The CNN Wire: Wednesday, Nov. 7

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.

Holiday toy tainted with 'date rape' drug pulled off shelves

NEW YORK (CNN) -- U.S. safety officials on Wednesday voluntarily recalled about 4.2 million Chinese-made Aqua Dots toys contaminated with a powerful "date rape" drug that has caused some children who swallowed the craft toys to vomit and lose consciousness.

Scientists have found the highly popular holiday toy contains a chemical that, once metabolized, converts into the toxic "date rape" drug GHB (gamma-hydroxy butyrate), U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) spokesman Scott Wolfson told CNN.

"Children who swallow the beads can become comatose, develop respiratory depression or have seizures," a CPSC statement warned. (Posted 2:39 a.m.)

U.S. soldier killed in bomb blast near Baghdad

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- A U.S. soldier died from wounds sustained during a roadside bomb explosion south of Baghdad on Wednesday, the U.S. military said in a Thursday statement.

The soldier, serving under the direction of Multi-National Division - Center, was on a dismounted patrol when the blast occurred.

With the death 3,857 U.S. service members have died since the war's start, according to a CNN count of Pentagon figures. (Posted 1:38 a.m.)

Report: More than one-fourth of nation's homeless population are veterans

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- More than 25 percent of the nation's homeless population are veterans, although they represent only 11 percent of the civilian adult population, according to a report to be released Thursday.

The study by the Homelessness Research Institute found that on any given night in 2006, nearly 196,000 veterans slept on the street, in a shelter or in transitional housing.

"These findings highlight the need to provide veterans with the proper housing and supportive services to prevent homelessness from occurring in the first place," said Nan Roman, president of the National Alliance to End Homelessness, the organization that includes the Homelessness Research Institute as its research and education arm. "If we can do that, then we can greatly reduce the number of homeless veterans in general." (Posted 11:27 p.m.)

Police want to question children in missing wife case

BOLINGBROOK, Ill. (CNN) -- Investigators looking for the missing 23-year-old wife of a suburban Chicago police sergeant want to question his children, a spokesman for the Will County state's attorney said Wednesday.

They also intend to re-examine the death of Drew Peterson's third wife, whose death was ruled an accident, Charles Pelkie told CNN.

The disappearance of Stacy Peterson, Drew Peterson's fourth wife, is not being treated as a criminal investigation, nor is the husband a suspect, police have said. Peterson, 53, said he last spoke to his wife the night of Oct. 28.

Drew Peterson initially told the media he believed his wife ran off with another man, but hasn't repeated that accusation. (Posted 11:27 p.m.)

FEMA official resigns over faked press briefing

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A staged news conference during the California wildfires last month claimed a second FEMA press official Wednesday, as a just-completed review of the incident revealed "a calamity of bad decision-making" that led to the fiasco.

Aaron Walker, press secretary for FEMA, submitted his resignation to FEMA Administrator David Paulison Wednesday afternoon, according to a FEMA official. The official would not say whether Walker was asked to resign or did so voluntarily. His resignation becomes effective in early December. (Posted 11:26 p.m.)

DEA: Flow of cocaine, meth into U.S. slowing

From CNN Senior Producer Carol Cratty

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The United States, Colombia and Mexico are slowing the flow of cocaine and methamphetamine into America, according to new figures from the Drug Enforcement Administration released Thursday.

U.S. residents consuming the illicit drugs have paid more for them in 2007, and the drugs are not as pure -- an indication that suppliers are diluting them to stretch limited supplies, the agency said in a statement.

Americans buying methamphetamine paid an average of 73 percent more in September than they paid at the first of the year, but the purity of the drug decreased 31 percent, according to the DEA.

Meanwhile, the average price of a gram of cocaine jumped 44 percent in the first nine months of the year, while its purity dropped 15 percent. (Posted 9:47 p.m.)

Armed gunmen, students clash in Venezuela

CARACAS, Venezuela (CNN) -- Armed and masked gunmen greeted thousands of Venezuelan university students Wednesday as they returned to their campus following a peaceful march to the Supreme Court protesting a scheduled referendum on dozens of changes to the constitution proposed by President Hugo Chavez.

Two students were wounded by gunfire during the clashes with the armed group, and at least seven more suffered other injuries, according to officials at the Central University Hospital on the campus, where they were taken for treatment.

The masked group also set fires on the campus, causing an unknown amount of damage.

Student leaders and university officials accused Chavez supporters of causing the damage and demanded a thorough investigation into the incident to determine who was responsible. (Posted 8:40 p.m.)

Bush faces first veto override with Senate vote Thursday

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Senate is slated to vote Thursday on what is likely to be the first override of a veto by President Bush, with members expected to authorize $23 billion in new water projects over the president's objections.

Supporters say the projects authorized under the Water Resources Development Act are necessary to rebuild the Gulf Coast after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, restore the Everglades and Great Lakes fisheries and build flood-control projects nationwide. The bill passed Congress by overwhelming margins, and a leading conservative senator called Bush's veto "an exercise in futility" Wednesday.

Inhofe, the ranking Republican on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, said the authorization bill is "the only discipline that we have for spending," since it sets the amount of to be spent on each project.

Bush spiked the measure Friday despite its overwhelming bipartisan support, calling it too costly and complaining that the 900 projects it authorized would overtax the Army Corps of Engineers. But the House of Representatives passed it again Tuesday on a 361-54 vote -- well beyond the two-thirds margin needed for an override -- and the White House said it was resigned to seeing the bill become law.

No senator spoke in favor of sustaining Bush's veto during Wednesday afternoon's debate. (Posted 8:16 p.m.)

Rice: North Korea nuclear disarmament 'so far, so good'

From CNN State Department Producer Charley Keyes

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Efforts to disable a North Korean nuclear reactor that produced plutonium for the nation's nuclear program are "so far, so good," Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Wednesday.

She said the United States and its allies in the so-called Six-Party talks are "watching very closely" as a team of international experts works with the North Koreans to disable the reactor. Efforts to disable the reactor began earlier this week.

That phase, rendering it impossible to quickly restart the reactor, is set for completion by the end of the year. That clears the way for the actual dismantling of the facility and the ultimate goal of complete de-nuclearization of the Korean peninsula. North Korea agreed to disable the reactor after receiving fuel oil and other assistance.

Rice said she and Song Min-Soon, the Korean foreign affairs minister, completed wide-ranging discussions about the friendly relationship between their two nations. In addition to North Korea, the two also discussed Afghanistan, Iraq and the Middle East. (Posted 7:56 p.m.)

Study: Women corporate directors earn more than men

From CNN's Richard Davis

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Female corporate directors typically earn more than their male counterparts, the research group The Corporate Library said in its annual report on directors' pay, released Wednesday.

Although vastly outnumbered by men, women on corporate boards earned a median compensation of $120,000 annually, compared to male directors' median total compensation of $104,375, according to the study, which examined 25,000 directors at more than 3,200 companies.

The highest-earning female director in 2006 was Google's Ann Mather, with more than $1.7 million, the study said. (Posted 7:50 p.m.)

Bhutto vows mass rally despite emergency order

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistani security forces clashed Wednesday with supporters of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who vowed to go forward with a mass rally planned for Friday despite an emergency decree barring such gatherings.

Bhutto called on fellow opposition leaders and the people of Pakistan to join protests against President Pervez Musharraf's state of emergency order. She said 400 members of her political party were arrested across Pakistan on Wednesday "without any provocation."

Shortly after she spoke, Pakistani security forces surrounded the hundreds of demonstrators and fired tear gas canisters into the air, but police sources told CNN there were no arrests.

Uniformed Pakistani police, some in riot gear, and Bhutto's supporters faced off over a spiral of razor wire. Some of the demonstrators clapped and chanted slogans, while others raised Bhutto posters into the air.

Journalists aimed their cameras toward the line of police, who protected themselves with their shields as several protesters pushed the razor wire toward them. (Posted 7:09 p.m.)

FEMA official resigns over faked press briefing

From Homeland Security Correspondent Jeanne Meserve

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Aaron Walker, press secretary for FEMA, submitted his resignation to FEMA administrator David Paulison this afternoon, according to a FEMA official. The official will not say whether Walker was asked to resign or did so voluntarily. His resignation becomes effective in early December.

Walker is the second FEMA press official to suffer the repercussions of a staged FEMA news conference during the California wildfires.

John (Pat) Philbin, FEMA's director of external affairs, left his job two days after the news conference to become head of public affairs for the Director of National Intelligence, Mike McConnell. That job offer, however, was rescinded as Philbin's role in the press conference became clearer.

The FEMA official said that Philbin and Walker bore the "greatest degree of responsibility for the planning and execution" of the press conference. (Posted 6:51 p.m.)

Negroponte urges continued backing of Pakistan

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte told Congress Wednesday that the United States should continue to ally itself with Pakistan, despite Saturday's declaration of martial law by the country's president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf.

While U.S. officials "strongly disagree" with the Pakistani government's recent moves to imprison lawyers and human rights activists, put some judges under house arrest and muzzle the news media, "that disagreement should not translate into disengagement," the former director of National Intelligence told the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Negroponte said Bush considers Musharraf to have been "an indispensable ally in the global war on terrorism." He credited the general with having strengthened Pakistan's human rights, civil society and news media groups and having made Pakistan "a more moderate and prosperous country."

But some committee members felt that was not enough. "Sometimes, there should be consequences," said Rep. Gary Ackerman, D-N.Y. "The truth of the matter is that we are not doing this because we have the interests of the Pakistani people at heart, but because we are trying to protect a necessary thug." (Posted 6:35 p.m.)

Suspect in fatal shooting of deputy captured

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. (CNN) -- A man serving a life sentence for robbing a drugstore has confessed to overpowering and fatally shooting a deputy who was transporting him to court Wednesday, authorities said.

Michael Mazza, 40, was arrested outside a pawn shop in Hollywood, Fla., hours after the death of Broward County Deputy Paul Rein, which sparked an intensive manhunt.

It was the third shooting of a Broward County sheriff's deputy in four months, and the second fatality.

The incident took place as Mazza was being taken to the second day of his trial in connection with the armed robbery of a Coral Springs bank, said Sheriff Al Lamberti.

Georgian leader declares state of emergency

(CNN) -- Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili declared a nationwide state of emergency late Wednesday in an effort to quell violent anti-government protests that he blamed on Russian officials. The president also expelled several Russian diplomats.

The Kremlin dismissed Saakashvili's actions and comments as "anti-Russia hysteria," according to the Russian news agency Interfax. There have been growing tensions between Russia and the former Soviet republic.

The emergency decree, which must go before Parliament for ratification, was announced in a televised address by Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli, who initially said it covered the capital, Tblisi, only. But Economics Minister Georgy Arveladze later said that it applies to the entire country.

If approved by parliament, the decree would place media outlets under government control, and clamp down on demonstrations. (Posted 5:33 p.m.)

Feds: Company helped workers get unauthorized access at O'Hare Airport

CHICAGO (CNN) -- Two company managers and more than 20 workers at a suburban Chicago employment agency were arrested Wednesday in connection with an alleged scheme under which the workers fraudulently obtained security badges allowing them access to restricted areas at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, federal authorities said.

A corporate secretary and office manager for Ideal Staffing of Bensenville, near O'Hare, face charges of harboring undocumented immigrants, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said in a news release. Meanwhile, the workers face state charges of using fraudulent airport security badges.

The secretary, Mary Gurin, 36, and manager, Norinye Benitez, 24, are accused of assisting the workers in obtaining the fraudulent badges, which allowed access to restricted areas including the tarmac. Complaints against the two, unsealed Wednesday, allege that more than 100 temporary workers employed by Ideal Staffing were in possession of the fraudulent security badges, according to the news release. (Posted 5:14 p.m.)

Police: Suspected Finland school shooter dies

TUUSULA, Finland (CNN) -- An 18-year-old believed by authorities to be the one who opened fire Wednesday inside his high school in southern Finland, killing eight people before turning the gun on himself, has died, police said. (Posted 4:23 p.m.)

Senator holds up Homeland Security nomination over Halloween party flap

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A Halloween party where a Department of Homeland Security worker won praise for a costume featuring darkened skin and prison garb may stall Senate confirmation of the party's host for a second time.

Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., said Wednesday that she has placed a temporary "hold" on Julie Myers' nomination for the job of assistant homeland security secretary for immigration and customs enforcement until Myers answers some questions about the party, including why photographs of her with the costumed employee were destroyed after questions were raised.

"As the leader of that organization, she should have immediately recognized the problem and asked that person to leave," said McCaskill, who has raised previous concerns about Myers' nomination. "And what really happened was, she judged the costume as one that should get a prize and be recognized and she had her photograph taken with the person in the costume -- and only later came back and apologized and said it was a problem."

President Bush used a 2006 recess appointment to put Myers in office after Senate concerns about her inexperience stalled her confirmation. He renominated her for the job in January. (Posted 3:50 p.m.)

Privacy group fights amnesty for phone companies in surveillance controversy

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A privacy-rights group is urging lawmakers not to grant amnesty to any phone companies facing court action from a controversial warrantless wiretap program implemented by the Bush administration.

President Bush in September called on federal legislators to expand current law by providing retroactive immunity to firms that helped the National Security Agency eavesdrop on domestic conversations without a court order. Such a provision has been included in the proposed 2008 Intelligence Reauthorization bill moving through Congress.

Opposing such amnesty, the Electronic Frontier Foundation says allowing the courts to review evidence in their class-action lawsuit against AT&T and other telecoms would help make sure the government was honest as the expanded surveillance began. --From CNN's Paul Courson

Georgian leader declares state of emergency in capital

(CNN) -- Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili declared a state of emergency late Wednesday in the capital, Tbilisi, in an effort to quell violent anti-government protests that he blamed on Russian officials.

The president also expelled several Russian diplomats.

The Kremlin dismissed Saakashvili's actions and comments as "anti-Russia hysteria," according to the Russian news agency Interfax. There have been growing tensions between Russia and the former Soviet republic.

The emergency decree, which must go before Parliament for ratification, was announced in a televised address by Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli. If approved, it would place media outlets under government control, and clamp down on demonstrations. (Posted 3:05 p.m.)

Container ship clips 'fender' on tower of San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge

SAN FRANCISCO (CNN) -- A 900-foot-long container ship struck a protective shield surrounding a support tower of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge in heavy fog Wednesday morning, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

The impact ripped away about 100 feet of the "fender," said California Department of Transportation (CalTrans) spokesman Bart Ney. But he added that it appeared the system worked as designed, and it is likely that no one on the bridge even felt the impact.

There was no interruption of traffic on the bridge, which CalTrans says carries more than 250,000 cars daily.

The captain of the ship, the Cosco Eusan, reported no apparent damage to his ship, said Coast Guard Petty Officer Kevin Neff. The Coast Guard was sending a boat to inspect the ship for damage, he said. (Posted 2:29 p.m.)

Georgian leader declares state of emergency in capital

(CNN) -- Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili declared a state of emergency late Wednesday in the capital, Tbilisi, in an effort to quell violent anti-government protests that have gone on for six days.

The emergency, which must be ratified by Parliament, was announced in a televised address by Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli. -- From CNN's Matthew Chance (Posted 2:24 p.m.)

Large cargo ship makes contact with San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge

SAN FRANCISCO (CNN) -- An outbound cargo ship apparently made contact with some portion of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge Wednesday morning amid heavy fog, U.S. Coast Guard officials said.

The extent of the damage was unknown. (Posted 1:18 p.m.)

Suspect in fatal shooting of deputy captured

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. (CNN) -- The man suspected of overpowering and fatally shooting a deputy who was taking him to court was captured Wednesday after an intensive, fast-moving manhunt, the Broward County Sheriff's Office confirmed to CNN. (Posted 12:59 p.m.)

Leahy asks Rice to clarify position on waterboarding

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy asked Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Wednesday to clarify a senior aide's apparent refusal to characterize as illegal the hypothetical waterboarding of an American by a foreign intelligence service.

"There are reports that one of your principal aides and legal advisers, a Mr. John Bellinger, is taking the legal position that he cannot say whether it is permissible to waterboard Americans and that it depends on the facts and circumstances," Leahy said about the State Department's principal adviser on domestic and international law.

"I could not disagree more strongly. There are no conceivable facts or circumstances that would justify waterboarding an American anywhere in the world for any reason. Our treaty obligations and domestic law make waterboarding illegal. Please respond without delay and set this matter straight."

Bellinger's remarks came Monday during a debate held by Guardian America, the British newspaper's U.S. Web site, with Philippe Sands, a professor of international law at University College London. (Posted 12:31 p.m.)

Deputy shot by fleeing convict dies

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (CNN) -- The Broward County Sheriff's deputy who was overpowered and shot Wednesday by a prisoner he was transporting to court has died, authorities said.

French president pledges a renewed alliance between his country, United States

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- French President Nicolas Sarkozy pledged Wednesday a renewed alliance and friendship between his country and the United States, and promised to stand firm with Washington on the war in Afghanistan and against Iran's nuclear program.

In a speech to a joint meeting of Congress, Sarkozy -- facing problems back home as he tries to implement his campaign promises on immigration and economic reforms -- recalled the long history of friendship between the two countries.

"In times of difficulty, in times of hardship, America and France have always stood side by side, supported one another, helped one another, fought for each other's freedom," he said.

Lawmakers greeted Sarkozy's entrance into the chamber with a standing ovation and lengthy applause; evidence of the renewed hopes for Franco-American relations that were chilled in recent years under former President Jacques Chirac over differences of opinion on the Iraq war. (Posted 11:46 a.m.)

Report: 8 dead in Finland school shooting; suspected shooter in critical condition

TUUSULA, Finland (CNN) -- An 18-year-old student opened fire Wednesday in his school in this town in southern Finland, killing eight people and wounding at least 12, according to Finnish news agency STT.

The suspected shooter is in critical condition at Toolo Hospital, Dr. Eeero Hirvensalo told CNN. He did not say how the man was injured. (Posted 11:41 a.m.)

Charges against sixth Jena 6 defendant reduced

JENA, La. (CNN) -- Charges against Bryant Purvis, one of the six black students accused of being involved in beating a white student, were reduced to second degree aggravated battery during his arraignment Wednesday morning.

Until now, Purvis was facing charges of second-degree attempted murder and conspiracy. Chargeshad already been reduced against at least four of the students. Charges against Jesse Ray Beard, who was 14 at the time of the alleged crime, are unavailable because he's a juvenile.

Civil rights leaders Martin Luther King III and Al Sharpton led more than 15,000 marchers to Jena -- a town of about 3,000 -- in September to protest how authorities handled the cases against Purvis and the five other teens accused in the December 2006 beating of fellow student Justin Barker. (Posted 10:56 a.m.)

Hospital: 7 dead in Finland school shooting; suspected shooter in critical condition

TUUSULA, Finland (CNN) -- An 18-year-old student opened fire Wednesday in his school in this town in southern Finland, killing seven people and wounding at least 12, according to hospital and media reports.

The suspected shooter is in critical condition at Toolo Hospital, Dr. Eeero Hirvensalo told CNN. He did not say how the man was injured.

The 12 others sustained minor injuries and "are in no danger now," Hirvensalo said.

Those killed include the female headmaster of the school, according to journalist Jarkko Sipila of Finnish station MTV, who is at the scene.

Finnish media reported someone posted a message two weeks ago on the video-sharing Web site YouTube warning of a bloodbath at the school. (Posted 10:54 a.m.)

Giuliani, McCain each score major conservative endorsements

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Call it a battle for the hearts and minds of Christian conservative voters.

Television evangelist Pat Robertson endorsed former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani for president Wednesday, while former White House hopeful Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kansas, will endorse John McCain's presidential candidacy.

Robertson, at a Giuliani campaign event at Washington's National Press Club, said Giuliani is "a proven leader who is not afraid of what lies ahead and who will cast a hopeful vision for all Americans."

Meanwhile, the McCain campaign said he Brownback's endorsement will come Wednesday when the two men appear together at a McCain campaign event in Iowa. Brownback is a socially conservative senator who emphasized his opposition to abortion, gay marriage and other issues important to Christian conservatives, who make up an influential voting block within the Republican Party. (Posted 10:26 a.m.).

Report: 7 dead in Finland school shooting

TUUSULA, Finland (CNN) -- Doctors said seven have been killed at a school shooting in the southern Finnish town of Tuusula, according to journalist Jarkko Sipila of Finnish station MTV who is at the scene.

It is unclear if the death toll includes the shooter. (Posted 10:05 a.m.)

Prisoner shoots deputy on way to court, authorities say

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (CNN) -- A prisoner being transported for a court appearance Wednesday overpowered and shot the deputy accompanying him, then escaped in the sheriff's transport van, a Broward County Sheriff's spokesman told CNN.

Spokesman Elliot Cohen told CNN's "Newsroom" that authorities have launched a manhunt near Fort Lauderdale for suspect Michael Mazza, 40, who was on his way to court on a robbery charge.

The sheriff's deputy is in critical condition at a hospital, the spokesman added. He was found lying in a parking lot after the sheriff's department got a call saying the deputy had been thrown from the vehicle, the spokesman said. (Posted 9:57 a.m.)

32 linked to al Qaeda sent to prison in Yemen

DUBAI (CNN) -- A Yemeni court convicted 32 people of trying to blow up oil facilities and buildings in Yemen in failed attacks last year believed to be linked to al Qaeda, Saba'a, Yemen's state-owned news agency reported.

Four suspects were found innocent and released by the court, the agency reported. Those found guilty were given prison sentences of between two and 15 years, the report said.

The terror plot was thwarted just days before Yemen's presidential election in September 2006. (Posted 9:12 a.m.)

Organizers unveil London's 2012 Olympic stadium

LONDON (CNN) -- London's Olympic stadium will cost nearly $1 billion to build but will be a model of sustainability and leave a lasting legacy for sports and the community, games organizers for the 2012 Summer Games said Wednesday.

The 80,000-seat oval stadium will be the centerpiece of the Olympic Park, under development in east London, and will host the opening and closing ceremonies, in addition to track and field events.

After the Games, organizers said, the upper tier of the stadium will be lifted off and the venue converted into a 25,000-seat stadium. The removable portion of the stadium can be taken apart and resold, as can its fabric roof, which will cover two-thirds of the stadium, architect Rob Sheard said.

Sheard said he wanted to avoid creating "white elephant" stadium that would sit largely unused after the Games. (Posted 9:05 a.m.)

Police clash with Bhutto supporters at Islamabad rally

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistani police Wednesday used tear gas on journalists and demonstrators gathered outside parliament for a rally organized by former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, police sources told CNN. Hundreds of people took part.

There were no arrests at the demonstration outside parliament, the police sources said. Before the clashes began, Bhutto said 400 members of her political party were arrested elsewhere earlier Wednesday "without any provocation."

Video showed Pakistani forces in uniform with shields and sticks trying to move a razor wire barricade. Police also used tear gas. Some demonstrators clapped and and chanted slogans, while others raised their Bhutto posters into the air.

Earlier, Bhutto held briefing in which she urged Pakistanis to join protests against the president's emergency rule. Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf declared a state of emergency on Saturday. (Posted 8:57 a.m.)

U.S. commander: At least 2 of 9 Iranians to be freed are with Quds Force

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- A U.S. military commander on Wednesday said two of the nine Iranian detainees in Iraq to be released in "coming days" are affiliated with the Iranian military entity called the Quds Force, a group recently designated by the United States as a supporter of terrorism.

Rear Adm. Gregory Smith, a military spokesman, briefed reporters on Wednesday and repeated the announcement he made on Tuesday, that nine of 20 Iranians being held in U.S. custody were to be freed because they no longer pose a threat to Iraq.

He said two arrested in January in Irbil remain identified as "associates" of the Quds Force, an arm of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. They were among five detained people Smith referred to as the Irbil five.

Smith wouldn't identify the other seven to be freed or the 11 in custody and reiterated that one can infer that those in custody are still suspected of criminal activity. (Posted 8:50 a.m.)

One dead, three wounded in Finland school shooting

TUUSULA, Finland (CNN) -- An 18-year-old gunman killed one person and wounded three others at a school in the southern Finnish town of Tuusula on Wednesday, the Finnish news agency STT reported.

The agency said police quickly surrounded the school with the gunman inside, and were fired at. Journalist Jarkko Sipila of Finnish station MTV said the person who died was the female headmaster, and the gunman was enrolled as a 12th-grader. Other students were moved to a nearby building, he said.

Finnish media reported someone posted a message two weeks ago on the video-sharing Web site YouTube warning of a bloodbath at the school. (Posted 8:38 a.m.)

GM reports huge net loss

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- General Motors reported a huge net loss Wednesday due to a $39 billion charge, along with a large operating loss that was far worse than Wall Street expectations.

The nation's No. 1 automaker, which was hit with a soft auto market and a two-day strike by the United Auto Workers union during the quarter, lost $1.6 billion, or $2.80 a share, excluding special items.

That compares to the forecast of a 25 cent a share loss from anaylsts surveyed by earnings tracker Thomson First Call and earnings per share $497 million, or 88 cents on that basis in the year-earlier period.

Ford Motor, which lost its long-held title of No. 2 U.S. automaker to Toyota this year, is due to report results Thursday. It is also forecast to report an operating loss. (Posted 8:34 a.m.)

Mass graves linked to al Qaeda in Iraq killings discovered

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- A mass grave of 17 Iraqi civilians believed kidnapped at fake police checkpoints was found under a house used by insurgents about 35 miles northeast of Baghdad Wednesday, an Iraqi Army official said.

The badly decomposed bodies appeared to have been buried four or five months ago under an abandoned house west of Baquba, the official said. Bombs were planted around the grave, which is in an area where al Qaeda in Iraq has had a strong presence, the official said.

Another military official said decomposed bodies of 16 Iraqi civilians believed killed by al Qaeda in Iraq terrorists were found a week ago in a shelter in central Baghdad's Fadl neighborhood. More buried corpses were found northwest of Baghdad. (Posted 8:15 a.m.)

Georgian police disperse opposition protesters in Tbilisi

(CNN) -- Georgian security forces fired tear gas and water cannons at opposition supporters to disperse their protests outside the Georgian Parliament in Tbilisi Wednesday morning, according to Georgian television and other news agencies.

Georgian television broadcast live video of the protest Wednesday.

Demonstrations involving thousands of people over the last several days have called for the resignation of Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili. (Posted 5:06 a.m.)

32 linked to al Qaeda sent to prison in Yemen

DUBAI (CNN) -- A Yemeni court convicted 32 people of trying to blow up oil facilities and buildings in Yemen in failed attacks last year believed to be linked to al Qaeda, Saba'a, Yemen's state-owned news agency reported.

Four suspects were found innocent and released by the court, the agency reported.

Those found guilty were given prison sentences of between two and 15 years, the report said. (Posted 4:53 a.m.)

Indian surgeons remove four additional limbs from toddler girl

BANGALORE, India (CNN) -- An Indian toddler born with four arms and four legs was recovering in an intensive care unit Wednesday after surgeons in India successfully completed a mammoth 27-hour operation to remove her additional limbs, lead surgeon Dr. Sharan Patil said.

"The surgery has been successful," a smiling Patil said to applause at a post-procedure news conference, which was carried live on CNN sister station CNN-IBN.

Patil said 2-year-old Lakshmi Tatma would remain on a ventilator for the next 48-72 hours, and doctors would continue to monitor her closely, but that she was "stable and sound."

"Every step of it was successful," Patil said of the operation. "There was no setback whatsoever and we are proud to say the team worked through the night relentlessly." (Posted 3:58 a.m.)

Death toll in northern Afghan suicide bombing climbs to 41

KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Wednesday said the death toll from Tuesday's fatal suicide bomb blast in the country's northeast increased to 41 and a forensic investigation was already underway.

Of those killed in the blast, which occurred in Afghanistan's Baghlan province, 35 people were civilians and six others were members of Afghanistan's parliament, the president said.

Meanwhile, other reports from the region said as many as 100 people were killed or wounded in the blast, and the numbers were expected to rise.

"We are investigating this very unfortunate incident," Karzai told reporters at a Wednesday news conference. (Posted 3:11 a.m.)

Indian surgeons remove four additional limbs from toddler girl

BANGALORE, India (CNN) -- An Indian toddler born with four arms and four legs was recovering in the intensive care unit early Wednesday after surgeons in India successfully completed a mammoth 27-hour operation to remove her "parasitic twin," head surgeon Dr. Sharan Patil said.

Speaking to reporters, Patil said although 2-year-old Lakshmi Tatma is being monitored closely after a team of some 30 surgeons removed her four additional limbs, she is "stable and sound."

The operation was conducted by specialists in pediatrics, neurosurgery, orthopedics and plastic surgery. Without it, doctors say, Lakshmi would be unlikely to survive beyond early adolescence. (Posted 1:05 a.m.)

GOP governors get split decisions in off-year balloting

(CNN) -- The two incumbent Republican governors who faced the voters in Tuesday's off-year elections got a split decision, with Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour winning a second term but Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher going down to a landslide defeat.

With nearly all precincts reporting in Kentucky, Democrat Steve Beshear had 59 percent of the vote, well ahead of Fletcher's 41 percent, according to results from the state elections board.

In Mississippi, with about half of the precincts reporting, Barbour was sweeping 57 percent of the vote in his race against Democratic challenger John Eaves. The Associated Press projected Barbour -- mentioned as a GOP vice presidential possibility next year -- as the winner. (Posted 11:04 p.m.) E-mail to a friend