Detained Americans...Back to normal...Tel Aviv shooting

SULAIMANIYAH, Iraq (AP) The State Department says if reports that three Americans have been detained by Iran turn out to be true, it will work to get consular access to them. Officials in northern Iraq say the three were tourists who mistakenly crossed into Iranian territory. Iranian media report Tehran detained the Americans after they failed to heed warnings from guards.

JERUSALEM (AP) Israeli police say a gunman burst into the basement of the Tel Aviv Gay and Lesbian Association and opened fire on a support group for gay teenagers, killing three people and injuring 11. One witness told Channel 10 TV, "This was a hate crime, a premeditated attack." He says those hurt were very young.

PHOENIX (AP) Authorities say a 14-year-old boy is being charged as an adult in the rape of an 8-year-old Liberian refugee at a Phoenix apartment complex. Police say four boys, also from Liberia, lured the girl to an empty storage shed with the promise of gum. The girl is now in foster care.

NEW YORK (AP) New York's LaGuardia Airport is running normally after a bomb scare this morning shut down the airport for hours and set off a cascade of flight delays and cancellations. Police say a homeless man entered the building with a fake bomb in a bag, then acted like he was trying to detonate it. The 32-year-old is expected to be arraigned tonight.

DUCKTOWN, Tenn. (AP) One police dispatcher in Tennessee is describing a late-morning earthquake there as "pretty intense." The 3.2-magnitude temblor was centered about 55 miles east of Chattanooga and was felt in North Carolina and Georgia. No damage or injuries have been reported.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP 08-01-09 1838CDT | save this article / add to your favorites list