The CNN Wire: Tuesday, Oct. 23

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.

Student dies from wounds suffered in DSU campus shooting

(CNN) -- A Delaware State University student shot twice during last month's campus shooting died of her wounds on Tuesday, a statement from her family said.

"At approximately 3:30 p.m. today, Shalita K. Middleton passed from this world into God's arms," the family said. "She struggled valiantly ... Ultimately, however, the internal injuries that she suffered were in the end too critical to overcome."

Middleton, who was 17, was hit twice in the abdomen and Nathaniel Pugh, also a 17-year-old freshman, was hit once in the ankle in the shootings that took place on the Dover, Del., campus early on the morning of Sept. 21. Pugh has recovered enough from his injuries to be released from the hospital.

Loyer Braden, 18, a fellow DSU freshman from East Orange, N.J., was arrested a few days later on Sept. 24 and 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.

There was no immediate word on whether Middleton's death would result in a filing of new charges against Braden. (Posted 2:40 a.m.)

Fidel Castro says Bush sparking famine, war in world

HAVANA (CNN) -- Ailing Cuban leader Fidel Castro accused U.S. President George Bush of pushing the world to the brink of World War III and widespread famine in an essay that appeared in Cuban state media Tuesday.

"The danger of a massive world famine is aggravated by Mr. Bush's recent initiative to transform foods into fuel," referring to his support for biofuel projects that convert foodstuffs like corn into fuel.

Castro said Bush was simultaneously "threatening humanity with a World War III, this time with atomic weapons," but did not give any details.

The essay titled "Bush, Hunger and Death" was published a day before Bush was due to announce new initiatives on Cuba.

Last week, the White House said Bush would announce new strategies on Wednesday to promote free speech and multi-party elections on the communist island. (Posted 12:35 a.m.)

No relief in sight from massive Southern California wildfires

SAN DIEGO (CNN) -- Aided by resources from Mexico, the state and federal governments and even inmates from California's prisons, firefighters in Southern California Tuesday faced writhing, wind-whipped walls of flame from 15 wildfires that have scorched more than 400,000 acres and forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes.

The fires have killed one person and injured more than 50 more. A second death was reported erroneously.

San Diego Fire Department Battalion Chief Bruce Cartelli described scenes of "utter devastation" with hundreds of homes lost and "many hundreds" of others damaged.

Meteorologists suggested that Santa Ana winds, which have fueled the fires with some gusts approaching 100 mph, may die down Wednesday afternoon, offering some hope for beleaguered firefighters.

Officials have evacuated nearly 350,000 homes in San Diego County alone, where the worst of the fires are blazing. Using U.S. Census Bureau numbers from the 2000 census, that translates to nearly 950,000 people. (Posted 10:15 p.m.)

U.S. military helps fight California wildfires, house evacuees

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Even as the U.S. military prepared to join the effort against the devastating wildfires burning in Southern California, the blazes chased more than 4,000 military personnel from their homes.

Officials had already ordered only essential personnel to report to Naval Base San Diego, Naval Amphibious Base in Coronado, Naval Air Station in El Centro and the Marines' Camp Pendleton north of Oceanside.

But as Santa Ana winds pushed the rapidly growing fires across the area, Pentagon officials reported Tuesday afternoon that 1,400 Navy personnel and their families had been evacuated, along with 3,000 Marines from Camp Pendleton.

Two blazes erupted on the base Tuesday afternoon, officials said.

The Rice fire, burning just east of the base, has forced residents to evacuate from Fallbrook, adjacent to Camp Pendleton.

Meanwhile, dozens of Defense Department personnel were actively engaged in fighting the wildfires raging in Southern California, and thousands more National Guard and active-duty military personnel were available to help, a top Pentagon official said. (Posted 8:09 p.m.)

Al-Sadr repeats orders to Mehdi Army to stand down

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr repeated orders to his Mehdi Army militia to stop battling with police and rival factions Tuesday, warning followers that they could be kicked out if they continue fighting.

The warning comes more than two weeks after the anti-American populist leader signed a pact with his leading rival, Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, aimed at ending months of rancor and street battles in Shiite-dominated southern Iraq. Al-Sadr urged followers to guard the reputation of the Mehdi Army and warned them to beware of "infiltrators" within their ranks.

Al-Sadr ordered the suspension of the Mehdi Army in August, as firefights between Sadr and followers of al-Hakim's Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council left nearly 60 people dead and forced Iraqi government troops to intervene. He encouraged Mehdi Army members to continue social services and other activities, but he repeated his demand that they lay down their arms.

Al-Sadr led two uprisings against U.S. troops in 2004 and remains an outspoken opponent of the American presence in Iraq. His followers make up a key bloc in the country's parliament, and a 2006 report, the U.S. military called the Mehdi Army "the most dangerous accelerant" of the sectarian warfare that has wracked the country for the past 18 months. (posted 8:09 p.m.)

Rice acts fast to increase oversight of security contractors in Iraq

From CNN's Elise Labott

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Moving quickly to act on the recommendations of a panel she appointed last month in the wake of a deadly shooting incident involving Blackwater USA, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice put new measures in place Tuesday to improve oversight of U.S. security contractors in Iraq.

Rice ordered cultural awareness and Arabic training for contractors and special panels to investigate any incidents involving deadly force. Such rapid response teams will be sent out immediately after shooting incidents.

The State Department will also tighten the rules of engagement for contractors and bring them in line with those used by the U.S. military. Sources familiar with the panel's work said the members found in some cases the use of extreme deadly force may have not been necessary and may have impacted the larger U.S. mission in Iraq.

"Your mission may be to get someone from point A to point B safely, but you have to judge if your actions have an impact on the larger mission," one source said.

Rice also appointed a top U.S. diplomat to oversee all security operations in Iraq. The job will be held temporarily by Steve Browning, a senior foreign service currently serving as U.S. Ambassador to Uganda. (Posted 7:51 p.m.)

Thornburgh accuses Justice of political prosecution; Republicans reject claim

From Justice Producer Terry Frieden

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Former atorney general and prominent Republican Richard Thornburgh Tuesday accused the Justice Department of an improper political prosecution in indicting one of his clients, who was then a local Democratic official in Pittsburgh.

In testimony before the House Judiciary Committee, Thornburgh was praised by Democrats and criticized by fellow Republicans when he told the panel that Cyril Wecht, the former elected Allegheny County coroner, was indicted by a federal prosecutor whom he believed was "trying to curry favor" with the Bush Administration.

A grand jury indicted Wecht in 2006 on 84 counts of wire fraud, mail fraud and theft. The prosecution in the case accused him of cheating the citizens of Allegheny County and the clients of his private forensics firm.

Thornburgh, who served as attorney general under the first President Bush, raised broader doubts about the fairness of the Justice Department, saying the department must act "without actual political influence or the appearance of political influence." (Posted 7:40 p.m.)

No relief in sight from massive Southern California wildfires

SAN DIEGO (CNN) -- Relentless wildfires roared through Southern California for a third day Tuesday, sending panicked residents fleeing with family members, pets and whatever prize possessions they could stash in their vehicles.

The U.S. Forest Service announced a second civilian death late Tuesday afternoon. The flames have consumed nearly 360,000 acres.

In hardest-hit San Diego County, about 513,000 residents were ordered to leave their homes and another 12,000 residents were advised to evacuate, officials said.

President Bush is to visit the area on Thursday, the White House said. Earlier Tuesday, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff left Washington for a "firsthand look" at the devastation. (Posted 5:40 p.m.)

U.S. military helps fight California wildfires, house evacuees

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Dozens of Defense Department personnel are actively engaged in fighting the wildfires raging in Southern California, Pentagon officials said Tuesday, and thousands more National Guard and active-duty military personnel are available to help.

Paul McHale, assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense, said that 12 Defense Department firefighting teams, with 12 engines, are already working the blazes and more than 17,000 National Guardsmen are potentially available if needed.

In addition, he said, 550 Marines from Camp Pendleton are preparing to deploy to the fire area. (Posted 5:28 p.m.)

Federal government says it is ready to help in effort

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Federal officials say the federal government has learned lessons from the failed response to Hurricane Katrina and started planning an effort to help deal with the California wildfires as soon as they saw evacuations would be necessary.

The president, who is to visit the area Thursday, issued an emergency disaster declaration late Monday night to expedite federal aid to state and local relief efforts.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and Federal Emergency Management Agency chief David Paulison flew to California Tuesday to get a first-hand look at some of the efforts, including the evacuation center set up at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego.

"We haven't waited for paperwork to be signed," Chertoff said before leaving Washington, "but we have been moving cots, blankets, other supplies into the area of San Diego so that we can handle any necessity for additional sheltering capacity. --From CNN Senior Producer Kevin Bohn (Posted 5:07 p.m.)

Bankruptcy filings in the U.S. up by 23%

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Bankruptcy filings are up 23 percent among Americans from this time last year, according to statistics recently released by the American Bankruptcy Institute. The numbers also indicate an increase in Chapter 13 filings, which allow homeowners with a regular income to manage payments while preventing home foreclosures.

What's more, data from January to June of 2007 released by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts shows a 48 percent rise from figures for the same period in 2006 in all bankruptcy court districts. Total filings reached 404,090 during the first half of the calendar year of 2007; last year, that number was 272,604 for the same period in 2006.

ABI data also shows a steady increase in the percentage of bankruptcy filings made by individual consumers as opposed to businesses. In 1986, consumer filings made up about 84 percent of American bankruptcies. Today that number is nearly 97 percent. --By CNN's Mythili Rao (Posted 4:20 p.m.)

CIA director defends unusual review of agency's watchdog

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The CIA director disputes the characterization that he had ordered an "inquiry" into the office of the inspector general, the agency's watchdog.

In an interview on PBS's "The Charlie Rose Show" that aired Monday, Gen. Michael Hayden said that "Inquiry is the big and wrong word." What he asked for, he said, is a management review to address some questions he had about a couple of reports from the inspector general's office. He said he was not disputing the findings of the reports, but rather whether there was a need to improve the functioning of the office.

The unusual move comes at a time when the inspector general -- who works independently within the agency -- has been investigating, among other things, the CIA's controversial detention program. --From National Security Producer Pam Benson (Posted 4:15 p.m.)

Turkey won't 'wait forever' for Iraqi PKK clampdown

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- Iraq's government Tuesday repeated a pledge to shut down offices of the Kurdish rebel movement that has triggered a border crisis with Turkey, but Turkey's prime minister said his government "cannot wait forever" for results.

Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said Tuesday that Iraqi authorities will shutter the offices of the Kurdistan Worker's Party, or PKK, in northern Iraq's Kurdish territories. The group has battled for autonomy for Kurds in southeastern Turkey for more than two decades, and Turkish authorities blame the group for the deaths of dozens of soldiers and civilians in recent weeks.

Tens of thousands of Turkish troops are massing along Iraq's northern frontier, and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters during a visit to London on Tuesday that cross-border raids targeting the PKK could be launched "at any time."

The group has been designated a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union, and al-Maliki used the same term to describe it Tuesday. He said Iraq would not allow its territory to be used as a "launch pad" for attacks on Turkey. (Posted 3:54 p.m.)

Judicial nominee from Mississippi to get Senate vote Wednesday

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Rarely has judging a judge become such a crucial test of political and legislative clout. But on Wednesday, the Senate is poised to vote on the confirmation of a controversial judicial nominee, a fight that threatens to spill over into the race for the presidency.

The man at the center of the battle is Leslie Southwick, nominated by President Bush to sit as a judge on the 5th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, which includes Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi. The seat has been vacant for nearly three years, and Southwick is the third person tapped to fill it. If confirmed, the 57-year-old former state judge would be based in Mississippi.

The stakes over the nomination are so great that presidential candidate Sen. John McCain canceled campaign appearances in New Hampshire to return to Washington for the vote. Political and legal analysts said McCain could be seeking to score points with Southern conservative voters by leaving a crucial early primary state to voice his support for the judge. --From CNN Senior Producer Bill Mears (Posted 3:25 p.m.)

Stadium transformed into guest house

SAN DIEGO (CNN) -- The home to the San Diego Chargers was transformed overnight into the home for as many as 10,000 evacuees seeking shelter from wildfires that have swept through the region.

Outside, thousands more filled about half the spaces in the 18,000-vehicle, 122-acre parking lot, many of them setting up tents beside their cars and trucks.

Anticipating more arrivals, the Federal Emergency Management Agency delivered 25,000 cots to the city-owned, 40-year-old structure.

With more than 321,000 people evacuated from their homes by late morning Tuesday, FEMA's precautions appeared prescient. A steady stream of people joined those who had spent the night, many of them using tents, chairs and piles of clothing and supplies to stake out a bit of private space inside the stadium, which covers 15 acres. (Posted 2:42 p.m.)

Congress wait on alternative tax means refund delay, IRS says

(CNN) -- If lawmakers want to protect tens of millions of taxpayers from the Alternative Minimum Tax, they'd best make it snappy.

If Congress does not act in the next two weeks, 25 million to 50 million taxpayers will see the processing of their returns and their refunds delayed, the IRS said Tuesday.

In a press briefing, IRS Acting Commissioner Linda E. Stiff said that it will take the IRS 12 or 13 weeks to process any AMT-related tax law changes after the bill is signed into law.

Currently, the IRS is scheduled to send its 1040 instruction forms to press on Nov. 7 and will mail them out the first week in January, said IRS spokesman Terry Lemons. The agency will begin processing 2007 tax returns on Jan. 14.

If lawmakers wait until December to make changes to the AMT, the IRS would not be able to start processing the 25 million to 50 million affected returns before middle to late March. --By CNNMoney.com'ss Jeanne Sahadi (Posted 2:05 p.m.)

California congressman apologizes for Bush comments

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Rep. Pete Stark of California apologized Tuesday for a tirade against President Bush and the war in Iraq after the House of Representatives killed a formal censure resolution against him.

His voice breaking, the veteran Democrat apologized to his House colleagues, "the president, his family," and any American troops that may have been offended by his remarks during last week's battle to overturn Bush's veto of a child health care bill.

"I hope that with this apology, I will become as insignificant as I should be and we can return to the issues that do divide us -- but that we can resolve in a better fashion," he said.

Stark has a long history of florid commentary. But he provoked fresh Republican umbrage last week when, speak of Bush's objections to a $60 billion bill to expand the federally funded State Children's Health Insurance Program, he said, "You don't have money to fund the war or children, but you're going to spend it to blow up innocent people, if we can get enough kids to grow old enough for you to send to Iraq to get their heads blown off for the president's amusement." (Posted 1:55 p.m.)

4 tourists -- 3 Britons, 1 German -- die in ocean rescue in Portugal

LONDON (CNN) -- Four parents drowned as they helped rescue their children from the sea off Portugal, the British Foreign Office confirmed to CNN Tuesday.

The four tourists -- three Britons and one German -- rushed into the Atlantic Ocean along with at least three other adults after their children got into difficulties in the surf on a beach near Sagres, around 120 miles south of Lisbon, according to reports in the Portuguese media.

Some of the adults managed to push the children back into shore but others were swept away themselves in the strong Atlantic currents, according to the daily paper Diario de Noticias.

One died in the sea and three others were pulled to the shore, where emergency workers were unable to revive them, the paper reported. Three other adults required hospital treatment and one of them remains hospitalized, the spokeswoman said. (Posted 1:46 p.m.)

Turkish PM: We 'cannot wait forever' for border violence to end; Iraq PM seeks closure of PKK offices

(CNN) -- Under siege by Kurdish guerrilla attacks from northern Iraq, the government of Turkey is holding off on a cross-border offensive against Kurdistan Workers Party militants amid a U.S.-led diplomatic "full court press" to avert an incursion.

But Turkey's leader, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said the military won't wait indefinitely for creative statecraft to lower the high temperatures and avert the hostilities along the volatile Iraq-Turkish border.

Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, said Tuesday that Iraq will take one step sought by the United States -- closing the offices of the militant group, known by its Kurdish acronym, the PKK, an entity he calls a "notorious terror organization."

Mindful of a threat from one PKK leader that the group will attack Iraqi oil pipelines, al-Maliki said the "Iraqi government has taken its decision to close down its offices and not to allow it to work on Iraqi territories and that the government will do its best in order to limit the PKK and its terrorist activities that are a threat to Iraq just like it is a threat to Turkey." (Posted 12:16 p.m.)

Southern California wildfires upend lives

SAN DIEGO (CNN) -- Wildfires gobbling everything in their paths were disrupting the lives of hundreds of thousands of Southern California residents for a third day Tuesday, and growing numbers of groups such as the military headed to the area to help.

About 1,000 homes have been destroyed in San Diego County, where more than 300,000 people have been evacuated, San Diego officials said at a news conference.

"At this point it appears we have well over 200,000 acres that have been burned and we may be approaching the 300,000 mark," San Diego County Supervisor Ron Roberts said.

Of the county's 10 major fires, the Witch fire in the north, which has grown to 164,000 acres, is the county's priority because of its significant threat to structures, a fire official said.

Fire also were burning in six other counties. (Posted 11:46 a.m.)

Shuttle Discovery lifts off for 14-day mission

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (CNN) -- Shuttle Discovery lifted off from Florida's Kennedy Space Center Tuesday at 11:38 a.m. for a 14-day mission to the International Space Station.

Concerns about the weather and an ice patch that formed on the shuttle's external fuel talk threatened to delay the launch.

The mission is being called the most complex shuttle mission since NASA started construction of the outpost. (Posted 11:45 a.m.)

Olmert says Iran nuclear threat 'an issue for the world'

LONDON (CNN) -- Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Tuesday that Iran's controversial nuclear program is "a major issue for the entire world" and called for stronger sanctions against Tehran.

Speaking at a press briefing in London alongside British leader Gordon Brown, Olmert stopped short of calling for military action, insisting that economic sanctions are an effective way to deal with Iran's nuclear ambitions.

"Economic sanctions are effective. They have had an important impact already. But they are not sufficient so there should be more. Up to where? Up to the point where (Iran) stops its nuclear program," he said.

The British prime minister echoed Olmert's message, saying that a decision on stepping up sanctions would be made after studying the findings of an International Atomic Energy Association report expected November. "We have made it absolutely clear that the behavior of Iran is not acceptable. Nobody should be in any doubt as to our resolve on this issue," Brown said. (Posted 11:02 a.m.)

U.S. military helps fight California wildfires, house evacuees

(CNN) -- The U.S. military has initiated a multi-layered effort to help battle the raging Southern California wildfires, as well as provide shelter to some of the more than 300,000 people who have had to evacuate their homes.

The Navy has offered an Aegis cruiser, a guided missile destroyer, and two fast frigates to support evacuation efforts.

U.S. Marines have offered a battalion of 800 stationed at Camp Pendleton, north of San Diego, to help fight the fires, according to a U.S. military official.

It is unclear if the offer has been accepted. California first lady Maria Shriver told CNN that Camp Pendleton Marines are being deployed, adding that her husband, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, has called up about 1,500 National Guardsmen. (Posted 10:58 a.m.)

22 suspected terrorists indicted in Spain

MADRID (CNN) -- A Spanish judge indicted 22 suspected Islamic terrorists Tuesday, charging them with recruiting and sending fighters to Iraq, including one who killed Italian troops there in a suicide attack in 2003, according to a copy of the indictment viewed by CNN.

A court source says the suspects managed to send four fighters to Iraq, a court source told CNN.

The indictment notes the suicide attack on Nov. 17, 2003, by a man identified as Bellil Belgacem "against Italian troops that left 18 people dead and various others wounded," in Nasiriya, Iraq, the indictment said.

Eighteen of the 22 suspects are charged with membership in a terrorist group. The others face the lesser charge of collaborating with a terrorist group. All but two of the suspects are either in custody or out on bail. --From CNN Madrid Bureau Chief Al Goodman (Posted 10:29 a.m.)

About 1,000 homes destroyed in San Diego County, mayor says

SAN DIEGO (CNN) -- About 1,000 homes have been destroyed in San Diego County, where more than 300,000 people have been evacuated, Mayor Jerry Sanders said Tuesday, the third day of raging Southern California wildfires.

"At this point it appears we have well over 200,000 acres that have been burned and we may be approaching the 300,000 mark," he said.

The dangerous Witch Fire has grown to 164,000 acres in itself, he said. (Posted 10:15 a.m.)

California fires relentless, residents move out

SAN DIEGO (CNN) -- At least 11 wildfires are leaping out of control in Southern California, where more than 700 homes have been destroyed -- most of them in San Diego County.

Winds were expected to fan the flames, blowing toward the south and west during the day.

President Bush issued an emergency declaration Tuesday morning for seven California counties, clearing the way for federal disaster relief. More than 300,000 people in San Diego County alone remained out of their homes as wildfires in Southern California raged for a third day.

Nearly 6,000 firefighters were struggling to contain the flames, which showed up as corridors of orange and yellow on satellite images from space, stretching from from north of Los Angeles to southeast of San Diego. Winds of around 30 mph were expected to strengthen into the afternoon. At 5 a.m. (8 a.m. ET), wind gusts were measured at 82 mph near Laguna Peak in Ventura County. (Posted 9:55 a.m.)

U.N.:Number of Iraqis displaced by war continues to rise

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- The number of Iraqis internally displaced because of fighting in their war-torn country is inching up, and relief workers are concerned that the tensions along the Turkish-Iraqi border could exacerbate the already dire population movement, the U.N. refugee agency said Tuesday.

Almost 2.3 million Iraqis are displaced in the country, a U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees official said, and more than 2.2 million Iraqis have fled to neighboring countries, mainly Syria and Jordan.

These figures are a touch higher than recent U.N. figures that estimated more than 4.4 million uprooted Iraqis, with an increase among the displaced.

The U.N. office said than more than one million were displaced before 2003, when the U.S.-led invasion occurred, another 190,000 were displaced between 2003 and 2005, and "slightly more than a million displaced" after the bombing of a Shiite mosque in Samarra that sparked sectarian violence. (Posted 9:16 a.m.)

'Preppy Killer' arrested for drug sale

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Robert Chambers Jr., dubbed the "Preppy Killer" after his 1988 conviction for strangling a young woman to death, was arrested Monday night for the sale of narcotics, police said.

Chambers and a female companion identified as Shawn Kovell were taken into custody at a Manhattan apartment after a brief tussle with police, according to the police report. Two officers received minor injuries during the struggle, the report stated.

Chambers was released from prison in 2003 after serving a 15-year sentence for the 1986 killing of 18-year-old Jennifer Levin. Chambers said the killing was an accident resulting from what he described as "rough sex." (Posted 9:01 a.m.)

Somali government offer no explanation after WFP head released in Mogadishu

(CNN) -- The head of the U.N. World Food Programme's Mogasdishu office was released Tuesday after nearly a week in detention, a WFP spokeswoman in Rome confirmed to CNN.

Idris Osman was handed over to the care of WFP staff in the Somali capital early Tuesday, Brenda Barton said. Somali government troops arrested Osman last Wednesday during a raid on the the U.N. compound in Mogadishu that involved up to 60 armed security personnel .

No explanation has been given for Osman's release or the reason for his arrest, which U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned as a violation of international law. (Posted 8:45 a.m.)

Shuttle Discovery to lift off on 14-day mission

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (CNN) -- NASA hopes the weather will cooperate for Tuesday morning's launch of the space shuttle. Discovery is scheduled to blast off from Kennedy Space Center at 11:38 a.m.

The 14-day mission to the International Space Station is being called the most complex shuttle mission since NASA started construction of the galactical outpost.

The two-woman, five-man crew, under the command of Peggy Melroy, will deliver a live-in module named Harmony, which will help the space station expand to accommodate European and Japanese laboratories.

"It's actually the doorway to all the international laboratories," Melroy said. "Of course the purpose of the international space station is to do science in space. So being the key element that joins all the laboratories together is extremely important." (Posted 8:43 a.m.)

CNN's Amanpour receives CBE from queen

LONDON (CNN) -- She has reported from the front lines of conflicts around the world, interviewed world leaders, and investigated the important issues of our time. Tuesday, CNN's Christiane Amanpour received an honor from Britain's Queen Elizabeth in recognition of her work.

Amanpour received a CBE, or Commander in the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, "for services to journalism." The queen bestowed the honor on Amanpour, CNN's chief international correspondent, in a ceremony in the ballroom at Buckingham Palace.

Wearing a white skirt suit and formal brown hat with a bow, Amanpour approached the queen and bowed. The queen, dressed in a bright blue dress, then pinned the medal on Amanpour's lapel.

"I'm incredibly thrilled and very proud," Amanpour told CNN afterwards.

Amanpour and the queen briefly chatted during the ceremony, and Amanpour revealed afterwards that the monarch asked about CNN.

"I reminded her that she had actually opened the CNN London bureau, our new London offices, back in 2001 and she had a broad smile when I reminded her of that," Amanpour said. (Posted 8:27 a.m.)

Erdogan: Any cross-border strike would just be targeting Kurdish rebels

LONDON (CNN) -- Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan underscored Turkey's respect for Iraq's territorial integrity, saying that any military effort to take on Kurdish rebels in Iraq "would be targeting only" the Kurdistan Workers Party, known as the PKK.

Erdogan, who briefed reporters with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown after the two leaders met, was making a reference to last week's Turkish parliamentary vote giving its military an OK to pursue a cross-border incursion against PKK militants who have been carrying out attacks against Turkish targets.

"Any such effort would be targeting only the PKK, as we will continue to support the Iraqi people," he said.

Intensive diplomatic efforts led by the United States have kept Turkish troops from crossing the border, and Brown said "we support the restraint that has been shown by Turkey." (Posted 7:40 a.m.)

In southern Afghanistan, deaths reported in fighting; coalition member killed in vehicle accident

(CNN) -- The U.S.-led coalition reported the killings of several militants and a child in fighting on Tuesday and the death of a coalition service member in southern Afghanistan.

Militants in Zabul province attacked coalition forces searching for insurgents in a "nomadic camp," and the troops fired back and killed five fighters.

The body of a deceased child and four wounded children were found in a tent where an attacker fired at troops, the military said.

The coalition service member was killed in a single-vehicle accident 21 miles northwest of Kandahar Airfield. Another service member was evacuated for treatment.

NATO's International Security Assistance Force said "several militants" were killed in a coordinated airstrike in Wardark province in southeastern Afghanistan on Monday. (Posted 6:40 a.m.)

Nation's largest mortgage lender to refinance $16b in loans

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Countrywide Financial, the nation's largest mortgage lender, announced a program Tuesday to refinance or modify up to $16 billion of its loans due to reset at higher payments through the end of next year.

The program is targeted to 80,000 borrowers who face the risk of default because their current variable rate mortgages would see payments jump to levels they could not afford, prompting a default of those loans.

Those borrowers with less than top credit ratings took out subprime loans at lower interest rates, often with the expectation that they would be able to refinance before their loans reset to higher rates.

But the collapse in the mortgage securities market, particularly for subprime loans, dried up the supply of financing for those loans earlier this summer, leaving millions of borrowers nationwide at risk of losing their homes. (Posted 6:35 a.m.)

U.S. military: Around 11 insurgents, civilians killed in airstrike near Samarra

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- Eleven people, thought to be a mix of insurgents and civilians, were killed near Samarra on Tuesday when a U.S. helicopter crew fired on people who were setting up a roadside bomb, the U.S. military said.

Police in Samarra earlier said 10 people were killed and 10 others were wounded in an airstrike south of the Salaheddin province city, a volatile region during the Iraqi war. Police said there were reports of women and children among the casualties.

The U.S. military later confirmed an airstrike.

It said an Apache helicopter crew observed some military-aged males planting a roadside bombing in the Samarra area and "engaged the emplacers" who fled into a structure. (Posted 6:25 a.m.)

Iraqi, Turkish foreign ministers meet, stress opposition to terror

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- The foreign ministers of Iraq and Turkey, meeting on Tuesday in the Iraqi capital to discuss the crisis along the Iraqi-Turkish border, underscored a mutual goal of fighting terrorism.

"We will not allow any party or any group, including the PKK, to poison our bilateral relations," said Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, making a reference to the Kurdistan Workers Party, whose rebels based in northern Iraq have been targeting Turkey.

Zebari and Ali Babacan -- who briefed reporters after they met about the tensions -- reassured the minister that "the Iraqi government will actively help Turkey to overcome this menace."

Zebari, who is ethnically Kurdish, referred to Babacan's visit as "very timely" and "very important" and said their positions were "very clear" and "very direct." (Posted 6:25 a.m.)

Militants release kidnapped oil workers

(CNN) -- Kidnappers on Monday freed seven Shell oil workers, who were kidnapped over the weekend in Nigeria's southern Bayelsa state, according to statement from the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) released Tuesday.

There has been a wave of kidnappings of foreign workers in the oil-rich Niger Delta. Since late 2005, MEND militants have carried out numerous attacks on Nigeria's oil sector and abducted dozens of foreign workers, releasing nearly all of them unharmed. Nigeria is Africa's largest oil producer.

In 2005, it was the world's sixth-largest exporter of oil, but the conflict there has cut distribution by an estimated 500,000 barrels per day, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. (Posted 6 a.m.)

Radio journalist in Iraq missing, driver shot dead

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- A Baghdad correspondent for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty is missing and her driver has been shot and killed, the network said Monday.

The network said that the correspondent works for RFE/RL's Arabic-language Radio Free Iraq.

She had been on her way to an interview on Monday morning but never arrived. The body of her slain driver was found dumped in the street and their car is missing.

The network has not disclosed the journalist's identity.

"RFE/RL is focusing all attention now on finding out what has happened to our colleague," RFE/RL President Jeffrey Gedmin expressed deep concern.

"We are working with the authorities in Baghdad and are in constant touch with friends and family. We remain hopeful we will get her back safely."

Radio Free Iraq has lost two journalists this year.

Nazar Abd al-Wahid al-Radhi was killed in the southern city of Amara and Khamail Muhsin Khalaf was abducted and found slain in western Baghdad. (Posted 5:25 a.m.)

Samarra police say 10 killed, 10 wounded in airstrike

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- Ten people were killed and 10 others were wounded in an airstrike south of the Iraqi city of Samarra, police there said.

The U.S. military said it was aware of an operation in the area, but had no further details.

Police said there were reports of women and children among the casualties. Samarra, in northern Iraq's Salaheddin province, has been a volatile region during the Iraqi war. (Posted 5:15 a.m.)

British, Iraqi leaders meet with top Turkish officials to defuse border crisis

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- British and Iraqi leaders were holding talks with top Turkish officials on Tuesday to defuse the simmering tensions along the Turkish-Iraqi border -- where Turkish troops have been poised to launch an offensive into northern Iraqi to take on Kurdish rebels.

In London, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was to meet with his counterpart, Gordon Brown. In Baghdad, Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan was meeting with Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, news footage showed. Babacan also was scheduled to meet with President Jalal Talabani and Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.

The United States and Iraq oppose such cross-border action because it threatens to destabilize the relatively peaceful Iraqi Kurdish region, which has been the most stable area in war-torn Iraq.

Turkey -- which has complained that the United States and Iraq are not doing enough to stop cross-border attacks in Turkey by the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, rebels based in northern Iraq -- has voted to give its military the authorization to undertake cross-border action against the militants when it sees fit. (Posted 5:10 a.m.)

U.N. human rights investigator to visit Myanmar in November

UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- Myanmar's ruling military junta has agreed to an official visit by a U.N. human rights investigator next month, the United Nations said Monday.

The planned visit comes in the wake of last month's violent crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators. Myanmar has admitted to detaining more than 2,900 people from the protests, with several hundred still believed to be in custody.

According to the United Nations, the confirmation came in a letter from Myanmar's Foreign Minister Nyan Win to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday.

U.N. spokeswoman Michele Montas said Win suggested that the visit by Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Myanmar Paolo Sergio Pinheiro take place before the summit meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which is scheduled to start Nov. 17.

Ibrahim Gambari, the U.N. special envoy for Myanmar, is expected to return to Myanmar in November. Gambari met earlier this month with the military junta leadership as well as with Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, who is under house arrest in Yangon. (Posted 4:35 a.m.)

Iranian president cuts short visit to Armenia

(CNN) -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad cut short a two-day visit to Armenia on Tuesday and was heading back to Iran, an Armenian spokesman said.

Viktor Sogomonian, press secretary for Armenian President Robert Kocharian, said Ahmadinejad canceled plans to speak to parliament and lay a wreath at a memorial to Armenians killed during World War I. Many consider the Ottoman-era killings of Armenians "genocide."

Sogomonian said Ahmadinejad cut short his trip for "urgent reasons," but would not elaborate.

Ahmadinejad's senior adviser, Samareh Hashemi, said, "President Ahmadinejad has completed all his programs in Armenia based on his schedule," according Iran's IRNA news agency. He also said the Iranian delegation will return to Tehran according to its set schedule. (Posted 4:15 a.m.)

Roadside bomb in Iraqi city of Baquba kills 3, wounds 8

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- A roadside bomb exploded near a minibus northeast of the Diyala province city of Baquba Tuesday morning, killing three Iraqis and wounding eight others, police said.

One woman was among the dead and three were among the wounded.

According to authorities, the dead and wounded were members of a family traveling to Baquba for a wedding. Baquba is north of Baghdad and is the Diyala provincial seat.

The U.S. military on Tuesday reported a number of violent incidents in Baghdad on Monday.

-- U.S. attack helicopter crews in northern Baghdad targeted insurgents emplacing a roadside bomb, killing one "extremist" and wounding five others.

-- An Iraqi was killed and 16 people were wounded in two roadside bombings in eastern Baghdad. Two of those injured were police. (Posted 4:10 a.m.)

Coroner's reports: No cause listed for patients who died after Katrina

NEW ORLEANS (CNN) -- The parish coroner did not list a cause of death for nine patients who died at Memorial Hospital in New Orleans in the days after Hurricane Katrina flooded the city in 2005, according to autopsy reports released Monday.

The reports from Orleans Parish Coroner Frank Minyard were ordered released by a judge in response to a lawsuit by news organizations, including CNN and The Times-Picayune newspaper.

In July, a grand jury in New Orleans declined to indict Dr. Anna Pou, a physician at Memorial, on second-degree murder charges in connection with the deaths of the patients. Attorney General Charles Foti, who initiated legal proceedings against Pou and two nurses at the hospital, had alleged that patients were deliberately given lethal overdoses of drugs -- allegations Pou denied.

On the autopsy reports, the line listing a cause of death for the nine Memorial patients was left blank. However, that would not be unusual, because Minyard's office did not list a specific cause of death on autopsy reports for many of the hundreds of bodies that turned up after the storm.

Minyard did commission five outside experts to analyze the deaths at Memorial, who concluded that homicides had taken place. However, the experts have told CNN they were not called to testify before the grand jury that refused to indict Pou. (Posted 9:08 p.m.) E-mail to a friend