The CNN Wire: Monday, Dec. 17

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.

Roadside bombs in western Baghdad hurt 4 Tuesday

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- A roadside bomb blast wounded four people, including three Iraqi soldiers, in western Baghdad Tuesday morning, according to an Interior Ministry official.

Another roadside bomb exploded near Syria's Embassy in western Baghdad's al-Mansour neighborhood, although no casualties have been reported, the official said. (Posted 2:52 a.m.)

Sec. Rice visits northern Iraq

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited Kirkuk, Iraq Tuesday morning, according to a U.S. Embassy spokesman in Baghdad. Kirkuk is in northern Iraq. (Posted 2:20 a.m.)

Israeli airstrikes kill several, including militant commander, in Gaza

GAZA CITY (CNN) -- A pair of Israeli airstrikes Monday killed four members of Islamic Jihad -- including the commander of its military wing -- and wounded three others, the militant group said.

The Israel Defense Force said it carried out the first strike, targeting military leader Majed El Harazin. Islamic Jihad confirmed Harazin's death, saying he and another leader were killed when Israeli jets targeted a car carrying militants on a mission to fire rockets.

The second air strike took place around midnight when an Israeli aircraft fired at a group of Islamic Jihad militants in Gaza city who were involved in preparing and launching Qassam rockets, the IDF said. Militant cell leader Karim Dahdouh was among the dead, the IDF said. The militant group said two members of the rocket unit were killed and three wounded.

The third Israeli airstrike came early Tuesday morning against a group of Islamic Jihad militants who were firing Qassam rockets toward Israel from the Jebalya/Bei Lahiya area, the IDF said.

The IDF said at least five Qassam rockets and motars landed near the Israeli communities of Kerem Shalom Tuesday morning. (Posted 1:52 a.m.)

Senate delays surveillance vote until January

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Senate will delay a vote on an overhaul of federal surveillance laws until after the holiday recess, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced on the Senate floor Monday.

The Senate bogged down over granting retroactive immunity to companies that cooperated with the Bush administration's warrantless eavesdropping program.

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Christopher Dodd, who earlier spearheaded an unsuccessful filibuster attempt to keep the bill off the Senate floor, said he appreciated Reid's decision and promised to "listen to all ideas" about how to proceed. (Posted 9:11 p.m.)

Castro letter: I won't 'cling to office'

HAVANA (CNN) -- In a letter read Monday on Cuban television, ailing Cuban leader Fidel Castro said he does not intend to cling to office or be an impediment to rising young leaders.

The 81-year-old leader temporarily handed power over to his younger brother Raul Castro in July 2006 after undergoing intestinal surgery. Officials say he is recovering, but they have not clarified if or when Castro could resume the presidency.

Castro hasn't been seen in public since his surgery, but he has appeared in numerous videos and photos in state media.

The release of the letter comes ahead of an electoral process that begins next month and culminates in March with the election of the Council of State, Cuba's supreme governing body. Despite ceding power to his brother, Fidel Castro remains head of the Council of State. (Posted 8:05 p.m.)

Southern governors pin water deal hopes on D.C. summit

(CNN) -- The governors of Alabama, Florida and Georgia on Monday announced plans for a January summit in Washington at which they hope to strike a final deal on how precious water supplies will be shared by the three drought-stricken states.

The announcement came at the end of a daylong meeting at the Florida governor's mansion in Tallahassee and marked what could be a major step in a bitter, years-old fight between the states that has grown more intense during month after month of severe drought.

Alabama, Georgia and Florida have been wrangling over water usage from two river basins -- the Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa and the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint -- for years. Meanwhile, the population of metropolitan Atlanta has doubled to more than 4 million since the early 1980s, when the tri-state water disputes began.

Water from the Chattahoochee watershed in Georgia cools major power plants in Florida and Alabama and helps keep alive mussels, oysters and other aquatic wildlife that contribute to the $134 million seafood industry in Florida's Apalachicola Bay region.

Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue and other officials agreed at least temporarily Monday not to reduce the minimum amount of water the state releases into the Apalachicola River -- easing one of the most contentious issues between Georgia and Florida. (Posted 6:21 p.m.)

Manhunt on for 2 New Jersey prison escapees

(CNN) -- Two inmates at New Jersey's Union County Jail made a movie-style escape Saturday and remain at large Monday, according to Union County Prosecutor Ted Romanko.

Twenty-year-old Jose Espinosa and 32-year-old Otis Blunt were discovered missing from their cells at about 5:15 p.m. Saturday evening, Romanko said. The two left behind dummies in their beds, cinder block dust from chiseled holes and a note wishing authorities "Happy Holidays."

Espinosa, who recently pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter, was to be sentenced on Jan. 25 and faced a minimum of 17 years in prison. Blunt was in prison in lieu of $75,000 bond for weapon and robbery charges.

Both men were being housed in the high security area of the multi level security prison, according to the prosecutor.

According to police, Espinosa and Blunt were in separate cells adjacent to each other and used a long metal wire to chisel away the mortar surrounding the cinder block between their cells and the outer wall in Espinosa's cell. (Posted 6:07 p.m.)

Nicaraguan court overturns American man's conviction

MANAGUA, Nicaragua (CNN) -- A Nicaraguan appeals court Monday ruled that an American man convicted of killing his former girlfriend should be set free, but a mix-up has left Eric Volz in jail illegally, his lawyer said.

Volz, of Nashville, Tenn., was convicted in 2006 of raping and killing Doris Ivanez Jimenez and sentenced to 30 years in prison. The court Monday reversed that decision, but a judge failed to show up for an afternoon meeting to arrange Volz's release, according to attorney Fabbrith Gomez.

Gomez said he intended to file a petition for a writ of habeus corpus with the court,

Ten witnesses testified or gave affidavits swearing that Volz was in his office in Managua, two hours away from San Juan del Sur, where Jimenez was killed, at the time of her death. But one man testified that he had seen Volz in San Juan del Sur just after the time police believe Jimenez was killed.

That man, Nelson Danglas, was originally arrested for the slaying but received full immunity in exchange for his testimony against Volz. No physical evidence from the crime scene linked Volz to the slaying. (Posted 5:51 p.m.)

Ron Paul supporters claim $6 million haul for online 'Tea Party'

DES MOINES (CNN) -- Supporters of Republican presidential hopeful Ron Paul gave more than $6 million to their candidate in an weekend fund drive, a sum that may set a one-day campaign finance record, the Texas congressman said Monday.

Paul said the money raised Sunday -- the anniversary of the Boston Tea Party -- was "a pleasant surprise for me and a shocker for some other people."

Sunday's totals, raised by supporters acting independently of Paul's campaign, follow a similar November effort that the campaign said brought in $4.3 million. But the figures won't be independently confirmed until Federal Election Commission reports are filed at the end of the year.

Paul, who ran for president as a Libertarian in 1988, is the sole Republican candidate to call for a U.S. withdrawal from Iraq. He shows up in the low single digits in national polls of the GOP field.

But a CNN/WMUR poll in New Hampshire, released last week, found Paul drawing 7 percent support among Republicans in that early primary state -- and he broke double digits with 11 percent in a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll in South Carolina, home of another early contest. (Posted 5:49 p.m.)

Truck bomb targets Mosul Dam; 1 dead, 4 hurt

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- A parked truck loaded with explosives detonated Monday on a bridge near a critical dam on the Tigris River, killing a guard and wounding four others, according to Mosul police.

The 5 p.m. explosion badly damaged the bridge, which links two of the Mosul Dam's gates and is considered a key route to the Syrian border.

A report from the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction said the dam, 45 miles northwest of Mosul, was in bad condition and in danger. The earthen dam's main problem is that it is built on a bed of gypsum, which dissolves in water, forcing continual maintenance to plug leaks caused by erosion.

The dam, known as the Saddam Dam when completed in 1986, is Iraq's largest. A collapse could send as much as 1 trillion gallons of water downstream, flooding Mosul and even parts of Baghdad and killing as many as 500,000 people, the inspector-general's report estimated.

The report also found efforts to repair the dam were hamstrung by mismanagement and incompetence. But the Iraqi government disagreed and downplayed the report. (Posted 4:36 p.m.)

Federal judge orders release of White House visitor records

From CNN Senior Producer Bill Mears

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The White House cannot hide behind a shield of privilege over release of its visitor logs, a federal judge ruled Monday. The Bush administration has resisted public disclosure while it fights a lawsuit over alleged political influence by conservative Christian leaders.

U.S. District Court Judge Royce Lamberth concluded the information was a public records request, subject to Freedom of Information Act disclosure of "agency records."

The White House had claimed exclusive control of the documents, subject to the complete discretion of the president over their release.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), a self-described government watchdog group, sought the visitor records of prominent conservatives James Dobson (Focus on the Family), Wendy Wright (Concerned Women of America), and seven others, including the late televangelist Jerry Falwell. (Posted 2:52 p.m.)

Countess of Wessex gives birth to baby boy

LONDON (CNN) -- The wife of Prince Edward, the Queen of England's youngest son, gave birth to a baby boy Monday, Buckingham Palace confirmed in a statement.

The boy was delivered by caesarean section at Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey and weighed 6 pounds 2 ounces, the statement said. Prince Edward was with his wife -- the Countess of Wessex -- at the birth, it added.

The baby boy, who has not yet been named, will be the Queen's eighth grandchild and therefore eighth in line to the throne. (1:25 p.m.)

Donors pledge $7.4 billion to Palestinian state

PARIS (CNN) -- A major donors conference to raise funds for the Palestinians has gone beyond expectations, with donors pledging $7.4 billion to help build a Palestinian state, organizers said Monday.

The one-day conference in the French capital brought together some 90 delegations to raise funds.

It follows on from last month's peace talks in Annapolis, Md., where the Israeli and Palestinian leaders vowed to negotiate a final-status agreement by the end of 2008.

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas had earlier requested $5.6 billion in aid over the next three years.

Speaking at a news conference at the end of the event, Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad called the pledge of money a "vote of confidence" in the Palestinians.

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair said the support of donors needed to be repayed in the coming months by action to create a lasting settlement.

"Over the next few months, we have to show to people our capability of making the difference on the ground," said Blair, who is co-hosting the conference in his new role as envoy for the so-called Middle East "Quartet." (Posted 12:53 a.m.)

Post Office braced for biggest day of the year

From CNN's Paul Courson

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. Postal Service has added staff and may visit your house twice Monday to handle what's considered the biggest shipping day of the year.

The Monday that kicks off the final week before Christmas is traditionally "THE day... where everybody does a lot of shipping," said Delvin Johnson, on task at a sorting station in Washington, with bins overflowing. "Today and tomorrow, it's gonna be pretty heavy."

District of Columbia Postmaster Pat Moore told CNN, "On any given day of the week during a normal regular season, we process or cancel anywhere from 1.2 to 1.5 million pieces of mail. Today, we will topple 2 million pieces, easily, before 8 o'clock this evening."

Nationwide, the Postal Service anticipates nearly a billion pieces of mail entering the system Monday, compared with volume of about 700 million pieces on an average day. (Posted 11:47 a.m.)

Outgoing Army commander cites security improvements but warns of swift coalition pullouts

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- The outgoing Army commander of U.S. troops in Baghdad on Monday underscored a wide range of security improvements in the Iraqi capital, from a drop in attacks to support from grass-roots citizen volunteers.

But Maj. Gen. Joseph F. Fil Jr., commanding general of Multi-National Division-Baghdad and the 1st Cavalry Division, emphasized the riskiness of swift coalition troop pullouts, saying that despite progress, the local forces are unprepared to "stand entirely on their own."

"I want to be absolutely clear that while we have seen significant progress during our tour here, we are very mindful that it is fragile and there is very tough work ahead. Al Qaeda is down but is by no means out," said Fil.

He briefed Pentagon reporters from the Iraqi capital on a day when insurgents set off a string of roadside bombs in Baghdad, killing at least four people but during a period of months when there has been a marked drop in attacks. (Posted 11:31 a.m.)

Putin says he will serve as PM if Medvedev elected president

MOSCOW (CNN) -- Russian president Vladimir Putin said Monday he will take on the role of prime minister if the man he is backing to be president when he steps down wins elections scheduled for next year.

"If citizens of Russia support Dmitry Medvedev and elect him for president, I will be ready to head the government," he told the congress of his United Russia party.

Medvedev, Putin's choice as successor, was officially confirmed as the presidential candidate of the United Russia party, it was announced on state television Monday.

In a secret ballot of party members, a total of 478 delegates endorsed Medvedev with only 1 voting against, according to the Russian news agency Interfax.

Monday's announcement of Medvedev's confirmation was seen as a formality after Russia's incumbent leader threw his weight behind Medvedev, endorsing him as the party's presidential candidate last week. (Posted 10:39 a.m.)

New Jersey Governor signs legislation abolishing death penalty

From CNN's Mythili Rao

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Gov. Jon Corzine signed a bill Monday abolishing New Jersey's death penalty, making the state the first to ban capital punishment since the U.S. Supreme Court re-established its legality in 1976.

The state Assembly approved the measure 44-36 last Thursday, following the state Senate's 21-16 approval earlier that week.

New Jersey has not put anyone to death since 1963, though there are eight men currently on the state's death row.

The new legislation replaces the death penalty with life imprisonment. The bill was introduced in November, after a state commission concluded, among other things, that "the death penalty is inconsistent with evolving standards of decency" and is an ineffective deterrent of criminal activity.

Since the Supreme Court's reinstatement of the death penalty in 1976, nearly 1,100 people have been executed in 37 states.

-- CNN's Bill Mears contributed to this report. (Posted 10:30 a.m.)

Putin says he will serve as PM if Medvedev elected president

MOSCOW (CNN) -- Russian president Vladimir Putin said Monday he will take on the role of prime minister if the man he is backing to be president when he steps down wins elections scheduled for next year.

Putin's choice as successor, Dmitry Medvedev, was officially confirmed as the presidential candidate for the Russian leader's United Russia party, it was announced on state television Monday.

In a secret ballot of party members, a total of 478 delegates endorsed Medvedev with only 1 voting against, according to the Russian news agency Interfax.

In comments broadcast on Russian television, Putin told the United Russia congress that he would be happy to serve under Medvedev, the current deputy prime minister.

"If citizens of Russia support Dmitry Medvedev and elect him for president, I will be ready to head the government," he told the congress. (Posted 10:12 p.m.)

Newspaper: Royal pardon lifts Saudi rape victim's lashing sentence

(CNN) -- Saudi King Abdullah has pardoned a rape victim who had been sentenced to 200 lashes and six months in prison, a case that sparked international attention, a Saudi newspaper reported.

Al-Jazirah newspaper quoted a Saudi Justice Ministry official saying King Abdullah issued a royal pardon on Monday, the same day that the Hajj, the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, begins in Saudi Arabia.

The victim's husband told CNN he has not received an official letter regarding her pardon, but considers it to be legitimate since it was announced in an official Saudi newspaper.

He thanked King Abdullah for the pardon, saying, "This fatherly care and noble gesture will help (in) lifting the emotional and psychological stress and suffering that our family has been enduring."

"This is not something new because we know that the King was always generous in dealing with his people and the entire world," the husband said. "This week, we have two holidays to celebrate; the Eid and this great news of the pardon."

Saudi sources told CNN that the king's pardon was not related to the beginning of the Hajj nor the Eid al-Adha festival that follows, which is normally when the Saudi monarch issues amnesty for prisoners. Saudi Arabia's justice minister said the king felt the pardon would be in the best interests of the Saudi people, and the decision did not reflect any lack of confidence in the Saudi justice system. (Posted 9:35 a.m.)

Lieberman endorses McCain

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Saying political parties are "not more important than what's best for our country," Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut announced his endorsement Monday for Sen. John McCain's Republican presidential campaign.

Lieberman, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, praised McCain's "experience, strength, decisiveness," and readiness to lead the nation.

"You may not agree with him on every issue -- I don't," said Lieberman at an event in New Hampshire, which holds the nation's first presidential primary next month. "But you can always count on him to be honest about where he stands."

Lieberman is a prominent figure throughout New England, and could hold sway with independents in New Hampshire, where McCain hopes a primary victory could shoot him to the front of the GOP pack. He has put much less focus on the Iowa caucuses, the only state contest before New Hampshire.

A Lieberman aide said the senator had not planned to endorse anyone until after the primary season, but McCain asked for his endorsement a few days after the two men returned from a Thanksgiving trip to Iraq together. (Posted 9:34 a.m.)

Newspaper: Royal pardon lifts Saudi rape victim's lashing sentence

(CNN) -- Saudi King Abdullah has pardoned a rape victim who had been sentenced to 200 lashes and six months in prison, a case that sparked international attention, a Saudi newspaper reported.

Al-Jazirah newspaper quoted a Saudi Justice Ministry official saying King Abdullah issued a royal pardon on Monday, the same day that the Hajj, the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, begins in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi sources told CNN that the king's pardon was not related to the beginning of the Hajj nor the Eid al-Adha festival that follows, which is normally when the Saudi monarch issues amnesty for prisoners. Saudi Arabia's justice minister said the king felt the pardon would be in the best interests of the Saudi people, and the decision did not reflect any lack of confidence in the Saudi justice system. (Posted 8:49 a.m.)

Donors conference for Palestinians opens in Paris

PARIS (CNN) -- Organizers of a major donors conference to organize aid for the Palestinians hailed the event Monday as a new beginning for the region, saying countries should seize the moment to help build a Palestinian state.

The one-day conference in the French capital brought together some 90 delegations in hopes of raising the $5.6 billion in aid requested by the Palestinians over the next three years.

The timing of the conference is meant to follow last month's peace talks in Annapolis, Md., where the Israeli and Palestinian leaders pledged to negotiate a final-status agreement by the end of 2008.

"The message that should go out from this conference is very simple," said former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who is co-hosting the conference in his new role as Middle East envoy. "It is to seize the moment."

The Paris conference focuses on short-term priorities for the Palestinians, and French President Nicolas Sarkozy said those include providing immediate support for the Palestinian people -- particularly those living in Gaza -- and stabilizing the Palestinian economy. (Posted 7:05 a.m.)

Russia turns on U.S. and EU for encouraging 'separatist' ambitions of Kosovo

MOSCOW (CNN) -- Russia has criticized western powers for encouraging Kosovo's ambitions for independence, saying the situation in the Balkans could evolve in to an "uncontrollable crisis."

Kosovo is expected to declare independence from Serbia some time in the new year.

The United States and most European countries have backed self-determination for the province in principle.

Russia supports the position of Serbia, however, which insists the region should remain autonomous within its borders.

In a statement published Monday, Russia's foreign ministry said the debate over Kosovo's future status had reached "a critical point."

The ministry warned against a unilateral declaration of independence by the province, which it said would violate an existing U.N. security resolution.

"The situation could evolve into an uncontrollable crisis, if the settlement is not kept within the international legal framework," the statement said. (Posted 6:54 a.m.)

Iraqi parliamentary leadership condemns Turkish strike in northern Iraq

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- Iraq's parliamentary leadership Monday condemned the Turkish airstrikes in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq. The presidency of Iraq's Council of Representatives condemned the Turkish air strikes on Iraqi border areas in the Kurdish region.

The statement deplored the bombardment and urged Turkey to use "dialogue and wisdom in resolving its internal issues..." It said Turkey should respect Iraq's sovereignty and it called on the U.N. to stop such military operations.

Early Sunday, Turkish warplanes and long-range missiles attacked Kurdish rebel positions in the mountains, Turkish military officials said. The air attack, which began around 1 a.m. and last for more than three hours, PKK outposts in the Qandil mountain, the statement said.

Turkish ground troops launched long-range missiles at the the Kurdistan Workers' Party positions after the air attack, and all warplanes returned safely to their bases in Turkey, the statement said. (Posted 5:47 a.m.)

Roadside bombs in Baghdad kill at least 4, wound others

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- A smattering of roadside bombings in Baghdad on Monday killed at least four people and wounded several more, an Iraqi Interior Ministry official said.

The attacks come during a period of what has been described by U.S. officials as decreased violence in Iraq's battle-scarred capital, where Sunni-Shiite sectarian strife and insurgent violence left many people and caused many citizens to flee to other cities and countries.

At least two civilians were killed and three others wounded when a roadside bomb targeting a U.S. military convoy detonated in central Baghdad's Karrada district, the official said.

A roadside bomb blast along eastern Baghdad's Palestine Street killed at least two civilians and wounded six others Monday morning, according to the official.

The ministry also reported two other Baghdad roadside bombings, one in the southeastern Zafaraniya neighborhood that wounded three soldiers and another on al-Amin Street in the eastern part of the city that wounded at least two civilians. (Posted 5:35 a.m.)

3 'awakening' members, a judge gunned down in Iraq's Diyala province

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- Insurgents shot dead four people in Iraq's restive Diyala province on Monday, three members of an anti-al Qaeda in Iraq group and a judge, a local security official said.

A Diyala province security official said members of a local Awakening Council were killed by gunmen in Mafrag, west of Baquba, Diyala's capital. The men were standing by a vegetable vendor's stall when gunmen attacked them.

Such councils are part of the "awakening" movement in Iraq, a grass-roots front of locals who oppose al Qaeda in Iraq. They are predominantly Sunni and are sometimes composed of former militants. Many of them have been recruited by the U.S. military's "Concerned Local Citizens Program" to work against al Qaeda in Iraq.

Earlier this month, a message from a member of al Qaeda in Iraq called Awakening Council members traitors and urged attacks on them. (Posted 4:52 a.m.)

Turkish ambassador to Iraq summoned over northern Iraq bombing raids

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- The Iraqi government told Turkey's ambassador that his country's bombing mission in northern Iraq on Sunday killed a woman, wounded four other people, and destroyed a health clinic, a school and bridges.

Iraq's Foreign Ministry said Mohamad Hajj Hmoud, its undersecretary for legal affairs and multilateral relations, summoned the Turkish ambassador to Iraq on Sunday to express the country's displeasure over the raids. He asked the envoy to tell the Turkish government "to halt such military actions that effect innocent and causes panic which may affect the friendly relations existing between the two peoples and governments of the two neighbors."

Hmoud gave the ambassador a memorandum "about the Turkish military aircraft's bombing a group of Iraqi villages" in northern Iraq. (Posted 4:35 a.m.)

Roadside bomb kills 2, hurts 6 in eastern Baghdad Monday

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- A roadside bomb blast along eastern Baghdad's Palestine Street killed at least two civilians and wounded six others Monday morning, an Interior Ministry official said.

The officials also reported two other Baghdad roadside bombings, one in the southeastern Zafaraniya neighborhood that wounded three soldiers and another on al-Amin Street in the eastern part of the city that wounded at least two civilians. (Posted 4:20 a.m.)

Russia begins nuclear fuel deliveries to Iran

MOSCOW (CNN) -- Russia has begun nuclear fuel deliveries to Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant, the Russian Federal Atomic Energy Agency said Monday. Atomstroiexport, Russia's nuclear power equipment and service export monopoly, completed the first stage of deliveries Sunday, Russian nuclear officials said.

The Russian monopoly is building the $1-billion Bushehr plant under the control of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). A report from Russia's Interfax news agency said the fuel delivery was under full IAEA safeguards.

Construction on the Russian-designed nuclear plant has continued despite pressure from the United States. Iran denies its nuclear program is intended for anything but peaceful purposes. (Posted 3:51 a.m.)

Bomb blast kills 7 in northwest Pakistan

LAHORE, Pakistan (CNN) -- A bomb explosion killed at least seven people and wounded several others in the northwestern Pakistan city of Kohat around noon Monday, according to police sources.

There was no immediate information on what type of bomb it was. (Posted 3:33 a.m.)

Newspaper: Royal pardon lifts Saudi rape victim's lashing sentence

(CNN) -- Saudi King Abdullah has pardoned a rape victim who had been sentenced to 200 lashes and six months in prison, a case that sparked international attention, a Saudi newspaper reported.

Al-Jazirah newspaper quoted a Saudi Justice Ministry official saying King Abdullah issued a royal pardon on Monday.

A Saudi court ruled the 19-year-old woman had an "illegitimate relationship" with a man who was not her husband, and that the assault occurred after she and the man were discovered in a "compromising situation, her clothes on the ground."

The case has drawn international attention, provoked outrage in the West and cast light on the treatment of women under Saudi Arabia's strict Islamic law. (Posted 3:32 a.m.)

Roadside bomb kills 2, hurts 6 in Baghdad

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- A roadside bomb blast along eastern Baghdad's Palestine Street killed at least two civilians and wounded six others Monday morning, an Interior Ministry official said. (Posted 2:21 a.m.)

Iranian leader departs Iran for Hajj pilgrimage

TEHRAN (CNN) -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad departed Tehran Monday morning to take part in the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina, Iran's official news agency, IRNA, reported.

President Ahmadinejad said in a news conference last Tuesday that he had been invited by Saudi King Abdullah to attend the Hajj.

While Ahmadinejad has visited Saudi Arabia twice as Iran's president, he will be Iran's first leader to take part in the Hajj pilgrimage, IRNA reported. Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and several other high-ranking Iranian officials are on the trip with the president, IRNA said.

Muslims are required to perform the Hajj in Saudi Arabia at least once if they are able-bodied and if they can afford it. According to tradition, the ritual begins in Mecca, the birthplace of Islam and Muhammad, and is a spiritual journey that cleanses the soul and wipes away sins. (Posted 2:12 a.m.)

Australian defense chief warns allies over Afghan war

(CNN) -- Australia's new defense minister warned U.S. and NATO allies over the weekend that they risk losing the war in Afghanistan without a sharp shift in military and reconstruction efforts there, according to his office.

Joel Fitzgibbon, who took office with the newly elected government of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, told the allies during a weekend conference in Scotland that more work needs to be done to win the "hearts and minds" of the people of Afghanistan in the 6-year-old war against the country's former Taliban rulers and their al Qaeda allies.

While the U.S.-led coalition has been "stomping on lots of ants, we have not been dealing with the ants' nest," Fitzgibbon said.

The defense minister's comments were first reported in The Australian newspaper and confirmed by his office in Canberra.

Fitzgibbon told his fellow defense ministers -- including U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates -- that "We need much more than a military response" to a rise in attacks by the Taliban. (Posted 11:41 p.m.)

Nearly 300 inmates loose in India jailbreak

NEW DELHI (CNN) -- Nearly 300 inmates broke out of a jail in central India after overpowering the four guards at the facility, authorities reported early Monday.

The jailbreak happened Sunday in Dantewada, in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh, the district's inspector-general's office reported. Of the 377 inmates in the jail, 299 escaped, and no reinforcements arrived to search for the escapees for two hours, the inspector-general's office told CNN sister network CNN-IBN.

"The inmates attacked and overwhelmed the prison guards during lunch time," Chhattisgarh Home Minister Ramvichar Netam told CNN-IBN. "Apparently they took advantage of weak security."

Police have closed the state's borders and were on high alert throughout the region, but the search was complicated by difficult communications in the area, Netam said. (Posted 10:08 p.m.)

Al-Zawahiri blasts Iraqi tribes in new statement

(CNN) -- Osama bin Laden's top lieutenant has condemned Iraqi tribal leaders who have sided with U.S. troops against al Qaeda fighters as "traitors" and "scum," warning in a video statement released Sunday that they would face reprisals when Americans leave Iraq.

"I warn those individuals from among the armed factions who have been involved in cooperation against the mujahideen that history is recording everything, and that they will lose both their religion and life," fugitive al Qaeda No. 2 Ayman al-Zawahiri says in the new video.

"The Americans will soon be departing, God permitting, and won't keep defending them forever. And let them look at the fate of America's agents in Vietnam and the fate of the Shah of Iran -- intelligent is he who learns from other's mistakes."

In the 97-minute video, al-Zawahiri also criticized Lebanon's Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah, for agreeing to let the Western-backed Lebanese government determine whether the disputed, Israeli-held territory known as Shebaa Farms belongs to Lebanon or Syria. The criticism marked a reversal for the al Qaeda leader, who previously had praised Hezbollah's performance in the month-long 2006 war between the Shiite militia and Israeli troops. (Posted 10:03 p.m.) E-mail to a friend