The CNN Wire: Friday Aug 24

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.

Bomb blast in Shiite area kills at least three

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- At least three civilians were killed and six others were wounded when a parked car bomb exploded Saturday afternoon in a busy commercial area in a mainly Shiite section of northern Baghdad, Iraq's interior ministry said.

The blast occurred in the city's Kadhimiya district near al-Orouba square, the official said. Kadhimiya is home to Shiite Islam's third holiest shrine, the Musa al-Kadhim shrine. (Posted 5:31 a.m.)

Fighting between IDF and Palestinian militants breaks out in West Bank

JERUSALEM (CNN) -- In the West Bank town of Jenin Israeli forces opened fire on and killed three armed Palestinian militants as they were driving in a car early Saturday, Israel Defense Forces said.

The attack was launched in concession with an Israeli special forces unit.

Afterwards soldiers found several guns and ammunition in the targeted car, the Israeli army said.

Palestinian officials had a different account of the incident.

According to Palestinian security officials one Palestinian was killed and four others were injured in the IDF operation. The officials identified the killed man as Alaa Abu Said, a local leader of Islamic Jihad. (Posted 5:35 a.m.)

Israeli troops open fire on Gaza gunmen

JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Israeli troops opened fire on Palestinian gunmen after they hopped a border fence near the Erez junction in northern Gaza and attempted to flee into a nearby Israeli community, Israeli army sources said.

According to a Palestinian militant spokesman, three gunmen were involved -- two who were killed by Israeli forces and one who escaped.

Israel Defense Forces could not immediately confirm to CNN the exact number of Palestinian casualties involved following the exchange of gunfire -- which the Israeli army said was instigated by the Gaza gunmen -- but it did confirm one Israeli soldier was wounded. (Posted 5:35 a.m.)

IDF: Forces kill 1 militant in West Bank raid

JERUSALEM (CNN) -- A Palestinian militant was killed and two others were arrested Friday during an Israeli raid in the West Bank village of Seida, Israel Defense Forces said.

Israel said all three involved were Islamic Jihad terror operatives involved in bomb attacks against Israeli forces and civilians. One of the men's assistants was also arrested.

During an exchange of gunfire a member of the Israeli paramilitary border police was wounded, the IDF said. (Posted 5:35 a.m.)

Fires raging across southern Greece kill dozens

ATHENS, Greece (CNN) -- Multiple forest fires sweeping across southern Greece have claimed at least 37 lives, destroyed numerous homes and put a damper on political campaigning ahead of next month's national elections, according to officials.

Since the numerous fires sparked, hundreds of firefighters, soldiers and planes loaded with water have been battling the blazes on a dozen different fronts, authorities said Saturday.

The fires have been blamed on a sweltering heat wave currently gripping the area, which has left forests and scrubland parched. That, coupled with strong winds fanning the flames, has led authorities to call this the country's worst fire season on record. Since June more than 3, 000 fires have razed thousands of hectares of forests and scrubland across the country -- nearly triple last year's total -- according to officials.

Scores of people have been killed or hospitalized in the southern Greece Peloponnese region. (Posted 4:30 a.m.)

Award-winning director Singleton involved in fatal car accident in L.A.

LOS ANGELES (CNN) -- Oscar-nominated director John Singleton accidentally struck a jaywalker who stepped out in front of his car Thursday evening in Los Angeles' Jefferson Park neighborhood, a police spokesman told CNN late Friday.

The woman, identified as 57-year-old Constance Russell of Los Angeles, was hospitalized and died of her injuries a few hours later, Los Angeles Police Officer Jason Lee said. She was not using a crosswalk, he added.

According to a preliminary police investigation, Singleton was not under the influence of drugs, alcohol or any other substance and was permitted to leave the scene after being questioned.

However, Lee said since the pedestrian later died the case has been turned over to the District Attorney's office and they will decide if they will reopen it.

Lee said he could not speculate as to what their decision will be.

Singleton earned two Oscar nominations for his 1991 debut film "Boyz N The Hood." That film also won him an MTV Movie Award as Best New Filmmaker. (Posted 1:17 a.m.)

Suspects deny participating in plan to blow up JFK fuel tanks

(CNN) -- Three men fighting extradition to the United States have filed documents in a Trinidad and Tobago court denying they were involved in a plot to blow up fuel tanks at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport.

The affidavits of Kareem Ibrahim, Abdul Kadir and Abdel Nur are the first detailed response from the defendants to allegations that they plotted with Russel DeFreitas (de-FREE-tas) to blow up fuel lines at the international hub in Queens, N.Y.

All four were arrested in June -- Ibrahim, Kadir and Nur in Trinidad and DeFreitas in New York. DeFreitas is jailed in Brooklyn, where he has pleaded not guilty.

Some of their conversations were allegedly secretly taped by an informant working for the FBI. According to the court documents, the informant was a convicted drug trafficker who received a reduced sentence in return for providing "substantial assistance" to the U.S. government. (Posted 9:22 p.m.)

Hamas leader: Kidnapped Israeli soldier alive and well

DAMASCUS, Syria (CNN) -- Kidnapped Israeli Cpl. Gilad Shalit is alive and well, the exiled leader of Hamas told CNN Friday in the Syrian capital.

In his first interview with Western television in two years, Khaled Meshaal told CNN Senior International Correspondent Nic Robertson that Hamas has been negotiating for the release of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Shalit through an Egyptian intermediary.

Meshaal said Hamas has reached out to Shalit's father to let him know that his son is well and that Hamas provided him with eyeglasses when he requested them.

Shalit was 19 when he was captured on June 25, 2006, by Palestinian militants who tunneled into Israel and attacked the Israeli army's Kerem Shalom outpost near the Gaza-Israel-Egypt border, according to Israel Defense Forces. Two other Israeli soldiers were killed in the assault.

Meshaal said Hamas has put forward a list of 350 Palestinians they want released from Israeli jails, but he blamed Israel for the breakdown of talks. (Posted 7:56 p.m.)

Vick faces prison, suspension without pay, after admitting dogfighting

(CNN) -- Michael Vick should be getting ready to take the field to lead the Atlanta Falcons into a promising football season. Instead, he's getting ready for prison, with his multi-million dollar paycheck gone.

Vick admitted his involvement in operating and funding a dogfighting ring Friday, entering a written guilty plea to a federal conspiracy charge that will likely put him behind bars for at least a year.

A short time later, the National Football League announced that it was suspending the three-time Pro Bowler indefinitely, without pay.

Vick could also face state criminal charges in Virginia stemming from the dogfighting ring, which operated out of property Vick owned in Smithfield, near his hometown of Newport News.

In a letter sent to Vick Friday, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Vick's admitted conduct -- which included helping to kill dogs that did not perform well in test fights -- "was not only illegal, but also cruel and reprehensible." (Posted 7:24 p.m.) E-mail to a friend