7 dead as meningitis outbreak grows

The number of cases grows to 64 people in 9 states It is linked to contaminated steroid injections The steroid is used to treat pain and inflammation The manufacturer recalled three lots of the steroid last week Atlanta (CNN) -- The death toll from an outbreak of meningitis linked to contaminated steroid injections has risen to seven, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Saturday. The total number of cases has also grown to 64 people in nine states, the CDC said. That is 17 more cases and two more states than the day before. Patients contracted the deadly meningitis after being injected in their spine with a preservative-free steroid called methylprednisolone acetate that was contaminated by a fungus. The steroid is used to treat pain and inflammation. Health officials say around 75 medical facilities in 23 states received the contaminated products, which were manufactured by New England Compounding Center in Framingham, Massachusetts. NECC voluntarily recalled three lots of the injectible steroid last week. As a precaution, the Food and Drug Administration is asking doctors, clinics, and consumers to stop using any products made by NECC. The FDA is investigating the scope and cause of the outbreak. The CDC raised the death toll Saturday after two people died in Michigan. Other deaths have been reported in Maryland, Tennessee, and Virginia. Tennessee is reporting the most number of overall cases -- 29 -- which includes three deaths, according to the CDC. Confirmed cases have also been found in Florida, Indiana, Minnesota, North Carolina and Ohio. The other states that received the contaminated products from NECC are California, Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas and West Virginia. Nearly 10% of drugs administered in the United States come from compound pharmacies, according to a 2003 Government Accountability Office report. Drugs manufactured by compound pharmacies do not have to go through FDA-mandated pre-market approval. Instead, oversight and licensing of these pharmacies comes from state health pharmacy boards. Compound pharmacists create customized medication solutions for patients for whom manufactured pharmaceuticals won't work, according to the International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists. Fungal meningitis is "quite a rare infection," said Dr. Benjamin Park, from the CDC's Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Disease. But it's not a required reportable illness, so it's unclear how often these types of infections occur. Dr. William Schaffner, chairman of the Department of Preventive Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, told CNN that fungal infections are not usually mild. He said when funguses invade small blood vessels they can cause them to clot or bleed, which can lead to symptoms of small strokes. Other symptoms of meningitis to look out for include fever, chills, new or worsening headache and stiff neck, said Schaffner. If someone is experiencing any symptoms, they should seek medical attention immediately. The earlier a patient gets treatment, the more likely he or she will survive. Patients are treated with anti-fungal medication, which is given intravenously so patients have to be admitted to the hospital -- at least in the beginning, said Park. He added that patients may need to be treated for months. The FDA is urging anyone who has experienced problems following an injection with the NECC product, to report it to MedWatch, the FDA's voluntary reporting program, by phone at 1-800-FDA-1088 or online at www.fda.gov/medwatch/report.htm. CNN's Miriam Falco contributed to this report.

Israel shoots down drone

NEW: Israel views drone flyover "very severely," Defense Minister Ehud Barak says NEW: Israeli officials don't know where the drone came from, a spokeswoman says Soldiers are searching for remnants of the drone Jerusalem (CNN) -- The Israeli air force shot down an unmanned drone Saturday over the northern Negev desert, the nation's military said. The Israeli Defense Forces spotted the drone, which did not carry any weapons or explosives, hovering over the Gaza Strip before it entered Israeli airspace, military spokeswoman Avital Leibovi said. Forces kept the drone under surveillance until a fighter jet shot it down around 10 a.m. Saturday over the Yatir Forest, the IDF said. Soldiers were searching the area for remnants of the drone, the IDF said. Leibovi declined to discuss the drone's route or whether it had flown over military installations. "We view this incident of attempting to enter Israeli airspace very severely and we will consider our response later," Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said in a statement released Saturday afternoon. It was not clear where the drone originated. Military officials, however, said it does not appear that it took off from the Gaza Strip, which along with Egypt's Sinai Peninsula and Mediterranean Sea forms the western border of the Negev. Read more about drones on CNN's Security Clearance CNN's Guy Azriel contributed to this report

Late BBC TV host accused of sex abuse

Veteran British radio DJ and TV presenter Jimmy Savile is pictured in October 2006. Claims of sexual abuse have been made against a late BBC children's TV presenter Five women say Jimmy Savile abused them when they were teenage girls The BBC says it is horrified by the claims of abuse, dating back to the 1960s and 1970s A nephew of Savile, who was knighted for his charitable work, defends his reputation London (CNN) -- Britain's public service broadcaster, the BBC, was caught up in a growing furor Saturday over claims that a late children's TV presenter sexually abused young women and girls, sometimes on its premises, in the 1960s and 1970s. The abuse claims, which come almost a year after presenter Jimmy Savile died, were made by five women in a documentary screened by rival broadcaster ITV Wednesday. Those interviewed for the film, titled "Exposed -- the other side of Jimmy Saville," gave detailed accounts of sexual assault while as young as 14 or 15. One said she was raped by him at age 16. Interviewed on a BBC program Saturday, BBC Director of Editorial Policy David Jordan gave what appeared to be the strongest confirmation yet from the broadcaster of wrongdoing on its premises. "I think the fundamentals of the story are now well established," he said. "We now know that a number of women were appallingly sexually abused by Jimmy Savile, sometimes on BBC premises, at times during the 1960s and 1970s." The police are now involved in the matter and the BBC says it is cooperating fully. London's Metropolitan Police said in a statement Friday that its officers had met with representatives from the BBC and a national child protection charity. Jimmy Savile sports his Order of the British Empire medal after his 1972 investiture at Buckingham Palace in London. "We are now collating information gathered from a range of sources across the UK and will continue contacting individuals who have made allegations in relation to the late Jimmy Savile over the coming weekend," it said. "We do not expect to have a clear picture of exactly how many women may have suffered abuse until next week and want to allow time for victims to reflect on what they may have experienced." Savile, who hosted popular children's TV programs including "Jim'll Fix It" and "Top of the Pops," was a household name in Britain for decades. He was also well known for his charitable work, having raised millions of pounds, and was awarded a knighthood. He died last October aged 84. A BBC statement released earlier this week said it was horrified by the claims that have emerged. "A number of serious and disturbing allegations have been made over the past few days about the sexual abuse of teenage girls by Sir Jimmy Savile," it said. "Some of these allegations relate to activity on BBC premises in the 1960s and 70s. We are horrified by allegations that anything of this sort could have happened at the BBC -- or have been carried out by anyone working for the BBC. "They are allegations of a serious criminal nature which the police have the proper powers to investigate." A nephew of Savile, Roger Foster, said he had "every faith" his uncle was innocent of the claims and would have defended himself "vigorously" had the allegations been made in his lifetime. "It seems to me a terribly one-sided program. How can anybody defend themselves if they are not here to do that?" Foster said in a recent interview with Britain's Telegraph newspaper. "It just seems to be very, very sad that these comments have come out now. If there was any truth to them at all, why didn't they come out years ago when it actually happened?" The controversy has prompted a wider examination of an apparent culture of sexism at the BBC in past decades that may have fed into abusive behavior. Liz Kershaw, a DJ who started working at BBC Radio 1 in 1987, just after Savile left the station, described the environment then as "like walking into a rugby club locker room." She told BBC Radio 4 on Saturday that his behavior was an "open secret" within the station, saying, "round Radio 1 everybody joked about Jimmy Savile and young girls." She was also routinely groped by another radio presenter while live on air, she said -- and her complaints about this were met by ridicule. Kershaw acknowledged that the broadcaster would treat such a complaint differently now, but said that at the time she was groped its response had been out of step with public views on acceptable behavior. The BBC has also come under pressure to explain why its own flagship Newsnight program, which looked into a previous police investigation into abuse claims against Savile last year, decided not to run the story. That police investigation was dropped for lack of evidence. The program's editor, Peter Rippon, said the decision was made solely for editorial reasons.

Abu Hamza, 4 others tied to al-Qaida arrive in US to face terrorism charges

Reuters Terror suspect Abu Hamza al-Masri leads prayer at the North London Mosque at Finsbury Park in Feb.2003. By Kari Huus, NBC News An extremist preacher and four other men accused of terrorism by the U.S government arrived in New York overnight after they lost a years-long battle to remain in the United Kingdom. Two of them later appeared before a federal court. The preacher, Abu Hamza al-Masri, is charged in connection with the abduction of 16 people, including two American tourists, in Yemen in 1998; conspiring to set up a terrorist training camp in Bly, Ore., in 1999; and supporting violent jihad in Afghanistan in 2000 and 2001. In a final appeal to avert extradition, lawyers for the 54-year-old argued he could not travel because of poor health. The Egyptian-born British citizen has one eye and hooks in place of hands he claims to have lost fighting the Soviets in Afghanistan. Lawyers said he suffers from depression, chronic sleep deprivation, diabetes and other ailments. He was taken to a lockup next to the federal courthouse in lower Manhattan, The Associated Press reported. Separately, Egyptian Adel Abdel Bary, 52 and Saudi Khaled al Fawwaz, 50, are charged with conspiring with al-Qaida to kill Americans and attack U.S. interests abroad. Bary is also charged with murder, conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction and other offenses in connection with the 1998 bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, which killed 224 people and injured thousands more. Preet Bharara, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, called the extradition "a watershed moment in our nation's efforts to eradicate terrorism." "As is charged, these are men who were at the nerve centers of al-Qaida's acts of terror, and they caused blood to be shed, lives to be lost, and families to be shattered," Bharara said, The extradition "makes good on a promise to the American people to use every available diplomatic, legal, and administrative tool to pursue and prosecute charged terrorists no matter how long it takes."  Radical Islamist cleric Abu Hamza fought extradition for eight years, but has lost his final appeal and will be sent from the United Kingdom to the United States with four others to face terror charges. Paraic O'Brien, Channel Four Europe reports. The three men were expected to appear in court later on Saturday. Two others — Syed Talha Ahsan, 33, and Babar Ahmad, 38 — pleaded not guilty in a federal court in New Haven, Conn., just hours after their arrival in America, AP said. Profiles of terror suspects extradited from UK to face trials They were jailed until trial, and their lawyers declined to comment. Authorities say the men are charged in Connecticut because an Internet service provider there was used to run websites that sought to raise cash, recruit fighters and seek equipment for terrorists, including al-Qaida members. The men have been battling extradition for between eight and 14 years. On Friday, Britain's High Court ruled that the men had no more grounds for appeal and could be sent to the U.S. immediately. British Prime Minister David Cameron hailed the deportation.   "Like the rest of the public I'm sick to the back teeth of people who come here, threaten our country, who stay at vast expense to the taxpayer and we can't get rid of them," he said, according to The Guardian. "I'm delighted on this occasion we've managed to send this person off to a country where he will face justice." The Associated Press contributed to this report. More world stories from NBC News: Pope's ex-butler Paulo Gabriele gets 18-month prison sentence in 'Vatileaks' case Rescued bear cubs now posterchildren to end harvesting bile from bears Court: Kenyans tortured by colonial regime can sue UK Tourists fined as Rome declares 'War on the Sandwich' Mourning, sighs of relief in Turkish town shelled by Syria Venezuela vote: Oil wealth to trump calls for change? NBC's Kerry Sanders on Venezuela's elections Stay informed: Sign up for our newsletter Follow World News from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook Follow Kari Huus on Facebook

Bus overturns on NJ exit ramp; 12 hurt

WAYNE, N.J. — A tour bus from Canada carrying about 60 people bound for a New York City church event overturned on a highway exit ramp in northern New Jersey and slid down an embankment early Saturday, injuring about a dozen who were aboard, authorities said. Some windows burst during the collision and the frames pinned three people, but they were quickly freed and taken to hospitals with the other victims. None of the injuries were considered life-threatening, according to state police, and most of the victims were being treated for cuts, bruises and soreness. The driver told authorities he had a gash in his arm. Passengers told the Star-Ledger of Newark that they were Seventh Day Adventists headed to an event in Brooklyn. It was not immediately clear what caused the crash around 7:45 a.m. on Interstate 80 in Wayne. Those aboard included several children and an infant, authorities said. Witnesses said injured passengers waited along the side of the exit ramp as emergency crews treated them, and several people with neck braces were soon loaded into ambulances. Passengers who were unhurt were put on another bus and continued their journey, authorities said. The coach bus was from Toronto-based AVM Max 2000 Charter Services Inc., The Record of Woodland Park reported. A woman who answered the phone at the company's office told the newspaper the bus was full but declined to give more information. The phone there rang busy Saturday. The accident backed up traffic in the area for hours while law enforcement officials and emergency services vehicles attended to the scene. Several highways connect there, and the area is known locally as the "spaghetti bowl," according to The Record newspaper. Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Amber Alert issued for Colorado girl, 10

Westminster Police via AP By Miguel Llanos, NBC News Dozens of police, firefighters and volunteers were searching a neighborhood in Westminster, Colo., on Saturday after a 10-year-old girl vanished Friday morning on her way to school. Jessica Ridgeway was last seen by her mother as she took her normal three-block walk to a park to meet a friend on their way to school.  The friend told school officials that Jessica never showed up, NBC station KUSA-TV reported. They tried calling the Jessica's mother, but she reportedly slept through calls after working a night shift. An Amber Alert was issued Friday evening once the mother confirmed that her daughter was missing. Teams searched overnight and continued Saturday, using search dogs as well as going door-to-door around the neighborhood in Westminster, a suburb of Denver. Officials contacted the child's father, who lives in another state, the Denver Post reported. "At this time we don't have any indication he is involved in any way," Westminster police spokeswoman Cheri Spottke said. Watch KUSA-TV's report on the missing girl More content from NBCNews.com: Samaritans lift car to rescue woman, 2 grandchildren trapped underneath Friendly fire killed Border Patrol agent, sources tell NBC News Video: 'Coking' accounts for loose seats, airline says Unemployment rate dips for veterans, but not ex-servicewomen 2,000 gone in Afghanistan: Did you notice the death of Sgt. Riley Stephens? Teen calls 911 to report mother, sister dead: 'I hate the feeling of killing someone' LAPD chief: We'll stop holding some undocumented immigrants for feds Follow US news from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook

N. Korean kills other soldiers, defects

North Korean soldiers look at South Korea across the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). South Korean soldiers hear gunfire before the defector crosses The North Korean says he killed his platoon and squad leaders Defections over land via the heavily armed DMZ are rare The number of refugees fleeing per year has climbed dramatically over the years (CNN) -- A North Korean soldier on guard duty at the border dividing the two Koreas defected, telling authorities who received him in the South that he killed his superiors before fleeing across the Military Demarcation Line. South Korean soldiers at their guard posts reported hearing gunfire before he crossed into the South shortly after noon local time, according to a news release from South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff. Soldiers in the South took the defector in on their side of the border and brought him to a safe place for questioning then tightened security in the area. The North Korean said that "while he was on guard duty, he killed his platoon and squad leaders and defected thereafter," the JCS said. Defections over land through the heavily armed and fortified Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) are rare, as most fleeing the communist North prefer the greater odds of success of crossing by sea. "The last North Korean soldier who defected (over land) was in March 2010," said a spokesman from the defense ministry in Seoul. But with his comrades dead and no longer capable of hindering him, it was easy for the soldier to flee south. "The distance between the North Korean guard post and the South Korean guard post is 500 meters," the official said, who asked not to be named, because he is not authorized to speak with the media. More than 24,000 refugees have entered the South from the North since the country's division, according to the Ministry of Unification in Seoul, over two-thirds of them women. The annual number of refugees has climbed steadily from less than 100 in the 1990s to more than 2,000 per year since 2006. North Korea defector living with quarter of a century of guilt North Korean defector stands for South Korean election After escape from North Korea, artist turns from propaganda to pop art From the archives: South Korea won't return 9 defectors from the North