sustained winds were 160 mph, and the center of the storm was about 100 miles east of Chetumal, Mexico, moving west at about 20 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center, which forecast that the hurricane would remain Category 5 at landfall and shortly afterward.

A Category 5 storm is the most extreme level on the Saffir-Simpson scale of hurricane intensity. Such hurricanes can have a storm surge of more than 18 feet and are powerful enough to take off roofs, uproot trees, blow out windows and even completely destroy some structures. (Posted 2:15 a.m.)

Monster Dean bears down on Yucatan with catastrophic punch

Squalls of heavy rain and wind were rolling on shore in the Yucatan, where conditions were rapidly deteriorating as Dean's eye moved closer to the coast.

As of 10 p.m. (11 p.m. ET), Dean's maximum sustained winds were 160 mph, and the center of the storm was about 150 miles east of Chetumal, Mexico, moving west at about 20 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center, which forecast that the hurricane would remain Category 5 at landfall and shortly afterward.

Final body recovered from Minnesota bridge collapse

(CNN) -- Recovery teams searching the Mississippi River in Minneapolis for victims of the Interstate 35W bridge collapse have recovered the 13th and final body from the disaster, Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek said Monday night.

The body of Gregory Jolstad was recovered around 6:15 p.m. (7:15 p.m. ET). Jolstad was a member of the construction crew working on the bridge at the time of the collapse.

"Tonight I have a grateful heart and a measurable sense of relief," Stanek said. "We've reunited each of the known victims of the 35W bridge disaster ... with their families that so anxiously and lovingly awaited them."

The I-35W bridge over the Mississippi collapsed during evening rush hour on Aug. 1. The 35W bridge had been scheduled for major rehabilitation or replacement in 2020, an official with the Minnesota Department of Transportation said earlier this month. (Posted 12:15 a.m.)

Experts rule out underground rescue at Utah mine

HUNTINGTON, Utah (CNN) -- A panel of experts has determined that the Crandall Canyon coal mine is so unstable that it would be "unacceptable" to resume digging through the mine tunnel to try to locate six miners who have been missing for two weeks, officials in charge of the rescue effort announced Monday evening.

Richard Stickler, head of the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration, said eight experts brought in to look at the condition of the central Utah mine found "overwhelming" evidence that unpredictable seismic activity and instability of pillars in the mine presented too much of a danger to resume the rescue, which was halted after three rescue workers were killed and six injured Thursday in a cave-in.

However, Stickler said if rescuers get any indications that miners are alive, they would consider digging an opening down to them from above and attempting to get them out with a rescue capsule.

So far, crews have dug four bore holes down into the mine, finding no signs of the miners and too little oxygen to sustain life. Work continues on a fifth bore hole, Stickler said. (Posted 10:10 p.m.)

Marine sergeant, former squad leader charged in Falluja killings

(CNN) -- A Marine sergeant and his former squad leader shot and killed three captives during the 2004 battle to recapture the Iraqi city of Falluja, according to federal prosecutors and the Marine Corps.

Federal prosecutors have charged the squad leader, former Marine Sgt. Jose Luis Nazario, with voluntary manslaughter in two of the killings. The Marine Corps has charged his former comrade, Sgt. Jermaine Nelson, with murder in a third, a spokesman for the service said Monday.

The prisoners -- who had been captured in a house with rifles and ammunition inside -- were killed so the Marines could keep up with the rest of their unit in the early days of the battle, according to an investigator's affidavit. (Posted 8:54 p.m.)

Monster Dean aims for Yucatan with catastrophic punch

Rain bands were rolling on shore in the Yucatan, with the eye of the storm still more than 200 miles away, and conditions were deteriorating rapidly. People were being urged to complete their preparations for an "extremely dangerous" storm.

As of 7:30 p.m. (8:30 p.m. ET), Dean's maximum sustained winds reached 160 mph, moving it from a Category 4 to a Category 5 hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center. The center of the storm was about 210 miles east of Chetumal, Mexico, moving west at about 20 mph.

Mexican President Felipe Calderon, who was in Canada for a trilateral meeting with President Bush and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, announced he would cut short his visit and return home Tuesday to deal with the storm. (Posted 8:41 p.m.)

Monster Dean aims for Yucatan with catastrophic punch

CHETUMAL, Mexico (CNN) -- Just hours away from crashing into Mexico's Yucatan peninsula, Hurricane Dean picked up intensity in the western Caribbean Monday night and was on the verge of becoming a Category 5 storm -- capable of inflicting catastrophic damage when it makes landfall early Tuesday.

As of 7 p.m. (8 p.m. ET), Dean's maximum sustained winds were near 155 mph, the threshold at which it would move from a Category 4 to a Category 5 hurricane. The center of the storm was about 210 miles east of Chetumal, Mexico, moving west at about 20 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Demo work stopped NY fire site; investigation into cause continues

NEW YORK (CNN) -- New York's Department of Buildings has ordered all demolition work halted on the abandoned Deutsche Bank Building after a seven-alarm fire on Saturday left two firemen dead.

The building was abandoned after being severely damaged by the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks and was undergoing demolition.

The Buildings Department cited broken glass, damaged hoists and scaffolds and torn netting in issuing the stop work order on Sunday, which applies to all work at the city "except repairs to make the site safe."

According to Buildings Department records, demolition work on the building has been subjected to several complaints, citations and fines since the work began in March. Among the issues cited were falling debris and stacks of combustible material and plywood around the city.

Meanwhile, authorities searched the fire-gutted building for the source of Saturday's blaze. (Posted 8:15 p.m.)

ATF moves to better share data on crime guns with police, public

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- ATF officials responsible for tracing hundreds of thousands of guns used in crimes said Monday they intend to broadly share information with police and the public about firearms traced from gunmakers to dealers to crime scenes, while still protecting police and investigations.

The use and availability of gun tracing data has been a source of controversy on Capitol Hill, where gun control advocates have attempted but failed to push proposals to require the disclosure of gun-tracing information considered "law enforcement sensitive" by many federal, state, and local police groups.

ATF acting Director Michael Sullivan said he intends to reverse the agency's decisions to stop publishing public documents containing weapons-tracing statistics which can reveal trends for police analysts and researchers. Sullivan also wants to make sure police departments understand that additional "law enforcement sensitive" information such as the serial number used on a weapon in a particular crime is still available to local authorities.

-- From Justice Producer Terry Frieden (Posted 6:49 p.m.)

Monster Dean aims for Yucatan with catastrophic punch

CHETUMAL, Mexico (CNN) -- Just hours away from crashing into Mexico's Yucatan peninsula, Hurricane Dean picked up intensity in the western Caribbean Monday evening, and forecasters feared it would strengthen into a Category 5 storm -- capable of inflicting catastrophic damage -- before making landfall early Tuesday.

Rain bands were already rolling on shore in the Yucatan, with the eye of the storm still more than 200 miles away. Conditions were expected to deteriorate rapidly throughout Monday night, and people were being urged to complete their preparations for an "extremely dangerous" storm.

As of 4 p.m. (5 p.m. ET), Dean's maximum sustained winds were 150 mph, making it a Category 4 storm. The center of the storm was about 275 miles east of Chetumal, Mexico, moving west at about 20 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.

However, forecasters said the storm was picking up intensity and predicted that by 1 a.m. Tuesday (2 a.m. ET), winds were likely to top 155 mph, making Dean a Category 5 storm as it approaches the Yucatan coast. (Posted 6:40 p.m.)

Mattel hit with class-action lawsuit over lead-painted toys

(CNN) -- A class-action lawsuit was filed Monday against Mattel related to its recent recall of more than 1 million lead-tainted toys.

The suit seeks money to be used to pay to test for lead in the blood of plaintiffs' children.

Last week, Mattel recalled 436,000 "Sarge" lead-painted die-cast vehicles and, earlier in the summer, the toy manufacturer recalled about a million other toys.

Jeffrey Killino, of the Philadelphia firm of Woloshin & Killino, filed the lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court -- near the company's El Segundo, Calif., headquarters -- to compel the toy giant to set up a fund to test kids who may have been exposed to the recalled products for lead poisoning.

Each test, he said, would cost about $50.

Mattel responded in an e-mail that it did not comment on pending litigation. (Posted 6:23 p.m.)

Marine sergeant, former squad leader charged in Falluja killings

(CNN) -- A Marine sergeant and a former comrade face murder charges in connection with killings that took place during the battle to recapture the Iraqi city of Falluja in late 2004, the Marine Corps announced Monday.

Sgt. Jermaine Nelson, currently based at Camp Pendleton, Calif., is charged with killing an "unknown foreign national" during an incident that took place in Falluja on Nov. 9, 2004. He faces an Article 32 hearing -- the military equivalent of a grand jury -- at a date to be determined, and is not being held, said Lt. Col. Chris Hughes, a spokesman for the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force.

His former squad leader, Jose Luis Nazario, is no longer in the Marines and faces charges in civilian court. Nazario, a Marine sergeant at the time, appeared before a federal judge in Riverside, Calif., last week to face charges he killed two prisoners during the battle.

No details of the charges were immediately available. (Posted 6:04 p.m.)

Va. Tech students' conditions upgraded after carbon monoxide leak

BLACKSBURG, Va. (CNN) -- Two Virginia Tech students were upgraded from critical to serious condition Monday, a day after a carbon monoxide leak sickened 23 people in an apartment building near the university, according to police and hospital officials.

Three other students were upgraded from serious to good condition after undergoing hyperbaric oxygen treatment at Duke University Medical Center, officials said.

The leak was reported in the Collegiate Suites apartments around noon Sunday, the same time that a dedication ceremony was being held to honor 32 students and faculty shot dead last April by a student who then killed himself, said Mark Owczarski, director of university relations. (Posted 6:02 p.m.)

Rep. Filner to face charges stemming from incident at Dulles

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Rep. Bob Filner, D-Calif., faces misdemeanor assault and battery charges related to an incident that occurred Sunday night at Dulles Airport, where he allegedly pushed a United Airlines baggage claim worker.

The airline employee appeared Sunday night before a Loudoun County magistrate and a summons was obtained charging the 64-year-old, eight-term congressman with assault and battery, a class 1 misdemeanor.

Filner is scheduled to appear Oct. 2 in Loudoun County General District Court.

Filner's press secretary did not immediately return a call seeking comment. (Posted 5:06 p.m.)

Leahy: 'Time's up' for White House to produce surveillance opinions

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The White House asked for more time to produce documents regarding the legality of the Bush administration's warrantless surveillance program Monday, but the chairman of the Senate committee that demanded them said "Time is up."

Sen. Patrick Leahy said the Senate Judiciary Committee has given White House officials more than a month to turn over the documents and granted previous extensions of a subpoena it issued in June. That delay "goes way beyond what anyone expected," he said.

Leahy said that unless the administration complies with the subpoena, "The full Judiciary Committee will have to sit down and determine whether to seek contempt from the full Senate." He added, "Right now there's no question they're in contempt of a valid order of the Congress."

In late June, Leahy's committee voted 13-3 to subpoena legal opinions from the White House, National Security Council and Justice Department regarding the legality of the controversial surveillance program, which the Bush administration says is critical to preventing terrorist attacks on the United States. (Posted 4:09 p.m.)

Levin wants Iraqis to oust current government

WASHINGTON (CNN) - The chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee called Monday for a new government in Iraq, saying his trip there last week convinced him that Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki is too sectarian and cannot create a stable Iraq.

Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., was blunt in a Monday conference call with reporters.

"I hope the Iraqi Assembly, when it reconvenes in two weeks will vote the Maliki government out of office," he said.

Levin credited American troops with a visible decrease in violence in Iraq. But the Armed Services chairman insisted military force alone cannot stabilize Iraq. Levin said Iraq could erupt into more internal bloodshed, with its army dividing against itself, unless leaders in Baghdad reach tough political compromise. And he insisted Maliki can't do that.

Levin visited Iraq with the ranking Republican on the committee, Sen. John Warner, R-Va. The two men issued a more nuanced joint statement together, saying that current Iraqi leaders may be facing their "last chance" and that if they fail the government and people need to judge "what actions should be taken ... to form a true unity government." (Posted 3:32 p.m.)

Tariq Aziz, 14 other ex-Hussein lieutenants set for trial Tuesday

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- Former top Iraqi official Tariq Aziz and 14 other officials under executed dictator Saddam Hussein's regime are scheduled to face trial Tuesday in the slaughter of thousands of Shiite Muslims during their 1991 uprising, a U.S. embassy spokesman said.

Aziz is scheduled to appear in court, which would be his first public appearance since his May 2006 testimony as a defense witness in the Dujail trial. That case led to Hussein's conviction and execution last December.

Hussein was executed for the 1982 bloody crackdown in the town of Dujail, a Shiite town that was the scene of a failed assassination attempt against him.

Aziz served as Iraq's foreign minister and deputy prime minister under Hussein. With his white hair, glasses and fluent English, he was perhaps the Iraqi official most recognized by Westerners.

He was No. 25 on the U.S. list of most-wanted Iraqis when the war began in 2003. (Posted 3:31 p.m.)

Survey finds drunken-driving fatalities dipped slightly last year

ARLINGTON, Va. (CNN) -- Though a national survey found that drunken driving fatalities dipped slightly last year, 22 states recorded increased numbers, with Utah, Kansas and Iowa posting the highest percentage increases, the federal government announced Monday.

Transportation Secretary Mary Peters released the figures at the Arlington County Courthouse while promoting a drunken-driving law enforcement crackdown and DUI advertisement blitz.

Last year, authorities tallied 13,470 fatalities involving a driver or motorcycle operator with a blood alcohol concentration of at least 0.08, the legal limit in most states.

That total represents a dip of 0.8 percent from the 13,582 alcohol-related fatalities recorded in 2005.

-- By CNN's Kathy Benz (Posted 3:30 p.m.)

Dean picks up strength, "likely" Cat 5 before hitting Yucatan

CANCUN, Mexico (CNN) -- After battering the southern coast of Jamaica, Hurricane Dean picked up strength early Monday as it set its sights on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula.

The storm already has been blamed for at least seven deaths across the Caribbean islands.

With winds topping 150 mph (240 kph), Dean remained a Category 4 storm Monday afternoon as it churned toward the Yucatan, where it is expected to come crashing ashore in the very early hours of Tuesday.

At 2 p.m. ET, Dean's eye was located about 330 miles (530 km) east of Belize City, the NHC said. The storm was moving westward near 21 mph (33 kph). "A westward or west-northwestward motion is expected over the next 24 hours," the NHC's advisory said.

Hurricane-force winds extended up to 60 miles from its center. Tropical storm-force winds could be felt as far out as 205 miles. (Posted 2:48 p.m.)

Vick accepts plea deal

(CNN) -- NFL quarterback Michael Vick accepted a deal Monday to plead guilty to federal conspiracy charges involving an illegal dogfighting operation, one of his attorneys said in a written statement. (Posted 2:44 p.m.)

Dean picks up strength, "likely" Cat 5 before hitting Yucatan

CANCUN, Mexico (CNN) -- After battering the southern coast of Jamaica, Hurricane Dean picked up strength early Monday as it set its sights on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula.

"Dean is likely to become a Category Five hurricane prior to making landfall," the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said in an 11 a.m. ET advisory.

The storm already has been blamed for at least seven deaths across the Caribbean islands.

The latest projections do not show it hitting the United States, but federal officials and state authorites in Texas said they are prepared just in case.

With winds topping 150 mph (240 kph), Dean remained a Category 4 storm Monday morning as it churned toward the Yucatan, where it is expected to come crashing ashore in the very early hours of Tuesday.

As residents in the region boarded up homes and stocked up on necessities, coastal resorts such as Cancun largely emptied out. Regional airports said people were packing into planes after one of the busiest weekends of the year -- the last before Mexican schools reopen.

Cancun's airport was expected to remain open as long as conditions allowed. (Posted 2:26 p.m.)

Suspect in Newark slayings to fight extradition

UPPER MARLBORO, Md. (CNN) -- Rodolfo Godinez, a suspect in the schoolyard shootings early this month of three college students in Newark N.J., said Monday he will fight extradition from Maryland.

"I'm going to stay here and fight for it," the 24-year-old Nicaraguan immigrant said in criminal court here.

Godinez, who is being held on "no bond status" at Prince George's County Jail in Maryland, entered no plea Monday at his extradition hearing. The case has been referred to the public defender's office. His next court date is scheduled for Sept. 20.

Godinez was arrested early Saturday in Prince George's County in what was described as a "flophouse" for day laborers. (Posted 12:20 p.m.)

Two Va. Tech students still in critical condition after carbon monoxide leak

BLACKSBURG, Va. (CNN) -- Two Virginia Tech students remained in critical condition Monday, a day after a carbon monoxide leak sickened 23 people in an apartment building near Virginia Tech, according to police and hospital officials.

The leak was reported in the Collegiate Suites apartments around noon, the same time that a dedication ceremony was being held to honor 32 students and faculty shot dead last April by a student who then killed himself, said Mark Owczarski, director of university relations.

Kirsten Halik and Kristin Julia, both 19, are in critical condition at University of Virginia Medical Center, the hospital told CNN.

Twelve people were taken to Montgomery Regional Hospital in Blacksburg, and were listed in stable condition on Sunday.

Blackburg police said a valve on a hot water heater that was malfunctioning is believed to be the cause of the incident. (Posted 11:47 a.m.)

Hamas, hospital sources: Israeli airstrike kills 6 Hamas executive force members

(CNN) -- An Israeli airstrike Monday targeted a car carrying suspected Palestinian militants -- believed to have launched rockets into Israel hours earlier -- killing six members of Hamas' executive force, hospital and Hamas officials said.

The Israel Defense Forces confirmed it targeted Palestinan militants it said were responsible for firing Qassam rockets into the southern town of Sderot earlier in the day. There were no casualties from the attack.

In the past 40 days, Palestinian militants in Gaza have fired 40 rockets and mortar shells into Israel, according to the IDF. (Posted 11:45 a.m.)

Sources: Vick's attorneys consider plea deal, trying to reduce recommended jail time to less than 12 months

(CNN) -- Federal prosecutors have offered a plea deal recommending an 18- to 36-month prison sentence for suspended NFL star quarterback Michael Vick for his alleged role in a dogfighting operation, but Vick's attorneys are trying to reduce that to less than a year, two sources close to the case told CNN on Monday.

Vick's attorneys hope to hear back from National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell's office sometime Monday about Vick's career options before entering into any deal with federal prosecutors, the sources said.

Vick's three codefendants in the dogfighting case have accepted agreements to plead guilty in exchange for reduced sentences.

If Vick doesn't accept a deal, he could face additional charges in the case on Monday, when a grand jury convenes in Richmond, Va.

The NFL is considering what, if any, sanctions they should impose on the 27-year-old suspended Atlanta Falcons player.

Court documents released last week showed that two of Vick's alleged partners said he helped kill dogs that didn't fight well, and that all three men "executed approximately eight dogs" in ways that included hanging and drowning. (Posted 11:15 a.m.)

Judge drops two charges against only officer among 12 defendants in Abu Ghraib prison scandal

FORT MEADE, Md. (CNN) -- Two charges were dropped Monday against Lt. Col. Steven L. Jordan, the only officer among the 12 defendants charged in the 2003 Abu Ghraib prison scandal.

The judge in the case, Col. Stephen Henley, threw out charges dealing with whether Jordan lied to a superior officer. He still faces four other charges.

The charges were tossed when it was learned Jordan was not read his rights before an interview with Maj. Gen. George Fay, his superior officer.

According to the charging document, Jordan told Fay he "never saw any detainees being abused and never saw nude detainees, or words to that effect."

The document said that "statement was totally false and was then known by the said Lieutenant Colonel Steven L. Jordan to be so false."

The second count was a sworn statement that recounted the oral response to Fay.

There are four remaining counts or "specifications" in military terms against Jordan. They include willfully disobeying a superior commissioned officer, plus two accusations of failure to obey an order or regulation, and one count of cruelty and maltreatment. (Posted 11:10 a.m.)

Hotelier Leona Helmsley Dead

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Leona Helmsley, who ran her empire of luxurious Manhattan hotels with an iron fist and was sent to prison for tax fraud has died at age 87, her publicist said Monday.

Helmsley and her fourth husband Harry Helmsley owned such sumptuous properties as the Palace Hotel on Madison Avenue, a block from Saint Patrick's Cathedral. (Posted 10:35 a.m.)

6.5-magnitude quake reported near southern Philippines

(CNN) -- A strong earthquake measuring 6.5 in magnitude struck Monday off the coast of the southern Philippines, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

It hit at 9:46 p.m. (9:46 a.m. ET) and its epicenter was located about 150 miles east of the southern Philippine island of Mindanao. (Posted 10:34 a.m.)

Dean clears Jamaica, could be Cat 5 before hitting Yucatan

CANCUN, Mexico (CNN) -- After battering the southern coast of Jamaica, Hurricane Dean picked up strength early Monday as it set its sights on Mexico's Yucatan peninsula.

Forecasters said Dean -- a Category 4 as of Monday morning -- could be a Category 5 hurricane by the time it makes landfall. It is projected to crash into the Yucatan overnight Monday.

Coastal resorts in the region largely emptied out, as residents in the region boarded up homes and stocked up on necessities, preparing for the worst.

Regional airports said people were packing into planes to get out Monday, following one of the busiest weekends of the year -- the last before schools reopen in Mexico.

At 8 a.m. ET, Dean's eye was located about about 440 miles (708 km) east of Belize City, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported. Its top winds of 150 mph (240 kph) made it "an extremely dangerous Category 4 hurricane," with hurricane-force winds extending up to 60 miles from its center, the NHC in Miami said in an advisory. (Posted 9:58 a.m.)

Two Va. Tech students still in critical condition after carbon monoxide leak

Kirsten Halik and Kristin Julia, both 19, are in critical condition at University of Virginia Medical Center, the hospital told CNN.

Three other Virginia Tech students -- Elizabeth Burgin, Carolyn Dorman, and Nichole Howarth, all 19 -- are in stable condition at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C.

The three women were put in a hyperbaric chamber for two hours on Sunday, which pushes pressurized oxygen into the tissues and blood, a Duke hospital representative said.

They were speaking to doctors during the session, and are expected to remain in the hospital for one or two more days. (Posted 8:53 a.m.)

Car bomb detonates in Sadr City; at least 5 dead

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- A parked car bomb detonated Monday in Baghdad's Sadr City neighborhood, killing at least five and wounding 15 others, an Interior Ministry spokesman said.

The attack in al-Sadrain square happened around 4 p.m. (8 a.m. ET) hours after crowds had gathered to protest U.S. forces, the official said. The area was blocked off and under tight security, but was reopened after the protest ended.

Sadr City is a densely populated Shiite neighborhood and stronghold of the Mehdi Army militia, the fighting force of anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. (Posted 8:49 a.m.)

Dean gains strength as it clears Jamaica

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica (CNN) -- After battering the southern coast of Jamaica, Hurricane Dean picked up strength early Monday as it set its sights on the Cayman Islands and Mexico's Yucatan peninsula.

At 8 a.m. ET, Dean's eye was located about about 440 miles (708 km) east of Belize City, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami reported. Its top winds of 150 mph (240 kph) made it "an extremely dangerous Category 4 hurricane," with hurricane-force winds extending up to 60 miles from its center, the NHC said in an advisory.

Tropical storm-force winds could be felt as far out as 205 miles, forecasters reported.

Dean was moving westward at nearly 21 mph as it pulled away from Jamaica, forecasters reported. As it moves into the western Caribbean Sea, the storm could become a Category 5 hurricane within the next 24 hours -- the top of the scale, with winds in excess of 155 mph.(Posted 8:22 a.m.)

Baghdad attacks kill 4, wounds 14

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- At least one person was killed and three others were wounded when a mortar hit eastern Baghdad's Amin neighborhood Monday at midday, an Interior Ministry official said.

A few hours earlier, three people were killed and 11 injured in the Rusafi district of central Baghdad when a motorcycle rigged with explosives blew up, the ministry said. (Posted 5:40 a.m.)

Dean gains strength as it clears Jamaica

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica (CNN) -- After battering the southern coast of Jamaica, Hurricane Dean picked up strength early Monday as it set its sights on the Cayman Islands and Mexico's Yucatan peninsula.

At 5 a.m. ET, Dean's eye was located about 115 miles (185 km) south-southeast of Grand Cayman and about 495 miles (795 km) east of Belize City, the National Hurricane Center in Miami reported. Its top winds of 150 mph (240 kph) made it a strong Category 4 storm, with hurricane-force winds extending 60 miles from its center.

Tropical storm-force winds could be felt as far out as 205 miles, forecasters reported.

Dean was expected to pass just south of the Caymans. (Posted 5 a.m.)

Maliki arrives in Syria on official visit

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki arrived in Damascus, Syria, on Monday -- the start to an official three-day visit, Iraqi state TV reported.

This is his first trip to Syria as prime minister. (Posted 4:40 a.m.)

Bomb kills southern Iraqi governor

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- The governor of Muthana province in southern Iraq was killed by a roadside bomb in the city of Samawa Monday morning, an official with Iraq's Interior Ministry said.

Mohammed Ali al-Hassani was traveling with his bodyguards when the attack took place around 9 a.m. (1 a.m. ET). The governor was a member of the Supreme Islamic Council in Iraq, the largest Shiite political group in parliament led by Iraqi politician Abdul Aziz al-Hakim.

Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki quickly condemned the governor's killing and those who carried it out.

"Those who stand behind this heinous crime want to drown the province in chaos and insecurity as an implementation of the agenda that does not want good for the sons of our people," Maliki said.

In a similar attack on August 11, Qadisiya province Gov. Khalil Jalil Hamza and Brig .Gen. Khalid Abed Hassan, the provincial police chief, were killed in a roadside bombing. (Posted 3:35 a.m.)

Bomb kills southern Iraqi governor

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- The governor of Muthana province in southern Iraq was killed by a roadside bomb in the city of Samawa Monday morning, an official with Iraq's Interior Ministry said.

In a similar attack on August 11, Qadisiya province Gov. Khalil Jalil Hamza and Brig .Gen. Khalid Abed Hassan, the provincial police chief, were killed in a roadside bombing. Three of the governor's bodyguards were also slain and three others were wounded.

Mathana is one of several southern provinces British forces have returned to Iraqi military control since the start of the war. (Posted 3:15 a.m.)

Bomb kills southern Iraqi governor

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- The governor of Muthana province in southern Iraq was killed by a roadside bomb in the city of Samawa Monday morning, an official with Iraq's Interior Ministry said.

Mohammed Ali al-Hassani was traveling with his bodyguards when the attack took place around 9 a.m. (1 a.m. ET). The governor was a member of the Supreme Islamic Council in Iraq, the longtime Shiite group led by Iraqi politician Abdul Aziz al-Hakim. (Posted 2:55 a.m.)

Dean gains strength as it clears Jamaica

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica (CNN) -- After battering the southern coast of Jamaica, Hurricane Dean picked up strength early Monday as it set its sights on the Cayman Islands and Mexico's Yucatan peninsula.

At 2 a.m. ET, Dean's eye was located about 150 miles (240 km) southeast of Grand Cayman, the National Hurricane Center in Miami reported. Its top winds of 150 mph (240 kph) made it a strong Category 4 storm, with hurricane-force winds extending 60 miles from its center.

Tropical storm-force winds could be felt as far out as 205 miles, forecasters reported.

Dean was moving westward at nearly 20 mph as it pulled away from Jamaica, forecasters reported. As it moves into the western Caribbean Sea, the storm could become a Category 5 hurricane later in the day -- the top of the scale, with winds in excess of 155 mph.

Dean was expected to pass just south of the Caymans. (Posted 2:30 a.m.)

165 survive as Taiwanese jet burns on Okinawa

TOKYO (CNN) -- A Taiwanese jetliner burst into flames Monday morning shortly after landing at the Naha airport on the Japanese island of Okinawa, but 165 passengers and crew survived the fire, authorities said.

There were no major injuries reported among the passengers. The conditions of the crewmembers were not immediately available.

The Japanese Transport Ministry and the Naha Fire Department said the passengers included 155 adults and two toddlers. The crew was made up of 2 pilots and six flight attendants.

According to the ministry, there was "some sort of explosion" on the left-hand side of the China Airlines Boeing 737. Japanese media reported that a passenger saw a fire in one of the engines before the blast. (Posted 12:45 a.m.)

Taiwanese jet burns on Okinawa; 157 safe, some crew missing

TOKYO (CNN) -- A Taiwanese jetliner burst into flames Monday morning at the Naha airport on the Japanese island of Okinawa, but at least 157 passengers got off the plane safely, authorities said.

According to the Japanese Transport Ministry, there was "some sort of explosion" on board the China Airlines Boeing 737.

Japanese broadcaster NHK reported that the airline said at a news conference that it has yet to account for up to eight crew members. The network also reported that two members of the crew were rescued and two others were trapped aboard the plane, citing fire officials.

The Transport Ministry said the plane arrived in Taiwan from Taipei at 10:31 a.m. local time and stopped on the tarmac three minutes later to evacuate passengers. At 10:35 a.m., the Naha Fire Department was called to the scene. (Posted 11:23 p.m.)

Dean pounds Jamaica, passes south of island

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica (CNN) -- Hurricane Dean battered the southern coast of Jamaica with heavy rains and surf as its eye passed offshore late Sunday, apparently sparing the Caribbean island the worst of its 145 mph winds.

David Shields, the deputy director of the island's tourism board, described conditions in the capital, Kingston, as "absolutely scary." Ronald Jackson, Jamaica's disaster preparedness director, said at least one house had collapsed, but there were no serious injuries.

At 11 p.m. ET, Dean's eye was located 135 miles (215 km) west-southwest of Kingston, the National Hurricane Center in Miami reported. Its top winds of 145 mph (232 km/h) made it a strong Category 4 storm, with hurricane-force winds extending 60 miles from its center.

Sustained winds of 80 mph buffeted Kingston, and amateur radio operators reported streets were flooding, the hurricane center said. An unofficial observation from Lionel Town, about 30 miles east of the capital, put top winds at 100 mph. And an aviation weather station at Kingston International Airport clocked winds even higher, at 114 mph.

Dean was moving westward at nearly 20 mph, forecasters reported. As it moves toward Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, the storm retains the potential to become a Category 5 hurricane -- the top of the scale, with winds in excess of 155 mph. (Posted 11:07 p.m.) E-mail to a friend

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