The CNN Wire: Monday, Sep. 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.

First round of post-strike negotiations stall at GM

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The first round of post-strike negotiations failed to produce a deal Monday night, hours after 73,000 members of the United Auto Workers launched a nationwide strike against General Motors.

Talks between the two sides had resumed Monday afternoon and continued more than five hours through the afternoon and into the evening before recessing Monday night. The same negotiators had been at the table in a marathon session that started early Sunday and went up to the 11 a.m. ET start of the strike on Monday.

GM spokesman Tom Wickham said talks were expected to resume Tuesday morning. (Posted: 9:40 p.m.)

Appeals court says judge erred in dismissing charges against detainee

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- In a legal victory for the Pentagon, a military appellate court ruled Monday that a judge erred in throwing out, on technical grounds, terrorism and murder charges against a Canadian detainee captured in Afghanistan and held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The decision resurrects the prosecution of Omar Khadr, 21, who is accused of conspiring with al Qaeda and killing a U.S. soldier in Afghanistan in 2001. In June, Army Col. Peter Brownback, who was presiding over Khadr's trial in front of a military commission at Guantanamo, threw out the charges, saying he lacked jurisdiction to try the case because Khadr had been designated as an "enemy combatant" in 2004.

Brownback said rules set by Congress in 2006 for the operation of military tribunals required detainees to be classified as "unlawful" enemy combatants in order for the tribunals to assert jurisdiction. He said he would not proceed with any other trials of detainees until they had been classified as the law required. (Posted: 9:23 p.m.)

FBI investigates mystery at sea

MIAMI (CNN) -- The FBI said Monday it is searching for four missing members of a fishing boat crew as part of an investigation into "a possible crime on the seas."

The first indication that something was amiss came early Sunday evening, when relatives of the four-member crew of the 47-foot charter fishing boat Joe Cool, which had been hired Saturday afternoon, called authorities to say the boat had not returned as scheduled.

Late Sunday night, the Coast Guard spotted the boat floating 160 miles south of Bimini with no one on board, its contents in disarray and only one liferaft aboard. "It looks like whoever was on board left in a hurry," Coast Guard Petty Officer James Judge told CNN. (Posted: 8:45 p.m.)

Crackdown intensifies ahead of presidential election

LAHORE, Pakistan (CNN) -- A crackdown continued Monday against opposition workers and activists opposed to Gen. Pervez Musharraf's effort to gain re-election to another five-year term as president.

Police sources said hundreds of people had been arrested in advance of the Oct. 6 balloting. In Islamabad, opposition workers clashed with police Monday, resulting in dozens of arrests and several injuries, officials said.

Party workers told CNN that police stormed the houses of opposition workers and mistreated their families. (Posted: 7:09 p.m.)

Justice Dept. sues Illinois for law blocking legal employment verification

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Federal officials filed a lawsuit against the state of Illinois Monday, asking the court to throw out a new state law that blocks a federal program designed to make sure employers aren't hiring illegal workers.

Last month the Illinois legislature passed, and Gov. Rod Blagojevich signed, a law that essentially prevents employers from checking with the Department of Homeland Security to see if the new workers are in the U.S. legally.

The federal "E-verify" program enables employers to get a prompt electronic response on whether the applicant's name, date of birth and Social Security number properly match.

In its lawsuit filed in Springfield, the Washington lawyers say Illinois is "one of the five states with the highest estimated populations of illegal aliens." --From CNN Justice Producer Terry Frieden (Posted 6:36 p.m.)

More demonstrations in Myanmar

(CNN) -- Tens of thousands of Buddhist monks and other citizens demonstrated peacefully Monday for freedom, democracy and respect for human rights in cities throughout Myanmar, the U.S. State Department said.

"We call on the regime to exercise restraint in the face of these protests and to release those who have been imprisoned for peacefully expressing their views," said department deputy spokesman Tom Casey, in a written statement.

"The way forward is for the Burmese regime to engage in a genuine dialogue with its own people, including the leaders of the pro-democracy movement and ethnic minority groups, on transition to a civilian, democratic government. We urge the regime to immediately begin such a dialogue and hope that other countries that can influence the regime will join us in calling for genuine dialogue."

On Sunday, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the Bush administration would try to rally support for the protesters during this week's U.N. General Assembly session. (Posted 6:30 p.m.)

Justice 'closely monitoring' alleged threats against Jena 6

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Government civil rights lawyers are "closely monitoring" alleged threats that have been made against those involved in the Jena Six case and their families, Justice Department officials confirmed late Monday.

The chief spokesman for the department acknowledged "investigations are ongoing" but stopped short of saying prosecutors from the Civil Rights Division have now formally opened a case into the threats.

"The department is taking these allegations seriously, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, along with our law enforcement partners in Louisiana, are investigating," said spokesman Brian Roehrkasse. "Since these investigations are ongoing, the department cannot comment any further."

Roehrkasse confirmed the department's civil rights attorneys, the U.S. attorney in western Louisiana, the Community Relations Service and FBI agents have all been involved in "closely monitoring the situation in Jena, Louisiana, for some time now." --From CNN Justice Producer Terry Frieden (Posted 6:19 p.m.)

Jurors in Jeffs trial say they're deadlocked on one count

ST. GEORGE, Utah (CNN) -- During their first full day of deliberations, jurors in the trial of polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs told the judge Monday that they were deadlocked on one of the two counts against him of being an accomplice to rape.

District Judge James Shumate sent the jurors back to continue deliberations, without revealing whether jurors had reached a verdict on the other count.

Jeffs, 51, the leader of the 10,000-member Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, is accused of using his religious influence over his followers to coerce a 14-year-old girl into marriage with an older cousin. He faces a possible life sentence if convicted.

The two counts against Jeffs involve the same couple but different time frames. The first count covers the period immediately after the marriage, while the second count, on which jurors said they were deadlocked, covers the remaining two years of the marriage. --From CNN National Correspondent Gary Tuchman (Posted 6:10 p.m.)

Craig 'calm,' 'methodical' during conversations about plea, prosecutor says

(CNN) -- The Minnesota prosecutor who handled the disorderly conduct case against Sen. Larry Craig says that the Idaho Republican was "calm" and "methodical" as they discussed his entering a guilty plea and that Craig was warned his case would be a matter of public record.

In an affidavit filed Monday in Hennepin County District Court, prosecutor Christopher Renz also said he advised Craig to consult an attorney before entering a written guilty plea -- advice the senator did not take.

Craig was arrested June 11 during a police sting in an airport men's room for allegedly making sexual overtures to an undercover male police officer. He entered a written guilty plea to the disorderly conduct charge in August. In his petition to vacate the plea, Craig's attorney maintained the senator's "panic" over the possibility that the allegations would be made public drove him to accept a guilty plea without seeking legal advice and that he had been assured by the arresting officer that the matter would remain private.

But Renz said that when Craig, during a telephone conversation, questioned him about who would have access to his plea petition, "I explained that the plea petition would be filed with the court and the petition and convictions would be a matter of public record." (Posted 5:55 p.m.)

Suspect arrested in Delaware State University shootings

DOVER, Del. (CNN) -- A freshman student from New Jersey has been arrested in last week's shootings at Delaware State University, officials said Monday.

Loyer Braden, 18, from East Orange, N.J., was arrested at 3:30 a.m. Monday in his dormitory room on campus, a Dover Police Department spokesman said.

Braden was charged with one count of attempted murder in the first degree, assault in the first degree, possession of a firearm during commission of a felony and reckless endangerment.

School detectives and Dover Police Department police officers arrested Braden in his room at 307 Conway Hall, police said. (Posted 4:30 p.m.)

15 killed by suicide bomb at Iraqi reconciliation meeting in Baquba

(CNN) -- At least 15 people were killed and 23 were wounded when a suicide bomber detonated his explosives at a reconciliation meeting involving locally prominent Sunnis and Shiites Monday evening in Baquba, a Baquba police official said.

Among those killed was the commander of Diyala province's military operations, Brig. Gen. Abdul Karim al-Obaidi, and Baquba's police chief, Ali al-Deylan, the official said.

The victims were breaking the daily Ramadan fast about 7:20 p.m. in the house of a Shiite sheik in a neighborhood in western Baquba, the official said. In attendance were Sunni leaders of the United Jihad Factions Council, Mahdi militia leaders and provincial government officials.

The reconciliation gathering was an attempt to end disagreements between Mahdi militia leaders and the Sunni United Jihad Factions Council leaders in the region, the official said. The Sunni United Jihad Factions Council includes the Islamic Army, the 1920 Revolution Brigades and other Sunni militia groups that now cooperate with U.S. and Iraqi security forces against al Qaeda in Iraq. --CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report (Posted 3:56 p.m.)

Ahmadinejad: Who was truly involved in 9/11?

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said people should look into "who truly was involved" in plotting the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States, and who "put it all together."

Also, he said, people should consider what the conditions were that led to it. (Posted 2:58 p.m.)

Ahmadinejad: We don't have gay people in Iran

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Asked about widely documented government abuse of women and homosexuals in his country, Ahmadinejad said, "We don't have homosexuals" in Iran.

The remark elicited laugher and boos throughout the room.

He also repeatedly said that women have freedoms in Iran, and refused to comment on reports that their freedom is severely constrained. (Posted 2:53 p.m.)

Ahmadinejad reiterates assertion that Iran's nuclear program is intended solely for peaceful purposes

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Monday that his country's nuclear program is intended solely for peaceful purposes, which it has the right to pursue.

That assertion has been backed up by the United Nation's atomic watchdog agency, the International Atomic Energy Agency, which has extensively inspected the country's nuclear program, he told students and faculty at Columbia University.

"Over and over again, the agency's response indicates Iran's activities are peaceful," he said. "Regretfully, two or three monopolistic powers -- selfish powers -- want to force their word on the Iranian people and deny them their right."

The United States and other nations have accused Iran of planning to use its nuclear program to develop a nuclear weapon. (Posted 2:48 p.m.)

Ahamdinejad doesn't give yes or no to whether his nation seeks Israel's destruction

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Though he has repeatedly called for Israel's elimination, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad did not answer with a "yes" or "no" Monday when asked whether his nation seeks Israel's destruction.

He said Palestinians must be allowed to determine their own future. He included Jews living in Israel as "Palestinians."

"Allow the Palestinian nation to have the right to self-determination," he said.

Ahmadinejad has not called for military means to be used to bring about the political elimination of Israel. (Posted 2:44 p.m.)

GM hit by nationwide strike

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The United Auto Workers union launched a nationwide strike against General Motors Monday as 73,000 UAW members walked off the job and hit the picket lines at the nation's largest automaker.

UAW President Ron Gettelfinger blasted GM management, saying that the company had not been willing to meet the union part way in negotiations.

"This is nothing we wanted," he said about the strike. "No one benefits in a strike. But there comes a point where someone can push you off a cliff. That's what happened here."

Union leaders said they were willing to resume negotiations early Monday afternoon, several hours after the strike started at 11 a.m. ET.

Gettelfinger said the union was ready to discuss the company's key bargaining goal of shifting an estimated $51 billion in health care expenses for retirees and their family members to union-controlled trust funds. But he said that other issues had derailed hopes of an agreement. --By CNNMoney.com's Chris Isidore (Posted 2:42 p.m.)

Investigators say Homeland Security Department computers compromised

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Congressional investigators Monday said hackers compromised dozens of Department of Homeland Security computers, moving sensitive information to Chinese language Web sites.

And they pointed a finger at the government contractor, saying the firm hired to protect DHS computers tried to hide the incidents from the department.

The FBI is investigating the alleged incidents, a congressional staffer said, and two members of Congress have asked the department's inspector general to launch an investigation.

Asked to characterize the damage done, a House Homeland Security Committee staff member said, "We know where it (the information) was taken from, but we don't know what was taken. We only know how many megabites was taken."

"Everything was on ... an unclassified network. To the best of our knowledge there was no classified information (taken). But ... there's no way for us to know what was taken. But they (the hackers) were on several hours. They took significant amounts of information." (Posted 2:38 p.m.)

Ahamdinejad defends remarks on Holocaust, Israel

NEW YORK (CNN) -- In his speech Monday at Columbia University, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad defended his controversial remarks over the Holocaust and Israel, saying he is an academic who had just posed questions.

"If the Holocaust is a reality of our time, a history that occurred, why is there not sufficient research that can approach the topic from different perspectives?" he asked.

He said some academics have been "sent to prison" in Europe for trying to write a different "perspective" on the Holocaust.

Asked why more research in the Holocaust is needed, he compared the topic to physics and asked, "can you argue that researching a phenomenon is finished forever?"

In 2005, during a speech to thousands of Iranians, Ahmadinejad said, ""They have invented a myth that Jews were massacred and place this above God, religions and the prophets," according to reports at the time from Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting. (Posted 2:35 p.m.)

Ahmadinejad rejects Columbia president's speech

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad began his speech at Columbia by rejecting the assertions and condemnations in school President Lee Bollinger's introduction, saying that in his country "We don't think it's necessary before the speech is given to come in with some series of claims."

There was some applause in the room after Ahmadinejad's remark.

He said Bollinger's comments included "insults" and false claims, and flew in the face of an environment that's supposed to let people speak their minds.

"We'll just leave that to add up with the claims of respect for freedom of speech," he said through a translator. (Posted 2:13 p.m.)

Columbia president rips Ahmadinejad as 'petty and cruel dictator'

NEW YORK (CNN) -- In a stunningly blunt and extensive introduction to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's controversial speech Monday at Columbia University, the school's president, Lee Bollinger, unleashed a long list of documented actions and remarks by the firebrand Iranian leader and his government.

"Mr. President, you exhibit all the signs of a petty and cruel dictator," Bollinger said to applause from many of the 600 people in the room.

He cited the Iranian government's "brutal crackdown" on dissidents, public executions, executions of minors, and other actions.

And he assailed Ahmadinejad's "denying" of the Holocaust as "ridiculous" and "dangerous propaganda." He called the Iranian leader either brazenly provocative "or astonishingly uneducated." (Posted 2:06 p.m.)

Insurers fight law on punitive payouts

SEATTLE (CNN) -- Across the country, insurance companies, trial lawyers and legislators are closely watching a November referendum in the state of Washington that could create a groundswell for change in how insurers treat their customers.

The referendum, initiated by a coalition funded primarily by insurance companies, will gauge citizen support for a new law that would require those companies to pay triple damages and lawyer fees if they fail to pay a legitimate claim and then lose in court.

Insurance giants like Allstate, State Farm, Safeco and Farmers have already poured in more than $8 million into their effort to defeat the law, whose goal, supporters say, is to force insurance companies to pay claims in a timely and fair fashion and free courts from relatively minor cases that clog the system for months and years.

Representatives of the insurance industry say the system is working fine as it is, and hope to persuade voters that the measure will raise premiums..--By CNN's Drew Griffin and Kathleen Johnston (Posted 1:37 p.m.)

Ahmadinejad: Iranians 'freest people in the world'

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Speaking by videoconference to the National Press Club in Washington Monday, firebrand Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad denied a long list of reports from human rights groups and news organizations, insisting, "In our country, law prevails. Freedom is flowing at its highest level."

He praised the role of the press as "very important," saying it can serve "as a channel for promoting correct thinking. The role of the press is to disseminate moral behavior. ... God forbid, they must prevent the dissemination of hatred and impurity and insecurity." He spoke through a translator.

The U.S. State Department's 2006 report on human rights in Iran cites severe restrictions on civil liberties, including speech, press, assembly, association, movement, privacy and religion.

Reporters Without Borders says, "Dozens of journalists were arrested in 2006 for criticizing the authorities and some were imprisoned in secret in difficult conditions without access to a lawyer. Fewer journalists are in jail but several are the targets of endless legal procedures and daily threats in the course of their work." (Posted 1:21 p.m.)

UAW strikes because General Motors not willing to deal, union leader says

(CNN) - The United Auto Workers Union struck General Motors because GM has not been willing to negotiate on major issues, UAW president Ron Gettelfinger said Monday at a news conference in Detroit.

He added that talks with the automaker would continue.

Gettelfinger said the union negotiated in good faith but said the company moved forward on just one issue: a cap on profit sharing. Gettelfinger said the union had no choice but to walk out on strike. (Posted 12:31 p.m.)

73,000 UAW members strike GM; talks continue

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The United Auto Workers union launched a strike at General Motors facilities Monday, with about 73,000 UAW members walking off the job and hitting the picket lines at the nation's largest automaker's plants.

But negotiations continued past the 11 a.m. ET start of the strike, according to GM spokeswoman Katheryn McBride. McBride would not address the issues that had prevented an agreement that could have avoided a strike. A union spokesman was not immediately available for comment. The union has scheduled a press conference for 12:15 p.m. ET.

A feed from CNN affiliate WDIV-TV in Michigan showed picket signs going up at 11 a.m. outside the the Orion Assembly plant in Orion, Mich., followed by a steady stream of union members driving out of the plant's main gates. The plant, which has almost 2,500 hourly workers, builds the Pontiac G6.

The workers had stayed on the job for nine days past the original expiration of the contract on Sept. 14, while union and management negotiators kept talking. --By CNNMoney.com's Chris Isidore (Posted 12:07 p.m.)

UAW begins picketing General Motors

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The United Auto Workers union started picketing General Motors facilities at 11 a.m. ET Monday as the nation's largest automaker was apparently hit by a strike by 73,000 UAW members.

But negotiations were reported to be continuing, following nine days of extended talks that culminated in an all-night negotiating session right up to, and past, the deadline.

The previous contract between GM and the UAW had expired on Sept. 14, but UAW members stayed on the job at the nation's No. 1 automaker as negotiators tried to reach agreement on what is expected to be a groundbreaking agreement.

But late Sunday night, the union set an 11 a.m. ET strike deadline and issued a statement Monday saying that management had been unwilling to address the unions' key concerns on job security for the members at GM. --By CNNMoney.com's Chris Isidore (Posted 11:18 a.m.)

Navy MH-60 helicopter crashes in Guam, one dead

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A U.S. Navy MH-60 Sea Hawk helicopter crashed just before midnight Monday night in Guam, killing one crew member, Navy officials told CNN.

The helicopter -- the Navy version of the Army's Black Hawk -- had four crew members on board when it went down in a reservoir, officials said.

Three sailors were rescued, and the body of the lone fatality was recovered. The most serious injury among the three survivors was a broken arm.

No cause has yet been established for the accident which occurred during a routine nighttime training mission, the officials said. --From CNN Senior Pentagon Correspondent Jamie McIntyre (Posted 10:57 p.m.)

Clinton, Obama announce endorsements

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Two of the leading candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination will announce a union endorsement Monday and there is likely to be at least one more endorsement unveiled Monday.

Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-New York, announced the backing of the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers, an organization that boasts a membership of 100,000 "skilled masonry-trowel trades craftworkers."

The New York Democrat unveiled her union endorsement soon after news leaked that Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, would head to Clinton's home turf to unveil his own union endorsement. The Correction Officers' Benevolent Association, a New York City union that represents 9,000 jail workers, will announce they are backing him at a late morning news conference, a source close to Obama tells CNN.

An Obama official told CNN that the campaign will unveil another endorsement prior to the New York announcement. A media call has been scheduled for 10 a.m. ET.

Later in the day, Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Indiana, will also endorse Clinton for president, a source close to Clinton tells CNN. --From CNN Political Editor Mark Preston (Posted 10:42 a.m.)

Bush urges Congress to complete spending bills

(CNN) -- President Bush criticized Congress for dragging its feet on spending bills during a speech Monday before business leaders at the White House.

"The fiscal year ends in less than a week, yet Congress has not sent a single appropriations bill to my desk, not one," the president said.

Bush said his economic policies are working and the American economy is strong.

"Since August 2003, the economy has added more than 8.2 million jobs. Productivity is growing and that's translating into larger paychecks for American workers," the president said. "Unemployment is low, inflation is low and opportunity abounds. The entrepreneurial spirit is strong." (Posted 10:36 a.m.)

DEA: Chinese help in biggest nationwide steroids bust ever

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Drug Enforcement Administration has wrapped up the largest enforcement action against illegal steroids in U.S. history, including a China connection, the DEA announced Monday.

"Operation Raw Deal," an international investigation, focused on labs and people throughout the United States who were allegedly taking raw materials and producing steroids and other products as well as those providing the ingredients, DEA officials said.

The investigation, which began 18 months ago, netted 56 labs, 124 arrests, 242 kilograms of raw materials and 11.4 million steroid dosage units in the United States, officials said, enough to supply at least hundreds of users. DEA spokesman Rusty Payne said the kilograms of raw material are believed to have originated in China.

The suspects in the United States allegedly made anabolic steroids, human growth hormone and insulin growth factor with the raw material. --From CNN Senior Producer Kevin Bohn (Posted 10:27 a.m.)

Israeli attorney general orders criminal probe into Olmert's purchase of Jerusalem home

JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Israeli Attorney General Menachem Mazuz ordered police Monday to carry out a criminal investigation into the purchase of a Jerusalem home by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, a statement by the Justice Ministry said.

The ministry said the investigation is to clarify suspicions of criminal action that stemmed from a report by the state comptroller on Olmert's deal to purchase the house. That report came after a complaint was filed saying Olmert received a significant reduction in the price in return for expediting building permits.

Olmert's office issued a statement calling the probe "superfluous" and reasserting that the prime minister paid a price within market expectation.

But the statement said Olmert, whose poll numbers have been in the single digits, will cooperate with the probe. (Posted 10:26 a.m.)

Missing Scouts found in North Carolina mountains

CRUSO, N.C. (CNN) -- Good training and preparation kept a group of Boy Scouts safe after they became lost while hiking in the North Carolina mountains, a troop leader and a relative said Monday.

Eight Scouts ages 11 to 14 and their three adult leaders emerged unharmed from the dense forest Monday morning after an intense overnight search by 28 rescuers and nine dogs.

The scouts had failed to return home from a camping trip Sunday in the Pisgah National Forest southwest of Asheville.

"They had gotten off trail, which is not uncommon in that part of the woods," said Kathryn Logan, sister of one of the Scout leaders and aunt of one of the Scouts. "... They had been backpacking all weekend, so they were prepared, so they're OK and everybody's fine." (Posted 10:25 a.m.)

Firebrand Iranian leader met by angry protests

NEW YORK (CNN) -- He came to New York hoping to win over some Americans during his visit to the United Nations, but reviled Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was met by widespread protests Monday and rebukes of the university that invited him to speak.

Summing up much of the sentiment in the city was the New York Daily News headline: "The Evil Has Landed."

"This is a man who is nothing more than a hate monger," Christine C. Quinn, speaker of the the New York City Council, told CNN. "He has used every venue he's gotten to spew hate, to deny the Holocaust ever occurred, to call for the destruction of the state of Israel."

Signs held by some protesters called him "Iranian Madman" and read "Go to Hell." (Posted 10:24 a.m.)

Obama to receive union endorsement on Clinton's turf

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, will be endorsed for president Monday by the Correction Officers' Benevolent Association, a New York City union that represents 9,000 jail workers., a source close to Obama tells CNN.

Obama will accept the endorsement at a late morning news conference in New York City, the home turf of one of his chief rivals for his party's presidential nomination, Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-New York.

The union proclaims on its Web site that its job is to "patrol the toughest precincts in New York ... the city jails." (Posted 9:20 a.m.)

Missing Scouts found

CRUSO, N.C. (CNN) -- Eight missing Boy Scouts and their three adult leaders, who were the subject of an intense search, have been found safe in the North Carolina mountains, rescuers said Monday.

The scouts had failed to return home from a camping trip Sunday in the Pisgah National Forest southwest of Asheville.

The campers apparently got lost Sunday night but walked out of the forest Monday morning. (Posted 9:02 a.m.)

3 killed, 21 detain in Iraq raids

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- Three insurgents were killed and 21 were detained Monday during a series of operations targeting al Qaeda in Iraq, the U.S. military said.

The three, described as "armed terrorists," were killed east of Tikrit in northern Iraq when they did not comply with an order to drop their weapons and one of them men drew his weapon, the military said. In the operation, troops found caches of munitions and military-style uniforms.

There were other operations northeast of Mosul, west of Tarmiya and in Baghdad. (Posted 9:01 a.m.)

Missing Italian soldiers freed in western Afghanistan

ROME (CNN) -- Two Italian soldiers who were kidnapped in western Afghanistan over the weekend were freed in an operation by NATO's International Security Assistance Force early Monday, Italy's defense minister said.

Arturo Parisi said the military operation took place in Farah province after the soldiers were kidnapped Saturday night in the Herat region. He said both of the soldiers were wounded -- one severely.

Division Gen. Giorgio Battisti, the most senior official of the Italian military mission in Afghanistan, told CNN the abduction occurred as the troops were carrying out their work -- maintaing contacts between military and civilian leaders in the area.

He said he did not know whether the kidnappers were Taliban militants or "common criminals," but noted that many times the line between the two categories is "thin."

Battisti said commanders decided to "intervene immediately" because it is normal practice for kidnappers to swiftly hand off their abductees to others in order to keep them well-hidden. He said the operation was carried out by British and Italian forces. Nine Afghans, the entire group of abductors, were killed. (Posted 8:43 a.m.)

Bayh to endorse Clinton

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Indiana, who seriously considered his own run for the White House in 2008, will endorse Sen. Hillary Clinton's presidential bid on Monday, said a source close to Clinton, D-New York.

Bayh is considered a centrist lawmaker on Capitol Hill and once headed the Democratic Leadership Council. Before being elected to the Senate, Bayh served as the governor of his state.

Clinton's campaign has scheduled a 1 p.m. ET news conference to announce the endorsement at a Washington, D.C. hotel. (Posted 8:18 a.m.)

Searchers optimistic they'll find scout troop missing in N.C. mountains

(CNN) -- More crews were on their way at daybreak Monday to search for 11 members of a Boy Scout troop who did not return from camping in the mountains of western North Carolina as scheduled Sunday evening, local authorities said.

The eight scouts and three adult leaders from the Raleigh, N.C., Troop 217 were on a weekend campout in the Black Balsam Gap area near the Blue Ridge Parkway in southern Haywood County, according to Haywood County sheriff's dispatcher Michael Huffman.

Their vehicles were still in the parking lot at the entrance to the campground Sunday evening, leading authorities to suspect the scouts simply camped out for another night, Huffman said. Cell phone service is spotty in the area, said Charity Sharp of the Cruso Volunteer Fire Department. (Posted 8:17 a.m.)

Amnesty International cites 'global apathy' toward Iraqi refugees

(CNN) -- Countries across the world are inadequately responding to the Iraqi refugee crisis, and Syria and Jordan are shouldering too much of the burden in meeting the needs of the refugees, a human rights group said in a report on Monday.

Amnesty International has issued a report called "Millions in flight: the Iraqi refugee crisis," a document that elucidates the state of what it calls "the world's fastest growing displacement crisis" -- the flight of people from their homes in war-torn Iraq.

"The desperate humanitarian situation of displaced Iraqis, including refugees and those who remain within Iraq, has been largely ignored by the world," said Malcolm Smart, Director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Amnesty International. His remarks were contained in a press statement. (Posted 7:40 a.m.)

UAW authorizes 11 a.m. ET walkout for its 73,000 members at nation's No. 1 automaker, although talks continue.

NEW YORK (CNN) -- The United Auto Workers union set an 11 a.m. ET Monday strike deadline for its 73,000 members at General Motors late Sunday night, although talks between the union and the company were ongoing.

The union has kept its members on the job at the automaker on an hour-by-hour contract extension since the previous pact with GM expired Sept. 14. But Sunday, as talks were reportedly making progress, the union leadership felt the need to call for a strike.

The company issued a statement saying it was still hopeful of reaching a deal to avoid a shutdown. A company official told CNNMoney.com at 5:20 a.m. ET that the talks were continuing. (Posted 7:33 a.m.)

2 Spanish soldiers killed in western Afghanistan

MADRID (CNN) -- Two Spanish soldiers were killed and six were injured on Monday in an explosion in western Afghanistan, according to Spain's defense minister.

A translator also died in the incident, which occurred near Shewan, the ministry said. Of the wounded, three are in serious condition, the minister said.

The troops were returning to base at Herat after a mission to protect a strategic highway when the rear right wheel of their armored vehicle appeared to have triggered an explosive device on the road, Defense Minister Jose Antonio Alonso said at a nationally televised news conference. (Posted 7:26 a.m.)

Outgoing Japanese PM says reason for resignation is health

TOKYO (CNN) -- Outgoing Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Monday the real reason he announced his resignation earlier this month was his health, not the recent political struggles he cited at the time.

"The timing of the announcement was terrible, coming a few days after I delivered a political speech to the Diet," Abe said, referring to the Japanese parliament.

He was speaking to reporters for the first time since checking into Keio University Hospital 11 days ago.

"I would like to apologize to the people for causing a lot of trouble."

In explaining his decision to initially blame his resignation on politics, Abe said, "I thought I should not say to the public that the reason for the resignation as prime minister was my health condition."

When he announced his resignation on Sept. 12, the prime minister told reporters he was resigning because he was "having an adverse effect" on Japan's ability to contribute to the U.S.-led war on terrorism. (Posted 6:05 a.m.)

Iran, angered over arrest, closes border entry points with Iraq in Kurdish region

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- An Iraqi Kurdish official said on Monday that Iran has closed its five entry points with Iraq's Kurdish region to protest the incarceration of an Iranian by the U.S. military.

Jamal Abdullah , the official spokesman of Iraq's Kurdistan Regional Government, said Iran made good on its threat to close the border because the Iranian, Mahmoody Farhadi, had not been released. One of the entry points is in Irbil, two are in Sulaimaniya and two are in Khanaqin.(Posted 5:30 a.m.)

2 Spanish soldiers killed in western Afghanistan

MADRID (CNN) -- Two Spanish soldiers were killed and two others were injured on Monday in an explosion in western Afghanistan, the Spanish Defense Ministry said.

An interpreter also died in the incident, which occurred near Shewan. The troops, based in Herat, were on patrol at the time. (Posted 5:25 a.m.)

U.S. soldier killed in eastern Baghdad

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- A U.S. soldier was killed and another was wounded on Saturday in eastern Baghdad, the U.S. military said on Sunday.

The soldiers, from Multi-National Division-Baghdad, were on patrol when an explosively-formed penetrator detonated.

This brings the number of U.S. military deaths in the Iraq war to 3,798 and the number killed in September to 56.

The U.S. military says EFPs are supplied to Iraqi militants by Iranian agents. (Posted 4:55 a.m.)

Coalition troops kill 1, detain 4 in eastern Baghdad

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- Coalition troops in eastern Baghdad killed one person and detained four in operations on Monday targeting Shiite militants backed by Iran, the U.S. military said.

The military said the insurgents "were involved in kidnapping operations" and indicated that they may have some affiliation with the Mehdi Army, the Shiite militia loyal to anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

The military said they traded fire with militants during the operations and said the insurgents used improvised explosive devices, including "at least one explosively formed penetrator."

The EFP is the bomb that the United States has said is provided to militants in Iraq from Iran. Air power was used to target the people setting up the bombs. (Posted 4:15 a.m.)

Iraqi journalist shot dead, watchdog group tells CNN

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- A television news anchor at an Iraqi satellite TV station was ambushed and killed on Saturday, an Iraqi watchdog organization said on Monday.

Gunmen ambushed and killed Jawad al-Daami, who works with Al-Baghdadiya, according to the Journalistic Freedom Observatory.

Al-Daami, 40, was driving in the western Baghdad neighborhood of Qadisiya when gunmen in a car fired on al-Daami's car.

He was on his way to the Jadriya neighborhood after he finished a meeting with friends in Mansour area in western Baghdad. (Posted 4:05 a.m)

Missing Italian soldiers freed in western Afghanistan

ROME (CNN) -- Two Italian soldiers who were kidnapped in western Afghanistan over the weekend were freed in an operation by NATO's International Security Assistance Force early Monday, Italy's defense minister said.

According to Arturo Parisi, the military operation took place in Farah province. The soldiers were kidnapped Saturday night in the Herat region. Parisi said both of the soldiers were wounded -- one severely. (Posted 2:45 a.m.)

Search begins when scout troop goes missing in N.C. mountains

(CNN) -- Eleven members of a Boy Scout troop did not emerge from a camping area in the mountains of western North Carolina as scheduled Sunday evening, prompting an overnight search effort, local authorities said.

The eight scouts and three adult leaders from Raleigh, North Carolina's Troop 217 were on a weekend campout in the Black Balsam Gap area near the Blue Ridge Parkway in southern Haywood County, according to Haywood County sheriff's dispatcher Michael Huffman. Their vehicles were still in the parking lot at the entrance to the campground Sunday evening, leading authorities to suspect the scouts simply camped out for another night, Huffman said.

Search teams were organized late Sunday night after their families in Raleigh did not hear from them after they were supposed to have begun the five-hour drive home, Huffman said. Several parents were driving from Raleigh to the camping area overnight, he said.

The area, located in the Pisgah National Forest, is mountainous and heavily wooded, with popular hiking trails running through it. (Posted 2:43 a.m.)

GM: UAW sets Monday strike deadline unless new contract is reached

(CNN) -- The United Auto Workers union has set a strike deadline of 11 a.m. ET Monday in its talks with General Motors, a GM representative told CNN.

"Our understanding is there would either be an agreement or there would be a strike," said GM's Katie McBride, who said the automaker is fully committed to working with the UAW. "Talks are ongoing at this hour and they are expected to continue until 11 a.m. Monday." She said there is a chance the discussion could be extended beyond the deadline. UAW sources also confirmed the strike deadline.

A long strike by the nearly 73,000 UAW members still working at GM could cripple efforts of automaker to stem nearly three years of losses in its North American auto operations. While experts said they believe it would be able to weather a short strike, there was concern that once a strike started, an agreement could become more difficult to reach. (Posted 12:05 a.m.)

Tropical Storm Jerry forms in the Atlantic

MIAMI (CNN) -- Tropical Storm Jerry formed in the middle of North Atlantic late Sunday, but was no immediate threat to land, the National Hurricane Center reported.

At 11 p.m. ET, Jerry was located about 1,045 miles (1,680 km) west of the Azores, moving to the north at about 8 mph (13 km/h).

According to the NHC, the track of the storm with its 40 mph (65 km/h) winds is expected to shift to the northeast and pick up its forward motion over the next 24 hours. (Posted 11:10 p.m.) E-mail to a friend