CNN news 2008-05-15 加文本

cnn 2008-05-15

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Good afternoon, I'm Naamua Delaney at the cnn Center in Atlanta. Here's a look at what's happening NOW IN THE NEWS.

Claims of responsibility are coming in this afternoon after a rocket attack at a shopping mall in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon. The extremist group Islamic Jihad is claiming responsibility. The attack comes as President Bush meets with Israeli leaders in Jerusalem to celebrate the Jewish state's 60th anniversary. Mr. Bush says Israel's very existence is cause of optimism for democratic change in the Middle East.

Survivors of the cyclone in Myanmar are bracing for a second round of severe weather. Forecasters have issued an alert for a new storm system over Myanmar. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center says that there's a good chance a new cyclone will form in the next day. The storm could spell more misery for the hundreds of thousands left homeless.

New aid may offer some hope for those in Myanmar without shelter. The UK is donating plastic sheeting that can be used to make shelters. (Www.hxen.net)

At least 2000 Chinese troops are rushing to plug the cracks in a dam damaged by the quake. State-run media says it's in great danger. It's upriver from one of the cities hit hardest by Monday's earthquake. The official death toll in central China stands at almost 15, 000, and that figure is expected to go much higher as more victims are found buried beneath the rubble.

Police say they've captured 31-year-old Brian Crowder near the scene of a new Florida brush fire site early this morning. Officials say they saw someone started the fire by throwing a glass bottle with an accelerant into the woods from a car. They say that car matched the one Crowder was spotted in. We are still waiting to hear if he will be charged. The fires, situated near Palm Bay Florida, have burned through almost 10, 000 acres. Officials estimate they have done more than nine-million-dollar worth of damage.

Actor Dennis Quaid is speaking to a congressional committee looking into rules that limit lawsuits against drug companies. Quaid sued the maker of the blood thinner heparin after hospital staff mistakenly injected his newborn twins with a massive overdose of the drug. He says the company was negligent because the packaging for the different doses was so similar. The Baxter Healthcare Corp. counters the Quaid's lawsuit by saying once the FDA approved its packaging, the company was immune from liability.

Well, that's a quick look at what is making news this hour. Stay with cnn for more on these stories and the other news of the day.