Wyclef Jean fighting to get name on Haiti presidential ballot

(CNN) -- Hip-hop singer Wyclef Jean said Sunday he will contest a pronouncement from Haitian election officials ruling him ineligible to run for president of Haiti.

"After careful consideration and much soul-searching, I have made the decision to contest Haiti's board of elections' pronouncement stating that I am ineligible to run for the presidency of the country," Jean said in a statement. "I will be seeking a solution through legal channels, and I urge my countrymen to be patient through this process".

Jean's name was not on the list of 19 approved candidates released Friday night by Haiti's Provisional Electoral Council. At the time, Jean said, "I respectfully accept the committee's final decision, and I urge my supporters to do the same".

He was among 15 prospective candidates rejected. Elections officials did not provide a reason to reporters, but Jean's statement said they had ruled he was not a resident of the country.

Jean said Sunday that in the 36 hours following the decision, "I have been in constant conversation with my family, friends and advisers, and reading the comments of good people and supporters throughout the Haitian diaspora." He said he has also been closely monitoring "the situation on the ground, which I am happy to report has remained peaceful and thoughtful". CNN

Tropical Storm Danielle forms in the Atlantic

Miami, Florida (CNN) -- Tropical Storm Danielle has formed in the Atlantic Ocean, about 725 miles (1,165 kilometers) west of the southernmost Cape Verde Islands, the National Hurricane Center said Sunday.

Danielle's maximum sustained winds were 40 mph (65 kph) with higher gusts as of 5 p.m. ET, the hurricane center said. The storm was moving northwest at near 12 mph (19 kph), the hurricane center said. It was expected to turn west-northwest and speed up later Sunday night.

"Additional strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours, and Danielle could be near hurricane intensity by late Tuesday," forecasters said.

Tropical storm-force winds extended outward up to 50 miles (85 kilometers) from the center, the hurricane center said.

Tracking maps show the storm remaining out to sea and not nearing land through at least Friday. No coastal watches or warnings were in effect Sunday. CNN

WikiLeaks founder says he's been targeted by smear campaign

Stockholm, Sweden (CNN) -- WikiLeaks founder and editor Julian Assange said Swedish authorities reached "the height of irresponsibility" by issuing an arrest warrant alleging rape against him, then revoking it less than a day later.

"It is clearly a smear campaign," Assange told Arabic news network Al-Jazeera in a live telephone interview Sunday. "... The only question is, who was involved?"

Asked who he thinks was behind the accusations, Assange told the network, "We have some suspicions about who would benefit, but without direct evidence, I would not be willing to make a direct allegation".

Meanwhile, the Swedish Prosecution Authority said in an update on its website that Assange's name was leaked to the media, and the authority -- which does not normally publish the names of suspects -- "did not in this case initiate publication".

However, the office did confirm Assange's identity and later published his name in statements about his arrest and the subsequent revocation.

An arrest warrant was filed against Assange in absentia on Friday. Swedish media, citing unnamed sources, reported that two women, ages 20 and 30, reported the allegations to police, leading to the warrant being filed. The AftonBladet, a respected Swedish daily, said the 30-year-old told the newspaper that the younger woman had approached her with a story similar to hers -- that she had consensual sex with Assange but that the situation had turned abusive. Karin Rosander, a spokeswoman for the prosecutor's office, would not confirm the reports. CNN

North Korea demands apology, reparations from Japan over colonization

(CNN) -- North Korea is demanding reparations from Japan for colonizing the Korean peninsula for more than three decades in the early 1900s, after Tokyo once again apologized to South Korea earlier this month.

"The Japanese imperialists enforced the harshest colonial rule in history over Korea, bringing unspeakably horrible misfortune and sufferings and disasters to the Korean nation," said a spokesman for the Central Committee of the Democratic Front for the Reunification of Korea, according to the the state-run Korean Central News Agency.

"Japan should make a sincere apology and make full reparation to the Korean nation for its aggression and crimes against humanity," KCNA quoted the spokesman as saying.

There was no immediate reaction from the Japanese government.

Japan's August 10 apology to South Korea wasn't its first to Seoul, but it coincided with the 100th anniversary this month of the annexation of the Korean peninsula.

In his statement, Prime Minister Naoto Kan expressed "deep regret over the suffering inflicted" during Japan's rule.

Cabinet members endorsed the statement, Japan's Kyodo news agency reported.

Kan also said Japan will hand over precious cultural artifacts that South Korea has been demanding. Among them are records of an ancient Korean royal dynasty. CNN

Vet in Hawaii slayings had PTSD signs

HONOLULU, Aug. 22 (UPI) -- Court records indicate a former Hawaii National Guardsman involved in an apparent murder-suicide was wrestling with post-traumatic stress syndrome.

Clayborne Conley appeared to develop psychiatric problems after his return from a 2005 deployment to Iraq, including nightmares, alcohol abuse and suicidal thoughts, court documents examined by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser showed.

The newspaper said Sunday that Conley had apparently not had any such issues prior to serving in Iraq. He was discharged from the military three years ago. UPI

Sports columnist Jay Mariotti free on bail

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 22 (UPI) -- Sportswriter and television personality Jay Mariotti was out on bail Sunday after Los Angeles police said he was arrested on a domestic violence charge.

Mariotti, 51, spent a few hours at an LAPD station before being released Saturday on $50,000 bail, police sources told the Los Angeles Times.

The newspaper said Mariotti was picked up before dawn Saturday on suspicion of felony domestic assault following a noisy argument with his girlfriend at a Santa Monica club, which apparently continued at his apartment in nearby Venice.

The beef allegedly involved some pushing and shoving, and the woman's arm was left with bruises. UPI

Economic outlook dire for Pakistan flood victims

Multan, Pakistan (CNN) -- After weeks of massive flooding that killed at least 1,539 people, water is finally receding in parts of the country. But for the millions of survivors, another nightmare looms.

Much of Pakistan's economy and infrastructure has been washed away by the record floods. More than half of the population made a living off the land. But about 500,000 tons of stored wheat has reportedly been ruined, and as much as 2 million bales of cotton have also been destroyed.

Outdoor markets where vendors sold colorful harvests are now seas of mud and filthy floodwater.

"The amount of investment that will need to go in just to bring Pakistan back up to status quo -- a status quo that was not sufficient -- is going to cost billions and billions of dollars," said Wendy Chamberlin, president of the Middle East Institute and a former U.S. ambassador to Pakistan. CNN

4 U.S. troops killed in Afghanistan

Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Four U.S. troops were killed Sunday in Afghanistan, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force said.

Two died following an insurgent attack in eastern Afghanistan, ISAF said in statements. A third died in an insurgent attack in southern Afghanistan, and the fourth died in an improvised explosive device attack in southern Afghanistan.

No further details about the incidents were released. An ISAF spokesman said all four troops were Americans.

Meanwhile, an Afghan and coalition security force detained several suspected insurgents, including a suspected Taliban commander, in Kandahar province on Saturday, ISAF said. The commander is believed to have been "involved in ambushes, improvised explosive device attacks and the acquisition of weapons and munitions," the military said in a statement.

The suspected commander was one of four insurgents detained. The security force then moved to another compound, where three suspected insurgents were detained for further questioning. A hand grenade was found at the scene, ISAF said.

And two Afghan female civilians, one of them a child, were killed when insurgents attacked an Afghan and coalition patrol in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province on Saturday, the military said. Insurgents attacked the patrol with rocket-propelled grenades and weapon-mounted grenade launchers, according to ISAF. The patrol responded with small arms and mortar fire. CNN

Survivors of Pakistan floods face growing health problems

Shahdadkot, Pakistan (CNN) -- For almost a million Pakistanis, the misery of epic flooding covering one-fifth of the country has now taken the form of communicable illnesses.

Cases of acute diarrhea have topped 204,000, the World Health Organization announced Sunday. The number of skin diseases -- such as scabies -- has topped 263,300.

More than 204,600 Pakistanis have reported acute respiratory infections as filthy waters surround homeless flood victims, WHO said.

Thousands have cases of suspected malaria.

"Strong water and sanitation interventions, such as providing clean drinking water supply and addressing environmental hazards, are urgently needed to prevent outbreaks of waterborne diseases in" Charsadda, Nowshera and Peshawar, WHO said. CNN

Federer to face Fish in Cincinnati final

(CNN) -- Defending champion Roger Federer will seek to claim his fourth Cincinnati Masters title on Sunday when he faces Mardy Fish.

The third seed Federer leads Fish 5-1 in career meetings, but Fish beat Federer in their last meeting in 2008 at Indian Wells, according to ATP World Tour's Web site.

In Saturday's semifinal, Fish beat fellow American ninth seed Andy Roddick 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-1 after rallying from a set down and near-defeat in the second set, according to ATP World Tour.

Two rain delays went in favor of Fish, the first coming when Roddick led 5-4 in the first set, giving each players an hour respite. The second delay came during the second set when Fish was facing near-defeat at 2-5. Fish would return and force a tie-breaker, which he'd win, followed by a dominant deciding set.

"I've never felt better on the court, and I've never been more confident and I've never played better," Fish said, according to ATP World Tour's Web site. "I've won a lot of matches this summer. [The weight loss] has a ton to do with it," he added, referring to some 30 pounds (13.6 kilos) he has shed.

Of the weather, Roddick said, according to ATP World Tour, "That's the thing with rain delays. The momentum can shift really fast". CNN

Tropical depression in Atlantic expected to become hurricane

(CNN) -- A tropical depression moving through the Atlantic Ocean will likely become a hurricane, the National Hurricane Center said Saturday, though the storm is not expected to make landfall.

The storm was relatively weak Saturday, with maximum sustained winds of 30 miles per hour, but "all reliable guidance makes the depression a hurricane within a few days," the National Hurricane Center said in a Saturday evening advisory.

Conditions ahead of the storm, known as Tropical Depression 6, are favorable for strengthening, which means it is likely to become Tropical Storm Danielle as soon as early Sunday.

"All model guidance has this as a large hurricane in the middle of the Atlantic for the middle of next week," CNN meteorologist Jacqui Jeras said. "The current forecast track has the storm staying clear of land through mid-late week".

There are no coastal watches or warnings in effect for the storm, the National Hurricane Center said Saturday.

It is too early, however, to say that the storm will definitely steer clear of the United States, forecasters said, because of possible changes in the long-range forecast. CNN

Iran unveils long-range bombing drone

(CNN) -- Iran unveiled the first long-range military drone manufactured in the country on Sunday, state media reported.

The unmanned aerial vehicle is capable of carrying out bombing missions against ground targets and flying long distances at a high speed, Press TV said.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad attended the unveiling of the drone, dubbed the "Karrar," in a ceremony marking Iran's Defense Industry Day.

In February, Iran inaugurated the production line for two types of drones with bombing and reconnaissance capabilities, the semiofficial Fars news agency reported.

Iran has manufactured its own tanks, armored personnel carriers, missiles and fighter planes since 1992, according to Press TV.

The country successfully tested a radar-evading drone with bombing capabilities in June 2009, Press TV said.

In March 2009, U.S. military officials said U.S. fighter jets in Iraq shot down an unmanned Iranian spy drone aircraft.

At the time, most major state-run media outlets in Iran did not carry news of any incident involving an Iranian drone and Iraq's national security adviser declined to comment.

Unmanned vehicles have become a staple of modern combat.

U.S. military officials have said remotely-controlled drones minimize risk and allow troops to spy on and attack enemy combatants.

Ahead of the drone's unveiling, Iran's defense minister said the country's military planned to reveal a project of "great importance" on Sunday, according to state-run Press TV.

"Iran's defense capability has reached a point which does not need any aid from other countries," Defense Minister Brig. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi said, according to the semiofficial Iranian Students News Agency.

It is not clear whether the unveiling of the long-range drone was the announcement he was referring to.

Vahidi's announcement Saturday came as Iran began fueling its first nuclear energy plant in the southern city of Bushehr, the nation's state media reported.

Press TV said the effort will help the country create nuclear-generated electricity. CNN

Protesters to rally against planned Islamic center in New York

New York (CNN) -- Protesters will gather Sunday near the site of the 2001 terror attacks in Manhattan to demonstrate against plans to build an Islamic community center and mosque a few blocks from ground zero.

The Islamic center's leaders say the $100 million facility calls for a community center including a mosque, performing arts center, gym, swimming pool and other public spaces.

It will be built near where the World Trade Center was destroyed by Islamic extremists on September 11, 2001. The attacks killed more than 2,700 people.

Some New Yorkers say an Islamic center near the site is a painful affront. CNN

In Brazil, 1 dead in hotel shootout

(CNN) -- One person was killed and four police officers were wounded Saturday when police in Brazil traded fire with gunmen who fled into a luxury hotel and took people hostage, police said.

The incident occurred around the Intercontinental Hotel in Rio de Janeiro, where gunmen kept 35 people hostage. Ten people have been arrested, and the hostages were freed, police said.

Police identified the deceased as 41-year-old Adriana Duarte de Oliveira dos Santos, who was wanted in connection with drug dealing.

Police said the incident began outside the hotel when they "intercepted" at least 40 people who they believe have drug-dealing connections. The gunmen were in vans, motorcycles and cars and wielded rifles and guns.

Police exchanged fire with the gunmen for about 20 minutes. An unknown number of gunmen fled into the hotel, where they took people hostage. CNN

Drug traffickers, Mexican police battle within yards of U.S. border

(CNN) -- A "major gunbattle" between drug traffickers and Mexican federal police broke out Saturday evening in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, just 30 yards from the U.S. border at El Paso, Texas, causing U.S. authorities to cordon off a section of the city, according to a U.S. Border Patrol spokesman.

Three police officers were injured and one armed suspect was killed, federal police spokesman Ramon Salinas said.

First reports of gunshots came in from border agents around 7 p.m. (9 p.m. ET), U.S. Border Patrol spokesman Ramiro Cordero told CNN.

"The gunbattle is still going on right now," Cordero said 30 minutes after the incident began, just south of the University of Texas at El Paso.

There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries on the U.S. side of the border, Cordero said. CNN

Venezuela defends controversial flights to Iran and Syria

Washington (CNN) -- Venezuela's ambassador to the United States is defending his country's controversial airline service to the capitals of Syria and Iran -- both countries that are designated by the U.S. as state sponsors of terrorism.

The scheduled flights to Damascus and Tehran were cited by the U.S. State Department this month as a cause for concern, and U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel, D-New York, raised questions about the flights in an interview last week with Voice of America.

According to the State Department's latest country report on terrorism, which covers 2009, "President [Hugo] Chavez continued to strengthen Venezuela's relationship with state sponsor of terrorism Iran. Iran and Venezuela continued weekly Iran Airlines flights connecting Tehran and Damascus with Caracas".

A 2007 report went further, raising concerns about the travelers from Syria and Iran who might be onboard. It said in part, "Passengers on these flights were not subject to immigration and customs controls at Simon Bolivar International Airport" in Caracas.

It also noted that one passenger who bought a ticket on the route that year was Abdul Kadir, who was convicted this month of plotting a 2007 attack on fuel pipelines for New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport. He was arrested on a plane bound for Caracas and never made his connection for the flight to Iran. CNN

Sweden drops rape accusation against founder of WikiLeaks

Stockholm, Sweden (CNN) -- Swedish authorities say they have revoked an arrest warrant that had alleged rape against Julian Assange, the founder and editor of the whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks, less than a day after issuing it.

Assange is "no longer wanted" and "is not suspected of rape," Chief Prosecutor Eva Finne said in a statement posted on the agency's official website Saturday. He is also no longer arrested in absentia, the statement said.

The arrest warrant filed Friday had also mentioned a molestation charge, but molestation -- which is not limited to child victims in Sweden -- is not a crime punishable behind bars in Sweden.

Karin Rosander, a spokeswoman for the prosecutor's office, told CNN affiliate TV4 that Assange is still being investigated for molestation. Earlier, Rosander told CNN that Assange was arrested in absentia Friday night, and faced charges in relation to two separate instances, but she did not have more detail about when the alleged crimes occurred or the identities of the alleged victims. CNN

More than 94,000 flee flooding in China

(CNN) -- More than 94,000 people were evacuated after heavy rains caused a river to swell to dangerous levels in northern China, state media reported Sunday.

The Yalu River remains a risk as heavy rains are expected to pound the region Sunday, the Xinhua news agency said.

The river is on the border of China and North Korea.

At least four people have died in the region since Thursday, with 44 townships flooded in Dandong, Liaoning province, Xinhua said.

Heavy rains have triggered mudslides in the country, including one in northwest China's Gansu province that has killed 1,400 people. About 360 more are still missing, state media said. CNN

Gunmen attack vehicle, steal Iraqi government employee salaries

Baghdad, Iraq (CNN) -- Gunmen intercepted a vehicle carrying salaries of Iraqi government employees in western Baghdad and made off with nearly $600,000, police officials told CNN on Sunday.

The robbers attacked the vehicle a few hundred meters from a local bank, where it had been loaded with money, police said.

Police officials said it appeared that the gunmen, who stole about 700 million Iraqi dinars, were monitoring the truck and may have had assistance from someone working at the bank or government employees.

Iraqi security forces are investigating the incident. Police said no one was injured in the heist.

Authorities have said they believe insurgents have used similar recent robberies to fund their military operations. CNN