National and International News-Saturday, Oct. 7th

APEX, N.C. (AP) - Officials in Apex, North Carolina want to make sure the fire that burned down a hazardous-waste disposal plant is fully out before sounding an all-clear. A gas cloud from the blaze sent 44 people to hospital emergency rooms complaining of breathing problems.

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - U-S military officials in Baghdad are reporting the death of an American soldier in a combat operation Friday. Meanwhile, Iraqi officials report at least 15 people have been killed in violence across the country, and the bodies of seven apparent death squad victims have been found in Baghdad.

UNDATED (AP) - A year after a massive earthquake shook the Himalayan Mountains, many displaced Pakistanis are facing their second winter without permanent shelter. The quake killed more than 80-thousand people. It also destroyed more than 600-thousand homes,
leaving three (m) million homeless.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - South Korean military officials say about 40 warning shots were fired after five North Korean soldiers crossed into the Demilitarized Zone. The troops made it about 30 yards in, but then retreated. The incident comes amid rising tensions over North Korea's plans to test its first nuclear bomb.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says Afghanistan is on a "hopeful and promising track" despite rising violence and opium production. In an opinion piece in the Washington Post, Rumsfeld cites a list of accomplishments including a tripling of the economy in the last five years.