US Embassy In Laos Warns US Citizens of "Ketsana" Impact

ASIA STORM: Officials say the death toll from flooding in the Philippines continues to rise as Typhoon Ketsana moved on to slam into central Vietnam on Tuesday. Officials in the Philippines say that 240 have died in the floods brought on by the storm, but that number is likely to rise. On Saturday, tropical storm Ketsana brought the heaviest rain the islands have seen in decades. After passing over the Philippines the storm regained speed in the South China Sea as it headed toward Vietnam, where officials say flooding and winds have already killed at least 23.

US EMBASSY - LAO STORM: the US Embassy in Laos has notified U.S. citizens of the approach and potential impact of Typhoon Ketsana. The Embassy said according to news reports, Typhoon Ketsana is expected to hit the central coastal area of Vietnam sometime mid-day today as a Category 1 Typhoon. Sustained maximum wind speeds may be as high as 95mph or 153 km/h. If the storm follows its current projected track, it will cross into central Laos in the general vicinity of Savannakhet Province and adjoining provinces later today. Residents and travelers in the area affected, including the cities of Savannakhet and Thakhek, should take precautionary measures to prepare for the storm.

PHILIPPINES - US MILITARY: The Philippine military says two members of the U.S. Navy and a Philippine marine were killed Tuesday in a landmine explosion on the restive southern island of Jolo. Military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Romeo Brawner had earlier said that the two Americans were in the Army. Brawner said two other Philippine marines were wounded, when the vehicle they were riding in hit the mine near a marine outpost outside the town of Indanan. The American deaths are the first since 2002, when a soldier at a restaurant in the southern port city of Zamboanga was killed by a bomb placed outside the building.

VIETNAM ADOPTION: A court in Vietnam has sentenced six people to prison for their involvement in an adoption scandal that helped sell more than 200 babies, many to couples overseas. A top judge in Vietnam's northern Nam Dinh provincial court says the six were given sentences ranging from two to four-and-a-half years in prison for abuse of power and authority. Ten others received suspended sentences of between 15 and 18 months. The accused include heads of social welfare centers, doctors, nurses and local officials.

IRAN: Iran's nuclear chief says Tehran will soon tell the U.N. nuclear agency when it can inspect a newly disclosed uranium enrichment plant. Ali Akbar Salehi made the announcement in an interview released by state-run television (Press TV) Tuesday, just two days before Tehran is to discuss its nuclear program with world powers in Geneva. Iranian lawmakers are warning the U.S. and other world powers against repeating past mistakes during Thursday's talks. They issued a statement Tuesday saying the talks are a "historic opportunity" to move past the deadlock on the nuclear issue.

AFGHANISTAN - VIOLENCE: The Afghan interior ministry says a passenger bus struck a roadside bomb in southern Afghanistan, killing 30 civilians and wounding at least 15 others. Officials say the bomb exploded on a highway in Kandahar province early Tuesday. They say the victims included several women and children. Government officials blame Taliban militants for planting the explosives. The Taliban insurgency relies heavily on roadside bombs and suicide attacks in their fight against foreign forces and Afghan troops.

GUINEA PROTEST: Doctors in Guinea are treating the survivors of a bloody military crackdown that killed at least 87 anti-government protesters. Medical workers on Tuesday raised the death toll of victims gunned down by security forces in a crowded Conakry stadium on Monday. Guinea's military ruler, Captain Moussa Dadis Camara, admitted on French radio that some soldiers had lost control at the protest. He said even as head of state, it is difficult to control them. The mass killings have drawn worldwide condemnation.

OBAMA - OLYMPICS: U.S. President Barack Obama and leaders from Brazil, Japan and Spain are gathering in Copenhagen this week to make a final push for their country to host the 2016 Summer Olympics. IOC members vote Friday on which candidate city -- Chicago, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro or Tokyo -- will earn the right to host the games. The White House says President Obama will arrive in Copenhagen early Friday local time, just before Chicago's presentation to the voting members of the IOC. First lady Michelle Obama will arrive in Copenhagen Wednesday leading the U.S. delegation.

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