The CNN Wire: Tuesday, Sep. 25

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.

Report: Buddhist monks arrested, beaten by Myanmar security forces

(CNN) -- Myanmar security authorities used tear gas and force Wednesday to break up a peaceful demonstration by about 50 Buddhist monks gathered in a pagoda in Yangon, according to opposition Web sites gathering information from sources within the secretive country.

Thousands of monks, barefoot and dressed in red robes, have been marching against he ruling military junta for more than a month, with few incidents. However, on Wednesday the opposition-issued report -- which CNN cannot independently verify -- painted a different picture.

"Soldiers with assault rifles have sealed off sacred Buddhist monasteries ... as well as other flashpoints of anti-government protests," the report said, adding it was not immediately known where the monks were taken. (Posted 2:45 a.m.)

Authorities examining photo of child resembling missing British girl

LONDON (CNN) -- Authorities are examining a photo taken in Morocco showing a child that appears to resemble missing toddler Madeleine McCann, a spokesman for the girl's family told CNN Wednesday.

"It appears to look very like Madeleine on first glance," spokesman Clarence Mitchell said.

The digital picture was taken by a Spanish couple who vacationed in Morocco in late August, he said. The picture, taken out of a moving car, seems to show a Moroccan woman carrying a child on her back while walking along the side of a road.

"Along this route we started to take photos of everything we saw -- mosques, villages, everything. We saw this group of people we took some photos but as soon as we took them, we saw a blonde, blonde girl who caught our eye," said Clara Torres. "We thought of Madeleine but we didn't think any more about it as we thought it would be impossible."

Torres said she was traveling from the town of Chefchaouen to Tetouan when the pictures were taken. (Posted 2:45 a.m.)

Charges filed against 2 customers of charter boat; 4 crew remain missing

MIAMI (CNN) -- Federal authorities Tuesday charged two men they have been questioning in connection with a Coast Guard search in the Florida Straits for four missing crew members from a charter fishing boat.

Kirby Archer of Arkansas is facing federal charges of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution in the theft of more than $92,000 in cash from a Wal-Mart in Batesville, Ark., the FBI told CNN. Archer's companion, 19-year-old Guillermo Zarabozo of Hialeah, Florida is charged with lying to a federal agent.

Both men are being held at the federal detention center in downtown Miami and are expected to appear before a federal magistrate on Wednesday.

Authorities believe the men know what happened to the charter crew of the fishing boat "Joe Cool." The vessel was towed back to port shortly after noon Tuesday. (Posted 12:20 a.m.)

New tropical depression forms off Mexico

MIAMI (CNN) -- Forecasters are tracking a new tropical depression in the Gulf of Mexico and could issue a tropical storm watch for the Mexican coast Wednesday, the National Hurricane Center in Miami reported.

As of 10 p.m., (11 p.m. ET), Tropical Depression 13 was centered about 165 miles (265 km) east-southeast of Tampico, Mexico. Its top winds were near 30 mph (45 km/hr), and it was moving toward the west at near 5 mph. "A slow and erratic motion is expected over the next day or so," the NHC said.

The depression could strengthen into a tropical storm on Wednesday, the hurricane center reported. Early projections indicated it is likely to strike the Mexican coast by Saturday.

Forecasters at the Miami-based center are still tracking Tropical Storm Karen as well. At 11 p.m. ET, Karen had top winds near 40 mph as it churned across the central Atlantic Ocean, posing no immediate threat to land. The storm was centered 1,355 miles (2,185 km) east of the Windward Islands, moving west-northwest at about 14 mph. (Posted 11:10 p.m.)

House defies Bush, approves expansion of children's health care program

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Defying a veto threat from President Bush, the House Tuesday night approved a sweeping expansion of state-administered children's health programs, which would be funded by a steep increase in the federal cigarette tax.

However, the vote to approve $60 billion in funding over the next five years -- $35 billion more than Bush wanted -- was 265-159, short of the two-thirds majority that would be needed to override a veto. The measure will now go to the Senate, where it is expected to pass Thursday with a veto-proof majority.

Before Tuesday's vote, Pelosi expressed hope that "a very big, strong, bipartisan vote tonight will send (Bush) a message to rethink his position." But in the end, the vote was largely along party lines, with just 45 Republicans crossing the aisle to vote for the bill. Only eight House Democrats were opposed.

After the vote, the White House issued a statement renewing Bush's veto threat, dismissing the bill as "part of the Democrats' incremental plan toward government-run health care for all Americans." (Posted 10:35 p.m.)

Man strapped with device in bizarre Fla. bank robbery

(CNN) -- Authorities disabled and then blew up a device used Tuesday in a bizarre bank robbery in Hollywood, Fla.

The device had been strapped to a man who told police that two armed men had abducted him earlier in the day from his house in nearby Dania Beach, taped the device to him and told him it was a bomb that they were activating, a spokesman for the Hollywood Police Department said.

Witnesses said the men then drove to a Wachovia bank drive-thru window and, threatening to detonate the device, demanded cash from a teller who gave them "a large amount," said Hollywood spokesman Tony Rode. The two men then fled with the money, leaving the third man at the bank wearing the device, he added.

Broward County deputies arrived and, using a robot, removed the device from the man and detonated it, police said. The man was unhurt. (Posted 10:25 p.m.)

Authorities examining photo of child resembling missing British girl

LONDON (CNN) -- Authorities are examining a photo taken in Morocco showing a child that appears to resemble missing toddler Madeleine McCann, a spokesman for the girl's family told CNN Wednesday.

"It appears to look very like Madeleine on first glance," spokesman Clarence Mitchell said.

The digital picture was taken by a Spanish couple who vacationed in Morocco in late August, he said. The picture, taken out of a moving car, seems to show a Moroccan woman carrying a child on her back while walking along the side of a road.

Once they arrived home, the couple downloaded the photo and realized it appeared to resemble Madeleine. They passed it along to their local police, who forwarded it to Interpol. (Posted 10:16 p.m.)

Report: Airlines need to address problem of long on-board delays

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Frequent and sometimes lengthy flight delays are increasing and worsening, putting 2007 on track to break records set in the year 2000, according to a report released Tuesday by the Department of Transportation's Office of the Inspector General.

Yet airlines' plans to address on-board delays remain limited, the report said, and urged the reconvening of a national task force to develop and coordinate contingency plans for dealing with such delays with local airports and the Federal Aviation Administration.

The DOT, it said, should "take a more active role in overseeing customer-service issues to ensure that airlines comply with their policies governing long, on-board delays."

A passengers'-rights activist, however, complained the report fails to go far enough. Kate Hanni of Napa, Calif., who formed the Coalition for an Airline Passengers' Bill of Rights after being stuck on a plane during an incident involving American Airlines last year, noted the report cited a 63 percent increase in delays of five or more hours between 2006 and 2007. "It's absurd," she said. (Posted 9:01 p.m.)

ouse votes to expand children's health insurance program

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The House of Representatives approved a sweeping expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program on Tuesday, but by a margin short of the two-thirds needed to override President Bush's threatened veto.

The $60 billion, 5-year measure would expand the program to cover millions of middle-class families, paying for the expansion with 61-cent-per-pack tax increase on cigarettes. The vote was 265-159, with 45 Republicans joining all but eight Democrats in voting for the plan.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said the bill has overwhelming support and warned that Bush would "isolate himself" from the public with a veto. "Let's hope and let's pray that a very big, strong, bipartisan vote tonight will send him a message to rethink his position," Pelosi said. She said a veto would give new meaning to the biblical injunction, "Suffer little children."

Bush has threatened to veto any expansion of the program beyond the $25 billion he proposed earlier this year. He demanded last week that Congress extend the program before it expires at the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30. (Posted 9:01 p.m.)

House votes to expand children's health insurance program

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The House of Representatives approved a sweeping expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program on Tuesday, but by a margin short of the two-thirds needed to override President Bush's threatened veto. (Posted 8:54 p.m.)

U.S. Coast Guard renewing efforts to identify who left nooses at two locations this summer

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. Coast Guard said Tuesday it is launching a new investigation after earlier efforts failed to identify who left hangman's nooses at two locations this summer.

A six-inch string tied as a noose was found in an African-American cadet's sea bag in July while he was serving aboard the historic tall ship Eagle. And during race-relations training in August spurred by the first incident, a white female civil rights instructor found a small noose in her office at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn.

On Tuesday, after news of the incidents and the unsuccessful investigations became public, Rear Adm. J. Scott Burhoe ordered the Coast Guard Investigative Service to conduct a further investigation.

"We have an obligation to send a clear message that these actions are in no way acceptable," said Burhoe, the academy's superintendent. Individuals found to be involved could be prosecuted under military law, he said in a written statement. (Posted 7:35 p.m.)

Ahmadinejad slams 'arrogant' powers, says IAEA pact settled nuclear dispute

UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- In an address loaded with broadsides against "selfish and incompetent" powers that have "obedience to Satan," Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told world diplomats Tuesday that an agreement reached last month between his country and the International Atomic Energy Agency over its disputed nuclear program has, in the Iranian view, settled the matter.

"Iran decided to pursue the issue through its appropriate, legal path, one that runs through the IAEA, and to disregard unlawful and political impositions by the arrogant powers," Ahmadinejad said in a speech to the U.N. General Assembly in New York. "I officially announce that in our option, the nuclear issue of Iraq is now closed and has turned into an ordinary agency matter."

Under the deal brokered in August -- which received a tepid reception from the United States and other Western countries who fear Tehran is trying to develop nuclear weapons -- the Iranian government agreed to a timetable for resolving outstanding issues with the IAEA over its nuclear program, which the Iranians insist is solely for peaceful power generation.

Ahmadinejad said Tuesday that the IAEA has taken the "correct approach," as opposed to the U.N. Security Council, which has been "influenced by some bullying powers and failed to uphold justice and protect the rights of the Iranian people." The Security Council has repeatedly demanded that Iran suspend enrichment of uranium and has imposed limited sanctions on Tehran for refusing to comply. (Posted 7:34 p.m.)

New tropical depression forms off Mexico

MIAMI (CNN) -- Forecasters are tracking a new tropical depression in the Gulf of Mexico and could issue a tropical storm watch for the Mexican coast late Tuesday, the National Hurricane Center in Miami reported.

At 6:15 p.m. ET, Tropical Depression 13 was centered about 190 miles (305 km) east of Tampico, Mexico. Its top winds were near 30 mph, and it was moving toward the southwest at 3 mph.

The depression could strengthen into a tropical storm on Wednesday, the hurricane center reported. Early projections indicated it is likely to strike the Mexican coast by Saturday. (Posted 6:23 p.m.)

Intelligence chief cites concern of European terrorists coming into the U.S.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The government's intelligence chief told Congress Tuesday that officials' deep concern about the possibility of a terrorist attack in the United States this year stemmed in part from al Qaeda's efforts to recruit Europeans -- most of whom can enter the United States without a visa -- to be trained in explosives.

In testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell said he believes the greatest threat is posed by al Qaeda leadership efforts to train operatives to move commercially available explosives from the tribal region of Pakistan through Europe and into the United States.

"Europeans in large part do not require a visa to come into this country, so purposefully recruiting an operative from Europe gives them an extra edge into getting an operative or two or three into the country with the ability to carry out an attack that might be reminiscent of 9/11," McConnell said.

His comments echo those previously made by other senior government officials, including Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, who has repeatedly expressed concern that terrorists could take advantage of the visa waiver program, which allows most Europeans to travel to the United States without applying for a visa. --From Justice Producer Terry Frieden (Posted 6:21 p.m.)

Iranian-American businessman released in Tehran

(CNN) -- Ali Shakeri, an Iranian-American businessman and peace activist, has been released from Evin Prison in Tehran, a co-worker told CNN Tuesday.

Paula Garb, of the Center for Citizen Peacebuilding, told CNN that Shakeri was freed Monday after being held for more than four months without charges filed and that he had contacted his wife.

Shakeri, who lives in California, was picked up in May while attempting to return to the United States after visiting his ailing mother, who died while he was in custody. He is a founding member of the University of California at Irvine's Center for Citizen Peacebuilding, which fought for his release. (Posted 5:32 p.m.)

CIA lawyer withdraws nomination amid interrogation concerns

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush's pick to be the CIA's top lawyer withdrew his nomination Tuesday amid questions about his role in decisions regarding the spy agency's controversial interrogation techniques used against suspected terrorists.

In a letter to Bush, John Rizzo said his withdrawal would be "in the best interests" of both the spy agency and its Office of General Counsel.

"Even though the American people cannot often see what we do, I know that the actions carried out by CIA officers have been lawful, and I will continue to work to protect the men and women of the agency," wrote Rizzo, who has served as acting general counsel on and off for six years. (Posted 5:24 p.m.)

Magna Carta being auctioned for first time ever

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Just blocks from where U.N. diplomats debate their interpretations of tyranny and democracy, the first document to articulate the difference is going up for sale.

Sotheby's announced Tuesday that it will auction off one of the earliest versions of the Magna Carta later this year. According to David Redden, vice chairman of Sotheby's, this will be the first time any version of the Magna Carta has ever come up for auction.

The version to be auctioned is one of fewer than 20 known copies of the Magna Carta, which means "Great Charter" in Latin. The document was first devised in 1215, but not confirmed into English law until 1297. It was in 1297 that this version was issued and sealed by King Edward I. The charter mandated the king to cede certain basic rights to his citizens, ensuring that no man is above the law.

This version of the charter rested for six centuries with the Brundell family in the Deene Park, England, until being bought in 1984 by Ross Perot. Since then, the Perot Foundation has kept the copy on display at the National Archives in Washington. --From CNN's Sarah B. Boxer (Posted 5:20 p.m.)

On day 2 of GM strike, concern mounts about widening impact

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The United Auto Workers strike at General Motors, which Monday shut 80 GM plants and other facilities, could start hitting workers elsewhere almost immediately and cause new hardships in the already battered auto parts industry, experts said Tuesday.

Representatives of the UAW and General Motors returned to the negotiating table just before 10 a.m. at Detroit's UAW-GM Center for Human Resources, an office building between GM's downtown headquarters and the union's main offices. The center has been the site of intensive talks for the past three weeks.

GM spokesman Tom Wickham had no comment on what was accomplished during the first post-strike round of bargaining. A UAW spokesman also did not have a comment on the talks.

Most observers predicted the strike by 73,000 GM workers in 30 states will be short-lived. But it won't have to last more than another day or two before its impact will be felt more widely. --By CNNMoney's Chris Isidore (Posted 5:14 p.m.)

Clinton widens lead in New Hampshire, but Dem field still fluid

MANCHESTER, N.H. (CNN) -- Front-running Sen. Hillary Clinton has widened her double-digit lead over her nearest Democratic presidential rival in New Hampshire, but few people have made a final decision about January's primary, according to a CNN/WMUR poll released Tuesday.

The survey, conducted Sept. 17 through Monday by the University of New Hampshire, showed the former first lady with 43 percent support among Granite State residents who say they will vote in the Democratic primary. Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois ran second in the poll with 20 percent, and former Sen. John Edwards, the party's 2004 vice presidential nominee, drew 12 percent support.

Clinton's showing was up from 36 percent support in the last CNN/WMUR poll, in July. Obama, meanwhile, slipped from 27 percent in that survey, while Edwards gained 3 percentage points from the previous poll. (Posted 4:52 p.m.)

Jury convicts polygamist leader Jeffs

ST. GEORGE, Utah (CNN) -- Polygamist sect leader Warren Steed Jeffs was convicted Tuesday on two counts of being an accomplice to rape, charges that could result in a sentence of up to life in prison.

The leader of the 10,000-member Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which openly practices polygamy, Jeffs was accused of using his religious influence over his followers to coerce a 14-year-old girl into marriage to her older cousin.

Following the replacement of a female juror earlier Tuesday, members of the jury deliberated only about three hours before reaching a verdict. Sentencing is set for Nov. 20. (Posted 4:28 p.m.)

'Frequency outage' leads FAA to reroute planes outside Memphis zone

ATLANTA (CNN) -- The Federal Aviation Administration's Memphis Center lost radar and telephone service for more than two hours Tuesday, forcing it to reroute hundreds of flights and stop others from taking off from Memphis, and snarling air traffic in the region.

The stoppage began at 12:35 p.m., when a major communication line that feeds all the telephones at FAA's Memphis Center failed, said Kathleen Bergen, an Atlanta-based spokeswoman for the agency. Service was restored at 3 p.m.

The malfunction, which occurred inside a telephone company's switching office, made it impossible for air controllers at FAA's Memphis Center to communicate with adjoining centers to hand off control of flights, Bergen said.

In addition, three of nine long-range radar systems were lost, causing the FAA to initiate a ground stop within a 250-mile radius of the center that affected flights in seven states. (Posted 3:40 p.m.)

Sen. Craig to skip Minnesota hearing

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A Minnesota judge will be hearing Sen. Larry Craig's petition to overturn his guilty plea on a disorderly conduct charge in Minneapolis Wednesday, but Craig will not be at the hearing.

"I have been advised not to. I will not be attending," Craig, R-Idaho, told CNN.

He 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. --From CNN's Dana Bash and Producer Ted Barrett (Posted 1:50 p.m.)

Power company submits first nuclear plant application in three decades

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- For the first time in 29 years, an energy company is taking steps to build a nuclear power plant on American soil.

NRG Energy announced it has submitted an application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to build a 2,700-megawatt nuclear plant in south Texas. If approved, the two proposed nuclear units could power more than 2 million homes.

Nuclear power companies have been deterred from building in the United States since nuclear accidents at Three Mile Island and Chernobyl. But a flurry of new applications for as many as 33 new nuclear reactors are in the works, according the Nuclear Energy Institute.

NRG CEO David Crane acknowledged the reluctance to go nuclear, but said plants now operate under zero-tolerance policies and have adopted more stringent safety guidelines and practices. --From CNN's Rachel Streitfeld (Posted 1:30 p.m.)

Coast Guard brings boat, 2 customers to shore in disappearance of fishing boat crew

MIAMI (CNN) -- The search for four missing crew members continued Tuesday in the Florida Straits while a Coast Guard cutter returned to Miami Beach carrying two people -- one of them a fugitive -- who authorities believe know what happened to them.

FBI agents were still questioning an Arkansas man and a Hialeah, Florida, man as they returned to shore shortly after noon with the charter fishing boat, Joe Cool, in tow. The FBI said Monday it was investigating "a possible crime on the seas."

Relatives of the three men and one woman in the crew of the 47-foot charter fishing boat, which had been hired Saturday afternoon, called authorities Sunday night to say it had not returned as scheduled.

The Coast Guard spotted the boat floating 160 miles south of Bimini with no one on board, and later spotted a life raft containing the two men who had chartered the boat about 12 miles north. --From CNN's Susan Candiotti and Rich Phillips (Posted 1:19 p.m.)

U.S. Coast Guard unable to identify who left nooses at two locations this summer

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. Coast Guard said Tuesday it has failed to identify who left hangman's nooses at two locations this summer, but is ramping up efforts to train Coast Guard Academy cadets and employees about race relations.

One noose was found in an African-American cadet's sea bag in July while he was serving aboard the historic tall ship, the Cutter Eagle. And, during a race-relations training in August spurred by the first incident, a white female civil rights instructor found a noose in her office at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut.

The discovery of the second noose is prompting the Coast Guard to expand its training to the academy's administrators and staff, although it is not known who was behind the deed.

French said the Coast Guard would have taken swift action against anyone found to have been behind the incidents. But, having failed to identify the perpetrator, the Coast Guard is challenging "the attitude that it's OK to do this stuff. It's absolutely not OK," he said. --From CNN Producer Mike M. Ahlers (Posted 1:07 p.m.)

Vick indicted on state dogfighting charges

SUSSEX, Va. (CNN) -- A Virginia grand jury has indicted disgraced Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick and three co-defendants on state dogfighting charges, prosecutors announced Tuesday.

The grand jury brought two charges against Vick: one count of killing dogs and one of promoting dogfights. The quarterback already has admitted to bankrolling a dogfighting operation from his home in Surry County, Va.

Surry County Commonwealth Attorney Gerald Poindexter said he planned to present more than 10 possible charges against Vick to the grand jury.

Arraignment for Vick is scheduled for Oct. 3. --From CNN's Eric Fiegel (Posted 12:53 p.m.)

Juror in polygamist leader's trial replaced

ST. GEORGE, Utah (CNN) -- A woman was removed Tuesday from the jury considering child-rape charges against polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs.

The woman was replaced by a female alternate juror, keeping the jury's composition at five men and three women.

District Judge James Shumate instructed the jury to begin deliberations anew and to disregard any comments made by the dismissed juror.

Jeffs, 51, leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, is accused of being an accomplice to rape for allegedly using his religious authority to push a 14-year-old girl into a marriage she didn't want. (Posted 12:52 p.m.)

Vick indicted on state dogfighting charges

SUSSEX, Va. (CNN) -- A Virginia grand jury indicted disgraced Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick on state dogfighting charges Tuesday, prosecutors announced. (Posted 12:45 p.m.)

High court to decide whether lethal injections are 'cruel and unusual' punishment

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Supreme Court agreed Tuesday to delve into a divisive controversy over capital punishment, considering whether lethal injection causes excruciating pain for death row inmates and violates the Constitution's ban on "cruel and unusual punishment."

The justices have never directly addressed the fundamental question over the use of the chemical "cocktail" of drugs used to execute convicted killers. All 37 states that perform lethal injections use the three-drug mixture at issue in this case.

Kentucky inmates Ralph Baize and Clyde Bowling Jr. brought suit in federal court three years ago, questioning the state's chemical mixture and the procedures used to administer it. They claim the first drug -- sodium thiopental -- which renders the prisoner unconscious, wears off too quickly, and some prisoners are actually awake and able to feel pain as the procedure continues. --From CNN Supreme Court Producer Bill Mears (Posted 12:37 p.m.)

One suspect in Oregon terror camp case back in U.S. custody

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Terror suspect Oussama Kassir will face charges Tuesday in federal court in New York, a government official said.

Kassir, a Swedish national of Lebanese descent, was extradited from Prague, where he has been in custody since December 2005. He is charged with providing material support to a terror organization, namely al Qaeda, the official said.

Kassir, who arrived Tuesday in New York, is charged with helping set up a terror training camp in Bly, Oregon, where he allegedly trained people in hand-to-hand combat and provided a CD on making bombs and poisons, the official said. The government also alleges he set up a jihadi Web site with bombmaking instructions.

The case is not a new one. James Ujaama, an American, pleaded guilty to related charges of aiding the Taliban in April 2003. Other alleged co-conspirators Abu Hamza and Haroon Aswat, were taken into custody in England and are awaiting extradition to the United States. --From CNN Justice Correspondent Kelli Arena (Posted 11:36 a.m.)

U.S. soldier killed in Iraq

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- A U.S. soldier was killed in Iraq on Tuesday, the U.S. military said.

The soldier was killed in Diyala province when a blast occurred near his vehicle.

He was part of Task Force Lightning, the U.S. contingent in northern Iraq. Diyala sprawls north and east of Baghdad.

The number of U.S. military deaths in the war stands at 3,800, and the number killed this month is 58.

Of the deaths in the war, 3,100 have been in hostile circumstances. The overall total of coalition military deaths is now 4,100. (Posted 11:33 a.m.)

High court to decide fairness of voter identification laws

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Supreme Court will review the constitutionality of state voter identification laws, amid allegations they discourage large groups of disenfranchised Americans from going to the polls.

The two voter ID cases accepted by the justices Tuesday were among 17 appeals added to the court's docket. The oral arguments will be held early next year, with a ruling by late June.

At issue is whether laws designed to stem voter fraud end up discriminating against large groups of minority and poorer Americans, who might lack proper identification or might be afraid of putting their personal information on government files.

The cases involve an Indiana law passed two years ago requiring that a photo ID be presented when casting ballots in person at polling stations around the state. Previously, citizens needed only to sign a poll book to vote. --From Supreme Court Producer Bill Mears (Posted 11:21 a.m.)

U.S. home sales continue spiral down

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Housing markets continued to slump across the United States in August as the number of existing homes sold dropped for the sixth straight month, according to the latest report from the National Association of Realtors.

Sales fell 4.3 percent from July to a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 5.5 million. Sales have fallen 12.8 percent since last August's pace of 6.31 million homes.

Lawrence Yun, senior economist for NAR, blamed the current credit crunch.

"The unusual disruptions in the mortgage market, including a significant rise in jumbo loan rates, resulted in a fairly high number of postponed or canceled sales, with many buyers having to search for other financing when loan commitments fell through," he said in a written statement. --By CNNMoney.com's Les Christie (Posted 11:21 a.m.)

Bush tells U.N. its Human Rights Council hasn't been doing its job

UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- President Bush urged the United Nations on Tuesday to return to its "core mission" of bringing freedom to oppressed nations, and he scolded the body's Human Rights Council for failing to do its job.

Bush praised one of the United Nations' first acts, passage of the Universal Declaration of Human rights, saying it "stands as a landmark achievement in the history of human liberty."

However, he accused the current U.N. Human Rights Council of failing to crack down on oppressive governments. He named Cuba, Zimbabwe, North Korea, Venezuela and Sudan as nations in need of change.

"This body has been silent on repression by regimes from Havana to Caracas, from Pyongyang to Tehran, while focusing its criticism excessively on Israel," he said. "To be credible on human rights in the world, the United Nations must reform its own Human Rights Council." (Posted 11:11 a.m.)

Bush says U.S. will tighten economic sanctions on Myanmar

UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- President Bush on Tuesday said he will impose stiffer sanctions against the military regime of Myanmar, the Asian country now beset by protests by Buddhists monks and other citizens who are pushing for democracy.

Speaking to the U.N. General Assembly's annual session, Bush said the sanctions are among a "series of steps to bring peaceful change to Burma." Burma is the traditional name of the country.

"The United States will tighten economic sanctions on the leaders of the regime and their financial backers. We will impose an expanded visa ban on those responsible for the most egregious violations of human rights, as well as their family members," he said.

"We will continue to support the efforts of humanitarian groups working to alleviate suffering in Burma and urge the United Nations and all nations to use their diplomatic and economic leverage to help the Burmese people reclaim their freedom." (Posted 10:51 a.m.)

Grand jury considers state indictments against Vick

SUSSEX, Va. (CNN) -- Surry County prosecutors presented their case to a grand jury Tuesday as they seek state indictments against former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick.

Surry County Commonwealth Attorney Gerald Poindexter said he would present state bills of indictment against Vick, the star football player who admitted as part of a federal plea deal that he bankrolled a dog fighting operation from his home in Surrey County.

The grand jury is composed of six people, two black males, two black females and two white females. (Posted 10:30 a.m.)

GM, UAW set to talk as strike impact spreads

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Negotiators from the United Auto Workers union and General Motors are due back at the negotiating table Tuesday morning, as the impact of the strike is expected to start spreading to other workers the day after 73,000 union members went on strike against the nation's largest automaker.

Negotiators -- who had engaged in an all-night bargaining session Sunday night right up to the start of the strike at 11 a.m. ET Monday -- were back at the table Monday afternoon, meeting for more than five hours into the evening before recessing just before 8 p.m.

GM spokesman Tom Wickham said the two sides are due to hold additional talks Tuesday morning, although he did not have a time for the talks, or comment on what was accomplished during the first post-strike round of bargaining. UAW spokesman Roger Kerson also did not have a comment on the talks. --From CNNMoney.com's Chris Isidore (Posted 10:05 a.m.)

Coalition forces in Iraq kill 5, capture 22 in raids

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- Coalition forces killed five suspected insurgents and detained 22 Tuesday during operations targeting al Qaeda in Iraq in the central and northern parts of the country, the U.S. military said.

One of those arrested in a raid in Musayyib, south of Baghdad, is a close associate of a leader in al Qaeda in Iraq's car-bombing network in Baghdad, the military said.

Troops conducting that raid shot and wounded a gunman who confronted them at a building. As others emerged from the structure, coalition forces called in an airstrike, which killed four suspected insurgents. Another suspected insurgent was killed and seven were detained at another building in the same operation, the military said. (Posted 9:06 a.m.)

Canadian soldier killed in southern Afghanistan

(CNN) -- A Canadian soldier was killed and four were wounded Monday in southern Afghanistan, Canadian Forces said Tuesday.

The incident occurred 47 kilometers, 29 miles, west of Kandahar City in Kandahar province. Canadian forces are among NATO's International Security Assistance Force troops fighting Taliban militants in the south.

In another incident, a coalition vehicle collided with an Afghan motorcyclist in Afghanistan's Parwan province. The motorcyclist died. (Posted 8:05 a.m.)

At least 7 killed, several wounded in Baghdad bombings

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- Bombs ripped through two commercial areas in Baghdad Tuesday, killing seven people, Iraq's Interior Ministry told CNN.

Two parked car bombs exploded in quick succession in the southeastern mixed neighborhood of Zayouna, killing six people and wounding 24. The incident occurred on a busy commercial stretch.

A roadside bomb in the Kamaliya neighborhood of eastern Baghdad killed one person and wounded three others. The incident took place near an outdoor market in the Shiite neighborhood. (Posted 7:21 a.m.)

Suicide bomber in Baquba strikes 'reconciliation' meeting; 24 deaths reported

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- A suicide bombing in volatile Iraq's Diyala province ripped through a "reconciliation meeting" on Monday night attended by Sunni and Shiite militia leaders -- a brazen attack that killed and wounded dozens and fractured an effort to foster amity between the rival sects.

Iraq's Interior Ministry and the U.S. military counted 24 dead and 37 wounded.

Interior Ministry officials, who have been providing updates about the attack since it occurred, said the attacker detonated a suicide belt inside the Shifta Shiite mosque in western Baquba during the daily breaking of the Ramadan fast. (Posted 6:29 a.m.)

Tropical Storm Karen seen as little threat to land

MIAMI (CNN) -- Tropical Storm Karen, which could grow into a hurricane by the weekend, is swirling far out in the Atlantic and most forecasting models predict it will not threaten land.

Karen reached tropical storm status early Tuesday when its sustained winds were measured near 40 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center's 5 a.m. ET advisory.

The storm was centered about 1,565 miles (2,520 km) east of the Windward Islands and was moving toward the west-northwest near 16 mph, a motion forecasters expect will continue for the next 24 hours. (Posted 5:20 a.m.)

ISAF soldier killed in southern Afghanistan

(CNN) -- A NATO soldier was killed and four were wounded Monday during a patrol in southern Afghanistan, NATO's International Security Assistance Force said Tuesday. (Posted 4:49 a.m.)

Lebanese parliament adjourns before selecting new president

BEIRUT (CNN) -- A bitterly divided Lebanese parliament adjourned Tuesday without officially beginning the process of selecting a new president. Members of the opposition Hezbollah Party boycotted Tuesday's session, making a quorum impossible to reach.

Instead of entering the parliamentary chamber, the lawmakers stayed in their offices. Two-thirds of members must attend before an official session can be held. The next session has been scheduled for Oct. 23.

The term of current President Emile Lahoud, a pro-Syrian politician, is set to expire on Nov. 24, giving politicians about two months to agree on a replacement. (Posted 4:31 a.m.)

At least 5 killed, several wounded in Baghdad bombings

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- Bombs ripped through two commercial areas in Baghdad Tuesday, killing five people, Iraq's Interior Ministry told CNN. Two parked car bombs exploded in quick succession in the southeastern mixed neighborhood of Zayouna, killing four people and wounding eight others. The incident occurred on a busy commercial stretch.

A roadside bomb in the Kamaliya neighborhood of eastern Baghdad killed one person and wounded three others. The incident took place near an outdoor market in the Shiite neighborhood.

Another roadside bombing wounded seven people, including a police officer in the central neighborhood of Karrada. U.S. soldiers have sealed off an area where a roadside bomb exploded near a U.S. convoy in the northwestern Baghdad neighborhood of Kadhimiya. (Posted 4:19 a.m.) E-mail to a friend