The CNN Wire: Friday, Sep. 14

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.

GM, UAW Negotiators stay at table as deadline passes

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Negotiators from the United Auto Workers union and General Motors were at the table early Saturday morning as a midnight deadline came and went without a new labor agreement, a strike, or even a formal contact extension.

At 12:10 a.m. ET a message on a GM spokesman's voicemail confirmed that both sides were talking past the midnight deadline and no further information was available.

UAW members at General Motors plants could be on strike after midnight Friday, although most experts expect union and management to either reach a new labor deal or extend the contract.

A spokesman at the national office of the UAW was not available for comment. (Posted 12:59 a.m.)

Former Gov. Shaheen to challenge Sununu in New Hampshire

MANCHESTER, N.H. (CNN) -- Former Democratic Gov. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire announced Friday that she will challenge incumbent GOP Sen. John Sununu, one of the Democrats' top targets in 2008.

Shaheen, 60, who narrowly lost to Sununu six years ago, is stepping down from her post as director of Harvard University's Institute of Politics to make the Senate bid, according to a statement issued by the institute. She served as the Granite State's chief executive from 1997 to 2003.

Sununu, weighed down by his support for President Bush's Iraq war policy, is considered one of the most vulnerable GOP incumbents. A CNN/WMUR poll in July, conducted by the University of New Hampshire, showed Shaheen ahead 54-38 percent in a head-to-head match-up.

Democratic leaders expressed delight at Shaheen's decision, which they believe bolsters their prospects of keeping control of the Senate next year. (Posted 7:25 p.m.)

Gonzales receives praise, standing ovations at farewell ceremony

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Justice Department officials gathered Friday for formal farewell ceremonies for their departing leader, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, giving their embattled chief an emotional and staunchly supportive send-off in the final hour of his last day on the job.

With a handful of protesters noisily celebrating his departure on the sidewalks outside, Gonzales was praised by no fewer than 10 Justice lieutenants and agency heads -- some with voices cracking.

Among those on hand for the ceremony were Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, National Security Adviser Steven Hadley and former White House Chief of Staff Andy Card.

Also in the audience was Ted Olson, the former solicitor general who is thought to be on the short list of potential successors to Gonzales.

-- From CNN Justice Producer Terry Frieden (Posted 7:24 p.m.)

Louisiana judge tosses convictions against teen tried as adult

(CNN) -- A Louisiana appeals court Friday vacated the conviction of a teenager accused in a December 2006 fight at a high school in Jena, La., the attorney for the teenager told CNN.

Bob Noel said the 3rd District Court of Appeals in Lake Charles threw out convictions for second degree battery against Mychael Bell, saying the charges should have been brought in juvenile court.

Bell, who is now 17, was 16 at the time of the fight. Earlier this month, a district court judge vacated a conviction for conspiracy to commit second degree battery, saying that charge should have been brought in juvenile court. He left standing the second degree battery conviction, however.

Noel said the future of the case against Bell is up to the district attorney, who must decide whether to refile the charges in juvenile court. He said Bell's defense team would be filing a motion to get him out of prison, where he has been since his arrest in December. (Posted 5:20 p.m.)

Pace: Mistakes were made at beginning of Iraq war

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- If he knew now what he knew then, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told reporters Friday, he might have made some different decisions when the United States was preparing to invade Iraq in 2003.

"One of the mistakes I made in my assumptions going in was that the Iraqi people and the Iraqi Army would welcome liberation, that the Iraqi Army, given the opportunity, would stand together for the Iraqi people and be available to them to help serve the new nation," Gen. Peter Pace said.

But "they disintegrated in the face of the coalition's first several weeks of combat, so they weren't here," Pace said.

Had he known that would happen, he would have recommended that more troops be sent at the outset of the Iraq war, he said. (Posted 5:11 p.m.)

Algeria blast kills 2

(CNN) -- Two people were killed and six were wounded Friday when a bomb exploded at the entrance to the national security residential area in Zemmouri, Algeria, about 30 miles (50 km) east of the capital, Algiers, a security official in Albu Mirdan state told CNN.

Police officers and their families live in the residential area, the official said.

The blast took place about 5:45 p.m. (12:45 p.m. ET), shortly before Muslims broke the daily Ramadan fast, the official said. Further details were not immediately available.

It was the third deadly blast in Algeria in the past seven days. (Posted 4:53 p.m.)

Las Vegas police: Alleged armed robbery victim identifies O.J. Simpson

(CNN) -- The victim of an alleged armed robbery at a Las Vegas hotel says former NFL star O.J. Simpson was involved, but police are still investigating and no arrests have been made, a police spokesman said Friday.

A man who said he saw the incident told a reporter that Simpson was taking back memorabilia that he said had been stolen from him, and no gun was used.

Capt. James Dillon said police received a call about 8 p.m. Thursday from someone who said various sports-related items had been taken from him in a room at the Palace Station Hotel and Casino, and identified one of the people involved as Simpson. Officers found Simpson at a hotel, and he was being questioned as a possible suspect, Dillon said.

"He is not in custody. He is cooperating with the investigation and is meeting with robbery detectives at this time," the officer told reporters. (Posted 4:38 p.m.)

Al Qaeda in Iraq claims responsibility for death of Sunni sheik

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- Al Qaeda in Iraq, in a message posted on an Islamist Web site, claimed responsibility for the assassination of a Sunni sheik who had united with U.S. forces to fight the terrorist group in Anbar province.

"Your brothers in the security ministry of the Islamic State of Iraq have assassinated the imam of the infidels and of the apostasy, Abdul Sattar Abu Reesha, one of the dogs carrying Bush's flag," the statement says.

CNN could not confirm the authenticity of the statement. Al Qaeda in Iraq calls itself the Islamic State of Iraq. Abu Reesha, 39, was killed by a roadside bomb Thursday near his home in Ramadi, along with at least two of his bodyguards, Iraqi officials said. (Posted 4:13 p.m.)

Hundreds honor assassinated Anbar Sunni leader

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- Iraqi police in Anbar province and members of the Anbar Salvation Council told CNN that more than 1,000 mourners walked along the highway near the home of Sheik Abdul Sattar Abu Reesha on Friday, amid scores of Iraqi security forces and U.S troops on hand to protect them.

Abu Reesha, 39, head of the Anbar Salvation Council, was assassinated by a roadside bomb Thursday.

The officials said that during Abu Reesha's funeral, mourners were chanting "We will take our revenge" and "We will continue the march of Abu Reesha."

Iraq's Interior and Defense ministers and National Security Adviser Mouwaffaq al-Rubaie were among the mourners on hand. Officials said that al-Rubaie called the killing of Abu Reesha "a national disaster and a great loss for the Iraqi people." (Posted 3:08 p.m.)

Chrysler recalling 300,000 vehicles for error in braking system

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Chrysler said Friday it was recalling nearly 300,000 vehicles because of an error in the braking system.

The affected models include 2006 and 2007 Grand Cherokees and Commanders, 2007 Jeep Wrangler SUVs, and 2007 Dodge Nitro SUVs, said a company spokesman.

An error in the electronic braking system can cause momentary braking delays on hills in rare instances, the company said. The braking system comes from a supplier outside Chrysler. An estimated 296,550 cars are affected. (Posted 2:43 p.m.)

Security loophole found on TSA Web site

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Travelers who used a government Web site to complain that they were wrongly targeted for extra screening at airports were told earlier this year that they might have had another problem on their hands.

The Transportation Security Administration said this week the complaint Web site had a security "loophole" that could have allowed outsiders to access confidential information from a small portion of the thousands of people who used the site.

The TSA said information from 247 individuals was vulnerable, and all were notified of the security lapse when it was discovered and corrected last February. To date, there is no indication that any of the information was compromised, said TSA spokesman Christopher White.

The security loophole involved the TSA's Redress Management System computer, launched in October 2006 to receive complaints from travelers saying they were mistakenly targeted at airports. Thousands of people filed reports using the Web site. The vast majority used a secure link at the top of the Web page, White said, but 247 individuals used a link at the bottom of the page that was not secure. --From CNN Producer Mike M. Ahlers (Posted 2:32 p.m.)

State Department reports singles out Iraq for lack of religious freedom

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A U.S. State Department report issued Friday singles out Iraq for a lack of religious freedom.

Coming at the end of a week when the Bush administration repeatedly claimed security improvements in Iraq, the report said, "the ongoing insurgency significantly harmed the ability of all religious believers to practice their faith."

The annual Report on International Religious Freedom, released Friday afternoon, said members of all religions in Iraq are victims "of harassment, intimidation, kidnapping and killings."

The report looked at almost 200 areas and counties around the globe. In addition to Iraq, the survey found problems with other majority-Muslim countries, including U.S. allies Afghanistan and Pakistan. (Posted 2:21 p.m.)

CIA veteran returns to agency to run spy shop

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Another career CIA officer who left the agency in a dispute with aides to former CIA Director Porter Goss is coming back to the agency in a senior position.

Michael Sulick has accepted an offer by the current CIA director, Air Force Gen. Mike Hayden, to head up the National Clandestine Service, the agency's spy arm.

Sulick and his then-boss Stephen Kappas abruptly resigned as the two top leaders of CIA spy operations in 2004 after clashing with deputies of Goss. Intelligence officials at the time told CNN the Goss aides were trying to micromanage decisions, such as who should be CIA station chiefs around the world.

Goss resigned as director last year after a tumultuous two-year tenure. Hayden was appointed his successor and quickly named Kappas to be his deputy. --From National Security Producer Pam Benson (Posted 2:20 p.m.)

Shooting suspect's girlfriend, 3 others arrested

MIAMI (CNN) -- The girlfriend of a man suspected of killing a Miami-Dade County police officer and wounding three others was one of four people arrested Friday and accused of helping him avoid police for hours before he was shot to death by authorities.

Police said Renee Ann Dangelo, 26, hindered the investigation in its early hours by giving them a false name for the man. She faces charges of being an accessory after the fact, according to jail booking records.

Detective Bobby Williams, Miami-Dade police spokesman, told CNN Dangelo was the girlfriend of Shawn Sherwin Labeet.

Labeet, 25, died just before midnight Friday. He was the subject of a daylong manhunt after the police officers were shot with an assault rifle during a traffic stop about 11 a.m. Thursday. (Posted 2:07 p.m.)

'Jane Doe' recounts marriage arranged for her in Warren Jeffs' sect

ST. GEORGE, Utah (CNN) -- A reluctant child bride told a Utah jury Thursday that she was trying to preserve her "eternal salvation" when she obeyed a command by polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs to marry her cousin at age 14.

Referred to in court as Jane Doe, the young woman was married in a 2001 religious ceremony to the cousin, then 19. She told the jury she was given less than a week's notice that she was to be married.

Despite her reservations about her new husband, she said, she tried to follow Jeffs' counsel to submit to him "mind, body and soul."

Jeffs, 51, who leads the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, is charged with two counts of rape as an accomplice for using his church authority to coerce the unwilling juvenile into marriage. --From CNN's Amanda Townsend (Posted 1:59 p.m.)

Inspector general finds Justice conference features $5 dollar meatballs

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Justice Department-sponsored conferences have featured platters of Swedish meatballs at a cost of nearly $5 per meatball, soda that cost the government $4.55 per can, and more than $13,000 for cookies, which helped swell costs for one confab to nearly $400,000.

Such are the findings of an unusual Justice Department inspector general's report released Friday in response to a Senate committee's request to examine meeting costs.

Altogether, Justice Department conferences for fiscal year 2006 cost taxpayers nearly $46 million, including travel, programming, food and associated costs. Year-to-year costs show such major meetings have totaled from $33.8 million in 2001 to a high of $58 million in 2004.

The audit examined closely the costs of 10 conferences held over the past two years that cost a total of nearly $7 million. --From Justice Producer Terry Frieden (Posted 1:38 p.m.)

FBI: Man seen on Sicily could be Top 10 fugitive

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The FBI on Friday released a picture and video of a man and woman seen on the Italian island of Sicily in April, saying they could be fugitive underworld crime boss James J. "Whitey" Bulger, sought for his alleged role in numerous murders and organized crime activities in the United States, and his girlfriend.

"Law enforcement is interested in speaking with anyone who was visiting this area of Italy during the months of March, April and May of 2007 and may have observed or had contact with the two individuals in the photograph and video," an FBI statement said.

The photograph and video show a man and woman walking the streets of Taormina, Sicily. On April 10, a person saw the couple and believed them to be Bulger and his girlfriend, Catherine Elizabeth Greig, and was able to take a brief video of them, the FBI said.

Authorities in the United States and Italy have been unable to definitively say the two are not Bulger and Greig, the FBI said. A facial recognition analysis was inconclusive, and interviews of the couple's associates also failed to determine whether the couple are Bulger and Greig or "look-a-likes," authorities said. (Posted 1:29 p.m.)

Aging sewers endanger nation's water supply

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Every time it rains, severe and sometimes dangerous pollution pours into many of the nation's waterways, which often feed the cities' drinking waters.

That problem has been the bane of numerous communities across the Midwest in recent weeks, as flooding and rising waters have overwhelmed and taxed sewers.

The recent floods have brought new attention to yet another looming national infrastructure crisis, beyond the collapsed bridge in Minnesota: The nation's old and decaying sewers are threatening and endangering the U.S. water supply.

An estimated 860 billion gallons of untreated wastewater and storm water, including at times dangerous raw sewage, dump into the nation's waterways each year, according to John Millett, an official with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. --From CNN Senior Investigative Producer Scott Bronstein (Posted 1:20 p.m.)

Democrats hope to leverage GOP's Iraq discontent into compromise

(CNN) -- Senate Democratic leaders are revising proposals to end the Iraq war in hopes that a compromise with wavering Republicans can be found, Democratic leadership sources said Friday.

Democrats want to leverage Republican discontent with the 21,500-troop withdrawal announced by President Bush on Thursday to swing GOP votes behind a Democratic pullout plan.

Democratic sources say about a half-dozen proposals will be up for debate when the Senate takes up the Defense Authorization Bill on Monday. Debate could begin mid-week, they say.

Senate Democrats need 60 votes to avoid a Republican filibuster and get any plan to a vote. It would take 67 votes to override a presidential veto. (Posted 12:17 p.m.)

New reports suggest American consumers are cutting back

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- After months of speculation about how long American consumers can stay resilient amid housing and credit woes, economists said Friday that last month's retail sales weakness shows they are rethinking their spending habits.

The Commerce Department reported that total retail sales last month rose 0.3 percent, short of economists' forecasts of a 0.5 percent rise. Stripping out volatile auto sales, retail sales actually fell 0.4 percent versus forecasts of a 0.2 percent increase.

The numbers fueled worries that American consumers are feeling the pressure of an ongoing slump in the housing market, mortgage turmoil and also higher energy costs.

"This (August report) is not a disaster but it was unexpected. What matters now is the extent of any fall rebound," Ian Shepherdson, chief U.S. economist with High Frequency Economics, wrote in a report Friday. "We expect a clearly slowing trend. Lower confidence and the accelerating housing collapse will hurt." --By CNNMoney.com's Parija B. Kavilanz (Posted 12:11 p.m.)

Police: O.J. Simpson questioned in alleged theft in Las Vegas

(CNN) -- Former college and NFL star running back O.J. Simpson has been questioned as a possible suspect in an alleged theft, a Las Vegas police spokesman said Friday.

Police Sgt. John Loretto of Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said there was an allegation of a theft, "involving Simpson as a suspect," but declined to elaborate.

Asked whether Simpson is a definite suspect, the officer replied, "It is an alleged theft, and he is an alleged suspect."

CNN affiliate KVBC-TV, quoting police, said the theft is alleged to have taken place at the Palace Station casino. (Posted 11:09 a.m.)

Tropical Storm Ingrid plodding along in open Atlantic

(CNN) -- Tropical Storm Ingrid chugged across the open Atlantic on Friday and showed some signs of temporary strengthening, but forecasters said it is likely to weaken -- and unlikely to pose much of a threat to land.

As of 11 a.m. ET, the storm's center was about 755 miles east of the Lesser Antilles. It was plodding west-northwest at near 7 mph, but was expected to turn northwest over the next day, the National Hurricane Center said.

Ingrid's maximum sustained winds were at 45 mph, representing a slight strengthening but still just above the 39-mph threshold classifying it as a tropical storm. (Posted 11:05 a.m.)

Police: O.J. Simpson questioned in 'incident' at Las Vegas casino

(CNN) -- Las Vegas police said Friday they have questioned former star running back O.J. Simpson in connection with an "incident" at a casino-hotel complex.

Police, who said they would release details within the hour, said Simpson has not been arrested.

While police would provide no details on the incident, CNN affiliate KVBC-TV said it involved allegations of robbery at the Palace Station casino.

Simpson was acquitted in 1995 of the murders of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman.

The two were stabbed to death outside her Brentwood townhouse on June 12, 1994. The former football star football star Simpson was arrested soon after the killings but maintained he was "absolutely, 100 percent, not guilty." (Posted 10:02 a.m.)

WH grades Iraq 'satisfactory' on 9 of 18 benchmarks

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush's "Benchmark Assessment Report" released Friday grades Iraq as showing "satisfactory" progress on only half the benchmarks established for the Iraqi government.

The report says Iraqi leaders have shown "unsatisfactory" progress on seven benchmarks, including four "with progress on some aspects while not on others."

Two benchmarks "are not rated because the necessary preconditions are not yet present," the report says.

The report says it gave Iraq a "satsisfactory" mark if "present trend data demonstrates a positive trajectory, which is tracking toward satisfactory accomplishment in the near term." (Posted 9:49 a.m.)

Withdrawal to reduce Iraq troop numbers by only 21,500

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The number of U.S. troops President Bush has announced plans to withdraw from Iraq totals about 21,500, not 30,000 as had been speculated.

That's about the number of combat troops sent to Iraq as part of what the Bush administration calls the "surge" -- but not the approximately 8,000 combat support troops. It is unclear what will happen with them.

In his televised address, Bush announced that 5,700 U.S. troops will come home by the end of the year and not be replaced.

He noted that Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, "has recommended that we not replace about 2,200 Marines scheduled to leave Anbar province later this month. In addition, he says it will soon be possible to bring home an Army combat brigade, for a total force reduction of 5,700 troops by Christmas." (Posted 9:49 a.m.)

Police: O.J. Simpson questioned in 'incident' at Las Vegas casino

(CNN) -- Las Vegas police said Friday they have questioned former star running back O.J. Simpson in connection with an "incident" at a casino-hotel complex.

Police, who said they would release details within the hour, said Simpson has not been arrested.

While police would provide no details on the incident, a CNN affiliate said it involved allegations of robbery at the casino. (Posted 9:47 a.m.)

Bhutto's party says she will return to Pakistan Oct. 18

(CNN) -- Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who has been living in London, plans to return to Pakistan on Oct. 18, her political party announced Friday.

The party said Bhutto will land in Karachi.(Posted 8:59 a.m.)

Pentagon starts planning withdrawal

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Pentagon planners will begin a series of meetings Friday to decide which Army and Marine Corps units will be withdrawn from Iraq under the plan announced Thursday by President Bush, according to U.S. military officials.

The meetings will continue for several days while planners determine not just the units, but also the schedule for their withdrawal, and review the status of other units scheduled to deploy into Iraq.

At a press conference in the Pentagon Friday afternoon, Defense Secretary Robert Gates is expected to lay out publicly for the first time his views on the withdrawal and discuss the next steps, officials said. One official said Gates is prepared to discuss his efforts to ensure all top commanders had a chance to speak to the president directly, in order to dispel any notion that there was disagreement in the ranks.

However, it is widely acknowledged in the Pentagon that the Joint Chiefs of Staff had pressed for troop withdrawals because the troops are exhausted and the military is stretched thin. --From CNN Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr (Posted 8:01 a.m.)

Iran's leader wants U.S. tried at international court

(CNN) -- Iran's supreme leader said Friday he wants the United States tried in an international court for "misconduct" in Iraq.

The state-run news agency IRNA reported, "Supreme Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei here Friday hoped that a day will come when the U.S. is tried at an international court for its misconduct and Iraq occupation."

Khamenei "said the U.S. occupied Iraq and used 9/11 incident in line with its own wishes and objectives," IRNA reported.

He made the remark during Friday prayers at Tehran University, on the second day of Ramadan. (Posted 7:51 a.m.)

Putin's choice for Russia's new prime minister confirmed

MOSCOW (CNN) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin's choice for new prime minister, Viktor Zubkov, was overwhelmingly approved in a Friday vote by Russia's lower house of parliament, a live broadcast on state-run TV showed.

Zubkov was tapped for the position by Putin last week -- less than six months ahead of a presidential handover slated for next March.

Deputies in the lower house of parliament, or Duma, confirmed Zubkov with a landslide 381 votes in favor and a meager 47 against, with eight abstentions.

Speaking to parliament ahead of the vote, Zubkov said he was in favor of continuing Putin's current political course, but said reshuffling the government might improve its efficiency.

In his speech Zubkov also said he agreed with the previous cabinet's strategy, but that it was poorly implemented. (Posted 6:55 a.m.)

Tropical Storm Ingrid plodding along open Atlantic

(CNN) -- Tropical Storm Ingrid chugged across the open Atlantic early Friday about 805 miles east of the Lesser Antilles, but forecasters said the new storm is likely to weaken back into a tropical depression before it nears the Caribbean.

As of 5 a.m. ET, Ingrid's maximum sustained winds were 40 mph, barely above the 39 mph threshold to classify it as a tropical storm, according to the National Hurricane Center. It was moving to the west-northwest at about 7 mph.

Over the next 24 hours, the storm is expected to strengthen slightly while continuing on its trek, but the long-range forecast shows Ingrid weakening to a tropical depression late Monday as it gets closer to the Lesser Antilles. (Posted 6:14 a.m.)

Sudan's president ready to implement Darfur cease-fire ahead of October peace talks

ROME (CNN) -- Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir said Friday he is ready to implement a cease-fire ahead of peace talks over the conflict in Darfur next month in Libya.

"We have announced we are available (to put in place) a cease-fire with the start of the negotiations to create a positive climate," al-Bashir told reporters at a news conference with Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi.

Last week U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Sudan's foreign minister announced that Darfur's rebel groups had been invited to join in peace talks with Sudan's government on October 27 in in the Libyan capital, Tripoli. (Posted 6:13 a.m.)

Suicide bomber kills 6 police in northern Iraq

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- A suicide bomber detonated a truck packed with explosives at an Iraqi security forces checkpoint in Baiji on Friday, killing at least six police and wounding two others, police said.

According to a Tikrit police official, police were searching the vehicle when it exploded.

Baiji is a Sunni community about 150 miles (240 km) north of Baghdad. (Posted 5:12 a.m.)

Sources: White House report to show slow political progress in Iraq

Washington (CNN) -- A White House update on political progress in Iraq will show meager gains have been made in 18 benchmarks established for the Iraqi government as part of a Congressional supplemental funding bill approved in May.

According to two sources outside the White House familiar with the report, President Bush will tell Congress on Friday that of the 18 benchmarks the Iraqis have been tasked with meeting -- nine are satisfactory, five are unsatisfactory, two are unsatisfactory but with some progress, and two others can not be properly assessed -- a gain of one in the satisfactory category.

White House Press Secretary Dana Perino refused to comment about the specifics of the president's report when asked about it on Thursday, but said "people should not expect dramatic changes only 58 days after the president's initial assessment," which was delivered in mid-July. (Posted 2:55 a.m.)

Strong earthquake hits Indonesia, marking third day of ongoing seismic activity

JAKARTA, Indonesia (CNN) -- A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.4 struck Friday off the southwestern coast of Sumatra, the same area shaken by a major 8.4-magnitude temblor that killed nine people Wednesday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said there was "a very small possibility of a local tsunami" affecting coastal areas within about 100 km (62 miles) from the quake's epicenter. (Posted 2:30 a.m.)

Miami-Dade police shoot, kill suspect after intense manhunt

MIAMI (CNN) -- Miami-Dade police shot and killed a man suspected of shooting four officers, one fatally, during a traffic stop Thursday, Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez said at a news conference early Friday.

Shawn Sherwin Labeet, 25, died just before midnight after a gunfire exchange with police, he said.

When police confronted Labeet in Pembroke Pines, Fla. "there was an exchange of gunfire and the suspect was shot and killed," Alvarez said. "In his possession he had a firearm and an extra clip."

Police said there had been a previous warrant out for his arrest for aggravated assault from a September 2002 incident. (Posted 1:45 a.m.) E-mail to a friend