World briefs 9/10/07

Afghan police open fire at leader's speech

KABUL, Afghanistan -- Sensing unrest outside a packed stadium, Afghanistan's president abruptly cut short a speech Sunday as police fired shots into the air in an attempt to restrain a crowd trying to enter, officials said. Shortly after being rushed off the podium, President Hamid Karzai said security in Afghanistan was deteriorating and renewed a call for negotiations with Taliban militants. The sound of gunfire rang out as Karzai abruptly ended his speech at Kabul's central sports stadium, sending a murmur through the crowd inside. Gen. Mohammad Zahir Azimi, a Defense Ministry spokesman, said police fired into the air to prevent a restless crowd outside the stadium from entering. Azimi said the 15,000-person stadium was already full. No injuries were reported.

N.C. not threatened by Tropical Storm Gabrielle

HATTERAS, N.C. -- Tropical Storm Gabrielle washed ashore and crawled slowly along the North Carolina's Outer Banks on Sunday, but caused few problems and failed even to chase vacationers away from the beach. Officials said that there had been no requests for assistance. Gabrielle brought gusty winds that howled at 50 mph. Despite that, the storm failed to dump much rain inland, where much of North Carolina is experiencing severe drought. Forecasters expected it to pass over the Outer Banks near Nags Head on Sunday night on its way back out to sea.

False leads in Fossett search frustrate crews

RENO, Nev. -- Rescue crews searching for famed millionaire adventurer Steve Fossett stumbled upon more false leads Sunday when they discovered more plane wreckage -- but didn't find the missing aviator or his plane. Rescue crews spotted two old wrecks, one of them from a U.S. Navy plane, southeast of the private ranch where Fossett was staying 80 miles southeast of Reno when he took off Monday for what was supposed to be a three-hour flight. The false alarm further dampened spirits of the rescuers, whose chances of finding the 63-year-old Fossett alive in the rugged, concealing landscape of western Nevada are becoming more and more slim. At least eight times during the search, rescue crews have spotted airplane wreckage they thought might be Fossett's only to learn it was from crashes years and sometimes decades ago.

-- From wire reports