TOKYO (CNN) - Authorities in Japan executed three convicted murderers on
Friday, the Ministry of Justice said.

The following are the men's names, ages and cities of execution:

– Masahiko Matsubara, 62, executed in Osaka.
– Keishi Nago, 32, executed in Fukuoka.
– Takashi Uchida, 64, executed in Tokyo.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Abu Laith al-Libi, a wanted al Qaeda terrorist, was killed in Pakistan by a CIA airstrike, three U.S. officials told CNN's Kelli Arena Thursday.

Al-Libi was described as a senior al Qaeda leader believed to have plotted and executed attacks against U.S. and coalition forces, including a February 2007 bombing at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan during a visit by Vice President Dick Cheney. He was on a "most wanted" list of 12 accused terrorists issued in October by the Combined Joint Task Force-82 - an anti-terror unit in Afghanistan.

Earlier, a knowledgeable Western official and a military source confirmed al-Libi's death to CNN. The officials said al-Libi was killed by a missile from an airplane.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (CNN) - Democratic presidential frontrunners Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama spent their last debate before next week's all-important Super Tuesday voting seated side-by-side, debating differences on healthcare, the economy and foreign policy - all while seeming to go out of their way to be cordial to each other.

The exchange was in sharp contrast to previous debates because of the absence of political sniping, yet marked one of the most substantive policy discussions yet in the race for the nomination.

The pair both praised former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, who dropped out of the Democratic race this week, and repeatedly pointed out that they agree far more often than they disagree.

The Democratic race remains close going into Super Tuesday, when 13 states, including California and New York will vote.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Abu Laith al-Libi, a wanted al Qaeda terrorist, was killed in Pakistan by a CIA strike, three U.S. officials told CNN Thursday.

Al-Libi was described as a senior al Qaeda leader believed to have plotted and executed attacks against U.S. and coalition forces, including a February 2007 bombing at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan during a visit by Vice President Dick Cheney. He was on a "most wanted" list of 12 accused terrorists issued in October by the Combined Joint Task Force-82 - an anti-terror unit in Afghanistan.

Earlier, a knowledgeable Western official and a military source confirmed al-Libi's death to CNN.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Abu Laith al-Libi, a wanted al Qaeda terrorist, was
killed in Pakistan in a CIA strike, three U.S. officials told CNN Thursday.

LAS VEGAS (CNN) - A fire at Las Vegas' Monte Carlo Resort and Casino last week was likely caused by flying molten metal from a hand-held cutting torch being used by construction crews, the Clark County Fire Department said Thursday.

The Friday fire charred the top of two of the casino's three wings. It caused no major injuries but triggered the evacuation of visitors and employees.

At the time the blaze began, workers on the roof of the building were cutting corrugated steel products used for a walkway being installed around the interior perimeter of the roof, the fire department said in a statement.

ATLANTA (CNN) - An Army medic has been charged with arson in connection with a fire at an Atlanta strip club, and is linked to four other soldiers charged with plotting to participate in an armed robbery aimed at stealing cocaine from drug dealers, authorities said Thursday.

Sandeo Pablo Dyson, 44, of Gainesville, Ga., was arrested Wednesday in Colorado, U.S. Attorney David Nahmias' office said in a news release. He is charged with arson and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.

Authorities allege Dyson set a January 2007 fire at Atlanta's Club Onyx. Police analyzing the club's surveillance system saw that around the time the fire began, a male came out of a bathroom/storage closet area in the rear of the club after it had been locked up. The male fled out an exit door of the club near where the fire was set.

WASHINGTON (CNN) –The Supreme Court has again blocked a scheduled execution, keeping in place a de facto moratorium on capital punishment while it considers the broader constitutional question over how lethal injection is administered.

The justices without comment Thursday delayed indefinitely the execution of James Harvey Callahan, who sits on Alabama's death row after a 1982 murder. The high court announcement came about an hour before he was scheduled to die at the Holman prison.

A federal appeals court in Atlanta had lifted a previous stay of execution Wednesday, saying Callahan missed crucial deadlines to file briefs challenging the method of execution.

–From CNN Supreme Court Producer Bill Mears

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (CNN) - Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama will duel for Super Tuesday votes Thursday night as the Democratic presidential hopefuls face off for the first time without former Sen. John Edwards.

The debate - sponsored by CNN, the Los Angeles Times and Politico - starts at 8 p.m. ET Thursday on CNN and CNN.com. CNN's Wolf Blitzer is the moderator.

The forum at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood comes hours after the Obama campaign revealed it had raised $32 million in January from roughly 170,000 new donors. That amount will allow Obama to expand his television ad buys greatly in the 20-plus states holding primaries or caucuses Tuesday.

The Clinton campaign would not indicate how much money it had raised in the same time period.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - The Bush administration defended its strategy in Afghanistan Thursday to skeptical lawmakers who warned the campaign against the Taliban is losing steam.

Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher painted an optimistic picture of the situation in the country, saying there has been a "profound change" since the U.S.-led invasion in 2001.

But both Democratic and Republican senators called Boucher's assessment overly optimistic.

"After more than six years and more than $6 billion, the most we can claim is that life of ordinary Afghans isn't as bad as it was under the Taliban," said Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., the committee chairman and a former presidential contender. "We've got to aim much higher, I think, and we have to deliver much more."

–From CNN State Department Producer Elise Labott