Tensions rise as deadly border clash erupts between Israel, Lebanon

Beirut, Lebanon (CNN) -- A clash between Lebanon and Israel along their volatile shared border Tuesday left an Israeli officer and several Lebanese soldiers dead while escalating fears of renewed violence between the nations.

Lt. Col. Dov Harari, a battalion commander, was killed in the fighting, according to an Israel Defense Forces statement. Another Israeli soldier was seriously wounded, it said.

A Lebanese army spokesman said at least two Lebanese soldiers were killed and several others were wounded.

Lebanon's official National News Agency reported that journalist Assaf Abu Rahal also was killed in the exchange of fire between Lebanese and Israeli soldiers.

Two separate narratives emerged about the incident.

Israel said the Lebanese fired on Israeli soldiers who were on the Israeli side of the border.

In Jerusalem, Israeli Intelligence Minister Dan Meridor said the incident was captured on video and that it all occurred on Israeli soil.

CNN

Drug cheat Gatlin wins on track return

(CNN) -- Disgraced American sprinter Justin Gatlin made a successful return to competition on Tuesday following his four-year ban for drug use.

The 28-year-old, who won Olympic gold in the 100 meters in 2004 and two world titles the following year, made his comeback at an athletics meet in Eastern Europe.

He was the fastest in the 100m heats with a time of 10.34 seconds, qualifying ahead of his compatriots J-Mee Samuels and Rubin Williams at the Kuldliiga meeting in Estonia.

Gatlin, who tested positive for excessive levels of testosterone in April 2006, then triumphed in 10.24 in the final from Samuels (10.31) and Williams (10.54).

He had told reporters ahead of the event that he hoped to break the 10-second mark, but was nowhere near threatening his personal best of 9.85.

He will again run on Sunday at an event in the Estonian capital of Tallinn.

Gatlin had equaled Asafa Powell's former world record of 9.77 in May 2006, but this was later expunged from the books.

During his time away from the track, Gatlin spent time working with American NFL teams Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans and Houston Texans but did not manage to earn a playing contract.

CNN

FBI to Wikipedia: Remove our seal

(CNN) -- The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation has threatened Wikipedia with legal action if the online encyclopedia doesn't remove the FBI's seal from its site.

The seal is featured in an encyclopedia entry about the FBI.

Wikipedia isn't backing down, however. The online encyclopedia -- which is run by a nonprofit group and is edited by the public -- sent a chiding letter to the FBI, explaining why, in its view, the FBI is off its legal rocker.

"In short, then, we are compelled as a matter of law and principle to deny your demand for removal of the FBI Seal from Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons," the Wikimedia Foundation's general counsel, Mike Godwin, wrote in a letter to the FBI, which was posted online by the New York Times.

"We are in contact with outside counsel in this matter, and we are prepared to argue our view in court".

The whimsically written letter from Wikipedia says the FBI's reading of relevant law is both "idiosyncratic" and "more importantly, incorrect." It also notes that the FBI's seal appears on other websites, including in an online entry from Encyclopedia Britannica.

CNN

World 'losing against Taliban,' Pakistan's president says

Paris, France (CNN) -- The international community is "losing the war against the Taliban," Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari said Tuesday.

"Above all, this is because we lost the battle of hearts and minds," Zardari told the French newspaper Le Monde on a visit to Paris.

"The success of the insurgents is to learn how to wait. They have time on their side. It's our whole approach which is wrong," the paper quoted him as saying. "The people do not associate the intervention of the coalition with a brighter future".

Zardari and his entourage were on a plane from Paris to London, England, and not immediately available to confirm the quotes, a representative of the Pakistani Embassy in London told CNN.

The president doubted the Taliban could be defeated by force alone, Le Monde reported.

"The military reinforcements are only a small part of the answer," he said. "To win the support of the Afghan people, we must bring them economic development and prove that we can not only change their life, but also improve it".

The United States is leading military efforts against the Taliban in Afghanistan, which neighbors Pakistan.

The new commander there, Gen. David Petraeus, issued new guidelines Sunday for U.S. and allied troops fighting there.

CNN

9 dead in Connecticut workplace shooting

Manchester, Connecticut (CNN) -- Nine people were shot to death Tuesday at a beverage distributorship in Manchester, Connecticut, when an employee being escorted from the building after a disciplinary meeting began shooting, police said.

The shooter was identified as Omar Thornton, 34, said police Sgt. Sandy Ficara. He apparently shot himself in an office after the shooting spree, police said.

Eight people were killed in various parts of the facility, Police Chief Marc Montminy said, and one shot may have been fired outside. Police who arrived on the scene had no contact with Thornton and did not fire any shots, the chief said.

Two people were hospitalized.

Thornton came into Hartford Distributors around 7 a.m. to face disciplinary action from the company, Montminy said in a news conference Tuesday afternoon. "There were clearly some performance issues".

John Hollis, a spokesman for the union representing workers at the company, told CNN affiliate WTNH that Thornton, a driver hired about a year ago, had been accused of theft.

During the morning meeting, Thornton was told he could either resign or be terminated, Montminy said. The chief could not confirm details or the outcome of the conversation, but he said the employee apparently brandished a handgun as he was being led out of the facility.

Police would not release identities of the dead late Tuesday. Montminy said he did not know if any were targeted.

CNN

Detroit drug sting yields 28 arrests

DETROIT, Aug. 3 (UPI) -- An 18-month investigation in Detroit yielded 28 arrests in a drug ring operating out of senior living complexes, officials said.

Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napoleon announced Monday the results of the investigation. Thirteen additional arrest warrants were issued for suspects not yet located on charges ranging from selling heroin and crack cocaine to being felons possessing firearms, the Detroit Free Press reported.

Napoleon's announcement came one day before county sheriff elections, the Free Press said.

Sixty undercover agents from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives purchased crack cocaine and heroin from targeted suspects, leading to state and federal search warrants, the Detroit News reported.

Cocaine, heroin, marijuana, 12 guns, around $100,000 in cash, three vehicles and one residence valued at $135,000, were seized as a result of the cooperative sting by local and federal agencies, the newspapers said.

UPI

Three dead in beer distributor shooting

MANCHESTER, Conn., Aug. 3 (UPI) -- Three people, including the gunman, were shot and killed and three others wounded Tuesday at a beer distributor in Manchester, Conn., police said.

Police said the suspect, Omar Thomas, turned the gun on himself when approached by police, The Hartford (Conn.) Courant reported.

Officials said the suspect walked into a building and opened fire, WTNH-TV, Hartford, reported.

Reports were conflicting about whether the man was a current or former employee, Fox News Connecticut said.

Police said the suspected gunman, believed to have brought a rifle to the site, was down but it was unclear whether he killed himself, the television station said.

Police were alerted to the situation when someone called and said "somebody's been shot, there's a victim down," a Manchester police lieutenant said during a briefing.

The lieutenant, a day shift commander, said it took police between 1 1/2 and 2 hours to secure the scene.

About 35 or 40 people were in the office and warehouse when the shooting erupted, the distributor's director of marketing, Brett Hollander, whose family founded and owns the company, told The Hartford Courant.

UPI

Cadillac Escalade is No. 1 for car thieves

ARLINGTON, Va., Aug. 3 (UPI) -- A luxury SUV and a pickup truck are the top two vehicles in the United States that thieves want to get their hands on, insurance statistics indicate.

The Highway Loss Data Institute said Tuesday the number of claims for theft is highest for versions of the 2007-2009 Cadillac Escalade followed by the Ford F-250 pickup, the Infiniti G37 sedan and the Dodge Charger with a HEMI engine.

Sedate family cars and fuel sippers aren't on the hot list," said Kim Hazelbaker, senior vice president of HLDL, an affiliate of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

"Even though Escalades have the latest immobilizer technology, thieves still can put them on flatbeds and haul them away," Hazelbaker said.

Statistics compiled by the institute indicate that large luxury SUVs are the vehicle group with the highest overall theft loss.

UPI

BP test for 'static kill' in Gulf could take place Tuesday

New Orleans, Louisiana (CNN) -- A crucial test that could set the stage for permanently sealing the worst ever accidental oil spill in marine waters could take place Tuesday, BP officials said.

The "injectivity" test, which will determine if oil from BP's ruptured well in the Gulf of Mexico can be forced back down into the reservoir, was initially scheduled for Monday but was delayed because of a small leak, BP said.

Also Tuesday, company officials said, BP may conduct the "static kill" operation, one of two efforts planned to cap the leaking well once and for all.

"During final preparations to commence with the injectivity test, a small hydraulic leak was discovered in the capping stack hydraulic control system," BP said in a statement. The injectivity test will be rescheduled until the leak is repaired.

In the test, "base oil" will be pumped into the ruptured well bore to determine if it will go back into the reservoir, said Kent Wells, BP's senior vice president. The test will start with pumping one barrel per minute, then two, then three. How much is pumped will depend on how the test goes, Wells said. He added the test is meant to help officials decide whether adjustments need to be made on "how and if" the static kill will proceed.

The static kill would involve pouring mud, possibly followed by cement, into the well from above. The goal is to push all the oil back into the reservoir, and seal the well.

CNN

Falling ice kills girl, 11, on family outing

(CNN) -- An 11-year-old girl was killed and her mother injured when a huge chunk of ice struck them near a cave attraction in Washington state.

The two were on a family outing Saturday near the Big Four ice caves in Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, authorities said.

The family spoke to CNN affiliate KOMO on the condition their last name not be used. The girl's name was Grace. She, her parents and younger brother, William, were on an ice field next to the caves when they heard a "pop".

Grace's mother, Tamami, told KOMO: "I turned my head to the right, then I see the big chunk of ice falling down. I tried to snatch my daughter but I couldn't," she said.

Witnesses said Grace was hit by a chunk of ice about half the size of an SUV. "I tumbled down and I lifted her up and asked her, 'Grace, are you OK?'" her mother told KOMO. "And she look up at me and (was) already oh so pale".

Her parents and others performed CPR for more than an hour, but Grace died at the scene, KOMO reported.

Her mother was injured in the leg, but she was not hospitalized.

CNN

BMW's earnings surge on rising demand

(FT) -- BMW reported sharply higher quarterly earnings and said that economic recovery in its main markets and strong demand for new models like its 5-Series and X-1 meant that its profit would continue to "rise dynamically" this year.

The world's biggest-selling luxury carmaker reported a second-quarter net profit of €831 million ($1.1 billion), compared with a net profit of €121 million ($160 million) in the same period last year. BMW's quarterly revenues were €15.35 billion ($20.3 billion), 18 percent higher than a year ago.

Norbert Reithofer, BMW's chief executive, said the company was profiting from demand for its new vehicles, efficiency enhancements, and an economic upswing in some of its main markets, including China, North America, India, and Brazil.

The company said that its performance put it on track to meet its target of achieving an earnings before interest and tax margin of 8-10 percent in its core automotive division and a return on equity of at least 18 percent in its financial services segment by 2012.

BMW said that it still expected its sales to increase by about 10 percent to more than 1.4 million vehicles, about the same as the 1.43 million cars it sold in 2008, the first year of the financial crisis, but still fewer than the record 1.5 million vehicles it sold in 2007.

CNN

Four people killed in anti-India protests

Srinagar, India (CNN) -- Spiraling violence claimed four more lives Tuesday in Indian-administered Kashmir, where anti-India mobs continued to defy the curfew restrictions in the capital of Srinagar and other towns.

Authorities, however, succeeded Tuesday in clearing and restoring traffic on the strategic Srinagar Jammu national highway -- which connects the landlocked Kashmir Valley with rest of the country --by deploying Indian army troops and paramilitary forces. The highway had been blocked for four days as protesters squatted on it, disrupting traffic.

The protesters in Kashmir are opposed to Indian rule and angry over recent alleged human rights violations in Muslim-majority Kashmir.

A police spokesman in Srinagar said mobs defied curfew restrictions and threw rocks in Srinagar and other major towns.

Indian police opened fire to quell the mobs, wounding four people, two of whom later died. A police spokesman said security forces were forced to fire as a last resort to control the protesters.

CNN

Salmond expresses 'concern' over U.S. Lockerbie questions

(CNN) -- Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond says he is concerned that a U.S. senator is trying to create a link between oil giant BP and the release of the convicted Lockerbie bomber.

"No one has produced any evidence of such a link because there is none," Salmond wrote Monday in a letter to U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, who has been seeking answers about the release of Abdelbeset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi.

Salmond said he watched "with concern" as Mendendez, in an interview Friday on British television, made an "attempt to insinuate such a link". He said Menendez used as evidence a letter from the chair of the Libyan British Business Council to Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill, who made the decision to free the bomber last year.

"You have this letter because the Scottish government published this last year as part of our comprehensive issue of documentation related to the decision," Salmond said. "That being the case, you must also have seen the reply from Mr. MacAskill, also published, which stated that his decisions would be 'based on judicial grounds alone and economic and political considerations have no part in the process'".

Salmond added, "In order to avoid any suggestion of misrepresentation, I trust that you will include that fact in future references".

MacAskill released al Megrahi a year ago on compassionate grounds after doctors determined he was suffering from cancer and had three months to live. He has maintained the decision was his own. Despite the diagnosis, Al Megrahi remains alive.

Menendez plans to chair a U.S. Senate hearing in the coming months on the controversy surrounding al Megrahi's release. He and other senators from New York and New Jersey have repeatedly voiced suspicions that Scottish authorities released al Megrahi as part of a deal allowing oil giant BP to drill off the Libyan coast.

Scottish and British officials have declined invitations to testify at the hearing.

CNN

Baghdad: Insurgents kill five officers

Baghdad, Iraq (CNN) -- Insurgents with ties to al Qaeda attacked a checkpoint in western Baghdad and killed five police officers early Tuesday, officials said.

The gunmen, who police officials said used pistols equipped with silencers, left behind a black flag used to represent the Islamic State of Iraq. The umbrella group includes a number of Sunni extremist organizations and has ties to al Qaeda in Iraq.

The same flag was left behind by insurgents after they attacked several security checkpoints and killed at least 16 people in a neighborhood in northeastern Baghdad last week.

The Islamic State of Iraq also claimed responsibility for last week's suicide attack on a television station in Iraq that killed at least six people and wounded 20 others.

Police officials said another officer was wounded Tuesday after a bomb attached to his vehicle exploded in the Hurriya district in northwestern Baghdad. Two bystanders were also injured, police said.

CNN

Death toll rises as Russian wildfires spread

Voronezh, Russia (CNN) -- Russian emergency services are continuing to battle spreading wildfires over large areas of the west of the country Tuesday as authorities said the death toll had risen to 40.

Russian authorities imposed a state of emergency in about 500 towns and villages on Monday. By Tuesday, fires covered an area of around 1,071 square kilometers (665 square miles), a spokesman for the Russian Emergencies Ministry said according to news agency Itar-Tass.

More than 300 new fires were reported on Tuesday but 247 have been extinguished, the spokesman said. More than 500 fires continue to burn. Regions affected include Nizhny Novgorod, Vladimir and Voronezh and the Republic of Mordovia.

Most of the fires -- among the worst ever to hit the region -- were started accidentally by people burning garbage, dropping cigarettes or failing to extinguish campfires or barbecues properly, Emergency Situations Ministry representative Irina Andrianova said.

CNN

UAE defends BlackBerry suspension

Washington (CNN) -- The United Arab Emirates defended its decision to suspend BlackBerry internet service on Monday, with its ambassador in Washington arguing the United States requires the same "regulatory compliance" for national security reasons.

The statement from Ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba came hours after a U.S. State Department spokesman criticized the Middle Eastern nation's decision to restrict BlackBerry e-mail, instant messaging and Web browsing. Al Otaiba said the comments were "disappointing and contradict the U.S. government's own approach to telecommunications regulation".

"In fact, the UAE is asking for exactly the same regulatory compliance -- and with the same principles of judicial and regulatory oversight -- that BlackBerry grants the U.S. and other governments and nothing more," the ambassador said. "Importantly, the UAE requires the same compliance as the U.S. for the very same reasons: to protect national security and to assist in law enforcement".

The state-run Emirates News Agency reported Sunday that the UAE would suspend BlackBerry's data service as of October 11. The announcement said certain services "allow users to act without any legal accountability, causing judicial, social and national security concerns for the UAE".

CNN