[Collins:] Among our top stories this morning, word of possible punishments in Pat Tillman's friendly fire death in Afghanistan. CNN has learned nine officers will be reprimanded. One, a retired three- star general, may be demoted. None will face criminal charges. They are accused of making critical errors in reporting Tillman's death. Although the Pentagon apparently knew early on Tillman was killed by his own troops, it was not made public for several weeks. Tillman turned down a lucrative football contract to join the Army after September 11th. Also new this morning, in the shadow of the Duke lacrosse case, the disgraced prosecutor is in a North Carolina courtroom right now. Live pictures you see there. At issue, whether Mike Nifong should be held in criminal contempt for his handling of the discredited case. The judge has already ruled against Nifong on one matter. His ruling, there's probable cause to believe Nifong deliberately lied about the case. The Taliban renew a threat to execute 22 South Korean hostage hostages. Militants have already killed the group's leader. Details now from CNN's Sohn Jie-Ae in Seoul.
[Sohn Jie-ae, Cnn Correspondent:] South Korean Pastor Bae Hyeong-gyu was supposed to be celebrating his 42nd birthday on Thursday. Instead he was slain by Taliban captors who threatened to kill him and 22 others South Koreans unless their demands were met. For those who knew him, Bae was a kind soul, one who didn't shy away from challenges. "He was very brave," says this fellow church-goer. "It's not easy to go to a place like Afghanistan." In this time of dire grief, Bae's parents turn to their church for comfort. "We are praying that all this is a mistake," one newspaper article quoted his father as saying. [On Camera] Bae was leading a group of young Christian volunteers to a hospital and a children's shelter in southern Afghanistan, when their bus was held up by gunpoint by Taliban militants. [Voice Over] The South Korean government condemned the killing.
[Baek Jong-chun, Chief Press Secretary For Secuirity:] The organization responsible for the abduction will be held accountable for taking the life of a Korean citizen.
[Jie-ae:] And on Seoul streets many expressed shock and dismay.
[Unidentified Male:] I was sad when I heard the news early this morning. As a fellow Korean, I think incidents like this must not happen again.
[Unidentified Female:] I feel sorry that it happens to a person that volunteered to help those in need. I hope it will be resolved quickly so the hostages can come home soon.
[Jie-ae:] While negotiations continue for the release of the 22 Koreans still in Taliban custody, Bae's body will be flown back home for a burial. Sohn Jie-Ae, CNN, Seoul.
[Collins:] Dramatic river rescues in China, police risk their lives to pluck two boys from raging waters. Officials say water levels have risen to critical levels along vast Chinese rivers. More than 500 people have been killed since the start of summer floods. While central England deals with severe flooding, southern Europe is suffering through its own extreme weather. CNN's Phil Black reports.
[Phil Black, Cnn Correspondent:] The extreme moods of European weather. As more of England is affected by flooding, a heat wave is dozens of fires in Italy and Greece, and the Balkans. Brutal temperatures, often about 40 Celsius, have led to the death of more than 500 people, mostly elderly across central and southern Europe. Authorities in Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria, report people collapsing in the streets, and deaths from conditions aggravated by the heat. As thermometers climbed governments advise their citizens to stay inside, conserve electricity, and drinks lots of water. Some chose to frolic in it. Beyond the cities, crop losses are said to be severe. The heat, lightning strikes, and arson are being blamed for forest fires from Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, Greece and Italy. Thousands of people, many of them tourists, have been forced to leave the worst-hit areas.
[Guido Bertolaso, Civil Protection Dept:] Between today and tomorrow they'll be given clothing. They'll arrive at the airport, they'll find their consular officers with their passports, and with a ticket to return home, at the expense of the Italian Civil Protection.
[Black:] Also being evacuated, for very different reasons, hundreds of people in central England. The floods have left more than 300,000 people without clean, running water, and still more are being affected. The swollen river Thames has now flooded past the university town of Oxford. A week of simultaneous flooding and scorching temperatures that has left experts divided on the cause. A freak weather event, or symptom of broader climate change. Phil Black, CNN, London.
[Collins:] And Rob Marciano is joining us now live. Boy, the picture overseas, just horrible stories we're getting in.
[Rob Marciano, Cnn Meteorologist:] Yes, all of Europe, and even reports of tornadoes in areas that don't typically see tornadoes. So certainly a change in the weather pattern there, and you don't want to mess heat, as they know back from 2003. It is deadly. It is actually the deadliest form of weather related catastrophes.
[Collins:] He dodges defenders on the field and today NFL star Michael Vick will be a defendant in court. He'll be arraigned on dog fighting charges. Larry Smith is in Flowery Branch, Georgia, for the Atlanta Falcons opening training camp today, without Vick. That's going to be happening a little later on today, Larry.
[Larry Smith, Cnn Correspondent:] That's right. All the players are inside the gates, they're required to report to the facility here in suburban Atlanta late last night. There were meetings this morning, taking a break for lunch around noontime and they'll hit the field at 3 o'clock, Eastern Time today, again without No. 7, Michael Vick. What a story this has been here the past week. Since that 18- page indictment came down, as he, again, as you mentioned, is in a federal court, answering his indictment as he's being arraigned on those charges of running that dog fighting ring. Not the way the Falcons wanted to start their new season. A new head coach, Bobby Petrino, who signed that multi-year deal worth more than $4 million, plus per season. And now he goes into a camp without a star quarterback. With a different quarterback, Jolie Harrington, and we don't know when, if ever, Michael Vick will return to the Falcons. We'll have to wait and see what happens later today Heidi.
[Collins:] Larry, we know there are some protesters outside the federal courthouse. What about there? Are you seeing anybody setting up camp?
[Smith:] No, it's been quiet. We got here a couple hours ago, and just about three or four people, just a handful, a very quiet protest down the road behind me, at the other entrance of the Falcons facility. I guess they already know the players are already inside and there's really not much traffic is going in and out. Though we're hearing of the possibility of the Falcons looking at some other veteran quarterbacks who are currently free agents, and looking for a team on which to land, just in case Michael Vick's absence is prolonged one.
[Collins:] You haven't heard anything from teammates, I imagine. I think there's probably just a lot of people who are wondering what his fellow teammates think of the current situation.
[Smith:] Absolutely, and we are one of them. The only thing we're hearing are some fans driving by and some non-fans shouting various things that you may or may not pick up on the microphones as we're standing here along the roadside. The team so far have been off-limits, again, practices from 3:00 to 5:00. We'll of course, jump onto the field and try to grab some people. And try to find out just what the Falcons teammates think about this situation. It's not a positive. Michael Vick, as we talked about before, being told by the NFL to stay away from camp until the NFL can conduct its own investigation into the 18-page indictment. We don't know if Vicks absence from the team will be for a few days, a few weeks, or perhaps even longer.
[Collins:] Larry Smith will be watching the story for us all day long. Larry, thanks so much. Damage control, handling a high-profile athlete in trouble. Super sports agent Leigh Steinberg weighs in on the Michael Vick case. A live interview coming up next hour in the NEWSROOM. Standing in harm's way, how to fix health care for America's wounded warriors, we'll talk about that. And this and road food, scrambled eggs to go, thousands of orders, but no waiting. SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT, I'm Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange, where we're seeing triple-digit declines for the second time this week. And ExxonMobil, despite sharply higher oil prices, is one of the culprits. An explanation is next. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.