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The CNN Wire: Saturday, Sep. 22

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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.

Florida Democrats will hold Jan. 29 primary

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Florida Democratic Party will hold its presidential primary on Jan. 29, despite being told by the Democratic National Committee that doing so will result in the state losing its 210 delegates to the 2008 nominating convention in Denver, a Florida Democratic official told CNN.

State party officials have scheduled a news conference for Sunday to make the announcement, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. In addition to losing all of its delegates, the decision also means that most of the Democratic presidential candidates will no longer campaign in Florida. The candidates have agreed not to stump for votes in any state that does not follow the DNC's nominating calendar.

Earlier this year, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist signed legislation into law that moved the state's primary to Jan. 29, even though it violated rules established by the DNC to keep all but four states -- Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina -- from holding nominating contests before Feb. 5. The Republican National Committee has similar rules, but the penalty is less severe for states that violate them.

Last month, Florida Democrats asked the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee to recognize Jan. 29 as its primary date, a request that was rejected outright. The DNC panel then gave the Florida Democratic Party a month to submit an alternative date or risk losing all of its delegates. (Posted 11:18 p.m.)

United Nations considering beefing up presence in Iraq

UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- Claiming the time for action has come, United Nations Secretary-General Ban-Ki moon said Saturday talks were underway on the possibility of increasing U.N. personnel in Iraq, following what Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki maintains is an improvement in the security situation there.

"The international community cannot turn away from or ignore Iraq," Ban told reporters following a day of high-level talks with foreign officials including U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on the topic. "The time for determined, collective action has come."

Al-Maliki requested additional U.N. support for his country, maintaining the security situation has improved enough for that to happen. The increased presence, Ban said, would not only support national reconciliation in Iraq, but also would promote diplomatic relations between Iraq and its neighbors.

Al-Maliki said there has been "substantial improvement" in the security and stability in Iraq, although pockets of tension -- and terrorism -- remain. (Posted 8:10 p.m.)

Fujimori arrives in Lima to face corruption, human rights charges

(CNN) -- Former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori arrived in Lima, Peru, from Santiago, Chile, Saturday, one day after the Chilean Supreme Court approved his extradition to face five corruption and two human rights abuse charges.

The wheels for extradition for the 69-year-old Fujimori were set in motion a couple of months ago.

A Chilean prosecutor recommended in June that Fujimori be extradited to Peru to face the charges. He was placed under house arrest at his home in the suburbs of the Chilean capital while awaiting a Supreme Court ruling. (Posted 5:45 p.m.)

Delaware campus to return to normal Sunday

DOVER, Del. (CNN) -- Activities at Delaware State University will return to normal Sunday, despite the fact that no one has been arrested in the campus shootings Friday of two students, the school president said Saturday.

"We are opening campus for business as usual tomorrow," Allen Sessoms told reporters. "Regular classes on Monday."

Police Chief James Overton said authorities believe the suspect is a male student who is no longer on the 300-acre campus, where police presence has been tripled with assistance from nearby police forces.

It was unclear whether authorities knew the suspect's name but would not release it, or whether they did not know his identity. (Posted 4:53 p.m.)

Romney criticizes GOP in national TV ad

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney criticizes his fellow Republicans for failing to control spending and neglecting to take action on illegal immigration and for ethical lapses in a new television ad set to air Sunday.

Romney, who is seeking the GOP presidential nomination, is the first candidate to run a nationwide network television ad in the 2008 race for the White House, said Evan Tracey of TNS Media Intelligence/CMAG, CNN's consultant on television advertising.

Another presidential hopeful, former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, bought an ad on the cable channel MSNBC after President Bush's recent speech on Iraq.

Romney's new 30-second ad, "Change Begins With Us" will air during NBC's "Meet The Press." It will be complemented by a full page "open letter" print ad set to run Sunday in the New Hampshire Union Leader and in Monday's edition of Roll Call, an influential Capitol Hill newspaper. (Posted 3:28 p.m.)

Talabani calls for release of Iranian arrested by U.S. military

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- Iraqi President Jalal Talabani has blasted the United States for the arrest Thursday of an Iranian official and called for his immediate release.

The "letter of resentment" was dated Thursday and addressed to Ryan Crocker, U.S. ambassador to Iraq, and Gen. John Petraeus. Presumably, the Iraqi president was referring to U.S. Gen. David Petraeus, commander of multinational forces in Iraq.

The Iranian official is a civil servant who was on an official trade mission in Iraq's Kurdistan region, said Talabani, who is a Kurd. (Posted 12:40 p.m. ET)

Blackwater responds to allegations; employees investigated for arms smuggling

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Allegations that Blackwater USA -- a security firm hired by the State Department to guard U.S. staff in Iraq -- was "in any way associated or complicit in unlawful arms activities are baseless," according to a company statement Saturday.

Federal prosecutors are investigating allegations that employees of Blackwater may have illegally purchased weapons and sold them in Iraq, according to U.S. government sources.

"The company has no knowledge of any employee improperly exporting weapons. When it was uncovered internally that two employees were stealing from the company, Blackwater immediately fired them and invited the ATF to conduct a thorough investigation," according to the statement. (Posted 11:18 a.m. ET) E-mail to a friend E-mail to a friend

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