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At least 11 killed in Yemen drone strikes

SANAA, Yemen, May 13 (UPI) -- Two missile strikes by U.S. drones killed at least 11 suspected al-Qaida members in Yemen Saturday, security officials said.

CNN reported one attack hit one of three vehicles, killing seven people, including three al-Qaida leaders. The second strike about a half hour later killed four people. Both attacks occurred in Mareb province, CNN said

The security officials said the attacks were a blow to the al-Qaida network in Yemen.

Former Taliban official gunned down

KABUL, Afghanistan, May 13 (UPI) -- A senior former member of Afghanistan's Taliban Muslim extremist movement was assassinated in his car Sunday in Kabul, police said.

Arsala Rahmani was on his way to work at his senate office when a car pulled alongside and a gunman fired a single shot, the BBC said.

"Mr. Rahmani was shot in his heart and died instantly," Kabul Police Chief Ayub Salangi told the broadcaster. "His nephew, who was also his driver, didn't even realize he had been shot."

Rahmani was a member of the Afghan senate representing the eastern province of Paktika. He was also a member of President Hamid Karzai's peace council, founded to open dialogue with the Taliban, whose regime was toppled in 2001.

During the group's time in power, Rahmani was the minister for higher education, the Khaama Press reported.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, the reports said.

Israel asks Palestinians to resume talks

JERUSALEM, May 13 (UPI) -- Israel sent a letter to the Palestinian leadership, seeking to resume talks on a peace process, the Jewish Telegraph Agency reported Sunday.

The report said an envoy for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu personally delivered the letter to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah Saturday night.

There was no official disclosure of the letter's contents, but the agency said it was likely a call to "return to the negotiating table without preconditions."

Netanyahu's letter was in response to a letter from Abbas last month in which the Palestinian leader called for a return to a 1967 agreement for two states and land swaps, the report said.

The Palestinians are also demanding Israel stop building settlements on disputed territories, including East Jerusalem.

Abbas and the Israeli envoy issued an optimistic joint statement after the letter exchange.

"Israel and the Palestinian Authority are committed to achieving peace and the sides hope that the exchange of letters between President Abbas and Prime Minister Netanyahu will further this goal," the release said.

Bridge collapses in central China

CHANGSHA, China, May 13 (UPI) -- A bridge collapsed in central China Sunday morning, local authorities and firefighters said.

The state-run Xinhua News Agency reported Pingjiang County fire department official Su Tao said witnesses said people were seen falling into water under the bridge, which fell about 8:30 a.m. Su said some people climbed to shore, but firefighters had not pulled anyone from the water and it was not known if there were casualties, the news agency said.

The bridge connects two townships in the Hunan province county. It wasn't reported what water the span crossed

The region received torrential rains Saturday, which may have affected the bridge, officials said.

FBI agent missing, may be suicidal

BURBANK, Calif., May 13 (UPI) -- The search for a missing FBI agent in California Saturday failed to turn up the missing lawman, who authorities feared was suicidal and possibly armed.

About 10 FBI agents and dozens of other law enforcement officers spent the day looking for Stephen Ivens, 35, who was last seen Friday at the Burbank home were he lives with his wife and 1-year-old son, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Ivens, who works out of the FBI's Los Angeles bureau specializing in national security, may have headed for the Verdugo Mountains, officials told the newspaper.

Authorities declined to discuss why they believed Ivens may be suicidal.

He has been with the FBI for more than three years and previously spent eight years with the Los Angeles Police Department. He is described in a police report as white, 6-feet tall, 160 pounds, receding brown hair and wearing prescription glasses.