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34,000 more troops may be ordered

WASHINGTON, Nov. 25 (UPI) -- As U.S. President Barack Obama prepares to announce his Afghan strategy, the Pentagon anticipates he'd order a troop surge of 34,000, a defense official said.

Although it is not yet known what the actual number would be in an announcement expected next week, the defense official with direct knowledge of the process told CNN Pentagon planners have been told to prepare for sending about 34,000 troops to Afghanistan.

Obama, who held his most recent war council meeting Monday, said Tuesday he would announce his Afghan plans after the Thanksgiving holiday.

The Pentagon planning includes sending three U.S. Army brigades totaling 15,000 troops, a Marine brigade of 8,000 troops, a headquarters element of 7,000 and 4,000 to 5,000 support troops, the official told CNN.

Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the U.S. commander in Afghanistan, had reportedly asked for 40,000 additional troops.

Two U.S. military officials were quoted as saying NATO countries were to make up for the gap between the 34,000 and McChrystal's 40,000.

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Atlantis undocks from space station

HOUSTON, Nov. 25 (UPI) -- Space shuttle Atlantis and its seven astronauts undocked from the International Space Station at 4:53 a.m. EST Wednesday, beginning the return to Earth.

Immediately after the undocking, shuttle pilot Barry Wilmore maneuvered Atlantis into an orbit circling the space station while station astronauts visually inspected the shuttle's heat shield for possible damage inflicted during its launch from the Kennedy Space Center.

After completing a full circle around the space station, NASA said Atlantis fired its thrusters twice to depart the station's vicinity at about 1 1/2 feet per second.

Astronaut Nicole Stott is returning to Earth aboard the shuttle after spending 87 days at the space station as an Expedition 21 flight engineer. Her return to Earth makes STS-129 the final space shuttle crew rotation flight to or from the space station, with only five space shuttle missions remaining. In the future, ISS crew rotations will be handled by Soyuz spacecraft under Russian command.

Atlantis is scheduled to land Friday at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 9:44 a.m. EST.

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No arrests in killings, toll rise

MANILA, Philippines, Nov. 25 (UPI) -- Accusations surfaced Wednesday the political killings in the southern Philippines this week involved the son of a powerful local politician.

Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has vowed to bring to justice those responsible for Monday's killings of as many as 52 people in Maguindanao province on the country's southern Mindanao Island. They were on their way to file nominating petitions for Ismael Mangudadatu when they were attacked.

Speaking to ABS-CBN news, presidential press secretary Cerge Remonde said no arrests can be made until formal cases are filed. He referred to allegations Andal Ampatuan Jr., mayor of Datu Unsay, was involved in the killings.

"According to the initial reports, those who were abducted and murdered ... were initially stopped by a group led by the mayor of Datu Unsay," The Times of London quoted Chief Superintendent Leonardo Espina as saying, adding Ampatuan's father is a key local supporter of the coalition government led by Arroyo.

Arroyo has declared a state of emergency and dispatched security forces to apprehend an estimated 100 gunmen.

The accusation against Ampatuan Jr. has mostly come from Mangudadatu, vice mayor of Buluan, whose supporters were kidnapped as they went to file his candidacy for governor in elections set for next May.

ABS-CBN quoted Mangudadatu as saying he talked with his wife before the massacre and she identified Ampatuan Jr. as one of the attackers.

The report said the Mangudadatu family believes the killings, which included his wife and two sisters, were politically motivated because the vice mayor will oppose Ampatuan Jr. in the gubernatorial race.

There have been no public comments from the Ampatuans on the killings, The New York Times reported.

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Poll: Belief there is global warming drops

WASHINGTON, Nov. 25 (UPI) -- The percentage of Americans believing global warming is occurring dropped from 80 percent to 72 percent in the last year, a Washington Post poll indicates.

The Washington Post-ABC News poll's findings released Wednesday also show 55 percent of respondents said they think the United States should curtail its carbon output.

The increased disbelief about climate change was driven largely by a shift among Republicans, the poll said. Since its peak about 3 1/2 years ago, credence in reports of climate change happening is down sharply among Republicans, 76 percent to 54 percent, and independents, 86 percent to 71 percent, the Post said. Belief that climate change was happening dipped from 92 percent to 86 percent among Democrats.

Still, the poll showed a majority of respondents, 53 percent to 42 percent, support legislation to cap emissions and trade pollution allowances.

The Washington Post-ABC News nationwide telephone poll was conducted Nov. 12-15 among a random sample of 1,001 adults. The margin of error is 3 percentage points.

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This presidential pardon is no turkey

WASHINGTON, Nov. 25 (UPI) -- One lucky turkey will avoid the ax -- or in this case, the carving knife -- Wednesday when he struts beside U.S. President Obama at the White House.

Continuing a pre-Thanksgiving Day tradition that began with President Harry S. Truman, Obama will pardon a turkey in a ceremony, the White House said.

This year's lucky tom, named Courage, was transported from North Carolina, WRAL-TV, Raleigh, N.C., reported. An alternate turkey, Carolina, will be on stand-by in case Courage is less than courageous.

After the pardon, Courage will be flown to Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., where he will be grand marshal of the annual Thanksgiving Day parade.

And what, WRAL asks, does a turkey -- and its stand-in -- do after being pardoned by the president and leading a parade?

Live out the rest of its life in Disneyland.