he is known as a solid conservative but his vote for the 2008 financial bailout stoked anger among fiscal conservatives back home. there's been a major accident inside russia's largest coal mine. eight miners are dead and more than 60 remain underground. russia's emergency ministry reports 359 people were working in the siberian mine at the time of the accident which local officials say was caused by a partial rock collapse. early media reports blame it on a methane explosion, a relatively common occurrence inside russian mines. in the middle east, a glimmer of hope after 18 months of stalemate. a palestinian leader today agreed to indirect talks with israel's so-called proximity talks. a u.s. security, a u.s. special envoy george mitchell will act as a go-between. hamas condemned the decision saying palestinian leaders should stop selling illusions to the palestinian people. house speaker nancy pelosi is leadsing a congressional delegation to afghanistan this