WASHINGTON, Nov 8 (Reuters) - General George Casey, Army chief of staff, on Sunday became the latest U.S. military official to advocate sending more troops to Afghanistan as President Barack Obama nears a decision on a new strategy.

General Stanley McChrystal, the commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, has recommended a 40,000-troop increase, but Casey would not comment on how many additional troops were needed.

"I believe that we need to put additional forces into Afghanistan to give General McChrystal the ability to both dampen the successes of the Taliban while we train the Afghan civilian forces," Casey said on NBC's "Meet the Press."

The House voted 220-215 last night to approve the measure,which would cost more than $1 trillion over 10 years. Just oneRepublican, Representative Joseph Cao of Louisiana, backed theplan, and 39 Democrats broke ranks to oppose it.

Lawmakers hailed the step as a historic follow-on to the1965 creation of the Medicare program for the elderly anddisabled. They said the bill would cover 36 million uninsuredAmericans and curb costs. New rules would prevent insurers fromdenying coverage to people with preexisting conditions, andseniors would get help obtaining preventive care and medicine.

The French suspect, who worked at the world's largest atom smasher on the Swiss-French border and at a Swiss technology institute, is unspecified in Switzerland's investigation, but it is the same case as the French one, Swiss Federal Prosecutor's Office spokeswoman Walburga Bur said.

She said the investigation was opened at the end of October and is directed at an unknown person or persons on suspicion of supporting a criminal organization. In line with French and Swiss judicial policy, authorities have not identified him.

This time, however, he may well be tempted to carry it out, according to Mohammed Dajani, a professor of political science and founder of the Islamic organization of Wasatia Palestine.

"I think he means it. The post of Palestinian president no longer has the power and authority because it is always undermined by Israel," said Dajani.

At least 40 people have been killed in El Salvador by flooding caused by days of heavy rain, the government says

The authorities have declared a state of emergency in five regions and expect to find more victims, Interior Minister Humberto Centeno told reporters.

News of the deaths came as Hurricane Ida was poised to enter the Gulf of Mexico, experts warned.

Ida, which passed to the east of El Salvador three days ago, is not thought to have caused the severe rains.

A spokesman for the US National Hurricane Center in Florida said the rains were caused by a separate, low pressure system.

The shootings left 13 dead and 29 wounded. The alleged gunman, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan (nih-DAHL' mah-LEEK' hah-SAHN'), was wounded by civilian police.

Gen. George Casey warns against reaching conclusions about motives until investigators have fully explored the attack. Early reports suggest Hasan, a Muslim, was angry about the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and worried about his pending deployment to Afghanistan.

Casey says focusing on Hasan's Islamic roots could "heighten the backlash" against all Muslims in the military.

Peshawar car bomb kills 12 as military digs heels in S. Waziristan.

The Pakistani military has penetrated key Taliban strongholds in South Waziristan and claims the insurgency there is weakening. But amid reports that a dozen militants were killed by the Pakistani army came news that a similar number of civilians were killed by a Taliban bomb near a busy Peshawar market, a sign that Pakistan's jihadists remain undeterred.

The ground effort to rout the Pakistani Taliban was launched three weeks ago, involving some 30,000 troops and backed by fighter jets and helicopters. Entering the weekend, troops were moving into Ladha, Sararogha and Mekeen -- hometown of Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud, who was killed August 5 by a US drone. Pakistan's The Nation reports that the army is making progress.

"Oh what a night!" Speaker Nancy Pelosi proudly proclaimed at a press conference immediately following passage of the health care bill.

The vote passed 220-215 with 39 Democrats voting against the bill, and one Republican supporting the sweeping plan, Rep. Joseph Cao, a first-term Republican who holds an overwhelmingly Democratic seat in New Orleans.

El Salvador's interior minister said more victims were expected to be found as rescue workers moved into areas cut off by mudslides in the Central American nation.

Ida was poised to enter the Gulf of Mexico later on Sunday and could gain additional strength as it churns toward the oil and gas production facilities of the central Gulf before weakening as it nears the U.S. Gulf Coast later this week, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said on Sunday.

Saudi Arabia began air raids and artillery bombardments against the Houthi group after its fighters crossed from northern Yemen and reportedly took control of the area called Jebel al-Dukhan.

"The situation is calm ... especially in Jebel al-Dukhan, of which full control has been regained," Prince Khaled bin Sultan bin Abdul-Aziz, the assistant minister for defence and aviation, said on Saturday, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

However, there were reports that air raids along the border were continuing on Sunday.

At least 30 other people were wounded when the bomber detonated his explosives in a busy livestock market on the outskirts of the northwestern city of Peshawar on Sunday.

Abdul Malik, a mayor, and the commander of a local anti-Taliban force were among those killed, Liaqat Ali Khan, the Peshawar police chief, told the AFP news agency.

Once close to the Pakistani Taliban, Malik later switched sides and raised a lashkar, or local militia, to battle the fighters.

Thousands of people turned up at Tawang in India's mountainous state of Arunachal Pradesh to receive the Tibetan spiritual leader, spokesman Tenzin Taklha told CNN.

It is the second time this year the Dalai Lama has visited a region over which China claims sovereignty, after a trip to Taiwan this summer.

China -- which controls Tibet -- sees the Dalai Lama as a separatist and has pressed countries around the world not to extend official recognition to him.

He fled Tibet as a youth and has lived across the border in India for decades.

Pennetta's victory gave the experienced Italians took an insurmountable 3-0 lead over a young United States team in the best-of-five series on an outdoor clay court at the Rocco Polimeni club.

Pennetta and Francesca Schiavone also scored straight-set singles victories Saturday.

The U.S. was without Serena and Venus Williams, who opted not to play after meeting in the season-ending WTA Tour championships final last weekend.

The U.S. has won a record 17 Fed Cups, but last won the title in 2000.

Italy won its first Fed Cup title in 2006 over Belgium and Justine Henin and lost the 2007 final to Russia.

"Two ISAF service members died in Afghanistan yesterday," the press release said.

Giving details, the press release added that one U.S. service member was killed in an insurgent attack in western Afghanistan.

However, it added this event was not related to the ongoing search operation for two U.S. Army soldiers went missing in northwest Badghis province on Wednesday.

Another NATO's service member was killed by an IED (Improvised Explosive Device) in southern Afghanistan.

Some in Washington took it as a snub from the nation that has been America's rock in Asia for decades. Even more, Tokyo's new rhetoric underscored how China's rapid rise to power is challenging Washington's once-dominant sway in the region.

This is the reality President Barack Obama confronts as he departs Thursday for his first Asia trip, perhaps his most challenging overseas journey yet. He'll find a region outgrowing a half-century of U.S. supremacy and questioning America's relevance to its future. More so than Obama's previous foreign trips, this nine-day, four-country tour has the president on something like a salvage mission.

China also will construct 100 new clean-energy projects onthe continent, Wen said in an address to delegates at the Forumon China Africa Cooperation conference in Sharm el-Sheikh,Egypt. In a speech yesterday, he pledged to give Africanproducts greater access to China’s market.

China has been making a drive to invest in minerals andenergy in Africa to feed its growing economy, as well as to sellmore to the continent. China invested $7.8 billion in Africalast year.

In his speech, Wen highly valued the fruitful achievements China and Africa have made through bilateral economic and trade cooperation. He said past practices had proved that the traditional friendship between China and Africa was "unbreakable," and their economic and trade cooperation was based on equality and mutual benefit.

He said that the both sides were in the critical stage of development. Common interests are expanding and mutual needs are increasing between the two sides, he added.

Moscow, which is under Western pressure to distance itself from Tehran, has not followed through on proposals to supply high-grade S300 air defense missiles to the Islamic state.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton praised Russia last month for failing to provide the arms to Iran, which is at odds with the West over its nuclear and missile program.

Washington has sought specific pledges from Russia for tougher sanctions against Iran over its nuclear energy program, which the West suspects is intended to produce nuclear weapons. Tehran denies any such intention.

Team owner Michael Heisley gave the four-time NBA scoring leader permission to skip the Grizzlies' game Saturday night against the Los Angeles Clippers following a 114-98 loss to the Lakers the night before.

According to a team spokesman, Iverson participated in a walkthrough at the team's hotel in the morning and then hopped a flight in the afternoon after he and personal manager Gary Moore met with Heisley.

Iverson has played in three games since returning from a hamstring injury, averaging 12.3 points, 3.7 assists and 22.3 minutes. Coach Lionel Hollins spoke to him briefly before he left, but would not elaborate on the conversation.

As Big Ben chimed 11 a.m., the queen joined thousands of troops, veterans and civilians in the traditional two-minute silence on Remembrance Sunday. The silence was broken by a single artillery blast and the sound of the Royal Marine buglers playing the "Last Post."

The remembrance service is held every year on the nearest Sunday to the anniversary of the end of World War I at 11 a.m. on Nov. 11, 1918 and now pays tribute to the dead in all conflicts, including in World War II, Iraq and Afghanistan.