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3 NATO troops die in attack in Afghanistan

KABUL, Afghanistan, Aug. 8 (UPI) -- Militants killed three NATO troops in Afghanistan Wednesday, International Security Assistance Force officials said.

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"Three International Security Assistance Force service members died following an insurgent attack in eastern Afghanistan today," the ISAF said in a statement posted on its Web site.

In keeping with its policy, the ISAF didn't identify the nationalities of the victims or the location of the incident, saying it defers to appropriate national authorities.

Local officials said that two suicide attackers detonated explosives near soldiers in Assadabad, the capital of Kunar province, Wednesday, killing an unknown number of people, China's state-run Xinhua reported.

Provincial security chief spokesman Sher Wali said the bombing occurred as NATO troops were walking near the provincial council building, Khaama Press said.

Local security officials in Maidan Wardak province said Taliban militants attacked a security checkpoint along Kabul-Bamiyan highway Wednesday near Zewlat village.

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Khaama Press said reports indicated a NATO convoy was traveling through the area when the attack occurred.

A local security official said NATO forces, Afghan police and Taliban fighters engaged in heavy fighting.

Coalition and Afghan forces arrested a Taliban leader in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province Wednesday, ISAF said in a statement.

The statement said the leader controlled an insurgent cell that was responsible for multiple attacks against Afghan and coalition forces in the region.


Obama orders $30M more in farm drought aid

WASHINGTON, Aug. 8 (UPI) -- President Barack Obama said he ordered an additional $30 million to help crop and livestock farmers crippled by a "devastating" and "historic drought."

The U.S. Agriculture Department money, which has already been allocated and does not require congressional approval, is intended "to get more water to livestock and restore land impacted by drought," Obama told reporters before a White House Rural Council meeting on the government's drought response.

The council, composed of Cabinet-level and other officials from across the government, seeks to promote rural economic prosperity.

"We are seeing devastating drought throughout the country," Obama said Tuesday afternoon. "It is a historic drought, and it's having a profound impact on farmers and ranchers all across many states."

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The administration has "already designated over 1,500 counties across 32 states as disaster areas, which gives qualified farmers access to low-interest emergency loans," Obama said.

"We've also opened up more land for haying and grazing," he said. "And we've worked with crop insurance companies to give farmers a short grace period on unpaid insurance premiums, since some families will be struggling to make ends meet at the end of this crop year.

"This has been an all-hands-on-deck response," he said, thanking Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack for his leadership.

Obama pointed to additional administration steps to help people and businesses hurt by the drought. These included a Transportation Department program to help commercial truck drivers transport supplies to farmers and ranchers and Small Business Administration program for low-interest emergency loans.

"But obviously, we've got a lot more to do, because a lot of folks are being affected by this," he said.

"When there's a disaster like this, everybody needs to pull together."

Obama repeated his call for Congress to pass a five-year, $500 billion farm bill.


Egypt cracks down on Sinai militants

EL-ARISH, Egypt, Aug. 8 (UPI) -- Egyptian military helicopters fired missiles at militants in the Sinai Wednesday killing at least 20 terrorists in an ongoing operation, officials said.

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Terrorists fired anti-aircraft missiles at one of the Egyptian air force Apache helicopters operating in the area but missed. Several fighter jets and some 30 Egyptian armored cars as well as scores of soldiers are taking part in the crackdown on militants, the British daily The Guardian and the Arabic language Sky News said.

An unnamed Egyptian military official told reporters "20 terrorists were killed" in a missile attack in the village of Tumah, Albawaba.com said. Other air strikes were reported in the town of Sheikh Zuwaid.

"We heard the sound of an enormous explosion coming from the checkpoint, then we saw an armed group driving military tanks towards Karam Abu Salem crossing," witnesses told The Daily News Egypt.

Tuesday night and early Wednesday, gunmen attacked three Egyptian military checkpoints in the Sinai, Egyptian media said. In the Sinai town of el-Arish, gunmen opened fire at Egyptian soldiers and police at checkpoints in the city, Ahram Online said. CNN said masked gunmen launched simultaneous attacks on five Egyptian security positions and a cement factory in North Sinai, wounding five security officers and a civilian.

The Egyptian daily al-Youm al-Sabah said soldiers searched homes looking for suspects involved in Sunday's attack in which 16 Egyptian soldiers and border guards were killed when their base near Rafah was attacked.

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The situation in the Sinai Peninsula has plunged into a state of lawlessness since last year's uprising which led to the ouster of former President Hosni Mubarak, Ahram Online said. It deteriorated even further following Sunday's attack, the site said.

The London-based Arabic newspaper al-Hayat said Egyptian authorities said Sunday's attackers were members of a Gaza based al-Qaida affiliated group known as the Army of Islam.


Wis. Sikh shooter's girlfriend arrested

OAK CREEK, Wis., Aug. 8 (UPI) -- The former girlfriend of Oak Creek, Wis., Sikh temple shooter Wade Michael Page was arrested on suspicion of being a felon possessing a firearm, police said.

Misty Cook, 31, of South Milwaukee, Wis., was arrested after police found a gun at her apartment, which she shared with Page until they broke up in June and he moved to nearby Cudahy, Wis., police said.

She cannot legally possess a gun because she has a previous felony conviction for fleeing and eluding police in Milwaukee County.

The Milwaukee County district attorney's office will review the case. South Milwaukee police also consulted with the FBI, which is leading the investigation.

Fox News Channel said the weapon was not related to Sunday's temple shooting in which Page killed six worshipers and seriously wounding three other people, including a police officer shot nine times while trying to tend to one of the injured, before another officer fatally wounded him.

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The Anti-Defamation League, which monitored Page and Cook for years, said Cook was associated with a group called Volksfront, which anti-hate groups describe as a racist neo-Nazi organization.

Volksfront, also known as Volksfront International, describes itself as an international fraternal organization for persons of European descent.

The ADL claims the group is "one of the most active skinhead groups in the United States." The Southern Poverty Law Center, which also monitored Page, includes Volksfront on its list of hate groups. Volksfront disputes the designation.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Wednesday Cook worked at a restaurant about a block away from the Oak Creek Sikh temple Page attacked before he was fatally shot by police.

Page, who had a misdemeanor criminal record, legally purchased the gun used in the temple shooting.


Ernesto douses Yucatan Peninsula

CHETUMAL, Mexico, Aug. 8 (UPI) -- Ernesto weakened to a tropical storm Wednesday as it doused Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula with torrential rain, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said.

Even though it was downgraded from a category 1 hurricane, Ernesto still carried 70 mph winds and heavy rains, prompting Mexican officials to issue a hurricane warning along the Gulf of Mexico from Barra de Nautla to Coatzacoalcos.

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A hurricane warning also was issued along the coast of Belize from Belize City to the Mexico border.

Ernesto was about 55 miles west-northwest of Chetumal, Mexico, and about 120 miles southeast of Campeche, Mexico, moving west at 15 mph, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said in its 5 a.m. EDT advisory.

Tropical storm warnings were in effect from coastal areas along the gulf for Belize and Mexico, including the Yucatan Peninsula.

After moving across the southern portion of the Yucatan Peninsula, the center of Ernesto was expected to emerge over the Bay of Campeche in the afternoon, forecasters said.

On its forecast track, Ernesto was expected to approach the Mexican coast Thursday, the center said.

Ernesto was expected to weaken as it moved across land, but could restrengthen to a hurricane before landfall, the hurricane center said.

Tourist and commercial activities ground to a halt Tuesday across Quintana Roo state and more than 2,000 people were evacuated, El Universal reported.

Dozens of tourists were evacuated from Mahahual and bused to Chetumal, Informador.com reported.

"I'm fine. This is a great adventure," Canadian tourist Patricia Footit said. "I was on the beach, resting when [officials] told us we had to evacuate."

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The airport in Chetumal suspended operations and several main roads were closed, officials said.

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