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U.S.-Canada border rules to change soon

WASHINGTON, Jan. 22 (UPI) -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is defying Congress and changing the rules for cross-border travel with Canada at the end of the month.

Under the rules, after Jan. 31 travelers over the age of 19 will be asked for a passport or, once it becomes available, an enhanced driver's license or border pass card. Otherwise, both a regular driver's license and a birth certificate or other citizenship document will be required to enter the United States, the Washington Post reported.

Congress passed that law in 2004, but delayed full implementation until 2009.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff could face legal challenges for defying Congress, the Post said.

Congressional members from border states, including Sens. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., and Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., said they are considering a legal challenge, as were industry groups in both countries.

In 2007, the U.S. had 72 million border crossings with Canada, compared with 226 million crossings with Mexico.

Iraq school bomber kills 21

BAGHDAD, Jan. 22 (UPI) -- A suicide bomber struck at a school in Baquba, northeast of Baghdad Tuesday, killing at least 21 people, police reported.

"A suicide bomber wearing a belt rigged with explosives pushed a carriage also laden with a bomb towards the Al-Mutawara school in central Baquba and blew himself up ...," Police Chief Ali Al-Tamimi told Kuwait's KUNA news agency.

Seventeen students and four teachers died in the blast, Tamimi said. Itt wasn't immediately clear how many were injured, but the chief said most of the injuries were severe.

In Falluja, west of Baghdad, a gunfight between al-Qaida militants and Sunni Awakening militia killed four of the Sunni forces who were manning a checkpoint, police said. Two of the al-Qaida militants were also killed.

The U.S. military announced Tuesday it had conducted another aerial bombardment of suspected al-Qaida safe houses and weapons production sites south of Baghdad. A statement said Sunday's raids by F-18 fighter jets and B-1 bombers took out more than 30 targets with 35 heavy bombs.

Report: Palestinian snipers target farmers

GAZA, Jan. 22 (UPI) -- Israeli officials in the Gaza Strip said Tuesday snipers targeted Israeli farmers and four rockets were fired at the southern Gaza town of Sderot.

No injuries were reported in either attack, Ynetnews.com reported.

Palestinian sources said Israeli aircraft had fired a missile Monday night at a cell of Hamas' military wing near the Jabalya neighborhood in the northern Strip. Israel said the attack was in response to nine rockets and 13 mortar shells that had been fired on Israel earlier in the day.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak had ordered an easing of the near closure of Gaza crossings Monday, but he hinted at an escalation.

"We must use more and more pressure on Gaza," he said. "What is important is the safety of the residents of the western Negev and Sderot."

Homicide suspect Marine likely in Mexico

JACKSONVILLE, N.C., Jan. 22 (UPI) -- The FBI says a Marine wanted for questioning in the North Carolina death of a pregnant Marine and her baby is likely hiding in his native Mexico.

Onslow County, N.C., District Attorney Dewey Hudson told CNN he was shown "strongly compelling evidence" by the FBI Cpl. Cesar Laurean had gone south of the border sometime after Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach was killed last month.

However, Hudson said if Laurean is found in Mexico, he would have had "no other option" but to take the death penalty out of consideration since Mexico has repeatedly has refused to extradite suspects who could face capital punishment.

The semi-charred remains of Lauterbach and her baby were found in a fire pit behind Laurean's home Jan. 11, nearly a month after she was last seen.

Last year, she had accused Laurean of raping her, and was to have testified in a military court against him last month, the report said.

26 dead in China snows

MINGGUANG CITY, China, Jan. 22 (UPI) -- Six people who died in buildings crushed by heavy snows in China were among 26 killed in weather-related accidents, it was reported Tuesday.

Xinhua reported five of the roof cave-ins had occurred in Hubei Province in central China, where it has been snowing since Jan. 11 and snow totals were the most in 16 years. More than 11,300 homes had collapsed and half of the province's roads had been closed since Saturday, the state-run news agency said.

Shanghai Daily reported 11 people were killed and 51 more were injured Sunday night when a bus skidded out of control on a highway in Mingguang City in Anhui Province. The bus reportedly was authorized to carry 51 people but was loaded with 72, the newspaper said, and police had detained the driver.

Another nine people were killed in road accidents in Hubei, the Daily reported.

Also, a 64-year-old villager in Anhui died when her kitchen fell on top of her.

The heavy snows also stranded hundreds of thousands of travelers and broken power transmission lines from the Three Gorges Project to Shanghai, Xinhua said.

In western Tibet, emergency workers had rescued 131 people from snowbound highways in Ngari Prefecture since last Thursday, but officials feared others may be still trapped.