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miami , florida -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the storm called hanna weakened from a hurricane to a tropical storm tuesday morning as maximum sustained winds eased down to 70 mph , the national hurricane center said . this satellite image from monday shows hanna over the southern bahamas and the turks and caicos islands . despite the downgrade , hanna dropped torrential rain on the eastern bahamas , the turks and caicos islands , and haiti . hurricane warnings remained in effect . hanna 's path and strength remain uncertain , but the latest forecast map from the national hurricane center predicts it still could make landfall as a major hurricane on the southeastern u.s. coast by friday evening . hanna 's path early tuesday appeared to be a `` meandering '' loop across turks and caicos , but atmospheric changes over the western atlantic are expected to steer the storm northwestward over the next two or three days , according to forecasters . as of 5 a.m. et , hanna was a category 1 storm on the saffir-simpson hurricane scale with sustained winds of 80 mph -lrb- 129 kph -rrb- and gusts of up to 100 mph . ireport.com : watch hanna lash turks and caicos islands .<doc-sep>three hours later , it was downgraded to a tropical storm as winds fell below the 74 mph threshold for hurricane status . it could return to hurricane status later tuesday or on wednesday , forecasters said . hanna 's line of fire could include the u.s. atlantic coast from miami , florida , to massachusetts , according to the hurricane center 's long-range forecast map . charleston , south carolina , appears in the middle of this `` cone of uncertainty , '' with hanna potentially making landfall there friday . `` it appears that the center has been meandering , '' forecasters said . the history of hurricanes that have been where hanna is now might argue against its heading toward the southeastern united states . none of the september storms that passed within 200 miles of hanna 's current location has gone there , with most heading into the gulf of mexico and others going to new england or nova scotia . still , forecasters said , `` the model guidance is remarkably well clustered '' in support of its forecast path for hanna . meanwhile , forecasters were keeping an eye on tropical storm ike , which was gaining strength in the mid-atlantic and appeared headed for the bahamas later in the week . it had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph tuesday morning .<doc-sep>eight of the country 's 10 departments underwater , he said . more rainfall , up to 15 inches in some places , was possible in the caribbean , the hurricane center said . hanna was forecast to return to hurricane strength by friday as it shot up the east coast of the southern u.s. , with landfall predicted on the south carolina or north carolina coast late friday or early saturday . `` a hurricane watch may be required for a portion of the southeastern united states coast early thursday and interests in this area should monitor the progress of hanna , '' the hurricane center said . florida could begin seeing rainfall from hanna on friday , forecasters said . watch as florida also keeps an eye on hanna ''<doc-sep>`` a hurricane watch may be required for a portion of the southeastern united states coast early thursday and interests in this area should monitor the progress of hanna , '' the hurricane center said . florida could begin seeing rainfall from hanna on friday , forecasters said . watch as florida also keeps an eye on hanna '' swells from hanna are expected to bolster the number of rip tides along the southeastern u.s. coast this week , the hurricane center said . ireport.com : hanna makes waves in bahamas . hanna passed over the northern haitian city of gonaives on tuesday night , leaving water more than 12 feet deep in some places , an official said . see hanna 's impact on haiti '' many people were still cut off amid floodwater . `` it 's a very grim picture , '' dr. jean pierre guiteau of the red cross said wednesday . `` we ca n't reach those people ; they are standing on rooftops , waiting for help . '' in line behind ike in the atlantic is tropical storm josephine , with top winds near 50 mph , the hurricane center said . josephine was about 425 miles west of the southernmost cape verde islands off western africa .<doc-sep>but before ike can reach into the caribbean or threaten florida , tropical storm hanna was getting more organized in the bahamas , according to the hurricane center . at 2 a.m. , hanna was about 325 miles east-southeast of nassau in the bahamas , with winds of 65 mph . hanna was drenching the bahamas and haiti with torrential rains . haitian officials put the nation 's death toll in the wake of hanna and hurricane gustav at 61 , said abel nabaire , the deputy coordinator of the civil protection service . eight of the country 's 10 departments underwater , he said . more rainfall , up to 15 inches in some places , was possible in the caribbean , the hurricane center said . hanna was forecast to return to hurricane strength by friday as it shot up the east coast of the southern u.s. , with landfall predicted on the south carolina or north carolina coast late friday or early saturday .<doc-sep>at 11 p.m. et monday , ike was moving west-northwest through the atlantic ocean . the storm will be over open water for two days , forecasters said . earlier wednesday , ike intensified into the fifth hurricane of the 2008 atlantic season when its winds reached 80 mph . but before ike can reach into the caribbean or threaten florida , tropical storm hanna was getting more organized in the bahamas , according to the hurricane center . at 2 a.m. , hanna was about 325 miles east-southeast of nassau in the bahamas , with winds of 65 mph . hanna was drenching the bahamas and haiti with torrential rains . haitian officials put the nation 's death toll in the wake of hanna and hurricane gustav at 61 , said abel nabaire , the deputy coordinator of the civil protection service . | <t> new : as sustained winds fall off , system demoted to tropical storm . </t> <t> new : hanna could return to hurricane level later in day , forecasters say . </t> <t> new : tropical storm ike moving toward caribbean sea . </t> <t> hanna 's path could include the u.s. atlantic coast from miami to massachusetts . </t> | hanna loses hurricane status<T> |
-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- officials in some gulf coast states spent the third anniversary of hurricane katrina on friday gearing up for what could be the biggest threat to the region since katrina hit in 2005 . new orleans mayor ray nagin attends a ceremony friday honoring hurricane katrina victims . hurricane gustav is poised to pass near or over the cayman islands on friday night and over western portions of cuba on saturday . it may approach the u.s. gulf coast by tuesday morning as a category 2 or 3 hurricane , the national hurricane center said friday . `` today , on that third anniversary , we 've got to be thinking about the future , '' mississippi gov. haley barbour said . `` as we pray for the best , we 're going to prepare for the worst , '' barbour announced friday that hurricane katrina victims living in government-issued trailers or mobile homes along his state 's coast will begin evacuating this weekend to prepare for the gustav 's possible arrival . the process will begin saturday , with notices going out to people living in federal emergency management agency trailers or mobile homes , as well as people living in more permanent structures known as `` mississippi cottages , '' he said . watch the gulf coast states prepare for gustav '' the evacuation will begin in harrison and hancock counties on sunday morning , barbour said . evacuation in jackson county will begin monday . about 4,300 families live in fema trailers or mobile homes , and 2,800 live in mississippi cottages , the governor 's office said . he said he would urge people living in privately owned mobile homes to evacuate as well . president bush declared an emergency in louisiana on friday , freeing up federal aid and allowing fema to coordinate relief efforts .<doc-sep>louisiana gov. bobby jindal has declared a state of emergency and urged residents to update their evacuation plans . he said residents in certain southern parishes could be asked to leave friday or saturday . in plaquemines parish , where hurricane katrina roared ashore as a category 3 storm days after its initial landfall in florida , parish president billy nungesser called for a mandatory evacuation beginning at noon saturday . residents of the community of grand isle in jefferson parish were urged to begin voluntary evacuations friday afternoon , and voluntary evacuations for jean lafitte , crown point , barataria and areas outside the levee protection system are recommended beginning at noon saturday , the parish said in a news release . st. bernard parish , which was beginning transport friday for those who would need assistance , said it expected to call a mandatory evacuation saturday afternoon . in new orleans , which has yet to fully recover from hurricane katrina , mayor ray nagin on thursday urged residents living in fema units to make evacuation plans in case city officials order them to leave . watch sean callebs report on if new orleans is prepared '' `` travel trailers are unsafe during heavy winds , '' he said . `` as we continue to monitor and prepare for the possibility of hurricane gustav , i want all of our citizens to make certain they have a plan for leaving the trailers when advised to do so . '' as of early this week , there were 2,829 fema trailers in orleans parish , the mayor 's office said . the city has designated 17 sites for people without transportation to board buses that would take them out of the city in the event of a mandatory evacuation . the city also arranged with amtrak for more than 7,000 seats to evacuate the elderly by train , said jerry sneed of city homeland security and emergency preparedness . signs of mobilization were apparent at louis armstrong new orleans international airport , where nearly every departure gate had long lines of elderly people in wheelchairs . rental car counters normally attended by tourists were filled with relief workers from the red cross and the fire department of new york 's disaster assistance response team .<doc-sep>the dart team consisted of retired new york firefighters , jovial men with graying hair and larger waistlines . many are volunteers assisting the red cross who were in new york during the september 11 attacks and wanted to give back . the 40-member dart team of heavy-equipment operators , truck drivers and registered nurses was headed to alexandria , louisiana , to set up an evacuation shelter . after the storm , the team will feed , shelter and re-supply people in the areas affected by gustav . `` whatever small way you 're able to help , it 's a great feeling , '' said kevin wallace , a 23-year fdny veteran who 's helped after six disasters . `` whatever they need us to do , we do . '' all 2,500 inmates in orleans parish would be bused out from state and local facilities , orleans parish criminal sheriff marlin gusman told the new orleans times-picayune . new orleans police chief warren riley said this week that hundreds of officers will be posted in the uptown , downtown , central city and west bank areas to ensure an adequate law enforcement presence in the event of an emergency . during katrina , many new orleans officers were accused of leaving their posts as widespread crime and looting permeated the city . sixty-seven officers were fired for it , riley said . in addition to the police department 's actions , at least 1,500 louisiana national guard members arrived in new orleans on friday . homeland security secretary michael chertoff said his concerns for new orleans are twofold . first , he was worried about areas of potential weakness in the levee system , which he said the army corps of engineers monitor closely , and second , rainfall .<doc-sep>`` you can build levees that are 100 feet high ; it 's not going to keep the rain out of the city . a very , very intense period of rain could flood the city , because the pace of the rainfall could exceed the ability to pump out of the city , '' he said . the only thing to do was prepare , he said . `` we evacuate ; we protect the integrity of the levees ; we continue to strengthen the levees ; that 's part of a total system of really driving down the risk to the people of new orleans , '' he said . the louisiana national guard has requested 20 helicopters from eight states to replace its helicopter air assault battalion , which is now serving in iraq with its 20 uh-60 black hawks . the guard is asking for uh-60 helicopters for search and rescue , as well as ch-47s , chinooks , which could drop large sandbags if the levees are breached . a 40-person aviation headquarters unit also is being requested and probably will be provided by the arkansas national guard to handle air traffic control and communications for any air operations that might be needed . in texas , gov. rick perry pre-emptively declared an emergency in 61 texas counties . he said also the state had agreed to take into its shelters several thousand louisiana residents , should they evacuate . cnn 's john couwels , chris lawrence , barbara starr , eric marropodi and kim segal contributed to this report .<doc-sep>miami , florida -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- hurricane gustav churned into the gulf of mexico on saturday night , still an `` extremely dangerous '' category 4 storm threatening to blast the same region devastated by hurricane katrina three years ago . saturday morning , gustav was about 255 miles east-southeast of the western tip of cuba . gustav , a category 4 storm with 135 mph -lrb- 220 km/hr -rrb- top winds , was centered 485 miles -lrb- 780 kilometers -rrb- southeast of the mouth of the mississippi river , according to the national hurricane center 's 6 a.m. gmt -lrb- 2 a.m. et -rrb- advisory . that 's only 15 mph slower than when the storm first crossed land in cuba . the u.s. national hurricane center said the storm could pick up even more strength as it enters the gulf 's warmer waters . the hurricane center said gustav is an `` extremely dangerous category 4 hurricane . '' in the united states , state and federal officials -- eager to prove they are ready -- urged residents to flee , and many of those residents obeyed , moving north by the tens of thousands , according to the governor of louisiana , whose state was hit three years ago by hurricane katrina . new orleans mayor ray nagin called gustav `` the mother of all storms , '' saying its destruction could outstrip that from katrina , which flooded much of his city and killed about 3,000 people . a hurricane watch remained in effect for the northern gulf coast from east of high island texas eastward to the alabama-florida border , including the city of new orleans and lake pontchartrain , the national hurricane center said . a hurricane watch means that hurricane conditions are possible within the watch area , generally within 36 hours .<doc-sep>`` on the forecast track , gustav should pass between jamaica and the southeastern coast of cuba on thursday , '' the hurricane center said . `` however , any deviation to the left of the forecast track could bring the center of gustav very near jamaica . '' gustav 's maximum sustained winds were near 45 mph -lrb- 75 kph -rrb- , with higher gusts . `` slow strengthening is forecast once gustav moves away from haiti , and the storm could regain hurricane strength within the next day or two , '' the hurricane center said . a category 1 hurricane has maximum sustained winds of at least 74 mph -lrb- 119 kph -rrb- . see projected path '' michaele gedeon , president of the haitian red cross , said that 180 people were in a shelter set up in a mayor 's office in southeast haiti . the storm has destroyed the roofs of more than 100 homes , gedeon said . gustav is expected to produce rainfall of 6 to 12 inches over haiti , the dominican republic , cuba , jamaica and the cayman islands , with isolated amounts up to 25 inches possible , forecasters said . the heavy rain could trigger flash floods and additional mudslides . computer models show gustav heading for the u.s. gulf coast , arriving anywhere from western florida -- which is already waterlogged from last week 's tropical storm fay -- to louisiana , where cleanup and repair efforts are ongoing three years after hurricane katrina . katrina killed more than 1,800 people when it slammed into the gulf coast on august 29 , 2005 , flattening towns on the mississippi coast and flooding portions of new orleans , louisiana . louisiana gov. bobby jindal , saying he wanted the state to be prepared in case gustav hit the state , declared an emergency for louisiana on wednesday .<doc-sep>miami , florida -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- tropical storm gustav left 22 dead in haiti and the dominican republic before it pulled away from the countries wednesday , officials said . a coffin is carried for one of eight people who was killed as gustav hit the dominican republic on wednesday . the storm is expected to pass between cuba and jamaica before heading into the gulf of mexico . the storm killed 14 people in haiti , said pierre louis pinchinat , deputy director of haiti 's civil protection directorate . authorities said eight more , including six children , were killed in a mudslide triggered by heavy rain in santo domingo , dominican republic . forecasters warned that gustav , which was a category 1 hurricane when it made landfall in haiti on tuesday , is likely to regain hurricane intensity by friday . the forecast shows gustav entering the gulf of mexico on saturday or sunday as a category 3 hurricane , with maximum sustained winds of at least 111 mph -lrb- 179 kph -rrb- . however , hurricane movements are erratic , and long-range forecasts are subject to change . ireport.com : send us your photos , videos . pinchinat said many areas of haiti are cut off from aid workers because roads and bridges are washed out . at least 300 people are in a shelter in one region , he said , and others are in shelters across the country . in the dominican republic , the mudslide occurred early wednesday in the guachupita neighborhood of santo domingo , officials said . see flooding , damage caused by gustav '' marino vasquez stood crying over the coffin of one of his children . ireport.com : storm takes young lives in santo domingo .<doc-sep>new orleans , louisiana -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- hurricane gustav did n't pack the wallop of katrina three years earlier , officials said monday , but they urged almost 2 million evacuees to stay away from the gulf coast for another day . a man walks past a storefront that collapsed as hurricane gustav passed through lafayette , louisiana , on monday . `` tomorrow is not a day to start coming back to the city of new orleans , '' mayor ray nagin said monday night . `` power lines are down all over the city ; there 's a significant number of homes and businesses that are without power , '' nagin said . still , he said , gustav did n't do the damage feared a few days ago , a possible repeat of 2005 's hurricane katrina . `` i 'd probably call gustav , instead of the mother of all storms , maybe the mother-in-law or the ugly sister of all storms , '' nagin said . across louisiana , more than 800,000 people were without electricity , and some may not see it restored for two weeks or more , gov. bobby jindal said . at a news conference with jindal , homeland security secretary michael chertoff urged gulf coast residents who evacuated to stay away until damage could be assessed . but even those who fled faced hardships . about 2,700 people who took up short-term residence monday in the louisiana state university agriculture center in alexandria were told that the buildings generator power was not reaching the plumbing system , meaning no showers and no flushing toilets , said john barnett , head of the facilities . `` it 's really crowded , and everybody 's just trying to do their best , '' said kesha harlow , who was there with her daughter , 8 , and her son , 2 months . `` we 're just waiting for the storm to blow over . '' gustav roared from the gulf of mexico into southern louisiana on monday as a category 2 hurricane with sustained winds of 110 mph , bringing fierce winds and heavy rains from the alabama-florida border west into texas . in baton rouge , louisiana , two people were killed when a tree fell on the house where they were staying after they had come from farther south to escape the storm , officials said . a man was killed in a similar incident in north lafayette , louisiana , officials said . | <t> new : disaster response teams arrive in new orleans as elderly fill airports . </t> <t> mississippi gov. haley barbour says evacuations will begin sunday in two counties . </t> <t> grand isle area of jefferson parish urged to begin voluntary evacuations . </t> <t> texas gov. rick perry pre-emptively declare emergency in 61 counties . </t> | gulf states brace as gustav looms<T> |
washington -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- justice department officials blocked liberals and people with democratic party ties from a highly selective program that funneled young lawyers into government jobs , according to an internal investigation released tuesday . a bias against liberals existed in a justice program meant to hire young lawyers , an investigation found . esther slater mcdonald , a political appointee at the justice department , `` wrote disparaging statements about the candidates ' liberal and democratic party affiliations on the applications she reviewed and ... she voted to deselect candidates on that basis , '' said the report by inspector general glenn fine . mcdonald , who has left the department , refused to be interviewed for the investigation . the report , the first official investigation to document politicization of the justice department during the bush administration , is an offshoot of the larger investigation of justice department politics triggered by the furor over the firing of nine u.s. attorneys . it found two of three members of a screening committee considered political views and experience when choosing new lawyers for the justice department honors program and summer law intern program . the report found that mcdonald and michael elston , the chief of staff to deputy attorney general paul mcnulty , engaged in misconduct , an administrative violation . the third member of the screening committee , career lawyer dan fridman , was cleared of any involvement in the politicization of the process . elston was interviewed by the investigators , who asked him about the role of former justice department official monica goodling in politicizing the selection process . elston told investigators he could not recall goodling telling him to select lawyers who appeared to share attorney general alberto gonzales ' philosophy . goodling testified before a house panel last year that she had told elston he should identify such candidates .<doc-sep>goodling directed elston to lead the selection committee in 2006 . she and elston have both left the justice department . she refused to be interviewed for the inspector general 's report . as a result of the controversy , the hiring process was changed in 2007 to insulate hiring decisions from political considerations . both justice department policy and federal law prohibit discrimination in hiring for career positions on the basis of political affiliations . the report did not find clear evidence that an earlier screening committee took political considerations into account . it says data from 2002 shows a disparity in the hiring of liberal and conservative candidates , but there were no complaints about the committee 's work from 2003 to 2006 , when goodling put elston in charge of the process . the report tuesday is the first of perhaps several to be issued as the broad-ranging investigation into the role partisan politics has played in the justice department during the bush administration . goodling is expected to be a central figure in later inspector general reports examining efforts to increase the influence of conservatives in the department . the justice department office of professional responsibility , a separate watchdog office that monitors prosecutorial conduct , joined in the inspector general 's investigation . cnn 's terry frieden contributed to this report .<doc-sep>bias : john humphrys admitted the bbc naturally attracts liberal-minded people . ` question . time goes to great lengths to ensure the panel and audience is balanced . and reflects a wide range of political views . ` the programme is a free . flowing discussion with david balancing moderating the debate whilst . allowing it to naturally develop . ' question time , screened on thursdays on bbc one , is made by independent production firm mentorn . it . typically attracts 2.7 million viewers although audience figures peaked . at more than 7million when it controversially invited the bnp 's nick . griffin on the show . radio 4 presenter john humphrys admitted earlier this week that there is a ` broadly liberal ' bias at the bbc . but he put this down to the bbc hiring the ` best and the brightest ' university graduates where left-wing views were common . ` the bbc has tended over the years to be broadly liberal as opposed to broadly conservative for all sorts of perfectly understandable reasons , ' he told the radio times . ` the sort of people we 've recruited - the best and the brightest - tended to come from universities and backgrounds where they 're more likely to hold broadly liberal views than conservative . ' he also admitted the bbc was ` grotesquely over managed ' and that its reporting on issues such as immigration and the european union has not been sufficiently sceptical . tory grandee lord heseltine . lib dem justice minister simon hughes . labour work and pensions spokesman rachel reeves .<doc-sep>the star went on to say that too many bbc staff were ` arrogant ' and thought they knew ` what was best for the country ' . he added : ` it was and still is relentlessly middle class . unfortunately . there was a predominant voice -- the liberal oxbridge male . ' tory mp conor burns , who sits on the commons culture , media and sport committee , said : ` this is a refreshing outbreak of candour , honesty and rare insight from one of the big beasts of the bbc . their bias has gone unchallenged for too long . ' humphrys is not the first senior bbc figure to criticise the corporation 's failure to challenge left-wing assumptions . this year former newsnight host jeremy paxman accused the bbc of being ` smug ' . he has also said its coverage of climate change ` abandoned the pretence of impartiality long ago ' . last year the bbc 's former head of tv news , roger mosey , criticised the corporation for shutting out critics of the european union , saying : ` on the bbc 's own admission , it did not give enough space to anti-immigration views or eu-withdrawalists . ' and another senior executive , current radio chief helen boaden , claimed the bbc had a ` deep liberal bias ' when she became head of news in 2004 . a bbc spokesman said : ` john humphrys was merely echoing other senior bbc figures who have acknowledged that we were slow to reflect changing opinions on immigration . this was a historical issue and we now believe our reporting is in the right place and we cover this complex issue in depth . '<doc-sep>` problem ' : former director of bbc news helen boaden was aware of a ` deep liberal bias ' in the way the corporation approached the topic of immigration , the report said . the bbc 's ` deep liberal bias ' prevented it from reporting immigration properly , its former news chief has admitted . helen boaden told a bbc review into the impartiality of its own coverage that it failed to take anti-immigration lobby groups ` seriously ' when she took the job in 2004 , the year britain threw open its doors to migrants from eastern europe . the report , published yesterday , collected a series of damning comments by current and former corporation employees who accused it of ` collective blindness ' and ` fundamental niceness ' over controversial topics such as race and immigration . but it concluded that the bbc produces an ` impressive range of opinion ' overall . critics said the report would encourage the bbc to continue to ignore concerns over bias . tory mp philip davies , who sits on the culture , media and sport committee , said : ` -lsb- helen boaden 's comments -rsb- confirm what most of us have known for many years . ' i do n't want the bbc just to accept this and continue on their way . ` what are they going to do to stop their liberal left-wing culture ? ' sir andrew green , chairman of lobby group migration watch , said the review was a ` lost opportunity ' and ` skated over ' recent cases of corporation bias . the 65-page report , produced by former itv boss stuart prebble , a self-confessed ` liberal progressive ' , was called a ` whitewash ' by ed west , the author of another recent investigation into bbc impartiality . ` bias ' : the bbc was ` slow ' to catch up with public opinion on topic including immigration and the uk 's membership of the european union , according to a new report . former bbc news chief aware of ` deep liberal bias ' in its approach to topic of immigration . mr prebble 's review , which cost licence . fee-payers # 175,000 , criticised the bbc for being ` slow to reflect the . weight of concern in the wider community ' about immigration and the . european union . he said the corporation gave too much . prominence to the opinions of politicians , who were hesitant to discuss . immigration issues . but he concluded the overall selection . of opinion broadcast by the bbc is ` broad and impressive ' , adding : . ` only the very unreasonable would argue that the bbc is not providing a . suitable breadth of views and opinion on the subject of europe . ' as part of his eight-month analysis , . mr prebble interviewed 25 senior bbc staff , including miss boaden , now . director of bbc radio . public opinion : the independent review , commissioned by the bbc trust , said the corporation was slow to reflect the weight of concern in the wider community surrounding immigration . debate : the bbc was ` slow to give appropriate prominence ' to the growing weight of opinion opposing uk membership of the eu , the report said . he said : ` -lsb- miss boaden -rsb- accepts that . when she came into her role in september 2004 there had been a problem . in the bbc 's coverage of immigration . she was aware , she told us , of a `` deep . liberal bias '' in the way that the bbc approached the topic , and . specifically that press releases coming from migration watch were not . always taken as seriously as they might have been . ' bbc presenter steve hewlett accused . the corporation of a ` general corporate sensitivity ' and a ` collective . blindness ' over race and immigration . former today programme journalist . robin aitken added : ` what damages the bbc on a subject like immigration . is fundamental niceness and being loath to give offence to any part of . the community . ` it is a self-censoring idea : `` let 's . not encourage debate as it might encourage nasty elements in society . '' it is entirely wrong-headed . ' however , mr prebble refused to express . an opinion on whether the bbc was guilty of liberal bias . he added : . ` there is no genuine argument that the presence of one type of . programming is squeezing out the opportunity to hear an alternative . point of view . ' he even suggested viewers and listeners should ` read a book ' if they were unhappy with the bbc . a bbc spokesman said : ` we are pleased our coverage has been deemed `` remarkable '' and `` impressive '' . ' a well-known figure in london media circles , 62-year-old stuart prebble was itv 's chief executive until 2002 when he resigned after the collapse of itv digital.he set up the independent programme maker liberty bell and his many bbc credits include bbc2 series grumpy old men and , in 2007 , a three-part series based on the diaries of former labour spin doctor alistair campbell . he began his career as a bbc graduate trainee journalist and last year he revealed : ` i have a long-term affection for the bbc . it 's important for all of us in broadcasting . ' yesterday mr prebble , who now heads storyvault films , insisted he is not currently working on any bbc projects . defending his appointment , bbc trust member david liddiment said : ` stuart has been very open about his -lsb- liberal -rsb- perspective . he was a very good person to do this report . ' the review of bbc current affairs likened newsnight host jeremy paxman to a brutal boxer . it highlighted an episode of newsnight where paxman clashed with respect mp george galloway . author stuart prebble said : ` when george galloway squared up to jeremy paxman after galloway won the bradford west by-election , paxman started raining blows on him from the starting bell , to an extent that i was surprised to find my sympathies going towards the challenger . ' he also said that interviews on radio 4 's today , for example by john humphrys , could be like a fairground prize-fighter taking on an amateur . ` the result can be excruciatingly entertaining to witness , and no one doubts that both sides need properly to be tested , but it is not always a fair display of the merits of each fighter , ' he said .<doc-sep>i know journalists who hold liberal views on some social issues -- favoring gay marriage , for instance -- while at the same time holding conservative views on other social issues -- expressing a strong pro-life position on abortion , for instance . i know journalists who personally hold contrasting liberal and conservative views on tax policy and health care reform . most of the journalists i know can not be labeled as liberal or conservative , because they hold a range of views that are at different points on the ideological spectrum . how , for instance , would one categorize a journalist who holds the following beliefs : opposed u.s. military force in iraq but favors it in afghanistan , calls for a much stricter immigration policy with no amnesty , favors the ordination of women as roman catholic priests , opposes all forms of abortion , favors capital punishment ? is that person liberal or conservative ? how can we accurately and fairly characterize journalists as conservative or liberal ? how then could we challenge the journalism they produce as driven by conservative or liberal bias ? furthermore , if a reporter allows his or her personal beliefs to become bias that could undermine reporting , good news organizations have checks and balances that minimize any skewing . | <t> programs used to select young lawyers for summer interns and honors program . </t> <t> investigation stems from firing of u.s. attorneys in 2006 . </t> <t> members of selection committee screened out liberals and democrats , report says . </t> <t> hiring process changed in 2007 to stop political bias from occurring . </t> | anti-liberal bias found in justice programs<T> |
kathmandu , nepal -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- monsoon flooding has left 50,000 people homeless in nepal and killed at least 74 people in northern india , according to officials . monsoon rain has bought heavy flooding to southern nepal , pictured , and northern india . the nepalese army thursday used helicopters to rescue residents in southeastern nepal who were stranded on treetops and roofs after monsoon flooding forced more than 50,000 people from their homes . in northern india monsoon flooding destroyed mud huts and killed at least 74 people , officials said . the deaths were in the state of uttar pradesh . the latest casualties bring to more than 300 the number of people killed in india since the start of this year 's monsoon season . nepalese officials said at least four southern villages were inundated with water after the embankment on the saptakoshi river burst monday .<doc-sep>some 40,000 people were now living in government-run relief camps ; others had gone to other villages to stay with relatives , authorities said . nepalese home ministry officials said there were unconfirmed reports of deaths related to the flooding but authorities could not reach the affected areas to verify those reports . police and army troops had been using elephants , boats and helicopters to rescue stranded villagers in sunsari district , about 400 km -lrb- 249 miles -rrb- southeast of kathmandu , since monday . nepal amd india are in the midst of the annual monsoon season . copyright 2008 cnn . all rights reserved.this material may not be published , broadcast , rewritten , or redistributed . associated press contributed to this report .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- flooding described by india 's prime minister as the worst in recent times , has left at least 95 people dead and almost 2 million others homeless in the country 's remote assam state . the brahmaputra river overflowed during monsoon rains over the past week , flooding more than 2,000 villages and destroying homes in the northeast of the country , officials said . most of the dead were swept away by the fast-flowing water , while 16 were reported to have been buried by landslides caused by the heavy rains . prime minister manmohan singh told journalists monday that almost half a million people were living in relief camps , and the remaining of the displaced were staying with relatives or living in the open , using tarpaulin sheets for shelter . sabir ali , who lives in one of the affected villages , had to move his family to higher ground with only what they could carry . `` i am stuck . how will i survive ? i 've been forced to move to railways tracks with my children , '' he told cnn-ibn .<doc-sep>monsoon rains sweep across the subcontinent from june till september . though they bring much-needed relief to often-parched farmlands , they also leave a trail of landslides , home collapses and floods that can kill . in neighboring pakistan , torrential monsoon rains left more than three dozen people dead and broke a 32-year record over the weekend .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- dozens of people have died in pakistan and india 's northern rajasthan state amid flash floods and landslides caused by heavy monsoon rains , officials said thursday . at least 21 deaths are confirmed in pakistan , said maj. iftikhar ahmed taj of the national disaster management authority . hundreds of homes have been damaged in the flooding , which has hit parts of punjab , khyber pakhtunkhwa , the federally administered tribal areas , and pakistani-controlled kashmir , he said . rescue workers are seeking to deal with a major landslide in the kashmiri city of muzaffarabad , according to the disaster agency . roads are blocked , some 390 houses have been damaged and an unknown number of people are dead and injured , the agency said . some families trapped by the landslide have been given emergency food and water supplies . elsewhere in pakistani-controlled kashmir , seven people were killed in bagh by a flash flood and a landslide , while more than 100 houses were damaged in koti , the disaster agency said . more rainfall is on the way in pakistani-controlled kashmir , punjab , khyber pakhtunkhwa , some isolated places in northeast balochistan , and the country 's capital , islamabad , according to the agency . clean-up also was under way thursday in neighboring india , where heavy rain in rajasthan left 20 dead , the rajasthan state department told cnn . ten died in the capital , jaipur , it said . relief work is under way to help the hundreds of people made homeless by the flooding , which followed three or four days of heavy rain , the state department said . rajasthan gov. margaret alva visited the affected area thursday and spoke with people living in the slums of madrampura basti , the local government said in a statement . she directed local authorities to make sure water is pumped out of people 's homes and food and drinking water are made available , it said . meanwhile , pakistani prime minister raja pervez ashraf expressed his regret to those affected by the floods . he released a statement directing government agencies to monitor river levels and take action to prevent any from bursting their banks . the prime minister also instructed authorities to check that the early warning system for people living near rivers is kept up to date , and urged disaster management agencies to ensure they are fully prepared to respond . devastating india floods leave 95 dead , millions homeless .<doc-sep>it was late at night when the priest raised the alarm . heavy rain was falling on gobindghat , a town in the foothills of the himalayas where sikh pilgrims stop on their way to a holy site farther into the mountains . a monsoon deluge had swept in earlier and heavier than usual in this part of northern india , bringing a risk of floods . but before residents and pilgrims in the town could heed the priest 's warning , water had engulfed the town . `` some people climbed upwards , some ran here and there , '' said gurjit singh , who had traveled to gobindghat with his 12-year-old son . `` it was chaos . '' barrages of water , mud and rocks have hit scores of towns and villages in the indian state of uttarakhand in the past week , inundating homes , shrines , roads and vehicles . uttarakhand 's chief minister , vijay bahuguna , has described the disaster as a `` himalayan tsunami . '' dotted with temples and often referred to as `` the land of gods , '' uttarakhand attracts large numbers of pilgrims from around india to its mountainous reaches . those travelers , many of them far from home and short on belongings , are now caught up in the destruction . thousands of rescue workers are trying to reach more than 50,000 people cut off by the waters . bahuguna told cnn 's sister network cnn-ibn on friday night that the death toll was 556 but could rise . the bodies `` were either buried or floating in slush , '' he said . it will take 15 days to complete evacuations in the province , he added . other parts of northern india , including new delhi , have also been hit by flooding , but uttarakhand has suffered the worst of the devastation . | <t> heavy rains , flooding lash sourthern nepal and northern india . </t> <t> in nepal , flooding has forced as many as 50,000 from their homes . </t> <t> india officials say at least 74 people have died in the state of uttar pradesh . </t> | monsoon leaves 50,000 homeless , scores dead<T> |
-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- this year 's forbes rich list is notable for the absence of bill gates at the top . after 13 years as the world 's richest man , he has finally been toppled by his friend warren buffett who has an estimate fortune of $ 62bn . the middle east 's richest man : prince alwaleed bin talal alsaud . the list -- which is a run down of the 1,125 richest people on the planet -- estimates a person 's total net worth in us dollars based on the closing stock prices of the stock exchanges on which their company is listed . the middle east 's richest man is prince alwaleed bin talal alsaud , the 51 year old saudi who has an estimated net worth of $ 21bn . he ranks 19th in the list and is considered to be the most active and successful investor in the middle east . he took his investment vehicle , kingdom holding , public on the saudi stock exchange in july 2007 . the company contains investments in well-known global companies such as citigroup and news corp. . in the early 1990s , alwaleed made a risky bet on citigroup that paid off massively and has in recent years accounted for nearly half his fortune .<doc-sep>kuwaiti construction heir nasser al-kharafi is the next richest in 46th place with an inherited fortune of $ 14bn . he heads m.a. al-kharafi & sons , one of the largest diversified conglomerates in the arab world . americana , the company 's lucrative food division is extremely successful and has exclusive franchise rights in the region for pizza hut , tgi fridays and other big global brands . faiza , his sister was the first woman president of kuwait university . naguib sawiris , the eldest son of telecoms billionaire and orascom telecom founder onsi sawiris ranks next in 60th place with a net worth of $ 12.7 bn . in addition to orascom telecom , his assets -- via european holding company weather investments -- include italian phone company , wind and leading greek telecom companies wind hellas and tellas . his brother , nassef is in 68th place , with an estimated worth of $ 11bn and his father onsi who serves as chairman of orascom comes in at 96th place with $ 9bn . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>by . helen lawson . published : . 12:43 est , 6 june 2013 . | . updated : . 13:19 est , 6 june 2013 . saudi prince alwaleed bin talal says forbes magazine libelled him when they estimated his worth at $ 20billion instead of $ 30billion . a saudi prince is suing forbes magazine for libel because it said he was only worth $ 20billion in its annual rich list instead of $ 30billion . prince alwaleed bin talal , one of the world 's richest businessmen , claims the magazine underestimated his wealth by # 9.6 billion when it placed him at 26th in this year 's list . being listed as worth $ 29.6 billion would have placed him in the list 's top ten . alwaleed accused forbes of ` flawed and inaccurate , displays bias against middle east investors and financial institutions ' in an interview with the sunday telegraph in march .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- this year 's forbes rich list is notable for the absence of bill gates at the top . after 13 years as the world 's richest man , he has finally been toppled by his friend warren buffett who has an estimate fortune of $ 62bn . the middle east 's richest man : prince alwaleed bin talal alsaud . the list -- which is a run down of the 1,125 richest people on the planet -- estimates a person 's total net worth in us dollars based on the closing stock prices of the stock exchanges on which their company is listed . the middle east 's richest man is prince alwaleed bin talal alsaud , the 51 year old saudi who has an estimated net worth of $ 21bn . he ranks 19th in the list and is considered to be the most active and successful investor in the middle east . he took his investment vehicle , kingdom holding , public on the saudi stock exchange in july 2007 . the company contains investments in well-known global companies such as citigroup and news corp. . in the early 1990s , alwaleed made a risky bet on citigroup that paid off massively and has in recent years accounted for nearly half his fortune . kuwaiti construction heir nasser al-kharafi is the next richest in 46th place with an inherited fortune of $ 14bn . he heads m.a. al-kharafi & sons , one of the largest diversified conglomerates in the arab world . americana , the company 's lucrative food division is extremely successful and has exclusive franchise rights in the region for pizza hut , tgi fridays and other big global brands . faiza , his sister was the first woman president of kuwait university . naguib sawiris , the eldest son of telecoms billionaire and orascom telecom founder onsi sawiris ranks next in 60th place with a net worth of $ 12.7 bn . in addition to orascom telecom , his assets -- via european holding company weather investments -- include italian phone company , wind and leading greek telecom companies wind hellas and tellas . his brother , nassef is in 68th place , with an estimated worth of $ 11bn and his father onsi who serves as chairman of orascom comes in at 96th place with $ 9bn . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>by . tom mctague , mail online deputy political editor . super rich arabs are spending # 4.5 million a day in britain - cementing london 's position as the world 's top playground for the rich . middle eastern billionaires using the capital to spend their fortune have contributed to a boom in arab cash pouring into the country . in total last year # 1.25 billion was spent in the uk by families from the middle east - amounting to some # 25,000 for every holiday . scroll down for video . visitors from the united arab emirates , egypt and the the rest of the middle east were by far the biggest spenders on their trips to britain . americans as a whole spend more in the uk than arabs - but only because they far outnumber middle eastern tourists . on day-to-day spending , arabs are the biggest overseas shoppers in the world .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- facetime : exclusive prince alwaleed bin talal , chairman , kingdom holding company . long term forecasts for the middle east are not keeping pace with emerging market peers . the mena region will grow at 2.6 percent between now and 2020 , according to hsbc . that is half the rate of asia and africa . mme caught up with the richest man in the middle east and leading businessman prince alwaleed bin talal and asked him whether businesses will remain open to foreign investment even after the rise of islamic parties . in focus : gulf to the rescue ? at world economic forum in davos , the arab region remains one of the global risks for 2012 . the past year was a year of change for the middle east with protests toppling governments in tunisia , egypt and libya and forcing change in bahrain and morocco . but after revolution comes rebuilding and some opportunity for the oil-rich gulf states . mme 's leone lakhani takes a closer look . marketplace middle east airs weekly at the following times -lrb- all gmt -rrb- : . | <t> the middle east 's richest man is prince alwaleed bin talal alsaud . </t> <t> he ranks 19th in the world in the forbes rich list . </t> <t> seven other billionaires from the middle east rank in the top 100 . </t> | the middle east rich list<T> |
-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- in focus : the business of education . we talk to pnina rosenblum , the founder of the cosmetic company pnina rosenblum lt.<doc-sep>with rising unemployment , the mena countries are investing more into education than any other emerging region . and western universities are cashing in . over 40 prestigious schools have set up alliances and campuses in the middle east . for the universities it means higher revenues . for the students , it means a premier education close to home . facetime : pnina rosenblum , pnina rosenblum ltd .<doc-sep>from a poor upbringing to a beauty queen , millionaire cosmetic mogul and member of the knesset . pnina rosenblum has been an israeli icon for decades . in 1989 pnina launched a cosmetics company that generates $ 8 million a year . mme spent the day with pnina to find out how she fought her way to fame and fortune . watch the show this week at the times -lrb- gmt -rrb- below : friday : 0815 , 1945 saturday : 0545 sunday : 0715 .<doc-sep>facetime : ferit sahenk , chairman , dogus holding . one country that has tapped into russia 's market of 142 million consumers is turkey 's garanti bank . with operations in the country since the early 1990s , marketplace middle east sat down with ferit sahenk the ceo of the bank and chairman of its parent company dogus holding and asked him about doing business in russia . in focus : arab-russian ties . historically ties between russia and the middle east have been largely focused on the political sphere , but this week marketplace middle east finds out how the region has the potential to warm up with the siberian economy . showtimes marketplace middle east airs weekly at the following times -lrb- all gmt -rrb- : fridays : 0845 , 1645 , saturdays : 0615 , sundays : 0515 , 1745 , mondays : 0045 .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the middle east and the new silk road . from ancient passage ways to modern trade routes , this week , in a special edition , marketplace middle east travels along the new silk road and looks at how the economies of the middle east are re-defining global growth .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- this week marketplace middle east focuses on the relationship between israel and the `` new '' egypt . in focus : egypt 's ramadan professions .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- facetime : dubai airshow special . middle east carriers were again the big spenders at the dubai airshow . this week mme speaks to the key people behind the deals , emirates chairman sheikh ahmed bin saeed al maktoum and boeing 's jim albaugh . in focus : middle east defense spending . despite rising fuel costs affecting commercial airlines , one sector that is not witnessing a downturn is defense . growing tension over iran is driving regional governments to boost their weaponry . this week mme takes a look at arms spending . marketplace middle east airs weekly at the following times -lrb- all gmt -rrb- : . | <t> mme looks at higher education in the middle east . </t> <t> 40 prestigious schools have set up alliances and campuses in the middle east . </t> <t> we talk to pnina rosenblum an israeli icon and a cosmetics mogul . </t> | this week on marketplace middle east<T> |
-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- mohammed alshaya owns more high street brands than most fashion addicts could stuff in their closets . mohammed alshaya , ceo of alshaya 's retail division , tells mme he sees a new mindset in the gulf . topshop , coast , next and river island are just some of the big names he 's imported from the united kingdom to shopping centers in the middle east . as chief executive of m.h. alshaya , he knows what sells : tried and tested western brands that will appeal to local shoppers . and his empire is not limited to clothing . in the past month , he 's taken mothercare and the body shop to central eastern europe . with the addition of the czech republic , hungary and slovakia , m.h. alshaya now operates in 16 markets including saudi arabia , kuwait , united arab emirates , bahrain , qatar , oman , lebanon , jordan , egypt , cyprus , turkey , poland and russia . john defterios spoke with mohammed alshaya , and started by asking him for his thoughts on the gulf cooperation council -lrb- gcc -rrb- plans for a single currency . -lrb- jd -rrb- : i would imagine as a retail operation you 'd be a huge proponent of a single currency within the gcc . is it realistic within the next 4 to 5 years ? -lrb- ma -rrb- : i think it can be , as long as there is a will of the leaders to get together and decide . it is a huge leap towards efficiency , conciliation , getting closer between the six countries . one single central bank that governs and regulates is much better than the current six , i believe . -lrb- jd -rrb- : have you ever done any calculations of what impact it would have on your back office operations ? -lrb- ma -rrb- : not yet , but it will be great , i think .<doc-sep>-lrb- jd -rrb- : you 're one of the largest retail operations throughout the arabian peninsula . with all this growth that we 're seeing right now , it must have a direct impact on the retail sector . what sort of annual growth are you experiencing ? -lrb- ma -rrb- : we 're experiencing close to 25 percent annual growth , if not 30 percent in some cases , like in dubai . -lrb- jd -rrb- : do you have any sort of concerns that this is going to be a bubble like the 1970s where the money was not deployed correctly ? it seems different from my vantage point , do you share that view ? -lrb- ma -rrb- : there is a new generation of people from the region that are leading businesses and strong leadership in the government that have mitigated any concern . and if you see now the statistics , the gulf is the seventh largest economy in the world . in ten , in 15 years time , it will be the fifth . so i see a new mindset , a new attitude . -lrb- jd -rrb- : one of the other things i wanted to ask you about is your moves into other countries . the alshaya group is very well known throughout the arabian peninsula , but you 're moving into other markets , into eastern europe , specifically into russia . do you have the expertise to go into these markets ? -lrb- ma -rrb- : well , yes . we have the expertise , and the expertise is by really retaining good management , and traveling with them into new markets . i 'm not going to open shops myself . we have a very strong team in russia ; russians that are taking our investment into good projects like starbucks which we opened two months ago , two stores . we acquired a business there . so we have plans like mothercare , bodyshop , next . -lrb- jd -rrb- : so you can basically move this group into any city and have that potpourri of offers ? -lrb- ma -rrb- : we have the software . we have the software to launch the retail portfolio into a new market . -lrb- jd -rrb- : obviously you 're a family business . you feel quite strongly about preserving culture and the family structure , and the need for family businesses to create jobs , because they represent 75 percent of all turnover in the gulf . -lrb- ma -rrb- : we have a social responsibility toward our people . we have to make sure we have jobs for them if the government is not going to compete , and is going to take away some of the people who would be relevant to our business . another issue that might challenge us to do that is the wealth creation -- whether -lrb- potential employees -rrb- would be attracted to be in a department store selling or in a coffee shop making coffee -- that , we will see . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- mohammed alshaya owns more high street brands than most fashion addicts could stuff in their closets . mohammed alshaya , ceo of alshaya 's retail division , tells mme he sees a new mindset in the gulf . topshop , coast , next and river island are just some of the big names he 's imported from the united kingdom to shopping centers in the middle east . as chief executive of m.h. alshaya , he knows what sells : tried and tested western brands that will appeal to local shoppers . and his empire is not limited to clothing . in the past month , he 's taken mothercare and the body shop to central eastern europe . with the addition of the czech republic , hungary and slovakia , m.h. alshaya now operates in 16 markets including saudi arabia , kuwait , united arab emirates , bahrain , qatar , oman , lebanon , jordan , egypt , cyprus , turkey , poland and russia . john defterios spoke with mohammed alshaya , and started by asking him for his thoughts on the gulf cooperation council -lrb- gcc -rrb- plans for a single currency . -lrb- jd -rrb- : i would imagine as a retail operation you 'd be a huge proponent of a single currency within the gcc . is it realistic within the next 4 to 5 years ? -lrb- ma -rrb- : i think it can be , as long as there is a will of the leaders to get together and decide . it is a huge leap towards efficiency , conciliation , getting closer between the six countries . one single central bank that governs and regulates is much better than the current six , i believe . -lrb- jd -rrb- : have you ever done any calculations of what impact it would have on your back office operations ? -lrb- ma -rrb- : not yet , but it will be great , i think . -lrb- jd -rrb- : you 're one of the largest retail operations throughout the arabian peninsula . with all this growth that we 're seeing right now , it must have a direct impact on the retail sector . what sort of annual growth are you experiencing ? -lrb- ma -rrb- : we 're experiencing close to 25 percent annual growth , if not 30 percent in some cases , like in dubai . -lrb- jd -rrb- : do you have any sort of concerns that this is going to be a bubble like the 1970s where the money was not deployed correctly ? it seems different from my vantage point , do you share that view ? -lrb- ma -rrb- : there is a new generation of people from the region that are leading businesses and strong leadership in the government that have mitigated any concern . and if you see now the statistics , the gulf is the seventh largest economy in the world . in ten , in 15 years time , it will be the fifth . so i see a new mindset , a new attitude . -lrb- jd -rrb- : one of the other things i wanted to ask you about is your moves into other countries . the alshaya group is very well known throughout the arabian peninsula , but you 're moving into other markets , into eastern europe , specifically into russia . do you have the expertise to go into these markets ? -lrb- ma -rrb- : well , yes . we have the expertise , and the expertise is by really retaining good management , and traveling with them into new markets . i 'm not going to open shops myself . we have a very strong team in russia ; russians that are taking our investment into good projects like starbucks which we opened two months ago , two stores . we acquired a business there . so we have plans like mothercare , bodyshop , next . -lrb- jd -rrb- : so you can basically move this group into any city and have that potpourri of offers ? -lrb- ma -rrb- : we have the software . we have the software to launch the retail portfolio into a new market . -lrb- jd -rrb- : obviously you 're a family business . you feel quite strongly about preserving culture and the family structure , and the need for family businesses to create jobs , because they represent 75 percent of all turnover in the gulf . -lrb- ma -rrb- : we have a social responsibility toward our people . we have to make sure we have jobs for them if the government is not going to compete , and is going to take away some of the people who would be relevant to our business . another issue that might challenge us to do that is the wealth creation -- whether -lrb- potential employees -rrb- would be attracted to be in a department store selling or in a coffee shop making coffee -- that , we will see . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>when la senza collapsed into administration in 2012 , there were 1,300 redundancies and the closure of more than 100 outlets . however , 1,100 jobs were saved when 60 of its stores were sold by kpmg to the uk arm of kuwait-based alshaya . the uk business changed its name to marnixheath in january .<doc-sep>repeated its warning that there were ` material uncertainties ' which may . cast doubt on the group 's ability to continue . freddie george , a retail analyst at seymour pierce stockbrokers , said the update was marginally better than expected . an arabian retail group is poised to buy part of high street lingerie chain la senza , its owner said today . alshaya , which owns stakes in a number of british retailers including next , debenhams and mothercare , is in advanced talks to buy part of the business - understood to be 60 stores - as part of a pre-pack administration deal . around 80 shops remain under threat of closure after la senza , which is owned by private equity firm lion capital , announced its intention before christmas to appoint an administrator , which is now expected to be kpmg . as well as tough trading conditions , the chain has been weighed down by leases agreed by sister lingerie chain contessa with which it merged in 2007 . a spokeswoman for lion capital said : ` we can confirm that alshaya , a leading international retail franchise operator , is in advanced discussions with la senza regarding a potential acquisition of part of the uk la senza business . ' theo paphitis , dragons ' den star and former owner of la senza , disclosed the pending deal on his twitter feed over the weekend . he said : ` good news and bad news re @lasenzauk heard that lion has done a deal to sell the business with about 60 shops to alshaya group . ' he added : ` the bad news re @lasenza is that the other 80 shops will be closed down or put in the hands of admin kpmg with resulting job losses.sad ! ' but chief executive simon fox added : . ` undoubtedly trading conditions and the consumer environment remain . challenging , but we remain confident in hmv 's future prospects . ' he added : ` it is encouraging that the hmv retail business has seen an improvement in trading although the like-for-like sales were still negative . ` we remain concerned , however , that net debt levels are high at # 160 million following the disposal of waterstone 's and hmv canada . ' elsewhere , hmv reported a 9.7 per cent decline in group like-for-like sales in the nine weeks to december 31 . the group said its previously announced strategic review of hmv live , which runs 13 venues and a number of festivals including lovebox in london and global gathering near stratford-upon-avon , was making good progress . the chain has felt the pressure of the consumer spending squeeze as cash-strapped customers turn to cheaper deals on the internet for music and film . hmv disclosed a bottom-line pre-tax loss of # 45.7 million in the 26 weeks to october 29 , compared with # 27.4 million the previous year , while like-for-like retail sales fell 13.2 per cent in the seven weeks to december 17 . the group previously announced the closure of up to 40 stores in a bid to make millions of pounds of cost savings , with 15 shut in the first half of the year . meanwhile , the sale of waterstone 's and hmv canada raised the group # 55 million and ensured a # 220 million refinancing deal with its lending banks . hmv was the first of many retailers to report this week on their performance over the christmas break with marks & spencer , argos owner home retail group , chocolatier thorntons and supermarkets tesco and sainsbury all publishing updates .<doc-sep>he was ` walled ' -- pushed around in a small room so that his shoulder blades hit the plywood walls with a ` boom . ' interrogators grabbed him by the collar and yanked him -- the ` attention grab . ' they squeezed his face been their hands and held it still -- the ` facial hold . ' and they slapped him in the face , specifically between the chin and the bottom of the earlobe -- the ` insult slap . ' finally he was waterboarded -- water was poured on his face while he was tied down , simulating drowning . operatives did this 183 times . the 30 other cia detainees broke down much more easily , usually the first time an interrogator slapped them . al-qaeda operatives were trained that their american captures would never touch them , the post reported . but none of those techniques ever broke mohammed , a kuwaiti who studied in greensboro , north carolina . he still claimed he did n't speak any english and knew only urdu , the language of muslim indians and pakistanis . finally , the cia resolved to keep mohammed awake . he was restrained in stress positions , being forced to stand or squat in an uncomfortable and tiring pose . interrogators told him he would be allowed to sleep as soon as he politely asked them if he could lay down . it took 180 hours , rodriquez said , but mohammed finally broke and began spilling information in torrents . still , rodriquez says mohammed was treated better than an american could have expected in the hands of al-qaeda . ` it was much kinder than anything he would have done to an american captive , like danny pearl , ' he told the post . pearl , a wall street journal reporter , was kidnapped in pakistan by 2002 . he was beheaded on video by mohammed . the intelligence collected from mohammad because of the interrogation techniques led to several terrorist plots because uncovered , including a 2003 plan to replicate the september 11 attacks on the west coast -- this time with southeast asian shoe-bombers aboard planes . | <t> mme speaks with mohammed alshaya , ceo of m.h. alshaya 's retail division . </t> <t> retail division seeing annual growth of 25 percent , up to 30 percent in dubai . </t> <t> group taking starbucks , mothercare , body shop into eastern europe , russia . </t> <t> on gcc single currency : it is a huge leap towards efficiency , conciliation . </t> | face time with mohammed alshaya<T> |
london , england -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the family of a british soldier serving in afghanistan has been forced from their home after a poisonous spider hitched a ride back with him and apparently killed their pet dog . the camel spider 's bite is not deadly to humans but can kill small animals . lorraine griffiths and her three children , aged 18 , 16 , and 4 , moved out of their house in colchester , southeast england , and are refusing to return until the spider is apprehended , the uk press association reported . griffiths told the east anglian daily times that the spider appeared after her husband , rodney , returned from a four-month tour of duty in helmand province , the arid southern afghan frontline in the fight against taliban extremists .<doc-sep>`` my son ricky was in my bedroom looking for his underwear , and he went into the drawer under my bed , and something crawled across his hand , '' she told the paper . she said their pet dog cassie confronted the creature , which they identified on the internet as a camel spider , but ran out whimpering when it hissed at her . watch the family that has been terrorized by the spider '' `` it seems too much of a coincidence that she died at the same time that we saw the spider , '' she said . the desert-dwelling camel spider , actually an insect rather than an arachnid , can run up to 25 kilometers -lrb- 15 miles -rrb- an hour and reach 15 centimeters -lrb- 6 inches -rrb- in length . its bite is not deadly to humans but can kill small animals .<doc-sep>london , england -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the family of a british soldier serving in afghanistan has been forced from their home after a poisonous spider hitched a ride back with him and apparently killed their pet dog . the camel spider 's bite is not deadly to humans but can kill small animals . lorraine griffiths and her three children , aged 18 , 16 , and 4 , moved out of their house in colchester , southeast england , and are refusing to return until the spider is apprehended , the uk press association reported . griffiths told the east anglian daily times that the spider appeared after her husband , rodney , returned from a four-month tour of duty in helmand province , the arid southern afghan frontline in the fight against taliban extremists .<doc-sep>questioned : stephen mclaughlin , 34 , was quizzed for at least four days over the death of an afghan sikh found crammed inside a container that had come from belgium to tilbury docks . the trucker being questioned by police over the death of an afghan stowaway was held as he drove home to his family . detectives stopped stephen mclaughlin 's blue volvo lorry on tuesday near the bungalow in northern ireland he shares with partner ann-marie harkin , 32 , and their four young children , it was revealed last night . yesterday mr mclaughlin , 34 , was still being questioned on suspicion of manslaughter and people trafficking after a man suffocated to death in a container at tilbury docks in essex on saturday . meet singh kapoor , 40 , was one of 35 afghan sikhs -- including 13 children -- found crammed inside the container , which had just arrived from belgium . mr mclaughlin , from limavady , near londonderry was flown to essex for questioning on wednesday night . a second man , aged 33 and from londonderry , was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter and people smuggling after he went to a police station in essex on wednesday afternoon . last night both men remained in custody . detectives from the police service of northern ireland have searched mr mclaughlin 's home .<doc-sep>`` my son ricky was in my bedroom looking for his underwear , and he went into the drawer under my bed , and something crawled across his hand , '' she told the paper . she said their pet dog cassie confronted the creature , which they identified on the internet as a camel spider , but ran out whimpering when it hissed at her . watch the family that has been terrorized by the spider '' `` it seems too much of a coincidence that she died at the same time that we saw the spider , '' she said . the desert-dwelling camel spider , actually an insect rather than an arachnid , can run up to 25 kilometers -lrb- 15 miles -rrb- an hour and reach 15 centimeters -lrb- 6 inches -rrb- in length . its bite is not deadly to humans but can kill small animals .<doc-sep>in nature , it is very rare to find a david versus goliath situation where the former emerges victorious . but that 's exactly what happened when a solitary tiny spider from the negev desert in israel took down an ant four times its size . and this was n't just a one-time event - the fearless zodarian cyrenaicum regularly hunts down and kills creatures bigger than itself , proving it 's not just size that matters in the natural world . this first image in an incredible sequence shows the moment a juvenile zodarian cyrenaicum spider attacked and killed a worker ant up to six times its own size . here the juvenile approaches its prey and gets ready to unleash its paralysing venom . the spider . measures a measly three millimetres -lrb- 0.12 inches -rrb- on average , but it routinely attacks ants up to 17 millimetres -lrb- 0.7 inches -rrb- in size - and it actually prefers . to fight the ` goliaths ' as opposed to picking on creatures its own size . juvenile spiders of the species zodarion cyrenaicum climb on the dorsal side of an ant . here they deliver an immobilising venomous bite to the abdomen , thus avoiding . retaliation by the immediately helpless prey . the venom glands of adult ant-eating spiders are more than 50 times larger than those of the juveniles . however , it only takes about twice as long for the venom of the younger spiders to take effect . this suggests that this spider species possesses very potent venom already at the juvenile stage . details about how it attacks and kills its prey with a venomous bite were published in the journal the science of nature . | <t> uk family forced from home as poisonous insect hitches in from afghanistan . </t> <t> camel spider believed to have stowed away in soldier 's luggage . </t> <t> family blames creature for death of pet dog cassie . </t> | stowaway afghan spider kills family dog<T> |
-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- a magazine photo spread of taliban fighters posing in the uniforms of 10 french soldiers killed last month has sparked an angry response . one of the pictures in the french magazine paris match that has stirred controversy . the latest edition of paris match includes photos of the taliban fighters and their commander , `` farouki , '' wearing french uniforms , helmets and using french assault rifles and walkie-talkies . farouki , aged 30-35 , claims in the accompanying story to have led his group in the august 18 ambush which killed 10 french troops and injured a further 21 in the sarobi district , 40 miles east of kabul . it was the french army 's single highest death toll in 25 years . he said the area was `` our territory '' and the attack was a `` legitimate '' part of its defense . farouki said it did not need a lot of planning , with the french soldiers only spotted a short time before the assault . he said the soldiers had died for '' -lsb- george w. -rsb- bush 's '' cause and that if france did not return the rest of its troops home they would all be killed .<doc-sep>farouki said they would continue fighting till the last man . see more on paris match 's web site . french defense minister herve morin accused the magazine of helping the taliban . `` should we be doing the taliban 's promotion for them ? '' he asked in the french daily newspaper liberation . joel le pahun , father of one of the killed soldiers , told the newspaper the pictures were `` despicable . '' green mp daniel cohn-bendit called them `` voyeurism . '' however , paris match editor laurent valdiguie defended the publication , saying it was `` legitimate '' given the importance of the story . the story 's author , eric de lavarène , said only he and photographer véronique de viguerie met the group and he asked his questions via their `` fixer . ''<doc-sep>this sickening image shows armed taliban militants standing over decapitated heads which they claim belong to soldiers they killed in clashes on the pakistan border . the pakistani taliban released a video showing what appeared to be the severed heads of a dozen soldiers today as security officials said 15 troops were missing following fighting with insurgents . the clashes on tuesday came as part of a pakistan army operation to repel taliban militants who had crossed over from kunar province in afghanistan last friday and occupied the village of batwar in the bajaur tribal district . horrendous : taliban militants stand over a dozen . decapitated heads which they claim belong to soldiers they killed in . clashes on the pakistan border . ` at least 15 of our soldiers are still missing , ' a senior security official told afp . another security official said ` more or less ' that many soldiers were missing but declined to give the exact total . tehreek-e-taliban pakistan -lrb- ttp -rrb- spokesman sirajud din sent afp a video showing a militant commander posing with 12 heads arranged on the ground which he claimed were from soldiers they had killed . ` praise be to god that the mujahideen in bajaur agency have managed to kill the infidel soldiers of pakistan , ' he says . ` many of them were killed by bullets , 12 of them as you see have been beheaded , you see 12 heads here , and more heads are on the way . ' the commander , his face unmasked and wearing traditional tribal dress , is flanked in the footage by around a dozen armed men including one wielding a huge axe . the video showed belongings from the dead men laid out on a sheet , including pakistani identity cards , camouflage pattern helmets , pakistani currency , mobile phones and bank cards . military sources have so far not said whether they are the missing soldiers or confirmed that those shown in the video are pakistani troops . killed : mullah dadullah , seen right , a regional .<doc-sep>four soldiers are dead after the taliban used a remote-controlled bomb to blow-up a bus in afghanistan today . the terrorist group claimed responsibility for the attack which was the latest in an onslaught on afghan security forces ahead of the withdrawal of foreign combat forces at the end of this year . the soldiers were on their way to work when the bomb , buried in the road , was detonated as it passed by in southwestern kabul , ministry of defence spokesman general zahir azimi said . scroll down for video . a solider stands guard in front of the bus which the taliban has claimed responsibility for bombing resulting in the deaths of four afghan soldiers and the wounding of 12 other passengers . an afghan national army soldier has a blackened face after surviving the blast . the bomb , buried in the road , was detonated as the bus passed by in southwestern kabul . the bombing is the latest in a series of attacks against afghan troops ahead of the withdrawal of foreign forces later this year . twelve people were wounded in the blast , including six soldiers and six civilian passers-by , he said . taliban spokesman zabihullah mujahid said the group were behind the attack ` on the slave soldiers ' bus ' . the taliban are fighting to expel foreign forces and oust the u.s.-backed government . a soldier caught-up in the blast is assisted by other army personnel to clean soot from his face . the taliban claimed responsibility for the attack ` on the slave soldiers bus ' ; the soldiers were travelling to work . afghan army personnel tow away the bus which had its windows blown out in the bomb blast . an afghan policeman stands guards at the scene while onlookers wait behind a police cordon . casualties among afghan army and police have soared in the past year as national forces have taken over most of the fight against the taliban and their jihadist allies . the number of soldiers killed last year nearly quadrupled to 4,451 over the previous year for the afghan calendar that ends in march , according to ministry of defence statistics .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- in late november , u.s. soldiers were supervising artillery training for afghan troops in nangarhar province , close to the pakistan border . after they climbed a ridge to assess the impact area , an afghan border policeman suddenly turned on them and opened fire . seconds later , six americans and their assailant were dead . it was one of the deadliest incidents of what the military call `` green on blue '' -- a euphemism for attacks by members of the afghan security forces on their allies in the international force known as isaf . they have risen sharply over the past year , raising fears that the taliban are infiltrating the afghan national army and police force . but military analysts and intelligence officials say the reality is more complicated . the taliban said they had recruited the border policeman , but his real motive was never established , and it transpired that he 'd had an argument with his father over his choice of bride . in an even deadlier incident , an afghan air force officer shot dead eight u.s. air force personnel and a u.s. contractor at kabul international airport in march . but there is little to suggest he was a taliban infiltrator either . according to a nato analysis seen by cnn , `` green on blue '' attacks have killed 52 u.s. and allied soldiers since 2005 , many of them in the past year .<doc-sep>streatfeild has written a book attacking the mod over equipment failures and tactics used against the taliban . ` honourable warriors ' will be serialised in the mail on sunday . killed : lance corporal michael pritchard was 22 . streatfeild says : ` on the night of lance corporal michael pritchard 's death , the section commander 's radio stopped working and none of the soldiers on pritchard 's patrol had a back-up radio capable of sending a message to the british sniper before he fired the fatal shot which killed pritch . ` he thought he was shooting at taliban fighters who appeared to preparing a roadside explosive device 2,500 ft away . ` actually he was shooting at his own men -- pritch and another soldier who survived the incident . ' at an inquest , a coroner blamed military ` failures ' for pritchard 's death . ` to use a bomb detector effectively when you 're under enemy fire takes hundreds of hours of practice , ' streatfeild says . due to kit shortages only three devices , known as vallons , were available to his 140 men to train on before they deployed to afghanistan . he adds : ` so my soldiers had less time to use the equipment . waving a stick was no substitute for practising with a bomb detector . ' in sangin , one in four vallon operators , including rifleman martin kinggett , were killed or seriously injured . ` i sent 25 soldiers on driving courses so they could use the mastiff , an armoured vehicle which provides protection against mines , ' says streatfeild . ` when we got to sangin there was not one armoured or mine-proof vehicle in our base . we were furious and felt bitterly let down , having been told that we would be able to use mastiffs . this was a disgrace -- these vehicles would have saved lives . so for months we walked everywhere and were very vulnerable . ' | <t> photos of taliban in the uniforms of dead french soldiers provokes outrage . </t> <t> magazine paris match features photos of taliban and their commander . </t> <t> 10 french troops were killed and a further 21 injured in an ambush . </t> | furor over pics of taliban in dead soldiers ' kit<T> |
join roland martin for his weekly sound-off segment on cnn.com live at 10:30 a.m. et wednesday . if you 're passionate about politics , he wants to hear from you . roland martin says journalists do n't serve the public if they push rumors . -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- two recent stories are a prime example of how important it is for the media to confront the reality of rumors in the age of the internet . one week before comedian bernie mac passed away , text messages and e-mails were flying all over the country with reports that he had died . i was in new york , and friends and colleagues from chicago , illinois , to dallas , texas , and los angeles , california , were saying they knew for sure that the 50-year-old comedian was dead . the rumor mill was so hot that his publicist had to release a statement making it clear that he was not dead , which was subsequently published by the chicago sun-times . what makes this story important is that it was left to the publicist and the family to decide to quash the rumor with the truth , and it was our job in the media to go with the news because it was the latest information made available regarding his condition .<doc-sep>then there is the `` rumor '' of an affair by former north carolina senator and two-time presidential candidate john edwards . the story was broken by the national enquirer after months of digging . ultimately , a source came forward and was likely paid for the information that blew the lid off of the story ; the tabloid 's editor said `` you can assume '' the enquirer paid for it . the story exposed edwards as a liar for contending for two years that such an affair never happened . there has been a lot of hand wringing about why a major media outlet was n't able to verify the story and run with it . the heated discussions even reached the point where charlotte observer editor rick thames told pbs ' `` newshour with jim lehrer '' that since mainstream media no longer has the news cycle to itself , `` when rumor arises , we 're going to need to address it . and , unfortunately , we may need to address it before we can determine whether it 's true or not because it 's having impact , as it was in this case . '' sorry , rick , i disagree . the most fundamental aspect of being a journalist is that we do n't traffic in rumor and innuendo . none of us serves the public if we are in the business of pushing unverified stories into print or on the airwaves just so we can keep up with a rumor that is out of control .<doc-sep>running with such rumors has far-reaching implications . just check out this month 's vanity fair , where bryan burroughs has a great story on the collapse of bear stearns . the investment bank 's demise , some conclude , was all a result of baseless rumors suggesting the company had cash problems , even though it was sitting on $ 18 billion . the rumors kept going and going and when the story hit the airwaves , it spread like wildfire . in one week , bear stearns was no more , and former company executives are still trying to determine what killed the wall street behemoth . we should forget the nonsense about the competitive pressure to break the story . the rules are simple : either you have the facts or you do n't . if you do , you run with the story . if you do n't , you leave it alone . the national enquirer got the story because its reporters were able to confront edwards as he was leaving the beverly hills hotel room of the woman with whom he later admitted having an affair . then the paper got its hands on what it said was a photo of the 2004 democratic vice presidential nominee playing with a baby the enquirer said was the child of the mistress . with other major media outlets turning up the heat , edwards admitted the affair in an interview with abc 's bob woodruff .<doc-sep>no media executive should be pulling his or her hair out , trying to figure out why they chose not to spread the rumor . if they had , and the facts did n't support the rumor , then we would all look like fools and that would have angered the public even more . we have an obligation to stick with the facts , and nothing else . and no matter what a blogger , web site or tabloid paper has decided to run with , the day we choose to alter our standards , our credibility and integrity will be shot . in the end , as former abc news anchor max robinson said in 1988 , that 's all we 've got . nothing is worth losing that , even getting the scoop on an affair involving a candidate whose political career is likely over . roland s. martin is an award-winning journalist and cnn contributor . he is the author of `` listening to the spirit within : 50 perspectives on faith . '' please visit his web site at http://www.rolandsmartin.com/ . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the writer .<doc-sep>china 's leaders are keen to project an image of unity and harmony in the leadership . so why the delay in official reports ? hours before the news release tuesday , chinese sources say , communist party officials , from the top tiers of leadership down , were told of the impending news in closed-door briefings . `` officials decided to tell more people in the grassroots and that process took longer , '' says a chinese source . `` the announcement is meant to curb rumors and speculations . '' bo 's problems began when he fell out with chongqing police chief , wang lijun , who sought refuge briefly in the u.s. consulate in chengdu in february . in a commentary published wednesday , official newspaper the global times wrote : `` the past two months , there have been a lot of various rumors , but if we look at the whole process , the handling of the unexpected case of wang lijun shows that china has strong predictability . it can not be easily disrupted by some accident or uncertainty . '' still , the commentary can not hide the sense of anxiety among officials in charge of news in the mainstream media . hours before the news on bo was read by cctv announcers , producers at the network received by mobile text messaging an urgent notice : `` all producers and section chiefs must inform all staff , including freelancers , before 10 p.m. tonight : no one should use weibo and other internet tools to forward any untruthful statements . whether or not they were sent by real-name or anonymous bloggers . this is about news discipline ! please strictly and seriously abide . ''<doc-sep>editor 's note : campbell brown anchors cnn 's `` campbell brown : no bias , no bull '' at 8 p.m. et mondays through fridays . she delivered this commentary during the `` cutting through the bull '' segment of wednesday night 's broadcast . cnn 's campbell brown says it 's the media 's job to be annoying to the president-elect . -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- it goes without saying , the media is annoying . it is the media 's job to be annoying . especially those members of the media assigned to cover the president . or in this case the president-elect . their role is not to support president-elect barack obama , but to challenge him , to do their best to hold him accountable . this week the media is no doubt annoying obama with daily questions about democratic illinois gov. rod blagojevich allegedly trying to sell obama 's senate seat and the role of certain members of obama 's team . here was the exchange he had tuesday with a reporter from the chicago tribune : . john mccormick : you told us at your first press conference after the election that you were going to take a very hands-off approach to filling that spot . over the weekend , the tribune reported that rahm emanuel , your incoming chief of staff , had presented a list of potential names . watch campbell brown 's commentary '' obama : john , let me just cut you off , because i do n't want you to waste your question . as i indicated yesterday , we 've done a full review of this . the facts are going to be released next week . it would be inappropriate for me to comment , because the -- for example , the story that you just talked about in your own paper , i have n't confirmed that it was accurate , and i do n't want to get into the details at this point . so do you have another question ? mr. president-elect , this is the second time i have observed you doing this . cutting off a reporter because the question did n't suit you . mr. president-elect , this sort of approach reminds a lot of us of the current administration now packing up to go , and it frankly does n't fly in a democracy . you do n't get to choose the questions you get asked at a news conference . that 's not the way it works , even with a media that many believe has been more than friendly toward you , which makes it all the more surprising that you could act testy , annoyed or intolerant of any question you get . you have an extraordinarily high approval rating right now . people in this country who voted against you are pulling for you . these are desperate times for many americans and most of this country wants you to succeed . but you will not succeed if you discard the very ideals you promoted during your campaign : directness , honesty , candor , transparency , openness . you 've made a deal with the prosecutor to keep a lid on certain information about this investigation until next week . fine . but that does n't give you a blanket excuse to dismiss any and all questions associated with blagojevich or anything else . you are the one who embraced openness , and you could stand to be a little more open to it . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of campbell brown .<doc-sep>and across the border in pakistan surveys show osama bin laden has lost his luster among muslim youth . support for islamic extremists is dropping . the pakistani government is finally fighting back against the extremists who threaten the future of this mostly moderate muslim country . under pressure , the militants are lashing out in parts of the country . see christiane amanpour 's special report on `` generation islam '' unfortunately , at this crucial moment , people in america and europe are tiring of their governments ' support for the war in afghanistan and the battles in remote parts of pakistan . the agonized debate over strategy in washington hides the sad fact that since sending the taliban and al qaeda packing , shortsighted u.s. vision snatched defeat from the jaws of victory . the bush administration mostly ignored afghanistan while diverting its attention and resources to iraq . now that the u.s. is finally refocusing on the war in afghanistan it 's an opportunity to look at what is at stake : the urgency of finishing the job in afghanistan pitted against the real war-weariness of western voters . this is the dilemma of the modern world where the latest of life 's challenges such as the financial crisis , unemployment , new flu pandemics , health care , and the housing market dominate daily life . getting the job done in afghanistan will take years in time and resources . it will require faith and patience . the mass media is not the best place to reflect that . it does not usually focus on the hard slog , instead it is constantly in search of the new and the now . but the next time there is a major terrorist attack , in all likelihood it will have been generated by an organization somewhere near the border of pakistan and afghanistan . again , people will ask : why were n't our leaders and the media there to warn us of the dangers ? as a member of the media i believe that 's our job : to report the facts .<doc-sep>warning signs of violence : what to do . news outlets should never glorify killers in any way . in the chance that being on television and across the front pages could be a draw to killers , the news media must err on the side of caution in its coverage . the prime focus should be properly on the victims . and , i would add , on the victims ' friends and families , who tell us so movingly that they will remember . as teves said , `` you know , alex would have expected us to live . we 're going to live . '' to report that kind of love and guts is essential . still , when something like this happens , we are , as a society , like a tribe discussing the events around the campfire . reporters are something like the tribal scouts . there are wolves , and we have questions : how many wolves ? how do they act ? which way should we go ? how to help the victims . here , too , we have questions : who is this killer ? what concrete facts give clues to how he got that way ? is there any law or cultural change that might deter the next one ? were signals missed ? all of this matters . tell us about the wolves . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of mike hoyt . | <t> mac , edwards stories point out importance of confronting rumors , martin says . </t> <t> martin says rules are simple : if you have the facts , run with the story . </t> <t> martin says journalists should stick to that , no matter what hits the internet . </t> <t> that 's how journalists keep credibility and integrity , he says . </t> | commentary : media 's job is to focus on facts , not rumors<T> |
-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- swiss police were scrambling monday in search of three masked men who stole four impressionist paintings worth about $ 163 million -lrb- 180 million swiss francs -rrb- sunday in a heist police characterized as `` spectacular . '' claude monet 's `` poppies near vetheuil '' was one of the famous paintings stolen by the armed robbers . the three men entered the e.g. buehrle collection -- among the finest collections of impressionist and post-impressionist art in the world -- in zurich , switzerland , at around 4:30 p.m. cet -lrb- 8:30 a.m. et -rrb- , police said . one of the men threatened personnel at the museum 's front door with a pistol and forced them to the ground , police said , while the other two men went into an exhibition room and stole four oil paintings by paul cezanne , edgar degas , claude monet and vincent van gogh . afterward , the three men loaded the paintings -- monet 's `` poppies near vetheuil , '' degas ' `` count lepic and his daughters , '' van gogh 's `` blossoming chestnut branches '' and cezanne 's `` boy in a red vest '' -- into a white car parked in front of the museum and then drove off , police said . police said the men were wearing dark clothes and hoods , and one of them spoke german with a slavic accent . they were all of average height , police said . there is a reward of $ 91,000 -lrb- 100,00 swiss francs -rrb- for information leading to the return of the paintings , police said . the swiss art heist follows the recent theft in switzerland of two paintings by pablo picasso , bjoern quellenberg , a spokesman for the kunsthaus , a major art museum in zurich , said . the ` dumbest ' form of art crime '' the director of the kunsthaus serves on the e.g. buhrle private art foundation 's council , quellenberg said . in that theft , thieves stole the paintings , the 1962 `` tete de cheval '' -lrb- `` horse 's head '' -rrb- and the 1944 `` verre et pichet '' -lrb- `` glass and pitcher '' -rrb- by picasso . they were on loan from a german museum and valued at $ 4.5 million when they were stolen february 6 , according to news reports . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>by . amy oliver and david baker . published : . 10:42 est , 12 april 2012 . | . updated : . 19:53 est , 12 april 2012 . this is the dramatic moment armed police swooped on a suspected thief accused of one of the biggest art heists in europe . serbian police officers held a hooded suspected robber at gunpoint in belgrade after paul cezanne 's # 68.3 million the boy in the red vest was recovered from a car boot . the work by the french post impressionist was stolen from the e . g buhrle collection in zurich along with three other masterpieces by . claude monet , vincent van gogh and edgar degas in 2008 . after delaying an announcement of what . the painting was , authorities produced cezanne 's famous painting worth $ 109million , at a news conference today . arrest : a serbian police officer points his gun at a suspected art robber in belgrade today paul cezanne 's ` the boy in the red vest ' was recovered . recovered : authorities named the painting as cezanne 's the boy in the red vest , thought to be worth # 68.3 million . -lrb- $ 109million -rrb- . an art expert is now being flown in from abroad to confirm the authenticity of the painting . monet 's poppy field at vetheuil and van gogh 's blossoming chestnut branches were discovered undamaged in a car parked at a mental hospital in zurich soon after the robbery . degas ' ludovic lepic and his daughter , worth about # 6.9 million -lrb- $ 11million -rrb- is still missing . search : a serbian forensic officer searches a vehicle for the masterpiece in belgrade . recovered : police display ` the boy in the red vest ' having discovered it in a car in the serbian capital . under surveillance : armed policemen guard the painting during a news conference today . police have now arrested three people in connection with the heist and dramatic footage shows police ordering one of the suspects to lay on the ground at gunpoint . images also show forensic teams scouring a car for the stolen painting , which was found hidden in the boot wrapped in cardboard . revealing the work at a news conference today the painting was closely guarded by two masked and armed police officers . also stolen : monet 's poppy field at vetheuil was also taken the heist - one of the biggest art thefts in europe - but was later recovered . beautiful : vincent van gogh 's blossoming chestnut branches , also taken in the robbery , was discovered alongside the monet undamaged in a car parked at a mental hospital in zurich soon after the heist . still missing : degas ' ludovic lepic and his daughter , worth about # 6.9 million -lrb- $ 11million -rrb- is still missing . untouched : however the thieves did n't take cezanne 's self portrait with palette - one of the most valuable paintings , insured for # 61.5 -lrb- $ 98million -rrb- . the heist was conducted by three armed and masked men who witnesses said spoke german with a slavic accent . they said police raids and the arrests in the capital of belgrade and in the central city of cacak were conducted in coordination with police from several european countries . art experts have suggested the robbers took advantage of a low-security museum without knowing about the paintings or how difficult it can be to sell such well-known stolen art works . the robbers took the first four paintings they reached when they raided the museum shortly before closing time on a sunday . although the most valuable painting was among the ones they took , they left behind the second most precious picture in the room , cezanne 's self portrait with palette , insured for # 61.5 -lrb- $ 98million -rrb- . the stolen works were among some 200 collected by billionaire pro-nazi industrialist emil buehrle who died in 1956 . he made his fortune producing weapons for hitler 's forces during the second world war , including anti-aircraft guns which brought down many british bombers . bare walls : lukas gloor , ceo of the e g buehrle collection in switzerland looks towards the bare wall where the cezanne , a monet , van gogh and edgar degas were taken in 2008 .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- paintings by famous modern artists disappeared from an exhibition in the netherlands in a predawn art heist tuesday , shutting down an exhibition in the kunsthal rotterdam , where works by pablo picasso , vincent van gogh , andy warhol and claude monet are on display . seven works of `` considerable value '' disappeared in the museum theft , spokeswoman mariette maaskant said on netherlands public radio . `` initial investigations show the burglar was well prepared , '' police said in a statement . painting from clapton 's collection nabs record price . rotterdam police said evidence has been secured and they are speaking with potential witnesses . investigators are also looking at security camera footage . the paintings include pablo picasso 's `` tete d'arlequin '' ; henri matisse 's `` la liseuse en blanc et jaune '' ; and claude monet 's `` waterloo bridge , london '' and `` charing cross bridge , london , '' rotterdam police said . the other three were paul gauguin 's `` femme devant une fenãªtre ouverte , dite la fiancee , '' meyer de haan 's `` autoportrait '' and lucian freud 's `` woman with eyes closed . ''<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- police have recovered two of the four impressionist paintings stolen earlier this month in a daring museum heist , police in zurich , switzerland said tuesday . claude monet 's `` poppies near vetheuil '' has been recovered by swiss police . the monet and van gogh oil paintings were in good condition , police said , and the search continued for the other two -- a cezanne and a degas . a parking lot attendant at the psychiatric university hospital in zurich found the paintings monday afternoon in the back of an unlocked white car , police said .<doc-sep>it was not clear how long the car , an opel omega with stolen license plates , had been parked on the lot , police said . `` the two paintings , worth about 70 million francs -lrb- $ 64 million -rrb- , are in good condition and are still protected by the original glass covering , '' police said in a statement . three masked men stole the four paintings in what police called a `` spectacular '' heist feb. 11 at the e.g. buhrle collection -- among the finest collections of impressionist and post-impressionist art in the world . one of the men threatened personnel at the museum 's front door with a pistol and forced them to the ground , police said , while the other two men went into an exhibition room and stole four oil paintings by paul cezanne , edgar degas , claude monet and vincent van gogh . | <t> artworks worth $ 163m stolen in zurich art heist . </t> <t> haul includes pieces by cezanne , van gogh , degas and monet . </t> <t> heist follows recent thefts in switzerland of artworks by picasso . </t> | van gogh , monet art goes in $ 163m heist<T> |
-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- three americans rescued last week from captivity in the colombian jungle left a medical center for their homes saturday , hoping for some time out of the spotlight as they reconnect with loved ones . left to right , thomas howes , keith stansell and marc gonsalves address reporters before flying home saturday . keith stansell , marc gonsalves and thomas howes -- hostages of the revolutionary armed forces of colombia for more than five years -- left the brooke army medical center in san antonio , texas . `` there 's family members that are waiting for us , and just imagine if you had n't seen your family in 5 1/2 years , '' stansell said , asking the media to allow the former captives some space . `` let us go home and be family men again . '' `` we 're going to come out and we 're going to talk , but right now , what we want to do is rest , '' gonsalves said . all three were headed home to florida , and stansell and howes flashed their new florida driver 's licenses before they boarded a plane . the three men had been undergoing a reintegration process at the medical center . farc had held the three u.s. government contractors since february 2003 after their plane went down in a remote region of the south american country . they and former colombian presidential candidate ingrid betancourt were among 15 hostages rescued on july 2 in a colombian military operation . the three americans arrived at brooke army medical center later that day .<doc-sep>the three americans urged the media not to forget the hundreds of other hostages still held by farc . `` do n't forget the people that are still there , '' stansell said . `` there are fellow hostages that are still there . some have 10 years -lsb- as a hostage -rsb- , '' he said . `` right this minute , they 're in chains , looking for food , and they 're on the run . and their families have n't seen them in 10 years . '' it is estimated that farc holds some 750 hostages . the leftist rebel group took up arms in 1964 and grew from a rag-tag band of 48 fighters to a self-styled `` people 's army '' of more than 21,000 combatants in 2001 , according to colombian government figures . the government now estimates the farc fighting force has dwindled to around 8,000 after a wave of desertions . on saturday , the rescued americans talked of looking forward to spending time with their relatives . `` we 're going to go home now . we 're going to rest , we 're going to unwind for about a month and a half , '' gonsalves said .<doc-sep>a plane the men were on crashed in february 2003 in a remote region of colombia . they were among 15 hostages , including ex-colombian presidential candidate ingrid betancourt , rescued wednesday in a colombian military operation . read how the military faked out the rebels . the farc still holds more than 700 hostages in camps scattered throughout the jungle . bradley , who is a paramedic , earlier said all three americans appeared to be in good medical condition . marc gonsalves ' father said he would see his son thursday . `` we have a lot to talk about , '' george gonsalves told cnn 's `` american morning . '' `` there 's been a lot of things that have happened , and i 'm sure there 's a lot of things that have happened with him that we 'd certainly like to exchange a little conversation for about two or three hours anyway . '' keith stansell said he was on the beach when his stepfather called with the news of his father 's release .<doc-sep>hostages caught in sydney 's 17-hour terror siege have revealed how some of them managed to escape when the gunman 's back was turned . before the siege in sydney 's martin place came to a dramatic end , the world watched as individuals and small groups emerged from the premises with terror in their eyes . at first it was thought the self-styled sheikh man haron monis had released them , but it was later confirmed that they fled when he dropped his guard . scroll down for video . chilling warning : gunman man haron monis told hostages he would start killing them if they tried to escape in ` an eye for an eye ' after five captives managed to get free , including cafe worker elly chen . five hostages escaped hours before the final showdown with police left two hostages and the gunman dead . their brave escape prompted an angry response from monis , who threatened to take ` an eye for an eye ' . a 19-year-old who was being held captive rang the daily telegraph newspaper to tell of his ordeal and relay the gunman 's demands . ` if someone else runs , someone dies , ' the terrified young man quoted monis as telling his captives . the hostage described the moment monas , 49 , who was charged with ordering the killing of his ex-wife , put a gun to his head and told him to broadcast his demands to the media . the hostage crisis was confirmed to have ended at 3am tuesday morning after seven hostages fled the cafe . at approximately 2.10 am on tuesday morning the crisis ended dramatically , with police using live ammunition and stun grenades to disorient the gunman and attempt to rescue the hostages remaining inside the building . ` i have had a shotgun put at my head and all -lrb- he -rrb- wants is -lrb- the demands met -rrb- . we are all afraid . i do n't think you need to have ever had a shotgun placed at your head , ' ` yes we do need help , but that will only happen if demands are met . we have been treated very well , ' he said . the call came after five of up to 20 hostages taken when monis stormed the cafe around 9.30 am on monday managed to escape out of a fire door . hours later , at shortly after 2am on tuesday morning the crisis ended dramatically , with police using live ammunition and stun grenades as they stormed the cafe moments after six of the remaining hostages made a break for it and appeared outside the cafe .<doc-sep>a family is in hiding after the wrong magistrate was accused of being responsible for the release on bail of deranged terrorist man haron monis . police have been regularly monitoring the family home of darryl pearce after he was incorrectly singled out as the presiding court official who released monis , despite the 50-year-old facing more than 40 offences . ` they are very overwhelmed by it all , ' a family friend told daily mail australia . scroll down for video . deranged gunman man haron monis pictured in 2009 leaving downing centre local court after he had been charged with seven counts of unlawfully using the postal service to menace , after sending harassing letters to families of killed australian soldiers . a sydney magistrate is in hiding after being wrongly accused of granting him bail during a separate court case . hostages flee the lindt cafe in the early hours of tuesday morning as the sydney siege reached a tragic climax . a hostage escapes the clutches of crazed terrorist man haron monis during the sydney siege . a police raid on the house of amirah droudis , the girlfriend of dead sydney siege gunman man haron monis . amirah droudis , girlfriend of dead sydney siege gunman man haron monis , pictured arriving at police station in western sydney after the fatal shootout . the self-proclaimed sheik , man haron monis , was on bail facing charges of being an accessory to the murder of his ex-wife , when he stormed the central sydney cafe on monday and held 17 people hostage . monis and two of his hostages died at the end of the near 17-hour siege . but a mix-up over whether the magistrate 's name was pierce or pearce has caused heartache for the latter . mr pearce 's family have been the subject of tirades of abuse , and even death threats , after it was claimed , incorrectly , that he had made the bail decision . ' i guess is a natural reaction by some members of the public who feel obliged to stick their head up and make an issue of it but sometimes they do too much , ' the daily mail was told . the woman would n't elaborate on the level of threats but confirmed there had been serious warnings levelled at the pearce family and police were at the premises . ` they 're worried about the unknown , the fact that it has gone way too far and they were wrongly singled out especially by those who are just ranting about the issue and using the wrong name . ` they just want to keep their heads down and are very guarded about who they speak to now . ' the department of justice refused to confirm that mr pearce and his family were under police protection , a spokesman telling daily mail australia that they would not be drawn on the matter .<doc-sep>she has been described as a ` sweet girl ' . the family and friends of other hostages have also expressed their concern and desperation as up to 50 people continue to be held in the cafe for around eight hours . police stand outside the siege : the family and friends of hostages have expressed their concern and desperation as an unknown number of people continue to be held in the cafe . a family friend of another hostage told daily mail australia they were in the dark about what was going on . ` we were n't told anything at all and we heard there was a place for family to sit and wait but -lsb- officers -rsb- did n't know anything about it , ' the family friend said . ` but then again how do they -lsb- officers -rsb- know we are for real -lsb- actually family -rsb- ? ' witnesses have described the frantic scene leading up the siege , saying they heard screams before police swarmed martin place . | <t> ex-farc hostages leave texas medical center 10 days after rescue . </t> <t> freed men ask for privacy , saying they want to spend time with relatives . </t> <t> men ask media to not forget about hostages who still held in colombia . </t> | ex-hostages head home to ` be family men again '<T> |
-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- a humanitarian plane carrying 17 people -- most of them relief workers -- has crashed during a storm in a mountainous region in the democratic republic of congo , the united nations said tuesday . file image of a beechcraft 1900 aircraft . search and rescue crews were not immediately able to land their helicopter in the area and determine whether anyone survived the crash in the east of the country , said christope illemassene , spokesman for the u.n. office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs -lrb- ocha -rrb- in the capital city of kinshasa . but air serv international , the relief group that operated the plane , said an aerial survey has indicated that all the occupants on the beechcraft 1900 plane died . the plane was on a routine flight from kinsasha to the eastern city of goma on monday , with three stops , illemassene said .<doc-sep>air-traffic controllers lost contact with the plane when it approached bukavu , the last of its three intermediate stops . the weather in the area was stormy at the time , illemassene said . search and rescue crews spotted the plane 's debris tuesday , about 9.4 miles -lrb- 15 km -rrb- northwest of the bukavu airport , illemassene said . `` we 're anxiously waiting for results from the search and rescue operation , '' he said . `` we 're really hoping the peacekeepers are able to land near the site and confirm whether there are any survivors . '' air serv international , based in the u.s. state of virginia , is one of several groups that provides transport services to relief organizations in the democratic republic of congo .<doc-sep>the past 12 months have been the worst for aviation fatalities so far this decade - with the total of number of people killed if airline crashes reaching 1,050 even before the air asia plane vanished . two incidents involving malaysia airlines planes - one over eastern ukraine and the other in the indian ocean - led to the deaths of 537 people , while an air algerie crash in mali killed 116 and transasia airways crash in taiwan killed a further 49 people . the remaining 456 fatalities were largely in incidents involving small commercial planes or private aircraft operating on behalf of companies , governments or organisations . despite 2014 having the highest number of fatalities so far this decade , the total number of crashes was in fact the lowest since the first commercial jet airliner took off in 1949 - totalling just 111 across the whole world over the past 12 months . the all-time deadliest year for aviation was 1972 when a staggering 2,429 people were killed in a total of 55 plane crashes - including the crash of aeroflot flight 217 , which killed 174 people in russia , and convair 990 coronado , which claimed 155 lives in spain . however this year 's total death count of 1,212 , including those presumed dead on board the missing air asia flight , marks a significant rise on the very low 265 fatalities in 2013 - which led to it being named the safest year in aviation since the end of the second world war . scroll down for videos . deadly : the past 12 months have been the worst for aviation fatalities so far this decade - with the total of number of people killed if airline crashes reaching 1,158 even before the air asia plane -lrb- pictured -rrb- vanished . fatal : two incidents involving malaysia airlines planes - one over eastern ukraine -lrb- pictured -rrb- and the other in the indian ocean - led to the deaths of 537 people . surprising : despite 2014 having the highest number of fatalities so far this decade , the total number of crashes was in fact the lowest since the first commercial jet airliner took off in 1949 . 2014 has been a horrific year for malaysia-based airlines , with 537 people dying on malaysia airlines planes , and a further 162 people missing and feared dead in this week 's air asia incident . in total more than half the people killed in aviation incidents this year had been flying on board malaysia-registered planes . in january a total of 12 people lost their lives in five separate incidents , while the same number of crashes in february killed 107 . there were only three fatal incidents in march , but the still-unexplained incident involving malaysia airlines flight mh370 left 239 people dead , bringing the total to 248 . april saw two incidents with a total of 10 people killed , before a spike in incidents in may saw five fatal crashes leading to 35 people losing their lives , and seven crashes in june killed 64 . july was by far the worst month for aviation fatalities this year , with a malaysia airlines plane being shot down over eastern ukraine killing 298 people , 116 people dying in an air algérie downing in mali , and 48 dead in the transasia airways crash in taiwan . two other crashes killed six people bringing the total dead in airline incidents in july to 468 . in august five crashes led to the deaths of 60 people , before a decline in september saw three downed planes and 12 killed , and three october incidents resulted in the deaths of 10 people . a further two crashes in november saw 11 people lose their lives . before the disappearance of the air asia flight there had already been three fatal plane crashes this month , killing 13 people . air asia flight qz8501 had 155 passengers on board and seven crew - all of whom are missing and feared to be dead . wrekage : the remains of malaysia airlines flight mh17 is seen after being shot down over eastern ukraine . horror : 298 people were killed when malaysia airlines flight mh17 was shot out of the sky in july . despite the heavy death toll , 2014 actually had the lowest number of crashes since the first commercial jet airliner took off in 1949 - just 111 in the past 12 months . ` it will probably come as a surprise to most people , but really it was a very safe year , ' paul hayes , of the flight consultancy business ascend told the wall street journal . over the past 65 years , the aviation accident rate has been declining rapidly , despite more and more people taking to the skies every year . the current crash rate is 2.1 for every million planes that takes the skies - with the odds even lower on large commercial aircraft . however the distressing disappearance of airasia flight qz8501 is the latest installment in indonesia 's checkered airline history which has seen the deaths of almost 650 people in 20 years . the nation has struggled with its air safety record over the past two decades as the airline market in southeast asia faced unparalleled demand for low-cost flights from a rapidly expanding population .<doc-sep>according to a statement issued last week by the rwandan government , the joint military operation is aimed at driving out the fdlr and former members of the interhamwe militia , `` remnants of those who spearheaded the 1994 genocide against tutsis . '' michael arunga , a kenya-based spokesman for the world vision aid organization , said his colleagues in goma -- a city in eastern congo -- told him that rwandan troops arrived tuesday morning in the village of ishsha , outside of goma . arunga said he had no knowledge of rwandan troops being in congo before . a u.n. statement said the fdlr has been involved in clashes since late august mainly in north kivu , `` where the national army , the mainly tutsi militia -- known as the cndp -- and other rebel groups ... have fought in shifting alliances , uprooting around 250,000 civilians on top of the 800,000 already displaced by violence in recent years . '' see photos from mia farrow 's trip to the democratic republic of congo '' a report by a u.n. security council panel last month said rwanda and congo were fighting a brutal proxy war for territory and precious natural resources in eastern congo , and all parties involved in the conflict were using execution , rape and child soldiers as tools of war . the report , filed by a panel of u.n. experts , `` found evidence that rwandan authorities have sent officers and units of the rwanda defense forces '' into congo in support of congo rebel leader laurent nkunda 's fighters . cnn 's carolina sanchez contributed to this report .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- a catholic aid organization operating in the democratic republic of congo and the country 's government have accused uganda-based rebels of massacring 400 civilians during christmas celebrations last week . the lord 's resistance army , led by joseph kony , has been accused of many atrocities . the united nations peacekeeping force in congo put the death toll at 189 and said the lord 's resistance army rebels also abducted 20 children . caritas international expressed its `` shock '' at the killing spree in northeastern congo , blaming the rebels for attacking a christmas day concert sponsored by the catholic church in the town of faradje . lra rebels also burned down a church in another village , it said . `` the areas have been plundered , leaving the people in desperate need of aid , '' the organization said in a news release issued on monday . `` caritas says that the number of dead bodies risk spreading disease . '' several congolese officials and two catholic priests were among those killed in faradje , according to the u.n. peacekeeping mission in congo , known by its french acronym monuc . the rebels torched 120 homes in faradje , and looted the rest of the village -- forcing its 30,000 residents to flee to neighboring towns -- according to the u.n. , citing humanitarian workers in the region . congo 's communications minister lambert mende omalanga told cnn that the attacks happened as the rebels were fleeing congolese army forces and victims were `` mostly women , children and old men -- those who could not run and escape . '' congo 's army , along with ugandan and sudanese forces , launched a raid against lra rebels earlier this month . it came amid stalled peace negotiations intended to disarm lra leader joseph kony and end a rebellion that began in uganda over two decades ago when president yoweri museveni came to power . the lra , led by kony , who claims to have spiritual powers , sought to overthrow uganda 's government , demanding the constitution be replaced with a version of the ten commandments . the ugandan government and the rebels agreed to a cessation of hostilities in august 2006 , but there have been outbursts of fighting since . the lra , which the u.s. state department describes as `` vicious and cult-like , '' is known for its unpredictable behavior . local villagers and international human rights groups have accused the rebels of committing widespread abuses , including recruiting young boys and girls as soldiers and sex slaves . in october 2005 , the international criminal court unsealed arrest warrants for five lra commanders , including kony , who is alleged to have `` ordered lra forces to begin a campaign of attacks against civilians in uganda '' in 2002 , according to the court . cnn 's ben brumfield contributed to this report .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- britain and france are calling for an additional 3,000 united nations troops in the democratic republic of congo , where the u.n. already has its biggest peacekeeping mission , a senior british diplomat said wednesday . a u.n. peacekeeper rides atop an armored vehicle last week in goma , democratic republic of congo . mark malloch-brown , the british foreign office minister for africa , the middle east and the united nations , announced a draft resolution on the troop increase while on a four-day mission to the war-torn congo . britain expects the u.n. security council to adopt the resolution by the end of the week , a spokeswoman for the british mission to the united nations said . the resolution follows calls from the united nations ' own peacekeeping experts , human rights watch , and local human rights groups in congo for more troops to support the 17,000 u.n. soldiers already there . a coalition of 44 organizations in eastern congo wrote to the security council on tuesday , pleading for more troops . `` this would help to prevent the atrocities that continue to be committed against civilians on an ever greater scale here in north kivu -lsb- province -rsb- , on the border of rwanda and uganda , '' the coalition wrote . fighting between government forces , allied militias and rebels under the command of laurent nkunda has forced an estimated 250,000 people to flee their homes since august . `` since august 28 , fighting has intensified in many areas , causing deaths , rapes , lootings , forced recruitment and further displacements of civilian populations , '' the local coalition wrote . `` the population has thus been immersed in unspeakable suffering . in the last few days , fighting has drawn closer to large populated areas , such as the town of goma . fighting has also invaded and torn apart the region of rutshuru , particularly in the town of kiwanja , where hundreds of civilian deaths have now been recorded . '' the letter echoes concerns expressed by the british aid group oxfam last week . `` the world is failing in its responsibility to protect the congo 's innocent civilians , '' juliette prodhan , the head of oxfam in congo , said in a statement released november 13 . watch international efforts to avoid a health catastrophe in congo '' `` there has been an increase in incidents of forced labor , rape and widespread brutality , according to assessments carried out by international agency oxfam over the past week , as armed men from all sides prey upon those who have sought ` sanctuary ' from the fighting in north kivu '' province , she said . another aid group , world vision , says the conflict in the african country is the deadliest since world war ii . the country has been at war since 1997 . `` the last decade of conflict has resulted in some 4 million deaths ; an estimated 1,200 people die every day due to ongoing epidemics and war-related causes ; some aid agencies estimate upward of 1,400 deaths per day , '' world vision said in a statement . the local groups in congo specifically requested help from the european union , which can deploy military units faster than the united nations can . georgette gagnon , the executive director for the africa division of human rights watch , said she also would like to see the european union send troops . `` our concern is that it is going to take three months -lsb- for the united nations -rsb- to get anybody on the ground , '' she said . `` our request is for the eu to send a bridging force . the eu has done this in the past for the congo , and they have the capacity to get people on the ground within two weeks . '' the `` goal would be provide civilian protection , to do patrols and other things that would prevent looting , pillaging and raping by either the congolese troops -- which are doing this -- or the rebel group , '' she said . the european union has not announced plans to send troops to police the conflict . a spokeswoman for the british mission to the united nations said london is `` not ruling in or out eu forces , '' instead focusing on strengthening the u.n. presence in eastern congo . | <t> flight operators : aerial survey indicates occupants on aircraft died . </t> <t> search and rescue crews not able to land their helicopter in the area , u.n. says . </t> <t> plane was on a routine flight from kinsasha to the eastern city of goma . </t> | 17 feared dead as u.n. aid flight crashes in congo<T> |
-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- flash floods and landslides triggered by a weekend tropical storm have killed at least 100 people in vietnam , the country 's news agency said monday . vietnamese villagers look at the rubble where 19 houses stood before a flash-flood ripped away the hamlet of tung chin in lao cai province . forecasters fear additional casualties as more rain was expected monday .<doc-sep>the floods in the the country 's northern mountain provinces damaged tens of thousands of homes , swept away thousands of cattle and submerged crops , the vietnam news agency said . more than two dozen people remained missing . officials mobilized thousands of rescue workers to look for survivors and to carry relief to the areas hardest hit by the storm .<doc-sep>tropical storm kammuri struck the northern provinces on friday . the southeast asian country is prone to heavy rainfall during the may through september monsoon season . the resulting landslides and floods have killed hundreds in past years .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- flash floods and landslides triggered by a weekend tropical storm have killed at least 100 people in vietnam , the country 's news agency said monday . vietnamese villagers look at the rubble where 19 houses stood before a flash-flood ripped away the hamlet of tung chin in lao cai province . forecasters fear additional casualties as more rain was expected monday .<doc-sep>the typhoon , which had initially been forecast to hit central vietnam , skirted the country 's long coastline on sunday before making landfall near ha long bay , a popular tourist destination known for its limestone peaks that jut dramatically out of the gulf of tonkin . authorities had evacuated more than 800,000 people from provinces and cities in the storm 's path . michael annear , vietnam country representative for the international federation of the red cross , said the threat for heavy rain , flash floods and landslides remains as haiyan moves into china . `` we 're concerned about the rain that 's predicted -- 200 mm to 300 mm -- across the northeast part of vietnam , '' he said .<doc-sep>by . david mccormack for mailonline . one year on from the flash floods that devastated the town of boulder , colorado , a young couple are celebrating the first birthday of their daughter who was born amid the chaos . when ingrid combs , the daughter of marty and laura combs who was born on september 12 , 2013 , is older her parents plan to share with her the traumatic events of the fateful day she entered the world . ` when we tell her more about her birth story , ' laura , 28 , told the denver post , ` we 'll say we 're lucky that we 're alive , and lucky that she 's alive . lucky to be alive : ingrid combs , the daughter of marty and laura combs who was born on september 12 , 2013 , just as flash floods devastated the family 's home in boulder , colorado . ` one of the things we 'll remember is just not taking any day for granted . anything can happen . ' the combs home , which they had only moved into three months before , was one of hundreds in the city almost totally destroyed by the flooding which killed 10 people across the state - including four in boulder county . heavy overnight rainfall had sparked flash flooding across the state from fort collins to colorado springs , more than 100 miles south .<doc-sep>despite the fact that 2009 has been below average for the season , the past month has been remarkable , with five of the eight storms making direct landfall in asia . typhoon melor made landfall in central japan early thursday . in the philippines , people are still recovering after two typhoons hit the nation in less than two weeks . typhoon parma made landfall last weekend , killing at least 16 . filipinos were still recovering from typhoon ketsana , which hit the country in late september . hundreds of people were killed from that storm , primarily in the philippines and vietnam . earlier in the summer , more than 600 people died in taiwan after typhoon morakot struck in august . also in august , typhoon etau killed more than a dozen in taiwan after it brought flash floods and landslides . what is behind this recent uptick in activity and why are all the storms seemingly coming at once , and late in the season ? | <t> flash floods and landslides kill at least 100 people in vietnam . </t> <t> disasters triggered by tropical storm . </t> <t> forecasters fear additional casualties . </t> | 100 die in vietnam flash floods<T> |
washington -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- president bush condemned the escalated violence between russia and u.s.-backed georgia on sunday , while vice president dick cheney said aggression against georgia `` must not go unanswered . '' president bush chats with russian prime minister vladmir putin at the start of the olympic opening ceremonies . `` my administration has been engaged with both sides of this trying to get a ceasefire , '' bush told nbc 's bob costas in an interview in beijing , china , where the president has attended olympic events . bush was filmed speaking to russian prime minister vladimir putin during friday 's opening ceremonies and said sunday that he `` was firm with vladimir putin '' and that `` this violence is unacceptable . '' violence has continued to rage between russia and the western ally since thursday , when georgia launched an operation to crack down on separatists in south ossetia territory . russia said it wanted to protect its peacekeepers already in south ossetia following ceasefires in years past . but georgia called it a full-on invasion . and while russia has accused georgia of a genocidal plot to cleanse the region of ethnic ossetians loyal to russia , georgia accuses russia of executing a long-planned war with the aim of taking control of the region -- including a key pipeline that carries asian oil to black sea ports . `` i expressed my grave concern about the disproportionate response of russia , '' bush said of his talk with putin . `` we strongly condemn bombing outside of south ossetia . '' putin says he 's concerned about the flood of refugees arriving in russia from south ossetia . russian officials said more than 30,000 refugees have left south ossetia and crossed into russia over the past two days , interfax reported .<doc-sep>`` the actions of the georgian authorities in south ossetia are a crime , of course , primarily a crime against their own people , '' putin said , according to russian news agency interfax . meanwhile , cheney talked to georgian president mikheil saakashvili on sunday , telling him that russia 's aggression against georgia `` must not go unanswered . '' cheney 's spokeswoman lea ann mcbride said the vice president spoke to saakashvili to express `` the united states ' solidarity with the georgian people and their democratically elected government in the face of this threat to georgia 's sovereignty and territorial integrity . '' georgia withdrew its forces sunday and offered a ceasefire , which russia refused . `` the vice president told president saakashvili that russian aggression must not go unanswered , and that its continuation would have serious consequences for its relations with the united states , as well as the broader international community , '' mcbride said . saakashvili has called on the united states and the world community to stop the `` intervention and invasion of my sovereign country . '' `` i think the u.s. is the most powerful country in the world , '' he told cnn . `` i think the u.s. has lots of leverage . and i think there are lots of diplomatic means that it could be done through . '' two senior officials have told cnn the united states sent envoy matt bryza to the region to help with mediation .<doc-sep>washington -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- president bush condemned the escalated violence between russia and u.s.-backed georgia on sunday , while vice president dick cheney said aggression against georgia `` must not go unanswered . '' president bush chats with russian prime minister vladmir putin at the start of the olympic opening ceremonies . `` my administration has been engaged with both sides of this trying to get a ceasefire , '' bush told nbc 's bob costas in an interview in beijing , china , where the president has attended olympic events . bush was filmed speaking to russian prime minister vladimir putin during friday 's opening ceremonies and said sunday that he `` was firm with vladimir putin '' and that `` this violence is unacceptable . '' violence has continued to rage between russia and the western ally since thursday , when georgia launched an operation to crack down on separatists in south ossetia territory . russia said it wanted to protect its peacekeepers already in south ossetia following ceasefires in years past . but georgia called it a full-on invasion . and while russia has accused georgia of a genocidal plot to cleanse the region of ethnic ossetians loyal to russia , georgia accuses russia of executing a long-planned war with the aim of taking control of the region -- including a key pipeline that carries asian oil to black sea ports .<doc-sep>`` i expressed my grave concern about the disproportionate response of russia , '' bush said of his talk with putin . `` we strongly condemn bombing outside of south ossetia . '' putin says he 's concerned about the flood of refugees arriving in russia from south ossetia . russian officials said more than 30,000 refugees have left south ossetia and crossed into russia over the past two days , interfax reported . `` the actions of the georgian authorities in south ossetia are a crime , of course , primarily a crime against their own people , '' putin said , according to russian news agency interfax . meanwhile , cheney talked to georgian president mikheil saakashvili on sunday , telling him that russia 's aggression against georgia `` must not go unanswered . '' cheney 's spokeswoman lea ann mcbride said the vice president spoke to saakashvili to express `` the united states ' solidarity with the georgian people and their democratically elected government in the face of this threat to georgia 's sovereignty and territorial integrity . ''<doc-sep>by . mark duell and hannah roberts . last updated at 7:51 am on 26th august 2011 . he has ` no regrets ' about water-boarding terror suspects , told george w. bush to bomb syria and prepared a secret signed resignation letter . these are just three of the explosive revelations from former u.s. vice president dick cheney ahead of the release of his highly-anticipated book . mr cheney still insists the u.s. invasion of iraq was the right decision and explained how he was unconscious for weeks after heart surgery last year . scroll down for video . new book : former u.s. vice president dick cheney has ` no regrets ' about water-boarding terror suspects and told george w. bush to bomb syria . the controversial politician said he . still supports harsh interrogation policies used by the bush . administration after the 9/11 attacks . book : ` in my time : a personal and political memoir ' by dick cheney is scheduled for release next week . ` i would strongly support using it . again if circumstances arose where we had a high-value detainee and that . was the only way we could get him to talk , ' he told nbc . he also claimed that president george w. bush rejected his advice in 2007 to bomb a suspected nuclear reactor site in syria . mr cheney said he was a ` lone voice ' for military action against syria and other advisers were also . reluctant , reported the new york times . he claimed this was because of ` bad . intelligence we had received about iraq 's stockpiles of weapons of mass . destruction ' before the 2003 invasion . the israelis ended up bombing the syrian site later in 2007 . mr cheney bemoaned ` concessions . delivered ' to north korea ` in the naive hope that despots would respond . in kind ' , reported the drudge report . he also said mr bush was given ` utterly misleading ' advice - but that invading iraq was the right decision , even considering poor intelligence .<doc-sep>georgia has been a close u.s. ally , contributing troops to the war in iraq and seeking to join nato with washington 's support . in a cnn interview wednesday , georgian president mikheil saakashvili criticized the united states for not doing more to help his nation . watch saakashvili fault the u.s. response '' `` america is losing the whole region , and this is the region of eastern and central europe , '' said saakashvili , who called for the united states and european powers to send peacekeepers to the region . `` this is much bigger than any other place where there is american influence , and this is the most natural allies of america . '' but later wednesday , in an interview with cnn 's `` situation room , '' saakashvili seemed to have a change of heart . he said that after speaking with president bush earlier in the day , he felt `` there will be no compromise at the expense of our territorial integrity . '' `` i never accused the united states in the first place of anything , '' he said . `` i just said that the russians mistook some of the statements at certain levels . '' rice defended the administration 's response to the fighting . watch bush express support for georgia 's democracy '' `` i do n't think you can have any doubt but that the united states has , from the very beginning , believed that the south ossetian situation needed to be resolved and resolved peacefully , as we 've been working for months and months and months to do , but that russia seriously overreached , that russia engaged in activities that could not possibly be associated simply with the crisis in south ossetia , '' she said . u.s. officials said they warned saakashvili not to provoke russia militarily by sending georgian troops into south ossetia and they had ruled out any u.s. military action to defend georgia . rice spoke after bush 's announcement that u.s. aircraft and ships would deliver humanitarian aid to victims of the fighting . bush and rice warned russia not to interfere with the delivery of humanitarian aid , noting that tuesday 's french-brokered cease-fire allows for the delivery of international relief , and expressed concern over reports that russian units were continuing to advance into georgian cities despite tuesday 's cease-fire . watch russian tanks move toward tbilisi '' `` we expect russia to meet its commitment to cease all military activities in georgia , and we expect all russian forces that entered georgia in recent days to withdraw from that country , '' bush said . rice will travel to france and then head to tbilisi , bush said . next week , rice will travel to nato headquarters in brussels , belgium . russia 's move into georgia came amid a struggle between the united states and russia for influence within eastern europe . from russia 's point of view , american support for georgia is a direct threat to its influence . by striking heavily in georgia , moscow is sending a signal to other former soviet republics , such as ukraine and moldova , said sarah mendelson , the director of the human rights and security initiative at the center for strategic and international studies in washington . `` if i were a neighbor of russia and i saw what russia had done in georgia , i would be very nervous , '' mendelson said . `` i think those countries that are leaning toward the west are very nervous today . '' cnn 's zain verjee contributed to this report . copyright 2008 cnn . all rights reserved.this material may not be published , broadcast , rewritten , or redistributed . associated press contributed to this report . | <t> new : bush says he was `` firm '' with putin and that the `` violence is unacceptable '' </t> <t> vice president dick cheney said russian aggression `` must not go unanswered '' </t> <t> violence has continued to rage between russia and western ally georgia . </t> | bush , cheney signal support for georgia<T> |
-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the new york times has rejected an essay that sen. john mccain wrote defending his iraq war policy . sen. john mccain wrote an op-ed for the new york times , but the paper said it could not publish it as written . the piece was in response to an op-ed from sen. barack obama that was published in the paper last week . in an e-mail to the mccain campaign , opinion page editor david shipley said he could not accept the piece as written , but would be `` pleased , though , to look at another draft . '' `` let me suggest an approach , '' he wrote friday . `` the obama piece worked for me because it offered new information -lrb- it appeared before his speech -rrb- ; while senator obama discussed senator mccain , he also went into detail about his own plans . it would be terrific to have an article from senator mccain that mirrors senator obama 's piece . '' read mccain 's rejected piece . in a statement released monday , the new york times said it is `` standard procedure on our op-ed page , and that of other newspapers , to go back and forth with an author on his or her submission . '' `` we look forward to publishing senator mccain 's views in our paper just as we have in the past . we have published at least seven op-ed pieces by senator mccain since 1996 . the new york times endorsed senator mccain as the republican candidate in the presidential primaries . we take his views very seriously , '' the statement said . mccain 's rejected op-ed was a lengthy critique of obama 's positions on iraq policy , particularly his view of the surge . `` senator obama seems to have learned nothing from recent history , '' wrote mccain , criticizing obama 's call for an early withdrawal timeline . `` i find it ironic that he is emulating the worst mistake of the bush administration by waving the ` mission accomplished ' banner prematurely . '' watch why the piece was rejected '' obama 's july 14 essay had taken shots at mccain for not further encouraging the iraqi government to take control of the country . `` instead of seizing the moment and encouraging iraqis to step up , the bush administration and senator mccain are refusing to embrace this transition -- despite their previous commitments to respect the will of iraq 's sovereign government , '' obama wrote in his op-ed . `` they call any timetable for the removal of american troops ` surrender , ' even though we would be turning iraq over to a sovereign iraqi government . '' read obama 's essay . shipley , who was president bill clinton 's senior speechwriter from 1995 to 1997 , had advised the mccain campaign that `` the article would have to articulate , in concrete terms , how senator mccain defines victory in iraq . `` it would also have to lay out a clear plan for achieving victory -- with troops levels , timetables and measures for compelling the iraqis to cooperate . and it would need to describe the senator 's afghanistan strategy , spelling out how it meshes with his iraq plan . '' he added that he hoped the parties could `` find a way to bring this to a happy resolution . '' mccain spokesman tucker bounds said monday the arizona senator 's position will not change based on the `` demands of the new york times . '' `` john mccain believes that victory in iraq must be based on conditions on the ground , not arbitrary timetables , '' he said . `` unlike barack obama , that position will not change based on politics or the demands of the new york times . '' the newspaper endorsed mccain for the republican presidential nomination in january , shortly before the new york primary . in february , after it became clear mccain would be his party 's presumptive nominee , the paper published a thinly sourced report that mccain once had a close relationship with a female lobbyist . mccain said he was disappointed in the new york times piece . the paper said that it stood by its reporting and that `` the story speaks for itself . '' mccain 's campaign sent out fundraising appeals based on the article . the article `` is particularly disgusting -- an un-sourced hit-and-run smear campaign designed to distract from the issues at stake in this election , '' mccain 's campaign manager , rick davis , wrote in a e-mail to supporters . `` we need your help to counteract the liberal establishment and fight back against the new york times by making an immediate contribution today , '' the e-mail said in text that linked to an online contribution form on the mccain campaign 's web site .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- in a controversial essay published on his website sunday , popular british graffiti artist banksy criticized the design of one world trade center , referring to the building as a `` shyscraper '' and a `` betrayal . '' the famously anonymous british street artist describes the building , which will be completed in 2014 , as `` vanilla '' and `` something they would build in canada . '' he added , `` it looks like it never wanted to be built in the first place . '' according to the new york times , banksy submitted the op-ed -- entitled `` the biggest eyesore in new york is not the graffiti , argues banksy , it 's under construction at ground zero '' -- and artwork , but the paper declined to publish it . `` we could n't agree on either the piece or the art , so it was rejected , '' eileen murphy , a spokeswoman for the new york times , told cnn . instead , banksy published the scathing piece on his blog , which he has been using to unveil new works of art around new york from his monthlong series `` better out than in . '' `` today 's piece was going to be an op-ed column in the new york times . but they declined to publish what i supplied , '' banksy wrote on his site . instead he took his familiar graffiti medium , stenciling , `` this site contains blocked messages , '' on a wall in the greenpoint neighborhood of brooklyn . in his essay , banksy writes the tower is a construction sign that says new york has lost its nerve . `` it would be easy to view one world trade centre as a betrayal of everyone who lost their lives on september 11th , because it so clearly proclaims the terrorists won , '' he wrote .<doc-sep>new york -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the new york times endorsed arizona sen. john mccain for the republican presidential nomination over rudy giuliani and the rest of the gop field , strongly criticizing the former mayor of its home city . sens. john mccain , left , and rudy giuliani took part in a debate in florida on thursday . in endorsements posted on its web site for friday 's editions , the times also endorsed new york sen. hillary clinton for the democratic nomination . `` senator john mccain of arizona is the only republican who promises to end the george bush style of governing from and on behalf of a small , angry fringe , '' the paper 's editorial board wrote . `` with a record of working across the aisle to develop sound bipartisan legislation , he would offer a choice to a broader range of americans than the rest of the republican field . '' the endorsement anticipated readers asking how the new york paper could reject giuliani , a man it endorsed for re-election in 1997 and praised for his work cleaning up crime in the city and during the time of the september 11 , 2001 attacks .<doc-sep>in his speech monday , obama did not directly address clark 's comments , but after calling attention to mccain 's service , he said `` no one should ever devalue that service , especially for the sake of a political campaign , and that goes for supporters of both sides . '' `` we must always express our profound gratitude for the service of our men and women in uniform . period , '' he said . just as obama was finishing his speech , his campaign released a statement about clark 's remarks . `` as he 's said many times before , sen. obama honors and respects sen. mccain 's service , and of course he rejects yesterday 's statement by gen. clark , '' obama campaign spokesman bill burton said . meanwhile , mccain 's campaign announced monday it was launching a new truth squad to defend the arizona senator 's military record . leaders of the latest group include mccain 's fellow vietnam prisoners of war air force col. bud day and marine lt. col. orson swindle , along with former navy pilot carl smith , who served with him . mccain said monday he was proud of his record of service . watch mccain 's response to clark 's comments '' `` the important thing is that if that 's the kind of campaign that sen. obama and his surrogates and his supporters want to engage in , i understand that , '' he said . `` but it does n't reduce the price of a gallon of gas by one penny . it does n't achieve our energy independence or make it come any closer ... and it certainly does n't do anything to address the challenges that americans have in keeping their jobs , their homes and supporting their families . '' obama was to follow up monday 's speech on patriotism with an address tuesday about faith and remarks later in the week on service . he will spend his fourth of july in butte , montana , campaigning with his family . mccain on monday was campaigning in pennsylvania , a battleground state in the general election . he was scheduled to speak with reporters in harrisburg before holding a town hall meeting in pipersville . mccain leaves for colombia on tuesday and will travel to mexico later in the week . his campaign on monday unveiled his new campaign airplane , a boeing 737-400 . the aircraft shares its name -- the `` straight talk express '' with mccain 's campaign bus , which has been a staple of the candidate 's 2000 and 2008 campaigns . the 95-seat plane -- with seats for the candidate , his staffers and the press -- has the `` straight talk express '' logo emblazoned on its fuselage . cnn 's tasha diakides and chris welch contributed to this report .<doc-sep>new york -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- all the news that 's fit to print -- the motto of the new york times -- does not necessarily apply to photos . the newspaper published an editor 's note thursday stating that pictures used in a photo essay in its most recent sunday magazine were digitally manipulated without the paper 's knowledge . the times commissioned portuguese photographer edgar martins to shoot a sunday magazine color photo essay titled `` ruins of the second gilded age '' to capture physical evidence of the real estate bust that took place across the united states . in the text that preceded the six photos that were published , the magazine stated that while the photographer `` creates images with long exposures , '' he does so without digital manipulation . `` a reader ... discovered upon close examination that one of the pictures was digitally altered , apparently for aesthetic reasons , '' the times editors wrote . `` editors later confronted the photographer and determined that most of the images did not wholly reflect the reality they purported to show . had the editors known that the photographs had been digitally manipulated , they would not have published the picture essay , which has been removed from the nytimes.com , '' the note concluded . numerous attempts by cnn to reach edgar martins by phone and e-mail were unsuccessful . the newspaper 's decision to withdraw the photos left a publisher of martins ' book `` topologies '' released in 2008 , intrigued and surprised . `` i think he 's a great artist and we 're very proud to have published his prior works , '' said lesley martin , publisher of aperture books . she said that martins ' prior works frequently verge on abstract landscapes , including forests ravaged by fire and nighttime beaches . `` his work has a certain visual effect . a distinct look and feel to it . '' however , martin said she understands the newspaper 's decision . aperture books , which publishes a variety of photographic styles , including photojournalism , `` would not have published this work in a strict journalistic context had we known there would be manipulation used , '' she said . | <t> new : paper says rejection part of standard back-and-forth procedure . </t> <t> john mccain writes essay in defending his iraq policy . </t> <t> new york times suggests mccain submit piece that mirrors barack obama 's . </t> <t> paper : obama 's essay had new information , mccain 's critiqued obama 's positions . </t> | new york times rejects mccain essay<T> |
los angeles , california -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- there 's no question `` tropic thunder '' takes chances . ben stiller , left , and robert downey jr. are among the stars of `` tropic thunder , '' a hollywood satire . tom cruise almost unrecognizable as a foulmouthed , foul-mannered movie executive ? check . mockery of action heroes , method actors and gross-out comedians ? check . challenging stereotypes at every opportunity ? absolutely . but casting robert downey jr. as a black man ? well , that might be a bit much . or maybe not . in `` tropic thunder , '' a comedy about self-absorbed hollywood types making a `` platoon '' - style war movie , downey plays australian actor kirk lazarus , a multiple oscar-winning performer who gets so involved in his roles that he forgets to come out of them . he 's a man constantly looking for ways to transform himself for his art . so , cast as a black man in the war movie , lazarus decides to dye his skin surgically . downey -- no slouch as an actor himself -- has often been seen as one who immerses himself fully in his roles . that kind of dedication prevented the character from coming off as offensive , said ben stiller , who directed , co-wrote and stars in `` tropic thunder . '' `` i give all the credit to robert , '' stiller told cnn . `` i felt he really was so committed to that character , the guy that was playing that guy , that as an audience you bought his sincerity . very few people , i think , could pull that off . '' brandon jackson , who plays hip-hop star turned actor alpa chino -lrb- say it fast -rrb- , agreed .<doc-sep>`` robert was black the whole time . my mom came on the set and she thought it was don cheadle , '' he told cnn . `` i 'm serious . that 's how black he was . '' watch jackson talk about working with downey '' the movie , which also stars stiller as struggling action star tugg speedman and jack black as gross-out king jeff portnoy , features some testy altercations between downey 's lazarus and jackson 's chino . lazarus gets so involved in his role that even when it 's clear filming has wrapped for the day , he sticks with it -- which irritates chino to no end . `` to me the most important thing was alpa chino has to give him a beat down and tell him that what he 's doing is crazy the whole time , '' downey said . `` otherwise it 's just demeaning to brandon 's character . and if it 's demeaning to an actual black man in the movie ... i would have run for the hills . '' jackson said he would have challenged the movie if the material was offensive . but , he said , `` tropic thunder '' is a long way from the days when white performers would don blackface as a way of exploiting black stereotypes . since then , he said , the playing field has leveled : the wayans brothers played `` white chicks '' in the film of the same name , and eddie murphy has played several ethnicities in his films , including jewish and chinese characters . `` if we 're all gon na play ball , let 's all play ball , '' jackson said . `` i believe in fairness . if we can punch you , punch back . and funny is funny . '' ireport.com : will you see ` tropic thunder ' ? stiller , of course , is no stranger to testing comedy limits . the actor , writer and director , known for films such as `` meet the parents '' and `` zoolander , '' has performed or created roles that strike a delicate balance between sympathetic and distasteful -- and sometimes fall too hard on one side of the line . he co-wrote `` tropic thunder '' based on an idea he had in 1987 , when many of his friends were making war movies , he recalls in the film 's production notes . while stiller was making `` empire of the sun , '' his colleagues were in boot camps training for their military roles -- and would emerge talking about the boot camp as if they 'd become part of a real military unit . `` this sort of self-important , self-involved thing seemed funny to me , '' he said in the notes . `` i just could n't figure a way to make that into a movie . '' not immediately , anyway . but after several years , stiller and his colleagues worked out a story that not only mocked actors , but filmmaking in general . in `` thunder , '' after the studio threatens to shut down the big-budget production , the frustrated director -lrb- played by steve coogan -rrb- refuses to stop , and takes his cast deep into a southeast asia jungle to shoot `` guerrilla style . '' there they encounter danger in the form of drug lords .<doc-sep>`` tropic thunder , '' which already has received praise from newsweek 's david ansen and the hollywood reporter 's kirk honeycutt , has also earned its share of knocks . the most serious have come from advocacy groups for the disabled , which are planning to picket monday 's los angeles premiere . in the film , speedman has made a bid for an oscar by playing `` simple jack , '' a developmentally disabled character . other characters in `` tropic thunder '' dismiss speedman 's attempt to play what they refer to as a `` retard . '' representatives of the special olympics , the arc of the united states , the national down syndrome congress , the american association of people with disabilities and other groups met with studio executives last week to discuss the film , but dreamworks did not make any changes . `` we are asking people not to go to the movie and hope to bring a consciousness to people about using derogatory words about this population , '' said peter wheeler , a spokesman for the special olympics , according to reuters . in a statement sunday , chip sullivan , a dreamworks spokesman , said the movie was `` an r-rated comedy that satirizes hollywood and its excesses and makes its point by featuring inappropriate and over-the-top characters in ridiculous situations . '' in the statement , sullivan added that the film was not meant to disparage or harm people with disabilities and that dreamworks expected to work closely with disability groups in the future . in junket interviews for the film , stiller said that screening audiences definitely found `` tropic thunder '' funny . `` you go out there and put your best foot forward in terms of what you think you 're doing , of what you think is the right idea , '' he said . `` if people are accepting it the way that you intended , and you feel that from a general audience ... then stand behind it . '' downey trusts that after years of making themselves known as actors who can skillfully walk that fine line between funny and offensive , audiences will accept the film 's satire -- his role in particular . `` i just hope at this point , with whatever little we 've done to brand ourselves as entertainers , that you give us a little slack , '' he said . cnn entertainment correspondent kareen wynter contributed to this report .<doc-sep>while i am disappointed that we were not consulted in the same manner as other minority groups depicted in the film and that there are 17 mentions of the `` r-word '' with one mention of the `` n-word , '' i am grateful to ms. snider for listening to the coalition and for taking steps to eliminate some of the film 's most offensive marketing elements . i am also appreciative of her commitment to working in the future for an end to denigrating speech and hurtful portrayals of people with intellectual disabilities in film and in society . dreamworks and its leaders have a powerful reputation for advancing socially and politically important issues . in particular , steven spielberg has been a generous supporter of the work of special olympics , for which i am deeply grateful . i look forward to counting the hopes and dreams of 200 million people with intellectual disabilities among the causes of this formidable group of creative and artistic leaders . now , however , is the time to raise our voices against `` tropic thunder '' and the harm it is sure to visit on people with intellectual disabilities . together with the members of the international coalition , i am asking steven spielberg , stacey snider , ben stiller and the entire `` tropic thunder '' team to stop showing the film , and asking movie theaters and moviegoers to shut this movie out . `` tropic thunder '' is a colossal blunder . do n't show or see `` tropic thunder . ''<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- truly , it 's been a summer for jokers -- and i 'm not just talking about `` the dark knight . '' `` tropic thunder '' stars ben stiller and robert downey jr. as self-absorbed actors . when the bat 's been away , steve carell -lrb- `` get smart '' -rrb- , will ferrell -lrb- `` step brothers '' -rrb- and seth rogen -lrb- `` pineapple express '' -rrb- have all come out to play , and notched up lucrative returns , too . ben stiller 's sometimes hilarious `` tropic thunder '' is easily the biggest of the summer 's blockbuster comedies -- and certainly the goriest . it 's a high-concept meta-movie about an all-star vietnam war picture -lrb- also called `` tropic thunder '' -rrb- that goes very , very wrong . stiller 's `` tropic thunder , '' on the other hand , gets it mostly right . which is just as well , because it looks like it cost an arm and a leg to make . the movie-within-a-movie is directed by damian cockburn -lrb- steve coogan -rrb- and stars chubby clown jeff portnoy -lrb- jack black -rrb- , rapper alpa chino -lrb- brandon t. jackson -rrb- , action beefcake tugg speedman -lrb- stiller -rrb- and aussie method man kirk lazarus -lrb- robert downey jr. -rrb- . the latter is a temperamental chameleon who takes his craft so seriously he has undergone skin pigmentation treatment for his role as a black gi . -lrb- any resemblance to russell crowe is entirely superficial but can hardly be coincidental . -rrb- . cockburn quickly loses the trust of his ferocious , potty-mouthed studio boss -lrb- in one of the film 's more inspired insider gags , he 's played by a real-life studio boss you may just recognize as tom cruise -rrb- . so when disabled vietnam vet `` four leaf '' tayback -lrb- nick nolte -rrb- -- the inspiration for the movie -- suggests dropping them into the jungle and shooting the picture with hidden digital cameras , `` guerrilla-style , '' it seems like a stroke of genius . that is , until the stars lose contact with the outside world and find themselves in a firefight with golden triangle drug lords .<doc-sep>`` tropic thunder '' is willing to push its gags right to the edge -- and sometimes over it . in the most famous example , the film has run into flak from disabled advocates for its repeated use of the word `` retard , '' referring to speedman 's previous bid for artistic respectability , a sentimental `` forrest gump '' - style oscar bid by the name of `` simple jack . '' watch why several groups want to boycott the film '' stiller does milk it , but the protesters are missing the point . if there 's one group who should be protesting this movie it 's the screen actors guild . the heart-rending , soul-searching , consciousness-raising commitment we prize in our movie stars , particularly around oscar time -- it 's all beautifully travestied and lampooned . an early bad-taste highlight has tugg messing with his director 's head . literally . and the strained relationship between alpa and kirk -- who proves incapable of breaking out of his african-american character -- is terrifically juicy . downey 's blackface performance is an appalling mixture of mr. t and uncle remus , but at the same time he endows the actor with enough straight critical intelligence to appreciate the severity of their situation . the effect is simultaneously funny and a little disturbing . lazarus is the one character who leaves an indelible impression among some overly familiar caricatures . the asian characters , in particular , rightfully belong in some third-rate `` deer hunter '' knock-off . which does n't mean that `` tropic thunder '' -- which was written by stiller , justin theroux and etan cohen -- is n't funny . it can be scattershot , even with its fairly safe targets , but when it hits it hits dead-on . -lrb- it 's not wildly original and outrageous , though , to anyone who 's seen coogan in `` tristram shandy : a cock and bull story '' or watched the ricky gervais series `` extras , '' in which stiller played himself in one episode . -rrb- ireport.com : share your thoughts on ` tropic thunder '<doc-sep>editor 's note : neil miller , executive editor of the film web site filmschoolrejects.com , is an online film critic based in columbus , ohio . for another view , read here . neil miller says activists are making outlandish demands of a film that parodies hollywood . columbus , ohio -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- it is hard to imagine that dreamworks and paramount , the companies behind `` tropic thunder , '' did not foresee some sort of reaction from activist groups . with a film that attacks on all levels , making jokes at the expense of race , obesity and cognitive disabilities , the executives must have known it would n't sail smoothly in and out of theaters . that said , the reaction we 've seen from activist groups in defense of the cognitively disabled has been astounding . the disability rights coalition has gone beyond expressing their disapproval of the film in order to lay out a list of demands . among those demands is that director ben stiller re-cut the film , modifying it to remove any reference to the word `` retard '' and any other `` disrespectful depictions '' from the film before it hits theaters this week . and those appear to be the simplest of their demands . everyone has a right to be offended and to speak out against such an offense . the real issue concerning this debacle is whether groups should be drumming up public outrage and making outlandish demands of a hollywood studio based on a movie , especially one that is clearly a parody of the hollywood system itself . the answer is no . while i can personally empathize with groups who feel that some of the content in `` tropic thunder '' is offensive , it 's hard to remain on their side when their otherwise reasonable argument turns into an overblown campaign against the insensitivities of the entire entertainment business . to imply that by not capitulating to group demands , dreamworks and paramount are in large part responsible for intolerance toward the cognitively disabled is ludicrous . real intolerance is bred in homes , where parents fail to provide proper direction for their children , fail to place such things into the context of everyday life and fail to show their children the difference between right and wrong . on top of this is the issue of the film 's r-rating . as often as critics in the entertainment world , myself included , have railed on the unfair practices of the mpaa , it is easy to see that their ratings system does work in some cases . in this case , the r-rating works as a warning : audiences who see `` tropic thunder '' are in for an experience that is only intended for adults . adults should have the ability to process the jokes employed by `` tropic thunder '' within the context of the film and recognize that the joke does n't target those with disabilities . it satirically takes aim at actors who exploit roles in which they play disabled characters in order to garner acclaim and win awards . since children might not be able to make that connection or understand that context , the r-rating serves a strong role . perhaps the only major mistake by the studio was in placing the `` simple jack '' concept in the marketing campaign . in the film , the joke truly fades into the context of the storyline , but when pulled out of that context , it is left standing on a burning platform that could easily be interpreted as blatant insensitivity . but they have admitted that mistake and rectified it by removing the `` simple jack '' web site . ireport.com : share your thoughts on ` tropic thunder ' beyond that , the film itself keeps everything in the context of the joke , something that seems to be lost on activist groups . in fact , if those members of the cognitively disabled community are claiming that this is n't how they would like to be portrayed , perhaps they 'll actually find themselves agreeing with the film upon viewing -- a film that mocks actors who choose to exploit portrayals of those with cognitive disabilities . while groups still have every right to be upset over the use of the word `` retard '' or any other `` disrespectful depictions , '' it is the nature of their response that should be questioned . being upset about a movie is one thing , but holding hollywood responsible for intolerance in america is something altogether different . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the writer . | <t> `` tropic thunder '' pushes boundaries at every opportunity . </t> <t> film has taken knocks from groups for the developmentally disabled . </t> <t> `` thunder '' casts robert downey jr. as method actor playing black man . </t> <t> downey , other cast members do n't believe character is offensive . </t> | ` tropic thunder ' pushes envelope and then some<T> |
madrid , spain -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- a spanair md-82 airliner was not on fire as it took off from madrid 's airport but lifted off slightly into the air , fell back to the ground and caught fire only after skidding off the side of the runway , a source familiar said friday . the plane crash victims ' bodies laid out at a makeshift morgue in madrid . a total of 153 people were killed . initially , there were indications that an engine might have caught fire as the plane was taking off , but the source said airport video shows the plane lifting off , veering sharply right and then dragging or skidding down the right side of the runway . there was a cloud of dust , the source said , followed by a fireball . canary islands regional president paulino rivero said after meeting with spain 's prime minister , jose luis rodriguez zapatero , that the latter had seen the video and described it as showing the plane using up all the runway as it tried to take off but then never reaching adequate altitude , the associated press reported . eighty of the bodies recovered from the wreckage of wednesday 's fiery plane crash have been identified , spanish authorities said friday . watch as spain deals with tragedy '' many of the bodies are so badly burned that fingerprint identification is impossible , and investigators will have to rely on dna , officials said .<doc-sep>nineteen survivors remained hospitalized friday . the plane was all but destroyed in the crash , a rescue worker said . when emergency crews arrived on the scene , `` you could n't distinguish that there was an aircraft there , apart from the remains of the tail , '' ergivio corral said . `` if you did n't know it , you would n't have been able to say there was a plane . '' watch moment of silence '' authorities have handed over the remains of 35 victims to their families , officials said . families of the victims are being housed in a hotel near the airport , and the government planned to brief them on the crash investigation friday . the cause of the accident is still unknown , but spanair spokesman javier mendoza said flight data recorders had been recovered . ireport.com : share your photos , videos from the scene .<doc-sep>`` one of them seems to be ... a little bit damaged , but -lsb- investigators -rsb- are confident they could use the information , '' mendoza said . `` but we have to wait for the downloading and the analysis '' before any conclusions can be drawn , he said . witnesses reported that the plane banked violently to the right as it attempted to take off before slamming back to the ground and coming to a rest in a gully just off the runway at madrid 's bajaras airport . watch as the wounded arrive at a hospital '' the plane 's departure had been delayed for nearly two hours due to a technical problem with the aircraft , mendoza said , but it was not clear whether that fault was related to the crash . `` the heating problem was treated and corrected by spanair maintenance personnel , '' he said . `` we have reviewed the details on this faulty situation with the inspectors of our civil aviation authority , '' he said , `` and we all come to the conclusion that was nothing abnormal in this resolution of that problem . '' madrid observed five minutes of silence thursday to honor the victims , and the country began three days of mourning . see a map of the airport ''<doc-sep>the mcdonnell douglas md-82 carried 162 passengers , four non-working crew members and six working crew members , spanair said . the aircraft was also carrying seven passengers from lufthansa flight 2554 on a flight scheduled to take more than two hours , airline spokeswoman henriette ellekrog said . spanair , a low-cost airline that has a flight-sharing agreement with lufthansa , is owned by sas scandinavian airlines . twenty-two of the passengers were children , two of them infants , spanair said . after contacting families , the airline published the names of those aboard on its web site . it was the first fatal accident at the airport since december 1983 , when 93 people were killed as two spanish airliners collided while taxiing for takeoff . the airport , which sits eight miles -lrb- 13 km -rrb- northeast of central madrid , is spain 's busiest , handling more than 40 million passengers a year . cnn 's madrid bureau chief al goodman , claudia rebaza , cal perry and kathleen koch contributed to this report . copyright 2008 cnn . all rights reserved.this material may not be published , broadcast , rewritten , or redistributed . associated press contributed to this report .<doc-sep>terror : officials work near wreckage at the scene on monday . investigators have said there 's no reason to suggest it was anything but an accident . inside : the pilot , james mcdowell , 51 , from delaware , and air crew member teresa ann benhoff , 48 , from maryland also perished in the crash . fiery tomb : lewis katz , the billionaire co-owner of the philadelphia inquirer , and six other people died in the crash that was headed to new jersey . skeleton : the pilots did not even have time to issue a mayday as the plane , a gulfstream iv owned by katz , hurtled 2,000 feet off the runway . the da 's office said there is ` still one autopsy and positive identification to be made ' . nearby residents recounted seeing a fireball and feeling the blast of the explosion shake their homes . authorities . have not speculated on what caused the crash but investigations by the . national transportation safety board are underway . the . plane was headed to atlantic city international airport in new jersey . when it apparently went off the runway and crashed at 9:40 pm then caught . fire , authorities said . jeff patterson told the boston globe he saw a fireball about 60 feet in the air . ' i . heard a big boom , and i thought at the time that someone was trying to . break into my house because it shook it , ' said patterson 's son , . 14-year-old jared patterson . ' i thought someone was like banging on the . door trying to get in . ' the air field has been closed for further investigation . boston.com . reports that residents who lived as far as boston could smell burning . rubber and many took to twitter to describe the incident . ` can actually see particles in air in cambridge , porter square allegedly from hanscom crash , ' tweeted aubry bracco . doomed : the skid marks are also seen in the grass running off the runway as national transportation safety board officials examine the scene . out of control : skid marks are seen on the runway at the scene on monday as a destroyed wheel lies at the end of the tarmac . debris : a national transportation safety board official walks away from a piece of the landing gear at the scene on monday . frantic : skid marks can be seen on the field , showing the plane 's path before it burst into flames . a witness said it did not even get airborne . debris : runway lights and parts of a broken fence can be seen strewn across the field in aerial photographs taken on monday . katz , 72 , and business partner h.f. ` gerry ' lenfest only recently became the controlling owners of the inquirer , the .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- a passenger plane skidded off an airport runway and burst into flames in the northeastern iranian city of mashhad on friday , killing at least 17 people and injuring about 20 , according to government-backed press tv . aryan airlines flight 1625 skidded off the runway and burst into flames friday in mashhad , iran . there were 150 passengers on board aryan airlines flight 1625 , according to the islamic republic news agency , or irna . there was no immediate information on the number of crew . an iranian official said those aboard had been evacuated . ghahraman rashid , deputy governor-general of khorasan province , said the plane had flown from tehran , irna reported . `` all those killed and injured and the rest of the passengers had been evacuated from the plane and the fire on board had been brought under control , '' irna quoted the official as saying . he said the plane was a russian-made ilyushin . watch video of the plane '' this is the second deadly plane crash in iran this month . on july 15 , a caspian airlines passenger plane carrying 168 people crashed in northwestern iran , killing everyone on board , including 10 members of the country 's youth judo team : eight athletes and two coaches .<doc-sep>` there was a man who just stopped dead in the road and then he just ripped his shirt off and pulled people out of the plane . ' i just saw them getting taken out of the plane -- it did n't look pretty ... and then the plane just went ka-boom and there was fire everywhere . ' the australian transport safety bureau is investigating and police are preparing a report for the coroner . the plane began experiencing problems soon after take off , it burst into flames soon after crashing . witnesses reported hearing the plane 's engine cough and splutter before it crashed just short of the runway . ms harding who died after her family 's cessna 210 aircraft crashed shortly after taking off from inverell airport , northern nsw , has been remembered as an inspirational teacher by the inverell community . a witness said she heard the single-engine aircraft 's engine cough and splutter before it crashed into clive state forest just short of the runway .<doc-sep>scroll down for video . fatal : co-pilot sergio carranza brabata , from mexico , died when the canadair cl - 600 skidded down the right side of runway at aspen-pitkin county airport , flipped and exploded about 12.30 pm . at least one person is dead and two others seriously injured after a plane crashed on landing at the aspen-pitkin county airport in aspen , colorado , on sunday . emergency crews work near a passenger plane that crashed upon landing at the aspen-pitkin county airport in aspen , colorado , on sunday , killing one person and injuring two after exploding on impact . the wreckage of a private jet lies on the runway after it crashed and burned at aspen/pitkin county airport in colorado january 5 , 2014 . one person died and two were injured in the crash , the pitkin county sheriff office said . emergency crews hose a private plane that crashed and burst into flames on the runway at aspen airport on sunday afternoon . in a photo from twitter the aircraft appears overturned . cbs reports the aircraft was registered to the bank of utah in salt lake city . the aircraft was reportedly en route to the luxury ski resort town from toluca , mexico via tuscon , arizona . the plane is said to have attempted a few approaches before crashing in a ball of fire . emergency crews rushed to extinguish the flames and are currently investigating the cause of the crash . | <t> video of spanair md-82 which crashed in madrid shows plane got off the ground . </t> <t> video shows plane bursting into flames after runway skid , source says . </t> <t> dna tests will be used to identify victims from madrid air crash . </t> <t> 153 people died when spanair flight crashed wednesday during takeoff . </t> | madrid plane burst into flames after runway skid<T> |
like nearly everything else clinton-related this week , hillary clinton 's convention speech remained a question mark until the last minute . the overriding goal for hillary clinton on tuesday night was to redirect her supporters toward barack obama . its content was a mystery to even some of her closest advisers , who told cnn hours before the speech they were n't sure it was finished quite yet . it was a work in progress until the very end -- and one of its strongest rallying cries appeared nowhere in the prepared text . `` that is our mission , democrats -- let us elect barack obama and joe biden , '' the new york senator told a capacity crowd waving signs that said `` unity '' on one side and bore either clinton 's or obama 's name on the other . so far , the democratic convention has been dominated by news of the clintons . what would hillary clinton say tuesday night ? and what would her husband , former president bill clinton , say wednesday night ? would daughter chelsea introduce her mother onstage , fueling visions of another democratic dynasty ? and what will happen wednesday , when the convention roll call will either provide the `` catharsis '' clinton predicted it might -- or reopen primary season wounds ? watch clinton 's entire speech ''<doc-sep>the overriding goal for clinton tuesday night was to redirect the energy and emotion of her strongest supporters to the presumptive nominee 's campaign -- if not for his political future , for her own . if the rank-and-file believe a schism in the party generated by her supporters cost democrats the election , it could sabotage any potential white house plans for her . she pushed for her loyalists to back her primary season rival with language that echoed her stump speech about forgotten americans : . `` i want you to ask yourselves : were you in this campaign just for me ? '' she asked . `` or were you in it for that young marine and others like him ? were you in it for that mom struggling with cancer while raising her kids ? were you in it for that boy and his mom surviving on the minimum wage ? were you in it for all the people in this country who feel invisible ? '' read what analysts say about clinton 's speech . she gave obama the seal of approval on health care , an issue that made for some of her toughest language on the trail . `` i ca n't wait to watch barack obama sign a health care plan into law that covers every single american , '' she said . there were a few notable gaps . there was little on foreign policy . there was no unequivocal statement that barack obama is qualified to be commander in chief and ready to lead from day one . mccain advisers noted soon after the speech , there was no mention of the candidates ' differing stands on abortion -- one issue which might have been expected to resonate with those women who supported clinton and have been slow to warm to obama .<doc-sep>but clinton 's language about what was at stake this november could have been lifted from a speech by any of the most passionate obama supporters . `` nothing less than the fate of our nation and the future of our children hang in the balance , '' she told the crowd . `` i want you to think about your children and grandchildren come election day . and think about the choices your parents and grandparents made that had such a big impact on your life and on the life of our nation . '' clinton has not addressed whether another presidential campaign is possible anytime in her future , but some of her senior advisers have been less reticent . there 's no way to tell whether their predictions come from inside knowledge or wishful thinking , but senior clinton aides like former campaign chairman terry mcauliffe and former campaign communications director howard wolfson have told reporters this week that they expect her to make another run for the white house in eight years -- after a two-term obama presidency . if that happens , tuesday night may have marked the first speech of her 2016 campaign .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- twenty years ago , i was standing next to a teleprompter operator in the cavernous cobo hall in downtown detroit . presidential candidate bill clinton was addressing the detroit economic club , and i was guiding the teleprompter operator through his prepared text . drafted during an all-nighter -- one of many we 'd pull during his campaign and presidency -- the speech presented his economic program in exhaustive detail . but , after ad-libbing lines from the beginning , clinton extemporized an exhaustive explanation of german apprenticeship programs for skilled workers in manufacturing . by the time clinton concluded his tutorial on job training programs , the teleprompter operator asked me where to start scrolling the remainder of the prepared text . `` do n't worry , '' i told him . `` clinton will do just fine . '' analysis : clinton speech hit obama 's marks . in his speech at the democratic national convention last night , clinton still did just fine , just as he 's done in so many speeches where he 's treated his prepared text the way jazz greats soar from the sheet music . by one account , the former president spoke for 48 minutes and 5,895 words , while his prepared text , which had been distributed beforehand to the media , was only 3,136 words . no wonder , when asked about her husband 's speech , secretary of state hillary clinton said she was looking forward to comparing the `` as prepared '' and `` as delivered '' texts . reviewing each version , it 's clear that the same person wrote both -- the same president who improvised 20 % of his first state of the union address and explained his health-care plan from memory to a joint session of congress after the teleprompter displayed the text of an earlier speech . clinton 's improvisations are instructive because they show how the nation 's most popular political figure -lrb- 69 % approval rating , according to a usa today/gallup poll -rrb- still serves as extemporizer-in-chief . while most speakers ad-lib anecdotes , clinton also explains complex issues off-the-cuff . a sampler of clinton 's improvisations : . zinger of the week : when clinton zapped republican vice presidential nominee paul ryan on medicare spending reductions , `` it takes some brass to attack a guy for doing what you did , '' that line was n't even in the prepared text .<doc-sep>they paid off their legal fees by 2004 . a cnn analysis of the family 's financial records in early 2013 showed that bill clinton had earned $ 106 million from paid speeches since leaving the presidency behind . in 2012 alone , he earned $ 17 million in fees . although she regularly speaks for free at certain events , mother jones reported earlier this year that clinton made roughly $ 5 million on the speaking circuit since stepping down as america 's top diplomat . clinton did not dispute the figure when sawyer asked about it . though not as profitable as her husband - who has made as much as $ 750,000 in one speech - hillary clinton reportedly commands $ 200,000 per speech . the two also have received hefty advances for their books . hillary clinton said the former first family eventually turned around their finances , noting that her husband has `` worked really hard and it has been amazing to me . '' she noted that they had to pay off debts , get their houses arranged and `` take care of family members . '' clinton has become a staple on the paid speaking circuit . she has appeared before an array of audiences , including trade associations , business groups and college students .<doc-sep>the clintons have been coy about how much they regularly receive to make remarks , but the number was thought to be around $ 200,000 . wapo 's analysis of bill 's speeches indicate that it could be more . in 2011 and 2012 bill was paid a respective average of $ 248,333 and $ 226,736 per speech . ` there 's not a lot of negotiating room , ' chuck carr , a vice president of the institute of scrap recycling industries told the washington post of his organization 's experience hiring bill to speak in 2009 . ` you are offered a contract and there 's very little in the contract that you can change . ' nice work if you can get it : on another occasion clinton made $ 1.4 million in seven days for speaking to european business and political leaders . bill 's pay day has seen an increase throughout the last three years as a result of several high stakes speeches . swedish . communications technology provider ericsson paid clinton $ 750,000 for a . november 12 , 2011 , speech he made in hong kong , china , setting the . record for most amount of money a former u.s. president has received to . give remarks . thisday . newspaper group paid clinton $ 700,000 for a lagos , nigeria speech on . march 25 , 2011 . the organization paid clinton an additional $ 700,000 for . a february 13 , 2012 speech . clinton 's biggest fans have come from the financial services industry , which has paid the former president $ 19.6 million since 2001 to grace 102 functions with his presence . td bank , an affiliate of td ameritrade , has paid clinton $ 1.8 million for 10 speeches . goldman sachs has brought clinton in to speak eight times to the tune of $ 1.35 million . the 42nd president has also been very popular abroad , collecting $ 56.3 million from foreign institutions , primarily in china , japan , canada and the united kingdom . hillary clinton is also in high demand , if not higher demand than her husband , as a speaker . much of the information about her speeches is private , but mother jones posits that hillary has made more than $ 5 million off her speeches since last year .<doc-sep>hillary clinton has earned $ 12 million since departing the state department last year , according to an analysis of her finances released today . bloomberg estimates that clinton has made $ 6 million from speaking fees and received at least a $ 6 million advance for her book hard choices , putting the former secretary of state in the top one-hundredth of the 1 percent of earners in america . clinton 's advance is not public and her spokesman did not respond to the news agency 's response for a comment , but bloomberg believes her advance to be close to that amount based on ` industry standards and public records . ' former secretary of state hillary clinton speaks at the starkey hearing foundation 's ` so the world may hear ' awards gala on sunday , in st. paul , minnesota . clinton gave this speech on behalf of the clinton global initiative , of which starkey is a member . clinton welcomes archbishop desmond tutu , who was honored at the gala . clinton is back in the media today after an analysis of her fiances found that the former obama administration official made $ 12 million since leaving the state department last year . news outlets have previously placed the advance for clinton 's memoir as high as $ 15 million - the amount her husband bill was paid for his 2004 autobiography my life - and not lower than the $ 8 million she received for her 2003 memoir , living history . bloomberg 's review of the presumed presidential candidate 's known speaking gigs and usual fee led the organization to determine that clinton has received approximately $ 6 million for 27 appearances . that amount includes money clinton has been paid by eight universities but now claims went to the clinton foundation . ` all of the fees have been donated to the clinton foundation for it . | <t> crowley : sen. hillary clinton delivered with her speech at the democratic convention . </t> <t> gergen : this was `` perhaps her finest hour in politics '' </t> <t> castellanos : call it the `` lesser of two evils '' speech . </t> | analysis : clinton speech was ` generous , ' ` authentic '<T> |
-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- federal regulators announced $ 7.1 million in fines against american airlines on thursday over maintenance issues and problems with its drug - and alcohol-testing programs . american airlines was fined for allowing aircrafts to fly while they knew they needed repairs . `` the faa believes the large total amount of the fine for these violations is appropriate because american airlines was aware that appropriate repairs were needed , and instead deferred maintenance , '' the federal aviation administration said in a statement announcing the decision . `` in intentionally continuing to fly the aircraft , the carrier did not follow important safety regulations intended to protect passengers and crew . '' american can still appeal the fines , the faa said . the faa also found the airline maintained inadequate drug - and alcohol-testing programs and failed to inspect safety lighting on a `` timely '' basis .<doc-sep>the fort worth , texas-based carrier said thursday evening that it disagreed with the findings and called the penalties `` excessive . '' `` in accordance with faa procedures for handling these matters , we have requested to meet with the faa after we have had time to thoroughly review their findings , so that we may discuss the issues , '' the airline said in a written statement . `` since these matters are ongoing with the faa , we will not have any further comment at this time . '' nearly $ 4.5 million of the proposed fines stem from american 's continued operation of two md-83 jetliners in december 2007 after pilots reported problems with the autopilot systems , the faa said . the two planes were flown a combined 58 times before the problems were corrected -- and one flew 10 times after an faa inspector notified the airline that it had wrongly deferred needed repairs .<doc-sep>in one incident , the autopilot disconnected during a landing on december 21 , the faa said . `` american technicians did not check for the actual problem , and instead deferred maintenance using an inappropriate mel -lrb- minimum equipment list -rrb- item . the plane flew another 36 passenger-carrying flights during december 21-31 . '' the problem was later traced to a piece of radio gear separate from the autopilot , the faa said . meanwhile , a different md-83 flew four flights without a fully functioning autopilot after american mechanics put off repairs . regulators also accuse american of operating planes without timely inspections of their emergency lighting systems . in april , american canceled more than 3,000 flights to conduct inspections of wiring bundles in wheel wells of its 300 md-80 jets , snarling air traffic for five days . the faa ordered american and several other airlines to examine the wiring , which had the potential to start fires or cause landing gear to malfunction .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the u.s. government thursday announced its highest penalty for coal mine safety violations , $ 1.85 million , for a collapse that killed six miners in utah last year . supervisory mining engineer joe zelanko on thursday describes the earth movements at crandall canyon mine . insufficient pillar support and activity in areas that should not have been mined caused the august crandall canyon mine collapse , federal investigators found . the government fined the mine operator , genwal resources , $ 1.34 million `` for violations that directly contributed to the deaths of six miners last year , '' plus nearly $ 300,000 for other violations . the government also levied a $ 220,000 fine against a mining consultant , agapito associates , `` for faulty analysis of the mine 's design . ''<doc-sep>the faa replied to an inquiry into the cause of the maintenance issue stating , `` preliminary information indicates that a row of three seats in the coach cabin apparently became loose . three passengers were accommodated in other seats before the aircraft landed safely at jfk . '' the faa also previously announced in august that it was seeking up to $ 162 million in fines from american for safety violations and had placed american under close scrutiny following its declaration of bankruptcy last november . skift : what priceline 's $ 1.8 billion purchase of kayak means . overall airline on-time arrivals improvedâ . overall , u.s. airlines ' on-time arrival rates improved over august , but were lower than september of the previous year . the number of monthly consumer complaints varies in proportion to the number of on-time arrivals , proving delayed flights equal unhappy fliers . expressjet airlines was second in line for the worst on-time performance with 81 percent of flights arriving on time , followed by united airlines with 82 percent of on-time arrivals . on the other hand , 96.4 percent of hawaiian airlines flights arrived on time making it the most punctual domestic airline , followed by airtran -lrb- 90.9 percent -rrb- and delta -lrb- 89.7 percent -rrb- . & copy 2012 skift , inc. . all rights reserved .<doc-sep>the repair order required airlines to inspect landing-gear doors and take necessary action , fixing the doors or replacing them with new ones . in this case , american eagle found damage on four aircraft , but rather than removing the doors as required , the airline repaired them while they remained on the planes . american eagle said it self-disclosed to the faa that repairs were performed while the landing-gear doors remained on the aircraft , a process that the faa and the aircraft manufacturer subsequently approved , the company said . american eagle subsequently removed the landing-gear doors on each of the affected aircraft and repaired them in accordance with the airworthiness directive . the airline said it will meet with the faa to discuss the matter . the proposed fines are the latest in a string of multimillion dollar fines the faa has proposed against airlines for failing to follow repair orders . in october , the faa proposed to fine us airways $ 5.4 million and united $ 3.8 million for other maintenance violations . in march , southwest airlines agreed to pay $ 7.5 million to settle a complaint that it flew unsafe planes .<doc-sep>in another accident , ophadell williams , 40 , was behind the wheel of a tour bus that crashed into a roadside barrier in new york , killing 15 passengers . after the crash , new york state 's inspector general revealed that williams should not have been given a commercial bus driver license , but was able to obtain one by allegedly using fake names and false information . the transportation department 's statement said it has doubled the number of bus inspections of the nation 's estimated 4,000 passenger bus companies , from 12,991 in 2005 to 28,982 in 2011 . the federal motor carrier safety administration shut down three primary companies -- apex bus inc. , i-95 coach inc. and new century travel inc. -- which oversaw a broad network of other bus companies . `` through the course of our investigations our enforcement teams found multiple patterns of glaring violations by the three networks of enterprises , '' ferro said . she said the companies `` found loopholes '' and managed to get back on the road even after authorities had shut them down . the crackdown on alleged rogue companies was applauded by the american bus association , a trade group representing motor coach and tour bus companies . the agency 's actions `` went far beyond random roadside inspections , and aba very much supports these types of law enforcement efforts . we will continue to support -lrb- the agency -rrb- , and we urge our members to operate at the highest level of safety , '' association president peter pantuso said in a statement to cnn . buses remain a popular mode of transportation for americans , carrying almost as many passengers each year as commercial airlines . about 750 million passengers ride passenger and tour buses each year , compared with round 800 million passengers on airlines , according to american bus association spokesman dan ronan . in march , the transportation department announced a new program , `` look before you book , '' and a smartphone app that allows users to access the safety records of nearly 6,000 interstate commercial passenger carriers . the records consist of safety and inspection data about private bus lines , school buses and tour bus operators . to use the app , passengers can search the bus company or the company 's registration number . information provided by the app reveals who owns the bus and the bus company 's safety record . a check of the app by cnn showed the companies involved with thursday 's announcement were `` not allowed to operate . '' | <t> new : american asks to meet with faa , calls fines `` excessive '' </t> <t> airline accused of not having timely inspections of emergency lighting systems . </t> <t> two planes flew combined 58 times before problems corrected . </t> <t> airline also fined for `` past deficiencies '' regarding drug and alcohol testing . </t> | american airlines fined $ 7.1 million for safety violations<T> |
port st. lucie , florida -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- tropical storm fay , stalled near cape canaveral , florida , soaked portions of east-central florida late wednesday , and the national hurricane center said it could dump 30 inches of rain in some areas of the state . streets are flooded wednesday in port st. lucie , florida , in a photo from ireporter bethany schulstrom . as of 11 p.m. et , the storm was just off the coast of central florida about 35 miles southeast of daytona beach , the national hurricane center said . the storm was moving slowly but could make landfall again in northern florida thursday , the hurricane center said . it would be the fourth time the storm makes landfall . fay has come ashore in florida twice after making landfall in cuba . nasa reported receiving 21 inches of rain from the storm wednesday , said craig fugate , florida 's emergency management director . forecasters said they received an unofficial report of 22 inches northwest of melbourne , florida . florida gov. charlie crist has asked president bush to declare an emergency in the state to free up federal funding . the storm `` is producing historic flooding across a large portion of brevard county , '' crist wrote in a letter to bush . `` fay has and will continue to produce copious amounts of rain over a large portion of northeast florida as the storm turns westward on august 21 . `` fay remains a significant threat , '' crist continued , noting that tornadoes have touched down in seven counties . the governor pre-emptively declared a state of emergency last week . as of 11 p.m. et , fay the storm had maximum sustained winds of 60 mph -lrb- 95 km/h -rrb- , and it was expected to move slowly toward the northwest overnight , according to a hurricane center advisory .<doc-sep>`` this general motion is expected tonight with a gradual turn to the northwest and west-northwest on thursday , '' the national hurricane center said . `` on this track , fay is forecast to move very slowly across northern florida on thursday . '' fay could make its fourth landfall thursday along the florida coast , possibly in the jacksonville-daytona beach area , forecasters said . `` the storm continues to be a threat to this community , '' jacksonville mayor john peyton said . `` looks like the worst is still ahead . '' peyton said jacksonville had set up shelters should people need them . storm tides of 1 to 3 feet above normal are possible along the florida 's east coast , to the north of the center of fay , the hurricane center said , adding that isolated tornadoes are possible over portions of northeastern florida and southeast georgia . the storm forced nasa to close for a second day because of `` potential wind threat , '' nasa said on its web site . the agency was to announce wednesday night whether it would also be shut thursday . the u.s. navy announced wednesday afternoon that it was moving several ships and aircraft in anticipation of fay 's arrival in northeast florida . naval air station jacksonville has evacuated 24 p-3 orion aircraft to bases in maine and ohio . on the southeast coast of florida , fay flooded hundreds of homes in st. lucie county , authorities said . rescuers were using airboats and other means wednesday to pick up stranded residents . earlier in the day , the county 's public safety department said that as many as 8,000 homes might be affected in two low-lying areas but later scaled the number back . crist announced the first known storm-related death . a 54-year-old man died from carbon monoxide fumes as he tested two gasoline-powered generators in his home in highlands county , northwest of lake okeechobee in eastern florida , crist said , quoting the county 's medical examiner .<doc-sep>crist said he was n't sure when the man died , but the medical examiner received the body monday . the severe flooding in st. lucie county took authorities by surprise . meg defore said that the first floor of her home was 14 feet above ground but that water had reached the top of her doors . she left in a small boat . near the north fork of the st. lucie river , water gushed down streets and lapped at the doors of parked cars . ireporter bethany schulstrom , 16 , said water was up to people 's knees in the streets of port st. lucie . `` they sent a warning to everyone not to leave -lsb- their homes -rsb- because the snakes are coming out of their holes and there 's fish everywhere , '' she said . a tropical storm warning , meaning that tropical conditions and winds of 39 to 73 mph are expected within a day , was in effect from fort pierce in st. lucie county north to altamaha sound in georgia . a tropical storm watch , meaning that those conditions are expected within 36 hours , remained in effect from north of altamaha sound to the savannah river . in melbourne , where a 50-year-old rainfall record was shattered , residents have been warned of an alligator swimming in the streets , according to cnn affiliate wkmg-tv in orlando . cnn 's john zarrella and barbara starr contributed to this report .<doc-sep>naples , florida -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- at least seven possible tornadoes were reported tuesday in eastern florida as tropical storm fay battered parts of the state with high winds and heavy rain , the national hurricane center said . fay tore through barefoot bay , florida , south of melbourne tuesday . fay could strengthen into a hurricane when it swings over florida again thursday , according to the center . `` this storm is going to be with us for a while , '' said florida gov. charlie crist . `` looks like it could be a boomerang storm . '' a hurricane watch has been issued for florida 's east coast , from north of flagler beach to altamaha sound . at 5 p.m. , the center of the storm was about 60 miles southwest of melbourne , the hurricane center said . fay was traveling north-northeast at 8 mph . florida power & light reported more than 93,000 customers without power in 20 counties . most of the outages -- 34,000 -- were in collier county , where fay came ashore earlier in the day . as many as 9,700 residents in brevard county were without power tuesday evening , according to david waters , the county emergency operations center spokesman . a brevard county tornado that hit about 1:45 p.m. damaged more than 50 homes , leaving nine uninhabitable , according to the emergency operations center . three people suffered minor injuries , officials said . fay 's maximum sustained winds remained near 65 mph , with higher gusts , forecasters said . a storm tracker in moore haven , near the west bank of lake okeechobee , reported winds up to 81 mph in the afternoon . `` some fluctuations in intensity are likely this afternoon and tonight as fay moves inland over florida . some strengthening is expected when fay moves over the atlantic ocean on wednesday , '' according to the hurricane center . the storm was earlier buffeting lake okeechobee with high winds as it moved north and northeast through florida , leaving a trail of flooding , broken trees and power outages . at midday , the hurricane center issued two tornado warnings -- for st. lucie and indian river counties , and tornado watches were in effect for several areas , most of them ending at 4 p.m. . a possible twister hit wellington in palm beach county , where the violent weather ripped a small barn off its foundation and left a horse standing unhurt on a concrete slab , authorities said . dr. bob smith , an associate veterinarian at the palm beach equine clinic , said an 8-year-old quarterhorse named onyx was in a stall , untied , when the suspected tornado hit about 2 a.m. . it destroyed the structure `` and left the horse standing there unscathed , '' smith said . ireport.com : flooding , beached whale as fay hits . when he came to work several hours later , a technician had rescued the horse , who was not visibly rattled , smith said . `` she 's just calm and cool , '' he said . `` she 's fine . '' smith said roof tiles flew off the veterinary clinic and broke car windows in a nearby parking lot . the storm also picked up a horse trailer and smashed it into another horse trailer , he said . a tropical storm warning remained in effect along florida 's east coast from north of ocean reef to flagler beach , including lake okeechobee . a tropical storm watch covered that coast north of flagler beach to fernandina beach . fay is expected to produce 5 to 10 inches of rain over southern and east-central florida , with possible maximum amounts of 15 inches . three to 5 inches of rain were possible in the northwestern bahamas . steve delai , deputy chief of fire and rescue for palm beach county , said he could not confirm a tornado had hit the southeast county , but the damage was `` consistent with a tornado . '' `` it 's clear that the damage was in a very linear fashion , '' he said . crist said 31 schools were closed in the region tuesday as a precaution . all but four , including brevard county , will be open wednesday . `` floridians should continue to monitor local news reports , stay calm and exercise common sense , '' he advised . `` please remember to be cautious when testing generators and other hurricane-related equipment . `` in areas where the weather is getting worse , stay inside and stay off the roads and be safe , '' crist added . fay 's landfall at cape romano south of marco island was the third for the storm , which came ashore in western cuba sunday night and then again over key west monday afternoon . cindy lou corum , who lives in palm beach county , said her home was surrounded by water . see the path of damage in photos and videos '' `` i 'm going to need a rowboat to get out of my house , '' she said . `` i may have to swim out . '' for residents in punta gorda , in southwest florida , the storm and its trail of damage are a reminder of the devastation from hurricane charley in 2004 . irene faust has lived in mobile homes up and down the florida coast for 35 years . her trailer in punta gorda was destroyed by charley . faust , who turns 82 on thursday , said she learned from charley and is urging others not to wait out the storm in their trailer . `` i 'd say , get out of a mobile home , because it 's like a cracker box , '' she said . ireport.com : your images tell the story . concern about fay 's strength also led school officials in broward county to delay the start of the school year , which was supposed to begin monday . watch wind and rain batter key west '' cnn 's aaron cooper contributed to this report .<doc-sep>obama 's solution , a push for plug-in hybrid cars and other alternatives to oil , will not give consumers short-term relief either . congressional democrats are determined to block the president 's push for offshore drilling , prohibited by a 1981 law and a 1990 executive order . `` when congress lifts the legislative ban , i will lift the executive prohibition , '' bush said . watch bush make a case for new drilling '' the issue also makes for a fascinating family drama since the president 's father , president george h.w. bush , signed the order banning offshore drilling , while his brother jeb more recently opposed such drilling when he was governor of florida . florida 's current governor , charlie crist , has been an opponent of offshore drilling , but he now has an open mind about it since mccain 's embrace . crist 's name has come up as a possible vice presidential running mate on the gop ticket . `` it 's the last thing in the world i 'd like to do , but i also understand what people are paying at the pump , and i understand the drag it is on our economy , '' crist told the st. petersburg times this week . `` something has to be done in a responsible , pragmatic way . '' in the long run , however , the fact that bush has embraced this position on offshore oil drilling as well may make it more difficult for mccain to portray himself as an independent . mccain 's stance also may hurt him in california , a state with 55 electoral votes . the proposal could put mccain at odds with environmentalists who say it is incongruous with his plans to combat global warning . california gov. arnold schwarzenegger , a mccain ally , also opposes offshore drilling . schwarzenegger released a statement wednesday saying he still does not believe it makes sense to have such drilling off the california coast . cnn 's ed hornick contributed to this report .<doc-sep>washington -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- will pot politics push florida democrat charlie crist to victory on his quest to regain the governor 's mansion ? that 's what some democrats are hoping . polls show crist and his gop rival , current gov. rick scott , are neck-and-neck . a quinnipiac university survey released monday has crist at 42 % , scott with 41 % , libertarian candidate adrian wyllie with 7 % , and 9 % of likely voters still undecided . public policy polling released sunday had the crist and scott at 44 % each . crist 's law partner , john morgan , spent millions to get an amendment to legalize medical marijuana on the ballot on tuesday -- a move some say was meant to help crist win by boosting turnout from democratic-leaning groups . `` democrats in florida privately hope that having a medical marijuana initiative on the ballot can bring out a set of voters who are n't otherwise likely to vote in a midterm election , '' said reid wilson , a washington post reporter who closely follows state politics . `` it 's very political calculation and one that frankly charlie crist 's allies have put a lot of money into . ''<doc-sep>fans of charlie crist can now buy their own fan . the moment quickly became fodder for late-night tv , and it sparked renewed interest in a race that had extremely low voter turnout in the primaries . cnn has stated that no fans will be allowed , so it will be interesting to see how crist handles the lack of circulation tuesday night and how scott addresses the mini-drama that put a national spotlight on the race . 2 . will scott try to add some personality ? florida has a history of popular governors -- from jeb bush to lawton chiles to bob graham . but the back-slapping retail politicking of scott 's predecessors has n't come easy for the current governor , a former health care ceo . `` he comes off as a cold fish ; one that does n't connect well with the average floridian , '' said kevin walsh , political science professor at broward college in the miami area . `` contrast that with a very personable , polished and telegenic charlie crist . '' opinion : when the rick hits the fan . experts say scott needs to use the final debate to leave a lasting impression with voters , one that show he has a sense of humor and is capable of exuding warmth . 3 . look for the zinger . one easy way scott could display some humor would be to go after crist over fangate . closing debates offer candidates a chance to deliver a line or zinger that can help solidify the storyline for themselves or their opponent in the final stretch of the campaign . `` it 's their last chance to really make that final impression , both of them would love to come away with a zinger that really resonates , '' walsh said . `` i think they 're going to stay pretty close to their talking points , but i think they may want to take a risk at trying to produce a gotcha moment or real memorable moment . '' | <t> rainfall could reach 30 inches in some areas , forecast says . </t> <t> airboats help rescue people in flooded homes in st. lucie county . </t> <t> kennedy space center will remain closed for a second day . </t> <t> track fay with cnn 's hurricane tracker . </t> | fay drenches parts of florida ⁇ crist asks bush for help<T> |
-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the u.s. olympic committee and the international olympic committee are expected to ask a federal judge monday to shut down web sites they allege scam customers trying to buy olympic tickets , according to court documents . the web site www.beijingticketing.com is accused in a lawsuit of scamming olympic ticket buyers . the ioc and the usoc filed lawsuits on july 22 against several web sites -- primarily www.beijingticketing.com and www.beijing-2008tickets.com -- for illegally using olympic trademarks to dupe customers into giving them credit card , passport and banking information . lawyers for the ioc and usoc are expected to petition u.s. district court judge jeffrey white on monday to permanently shut down several sites listed in the lawsuit . the lawsuit names the company xl & h ltd , known as xclusive leisure & hospitality ltd. and six other web sites believed to be fraudulent . several consumers who purchased tickets from the site contacted the usoc when they did not receive tickets , despite numerous calls and e-mails to the web sites founder , according to a usoc press release . the scam has hit olympic fans in the united states , australia , new zealand , england , japan , china and norway , according to media reports . australian olympic committee president john coates told local media that relatives of the country 's softball team had been victims of the site . the sydney morning herald reported that the new south wales government set up a hotline for those duped out of tickets . the hotline has received hundreds of calls from around the globe with consumers detailing losses as high as $ 57,000 . the ioc and usoc successfully secured a restraining order on july 23 in federal court in phoenix , arizona , that shut down www.beijing-2008tickets.com , according to court documents . that site is now shut down and no contact information is available . the site www.beijingticketing.com priced tickets for friday 's olympic opening ceremony at about $ 2,000 , with events such as swimming selling for between $ 300 and $ 500 . the site is the first entry that comes up for a google search for `` olympic tickets , '' second only to the authorized dealer of olympic tickets , www.cosport.com . the web site ww.beijingticketing.com site lists a london phone number , which rang unanswered . the site lists an office address in arizona . the site boasts tickets for nearly every olympic event , with some events showing sell-outs already . the site also looked to assure ticket buyers of its authenticity with a note at the bottom of the site . `` beijing 2008 ticketing is a well known tickets agent and a trusted market place for buyers to find book olympic tickets , '' the note stated . `` we assure 100 % guaranteed tickets delivery . ''<doc-sep>a day goes by when someone does n't tell me that they saw my pictures . posted on match.com or another web site , ' ms avalos said . the lawsuit accuses match.com of deliberately signing-off on making thousands of fraudulent profiles using her pictures along with thousands of other fake profiles using stolen images to boost profits . match.com charges $ 35.99 monthly for standard service . it alleges ultimately , there are thousands , possibly millions , of photos that have been taken from facebook and other sites , only to be included as part of a fake profile or false ad for match.com . the face of a hundred catfish : model yuliana . avalos is also suing match.com for $ 1.5 billion as part of the same lawsuit because hundreds of users have . used her pictures in their profiles without her consent . growing problem : thousands have joined the class-action lawsuit against the dating site , including famous actors , military personnel and facebook users . not me : using facial recognition software , avalos found over 200 profiles using her pictures . the group claim that match.com broke . copyright laws and committed common law fraud by approving the fake . profiles when they easily could have weeded them out with facial . recognition software . ` when i saw how this free software . worked , it can scan billions of images simultaneously , ' said ms avalos '<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- authorities say silk road , the shadowy `` deep web '' site shut down by the fbi this week , was the internet 's biggest destination for drugs and other illegal goods . it had nearly 1 million registered users , the bureau says , and was used for roughly $ 1.3 billion in transactions over the past two or so years . but shuttering silk road and arresting its owner wo n't be the end of the shadowy black market on the web , where drugs are far from the only products that can be bought illegally . the so-called `` deep web '' consists of sites only accessible using tools like tor , which includes a browser designed to hide the user 's identity by routing their activity through a series of remote connections . many sites use intentionally cryptic web addresses -- silk road 's last was `` silkroadfb5piz3r.onion '' -- that spread stealthily via word of mouth . here is a look at just some of the illegal goods that have been documented as offered for sale on these underground sites . -lrb- we 're not linking to them , sorry . -rrb- . drugs . maybe it should be no big surprise , but hours after silk road was shut down , web users were flocking to online forums with one question : `` where can i buy my drugs now ? '' the answer ? take your pick . sites with names like sheep marketplace , black market reloaded and deep bay were just some of the ones being mentioned as possibilities . another , called atlantis , had emerged earlier this year as a silk road competitor with an aggressive social-media campaign . in june , someone claiming to be the site 's owner even conducted an ama -lrb- `` ask me anything '' -rrb- session on reddit . `` we want to bring attention to the site and bring our vendors more buyers , '' that person said during the session . `` law enforcement is going to be aware of us -lrb- and probably already is -rrb- regardless of the way we choose to put our product out there . '' two weeks ago , atlantis announced it was shutting down due to `` security reasons outside of our control . '' weapons . illegal guns can be found on similar sites , as can legal weapons by people who may not pass a background check or otherwise be allowed to buy them . last year , gizmodo reporter sam biddle spent some time on the armory , an offshoot of silk road devoted to weaponry . as part of his reporting , he posed as someone arming a paramilitary group bent on `` taking on a 3rd world government organization . '' the helpful responses poured in . `` i can provide : tec9 , scorpion , ak47 and one single vietnam war ` thumper ' , but its ammo costs , '' read one , the final reference being to a grenade launcher . `` absolutely , we can accommodate your request , but we need more parameters such as your exact arms needs and destination country , '' read another . `` we only deal with small arms and equipment , but if you need artillery , manpads -lrb- man-portable air-defense systems -rrb- , ordinance , apcs , helos we do have resources and can make certain introductions for a fee . '' about a month after the gizmodo piece ran , silk road 's owner announced it was shutting down the armory , citing high prices and lack of interest . exotic animals . the international fund for animal welfare calls the illegal sale of wild animals online `` one of the major wildlife conservation challenges of our generation . '' `` the rise of the internet has revolutionized the way we exchange ideas , information and merchandise . ... '' reads a report from the group . `` however , as a result , the internet is also facilitating the illegal trade in wildlife , which is having a devastating effect on animals , ecosystems and the communities that rely on them worldwide . '' the report , in which the group tracked activity on 183 websites , documented the sale of elephant ivory , birds of prey , tigers , large snakes and other rare or endangered creatures . the relative anonymity the web provides , combined with a patchwork of laws from state to state and country to country , make policing animal trafficking a tough job , the group said . fake documents . along with drugs , firearms and solicitations of hackers , silk road also had forged documents for sale , the fbi said . in july , the fbi says it intercepted nine false ids bound for ross william ulbricht , who they say is `` dread pirate roberts , '' the man behind the site . `` roberts '' had been soliciting fake identification documents on silk road to use in buying more server space for the site . it should n't have been hard . a simple google search for fake passports renders websites like falsepassports.cc and identificationconsulting.com . need a `` novelty '' driver 's license ? several sites offer those , and you can get a diploma and social security card while you 're at it . `` for your own personal use and amusement , '' notes global intelligence id cards solutions . obviously .<doc-sep>by . rebecca camber , crime reporter . published : . 20:10 est , 21 june 2012 . | . updated : . 20:10 est , 21 june 2012 . criminals from eastern europe are passing themselves off as policemen to rob tourists in britain . their numbers are likely to soar during the olympics as police revealed they had intelligence to suggest hordes of pickpockets and conmen from eastern europe and as far as away as south america will flock to london to prey on visitors . eastern european criminal gangs are already targeting tourists in the capital by posing as plain-clothes officers and issuing bogus fines . crime wave : police believe hordes of pickpockets will descend on london during the olympics . -lrb- picture posed by models -rrb- . a number of suspects have been arrested recently around tourist attractions after forcing victims to march to cashpoints or hand over their bank card and pin numbers for so-called security checks . despite their broken english and lack of police uniform , some visitors have been taken in by fake warrant cards and have provided their name , address , bank details or even handed over their wallet on being asked to verify their identity . dozens of tourists have been stopped by the bogus bobbies around attractions such as trafalgar square , oxford circus and areas such as kensington , chelsea and camden . one favourite trick is to rifle through the pockets of the unsuspecting victim swiping valuables and cash cards , while claiming to perform a routine drugs search . another ruse used by the gangs is to seize bank cards and demand to know the accompanying pin numbers , saying they need the information to confirm the victim 's identity and that they have permission to be in britain . yesterday scotland yard revealed it had received intelligence suggesting gangs from south america and eastern europe were planning to target the games . detective superintendent nick downing , who is leading the fight against olympics-related crime , said : ` there is intelligence to suggest a number of people from eastern europe and south america are coming to london to target the olympics and the london economy . ' he said officers had already seen a rise in pickpockets and offenders acting as bogus policemen . ` tourists are being duped into giving their pin numbers over . ` they are preying on people who maybe do n't understand what a plain-clothes police officer looks like or might do . ` they are preying on the vulnerability of tourists in london . ' some people have been sucked in by the scam because of language difficulties and they hail from cultures which have a strong respect for people in authority , mr downing said . crackdown : suspects have been arrested near tourist attractions including trafalgar square . ` it is theft ' , he added . ` no officer will make any demand for money . ` they would not take you to a cashpoint and ask you to take your money out . ` they do not need to know your pin number . ' police also revealed that dozens of people across the world had been fleeced by online olympic ticket scams . more than 50 sports fans who spent thousands of pounds on fake tickets have been traced so far , but police believe scores more may have fallen victim to the multi-million pound black market trade ahead of the games . mr downing said 35 unauthorised and fraudulent websites offering tickets and accommodation packages had been suspended . but scotland yard has only managed to shut down a small number of websites suspected of selling fake olympic tickets , as many sites in america and holland are beyond their reach . in a separate case , a multimillion pound international ticketing company has been summoned to appear before magistrates next month charged with 22 offences linked to the illegal sale of olympic tickets . police are also seeking a european arrest warrant for a dutch suspect who fled merseyside after his fraudulent olympic ticket website was uncovered . yesterday a metropolitan police spokesman said : ` criminals posing as police officers in order to dupe unsuspecting members of the public into handing over valuables , cash card details or money have been an ongoing problem in central london and we have , unfortunately , seen a recent increase in this type of crime . ` operation podium has been working with borough colleagues and other central assets to target these criminals and a number of arrests have been made in recent weeks . ' big event : the olympic stadium in stratford , east london . police revealed that dozens of people across the world had been fleeced by online ticket scams .<doc-sep>more and more nude photos are emerging , some of which are child pornography , say attorneys for 18-year-old olympic gymnast mckayla maroney , whose nude photos leaked onto several pornography sites were taken when she was underage . maroney 's attorneys have written letters to sites like porn.com demanding that they remove the nude photos of the teenager , who turned 18 in december , from their website . maroney 's lawyers confirm that the photos of maroney were taken when she was under 18-years-old ; despite the fact that she tweeted the photos of her were ` fake ' yesterday . scroll down for video . child pornography : olympic gymnast mckayla maroney 's attorneys say that nude photos leaked onto reddit and pornography sites were taken when she was underage . underage : maroney only turned 18 last december and her lawyers confirm that her leaked nude photos were taken when she was under 18 . olympic gold : mckayla maroney is one us women 's gymnastics team winners of the team gold medal . | <t> usoc , ioc claim fake ticket sites have bilked customers using their trademark . </t> <t> sites www.beijingticketing.com and www.beijing-2008tickets.com named in suit . </t> <t> one site claims `` we assure 100 % guaranteed tickets delivery '' </t> | lawsuit : shut down fake olympic ticket web sites<T> |
cern , switzerland -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- scientists wednesday applauded as one of the most ambitious experiments ever conceived got successfully underway , with protons being fired around a 27-kilometer -lrb- 17-mile -rrb- tunnel deep beneath the border of france and switzerland in an attempt to unlock the secrets of the universe . scientists applaud during the switch on operation of the large hadron collider . the large hadron collider -- a $ 9 billion particle accelerator designed to simulate conditions of the big bang that created the physical universe -- was switched on at 0732 gmt to cheers and applause from experts gathered to witness the event . while observers were left nonplussed by the anticlimactic flashing dots on a tv screen that signalled the machine 's successful test run , among teams of scientists involved around the world there were jubilant celebrations and popping champagne corks . in the coming months , the collider is expected to begin smashing particles into each other by sending two beams of protons around the tunnel in opposite directions . skeptics , who claim that the experiment could lead to the creation of a black hole capable of swallowing the planet , failed in a legal bid to halt the project at cern , the european organization for nuclear research . others have branded it a colossal waste of cash , draining resources from its multinational collaborators that could have been spent on scientific research with more tangible benefits to mankind . sound off : what do you think of the experiment ? french president nicolas sarkozy hailed the project as a major achievement for europe . `` the repercussions of this scientific investment without precedent in the history of humanity will be essential not only for the intimate knowledge of our universe , but also for the direct applications in fields as varied as intensive calculation or even medicine , '' he said . watch as big bang experiment gets underway '' the collider will operate at higher energies and intensities in the next year , potentially generating enough data to make a discovery by 2009 , experts say . they say the experiment has the potential to confirm theories that physicists have been working on for decades including the possible existence of extra dimensions . they also hope to find a theoretical particle called the higgs boson -- sometimes referred to as the `` god particle , '' which has never been detected , but would help explain why matter has mass . the collider will recreate the conditions of less than a millionth of a second after the big bang , when there was a hot `` soup '' of tiny particles called quarks and gluons , to look at how the universe evolved , said john harris , u.s. coordinator for alice , a huge detector specialized to analyze that question . since this is exploratory science , the collider may uncover surprises that contradict prevailing theories , but which are just as interesting , said joseph lykken , theoretical physicist at the fermi national accelerator laboratory . `` when columbus sails west , he thought he was going to find something . he did n't find what he thought he was going to find , but he did find something interesting , '' said lykken , who works on the compact muon solenoid , one of six experiments inside the collider complex . why should the layperson care about this particular exploration ? years ago , when electrons were first identified , no one knew what they were good for , but they have since transformed our entire economy , said howard gordon , deputy research program manager for the collider 's atlas experiment . `` the transformative effect of this research will be to understand the world we live in much better , '' said gordon , at brookhaven national laboratory . `` it 's important for just who we are , what we are . '' fears have emerged that the collider could produce black holes that could suck up anything around them -- including the whole earth . such fears prompted legal actions in the u.s. and europe to halt the operation of the large hadron collider , alleging safety concerns regarding black holes and other phenomena that could theoretically emerge . although physicists acknowledge that the collider could , in theory , create small black holes , they say they do not pose any risk . a study released friday by cern scientists explains that any black hole created would be tiny , and would not have enough energy to stick around very long before dissolving . five collider collaborators who did not pen the report independently told cnn there would be no danger from potential black holes . john huth , who works on the collider 's atlas experiment , called such fears `` baloney '' in a recent interview , and noted that in normal physics , even if the black hole were stable , it could just pass through the earth without being detected or without interacting at all . `` the gravitational force is so weak that you 'd have to wait many , many , many , many , many lifetimes of the universe before one of these things could -lsb- get -rsb- big enough to even get close to being a problem , '' said huth , professor of physics at harvard university . cnn 's elizabeth landau contributed to this story .<doc-sep>by . rob waugh . last updated at 8:28 pm on 30th december 2011 . a physicist at denmark 's niels bohr institute has recreated one of the two main particle detectors at the large hadron collider out of lego - and the replica machine is to scale with the tiny lego engineers that walk through its tunnels . sacha melhase used 9,500 pieces of lego to build the model - a task which took him 35 hours.the niels bohr institute covered his 2,000 euro brick bill - hoping that mehlhase 's work would inspire interest in high-energy physics . the scale model , built by sascha mehlhase using 9,500 lego pieces , is of of the atlas particle detector at the large hadron collider - one of two particle detectors used in the hunt for the higgs boson .<doc-sep>by . victoria woollaston . published : . 11:11 est , 12 november 2013 . | . updated : . 11:16 est , 12 november 2013 . physicist professor stephen hawking , pictured , admitted he was disappointed when the higgs boson ` god particle ' was found . the discovery of the higgs boson ` god particle ' was widely considered the biggest scientific breakthrough of modern day - so much so it won this year 's nobel prize for physics - but not everyone was quite so impressed . leading physicist professor stephen hawking has admitted he was disappointed by the discovery and believes ` physics would be far more interesting if it had not been found . ' the 71-year-old made the claims during a sold-out event at london 's science museum to celebrate the launch of its new collider exhibition . the exhibition gives visitors a behind-the-scenes look at the lhc and cern particle physics laboratory in geneva . the higgs boson 's role is to give the particles that make up atoms their mass . it has been described as the ` missing piece ' of the standard model , which explains how the parts of the universe that we understand interact with one another . without this mass , particles would zip around the cosmos , unable to bind together to form the atoms that make stars and planets - and people . the particle was confirmed using the large hadron collider - the highest-energy particle collider ever made , built by the european organisation for nuclear research -lrb- cern -rrb- in 2012 . the 71-year-old professor made the claims during a sold-out event at london 's science museum to celebrate the launch of its new collider exhibition , pictured . the new exhibition gives visitors a behind-the-scenes look at the lhc and cern particle physics laboratory in geneva . the higgs boson 's role is to give the particles that make up atoms their mass . it . has been described as the ` missing piece ' of the standard model , which . explains how the parts of the universe that we understand interact with . one another . without . this mass , particles would zip around the cosmos , unable to bind . together to form the atoms that make stars and planets - and people . the . particle was confirmed using the large hadron collider - the .<doc-sep>at the start of a big week for the higgs boson , the most sought-after particle in all of physics , scientists in illinois said monday that they had crept closer to proving that the particle exists but had been unable to reach a definitive conclusion . the scientists outlined their final analysis based on more than 10 years of research and 500 trillion particle collisions using the u.s. department of energy 's fermilab tevatron collider near batavia , illinois , whose budgetary woes shut it down last year . what is the higgs boson and why is it important ? their announcement came two days before researchers at the large hadron collider under the alps are due to unveil their latest results at an eagerly awaited seminar at the cern particle physics laboratory in geneva , switzerland . `` our data strongly point toward the existence of the higgs boson , '' rob roser , a spokesman for one of two independent experiments at the tevatron , said in a statement . `` but it will take results from the experiments at the large hadron collider in europe to establish a discovery . '' read more : the woman at the edge of physics . finding the higgs boson would help explain the origin of mass , one of the open questions in physicists ' current understanding of the way the universe works . the particle has been so difficult to pin down that the physicist leon lederman reportedly wanted to call his book `` the goddamn particle . '' but he truncated that epithet to `` the god particle , '' which may have helped elevate the particle 's allure in popular culture .<doc-sep>just in time for albert einstein 's birthday thursday , scientists delivered exciting news about how the universe works . last summer , physicists announced that they had identified a particle with characteristics of the elusive higgs boson , the so-called `` god particle . '' but , as often the case in science , they needed to do more research to be more certain . on thursday , scientists announced that the particle , detected at the large hadron collider , the world 's most powerful particle-smasher , looks even more like the higgs boson . the news came at the moriond conference in la thuile , italy , from scientists at the large hadron collider 's atlas and compact muon solenoid experiments . these two detectors are looking for unusual particles that slip into existence when subatomic particles crash into one another at high energies . `` the preliminary results with the full 2012 data set are magnificent and to me it is clear that we are dealing with a higgs boson though we still have a long way to go to know what kind of higgs boson it is , '' joe incandela , spokesperson for the compact muon solenoid experiment , said in a statement . | <t> startup has been eagerly awaited by 9,000 physicists around the world . </t> <t> it 's the largest particle accelerator in the world and costs about $ 9 billion . </t> <t> lawsuits allege it could generate black holes that could eat the earth . </t> | large hadron collider fired up in ` god particle ' hunt<T> |
-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- celebrity chef bobby chinn has tried his hand at a number of things . chinn 's face for television : picking up his asian tv award in 2007 . english boarding school taught him that food could be an awful experience ; wall street taught him that creativity was more important than money and a stint as a stand-up comedian taught him that you ca n't always get it right . half chinese , half egyptian , chinn 's grandmothers were his first introduction to the variety and pleasure that food can bring . while his palate was subdued by the meals he was given at school in england when he was a boy , his meandering route to becoming a chef came some time after attaining a degree in finance and economics . moving to new york after graduating he worked on wall street . `` you did n't produce anything at the end of a day and you did n't breathe fresh air , you did n't know what the weather was like outside because you were on the floor of the new york stock exchange . it 's like the dungeon of capitalism where time and money met , '' he told cnn 's talk asia . chinn escaped `` the dungeon '' after a year and a half to the sunny climes of california , but it was n't to laze around . an addiction to high-octane and challenging environments saw chinn explore the possibility of being a stand-up comic . `` i was always afraid to talk in front of the class and now i am trying to make them laugh '' he told cnn . `` one day you are really funny and then you go to another gig the same night and nobody laughs and then at the same time you are living a life of poverty . when you are bombing as a comic i do n't think there can be a worse life . '' while finding out the hard way how funny , or not , he was , chinn was working front-of-house in restaurants , nurturing his love of food . his break came when hubert keller from san francisco restaurant fleur de lys took him on as a volunteer in his kitchen . `` he gave me a job and after one week he said ` ok , you can stay . ' and then when you work with one really great chef , then i think you can work anywhere , '' he said . after also training with chefs in france , chinn made his own mark on the culinary world when he opened his first restaurant in vietnam in 1995 , and at first found the going tough . `` supplies were not consistent , the language barrier , the taste barrier , the hygiene barriers . those are very taxing on a person like me with very little patience . '' a high-energy chef and now a tv celebrity who presents `` world café asia '' -- he won an asian television award in 2007 -- chinn is aware that being flavor of the month on tv is transitory . `` it is just a machine that feeds on people like me and then spits me out when my time is done . you just have to go with the flow . ''<doc-sep>chinn explained to the police that he had believed the girls were unhappy and agreed to pick them up and drive them around before taking them to his home in burnsville . he told them to enter the back door and to stay in the ` basement because he lived with his parents , ' the documents said - he then sexually assaulted them both . chinn serves as a volleyball coach at christo rey jesuit high school in minneapolis . this past winter , chinn was named as a volunteer baseball coach in the south washington county school district . chinn was charged thursday with six felonies - two counts of third degree criminal sexual conduct , two counts of kidnapping and two counts of solicitation . chinn has worked at several metro-area schools and organizations as a coach , according to authorities and has no criminal records .<doc-sep>he has no criminal record in minnesota . he was cited for speeding in a 2009 when he was 18-years-old . officials at cristo rey jesuit high school in minneapolis have since placed chinn on leave from the part-time job as volleyball coach which he began in september . ` we are cooperating fully with the anoka county sheriff 's office and are encouraging our school families to discuss any interactions that their children may have had with mr. chinn and to come forward with any concerns , ' the school said . chinn also has been involved in girls ' softball in burnsville and worked as a volunteer junior varsity baseball coach at east ridge high in woodbury for the 2014 season .<doc-sep>a 23-year-old old man from minnesota who had coached young girls at a local high school is accused of sexual assault and kidnapping after bringing two 13-year-old girls he met online to the basement of his parents ' home . authorities say casey lee chinn from burnsville met the girls through omegle , a free online chat site , and picked them around 7:30 pm on monday . police were then able to track the girls to the burnsville home by by tracking the signals from their mobile phones . scroll down for video ... chinn , 23 , is charged with 6 counts of criminal sexual conduct , kidnapping and solicitation .<doc-sep>police found the girls tuesday morning , crying and ` huddled behind a couch ' in the basement of chinn 's home in burnsville , minn. . perhaps the most unbelievable aspect of the criminal complaint against chinn is that he allegedly had the girls in basement because he lived with his parents who were upstair . omegle is a free online chat site that randomly links users with strangers . it 's promotional tagline is ` talk to strangers ! ' according to the charging documents , the girls had been communicating with chinn via text and other social media apps for about a month and the chats were ` sexually explicit . ' chinn knew the girls ' age and acknowledged picking them up , the documents say . when police arrived at the home , he initially denied the girls were there but after a search of the residence the two were found ` huddled behind a couch in the basement , crying and upset . ' | <t> half chinese , half egyptian , chinn made his name as a chef in vietnam . </t> <t> worked on wall street and as a stand-up comic before becoming a chef . </t> <t> has published cook books and has own cookery show called ` world cafe asia ' </t> | bobby chinn : asia 's high-octane chef<T> |
-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- actor and filmmaker joe pantoliano , known for his role as ralph cifaretto on the hbo series `` the sopranos , '' attended the democratic national convention on monday to raise awareness about people living with mental illness . joe pantoliano has met with the obama and mccain camps to promote mental health and recovery . pantoliano , founder and president of the eight-month-old advocacy organization no kidding , me too , released a teaser of his new film about various forms of mental illness . at the cnn grill , he answered five questions for cnn.com . cnn.com : what are you doing out here in denver ? pantoliano : i 've always been fascinated by the political process ever since i was a kid . ... i always love the festive partying , the camaraderie , the working for the candidate , whether it was somebody in the 3rd ward where i lived in new jersey in hoboken or a senator or a congressman or even when a president would come . i remember when president kennedy came down to hoboken in '61 and i was only 10 years old . i was with the kennedys tonight . cnn.com : are you a barack obama supporter ? pantoliano : i 'm advocating my organization . i 'm going to the -lsb- republican national convention -rcb- next week . i 'm speaking on mental illness and the miracles of recovery ; that 's what the movie is about . i 've met with the obama chief of staff and the obama people ; i 've met with mccain people . mental illness is on the tip of their minds .<doc-sep>cnn.com : who are you voting for ? pantoliano : i do n't know yet . watch how celebrity endorsements can backfire '' cnn.com : where are the hot spots in denver ? where are people hanging out ? pantoliano : here , the cnn grill . it 's all they 're talking about . i really like denver . the security is less kinetic -lsb- than -rsb- it was four years ago . that whole fear thing that this administration has played on our nerves ; i think i have post-traumatic stress over that . what happened was i became addicted to the news . ireport.com : are you in denver ? share sights , sounds . cnn.com : do you think that coming out to a convention helps you make up your mind better than sitting in your living room ? pantoliano : i 'm an independent . i can be inspired tonight by michelle obama 's speech , and then something happens next week , so i 'm going back and forth . i 'm a flip-flopper . the difference that i see between the republicans and the democrats are that the democrats really are a force of what the melting pot of our society is . obama really represents that . obama represents what america is today . cnn 's michael senzon contributed to this report .<doc-sep>charlotte , north carolina -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- republicans got first serve in their convention last week . can democrats break serve , or will the presidential race go to a tiebreaker in november ? here are five things to watch for at the democratic national convention : . 1 . new man on the big stage -- most americans have never heard of the mayor of san antonio . they will after tuesday night when julian castro becomes the first latino to give the keynote address at a democratic convention . past keynote speakers such as bill clinton and barack obama made it to the white house . maybe that 's raising too many expectations for castro , but his speech will be looked upon the same way . 2 . 2016 contenders -- sen. marco rubio of florida and vice presidential nominee paul ryan gave blockbuster speeches at the republican convention in tampa , florida . new jersey gov. chris christie 's keynote address did n't go over as well . all three could make bids for the gop presidential nomination in 2016 if mitt romney does n't win in november . so which democrats are waiting in the wings ? govs. martin o'malley of maryland , brian schweitzer of montana and john hickenlooper of colorado all have an opportunity in charlotte . 3 . turncoats -- is charlie crist the artur davis of this convention ? davis , the former democratic congressman from alabama who seconded obama 's nomination four years ago , had a high-profile speech at the republican convention . now it 's crist 's turn . what will the former republican governor of florida , who could possibly run for his old office as a democrat , say when he gets in front of the podium in charlotte ? 4 . what will bill clinton say ? -- there 's probably more anticipation , and questions , around the former president 's wednesday prime-time address . once former adversaries when hillary clinton was running against obama , bill clinton has become one of obama 's strongest advocates . but the big question is what will clinton say when he nominates obama for re-election wednesday ? obama campaign officials said they have n't seen clinton 's speech yet , but they said they are `` not worried '' about what he 'll say . 5 . the ticket -- the traditional role of running mate is to be the attack dog . will vice president joe biden slam romney as much as ryan attacked obama ? and how much of what the president will say in his acceptance speech is a defense of his first term and how much is an outline of what he wants to do over the next four years ?<doc-sep>denver has hosted one other party convention , also democratic , in 1908 . it was the first convention held by a major party in a western state . democrats nominated william jennings bryan who eventually lost the election to the republican nominee , william howard taft . the candidates , past and present . if obama is elected , he will be the third president from illinois , following abraham lincoln and ulysses s. grant . sen. joe biden will be the first delawarean to serve on a major party 's national ticket . and how often has a presidential candidate turned to someone he ran against for his running mate ? since 1900 , the democrats have done it seven times ; the gop , eight times . in 1932 , franklin roosevelt became the first presidential nominee to deliver an acceptance speech in person at a convention . frederick douglass was the first african-american to receive a vote for president at a major party 's convention . douglass received one vote at the 1888 gop convention . washington minister channing phillips was the first african-american to receive a vote for president at a democratic convention . phillips received 67.5 votes at the democrats ' 1968 convention . in 1896 , 36-year-old democrat william jennings bryan became the youngest person to win a major party 's presidential nomination . the delegates . more than 4,000 delegates will attend the democratic convention . an estimated 15,000 members of the media will also be on hand . the oldest delegate at this year 's democratic convention is 91-year-old sophie masloff of pennsylvania . the youngest is 17-year-old david gilbert pederson from minnesota . slightly more than half of this year 's democratic convention delegates are women : 50.1 percent . almost half of the delegates at this year 's democratic convention -- - 44.3 percent - - - represent minority communities . african-americans make up almost 24.5 percent of this year 's delegation , the largest share in democratic convention history . the first african-american delegates to a democratic national convention were seated in 1936 . the first african-american delegates to a republican national convention were seated in 1868 . the first woman delegate to a democratic national convention was seated in 1908 . she was from colorado . the first woman delegate to a republican national convention was seated in 1900 . she was from utah . robert yoon and alan silverleib contributed to this report .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- former nba star and tnt sports analyst charles barkley attended the democratic national convention on tuesday and answered five questions for cnn.com at the cnn grill . former nba star charles barkley says the next president must deal with poverty and the war in iraq . cnn.com : why are you here in denver ? barkley : i just wanted to be here . i 'm just so excited . i never thought in my lifetime we 'd have a black man with a legitimate shot of being president . cnn.com : are you a barack obama supporter ?<doc-sep>st. paul , minnesota -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- after rubbing shoulders with susan sarandon , danny glover , charlize theron and charles barkley at the democratic national convention in denver , colorado , new york post celebrity gossip columnist cindy adams jetted off to `` one of the dullest towns in america , '' according to her latest column , to sniff out politically-inclined celebs in st. paul . `` i would n't know -lsb- sarah palin -rsb- from an alaskan salmon ! '' columnist cindy adams says . what does john mccain running mate sarah palin have in common with an alaskan salmon ? and who will win november ? just a few of the five questions we put to the woman famous for knowing famous people over dinner at the cnn grill . cnn.com : first things first : celebrity-wise , does the republican convention compare to denver ? adams : it does n't . it ca n't compare , because hollywood is very left-wing . and there were so many celebrities in denver . everywhere you looked , you fell over somebody who thought they were important . here , not . | <t> pantoliano is co-founder of the advocacy group no kidding , me too . </t> <t> `` sopranos '' actor has new film about mental illness . </t> <t> he says he has met with obama and mccain camps to discuss issue . </t> <t> pantoliano has n't decided whom to vote for in november . </t> | five questions : joe pantoliano at the democratic convention<T> |
la paz , bolivia -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- five of bolivia 's nine states staged a civic strike tuesday , protesting against president evo morales and demanding a larger share of the country 's natural gas revenues . members of santa cruz 's juvenile union burn wood during protests tuesday in santa cruz , bolivia . officials in santa cruz , beni , pando , tarija -- states in the wealthy , eastern lowland known as the `` media luna , '' or half-moon -- and chuquisaca , also in the eastern part of the country , instructed residents not to leave their homes until the end of the one-day strike , bolivian newspaper el diario reported . the five departments contain much of the andean country 's natural gas deposits , and their leaders are asking for natural gas revenue that morales has earmarked to increase funding for pension plans , the five regions said in a statement on the strike posted on santa cruz 's web site . they said they were `` sorry that the inflexibility of the government forced the prefectures to take this type of resolution . '' confrontations between government supporters and pro-autonomy groups in a santa cruz neighborhood appeared to be the day 's most violent . police fired tear gas three times at demonstrators . in the other four departments where the strike was being observed , there were no disturbances .<doc-sep>the 24-hour strike was called by civil committees of the departments to demand that the government give back the money it has collected by taxing hydrocarbons in order to fund the pension plan . the president of santa cruz 's civic committee , branco marincovick , said the tax is constraining regional development . the government condemned acts of violence during the day and said that the strike was limited . the strike comes nine days after morales garnered more than 67 percent of votes in a recall referendum , which he had proposed in may to break a power struggle long simmering between him and the conservative leadership in the media luna states . despite the solid show of support for morales , the vote also endorsed the leaders in santa cruz , pando , beni and tarija , making it impossible to reach a solution to the stalemate . morales , a former labor organizer and the country 's first indigenous president , was elected in 2005 on promises to reform bolivia 's constitution for the benefit of its indigenous majority . but his proposals have been hampered by his rivals in the media luna states . since taking office , all four have pushed for greater autonomy , saying the individual departments have the right to control their own affairs , including increased access to gas revenues .<doc-sep>in speaking about the revenues earmarked for increased pensions , morales emphasized that it was for the good of the people , a refrain he often uses . `` some authorities believe that this money is theirs , and it is not so , this silver is of the people and should benefit the people , '' the president said last year , shortly after he announced the measure . mark weisbrot , co-director of the washington-based center for economic and policy research , a nonpartisan think-tank , said morales ' overwhelming victory at the polls strengthens his hand at achieving his goal of redistributing wealth . less than one percent of landowners in bolivia own two-thirds of the country 's farmland , he said in an article published in the nation magazine . `` bolivia is south america 's poorest country , with 60 percent of the population living below the poverty line , and 38 percent in extreme poverty , '' he said . `` the voters have overwhelmingly decided that they want their government to do something about that . this should be possible , even if it means redistributing some of the country 's most important natural resources . '' cnn 's gloria carrasco contributed to this report .<doc-sep>for the past two weeks , the demonstrators in the country 's richer eastern lowlands have been protesting morales ' plans to redistribute the country 's natural gas revenues . `` without fear of anyone , without fear of the empire , today before you , before the bolivian people , i declare the ambassador of the united states persona non grata , '' morales said wednesday of ambassador philip goldberg in a nationally televised speech . the united states called the allegations baseless and kicked out the bolivian ambassador thursday . the bolivians `` made it very clear what their intention was and we took them at their word , '' mccormack said friday . `` we take president chavez at his word in this particular case , and we have reacted appropriately . ''<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- riding through the streets of moscow or flipping through channels of russian tv , it 's difficult to escape messages from the country 's natural gas monopoly , gazprom . russian prime minister vladimir putin visits the central control room at the gazprom hq , moscow , january . `` i 'm driving under a huge gazprom sign right now , '' yuri pogorely , vice-president of interfax , the russian business news wire , said in a phone interview . television ad campaigns have promoted the company as a `` national treasure '' and , more recently , the business that makes `` dreams come true . '' `` it can make someone think , why does a russian monopoly need this kind of branding ? after all , there are other state-owned companies that do n't present themselves as a symbol of russia , '' pogorely said . `` but gazprom is not just any company . '' if the soviet union promoted its interests through satellite states and military prowess , russia today flexes its might on the global stage through its vast oil and natural gas fields . and no company exemplifies this more than gazprom . `` by reputation , it is the largest and most powerful russian company , '' said lev snykov , an analyst with vtb capital in moscow . watch gazprom chief alexander medvedev explain future strategy '' but its strong-arm tactics in contract negotiations with the ukraine -- shutting off gas supplies three times in the past four years at the height of winter -- have european union customers looking for alternatives to their reliance on russian natural gas . the company has the world 's largest distribution system of gas , maintaining 97,560 miles -lrb- 157,000 kilometers -rrb- of pipelines that stretch , like russia , from the far east to europe . the perennial conflict with the ukraine -- through which much of the natural gas supply of eastern europe flows -- is of deep concern to nations such as germany and greece , which depend on russia for up to 50 percent and 90 percent of their natural gas , respectively . gazprom saw its market share in the european union drop in the second half of 2008 . gas exports from russia to europe dropped 33 percent in october alone , according vtb capital . `` the ukraine conflict may have served as a catalyst for european customers to become more averse to russian gas imports , '' says a vtb report on the ukraine crisis . the russian economy , reliant on commodities , is suffering because of the fluctuating oil market , down from its record of nearly $ 150 a barrel to about $ 60 today . as a result , gazprom saw profits fall 84 percent in the last quarter of 2008 , prompting the company to slash its dividend by 86 percent , to 11 cents a share . russia has 20 percent of the world 's gas reserves , and is the single-largest producer of natural gas . gazprom posted profits of $ 30.8 billion last year -- down from $ 40 billion the year before -- and its business alone accounts for 10 percent of russia 's gross domestic product . so it 's no surprise that gazprom is a pet project of russian prime minister vladimir putin . his replacement as president , dmitry medvedev , is a former chairman of the company . putin 's `` interest in gazprom is very deep . as a journalist who writes about energy issues , i 've seen him give very detailed information and knowledge about what 's happening with the company and company logistics , '' said pogorely of interfax . `` when you hear him speak , it 's like you 're not talking to the prime minister of russia , but one of the top company managers . '' alexander medvedev , deputy chief executive officer of gazprom exports , deflects questions about the perception that gazprom is a tool of russian government and energy policy . watch medvedev explain gazprom 's plans '' `` nobody is challenging the view that gazprom is a very special company , that we have a mixed capital structure , the majority of our shares are in the hands of the russian government , '' he said . `` but the rest are in the hands of private shareholders , including private citizens all around the world . '' the company 's goal is to become an energy leader with a diversified portfolio around the world , he said . `` like alexander ovechkin ... not everyone enjoys him , but he 's a leader , and we would like to perform as good as ovechkin in hockey , '' he said , referring to the controversial russian ice hockey star who was named player of the year this week by national hockey league players . that sentiment echoes how russians feel about gazprom . a recent poll by the public opinion foundation found one in five russians under 26 would like to work for gazprom . `` in rural areas , gazprom is dramatically important for people because of our harsh winters , '' pogorely said . `` russians love someone big who sticks up for you . ok , sometimes they may not be very nice to you . but if he cares for you and makes your life better , that 's ok , '' pogorely said . `` but if you 're doing business in russia , gazprom is the power you would n't mess with . ''<doc-sep>it 's not like that would be stepping out on a limb , since it 's been well documented that some people who live near gas-drilling facilities can now turn on their faucets and light the water on fire . i 'm not making that up -- rent the documentary `` gasland '' and enjoy the pyrotechnic show . if you can . i found myself getting angry as i listened to homeowner after homeowner share the details of trying to live a life breathing in toxic fumes because of the unregulated drilling . think karen silkwood or erin brockovich . or better yet , think dick cheney , the driving force behind w 's energy policy . why cheney ? well , one of the companies making big profits from the natural gas drilling is his former employer , halliburton . and yet republicans like romney -- who as a governor , proposed plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions , and as a presidential candidate , backed away from such plans -- and his rivals talk openly about their disdain for the epa , while pushing for the keystone xl pipeline extension . the pros and cons of building a system that funnels crude oil into the u.s. are worth exploring . but doing so while plotting to dismantle the epa reeks of capitalism run amok . i severely doubt the epa is running as efficiently as it should , and i 'm sure there are some regulations that need to reviewed by the science community . but the republican notion that a federal policing of our natural resources is a waste of money flies in the face of common sense . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of lz granderson .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- global emissions of carbon dioxide hit a record high in 2011 , scientists from the global carbon project reported last week . another record is expected in 2012 . the earth continues to warm , and to warm fast , with serious consequences for human life and welfare . 2012 saw the worst drought in the united states in half a century . russia suffered its second bad drought in three years . climatic shocks to these two countries are raising food prices worldwide , posing an especially acute threat to the world 's poorest . major storm events strike harder and more often , because warming oceans create conditions for fiercer hurricanes . the new york times reported friday : . `` emissions continue to grow so rapidly that an international goal of limiting the ultimate warming of the planet to 3.6 degrees , established three years ago , is on the verge of becoming unattainable . '' this ominous news arrives as delegates gather in doha , qatar , for the latest annual round of climate talks sponsored by the united nations . few expect the doha talks to produce much decision . yet there is good news on the environmental front , important news . carbon emissions in the united states have declined since 2009 -- not emissions per person -lrb- those have been declining for decades -rrb- , but emissions in absolute terms . the weak economy explains part of the decline , but the real hero of the story is the natural gas fracking revolution . a decade ago , half of all the electricity generated in the united states was generated by burning coal , the most carbon-dense fuel of them all . today , coal 's share of the electricity mix has plunged to one-third , as utilities substitute cheap natural gas . gas production has become much cheaper with the growth of fracking -- forcing open rocks by injecting fluid into cracks . gas emits about half as much carbon per unit of energy as coal . environmentalists have responded warily to the advent of gas . they prefer zero-emissions power sources like wind and solar -- sources made more uncompetitive than ever by ultracheap natural gas . -lrb- today 's price : about $ 3.50 per thousand cubic feet , down about 70 % from the prices of the mid-2000s . -rrb- . moreover , natural gas does little -lrb- as yet -rrb- to address emissions from automobile tailpipes . but maybe there 's a way to cheer environmentalists up . take three worrying long-term challenges : climate change , the weak economic recovery , and america 's chronic budget deficits . combine them into one . and suddenly three tough problems become one attractive solution . | <t> five of bolivia 's 9 states demand larger share of nation 's natural gas revenues . </t> <t> president has earmarked gas profits to increase funding for pension plans . </t> <t> police fire tear gas three times at demonstrators in santa cruz . </t> | bolivians strike for share of natural gas profits<T> |
-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- more u.s. troops have died in afghanistan this year than in any year since the u.s. invaded the country following the september 11 , 2001 , terrorist attacks . soldiers at a u.s. base in afghanistan on thursday honor the victims of september 11 , 2001 . according to numbers cnn has compiled from military statements , 112 american troops have died in afghanistan in 2008 , compared with 111 in all of 2007 . the death toll has sparked concern among the u.s. military and its allies . adm. michael mullen , chairman of the joint chiefs of staff , told a congressional committee wednesday that the u.s. is `` running out of time '' to win the war in afghanistan . mullen said the u.s. needs better nation-building initiatives and a stronger cross-border strategy with pakistan to ensure victory over islamic militants in the poor asian country . `` we ca n't kill our way to victory , and no armed force anywhere , no matter how good , can deliver these keys alone . it requires teamwork and cooperation , '' mullen told the house armed services committee . in addition to those killed in afghanistan , the military also includes troops who died outside the country if they were part of operation enduring freedom , the war launched nearly seven years ago in and around afghanistan . the broader count includes two americans who died in djibouti in 2008 . the 2007 count includes two americans who died in ethiopia , two in the philippines , one in mali , one in pakistan and one at sea near the horn of africa . according to cnn numbers , 585 americans have died in the course of operation enduring freedom , 506 of them in afghanistan . the numbers include hostile and nonhostile incidents . both the u.s.-led coalition and the nato command announced three more deaths thursday -- a british soldier in southern afghanistan on wednesday and two others in eastern afghanistan on thursday . the nationalities of the latter two have not been disclosed . the british death brings the country 's toll to 118 . other countries , including canada , germany , france and spain , also have lost troops in afghanistan .<doc-sep>allen noted that `` september 11 marks the 10th anniversary of an event that changed the world . '' ever since that day , he said , the troops have crippled insurgents and have honored the victims of terrorism worldwide . he said the coalition is committed to making sure afghanistan is never again a safe haven for al qaeda . `` you have helped the afghan people build their nation , a democratic government and an ever-strengthening security force , '' he said , saying afghanistan has made advances in security , economic development and governance . allen 's remarks come as isaf reported five more troops dying in combat friday . three died following an insurgent attack in the east . two died in separate incidents in the south , one following an insurgent attack and another after a bombing . their nationalities have not been released , and the precise locations of the incidents were not disclosed . they are among 12 service members who have died in afghanistan this month . of the others , five are americans , one is danish and another is french . the coalition death toll in the war is nearing 2,700 , according to a cnn count , with the united states sustaining most of the casualties in operation enduring freedom . august was the deadliest month for u.s. forces in afghanistan since the conflict began . seventy-one american troops died in august , topping july 2010 , when 65 troops died , according to the cnn tally .<doc-sep>washington -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- a u.s. army officer who was honored for valor after his combat outpost in afghanistan was attacked has also received a letter of reprimand for failing to secure the base before the attack , according to army officials . such a letter normally would prevent career advancement . u.s. army capt. matthew myer received the silver star for his part in repelling a taliban attack on his small combat outpost in eastern afghanistan in july 2008 . the attack , near the village of wanat , is still the deadliest ground combat of the war involving u.s. troops . a coordinated taliban attack from the steep hills surrounding the base almost resulted in the outpost being overrun . according to troops who survived , the taliban came at the base with about 200 fighters , outnumbering the u.s. forces at the base . in the end nine soldiers were killed and 12 were wounded . about 100 taliban were killed . despite the heavy u.s. death toll , myer was awarded the silver star for calling in aircraft to beat back the fighters , some of whom had breached the base walls , according to u.s. military officials in afghanistan .<doc-sep>the 15 deaths in july also put the british military on track to be the deadliest month yet for british troops supporting operation enduring freedom . britain 's deadliest month in afghanistan so far has been september 2006 , when 19 died -- 14 in a single incident , the crash of a royal air force plane near kandahar . since the united states launched operation enduring freedom in afghanistan in 2001 , 652 u.s. troops have died in hostile and nonhostile activities throughout the country .the 15 deaths in july also put the british military on track to be the deadliest month yet for british troops supporting operation enduring freedom . britain 's deadliest month in afghanistan so far has been september 2006 , when 19 died -- 14 in a single incident , the crash of a royal air force plane near kandahar . since the united states launched operation enduring freedom in afghanistan in 2001 , 652 u.s. troops have died in hostile and nonhostile activities throughout the country . | <t> cnn numbers : 112 americans killed this year , compared with 111 last year . </t> <t> operation enduring freedom has killed 585 americans since 2001 . </t> <t> numbers include those who died outside afghanistan as part of enduring freedom . </t> | 2008 marks deadliest year for u.s. troops in afghanistan<T> |
london , england -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- rare images of an african animal so elusive that it was once believed to be mythical have been released . one of the first pictures of the elusive okapi was taken by camera trap . the okapi is a shy animal related to the giraffe , with zebra-like stripes on its rear . it is native to the tropical rainforests of africa but is now known to live only in the democratic republic of the congo . okapis were last seen in the drc 50 years ago , and the images are the first to capture the animal in the wild . `` to have captured the first-ever photographs of such a charismatic creature is amazing , '' said noelle kumpel , manager of the bushmeat and forests conservation program at the zoological society of london , which took the pictures . `` okapi are very shy and rare animals , which is why conventional surveys only tend to record droppings and other signs of their presence . ''<doc-sep>the okapi 's face and long legs resemble those of the giraffe , their closest-living relative , but they look more like horses with long necks . the average height of their shoulders is 1.6 meters -lrb- 5 feet , 3 inches -rrb- , the zsl says . they have a short , dense , velvety coat and dark prehensile tongue long enough to clean their own eyelids and ears . the new pictures show the okapi in the foliage of the drc 's virunga national park , where decades of economic collapse and armed conflict have threatened the diverse wildlife . in one image , an okapi looks curiously toward the camera amid the green trees and groundcover . its large ears , dark nose , and zebra stripes are clearly visible . the next shot shows the okapi walking away from the camera , giving a clear view of its striking black-and-white stripes on its rear legs . a third image released by zsl was taken at night and gives a vivid side view of the animal .<doc-sep>`` the photographs clearly show the stripes on their rear , which act like unique fingerprints , '' said theirry lusenge , a key member of zsl 's survey team in the drc . `` we have already identified three individuals , and further survey work will enable us to estimate population numbers and distribution in and around the park , which is a critical first step in targeting conservation efforts . '' zsl said the images prove the okapi still thrives in the park despite threats to its survival , which include poaching , deforestation , military camps inside the park , and the influx of refugees at the park 's borders . the animal 's exact status is still a mystery , however , and it remains under threat , the zsl said . okapi meat reportedly poached from the park is now regularly on sale at the nearby town of beni -- and if hunting continues at the same rate , okapi could become extinct within the park within a few years , the zsl said . the virunga national park is one of only three protected areas the okapi are known to inhabit , the zsl said . the zsl 's study of the okapi is part of a larger eu-funded conservation project in the park . though focused on okapi , the study has also managed to find other species including shrews and duikers , a kind of antelope , a zsl spokeswoman said . the study involved 18 cameras set up around the park by the zsl and the congolese institute for nature conservation , the spokeswoman said .<doc-sep>the announcement comes a month after another group of researchers reported finding thousands of previously-unknown gorillas in the neighboring republic of congo . the u.s.-based wildlife conservation society said in august they had found 125,000 western lowland gorillas living in a swamp in northern congo , adding significantly to the existing worldwide population of the threatened species . okapi were well known by africans for centuries but the animal remained elusive , thanks to its acute hearing and effective camouflage , according to the national zoological gardens of south africa . nineteenth-century explorers sometimes caught a fleeting glimpse of the okapi 's striped backside as it ran through the forest , leading to speculation that it was a kind of zebra , the national zoological gardens says . it was known to the pygmy as a sacred animal . still , the okapi remained unknown to the western world until the early 20th century , when british explorer harry johnston went to congo and sent a complete skin and skull back to britain , the zsl said .<doc-sep>running theme : this pet dog also opted to stick out its tongue for his selfie . posing for the paw-parazzi : this white cat manages a steely look at the camera . monkey business : this crested black macaque does not look impressed as he stares into the camera lens . it comes after oxford dictionaries named the ` selfie ' as the word of the year , beating tough competition from twerk , binge-watch and showrooming . another big craze of 2013 involved farmers taking their own ` felfies ' of themselves alongside their herds . but pet owners now seem to have been pushed out of the picture all together as their animals take centre stage in these animal selfies . taking centre stage : alice the doberman poses for a picture with her owner who is pushed out of the shot . picture perfect : a crested black macaque demonstrates how to pull off the perfect animal selfie . paws for thought : this tabby looks ready for a cat nap . it 's a dog 's life : a mastiff poses with his red dog collar . a side selfie : this dog masters the art of the side selfie where just one side of the face is captured on camera .<doc-sep>it was one of the biggest trends of 2013 - the selfie . but just a few days into the new year and a new craze has already taken over - the animal selfie . twitter has been inundated with posts of animals pulling their best poses for the camera next to the hashtag #animalselfies . and it 's not just cats and dogs getting in on the action , with monkeys , horses and even bearded dragons getting involved . smile ! two dogs happily smile for the camera in this animal selfie posted on twitter . ready for my close-up : a lemur grabs hold of a camera before taking this selfie . just hanging in the park : this dog decided to capture his walk on camera . a big poser : laura lawson tweeted an amusing picture of her brother brandon 's bearded dragon posing . the result is a series of adorable and often humourous snaps as the animals attempt to perfect their close-ups . laura lawson tweeted an amusing picture of her brother brandon 's bearded dragon posing for the camera . she wrote : ` my brothers bearded dragons . they 're always posing ! ' say cheese : tom campbell posted this picture of his girlfriend 's dog on instagram .<doc-sep>no animal interference : cape point is a spectacular lookout , with vies out to sea and of surrounding beaches . say cheese ! a llama poses for the camera in peru , making the g adventures ' top five animal selfies list . hilarious gag ! this seal seems to be laughing at the penguins in the background in south georgia . she added : ` it was literally for a few seconds and then it scampered away . ` there were lots of tourists standing next to me and we were having a good laugh about it - it was very unexpected . ' ` it was an unique experience which is now one of my best memories at cape point . ' ready for my close-up : a lemur grabs hold of a camera before taking this selfie . picture perfect : a crested black macaque demonstrates how to pull off the perfect animal selfie . the baboon is n't the only fame-hungry animal wanting to have a snap taken , llamas , seals and even polar bears have also jumped in on the action . and some have even managed to make it look like they 've taken a selfie at the destination , as happened with a somewhat curious lemur and a smiling black macaque .<doc-sep>flesh from the specimens were dissolved in a digestive enzyme called trypsin which removed the protein , but left the collagen that holds the bones and skin together intact . to make the fish appear invisible , each specimen was then submerged in glycerine and placed into various poses before being photographed using a canon 5d mark iii camera fitted with a 100mm macro lens . professor summers told seattle aquarium , where the display is being held : ` this technique is only effective on specimens that are less than about 1cm in thickness , and takes much longer for thick specimens than thin . flesh from the specimens were dissolved in a digestive enzyme called trypsin which removes the protein , but leaves the collagen that holds the bones and skin intact , as seen in this butterfly ray . to make the fish appear invisible , each specimen was then submerged in glycerine and placed into various poses before being photographed using a canon 5d mark iii camera fitted with a 100mm macro lens . ' a small fish might take three days to process while a larger animal could take several months . ' | <t> african animal so elusive it was once believed to be mythical is photographed . </t> <t> okapi is shy animal related to the giraffe , with zebra-like stripes on its rear . </t> <t> animal is now known to live only in the democratic republic of the congo . </t> | ` mythical ' animal finally poses for camera<T> |
editor 's note : reese witherspoon , the academy award-winning actress , is honorary chairman of the avon foundation and is employed by avon products as its global ambassador . reese witherspoon says she wants to banish the myth that young women are not at risk for breast cancer . -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- every three minutes in the united states , a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer . as a woman , a mother , and a daughter , i find that statistic terrifying . i was never naïve about breast cancer , but hearing this statistic put it all into perspective . women close to me have battled the disease and are now soldiers in the greater fight against it . but the moment i heard `` every three minutes , '' i felt vulnerable and scared as i realized that anyone is susceptible .<doc-sep>the only way for me to ease my fears was to take action . i needed to educate myself and others on this disease . as the honorary chair for the avon foundation , i had resources at my fingertips . i had access to an entire organization that is dedicated to giving back to women and educating people . so i started asking , `` what do i need to know ? '' it was through that curiosity that i found out the most important fact in breast cancer : early detection saves lives . according to the avon foundation breast cancer crusade , there is a 97 percent five-year survival rate when breast cancer is caught before it spreads to other parts of the body . when breast cancer first develops , there are usually no symptoms , which is why women need to perform self-exams regularly and contact their doctor upon noticing even the smallest change . of course talking about breast cancer and breast health is a personal thing . i too am a private person but encourage all women to break through their reservations and talk to their doctors and physicians .<doc-sep>we must also banish the myth that young women are not at risk for breast cancer . at the avon walk in washington , i met young survivors who were diagnosed in their 20s , an age when most women are graduating from college and just starting their lives as full adults . watch reese and larry at the avon walk '' women in their 20s and 30s should have a clinical breast exam by a health professional at least once every three years and women 40 and older should have an exam every year . i am passionate about fighting this devastating disease . i fight for my mother , myself , my children and future generations of women , so one day we will not have to be afraid of breast cancer . i began my fight by learning important first steps in breast cancer detection , and will not end my fight until every woman can stand together saying we are breast cancer free . more than anything else , i have faith -- faith we will find a cure . i saw this commitment in the faces of the women in washington -- in the faces of the women walking and the women and men who stood on the sidelines encouraging the 3,500 participants to the finish line . i was cheering right along with them , screaming for action to find a cure . avon 's next walk will take place in new york city on october 4 and 5 .<doc-sep>editor 's note : reese witherspoon , the academy award-winning actress , is honorary chairman of the avon foundation and is employed by avon products as its global ambassador . reese witherspoon says she wants to banish the myth that young women are not at risk for breast cancer . -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- every three minutes in the united states , a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer . as a woman , a mother , and a daughter , i find that statistic terrifying . i was never naïve about breast cancer , but hearing this statistic put it all into perspective . women close to me have battled the disease and are now soldiers in the greater fight against it . but the moment i heard `` every three minutes , '' i felt vulnerable and scared as i realized that anyone is susceptible .<doc-sep>taylor `` attempted to crash the march 2011 wedding of reese witherspoon , but was denied entrance because she was not on the guest list , '' the petition said . `` i have since learned from friends and investigators that tricianne taylor has attempted to borrow money as ms. john witherspoon , '' her affidavit said . `` also , she is living in the condominium owned by my daughter reese . and she is driving our vehicles . i have also learned through an investigator that she has gotten my husband to sign a new will . '' reese witherspoon 's representative said `` no comment '' when cnn asked about the case . cnn has been unable to contact john witherspoon or taylor for comment . court filings do not identify their legal counsel .<doc-sep>anyone who has read cheryl strayed 's best-selling book wild knows that her hiking boots are a central part of the story . and now , following the release of the film interpretation starring reese witherspoon , rei has released the danner mountain light cascade boot , a replica of the author 's original footwear , for $ 299 . the shoes , which famously appears on the cover of the 2012 book , come in ` the exact box used in 1995 when cheryl strayed set off to hike 1,100 miles of the pacific crest trail . ' to be in her shoes : rei is selling the retro danner mountain light cascade boots worn by reese witherspoon 's character in wild -lrb- pictured -rrb- for $ 299 . vintage pair : the footwear comes in ` the exact box used in 1995 when cheryl strayed set off to hike 1,100 miles of the pacific crest trail ' the new shoes , a tribute to the iconic style originally introduced in the 1970s , were custom-made for reese to wear in the movie . in the memoir , cheryl suffers through several weeks and hundreds of miles of trekking while wearing a pair of boots that are a size too small .<doc-sep>reese witherspoon was arrested for disorderly conduct after allegedly resisting the orders of a police officer in atlanta , georgia , early on friday morning . the actress was jailed along with husband james toth after he failed to pass a sobriety test . the city 's department of corrections confirmed that the couple were arrested after toth was stopped by a patrol car under suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol . not her best angle : mugshots of reese witherspoon and her husband jim toth were both released on sunday after the pair were arrested on friday night . according to a police report released on sunday , reese was handcuffed and briefly jailed for refusing to obey orders given to her by an officer of the law . her husband was also put under arrest for a blood alcohol level reported to be .139 , well above the legal limit of 0.08 . reese , 37 , and toth , 42 , were released on bail at 3:30 in the morning on friday . jailed : reese and husband jim , pictured here in december , were arrested by atlanta police , on friday . before their release , the couple both posed for mugshots . reese , who is currently brunette , is pictured looking down with what appears to be a slight smirk across her face . meanwhile , her beau looks up to the camera in his picture , appearing somewhat glassy-eyed . their initial legal hearing for their arrests is set for monday morning in the atlanta municipal court . it was initially thought reese and jim would be in court on monday morning in atlanta . however tmz reports the couple 's cases have been postponed , with reese 's set for may 22 and jim 's for may 23 . arrest report : an arrest report listing both reese and jim 's offenses was also released on sunday . detailed : the documents detail how the oscar winning actress and her beau had a run in with a georgia state patrol officer in the early hours of friday april 19 . play-by-play : it goes on to explain reese 's play-by-play reaction to her husband 's arrest . the family is currently residing in atlanta to shoot reese 's new movie the good lie . toth was apprehended after midnight on friday for recklessly weaving across peachtree street in the city of atlanta . the police report alleges that the hollywood agent smelled of alcohol and appeared ` disheveled ' . after pulling the dui suspect over , a sobriety test was conducted in a walgreens parking lot . reese is said to have been warned to remain inside her vehicle , while her husband was subjected to the dui test . moving on : reese and jim were seen attending a screening of her new film mud in new york on sunday night just hours after their arrests . the officer on the scene claims that the actress became clearly agitated and eventually disobeyed his verbal commands . the officer reported : ` mrs. witherspoon began to hang out the window and say that she did not . believe that i was a real police officer . ' the law enforcer explained in the report : ` i told mrs. witherspoon to sit on her butt and be quiet . ' but . once toth was handcuffed , the mother-of-three disembarked from her . seat , telling the officer that she was a ` us citizen ' and that she had . the right to ` stand on american ground ' . disorderly conduct : reese was arrested for allegedly disregarding an officer 's orders while her husband was handcuffed for failing a sobriety test , the family pictured in tennessee with their son , in march . the report then described how reese resisted him as he grabbed her arms to arrest her . toth is said to have made a verbal attempt to calm his hysterical wife . the . officer 's report further details : ` mrs. witherspoon asked , `` do you know . my name ? '' i answered , `` no , i do n't need to know your name . '' i then . added , `` right now . '' mrs. witherspoon stated , `` you 're about to find out . who i am . ''' tight couple : the famous pair were released on bail early friday morning , pictured at cannes film festival , in may last year . according to the arresting officer : . ` mrs. witherspoon also stated , `` you are going to be on national news . '' i . advised mrs. witherspoon that was fine . ' toth is said to be facing charges for driving under the influence and failure to stay within his lane while on the road . while reese 's alleged violation is ` disorderly conduct -lrb- obstruction -rrb- ' , which falls under municipal ordinance . on location : reese on set , in early april , shooting the good lie in atlanta , georgia . | <t> `` every three minutes '' statistic made witherspoon feel `` vulnerable '' and `` scared '' </t> <t> oscar-winning actress : young women are not exempt from the disease . </t> <t> witherspoon emphasizes importance of early detection and regular screenings . </t> | reese witherspoon : ` anyone is susceptible ' to breast cancer<T> |
-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- five years ago , robert rogers was driving home with his family from a wedding when a flash flood took his wife and four children from him in an instant . robert and melissa rogers with their four children before they died in august 2003 . rainfall from a torrential downpour swept the rogers ' minivan off a kansas highway . as water filled the van , rogers kicked out a window in a last-ditch effort to save his family . instead , he and his wife , melissa , and daughter , makenah , were sucked out of the van . hours later , the bodies of children zachary , 5 , nicholas , 3 , and alenah , 1 , still buckled in their car seats , were found inside the van . rogers survived . instead of falling into despair , he became a minister dedicated to honoring his family by preaching messages of hope in the face of adversity . `` it was a huge choice of faith , '' rogers told cnn . `` it was a determination to live life to honor god , to honor my heavenly family , and to make something productive out of it and not just to wallow in my pity . '' watch the story of the rogers family tragedy ''<doc-sep>rogers ' mission manifests itself in a variety of ways . in the past five years , he estimates he has told the story of his loss at least 400 times to more than 120,000 people . the message behind his story is to live life with no regrets by embracing your family and faith . `` people have responded to me that they want to change the way they live their life . they want to have a personal relationship with god and they want to get right with their spouse and children , '' he said . in addition to his speaking tours , rogers has established a ministry dedicated to serving orphans across the world . rogers also traveled to haiti and tsunami-ravaged parts of asia to minister and deliver aid to orphans . watch rogers talk about his ministry '' his mission is to establish five orphanages in five continents to symbolize the five family members he lost . one , called melissa 's house , already exists in russia , where eight orphan teens live with a married couple , and another is under construction in rwanda .<doc-sep>`` we dedicated it in honor of melissa because she loved being a mom and i hope she is a role model to these girls , '' rogers said . since that fateful day five years ago , rogers has begun to heal . he is married with one child and another on the way . more than anything , he hopes his story will inspire others to live each day to its fullest . `` we are not guaranteed the next five seconds , '' rogers said . `` life is very fragile and i hope my stories and inspirations are compelling people to live that life of no regrets . '' cnn 's kyra phillips contributed to this report .<doc-sep>' i do n't know you mary , but your family has been in my thoughts since i heard of this terrible tragedy . i am so sorry for your loss - my heart goes out to you and your beautiful children , ' said one donor . ' i am sure you are so proud of your husband and i know he will be looking out for you from above , ' said another . a statement from the family released through queensland police detailed mr bennett 's active service in east timor with the australian defense force between 1994 and 2004 , including peace-keeping missions , reported the brisbane times . the statement also revealed mr bennett 's generous heart and passion for helping youth during his career as a social worker and educator . ` kane thoroughly enjoyed motivating young people and helping to build confidence in those who lacked it ' . mr bennett was involved with the get set for work programme on the gold coast for at-risk youth , and also worked with the cerebal palsy league , before working with charlton brown in brisbane . mr bennett served in the australian defense force for ten years and was involving in peace-keeping missions . the 39-year-old worked to help train students to gain disability support and community service qualifications . the loss of the father of two resounded with many who donated , and one called his death ' a tragic loss of a beautiful man ' . ` its just so unbelievable . my thoughts and prayers are with you at this awful time , ' said a donor . ` it is very clear that not only have you lost your soulmate , but the world has lost a very kind and generous soul , ' said another . ms mourgelas said through the statement that she had been touched by the support the gold coast community had shown her and her young family . ` mary knows that much of the gold coast , especially those who witnessed the accident at worongary on saturday , have been expressing their grief and she has been truly touched by their actions , ' the statement said . ` she wants to thank the local community and the media for their respect for the family 's privacy and expressed wishes for this to continue . ' donations to the fundraising page for the bennett family can be found at mycause .<doc-sep>by . daily mail reporter . after a photo of a man who had fallen asleep against a nearby subway passenger for more than half an hour went viral , the charity charidy set out on a subway mission . they group wanted to find out how many others would rise to the occasion of helping those around them -- and how many would simply shrug it off . perhaps surprisingly , more people than you might have guessed seemed to be okay with the idea . scroll down for video ... the one that started it all : a young man finds a moment of respite against the shoulder of jewish riding the subway home from work . public transportation often lacks adequate personal space but the reaction of some people was quite surprising . the idea began after a photo of a young african american guy nodded off on the shoulder of a jewish man . the man does n't move a muscle and instead just let him stay there . even when other passengers asked if they . wanted the man to be woken , his fellow passenger simply shook his head .<doc-sep>the whole experience deeply touched parness , who wanted to turn it into something more . that 's when he came up with the idea of helping a different city every year . `` on a day that 's about destruction ... let 's create an organization that 's focused on helping people rebuild , '' he said . `` it 's our way to really honor the sense of spirit and volunteerism -lrb- of -rrb- 9/12 . '' each year , parness finds a community that has been hit by a disaster and he selects a structure to rebuild there . the projects often hold some significance to the area -- a historic church in indiana , a veterans ' home in texas , a boy scout camp in iowa . but parness says that in a way , what 's being built really does n't matter . `` it 's not about building structures . it 's about building hope , '' he said . `` we want able to touch people who are still recovering from disasters and show them that other people care . '' for the organization 's first project in september 2004 , parness brought 14 volunteers from new york city to rebuild homes destroyed by the wildfires outside of san diego . the next build , in september 2005 , was in utica , illinois , a city that had been hit by a deadly tornado . thirty new yorkers made the trip this time , and they were joined by eight people from california who had received help the previous year . it is this cycle of `` paying it forward '' that is at the heart of new york says thank you . it 's also part of what gives the group its unique character : nearly all of its volunteers have survived a disaster of some sort , be it natural or man-made . that shared connection means a lot to firefighter brian fitzpatrick , who was at ground zero on 9/11 and lost 10 members of his fire academy class that day . as a volunteer for new york says thank you the last four years , he says he is motivated by helping others who 've also lived through a tragedy . `` you 're there to let them know that ... they 're not alone , '' he said . `` it 's like a crazy club that you join . '' do you know a hero ? nominations are open for 2011 cnn heroes .<doc-sep>in this case , however , the forester novel with which `` marigold hotel '' has the most in common is his 1924 masterpiece , `` passage to india . '' in forester 's story it is the indians , over whom the british then ruled , who show the greatest capacity for love and friendship . in `` marigold hotel , '' the english retirees find a gentleness in the city of jaipur that was not present in their homeland . in contrast to the british of the 19th century , the retirees of `` marigold hotel '' are not out to extract fortunes from their new land . they are instead out to preserve dwindling incomes and make peace with their past . not all of them succeed , but enough of them do to suggest modern india , even with its traffic jams and elephants and camels in the streets , is a land of opportunity : . muriel donnelly -lrb- maggie smith -rrb- , a housekeeper who after years of service was fired from her job by the family she worked for , finds that in india she can get the hip replacement surgery she needs without waiting and , despite herself , she slowly loses the racial bigotry she brought with her . evelyn greenslade -lrb- judi dench -rrb- , a widow whose husband has died , saddling her with debt that forces her to sell her home , gets employment helping out at an indian call center and in the process frees herself from the condescending pity of her children . graham dashwood -lrb- tom wilkinson -rrb- , a gay high court judge , who left india full of shame when he brought his young indian lover into disgrace , finds that he is welcomed back as an old friend . | <t> robert rogers ' wife and four children died in flash flood five years ago . </t> <t> rogers chose not to `` wallow in pity '' and became a minister with a message of hope . </t> <t> his mission is to establish five orphanages in five continents to honor his family . </t> <t> one named after his wife , melissa , exists in russia , another planned in rwanda . </t> | man who lost family finds peace in helping others<T> |
madrid , spain -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- relatives of a woman killed in a spanish airline crash were erroneously given the remains of another victim , and then were asked by authorities to return them , cnn partner network cnn + reported thursday . the victims of the crash were first laid out at a madria convention center . a madrid judge has opened an investigation into the error , and judicial sources say the initial indication is that the mixup occurred not in the proper identification of the victim , but in delivering the wrong remains to the family in question , cnn + reported . the family wednesday received an urn numbered 104 , and were told it contained the ashes of their loved one , pilar gonzalez ferreira , who died in the crash . but as the family was preparing to leave madrid , officials called to tell them about the error and asked for the return of urn 104 , cnn + reported . instead of urn 104 , the family was supposed to have received urn 134 , which actually contains the remains of pilar gonzalez , cnn + reported , citing judicial sources and another family which also lost a relative in the crash . the spanair md82 jet crashed last week at madrid 's airport as the plane was trying to take off , killing 154 people . the aircraft , bound for spain 's canary islands , managed to rise only slightly before coming down quickly to the right of the runway , its tail section hitting the ground first , just off the asphalt . then the out-of-control plane skidded and bounced at least three times as it careered 1,200 meters -lrb- 3,840 feet -rrb- across uneven terrain and exploded , coming to rest in a gully , a top official of the investigative commission told a news conference in madrid on tuesday . many of the bodies were badly charred from the fire , and authorities have used dna samples to carry out numerous identifications . by thursday , 126 victims had been identified , cnn + reported . just a few dozen families are still waiting to receive the remains their loved ones . most are gathered at a madrid hotel near the airport . nineteen people initially survived the crash , but one died in hospital last weekend . fourteen survivors remain hospitalized in madrid ; one had returned to her native sweden for further hospitalization there , and another was in a hospital in the canary islands . two other survivors , including a six-year-old boy , were released from hospital earlier this week .<doc-sep>1982 , which is an attempt to bang the nationalistic drum to make people . look away from the national problems that spain is suffering and the pm . himself is labouring under . ` what is happening in the background . is that the spanish government has been engulfed in allegations of . corruption which affect mr rajoy himself . ' threat : david cameron has raised the prospect of taking legal action against spain for delays at the border . delays : traffic builds up on the spanish side of the border . the royal gibraltar police said the wait had been around three hours . mr rajoy has had to deny that he . accepted illegal payments from a political slush fund , while the . country 's economy is a disaster area . row : gibraltar 's chief minister fabian picardo likened spain 's actions to the argentine military junta in 1982 . mr picardo said a british prime . minister facing the same allegations as mr rajoy ` would n't last five . minutes -- and yet in spain mr rajoy remains comfortable in his post . trying to create diversions like this one ' . last night ignacio ibanez , the . director general for foreign affairs at spain 's foreign ministry , upped . the rhetoric further by insisting that spain would eventually succeed in .<doc-sep>tragedy : the fallout from the nuclear disaster was so dangerous soviet authorities evacuated 350,000 residents , establishing an exclusion zone extending 19 miles out from the plant in all directions . fenced-off : the area within the exclusion zone , which is still in place 27 years on from the disaster , is largely uninhabited but for a few residents who refused to leave , and it has reverted to forest in places . abandoned : the rusted remains of a boat are seen among the bare branches of the trees within the exclusion zone that surrounds the abandoned chernobyl nuclear power plant in ukraine . suffering : the photographer said he wanted to reflect the ` mystical aspects ' of the land within the exclusion zone , where ` every inch is full of suffering and sorrow ' bleak outlook : mr bondar has criticised the decision to open the area around the chernobyl exclusion zone to tourists , and claims those who continue to suffer as a result of the disaster are being forgotten . living in no man 's land : the area is sparsely populated by residents who refused to leave in the wake of the tragedy 27 years ago , and older people who have returned to the zone in recent years to be close to family graves . surviving : the long-term effects of the catastrophe , which occurred when a systems test at the power plant near the city of pripyat went disastrously wrong , are still being seen today .<doc-sep>it was put on the market as a sign of solidarity by the king , to show his appreciation for the harsh austerity measures and rising unemployment rates facing his fellow spaniards . but it seems times are so austere that those selling king juan carlos 's luxury royal yacht have had to slash its asking price - by nearly 20 per cent . fortuna , a . 136ft motor boat used exclusively by the spanish royal family . and their guests - which has in the past included princess diana and prince charles - has had its price dropped from # 8.1 m to # 6.6 m. reduced : fortuna , the luxury royal yacht used exclusively by the spanish royal . family , is on the market for # 6.6 m -lrb- $ 8.25 -rrb- after king juan carlos decided to give . it up in a show of solidarity as spain battled high levels of . unemployment and austerity . famous faces : the boat has played host to several famous faces , including princess . diana , prince charles and prince william , pictured here with king juan . carlos in 1990 . the boat , which remains moored off the island of majorca , where the royal family has a palace and goes on holiday each summer , was gifted to the state by around 30 executives with . links to majorca and other balearic islands in a bid to promote . the islands . but king juan carlos - who announced last week that he plans to abdicate to make way for his son prince felipe - was forced to renounce the use of the yacht , after coming under fire for going on an elephant safari in bostwana in 2012 , while the spanish economy plunged further into crisis . the holiday came just weeks after the monarch - who won wide respect in spain for helping guide it through a political transition after the death of dictator francisco franco in 1975 - claimed to be ` kept awake at night by the plight of the spain 's youth unemployed ' . but after the king announced he would . hand over his prized possession , the group who bestowed the yacht , the foundation of balearic culture and tourism , said . they wanted it back . in a letter explaining their claim , they stressed . that the gift had been given with the understanding that the yacht be . used exclusively by the royal family .<doc-sep>a relieved australian couple are on the way to the world cupil in brazil after a travel agent blunder first sent them to el salvador 's crime ridden capital by accident . newlyweds orin and melissa van lingen ended up in san salvador , in el salavador , instead of salvador in brazil , where they planned to watch spain and holland play at the arena fonte nova stadium on friday june 13 . ` we are just through transit now to get on another flight , ' melissa told mailonline on monday , three days after arriving in the wrong country . san salvador is 6332km from salvador and it will take the couple over 15 hours to fly between the two cities . scroll down for video . disaster : newlyweds orin and melissa van lingen ended up in san salvador , in el salavador , instead of salvador in brazil , this week . long journey : the couple arrived in san salvador , in el salvador , 9,736 miles from home . they were meant to be in salvador , brazil , which is 10,527 miles from darwin . the van lingen 's holiday of a lifetime was organised by travel agent escape travel , which is a secondary company of australia 's leading travel agent , flight centre . the pair did n't realise the wrong flights had been booked until they were on a flight to los angeles airport in the us . the couple , from darwin , ended up missing holland thrash spain - thanks to dutch players robin van persie and arjen robben - 5-1 , on friday . speaking from a hotel room in san salvador , ms van lingen told the sunday terrotorian : ` we assumed there must be connecting flights but it was not until we got into the airport and there were no other flights . ' san salvador is known for its high murder rates and gang crime . it is 9,736 miles from their home in darwin , whereas their final destination was meant to be 10,527 miles from home . missed game : the pair lost out on the opportunity to see robin van persie -lrb- in blue -rrb- score a goal for the netherlands during the 2014 fifa world cup match against spain in salvador , brazil . friendly local : a member of the 18 street gang poses in the jail in izalco , 60 km west of san salvador , el salvador on may 20 , 2013 . wrong destination : the couple were meant to go to salvador in brazil -lrb- left -rrb- and ended up in san salvador in el salvador -lrb- right -rrb- . they originally had a hotel booked in brazil and the couple have been promised by escape travel that they will be reimbursed for any money lost . | <t> relatives of spanair crash victim given the wrong remains , cnn + reports . </t> <t> initial probe finds family given the wrong urn , not the body was wrongly identified . </t> <t> spanair flight crashed during take off last week from madrid airport . </t> <t> 154 died , 18 survivors still in hospitals , two injured released from hospital . </t> | family given ` wrong remains ' after spain disaster<T> |
washington -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- democratic presidential front-runner sen. barack obama is in excellent health , according to a statement from his doctor , released by the campaign . besides being an `` intermittent smoker , '' sen. barack obama is in excellent health , his doctor says . obama , 46 , last saw dr. david scheiner in january 2007 , shortly before he declared he was running for president . scheiner , who has been obama 's primary doctor since 1987 , observed that the illinois senator 's diet , weight , blood pressure and cholesterol were all healthy . `` in short , his examination showed him to be in excellent health , '' scheiner said . obama `` exercised regularly , often jogging three miles . his diet was balanced with good intake of roughage and fluids . ... on physical examination , his blood pressure was 90/60 and pulse 60/minute , '' scheiner wrote . the illinois senator has been an `` intermittent '' cigarette smoker who has `` quit on several occasions and is currently using nicorette gum with success . ''<doc-sep>sen. john mccain , the presumptive republican nominee for president , released his health records last week . mccain 's doctors also described him as being in `` excellent health , '' despite a history of skin cancer , and said there appears to be no physical reason why the 71-year-old candidate could not carry out the duties of the office . obama released a one-page statement from his primary care physician . he did not release any medical records or make his doctors available to the media . by contrast , mccain made more than 1,000 pages of medical documents available to journalists , including cnn 's chief medical correspondent , dr. sanjay gupta . four of mccain 's doctors held a conference call with reporters after the records were made available . mccain has had four malignant melanomas removed . three of them -- on his left shoulder , left arm and left nasal wall -- were limited to the top skin layer and were not invasive . they were removed in 1993 , 2000 and 2002 . but a fourth melanoma proved to be invasive and was removed from his left lower temple in 2000 , said dr. john d. eckstein , an internist who has been overseeing mccain 's treatment for 16 years at the mayo clinic 's campus in scottsdale , arizona .<doc-sep>` he is vigorous man who takes excellent care of his personal physical health , ' the letter said . ` he has reserves of strength , energy and stamina that provide him with the ability to meet unexpected demands . ` there are no physical impairments that should interfere with his rigorous and demanding political career as the next president of the united states . ' good health : the last physical undergone by the president , pictured in virginia on friday , had positive results . mr ryan , the 42-year-old wisconsin congressman , is known for his exercise regime and is intensely proud of his own physical fitness . brian p. monahan , attending physician to the u.s. congress , said mr ryan 's ` overall health is excellent ' despite his family history of fatal heart attacks . according to the doctor 's letter , the congressman does not smoke and his alcohol use is ` infrequent ' . barack obama releases the results of his annual physical , which last year declared him in excellent health and praised him for quitting smoking . read the letter written by mr romney 's doctor here .<doc-sep>`` if we 're short on time , we try to mix things up , '' he said . `` we 'll try to make sure there 's some high-intensity stuff . we might do some weights , throw some cardio in there and throw some plyometrics in there with abs . we go from one thing he needs to another , because his time is short . '' the president is in tiptop shape age 50 . obama passed a physical exam in october with a healthy body mass index and normal blood pressure and cholesterol levels . the doctor wrote that obama was in `` excellent health and ` fit for duty . ' '' `` i was very pleased , '' mcclellan said . `` we joked about it . '' and mcclellan is no doubt pleased with michelle obama 's much-coveted arms , which are so admired that they have spawned exercise dvds with titles like `` arms of a first lady '' and `` totally toned arms : get michelle obama arms in 21 days . '' although it 's easy to say that the presidential couple can get in shape easily because of their resources such as personal trainers and professional chefs , it 's not just about that . mcclellan said busy people can realistically integrate fitness into their lives because it 's a mental thing .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- it 's one of the largest age gaps between presidential candidates in american history . only 20 percent of those polled said sen. john mccain 's age would be a factor when they voted in november . republican sen. john mccain is 72 , a skin cancer survivor , and would be the oldest man sworn in for a first term as president . his opponent , democratic sen. barack obama , is 47 and the fourth-youngest major party nominee . a new cnn/opinion research corp. . poll finds that may be a political liability for mccain . nearly half of the americans surveyed , 47 percent , are concerned that mccain would not finish a four-year term as president in good health . to pre-empt those concerns , mccain has allowed reporters -- including cnn chief medical correspondent dr. sanjay gupta -- to look through more than 1,100 pages of his medical records . this spring , mccain 's personal physician , dr. john eckstein , released a letter saying there is no medical reason `` that would preclude mccain from fulfilling all the duties and obligations of the president of the united states . '' still , the issue has n't gone away in the minds of voters . in the cnn/opinion research corp. . poll , conducted in late september , 29 percent of those polled said they are `` very concerned '' about mccain 's ability to complete a first term ; another 18 percent are `` somewhat concerned . '' results : how important is health , age of candidates ? '' that compares with just 8 percent who said they are `` very concerned '' about obama 's ability to finish his first term in good health and 11 percent who said they are `` somewhat concerned . '' obama has not released any medical records ; however , his campaign released a statement from his doctor saying he is in `` excellent '' health . both the obama and mccain campaigns say they will not release any additional information or records about the candidates ' health .<doc-sep>president barack obama underwent a routine ct scan saturday afternoon while visiting walter reed national military medical center because of a sore throat , according to the white house and his doctor . the president 's doctor said the ct scan was normal and that obama 's symptoms `` are consistent with soft tissue inflammation related to acid reflux . '' white house press secretary josh earnest said the president was not sedated , so no transfer of authority was necessary . however , vice president joe biden and other senior white house staffers `` were kept up to speed , '' earnest said . the doctor 's visit was not on the white house schedule for saturday and reporters hustled to join the president 's motorcade to water reed in bethesda , maryland . the president left the hospital 28 minutes after arriving . dr. ronny l. jackson , obama 's physician , issued a statement : . `` this morning , an ear , nose and throat specialist from fort belvoir medical center conducted a fiber optic exam , under my supervision , of the president 's throat based on symptoms of sore throat over the past couple weeks . the exam revealed soft tissue swelling in the posterior throat and i , in consultation with the specialist , determined that further evaluation with a routine ct scan was prudent . `` the ct scan was conducted this afternoon purely as a matter of convenience for the president 's schedule . the ct scan was normal . the president 's symptoms are consistent with soft tissue inflammation related to acid reflux and will be treated accordingly . '' cnn chief medical correspondent sanjay gupta said acid reflux usually can be easily treated . `` a lot of times , it may just be dietary changes , '' he said . `` sometimes , you want to give medicines to reduce the amount of acid in the stomach . '' gupta said he thought the ct scan was done `` out of an abundance of caution . '' `` they brought in an ears , nose and throat doctor into the white house and placed a scope down the mouth and looking at the back of throat to see what was causing his discomfort , '' he said . `` typically , you just do that by sort of putting an anesthetic spray in the back of the throat , sometimes a sedation as well . ... based on what they found there , they were concerned enough to go ahead and get a ct scan . '' asked whether the president is still smoking , earnest replied that obama quit with the assistance of nicotine gum . obama visited jackson for his periodic checkup in may . jackson described obama 's overall health as `` excellent . '' the checkup information , released in june , was the third medical report released by the white house during obama 's presidency . | <t> senator 's weight , blood pressure and cholesterol are all healthy , doctor says . </t> <t> obama is an `` intermittent smoker , '' doctor says . </t> <t> obama has quit smoking several times , is currently using nicorette gum . </t> <t> gop presumptive nominee sen. john mccain released records last week . </t> | obama in ` excellent health , ' doctor says<T> |
-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- two russian bombers have landed at a venezuelan airfield where they will carry out training flights for several days , the russian defense ministry said wednesday . russia 's tupolev tu-160 , pictured here in 2003 , is a long-range strategic bomber . the tupolev tu-160 strategic bombers landed at venezuela 's libertador military airfield and `` will spend several days carrying out training flights over neutral waters , after which they will return to the base , '' the ministry added . nato fighters followed the bombers on their 13-hour flight over the arctic ocean and the atlantic , the defense ministry said .<doc-sep>it said the russian flights were carried out in strict accordance with international rules governing airspace above neutral waters , and that the aircraft did not violate the borders of other states . pentagon spokesman bryan whitman said such joint exercises between nations are not unusual . `` we exercise all around the globe and have joint exercises with countries all over the world . so do many other nations . '' the u.s. will monitor the russian-venezuelan training , said pentagon officials who asked not to be identified as they are not authorized to speak on the information . on monday , russia announced it might hold joint naval maneuvers with venezuela in the caribbean .<doc-sep>the declaration came amid increased tension between russia and the united states over russia 's invasion last month of the former soviet republic of georgia , a u.s. ally that aspires to join nato . on monday russia denied any link between that announcement and the conflict in georgia , although russia has criticized u.s. support for georgia . russia has also objected to the missile defense system agreement , signed between the united states and poland and the czech republic in august , that places a ground-based ballistic defense facility in the two eastern european nations . russia has said the deal threatens its security , while the united states has said that the system is to guard against rogue states such as iran .<doc-sep>earlier this month , venezuelan president hugo chavez , whose comments have frequently antagonized washington , said it would welcome the russian air force , according to russian news agency novosti . `` if russian long-range bombers should need to land in venezuela , we would not object to that either . we will also welcome them , '' chavez said on september 1 , according to novosti . cnn 's mike mount contributed to this story .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- two russian bombers have landed at a venezuelan airfield where they will carry out training flights for several days , the russian defense ministry said wednesday . russia 's tupolev tu-160 , pictured here in 2003 , is a long-range strategic bomber . the tupolev tu-160 strategic bombers landed at venezuela 's libertador military airfield and `` will spend several days carrying out training flights over neutral waters , after which they will return to the base , '' the ministry added . nato fighters followed the bombers on their 13-hour flight over the arctic ocean and the atlantic , the defense ministry said . it said the russian flights were carried out in strict accordance with international rules governing airspace above neutral waters , and that the aircraft did not violate the borders of other states . pentagon spokesman bryan whitman said such joint exercises between nations are not unusual . `` we exercise all around the globe and have joint exercises with countries all over the world . so do many other nations . '' the u.s. will monitor the russian-venezuelan training , said pentagon officials who asked not to be identified as they are not authorized to speak on the information . on monday , russia announced it might hold joint naval maneuvers with venezuela in the caribbean . the declaration came amid increased tension between russia and the united states over russia 's invasion last month of the former soviet republic of georgia , a u.s. ally that aspires to join nato . on monday russia denied any link between that announcement and the conflict in georgia , although russia has criticized u.s. support for georgia . russia has also objected to the missile defense system agreement , signed between the united states and poland and the czech republic in august , that places a ground-based ballistic defense facility in the two eastern european nations . russia has said the deal threatens its security , while the united states has said that the system is to guard against rogue states such as iran . earlier this month , venezuelan president hugo chavez , whose comments have frequently antagonized washington , said it would welcome the russian air force , according to russian news agency novosti . `` if russian long-range bombers should need to land in venezuela , we would not object to that either . we will also welcome them , '' chavez said on september 1 , according to novosti . cnn 's mike mount contributed to this story .<doc-sep>washington -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- russia is displaying its military power in america 's back yard , sending a convoy of warships to venezuela for joint naval exercises , the first such deployment since the cold war . the kremlin is becoming increasingly cozy with venezuela , cuba and other latin american countries unhappy with the united states , in apparent response to thorny issues such as u.s. missile defense plans in eastern europe , nato 's eastern expansion , and u.s. warships dispatched to georgia . `` some of this is the russians wanting to get even . they see american warships close to their shore ; they 're going to put russian warships close to us , '' said russian military expert john pike of globalsecurity.org . the fleet of ships headed toward the caribbean includes some of russia 's finest , like the nuclear-powered peter the great cruiser and the anti-submarine warship admiral chebanenko . pike said that while these vessels are impressive , they are no match for the american navy and pose little threat to the united states . `` they have obsolete technology . they would simply be no match for american warships in a one-to-one combat , '' he said . nonetheless , this deployment adds to the tension created earlier this month when two russian tu-160 nuclear long-range bombers arrived in venezuela , also for military exercises .<doc-sep>earlier this month , chavez said venezuela would welcome the russian air force , according to russian news agency novosti . `` if russian long-range bombers should need to land in venezuela , we would not object to that either . we will also welcome them , '' chavez said on september 1 , according to novosti . cnn 's mike mount contributed to this story .<doc-sep>by . kerry mcdermott . published : . 05:36 est , 28 march 2013 . | . updated : . 17:58 est , 28 march 2013 . stealth bombers with nuclear-capability took to the skies over south korea today , as relations between the country and its neighbour to the north continue to deteriorate . these images - which show a pair of u.s. air force b-2 bombers soaring over an american military base south of seoul - were taken after it emerged north korea had digitally doctored a state photo of military hovercraft to make the fleet appear bigger than it was . the drill over the base in pyeongtaek today is likely to aggravate already simmering tensions on the korean peninsula . scroll down for video . ` deterrence ' : a b-2 stealth bomber -lrb- right -rrb- soars through the sky over a u.s. air base in pyeongtaek , south korea , amid rising tension between the country and its neighbour to the north . nuclear-capable : the u.s. has said previous drills were prompted by escalating north korean rhetoric . the drill was carried out after north . korea declared it was severing its key hotline to seoul yesterday , amid . | <t> moscow : russian bombers using venezuela airfield to train over neutral waters . </t> <t> russian defense ministry spokesman : nato fighters followed bombers . </t> <t> news agency : venezuelan president says he 'd welcome russian air force . </t> <t> move comes amid growing tension between washington and moscow . </t> | russian bombers in venezuela amid tension with u.s.<T> |
-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- a jetblue flight from boston , massachusetts , to fort lauderdale , florida , was diverted saturday when a fight broke out after someone was smoking in the bathroom , federal officials said . a jetblue plane was held in north carolina for two hours while passengers were interviewed . one passenger aboard jetblue flight 455 was taken into custody at raleigh-durham international airport in north carolina after the plane landed about 5:45 p.m. . a federal transportation security administration spokeswoman said one person was injured in the face by what may have been a punch . she said the fight involved three people who are thought to be related . according to the airline , there were 88 people and four crew members aboard the jet . the flight had been scheduled to leave boston at 1 p.m. but did not take off until 3:11 p.m. , spokeswoman alison eshelman said . eyewitnesses said the scuffle was between two brothers , one of whom was angry that his brother had smoked on a plane . one passenger interviewed by cnn affiliate wfor said the fight left one of the men bloody . `` i saw the guy holding his head with the blood coming out , '' mike rocha said . the jet was held at the north carolina airport for about two hours while fbi investigators interviewed passengers .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- a group of police officers flying home to utah from the funeral of slain new york police det. wenjian liu were unexpectedly called into service in midair . a jetblue flight from john f. kennedy international airport to salt lake city was diverted to chicago o'hare international airport on sunday after a passenger apparently became suicidal and combative after a fight with her husband , cnn affiliate ksl reported . before the incident , flight 71 's flight attendants had noted the unusually high number of police officers on the flight . jetblue offers to fly police to nypd funeral . flight attendants separated the fighting couple and brought the wife to the front of the cabin to sit next to salt lake unified police department det. robert odor . the detective had an open seat next to him and agreed to sit with her .<doc-sep>by . associated press . published : . 00:59 est , 19 august 2013 . | . updated : . 01:01 est , 19 august 2013 . a baltimore-bound jetblue flight out of boston was diverted to philadelphia on sunday evening after smoke was reported in the cabin . the airline says flight 827 , an embraer 190 jet , landed just before 6 p.m. and 95 passengers and four crewmembers were safely evacuated . no injuries were reported . a jetblue statement says the captain elected to divert out of ` an abundance of caution ' after the crew reported smoke while en route to baltimore washington international airport .<doc-sep>17:42 est , 20 november 2013 . a jetblue flight was forced into an emergency landing this afternoon after one of the planes evacuation slides deployed mid-flight inside the aircraft . the federal aviation administration confirmed that jetblue flight 1266 from fort meyers to boston landed at orlando and reported no injuries to the 74 passengers and 4 crew . the compromised embraer e-190 aircraft touched down at around 3.45 p.m. and taxied to a gate where passengers were led off the flight via a rear exit . a jetblue plane was diverted to orlando on wednesday after an emergency evacuation slide opened in flight , according to the federal aviation administration . jetblue spokesman loren duran confirmed the incident saying that a slide ` partially deployed into the front galley and that no injuries were reported . '<doc-sep>by . sam adams . published : . 04:36 est , 1 february 2013 . | . updated : . 12:13 est , 1 february 2013 . few air travellers would turn down the offer of a free seat upgrade . but one woman on a jetblue flight from new york to san diego apparently took such exception to a fellow passenger being moved to a premium seat near her free of charge that the plane had to be diverted to denver . the aircraft , which was carrying 137 people at the time , landed at around 7.15 pm at denver international airport , where the allegedly ` unruly ' woman was escorted off by law-enforcement officers . diversion : a jetblue flight from new york to san diego had to be diverted after a woman took exception to another passenger 's ` free ' seat upgrade . journey : the plane was able to continue its journey to san diego after the woman was reportedly removed by the authorities . a passenger on board took a video on their cell phone video of the woman being escorted off the plane according to kdvr.com . more ... how plane was left with no-one at the controls mid-flight after one pilot fell asleep leaving his co-pilot locked out the cockpit . | <t> witnesses said fight broke out after someone was smoking in bathroom . </t> <t> one person taken into custody at raleigh-durham , north carolina , airport . </t> <t> witness : `` i saw the guy holding his head with the blood coming out '' </t> <t> plane held two hours in north carolina while fbi interviewed passengers . </t> | jetblue flight diverted after fight breaks out<T> |
baghdad , iraq -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- coalition troops on monday formally handed over security control of iraq 's anbar province -- once the hub of the country 's sunni insurgency , to iraqis on monday . a u.s. soldier on patrol in ramadi 's market earlier this year . u.s. troops will remain in the province to support iraqi forces . president george w. bush described the transfer as a major victory against al-qaeda extremists who once held sway in the area . `` today , anbar is no longer lost to al qaeda -- it is al qaeda that lost anbar , '' he said in a statement .<doc-sep>once dominated by sunni insurgents , anbar has been the scene of many attacks on u.s.-led troops in iraq . now a bastion of tribal opposition , it is also the scene of an internal sunni political struggle between the iraqi islamic party , one of iraq 's main sunni parties , and the awakening movement , the first anti-al qaeda in iraq movement established in the country . more than 25,000 u.s. troops serve in the sprawling anbar province west of baghdad ; most of them marines . they will remain for the time being but will shift their mission to supporting iraqi forces , when needed . the transfer is a `` major progress '' for all of iraq , said brigadier gen. david perkins , the spokesman for the multi-national force in iraq .<doc-sep>the transfer ceremony took place in ramadi , the capital of the western province , and was attended by iraqi officials and u.s. military brass . watch u.s. , iraqi officials perform transfer '' `` we are all well aware of what the security situation was in anbar even a year ago , '' perkins said . `` and the fact that that has been able to be turned around , that the iraqi citizens that live there want to stand up on their own , -lsb- that -rsb- they want to take control of the province on their own ... it 's a major progress not only for anbar , but for all of iraq . '' anbar is the 11th of iraq 's 18 provinces to revert to local security control , but is the first sunni-dominated one .<doc-sep>the move comes amid a big drop in violence in iraq and calls from iraqis for the united states to come up with a troop withdrawal timetable . the other provinces that have transitioned to iraqi security control are duhuk , irbil and sulaimaniya in the kurdish region , and karbala , najaf , qadisiya , muthanna , thiqar , basra , and maysan in the shiite south . cnn 's jomana karadsheh and arwa damon in baghdad contributed to this report .<doc-sep>by . lucy crossley for mailonline . the united states has started carrying out air strikes close to an iraqi dam to stop islamic state militants from capturing it . a us . defence official today confirmed the country 's air force had commenced strikes around haditha dam in western iraq , targeting insurgents there for the first time . while anbar province , where the dam is located , remains in control of the iraqis , the us offensive was an effort to beat back militants who have been trying to take over key dams across the country , including the haditha complex . scroll down for video . air strikes : pentagon spokesman rear admiral john kirby confirmed today that the country 's air force had commenced air strikes targeting islamic state militants around haditha dam in western iraq . location : the us offensive was an effort to beat back militants who have been trying to take over key dams across the country , including the haditha complex . pentagon spokesman rear admiral john kirby said the dam is a major source of water and electrical power , and that the air strikes were made at the request of the iraqi government . ` we conducted these strikes to prevent terrorists from further threatening the security of the dam , which remains under control of iraqi security forces , with support from sunni tribes , ' he said . last month islamic state fighters were battling to capture the haditha dam , which has six power generators located alongside iraq 's second-largest reservoir . however , despite their attacks , iraqi forces there backed up by local sunni tribes have been able to hold them off . strategy : islamic state fighters were able to take control of the mosul dam -lrb- pictured -rrb- in northern iraq last month , but persistent u.s. airstrikes later dislodged the militants . attack : islamic state militants have been trying to take over key dams across the country , including the haditha complex -lrb- file photo -rrb- .<doc-sep>baquba , the capital of diyala province , is 32 miles -lrb- 51 kilometers -rrb- northeast of baghdad . akram salman , 22 , a sunni from baquba 's central tahrir area told the associated press that he was among about 60 recruits when the attack happened . al qaeda in iraq `` has threatened us before and prevented us from joining the police , '' salman told the ap . `` they slaughtered many policemen , burned their houses , killed their families and blew up their headquarters . now , when the people have defeated al qaeda and cooperated with the government , al qaeda staged this operation to show their presence and to give a message that they are still in control . '' col. david w. sutherland , commander of u.s.-led coalition forces in diyala province , said , `` this attack is typical of al qaeda 's barbaric and hateful ways , targeting iraqi security forces who have been working to secure baquba and enable progress . '' north of baquba , iraqi police on monday killed a man attempting to enter a police station and detonate a suicide vest in hibhib , the u.s. military said . after police killed the man , the vest detonated outside the station , but no one was wounded and no damage was reported , the military said . also monday , a deadly bombing struck about four miles west of baiji , an iraqi oil center about 90 miles -lrb- 145 kilometers -rrb- north of baghdad . the device , placed in a parked car , killed seven civilians and wounded another 15 people , local police said . in the capital monday , a bomb in a parked car wounded at least five iraqi civilians at a bus stop and taxi stand , an interior ministry official said . the attack took place in southwestern baghdad 's predominantly shiite al-baya ' a district , the official said . karbala province returns to iraqi control . in an apparent sign of progress among coalition forces to secure areas south of baghdad , the u.s. army handed over responsibility for security of karbala province to the iraqi military in a ceremony monday . recent clashes between shiite factions had delayed the karbala handover , but the area is now considered to be more peaceful than many other sections of the war-torn country . during the ceremony at a soccer stadium in the provincial capital , iraqi prime minister nuri al-maliki and other dignitaries listened to speeches and watched a parade that ended with a cheerleading-style performance and mock paramilitary drill by iraq soldiers . watch al-maliki and iraqi forces at the ceremony '' al-maliki challenged iraqi commanders to work on bolstering security forces so they could assume responsibility in more provinces . `` we should all take responsibility for building military capability , '' the prime minister said . he added , `` allow me to say that we are late ; we are late in building our security forces , and that is for reasons i do not want to talk about here . '' the u.s. military said it will maintain a presence in the province to support the iraqi military . `` step by step , iraqis are assuming control for the security in their provinces , and karbala today is leading the way , '' said maj. gen. rick lynch , commander of the u.s. troops in the province . `` we are only a phone call away . '' karbala , a shiite province south of baghdad , will be the eighth of 18 iraqi provinces to be handed over to the iraqi government by coalition forces . the other provinces returned to iraqi control are najaf , muthanna , thiqar , maysan , duhuk , irbil and sulaimaniya . iraqi security forces are set to assume security responsibility in mid-december for the southern province of basra , al-maliki said . other developments . cnn 's barbara starr contributed to this report . copyright 2007 cnn . all rights reserved.this material may not be published , broadcast , rewritten , or redistributed . associated press contributed to this report .<doc-sep>islamic militants overran parts of iraq 's second-largest city of mosul today , driving security forces from their posts and seizing the provincial government headquarters , security bases and other key buildings . prime minister nouri al-maliki pressed parliament to declare a state of emergency . the fight for mosul was a heavy defeat in baghdad 's battle against a widening insurgency by a breakaway al-qaida group , the islamic state of iraq and the levant , which has been trying - with some success - to seize territory both in iraq and neighboring syria . scroll down for video . smoke rises from burning buildings and cars in mosul , iraq after islamists militants seized the city yesterday . children are among the 150,000 people who have fled the city where gun battles now rage . earlier this year , the group captured . another iraqi city , fallujah , in the west of the country , and . government forces have been unable to take it back after months of . fighting . the far larger mosul is an even more strategic prize . the city and surrounding ninevah province are a major export route for iraqi oil and a gateway to syria . regaining mosul poses a daunting challenge for al-maliki . the city has a sunni muslim majority and many in the community are already deeply embittered against his shiite-led government . thousands of the city 's residents are now refugees seeking safety in other parts of the country . burning vehicles belonging to iraqi security forces seen during clashes with al qaeda-linked islamic militants . during the nearly nine-year american presence in the country , mosul was . a major stronghold for al-qaida and u.s. and iraqi forces carried out . repeated offensives there , regaining a semblance of control but never . routing the insurgents entirely . islamic . militants and iraqi troops have been fighting for days in mosul . but . monday night and into early tuesday , the government forces in the city . appeared to collapse . insurgents . overran the ninevah provincial government building in the city - a key . symbol of state control - in the evening , and security forces fled many . of their posts . the fighters stormed police stations , bases and prisons , capturing weapons and freeing prisoners . on . tuesday , mosul residents said the militants appeared to be in control . of several parts of the city , raising the black banners that are the . emblem of the islamic state . thousands fled as prime minister nouri al-maliki pressed parliament to declare a state of emergency . one refugee said : ` the situation is chaotic inside the city and there is nobody to help us ' the residents spoke to the associated press by telephone on condition of anonymity , fearing for their safety . in .<doc-sep>as the massive aid operation swings into gear , fierce fighting continues between the militants and kurdish forces for control of northern iraq . on tuesday , u.s. airstrikes helped kurdish and iraqi forces take control of the key mosul dam , fighting back the militants who had seized it . the stakes were huge for the millions of iraqis who live downstream from the dam , the largest in the country , amid fears that if it were breached floods would have threatened lives in mosul and downriver in baghdad . now that the dam is cleared of isis militants , iraqi forces are moving to grow their area of control , the defense department said . the pentagon is considering a state department request for more u.s. troops to protect u.s. government personnel in the baghdad area , a u.s. official confirmed to cnn . if approved , the troops would number less than 300 , said the official , who spoke on condition of anonymity . `` there is a request by the state department for additional security personnel in and around baghdad , '' the official said . the official would not say where the troops would go , but there are two publicly known locations for american personnel working in baghdad -- the u.s. embassy and baghdad international airport . the official insisted that there was no specific threat that led to this request , which defense secretary chuck hagel would have to approve . the troops would be in addition to the hundreds of american military advisers already in the country advising iraqi troops in their fight against isis . james foley remembered as ` brave and tireless ' journalist . heroic ' mission rescues desperate yazidis from isis . cnn 's barbara starr , jennifer deaton and richard roth contributed to this report . | <t> coalition troops hand over security control of iraq 's anbar province to iraqis . </t> <t> anbar was once the hub of the country 's sunni insurgency . </t> <t> more than 25,000 u.s. troops serve in anbar , west of baghdad . </t> | iraqi troops take control of key province<T> |
boise , idaho -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- firefighter jonathan frohreich had never heard of the wildland firefighter foundation , much less its founder , until recovering from severe work-related injuries last month . vicki minor 's wildland firefighter foundation has granted more than $ 1.5 million in aid to more than 500 families . as he lay in his hospital bed in sacramento , california , vicki minor put her hand on his shoulder . `` she introduced herself and told me that she was there to help , '' recalls frohreich , who had been in a helicopter crash that killed nine of his colleagues . `` she just said , ` anything . ' she was there to do anything for me . '' since 1999 , minor has dedicated herself to providing emergency assistance and ongoing support to injured and fallen wildfire fighters and their families nationwide through her wildland firefighter foundation . wildland firefighters are called into action when the united states ' vast natural resources are threatened by fire . for frohreich , minor 's foundation supplied lodging and food for family and friends who visited his bedside . it also provided emergency funds for medical and other expenses , arranged for frohreich to meet with firefighters who carried him to safety , and brought his fallen comrades ' family members to a bereavement ceremony . `` she means everything , '' frohreich said . `` she 's one of the best things to ever happen . '' minor first became involved with the wildland firefighter community 21 years ago after witnessing a wildfire for the first time . `` i had never seen anything like it , '' minor recalls of the blaze in the mountains of idaho . `` all those firefighter units mobilized in camps that cropped up . it was like an invasion , and i was mesmerized . '' minor started a fire camp commissary , providing dry goods , clothing and necessities to the firefighters . but it was n't until tragedy struck in 1994 at storm king mountain , colorado , where 14 firefighters perished in a single day , that minor was overcome with a need to assist the families . the storm king fire was a turning point . `` fighting fire is much like fighting a war . there 's no time to tend to the injured , or tend to the dead . the fire does n't stop raging , '' minor said . `` i looked up at the heavens and i said to those kids , ` help me help your families . ' '' grieving wildland families , like those of fallen soldiers , tend to be young and scattered throughout the country , often enduring their sudden loss in isolation from their firefighting community . taking cues from a visit to the vietnam veterans memorial in washington , d.c. , minor spearheaded fundraising efforts for the erection of the wildland firefighters monument in boise , idaho , which contains markers `` for almost every wildland firefighter that has fallen , '' minor said . `` i had seen and felt the healing of those combat veterans that would touch a name of their friend , '' minor said . `` our wildland firefighters had nothing like that to process their grief . i wanted to create a place where our families could congregate , reach out in solidarity and comfort to honor their fallen and injured . '' watch minor describe the sculptures in the firefighter monument '' since 1999 , the foundation has continued to grow , assisting more than 500 wildland firefighters and their families with more than $ 1.5 million in emergency funds and services , including communication support ; travel and lodging for the injured and fallen ; and emotional and benefit counseling and advocacy . watch minor describe how her foundation takes action to aid wildfire fighters '' `` there is a need for these families to be taken care of , and a long-term need , '' minor said . `` but most of it is to maintain that home until benefits come in . '' when survivors suddenly lose their income and do n't know how to apply for the compensation they 're entitled to , minor 's foundation steps in to guide them , often fighting for them when benefits are delayed or denied . watch minor explain why her foundation fights for firefighters and their families '' minor says she hopes the wildland firefighters know `` we have their back . '' `` i hope that they feel they can go on and fight that fire and know that we 'll take care of their family and their friends . ''<doc-sep>he also announced that interstate firefighters were heading home as the declaration of major emergency for the area had been rescinded . it comes as thunderstorms roll into the area , bringing in winds of up to 120 km/h . however mr nettleton said that the rain was likely to aid firefighters , adding that the only concern was that strong wind gusts could cause new fires , initiated by lightning , to spread . the south australian country fire service confirmed that 95 per cent of the fire had been contained on wednesday afternoon . with only two ` hotspot ' areas of concern remaining , the declaration of major emergency for the area has been rescinded . kevin knight , the mayor of tea tree gully which was hit by the raging bushfires , praised the efforts of volunteers and firefighters amidst the unpredictable conditions . ` the fires could have been so much worse . 38 houses lost sounds bad but it could have been 238 if the blaze had gone south , ' mr knight told daily mail australia . ` the firefighters have been unbelievable , but the weather conditions today are already very oppressive . who can predict what will happen , anything could go wrong in this hot dry weather , ' he said earlier on wednesday . ` we have white collar , blue collar people , housewives , all fighting . they put on that cfs uniform and become superheroes . '<doc-sep>evacuation centers have been set up at area high schools . `` it 's heart-wrenching . it 's very heart-wrenching , '' joanne trosper told cnn affiliate ktla , after watching the fire consume some of her neighbors ' homes in poppet flats . `` anytime the fire comes , it 's bad memories , but this is the worst one yet . '' july 's wildfire , just a few miles away , was even worse . it devoured more than 27,000 acres and 6,000 people were ordered to evacuate , before 3,400 firefighters could get the flames under control . luckily , rain came to their aid . cnn 's diahann reyes and lauren russell contributed to this report .<doc-sep>new york -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- a man who ambushed firefighters monday , fatally shooting two of them as they arrived to put out a raging inferno in upstate new york , took his own life with gunshot to the head , according to an autopsy conducted by the monroe county medical examiner 's office . two other volunteer firefighters were wounded in the attack in the rochester-area town of webster . authorities do not know how william spengler , 62 , who was found dead hours after the four firefighters were shot , obtained the weapon or weapons he used or why he opened fire .<doc-sep>two weeks after the incident , a new york city official revealed exactly how the different emergency services fought to save her , and that she was surrounded by rescuers within ten minutes . the official told cnn that the response began with a 911 call from the clinic , which was given the highest priority . the fire department were first to arrive at the clinic , five minutes after the call . medical staff were already trying to give rivers cpr using a defibrillator and a breathing tube . the firefighters then took over the attempts to revive her . two minutes after the firefighters came , an ambulance arrived at the clinic , whose paramedics helped with the cpr . almost immediately after that , another fire department vehicle arrived with medical aid , making a total of more than 10 people fighting to save her . | <t> vicki minor 's foundation helps injured and fallen wildfire fighters and their families . </t> <t> the wildland firefighter foundation has assisted more than 500 families since 1999 . </t> <t> minor led fundraising efforts to build a monument for fallen wildfire firefighters . </t> | she comes to the aid of wounded firefighters<T> |
-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- cheri morgan spent about half-an-hour in line at a houston-area gas station on thursday before evacuating the city . ireporter cheri morgan says drivers were panicking thursday at a houston , texas , gas station . `` everyone was driving crazy and they really need some kind of traffic flow at the gas stations . it 's wild , '' she said . `` everybody 's rushing and panicking . i could have stayed , but i thought it was best to just get out of there . '' morgan said it took her about five hours to make the 200 mile drive to san antonio -- a trip that normally only takes about three hours . ike is expected to make landfall on the gulf coast of texas , which is home to many of the country 's oil refineries . that 's led to a scramble at gas stations as people try to fill up before the storm hits . ireport.com : are you in ike 's path ? people were filling up their cars and their gas cans at a sam 's club in college station , texas , ireporter kyle norton told cnn.com . `` the lines were a tad ridiculous , '' the 30-year-old banker said . norton said his 2002 dodge ram pickup was on empty , so he had no choice but to wait in line for an hour . despite the long lines , norton said gas was about $ 3.49 , which is pretty normal for the area . he said a friend had to go to four different stations before he could find one that still had regular unleaded . ireporter jeremy `` clete '' terrell said the lines also were long at the costco in alpharetta , georgia . `` i was getting gas and realized that everybody else was too , '' he said . ireporter curtis mcneely said a kangaroo express station in evansville , indiana , imposed a 10 gallon limit . `` it 's causing paranoia more than anything , '' he said adding that people are returning to the gas station to fill up multiple times . a spokeswoman for the company that runs the kangaroo express chain says it 's imposed a limit at its 1,660 stores because gas supplies are tight . several stations in ocala , florida , were limiting sales if they still had gas to sell , ireporter christine bailey said . canadian ian mcintosh said gas prices jumped 57 cents per gallon overnight in milton , ontario . `` this stuff 's in the tanks , it 's just sitting in the gas stations , they 're using this as a windfall event , '' the retired teacher said . mcintosh said he heard prices were going up on the news , so he and his wife got gas last night -- along with many other residents of the toronto suburb . `` a gas station that would normally have three or four cars -- you had 15 cars and you had to line up to get to the pumps , '' he said . rumors that gas would jump to $ 6 a gallon caused a panic in sylva , north carolina . ireport.com : police called in at mountain gas station . lines were a half-mile long thursday night at the stations that stayed open , and police were called in to maintain order , ireporter april brendle said . `` supposedly there was a fight at one station , '' she said .<doc-sep>`` we lost everything , '' jamie holmes . curfews are in place in galveston until dawn monday and in houston 's harris county until 6 a.m. sunday . houston mayor bill white said his city appears to have avoided loss of life , but streets blocked by floodwaters , downed trees and power lines hampered efforts to determine the full extent of the damage . authorities shut down downtown houston , where the streets were littered with traffic lights and glass , for cleanup and damage assessment . the city 's tallest skyscraper , the 75-story jp morgan chase tower , was missing many of its windows . see ireporter 's images of destruction '' white advised residents to drink bottled or boiled tap water as a precaution after a power outage reduced water pressure , but he said nothing indicated that the water supply was contaminated . brennan 's , a popular restaurant in downtown houston for almost four decades , burned down friday night as ike battered the city . north of houston , a 10 - year-old boy died when a falling tree limb hit him in the head , the montgomery county sheriff 's office said . the boy 's father was cutting down a dead tree in the family 's yard in preparation for ike 's heavy winds early saturday . nearly 2.6 million customers in texas and louisiana lack power because of ike , the u.s. energy department said on saturday . in brazoria county , emergency management officials said the main power line for the texas/new mexico grid was down . centerpoint energy said 90 percent of its customers were without electricity and it could take a month or more to get power restored to all of them . ireporter jackie hensler of houston said her apartment building 's power was restored quickly on saturday morning after a stormy night . `` there are lots of trees down ; they 've been uprooted or snapped , '' she said after venturing outside . `` there 's lots of debris in the streets , like boards and plywood from homes . '' watch how the roof peeled off a building '' hurricane ike proved to be a huge storm system , 900 miles across at its largest . it remained a hurricane hours after crashing ashore over galveston at 2:10 a.m. its maximum sustained winds were near 80 mph , with higher gusts . it was expected to continue to weaken and move into western arkansas by saturday night . track the storm '' the storm surge , however , was smaller than forecast . the greatest surge , of 15 feet , happened at sabine pass , near the texas-louisiana line . authorities had predicted surges of 20 to 25 feet . authorities in orange county , texas , on the louisiana line , were using large dump trucks saturday to rescue residents trapped on their roofs by massive flooding , a county judge told cnn . the city of orange and the town of bridge city were flooded , beaumont emergency official brad peneffon said . watch the storm surge in beaumont '' rescuers fanned out in boats saturday in cameron parish , louisiana , after the storm surge flooded 1,800 homes . gas prices soared across the country amid fears the storm would disrupt fuel supplies . ike hit a region that is home to about 25 percent of the united states ' oil refining capacity , and the storm 's progress across the gulf of mexico shut down crude oil collection from gulf oil fields . the u.s. department of energy said 14 refineries were closed by the storm , along with two texas strategic petroleum reserve sites . in knoxville , tennessee , sean kennedy expressed dismay at the difference a day made to gas prices . ireport.com : evacuees , san antonio mayor talk about ike . `` i filled up my tank yesterday morning on the way to work for $ 3.59 a gallon , '' he said . `` this morning , gas prices at the same station were $ 5 a gallon for regular and $ 5.25 for premium . '' the coast guard said early saturday that 22 people aboard a freighter that was adrift in the gulf of mexico were safe after the storm . some good news came out of the region saturday . about 175 miles west of houston , a storm evacuee delivered a baby in the ladies ' bathroom at a shelter in new braunfels . `` the credit goes to the mother , '' said dr. mark burns , who helped deliver the baby . `` she did a beautiful job with her delivery . '' cnn 's jeanne meserve , rusty dornin , sean callebs , rob marciano , gary tuchman , arthur brice , deb krajnak and elise miller contributed to this report .<doc-sep>refineries , pipeline and oil platforms are still being assessed after ike , but the damage apparently is n't as severe as predicted , said gregg laskoski , spokesman for the southern region of the american automobile association . despite the rosier-than-expected outlook , prices spiked all over the nation after ike struck the gulf coast -- about 6 cents a gallon saturday , another 6 cents sunday and about 5 cents monday . particularly hard hit was the central and eastern united states . from sunday to monday alone , 23 states saw the average price of gas jump about a nickel or more a gallon , according to aaa . ireport.com : send , see photos of gas prices . in tennessee , the price jumped about 17 cents to $ 4.12 monday . in georgia , the price climbed about 14 cents to $ 4.16 . michigan saw an almost 13-cent increase , and indiana 's gas went up 12 cents a gallon . see gas prices state by state '' several factors drive these fluctuations , laskoski said , including the method in which gasoline is delivered to a state . in florida , he said , the price went up nominally -lrb- about 5 cents -rrb- from sunday to monday because the sunshine state relies more heavily on gas shipped on boats out of louisiana and mississippi , he said . though georgia abuts florida , it does n't have as many ports and relies more on tanker trucks to deliver gas from the galveston-houston area , laskoski said . hear how man ran out of fuel looking for gas in atlanta , georgia '' another factor , laskoski said , is that ike prompted many oil companies to shut down operations ahead of the storm . it could take up to two weeks to get some refineries operational again because it 's not as simple as flipping a switch , he said . the hiatus in oil production has ripple effects , and retailers often raise prices in anticipation of gas shortages . gas station owners earn only a few pennies of profit on each gallon of gas , laskoski said , explaining that proprietors essentially use gas to lure consumers into convenience stores to buy cigarettes , beer and potato chips -- items that draw better profits .<doc-sep>`` i filled up the gas can , i have water , i have peanut butter , and i took the rocking chairs off the front porch , '' she said . charleston sits on a peninsula between two rivers and is extremely prone to flooding . recent downpours from the remnants of tropical storm fay left a foot and a half of water on some streets . but the city has n't had a mandatory evacuation since hurricane floyd in 1999 . traffic then was so congested that it took up to 19 hours to drive inland to columbia , usually a two-hour trip . at parris island , south carolina , hundreds of marines graduated thursday morning from basic training -- a day earlier than planned because the base did n't want hanna to cause problems for families coming to the celebration , master sgt. mark oliva said . however , oliva said the base 's emergency center was standing down , as the storm 's track seemed to put parris island out of harm 's way . meanwhile , hurricane ike , still hundreds of miles from the islands of the caribbean , was a powerful category 4 hurricane on thursday . its winds had dropped slightly , to 135 mph , but the center said ike was still `` extremely dangerous . '' ireport.com : bracing for hanna and ike . the hurricane center 's five-day forecast map shows ike arriving near the turks and caicos islands and the southeastern bahamas on sunday . the center 's advisory said , `` it is too early to determine what land areas might eventually be affected by ike , but interests in the southeastern bahamas and the turks and caicos islands should monitor the progress of this system . '' see the path ike might follow '' at 11 p.m. thursday , ike was about 475 miles north-northeast of the leeward islands , moving westward near 14 mph . watch a view of ike from space '' trailing ike by about 1,600 miles in the eastern atlantic was tropical storm josephine . josephine 's winds had dropped to 45 mph , and the system was not forecast to make landfall any time soon . cnn 's larry shaughnessy and alanne orjoux contributed to this report .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- this week in ireport , we 're looking at one of the hottest topics of discussion lately : president obama 's decision to send more troops into afghanistan . ireporters had a lot to say about this issue , but that 's not all . ireporters showed us long lines all around the u.s. for black friday , and one shared the story of survivors still suffering 25 years after a major industrial accident in india . finally , a giant condom was unfurled in observance of world aids day . | <t> long gas lines reported as hurricane ike approaches . </t> <t> gas prices jumped overnight in canada . </t> <t> police had to restore order at north carolina gas stations . </t> <t> are you in ike 's path ? send photos , videos . </t> | ireporters flee ike , brave gas lines<T> |
-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- police have arrested a man in the killing of auburn university freshman lauren burk , who died this week , according to the auburn , alabama , assistant police chief . courtney larrell lockhart , 23 , of smiths , alabama , is charged with capital murder during a kidnapping , capital murder during a robbery , and capital murder during an attempted rape , tommy dawson said saturday . the phenix city police department took lockhart into custody on friday , police said . phenix city is about 35 miles southeast of auburn . burk , 18 , from marietta , georgia , was found shot on north college street , a few miles north of campus , on tuesday night . she died later at a hospital . minutes after police responded to the call reporting an injured person and found burk , they found a car -- which turned out to be burk 's -- on fire in a campus parking lot . dawson told reporters friday that authorities think gasoline or another accelerant was used to ignite burk 's car , and police were investigating whether a gas can found in downtown auburn was connected . police want to investigate every possible lead , dawson said . authorities were still on patrol in the east alabama campus , he said . the university 's web site said a campus-wide memorial service will be held monday . the site carried a message from burk 's father , james , which said : `` the burk family was so proud to have lauren as an auburn university student . we want to extend our deepest gratitude and appreciation for auburn university , the city of auburn and the auburn police department . we feel very close to your community . we appreciate what everyone is doing for us and lauren . '' also on friday , police released pictures of a 2001 honda civic similar to burk 's car . authorities asked anyone who thinks they might have seen the car on tuesday to contact them . police are continuing to interview people , dawson said . a student at the university of north carolina in chapel hill -- eve carson , 22 , of athens , georgia -- was also shot to death this week , on early wednesday . authorities in chapel hill said friday they had been in contact with auburn police but did not believe the two cases were connected . watch cnn 's nancy grace discuss the two killings of college women from georgia '' burk 's family , in a statement read friday to reporters by family friend kathy singleton , expressed their gratitude for the thoughts and prayers offered , but asked for privacy `` so that they may grieve for their loss as well as celebrate lauren 's life . '' those wishing to honor burk could do so by donating to her favorite charities , singleton said -- the invisible child and the american kidney foundation . donations can be made at any wachovia bank to the lauren burk memorial fund . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- police have arrested a man in the killing of auburn university freshman lauren burk , who died this week , according to the auburn , alabama , assistant police chief . courtney larrell lockhart , 23 , of smiths , alabama , is charged with capital murder during a kidnapping , capital murder during a robbery , and capital murder during an attempted rape , tommy dawson said saturday . the phenix city police department took lockhart into custody on friday , police said . phenix city is about 35 miles southeast of auburn . burk , 18 , from marietta , georgia , was found shot on north college street , a few miles north of campus , on tuesday night . she died later at a hospital .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the man suspected of killing three people and wounding others near auburn university turned himself in to authorities late tuesday , authorities said . desmonte leonard , 22 , turned himself in to u.s. marshals at the federal courthouse in montgomery , said montgomery county sheriff d.t. marshall . it was not immediately clear when leonard would be transported to auburn . auburn police chief tommy dawson said leonard faces three counts of capital murder and two counts of assault . he will be processed into the montgomery county jail and `` held there for a while , '' he told reporters . `` you ca n't run but for so long , '' the police chief said . `` we were going to pursue until we caught him . '' dawson also addressed the families of the victims . `` i know your young men wo n't be coming home , but hopefully this arrest will give you some closure . it 's not over . we 're going to continue to investigate this case , '' he said . the development came hours after a small army of law enforcement officers swarmed a montgomery home where leonard was believed to be hiding and came up empty-handed . police surrounded and searched the house for more than six hours , spraying `` a powerful dose '' of tear gas in hopes of flushing out the man . they scaled down their efforts at the house tuesday after they could not find leonard . the officers from local , state and federal agencies looked frustrated , cnn affiliate wfsa reported . police defended the raid at a news conference early tuesday after reports surfaced that they had gone to the wrong house and used excessive force . montgomery police chief kevin murphy said he had every reason to believe leonard had once been in the attic . police called on him to come out . they did not get a response , although they heard coughing and detected movement in the attic . by the time they launched a raid on the house , the suspect was gone . `` we did n't go into that house foot by foot . we took it inch by inch , '' murphy said . `` we did n't want anybody else to get hurt . we did everything right . '' police received three calls about leonard being in the area ; the third was from a woman who owned the house . she said she returned from work to find a man who looked like the suspect sitting on her couch , said montgomery mayor tommy strange . she then ran out to her car and called police , he said . saturday night 's shootings took place at an off-campus apartment complex in auburn , about 50 miles east of montgomery . the dead included two former auburn football players . a current football player was among the wounded . `` this has been an incredibly difficult 72 hours , '' gene chizik , auburn 's head football coach , told reporters tuesday . `` the whole auburn family is devastated . '' `` we 've got a road ahead of us right now , and it 's a long road of grieving , '' he said . police had posted a $ 30,000 reward for information on leonard 's whereabouts . two other men have been jailed on charges of hindering prosecution in the case . auburn police said one of those arrested , jeremy thomas , 18 , left the scene of the shootings with leonard . montgomery police say gabriel thomas , 41 , tried to mislead investigators during the search , and they arrested him sunday at the request of u.s. marshals . police did not immediately disclose the relationship , if any , between the two men . both were arrested in montgomery , but jeremy thomas was expected to be transferred to a jail in lee county , which includes auburn , police said . officers received a call reporting the shooting at the university heights apartments clubhouse about 10:03 p.m. saturday , auburn police chief dawson said sunday . arriving officers found edward christian , 20 , dead at the scene . christian , of valdosta , georgia , was off the football team because of an injury , dawson said . former player ladarious phillips , 20 , and auburn resident demario pitts , 20 , died later at a hospital , he said . two others , including current auburn sophomore offensive lineman eric mack , 20 , of cameron , south carolina , were taken to east alabama medical center in the nearby town of opelika . mack was released from the medical center sunday morning , while another man , xavier moss , 19 , was treated and released from the same facility . a third man , john robertson , 20 , was transferred to the university of alabama at birmingham hospital , where he was in critical condition after being shot in the head . leonard and two other men were thought to have fled the scene in a white chevrolet caprice , authorities said . police later found the car abandoned in an adjacent county , dawson said . police have a motive in the shooting , but dawson would not release it , saying `` that 's for the courtroom , later on . '' he did say authorities believe gunfire erupted during a fight at a party . several media outlets cited witnesses as saying the altercation was over a woman . witness turquorius vines told affiliate wgcl the violence was sudden . `` it went from us chilling with all these females to a massacre for no reason at all , '' he said . cnn 's joe sutton , moni basu , david mattingly , greg morrison and ashley hayes contributed to this report .<doc-sep>the site carried a message from burk 's father , james , which said : `` the burk family was so proud to have lauren as an auburn university student . we want to extend our deepest gratitude and appreciation for auburn university , the city of auburn and the auburn police department . we feel very close to your community . we appreciate what everyone is doing for us and lauren . '' also on friday , police released pictures of a 2001 honda civic similar to burk 's car . authorities asked anyone who thinks they might have seen the car on tuesday to contact them . police are continuing to interview people , dawson said . a student at the university of north carolina in chapel hill -- eve carson , 22 , of athens , georgia -- was also shot to death this week , on early wednesday . authorities in chapel hill said friday they had been in contact with auburn police but did not believe the two cases were connected . watch cnn 's nancy grace discuss the two killings of college women from georgia ''<doc-sep>by . daily mail reporter . published : . 13:42 est , 25 july 2013 . | . updated : . 14:22 est , 25 july 2013 . a whistleblower has accused an alabama police department of forcing officers to issue an excessive number of tickets and arrest innocent people or be ` written up ' - while obedient cops would get free steak dinners . former auburn police officer justin hanners made the explosive claims in an interview with reason.tv , stating he was sacked after challenging the requirement that officers make 100 contacts a month . he also claimed cops were ordered to hassle , ticket or arrest a specific number of people per shift - even if they were innocent - equating to 72,000 contacts a year in a 50,000 person town , including children . scroll down for video . explosive : sacked police officer justin hanners has accused auburn police of ` revenue-raising ' whistleblower : former police officer justin hanners said cops were forced to make 100 contacts a month . the director of the city of auburn 's public safety department did not return the daily mail 's calls . reason.tv said the auburn police department declined requests to be interviewed . | <t> courtney larrell lockhart , 23 , charged with three counts of capital murder . </t> <t> auburn university student lauren burk found shot tuesday , died at hospital . </t> <t> burk 's car found minutes later engulfed in flames in campus parking lot . </t> | police arrest man in killing of auburn student<T> |
baghdad , iraq -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- u.s.-led forces captured two men believed to be senior al qaeda in iraq leaders , including one suspected of planning the 2006 kidnapping of u.s. journalist jill carroll , a military statement said . jill carroll , seen here in an interview following her 2006 release , was held for nearly three months in iraq . coalition forces captured the suspects in baghdad on august 11 and 17 , according to the statement .<doc-sep>the suspects were identified as salim abdallah ashur al-shujayri , also known as abu uthman , and ali rash nasir jiyad al-shammari , also known as abu tiba . abu uthman is suspected of masterminding carroll 's abduction , the statement said . carroll , a freelance reporter for the christian science monitor , was abducted in january 2006 and freed unharmed in march of that year .<doc-sep>both men are suspected of overseeing car or suicide bombings targeting iraqis with the intent of inciting sectarian violence , the statement said . abu tiba is suspected to have been in charge of as many 15 al qaeda in iraq `` attack cells , '' providing them with money , weapons and explosives , according to the statement .<doc-sep>the men were also suspected of being connected to other kidnappings , the statement said . `` the capture of abu tiba and abu uthman eliminates two of the few remaining experienced leaders in the aqi -lsb- al qaeda in iraq -rsb- network , '' the statement said .<doc-sep>baghdad , iraq -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- u.s.-led forces captured two men believed to be senior al qaeda in iraq leaders , including one suspected of planning the 2006 kidnapping of u.s. journalist jill carroll , a military statement said . jill carroll , seen here in an interview following her 2006 release , was held for nearly three months in iraq . coalition forces captured the suspects in baghdad on august 11 and 17 , according to the statement . the suspects were identified as salim abdallah ashur al-shujayri , also known as abu uthman , and ali rash nasir jiyad al-shammari , also known as abu tiba . abu uthman is suspected of masterminding carroll 's abduction , the statement said . carroll , a freelance reporter for the christian science monitor , was abducted in january 2006 and freed unharmed in march of that year . both men are suspected of overseeing car or suicide bombings targeting iraqis with the intent of inciting sectarian violence , the statement said . abu tiba is suspected to have been in charge of as many 15 al qaeda in iraq `` attack cells , '' providing them with money , weapons and explosives , according to the statement . the men were also suspected of being connected to other kidnappings , the statement said . `` the capture of abu tiba and abu uthman eliminates two of the few remaining experienced leaders in the aqi -lsb- al qaeda in iraq -rsb- network , '' the statement said .<doc-sep>another book named queen victoria 's surgeon sir john williams as the infamous killer . he had a surgery in whitechapel at the time . another theory links the murders with queen victoria 's grandson , prince albert victor , also known as the duke of clarence . at one point , cotton merchant james maybrick was the number one suspect , following the publication of some of his diary which appeared to suggest he was the killer . however the extracts are widely believed to be forged . other suspects include montague john druitt , a dorset-born barrister . he committed suicide in the thames shortly after last murder . george chapman , otherwise known as seweryn kłosowski , poisoned three of his wives and was hanged in 1903 . another suspected by polive was aaron kosminski . he was admitted to colney hatch lunatic asylum and died there . dr thomas neill cream , poisoned four london prostitutes with strychnine and was hanged . some of the more bizarre links include lewis carroll , author of the alice in wonderland books , who taught at christ church until 1881 - which was at the forefront of the ripper murder scenery . according to some sources jack was actually a jill - a theory posed by an inspector on the case at the time . winston churchill 's father - lord randolph churchill - has also been named as a potential suspect .<doc-sep>by . michael zennie . a blackwater security contractor threatened to kill a state department investigator in iraq who was looking into allegations of the company 's cost over-runs , boozy parties , mistreatment of migrant workers and violence against civilians , according to a newly-released report . daniel carroll , blackwater 's project manager in iraq , allegedly told jean c. richter that ` he could kill me at that very moment and no one could or would do anything about it as we were in iraq , ' in august 31 , 2007 , richter claimed in an official report he filed after the fact . but instead of mr carroll , a former member of the elite navy seal team six , being disciplined , mr richter was the one sent home . u.s. embassy officials in baghdad told him he had to end his investigation and leave iraq because he was disrupting the security options blackwater was providing for diplomatic staff , the new york times reports . blackwater security contractors , seen here guarding u.s. administrator l. paul bremer , were paid $ 1billion to protect americans diplomats in iraq . just over two weeks later , blackwater contractors opened fire in baghdad 's nisour square , allegedly killing 17 civilians and wounding 20 others . the incident caused massive outrage among the iraqi public and is believed to be one reason iraqi leaders refused to agree to allow u.s. troops to stay in the country past 2011 . mr richter claims : ` mr. carroll 's statement was made in a low , even tone of voice , his head was slightly lowered ; his eyes were fixed on mine . i took mr. carroll 's threat seriously . we were in a combat zone where things can happen quite unexpectedly , especially when issues involve potentially negative impacts on a lucrative security contract . ' mr carroll has not commented publicly on the allegations . despite his abbreviated visit to iraq , mr richter 's report paints a damning picture of blackwater , which was paid more than $ 1billion to guard american diplomats .<doc-sep>since he 's been back from iraq , coppola said he feels `` very healthy . '' but other soldiers said they can not shake the symptoms and they suspect the burn pit smoke is the cause . dennis gogel was stationed in balad twice between 2004 and 2006 . he said he was in housing just a few hundred yards from the pit and would often jog past the pit . the 29-year old gogel said that in the last two years he 's had upper respiratory infections , skin irritation and he 's lost 60 pounds since deployment . `` i have blotchy spots on my face . i was treated for psoriasis , but it wo n't go way , '' he said . gogel said his doctors do not know what caused the problems . `` you expect when you get to a new environment you would feel the effect , but it should get out of the system , '' he said . gogel said it has affected his fitness , too . `` i used to run two miles in 10 minutes . i am up to 17 , '' he said . gogel has recently joined a class action lawsuit against the company contracted to handle waste disposal . just months after returning home from his first tour in iraq in 2006 , maj. kevin wilkins developed headaches , but did not see a doctor . soon after his second iraq tour in 2007 , wilkins -- a registered nurse in the air force reserve -- died of an advanced brain tumor . he was 51 . his widow , jill , suspects the burn pit at balad . while the cause of his brain tumor is not known , jill wilkins was told by doctors who worked with her husband at a florida emergency room that exposure to chemicals like those that come from burning trash is a potential risk . `` kevin was in perfect health before he went to iraq , '' wilkins said . `` he 's always been in good health , a healthy eater , exercises on a regular basis . there was not one thing wrong with him when he went to iraq . '' wilkins is trying to show the cause was service related so she can get access to her husband 's pension , medical insurance and other benefits from the department of veterans affairs . | <t> abu uthman suspected of masterminding jill carroll 's 2006 kidnapping . </t> <t> uthman and another al qaeda in iraq suspect captured this month , military says . </t> <t> carroll , a u.s. journalist , was abducted in 2006 but released unharmed weeks later . </t> | suspect in jill carroll kidnapping caught in iraq<T> |
-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the new york giants ' unlikely win over the new england patriots is already being called one of the biggest shockers in super bowl history , and the amazing catch david tyree made to set up the game-winning touchdown wo n't be forgotten anytime soon . pint-sized giants fans , luka and kristian radovich , celebrate after plaxico burress ' game-winning catch . cnn.com reader michael heitman , of baxter , tennessee , will remember super bowl xlii for more than the 17-14 score . `` our 13-month-old daughter took her first steps during the second half . apparently , so did the giants offense . congrats to the giants from a cowboys fan , '' he said . david marks , of duquesne , pennsylvania , said it was `` one of the best football games i 'd ever seen , '' but said watching the game with his family had some drawbacks .<doc-sep>`` i was not able to enjoy the commercials as much because my mom would n't stop yakking away , '' he said . `` she 's 80 years old and i did n't want to say anything at first -- you do n't know how much longer you have your mom at that age . but finally after a quarter and a half , i had to ask her to pipe down . '' watch some of the pre-game festivities '' dan nash , of santa monica , california , did n't have that problem . `` it would be nice to see the game a little more , '' he said adding that `` every 10 seconds -lrb- or less -rrb- , we 're watching ads ! kickoff ... three ads . punt ... three ads . flag on the play ... two ads . '' here is a sampling of our readers ' reaction to the game : .<doc-sep>russell giuliano of middletown , new jersey i have seen every super bowl , and this was the best ever , even better than no. 3 with namath . dave viscusi of schenectady , new york that was one of the best super bowls/super bowl parties i have ever been to . we made 4 different kinds of pizza -lrb- bbq chicken , cheese , sausage and peppers -rrb- , boneless buffalo wings , bbq ribs , chips of all kinds , apple martinis , some beer and topped off the giants victory with some champagne ! go g-men ... eli deserves every ounce of credit he gets for this super bowl ... way to throw it right in the arrogant patriots ' face ! ricardo gomez of buenos aires , argentina i 'm a big pats fan , and i was sad to see that last play when manning escapes the pats ' defense and throw that pass , the one that put the giants offense so close to the touchdown . anyway , i think pats are still the best team in the league , and i was there that snowy night when brady got us to the super bowl at the last second with -lrb- adam vinatieri kicking -rrb- that amazing field goal ! so go pats ! go !!! irving horowitz of princeton , new jersey there are three sport moments in my life that i will take to my grave with a broad grin and deep pleasure : the first was the bobby thompson home run for the new york -lrb- baseball -rrb- giants in 1951 to defeat the dodgers ; a varsity game while i was at hobart & william smith when , as a member of the faculty and staff , we defeated a first-class varsity team in 1962 and i made the winning basket with 28 seconds on the clock -lrb- i have the press clippings to prove this -rrb- ; and the biggest thrill of them all : watching the new york -lrb- football -rrb- giants win super bowl xlii against the new england patriots .<doc-sep>when bob tisch spoke of `` this win is for all giant fans who , for the past 30 years , supported the team at giants stadium , and before that at the yankee stadium , and for those who still remember being part of the giants at the polo grounds , '' i felt that he spoke directly to me . after all , i am actually about a year or two older than the franchise ... wow ! 2008 is already a good year -- a good omen for america . monique mondesire of bronx , new york i 'm a 26-year-old female who really does n't put much thought into sports , but that was the best super bowl game i have ever seen in my life . i had faith that it would happen , but the way it happened was priceless . i 'm very proud to be a new yorker and a new giants fan . to all the new yorkers that lost their bets yesterday , in the words of don corleone , `` never go against the family . '' lisa ciacci of brooklyn , new york as a die-hard cowboys fan , i may have been the most unlikely n.y. giants fan last night . i could not be happier for this team . they played their hearts out in quite possibly the best game i have ever watched . eli manning came of age before our very eyes and proves once again that he is truly a class act . i hope this loss haunts the patriots forever . they were n't good enough to beat the giants last night nor will they ever be . this city will surely explode at tomorrow 's parade -- it 's good to be in new york ! go giants ! e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the new york giants beat the new england patriots 21-17 to win super bowl xlvi in indianapolis sunday after a dramatic finish . trailing 15-17 deep into the fourth quarter , giants quarterback eli manning found ahmad bradshaw for what proved to be the winning touchdown . it still left the patriots with one final chance to move ahead but their star quarterback tom brady saw his final ` hail mary ' pass go uncaught . it was the fourth super bowl triumph for the giants , repeating their 2008 success over brady 's patriots . manning was named mvp for a superb performance , capped by his coolness under pressure in their final winning drive , his 38-yard pass to mario marringham laying the foundations for victory . `` it just feels good to win a super bowl no matter where you are or what stadium it is , '' manning said . the giants had made the more confident start and had the first score of the night as brady made an incomplete pass from his own endzone and referee john parry awarded a safety and two points to the team from new york . super bowl xlvi as it happened . it got better for the giants soon afterwards as manning connected with victor cruz for the opening touchdown . lawrence tynes added the extra point and they were ahead 9-0 .<doc-sep>the iconic rose bowl in pasadena , california on the day of super bowl xx in 1987 . head coach bill parcells is lifted into the air after the new york giants beat the denver broncos . new york giants running back joe morris scores a touchdown at the rose bowl in california . 2 . pittsburgh steelers 27-23 arizona cardinals - super bowl xliii , february 1 , 2009 . this was the first super bowl i watched live and i was fortunate enough to be sat just over the end zone when ben roethlisberger threw the final touchdown to win the game for the steelers . little did i know that the wide receivers coach for the london warriors , marvin allen , was on that squad and he won a super bowl ring in that game . santonio holmes celebrates catching the game-winning touchdown for the pittsburgh steelers in 2009 .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- editor 's note : follow live coverage of the super bowl xlvi from indianapolis , with cnn world sport . just refresh the page to get the latest updates . 02.53 gmt : giants win 21-17 and are super bowl xlvi champions . tom brady 's final desperate ` hail mary ' pass can not be caught and the giants hold on for a memorable victory . 02.43 gmt : giants 21-17 patriots . almost an unwanted touchdown as ahmad bradshaw is allowed to run through by the patriots , who trail by five , but now have time to make a winning touchdown themselves . it 's going right down to the wire with all the pressure on brady . 02.35 gmt : manning 's 38-yard pass to mario manningham is superbly caught and ruled legitimate after a challenge from the patriots . sign of desperation perhaps . 02.30 gmt : patriots can not make their possession pay and wes welker fails to make a routine catch from a brady pass . patriots are forced to punt as giants win back possession and a chance for glory for eli manning . 02.15 gmt : giants drive fizzles out as manning fails to complete to mario manningham and it could prove costly . twitter : @mckaycnn : alright . 15 mins to a new super bowl champion and only 2 points separate the pats and the giants . i like ! 02.00 gmt : end of the third quarter and this is going down to the wire . 01.55 gmt : giants 15-17 patriots . it 's a two-point ball game now as tynes lands another field goal , this time from 33 yards , but patriots will be pleased to have prevented a touchdown as manning is sacked for the third time . 01.45 : gmt : brady is sacked for the first time in the match , he 's human after all and giants win back possession with good field position . 01.40 gmt : giants 12-17 . giants hit back as scottish kicker lawrence tynes lands a 38-yard field goal for three points . twitter : nfl@nfl brady has now hit on 14 consecutive completions , setting a super bowl record -lrb- and passing joe montana -rrb- .<doc-sep>both teams have won the vince lombardi trophy three times , but the giants beat the patriots in xlii 17-14 . patriots ' quarterback tom brady was . given a raucous sendoff in foxborough yesterday as he gave a confident . interview to 25,000 fans . he . said : ` we 're going down there for one reason . we 're going to give it . our best and hopefully we 'll have a lot more people at our party next . weekend . ' flashback : the patriots and giants faced off against each other in super bowl xlii in glendale arizona - with new york scoring a surprise win . arena : the super bowl will take place in lucas oil stadium , home of the indianapolis colts . it is the patriots ' fifth super bowl in the last 11 years and their first since the giants scored their shock win . but team were more subdued after arriving in indianapolis . wide . receiver wes welker told the new york daily news : ` we 're just planning . on this game . putting a game plan together and getting ourselves ready . to play is object no. 1 ' last . year , the super bowl became the most watched american television . programme in history , with an average audience of 111million viewers . eli manning . eli manning was born on january 3 , 1981 . he is 6ft 4ins and weighs 218lb . manning played college football at ole miss , and was the 1st round pick in nfl draft 2004 for the san diego chargers , who immediately traded him to the new york giants . the new york giants quarterback has won one super bowl - in 2008 against the new england patriots . he has thrown 185 td passes , for a total of 27,579 yards in his eight seasons in the nfl , and has a quarterback rating of 82.1 . tom brady . tom brady was born on august 3 , 1977 . he is also 6ft 4ins and weighs 225lb . brady played college football at michigan and was the 6th round pick in nfl draft 2000 by the new england patriots . the new england patriots quarterback has won three super bowls : in 2002 against the st louis rams , in 2004 versus the carolina panthers and in 2005 against the philadelphia eagles . he has thrown 300 td passes , for a total of 39,979 yards in 12 seasons in the nfl , and has a quarterback rating of 96.4 . | <t> ultimate super bowl party : four kinds of pizza and a giants ' win . </t> <t> `` it 's good to be in new york , '' reader says . </t> <t> one fan 's daughter took first steps in second half . </t> <t> i-report : have a story to share ? send it to us . </t> | cnn.com readers react to giants ' super bowl win<T> |
moscow , russia -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- members of a russian doomsday cult barricaded themselves in a cave to wait out the end of the world as the cult 's leader underwent psychiatric exams thursday , russian media reported . the cult , which calls itself the `` true russian orthodox church , '' believes the world will end in may . the cult leader is in police custody awaiting proceedings on charges that he set up an organization `` whose activity is associated with violence on citizens and instigation to refuse to perform their civil duties , '' according to the state-funded itar-tass news agency . four children are among 29 cult members holed up in a ravine in russia 's penza region , where they apparently dug a cave . one of the children in the cave is 18 months old , reported itar-tass . temperatures in the cave are below 54 degrees fahrenheit -lrb- 12 degrees celsius -rrb- , the russian news agency reported . the cult members have refused law enforcement requests to come out or release the children , and they have threatened to commit suicide if police resort to force , according to russian state television . the cult , which calls itself the `` true russian orthodox church , '' believes the end of the world will come in may 2008 .<doc-sep>prosecutors announced thursday they are opening criminal proceedings against the cult 's leader , father pyotr kuznetsov . kuznetsov , 43 , is `` under the supervision of investigators , '' olig troshin , a penza prosecutor , told itar-tass . a law enforcement source in penza told the russian news agency interfax that kuznetsov `` is being examined by psychiatrists . '' several clergymen , police officers and agents of the russian ministry for emergency situations are outside the cave . `` it is obviously some kind of insanity , '' mitropolitan kirill , a high-ranking russian orthodox church official , told russian television . `` it is perhaps even a medical case . a very dangerous phenomena is happening in russia 's religious life . '' he added , `` what we 're seeing in penza right now is a most vivid example of what could happen to a country , to a society , if this society is deprived of proper religious education . '' e-mail to a friend . cnn 's maxim tkachenko contributed to this report .<doc-sep>moscow , russia -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- a cult member who spent several months holed up in a cave with dozens of other people anticipating the end of the world claimed wednesday that two women died and were buried inside . an above-ground kitchen used by the doomsday cult in the penza region during the summer . the former cave-dweller , vitaly nedogon , relayed his claims to russian tv journalists , according to anton sharonov , a spokesman for the administration of penza , a region southeast of moscow . the official said nedogon did not report the information to police or authorities . once the rest of the apocalyptic sect leaves the cave , investigators will move in to try to confirm nedogon 's report , sharonov said . nedogon and others left the cave , said to be near the village of nikolskoye , about 700 kilometers -lrb- 435 miles -rrb- from the russian capital , about a week ago , after part of its ceiling collapsed .<doc-sep>doyle writes that now is the time to look again at a group which was . just very different from the rest of the world . he . writes : ` if people read this account , they will at least gain a . different perspective on who david koresh was , where he was coming from , . who we were , and why we believe the way we do . ` most people think ` cult ' about us and think we are people who were brainwashed and deceived . ` they think our church members do n't know what they 're doing or where they 're going . hopefully , my story can open their eyes . ' koresh . had taken over the leadership of the mount carmel center in the late . 1980s but it was not until 1993 that things came apart . burned-out : the branch davidian compound was destroyed during an fbi assault to end the 51-day standoff with cult leader david koresh and his followers in 1993 . full-frontal attack : the fbi stormed the compound with 12 tanks , four combat vehicles and 1,890 people in a show of force to persuade koresh to surrender . the end came when 80 armed agents with the bureau of alcohol , tobacco , and firearms raided the mount carmel community to try and arrest him for supposedly violating federal firearms laws . it was a disaster from the start as the cult had been tipped off and were heavily armed . a shootout began which forced the atf to retreat and start the siege .<doc-sep>today , he appealed to believers to . stay away and has called in the police to protect the village until two . days after the predicted end of the world . he said : ' i am making an appeal to the world - do not come to bugarach . ` this is no laughing matter . if 10,000 people turn up on december 21 , our village will not be able to cope . ' after one hippie died climbing the mountain earlier this year , mr delord quipped to the french media : ` the end of the world came a bit earlier for him than he expected . ' police and troops have now set up road blocks to stop hippies scaling the summit - and declared the zone a no-go area for five days from december 19 . regional prefect eric freysselinard said : ' i have issued an order barring anyone from climbing the mountain . ` and those trying to get into the village will be stopped and asked what their business is . ' he added : ` bugarach and the mountain will then remain closed off until two days after the world is supposed to end . ' the normally peaceful village will be closed off until two days after the world is supposed to end . but hippies flooding into bugarach are convinced the area has been selected by aliens as the only place to survive in the run up to doomsday - when the mayan calendar 's 5,125-year cycle finishes . earlier this year , france 's mission for the fight against sects also placed bugarach under scrutiny due to concerns over possible mass suicides . and it warned people in a report not to be taken in by ` new age clap-trap ' being peddled by cult leaders . their report also stressed that december 21 , 2012 , would be the 183rd time the world had been predicted to end in the last 2,000 years . the last time the world was due to end was may 21 , 2011 , according to a prediction by us-based cult rapture . its leader harold camping said after the apocolyse failed to happen that he was ` flabbergasted ' that the world was still there .<doc-sep>residents of a new york city neighborhood can count a cult among their many neighbors , according to a report . the congregation for the light calls manhattan 's murray hill area home and preaches the impending end of days and the power of karmic retribution to men and women who believe they descend from an aryan super race that once populated atlantis , reports the new york post . with all the hallmarks of a cult , it 's no surprise ` the light , ' as its 200 members call it , also has some disenchanted former members spreading tales of its sinister side . cult next door ? this brownstone in manhattan 's murray hill neighborhood houses the congregation of the light , a group some ex-members say is a cult with some extremely odd beliefs . former member paul arthur miller described to the post a young adulthood full of indentured servitude in leader tom baer 's furniture factory , physical training for a doomsday that never seemed to come and a culture of homophobia . ` the belief is that planet earth will be ending soon and we would have to defend our people and safeguard our food and supplies , ' 58-year-old miller recalled to the post . ` they changed the doomsday date at least twice , ' he said . ` we were told it was imminent , weeks or months . people in the cult would n't have dental work done because they thought , ` why bother ? '' | <t> four children , one 18 months old , are among cult members holed up in cave . </t> <t> cult leader to face charges he set up a violent organization , news agency reports . </t> <t> news agency : cult members have threatened to commit suicide if police use force . </t> <t> the `` true russian orthodox church '' believes end of the world is coming in may . </t> | cult awaits end of days in cave after leader 's arrest<T> |
-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- parma have signed ac milan 's 18-year-old alberto paloschi in a co-ownership deal , the serie b club announced on their web site on wednesday . paloschi scored with his first touch when he made his debut as a milan sub in february . paloschi made an instant impact when he made his debut for milan in february , scoring against siena with his first touch as substitute . he scored twice in seven appearances last season but his prospects of regular first team football this season diminished sharply after the signings of andrei shevchenko and ronaldinho .<doc-sep>parma were relegated from serie a last season . . milan vice-president adriano galliani has said that that italy full-back massimo oddo could be leaving soon . galliano told gazzetta dello sport : `` lyon are interested in our full-back and anything is possible . ''<doc-sep>the 32-year-old former lazio right-back is likely to lose his first team spot to new signing gianluca zambrotta from barcelona . oddo was in italy 's world cup winning squad in germany in 2006 but was not chosen for the euro 2008 finals in june . lyon already have an italian at left-back in fabio grosso , who was also a world cup winner in 2006 .<doc-sep>nine goals , two red cards and a comical goalkeeping error - who said italian football was boring ? a breathtaking match at the stadio ennio tardini saw filippo inzaghi 's ac milan continue their promising start to the serie a season by edging parma 5-4 . strikes from giacorno bonaventura and keisuke honda , a breathtaking run and finish from nigel de jong and a brace from jeremy menez - one from the spot , another a quite sublime backheel - ensured milan joined roma and juventus at the top of the table . ac milan coach filippo inzaghi -lrb- left -rrb- celebrates with his players during their thrilling 5-4 victory over parma . ac milan forward jeremy menez scores an audacious backheel against parma during his side 's 5-4 victory . jeremy menez runs off in celebration after scoring ac milan 's final goal in a 5-4 victory over parma in serie a . nigel de jong finishes a spectacular run from the halfway-line by scoring a goal for ac milan against parma . ac milan midfielder nigel de jong scores a spectacular solo goal for ac milan against parma during a 5-4 win . nigel de jong -lrb- centre -rrb- celebrates with his ac milan team-mates after scoring a brilliant goal against parma . parma : mirante , lucarelli , felipe , de ceglie , ristovski , acquah , lodi , jorquera -lrb- coda 73 -rrb- , cassano , belfoldil -lrb- bidaoui 79 -rrb- , ghezzal -lrb- palladino 65 -rrb- . subs not used : iacobucci , cordaz , mendes , rispoli , costa , gobbi , mauri , gallopa , lucas . goals : cassano 27 , felipe 51 , lucarelli 73 , de sciglio o.g. 89 . booked : lucarelli , felipe , de cegile , acquah . sent off : felipe . ac milan : lopez , bonera , alex -lrb- rami 62 -rrb- , de sciglio , abate , de jong , bonaventura , poli , muntari , honda -lrb- zapata 62 -rrb- , menez -lrb- niang -rrb- . subs not used : abbiati , agazzi , armero , albertazzi , van ginkel , essien , saponara , pazzini .<doc-sep>goals : bonaventura 25 , honda 37 , menez 45 , 79 , de jong 68 . booked : bonera , de jong . sent off : bonera . for de jong 's goal , the former manchester city midfielder won the ball in the middle of the park and ran completely unopposed from the halfway-line towards the parma goal . he then slotted the ball superbly past the advancing mirante . menez , meanwhile , capitalised on a defensive mistake to nick the ball ahead of the parma goalkeeper , slip it past him and , despite running away from goal , audaciously backheel the ball into the net . and all of this happened despite on-loan chelsea striker fernando torres being unable to make his debut due to a sprained ankle . for their part , parma also contributed to an extremely entertaining encounter . antonio cassano netted against his old side , with felipe and alessandro lucarelli also getting their names on the scoresheet . but it was milan 's own misgivings that led to a nervy finish . with the score at 5-3 , defender mattia de sciglio passed the ball back towards goalkeeper diego lopez , who slipped horribly when attempting a clearance . the ball then rolled past the keeper and into the net . keisuke honda scores to put ac milan 2-1 up against parma at the stadio ennio tardini in a thrilling match . ac milan forward jeremy menez scores from the penalty spot against parma at the stadio ennio tardini . jeremy menez -lrb- right -rrb- cups his ear and hugged by ac milan team-mate sulley muntari after scoring vs parma . a visibly embarrassed lopez held his hamstring in pain but thankfully for him milan were able to hold out for victory . amazingly , both sides also ended the match with just 10 men . milan 's daniele bonera and parma 's felipe were both dismissed after collecting two bookings each . interestingly , the last time milan won their opening two matches was eight years ago - also against lazio and parma . ac milan 's giacomo bonaventura opens the scoring with a left-footed strike against parma in a serie a clash .<doc-sep>in italy 's serie a udinese missed the chance of returning to the top of the league after losing away to napoli 2-0 . two first half strikes from ezequiel lavezzi and christian maggio ended udinese 's unbeaten start to the season . but the result of the night saw ac milan score four goals in successive games after beating parma 4-1 . milan found themselves 3-0 down against lecce last week before mounting a thrilling comeback . a second half kevin prince boetang hat-trick secured an unlikely 4-3 victory and it was another three-goal haul that guaranteed all the points against parma . this time antonio nocerino was the hero . his first half double put milan in control before zlatan ibrahimovic put the victory beyond parma , who scored a late consolation before nocerino completed his hat-trick in the 90th minute . `` right now the important thing is to return to the top and we can do that , '' coach massimiliano allegri told afp . `` this is an important result to give us consistency . the table is starting to get stretched and we must stay amongst the leaders . ''<doc-sep>fernando torres misses out on a debut against parma after picking up a late injury in training . ac milan reveal that fernando torres was injured on saturday and will miss the game against parma . | <t> alberto paloschi is moving from milan to parma in a co-ownership deal . </t> <t> the 18-year-old scored with his first touch in his milan debut in february . </t> <t> lyon are interested in signing milan right-back massimo oddo . </t> | milan 's paloschi switches to parma<T> |
-lrb- oprah.com -rrb- -- on any given day here at `` o , the oprah magazine , '' there are somewhere in the neighborhood of 69 very talented , extremely detail oriented , high-energy , hardworking women and men all doing their jobs and doing them well . i love a few of them , i like a lot of them , i despise one of them . she is the magneto to my wolverine , the saruman to my frodo , the dr. octopus to my spiderman . i call her the tinkler . it 's a typical tuesday ; the office is humming along . i 'm answering e-mails , writing cover lines , scheduling a dental appointment here , partial highlights there , kicking myself for not getting sushi at lunch . the sun is shining , the color printer is working -- my life is good . i mosey into the ladies ' room , glance at the mirror , remind myself that fluorescent lights make everyone look as if they 're in the final stages of tuberculosis , and head for a stall . and then i see it : the seat , even the floor , is covered in little yellow droplets . the tinkler strikes again . to date , i have been able to deduce only four things about her : . 1 . she is female . 2 . she attacks between the hours of 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. 3 . she works alone . 4 . she was raised in a barn . i 've been her victim more times than i can count , and it has turned me from a happy-go-lucky columnist into a bitter , paranoid germaphobe . she has become the bane of my existence . we live in a world where our soldiers lack sufficient body armor , where rupert murdoch is blurring the line intended to keep the business and political interests of media owners from influencing the presentation of news , where the white house still refuses to respond to questions they promised to answer as soon as the scooter libby case was closed , where studies indicate that worrying you 're going to get sick will actually get you sick -- and yet i am devoting an entire column to the tinkler . any shrink worth his or her salt will tell you that it is a mistake to think of your colleagues as family . but what is a family if not a group of people who care about you and irritate you and show up for cake on your birthday and look at pictures of your kid even when they do n't feel like it and think it would n't kill you to put on a little makeup and a pair of heels once in a while ? i 've been earning a paycheck for 30 years . whether rinsing conditioner off a lhasa apso during my stint as shampoo girl at mr. whiskers pet boutique or breathing on the chicken breast i was about to serve a rude diner during my waitressing days , i 've always found that the people i work with matter to me . their moods , their opinions , their style influence my life . they 've appreciated me , humiliated me , surprised me , and antagonized me . i 've gotten flowers and i 've gotten fired -lrb- and i 'm pretty sure i did n't do anything to deserve either -rrb- , but i 've never experienced anything like the tinkler . `` dammit ! '' i say upon encountering her latest jackson pollock imitation . pat , suzan , and valerie each come out of their stalls to see what 's wrong . i point in horror . pat groans , suzan moans , val throws up her hands in disgust , and we fall into silence . then i rally , `` at least we know it 's not one of us . '' but everybody else is a suspect . `` it ca n't be sudie , '' suzan volunteers . my eyes narrow . `` what are you basing this on ? '' i ask . `` i 've seen her , '' she answers , `` she always heads straight for the paper seat protector . '' `` and , '' valerie adds , `` we can cross mamie off the list -- it happened twice while she was in sweden . '' sixty seconds ago , the four of us were editors ; now we are fbi profilers . `` she probably likes to burrow into small spaces , '' pat conjectures . `` this never happens in the big , wheelchair-accessible stall ... '' `` it 's very primitive , as if she 's marking her territory . this is clearly a hostile gesture , '' suzan declares with authority . we 're finally getting somewhere . `` so , really , '' i say , `` we just need to be on the lookout for an aggressively mean-spirited , mole-like cavewoman who is not confined to a wheelchair . . is that right ? '' val is the first to realize that we 're losing our minds . `` i 'm out of here , '' she says , and exits the ladies ' room . later , i complain to j.j. , poor , naive little j.j . . she tells me that it ca n't be any of us , that the toilet is somehow to blame . i leave j.j. in her special world -- a place where troubles melt like lemon drops and lee harvey oswald acted alone -- and resume writing my column . gina drops by and reads over my shoulder . suddenly she has an epiphany : `` it 's you ! '' she announces , pointing at me like she 's javert accusing jean valjean of stealing silver candlesticks . `` think about it , '' she says . `` what better way to cover your tracks than writing an outraged piece on the subject ? '' i kind of like that gina believes i am an evil genius , and i do n't have the heart to tell her that i once refused to sit my daughter on the lap of a department store santa claus because i had no idea who else had been sitting there . another day , another bathroom break . `` steer clear of the third stall , '' yeun warns as she dries her hands and heads for a meeting . jennifer emerges from door number four to see what exactly 's going on behind door number three . she is appalled yet philosophical . `` believe it or not , every place i 've ever worked has had a tinkler -- maybe sharing a ladies ' room just sends certain people into a passive-aggressive snit . it 's the dark side of office life . '' lately , my daydreams bear a striking resemblance to one of those black-and-white sherlock holmes movies : the entire team sits , sipping brandy in an ornate drawing room . `` i suppose you 're wondering why i 've gathered you here today , '' i begin in an inexplicable british accent . `` well , my friends , one of you is the tinkler . '' the research department averts their eyes . the art department fidgets nervously . an intern gasps . `` and , '' i go on , `` nobody is leaving this room until i reveal the person who refuses to work and play well with others . '' my assistant , polly , looks up . `` you mean you 've figured out the identity of the tinkler ? '' she asks , filled with an admiration for my powers of reasoning that she has never once expressed in real life . `` it was elementary , dear watson . i merely -- '' but before i can unmask the tinkler or explain why i refer to polly as dear watson , the lights suddenly go out ... i could go on , but i 'm bored silly whenever someone feels compelled to relay every nanosecond of a dream . suffice it to say that i usually wind up in the arms of tyrone power . as for the tinkler ? she 's still on the lam . there are lots of days when i find myself wishing life were closer to a gorgeous movie from the '40s -- women wore fabulous hats and pearl chokers , and i do n't think they actually went to the bathroom back then . they were too busy dancing with fred astaire and smoking unfiltered cigarettes to schlep to an office every day . now , some of us are running the offices , but it seems we 've brought a few low-grade lunatics along for the ride -- and they 're wreaking havoc in the ladies ' room . where have you gone , edith wharton ? i 'm not asking for cloth napkins and classical music . i do n't need a mint on my pillow . i just want a bit of common courtesy , a modicum of civility , a touch of class , or , failing all that , a good supply of lysol . by lisa kogan from `` o , the oprah magazine , '' april 2008 . subscribe to o , the oprah magazine for up to 75 % off the newsstand price . that 's like getting 18 issues free . subscribe now ! tm & © 2008 harpo productions , inc. . all rights reserved .<doc-sep>if all goes to plan , harvey will be reimbersed with his $ 45 million and the rest of the profits - which could be in total between $ 50 and $ 100 million - will go to tinkler himself . just last week it was revealed that tinkler had become a father for the fifth time with his former executive assistant , ` pretty blonde ' jodie van gilst , sydney morning herald report . stallion monaco consul could be sold for over $ 1 million . ms van gilst recently gave birth and is reportedly living at tinkler 's singapore luxury suite in the marina collection development . tinkler 's former spokesman , who says the 38-year-old currently does n't have a manager , told daily mail australia the new baby was born about two weeks ago . the spokesman , who no longer represents tinkler , was unable to provide further details . tinkler 's estranged wife , rebecca , has resided in hawaii with the couple 's four children since last year , according to the sydney morning herald . they are living in their $ 16 million mansion in the ` exclusively gated community ' of keauhou on the island of maui . the hawaii home was purchased in november 2011 , just before the troubled billionaire was forced to announce fire sale of his various assets and undergo the repossession of his private jet and a falcon 900 . earlier this month tinkler became a father for the fifth time . tinkler 's estranged wife , rebecca , resides in hawaii with the couple 's four children in their $ 16 million mansion on the island of maui . according to private sydney , the tinkler marriage was already on the rocks but it was ` the final straw ' when van gilst 's pregnancy became apparent to rebecca . ms van gilst , from queensland , had enjoyed reoccurring trips to the exclusive birdcage marquees at the melbourne cup . in 2012 , ms van gilst was spotted at the melbourne grand prix with her now baby 's father but tinkler 's spokesman shut down the reports , stating they were there ` purely on business . ' tinkler declared just $ 9800 in personal taxable income in 2010-11 . he is currently under investigation with icac due to allegations in a corrupt scheme to pay illegal donations to liberal party candidates . these claims have been denied by tinkler . former billionaire , tinkler -lrb- left -rrb- was forced to announce fire sale of his various assets and undergo the repossession of his private jet and a falcon 900 . tinkler -lrb- right -rrb- owes australian entrepreneur gerry harvey , nearly $ 40 million . mr harvey now controls all of tinkler 's patinack horse breeding and racing assets , which will be auctioned at the magic millions in september .<doc-sep>ms van gilst , from queensland , had enjoyed reoccurring trips to the exclusive birdcage marquees at the melbourne cup . in 2012 , ms van gilst was spotted at the melbourne grand prix with her now baby 's father but tinkler 's spokesman shut down the reports , stating they were there ` purely on business . ' tinkler declared just $ 9800 in personal taxable income in 2010-11 . he is currently under investigation with icac due to allegations in a corrupt scheme to pay illegal donations to liberal party candidates . these claims have been denied by tinkler . former billionaire , tinkler -lrb- left -rrb- was forced to announce fire sale of his various assets and undergo the repossession of his private jet and a falcon 900 . tinkler -lrb- right -rrb- owes australian entrepreneur gerry harvey , nearly $ 40 million . mr harvey now controls all of tinkler 's patinack horse breeding and racing assets , which will be auctioned at the magic millions in september .<doc-sep>tinkler 's estranged wife , rebecca , resides in hawaii with the couple 's four children since last year , the sydney morning herald reports . they are living in their $ 16 million mansion in the ` exclusively gated community ' of keauhou on the island of maui . the hawaii home was purchased in november 2011 , just before the troubled billionaire was forced to announce fire sale of his various assets and undergo the repossession of his private jet and a falcon 900 . earlier this month tinkler became a father for the fifth time . tinkler 's estranged wife , rebecca , resides in hawaii with the couple 's four children in their $ 16 million mansion on the island of maui . australian entrepreneur and horseracing businessman gerry harvey said tinkler owes him nearly $ 40 million . mr harvey now controls all of tinkler 's patinack horse breeding and racing assets , which will be auctioned at the magic millions in september . according to private sydney , the tinkler marriage was already on the rocks but it was ` the final straw ' when van gilst 's pregnancy became apparent to rebecca .<doc-sep>by . marielle simon for daily mail australia . and sally lee for daily mail australia . former mining magnate and racing figure nathan tinkler will sell his assets in a bid to pay back debts . former mining magnate and racing figure nathan tinkler has became a father for the fifth time with his former executive assistant , ` pretty blonde ' jodie van gilst , sydney morning herald reports . ms van gilst recently gave birth and is reportedly living at tinkler 's singapore luxury suite in the marina collection development . tinkler 's former spokesman , who says the 38-year-old currently does n't have a manager , told daily mail australia the new baby was born about two weeks ago . the spokesman , who no longer represents tinkler , was unable to provide further details . | <t> women 's bathroom is defiled by the tinkler . </t> <t> columnist tries to figure out who 's guilty of peeing on seat . </t> <t> decides she is `` aggressively mean-spirited , mole-like cavewoman '' </t> <t> writer yearns for modicum of civility , a touch of class , or supply of lysol . </t> | beware of ` the tinkler '<T> |
-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- hillary clinton 's campaign has apologized for `` inappropriate '' language used by her husband in response to what it called an `` outrageously unfair '' article about the former president . bill and hillary clinton campaign in sioux falls , south dakota , on monday . the article , by vanity fair magazine 's national editor todd purdum , suggested that bill clinton 's personality had changed since his 2004 heart bypass surgery and said that there were reports of clinton `` seeing a lot of women on the road . '' purdum quoted four anonymous former clinton aides saying that another of his former assistants had conducted `` what one of these aides called an intervention '' about the reports of philandering . a writer for the huffington post , mayhill fowler , asked clinton on monday what he thought `` about that hatchet job somebody did on you in vanity fair , '' according to a recording of the exchange posted on the huffington post 's web site . listen to clinton call the reporter a `` scumbag '' '' '' -lsb- he 's -rsb- sleazy , '' clinton responded . `` he 's a really dishonest reporter . '' clinton said he had not read the article but that he was told that `` there 's five or six just blatant lies in there . but he 's a real slimy guy . '' watch larry king panel debate bill clinton 's response '' calling purdum a `` scumbag , '' clinton said `` he 's one of the guys that propagated all those lies about whitewater for kenneth starr . he 's just a dishonest guy -- ca n't help it . '' purdum `` did n't use a single name , he did n't cite a single source in all those things he said , '' said the former president , who added that the article was `` part of the national media 's attempt to nail hillary for -lsb- barack -rsb- obama . ''<doc-sep>he said readers should be wary of news accounts that rely on unnamed sources . `` anytime you read a story that slimes a public figure with anonymous quotes , it ought to make the bells go off in your head , '' he said . late monday , jay carson , a spokesman for hillary clinton 's campaign , said that `` president clinton was understandably upset about an outrageously unfair article , but the language today was inappropriate and he wishes he had not used it . '' purdum , a former new york times reporter who covered the clinton white house and is now married to former clinton press secretary dee dee myers , defended his article on cnn 's `` the situation room '' monday . he told cnn 's wolf blitzer he was `` very careful to say there is no clear-cut evidence that president clinton has done anything improper . '' watch cnn 's wolf blitzer interview purdum '' `` i reject the notion that i 'm making an insinuation , '' purdum said . `` but i 'm very comfortable quoting the people i quote because i know who they are , and i know that they are very senior people who have known president clinton for a very long time and work for him at very high levels . '' in his article , purdum quotes a johns hopkins cardiologist -- who was not involved in clinton 's health care -- who says that the former president 's bypass surgery could have affected his mood , perhaps even causing depression . and on cnn , purdum quoted `` some people who work for him '' saying that clinton `` seems to be angry all the time . '' purdum added he himself believes there 's evidence the former president is acting in a different manner .<doc-sep>`` i think there 's a good deal of evidence that he is quite a bit angrier than he used to be , '' he said . `` he 's clearly very angry at the media , and he 's very angry at the way he sees sen. clinton 's campaign has been treated . '' `` i do n't suggest that anyone can say -- except perhaps his own doctors over time -- with certainty that -lsb- the surgery -rsb- has affected president clinton , '' he said . `` but again , this article involves reporting with a whole bunch of people who have worked for bill clinton over many years . and this is one of the things they raised with me . i did n't go raising this . '' clinton 's office issued a rebuttal of purdum 's article that decried his use of `` one doctor who has never examined president clinton . '' `` this theory is false and is flatly rejected by president clinton 's doctors who say he is in excellent shape and point to his vigorous schedule as evidence of his exceptional recovery , '' the rebuttal said . watch analyst james carville 's take on the article '' the lengthy article hits newsstands later this week , though vanity fair has already posted a copy on its web site . the posting prompted a blistering response from carson , who called the piece `` journalism of personal destruction at its worst . '' `` a tawdry , anonymous quote-filled attack piece , published in this month 's vanity fair magazine regarding former president bill clinton repeats many past attacks on him , ignores much prior positive coverage , includes numerous errors , and ultimately breaks no new ground , '' he said . purdum last year wrote an article about efforts by sen. john mccain , now the presumptive republican nominee for president , to draw in the party 's more conservative voters . cnn 's alex mooney contributed to this report .<doc-sep>by . francesca chambers for mailonline . in honor of former president bill clinton 's 68th birthday , the clinton foundation released a house of cards spoof on friday , featuring kevin spacey as frank underwood and hillary clinton as herself . in the video underwood impersonates bill and tries to find out what the former first lady plans to get her husband for his upcoming birthday . in a nod toward hillary 's dodgy remarks about her presidential ambitions , the former secretary of state tells him : ' i told you you , this is a very personal decision that i will make when i 'm ready . ' in the video house of cards character frank underwood impersonates bill clinton to find out what hillary plans to get her husband for his upcoming birthday . in a nod toward hillary 's dodgy remarks about her presidential ambitions , the former secretary of state tells him : ' i told you you , this is a very personal decision that i will make when i 'm ready . ' hillary shoots down underwood 's suggestion that she buy her husband an elephant for their backyard . in a phone call to hillary , underwood suggests that she buy bill an elephant for the backyard of their chappaqua , new york , home , but clinton shoots him down . ` do n't you think that could be a little dangerous for our dogs ? ' she asks , referring to her and bill 's three pets . ` well , what about a baby elephant ? ' underwood responds . still undercover , the faux politician suggests that the clinton 's pregnant daughter , chelsea , name her first-born child frank - after himself - if it 's a boy and claire - after his wife - if its a girl . ` well , i was actually thinking of pushing for the name kevin if it 's a boy , ' hillary tells him . hillary ends calling underwood actor kevin spacey out , and he gives up . ` kevin , will you please just sign my husband 's birthday card already ? ' clinton says , calling spacey out . the final scene of the spoof shows a fake text message conversation between spacey and bill in which spacey informs him that he was n't able to find out what hillary had in store for his birthday . the video was published on the bill , hillary and chelsea clinton foundation 's website on friday along with a form to sign bill 's card . the 42 president of the united states ' birthday is on tuesday .<doc-sep>pittsburgh , pennsylvania -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- former president bill clinton denied tuesday he had accused sen. barack obama 's campaign of `` playing the race card '' during an interview monday . bill clinton is facing tough questions tuesday over an interview with a delaware radio station . a recording of the former president making the comment is posted on the whyy web site . it says he made the comment in a telephone interview with the philadelphia public radio station monday night . clinton was asked whether his remarks comparing obama 's strong showing in south carolina to that of jesse jackson in 1988 had been a mistake given their impact on his wife sen. hillary clinton 's campaign . `` no , i think that they played the race card on me , '' said clinton , `` and we now know from memos from the campaign and everything that they planned to do it all along . '' listen to the full interview .<doc-sep>in the wake of the monica lewinsky scandal , hillary clinton claimed that her husband was addicted to sex because he was abused by his mother , a journalist said . the then first lady allegedly made the claims during a 1999 interview with lucinda franks , but the pulitzer prize-winner declined to use them for the article she was working on . the revelation is one of a series of sensational claims made in a series of new books being published in anticipation that clinton will make a presidential run in 2016 . family ties : bill clinton with his mother virginia and her husband dick kelley . hillary allegedly claimed her mother-in-law abused bill as a child . power couple : bill and hillary clinton , pictured in may . remarks the former first lady allegedly made in an interview have been included in a new book . the latest revelations have been . included in franks ' memoir , which includes remarks allegedly made by . hillary clinton during their interview , the daily news has reported . in her book , timeless : love , morgenthau and me , franks claims that clinton blamed her mother-in-law virginia kelley for damaging her son . memoir : lucinda franks included details about a 1999 interview with hillary clinton in her book .<doc-sep>bashing brutus : in shakespeare 's julius caesar , mark antony 's funeral oration for the slain statesman skewers his rival by saying simply that brutus is an `` honorable '' man . in improvised remarks , clinton uses the same time-honored technique , describing the republicans : `` they convinced me they were honorable people who believe what they 've said , and they 're going to keep every commitment they 've made . we 've just got to make sure the american people know what those commitments are . '' improvised uplift : clinton also effortlessly extemporized eloquent sayings that other public figures and their staffs might write and revise for several drafts : `` democracy does not have to be a blood sport . '' and `` so far , every single person who has bet against america has lost money . '' opinion : bill clinton brings it for obama . public policy professor : if you think the auto mileage standards are complex , listen up : `` no matter what the price -lsb- of gas -rsb- is , if you double the mileage of your car , your bill will be half of what it would have been . '' softening the blow : clinton 's conversational tone makes it easier for him to persuade undecided voters . as did ronald reagan , clinton introduced his arguments with folksy asides . before criticizing today 's republicans , clinton began by ad-libbing : `` now , there 's something i 've noticed lately , you probably have , too . '' historian-in-chief : concluding his speech , clinton reminded his audience that america -- and , by inference , its presidents -- have displayed remarkable resilience . departing from his prepared text , clinton added this anecdote about the first president : `` people have predicted our demise ever since george washington was criticized for being a mediocre surveyor with a bad set of wooden , false teeth . '' as president , clinton would refer to most of his formal remarks not as speeches but as `` talks , '' subtly reminding his staff that he wanted to address americans as adults to be persuaded , not an audience to be manipulated . by improvising so often , and using so few freeze-dried and focus-grouped applause lines , clinton continues to keep his speeches fresh , friendly and factual in the hope that his listeners will open their minds to what he says . yes , the comeback kid has made more farewell tours than frank sinatra . as with old blue eyes , he does it his way . the opinions in this commentary are solely those of david kusnet . | <t> bill clinton called author of vanity fair article a `` scumbag '' and `` real slimy guy '' </t> <t> clinton campaign spokesman says former president now wishes he had n't said it . </t> <t> article quotes anonymous bill clinton aides discussing his anger , reports of women . </t> <t> author todd purdum says he has n't accused clinton of doing anything wrong . </t> | bill clinton sorry for ` scumbag ' remarks , spokesman says<T> |
harare , zimbabwe -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- zimbabwe 's inflation rate has soared in the past three months and is now at 11.2 million percent , the highest in the world , according to the country 's central statistical office . zimbabwe 's inflation rate has soared to a world high . official figures dated monday show inflation has surged from the rate of 2.2 million percent recorded in may , despite the government 's price controls . the country 's finance minister confirmed the new figure in an interview but said the rising inflation rate was not confined to zimbabwe alone .<doc-sep>`` while our case has been aggravated by the illegal sanctions imposed by the western powers , rising food prices are a world phenomenon because of the use of bio-fuel , '' said samuel mumbengegwi . `` but we will continue to fight inflation by making sure that prices charged are realistic . '' in february , the price of a loaf of bread in the country was less than 200,000 zimbabwe dollars . on monday , that same loaf of bread cost 1.6 trillion zimbabwe dollars . analysts have said the zimbabwean government 's official inflation rate figures are conservative . last week , one of zimbabwe 's leading banks , kingdom bank , said the country 's inflation rate was now more than 20 million percent . the locally-owned bank predicted tougher times ahead for zimbabwe in the absence of donor support and foreign investment in an economy that has been in freefall for almost a decade .<doc-sep>once considered the breadbasket of africa , zimbabwe has been in the throes of an economic meltdown ever since the country embarked on a chaotic land reform program that has decimated commercial agriculture . analysts say the crisis has worsened following president robert mugabe 's disputed reelection in the june 27 presidential run-off . his challenger morgan tsvangirai boycotted the race over widespread allegations of violence and voter intimidation . the economic crisis has destroyed zimbabwe 's currency and made it difficult for zimbabweans to buy basic commodities , electricity , fuel , and medicines . many zimbabweans have left the country amid rising unemployment and deepening poverty . last week a summit in south africa of regional african leaders failed to persuade zimbabwe 's political parties to agree to form a government of national unity , which observers view as the best way to end zimbabwe 's record recession .<doc-sep>harare , zimbabwe -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- zimbabwe 's inflation rate has soared in the past three months and is now at 11.2 million percent , the highest in the world , according to the country 's central statistical office . zimbabwe 's inflation rate has soared to a world high . official figures dated monday show inflation has surged from the rate of 2.2 million percent recorded in may , despite the government 's price controls . the country 's finance minister confirmed the new figure in an interview but said the rising inflation rate was not confined to zimbabwe alone .<doc-sep>the country is also reeling from hyper-inflation . in august , the country 's central statistical office said inflation was at 11.2 million percent , the highest in the world . analysts have said the zimbabwean government 's official inflation rate figures are conservative . one of zimbabwe 's leading banks , kingdom bank , said the country 's inflation rate was more than 20 million percent . the economic crisis has destroyed zimbabwe 's currency and made it difficult for zimbabweans to buy basic commodities , electricity , fuel and medicines .<doc-sep>`` while our case has been aggravated by the illegal sanctions imposed by the western powers , rising food prices are a world phenomenon because of the use of bio-fuel , '' said samuel mumbengegwi . `` but we will continue to fight inflation by making sure that prices charged are realistic . '' in february , the price of a loaf of bread in the country was less than 200,000 zimbabwe dollars . on monday , that same loaf of bread cost 1.6 trillion zimbabwe dollars . analysts have said the zimbabwean government 's official inflation rate figures are conservative . last week , one of zimbabwe 's leading banks , kingdom bank , said the country 's inflation rate was now more than 20 million percent . the locally-owned bank predicted tougher times ahead for zimbabwe in the absence of donor support and foreign investment in an economy that has been in freefall for almost a decade .<doc-sep>the current highest denomination bank note is z$ 50,000 , not enough to buy half a loaf of bread . zimbabwe 's currency continues to lose value as inflation gallops ahead . the official rate of inflation is 230 million percent , the world 's highest , but independent analysts put the figure in billions . | <t> zimbabwe 's inflation rate soars to 11.2 million percent . </t> <t> a loaf of bread costs 1.6 trillion zimbabwe dollars . </t> <t> official rate is world 's highest but some analysts fear it may be more . </t> <t> zimbabwe officials blame international sanctions and rising global food prices . </t> | zimbabwe inflation hits 11,200,000 percent<T> |
-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- six people were killed and 13 wounded in the shelling of south ossetia by georgian forces , south ossetian officials said saturday , according to russia 's interfax news agency . officials of the breakaway georgian region said the shelling was part of a georgian military operation , interfax reported . georgia initially suggested russian peacekeepers were to blame , drawing heated denials from the russian defense ministry , which called the allegation `` dirty informational provocation . ''<doc-sep>later , however , mamuka kurashvili , the commander of georgian peacekeeping operations , told reporters that four people were wounded when several georgian villages were fired upon from south ossetia , and georgia `` had to return fire . '' women , children and the elderly were being evacuated from the conflict zone because of fears that georgia would continue military operations against the region , according to the south ossetian information and press committee as reported by interfax . south ossetia 's government held a special session on the violence , the russian news agency said .<doc-sep>`` if georgia continues provocative actions , we will announce the recruitment of volunteers not only in the north ossetia but in the entire north caucasus and also carry out general mobilization in south ossetia , '' south ossetian leader eduard kokoity told interfax . georgia , located on the black sea coast between russia and turkey , has been split by russian-backed separatist movements in south ossetia and another region , abkhzia . accusations often fly on both sides , and the south ossetian leadership has alleged that georgian troops stage attacks to create a pretext for military action . south ossetia declared its independence from georgia in the early 1990s after a bloody war there between ethnic georgians and ossetians . the region 's independence is not internationally recognized .<doc-sep>russian , georgian and south ossetian troops participate in a mixed peacekeeping force there and have maintained a fragile peace broken occasionally by fighting . on friday , as reports of the shelling began , russia expressed `` its most serious concern about the escalation of tensions in south ossetia . '' moscow said it was taking measures to prevent escalation of the conflict as it urged both georgia and south ossetia to look for diplomatic ways to calm the situation .<doc-sep>washington -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- russia 's attacks against the former soviet republic of georgia have `` substantially damaged russia 's standing in the world , '' president bush told reporters monday after returning from his trip to asia . president bush tells reporters that russia is jeopardizing its relations with the united states and europe . bush also warned russia against trying to depose georgia 's government , saying evidence suggests russia may be preparing to do so . `` russia must reverse the course it appears to be on , '' bush said in the rose garden of the white house . the russian military advanced farther into georgia on monday , moving beyond georgia 's two breakaway provinces , according to georgia 's government , which has called for a cease-fire . russian and georgian officials said russia had entered senaki , in western georgia , outside of breakaway abkhazia . but russia has not confirmed any other advance of its ground forces beyond south ossetia and abkhazia . bush said evidence suggests russia would soon begin bombing the civilian airport in georgia 's capital city , tbilisi . `` if these reports are accurate ... these actions would be inconsistent with the assurances we received from russia that its objectives were limited to restoring the status quo in -lsb- georgian breakaway region -rsb- south ossetia that existed before the fighting began on august 6 , '' bush said . watch bush demand a cease-fire '' world powers have urged russia to agree to an immediate cease-fire with georgia and accept international mediation on the crisis in south ossetia . see photos from the conflict '' bush said russia 's invasion of georgia and the threat to georgia 's democratically elected government `` is unacceptable in the 21st century '' and has `` substantially damaged russia 's standing in the world . ''<doc-sep>tbilisi , georgia -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- russia has likely moved additional troops into georgia and its breakaway provinces over the past several days , several administration officials told cnn on wednesday . the officials said russia probably has at least 15,000 troops in the region . the u.s. government had estimated 8,000 to 10,000 russian troops had moved into georgia when fighting began last week . a bush administration official stressed that the scope of russia 's military effort remains unclear . russia was blasted diplomatically wednesday by president bush over reports of ongoing russian military operations . u.s. secretary of state condoleezza rice also said russian military action in georgia `` must stop and must stop now . '' georgia and russia accused each other of violating the cease-fire deal agreed tuesday to end fighting over the breakaway south ossetia province . bush said he was told the russian military had blocked georgia 's major east-west highway and had soldiers at the main port at poti , and there were reports that some ships had been attacked . russian foreign minister sergei lavrov said that there were no russian troops in poti but that there were soldiers on the outskirts of gori and senaki , to the west , according to the russian news agency interfax . senaki is south of another separatist province , abkhazia . `` they are staying there to neutralize the large arsenal of weapons and other military hardware in the areas of gori and senaki . these arsenals remain unguarded . apparently those who guarded them fled , '' lavrov said . he added that russia 's operations are `` aimed at ensuring the peace-enforcement operation in respect to the georgian side , which violates all of its obligations , '' and his office denied that russia had violated the cease-fire . international agreements signed in the early 1990s allow russian peacekeepers to maintain a presence in south ossetia and abkhazia . bush said he was sending rice to france and georgia to discuss the violence over disputed provinces within georgia 's borders and to express `` america 's unwavering support '' to the georgian government . watch bush pledge `` unwavering support '' for georgia '' he also announced u.s. aircraft and ships would deliver humanitarian aid to victims of the fighting between russian and georgian troops , which erupted friday . a u.s. air force c-17 cargo jet carrying medical supplies already has arrived in georgia 's capital , tbilisi , with more aid missions are planned by the navy and air force . georgia president mikheil saakashvili said russian forces have been `` advancing slowly but surely towards the capital '' of georgia in violation of the cease-fire agreement . he accused the russians of never intending to hold up their end of the truce . `` the cease-fire never stood in the first place , '' saakashvili told cnn 's `` situation room '' on wednesday . `` russia never intended to stop fire . '' he added that `` russian tanks continue to ravage georgia town and villages , killing people , destroying buildings , looting . ... they 've been doing worse things to what i 've heard in the past and i could never imagine happening in my country . '' a spokesman for russia 's foreign ministry bristled at reports of russian troop movements and said they `` are not reflecting the real situation . '' interactive map : see how far the russians advanced '' `` we as the russian federation are -lsb- sticking -rsb- to the agreement , which -lsb- has -rsb- been made in moscow yesterday , and we hope that the other side will show its readiness to do the same , '' andrei nesterenko said . he chided saakashvili for `` blaming again us for doing something which is contrary to the real situation . '' a russian convoy was seen by a cnn correspondent as it traveled on the road from gori eastward toward the georgia capital , tbilisi -- well outside the mandated area for russian peacekeepers confined to south ossetia . watch russian spokesman explain tank movement . however , not far from tbilisi , the convoy turned north into territory between gori and south ossetia , cnn correspondent matthew chance said . a russian government spokesman said the soldiers `` never had plans '' to travel to the capital . watch more on the convoy outside gori '' saakashvili said russian forces `` are encroaching upon the capital '' of georgia in violation of the cease-fire agreement . he said the russians never intended to hold up their end of the truce . `` this is the kind of cease-fire that , i do n't know , they had with afghanistan , i guess , in 1979 , '' saakashvili said . `` there is no cease-fire . -lsb- russian forces -rsb- are moving around . '' watch saakashvili speak '' interfax reported that a spokesman for the command of the russian peacekeeping force said russian soldiers who discovered an unguarded arms depot near gori were emptying it as part of their goal of demilitarizing the area near south ossetia . russian government spokesman dmitry peskov said georgian government officials had fled gori , and the russian soldiers were providing food and water to residents . there were reports of looting . using a cell phone , one gori resident said he was hiding in the basement of his house , and there was chaos in the city . russian tanks were parked at a nearby georgian military base , he said . the russian general staff in moscow accused the georgians of not honoring the cease-fire , saying georgian troops should return to their barracks . saakashvili said western leaders had `` failed to analyze russia 's intentions '' before it invaded georgia and `` are partly to blame '' for the current situation . ireport.com : share your story of how the crisis is affecting you . `` the response has not been adequate , '' saakashvili said . `` not only those people who are committing all those atrocities are responsible , but those who do n't react to that , i think they also share responsibility . '' the six-point deal between the sides , negotiated by french president nicolas sarkozy , was meant to end the fighting over the breakaway regions of south ossetia and abkhazia . watch more on push for peace '' however , saakashvili , flanked by the leaders of lithuania , poland , estonia and latvia in a media briefing early wednesday , said russian tanks were attacking and `` rampaging '' through the georgian town of gori despite the cease-fire . journalists in gori , the birthplace of former soviet leader joseph stalin , said they had seen no russian tanks . watch more on battle-ravaged south ossetia '' reports of casualties on each side varied widely , and cnn could not confirm any of them . fighting has raged since thursday when georgia launched its crackdown on separatist fighters in autonomous south ossetia , where most people have long supported independence or reunification with neighboring north ossetia , a territory within russia . russia sent its tanks into south ossetia on friday , saying it needed to protect russian citizens living in the enclave , and quickly pushed back the georgian forces . russian forces also moved into abkhazia , another breakaway georgian region . copyright 2008 cnn . all rights reserved.this material may not be published , broadcast , rewritten , or redistributed . associated press contributed to this report .<doc-sep>tbilisi , georgia -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- russian forces appeared to be in control of two key georgian cities early friday , and there were reports of tanks on the move again . a woman outside a bombed apartment block in gori , georgia , on thursday . russia said thursday that its withdrawal of gori would be complete within hours , and the u.s. said it looked like the russian military was gearing up to leave , but cnn 's michael ware confirmed that russian troops were comfortably in control of gori in the early hours of friday . the town was a base for the georgian military and is near the breakaway south ossetia province where the conflict began . meanwhile , there are reports of russian vehicles on the move towards poti , a port city in the west of georgia . georgia 's president mikheil saakashvili said that more than 100 tanks and other vehicles are traveling in convoy between the cities of senaki and kutaisi . cnn has not independently confirmed the claim . `` i appeal for the help of every civilized person in the world to stop this uncivilized , barbarian , inhuman , treacherous , absolutely outrageous behavior , and to save innocent lives , '' saakashvili said . he estimated that russian soldiers control about one-third of his country and said his government has received 1,400 reports of brutal attacks . on thursday , about 200 russian troops were in gori , just outside south ossetia , the u.s. defense official said . a russian general confirmed troops were in gori , but said they should be withdrawn within hours . watch russian troops on the road to tbilisi ''<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- russia and south ossetia have strongly denied news reports that a motorcade carrying the presidents of georgia and poland came under fire , calling the claims `` a provocation '' meant to destabilize the region . georgian president mikheil saakashvili , said there were `` unpredictable people '' in the area . `` this is a real provocation , '' russian foreign minister sergei lavrov told journalists on monday . `` it is not the first time that such things have happened : first they mastermind everything themselves and then accuse the russian or the ossetian side . '' eduard kokoity , president of the breakaway region of south ossetia , added : `` today 's event was a deliberate provocative act of the georgian and polish presidents targeted at regional destabilization . '' | <t> georgian official said south ossetia had fired on georgian villages first . </t> <t> women , children , elderly being evacuated from the conflict zone . </t> <t> georgia split by russian-backed separatist movements in south ossetia . </t> | reports : 6 die as georgia shells south ossetia<T> |
new delhi , india -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- three weeks after an apparent misunderstanding sparked a confrontation , deadly hindu-christian riots continue unabated in the remote east indian state of orissa . police officers chase away a protester in mangalore , india , monday . by tuesday , about 20 deaths had been reported , said praveen kumar , the superintendent of police in the worst-affected kandhamal district . the latest casualty is a police officer who died after an armed mob of about 400 to 500 mostly hindus torched a police station in the district on monday , orissa state police said . orissa 's director general of police g.c. nanda the policeman died when the mob opened fire at officers fleeing the burning building . the attack , he said , may have been in retaliation for arrests that police made in the ongoing communal fighting . watch more about the riots in india '' the attack came two days after police fired on a crowd to prevent it from attacking christian residents . between three and six people died in the shooting , cnn 's sister network cnn-ibn reported . the violence spread to southern india over the weekend when vandals attacked 14 churches in an hour in the state of karnataka sunday , the network said . the christian community in the karnataka -- numbering about 2.5 million -- said right-wing hindus are targeting them for opposing the violence in orissa . by tuesday , police had arrested about 140 people in connection with the riots , said karnataka 's inspector general of police a.m. prasad . sixty of them -- all hindus -- were arrested for the church attacks , prasad said . the rest , mostly christians , were charged with disturbing the peace , he said . orissa has historically been a tinderbox of hindu-christian tensions . some hindu groups view the work of christian missionaries in the state with suspicion . they accuse missionaries of bribing or forcing hindus into converting . the seeds for the current conflict were planted on august 23 , when hindu leader , laxmananda saraswati , and four others were killed in kandhamal after 20 to 30 gunmen barged into a hindu school and began shooting , the orissa chief minister 's office said .<doc-sep>the authorities have not determined who killed saraswati , but after the incident they detained five people who are christians , said sukanta panda , spokesman for the chief minister . the government says the killings may have been the work of maoist rebels -- investigators have many unanswered questions -- but some hardline hindus blamed a christian minority . they took to the streets in anger , rampaging through predominantly christian neighborhoods , ransacking shops and torching houses . they chopped down trees to block roads , making it difficult for police to reach trouble spots . a christian orphanage was set on fire . a 20-year-old woman , who was teaching children inside , burned to death . christian residents fought back , and the clashes spread . authorities imposed a night curfew in many towns and deployed state and federal forces in the troubled areas , kumar -- the police superintendent -- said . both sides said the violence has left christian churches and hindu temples razed to the ground . this is not the first time the simmering anger has boiled over in the state with deadly consequences . in 1999 , a hindu mob burned to death an australian missionary , graham staines , and his two children while they slept inside their car . and last christmas , clashing groups killed four people and burned several churches in the same orissa district -- kandhamal . maoist rebels , who claim to be fighting for the poor and the dispossessed , have been battling the indian government in an insurgency that has resulted in thousands of casualties since the late 1960s . some christians accept the maoist theory , saying the rebels have also struck against hard-line hindus because they associate them as being closely aligned with the government . but hindu groups insists that christians were behind saraswati 's death . unlike orissa , karnataka has until now been spared the large-scale clash between christians and hindus . but now , many in the christian community fear their calm and prosperous state may become another battleground between the two religions , cnn-ibn said . cnn 's harmeet singh contributed to this report .<doc-sep>new delhi , india -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- a maoist group has claimed responsibility for the killing of a hindu leader , whose death sparked a wave of hindu-christian riots in southern india . indian nuns protest against the recent violence which has seen christians attacked . sabyasachi panda , the head of the communist party of india-maoist , told reporters of two private television stations that his group was behind the hindu leader 's death , the country 's national news agency said sunday . the leader , laxmananda saraswati , preached the tenets of hinduism to the tribal people of the state . and panda said maoists had earlier warned him to desist from `` such works '' or face consequences , pti said . panda said the maoists killed saraswati because he was `` spreading social unrest '' in the tribal area , the news agency said . the indian government has consistently claimed the shooting death may have been the work of maoist rebels . but hardline hindu groups blamed the state 's christian minority for saraswati 's death . he and four others were killed in august when 20 to 30 gunmen barged into a hindu school and began shooting . afterward , police arrested five christians as suspects in the case . the hardliners held up the arrests as proof of christian complicity . they took to the streets in anger , rampaging through predominantly christian neighborhoods , ransacking shops and torching houses .<doc-sep>a christian orphanage was set on fire . a 20-year-old woman , who was teaching children inside , burned to death . christian resident fought back , and the clashes spread . the communal violence left churches and temples razed to the ground . more than 20 people died , and hundreds were arrested . even after the maoists ' claim of responsibility , some fundamentalist hindu groups blamed christians for the death . the hardline vishwa hindu parishad , or world hindu council rejected the claim saying the communist group -- known as ` naxals ' -- did not have a religious agenda . `` have the maoists started fighting in the name of god now ? '' vhp leader subansh chauhan was quoted as saying by cnn-ibn , cnn 's sister network . the rebels , who claim to be fighting for the poor and the dispossessed , have been battling the government in an insurgency that has resulted in thousands of casualties since the late 1960s . indian prime minister manmohan singh has called naxalism india 's biggest security threat . last year , more than 800 people were killed in naxal-related violence across the country , according to local media reports . cnn 's bharati naik contributed to this report .<doc-sep>by . sara malm . violent riots has killed 26 people in northern india after hindu and muslim groups turned on each other with guns and knives to settle a street brawl . the riots were sparked by the killings of three villagers who had stepped in to defend a young woman being harrassed in kawal , uttar pradesh state last week . anger has brewed in the area since the incident , but the violence turned deadly on sunday when a journalist , a police photographer and several villagers die as a result of the violence . scroll down for video . street violence : hundreds of troops were deployed to areas of uttar pradesh to quell deadly riots and clashes between hindus and muslims . innocent victims : young children lie in a hospital bed after being injured in the deadly clashes in muzaffarnagar , uttar pradesh . anger : military police argue with rioters after riots between two communities in muzaffarnagar , in the indian state of uttar pradesh . over two dozen people died from their injuries received during saturday 's clashes in muzaffarnagar district , after which the violence spread to several neighbouring villages . the government has responded by deploying hundreds of troops to quell the riots and search the area for weapons , while a state of high alert has been declared for uttar pradesh , an area home to 200 million people . ' a curfew has been imposed in three riot-hit areas of muzaffarnagar , ' said the head of the state 's home ministry , r.m. srivastava . ` the situation is still very tense , but under control ' clashes : the bodies of some of the 19 victims of the weekend 's riots are lined up at the district hospital at muzaffarnagar after the weekend 's violent riots . injuries : a teenage boy and a young girl have been caught up in the riots and are receiving treatment in hospital . police said the attack on the hindu attendees of the meeting appeared well planned , as the assailants were armed . the weekend 's violence escalated after an attack on thousands of hindu farmers who had met to demand justice for the three men . violence broke out saturday afternoon after thousands of hindu farmers held a meeting in kawal village to demand justice in the august 27 killing of three men who had spoken out when a woman was being verbally harassed . the state 's minority welfare minister , mohammad azam khan , said attendees had been giving speeches calling for muslims to be killed in response to the death of the three villagers . the farmers were set upon as they were returning home after the meeting , senior police official arun kumar said , adding that the assailants appeared to have planned their attack as they were armed with ` rifles and sharp-edged weapons . ' gunfire was reported from several areas of the village . within hours clashes broke out in neighboring villages , kumar said . lock down : the government sent in military police to enforce a curfew in the entire state of uttar pradesh , home to 200million . indian broadcast journalist rajesh verma of news channel ibn 7 was shot in the chest while covering a communal demonstration in abupura , and died at the scene . uttar pradesh was at the heart of some of india 's worst communal clashes in december 1992 , after a hindu mob razed the 16th-century babri mosque in ayodhya . the government has warned that india is seeing a rise in communal violence , with 451 incidents reported already this year , compared with 410 for all of 2012 . in august alone , communal violence killed two and injured 22 in a village in bihar state , east of uttar pradesh , according to indian media . outbreaks have also been reported recently in uttar pradesh 's district of shamli , as well as in the disputed himalayan territory of kashmir .<doc-sep>new delhi , india -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- a mob killed a hindu man in the indian state of orissa thursday as another group attacked a church in another part of the state 's troubled kandhamal district , authorities said friday . christian activists stage a peace march in mumbai , india earlier this month . krishan kumar , kandhamal 's top administrative official , told cnn the hindu man was hacked to death at raikia . | <t> orissa state has historically been a tinderbox of hindu-christian tensions . </t> <t> violence spread to southern india with churches attacked in karnataka state . </t> <t> latest casualty was a policeman who died after a hindu mob torched a police station . </t> <t> attack came 2 days after police fired on a crowd to prevent it attacking christians . </t> | 20 feared dead as hindu-christian riots spread in india<T> |
-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- it 's been five days since hurricane ike smashed into the texas coast , but people are still struggling mightily with its effects . flags of the united states and texas fly where homes stood in gilchrist , texas , before ike 's wrath came ashore . from the destroyed coastline , to far inland where evacuees are seeking shelter , to communities in the midwest where the storm dumped flooding rains , cnn 's affiliates are reporting on the rebuilding of lives . galveston , texas wrecked homes and possessions strewn around the ubiquitous sludge were the sights awaiting residents of galveston , some of whom were allowed to check their property on wednesday , khou reported . paula munoz said although the damage to the family 's el rey restaurant was worse than she could have imagined , they still planned to rebuild . `` we spent 10 years paying off this place , '' she told khou . `` we 'll rebuild , and we 'll do it here . where else would we go ? this is our life . '' but there was some relief for maria patina , who was worried she had lost everything . when she saw her house was standing , she rushed inside , grabbed a statue of jesus and said : `` thank you , god . '' read khou 's report on going back to galveston . crystal beach , texas frank and dee ann sherman huddled in the attic of their beachfront home in crystal beach as hurricane ike ripped the house apart -- washing walls out to sea and lifting up what remained only to smash it down , khou said . watch the shermans tell their amazing survival story '' somehow the roof stayed on and they survived , but they are not being allowed back into the ruins , not even to retrieve the ashes of their dead daughter . the couple said they were frustrated with complaints by people better off than them . `` we see all of these people that are crying and moaning because they got some mud on their floor or their lights are out in houston , '' frank sherman told khou . `` we do n't see anything about our friends that died in crystal beach and about the fact that our world is totally devastated . i 'm 60 years old and i have to start my life all over again . '' read how the shermans contacted khou when they found they could n't escape .<doc-sep>brazoria county , texas patty smith fled brazoria county and evacuated to austin before the storm . she still does not know whether she has a home to return to , kvue said . `` it 's like a nightmare . you look at your house when you pack up to leave and you 're like ` am i going to see this again ' ? '' she said . right now she 's now relying on donations and just making it through each day . `` we do n't even know if we 're going to have the money to pay our bills . it 's that bad . my husband has n't been able to work since we left , '' she said . read kvue 's report on how austin residents and workers are trying to help . austin , texas parents still staying at the austin convention center are trying to stay strong for their kids , news 8 reported , but they say it is getting harder . watch homeland security boss discuss plans to help evacuees '' william jones said the hardest part was trying to talk to his two daughters about their home . `` i just tell them the truth and keep it simple , '' he said . `` i do n't try to sugarcoat it , so they know this is a real serious situation , but it 's just hard on everybody right now , '' he told the station . read what young victims are telling news 8 . san antonio , texas kevin green 's mind was on laundry as he spent another day in a shelter in san antonio , texas , after getting out of houston to avoid ike . `` i 've been washing these clothes out and putting them on every day , '' he told ksat . the salvation army said there would be enough clothes to hand out to evacuees , but there were concerns about making sure distribution was fair , ksat said . read ksat report on how a planned clothing donation was stopped . cincinnati , ohio tempers are running hot in cincinnati even as hundreds of energy workers try to get the power back on , wlwt reported .<doc-sep>resident betty ruark told the station she was `` really teed off '' that houses either side of her had power , but she still needed a generator just to make coffee . `` they 're right here a week after you pay your bill to read your cotton-picking meter for next month , '' she said . `` they 're threatening to cut you off if you do n't pay it , but could they care less that they do n't got the electric on . it do n't make sense , you know ? '' duke energy told wlwt that some repairs were helping only a small number of homes but that it hoped to have service back to normal by sunday . read wlwt 's report on how people are getting upset . carlisle , ohio police in carlisle are enforcing a night-time curfew to prevent looting and other crime while the power is out , officials told wlwt . the action was taken because of problems elsewhere in the area hit by the storm , the station said . residents told wlwt they did n't like the strict rules but were for the measure if it kept crime down . read wlwt report on the action on carlisle . albuquerque , new mexico a family who fled galveston has given up on ever going home , instead deciding to make albuquerque their new base , koat reported . linda sanchez and her two children thought they 'd be able to ride out the storm and immediate aftermath in houston but when ike took out the power and the water they decided to head to more family in new mexico . `` it 's better when you know someone around you , '' sanchez told koat . read how koat is trying to help the sanchez family .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the texas attorney general sued a hotel and a motel thursday , accusing them of price gouging during september 's exodus of more than 1 million gulf coast residents ahead of hurricane ike . attorney general greg abbott filed suit against the hotel nacogdoches in nacogdoches and the super 8 brookshire motel near katy , accusing them of illegally raising room rates after gov. rick perry had issued a declaration of disaster on september 8 . `` although texas law clearly prohibits profiteering during declared disasters , these defendants are charged with increasing room rates for evacuees during hurricane ike , '' abbott said in a news release . `` the law imposes strict penalties on vendors that attempt to increase their profits after the governor issues a disaster declaration . `` despite today 's price-gouging charges , the vast majority of texas businesses complied with the law and are to be commended for working with authorities to provide crucial assistance to hurricane victims . '' in texas , the state attorney general can sue , but not file criminal charges . a district attorney would need to file any such charges . an estimated 1.2 million gulf coast residents heeded officials ' recommendations that they move inland until the storm had passed . hotel nacogdoches , located north of houston along a major evacuation route , charged evacuees more than double its usual rate , the statement said , citing complaints from guests whose receipts showed the hotel charged $ 99.99 for a room that had cost $ 49.99 two days before ike . it told a similar tale about super 8 brookshire motel , west of katy , which also housed evacuees . the motel charged up to $ 125 for a room that ordinarily cost $ 99 , the statement said . the businesses also charged state and local hotel and motel taxes , even though the governor had issued a declaration waiving them , according to the statement . the office of the attorney general is seeking civil penalties of up to $ 20,000 per violation and up to $ 250,000 per violation for victims over the age of 65 . managers from neither hotel immediately returned calls seeking comment .<doc-sep>arguments broke out at gas stations and tensions were high everywhere . thousands of people remained in shelters , wondering what homes they had to return to . others waited in line to get water , ice and food at 60 distribution sites the federal emergency management agency had established across texas . perhaps the most dire area of the state was bolivar peninsula , a resort on galveston bay where entire neighborhoods were destroyed . a rescue team on monday saved 60 people who were stranded there among homes leveled to their foundations . on sunday , a galveston county sheriff 's official said three bodies were pulled from storm wreckage in port bolivar . galveston residents had been warned as ike approached the texas coast to leave or face `` certain death '' from its 12 - to 15-foot storm surge . ireport.com : facing the deadly storm . `` sometimes the aftermath of the storm is worse than the storm itself , '' galveston mayor lyda ann thomas said . `` there 's nothing to come here for right now . ... please leave . '' ike and its remnants left at least 27 people dead from the u.s. gulf coast to the great lakes . the remnants moved into canada early monday . hurricane-force winds from the storm were felt as far north as kentucky , and heavy rains flooded streets in chicago , illinois . see chicago 's swamped streets . deaths related to the storm were reported in louisiana , arkansas , indiana , missouri and ohio as well as texas . the toll could go higher . chambers county , texas , judge jimmy sylvia said late sunday that there is nothing left of oak island , a city on the coast in galveston bay . smith point , to the south , has `` mounds and mounds of debris , '' the judge said , and he fears they may find bodies in the rubble . watch how ike wiped out neighborhoods '' louisiana chief medical officer louis cataldie confirmed four deaths as a result of the hurricane -- two in terrebonne parish and two in jefferson davis parish . watch how ike flooded one louisiana parish '' two people drowned in indiana and another in missouri . two others died in the st. louis , missouri , area , but the cause of their deaths was unclear , said missouri state emergency operations center spokeswoman susie stonner . wind gusts as high as 74 mph ripped the roof off a delta airlines hangar at cincinnati/northern kentucky international airport , according to an associated press report . the airport 's control tower had to be evacuated during the worst of the storm , the ap said . in kentucky , more than 340,000 louisville gas and electric co. customers were without power monday morning , cnn affiliate wlky-tv reported . across the region , more than 1.3 million people were without power , the ap reported . `` over 90 percent of our customers are without service , '' kathy meinke of duke energy , which serves southwest ohio and northern kentucky , told the ap . ireport.com : ike soaks , smashes texas home . copyright 2008 cnn . all rights reserved.this material may not be published , broadcast , rewritten , or redistributed . associated press contributed to this report .<doc-sep>tom macarthur , a multi-millionaire former mayor who is battling a prominent tea party challenger for the republican congressional nomination in a new jersey district , ran an insurance company accused of cheating disaster victims , mailonline can reveal . from 2002 until late 2010 , macarthur was chairman of the board of york risk services group , a unit of the global insurer american international group . he was also the company 's president and ceo from 1999 to 2009 and a major shareholder until at least 2006 . york boasts on its website that ` we re-price 500,000 medical bills per year and save clients an average of 61 % on each bill . ' that cost-cutting focus caught up with the company in 2008 after hurricane ike devastated the u.s. gulf coast and a massive wildfire laid waste to hundreds of homes in sylmar , california . it ended up settling two ike-related lawsuits and paying a sizable fine to the state of california in connection with allegations of underpaying claims from the fire 's victims . scroll down for video . tom macarthur -lrb- l -rrb- , a former new jersey mayor , ran a controversial insurance company sued for low-balling payouts after hurricane ike -lrb- r -rrb- . a massive 2008 wildfire consumed most of the oakridge mobile home park near sylmar , calif. . york and another company paid $ 285,000 to settle claims that they cheated more than 100 homeowners out of portions of their insurance payouts . york is n't a traditional insurer , but its clients are . it helps them save money by carefully vetting and processing their claims . ritchie venier , the company 's senior vice president , told mailonline that ` the amount of work we do is determined by what our clients would like us to process on their behalf . ' ` however , since we are not an insurance company we do not play the role of one . ' york 's apparent hand in determining the size of claim payouts , however , has landed it in the same legal hot water as the companies it serves , facing legal accusations along with them of unfairly slow-walking , low-balling or denying claims . macarthur , the new jersey congressional candidate , is not named personally in any of the legal actions described in this report , but he was both a york officer and a major shareholder . the port of galveston , texas , which suffered extensive damage following hurricane ike in 2008 , filed a lawsuit against york and three other insurers . both the storm and the resulting insurance claims came on macarthur 's watch . and york , along with another aig unit , paid the state of california a $ 285,000 settlement . following charges that they violated the state 's fair claims settlement . practice regulations while handling damage claims following a massive . november 14 , 2008 fire in the town of sylmar . that blaze , known in the american west as the sayre fire , burned more than 11,000 acres of forest and destroyed 600 structures and 480 mobile homes . it also produced hundreds of ` total loss ' homeowners claims , including those covering 370 . mobile home policies held by aig 's new hampshire insurance company . the . california department of insurance claimed that the two companies had underpaid the devastated homeowners by 10.8 million . york , led by macarthur , was responsible for processing and evaluating those claims as part of new hampshire insurance 's outsourcing strategy . the two companies each paid half the penalty , or $ 142,500 , according to court documents . both denied wrongdoing , but agreed to a settlement in august 2012 to end california 's years-long investigation into 125 separate alleged violations of the california insurance code . much of coastal texas , including galveston and cities as far inland as houston , were slammed with flood and wind damage after hurricane ike hit in september 2008 . water everywhere : insurers paid out $ 16.2 billion in claims after hurricane ike , with another estimated $ 1.2 billion coming after litigation . the two suits related to hurricane ike , the massive 2008 storm that swept through the gulf coast and crippled coastal texas , were settled with undisclosed terms . one , filed by houston baptist university , alleged that york low-balled its settlement offer after the hurricane laid waste to its main administration building and student center . robert sloan , the school 's president , told the campus collegian newspaper that it would cost more than $ 21 million to repair and rebuild the structure . but ace american insurance company and york , which evaluated and vetted the claim , offered about $ 5 million . ` they drug -lsb- sic -rsb- their feet , ' sloan said in 2010 of the case that began during macarthur 's tenure . ` they . were n't very responsive . they obviously have not paid us what they owe . us under our coverage . i do n't think the insurance company has acted in . good faith . ' terms of york 's 2011 settlement with houston baptist university -- which came only after macarthur left -- were kept sealed . but on february 22 , 2011 sloan told the school 's trustees that he ` went to bed the other night with a big grin on my face , and when i woke up , it was still there . ' the university president was happy enough about the size of the checks york and ace wrote to credit the almighty with the result . ` this is a testament to the goodness and faithfulness of god , ' he said , according to the campus paper . another .<doc-sep>cnn : whenever you hit the road , you 're one of the year 's top ticket draws and play to more than a million fans per tour . -lsb- diamond had the fifth highest-grossing tour of 2008 , taking in $ 60 million in ticket sales . -rsb- . diamond : it 's truly not until the last leg that you finally get the show down . you are relaxed with it , you are not worried about the intricacies of the show , and the last shows are always the best and the most fun . cnn : after 40 years in the business , do you still get nervous ? diamond : i do n't know if it 's nerves . i get excited . i want things to go right . i want the audience to love the show . cnn : for this tour , you 've donated all the proceeds from merchandise sales -lsb- t-shirts , programs and other souvenir items -rsb- to the victims of hurricane ike in texas . we 're talking about a figure that 's somewhere in the neighborhood of a million dollars . diamond : hurricane ike hit southern texas so fiercely -lsb- in september 2008 , while diamond was on tour -rsb- , and has been forgotten about by the rest of the country -- but these people are still in desperate straits , and are in dire need of our help . and i saw what was going on . the mayor of houston took me around , and he told me about it and introduced me to some people . the next day , i drove down to some of the hardest-hit areas , and i just felt that i had to do something , and i felt that maybe my audience would help me out with it . so we just say the merchandise and whatever you buy goes down to those people to rebuild their homes . they are still living in tents and cars down there . so to all the people down in oak island , galveston , galveston bay and houston , help is on the way -- and that 's the message that i want to bring and spread around . the eagles just made a substantial donation to this fund . | <t> the effects of hurricane ike are still being felt across the united states . </t> <t> cnn affiliates report on how communities are struggling to recover . </t> <t> from texas to ohio , people are still battling homelessness and power outages . </t> | hurricane ike 's victims rebuild lives from texas to ohio<T> |
baghdad , iraq -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- darryl mathis waits in his pensacola , florida , home for the body of his 24-year-old son to return home from iraq . mathis , a military veteran himself , was seething with anger thursday as he spoke about the death of army staff sgt. darris j. dawson . an unnamed u.s. soldier is accused of killing army staff sgt. darris j. dawson in iraq on sunday . dawson , and sgt. wesley durbin , 26 , are said to have been shot and killed by another u.s. soldier on sunday at a base south of baghdad . darryl and his wife , maxine -lrb- dawson 's stepmother -rrb- , say the military has told them nothing about the incident : no details on his death , no information at all . his voice shakes as he says he believes that the military has let him down . `` i 'm very disappointed -- very , '' he said . `` if i would get a straight answer , if they would actually tell me what 's going on , i would have something to work on ; but right now , i have nothing to work on . everything i 'm getting , i 'm getting from the media . '' his wife sobs as she says her stepson 's death was foreshadowed by a phone call he made to her from iraq . `` he said that he was more shaky sometimes of the soldiers than of the enemy , because of the young guys over there . '' she said she asked him , `` what in the world do you mean ? you 're afraid of your own soldiers ? '' '' ` these kids are trying to fight a war they know nothing about . ... they 're jumpy . ... they 're more scary than the enemy , ' '' she said he told her . `` and i said , ` oh , god , ' '' said maxine mathis . on any given day , cnn receives dozens of detailed news releases from the u.s. military , including those announcing u.s. military casualties . in the cases of dawson and durbin , there was no mention of their names , and the releases were terse . `` a multi-national division center soldier died this morning of non-combat related causes , '' the first release read . `` the cause of death is under investigation . '' a second release came later in the day . `` a second multi-national division center soldier died this morning of non-combat related causes . the solider died of wounds september 14 at a coalition forces combat army support hospital , '' it read . `` the incident is under investigation . '' inquiries thursday from cnn were met with a news release that a press officer said had been drafted wednesday . however , the release had not been e-mailed to reporters wednesday , as is customary . after naming the two soldiers and giving their rank and unit , it reads , `` a u.s. soldier is in custody in connection with the shooting deaths . he is being held in custody pending review by a military magistrate . the incident continues under investigation . '' the release gives no other details . the u.s. military is classifying the death of sgt. dawson as `` non-hostile , '' something dawson 's father finds puzzling . `` i do n't know . i really do n't know , '' he said . `` i just ca n't get it together with that . i had never heard that before . ` non-hostile ' in a war zone ? '' lt. col. paul swiergosz is a public affairs officer for the area in iraq where the incident took place . he says the `` non-hostile '' death classification was given `` because the deaths were not the result of hostile enemy action . '' but details on what happened remain scarce . after asking , cnn received an e-mail press release from gen. tony cucolo , commanding general of the third infantry division that a press officer said had been drafted on wednesday . the release , however , had not been e-mailed to reporters , as is customary . `` we do know one soldier , a fellow noncommissioned officer , allegedly opened fire and mortally wounded his squad leader and fellow team leader , '' reads the statement . a spokesman at fort stewart in georgia said , `` a soldier has been taken into custody . the incident is under investigation , and that is all i can say . '' the spokesman would not even confirm information in his commanding general 's press statement . maxine mathis says she is stunned at how her stepson 's death has been handled by the military . she says the army assigned someone to help the family with anything they needed once they found out darris had been killed , but she and her husband do n't know how he died . she said her husband asked the liaison officer whether it was true that darris had been killed by another u.s. solider . she said the officer denied it , insisting he did n't know anything else . darryl mathis continues to express his disappointment in the lack of information from the military about his son , amid rumors his son 's body could be home by saturday . `` i do n't even know where he 's at , at this time , '' he said . bobby muller , president of veterans for america , said he thinks the way the military classifies deaths in iraq is an attempt to keep the public combat numbers down . `` there is a clear and long-standing record , regarding the classification of causalities in iraq to minimize combat losses . and we 're seeing people wounded and killed that would have well been considered casualties from hostile action in previous conflicts . it 's an attempt to conceal the actual cost of this war in terms of casualties , '' muller said . `` the department of defense has announced the death of every service member who has given their life in operation iraqi and enduring freedom , '' said a pentagon spokesman , col. gary keck . `` we have been open and transparent on the numbers of casualties suffered in these operations . '' mathis says his son wanted to come home to his wife and four young children and was in the process of applying for a transfer . `` last i spoke to him was last week monday . he called every monday , and said he was checking his paperwork . he said he was going to call me back once he found out . that was the last i heard from him . '' mathis ' wife can not stop sobbing . `` we do n't know why , we do n't know why , '' she says `` all we know is that our son died a useless , needless death . that 's all we know . '' cnn 's mike mount and jomana karadsheh contributed to this report .<doc-sep>baghdad , iraq -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- four u.s. soldiers died in a roadside bombing in iraq on sunday , military officials reported , bringing the american toll in the 5-year-old war to the grim milestone of 4,000 deaths . troops emerge from a bunker after receiving the `` all clear '' sunday following a truck bombing in mosul . the four were killed when their vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device while patrolling a neighborhood in southern baghdad , the u.s. military headquarters in iraq reported sunday night . a fifth soldier was wounded in the attack , which took place about 10 p.m. -lrb- 3 p.m. et -rrb- . the u.s. milestone comes just days after americans marked the fifth anniversary of the start of the war . `` no casualty is more or less significant than another ; each soldier , marine , airman and sailor is equally precious and their loss equally tragic , '' rear admiral gregory smith , the u.s. military 's chief spokesman in iraq , said . `` every single loss of a soldier , sailor , airman or marine is keenly felt by military commanders , families and friends both in theatre and at home , '' smith said . of the 4,000 u.s. military personnel killed in the war , 3,263 have been killed in attacks and fighting and 737 in non-hostile incidents , such as traffic accidents and suicides . eight of the 4,000 killed were civilians working for the pentagon . many of those killed over the years , like the four soldiers slain on sunday in baghdad , have been targeted by improvised explosive devices -- the roadside bombs that have been described as the weapon of choice for insurgents and a weapon that has come to symbolize iraq 's tenacious insurgency . the existence of the pentagon 's joint improvised explosive device defeat organization has been developed to counter the threat of ieds in iraq as well as afghanistan . the group calls ieds the `` weapon of choice for adaptive and resilient networks of insurgents and terrorists . '' watch how ieds have become deadly staple in iraq war '' meanwhile , estimates of the iraqi death toll range from about 80,000 to the hundreds of thousands , with another 2 million forced to leave the country and 2.5 million people displaced within iraq , according to the u.n. high commissioner for refugees . president bush ordered u.s. troops into iraq on march 19 , 2003 , after months of warnings that then-iraqi leader saddam hussein was concealing stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons and efforts to build a nuclear bomb . u.n. weapons inspectors found no sign of banned weapons before the invasion , and the cia later concluded that iraq had dismantled its weapons programs in the 1990s . hussein 's government fell in early april 2003 , and iraq 's new government executed him in december 2006 . the news of the 4,000 mark came on the same day that iraq 's national security adviser urged americans to be patient with the progress of the war , contending that it is `` well worth fighting '' because it has implications about `` global terror . ''<doc-sep>two british soldiers are believed to have committed suicide in afghanistan yesterday , taking the number of british fatalities for the week to four . the names of the servicemen have yet to be released by the ministry of defence , but next of kin have been informed . one of the men was from the royal electrical and mechanical engineers based at camp bastion , the uk headquarters in helmand province . prince harry is based at the uk headquarters in afghanistan , where a soldier died from a suspected suicide . a second serviceman is thought to have shot himself a few miles away from the base . defence sources say an investigation has been launched into the suspected camp bastion suicide , the camp at which prince harry is based - it is not thought to be the result of hostile action . the ministry of defence said the . soldier was a member of 104 force support battalion and was attached to 4 . close support battalion , royal electrical and mechanical engineers . -lrb- reme -rrb- . lieutenant colonel . richard parry , spokesman for joint force support -lrb- afghanistan -rrb- , said : . ` it is with deep sadness that i must report the death of a soldier from 4 . close support battalion , reme , at camp bastion , helmand province . ` the . condolences of all personnel serving with joint force support . -lrb- afghanistan -rrb- are with the soldier 's family and friends at this . extremely difficult time . ' tragedy : sergeant gareth thursby -lrb- left -rrb- and private thomas wroe -lrb- right -rrb- died after a man feigned an injury . hours after his death was announced the mod also announced the . death of a soldier from 28 engineer regiment , attached to 21 engineer . regiment at forward operating base shawqat , helmand province . a spokesman said : ` the soldier was . involved in a shooting incident at a forward operating base in the . district of nad-e ali . a full investigation is ongoing and the .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- american military deaths in iraq have dropped dramatically this year , a trend observers attribute to the lasting effects of the u.s.-led surge offensive , more robust iraqi security performance and civilians ' disgust with warfare . an iraqi police officer secures the scene of a car bombing saturday in baghdad . a cnn count of pentagon figures shows that 309 u.s. service members in iraq have died this year : 222 in hostilities such as combat and attacks , and 87 in non-hostile circumstances such as traffic accidents , suicides and natural deaths . the u.s. death toll has been much higher in past years . last year , 906 died : 768 in combat and attacks and 138 in non-hostile circumstances . there were more than 800 deaths in 2004 , 2005 and 2006 as well . `` it 's no single effort . it 's a combination of efforts , '' said maj. gen. jeffery hammond , commanding general of multi-national division-baghdad . `` the people of iraq are tired of violence , and they are assisting the security forces ; the government is improving its ability to govern and to apply the rule of law . '' the decline in deaths coincides with a decrease in attacks . maj. gen. david perkins said that last year , iraq experienced nearly 180 attacks a day and that last week , the number dropped to an average of 10 a day . gen. thomas metz , head of a military group dedicated to defending against roadside bombs , said this month that there had been a recent decline in the number of particularly powerful roadside bombs coming into iraq from iran . the bombs , called explosively formed penetrators , have been blamed for numerous u.s. troop deaths . the improvement comes as the united states prepares to withdraw its combat troops from population centers in 2009 from all of iraq by the end of 2011 .<doc-sep>`` ansf and isaf are making significant progress against insurgent groups in logar province who are involved in murdering civilians with ieds , '' said brig. gen. richard blanchette , isaf spokesman . `` today 's firefight illustrates the difference between isaf troops who risk their lives to protect civilians , and insurgents who deliberately and tragically place civilians at risk . '' also , isaf reported the death of a soldier from the nato-led force friday in eastern afghanistan . the soldier died of wounds and another was injured after what was described as a `` hostile incident . '' | <t> army staff sgt. darris j. dawson and another soldier were killed in iraq this week . </t> <t> another u.s. soldier is being held in connection with the killings . </t> <t> dawson 's father says he ca n't get a `` straight answer '' from the u.s. military . </t> <t> the u.s. military has classified the death as `` non-hostile '' </t> | family of u.s. soldier in dark about ` non-hostile ' death<T> |
buenos aires , argentina -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- when susana trimarco 's daughter marita veron was 23 , she vanished from their hometown in argentina , a suspected victim of a human trafficking and prostitution ring with links throughout latin america and europe . marita veron , who is missing , hugs her daughter micaela . police believe marita was forced into sexual slavery . trimarco , 54 , has spent the past 6 1/2 years searching for her daughter , often putting herself at risk . while chasing down leads on marita 's whereabouts , she 's entered dark and dangerous brothels and confronted pimps and politicians who , she says , are complicit in her daughter 's disappearance . she has won accolades throughout latin america , europe and the united states for her work . but marita is nowhere to be found . `` marita is a wonderful and caring girl . my life will be completely absorbed with this fight until she is back and safe , '' trimarco said . on april 3 , 2002 , veron left her house in the northern argentine province of tucuman early for a doctor 's appointment . she was wearing a turquoise shirt , blue jeans and old white sneakers . as she left the house , she told her mother , `` do n't worry . i 'll be back soon . '' those were the last words the two exchanged . the investigation that has followed has led police and trimarco to believe that she was kidnapped and forced into prostitution , either in rural argentina or spain . so far , a series of random clues has failed to provide any concrete information on marita 's whereabouts . now , art is imitating life on argentina 's airwaves . trimarco 's story has become the basis of one of argentina 's most popular nighttime soap operas , `` vidas robadas , '' or `` stolen lives . '' watch art imitate activism '' the program premiered in march on telefe , one of argentina 's largest television networks , to a lukewarm response . but as the storyline and characters evolved and word started to spread , the audience grew , and it became water-cooler television .<doc-sep>`` stolen lives '' attracts more than 2 million viewers nightly , a considerable feat considering argentina 's population is only 40 million . the show 's plot centers on widowed anthropologist bautista amaya -lrb- played by facundo arana -rrb- and rosario soler -lrb- soledad silveyra -rrb- -- the mother of a young kidnapped girl , based on trimarco -- who team up to unravel an underground prostitution ring . `` with every performance , i try to display the inner feelings of this woman who is suffering , to transmit her grief , '' silveyra said . `` as an actress , i feel an enormous responsibility . '' the usual telenovela themes of love , passion and revenge are ever present in `` stolen lives , '' but the show strives to expose an issue that has remained in the dark in argentina until recently . human rights groups in argentina estimate that 800 women have gone missing at the hands of human traffickers since 2007 . worldwide , about 800,000 people are trafficked across borders annually , according to the u.s. state department . `` i am delighted that the show has been able to bring this topic to light , because no one ever talked about human trafficking in argentina before , '' trimarco said . `` stolen lives '' is the latest in a series of recent argentine telenovelas that dissect important social issues while also aiming to entertain . one of the most important was the 2006 hit `` montecristo , '' which examined crimes against humanity committed by argentina 's military during the 1970s and 1980s . local versions of `` montecristo '' are produced in nine countries around the globe , including turkey , portugal , mexico and russia . `` with these types of telenovelas , we are able to bring something entirely new to the public debate . and because we take a take a fictional and not a journalistic approach , we are able to attract and keep more viewers , '' telefe programming director claudio villarruel said . `` montecristo '' helped reunite children of argentina 's dirty war who `` disappeared '' with lost family members . the dirty war happened from 1976-83 , when the government carried out a secret campaign to purge the country of those it considered to be dissidents . `` stolen lives '' is making a similarly strong impact .<doc-sep>trimarco established a foundation in her daughter 's honor , fundacion maria de los angeles , last year in tucuman . it counts u.s. ambassador to argentina earl wayne and argentine president cristina fernandez de kirchner among its supporters . according to trimarco , the foundation has rescued 360 women and children from trafficking networks , and leads on missing people continue to pour in . argentina passed its first national law against human trafficking this year , a law that trimarco lobbied hard to get passed . meanwhile , praise rings from home and abroad . in may , `` stolen lives '' was declared a show of `` social interest '' by the buenos aires city legislature . in 2007 , trimarco received the u.s. state department 's `` international women of courage award '' from secretary of state condoleezza rice at a ceremony in washington . later this year , trimarco will travel to spain to speak about human trafficking with lawmakers from the european union . `` it 's just like condoleezza rice told me : my screams are being heard all over the world , '' she said . trimarco travels around argentina constantly , educating people about human trafficking , and following up on clues about marita . she is also raising marita 's daughter , micaela , 9 . with all the publicity surrounding the case and the success of `` stolen lives , '' trimarco has herself become a target . her accusations of political and police involvement have led to death threats , she says . still , she remains committed to the cause and says that collaborating with the producers of `` stolen lives '' to tell her story has helped give her the strength to continue searching for her daughter . `` i 'm content , because my pain is now serving a purpose , '' she said .<doc-sep>buenos aires , argentina -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- when susana trimarco 's daughter marita veron was 23 , she vanished from their hometown in argentina , a suspected victim of a human trafficking and prostitution ring with links throughout latin america and europe . marita veron , who is missing , hugs her daughter micaela . police believe marita was forced into sexual slavery . trimarco , 54 , has spent the past 6 1/2 years searching for her daughter , often putting herself at risk . while chasing down leads on marita 's whereabouts , she 's entered dark and dangerous brothels and confronted pimps and politicians who , she says , are complicit in her daughter 's disappearance . she has won accolades throughout latin america , europe and the united states for her work . but marita is nowhere to be found . `` marita is a wonderful and caring girl . my life will be completely absorbed with this fight until she is back and safe , '' trimarco said . on april 3 , 2002 , veron left her house in the northern argentine province of tucuman early for a doctor 's appointment . she was wearing a turquoise shirt , blue jeans and old white sneakers . as she left the house , she told her mother , `` do n't worry . i 'll be back soon . '' those were the last words the two exchanged . the investigation that has followed has led police and trimarco to believe that she was kidnapped and forced into prostitution , either in rural argentina or spain . so far , a series of random clues has failed to provide any concrete information on marita 's whereabouts .<doc-sep>the four dozen juveniles were recovered in the third phase of operation cross country , an initiative that seeks to help child prostitutes and crack down on people who control them and patronize them . in the previous coordinated operations , authorities recovered 21 alleged child prostitutes last june and 47 in october . in 2003 the fbi , department of justice prosecutors , and the national center for missing and exploited children launched what was called the innocence lost national initiative to address what had become a growing problem of children forced into prostitution . many were young runaways .<doc-sep>a breakdown of cities where the latest arrests took place , and where child prostitutes were recovered , reveals some unexpected findings . the san francisco-oakland region in california had 17 arrests and 12 recovered child prostitutes , while detroit , which just declared itself bankrupt , had 18 arrests and 10 rescued children . meanwhile , new york city had none of either , las vegas had one of each and new orleans had five arrests and four recovered children , compared with 13 arrests and three child prostitute rescues in oklahoma city . `` this operation serves as a reminder that these abhorrent crimes can happen anywhere , '' hosko said . opinion : sex trafficking , an american problem too . operation cross country is part of the fbi 's innocence lost national initiative , which seeks to identify children lured or forced into prostitution and remove them from risk , according to hosko . the circumstances of the situation make finding victims especially difficult , he explained . `` commonly some of these children have stepped away from their families , '' he said , adding that `` there is no one to call and report ` my daughter is missing . ' '' other major problems are the culture of abuse , both physical and emotional , and the drug use prevalent in child prostitution . `` we have victims whose new normal is abuse and is drug-infected , '' hosko said , explaining there is an environment of instability in which `` the expectation of somebody who cares about them may last for 30 minutes or an hour before the abuse starts again . '' read about the fight to end modern-day slavery with cnn 's freedom project . cnn 's virginia nicolaidis and bill mears contributed to this report .<doc-sep>a mother forced her teenage daughter into prostitution after they started doing drugs together when the girl was just 12 , police have said . suzanne bobbie calana , 37 , was arrested in miami , florida last week after another young girl under investigation for prostitution tipped off police . her daughter , who is now 16 , had been put in the custody of her grandmother after her mother lost her legal parental rights following a long line of drug arrests , the miami herald reported . but in may , the girl ran away to live with her mother on the streets and became addicted to cocaine , crack cocaine and xanax , she told police . accused : suzanne bobbie calana , 37 , allegedly started taking drugs with her daughter when the girl was just 12 and often committed sex acts for money in front of her , teaching her about prostitution , the girl said . | <t> argentine woman vanished in 2002 ; it 's believed she was forced into prostitution ring . </t> <t> argentine soap opera , based on marita 's mother 's search , probes human trafficking . </t> <t> mom : `` my life will be completely absorbed with this fight until she is back and safe '' </t> <t> mother susana trimarco 's foundation tries to save women , children from sex slavery . </t> | argentine mom seeks daughter forced into prostitution<T> |
new york -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- gov. david paterson of new york has told state agencies to recognize same-sex marriages performed in states and countries where they are legal , his spokeswoman said wednesday . the governor 's legal counsel told state agencies in a may 14 memo to revise policies and regulations to recognize same-sex marriages performed in california and massachusetts as well as canada and other countries that allow gays and lesbians to marry , said erin duggan , the governor 's spokeswoman . the memo informed state agencies that failing to recognize gay marriages would violate the new york 's human rights law , duggan said . the directive follows a february ruling from a new york state appeals court . that decision says that legal same-sex marriages performed in other jurisdictions are entitled to recognition in new york .<doc-sep>`` this was in direct response to a court ruling , '' duggan told cnn . `` just to make sure all the state agencies are on the same page . '' see what rules your state has about same-sex unions '' duggan says that the court 's decision was consistent with the findings of several lower courts in new york state . the governor 's legal counsel sent the memo one day before the california supreme court struck down a ban on gay marriage in that state . court officials in california counties may begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples on june 17 , state officials said wednesday .<doc-sep>massachusetts legalized same-sex marriages in 2004 , and gay couples need not be state residents there to wed. . however , then-gov . mitt romney resurrected a 1913 law barring non-resident marriages in the state if the marriage would be prohibited in the partners ' home state . subsequent court and agency decisions have determined that only residents of massachusetts , rhode island and new mexico may marry in massachusetts , unless the parties say they plan to move there after the marriage . new hampshire , vermont , new jersey and connecticut permit civil unions , while california has a domestic-partner registration law . more than a dozen other states give same-sex couples some legal rights , as do some other countries .<doc-sep>marsha shapiro and louise walpin married each other for the third time early monday . but this time , it was especially memorable : they were among the first to tie the knot after same-sex marriage became legal in new jersey . a rabbi first `` married '' the couple in 1992 in a jewish ceremony . they married a second time in new york in august 2012 after same-sex marriage became legal there . the third time was just after midnight thursday in the garden state . the couple helped pave the way there through a 2011 lawsuit that brought about the change . new jersey now becomes the 14th state to recognize gay marriages . shapiro and walpin were married in the home of state sen. raymond lesniak , who championed same-sex marriage in the legislature . throughout the state other gay couples exchanged vows in early morning ceremonies . at the newark city hall , mayor cory booker married seven couples , two of them heterosexual . he had refused to conduct any marriage ceremonies until same-sex marriages were legal in the state . `` it is officially past midnight , '' booker said . `` marriage is equal in new jersey . '' chris christie drops challenge to same-sex marriages . high court clears the way . on friday , the new jersey supreme court denied the state 's request to temporarily prevent such marriages . troy stevenson , executive director of the gay rights group garden state equality , said last week that the high court 's decision means `` the door is open for love , commitment and equality under the law . ''<doc-sep>washington -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- a new national poll suggests a majority of americans oppose legalizing same-sex marriages , but the survey indicates a vast generational divide on the issue . the recent poll shows that those who have a gay friend or relative are more likely to support gay marriage . fifty-four percent of people questioned in a cnn/opinion research corporation poll released monday say marriages between gay or lesbian couples should not be recognized as valid , with 44 percent suggesting they should be considered legal . but among those 18 to 34 years old , 58 percent said same-sex marriages should be legal . that number drops to 42 percent among respondents aged 35 to 49 , and to 41 percent for those aged 50 to 64 . only 24 percent of americans 65 and older support recognizing same-sex marriages , according to the poll . while a majority of those polled oppose legalizing gay marriage , six of ten said states that do not recognize gay marriages should allow civil unions . when it comes to supporting civil unions , the poll indicates a similar generational shift .<doc-sep>new york gov. david paterson introduced legislation in april to make same-sex marriage legal in his state . a similar bill died in the state senate in 2007 . the district of columbia voted tuesday to recognize same-sex marriages performed elsewhere , but does not itself give marriage licenses to gay or lesbian couples . in new hampshire , the house voted 178-167 in favor of the legislation wednesday after the senate approved an amended version of the house 's original bill last week . the amended version distinguishes between civil and religious marriage . it allows each religion to decide whether to acknowledge same-sex marriage , but extends the option of civil marriage to any two individuals . meanwhile , the human rights campaign , a gay and lesbian rights organization , praised maine 's new law . `` this law is simply about making sure that loving , committed couples , and their families , receive equal rights and responsibilities . this is a step that will strengthen maine families , '' human rights campaign president joe solmonese said in a written statement . a slim majority of americans are against legal recognition for same-sex marriage , cnn polling found last month . fifty-four percent of adults questioned in an april 23-26 nationwide cnn/opinion research corporation poll said marriages between gay or lesbian couples should not be recognized as valid , while 44 percent said they should be considered legal . but there was a huge gap between the opinions of younger and older people , with younger people far more likely to approve of gay marriage . nearly 6 in 10 people ages 18 to 34 said same-sex marriages should be legal . just over 4 in 10 people ages 35 to 49 agreed . numbers were similar for 50 - to 64-year olds , while only 24 percent of people 65 and older agreed . the survey 's sampling error was plus or minus 3 percentage points .<doc-sep>`` today we 're faced with a disappointing decision , '' herrera said . `` but i think we also know it could have been worse . '' view reactions to the ruling '' a new effort , dubbed yes on equality , has begun working to place an initiative on the 2010 ballot that would repeal proposition 8 . state justices left unaddressed whether same-sex marriages performed in other states before the ban was adopted would be recognized in california , and advocates would have to argue that the measure violated their rights under the u.s. constitution for the u.s. supreme court to take up the case . california took its first steps toward recognizing same-sex marriages in 2004 , when san francisco began issuing marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples . ireport.com : react to court decision and share photos , video . gov. arnold schwarzenegger , who opposed the initiative , praised the court for leaving the previous marriages intact and urged opponents of the decision to respond `` peacefully and lawfully . '' `` while i believe that one day either the people or courts will recognize gay marriage , as governor of california , i will uphold the decision of the california supreme court , '' schwarzenegger said in a written statement . four states -- connecticut , maine , massachusetts and iowa -- currently allow same-sex marriages . a vermont law making such marriages legal will take effect in september . and the district of columbia voted may 5 to recognize same-sex marriages performed elsewhere , though it does not itself give marriage licenses to same-sex couples . | <t> memo : failing to recognize gay marriages would violate new york 's human rights law . </t> <t> the directive follows a february ruling from a new york state appeals court . </t> <t> massachusetts legalized same-sex marriages in 2004 . </t> | new york to recognize gay marriages<T> |
london , england -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- britain 's prince william is starting a two-month attachment with the royal navy on monday , part of the future king 's continued experience with various branches of the military , the ministry of defense said saturday . prince william and his father , prince charles , at his graduation from the royal air force in april . william , 25 , will spend the first part of his attachment on a basic sea safety course training in sea survival , firefighting and ship damage repair , according to the ministry . if william passes the course , as expected , he will join the hms iron duke in the caribbean , the department said . the ship 's function is to support overseas british territories in the event of a hurricane and to carry out counter-narcotic operations . the prince , who will be called sub lieutenant wales in the navy , is expected to spend time aboard a frigate , a mine hunter , a submarine and helicopters during his attachment , which ends august 1 , the ministry of defense said . william completed a four-month attachment with the royal air force this year and received his pilot 's wings upon graduating in april . he learned to fly three different aircraft during the attachment and is known as flying officer wales within the raf .<doc-sep>william is also a second lieutenant in the british army , where he serves in the blues and royals regiment of the household cavalry . the attachments are designed to provide the prince with military experience for when he becomes head of the armed forces as king . `` when he becomes king , he needs to know his armed forces -- instinctively be very familiar with them -- and so he is doing this visit to the royal navy , '' said rear adm. bob cooling , the assistant chief of naval staff . william 's father , prince charles , had a five-year career in the navy in the 1970s . charles served on the guided missile destroyer hms norfolk and two frigates before qualifying as a helicopter pilot and joining a naval air squadron that operated from the aircraft carrier hms hermes . prince charles spent his last nine months in the navy in 1976 in command of the coastal minehunter hms bronington . william 's uncle prince andrew served 22 years in the royal navy as a helicopter pilot , seeing active service during the falklands war between britain and argentina in 1982 . queen elizabeth ii 's husband , prince philip , william 's grandfather , spent more than 13 years in the royal navy . he saw active service throughout world war ii and was in tokyo harbor when japan surrendered .<doc-sep>london , england -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- britain 's prince william is starting a two-month attachment with the royal navy on monday , part of the future king 's continued experience with various branches of the military , the ministry of defense said saturday . prince william and his father , prince charles , at his graduation from the royal air force in april . william , 25 , will spend the first part of his attachment on a basic sea safety course training in sea survival , firefighting and ship damage repair , according to the ministry . if william passes the course , as expected , he will join the hms iron duke in the caribbean , the department said . the ship 's function is to support overseas british territories in the event of a hurricane and to carry out counter-narcotic operations . the prince , who will be called sub lieutenant wales in the navy , is expected to spend time aboard a frigate , a mine hunter , a submarine and helicopters during his attachment , which ends august 1 , the ministry of defense said . william completed a four-month attachment with the royal air force this year and received his pilot 's wings upon graduating in april . he learned to fly three different aircraft during the attachment and is known as flying officer wales within the raf . william is also a second lieutenant in the british army , where he serves in the blues and royals regiment of the household cavalry . the attachments are designed to provide the prince with military experience for when he becomes head of the armed forces as king . `` when he becomes king , he needs to know his armed forces -- instinctively be very familiar with them -- and so he is doing this visit to the royal navy , '' said rear adm. bob cooling , the assistant chief of naval staff . william 's father , prince charles , had a five-year career in the navy in the 1970s . charles served on the guided missile destroyer hms norfolk and two frigates before qualifying as a helicopter pilot and joining a naval air squadron that operated from the aircraft carrier hms hermes . prince charles spent his last nine months in the navy in 1976 in command of the coastal minehunter hms bronington . william 's uncle prince andrew served 22 years in the royal navy as a helicopter pilot , seeing active service during the falklands war between britain and argentina in 1982 . queen elizabeth ii 's husband , prince philip , william 's grandfather , spent more than 13 years in the royal navy . he saw active service throughout world war ii and was in tokyo harbor when japan surrendered .<doc-sep>the bust went smoothly with no violence , defense officials said . navy crew detained the five men on the boat , which was in poor condition and later sank . william is in the middle of a two-month attachment with the royal navy as part of his continued experience with various branches of the military . the prince , who is called sub lieutenant wales in the navy , is also expected to spend time aboard a mine hunter and submarine during his attachment , which ends august 1 . william 's vessel , the iron duke , is a patrol boat which supports overseas british territories in the event of a hurricane and carries out counter-narcotic operations . william completed a four-month attachment with the royal air force earlier this year and received his pilot 's wings on graduation in april . he learned to fly three different aircraft during the attachment and is known as flying officer wales within the raf . william is already a second lieutenant in the british army , where he serves in the blues and royals regiment of the household cavalry . the attachments are designed to give the prince , who as king will be the head of the armed forces , experience with the military .<doc-sep>the chopper 's crew informed the ship 's captain about the boat , and u.s. coast guard personnel who were on the frigate then boarded the boat . they found 45 bales of cocaine weighing a total of 900 kilograms -lrb- just under a ton -rrb- , the defense ministry said . the cocaine has a minimum street value of $ 80 million , the ministry said . the bust went smoothly with no violence , defense officials said . navy crew detained the five men on the boat , which was in poor condition and later sank . william is in the middle of a two-month attachment with the royal navy as part of his continued experience with various branches of the military . the prince , who is called sub lieutenant wales in the navy , is also expected to spend time aboard a mine hunter and submarine during his attachment , which ends august 1 .<doc-sep>william 's girlfriend , kate middleton , was among those watching the ceremony . watch william being presented with his wings '' william , 25 , is already a second lieutenant in the british army , where he serves in the household cavalry -lrb- blues and royals -rrb- . since january , he has been on a four-month attachment with the royal air force designed to give the future king experience with the various branches of the military . william plans to complete a similar attachment with the royal navy later in the year , according to his office at clarence house . | <t> britain 's prince william begins two-month attachment with royal navy on monday . </t> <t> william has completed attachment with the royal air force . </t> <t> the future king is a second lieutenant in the british army . </t> <t> experience will prepare him for when he becomes head of armed forces as king . </t> | prince william to start royal navy attachment<T> |
-lrb- real simple -rrb- -- with soaring gas prices and travel costs , the cheapest route to whisk yourself away this summer is through a good book . ten top-selling authors share their favorite lazy-summer-day reads . • one-day reads . augusten burroughs `` the member of the wedding , '' by carson mccullers `` a slender 163 pages , but it inhales all the light , matter , and gravity in the vicinity . stunningly evocative and gorgeously written , this truly magnificent book will replace your entire life for one perfect day . '' jackie collins `` whacked , '' by jules asner `` she 's a first-time author , married to director steven soderbergh , and this delicious tale of revenge -- set in l.a. -- rocks ! '' nelson demille `` the prince , '' by niccolò machiavelli `` it 's , well ... machiavellian . a great help if you 're dealing with a summer landlord or a difficult au pair . '' janet evanovich `` the concrete blonde , '' by michael connelly `` a classic in connelly 's harry bosch detective series -- and one of my favorites . '' elizabeth gilbert `` the principles of uncertainty , '' by maira kalman `` gorgeous and touching . a quirky year-in-the-life as told by one of our most wonderful illustrators -- short in words , but rich in little visual pleasures . '' philippa gregory `` dragonwyck , '' by anya seton `` a gothic novel set in 1844 america . at times it 's utterly ridiculous , but it is truly haunting . think an american jane eyre at high speed . a great book to gulp down in a day . '' sophie kinsella `` the curious incident of the dog in the night-time , '' by mark haddon `` its hero , an autistic 15-year-old , is one of the most poignant in contemporary literature . '' james patterson `` no country for old men , '' by cormac mccarthy `` the only thriller i have ever read that also qualifies as art , at least in my mind . '' jodi picoult `` the third angel , '' by alice hoffman `` i inhale anything alice writes , but this stunning book is among her loveliest . once i started it , i did n't put it down . '' danielle steel `` change of heart , '' by jodi picoult `` anything by jodi picoult . ''<doc-sep>• books for a long weekend . augusten burroughs `` the house of mirth , '' by edith wharton `` the only thing more delicious than spending a weekend reading the house of mirth is reading it in the grass or on the sand . mosquitoes will leave you alone . it will not rain . this is edith wharton . nature bends . '' jackie collins `` the great gatsby , '' by f. scott fitzgerald `` jay gatsby is so charismatic , sexy , and mysterious , and i love him . good to share with a guy in bed ! '' nelson demille `` the gold coast , '' `` by me '' `` what can i say ? read it on the beach and attract favorable comments . '' janet evanovich `` the two minute rule , '' by robert crais it 's crais , for crying out loud ! who would n't want to spend a weekend with robert crais ? '' elizabeth gilbert `` the spirit catches you and you fall down , '' by anne fadiman `` the heartbreaking true story of an immigrant hmong child 's epilepsy and the american doctors who tried to ` cure ' her -lrb- not realizing that traditional hmong families see epilepsy as something of a blessing -rrb- . a story of moral and cultural complexity . '' philippa gregory `` lottery , '' by patricia wood `` a hugely feel-good novel that had me laughing out loud at the hero 's rise to happiness from absolute despair . '' sophie kinsella `` the tenderness of wolves , '' by stef penny `` a gripping , atmospheric murder story set in the snowy wastes of canada , with some wonderful descriptions of an extreme landscape . i never knew i could be so riveted by snow ! '' james patterson `` mrs. bridge and mr. bridge , '' by evan s. connell `` astonishingly different points of view , in two books , from a wife and a husband , on the history of a family 's life in kansas city . '' jodi picoult `` skeletons at the feast , '' by chris bohjalian `` a bohjalian novel is guaranteed to be rich in character and gorgeous writing . this latest , based on a real journal , delves into the history of world war ii . '' danielle steel `` become a better you , '' by joel osteen . • books to savor all summer .<doc-sep>augusten burroughs `` tennessee williams , flannery o'connor , and tillie olsen . spend the entire summer with them . it does n't matter what you read or which order you read them in . the wisdom and heartbreak centers of your brain will be electrified . i do not have the words to tell you what a fine summer you will have and how much you will never regret it . '' jackie collins `` the godfather , '' by mario puzo `` you can re-reread it all summer and it will still seem fresh and so true . the characters jump off the page . '' nelson demille `` of human bondage , '' by w. somerset maugham `` not for the beach , but for rainy days and quiet summer nights . one of my favorites . '' janet evanovich 65 years of little golden books `` pictures , smiles , happy endings -- a trip back to simpler times . '' elizabeth gilbert `` the treasury of oz , '' by l. frank baum `` if by some miracle i had a summer to sit and read , i would treat myself to rereading the most delightful books of my childhood -- the oz books . baum sent plucky dorothy back to oz more than a dozen times after the wizard of oz , and her wondrous adventures just get better . if you can borrow a 10-year-old to share this experience with , all the better ! '' philippa gregory `` history play : the lives and afterlife of christopher marlowe , '' by rodney bolt `` this takes you into the fictional heart of shakespeare 's england , suggests a wonderfully imaginative explanation of the genius of the bard 's plays , makes your head spin with possibilities -- and makes you wonder who did write all those wonderful plays . '' sophie kinsella jane austen : the complete novels `` austen is a perennial delight . '' james patterson `` one hundred years of solitude , '' by gabriel garcía márquez `` absolutely magnificent magical realism , and probably my favorite novel ever . '' jodi picoult `` sadly , the only books i 'll be savoring all summer are college information guides , since i have a senior in high school next year . '' danielle steel `` danielle steel :-rrb- '' • books to dip into and out of . augusten burroughs the complete poems of emily dickinson `` we know emily dickinson lived in olden days and she was a poet and seldom left her home . but read one of her poems -- any one will do -- and you 'll see the evidence of a glittering genius . you will be amazed by what one brilliant woman can accomplish alone in her bedroom without e-mail , a telephone , or a best friend . ''<doc-sep>jackie collins `` anything by elmore leonard . short , smart , hilarious . '' nelson demille `` the atlantic book of british and american poetry , '' edited by edith sitwell `` sitwell picked the best of the best in the english language . excellent with a bottle of wine on the porch or the patio . '' janet evanovich `` disney princess the ultimate sticker book '' `` stick snow white and cinderella on the pages and make up your own stories . '' elizabeth gilbert `` meditations , '' by marcus aurelius `` i keep a copy by my bed . and the fact that the ruminations of a second-century roman emperor bring me comfort , delight , and inspiration is a clue to how timeless this is . even those of us who are n't governing empires can benefit from these musings on courage and decency . '' philippa gregory `` sappho : a new translation , '' translated by mary barnard `` it sounds fearfully heavy , but it is absolutely contemporary in feel . a friend who teaches a course in sappho sent me one poem : ` do n't ask me what to wear . ' this is a poet who lived thousands of years ago , yet her work will make a modern woman laugh with recognition . '' sophie kinsella `` the portable dorothy parker , '' edited by marion meade `` i adore her wit and dark humor . '' james patterson `` nine horses , '' by billy collins `` collins makes writing accessible poetry seem easy . '' jodi picoult the best american short stories `` i am a sucker for this collection and keep a copy of the 2007 edition , edited by stephen king , in the guest room of our lake house . '' danielle steel `` anything religious . '' get a free trial issue of real simple - click here ! copyright © 2008 time inc. . all rights reserved .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the book critics have named their best books of 2014 . now , it 's time to hear from the readers themselves . this year , goodreads , the website devoted to pairing up eager readers with books they 'll love , asked its users to vote for the books they thought were irresistible in 2014 . the categories range from the typical -- fiction , nonfiction , history -- to the unique , like the category of best debut for a goodreads author . there are 20 categories in all , and after tallying up more than 3 million votes , the results for the 2014 goodreads choice awards are in . in fiction , the best book for goodreads users was rainbow rowell 's `` landline . '' the novel follows a tv writer in a crumbling marriage who uncovers a way to talk to her husband in the past , giving her the chance to rethink her marriage before the trouble started . rowell has won the hearts of goodreads users before -- her young adult novel `` eleanor & park '' was the 2013 pick for best young adult book -- but that did n't make this year 's win any less sweet . rowell and other authors shared their excitement over the honor by posting appreciative notes on social media .<doc-sep>he tweeted : ` taken together , indie authors form a new major publisher to round out the `` big 6 . '' that 's the level of sales we represent . ' e-success : hugh howey , a successful self-published author , tweeted that indie authors are collectively as strong as the big six publishing houses . big sellers : amazon , who sell the kindle -lrb- pictured in the middle of this pile -rrb- said a quarter of their best sellers are by ` indie ' publishers . a spokesman for amazon said that the figures released to a trade fair were for the the u.s. only . ` this figure is referring to kindle . books on amazon.com in 2012 , with ` indie ' meaning books self-published . via kindle direct publishing -lrb- kdp -rrb- . ` so a quarter of the top 100 bestselling kindle books on amazon.com in 2012 were self-published via kdp . ' amazon has emerged as the leading retailer of self-published works following the rapid growth of the kindle in recent years . the retailer gives ` indie ' titles equal billing alongside the work of leading publishing houses . richard mollet , chief executive of the uk publishers association , told the guardian : ` it is notable that very often those authors who find initial success from self-publishing subsequently work with publishers to take their writing career to the next level . '<doc-sep>by . harriet arkell . published : . 03:23 est , 13 june 2013 . | . updated : . 06:15 est , 13 june 2013 . libraries should pay authors a fair sum each time they lend out an e-book or writers will go bust , a leading novelist claimed today . philip pullman , best-selling writer of the his dark materials children 's fantasy trilogy , says authors could lose up to two-thirds of their income and even be forced to give up writing altogether if hard copies of books in libraries are replaced by e-books . a new reporty by the society of authors , of which mr pullman is president-elect , warns : ` there is a risk that e-books have the potential to undermine the perceived value of books generally to a point below which -lsb- writing -rsb- ceases to be commercially valuable . ` the risk is even higher with e-lending . ' author philip pullman says writers must be paid fairly when e-books of their work are borrowed from libraries .<doc-sep>it 's been called a `` cure for rejection-letter fatigue . '' amazon on thursday released new details about the success of its program for authors who want to self-publish on its kindle e-reader devices . the company , which unveiled a suite of new e-readers and tablets at a press conference in southern california on thursday , says 27 of the top 100 kindle books were created using a system called kindle direct publishing . that system allows authors to bypass traditional publishers and instead deal directly with amazon , which claims to be able to publish their books digitally `` in hours . '' the authors receive 70 % of the royalties from the sale of these books . and some of them are doing quite well . `` most of my months are six-figure months , '' said hugh howey , a 37-year-old florida author whose `` wool '' series of digital books was highlighted by amazon . `` it 's more than i ever hoped to make in a year . '' | <t> jackie collins recommends `` whacked , '' by jules asner , a tale of revenge set in l.a. </t> <t> james patterson picks the thriller `` no country for old men , '' by cormac mccarthy . </t> <t> for a long weekend , danielle steele likes joel osteen 's `` become a better you '' </t> <t> sophie kinsella : '' -lsb- jane -rsb- austen is a perennial delight '' </t> | top authors pick best summer books<T> |
dubai , united arab emirates -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- an american sailor fatally shot two female sailors before shooting himself monday inside a u.s. military barracks in bahrain , the navy said . the alleged shooter , a male , survived the self-inflicted gunshot and was in critical condition at a military hospital in bahrain , the navy said . the man was under heavy security .<doc-sep>the motive for the shootings is unclear , but the navy said the incident was not terror-related and it involved only u.s. military personnel . the shootings occurred about 5 a.m. , the navy said in a news release . the base was closed for about an hour after the shootings .<doc-sep>a navy spokesman in bahrain refused to provide any other details about the incident . naval support activity bahrain supports the u.s. fifth fleet , whose operations span about 7.5 million square miles across 27 countries . included in the fleet 's area of responsibility are the arabian gulf , red sea , gulf of oman and parts of the indian ocean .<doc-sep>the support base is located just outside manama , the capital . bahrain , a u.s. ally , is an island nation in the persian gulf , wedged between qatar and saudi arabia . e-mail to a friend . cnn 's barbara starr and caroline faraj contributed to this report .<doc-sep>a senior navy commander in san diego has been fired after he asked female sailors to send him sexy photos of themselves and to give him ' a good back massage ' in a string of sleazy cell phone messages and emails . commander allen maestas , the no. 2 officer being groomed to take over the city 's naval beach group 1 unit , was relieved of his position on may 16 after complaints from his female staff sparked an investigation into his ` inappropriate ' conduct . the incriminating text messages , released by the navy on tuesday , include a series to one sailor under his command in which he wrote ` weekends sorta suck cause i do n't get to see you until monday ' and ` i 'm jealous u r in -lrb- pa -rrb- jamas . i wish i could join u. ' fired : commander allen maestas , pictured , was fired on may 16 following an investigation that found he 'd been sending inappropriate text messages to female sailors . he also sent the same woman messages requesting she send photos of herself to him in shorts or ` in any pose ' and wrote ` sure wish u could give a good back massage . ' the executive officer repeatedly mentioned another female sailor 's truck and even offered to wash it if her boyfriend could n't do it .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- navy police shot one sailor in the gut and took another into custody early saturday after their vehicle smashed into two police cruisers following a chase at san diego 's naval base , a military spokesman said . the wounded sailor is in stable condition at the university of california san diego medical center after undergoing surgery , said brian o'rourke , the navy 's public affairs officer for the southwest region . the other sailor was uninjured . no charges have been filed against either the driver , who was shot , or his passenger . o'rourke said that they had been stopped around 1:30 a.m. at a gate outside the san diego naval base on strong suspicions of drunken driving . a gate guard then called for assistance from navy police units . but before a breathalyzer could be given , the driver sped inside the base and was soon pursued by military police . the sailors tried to go through another gate , which had been shut down according to protocol , but instead slammed into the security vehicles , o'rourke said . the passenger then got out of the car , but the driver continued . naval police officers then opened fire , eventually hitting that sailor in the abdomen . in a statement , the navy said its police decided to use `` deadly force '' after determining `` the driver represented a threat to the lives of officers . '' the passenger is being held on base , the biggest on the west coast and home to 59 ported ships and thousands of sailors . o'rourke said police and others at the base just finished a week of security training , preparing them for an incident like this . formal charges -- which have not yet been specified -- are likely to be filed monday against the car 's driver and possibly its passenger , the spokesman said .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the navy has halted discharge proceedings against a sailor who was found asleep in the same bed with another male sailor , according to a announcement friday by servicemembers united , the nation 's largest organization of gay and lesbian troops and veterans . petty officer stephen jones , who is stationed at the naval nuclear power training command in charleston , south carolina , has said that the navy 's effort to discharge him for `` unprofessional conduct '' was a trumped-up charge based on the command 's suspicion that he might be gay . jones also said the nonjudicial punishment for unprofessional conduct was a maneuver around the `` do n't ask , do n't tell '' repeal that president obama signed into law in december . when contacted by cnn , navy officials did n't have an immediate comment . alexander nicholson , executive director of servicemembers united , said the navy `` undoubtedly did the right thing in reversing its decision , '' made in march , to discharge jones , who dozed off beside another male sailor while watching television on february 5 . in a recent interview with cnn , jones , a student at the nuclear power training command , said another male sailor stopped by that night and they both inadvertently fell asleep on jones ' bed while they watched the cw tv show `` vampire diaries . '' `` we strongly suspected that his command was trying to find a roundabout way to discharge jones because it suspected him of being gay , and we simply were not willing to stand by and watch a new version of ` do n't ask , do n't tell ' emerge under the new label of ` unprofessional conduct , ' '' nicholson said in a statement . jones hired civilian attorney gary myers , a former jag officer who is one of the most experienced civilian military defense attorneys in the country , to fight his discharge , and servicemembers united worked closely with jones and myers to help publicize the case and persuade navy leaders to retain jones , according to the servicemembers united statement . in the cnn interview , jones , 21 , said the other sailor had `` come over to watch shows in the past . '' his roommate walked in around midnight , jones said . `` my roommate walked in and it woke me up , '' jones said . he then woke up his friend , navy petty officer bryan mcgee , who , according to jones , immediately left the room . the navy had sought to discharge jones under charges of `` willful failure to exhibit professional conduct , '' myers told cnn in a recent interview .<doc-sep>by . damien gayle . and tahira yaqoob . published : . 06:34 est , 8 may 2013 . | . updated : . 08:39 est , 8 may 2013 . a british fitness instructor plunged to his death from a high-rise building in dubai less than three months after getting married . former royal navy sailor elwood mcilwraith , 29 , who described himself as a ` massive sports player and into everything from football to athletics ' , fell from the 42-storey laguna tower in jumeirah lakes towers district . the exact circumstances surrounding his death early on saturday morning remain shrouded in mystery and it is not clear if he lived in the building where he fell . dubai police are investigating . just married : british fitness instructor elwood mcilwraith , pictured with his wife susie on their wedding day in february , plunged to his death from the 42-storey laguna tower in dubai 's jumeirah lakes towers district . mr mcilwraith , from kingston-upon-hull , east yorkshire , had just married his partner susie on february 21 this year . both he and his wife have a picture of their wedding day on their facebook profile page . the devastated widow is now being comforted by colleagues from his gym , smart fitness , where he had worked for about two years . the muscly fitness coach , who specialised in training women to high levels of fitness , joined the royal navy after leaving school and remained in the military for five years , serving in the gulf for nine months in 2005 . investigation : the circumstances surrounding mr mcilwraith 's death remain mysterious and it is not clear if he lived in the building where he fell . while in the military he had had played a number of sports and completed a diploma in fitness training in australia . on one of a number of videos posted on youtube , he said : ` since then , i have been a personal trainer and never looked back . ' i get a good result with female clients . i 'm a no-nonsense person when it comes to training but at the same time , i make it fun . ' last august he poignantly wrote on facebook : ` you have on average 28,000 days on this planet . | <t> new : sailor shoots two female colleagues , then self , navy says . </t> <t> incident occurred at u.s. navy support facility in the country . </t> <t> navy says incident was not terror-related . </t> <t> base supports u.s. fifth fleet , whose operations span 27 nations . </t> | navy : sailor kills female colleagues , then shoots self<T> |
-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- an earthquake shook southern iceland on thursday , reportedly causing injuries and damaging roads and buildings . a seismograph at the institute of the earth sciences , university of iceland , shows earthquake activity . the 6.1 magnitude temblor struck about 3:46 p.m. -lrb- 11:46 a.m. et -rrb- , according to the u.s. geological survey . its epicenter was about 50 km -lrb- 31 miles -rrb- east-southeast of the capital , reykjavik , and was about 10 km -lrb- 6.2 miles -rrb- below the earth 's surface . it was unclear exactly how many people were injured or the severity of their injuries , olli tynes , a journalist with reykjavik 's channel 2 , told cnn . a hospital in a town near the epicenter was also reported damaged , and some wings have had to be evacuated , he said . there were no reports of fatalities , but `` great material damage , '' tynes said . roads and bridges in the area have been closed . the associated press , quoting civil defense authorities , reported 15 to 20 people from selfoss , near the epicenter , were taken for medical treatment .<doc-sep>iceland 's emergency management agency has swung into action , and rescue crews were headed to the area most affected by the quake . tynes said he has been speaking to residents of the towns closest to the epicenter . `` they said they thought the world was coming to an end , '' he said . `` they thought they were going to die . '' there have been no reports of homes collapsing , as most homes in iceland are built to withstand earthquakes , he said . alti mar gylfason said he had received reports of damage to the road that rings the island nation . the quake was felt nationwide , he said . `` it was a little bit like you 're sleeping in a waterbed , you know ... everything floats around , '' he said , adding that people poured out of buildings into the street . `` this is not something we experience on a normal basis . '' although iceland is seismically active , its last major quakes were on june 17 and june 21 , 2000 , with quakes of 6.5 and 6.4 , respectively . the temblors damaged homes and buildings , but caused no serious injuries .<doc-sep>the icelandic meteorological office said the area around the bardarbunga volcano is still being rocked by hundreds of earthquakes each day , but there are no signs of magma moving to the surface . two intense earthquake swarms were first detected last saturday at iceland 's largest volcano , which is located under the country 's largest glacier . as a precaution , police have evacuated an area north of the volcano , about 200 miles northeast of the capital reykjavik , and closed roads . the country has raised its aviation alert level to orange , the second-highest level on the five-colour scale . both the caa and nats said the uk is much better prepared to deal with any ash cloud crisis based on lessons learned four years ago , and there are now arrangements in place to minimise disruptions and maintain public safety . a nats spokeswoman said : ` we are monitoring the situation in iceland and we do n't know how serious it will get and just where any ash cloud will travel if the volcano erupts . '<doc-sep>by . chris kitching for mailonline . daredevil tourists are lining up to visit iceland 's largest volcano as it begins to display evidence that a small eruption has occurred . a 5.0 magnitude earthquake rocked bardarbunga today as scientists boarded a reconnaissance flight to get a better view of deep ` cauldrons ' that have formed in a glacier that conceals the rumbling volcano . the icelandic meteorological office said the depressions developed as a result of an ice melt that may have been caused by a sub-glacial eruption , but it is not known when it may have occurred . scroll down for video . get a look at this : tourists photograph the eyjafjallajokull eruption in southern iceland in march 2010 . scientists say the cracks are 30 to 50 feet deep , about half a mile wide and up to three miles in length in an area south of the bardarbunga caldera . there are fears that an eruption could disrupt air travel over europe , but iceland 's meteorological office says there is no evidence that a large eruption is underway . the country 's aviation alert level remains at orange after it was briefly raised to red -- its highest level -- last weekend when a possible eruption was reported . bardarbunga is located under iceland 's largest glacier and it has been rocked by thousands of earthquakes for nearly two weeks . more than 400 earthquakes were detected between midnight and 6am today . the strongest one yet occurred tuesday morning with a magnitude of 5.7 . the vatnajökull glacier , which covers the bardarbunga volcano , is pictured in this file photo . grounded : passengers look at a flight board displaying dozens of cancellations during the eyjafjallajokull crisis . while airlines remain on alert and travellers nervously book flights , uk-based travel company discover the world has received plenty of its interest in its ` volcano hotline ' . the tour operator is planning to fly customers to the eruption site -- if there is one -- and almost 200 people have signed up over the last week . in 2010 , discover the world took tourists to the fimmvorduhals eruption in south-western iceland . that eruption occurred about a month before the eyjafjallajokull volcano spewed a massive cloud of ash that shut down much of europe 's airspace for six days , causing widespread travel chaos during the crisis .<doc-sep>by . sara malm for mailonline . iceland 's bardarbunga volcano has been hit by the strongest earthquake since tremors began over a week ago , raising fears that another ash cloud disaster may become reality . the earthquake reached a magnitude of 5.7 , potentially leading iceland to yet again bring the warning code to red level . airlines around the world remain on high alert as the magnitude of the quakes increase , but local geologists say they have yet to see signs of an eruption . scroll down for video . shaken : another earthquake has hit iceland 's bardarbunga volcano , shifting 50million cubic metres of molten rock . the intense seismic activity at . iceland 's largest volcano system has raised worries that an eruption . could cause another ash cloud like that from the eyjafjallajokull . volcano in 2010 that shut down much of europe 's airspace for six days .<doc-sep>the ` tourist ' eruption occurred about a month before the eyjafjallajokull volcano blew its top and spewed a massive ash cloud that shut down much of europe 's airspace . despite the chaos that followed eyjafjallajokull , getting to an eruption site at bardarbunga should n't be a problem , according to discover the world . eyjafjallajokull : a gigantic ash cloud caused widespread disruptions for air travellers after an eruption in 2010 . river of fire : molten lava flows along the eyjafjallajokull glacier following an eruption in 2010 . the icelandic travel specialists believe it is highly unlikely europe will see an air traffic disruption similar to that of 2010 because scientists are better prepared for such an event . bardarbunga is iceland 's largest volcano and is situated under the country 's largest glacier . it has been rocked by two earthquake swarms for six days and is at risk of eruption , although there are no signs of magma moving toward the surface , according to the icelandic meteorological office . as a precaution , police have evacuated an area near the volcano and closed roads , and the country 's aviation alert level has been raised to orange , the second-highest level on the five-colour scale . | <t> strong earthquake shakes southern iceland on thursday afternoon . </t> <t> u.s. geological survey says quake was 6.1 magnitude . </t> <t> epicenter 50 kilometers -lrb- 30 miles -rrb- east , south-east of the capital reykjavik . </t> <t> residents near epicenter told to check on relatives . </t> | iceland rocked by earthquake<T> |
washington -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- former illinois gov. george ryan and a co-defendant lost another legal round at the supreme court on tuesday and will remain in prison on federal racketeering and fraud convictions . ex-gov . george ryan walks out of a chicago , illinois , courthouse after his april 2006 conviction . ryan and businessman larry warner claimed they did not receive a fair trial , but the justices , without comment , refused to intervene in the case . justice john paul stevens refused last fall to grant bail for the 74-year-old ryan , a move that would have kept him out of jail to file more appeals . the disgraced ex-governor reported to a federal prison in wisconsin in november to serve a 6 1/2 - year sentence .<doc-sep>the men were convicted in april 2006 for fraud in a case stemming from bribes paid for various state licenses . their lawyers claimed the trial judge improperly removed two jurors while deliberations in the case had commenced , but a federal appeals court upheld the convictions . ryan , a republican , served as governor from 1999 to 2003 . he retired following investigations into political corruption in his administration . he also was noted for issuing a moratorium on capital punishment in his state in 2000 over concerns innocent inmates might be executed . the case decided tuesday is warner and ryan v. u.s. -lrb- 07-977 -rrb- .<doc-sep>an oil tycoon who owes his ex-wife # 17.5 million after a divorce battle has been told to hand over # 20,000 or have his appeal against an order to pay her # 400,000 thrown out . michael prest was warned to pay the cash within 28 days or face having the appeal against paying his ex-wife yasmin or going to jail , dismissed . at the high court family division , senior appeal court judge lady justice gloster , said the 52-year-old continued to live a ` lavish lifestyle ' and ` clearly has the ability to pay ' . michael prest , left , who has been told to pay # 20,000 in 28 days or have his appeal against paying ex-wife yasmin , right , # 400,000 or go to jail , dismissed . his ex-wife , 51 , had asked the judge to make the order for # 20,000 security of her costs for the forthcoming appeal . it was said that she made the order given his failure to pay other money in the long running dispute , which has now topped # 1million . at a previous hearing , mr justice moylan said he was satisfied mr prest had the means to give the # 270,000 a year he was ordered to pay his ex-wife along with the # 24,000 a year for their four children . but because he has ` willfully refused ' to hand over the money and was in contempt , he was told he must pay the # 360,000 he still owes plus # 40,000 towards his wife 's # 82,000 legal costs within three months , or go to jail for four weeks . the deadline of paying the cash by october 28 has been extended pending his appeal , which lady justice gloster said would be dismissed if he did not lodge the # 20,000 in time . in june last year , mrs prest won a landmark supreme court battle for her rightful half share of his multi million pound fortune - put ` conservatively ' at # 37.5 m . but he has failed to pay a penny of the # 17.5 million ordered by the court . mr prest had been living as a tax exile in monaco , but lady justice gloster was told he has had to give up his flat there and now gave his address as nigeria . the couple , who both have dual british and nigerian citizenship , married in 1993 and have four children . as part of the divorce mrs prest kept the family home in maida vale , west london , pictured . despite claiming poverty the judge said he still had a home in the west indies and she had evidence of his lavish lifestyle with skiing holidays and funding expensive litigation in the isle of man . she said his ` lifestyle continues to be extravagant ' and added that it was once claimed that the family needed # 800,000 a year to live on . the court was also told how he transferred a number of properties to his ex-wife under the divorce agreement , who the judge also described as ` not on the breadline ' . but she added that because of mr prest 's disobedience in not paying costs orders in the past it was right that he should provide security of # 20,000 to cover his ex-wife 's costs before the appeal could proceed . at a hearing in july , mrs prest 's counsel jeremy posnansky qc said mr prest 's ` false claims of impoverishment ' and ` tale of woe ' , were untrue . it was heard that when in london he stayed at the # 624 a night halkin hotel and took his children on luxury skiing holidays . mr prest was ordered to pay the # 20,000 or have his appeal thrown out by lady justice gloster at the high court , pictured . the court was also told how he spent an estimated # 12,000 on buying # 175 a time tickets for his children and their friends to a justin bieber concert . he also paid the expensive school fees for the children and took them on holiday , and bought them expensive treats . but the court heard that when it came to his ex wife , he ` will not pay anything that puts money into her pocket . ' the couple , who have dual british and nigerian citizenship , have four children after marrying in 1993 . their divorce became final in november 2011 . mrs prest still lives in the # 5 million family home in maida vale , west london , which she keeps under the divorce settlement . sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article .<doc-sep>the conned marine treated the baby girl as his own daughter for five years before the mother 's web of lies unraveled . the mother even lied about the results of a paternity test when he sought reassurance that the baby was his . she was jailed for six months at newport crown court after admitting two counts of fraud last month . but yesterday she failed in a bid to be freed from jail early and allowed to return to her daughter at the court of appeal . appeal : the mother , who can not be named for legal reasons , failed in her bid to get her six month jail term for fraud overturned at the court of appeal , pictured , yesterday . the court heard that the couple , who can not be named to protect the identity of the child , had a ` brief relationship in 2006 but separated shortly before he was deployed to afghanistan . while he was serving on the frontline , his ex-girlfriend emailed him that she was pregnant with his child . despite his suspicions , the marine ` accepted the child as his own ' and began paying towards child support .<doc-sep>by . steph cockroft . a businessman who three years ago was estimated to be worth nearly # 40 million has been given a suspended jail sentence after a judge concluded that he had failed to obey a high court order to pay maintenance to his ex-wife . michael prest 's ex-wife yasmin had complained that he was in contempt of court and had asked a judge to commit him to prison . mr justice moylan , who on monday heard evidence at a high court hearing in london during the latest stage of a long-running divorce cash fight which has been analysed by the supreme court , today imposed a four week suspended jail term . yasmin prest , 51 , pictured left , has told the high court family division in london that her ex-husband michael , pictured right , has failed to pay her the # 17.5 m lump sum which she won in their high profile divorce battle . jeremy posnansky qc yesterday told high court family division judge mr justice moylan that ms prest did not want to send her husband to prison - but that she had no alternative in view of what he had done . mr posnansky said mr prest had falsely claimed . he was ` impoverished ' in order to avoid paying the money . but he said the multi-millionaire had in fact been enjoying lavish holidays to the caribbean , new york . and france . he had also spent around # 12,000 on vip tickets to a concert . by pop star justin bieber for his children and their friends . the court also heard that mr prest , who had just returned from ibiza , was not in court because he was on a three-week holiday in new york with the children . mr posnansky said that , although mr prest had paid the children 's school fees and . staff costs at ms prest 's london home , he had not handed money to his . ex-wife as ordered . he said mr prest 's ` false claims of . impoverishment ' and ` tale of woe ' were ` untrue ' and that there had been ` widespread and persistent ' attempts to mislead the court . in 2011 , at an earlier stage of the divorce battle , mr justice moylan ruled that mr prest 's net assets were worth # 37.5 m . the couple , who divorced in 2011 after an 18-year marriage , spent most of their time in london , where they shared this property in maida vale , but also had properties in nigeria and the caribbean . he ordered mr prest to make a lump sum . payment of # 17.5 m , as well as annual payments of # 300,000 , to his . wife and their four children . the decision was later overturned at the court of appeal but was successfully appealed by ms prest at the supreme court - the highest court in the uk - in june last year . mr prest , who is said to be in his 50s , was not at the hearing but was represented by his lawyer , sarah dines . ms dines told the judge that a doctor had assessed mr prest as being unable to attend the hearing , ` both emotionally and physically ' due to ill health . but the judge rejected his bid to adjourn the case for one year on the grounds of ill health , saying he was clearly not too ill to fly to new york . mr justice moylan , sitting at the high court family division in london , .<doc-sep>the ex-politician , who was also found guilty of having sex with an underage prostitute at his infamous bunga bunga parties . he was sentenced to seven years in jail for that offence and for abuse of office for trying to cover up the crime , but he still has two levels of appeal before the conviction and eventual punishment is confirmed . new documents released to a milan court this week show that prosecutors were satisfied that berlusconi had sex with karima el mahroug knowing she was underage - a consensus which led to his conviction in for using underage prostitutes earlier this year . in an explosive document it was revealed that the court found ` it is proved that the defendant had sexual relations with miss el mahroug - known as ruby the heartstealer - in exchange for considerable sums of money and other items such as jewellery . ' judges also concluded that the disgraced politician was the director of bunga bunga parties where female guests ' worked to satisfy the desires of the defendant ... staging lap dances and stripteases ' . high flying : the court documents revealed that miss mahroug was given ` considerable sums of money ' and jewellery to have sex with the prime minister . the case involving miss el mahroug is just the latest in a long line of scandals that has seen the 77-year-old former leader rarely out of the italian courts in the last few years . in august the disgraced politician lost his final appeal over a fraud conviction which handed him a four-year jail term . shockingly italian polls repeatedly show that many would still vote for him despite his outragous personal life . despite losing his appeal the media tycoon is unlikely to see the inside of a jail any time soon . his four year sentence has already been reduced to one year - under an amnesty for crimes committed before 2006 - because of his age and he has opted for the cushier choice of 12 months ' community service . | <t> george ryan , co-defendant claim they did n't get fair trial in 2006 . </t> <t> justices refuse to intervene in case , give no reason why . </t> <t> the men were convicted on charges related to bribery . </t> <t> ryan , a republican , served as illinois governor from 1999-2003 . </t> | ex-governor stays in jail after high court ignores appeal<T> |
-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the crib in ellen darcy 's boston home has sat empty for more than a year . and in suburban washington , laura teresinski has prepared a nursery for a baby that may never arrive . guatemala has announced it will conduct a case-by-case review of every pending foreign adoption case . they and thousands of prospective parents , eager to adopt children from abroad , have found themselves in an emotional legal limbo since two of the most popular countries for international adoptions -- guatemala and vietnam -- recently halted their programs . now would-be mothers and fathers around the united states wonder what will become of their quest to adopt a child -- a pursuit that can fray nerves , cost up to $ 30,000 and span several years . guatemala announced this month that it would conduct a case-by-case review of every pending foreign adoption case . that put on hold the adoption plans of about 2,000 american families . the crackdown comes amid reports that some in guatemala coerce mothers to relinquish their children for adoption -- or steal the children outright and present them as orphans . similar accusations have arisen in vietnam . after the united states accused adoption agencies there of corruption and baby-selling , vietnam said in april that it would no longer allow adoptions to the united states . `` my husband and i were absolutely devastated , '' teresinski said . `` adoptive parents have put a lot of emotional energy and a lot of financial resources in the process . '' vietnam 's decision affects several hundred families . families in the united states adopted 4,728 children from guatemala and 828 from vietnam last year . the halt in adoptions from those two nations unfolds against the backdrop of a dramatic rise in international adoptions in the united states . the number of foreign-born children adopted by u.s. families more than tripled from 1990 to 2004 , when it reached a high of 22,884 , though the figure has declined slightly each year since . in 2007 , the u.s. granted visas to 19,613 children so they could join an adoptive family in the united states , according to u.s. state department figures . about 70 percent of those children came from four countries : china , guatemala , russia and ethiopia . a few other countries have also halted foreign adoptions at various times , including kazakhstan and togo . yet the suspensions in vietnam and guatemala have had the biggest impact -- they 're two of the 10 countries that send the most children to adoptive homes in the unites states . fear of fraud stirs heartache . for darcy , the review seems more detrimental than helpful .<doc-sep>her adopted daughter , carolina , remains in a guatemalan foster home with three dozen other babies . darcy worries that keeping carolina , now 15 months old , in a foster home will harm her early development . `` she 's not getting one-on-one care by a consistent caretaker , '' darcy said , adding later , `` nobody is looking at this as a violation of the kids ' human rights except for these -lrb- american -rrb- parents . '' guatemala , which until now has had little to no oversight of its foreign adoptions , has the highest per capita rate of adoption in the world . nearly one in 100 babies born in guatemala wind up living with adoptive parents in the united states , according to the u.s. consulate in guatemala . while adoptive parents in the united states undergo rigorous screening , adoptions in guatemala had been processed by notaries responsible for determining whether the babies were relinquished voluntarily . they also arrange foster care and handle paperwork -- notaries in latin america tend to have more legal training than notaries in the united states . both guatemalan and u.s. officials fear the system leads to practices such as paying birth mothers for children or , in some instances , coercion . officials in both countries say gaps in regulations and the high sums of money at play -- adoptions can cost up to $ 30,000 -- may have created unintended incentives in a country where the state department estimates that 80 percent of the population lives in poverty . the guatemalan government has said its review could take a month or longer . as for the american families , they can only wait . `` i think it 's overkill , '' said darcy , who was matched with carolina last march and was approved to adopt the girl last winter -- typically one of the last steps before the actual adoption is complete . `` no adoptive parent wants to adopt an abducted child -- a child that was n't voluntarily relinquished -- but to keep them as hostages is unacceptable , '' darcy said . guatemala plans reforms . u.s. officials say they sympathize with the parents , but that reviews like the one in guatemala are in the best interest of the children . `` we feel for them , it 's a tough situation , '' said a state department official who is not authorized to speak on the record . '' -lrb- but -rrb- they 'll have the comfort of knowing american parents in the future who adopt from guatemala will get children from a system that has all the safeguards in place so that children are not exploited , '' the official said . in the past , guatemala required birth mothers to sign a document in court saying they were relinquishing their child . they were not required to reveal their reasons . now the government may require the presence of the birth mother and child . the goal is to verify identification and make sure the mother is giving up her child voluntarily . cleaning up guatemala 's adoption system is a step toward complying with the standards of the hague convention on intercountry adoption , an international agreement that governs adoptions from one country to another . about 70 nations have signed the convention , which seeks to ensure legitimate foreign adoptions .<doc-sep>the united states joined the international convention last year , and rules governing adoptions from one signatory nation to another took effect april 1 . the united states has stopped issuing visas to guatemalan children after that date , blocking their travel to america -- at least until concerns are addressed . `` we 're not pointing fingers at american parents , '' the state department official said . however , the review and changes in guatemala will ensure that it `` does not become a fertile ground for -lrb- wrongful -rrb- practices on any person , particularly children , who have not been orphaned . '' to offset corruption , the u.s. embassy has added its own requirement : that birth mothers appear with the baby to request a visa for the baby . in august , officials also began requiring two dna tests to confirm the identities of mother and child . still , the guatemalan solicitor general 's office has identified at least 80 cases of adoption irregularities , including baby stealing and false dna tests . and the guatemalan chief prosecutor 's office recently launched a criminal investigation into the two laboratories contracted to take dna samples from birth mothers and children . ` serious irregularities ' in vietnam . similar concerns of corruption recently emerged in vietnam , where investigators had found `` serious adoption irregularities , '' according to a report by the u.s. embassy in hanoi . documents had been forged or altered , the embassy said , and some parents were paid , tricked or forced into giving up their children for adoption . in some cases , the embassy said , children were offered for adoption without the knowledge or permission of their parents . the vietnamese government has denied the accusations . even so , it said in april that it would terminate its adoption agreement with the united states , saying it wo n't accept applications after july 1 . the program is scheduled to end september 1 . parents in the united states who were matched with an adoptive child in vietnam before july 1 will be allowed to adopt that child . prospective parents who had invested time and money , but had not been matched with an adoptive child , appear to be out of luck . private adoption agencies insist that nearly all adoptions from vietnam are problem-free , and they want the adoptions to continue . `` it 's hard to let go , because we know we can advocate for these children and make a real difference , '' said linda brownlee , executive director of the nonprofit adoption center of washington , which places children for adoption from russia , china , cambodia and vietnam . she hopes the united states and vietnam reach an agreement so that adoptions can continue . `` without it , i think children are going to be harmed . they are going to die needlessly , and there is going to be trafficking , '' brownlee said .<doc-sep>antigua , guatemala -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- for many years , guatemala has been a place of relatively uncomplicated adoptions for american parents . the small country 's government estimates as many as 17 babies leave each day for adoptive parents in the united states . carolina , a 3-month-old guatemalan girl , was bound for the u.s. until guatemalan authorities intervened . but that number could soon drop to zero because of concerns over alleged improprieties in the guatemalan adoption process . guatemalan president oscar berger announced recently that adoptions to the united states will be suspended on january 1 , 2008 , a decision that could leave nearly 3,000 babies currently in the adoption pipeline in legal limbo . `` this is our heritage , our future , '' said carmen wennier , head of guatemala 's social welfare bureau , who has criticized the adoption system . guatemala has the highest per capita rate of adoption in the world and the united states represents the largest number of adoptions , with an estimated one of every 100 guatemalan babies sent to the united states , according to the u.s. consulate in guatemala . u.s. officials estimate more than 5,000 adoptions from guatemala will be processed this year , an annual high which would make guatemala the second biggest origin of adoptive babies to the united states , behind china . adoption on hold after agency raided '' adoption has been a hotly contested issue in guatemala for years . while adoptive parents in the united states undergo rigorous screening , adoptions in guatemala are processed under a notary system that allows lawyers and judges to place children for adoption . both guatemalan and u.s. officials fear the system leads to practices such as paying birth mothers for children , or , some instances , using coercion . `` we have thousands of cases of guatemalan children who have been adopted to the united states and have had terrific experiences as adoptive children there , and frankly , have probably experienced a life more full of opportunity and support than they would have if they had been abandoned in guatemala , '' u.s. ambassador to guatemala james derham said . `` what we want to do is make sure that all adoptions are consistent with these kinds of ideas . '' both u.s. and guatemalan officials say gaps in the regulation and the high sums of money at play - adoptions can cost up to $ 30,000 to complete -- may have created unintended incentives in a country where the u.s. state department estimates 80 percent of the population lives in poverty .<doc-sep>a delegation of american senators which visited vietnam last year said allowing for special needs adoptions would be seen as a first step to resuming all adoptions . demand for inter-country adoptions has risen in recent years . for singles wanting a child , or couples unable or unwilling to conceive , the idea of adopting a foreign baby from an orphanage in a poor country is attractive . but programs in several developing countries , such as haiti and guatemala , have been beset by scandals and allegations of baby-selling . in september 2012 , officials from ireland and vietnam signed an agreement to restart adoptions which were halted in 2009 . partly as a result of fears over baby-selling scandals , the number of international adoptions has fallen to its lowest point in 15 years , according to annual statistics compiled by peter selman , an expert on international adoptions at britain 's newcastle university .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- a texas coroner declared the death of an adopted russian boy accidental , prompting moscow to demand a complete report from u.s. officials . max shatto , 3 , who was adopted from russia , lived in texas with his adoptive parents . he reportedly died on january 21 . russia 's foreign ministry expressed concerns over the ruling about his death , saying it did not receive the information from u.s. officials , but from the media . it asked the united states to provide russian consular representatives the relevant forensic documents , including a death certificate . `` we presume that this is not a final conclusion of the investigation . still expect from the u.s. authorities -- both texas and federal , including the u.s. department of state -- the most complete information on the progress and results of the inquiry , '' the russian foreign ministry said in a statement . a medical examiner in ector county determined the death was caused by a laceration of a small bowel artery due to blunt trauma to the abdominal area , said district attorney bobby bland . after texas boy 's death , russian official continues call for ban on adoptions . the bruising was consistent with a `` self-inflicted '' injury , according to bland . toxicology reports were negative and there were no substances found that could have contributed to the child 's death . the sheriff 's office said it is conducting more investigations with other agencies . the boy 's death drew international attention after a russian government child advocate said that the boy was `` killed '' or `` murdered . '' at a news conference last week , children 's rights commissioner pavel astakhov said he tweeted those words based on the initial reports he received about the death . he acknowledged he may have spoken too soon . still , he wants his country to ban all international adoptions of russian children . the boy 's death aggravated u.s. state department efforts to push through more than 500 adoption cases in which american families have already begun the process to adopt a russian child before moscow in december passed a law banning adoptions of russian children by americans . families in limbo after adoption ban . that law bans adoptions by americans ostensibly because of documented cases of abuse by adoptive parents . but others say the russian move is in retaliation for a u.s. law that places restrictions on russian human rights abusers . americans adopted close to 1,000 russian children last year , according to state department figures . though the number has been dropping in recent years , russia remains the third most popular foreign country -- after china and ethiopia -- for u.s. foreign adoptions .<doc-sep>justin carroll is the proud dad of a 6-week-old daughter in tennessee , but thus far he 's done his doting via facetime video phone calls from africa . since mid-november , carroll , 30 , has been living in congo , unwilling to leave until he gets exit papers allowing two newly adopted sons , 3-year-old canaan and 2-year-old neema , to travel with him . carroll and his wife , alana , 28 , are among scores of u.s. couples caught up in wrenching uncertainty , as a suspension of all foreign adoptions imposed by congolese authorities has temporarily derailed their efforts to adopt . scroll down for video ... stuck in congo : justin and alana carroll have adopted two sons from congo but justin has been stuck there since november after authorities stopped all foreign adoptions . religious calling : the couple from tennessee have been on several missionary trips to africa and when they had problems conceiving a biological child they decided to adopt from congo . while most of the families are awaiting a resolution from their homes in the u.s. , justin carroll and a few other parents whose adoptions had been approved have actually taken custody of their adopted children in kinshasa , congo 's capital . however , they say that promised exit papers for the children are now being withheld pending further case-by-case reviews , and the parents do n't want to leave kinshasa without them . ` justin is not going to leave the boys , ' alana carroll , said from the family 's home in jefferson city , tennessee , where she 's been caring for biological daughter carson since her birth on november 25 . justin carroll was not present for carson 's birth ; he left for africa almost a week earlier . pitter-patter : the couple are anxious to bring home their two sons so they can start a nornal life as parents . ` in a dire situation , we would just move there , ' said alana , referring to congo . ` leaving our sons there is not an option . ' the kindergarten teacher told the new york daily news : ` they are legally my children . they were raised orphans once and we 're not leaving them as orphans again . ' the religious couple had been trying to conceive a biological child for two years and had always planned to adopt as many children as they could . the couple had been on mission trips in africa , which is when they got the idea to adopt from congo . a few months before they became cannan and . neema 's parents , the carrolls found out that alana was pregnant , according to the ny daily news . alone : alana carroll , 28 , recently gave birth to the couple 's first biological daughter , which her husband still has not met as he waits in congo . lost their parents : congo is home to more than 800,000 children who 've lost both parents , in many cases because of aids . some seen here at this adoption home . according to unicef estimates , congo - long plagued by poverty and conflict - is home to more than 800,000 children who 've lost both parents , in many cases because of aids . until the suspension was announced in september , congo had been viewed by adoption advocates in the u.s. as a promising option at a time when the overall number of international adoptions has been plummeting . congo accounted for the sixth highest number of adoptions by americans in 2012 - 240 children , up from 41 in 2010 and 133 in 2011 . there are varied explanations for the suspension - explanations which reflect how international adoption has become a highly divisive topic . | <t> guatemala and vietnam say corruption , baby-stealing at heart of crackdown . </t> <t> nearly one in 100 babies born in guatemala are adopted by u.s. parents . </t> <t> crackdown puts children 's well-being at risk , adoption advocates say . </t> | halted foreign adoptions leave would-be parents in limbo<T> |
washington -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- a navy admiral engaged in sexual relations in the white house in 1990 with a federal employee whom he falsely told he was a widower , according to a report released friday by the defense department . rear adm. john stufflebeem was demoted and fired from his post as director of the navy staff . in march , when the report was submitted to pentagon officials , rear adm. john stufflebeem was demoted and fired from his post as director of the navy staff . stufflebeem told investigators he could n't remember the name of the woman he had an affair with . he also lied when he told investigators he did not engage in sexual relations with the woman , identified as `` jane doe , '' the defense department 's inspector general 's report said . jane doe , who was then unmarried and working for a federal agency , told the investigators the allegations were true , the report said . her supervisor and stufflebeem 's superiors supported her testimony . stufflebeem was convicted april 18 of making false official statements to investigators . after the hearing , called an admiral 's mast , he requested retirement . jane doe told investigators that she and stufflebeem began their affair on an overseas trip in 1989 , that the married admiral told her he was a widower who was raising his children as a single parent and that they had sexual relations several times , including once in a white house room reserved for `` military aides with overnight duties . '' she also told investigators that stufflebeem came to her home on the day in august 1990 when she learned he was married and that she called him `` scum , '' shut the door in his face and never spoke to him again . read the report -lrb- pdf -rrb- . `` we found ms. doe to be an extremely credible , candid and articulate witness who willingly participated in our interview with the knowledge and support of her husband , '' the report said . by contrast , the report said , stufflebeem 's testimony was `` inconsistent with the weight of the evidence , '' and `` it did not appear stufflebeem 's misstatements in these areas of testimony were inadvertent . '' at issue was stufflebeem 's removal from his post as a presidential aide in 1990 . stufflebeem testified that he initiated the request to leave his white house post because of `` close family personal problems . '' but his superiors testified that he was removed from the post because of his relationship with the woman -- and that he admitted the affair . jane doe 's supervisor told investigators that when she learned of the affair from doe , she confirmed stufflebeem 's marital status and told doe what she 'd learned . `` ms. doe 's reaction , according to the supervisor , was one of complete surprise and shock , '' the report said . the supervisor also said that she telephoned stufflebeem 's immediate supervisor to tell him of the affair and that when she called a few weeks later to follow up , the supervisor told her that `` everybody in town knew boomer was f ` ing some bimbo at the -lsb- federal agency -rsb- . '' stufflebeem , however , denied to investigators that he had a sexual relationship with jane doe , although he admitted to one kiss and said he had an `` inappropriate relationship '' with her because he told her about his marital problems .<doc-sep>`` i did not have sex with this woman , '' he said during one of two interviews with investigators . although he told investigators he could not remember the woman 's name , he testified that he `` had to live with shame for a long time '' after the `` inappropriate relationship '' ended , that he was `` racked with guilt '' and `` had a terrible time getting myself right with my family . '' `` so i have had a great 18-year career since i left the white house , '' he said , according to the report . `` if this is the end of it , then i still leave a rewarded individual , thankful for the blessings that i have had . '' investigators found stufflebeem 's remarks inconsistent . `` in our view , comments regarding guilt , shame , and the end of a distinguished naval career are incongruous with a physical relationship limited to one kiss , '' they wrote in the report . this year , according to the report , the inspector general 's office provided stufflebeem with its preliminary findings : that he 'd provided `` false and misleading testimony '' regarding the nature of his relationship with jane doe , his inability to recall her name and his representation to her of himself as a widower . stufflebeem responded with a vehement denial . '' -lsb- i -rsb- find it extremely regrettable , in a case that has such far reaching implications for my career , that you have chosen to question my integrity , '' he wrote in a february 15 letter . `` the unfortunate truth in this case is that , as a result of lack of evidence to substantiate the allegation of a sexual relationship and in lieu of investigating the underlying allegations , you have chosen to accuse me of being untruthful as i defended myself against these allegations . '' stufflebeem further castigated the investigators because , at that time , they had chosen not to interview jane doe `` in deference to ms. doe 's privacy , '' according to the report . doe `` readily agreed '' to testify when they contacted her after stufflebeem 's rebuttal . `` ms. doe confirmed that she and stufflebeem had an extensive physical relationship which began on an overseas trip and lasted intermittently for approximately eight months , '' the investigators wrote . `` the relationship included sexual intercourse on approximately one dozen occasions , to include intercourse during overseas travel , in the white house and in her home . '' doe also said stufflebeem told her that his wife had died of breast cancer , that a woman who answered the phone when she called his home was the children 's nanny and that he continued to wear his wedding ring `` for his daughters who missed their late mother . '' according to the report , the investigation began when investigators received an anonymous letter containing `` significant '' details about the affair . investigators had received another such letter in 1999 , but it contained no detail and was not investigated . stufflebeem became well known in the initial months of the war in afghanistan , when he often conducted on-camera television briefings as a pentagon spokesman . he was then deputy director for global operations on the joint staff . he was commander of the 6th fleet from may 2005 to september 2007 . during that time , he was deputy commander of naval forces europe , joint force maritime component commander in europe , commander of strike and support forces for nato , and allied commander with joint command lisbon . cnn senior pentagon correspondent jamie mcintyre contributed to this report .<doc-sep>eddie williams -lrb- pictured -rrb- was kicked out of the college earlier this year after being arrested for a series of robberies . a former alabama university football star allegedly admitted to having sex with his former high school teacher , who wanted to have his baby . top rated defensive back eddie williams , 20 , is said to have admitted the affair with his high school athletic director karissa wesley , 35 , after they became close when she tutored him . williams said he had sex with wesley ` about 10 times ' when he visited her house . another student , who was present and heard them having sex , told police he ended the affair when wesley talked about having williams ' baby . williams , who was kicked off the alabama squad earlier this year after being accused of taking part in a robbery on campus , said the affair took place in his senior year . williams at first denied the affair - but later confessed , according to major tommy ford with bay county sheriff 's office . details of the alleged affair emerged as wesley was suspended from her job as athletic director at arnold high school in bay county , florida . a former coach at the school is reported to have told school board members about the affair while school chiefs received an email from a former teacher peggy dawson . authorities said dawson 's email included a hand written letter from former football player andre allen who alleged that wesley and williams had sex .<doc-sep>but obama said : `` jim also understands the importance of working with our partners in congress . as he has said , not merely to appear when summoned , to keep congress informed and seek members ' consent . '' blair , a retired admiral , was pressured to resign as dni because of differences with the white house over the scope of his role and turf wars with cia director leon panetta and other members of the intelligence community . one source familiar with blair 's situation said that from the very beginning , `` the white house did not have the same view -lrb- as blair -rrb- of what the dni should be . '' panetta , in a statement saturday , said , `` few people have more intelligence experience than jim clapper . the men and women of the cia look forward to working closely with him in his new role to strengthen america 's national security . '' cnn 's pam benson contributed to this report .<doc-sep>according to yahoo news , the former massachusetts governor and 2012 republican nominee was asked to comment on the 42nd president in light of the gop 's recent ` resurrection ' of the clinton white house . former massachusetts governor mitt romney has described bill clinton as embarassing america on the world stage following the monica lewinsky affair . president clinton bites his lip as he is asked about his involvement in the monica lewinsky affair . the famous shot : bill clinton embraces monica lewinsky in a crowd outside the white house on november 6 , 1996 . hillary clinton is capable of standing on her away , away from her husband 's sex scandal , if and when she runs for president , mitt romney said sunday . ` he embarrassed the nation , ' romney said of clinton . ` he breached his responsibility , i think , as an adult and as a leader in his relationship . and i think that 's very unfortunate . ` but i do n't think that 's hillary clinton 's to explain . she has her own record , her own vision for where she would take the country . ` and i think that 's something which will be debated extensively during the 2016 campaign . ' bill clinton 's sexual relationship with lewinsky , who at the time was a 22-year-old white house intern , led to his impeachment in 1998 and subsequent trial .<doc-sep>the release of the 2000 report on lewinsky comes at a time when the former white house intern has stepped back into the public eye after more than a decade of trying to be private . lewinsky delivered her first high-profile speech since the affair at forbes ' 30 under 30 summit on tuesday and earlier this year vanity fair announced that the former white house intern was a contributor to the magazine . since then , lewinsky has penned pieces on cyberbullying and her life after the clinton affair . at the forbes appearance , lewinsky spoke at length about her confrontation with agents and lawyers that was detailed in the government report . `` it was just like you see in the movies , '' lewinsky said of the encounter . `` imagine , one minute i was waiting to meet a friend in the food court and the next i realized she had set me up , as two fbi agents flashed their badges at me . '' she added : `` immediately following , in a nearby hotel room , i was threatened with up to 27 years in jail for denying the affair in an affidavit and other alleged crimes . twenty-seven years . when you 're only 24 yourself , that 's a long time . chillingly , told that my mother too might face prosecution if i did n't cooperate and wear a wire ... my friends and my family were subpoenaed to testify against me . '' | <t> adm. john stufflebeem told investigators he could n't remember name of mistress . </t> <t> stufflebeem lied to mistress that his wife had died of cancer . </t> <t> stufflebeem was demoted and fired from his post as director of the navy staff . </t> <t> report : investigators received anonymous letter with `` significant '' details of affair . </t> | report : admiral 's affair included sex at white house<T> |
jakarta , indonesia -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- indonesia will withdraw from the organization of petroleum exporting countries at the end of the year , the country 's energy minister told foreign journalists wednesday . indonesia has become a net importer of oil due to declining production levels . purnomo yusgiantoro said the move follows declining oil production levels in indonesia that have left the country a net importer of oil .<doc-sep>`` in the future , if our production -lrb- comes -rrb- back again to the level that gives us a status as a net oil exporter , then i think we can go back to opec again , '' he said . `` but today we decided that we are pulling out of opec . '' it was not immediately clear what effect indonesia 's decision will have on global oil prices . however the move was not unexpected . indonesia , which joined opec in 1962 , is the only southeast asian country in the 13-nation oil cartel . oil production there has steadily decreased in the last decade because of disappointing exploration efforts and declining production , according to the u.s. energy information administration .<doc-sep>since 1996 , total production has dropped by 32 percent . the country 's current output quota for crude oil as set by opec is 1.45 million barrels a day -- well above its production capacity . in 2006 , indonesia imported more oil than it exported . cnn 's kathy quiano contributed to this report .<doc-sep>the price of a barrel of oil is just under $ 56 , down from a summer high of $ 107 , and lower than at any time since the u.s. was still in recession in the spring of 2009 . the plunge in prices is being blamed on a global imbalance of supply and demand that is rippling across the world economy , for better and worse . years of high oil prices , interrupted briefly by the recession , inspired drillers around the world to scour the earth 's crust for more oil and they found it . since 2008 oil companies in the u.s. , for example , have increased production by 70 percent , or 3.5 million barrels of oil per day . to put that in perspective , that increase alone is more than the production of any opec member other than saudi arabia . as u.s. production was ramping up , turmoil in the middle east and north africa reduced supplies from libya , iran and elsewhere . more to come ? oil prices have dropped sharply around the world , easing gasoline costs for u.s. driver . a balance was struck : increasing supplies from outside of opec and from iraq 's recovering oil industry helped meet rising demand around the world as other opec supplies waivered . but now those opec supplies look more certain despite continuing turmoil , and those non-opec supplies have swamped the market . opec estimated last week that the world would need 28.9 million barrels of its oil per day next year , the lowest in more than a decade . at the same time , opec countries plan to produce 30 million barrels of oil per day next year . that supply surplus is sending global prices lower .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- energy ministers at wednesday 's opec meeting in vienna agreed to maintain oil production levels , after negotiating in the shadow of flaring violence in the second-biggest city of iraq , one of the consortium 's key producers . more than 500,000 citizens have fled mosul as extremist militants overrun the town . the impact of the insurgency has so far been limited , but a drive into the deep south , around basra , or further into the kurdish region , could quickly alter the dynamics of the oil market . the opec agenda has also been destabilized by complications on the path to an agreement between world powers and iran over its nuclear program . further , chaos continues to reign in eastern libya , which has brought down the country 's production to an eighth of its pre-war average of 1.6 million barrels a day . opec agreed to keep production at 30 million barrels a day , despite rising production from iraq and iran . they will meet again in vienna in november . in a statement , opec said member countries affirmed they would `` if required , take steps to ensure market balance which is so important to world economic activity . '' further , they `` reiterated their willingness to firmly respond to developments that might jeopardize oil market stability . '' strategists say the cartel 's traditional swing producer saudi arabia -lrb- the one that balances market demand for opec crude -rrb- may need to step in to produce a record 11 million barrels a day to fill a potential void . the kingdom moved to increase production capacity to 12.5 million barrels a day when the former government in iran threatened to chock off exports through the strait of hormuz . the situation could be much worse for the group that produces about 40 % of the world 's daily oil output . these countries -- dominated by the major players of the middle east -- have enjoyed triple digit oil prices , meaning $ 100 or more , for three years . this has kept export revenues within opec above $ 1 trillion since 2011 . so far , we are witnessing the same scenario playing out in 2014 . four investment banks raised their annual forecasts for north sea brent based on the uncertainty that prevails over supply . at the same time , paris-based think tank the international energy agency said that opec production would need to rise in the second half since inventories for april were at their lowest level since 2008 . that amounts to a 180 degree turn in sentiment from the last time opec members convened in december . with north american output at a 30-year high as a result of the shale oil and gas boom , many expected opec members to be vying amongst themselves for global market share . the middle east uncertainty is allowing opec to delay tough decisions . long-time rivals iran and iraq both say they will take production to four million barrels a day in 2015 , if geo-politics and violence do not stand in the way . but all eyes will remain on iraq , and the insurgency . so far , the real oil bounty has not been hit . andrey kuzyaev , president of lukoil overseas , the russian oil group told me in an interview back in april `` to date we had zero cases of kidnappings and zero terrorist attacks . '' the company plans to move forward with an estimated investment of $ 36 billion in the west qurna field near basra in southern iraq . but the situation remains fluid . the iraqi government was hoping to boost production in kirkuk , near where the violence has broken out , from its recent low of 260 thousand barrels a day . those plans seem to be in jeopardy as the insurgence spreads . the siege of mosul : what 's happening ? why is it significant ? more from john defterios : investors welcome el-sisi . more from john defterios : putin 's 48 hours in st petersburg .<doc-sep>opec updated its daily global demand for crude this week ahead of the gathering , saying it will average 85.59 million barrels a day this year for a gain of just 1.3 percent on the year before . the year 2011 is not a great deal more promising , with opec saying demand will rise only 1.2 percent next year . these numbers are nearly in line with those from the international energy agency . so in this tepid recovery scenario , ministers are not eager to rock the boat . if they can keep oil prices in the range of $ 70-85 a barrel , where they have been for the better part of a year , their priorities for domestic infrastructure development can be met without stifling global growth . according to the center for global energy studies in london , in the current pricing scenario , the 12 opec member states will bring in $ 625 billion dollars this year , again historically high for the cartel .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- facetime with abdalla salem el-badri , secretary general of opec . abdalla salem el-badri , secretary general of opec , says $ 40 a barrel is not enough for oil producing countries in the current economic climate . | <t> indonesia to withdraw from opec at end of the year , energy minister says . </t> <t> purnomo yusgiantoro says indonesia more of an oil consumer than producer . </t> <t> low production means southeast asia 's only opec member is net oil importer . </t> | indonesia to withdraw from opec<T> |
-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- authorities have re-arrested three men in connection with the disappearance of an alabama teenager in aruba in 2005 , based on new evidence in the case , prosecutors announced wednesday . natalee holloway disappeared while on an aruba vacation in 2005 . brothers deepak and satish kalpoe were arrested in aruba at the same time authorities in the netherlands picked up joran van der sloot at the request of the aruban government , the statement said . van der sloot is attending school in holland . the three had previously been arrested in 2005 , aruban prosecutors noted in a statement , but a court released them , citing insufficient evidence . they are now charged with `` involvement in the voluntary manslaughter of natalee holloway or causing serious bodily harm to natalee holloway , resulting in her death , '' the statement said . watch interview with holloway 's father '' van der sloot , now 20 , and the kalpoes , now ages 24 and 21 , were the last people seen with holloway , 18 , as she left carlos n ' charlie 's nightclub in oranjestad , aruba , about 1:30 a.m. on may 30 , 2005 . all three men have maintained their innocence in her disappearance . view a timeline of the case '' no information was immediately available about what the new evidence was that led to the arrests .<doc-sep>aruban prosecutors said a team of detectives from the netherlands has been reviewing the holloway case at the request of authorities in aruba , and had been on the island as late as last month to complete the investigation . the kalpoe brothers were being interrogated by aruban police wednesday , aruba prosecutor dop kruimel told cnn . they will appear before a judge friday for a preliminary arrest hearing , in which the judge determines whether the arrest was credible , she said . the judge can then authorize their being detained for eight more days , meaning police have that much time to produce evidence . the suspects then go before a judge again , she said . van der sloot was arrested in arnhem , the netherlands , by dutch police , kruimel said . aruban authorities have asked for him to be extradited to aruba within eight days . because they were not familiar with the case , dutch police were not questioning van der sloot , she said . he will be questioned when he is brought back to aruba , she said . however , he will appear before a judge thursday in arnhem . when cnn called the kalpoe household , the person who answered the phone hung up . earlier , van der sloot 's mother , anita van der sloot , told cnn her son had not been arrested , but had only reported to a police station in the netherlands for questioning wednesday after receiving a letter asking him to do so .<doc-sep>anita van der sloot said she had spoken to her son briefly from her home in aruba . she said a dutch attorney was with him , and she expected him to appear before a judge and be released thursday . meanwhile , a spokeswoman for holloway 's mother , beth holloway , said in a statement , `` the family is always hopeful when a step in the right direction is made in the case . '' beth holloway was refusing interviews for now , said spokeswoman sunny tillman . she previously was known as beth holloway-twitty , but has returned to using holloway after a divorce earlier this year . natalee holloway was visiting aruba with a group of about 100 classmates celebrating their graduation from mountain brook high school in suburban birmingham , alabama , when she went to carlos n ' charlie 's that night in 2005 . the group had planned to leave for home the following day , and holloway 's packed bags and passport were found in her hotel room after she failed to show up for her flight . her disappearance triggered an exhaustive search and investigation and a media sensation in the united states , aruba , the netherlands and beyond , but holloway has never been found .<doc-sep>aruban authorities have been criticized for their handling of the case . at least 10 men , including van der sloot and the kalpoes , have been arrested and identified as suspects either in holloway 's disappearance or in an alleged cover-up . all were questioned and released . legal experts , however , have said differences in the u.s. and aruban systems should be taken into account . aruba 's criminal justice system is based on dutch law and a descendant of the napoleonic code . in aruba , authorities ' reasonable suspicion that someone knows about or is involved in a crime is enough to make an arrest , while magistrates investigate and judges determine a suspect 's guilt or innocence . there are no jury trials . aruban authorities , meanwhile , have suggested that holloway may have overdosed on drugs or died of alcohol poisoning . beth holloway and natalee holloway 's father , dave holloway , filed a lawsuit last year against van der sloot and his father , aruban judge paulus van der sloot , in the supreme court of the state of new york . the van der sloots were served with the suit while on a trip to new york . however , a judge in august 2006 dismissed the suit , saying new york was an inconvenient forum in which to consider it . it was unclear whether holloway 's parents have pursued legal action elsewhere . e-mail to a friend . cnn 's kimberly segal and eric marrapodi contributed to this report .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- beth holloway , the mother of long-missing alabama teenager natalee holloway , opposes a court petition to declare the her dead , an attorney said thursday . the petition was filed in june by dave holloway , beth holloway 's ex-husband . it will be heard in a jefferson county , alabama , probate court on friday . natalee holloway was 18 and had just graduated high school in the birmingham , alabama , suburb of mountain brook when she disappeared on a celebratory trip with classmates to aruba in 2005 . `` beth intends to oppose dave 's inexplicable effort to have natalee declared dead , '' attorney john q. kelly said in a statement . `` beth gave birth to and raised natalee , and will always hope and pray for natalee 's safe return . '' last week , dave holloway 's attorney said he filed the petition because he `` is seeking closure for his family . '' `` this is a normal proceeding for families when a loved one has been missing for an extended period of time , '' attorney karen hennecy said in a statement . `` alabama law requires a waiting period of five years when a body has not recovered and no death certificate has been issued . '' `` if dave seeks closure on such a personal and sensitive matter , it should be respected , but not imposed upon beth in such an adversarial and public manner , '' kelly said thursday . beth holloway said in a statement last week , issued through her natalee holloway resource center , which aids families of missing persons , that she learned about the filing when she was handed documents by a process server while addressing a conference in georgia . natalee holloway 's disappearance remains unsolved . a suspect , joran van der sloot , was arrested but never charged in connection with the disappearance . he was indicted on federal extortion charges last year after prosecutors accused him of offering to sell information about the location of holloway 's remains in exchange for $ 250,000 . van der sloot is awaiting trial on murder charges in peru in the death of a woman whose body was found in his hotel room last year . if convicted , prosecutors have said , he faces a 30-year prison term . -- cnn 's vivian kuo contributed to this report .<doc-sep>an alabama judge signed an order thursday declaring natalee holloway legally dead , attorneys for her family said . probate judge alan king signed the order after an afternoon hearing in jefferson county court in birmingham . holloway was 18 when she was last seen in the early hours of may 30 , 2005 , leaving a nightclub on the caribbean island of aruba with joran van der sloot and two other men . no one was charged in her disappearance , and her body has never been found . on wednesday , van der sloot -- who was detained twice in connection with holloway 's disappearance but never charged -- confessed in a lima court to murdering a 21-year-old peruvian woman five years after holloway went missing . natalee 's father , dave holloway , filed a petition to declare his daughter dead in june , six years after she went to the caribbean island with 100 classmates to celebrate their graduation from mountain brook high school in suburban birmingham . he was present at thursday 's hearing , as was his ex-wife , beth holloway . she opposed the move to declare natalee dead , pointing to a lack of evidence indicating her daughter is deceased and saying in a september statement that she `` will always hope and pray for natalee 's safe return . '' on thursday , she told reporters while leaving the courtroom that she was upset by the judge 's decision . `` natalee 's father wanted to see this through , and of course it makes me very sad , '' said beth holloway , who now works with groups and families of missing children . dave holloway acknowledged thursday that the ruling is `` tough , '' though he said he 's considered it a possibility ever since the fbi told him 10 days after his daughter went missing that they were approaching her case as a homicide . `` we 've been dealing with this death for the last six and a half years , '' he told reporters thursday . `` hopefully , this meeting today will -lrb- provide -rrb- some closure . '' in a hearing in september , king ruled the petition could go forward , according to cnn affiliate wbrc .<doc-sep>the dutchman 's extradition to the u.s. was approved last year in principle by peru 's supreme court , but only after he . serves out his sentence in lima . he could serve less than ten years in . peruvian prison for good behavior . now , by marrying a local peruvian , he . can automatically apply for peruvian citizenship , which will hinder . america 's chances of ever extraditing him . in 2010 , he was charged with attempting to extort $ 250,000 from natalee holloway 's mom in return for details about her daughter 's death . van der sloot took a $ 25,000 down payment and then traveled to peru on may 14 , 2010 , . a trip that ended with the murder of miss flores , whom he met in . a lima casino , on may 25 . the date is a chilling one to the holloway family , as it was five years to the day after the 18-year-old was last seen . tale of two women : stephany flores , left , was murdered five years after natalee holloway , right , went missing in . aruba . van der sloot was arrested twice in the holloway case , but never . charged . tying the knot ? dutch citizen joran van der sloot , pictured last january , is set to get married whilst in prison in peru .<doc-sep>in . 2010 , he was charged with attempting to extort $ 250,000 from natalee . holloway 's mom in return for details about her daughter 's death . van der sloot took a $ 25,000 down payment and then traveled to peru on may 14 , 2010 , a trip that ended with the murder of miss flores , whom he met in a lima casino , on may 25 . the date is a chilling one to the holloway family , as it was five years to the day after the 18-year-old was last seen . dutch citizen joran van der sloot walks inside the courtroom during the reading of his verdict , in the lurigancho prison in lima , peru on january 13 , 2012 . he was was sentenced to 28 years in prison for killing stephany flores in lima in 2010 . he took . cash and credit cards from miss flores before fleeing to chile , where he . was caught two days after her decaying body was found . he . confessed to the ` cruel ' murder , telling police he became enraged after . she found out about his suspected involvement in the natalee holloway . case . miss . | <t> new : via representative , holloway family expresses hope about developments . </t> <t> three men re-arrested in natalee holloway case , prosecutors say . </t> <t> one young man arrested in holland , two brothers picked up in aruba . </t> <t> they were the last people seen with holloway before she vanished in 2005 . </t> | three charged in natalee holloway 's death<T> |
new york -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- two u.s. customs agents were arrested on charges they helped smuggle drugs and other contraband through new york 's john f. kennedy international airport . the dea says two customs officials at jfk international airport helped smuggle drugs and contraband .<doc-sep>customs supervisor walter golembiowski and officer john ajello face narcotics , bribery and conspiracy charges in the case , according to the u.s. drug enforcement administration . golembiowski and ajello regularly solicited and accepted bribes to allow contraband to pass through undetected , the dea said .<doc-sep>two airport workers and two others were also charged with importing counterfeit goods . some of those items included rolex , cartier and chanel watches and designer sunglasses , the dea said . on several occasions , golembiowski was captured on audio and video taking bribes to aid his co-conspirators in bringing in illegal drugs and counterfeit goods . `` smuggling any kind of illegal commodity raises troubling issues at a time of deep concern over national security , '' said michael j. garcia , the u.s. attorney for the southern district of new york . `` the threat is heightened when a government official accepts bribes to help smugglers breach our borders . ''<doc-sep>the arrests came as a result of a lengthy sting operation by a state , local and federal task force . prosecutors said numerous recorded meetings and phone calls captured the suspects talking about plans to smuggle hashish , ecstasy and other illegal items . the investigation has led to the indictment and prosecution of more than 20 people -- `` from distributors to overseas sources of supply '' -- and the seizure of more than 600 pounds of imported hashish and other drugs from the united states and france , according to the statement .<doc-sep>by . jack williams . a plane passenger thought he 'd bleat-en the system by smuggling cocaine inside frozen goat meat - only to be nabbed by customs officers when he landed . yudishtir maharaj was stopped on march 20 at jfk airport in new york , by u.s. customs and border protection on an incoming flight from port of spain , trinidad . the 24-year-old handed over a laptop computer and a black suitcase at security . bleat : yudishtir maharaj was stopped on march 20 at jfk airport with three large packages of frozen meat containing cocaine , pictured .<doc-sep>new york -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- two u.s. customs agents were arrested on charges they helped smuggle drugs and other contraband through new york 's john f. kennedy international airport . the dea says two customs officials at jfk international airport helped smuggle drugs and contraband . customs supervisor walter golembiowski and officer john ajello face narcotics , bribery and conspiracy charges in the case , according to the u.s. drug enforcement administration . golembiowski and ajello regularly solicited and accepted bribes to allow contraband to pass through undetected , the dea said . two airport workers and two others were also charged with importing counterfeit goods . some of those items included rolex , cartier and chanel watches and designer sunglasses , the dea said . on several occasions , golembiowski was captured on audio and video taking bribes to aid his co-conspirators in bringing in illegal drugs and counterfeit goods . `` smuggling any kind of illegal commodity raises troubling issues at a time of deep concern over national security , '' said michael j. garcia , the u.s. attorney for the southern district of new york . `` the threat is heightened when a government official accepts bribes to help smugglers breach our borders . '' the arrests came as a result of a lengthy sting operation by a state , local and federal task force . prosecutors said numerous recorded meetings and phone calls captured the suspects talking about plans to smuggle hashish , ecstasy and other illegal items . the investigation has led to the indictment and prosecution of more than 20 people -- `` from distributors to overseas sources of supply '' -- and the seizure of more than 600 pounds of imported hashish and other drugs from the united states and france , according to the statement .<doc-sep>border agents arrested the crew at london 's heathrow airport on suspicion of involvement in smuggling prohibited drugs into the united kingdom , customs spokesman bob gaiger said . he said he was not able to disclose what led investigators to believe the suitcases belonged to the crew members . customs officials interviewed the crew members overnight , and all were released on bail wednesday pending further inquiries , gaiger said . they were not charged , according to the airline . south african airways said it launched its own investigation involving the airline 's security and the south african police service . `` saa has a zero-tolerance approach towards the use of the airline 's services for any criminal activity , '' airline spokeswoman robyn chalmers said .<doc-sep>a man from sierra leone has been charged with brokering a uranium deal intended for iran , federal officials revealed today . patrick campbell , 33 , was arrested on wednesday at jfk airport in new york after traveling to the u.s. via paris from sierra leone with a sample of uranium hidden in the soles of his shoes and in his luggage . campbell was arrested after being caught in a federal undercover operation where he had agreed to sell homeland security . agents 1000 tons of yellowcake uranium to be supplied to iran . smuggling : patrick campbell , 33 , was arrested on wednesday at jfk airport in new york after being caught in a sting trying tao broker a uranium deal intended for iran . when it is processed , yellowcake uranium can be used in nuclear weapons . the u.s. bans the supply of such material to country 's such as iran which are outspoken about their nuclear ambitions . according to the smoking gun , campbell told an undercover agent that he had connections to a sierra leone firm that deals in uranium and precious minerals . when he was arrested , campbell had an onward ticket for miami . | <t> dea says two agents regularly accepted and solicited bribes . </t> <t> they and four others allegedly smuggled illegal contraband and drugs . </t> <t> investigation has led to the indictment and prosecution of more than 20 people . </t> <t> arrests follow a lengthy investigation by state and federal authorities . </t> | customs agents charged with smuggling at jfk airport<T> |
-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- more than 100 countries attending a conference in dublin , ireland formally adopted a treaty friday to ban cluster bombs -- a large , unreliable and inaccurate weapon that often affects civilians long after the end of armed conflict . cluster bombs are usually air-dropped shells that eject multiple small bomblets to kill enemy soldiers . a document released by ireland 's department of foreign affairs says the countries agreed never to use cluster munitions or the explosive bomblets they contain . the countries also agreed never to develop , acquire , retain or transfer cluster munitions . countries attending the 11-day conference agreed to the treaty wednesday but formally signed it friday . the accord calls for a total , immediate ban of the weapons , strong standards to protect those injured by them , contaminated areas to be cleaned up as quickly as possible and for the weapons to be immediately destroyed , he said . thomas nash , coordinator of the cmc campaigning organization , said wednesday : `` this is a great achievement for everyone who has been working hard to see the end of 40 years of suffering from these weapons . '' though some of the biggest makers of cluster bombs , including the united states , russia , china and israel , were not involved in the talks and have not signed the accord , organizers predicted that those nations would nevertheless be pressured into compliance . `` take the united states , '' nash said . `` almost all of its allies are here . they 've decided to ban these weapons . that 's going to make it extremely difficult , if not impossible , for the united states to ever use these weapons again , either on its own or in joint operations . ''<doc-sep>the agreement requires the destruction of stockpiles of the weapons within eight years , he said . cluster munitions , which break apart in flight to scatter hundreds of smaller bomblets , are what the international committee of the red cross calls a `` persistent humanitarian problem . '' most of a cluster bomb 's bomblets are meant to explode on impact , but many do not . estimates show the weapons fail to explode on impact between 10 and 40 percent of the time , the red cross says . that means unexploded bomblets lie scattered across a target area , often exploding only when handled or disturbed -- posing a serious risk to civilians . last week , acting assistant secretary for political-military affairs stephen d. mull called it `` an absolute moral obligation '' to rid a battlefield of unexploded ordnance after the battle . but he also predicted that the united states would not agree to any ban . `` we think that it is going to be impossible to ban cluster munitions ... because these are weapons that have a certain military utility and are of use , '' mull said . `` the united states relies on them as an important part of our own defense strategy . '' instead , he urged that the weapons be regulated `` to take humanitarian considerations into account '' and that `` technological fixes '' be pursued that would render them harmless after a battle .<doc-sep>during the 34-day war in lebanon in 2006 , the united nations estimated that israel dropped 4 million bomblets , 1 million of which may not have exploded , according to the international committee of the red cross . more than 250 civilians and bomb-disposal operators have been killed or injured by them in southern lebanon since the war ended . cluster bombs were also used in the 1999 war in kosovo . lt. col. jim burke , a military adviser to the irish defense forces said they quickly became a major killer of civilians . in more than 20 countries , according to the icrc , cluster bombs have created lasting `` no-go '' areas , rendering them as dangerous as minefields . laos is the most affected country . millions of bomblets dropped during the vietnam war continue to kill civilians more than three decades later . still , militaries consider cluster bombs important for use against multiple targets dispersed over a wide area , such as tanks or military personnel moving across the landscape . a single bomb containing hundreds of submunitions can cover more than 18 square miles . cnn 's jacqueline clyne contributed to this report .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- more than 100 countries attending a conference in dublin , ireland formally adopted a treaty friday to ban cluster bombs -- a large , unreliable and inaccurate weapon that often affects civilians long after the end of armed conflict . ali wansa , a 44-year-old lebanese national , lost his leg to a cluster bomb . the countries agreed never to use cluster munitions or the explosive bomblets they contain , and they also agreed never to develop , acquire , retain or transfer cluster munitions , according to the official treaty document . the 111 countries attending the two-week meeting agreed to the treaty wednesday but formally signed it friday . the countries said they are `` deeply concerned '' about civilians suffering the long-term effects of cluster bombs . they are `` concerned that cluster munition remnants kill or maim civilians , including women and children , obstruct economic and social development , including through the loss of livelihood , impede post-conflict rehabilitation and reconstruction , delay or prevent the return of refugees and internally displaced persons , can negatively impact on national and international peace-building and humanitarian assistance efforts , and have other severe consequences that can persist for many years after use , '' the document said . in addition to calling for a total , immediate ban of the weapons , the international accord calls for strong standards to protect those injured by them and to make sure that contaminated areas are cleaned up as quickly as possible and that the weapons are immediately destroyed , a spokesman for the cluster munition coalition told cnn . some of the biggest makers and users of cluster bombs cited by human rights groups -- such the united states , russia , china and israel -- were not involved in the talks and did not sign the accord . organizers expressed hope that those nations would nevertheless be pressured into compliance . `` even though we all know that there are important states not present , i am also convinced that together we will have succeeded in stigmatizing any future use of cluster munitions , '' said micheal martin , ireland 's minister for foreign affairs . martin said he ultimately wants to see all u.n. member states ratify the treaty . the agreement requires the destruction of stockpiles of the weapons within eight years , said thomas nash , coordinator of the cluster munition coalition . cluster munitions , which break apart in flight to scatter hundreds of smaller bomblets , are what the international committee of the red cross has called a `` persistent humanitarian problem . '' most of a cluster bomb 's bomblets are meant to explode on impact , but many do not . credible estimates show the weapons fail to explode on impact between 10 and 40 percent of the time , according to the international committee of the red cross . that means unexploded bomblets lie scattered across a target area , often exploding only when handled or disturbed -- posing a serious risk to civilians . earlier this month , a u.s. state department representative called it `` an absolute moral obligation '' to rid a battlefield of unexploded ordnance after the battle . but acting assistant secretary for political-military affairs stephen d. mull said the united states was attempting to solve the problem through a disarmament body called the convention on certain conventional weapons , or the ccw , which meets in geneva and comprises major military powers and military trade producers . the ccw is to meet next in july . the united states would not agree to any ban because the country considers cluster munitions an important part of its defense strategy , mull said . he urged regulation of the weapons to render them harmless after battle . during the 34-day war in lebanon in 2006 , the united nations estimated that israel dropped 4 million bomblets , 1 million of which may not have exploded , according to the icrc . more than 250 civilians and bomb-disposal operators have been killed or injured by them in southern lebanon since the war ended . cluster bombs were also used in the 1999 war in kosovo . `` very quickly after the kosovo conflict , the major killer of civilians -lrb- was -rrb- not antipersonnel mines or anti-vehicle mines or conventional munitions , but these munitions , '' said lt. col. jim burke , a military adviser to the irish defense forces . in more than 20 countries , according to the icrc , cluster bombs have created lasting `` no-go '' areas , rendering them as dangerous as minefields . laos is the most affected country . millions of bomblets dropped during the vietnam war continue to kill civilians more than three decades later . still , militaries consider cluster bombs important for use against multiple targets dispersed over a wide area , such as tanks or military personnel moving across the landscape . a single bomb containing hundreds of submunitions can cover more than 18 square miles .<doc-sep>four of the world 's biggest cluster bomb makers -- russia , china , israel and the united states -- have not signed the ban , claiming the devices are a vital part of their defense strategy . `` we want all other users and producers of these munitions around the world to follow in our footsteps , '' said brown . `` we want nothing less than a full global ban on cluster munitions , with all countries signing up to the international convention . there can be no place in the international community for cruel and indiscriminate weaponry such as cluster bombs . '' in addition to calling for a total , immediate ban of the weapons , the treaty calls for strong standards to protect those injured . it urges that contaminated areas be cleaned up quickly and weapons immediately destroyed , the cluster munition coalition has said . the agreement , due to come into force in august , also requires the destruction of stockpiles of the weapons within eight years , the coalition has said .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the united states and russia were absent wednesday as representatives from countries from around the world gathered to sign a treaty banning the use of cluster bombs . french troops examine cluster bombs collected after the lebanon conflict of 2006 . some 111 countries were due to adopt the convention on cluster munitions at an all-day signing ceremony in oslo , norway . but four of the biggest cluster bomb makers -- russia , china , israel and the united states , which claims the devices are a vital part of its defense strategy , stayed away . cluster munition coalition activists behind the agreement expressed disappointment at the absence of the big four , but insisted it would n't undermine the treaty as it passes into international law . `` obviously it 's very disappointing that those countries are n't here , but at the same time , the strong message that this treaty sends will make it very clear to those countries that these are unacceptable weapons and inappropriate in future conflicts , '' cmc co-chair richard moyes told cnn from oslo . `` the treaty and the stigma that it builds will make it practically and politically much more difficult for them to use these weapons again in the future , '' moyes added about the absent countries . `` many of their partners will no longer be allowed to use these weapons , and clearly recognize these weapons as far too costly in humanitarian terms . '' cluster munitions , which break apart in flight to scatter hundreds of smaller bomblets , are described by the international committee of the red cross as a `` persistent humanitarian problem . '' most of a device 's bomblets are meant to explode on impact , but many do not . credible estimates show the weapons fail between 10 and 40 percent of the time , leaving civilians at risk of harm from unexploded ordnance , the icrc says . in addition to calling for a total , immediate ban of the weapons , the oslo accord calls for strong standards to protect those injured . it urges that contaminated areas be cleaned up quickly and weapons immediately destroyed , the cmc said . the agreement requires the destruction of stockpiles of the weapons within eight years , said thomas nash , coordinator of the cluster munition coalition . earlier this year , a u.s. state department representative called it `` an absolute moral obligation '' to rid a battlefield of unexploded ordnance after battle , but the insists cluster munitions are an important part of its defense strategy that can be regulated post-conflict . during the 34-day war in lebanon in 2006 , the united nations estimated that israel dropped 4 million bomblets , 1 million of which may not have exploded , according to the icrc . more than 250 civilians and bomb-disposal operators have been killed or injured by them in southern lebanon since the war ended . cluster bombs were also used in the 1999 war in kosovo . in more than 20 countries , according to the icrc , cluster bombs have created lasting `` no-go '' areas , rendering them as dangerous as minefields . laos is the most affected country . millions of bomblets dropped during the vietnam war continue to kill civilians more than three decades later .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- it was cloudy the afternoon of january 3 when residents say the cluster bombs fell on the syrian town of latamneh . three rockets containing the cluster munitions fell in nearby fields , apparently doing no harm , but a fourth landed on the street between residential buildings . its impact was devastating . read more : journalists die amid syrian clashes . one man was driving down the street when submunitions from the rockets exploded , killing him instantly , residents said . fifteen civilians walking down the street or in their homes were wounded , including women and children , according to two residents and video evidence . residents said that an hour after the attack , a submunition that had failed to detonate on impact killed a man who tried to remove it from his yard . it exploded in his hands . since mid-2012 , human rights watch and others have reported several times on civilian casualties caused by syrian use of air-dropped cluster bombs , but latamneh and other recent attacks are the first known instances of syrian use of ground-based cluster munitions . the rockets were apparently launched from the vicinity of nearby hama airport , which is under government control . evidence we have seen suggests that syrian government forces delivered the 122mm cluster munition rockets containing submunitions using a bm-21 grad multi-barrel rocket launcher , a truck-mounted system capable of firing 40 rockets nearly simultaneously with a range of 4 to 40 kilometers -lrb- 2.5 to 25 miles -rrb- . grad rocket launchers are notorious for their inability to be accurately targeted due to their lack of a guidance system . this exacerbates the danger from the wide-area effect of the submunitions the rockets contain . more : syrian regime denies use of cluster bombs . many countries , including lebanon and cambodia , have experienced civilian casualties from similar types of submunitions , both at the time of attack and from submunitions that did n't explode on initial impact . each submunition is the size of a d-cell battery with a distinctive white ribbon , and the design of their fuze system makes each one very sensitive and liable to detonate if disturbed . after years of civilian harm caused by cluster munitions , israel 's massive use of the weapons in southern lebanon in 2006 helped propel governments into action . working with civil society groups such as human rights watch and international organizations , a broad-based coalition of like-minded governments sought to do something to reduce the unacceptable harm caused by cluster munitions . read more : moscow suspends consular operations in aleppo . the resulting convention on cluster munitions , adopted may 30 , 2008 , comprehensively prohibits cluster munitions and requires their clearance and assistance to victims . a total of 111 nations , including many former users , producers , and stockpilers of the weapon , as well as countries contaminated by cluster munition remnants , have embraced the ban convention . yet there has been limited interest in the middle east and north africa regions , where just three countriesâ $ '' iraq , lebanon , and tunisiaâ $ '' are onboard the treaty banning cluster bombs . some nations , such as jordan , say they need more time to study the convention 's provisions , while others including egypt , iran , and israel have produced , imported , exported , and stockpiled cluster munitions . read more : envoy : 2013 could bring 100,000 deaths in syria . the 122mm cluster munition rockets used by syria bear the markings of the egyptian state-owned arab organization for industrialization and an egyptian company called sakr factory for development industries . syria could have bought these cluster munitions from egypt , received them through military cooperation , or acquired them another way . with no transparency , it is impossible to say how or when they were made or transferred , though it is likely syria acquired them long ago . syria 's relentless use of cluster munitions , including in populated areas , is yet another sign of its blatant disregard for international law and the protection of its own civilians . syria 's use of cluster munitions runs counter to the new international standard being created by the convention on cluster munitions , rejecting any use of the weapons . the preventive impact of the convention and the standard it is establishing can already be seen as countries that have joined the ban rapidly destroy their stockpiles of cluster munitions . in syria , every time the government has used cluster munitions and other explosive weapons , a lethal legacy of unexploded ordnance is created . given the terrible humanitarian impact , all governments , regardless of their position on joining the ban convention , should press syria to stop using cluster munitions . read more : ` innocence ' survives 11 hours under bomb rubble in syria . | <t> 111 countries formally agreeing treaty banning cluster bombs . </t> <t> u.s. not attending and not expected to agree to banning cluster bombs . </t> <t> controversial weapons often do n't explode but stay dangerous for civilians . </t> | countries agree cluster bomb ban<T> |
lagos , nigeria -lrb- ap -rrb- -- a rebel group that has been attacking oil pipelines in southern nigeria claimed responsibility on monday for another strike and said it killed 11 government soldiers in fighting that followed the sabotage . a fire burns following an attack on a pipeline in nigeria in december 2006 . the nigerian military confirmed an attack on an oil pipeline and an explosion , but called the claim that 11 soldiers were killed a `` lie '' and `` pure propaganda . '' the movement for the emancipation of the niger delta , or mend , issued a statement saying it `` successfully sabotaged another major trunk pipeline '' belonging to the shell petroleum development company in the country 's rivers state .<doc-sep>`` minutes after the sabotage , our fighters encountered a military gunboat which opened fire blindly on the advance guard . we flanked them in a counter-attack and killed in close combat all the drunken soldiers numbering eleven , collecting their weapons , ammunitions and bullet-proof vests before using dynamite to sink the gunboat with its dead occupants , '' mend said . mend also said they found two `` traumatized , adolescent girls '' who were gang-raped by nigerian soldiers . `` they were dropped off in the neighboring village by our men who have since returned safely to camp , '' the statement said . the military had no immediate response to that claim . analysts say that one reason for record high gas prices in the united states is a spate of attacks on oil pipelines in nigeria , the fourth largest supplier of oil to the united states .<doc-sep>exxon and shell are two of several companies that had been extracting two million barrels of oil a day in nigeria . yet rebel attacks on oil pipelines in the niger delta have cut overall production by roughly 10 percent -- meaning 200,000 fewer barrels of oil on some days . the rebel group hopes to secure a greater share of oil wealth for people in the niger delta , where more than 70 percent of the population lives on less than a dollar a day . mend has bombed pipelines and kidnapped hundreds of foreign oil workers , typically releasing them unharmed , sometimes after receiving a ransom payment . the nigerian government has proposed a peace summit to find a solution to the region 's problems , but an immediate resolution does not appear in sight .<doc-sep>but the nigerian military tried to assure residents that it would retake the town . `` we are not conceding any portion of this country to any terrorist group , '' said maj. gen. chris olukolade , a defense ministry spokesman . `` we are going to reverse every form of insecurity in that area very soon . '' boko haram launched an offensive against damboa 's military base and police station july 4 that left six soldiers and five policeman dead , according to nigeria 's defense ministry . but 50 militants were also killed that day , leading residents such as ahmed buba to think they had returned to exact revenge . `` we were defenseless because all the security personnel , including soldiers and policemen , have withdrawn , '' buba said . boko haram -- whose name translates to `` western education is forbidden '' in the hausa language -- caused international outrage when it abducted 276 girls on april 14 from a nigerian boarding school .<doc-sep>in apparently unrelated incidents on tuesday , two nigerian soldiers were killed farther northeast , in the city of bama in borno state , during coordinated attacks on multiple targets by more than 100 boko haram militants armed with machine guns , rocket-propelled grenades and anti-aircraft weapons mounted on vehicles , said joint task force spokesman lt. col. sagir musa . on wednesday , president goodluck jonathan said that dozens of people had been killed in tuesday 's attack , according to a statement from his adviser , reuben abati . at least 13 suspected militants were also killed during the attacks , police said .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- nigerian forces fought off boko haram militants in the northeastern city of maiduguri , military officials said monday , but the extremists seized another town in the same state . hundreds of boko haram gunmen launched a predawn attack sunday on maiduguri , the capital of borno state . soldiers repelled the attacks , and officials have since eased a curfew imposed as a result , said col. sani usman , a military spokesman . but a simultaneous attack on nearby monguno town was a different story . the islamist militants captured the town , together with its military barracks , a nigerian military officer said . it 's unclear how many people were wounded or killed during the battle for the two cities . `` our soldiers initially repelled the terrorists but they mobilized more fighters and came back in full force . they overwhelmed our troops and forced them to retreat , '' the military officer said . he asked not to be named because he 's not authorized to speak to the media . monguno is about 135 kilometers -lrb- 85 miles -rrb- from maiduguri . the former has a population of 100,000 while maiduguri has about 600,000 .<doc-sep>lagos , nigeria -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- militants in nigeria 's oil-rich southern delta region said they killed six government soldiers after the military attacked one of its camps on thursday . heavily armed nigerian rebels pose a constant threat to oil pipelines in the country . the movement for the emancipation of the niger delta , in an e-mail , said three military gunboats attacked one of its camps around the ke river in the country 's rivers state . the group said the gunboats were repelled , with six soldiers dying and three militant fighters wounded in the skirmish . | <t> rebel group claims responsibility another strike on a gas pipeline . </t> <t> mend group say it killed 11 government soldiers in fighting following sabotage . </t> <t> group says pipeline belongs to shell petroleum development company . </t> | nigerian militants : we killed drunken soldiers<T> |
-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- sen. barack obama received key endorsements friday from a top former clinton administration official and two former democratic senators . robert reich , a former labor secretary under president clinton , endorsed sen. obama friday . robert reich , a former clinton cabinet member and longtime friend of the former president , formally endorsed obama 's white house bid , saying that `` my conscience wo n't let me be silent any longer . '' `` although hillary clinton has offered solid and sensible policy proposals , obama 's strike me as even more so , '' reich wrote on his blog . he served as the secretary of labor from 1993-1997 and is currently a professor at brandeis university . `` his plans for reforming social security and health care have a better chance of succeeding , '' reich continued . `` his approaches to the housing crisis and the failures of our financial markets are sounder than hers ... he has put forward the more enlightened foreign policy and the more thoughtful plan for controlling global warming . '' reich , whose relationship with the clintons dates back to their law school days at yale , has long been a critic of the new york senator 's white house bid . shortly before the iowa caucuses in january , he wrote that voters would have a choice `` between someone who talks the talk , and somebody who 's walked the walk . '' `` i do n't get it , '' he wrote then . `` if there 's anyone in the race whose history shows unique courage and character , it 's barack obama . hrc 's -lsb- hillary rodham clinton 's -rsb- campaign , by contrast , is singularly lacking in conviction about anything . '' reich also criticized bill clinton earlier in the year over the former president 's sharp attacks on obama in south carolina . `` bill clinton 's ill-tempered and ill-founded attacks on barack obama are doing no credit to the former president , his legacy , or his wife 's campaign , '' he wrote in january . `` nor are they helping the democratic party . '' asked to respond to reich 's endorsement , clinton spokesman mo eleithee said , `` did n't he endorse him last year ? ''<doc-sep>reich is the latest former clinton administration official to announce his support for obama . last month , new mexico gov. bill richardson , who held several positions under bill clinton , also came out in support of the illinois senator . clinton supporter and cnn political analyst james carville later called that an `` act of betrayal . '' meanwhile , the obama campaign announced that former sens. sam nunn of georgia and david boren of oklahoma endorsed the illinois senator , and agreed to serve on the campaign 's national security policy team . nunn served 25 years in the senate and was chairman of the senate armed services committee from 1987 to 1995 . he said obama is `` our best choice to lead the nation . '' `` i believe that he will bring to the white house , high principles , clear vision and sound judgment , '' he added . boren -- who served in the senate from 1979 to 1994 and is the longest-serving chairman of the senate select committee on intelligence -- was one of bill clinton 's top choices to replace les aspes in 1994 as u.s. secretary of defense . he said obama is a person of `` sound and good judgement . '' obama responded to the endorsements in a statement , saying the two `` will be important sources of advice and counsel for our campaign in the months ahead . '' watch more from the campaign trail '' the endorsements come just four days before pennsylvania 's april 22 primary . at stake : 158 delegates . also on friday , clinton accused obama of `` complaining '' about wednesday night 's debate in pennsylvania and hinted her rival might not be equipped to handle the rigors of the oval office . watch more from wednesday 's debate '' obama said thursday that clinton was `` in her element '' at the debate , telling a north carolina crowd she `` took every opportunity to get a dig in . '' `` that 's her right to kind of twist the knife in a little bit , '' he said , before adding that he understands why she 's using what he calls the tactics of the gop . watch more of obama 's comments ''<doc-sep>clinton told an interviewer friday morning on wtxf in philadelphia that `` being asked tough questions in a debate is nothing like the pressures you face inside the white house . '' `` when the going gets tough you ca n't run away , '' she said of obama . meanwhile , obama faced more criticism friday -- this time from sen. john mccain . mccain 's campaign is crying foul over what it characterizes as repeated distortions from obama . the most recent dustup comes after obama criticized mccain earlier friday for comments the arizona senator made in an interview on bloomberg television . `` john mccain went on television and said that there has been quote ` great progress economically over the last seven and a half years , ' '' obama told a pennsylvania crowd . `` john mccain thinks our economy has made great progress under george w. bush . now , how could somebody who has been traveling across this country , somebody who came to erie , pennsylvania , say we 've made great progress ? '' the mccain campaign immediately took issue with the comment , noting the arizona senator also said he knows families are facing `` tremendous economic challenges . '' `` american families are hurting and barack obama is being recklessly dishonest , '' mccain spokesman tucker bounds said . the mccain campaign has long argued obama has a habit of twisting mccain 's words . e-mail to a friend . cnn 's alexander mooney , rebecca sinderbrand , ed hornick , peter hamby and chris welch contributed to this report .<doc-sep>neither clinton nor biden have officially announced that they 're running to take over the white house after president obama 's second term ends in 2016 , but their actions have been speaking for them . clinton has made a number of speeches at conferences after taking a break from the public eye following the end of her term as a cabinet member in january . picking sides ? many read into president obama 's decision to be interviewed for the first time after being re-elected alongside clinton instead of biden . publicly supportive : vice president biden spoke at the clinton global initiative conference late last month , as the event is run by his possible rival and her husband . as she was leaving office , she sat down for a televised interview along with president obama , and that was viewed in political circles as a silent endorsement by her former competitor as he chose to have clinton in that interview and not his vice president . biden has been doing his own campaigning , however , as he attended a function in the crucial primary battleground state of iowa last month . even still , that might not be enough as three of president obama 's top aides have all publicly stated that they think the democratic nomination belongs to clinton . ' i think that hillary clinton probably will be the candidate . if she does n't run , i think biden will run , ' former senior white house advisor david axelrod said in a june interview according to politico .<doc-sep>`` the conventional wisdom is that barack obama will pick up maybe 60 percent of them , and in some places , that makes a huge difference , '' former presidential adviser david gergen said . time magazine journalist joe klein said , `` i do n't think he endorses hillary clinton . the question is whether or not he endorses barack obama . '' klein contends clinton `` represents a lot of the things that -lsb- edwards -rsb- campaigned against , you know , the old washington democratic establishment that he believes got too close to the corporations in the '90s . '' edwards had campaigned on the message that he was standing up for the little guy , the people who are not traditionally given a voice in washington , and that he would do more to fight special interests . edwards announced he was dropping out wednesday afternoon in new orleans , the same city where he declared his run for the 2008 democratic presidential race . `` it is time for me to step aside so that history can blaze its path , '' he said . with his wife , elizabeth , and children at his side , edwards said he could n't predict `` who will take the final steps to 1600 pennsylvania ave. , '' but he said it would be a democrat . `` we must do better if we want to live up to the promise of this country we love so much , '' he said . earlier , an edwards aide said the candidate was not getting the media attention he needed to get his message out and win delegates , especially with races coming up in 22 states tuesday .<doc-sep>hillary clinton already has a running mate for 2016 in mind , according to several news sources . clinton is reportedly eying incoming housing and urban development secretary julian castro for the role of vice president should she run again and is keeping the former san antonio , texas , mayor and his twin brother , rep. joaquin castro , ` very close ' just in case , says the washington post . ` clearly , if you were putting together a list of five people in the country who could potentially be a contributing running mate , you would have to put julian castro on that list , ' henry cisneros , former hud secretary for bill clinton , told wapo . this photo of hillary clinton and julian castro , taken at an event in los angeles last year , appeared on castro 's old facebook page , which has since been shut down to make way for his new housing and urban development secretary page . clinton is reportedly grooming castro to join her 2016 presidential campaign as her number two . ' a lot of people have mentioned the clinton-castro ticket , which i think would be very attractive , ' democratic strategist maria cardona told real clear politics last year . the rising democratic star has long been considered a potential running mate for clinton or another democratic presidential candidate in 2016 , but until recently he did n't have the kind of national profile and experience that is generally associated with the nation 's second in command . that all changed when president barack obama nominated him as hud secretary in may , a position he was confirmed for last month . at 39 , castro is now the youngest member of obama 's cabinet . castro was previously approached by the president to serve as transportation secretary but passed , against the advice of his mentor .<doc-sep>although hillary clinton went down to defeat to president obama in a close primary contest in 2008 , she has stayed in the public eye as the president 's top diplomat . power couple : bill clinton says he has ` no earthly idea ' of whether his wife hillary will seek the top office in 2016 . in that role , clinton , who had been a u.s. senator from new york , has built a reputation as a capable stateswoman and a loyal lieutenant to the president . she is frequently rated as the most popular member of obama 's cabinet . clinton has said she will step down from her current job whether the president wins re-election to another four-year term on november 6 or not . ` she wants to take some time off , kind of regroup . write a book , ' her husband said . presidential : hillary clinton has built a reputation as a capable stateswoman and a loyal lieutenant to president obama . however , she is likely to remain an influential voice and questions about her political future will persist . clinton 's support among dems is firm , and some had hoped obama would boost his re-election chances by replacing the gaffe-prone vice president joseph biden with her as his no. 2 . | <t> sen. obama receives endorsement of former clinton official robert reich . </t> <t> reich : `` my conscience wo n't let me be silent any longer '' </t> <t> ex-sens . sam nunn and david boren also endorse the illinois senator . </t> <t> clinton lashes out at obama ; mccain campaign calls obama `` recklessly dishonest '' </t> | former clinton cabinet member endorses obama<T> |
johannesburg , south africa -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the atmosphere was tense in cape town on friday after xenophobic violence that has left more than 40 dead in johannesburg spread to south africa 's largest city . immigrants from mozambique line up in primrose , south africa , to board buses back home . clashes overnight resulted in one death and 15 arrests and the evacuations of 420 foreign nationals , a police official in cape town said . `` crowds of people went on a rampage , looting and carrying out acts of violence , '' said cape town police superintendent billy jones . they were charged with public violence and are to appear in court monday . one foreign national , a somali , died when he was run over by a vehicle as he tried to escape the angry crowds , jones said . twelve people suffered minor injuries . he said friday was tense but calm , with state and local police stationed throughout the area . jack bloom of the opposition party democratic alliance told cnn on friday that government troops were helping police ward off violence in johannesburg . aid workers and volunteers were providing tents , food and supplies at the police stations . bloom estimated that about 2,000 foreigners had sought haven at those locations . it was the first violence in the coastal city since a wave of xenophobia began about two weeks ago in johannesburg , resulting in at least 42 deaths .<doc-sep>the foreign nationals were transported from the city after angry crowds formed at a public meeting seeking to calm tensions , jones told cnn . they were being housed at community centers and churches . the attacks in south africa have forced thousands of immigrants to flee , prompting neighboring mozambique to declare a state of emergency on friday . desperate stories of those fleeing violence . the country 's foreign minister oldemiro baloi said the decision was taken after about 10,000 mozambicans fled from south africa . cnn 's robyn curnow reported long lines of people -- including many from zimbabwe and mozambique -- waiting for buses in johannesburg to take them home . bloom , from gauteng province , which includes johannesburg , said the attacks on foreigners who fled to south africa for a better life has become a `` humanitarian crisis . '' south african president thabo mbeki has approved the deployment of the army to help stop the attacks , which have drawn condemnation from south african officials and other african leaders . about 28,000 people have been displaced by the violence , hangwani malaudzi , a spokesman for the ministry of safety and security said . and more than 400 have been arrested for crimes ranging from murder , to causing a public disturbance , he said . the country has also seen a disturbing throwback to the 1980s apartheid-era lynching tactic of `` necklacing , '' which was widely used in the townships at the time .<doc-sep>used on suspected informants , the `` necklace '' is a car tire , filled with petrol , put around the person 's neck and set alight . the victims are mainly immigrants and refugees from other parts of africa , including zimbabwe , where a devastated economy has sent at least two million people across the border in search of a better life . some say the attacks stem from a long-standing feeling among locals that the number of immigrants in south africa results in shortages of jobs and essential needs . inadequate housing , a lack of running water and electricity , the rising prices of food , and escalating crime -- nearly 20,000 people were slain in south africa last year -- add to the resentment . watch analysis of reasons behind xenophobic attacks '' according to south africa 's latest census , the country has about 45 million people . the south african department of human affairs estimates that more than 4 million people reside in south africa illegally , but that figure is based on a 10-year-old study and some feel the number of immigrants in south africa is much higher . some say that millions have recently fled to south africa from zimbabwe because of violence there since the county 's stalled election . a presidential run-off between long-time leader president robert mugabe and his opposition challenger , morgan tsvangirai , is scheduled for june 27 in zimbabwe -- three months after the initial vote . zimbabwe also is in the midst of an economic collapse , with nearly 80 percent unemployment .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- oscar pistorius claims that when he heard noises in his home , he mistook girlfriend reeva steenkamp for an intruder and accidentally shot her with his 9 mm pistol . plausible ? the courts will decide . in the meantime , the killing has highlighted south africa 's history of gun violence and high crime . and it 's shown the world that many south africans live with a palpable , almost paranoid , fear of having their homes broken into . in 2012 , more than 50 % of south africans told the country 's police force that they 're afraid . the number of home burglaries across the country of 50 million have more than doubled . they totaled 9,063 in a 12-month period spanning 2002/2003 ; seven years later , it was up 18,786 . and in a similar period ending in 2012 , reported break-ins dipped to 16,766 , according to south africa 's crime reporting body , the institute for security studies . the international group gunpolicy.org reports that there are about 6 million licensed firearms in south africa . `` the paranoia about being a victim of a house robbery is understandable , '' said the group 's small arms researcher lauren tracey . `` victims are relatively helpless against these attacks . '' read more : who is `` blade runner '' oscar pistorius ? it 's common to see armed guards patrolling gated , middle-class neighborhoods . hiring a private security firm is not the exception but the norm . workaday people install panic buttons , closed-circuit televisions , man trap doors , boom gates and outdoor point-to-point infrared motion-sensing beams on their houses . also unique to south africa : when burglars break in , they likely are n't after a flat-screen television or jewelry , experts say . they want the homeowner 's guns . that 's in part because it 's very hard to acquire a gun legally in south africa , but it remains , many say , relatively easy to get a gun illegally . a history of violence . to understand south africa 's gun culture , it 's crucial to go back nearly two decades . in 1994 , apartheid ended . the official system of racial segregation , in place since 1948 , took rights away from black africans and gave virtually all power in every aspect of life to whites . for generations , violence born out of apartheid spawned a kind of arms race ; blacks and whites fought against each other , and everyone else armed themselves , afraid to be caught in the cross fire . read more : reeva steenkamp , from model to law graduate . gun violence was at a record high as the country made its first effort to become what archbishop and peace crusader desmond tutu envisioned -- a rainbow nation . other spiritual leaders around the country began campaigning to reduce violence . `` before 1994 , there was a low-key civil war in south africa , '' said claire taylor , a spokesperson for gun free south africa , a non-profit group that grew out of a movement to cut down on crime born from years of inequity during apartheid . `` both sides -- white and blacks -- were armed soldiers in a way . '' read more : south africa 's legal system in the spotlight . the roots of gun culture in south africa are not unlike those of the united states , she said . `` there is a history of colonization , of taking , of settling , '' she said . `` for black people , the ak-47 was a symbol of liberation , of fighting back . there is huge meaning attached . gun are about fighting and superiority . '' unlike the united states , the right to own a gun is not written in the country 's constitution . police have confiscated and destroyed hundreds of thousands of unlicensed guns , but it 's unclear how many illegal guns remain on the street . researcher tracey also believes that criminal violence is rooted in south africa 's historical traumas . there was rampant proliferation of firearms in the nation before the end of apartheid , and liberation movements stockpiled them . many of those weapons , she said , were never recovered . laying down the guns . as nelson mandela , south africa 's first black president , took office in 1994 , there was a tremendous desire to put the guns down .<doc-sep>the team found that the highest concentrations of elements occurred to the west of andros island , an area which has the largest concentration of whitings . the sahara is the major source of mineral dust , which is blown by persistent winds across africa 's 3.5-million square mile desert . the sahara is the major source of mineral dust , which is blown by persistent winds across africa 's 3.5-million square mile desert . this dust subsequently spreads across the mediterranean , where it is the origin of rain dust . these winds , which lift mineral-rich sand into the atmosphere , also travel the nearly 5,000 mile -lrb- 8,000 km -rrb- north west journey towards the u.s. and caribbean . here , the dust nourishes microbes that produce calcium carbonate , the core building block of the bahama islands . whitings are white sediment-laden bodies of water produced by cyanobacteria , which obtained their energy through photosynthesis .<doc-sep>three cv-22 osprey aircraft -lrb- shown in 2011 file photo -rrb- were shot at during a failed mission to evacuate americans in south sudan on saturday . the us has moved additional troops to africa as south sudan seems to be sliding towards civil war . three of those troops are stable and being sent to the military hospital in germany , a spokesman said , while the fourth continues to get treatment in nairobi , in neighboring kenya . a few dozen u.s. troops already are in south sudan providing security , while others are stationed in djibouti , where the u.s. maintains its only permanent african military base in africa . on monday the u.s. continued intense diplomatic efforts to calm the roiling ethnic violence , including holding a meeting between the u.s. special envoy for south sudan , donald booth , and south sudan president salva kiir . troops deployed last week helped evacuate americans and other foreign nationals and provided security at the u.s. embassy in juba . toby lanzer , the u.n. 's humanitarian coordinator , said australians , ugandans and ethiopians are also among 15,000 total people seeking protection at a u.n. base in bor , a city that could see increasing violence in coming days . about 15,000 people - among them americans , australians , ugandans and ethopians - are seeking protection at a un base in bor as violence in the area increases . the death toll from a week of violence in south sudan has likely surpassed 1,000 people , though there are no firm numbers available , he said . the number of internal refugees has likely surpassed 100,000 , said lanzer , who is seeking urgent financial assistance from the international community . the violence began late on dec. 15 . south sudan president salva kiir , an ethnic dinka , said last week that an attempted military coup had triggered the violence , and the blame was placed on former vice president riek machar , an ethnic nuer . other officials have since said a fight between dinka and nuer members of the presidential guard triggered the fighting , which spiraled across the country .<doc-sep>punishments across the continent range from fines to years in prison . last year , a cameroon appeals court upheld a three-year sentence against a man convicted of homosexuality for texting his male friend to say , `` i 'm very much in love with you . '' south africa -- one of the more progressive nations in the continent on the issue -- was the first african country to impose a constitutional ban on discrimination based on sexual orientation . but sexual violence against lesbians has become so common in south africa , the nation has coined the term `` corrective rape '' to describe it . a handful of other nations issue a death penalty for consensual same-sex relations , including saudi arabia and iran , according to the international lesbian , gay , bisexual , trans and intersex association . | <t> violence in johannesburg spreads to cape town , resulting in one death . </t> <t> mozambique declares state of emergency to assist people fleeing s. africa . </t> <t> attacks on foreigners in south africa have left more than 40 people dead . </t> <t> police , military in first joint operation raid three hostels . </t> | violence spreads across south africa<T> |
london , england -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the founder of the free burma coalition accused myanmar neighbors china and india on thursday of failing to do their share of `` heavy lifting '' in aiding victims of the myanmar cyclone . a young survivor waits for relief supplies by a makeshift house in bogaley . maung zarni , a visiting research fellow at oxford university , said both nations could do more in trying to persuade the myanmar junta to allow international aid workers and equipment into the country . zarni also slammed the association of southeast asian nations -lrb- asean -rrb- , for the same reason . `` the latest episode involving the junta 's handling of the cyclone victims in burma really calls into question the meaning and the usefulness , the value of asean , '' he added . the organization of 10 nations promotes economic growth , social progress and cultural development in the region .<doc-sep>`` china is n't doing its share of heavy lifting , and the same can be said about india as well , '' zarni said . `` china is a country on the rise , and it can really repair its tarnished reputation around tibet if it puts pressure on the regime and says , ` this is unacceptable , even to chinese standards . ' '' zarni was referring to critics of last fall 's chinese crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators , led by tibetan monks . he directed most of his criticism toward myanmar 's military rulers , who he said are solely concerned with their own security and political ambitions , while neglecting the cyclone victims . the government has been bitterly criticized for being too slow in responding to the may 2 disaster , then blocking large-scale , international emergency aid . the government has relented somewhat in the past few days . the official death toll from cyclone nargis rose thursday , with myanmar state television reporting more than 40,000 fatalities . many believe the toll will be much higher . watch scenes of widespread destruction ''<doc-sep>referring to myanmar 's 75-year-old top leader , than shwe , zarni complained , `` his major number one concern is his own personal and family security , and also other officers who are caught in a system where fear and rewards are manipulated to whip them in line . '' the government 's response to the cyclone is complex , and has `` psychological , institutional and personal dimensions , '' which have produced an `` institutionalized madness , '' zarni said . the irrawaddy newspaper , which covers myanmar and southeast asia , said a team of asean experts would arrive in yangon on thursday to assess the scale of the disaster and requirements for aid . asean secretary-general surin pitsuwan said wednesday that the myanmar government had agreed to grant visas to an `` emergency rapid assessment team . '' the myanmar government also agreed to accept 160 relief workers from india , china , bangladesh and thailand , the newspaper said .<doc-sep>odisha state , india -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the last time a storm as powerful as cyclone phailin struck the eastern coast of india , 10,000 people died . so the sense of relief is strong in the state of odisha , where phailin made landfall this weekend . `` i felt like i was going to die , everyone was so tense , '' said raju pradhan , who lives with his family in odisha . at least 21 were killed as a direct result of the cyclone , according to pradipta kumar mohapatra , odisha state special relief commissioner . every death is tragic , but considering phailin was the strongest tropical storm to hit india in more than a decade , the toll could have been much higher . ireport : cyclone leaves indian slums in ruins . pradhan was among 900,000 odisha residents evacuated to shelters in schools and government offices . authorities also moved food and medicine close to affected areas before the storm . those preparations now are credited with the huge reduction in casualties from 1999 's cyclone orissa , which killed 10,000 and caused more than $ 2 billion in damage . that cyclone , the strongest ever recorded in bay of bengal , carried winds of 155 mph at landfall . phailin arrived with winds of 140 mph . by monday evening , almost everyone who had been in shelters because of phailin had gone home , with the few who are left expected to return home by tuesday morning , mohapatra said . assessing damage . phailin flooded highways and knocked down trees and power lines . authorities said it could take up to a week to restore electric service . flooded roads and rail lines could take longer to repair . major crop damage also was expected , and some evacuees may have lost homes made of mud and bamboo . aid had not reached all areas . when a cnn crew arrived sunday in a coastal village in ganjam district , residents ran outside to complain .<doc-sep>the death toll from a powerful cyclone which battered india 's eastern coastline rose to 24 today , as the storm weakened and moved inland , leaving a swathe of destruction and triggering fears heavy rains would bring flash floods . packing wind speeds of over 120 mph , cyclone hudhud hammered the coasts of andhra pradesh and odisha states on sunday , forcing tens of thousands of coastal inhabitants to seek safety in storm shelters . in the port city of visakhapatnam , home to two million people , government workers began removing uprooted trees which had blocked roads , restoring snapped power and telecoms lines and clearing up debris including sign boards and corrugated iron roofs ripped off buildings by the strong gusts . scroll down for videos . wreckage : people stand on boats damaged by strong winds caused by cyclone hudhud in the southern indian city of visakhapatnam . picking up the pieces : a man fixes a tarpaulin in visakhapatnam after it was damaged by strong winds caused by cyclone hudhud . trail of destruction : power lines and a passenger bus are thrown to the ground after the devastating cyclone struck on sunday . out of action : a general view of the damaged vishakapatnam airport after cyclone hudhud 's land fall . panic buying : people stand in queues to buy petrol and diesel at a fuel station a day after cyclone hudhud passed through . ' i do not know how many days it will take to restore my business . i have lost everything , ' said heusikeswa rao , a trader in visakhapatnam , as he tried to gather the pieces of wood and metal which once formed his stall . huge lines were seen at the few petrol stations which reopened after a two-day closure as people carrying jerry cans jostled to get fuel which was in short supply . residents also resorted to panic buying items such as milk , candles and kerosene in some places . few shops were open and schools and many offices were closed due to poor telecoms and no power for the second day in a row . officials in andhra pradesh , which reported 21 deaths , said initial surveys found that thousands of houses had been damaged and there was widespread destruction to banana , sugarcane and rice crops in the districts of visakhapatnam , srikakulam , east godavari and vijaynagaram . tens of thousands of people spent a third night in cyclone shelters due to damage to their home or a lack of food or clean drinking water in their villages , officials said . chief minister of andhra pradesh n. chandrababu naidu , who visited visakhapatnam on monday , said he was fully confident that response to the disaster would be quick . ` visakhapatnam is a place i like very much . but , it is painful to see the city this way today , ' naidu told reporters . prime minister narendra modi said he would visit the area on tuesday . ` have been constantly taking updates on cyclone hudhud ... will visit visakhapatnam tomorrow and take stock of the situation , ' modi tweeted . blowy : an indian man walks in gusty winds on india 's eastern coast near gopalpur in south orissa . shelter : a man covers his face as wind blows dust near a beach in gopalpur in ganjam district in the eastern indian state of odisha . a fisherman walks near the anchored fishing boats as strong winds blow a day after a powerful cyclone pounded the bay of bengal coast . authorities in visakhapatnam , locally known as vizag , said 19 helicopters had been dispatched to drop food and water packets to affected villages . four naval ships were also being readied to sail to the coast , carrying relief material for 5,000 people , and four more ships were on standby if required . the relatively low death toll reported so far followed an operation to evacuate more than 150,000 people to minimise the risk to lives from hudhud - similar in size and power to cyclone phailin that struck the area exactly a year ago . according to india 's weather office , hudhud has weakened into a deep depression but is expected to dump heavy rains in northern and northeastern india and , eventually , snow when it reaches the himalayan mountains . aid workers warned the rains were likely to inundate large tracts of farmland , comparing it to phailin 's incessant rains last year which caused major rivers and tributaries to overflow , submerging villages and stranding hundreds of thousands of people for days after the cyclone had passed . in the coastal fishing village of mangamaripeta , 15 miles from visakhapatnam , where scores of thatched homes had been swept away by storm surges , inhabitants waited for aid . ` we do not know how we manage for the next few days , ' said n. bangaramma , housewife and mother of three . ` our house was damaged . whatever we had was washed away . ' a man braces himself against strong winds as he walks along a beach in gopalpur , in the eastern indian state of orissa on sunday . an elderly woman is carried by two men to a shelter after she was forced to flee her home in andhra pradesh ahead of the cyclone . three men run for shelter as heavy rain and wind gusts rip through the bay of bengal coast in orissa on sunday .<doc-sep>dhaka , bangladesh -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- more than 1,700 people have died in bangladesh after a devastating tropical cyclone ripped through the western coast of the country , and the toll is expected to rise , a government spokesman tells cnn . families stand amid the wreckage caused by the cyclone friday in southern bangladesh . brig. gen. qazi abedus samad , director of operations for the country 's armed forces , told cnn saturday the toll had reached 1,723 , and the figure is expected to rise . as flood waters recede , aid workers say they expect to find scores more bodies when remote villages are finally reached and the counting is done . they face debris-blocked roads , no electricity and almost nonexistent communications . in addition to the dead , another 15,000 people have been injured . thousands of people have been displaced and many are still missing . cyclone sidr , with sustained winds of at least 131 mph -lrb- 210 kph -rrb- , made landfall thursday night along the western coast of bangladesh near the border with india , unleashing floodwaters . government spokesman fahim munaim told cnn by telephone that the government held an emergency cabinet meeting saturday to assess the disaster and discuss recovery issues . he said the extent of the cyclone 's damage may be much worse because emergency relief had not been able to reach remote areas .<doc-sep>they are being housed in nearly 250 emergency shelters set up in sturdy buildings like schools and government offices . the ganjam district of odisha is expected to be the worst hit , with disaster preparedness efforts concentrated there , cnn-ibn reported . the india meteorological department warned of extensive damage to kutcha houses , those made of flimsy materials like mud and bamboo , as well as damage to old buildings . power and communication lines are likely to suffer large-scale disruption . extensive flooding will also disrupt rail and road traffic , and crops are likely to suffer major damage , it said . in gopalpur , a coastal resort town in ganjam , restaurants were shuttered and streets deserted saturday afternoon , as rain lashed down . tourists and local residents were asked to leave the town . power was out in coastal areas including kalingapatnam , from where about 80,000 people were evacuated to relief camps , cnn-ibn reported . some fishermen earlier told the broadcaster they had defied the order to leave , anxious to see what happened on the shore . military deployed . some fear a repeat of what happened on october 29 , 1999 , when cyclone 05b , also known as the odisha cyclone , made landfall in the same area , killing 10,000 people . it was the strongest tropical cyclone recorded in the bay of bengal , with winds of 155 mph at landfall , and it caused more than $ 2 billion in damage . in advance of the storm , military units and national disaster response force personnel were deployed to coastal areas with relief supplies and medical aid , cnn-ibn said . more than 20 medical teams flew to the region . federal and state government ministers are being briefed on the situation , the cabinet secretary said . all flights to odisha have been canceled and train services in the state are also disrupted , cnn 's sister network reported . disaster preparedness . international humanitarian organization world vision said it was helping local community groups prepare for the cyclone 's arrival . `` in a storm of this magnitude there is the potential for widespread damage to crops and livestock in the low-lying coastal areas and houses completely wiped away , '' said kunal shah , the head of world vision 's emergency response in india . `` so while we are praying this storm loses intensity , we 're also preparing . '' the organization has worked for the past several years to train local people in disaster preparedness -- including search and rescue , basic first aid and how to protect livestock -- and has thousands of emergency response kits ready to hand out where needed . `` we believe communities are better prepared than they were when the devastating cyclone hit in 1999 , '' said shah . cnn 's lonzo cook reported from bhubaneswar and harmeet shah singh from new delhi and laura smith-spark wrote and reported in london . cnn 's khushbu shah , tom sater and ivan cabrera contributed to this report . | <t> founder of dissident group : china , india need to be more persuasive with junta . </t> <t> maung zarni questions usefulness of asean regional group over disaster . </t> <t> activist criticizes myanmar junta for not doing more to help victims . </t> | activist slams china , india over cyclone aid<T> |
amstetten , austria -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- josef fritzl , who austrian police say has confessed to imprisoning his daughter for 24 years and fathering seven of her children , twice holidayed in thailand while she remained trapped in a cellar below his house , according to german media reports . josef fritzl appeared in court after admitting raping his daughter and fathering her seven children . germany 's bild newspaper quoted a holiday companion , identified only as paul h , who said he and 73-year-old fritzl traveled to thailand together twice and spent time in each other 's homes . `` he went -lsb- to thailand -rsb- without his wife ; apparently she had to look after the children . ... once he had a very long massage from a young thai girl at the beach . he really loved that , '' paul h told the newspaper , which featured video of fritzl laughing and receiving a massage in thailand on its web site . `` once i saw how josef bought an evening dress and racy lingerie for a very slim woman in pattaya -lsb- thailand -rsb- on the beach . he got really angry when he realized i saw him . then he told me that he has a girlfriend on the side . the items were meant for her . he told me not to tell his wife . '' watch footage of fritzl on vacation at a thai beach resort '' the pair had also ventured to oktoberfest . paul h said he had visited fritzl 's house three times , the last in 2005 . `` we sat out on the terrace and had a really nice evening . ... the kids were well-behaved , however ; they had a great respect for their father . they were never allowed downstairs into the cellar , but we never thought anything of it , '' he told bild . `` now that i think of the dungeon down there , i feel really sick in the stomach . '' paul h said fritzl was a diy `` genius , '' constantly extending and building on to the house . meanwhile , family members at the center of the incest and imprisonment case have held an `` astonishing '' reunion , medical officials said . `` they met each other on sunday morning , '' clinic director berthold kepplinger said tuesday . `` and it is astonishing how easy it worked , that the children came together , and also it was astonishing how easy it happened that the grandmother and the mother came together . '' investigators say fritzl held his daughter , elisabeth , captive in a cellar for 24 years . he raped her repeatedly , they say , and eventually fathered seven of her children . elisabeth and two of her children were reunited sunday with three of her other children and her mother , kepplinger said tuesday . the three children and her mother lived in the home above the cellar . elisabeth 's eldest child , 19-year-old kerstin fritzl , remains in hospital . a seventh child died years ago , shortly after birth . fritzl told police he burned the infant 's body in a furnace . the story of the family 's imprisonment began to unravel a week ago , when kerstin fell seriously ill with convulsions and was hospitalized . austrian police wednesday denied reports that they were investigating possible links between fritzl and the unsolved murder of a woman . franz polzer , director of the lower austrian bureau of criminal affairs , said fritzl had owned an austrian hotel near where a woman was found murdered decades ago . however , they were not investigating the incident at this stage . meanwhile , an austrian girl who was held prisoner in a basement for eight years said the family faced a long period of adjustment . see how austrians are troubled by the case '' natascha kampusch was 10 years old when she was kidnapped on her way to school in march 1998 . she escaped from a bunker below the house of wolfgang priklopil in a suburb of vienna in august 2007 . priklopil killed himself by throwing himself under a train only hours later . `` although they are now in a secret location , i believe it might have been even better to leave them where they were , but that was probably impossible , '' she said of the fritzl family tuesday . `` yes , because that was of course the environment they were used to , and now they 're somewhere else . pulling them abruptly out of this situation , without transition , to hold them and isolating them to some extent , it ca n't be good for them . '' officials said tuesday that dna testing had confirmed fritzl fathered the children . his dna also was found on a letter sent to the fritzl family that was made to look like it was from his daughter , elisabeth , polzer said . see inside the ` house of horrors ' '' authorities said fritzl sent other letters over the years , leading the family to believe that elisabeth was a runaway who had abandoned three of her children on their doorstep . he dictated at least one of the letters to his daughter , they said . authorities said it did not appear that fritzl 's wife , rosemarie , knew about her husband 's activities . reports have surfaced in the times of london and austria 's presse that fritzl was convicted of sexual assault in the 1960s , but there is nothing in his record to confirm this , said district governor hans heinz lenze . he added , however , that records were expunged after a certain number of years . prosecutors were checking archives to find the information , said gerhard sedlacek , prosecutor for the state of poelten . the times of london quoted a 50-year-old neighbor who said that when he was 10 , he remembered `` how we children were afraid to play near mr. fritzl 's house because of the rumors that he had raped a woman and spent some time in jail for it . '' watch a report of how the case unfolded . '' fritzl led police to the cellar sunday . a day later , he confessed to raping his daughter , now 42 , and keeping her and their children in captivity , police said . fritzl was able to convince social service workers , friends and family that elisabeth had run away in 1984 , when she was about 18 . the father , who police described as an authoritarian figure , forbade anyone from entering the cellar . in the cellar with elisabeth were kerstin and two sons , aged 5 and 18 . e-mail to a friend . cnn 's phil black , nadine schmidt and eileen hsieh contributed to this story .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- josef fritzl , the austrian man accused of keeping his daughter in a cellar for decades and fathering her seven children , will go on trial march 16 on six charges including murder and incest . josef fritzl admitted fathering seven children by his daughter during her 24-year captivity . the austrian press agency reported thursday the trial was expected to last about five days and be held behind closed doors . further details about the case would be announced friday , it said . fritzl , 73 , was charged in november with incest and the repeated rape of his daughter , elisabeth , for 24 years .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- josef fritzl , the austrian man accused of keeping his daughter in a cellar for decades and fathering her seven children , will go on trial march 16 on six charges including murder and incest . josef fritzl admitted fathering seven children by his daughter during her 24-year captivity . the austrian press agency reported thursday the trial was expected to last about five days and be held behind closed doors . further details about the case would be announced friday , it said . fritzl , 73 , was charged in november with incest and the repeated rape of his daughter , elisabeth , for 24 years . but he was also charged with the murder of one of the children he fathered with her , an infant who died soon after birth . state prosecutor gerhard sedlacek said michael fritzl died from lack of medical care .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- josef fritzl , the austrian accused of keeping his daughter in a cellar for decades and fathering her seven children , will plead guilty to rape and incest when his trial opens monday , fritzl 's lawyer told cnn . josef fritzl is expected to plead guilty to rape and incest on monday , his lawyer tells cnn . however , fritzl will deny other charge he faces : murder , enslavement and assault , attorney rudolph mayer said sunday . the 73-year-old expects to spend the rest of his life in prison , mayer added . fritzl faces six charges in a closed-door trial . the trial is scheduled to last five days , but mayer said it could be shorter . fritzl was charged in november with incest and the repeated rape of his daughter , elisabeth , over a 24-year period . but he was also charged with the murder of one of the children he fathered with her , an infant who died soon after birth . state prosecutor gerhard sedlacek said michael fritzl died from lack of medical care . in all , fritzl is charged with : murder , involvement in slave trade -lrb- slavery -rrb- , rape , incest , assault and deprivation of liberty , sedlacek 's office said . if convicted , he could face life in prison . austria does not have the death penalty .<doc-sep>the two daughters have not yet been questioned by prosecutors . according to austrian law , they can refuse to testify . in 2008 , austrian josef fritzl was arrested after having imprisoned and raped his daughter for 24 years . he was convicted on charges of incest , rape , false imprisonment , assault and murder and sentenced to life in prison in 2009 . the murder charge was for allowing one of the babies he fathered with his daughter to die shortly after birth . heger said that in contrast to the fritzl case , the sisters in braunau `` were not really imprisoned . `` although they could not move where they wanted , neighbors have seen them several times throughout the years , '' she explained . the two sisters are now in psychological care , officials said . | <t> incest dad twice holidayed in thailand while daughter remained in cellar . </t> <t> austrian family terrorized by decades of incest meet for the first time . </t> <t> josef fritzl kept daughter imprisoned under home for 24 years , police say . </t> <t> fritzl , who appeared in court tuesday , has admitted guilt and faces 15 years | . </t> | austrian incest dad vacationed in thailand<T> |
-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- all sides involved in the controversy over the use of embryonic stem cells in research claimed vindication tuesday after two teams of researchers reported having reprogrammed human skin cells to act like the stem cells , which have the potential of morphing into other cells and thereby curing disease . president bush has twice vetoed bills that would have eased limits on funding for embryonic stem cell research . people who believe that life begins at conception liken the destruction of the embryonic stem cells to killing and therefore oppose their use in research . the new research , they said , shows that alternatives are available . `` by avoiding techniques that destroy life , while vigorously supporting alternative approaches , president bush is encouraging scientific advancement within ethical boundaries , '' the white house said tuesday in a written statement on the new research . bush has twice vetoed bills that would have eased restrictions on the use of federal funds for research involving embryonic stem cells . watch bush state why he opposes the use of stem cells . in august 2001 , he limited federal funding for embryonic stem cell research to lines that had already been created . but some researchers say those cells are not useful . `` the president believes medical problems can be solved without compromising either the high aims of science or the sanctity of human life , '' the white house statement said . `` we will continue to encourage scientists to expand the frontiers of stem cell research and continue to advance the understanding of human biology in an ethically responsible way . '' watch a harvard expert talk about what 's next in stem cell research '' `` this breakthrough provides further evidence that the most promising avenues of stem cell research are also the most ethical , '' concurred sen. tom coburn , r-oklahoma , a physician . `` politicians should note that the scientific community is moving rapidly without the assistance of laws requiring the taxpayer-funded destruction of human life . '' he added , `` this breakthrough helps vindicate president bush 's policy and his vetoes of congress ' short-sighted and outdated approach to stem cell research . history will note the wisdom of president bush 's refusal to set a dangerous precedent that could not be easily undone . '' and sen. mitch mcconnell , r-kentucky , said he believes `` that the current stem cell policy has been very important in driving the discovery of ethical and successful ways for scientists to find treatments and cures . `` what has too often been missing from this important debate is a simple fact of modern science : encouraging medical research and protecting the sanctity of life are not mutually exclusive goals . '' the methods described in the papers about the new research `` should continue to be pursued and strongly promoted , as they should help to steer the entire field of stem cell research in a more explicitly ethical direction by circumventing the moral quagmire associated with destroying human embryos , '' said the national catholic bioethics center in philadelphia , pennsylvania , in a posting on its web site . but those views were not shared by sen. tom harkin , d-iowa , who has pushed for federal funding of embryonic stem cell research and said he will continue to do so . `` our top researchers recognize that this new development does not mean that we should discontinue studying embryonic stem cells , '' he said in a written statement . `` scientists may yet find that embryonic stem cells are more powerful . we need to continue to pursue all alternatives as we search for treatments for diabetes , parkinson 's and spinal cord injuries . '' he added that tuesday 's announcement `` reiterates the need for federal support for medical research and again points out the president 's misplaced priorities in vetoing the labor , health and human services , and education appropriations bill which included a substantial increase for the national institutes of health . '' a lead author of one of the landmark studies , james thomson of the university of wisconsin-madison , urged that reprogrammed cells not wholly supplant embryonic stem cells in research . `` i do n't like the idea of pulling the plug , '' he told reporters in a conference call . he added that tuesday 's advances in reprogramming cells would not have been possible without the advancements in embryonic stem cell research over the past decade . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>so , like many failed industries , embryo researchers demand a taxpayer bailout . they claim that they 're too big to fail , when in fact they 've never succeeded . nih director francis collins melodramatically announced that the district court 's injunction against his funding of embryonic stem cell research , in spite of the 1995 law against such funding , `` poured sand into the engine of discovery . '' the problem is that collins is wasting taxpayer money on `` discovering '' the equivalent of the riverboat steam engine . advocates for embryo-destructive research respond that the government should fund all research -- if any money is left over after they get theirs . but american taxpayers are not a bottomless grab-bag of cash . they should not be forced to waste precious dollars on partisan science , especially when economic ruin fueled by government waste is a looming specter . embryonic stem cell research should go into the dinosaur museum where it belongs . any funding should be focused on the real , clean promise of ipscs and on the miracles that are being produced today by adult stem cell treatments . embryo destruction has sidetracked good stem cell research long enough . the opinions in this commentary are solely those of matt bowman .<doc-sep>palin , an evangelical christian , opposes stem cell research because it involves the use of human embryos , but her running mate , gop presidential nominee mccain , does support stem cell research . `` well , guess what , folks ? if you care about it , why do n't you support stem cell research ? '' asked biden , the running mate of democratic presidential nominee sen. barack obama . those comments brought a sharp response . `` barack obama 's running mate sunk to a new low today , launching an offensive debate over who cares more about special needs children , '' mccain-palin spokesman ben porritt said . `` playing politics with this issue is disturbing and indicative of a desperate campaign . '' biden spokesman david wade insisted that the delaware senator 's comments were not directed at palin .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- sen. john mccain 's campaign rebuked sen. joe biden on tuesday , saying the democratic vice presidential nominee had `` sunk to a new low '' by raising a debate over who cares more for special needs children . sen. joseph biden embraces a supporter during a campaign stop in columbia , missouri , on tuesday . the republican camp 's sharp response came after biden said gop advocates for children with birth defects should support stem cell research . during a campaign event in columbia , missouri , biden did not mention his republican counterpart by name but said , `` i hear all this talk about how the republicans are going to work in dealing with parents who have both the joy ... and the difficulty of raising a child who has a developmental disability , who were born with a birth defect . '' biden 's support of stem cell research is at odds with the position taken by the republicans ' vice presidential nominee , alaska gov. sarah palin , whose 5-month-old son , trig , has down syndrome .<doc-sep>doctors searched for alternatives to steroids and what they found was a rare liposuction procedure involving stem cell therapy not yet approved by the fda . ` as a cosmetic surgeon , i 've been harvesting fat to throw it out because people want to get rid of it . now , i tell people who come for liposuction , ` do n't be so quick , your fat is loaded with stem cells , ' dr. mark berman told cbs . there is a debate as to whether it was the steroids or the stem cells that helped matsumoto gain her vision back but doctors are extremely excited about the nearly miraculous recovery . ` your fat is loaded with stem cells , ' said dr. mark berman , who performed the procedure . | <t> teams report reprogramming human skin cells to act like embryonic stem cells . </t> <t> bush : advance is `` within ethical boundaries '' </t> <t> harkin : `` we need to continue to pursue all alternatives '' </t> | all sides in stem cell debate claim vindication<T> |
join roland martin for his weekly sound-off segment on cnn.com live at 11:10 a.m. wednesday . if you 're passionate about the topic , he wants to hear from you . roland martin says the three presidential candidates will never be `` regular folks . '' -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- can we all just stop the silly nonsense over who is an elitist and whether an `` average american '' will occupy the white house ? listening to the punditry today , you would think folks who revel in the comedy of larry the cable guy or katt williams really would have a shot at the white house . it 's totally absurd . so , sen. barack obama is all of a sudden an elitist because he went to columbia and harvard ? and sen. hillary clinton is an elitist because she went to yale ? do you actually think sen. john mccain is n't an elitist ? he went to an exclusive college -- the naval academy , and that is one of the hardest places to get into . -lrb- you ca n't even apply unless a member of congress recommends you . -rrb- . karl rove , who tries to portray himself as the common man but is just another rich republican , has called both democratic candidates elitists . well , his former boss , president george w. bush , went to yale . so did bush 's dad , former president george h.w. bush , and his granddaddy , former sen. prescott bush . all three bushes also were members of the super elite organization skull and bones . the younger bush later went to harvard . he walked into the governor 's mansion and the presidency on the strength of his name and his dad 's money and connections . sounds like an elitist to me ! but no , we 're supposed to be fooled by the cowboy boots , folksy charm and him removing brush at his crawford , texas , ranch -lrb- do n't forget the family compound in kennebunkport , maine , where all the `` regular '' folks hang out -rrb- . surely you recall when bush nominated harriet miers for the supreme court ? those same conservative voices decrying the elitist democrats were blasting her because she went to little old southern methodist university , that unremarkable -- their view -- university in dallas , texas . -lrb- by the way , that will be the home of the george w. bush library . -rrb- . you can bet a pitcher of beer that had she graduated from harvard , yale or princeton , she would n't have been derisively referred to as too plain and not educated enough by the elitists in the republican party . and let 's stay with the supreme court for a moment . where did its members go to school ?<doc-sep>chief justice john g. roberts jr. -- undergrad and law school , harvard . justice john paul stevens -- undergrad : university of chicago . law school : northwestern . justice antonin scalia -- undergrad : georgetown university and the university of fribourg , switzerland . law school : harvard . justice anthony kennedy -- undergrad : stanford university and the london school of economics . law school : harvard . justice david souter -- undergrad : harvard ; magdalen college , oxford ; oxford university . law school : harvard . justice clarence thomas -- undergrad : holy cross . law school : yale . justice ruth ginsburg -- undergrad : cornell . law school : harvard -lrb- attended -rrb- ; finished at columbia . justice stephen breyer -- undergrad , stanford ; magdalen college , oxford . law school : harvard . justice samuel alito -- undegrad : princeton . law school : yale . that 's pretty much an elite list of schools . we have deluded ourselves into thinking the person elected to the white house is really and truly like the rest of us .<doc-sep>all three candidates do n't know what it 's like to face the daunting health care challenges millions of americans are confronted with daily . each are members of the u.s. senate , and they have the best health care money can buy for life -- we pay for it ! while your pension plan is shot to hell , their plan will never be underfunded . the members will see to that , courtesy of taxpayer dollars . forget how many times obama bowls gutter balls , clinton tosses back shots of whiskey and mccain talks about how he 's a regular guy . each , courtesy of their $ 169,300 annual salary , makes far more than the average american . and when it comes to wealth , clinton gets to enjoy the $ 100 million she and her husband raked in since he left the white house -lrb- even their hefty book advances dwarf regular authors -rrb- . mccain 's wife , cindy , runs one of anheuser busch 's largest beer distributors and is worth more than $ 100 million . they will never be living paycheck-to-paycheck . obama is the poorest of the three , but he did earn more than a million bucks courtesy of his best-selling books , `` the audacity of hope '' and `` dreams from my father '' after delivering his 2004 keynote speech at the democratic national convention . how many average americans would n't mind having a million dollars in their savings account ? bottom line : the narrative about our presidential candidates being just regular folks is a tired myth that gets repeated each and every day . and their efforts to show that they are `` just like us '' are really pathetic . you do n't have to go duck hunting , be seen buying milk at the grocery store for your family or having a beer at the local bar to show that you 're `` one of us . '' just do what rich and highly educated folks do when they are in politics : advance policies that will at least allow me to keep a few more dollars in my pocket and be able to afford a home . one more thing : do n't buy fully into the nonsense tossed out by some of the loudest voices on television , radio and in print who decry these `` elitists '' and trumpet that they are for the blue collar , middle-class worker in middle america . many of them pull down multimillion-dollar salaries and run into these same candidates on martha 's vineyard and in the hamptons when they all vacation . they , too , will pull every favor they have to get their children in the posh private schools and ivy league institutions . yes , we even have elitists in the media . who would 've thunkit ? e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>already an orphanage i know is facing funding problems as it works to keep boys and girls off streets and out of trouble . a withdrawal of troops should not mean an abandonment of afghanistan . this is not simply about american altruism . this is about leaving behind a state stable and secure enough that american forces will never have to go back . afghan women are not a pet project taken up by the international community . they are a stability indicator whose involvement in their own societies is in the best interest of lasting security . any agreement that leaves them out will simply be a short-term deal , not a durable peace . women 's involvement in their own country 's future is a must-have for the u.s. president to get what he has said he wants : a `` responsible '' end game for america 's longest war . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of gayle tzemach lemmon .<doc-sep>to be sure , none of this has come easily or without opposition . part of growing up is realizing the frustrating , heartbreaking truth that intense and sustained long-term effort is needed to effect change . the difficulty of the obstacles that must be overcome and the scope of the fight that must be won make our accomplishments all the more impressive . electing the first african-american president was a tremendous accomplishment , but it has n't erased racism . electing the first catholic president , my grandfather , in 1960 , did not mean that religious intolerance disappeared from our land . whether it was the american revolution , the civil war or the civil rights movement , change has never come easy , and americans have always had to fight for change we believe in . if we can appreciate the long strides our country has made since 2008 instead of dismissing them as imperfect attempts , we will prove that not only are we quick learners but we 're in it for the long haul . participation in the democratic process is not only a right : it 's a responsibility we all share . voting is something we can all do for our country . if we turn out to re-elect this president , we will prove that 2008 was not an anomaly , and that our generation and its concerns can not be dismissed . instead , 2008 will be seen as just the beginning . this fall let 's display a deep commitment to our country , its ideals and provide a preview of the america we intend to build . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of jack schlossberg .<doc-sep>the president defends his actions on the basis of his campaign pledge to withdraw all u.s. troops from iraq and former president george w. bush 's withdrawal timeline of 2011 . however , just until last week , the obama administration was negotiating the status of forces agreement with nuri al-maliki 's government with the understanding that several thousand troops would remain in iraq -- a clear break from his campaign pledge . more importantly , total troop withdrawal was never a platform of bush 's withdrawal timetable . we know that tehran is celebrating the president 's announcement . just weeks after spoiling an iranian plot to assassinate the saudi ambassador in washington , d.c. , the united states will withdraw from its strongest post from which to engage iran . we have given them an open road to baghdad and unfettered weapons supply lines to syria and lebanon . by ceding iran the high ground , the obama administration has also undercut american and israeli efforts to shut down iran 's nuclear weapons program . in spite of all this , obama will spend his re-election campaign trotting out his foreign policy accomplishments . he deserves credit where it is due . osama bin laden , anwar al-awlaki and moammar gadhafi are dead . but should we see the loss of iraq and the rise of iran , all this will be for naught . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of william j. bennett .<doc-sep>if a civilian in pakistan does n't know what behavior makes him a target for u.s. drones , he can not fully protect himself and his family . if a drone harms his family , even mistakenly , our research shows they wo n't receive an apology , explanation or any help from the united states . certainly there will be no love lost for america . any deaths and injuries are compounded by psychological trauma , displacement and fear and suspicion among neighbors . one pakistani told us , `` we fear that the drones will strike us again . ... my aged parents are often in a state of fear . we are depressed , anxious and constantly remembering our deceased family members . '' gen. stanley mcchrystal , the former commander of international forces in afghanistan , recently noted , `` what scares me about drone strikes is how they are perceived around the world . ... -lrb- t -rrb- he resentment created by american use of unmanned strikes ... is much greater than the average american appreciates . they are hated on a visceral level , even by people who 've never seen one or seen the effects of one . '' the drone program needs to come out of the shadows , with explanations about who is a civilian , who is a target , and how drone operators distinguish between the two . the cia should get out of the drone operation business , handing it over to the defense department , which has a culture of learning lessons , accountability to congress and a new openness about civilian protection after 10 years of war in afghanistan and iraq . drone operators should be trained in civilian protection best practices , and any civilian harmed should receive recognition and help for their losses , in accordance with the values american policymakers have espoused about humanity even during times of war . the senate may confirm brennan as head of the cia . it should also confirm where he stands on government accountability for lethal force and the cia 's role in the remote drone program . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of sarah holewinski . | <t> martin : all three candidates are well-educated , wealthy -- not `` average '' </t> <t> their efforts to show that they are `` just like us '' are pathetic , he says . </t> <t> but that 's ok , martin says , if they advance good policies . </t> | commentary : an ` average ' american will never be president<T> |
-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- children from a polygamist sect who one mother says are `` hurting very badly '' in state custody are likely to be returned to their parents , a cnn legal analyst says . flds member margaret jessop says her children `` feel betrayed by adults . '' a texas appeals court ruled thursday that the state had no right to remove hundreds of children from the fundamentalist church of latter-day saints ' ranch in eldorado on april 3 , based on the suspicion that a few were being sexually abused . a sect mother who has four children in state custody said the matter has not been fully resolved because an appeal to the texas supreme court is possible . `` i 'm very grateful , but i 'd like to see the children in my arms before i rejoice greatly , '' margaret jessop said on cnn 's `` larry king live . '' watch jessop react to the ruling '' but a permanent reunion of families is likely , said jeffrey toobin , cnn senior legal analyst .<doc-sep>`` based on this ruling i think it 's clear that if it stands , all these kids are going back with their mothers , '' toobin said on cnn 's `` anderson cooper 360 ° . '' jessop and other flds parents said they had been permitted visits with their children in foster care . zavenda young said two of her children were sent to waco , texas , and two to hockley , 148 miles away . `` they 're in boys and girls country in hockley . and it 's just a -- it 's an institution , '' she told host larry king . their father , edson jessop , said the experience has been rough on the children .<doc-sep>`` you can see it 's a lot of stress on them , '' he said . `` every time we leave , they go through that trauma again . it 's enough to rip your heart out . '' `` they feel betrayed by adults , and they 're hurting very badly , '' margaret jessop added . the texas child protective services department 's web site says the agency has been `` coordinating with many professional service and government agencies to ensure the safety , health and comfort of the children and women in eldorado . '' a statement from the agency thursday said it 's working out a response to the court ruling . `` child protective services has one duty -- to protect children , '' the statement said . `` when we see evidence that children have been sexually abused and remain at risk of further abuse , we will act . ... we will work with the office of the attorney general to determine the state 's next step in this case . ''<doc-sep>eldorado , texas -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- dozens more children and young women were removed saturday from a texas ranch that is home to members of a polygamist sect , as state workers investigated claims of physical and sexual abuse . texas authorties used the bus in the background to transport children from a flds compound friday . a total of 183 people -- including 137 children -- have been taken away since law enforcement officers raided the compound thursday night , said marleigh meisner , a spokeswoman for the texas child protective services division . the children -- most of them girls -- were being interviewed by special investigators , she said . `` we 're trying to find out if they 're safe , '' she explained . `` we need to know if they have been abused or neglected . '' eighteen of the girls have been taken into state custody . authorities believe that they `` had been abused or were at immediate risk of future abuse , '' said child protective services spokesman darrell azar . the others were taken to a nearby civic center . meisner described them as doing `` remarkably well . '' authorities continue to search the 1,900-acre yfz ranch , occupied by followers of imprisoned polygamist sect leader warren jeffs , and at least one man is being sought by police .<doc-sep>three women who escaped from warren jeffs ' polygamous sect have revealed what life was like in a world controlled by the convicted pedophile 's bizarre rules issued from prison . twins heidi and helen holm , along with their friend allie steed , spent two years living in the claustrophobic world enforced by warren jeffs ' brother lyle until they could take no more and fled . jeffs tightened his regime and expelled many members , including the twins ' father , from the fundamentalist church of jesus christ of latter-day saints in colorado city , arizona . scroll down for video . terrorized : female members of the flds church . three young women have spoken out about their time living in convicted pedophile warren jeffs polygamous sect . jeffs , 56 , last year was convicted of sexually assaulting two minors whom he described as his spiritual wives and is serving a life sentence in a texas prison . allie holm , now 23 , told the salt lake tribune : ` it 's like a cloud comes down around you . i could n't even breathe . ' in june , warren jeffs issued a command to his sect - the names of 15 men he has chosen to father all future children of his church . he declared all marriages void until he can return and ` seal ' them . jeffs , . 56 , last year was convicted of sexually assaulting two minors whom he . described as his spiritual wives . at trial , prosecutors presented dna . evidence to show he fathered a child with one of those girls , aged 15 . he . is serving a life in a texas prison .<doc-sep>by . daily mail reporter . published : . 07:11 est , 8 august 2012 . | . updated : . 06:47 est , 10 august 2012 . a cruel religious sect kept 27 children locked away in dark and unheated underground cells - some for a decade . the youngsters , aged from one to 17 , have never seen daylight and have now been rescued from their living hell in russia . they were kept in an eight-level warren of cramped rooms underneath a three-storey house , without ventilation or electricity in a suburb of the city of kazan , in the eastern region of tartarstan . scroll down to watch video . underground leader : the local leader of the underground sect is led out of the cave in kazan by russian police in video footage released by the government of tatarstan . the underground bunker : the religious group lived for more than a decade in a bunker below a this mosque in kazan . child cruelty : children aged between one and 17 were found in the bunker - some of whom have never seen sunlight . the children 's parents have been . charged with child abuse and the elderly leader of the muslim sect , . 83-year-old faizrakhman satarov , faces charges of negligence . members of the sect call themselves ` muammin ' after the arabic term that means ` believers ' . self-declared prophet satarov , a . former top imam in a neighbouring province , had declared the derelict . house an independent islamic state . he ordered 70 followers to live in . the underground cells and only a few sect members were allowed to leave . the premises to work as traders at a local market . the children are now in hospital and will go on to be placed temporarily in an orphanage . tatarstan police have said that . the house will be demolished - but satarov 's deputy gumer ganiyev . declared on local television that it would be destroyed ` over our dead . bodies ' . none of those charged have been arrested . isolated : children were kept in an underground eight-level warren of cramped rooms beneath the mosque . captive : members of the religious group explore their surroundings after exiting the underground cave .<doc-sep>a former polygamist kicked out of the fundamentalist mormon church by ` prophet ' warren jeffs is fighting in court for custody of his more than a dozen children . lorin holm was excommunicated from the sect two years ago for being ` unfaithful ' and shortly after sued for custody of his children by wives lynda and patricia . holm was one of the 7,500 members of the flds church settled in an area between southern utah and northwestern arizona . the members of this sect practice plural marriage , which the mainstream mormon religion abandoned in 1890 . holm still lives with first-wife helen and their 12 children in colorado city , arizona , but his other two wives remained faithful to the sect and now share a new husband who happens to be imprisoned-leader jeffs ' nephew . scroll down for video . suing for custody : former polygamist lorin holm is fighting for custody of his children with former wives lynda and patricia peine . his children were taken from him when he was kicked out of the fundamentalist mormon church in 2011 . woman of faith : holm 's former wife lynda peine -lrb- right -rrb- testified in court on tuesday , saying she fears holm is a bad influence on their children ever since he was excommunicated from the church . protection : holm fears his children will be the victims of sexual abuse , child labor or abandonment if they remain with two of his former wives . holm is arguing that his children will be the victims of sexual abuse , child labor or abandonment if he is n't awarded sole custody . holm certainly is n't the first man to be kicked out of the flds church and kept from his family . in addition to gaining custody of all 25 of his children , holm hopes this case will help other men in his position rescue their children from the grasps of the strict sect . ` there 's thousands of families , thousands of children that this will affect , ' holm told fox 13 . ' i want every father and every mother to have their children . ' | <t> more than 400 children likely to return to families , cnn 's jeffrey toobin says . </t> <t> mother says she 'll wait until children are with her before she rejoices over ruling . </t> <t> parents say children have suffered from separation . </t> <t> agency that took children says it 's considering next move . </t> | sect children 's future uncertain<T> |
beirut , lebanon -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the fiery leader of lebanon 's hezbollah militant movement assured lebanon on monday that his movement will cooperate in the country 's political life . supporters carry posters of hezbollah chief hassan nasrallah . hassan nasrallah said : `` we do n't want to have control over lebanon , or to have governance over lebanon or to impose our ideas over the people of lebanon , because we believe lebanon to be a special and diverse country that needs the collaboration of everyone . '' nasrallah spoke a day after lebanon 's parliament elected michel sleiman the country 's president after a six-month vacancy in the position . nasrallah , speaking at a packed stadium , told his followers : `` i renew my appeal and invitation for a true national partnership with no eliminations or impositions . the national unity government is not the victory of the opposition against the pro-government . it is the victory of all lebanese . '' he said sleiman 's election `` renews the hope amongst the lebanese people to a new era and a new start . '' `` i must say that there are deep wounds from our side and theirs , we are both in front of two choices ; either to expand the wounds and add salt to them or try to cure them for the sake of lebanon and we prefer the second choice . '' the parliament had tried 19 times to vote on a new president , but failed because of disagreements over how to share power in a new cabinet . lebanon 's western-backed government and the hezbollah-led opposition reached a deal last week aimed at ending an 18-month political crisis that pushed the country to the brink of civil war , and paved the way for sleiman 's election . the agreement , reached in doha , qatar , calls for a consensus government in which the cabinet would be comprised of 30 posts -- 16 for the majority , 11 for the hezbollah-led opposition and three set aside for the president to nominate . the seat allocation had been a key sticking point for the opposition , which wanted to ensure it had the power to veto major decisions . with 11 cabinet posts , it will have that power . in exchange for the veto power and a redistricting plan ahead of next year 's elections , hezbollah agreed to end its sit-in protest that has paralyzed downtown beirut since late 2006 . in his speech , sleiman expressed gratitude to qatar and to the arab league for helping broker the deal . sleiman was the consensus candidate , and is viewed as a neutral party by lebanon 's political factions . the nation 's previous presidents have been seen as either pro-syrian or pro-western . in his 10 years as chief of the army , sleiman also is believed to have unified the splintered military . however , he inherits a nation grappling with divisions . lebanon 's elected , pro-western government has long been locked in a power struggle with hezbollah . in public statements and demonstrations in recent years , hezbollah threatened to use its power and popularity to oust the sunni-led government , triggering fears of a new civil war that could further destabilize the volatile region . the election helped end a political crisis that deteriorated into violence this month . that crisis was defused when the lebanese government gave in to two key hezbollah demands -- lifting a government ban of hezbollah 's telecommunications system and reinstating the chief of security at beirut 's airport . `` the performance of the opposition proved that it did not organize a coup , but only wanted the illegal government to withdraw its two decisions , '' nasrallah said . `` i promise that the opposition 's representation in the government will not be monopolized by hezbollah , amal and the change and reform bloc . we will give other opposition parties shares - and unfortunately we must speak of shares - even if it is at the expense of hezbollah 's shares . '' hezbollah has been linked to numerous terrorist attacks against u.s. , israeli , and other western targets and the united states lists it as a terrorist organization . but many in lebanon and other parts of the middle east -- particularly shiites -- view hezbollah militants as freedom fighters .<doc-sep>beirut , lebanon -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- grass-roots fury rippled across lebanon on tuesday as a hezbollah-backed politician got the nod to be the fractious country 's new prime minister . lebanon 's president , michel suleiman , appointed najib mikati to lead the country 's government , a step seen by supporters of caretaker prime minister saad hariri 's western-backed future movement as a power grab by the iranian-backed shiite movement . mikati spoke shortly after his appointment , telling cnn that he is not hezbollah 's man and asking for time to prove himself in the new post . he suggested that one year would be a reasonable period in which to judge his leadership . mikati 's appointment came on the same day supporters of hariri 's called for a `` day of rage . '' hariri 's government collapsed after hezbollah withdrew its support for him this month . that came because of hariri 's cooperation with the special tribunal for lebanon , which is expected to indict hezbollah members in connection with the assassination of former prime minister rafik hariri , the father of saad hariri . mikati said he is prepared to push ahead and form a government without hariri if necessary . he refused to say whether he would support the ongoing investigation into the assassination of hariri 's father . hariri urged demonstrators on the `` day of rage '' to show restraint and calm as protests sprang up across lebanon amid the country 's uncertain future . speaking to his supporters in a televised address tuesday , hariri expressed regret about violence during the protests . he was making reference to confrontations between security forces and protesters across lebanon and the attack on an al-jazeera news network crew and the burning of one of its trucks in tripoli , in northern lebanon . about 2,000 protesters gathered in al nour square in tripoli , lebanese internal security forces said . protesters burned tires along roads in the northern towns of halba and al abdeh but had not blocked traffic , security forces said . demonstrators were also beginning to gather in the southern port city of sidon and across the capital , beirut .<doc-sep>beirut , lebanon -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- a car bomb rocked a stronghold of the lebanese shiite militant group hezbollah on tuesday morning , injuring dozens of people in a southern suburb of the capital . fifty-three people were hurt in the blast in the bir el abed neighborhood , lebanese health minister ali hassan khalil told hezbollah 's al-manar tv . thirteen of them remained hospitalized tuesday afternoon in stable condition , he said . the blast erupted in a parking lot near the islamic cooperation centre , a supermarket , the national news agency reported . video from the scene broadcast on al-manar showed vehicles ablaze , black smoke billowing aloft . fire crews doused the flames as authorities kept the crowds back . the explosion affected the lower floors of surrounding buildings , blowing out windows and damaging balconies , nna reported . witnesses said that crowds hurled bottles at the interior minister , marwan charbel , as he was touring the site , and he fled . syria 's conflict stirs up old rivalries in lebanon . many of the injuries were minor , caused by glass debris , said ali krayyem , director general of bahman hospital , where many of the wounded were taken . tensions have risen in recent months as thousands of fighters from the militant shiite group hezbollah have poured across the border into syria and thousands of syrian refugees have fled into lebanon . with hezbollah 's support , forces loyal to syrian president bashar al-assad have regained momentum in his country 's civil war . recently they retook what had been a rebel stronghold , the city of qusayr , which is located on a major supply route close to the lebanese border . while that has helped turn the tide for hezbollah 's patrons , it has also angered many in lebanon . among those are sunni islamists , whose calls for hezbollah to be stopped have grown in volume and number in recent days . sectarian violence has been a growing concern as many lebanese support al-assad 's embattled regime , while others do not . a big worry is that syria 's troubles will reopen the wounds of lebanon 's civil war , which raged from 1975-1990 , potentially pitting the sunni community , which tends to back the syrian rebels , against hezbollah , a powerful pro-assad shiite militia . this comes as evidence emerges that syrian rebel groups are receiving small arms smuggled from lebanon and turkey . in april , the lebanese army announced it had intercepted a cargo ship bound for tripoli -- the northern epicenter of support for syrian rebels in lebanon -- that was filled with weapons it believes were meant to be delivered to rebel forces in syria . cnn 's nada husseini and mohammed jamjoom reported from beirut , with ed payne and tom watkins reporting and writing in atlanta . cnn 's mohammed tawfeeq and lonzo cook also contributed to this report .<doc-sep>beirut , lebanon -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- a political showdown now looms in lebanon after a potential kingmaker threw his allegiance friday behind the opposition hezbollah . druze leader walid jumblatt said his support lies with syria and those who oppose a united nations-backed tribunal 's investigation of the assassination of a former prime minister . `` i 'm assuring that the party will remain persistently on the side of syria and the resistance , '' jumblatt said in a televised news conference friday . hezbollah 's military wing is often referred to as a resistance movement in the muslim world . ` kingmaker ' holds the key . `` hopefully , the democratic game will move away from the tensions and the sectarian alliances , and we should stay open for dialogue , despite the schism that has happened and will continue to happen , '' said jumblatt , who heads the progressive socialist party . members of hezbollah forced the collapse of lebanon 's western-backed government last week because of now-caretaker prime minister saad hariri 's continued cooperation with the special tribunal for lebanon . it is widely expected that the tribunal will indict members of the militant shiite muslim group for the 2005 killing of hariri 's father , prime minister rafik hariri . the tribunal has scheduled a hearing for february 7 but it is unrelated to the indictment , said spokesman crispin thorold . a judge is currently reviewing the prosecutor 's probe results , a process that could take up to 10 weeks . after the government collapsed , lebanese president michel suleiman asked saad hariri to stay on as caretaker prime minister . suleiman will begin speaking with members of parliament monday to see who they want to be prime minister . the system of power-sharing that prevails in lebanon mandates that the prime minister 's office be reserved for a sunni muslim . the president is a maronite christian and the speaker of parliament is a shiite muslim .<doc-sep>jerusalem -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the united nations has condemned friday 's rocket attack on israel from southern lebanon , and urged both sides `` to exercise maximum restraint . '' italian soldiers with unifil and lebanese security forces inspect a rocket site in qlayleh , lebanon , on friday . israel 's military fired between 12 and 18 artillery shells into southern lebanon friday shortly after the rocket attack on northern israel , according to the israeli military and a lebanese army official . there were no casualties in either incident . rockets fired from lebanon struck open spaces in the western galilee region of northern israel , an israel defense forces spokesman said . there were no reports of damage . israel retaliated by firing toward the source of the rocket fire , the idf spokesman said . the shells landed near the southern lebanese village of qlayleh around 3 p.m. -lrb- 8 a.m. et -rrb- , a lebanese army official said . the idf spokesman said the israeli military considers the rocket-fire incident to be serious and holds lebanon 's government and military responsible . israel radio reported one rocket struck near the northern town of nahariya and another landed near gesher haziv , a kibbutz , or collective community . israeli police spokesman micky rosenfeld said residents near nahariya heard several explosions , and the remnants of at least one rocket were found . there has been no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack . u.n. secretary-general ban ki-moon released a statement through his spokeswoman , condemning the attack . he said the united nations mission in lebanon , unifil , `` is investigating the circumstances of the incident in close cooperation with the lebanese armed forces . '' there are an estimated 30,000 rockets in southern lebanon , all under the control of hezbollah militants . israel fought a war against hezbollah militants in lebanon three years ago that is widely regarded as having empowered the shiite militia . cnn 's michal zippori in jerusalem and nada husseini in beirut , lebanon , contributed to this report . | <t> hezbollah leader hassan nasrallah says lebanon needs collaboration of everyone . </t> <t> nasrallah praises election of michel sleiman as president after six months . </t> <t> election comes after hezbollah and government agreed power-sharing deal . </t> <t> sleiman is considered a consensus president in the divided country . </t> | hezbollah promises lebanon cooperation<T> |
miami , florida -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- a judge has declared a mistrial in the retrial of six men accused of plotting terrorist acts with al qaeda . narseal batiste , the group 's alleged ringleader , testified he was n't serious about the terrorism threats he made . the decision comes after 13 days of deliberation and marks the second time government prosecutors have failed to convince a jury that the six defendants were guilty of terror-related charges . it is unclear whether the government will pursue a third trial against the defendants .<doc-sep>the first trial ended in a mistrial last december after nine days of deliberations left a jury hopelessly deadlocked on the six defendants . a seventh was acquitted . the defendants are known as the `` liberty city 7 '' because authorities say the men operated out of a warehouse in miami 's liberty city housing project . after their arrests in june 2006 , federal officials said the homegrown terror plot may have included as its possible targets the 110-story sears tower in chicago -- the tallest building in north america -- as well as the fbi 's miami offices and other sites . e-mail to a friend . cnn 's john couwels contributed to this report .<doc-sep>washington -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the perjury trial of ex-baseball all-star roger clemens ended in a mistrial thursday after jurors heard statements in a prosecution video that the judge had ruled inadmissible until later in the case . u.s. district judge reggie walton said prosecutors should have modified a video that showed a congressman talking about a deposition from the wife of clemens ' old teammate , former new york yankees pitcher andy pettitte , during a 2008 congressional hearing . walton had decided earlier that prosecutors could n't include references to laura pettitte 's testimony unless it was brought up on rebuttal . `` i ca n't in good faith leave this case in a situation where a man 's liberty is at risk when the government should have taken steps to ensure that we were not in this situation , '' walton said after clemens ' lawyers asked for a mistrial . `` i do n't see how i can unring the bell . '' the decision came on the second day of testimony in the trial . walton set a september 2 hearing on whether to retry the case . clemens left the courthouse without comment after the ruling , telling reporters , `` i 'd appreciate it if y' all would let me walk home now . '' clemens , nicknamed `` rocket , '' is accused of perjury , obstruction of congress and making false statements about his alleged use of steroids and human growth hormone . during an appearance before a house committee in 2008 , he testified that he never used illegal performance-enhancing substances during his career -- a statement prosecutors say is contradicted by witnesses and physical evidence .<doc-sep>on the night of the shooting on may 16 , 2010 , police and the special response team went to an address in detroit 's east side to carry out a search for a murder suspect . they were accompanied by a camera crew from a tv reality show called ` the first 48 , but the midnight raid was recorded from the outside , not the inside where aiyana was shot . a stun grenade was thrown through a window to confuse anyone inside . then , officers stormed the house and once inside , a round from weekley 's sub-machine gun struck aiyana in the head while she slept on a couch . the trial featured a multicultural jury made up of eight women and four men , four of whom were african americans . the jurors , asked that their names not be made public as they explained what happened over four days of deliberations . sadness : dominika stanley wipes away tears after judge cynthia gray hathaway declares a mistrial . they said that they never agreed unanimously , but listened to each others view points , took three votes and had some jurors shift sides . the jury foreman , a pastor said : ` this has not been an easy case . ' during the last vote , the panel was split 7 to 5 , with seven voting not guilty and five saying weekley was guilty of the charge . grief : charles jones , center , the father of seven-year-old aiyana stanley-jones , is consoled by family and friends as they stand in front of aiyana 's open casket before the funeral service at second ebenezer baptist church in detroit on saturday , may 22 , 2010 . one of the most important questions that jurors needed to answer was whether the discharge of the weapon was a result of the defendant 's carelessness , recklessness or negligence . some jurors felt weekley , should not have allowed his gun to discharge because of his training as a member of the special response team , while others could not determine what happened .<doc-sep>by . daily mail reporter . published : . 12:51 est , 16 april 2013 . | . updated : . 12:57 est , 16 april 2013 . a judge declared a mistrial tuesday after jurors said they could n't reach a verdict in the case of a mental patient who slashed a new york city psychotherapist to death with a meat cleaver . the defense did n't dispute that david tarloff , 45 , killed kathryn faughey in february 2008 , but tarloff 's attorneys claimed that he was so psychotic that he could n't tell what he was doing was wrong .<doc-sep>a trial against a detroit police officer accused of shooting dead a seven-year-old girl ended in a mistrial after the jury became ` hopelessly deadlocked . ' the jurors were unable to reach a verdict in the case against officer joseph weekley who was accused of shooting aiyana stanley-jones during a raid on a house for a murder suspect in detroit . judge cynthia gray hathaway declared a mistrial in the case for the second time after the first trial ended in a hung jury in june 2013 . death : happy-go-lucky seven-year-old aiyana stanley-jones was shot and killed on sunday , may 16 , 2010 , by a detroit police officer during a raid to arrest a murder suspect . shooting : detroit police officer joseph weekley testifies during his first trial in wayne county circuit court in detroit , michigan , his second trial was declared a mistrial on friday . judge hathaway told the jurors : ` these things happen . ' but the little girl 's distraught uncle londell fields said : ' i do n't understand how we can go through this again and have all this evidence brought forth and there not be a verdict either way . ' ' i do n't think it 's fair because he 's a police officer that he gets to get away with this again . that 's wrong to me . ' at the beginning of the case , jurors were asked to decide the officer 's fate . yet the group of 12 was almost split down the middle over whether to acquit or convict weekley on a misdemeanor charge of careless , reckless or negligent use of a firearm causing death . ` this was an emotional case , ' the jury foreman told the media afterward . ` there were tears in this room . ' distraught : the parents of aiyana stanley-jones , dominika stanley , left , and charles jones , hold a photo of her in southfield , michigan , both are devastated over the mistrial . but race , the jurors said , never played a role in deliberations , despite the fact that weekley is white , and aiyana was black . | <t> judge declares mistrial in the retrial of miami terrorism case . </t> <t> men accused of plotting to target chicago 's sears tower and bomb fbi offices . </t> <t> defendants faced up to 70 years in prison if convicted of conspiracy charges . </t> <t> first trial ended in a mistrial in december , also because of a hung jury . </t> | judge declares mistrial in ` liberty city 7 ' terrorism case<T> |
-lrb- aol autos -rrb- -- there is an old adage which goes something like this : `` the cheap man always pays more in the long run . '' consumer reports analyzed the cost of ownership across the 300 models in their database . consumer reports magazine recently reached a similar conclusion when it announced the results of a study that compared the cost of ownership of more than 300 cars . consumer reports noted that a car with a cheaper sticker price can often cost consumers more in the long run when compared to a higher-priced alternative . the report , which appeared in consumer reports ' annual april auto issue , was based on a comparison of the 300 models in the consumer reports database . in short , the report concluded that a car 's sticker price is one of many factors that should be taken into account when trying to decide between two cars in the same class . for example , at about $ 17,500 , a mitsubishi lancer is priced $ 5,000 less than a mini cooper . but when factoring in the total costs of ownership for each vehicle , the lancer could cost drivers about $ 3,000 more to own over the first five years , according to the study . and the purchase price of a toyota highlander is about $ 3,000 more than a v6 ford explorer -- but the explorer 's total cost of ownership is an extra $ 6,500 over those five years . the study took into account such factors as depreciation , fuel costs , interest paid on the car loan , insurance , maintenance , repair costs and sales tax . online subscribers to www.consumerreports.org can compare the costs for one , three , five and eight years of ownership . `` we think this information is valuable for consumers who have shopped around , and settled on a couple of different cars they like , and then have to decide on one or the other , '' noted cliff weathers , consumer reports ' deputy editor , autos . `` we 're giving this information to the consumer to use as a tool to help them make that decision , a tie-breaker , if you will . `` if they 're trying to decide between a pontiac solstice and mazda miata , for example , they can go to our web site and find out which one will cost less to own over that five-year period . and in this particular case , the answer would be the miata -- which was one of the least expensive cars to own of all the cars evaluated in our survey . '' depreciation was factored into the estimates based on the assumption that the vehicle will eventually be traded in when buyers make their next car purchase . `` depreciation is the factor that accounts for the highest cost of ownership , '' weathers explained . `` depreciation accounts for 48 percent of the cost of ownership over the first five years . '' different models depreciate faster , and more significantly , than others . in order to calculate depreciation for this owner-cost comparison , consumer reports started with the price that a typically-equipped model generally sells for . if a particular model often sells at a largely-discounted price that was also factored in . consumer reports then deducted the wholesale trade-in value of the car at the end of the period , based on data from their used car price service , weathers explained . in those cases when consumer reports did n't have depreciation data for a new model , it used estimates based on comparable vehicles . the fuel factor . the second-biggest factor in cost-of-ownership , after depreciation , is fuel costs , which account for 21 percent of the total ownership costs . `` fuel economy can really make a big difference , '' weathers said . `` if you have a car that gets 25 miles per gallon , and another car that gets 19 miles per gallon , that 's a potential difference of thousands of dollars over five years , if you 're driving 12,000 miles a year . '' consumer reports calculated fuel costs by assuming that the vehicles would be driven 12,000 miles a year -- the average annual mileage reported by those who responded to consumer reports ' annual reader survey . consumer reports then applied the national average price of regular gas as of december 2007 or , if applicable , the price of premium or diesel fuel . fuel costs were an especially big factor with suvs , the comparison revealed . drivers who buy a dodge nitro could pay more than $ 10,000 to fill up the tank over a five-year period , for example . but the fuel costs for a similar-sized , more fuel-efficient toyota rav4 v6 would be $ 2,000 less during that period . consumer reports ' comparison also concluded that interest paid on car loans accounts for about 12 percent of five-year ownership costs . that figure is based on a five-year loan , with a 15 percent down payment , using the average interest rate of 6.86 percent reported by bankrate.com in december 2007 . auto insurance accounts for about 11 percent of total ownership costs over five years , according to the consumer reports comparison . car insurance costs can vary depending on several factors such as the driver 's age , location , and driving record . auto insurance costs , in some cases , dramatically boosted the ownership costs of models that otherwise boasted reasonable ownership costs . as an example , weathers compared the difference in auto insurance rates for mitsubishi lancer evolution and a similarly-priced acura tl . `` insurance for the lancer can cost you $ 2,500 a year or more , based our 2007 figures , '' notes weathers . `` meanwhile , the annual car insurance rates for the acura tl can cost as little as $ 900 . '' maintenance & repairs . surprisingly , maintenance and car repairs account for only four percent of the cost of ownership , weathers said . the maintenance and repair cost figures used in consumer reports ' cost of ownership comparison were based on information gleaned from more than a million respondents in its annual car reliability survey . one notable conclusion reached in the consumer reports study is that lexus models have relatively high maintenance and repair costs -- primarily due to maintenance alone , even though lexus owners reported excellent reliability . the lexus es350 racks up an average of $ 2,300 in maintenance and repair in the first five years . meanwhile , owners of a comparable lincoln mkz can expect to pay only half that much . another interesting tidbit discovered in the comparison is that the range rover is the most expensive vehicle on average for five and eight years when it comes to maintenance and repairs , costing about $ 2,000 in the fifth year alone . meanwhile , the comparable toyota land cruiser costs only $ 600 in that year to maintain and repair . some might be surprised to hear that the sales tax on the purchase price of the vehicle accounts for as much of the cost of ownership as maintenance and repairs . for its study , consumer reports used the national average of 4.83 percent in 2007 . with hybrid cars being a hot topic in the auto industry , consumer reports was also interested in the cost of owning one of those fuel-sipping vehicles . the report concluded that toyota prius hybrid actually costs less to own than similar conventional models . specifically , the sale price of a prius is about $ 7,500 higher than a similarly-sized chevrolet cobalt , but the total cost of ownership over five years is almost $ 2,000 less - due primarily to its much lower fuel costs , although the amount of depreciation was a factor as well . weathers pointed to another interesting finding : `` there are some vehicles , namely bmw , that are very inexpensive to own over first five years , because all of the maintenance is paid for during that period , under the warranty , '' he says . `` but if we take it forward , the cost of maintenance and repairs over the next three years after that is going to be more expensive . '' for more information on this study , visit www.consumerreports.org . to compare vehicle prices and specs for yourself , check out the aol autos compare cars tool . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>the figures were obtained by lord . stoddart , who said : these are eye watering figures that make westminster . look like very good value for money . ' mr . cameron is due to give a major speech on europe next week , setting out demands for money and powers to be returned to . britain . the revelation that . the cost of running the european parliament which produces reams of . deeply unpopular diktats is so high will increase pressure for major . reform . a spokesman for the european parliament said comparing it with the house of commons was like ` comparing apples and oranges ' matthew sinclair , . chief executive of the taxpayers ' alliance , said : ` taxpayers will be . angry that the european parliament is being so extravagant with their . cash when it comes to organising its own affairs .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- who 's ready for a caribbean vacation ? yes , that 's what we thought . tripadvisor has priced 20 beautiful , primarily caribbean , island destinations with its tripindex caribbean , comparing the cost of a one-week trip for a group of four for the period from march 1 through april 30 . included in the price analysis is the average cost of round-trip airfare from the continental u.s. , a seven-night hotel stay , six dinners and a half-day snorkeling excursion . beach photos that will make you drool . here are the top 10 value destinations , with the cost of a weeklong trip for four : . 1 . puerto rico - $ 4,609 . 2 . jamaica - $ 4,631 . 3 . trinidad and tobago - $ 4,771 .<doc-sep>` those . responsible for running the parliament should be looking at finding . savings in the same way as everyone else is having to do . ` they . should start by scrapping the nonsense of moving all the meps , staff . and documentation from brussels to strasbourg for a few days each month , . which currently costs in the region of # 150 million a year . ' ukip mep godfrey bloom added : ` the vast cost of the european parliament , replete with trips to strasbourg and translation into a smorgasbord of languages , ramps up the costs . ` of course one might say that these differentials are right and proper . given that three quarters of our laws are now made in brussels , perhaps it is apt that meps get three times as much as our westminster friends . ` ukip meps are campaigning to make all british euro-mps a zero cost to the taxpayer by removing ourselves from the eu . ' mps in westminster cost the equivalent of # 590,000 each , compared to # 130,000 for a member of the house of lords . a spokesman for the european parliament said : ` comparing the cost of running the european parliament to running the houses of parliament is like comparing apples and oranges . ` the european parliament is an international organisation operating in 23 official languages , leading to translation and interpretation costs not applicable to the houses of parliament . ` unlike the palace of westminster , most of the european parliament 's office space is rented or leased . and because of a decision made by member states , including the uk , and enshrined in the treaties , the ep has two working seats , resulting in extra costs linked to travel , staffing , the upkeep of the buildings , and so on . ' on the same measure members of the house of lords work out as the best value , costing # 130,000 each .<doc-sep>it 's lucky most visitors to this week 's davos conference are billionaires - because switzerland has been named the most expensive place in the world to buy a big mac . the famous burgers cost 6.50 swiss francs in the alpine country - that works out at more than # 5 -lrb- $ 7.50 -rrb- for the mcdonald 's sandwich alone . norway has the second most expensive big mac in the world at # 4.40 -lrb- $ 6.50 -rrb- , followed by denmark , brazil and the us , according to the so-called big mac index . scroll down for video . a big mac in switzerland now costs the equivalent of nearly $ 8 - around # 5 in british money , it emerged today . the index was created by the economist magazine in 1986 as a way of comparing the relative values of different currencies . by comparing a product which is almost perfectly identical and on sale around the world , experts hoped to show the ` purchasing power ' of each nation 's money . | <t> a car with a cheaper sticker price can often cost consumers more in the long run . </t> <t> report based on comparison of the 300 models in consumer reports database . </t> <t> second-biggest factor in cost-of-ownership , after depreciation , is fuel costs . </t> <t> maintenance and car repairs account for only four percent of the cost of ownership . </t> | comparing cost of ownership<T> |
-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- a u.s. customs and border patrol agent was killed saturday when he was struck by a car driven by a suspected narcotics smuggler , officials said . luis aguilar , 32 , who was assigned to the yuma , arizona , border patrol station , died saturday , u.s. customs and border patrol commissioner w. ralph basham said in a statement . `` agent aguilar 's death serves as another stark reminder of the risks our front-line agents and officers face each day , '' basham said . aguilar was trying to place spike strips in the path of two vehicles believed to have illegally entered the country from mexico when one of the vehicles hit him , agent michael bernacke , a spokesman for the agency 's yuma sector , told the associated press . both vehicles drove back across the border into mexico , the ap said .<doc-sep>the fatal incident occurred in the imperial sand dunes recreation area near andrade , california , basham said . andrade is just over the california state line from arizona . the area is popular with off-road vehicle enthusiasts but also is frequently used by smugglers carrying people or drugs , the ap said . aguilar is survived by his wife and two children , along with his brother , who is also a border patrol agent , a homeland security department statement said . `` i am outraged by this tragic loss , '' said homeland security secretary michael chertoff said saturday . `` i have spoken to the mexican ambassador , who gives me both his condolences and deep assurance that their government will be resolute in tracking down the perpetrators and bringing them to swift justice . '' federal , state and local authorities are working with mexican police and military authorities to apprehend the suspected killers , he said . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>in 2010 , the fbi investigated after a border patrol agent shot and killed a mexican teen along the border between el paso , texas , and ciudad juarez , mexico . federal officials closed the case in april , saying there was not enough evidence to pursue charges against the officer and that he acted within the agency 's policies for use of force . the officer received widespread condemnation from critics who questioned his use of deadly force against 15-year-old sergio adrian hernandez guereca , who authorities said had been throwing rocks at the agent when he was shot and killed . hernandez had a history of involvement with human smuggling and was on a list of repeat juvenile offenders , u.s. customs and border protection spokesman mark qualia said after the shooting . an appeal is pending in a lawsuit filed by the teen 's parents in u.s. federal court , accusing the officer of using excessive force . the mexican government filed a friend of the court brief in the case , noting that its request to extradite the border patrol agent for prosecution had been denied . `` as a matter of international responsibility , the fact that the victim was on mexican soil when he was killed does not absolve the united states of responsibility for the acts of its agent , '' the brief said . alleged senior member of tijuana drug cartel extradited to u.s. mexico confirms death of feared zetas cartel leader . suspect arrested in falcon lake killing , mexican authorities say . cnn 's eduardo aragon , elwyn lopez and catherine e. shoichet contributed to this report .<doc-sep>terry is the third border patrol agent to be killed in the line of duty this year , the customs and border protection agency says . thirty-four agents have died in the line of duty in the past 15 years , according to agency figures . in august , president obama signed a bill that provides $ 600 million in emergency funding to help secure the u.s.-mexico border . among other things , the bill provides for roughly 1,500 new law enforcement agents , new unmanned aerial vehicles , new forwarding operating bases and $ 14 million in new communications equipment . more than 520 national guard and army troops were recently assigned to the arizona-mexico border through the bill . federal officials said in july that human smuggling and illegal border crossings were on the rise in the tucson , arizona , sector of the border . monday , immigration and customs enforcement agents discovered a cross-border smuggling tunnel in nogales after seizing more than 2,100 pounds of marijuana that was rolled in cylindrical bundles from a van , a statement from the agency said . it was the shape of the bundles that tipped agents off to the tunnel , the statement said . `` the marijuana bundles resembled previous seizures in which tunnels were used to smuggle narcotics from mexico into the united states , '' the immigration and customs enforcement statement said . one opening of the 13-foot long tunnel had a 10-inch diameter hole in a street surface in nogales . `` the tunnel entrance in mexico is directly against the international border fence and covered with a piece of plywood , '' the agency said . the tunnel will be filled with concrete . the driver of the van fled , but a passenger was arrested and is facing federal drug and immigration charges , the agency said . cnn 's kara devlin and mike m. ahlers contributed to this report .<doc-sep>almost 5.5 million pills of ecstasy were seized in the states bordering canada in 2006 -lrb- the most recent year for which full statistics are available -rrb- -- an almost tenfold increase since 2003 , top drug enforcement officials say . `` they drive them in . they bring them in by boat . they bring them in by plane . they bring them across by people just carrying them across their back much like the southwest border , '' says ed duffy , an assistant special agent in charge for the drug enforcement administration 's northern region . because meth is less expensive than ecstasy , mixing the two saves producers money , but it also makes it more dangerous , officials say . ecstasy can cause sharp increases in body temperature and can result in liver , kidney or heart damage . when laced with meth , officials say , the combination can cause more severe harm because meth can damage brain functions , as well as lead to an increase in breathing , irregular heartbeats and increased blood pressure . the national institute on drug abuse says meth -- or methamphetamine -- is a `` very addictive stimulant drug . '' law enforcement officials say european countries cracked down on ecstasy production in the early 2000s and manufacturing moved to canada . and now , asian gangs in canada have been smuggling the chemicals needed to make ecstasy from china and india , officials with the royal canadian mounted police tell cnn .<doc-sep>he was killed near a border station recently named for brian terry , whose 2010 death led to the public disclosure of the botched fast and furious gun-smuggling sting , according to sen. chuck grassley of iowa . what was ` fast and furious ' ? the agent who was wounded has not been identified . after the shooting , he was airlifted to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries . he was released from the hospital wednesday , said jeremy copeland , an agent with the tucson sector of u.s. border patrol . `` napolitano -lrb- and the others -rrb- will also meet with federal , state and local law enforcement officials at the brian a. terry border patrol station in bisbee , arizona , regarding the ongoing investigation , '' chandler said in a statement . in addition to mexican authorities , the fbi is conducting a joint investigation with the cochise county sheriff 's office . james turgal , special agent in charge of the fbi 's phoenix division , has declined to say if the border patrol agents involved in the incident returned fire . | <t> officials : luis aguilar , 32 , was placing spike strips to stop the smugglers . </t> <t> border agents believe two cars involved had entered the u.s. illegally . </t> <t> the incident occurred over the california state line from arizona . </t> <t> both vehicles drove back across the border and into mexico . </t> | border agent killed by drug smuggling driver , officials say<T> |
tilcara , argentina -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- carmen salva 's mission may be ambitious , but her belief is simple : `` it 's never too early to start caring for the land you live in and grow up in . '' carmen salva : `` it 's a great joy to know that i am preparing a new generation to respect the environment . '' that 's why on saturdays , salva and a group of 60 to 100 students , parents and teachers can be found venturing into the high altitude of their northern argentina mountains , trash bags in hand and llamas in tow . they 're part of esperanza de vida -lrb- hope for life -rrb- , salva 's youth environmental group that is out to clean up the surroundings , one plastic bottle at a time . salva , 49 , was born and raised in the jujuy province of northern argentina , an area known for its rich culture and spectacular vistas -- `` the reason why most people fall in love with it , '' says salva . but despite its beauty , salva says there 's no real environmental consciousness in her community . `` we have a lot of issues to work on -- the problem of water contamination ; there 's so much trash , '' salva says . `` we ca n't just think that it will take care of itself . '' salva , who has been a teacher in jujuy for 20 years , says the environmental issues are n't recent ones . ten years ago , she and her students noticed a lot of trash outside the school . `` the parks surrounding the school were littered with plastic bottles and beer bottles , '' recalls salva .<doc-sep>they began volunteering with a government program , collecting and bagging waste in the area . but the program waned after a year , and students and teachers could no longer continue their environmental efforts . `` our city had no formal recycling program or even knowledge of why it was important to learn about fresh water , forestation , and the importance of recycling , '' says salva . so salva began esperanza de vida in 1997 to organize and lead young participants in `` making our streets and our environment cleaner . '' `` i believe that change begins with the youth , '' says salva . `` they will teach future generations how to care for nature and everything that surrounds us . '' at first , the group 's activities were limited to cleaning parks near and around the school . but the organization 's efforts have expanded well beyond the immediate area , and other jujuy schools have joined in . about 150 people now take part , including about 80 children . salva says her students are deeply impacted by the `` pachamama '' concept , or caring for mother earth . she and fellow teachers have noticed their students apply as much energy and commitment to the weekend environmental activities as they do to their general subjects . `` some even wait by my house on saturday for the program to begin , '' beams salva .<doc-sep>the group convenes early in the morning to hike together into the mountains , where they work for hours , picking up trash and separating recyclables . watch salva talk about her program 's impact on the students and their environment '' `` we have long days and we accomplish a lot . it gets tiring because it 's a lot of walking and sometimes there are cliffs , '' says salva . '' -lsb- but -rsb- the students enjoy it a lot . they 're making changes while having fun . '' on an average saturday cleanup , it 's not unusual for the group to collect roughly 60 bags of trash for recycling , clearing thousands of bottles from the mountains . the llamas help carry the heavy load down from the mountains . `` the children call them the little eco-llamas . '' watch salva discuss another way the llamas help her group in the mountains '' the local government has also pitched in , helping to provide transport of the collected recyclables to the drop-off center , located nearly 50 miles from tilcara . salva says the group is making strides , raising awareness throughout her community , continually adding new volunteers , and implementing new projects . carmen says the children are even teaching their parents to care for the environment around them . watch salva and her group in action in the mountains '' `` it 's a great joy to know that i am preparing a new generation to respect the environment , '' says salva . `` their children 's children will have another mentality , and -lsb- our -rsb- goal will be accomplished . ''<doc-sep>by . paul bentley . tragedy : gloria smith died after she drank cleaning fluid which had been left in a water bottle in her hotel room . a mother died on a five-star holiday to cyprus after she drank from a bottle that a maid had filled with cleaning fluid . gloria smith , 60 , was on a two-week break with her fiancé when she returned to her # 199-a-night room and took a sip from what appeared to be a bottle of mineral water . moments later , she collapsed on the bathroom floor , screaming to her partner , raymond francis : ` it 's poison , help me . ' an inquest yesterday heard that the maid at the salamis bay conti resort hotel in famagusta , northern cyprus , had filled the bottle with a stain remover and left it behind when she had finished cleaning their room . she was arrested following mrs smith 's death but released without charge when it became clear that she had made what mr francis describes as a ` stupid ' and ` negligent ' mistake . the couple were on the fourth day of their holiday in september 2010 when they returned to their hotel room to shower after a morning on the beach . after declaring she was thirsty , mrs smith took the water bottle from a table of drinks in their room and walked to the en suite bathroom , where she suddenly fell to the floor , screaming for help . mr francis , 62 , came after her and tasted the discarded bottle , which burned his lips , before calling the hotel reception to demand an ambulance . the hotel 's doctor had finished work for the day . mr francis 's fiancée , who was a retired hairdresser , was rushed to hospital but died of a heart attack in an ambulance while being transferred to a specialist unit on the holiday island . the toxic cleaning fluid was said to have caused a build-up of fluid in her lungs and brain . speaking from the home he had shared with mrs smith in walsall , mr francis said she had had so much to live for . ` she was an emotional lady but very loving , we had spoken about getting married , ' he said . ` she had so much to live for , she was very happy . she said : `` i have a future to look forward to . '' ' the retired antiques dealer added : ` gloria should not have died . it was negligence . it was a stupid , careless mistake . ` we 'd come back from a morning on the beach and i suggested we go to the turkish baths for a sauna . ` negligent ' : the retired hairdresser was on the fourth day of her holiday when she drank the poisonous liquid , which had been siphoned into a water bottle by a cleaner . ` she had so much to live for ' : mrs smith with her partner raymond francis on a previous holiday in goa . ` when we came back to the room gloria . said she was going to have a shower and she said she was thirsty . she . went over the table which had little bottles of vodka and soft drinks on . it and picked up a bottle of water . ` gloria went into the bathroom and a . few seconds later i heard her screaming , shouting : `` it 's poison ' , help . me '' . she 'd dropped the bottle into the sink and was on all fours . ' i picked up the bottle and tasted it . and it burned . i tried to help her straight away . ' mr francis said the . bottle looked exactly like a regular small water container . luxury : mrs smith had been staying at the five star salamis bay conti resort hotel & casino in north cyprus . resort : the bottle had been filled with toxic fluid by a cleaner who had mistakenly left it in the room . grief-stricken : mrs smith 's partner ray francis who was on holiday with her when she died . after an ambulance was called , mrs . smith was taken to famagusta hospital where she was initially thought to . have been hyperventilating . she was given a paper bag by a nurse who . spoke no english . she was then examined by doctors . before dying of a heart attack while in another ambulance being . transferred to a specialist hospital . an inquest at walsall coroner 's court . on monday was read a statement from the hotel maid in which she said the . bottle ` had not been intentionally left on the table ' . recording a narrative verdict , coroner . robin balmain spoke out against the hotel 's ` grossly negligent . practice ' of transferring cleaning fluids to drinking bottles , which led . to mrs smith 's death . he said that if the tragic accident . had occurred in the uk the hotel would have faced criminal charges . he . added : ` anyone seeing the bottle would assume it contains water . ` if that happened in this country then . irrespective of any action against the cleaner the hotel would find . themselves prosecuted . ' mrs smith , from reedswood , walsall , was a widow and had one adult daughter . the salamis bay conti resort hotel has 392 rooms and overlooks the mediterranean . the hotel is located close to roman . ruins and boasts a lagoon swimming pool , turkish bath , sauna and massage . rooms , tennis courts , a casino and a private beach .<doc-sep>other top sellers include umbrellas -lrb- 2.5 million were sold last year -rrb- , and toblerone -lrb- 5.5 million bars in 2013 -rrb- . it 's branching out into chilled food - you can buy a box of ten eggs or a 160g pack of danish salami . but it 's in the healthcare section that you 'll find extraordinary bargains . i picked up armloads of vitamins at a steal . for example , 90 vitamin d tablets cost # 5.10 at boots . i bought 60 here for # 1 . they are exactly the same strength , with each tablet containing 200 per cent of my rda -lrb- recommended daily amount . -rrb- . holland & barrett charges # 6.99 for 60 evening primrose oil capsules - i bought 30 at the same strength -lrb- 500mg per tablet -rrb- for just # 1 . i was also delighted with the spectacles . you 'd be hard pushed to find a better selection of standard prescription glasses in an optician , although you 'll pay a lot more . the same size bottle of simple shampoo would cost # 2.33 at sainsbury 's . other brands available include timotei , wella , pantene and aussie . verdict : i 'd never been in a poundland before , but i 'll definitely be back ! 4/5 . the family-owned poundworld was launched in salford , greater manchester , in 2004 after rebranding from ` everything 's a # 1 ' . it now has more than 180 stores in the uk , with plans to open a further 200 in the next five years . you will find cleaning products , toiletries , groceries , toys and party goods , and big names such as cadbury , coca-cola and johnson 's . canny boss chris edwards buys in bulk at discounted rates from household names , and commissions own-brand products from china . cleaning products : poundworld stocks incredibly cheap cleaners , but there was n't much else tessa wanted to buy there . tat or treasure ? full to bursting with everything from sparkly hair clips and shower curtains to shredded wheat and dog chews , this store was also heaving with customers . there were lots of pensioners with pull-along trolleys full of cat food , and young mums with piercings . i also spotted two yummy mummies loading up their orla kiely shopping bags with stationery and cleaning products . best for : cleaning products . the same one-litre bottle of cif floor cleaner is # 1.50 at sainsbury 's , while the equivalent bottle of domestos is # 1.25 at tesco . zoflora disinfectant costs # 1.33 at tesco and mr muscle cleaners are # 2 at most supermarkets .<doc-sep>four suits - in the sale from m&s - # 160 . shirts , waistcoats and cravats -- ebay - # 90 . dry-cleaning debbie 's dad 's suit - # 30 . a tiara , earrings and necklace - ebay - # 60 . personalised gifts for bridesmaids - ebay - # 100 . total : # 1,030 . ` we got engaged 20 years ago , ' said debbie , who has a daughter , stacey , 23 , and son nathan , 18 , with her new husband . ` but i kept saying no to getting married . i did n't want to get into mountains of debt just because of one , albeit special , day . ' statistics show the average wedding costs # 18,244 , with brides spashing out # 2,164 on a venue , # 2,770 on catering , # 876 on a photographer .<doc-sep>the note stanton recovered was dated saturday august 16 , 1963 , and had the following written on it in all capital letters : ` to whom it may concern , please fill out the following questions and . mail . ` this is a scientific experiment by dennis komsa , age 12 . ' the questions written on the note were . ` where was the jar found ? when was it found ? how was it found ? and . anything else which might help me . ' included . in the jar was komsa 's address in nearby patterson , new jersey and five . cents for whomever found the note to buy a stamp . record ? komsa 's bottle was about 50 years shy of setting a record for the amount of time passed before a message in a bottle was found . cleanup : norman stanton points to the spot where he found the jar while cleaning up after hurricane sandy . long journey home : mr stanton -lrb- left -rrb- reunites mr komsa with his jar along with stanton 's sister , sharon roher , and seaside heights official arthur fierro -lrb- right -rrb- . now 61 and living in hillsborough , new jersey , komsa told the paper he 's shocked the bottle was recovered . ` things happen for a reason . i guess it 's good it came to shore . it shows anything is possible , ' he said . he added , ` my father and i used to do stuff like that all the time . ' komsa said he called the guinness book of world records to find out if his bottle had broken any records . unfortunately , the record for a bottle found after being tossed to sea was set in 2012 by a fisherman from the united kingdom . that bottle spent 97 years and 309 days at sea . the bottle was returned to komsa on saturday when he attended a a luncheon in honor of the borough 's 100th birthday . | <t> teacher in argentina started youth group to help clean up the environment . </t> <t> about 150 people take part , including about 80 children . </t> <t> on an average saturday , they often collect about 60 bags of trash for recycling . </t> <t> llamas help carry the thousands of bottles down from the mountains . </t> | cleaning her mountains one bottle at a time<T> |
london , england -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- human rights and freedom of the press in china , the detention of terrorist suspects by the united states and russia 's treatment of political dissent are the focus of scrutiny in amnesty international 's annual report , released wednesday , which looks at the state of human rights around the world . amnesty international protestors outside the us supreme court in january dressed as guantanamo bay detainees . the 398-page report comes 60 years after the united nations adopted the universal declaration of human rights , and amnesty says governments still need to act on their promises . `` the biggest threat to the future of human rights is the absence of a shared vision and collective leadership , '' the organization said in a statement . irene khan , amnesty 's secretary-general , said that in particular , `` the human-rights flash points in darfur , zimbabwe , gaza , iraq and myanmar demand immediate attention . '' the report , the group said , `` reveals a world riven by inequality , scarred by discrimination and distorted by political repression . '' according to its count , people are tortured or subject to other ill treatment in at least 81 countries , face unfair trials in at least 54 countries and are not allowed to express themselves freely in at least 77 countries . of the 150 countries and regions listed in the report , amnesty paid particular attention to china , the host of this summer 's olympic games . the group said growing numbers of human rights activists were imprisoned or harassed in china in 2007 , with ethnic and religious minorities -- including tibetans , falun gong practitioners and christians -- repressed or persecuted . death penalty statistics in china are difficult to assess , amnesty said , but based on public reports , the group estimated that at least 470 people were executed in 2007 . amnesty also noted the repression of free speech in china and said censorship of the internet and other media intensified last year . `` the chinese authorities maintained efforts to tightly control the flow of information , '' the report said . `` they decided what topics and news stories could be published , and media outlets were sometimes required to respond within minutes to government directives . the authorities continued to block web sites and to filter internet content based on specified words and topics . '' around 30 journalists and at least 50 others are known to be in prison for posting their views online , amnesty said . amnesty also criticized the death penalty in the united states , where 42 people were executed last year . it noted new jersey 's decision in december to abolish the death penalty made it the first u.s. state in more than 40 years to do away with executions . as it has in previous annual reports , amnesty criticized the detention of hundreds of foreign nationals at the u.s. naval base at guantanamo bay , cuba . `` the usa must close guantanamo detention camp and secret detention centers , prosecute the detainees under fair trial standards or release them , and unequivocally reject the use of torture and ill-treatment , '' amnesty said . the group noted that guantanamo detainees are held indefinitely , most of them without charge and without recourse to u.s. courts . most detainees there are held in isolation in maximum-security facilities , heightening concerns for their physical and mental health , amnesty said . in fact , more is written on the united states than any other country listed in the report . asked about that at a press conference tuesday , khan said , `` we certainly devote a lot of time to sudan , to china , to zimbabwe and other countries . but we look to the u.s. to provide leadership around the world . governments around the world look to the united states as a role model for their own behavior . '' in a lengthy section on iraq , amnesty noted that thousands of civilians , including children , were killed or injured in ongoing sectarian violence during 2007 . `` all sides involved in the fighting committed gross human rights violations , some of which amounted to war crimes and crimes against humanity , '' the report said . abductions , torture and murder , with bodies left in the street , occur daily , and the violence has caused 2 million iraqis to flee to syria , jordan and elsewhere , amnesty said . u.s. forces held some 25,000 detainees `` without charge or trial , '' the group said , and 33 people were executed , `` some after grossly unfair trials . '' in afghanistan , conflict and insecurity aggravated by drought and floods contributed to `` large-scale displacement '' of people throughout the year . `` at least 6,500 people were estimated to have been killed in the context of the conflict , '' the report said . `` violations of international humanitarian and human rights law were committed with impunity by all parties , including afghan and international security forces and insurgent groups . '' russia must show greater tolerance for political dissent , amnesty said . `` the russian authorities were increasingly intolerant of dissent or criticism , branding it ` unpatriotic , ' '' the report said . `` a crackdown on civil and political rights was evident throughout the year and in particular during the run-up to the state duma -lsb- parliament -rsb- elections in december . '' the european court of human rights ruled that russia was responsible for enforced disappearances , torture and extrajudicial executions in 15 judgments relating to the recent conflict in chechnya , amnesty said . there were fewer reported disappearances in the chechen republic in 2007 than in previous years , amnesty said , but continued human rights violations made people reluctant to report abuses . the report also criticized human rights conditions in iran , gaza and myanmar . human rights conditions in zimbabwe continued to decline in 2007 , the report said , `` with an increase in organized violence and torture and restrictions on the rights to freedom of association , assembly and expression . '' members of the main opposition party , the mdc , along with other human rights defenders , were arrested , and many were tortured while in custody , amnesty said . some 4 million people required food aid because of the nation 's deteriorating economy , and victims of forced evictions in 2005 continued to live in `` deplorable conditions '' while president robert mugabe 's government failed to remedy their situation . `` human rights problems are not isolated tragedies , but are like viruses that can infect and spread rapidly , endangering all of us , '' khan said . `` governments today must show the same degree of vision , courage and commitment that led the united nations to adopt the universal declaration of human rights 60 years ago . ''<doc-sep>russia has joined the growing chorus of condemnation of the cia torture programme , describing it as a shocking example of ` flagrant and systemic rights abuse ' . in attacking the methods the cia used when interrogating prisoners following the september 11 attacks , russia has joined a number of other traditional u.s. enemies to criticise it for what they say are human rights violations . russia 's human rights commissioner , konstantin dolgov , said this week 's u.s. senate torture report revealed ` gross systemic rights violations ' and jarred with u.s. aspirations to be regarded as a model of democracy . russia 's human rights commissioner , konstantin dolgov -lrb- pictured -rrb- , said the torture methods jarred with u.s. aspirations to be regarded as a model of democracy . russia has joined a number of other traditional enemies of the u.s. , including china , iran and north korea , in condemning the cia 's torture methods . pictured are prisoners at guantanamo bay . the report found that the cia misled the white house and public about its torture of detainees at secret prisons around the world after 9/11 , and acted more brutally and pervasively than it had acknowledged . ` despite the fact that this inquisitorial torture was used by cia agents outside u.s. territory , this does not remove their responsibility for these deliberate actions , ' dolgov said . ` we urge the human rights community , the appropriate international organisations and institutions to pressure washington to disclose the information on rights violations in full ... and hold the guilty responsible . ' he pointed out that only an executive summary was released and urged international organizations and rights groups to push for the release of the full report and the prosecution of those involved in abuses . moscow and washington often spar about each other 's human rights records , with russia saying that the u.s. turns a blind eye to its own abuses while lecturing the rest of the world . the ukraine crisis has brought relations between the two countries to their lowest point since the cold war . russia joins countries like iran , north korea and china , all frequent targets of human rights criticism from washington , to use this week 's report as an opportunity to turn the tables on the u.s. yesterday iran 's supreme leader ayatollah ali khamenei labelled the u.s. as a ` symbol of tyranny against humanity ' , while china urged the country to ` correct its ways ' and begin following international conventions . the torture of al-qaeda suspects shows that the us government is a ` symbol of tyranny against humanity , ' iran 's supreme leader ayatollah ali khamenei -lrb- pictured centre -rrb- , has said . china called on america to ` reflect on this , correct its ways and earnestly respect and follow the rules of related international conventions ' . above , a detainee is escorted to interrogation at guantanamo bay . chained and kneeling : al qaeda and taliban detainees captured in afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks were transferred to the u.s. naval base at guantanamo bay in cuba . in a sign of the damage inflicted by the revelations , even north korea - whose own human rights record is appalling - described the methods as ` inhumane ' and urged the un security council to address the ` rampant human rights abuses ' in the u.s. however , criticism has not been limited to u.s. foes - today turkey and slovakia , both key nato allies , also condemned the report . slovakian minister of foreign affairs miroslav lajcak -lrb- pictured -rrb- hoped the report would serve as a ` guarantee ' the torture would never be repeated . turkish foreign minister mevlut cavusoglu , whose country is in a strategically critical location between europe and the mideast , told reporters in ankara the report is being analyzed to determine whether any turkish citizens were involved . from what has already been read , however ` we see that there was inhumane and really unacceptable torture and treatment , ' he said . cavusoglu praised the release of the report , saying ` transparency is important , ' but , he added ` this does n't legitimize the torture that was inflicted . ' ' i hope our friend and ally , the united states , wo n't repeat these kinds of actions , that inhumane acts are not repeated , ' he said . speaking alongside cavusoglu , slovakian foreign minister miroslav lajcak said the use of illegal camps and ` unacceptable methods of interrogation ' detailed in the report had been known , but he welcomed the report 's publication . ' i see it as a sign of the united states distancing themselves from these practices of the past , ' he said . ` and it should also serve as a guarantee that things like that will never happen in the future . ' the senate intelligence committee 's 500-page report concluded that the cia inflicted suffering on al-qaida prisoners beyond its legal authority and that none of the agency 's ` enhanced interrogations ' provided critical , life-saving intelligence . meanwhile , a number of former cia officials have hit back at the report 's findings , saying it was partisan , one-sided and biased . former vice president dick cheney branded it a ` terrible piece of work ' and claimed president george w bush was fully informed of the programme , and even authorised it . former vice president dick cheney -lrb- pictured -rrb- branded the senate report a ` terrible piece of work ' furthermore , the cia never tortured anyone under the legal definition of the word , as asserted by department of justice lawyers at the time , he said . the explosive report could yet open the floodgates for a wave of costly lawsuits for those countries complicit with the programme . experts who have spent years working at american detention centres said yesterday 's report did not contain any surprises , but suggested that now detainees ' torture allegations are supported by an official government report , claimants have far more evidence to back any legal action .<doc-sep>`` the facts contained in the report are a small yet illustrative fraction of the united states ' dismal record on its own human rights situation , '' china 's report said . thursday , the u.s. state department criticized a number of countries , including china , in its annual report on human rights around the world . the human rights situation in china , it said , `` deteriorated , particularly the freedoms of expression , assembly , and association , '' with chinese forces reportedly committing `` arbitrary or unlawful killings . '' the report said chinese authorities have held activists in unknown circumstances and placed their family members under house arrest . abuses `` peaked around high-profile events , '' including visits of foreign officials , milestone anniversaries and calls for street gatherings inspired by the arab spring . the u.s. report comes after the arrival in the united states of one of china 's best-known activists , chen guangcheng , after he escaped house arrest and took refuge in the u.s. embassy in beijing , marking a dramatic diplomatic showdown between washington and beijing while u.s. secretary of state hillary clinton was visiting china for talks . china regularly criticizes u.s. interference with what it calls domestic political issues .<doc-sep>beijing , china -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- china criticized a `` woeful '' human rights record in the united states on friday , a day after a u.s. report said beijing 's own record is getting worse , with harsh crackdowns on dissidents . `` the united states ' tarnished human rights record has left it in no state -- whether on a moral , political or legal basis -- to act as the world 's ` human rights justice , ' '' china said in an annual report on u.s. human rights . the report cited the arrests of protesters participating in the occupy wall street movement in the united states . many protesters , it said , accused police of brutality . it also said the united states has `` fairly strict restrictions '' on the internet , saying the u.s. patriot act and homeland security act both have clauses about monitoring the internet , giving the government or law enforcement organizations power to monitor and block any internet content `` harmful to national security . ''<doc-sep>the critical report stands in sharp contrast to the lower-key approach secretary of state hillary clinton took last week on her visit to beijing . clinton broached the issue of human rights with chinese leaders , but drew criticism from human rights activists for downplaying the issue 's importance in the overall relationship with china . `` our pressing on those issues ca n't interfere with the global economic crisis , the global climate change crisis , and the security crisis , '' she told reporters traveling with her , adding , `` it is essential that the united states and china have a positive , cooperative relationship . '' in the past , clinton has been an outspoken , staunch critic of china 's human rights stance . but officials have said privately that a new approach to dealing with china 's human rights record , including less public criticism and more private discussions , may prove more productive in changing chinese behavior . while not delving into u.s. human rights practices , the report acknowledged that the u.s. human rights record remains a concern around the world , and it said president obama has vowed to apply global human rights ideals at home . `` the department of state remains mindful of both domestic and international scrutiny of the united states ' record , '' the report said . `` we and all other sovereign nations have international obligations to respect the universal human rights and freedoms of our citizens , and it is the responsibility of others to speak out when they believe those obligations are not being fulfilled . '' | <t> amnesty international 's annual report `` reveals a world riven by inequality '' </t> <t> more written on united states than any other country . </t> <t> report also notes situation in zimbabwe , darfur , iraq , iran , gaza . </t> <t> at least 81 countries subject people to torture , ill treatment , report says . </t> | china , russia , u.s. focus of human rights report<T> |
atlanta , georgia -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- sixty-four cases of measles have been diagnosed in the united states this year , the most in seven years , according to the center for disease control and prevention . measles is a respiratory disease whose familiar symptom is red blotches on the skin . in all but one of the cases , the people who contracted measles had not been vaccinated . some were too young to have gotten the shots , which are administered from 12 to 15 months of age .<doc-sep>the cdc released the statistics thursday to `` serve as a reminder that measles can and still does occur in the u.s. ongoing measles virus transmission was declared eliminated in the u.s. in 2000 , but the risk of cases and outbreaks from imported disease remains , '' the organization said in a news release . interactive : more about measles '' in 54 of this year 's cases the victims imported the measles from other countries , the cdc said .<doc-sep>dr. anne schuchat , the director of the cdc 's national center for immunization and respiratory diseases , said many of the imported cases came from european nations and israel . watch more on the measles outbreak '' `` many people have forgot about measles in the united states , '' she said schuchat at a news conference thursday . `` it is very important for travelers heading off to europe to make sure their immunizations are up to date . ''<doc-sep>the cases were reported in nine states , it said , and cases are being treated in wisconsin , arizona , michigan and new york . measles is a viral disease that can be deadly if not treated . the 64 patients ranged in age from 5 months to 71 years . fourteen patients were hospitalized but no deaths were reported . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>there is growing concern that the united states could become gripped by a measles epidemic , according to the head of the centers for disease control and prevention . tom frieden , director of the cdc , said his agency is ` very concerned ' about the possibility of a large measles outbreak in the u.s. his fears come as a growing number of people who have not been vaccinated against the disease are being exposed to the rest of the population . scroll down for video . tom frieden , the director of the cdc said his agency is ` very concerned ' about the possibility of a large measles outbreak in the u.s. frieden said in an interview on cbs ' ` face the nation ' sunday : ` what we 've seen is , as over the last few years , a small but growing number of people have not been vaccinated . ` that number is building up among young adults in society , and that makes us vulnerable . ` we have to make sure that measles does n't get a foothold in the u.s. it 's been actually eliminated from this country for 15 years . ` all of our cases result , ultimately , from individuals who have traveled and brought it back here . ' at last count , there were 102 reported cases of measles in 14 states across the country . however , this looks set to grow . the cdc has now launched an aggressive campaign to combat the spread of the disease which can be highly contagious . the organization aims to identify and isolate people who may have the disease in order to stop it spreading further . frieden advised that the best way to halt the spread of the disease is by getting vaccinated and said that the vaccine is both safe and effective . at least 92 percent of the population is vaccinated . however , the number of children who are not vaccinated , is higher in some states , particularly in california where the most recent outbreak of the disease was linked to disney theme parks . yet , this outbreak , according to nbc probably came from overseas , carried either by a foreign tourist or by an american coming back with the virus . to date , the virus from disneyland has infected 94 people in eight states , and 67 can be clearly linked to the theme park , health officials report . ` we do n't know exactly how this outbreak started but we do think it was likely a person infected with measles overseas , ' dr. anne schuchat of the centers for disease control and prevention said . vaccination : a child gets a vaccinated , but in southern california , eight percent of kindergarteners fail to get the required immunizations against measles , mumps and rubella . outbreak : the outbreak of measles that started in california 's disneyland has infected 94 people in eight states , and 67 can be clearly linked to disneyland , california health officials report . ` we assume that someone got infected with measles overseas , visited disneyland park , and spread the disease to others . ' according to cbs news , in southern california , eight percent of kindergarteners fail to get the required immunizations against measles , mumps and rubella . meanwhile , in pennsylvania , it 's 15 percent of kindergarteners , because many parents simply do not want to ` risk ' getting their child vaccinated . frieden told the tv show that some parents who opt out of vaccinations cited a ` personal belief , ' but it never appeared to be for a particularly strong reason . he also warned that parents are putting their child at risk if they do not vaccinate them , and this also puts others at risk too . the cdc is keen to avoid a devastating outbreak similar to the one which took hold in 1989 and 1991 , when 55,000 people got measles and 123 died . measles was eliminated in the u.s. in 2000 , but a few imported cases come in every year . but the cdc director does not want to see widespread mandatory vaccinations rolled out , like in mississippi and west virginia , which have nearly 100 percent vaccination rates .<doc-sep>measles is just a plane ride away . it can be brought here by u.s. travelers and visitors from other countries . we must continue to be vigilant about measles transmission here at home . parents should protect their children by making sure they 've had two doses of measles vaccine . and all of us should make sure we 're up-to-date on vaccinations , particularly prior to overseas travel . these steps will protect the united states from measles until the world becomes measles-free . cdc director : a disease outbreak anywhere is a risk everywhere . the opinions expressed are solely those of dr. tom frieden .<doc-sep>john jokingly called for screenings to prevent the highly contagious measles virus from spreading abroad . john 's comment has been retweeted more than 15,000 times , with some people applauding him for his snark and others taking offense , reports raw story . he later confirmed via another tweet that he had been joking . ` i 'm just kidding america . you know i love you -- measles , guns , kim kardashian and all , ' he tweeted . there remains a growing concern that the u.s. could become gripped by a measles epidemic , according to the head of the centers for disease control and prevention . tom frieden , director of the cdc , said his agency is ` very concerned ' about the possibility of a large measles outbreak in the u.s. his fears come as a growing number of people who have not been vaccinated against the disease are being exposed to the rest of the population . the outbreak is due in to the ` anti-vaxxer movement ' - parents who believe that childhood vaccinations can cause autism in children .<doc-sep>measles was declared eliminated in the united states in 2000 , but a recent outbreak has been traced to disneyland in california . as of february 6 , there are 121 cases of measles in 17 states and washington , d.c. , the cdc said . there are 88 cases in california , and 103 cases nationwide are linked to the disneyland outbreak . the state with the second-highest number of measles cases is arizona , which has seven , the cdc reports . illinois has three , and washington has four . the other places reporting one or more cases are colorado , delaware , the district of columbia , michigan , minnesota , nebraska , nevada , new jersey , new york , oregon , pennsylvania , south dakota , texas and utah . the georgia case is unrelated to the recent california outbreak , the georgia health department said monday . cnn 's glen dacy and jason hanna contributed to this report . | <t> cdc : 64 confirmed measles cases in nine states since january . </t> <t> 64 patients ranged in age from 5 months to 71 years . </t> <t> 63 of the 64 were unvaccinated or had unknown vaccination status . </t> <t> highest number reported for same time period since 2001 . </t> | cdc : measles outbreak linked to lack of vaccinations<T> |
-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- a colorado woman is being pursued as a `` person of interest '' in connection with phone calls that triggered the raid of a texas polygamist ranch , authorities said friday . rozita swinton , 33 , has been arrested in a case that is not directly related to the texas raid . texas rangers are seeking rozita swinton of colorado springs , colorado , `` regarding telephone calls placed to a crisis center hot line in san angelo , texas , in late march 2008 , '' the rangers said in a written statement . the raid of the yfz -lrb- yearning for zion -rrb- ranch in eldorado , texas , came after a caller -- who identified herself as a 16-year-old girl -- said she had been physically and sexually abused by an adult man with whom she was forced into a `` spiritual marriage . ''<doc-sep>the release said a search of swinton 's home in colorado uncovered evidence that possibly links her to phone calls made about the ranch , run by the fundamentalist church of jesus christ of latter-day saints . `` the possibility exists that rozita swinton , who has nothing to do with the flds church , may have been a woman who made calls and pretended she was the 16-year-old girl named sarah , '' cnn 's gary tuchman reported . swinton , 33 , has been charged in colorado with false reporting to authorities and is in police custody . police said that arrest was not directly related to the texas case .<doc-sep>authorities raided the texas ranch april 4 and removed 416 children . officials have been trying to identify the 16-year-old girl , referred to as sarah , who claimed she had been abused in the phone calls . flds members have denied the girl , supposedly named sarah jessop barlow , exists . some of the flds women who spoke with cnn on monday said they believed the calls were a hoax .<doc-sep>while the phone calls initially prompted the raid , officers received a second search warrant based on what they said was evidence of sexual abuse found at the compound . in court documents , investigators described seeing teen girls who appeared pregnant , records that showed men marrying multiple women and accounts of girls being married to adult men when they were as young as 13 . a court hearing began thursday to determine custody of children who were removed from the ranch . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- one of the telephone numbers used to report claims of abuse at a polygamist sect 's texas ranch was previously associated with a colorado woman whom authorities have named a `` person of interest , '' a court document says . rozita swinton , 33 , has been arrested in a case that is not directly related to the texas raid . the telephone calls in late march prompted authorities to raid the yearning for zion -lrb- yfz -rrb- ranch in eldorado , texas , where 437 children were removed . the ranch is owned by the fundamentalist church of jesus christ of latter-day saints , a mormon offshoot that practices polygamy . rozita swinton , 33 , of colorado springs , colorado , was arrested this month on a charge of making a false report to police . the charge relates to an incident in february , but the texas rangers have said she is a person of interest in connection with the ranch calls . in the february incident , swinton is accused of calling authorities using the names `` dana anderson '' and `` april , '' reporting abuse by male relatives , according to an affidavit in support of an arrest warrant . authorities have not clearly said that they think swinton made the march phone calls that prompted the raid . but the affidavit says she is `` known to make false reports of sexual abuse to the police and other agencies . '' watch how a hoax may be behind the ranch mystery '' calls were made to a texas family shelter march 29 and 30 from a female identifying herself as sarah barlow , the affidavit says . the caller said she was 16 , had a baby about 8 months old and was pregnant again . she said that her 49-year-old husband was physically and sexually abusive toward her and that they were living at the yfz ranch . the phone calls were made from a prepaid cell phone with no available records , according to the affidavit . however , it has been used in other cases linked to swinton , the document says . although texas officials said they have not found the woman who made the calls , they said they have found evidence that girls as young at 13 are forced into marriages with older men at the ranch . the flds has denied that any abuse takes place at the ranch . the woman identifying herself as sarah barlow also called a battered women 's shelter in snohomish county , washington , using another phone number , the affidavit says . that phone number was traced to swinton 's address , the affidavit says . on april 10 , the woman called the washington shelter again and was put on the line with a texas deputy . she said she felt that she would be punished for the trouble she had caused , was worried that her baby might be taken away and was angry with a woman she had contacted march 29 for prompting the raid by law enforcement . during that conversation , the affidavit says , the woman used terminology common to the flds , referring to her `` sister wives , '' for instance . the phone number used in the washington call was traced to the colorado springs apartment where swinton lives , the affidavit says . the number was also used to call a utah organization for women escaping polygamy and an abuse counseling center in fort myers , florida , phone records showed . swinton pleaded guilty to a charge of false reporting in june 2007 and was under a 12-month deferred sentence , the affidavit says .<doc-sep>a former polygamist kicked out of the fundamentalist mormon church by ` prophet ' warren jeffs is fighting in court for custody of his more than a dozen children . lorin holm was excommunicated from the sect two years ago for being ` unfaithful ' and shortly after sued for custody of his children by wives lynda and patricia . holm was one of the 7,500 members of the flds church settled in an area between southern utah and northwestern arizona . the members of this sect practice plural marriage , which the mainstream mormon religion abandoned in 1890 . holm still lives with first-wife helen and their 12 children in colorado city , arizona , but his other two wives remained faithful to the sect and now share a new husband who happens to be imprisoned-leader jeffs ' nephew . scroll down for video . suing for custody : former polygamist lorin holm is fighting for custody of his children with former wives lynda and patricia peine . his children were taken from him when he was kicked out of the fundamentalist mormon church in 2011 . woman of faith : holm 's former wife lynda peine -lrb- right -rrb- testified in court on tuesday , saying she fears holm is a bad influence on their children ever since he was excommunicated from the church . protection : holm fears his children will be the victims of sexual abuse , child labor or abandonment if they remain with two of his former wives . holm is arguing that his children will be the victims of sexual abuse , child labor or abandonment if he is n't awarded sole custody . holm certainly is n't the first man to be kicked out of the flds church and kept from his family . in addition to gaining custody of all 25 of his children , holm hopes this case will help other men in his position rescue their children from the grasps of the strict sect . ` there 's thousands of families , thousands of children that this will affect , ' holm told fox 13 . ' i want every father and every mother to have their children . '<doc-sep>by . helen pow . published : . 22:37 est , 22 january 2014 . | . updated : . 06:22 est , 23 january 2014 . an ex-member of warren jeffs ' polygamist cult has opened up about how she thanked her father for molesting her , because it made her the woman she is today . flora jessop , one of the stars of tlc 's reality tv show ` escaping the prophet , ' ran away from the fundamentalist church of jesus christ of latter-day saints in colorado city when she was 16 and now works to help rescue other victimized children . ' a few years ago i walked up to my dad and thanked him for molesting me , ' jessop , 43 , said this week . ' i did n't thank him because i enjoyed it . i thanked him because i look back on everything i 've been through , and i decided that i was going to wrap it around me and embrace every memory , every act , all of it , and build myself out of those ashes . ' scroll down for video . new life : flora jessop , pictured , one of the stars of tlc 's new reality tv show ` escaping the prophet , ' ran away from the fundamentalist church of jesus christ of latter-day saints and now works to help rescue other victimized children . break away : flora jessop , 43 , left the fundamental church of jesus christ of latter-day saints - ` one of the most dangerous polygamist cults in america ' - at 16 . she is the star of new tlc series escaping the prophet .<doc-sep>the aclu statement did not list any specific instances of human rights or constitutional violations , and aclu representatives did not immediately return calls seeking comment . child protective services spokeswoman marleigh meisner said her department is in the process of finding `` temporary placement '' for all the children . `` what we did was warranted and in the best interest of the children , '' she said . `` this is not about religion -- this is about keeping children safe from abuse . '' the hearing stems from an april 4 raid of the ranch , which authorities said was triggered by phone calls in late march from a 16-year-old officials referred to as sarah . the caller said she had been beaten and forced to become a man 's `` spiritual '' wife . on thursday , child protection supervisor angie voss testified that she and other investigators encountered several pregnant teenagers at the yfz ranch , which is in eldorado , texas , about 40 miles outside san angelo . the girls called each other `` sister wives , '' voss said , and believed it was acceptable to be `` spiritually united '' with a man at any age . `` it was the belief that no age was too young to be married , '' she said . members of the ranch have denied the girl , supposedly named sarah jessop barlow , exists , and authorities have yet to find the caller . however , texas rangers are pursuing a colorado woman as a `` person of interest '' regarding the phone calls that touched off the raid . authorities on friday said a search of rozita swinton 's home in colorado springs resulted in evidence that possibly links her to phone calls made about the yfz ranch . swinton , 33 , has been charged in colorado with false reporting to authorities , but police said that the arrest was not directly related to the texas case . e-mail to a friend . | <t> new : texas rangers pursue rozita swinton regarding phone calls to a crisis center . </t> <t> new : search of swinton 's home reveals evidence that possibly links her to the calls . </t> <t> police arrest the woman for making a false report to police in a separate case . </t> <t> phone calls prompted texas raid , but officers then got a second search warrant . </t> | colorado woman is ` person of interest ' in polygamist case<T> |
san francisco , california -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- thousands of protesters demonstrated against china 's human rights record and its crackdown in tibet after the olympic flame arrived in san francisco tuesday . pro-tibetan demonstrators shout outside the chinese consulate in san francisco tuesday . chanting and waving flags , the protesters ended their march at the chinese consulate , where they sat in a dense group , holding flags and banners , as police watched from nearby . `` stop killing , '' one sign read , while another said , `` no human rights , no olympics . '' the protests came after passionate demonstrations in london and paris in which protesters tried to snuff the torch 's flame and dozens were arrested . meanwhile , the olympic flame was being kept in an undisclosed location in advance of wednesday 's planed 6-mile relay in san francisco . watch how the city is preparing '' the run is the only u.s. appearance for the flame , wrapping up the first week of a 23-city global tour . beijing organizers have said the monthlong international relay will not be stopped despite the protests , but some international olympic committee members have suggested an early end should be considered . the ioc 's executive board will discuss the torch relay `` in general '' thursday or friday , but there is no proposal on the agenda to end the global tour early , ioc spokeswoman giselle davies said . watch the flame get the red-carpet treatment '' the official beijing olympics web site , controlled by the chinese organizers , gives little indication of any torch relay disruption . it characterizes the demonstrators as `` a small number '' of tibetan separatists .<doc-sep>beijing blames the dalai lama and his followers for violence that erupted in march amid protests for tibetan independence . china has drawn international criticism for its crackdown on the demonstrations , which began peacefully on the 49th anniversary of a failed tibetan uprising . china 's foreign ministry tuesday reacted forcefully to the torch relay protests . `` we express our strong condemnation to the deliberate disruption of the olympic torch relay by tibetan separatist forces regardless of the olympic spirit and the law of britain and france , '' china spokeswoman jiang yu said . `` their despicable activities tarnish the lofty olympic spirit and challenge all the people loving the olympic games around the world . '' the flame will return to china in may to begin a relay through the host nation , ending in beijing with the august 8 opening of the olympic games . one of the san francisco torchbearers has dropped out of wednesday 's relay because of fears of protests , a torch relay spokesman said . david perry , spokesman for the san francisco olympic torch relay , said he did not want to release the name of the person . `` i understand anyone that might feel that they do n't want to expose themselves to something more than protest , '' perry said . on monday , three protesters scaled san francisco 's golden gate bridge and raised a large banner .<doc-sep>those who climbed the cables from which the bridge 's deck is suspended were members of students for a free tibet , said group spokesman tenzin dasang , 22 . they unfurled a banner that read : `` one world . one dream . free tibet . '' the three climbers , along with four people on the ground , were charged with felony conspiracy and misdemeanor nuisance charges , said california highway patrol officer mary ziegenbein . the climbers also were charged with misdemeanor trespassing . the golden gate bridge protest came on the same day that thousands of protesters forced an abrupt halt to the flame 's passage through paris after 10 miles of the 17-mile planned route . some stops were skipped and the flame was transferred from the torch back to the lamp to be carried on a bus several times to avoid protesters . protesters pierced the thick security bubble surrounding the torchbearers , at times getting their hands on the torch itself . the paris demonstrations were similar to those sunday in london , where at least 36 people were arrested , according to london metropolitan police . protesters cited china 's actions in tibet , its policies on the darfur region of sudan and the lack of civil rights and freedoms for the chinese people . but other demonstrators , bearing chinese flags , turned out in support of the chinese government , and many others were spectators there just to see the torch . an olympic committee member suggested monday that the public relations nightmare that has followed the olympic flame on its way to the summer games in beijing may make 2008 the last time such an ambitious global torch relay is attempted . follow the torch relay itinerary '' international olympic committee member richard kevan gosper , who is also chairman of the ioc 's press committee , told reporters he was always opposed to a global tour for the flame . `` i 'm a firm believer that we had the right template in the first place , that the torch simply should go from olympia , greece , to the host country , '' gosper said . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>beijing blames the dalai lama and his followers for violence that erupted in march amid protests for tibetan independence . china has drawn international criticism for its crackdown on the demonstrations , which began peacefully on the 49th anniversary of a failed tibetan uprising . china 's foreign ministry tuesday reacted forcefully to the torch relay protests . `` we express our strong condemnation to the deliberate disruption of the olympic torch relay by tibetan separatist forces regardless of the olympic spirit and the law of britain and france , '' china spokeswoman jiang yu said . `` their despicable activities tarnish the lofty olympic spirit and challenge all the people loving the olympic games around the world . '' the flame will return to china in may to begin a relay through the host nation , ending in beijing with the august 8 opening of the olympic games . one of the san francisco torchbearers has dropped out of wednesday 's relay because of fears of protests , a torch relay spokesman said . david perry , spokesman for the san francisco olympic torch relay , said he did not want to release the name of the person . `` i understand anyone that might feel that they do n't want to expose themselves to something more than protest , '' perry said . on monday , three protesters scaled san francisco 's golden gate bridge and raised a large banner .<doc-sep>san francisco , california -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- thousands of protesters demonstrated against china 's human rights record and its crackdown in tibet after the olympic flame arrived in san francisco tuesday . pro-tibetan demonstrators shout outside the chinese consulate in san francisco tuesday . chanting and waving flags , the protesters ended their march at the chinese consulate , where they sat in a dense group , holding flags and banners , as police watched from nearby . `` stop killing , '' one sign read , while another said , `` no human rights , no olympics . '' the protests came after passionate demonstrations in london and paris in which protesters tried to snuff the torch 's flame and dozens were arrested . meanwhile , the olympic flame was being kept in an undisclosed location in advance of wednesday 's planed 6-mile relay in san francisco . watch how the city is preparing '' the run is the only u.s. appearance for the flame , wrapping up the first week of a 23-city global tour . beijing organizers have said the monthlong international relay will not be stopped despite the protests , but some international olympic committee members have suggested an early end should be considered . the ioc 's executive board will discuss the torch relay `` in general '' thursday or friday , but there is no proposal on the agenda to end the global tour early , ioc spokeswoman giselle davies said . watch the flame get the red-carpet treatment '' the official beijing olympics web site , controlled by the chinese organizers , gives little indication of any torch relay disruption . it characterizes the demonstrators as `` a small number '' of tibetan separatists .<doc-sep>the olympic flame is on a 130-day journey that will take it through 23 cities on five continents and then throughout china , culminating at the olympics opening ceremony in beijing august 8 . the san francisco protest comes the same day as a demonstration in paris , france , disrupted the torch relay many times . in paris , police had to cut the olympic torch relay short monday amid protests against china 's human rights record , french police said . the torch was scheduled to travel 17 miles , past paris city hall , but that stop and others were called off after the protests . the torch made it through about 10 miles of its scheduled journey . it was then driven by bus to its final destination , where it was displayed again during a public ceremony at a stadium . authorities had to play hide-and-seek with the olympic torch during much of the route , placing it on a bus at least twice during a sometimes chaotic relay route . china has come under international criticism because of its crackdown last month on protesters calling for democratic freedoms and self-rule in tibet and neighboring chinese provinces . protesters have said more than 100 people have died in the crackdown , but beijing denies that and has accused supporters of the dalai lama of orchestrating the violence . u.s. and other western leaders have called on china to provide civil rights and freedoms to those in tibet and to enter peaceful discussions aimed at resolving the crisis . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>it will also be taken on a skywalk at croke park as it visits dublin on june 6 in its only stop outside of the uk . there will be no international torch . relay - the international olympic committee decided to make it a . domestic event only after the controversial beijing torch relay in 2008 . where protesters used the event to demonstrate against china 's human . rights abuses . tv presenter konnie huq was caught up in a melee between police and protesters . people also hurled themselves into the path of . the relay in london and campaigners tried to grab the torch or put out the flame . with a fire extinguisher . history : frank ede taking the torch from austin playford during the relay before the 1948 london olympics in london . a team of 28 police officers will be . dedicated to protecting the olympic torch and its bearers during a 8,000 . mile tour of britain . commander bob broadhurst , the officer in . charge of olympic policing in london , said : ' i think the biggest threat will be . attention seekers , somebody trying to run alongside and grab a bit of the . glory . ` i 'm sure we 'll get the odd protest every now . and then up and down the country . ' a mock run took place this month to demonstrate . how the police team would deal with various situations if they arose during the . relay . the british authorities do not believe the torch relay will face the same issues the chinese had to deal with , but have nonetheless chosen a much lower profile route . the teenage son of inspirational fundraiser jane tomlinson said today that he is carrying the olympic torch on behalf of his late mother . steven tomlinson , 14 , will be taking his turn on the relay when the torch arrives in leeds in june . his mother , pictured right running in a triathlon , died from cancer in 2007 at the age of 43 , and carried the torch ahead of the 2004 games in athens . mrs tomlinson inspired thousands of people with her charity challenges while battling against terminal cancer . the nhs radiographer defied experts and spent seven years raising . money for charity through marathons , triathlons , the iron man contest , a . tandem cycle ride from rome to leeds and a bike ride across america , . from san francisco to new york . she raised more than # 1.85 million and her family have continued to . raise funds for her charity , the jane tomlinson appeal , since her death . ` i 'm really excited about being nominated as a torchbearer . ' he said . ` it 's a great opportunity to be part of the olympics . i will be doing it on behalf of my sisters and my mum . it should be a great experience . ' she was awarded the mbe for her work in june 2003 and later made a cbe . last month , her husband , mike , 50 , of rothwell , west yorkshire , and daughter , rebecca , 23 , of tooting , south london , announced they are planning to run this year 's paris and london marathons and cycle the distance between them . | <t> new : thousands march to the chinese consulate ahead of wednesday 's run . </t> <t> torchbearer drops out , fearing protests , official says . </t> <t> san francisco , california , is only u.s. venue on 23-city global tour . </t> <t> demonstrators protest china 's tibet policy in cities along route . </t> | torch relay in san francisco draws massive protest<T> |
editor 's note : two-time oscar winner denzel washington joined the mt. vernon boys & girls club in new york at the age of 6 and remained an active member for the next 12 years . the actor credits his early years spent at the club with changing the direction of his life . since 1994 , he has served as a volunteer national spokesman for boys & girls clubs of america , appearing in public service announcements on television and in print . he 's also a member of the group 's board . denzel washington says america 's leaders need to pay attention to the crisis affecting our children . -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- with the political season in full swing , much is at stake for america . the economy is in a downward spiral . we have an energy crisis . our jobless rate is on the rise . these are the subjects that generate headlines and much debate among the candidates . but there is an underlying problem that we as a nation have not addressed , a situation that should concern any american with an eye on the future , regardless of party affiliation . it is the crisis affecting our children : . • nearly 30 percent of this year 's freshman class will drop out of high school , according to the national center for education statistics . that number jumps to 40 percent in some urban areas . • the obesity rate for our kids has gone up by as much as 300 percent since 1980 , according to the national center for health statistics , triggering a host of health-related problems , from diabetes to heart disease .<doc-sep>• young people account for more than 20 percent of violent crimes in the united states , according to statistics cited by duke university 's center for child and family policy . violent juvenile crime peaks between 3 and 4 p.m. , at the end of the school day . these facts are grim enough . factor in persistent patterns of poverty , gang activity , drug abuse and teenage pregnancy , and you have a generation of americans that will be unprepared -- indeed , unable -- to meet the challenges posed by a complex world . we expect our leaders to lead . but as citizens , we should n't simply sit back and hope that politicians stand up to the test . we can participate in the political process , advocating for policies that will benefit the health , education and well-being of young americans , because we must do a better job of preparing our youth to lead . it is daunting to think about solving such a widespread crisis . but there are youth-serving organizations that can and do play a key role in effecting positive change -- places such as boys & girls clubs , with a long track record of helping young people turn things around , get an education , lead healthy lives and become effective leaders . i know , because i was one of those kids . club staff taught me right from wrong and made the lesson stick . they planted the seeds early on that led me to envision myself as a high school graduate , a college graduate and an achiever in whatever field i chose . boys & girls clubs do this today for millions of kids , offering everything from homework help to career exploration , performing a daily miracle that turns hope into opportunity . urging children and the adults in their lives to `` be great , '' these clubs communicate the idea that there is potential for greatness in every child . this powerful call to action reminds us that we can all play a role in helping youth realize their dreams .<doc-sep>so i ask you to join me in this effort . there are many ways to help : . • volunteering at a local youth organization . • leading by example . • donating to charities that make a difference . in partnership with government , schools , community leaders and parents , we can create a network and culture in which everyone embraces the importance of a positive future for our youth . but right now , with election day fast approaching , ask your local , state and national candidates what they are doing to help our young people become tomorrow 's leaders . ask them to make children a top priority and tell them that you hold them accountable . if we all become advocates for our children , elected officials might just take action . we can do better . and if we care about our nation 's future , we must do better . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the writer .<doc-sep>legislators must make the commitment to restore the cuts to state mental health budgets . more state medicaid plans and private insurance must add certified peer specialists to their plans to let people with state-provided nonclinical training help others stay on their medications and build social supports . municipalities must better coordinate their mental health services and increase the number of mobile and alternative crisis services , and all community members need to understand that mental health is essential to overall wellness . we know what we need to do to head off tragedies and improve the quality of life for people with mental health conditions , and their loved ones . we need to find the political will to ensure that we address mental health with the same degree of attention as other health conditions , and provide the means and mechanisms to pay for it . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of debbie f. plotnick .<doc-sep>many top-rated investors are minimizing their stake in the market . the legendary jim rogers says he 's pessimistic and not buying stocks . he 's buying gold and other commodities . the investment giant blackrock is telling clients to stock up on cash and safe-haven bonds and treasury bonds even though this is not the best strategy in the long run since it provides negative returns when you factor in inflation . for the more adventurous and optimistic , there 's the lure of potentially huge returns , if europe dodges disaster , or , in the aftermath of a crash . european leaders are getting strong advice from all directions . while the greeks suffer , the spaniards face severe unemployment , and fringe political parties spring up and grow stronger , economists from both sides of the atlantic are urging german chancellor angela merkel to reverse course from her push for strict austerity , which is choking economies already in depression . my sense is that merkel will do whatever it takes to not let the eurozone come apart and will ease up on austerity while the storm passes . but nobody has a crystal ball ; not for the market , not for the politicians . for investors , the most important point to keep in mind is that these are not days like others . it is a time of crisis , of great risk and , as happens when there is great risk , also of potentially great rewards . those who wish to take the risk should do it with eyes wide open , not by accident , neglect or inertia . the epicenter of the crisis may be in europe , but the shockwaves will know no boundaries . everyone should pay attention . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of frida ghitis .<doc-sep>tax increases are another option . one analysis estimated that an average tax hike of $ 1,385 per household would be required to fix the debt . in my home state of pennsylvania , we estimate that working families will soon need to contribute an additional $ 878 per year to pay rising pension costs -- a devastating blow to those still recovering from the recession . while the problem is already enormous , it will only get worse in the coming years unless governments transition to defined contribution systems , like the 401 -lrb- k -rrb- . robocop creator : detroit shows the film 's fictional future is upon us . both defined benefit plans -- which purport to guarantee a set income for life -- and 401 -lrb- k -rrb- - type plans carry with them some risk for public employees . in the case of defined benefit plans , detroit shows that taxpayers may not always be able to pay what the government promises . as for the 401 -lrb- k -rrb- , individual retirement investments are subject to the ups and downs of the market , requiring more attention , planning and personal responsibility on the part of the employee . the private sector , being more responsive to market pressures , realized the dangers posed by defined benefit plans and the benefits of 401 -lrb- k -rrb- s long ago and acted accordingly . from 1979 to 2011 , the percentage of businesses offering defined benefit plans plummeted from 62 % to a mere 7 % . over the same period , defined contribution plans more than quadrupled from 16 % to 69 % . businesses made these changes because defined benefit plans are unpredictable , inefficient and too costly in the long run . but cities and states are n't so different : they can pass costs on to taxpayers and their children only for so long , until eventually -- as in detroit -- the bill comes due . unfortunately , detroit 's public pensioners will likely pay this bill themselves when their pensions are cut in bankruptcy proceedings . they need only look to san bernardino , california , which received court approval to do just that on august 28 . opinion : how detroit can rise again . but other cities and states can still prevent the crisis from boxing their own public workers into a similar financial bind . if governments across the nation seize the moment and make the change to a defined contribution system -- as pennsylvania is poised to do this fall -- they 'll save their citizens from a fate like detroit 's , where opportunity and prosperity have been replaced by bankruptcy and hoped-for bailouts . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of matthew brouillette .<doc-sep>below is a commentary from glenn beck , who anchors `` glenn beck '' on headline news nightly at 7 and 9 et . glenn beck says politicians do n't have the answers to the housing crisis . new york -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- longtime viewers of my television program know that i 've been banging the recession drum for a while now , but the truth is that an economy as large and complex as ours does n't just collapse overnight . it happens slowly and methodically , with plenty of warning signs along the way . think about it as a series of waves heading toward the beach , with each one representing a different area of trouble . there 's one for slowing consumer spending -lrb- american express said that spending among its affluent clients slowed for the first time since 2001 -rrb- ; one for inflation -lrb- wholesale and consumer prices recently posted their largest increases in 26 and 17 years , respectively -rrb- ; and one for the continuing credit crunch -lrb- citigroup recently announced its fourth-quarter loss was the largest in its 196-year history -rrb- . but while those waves are the latest to form , we need to pay more attention to the wave that started it all : housing . in theory , looking closely at the housing market in some parts of the country could help predict what 's in store for the rest of us . and if that 's true , then buckle up . | <t> denzel washington : in a year of many issues , children are key priority . </t> <t> washington : voters need to hold politicians accountable for helping young people . </t> <t> education , crime , obesity are all issues relating to youth , washington says . </t> <t> there are many ways to help , including boys & girls clubs , he says . </t> | commentary : pay attention to the children in crisis<T> |
san francisco , california -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- thousands of protesters demonstrated against china 's human rights record and its crackdown in tibet after the olympic flame arrived in san francisco tuesday . pro-tibetan demonstrators shout outside the chinese consulate in san francisco tuesday . chanting and waving flags , the protesters ended their march at the chinese consulate , where they sat in a dense group , holding flags and banners , as police watched from nearby . `` stop killing , '' one sign read , while another said , `` no human rights , no olympics . '' the protests came after passionate demonstrations in london and paris in which protesters tried to snuff the torch 's flame and dozens were arrested . meanwhile , the olympic flame was being kept in an undisclosed location in advance of wednesday 's planed 6-mile relay in san francisco . watch how the city is preparing '' the run is the only u.s. appearance for the flame , wrapping up the first week of a 23-city global tour . beijing organizers have said the monthlong international relay will not be stopped despite the protests , but some international olympic committee members have suggested an early end should be considered . the ioc 's executive board will discuss the torch relay `` in general '' thursday or friday , but there is no proposal on the agenda to end the global tour early , ioc spokeswoman giselle davies said . watch the flame get the red-carpet treatment '' the official beijing olympics web site , controlled by the chinese organizers , gives little indication of any torch relay disruption . it characterizes the demonstrators as `` a small number '' of tibetan separatists .<doc-sep>beijing blames the dalai lama and his followers for violence that erupted in march amid protests for tibetan independence . china has drawn international criticism for its crackdown on the demonstrations , which began peacefully on the 49th anniversary of a failed tibetan uprising . china 's foreign ministry tuesday reacted forcefully to the torch relay protests . `` we express our strong condemnation to the deliberate disruption of the olympic torch relay by tibetan separatist forces regardless of the olympic spirit and the law of britain and france , '' china spokeswoman jiang yu said . `` their despicable activities tarnish the lofty olympic spirit and challenge all the people loving the olympic games around the world . '' the flame will return to china in may to begin a relay through the host nation , ending in beijing with the august 8 opening of the olympic games . one of the san francisco torchbearers has dropped out of wednesday 's relay because of fears of protests , a torch relay spokesman said . david perry , spokesman for the san francisco olympic torch relay , said he did not want to release the name of the person . `` i understand anyone that might feel that they do n't want to expose themselves to something more than protest , '' perry said . on monday , three protesters scaled san francisco 's golden gate bridge and raised a large banner .<doc-sep>those who climbed the cables from which the bridge 's deck is suspended were members of students for a free tibet , said group spokesman tenzin dasang , 22 . they unfurled a banner that read : `` one world . one dream . free tibet . '' the three climbers , along with four people on the ground , were charged with felony conspiracy and misdemeanor nuisance charges , said california highway patrol officer mary ziegenbein . the climbers also were charged with misdemeanor trespassing . the golden gate bridge protest came on the same day that thousands of protesters forced an abrupt halt to the flame 's passage through paris after 10 miles of the 17-mile planned route . some stops were skipped and the flame was transferred from the torch back to the lamp to be carried on a bus several times to avoid protesters . protesters pierced the thick security bubble surrounding the torchbearers , at times getting their hands on the torch itself . the paris demonstrations were similar to those sunday in london , where at least 36 people were arrested , according to london metropolitan police . protesters cited china 's actions in tibet , its policies on the darfur region of sudan and the lack of civil rights and freedoms for the chinese people . but other demonstrators , bearing chinese flags , turned out in support of the chinese government , and many others were spectators there just to see the torch . an olympic committee member suggested monday that the public relations nightmare that has followed the olympic flame on its way to the summer games in beijing may make 2008 the last time such an ambitious global torch relay is attempted . follow the torch relay itinerary '' international olympic committee member richard kevan gosper , who is also chairman of the ioc 's press committee , told reporters he was always opposed to a global tour for the flame . `` i 'm a firm believer that we had the right template in the first place , that the torch simply should go from olympia , greece , to the host country , '' gosper said . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>beijing blames the dalai lama and his followers for violence that erupted in march amid protests for tibetan independence . china has drawn international criticism for its crackdown on the demonstrations , which began peacefully on the 49th anniversary of a failed tibetan uprising . china 's foreign ministry tuesday reacted forcefully to the torch relay protests . `` we express our strong condemnation to the deliberate disruption of the olympic torch relay by tibetan separatist forces regardless of the olympic spirit and the law of britain and france , '' china spokeswoman jiang yu said . `` their despicable activities tarnish the lofty olympic spirit and challenge all the people loving the olympic games around the world . '' the flame will return to china in may to begin a relay through the host nation , ending in beijing with the august 8 opening of the olympic games . one of the san francisco torchbearers has dropped out of wednesday 's relay because of fears of protests , a torch relay spokesman said . david perry , spokesman for the san francisco olympic torch relay , said he did not want to release the name of the person . `` i understand anyone that might feel that they do n't want to expose themselves to something more than protest , '' perry said . on monday , three protesters scaled san francisco 's golden gate bridge and raised a large banner .<doc-sep>san francisco , california -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- thousands of protesters demonstrated against china 's human rights record and its crackdown in tibet after the olympic flame arrived in san francisco tuesday . pro-tibetan demonstrators shout outside the chinese consulate in san francisco tuesday . chanting and waving flags , the protesters ended their march at the chinese consulate , where they sat in a dense group , holding flags and banners , as police watched from nearby . `` stop killing , '' one sign read , while another said , `` no human rights , no olympics . '' the protests came after passionate demonstrations in london and paris in which protesters tried to snuff the torch 's flame and dozens were arrested . meanwhile , the olympic flame was being kept in an undisclosed location in advance of wednesday 's planed 6-mile relay in san francisco . watch how the city is preparing '' the run is the only u.s. appearance for the flame , wrapping up the first week of a 23-city global tour . beijing organizers have said the monthlong international relay will not be stopped despite the protests , but some international olympic committee members have suggested an early end should be considered . the ioc 's executive board will discuss the torch relay `` in general '' thursday or friday , but there is no proposal on the agenda to end the global tour early , ioc spokeswoman giselle davies said . watch the flame get the red-carpet treatment '' the official beijing olympics web site , controlled by the chinese organizers , gives little indication of any torch relay disruption . it characterizes the demonstrators as `` a small number '' of tibetan separatists .<doc-sep>the olympic flame is on a 130-day journey that will take it through 23 cities on five continents and then throughout china , culminating at the olympics opening ceremony in beijing august 8 . the san francisco protest comes the same day as a demonstration in paris , france , disrupted the torch relay many times . in paris , police had to cut the olympic torch relay short monday amid protests against china 's human rights record , french police said . the torch was scheduled to travel 17 miles , past paris city hall , but that stop and others were called off after the protests . the torch made it through about 10 miles of its scheduled journey . it was then driven by bus to its final destination , where it was displayed again during a public ceremony at a stadium . authorities had to play hide-and-seek with the olympic torch during much of the route , placing it on a bus at least twice during a sometimes chaotic relay route . china has come under international criticism because of its crackdown last month on protesters calling for democratic freedoms and self-rule in tibet and neighboring chinese provinces . protesters have said more than 100 people have died in the crackdown , but beijing denies that and has accused supporters of the dalai lama of orchestrating the violence . u.s. and other western leaders have called on china to provide civil rights and freedoms to those in tibet and to enter peaceful discussions aimed at resolving the crisis . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>it will also be taken on a skywalk at croke park as it visits dublin on june 6 in its only stop outside of the uk . there will be no international torch . relay - the international olympic committee decided to make it a . domestic event only after the controversial beijing torch relay in 2008 . where protesters used the event to demonstrate against china 's human . rights abuses . tv presenter konnie huq was caught up in a melee between police and protesters . people also hurled themselves into the path of . the relay in london and campaigners tried to grab the torch or put out the flame . with a fire extinguisher . history : frank ede taking the torch from austin playford during the relay before the 1948 london olympics in london . a team of 28 police officers will be . dedicated to protecting the olympic torch and its bearers during a 8,000 . mile tour of britain . commander bob broadhurst , the officer in . charge of olympic policing in london , said : ' i think the biggest threat will be . attention seekers , somebody trying to run alongside and grab a bit of the . glory . ` i 'm sure we 'll get the odd protest every now . and then up and down the country . ' a mock run took place this month to demonstrate . how the police team would deal with various situations if they arose during the . relay . the british authorities do not believe the torch relay will face the same issues the chinese had to deal with , but have nonetheless chosen a much lower profile route . the teenage son of inspirational fundraiser jane tomlinson said today that he is carrying the olympic torch on behalf of his late mother . steven tomlinson , 14 , will be taking his turn on the relay when the torch arrives in leeds in june . his mother , pictured right running in a triathlon , died from cancer in 2007 at the age of 43 , and carried the torch ahead of the 2004 games in athens . mrs tomlinson inspired thousands of people with her charity challenges while battling against terminal cancer . the nhs radiographer defied experts and spent seven years raising . money for charity through marathons , triathlons , the iron man contest , a . tandem cycle ride from rome to leeds and a bike ride across america , . from san francisco to new york . she raised more than # 1.85 million and her family have continued to . raise funds for her charity , the jane tomlinson appeal , since her death . ` i 'm really excited about being nominated as a torchbearer . ' he said . ` it 's a great opportunity to be part of the olympics . i will be doing it on behalf of my sisters and my mum . it should be a great experience . ' she was awarded the mbe for her work in june 2003 and later made a cbe . last month , her husband , mike , 50 , of rothwell , west yorkshire , and daughter , rebecca , 23 , of tooting , south london , announced they are planning to run this year 's paris and london marathons and cycle the distance between them . | <t> new : thousands march to the chinese consulate ahead of wednesday 's run . </t> <t> torchbearer drops out , fearing protests , official says . </t> <t> san francisco , california , is only u.s. venue on 23-city global tour . </t> <t> demonstrators protest china 's tibet policy in cities along route . </t> | torch relay in san francisco draws massive protest<T> |
washington -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- sen. hillary clinton 's chief presidential campaign strategist is quitting his post amid criticism of his public relations firm 's contacts with the colombian government over a pending free-trade deal , clinton 's campaign announced . mark penn will continue to advise hillary clinton 's presidential campaign . mark penn and his political consulting firm will continue to advise the new york senator 's democratic presidential bid , but penn will give up his job as chief strategist , campaign manager maggie williams said . `` after the events of the last few days , mark penn has asked to give up his role as chief strategist of the clinton campaign , '' williams said .<doc-sep>clinton did not answer reporters ' questions about penn 's exit during a campaign stop in new mexico on sunday . penn is ceo of public relations giant burson-marsteller and is president of penn , schoen and berland , his political consulting firm . friday , he acknowledged he had met with the colombian ambassador to the united states earlier in the week in his role as burson-marsteller 's chief to discuss the pending u.s.-colombia trade pact , which clinton has criticized on the campaign trail .<doc-sep>penn called the meeting `` an error in judgment that will not be repeated , '' and apologized . that prompted colombia 's government to fire the company saturday , calling the remarks `` a lack of respect to colombians . '' clinton and top aides were sharply critical of rival democrat barack obama in february when reports indicated that his top economic adviser had suggested to a canadian official that obama was not as supportive of changes to the north american free trade agreement as the illinois senator claimed to be on the campaign trail . penn said friday that clinton 's opposition to the u.s.-colombia pact , which the bush administration is trying to push through congress , `` is clear and was not discussed '' during his meeting with the ambassador . and clinton spokesman mo elleithee said penn 's meeting was `` not in any way done on behalf of the campaign . ''<doc-sep>but pennsylvania gov. ed rendell -- a key clinton backer in his state 's april 22 primary -- suggested sunday that penn needed to go . `` i think you 've got to make it very clear for someone who is a consultant , who you are representing and who you are not representing , and i would hope that mr. penn , when he talked to the colombians , made that clear . and it does n't sound to me like he did , and that 's something the campaign should take into question , '' rendell told nbc 's `` meet the press . '' sources in the clinton campaign said that penn realized this weekend that he needed to step aside , and that clinton was disappointed that he had met with the colombians . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>the question now is whether any smoking gun emerged from wednesday 's hearing regarding what clinton knew and when she knew it . republicans and democrats obviously disagree on this question . `` i rather doubt the current right-wing demagoguery is going to hurt hillary if she chooses to run , '' said democratic strategist and cnn contributor paul begala , who was a top political adviser in bill clinton 's white house . what the obama administration has said about the libya attack . republican strategist and cnn contributor alex castellanos disagreed . `` it is increasingly looking like the only president named clinton may be bill , '' said castellanos , who is spearheading a new super pac called newrepublican.org to refocus the party 's messaging and policy goals . . one thing 's for sure : wednesday 's hearing wo n't be the end of this story . thursday morning house speaker john boehner called on the president to release emails that he says show how the white house wanted to change the benghazi attack `` talking points . '' stay tuned .<doc-sep>washington -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- top democratic strategists in washington are already beginning one of the city 's oldest traditions -- second-guessing a losing election strategy before what is expected to be a stinging defeat in tuesday 's midterm elections . one of the key debates to emerge is whether democratic candidates were too cautious in avoiding president barack obama at all costs . `` running away from the president is never smart , '' said one top democratic strategist who has worked with both the white house and senate candidates this midterm cycle . `` you look like chicken s -- , '' the strategist added on condition of anonymity . a white house official who also asked not to be named so he could speak freely argued democrats still have a chance to hold the senate . `` we do n't think anything is done until election day , '' the official said in an email that included election day polls in 2012 that showed the president tied with mitt romney . obama went on to win a decisive victory . still , the conventional wisdom to banish the president from key senate battlegrounds , in favor of either bill and hillary clinton , vice president joe biden , and even first lady michelle obama made sense to most senate democratic campaigns . the president 's low approval numbers plus the conservative terrain at risk for democrats in arkansas , alaska and louisiana was a `` toxic combination , '' as another top strategist put it .<doc-sep>but the cosmetic surgery line was n't an `` objective fact about hillary clinton . '' it was mean and , yes , sexist . veteran gop strategist mary matalin says many conservatives probably feel justified repeating against clinton the age argument democrats used against reagan long ago . `` however justified they might be , it does feed right into the opposition meme , '' she said . matalin is among those -- `` in the minority '' as she puts its -- not fully convinced that clinton will run . but if she does , matalin says , the age debate will intensify . `` the first to pick it up will be her primary opposition . '' a veteran democratic strategist close to clinton said a politician 's age becomes an issue only when the politician behaves in a way that makes it an issue . `` it 's all how you act and think , '' the strategist said , speaking on the condition of anonymity . scott reed , who was dole 's 1996 campaign manager , said just about anything , including age , can be relevant as a presidential campaign issue . but , he added , `` the woman thing is such an unknown . '' another gop strategist with presidential campaign experience chimed in with a one-word `` nope '' when asked if it is wise to raise clinton 's age . `` perhaps that her politics/policies are outdated , or that she has been part of d.c. too long , '' this strategist suggested . life expectancy a more relevant point . a national journal report on this debate this week smartly focused on a question more relevant than chronological age : the life expectancy of the candidate in question . a chart from that report suggests that clinton `` would have the longest total life expectancy of any president yet . '' still , a clinton candidacy -- assuming she won the democratic nomination -- would present voters with a generational question . her husband was 46 when he took office in 1993 . george w. bush was 54 in 2001 . obama was 47 in 2009 . all three were elected to two terms ; all three will have ended their presidencies in their 50s or early 60s . `` america does n't go back , '' former vermont gov. howard dean said in a conversation several months ago -- meaning once the mantle of leadership is passed to one generation , he could not envision voters going back to an older generation . `` except for hillary , '' he said . `` she is the only one who could do it because of the historic aspect of her candidacy . ''<doc-sep>two former top advisers to bill clinton have warned barack obama that he will lose to mitt romney in november if he does not abandon the ` fool 's errand ' of trying to persuade americans that the economy is getting better . in a 16-page paper , james carville , clinton 's top campaign manager in 1992 , stan greenberg , clinton 's pollster in 1992 , and erica seifert , a leading democratic strategist , argue that a ` new narrative ' is needed for obama to win re-election . carville coined the dictum ` it 's the economy , stupid ' , while greenberg was the person who identified ` reagan democrats ' as a key voting bloc in the 1980s . pendulum swing : two former clinton aides released a 16-page paper warning that the trajectory of obama 's current re-election campaign could cost him the presidency ; he is pictured today talking about the economy . fool 's errand : the former aides said that romney , seen today in orlando , could win if obama keeps insisting the economy is better . their stinging critique is a sign of panic among democrats about obama 's campaign as well as a potential split between obama and old hands from the clinton era who believe he has moved too far to the left . obama and romney are currently in a statistical dead heat in most national polls with obama leading by 1.6 per cent in the realclearpolitics average . in a commentary for fox news , joe trippi , a veteran democratic campaign strategist said : ` i believe the race is even tighter than the real clear politics averages indicate ' . about face : james carville argues that a ` new narrative ' is necessary for obama to win in 2012 . he added : ` five months is a long time in presidential politics -- the pendulum can swing back and forth several times between now and november . but at this moment , as a democrat who wants to see barack obama re-elected , there is no denying that the pendulum is moving in the wrong direction . ' the paper , by democracy corps and greenberg quinlan rosner , is based on extensive work with focus groups in ohio and pennsylvania , states that hillary clinton won in the democratic primaries of 2008 and where obama has struggled to connect with blue collar voters . ` it is elites who are creating a conventional wisdom that an incumbent president must run on his economic performance -- and therefore must convince voters that things are moving in the right direction , ' the top democratic strategists contend . ` they are wrong , and that will fail . ' the paper could be seen as a pre-emptive post mortem should obama lose to romney in november , perhaps laying the foundation for a presidential bid by hillary clinton in 2016 . its argument is all the more devastating for obama because it identifies fundamental weaknesses in romney 's candidacies , arguing that it is only what they see as romney 's significant vulnerabilities that has kept obama in contention . the strategists state bluntly that voters do n't believe obama 's central campaign message that the economy is getting better . ` these voters are not convinced that we are headed in the right direction . they are living in a new economy - and there is no conceivable recovery in the year ahead that will change the view of the new state of the country . fast friends : carville , right , was top aide to former president bill clinton in 1992 ; they are pictured at an event in 1999 . | <t> mark penn is ceo of public relations giant burson-marsteller . </t> <t> penn met with colombia ambassador over trade pact . </t> <t> colombia fired penn 's company on saturday . </t> <t> penn will continue to have advisory role in campaign . </t> | clinton 's top strategist quits<T> |
middlesbrough , england -- middlesbrough have confirmed that midfielders fabio rochemback and gaizka mendieta and striker dong gook lee have all been released . middlesbrough have decided against taking up the option of re-signing brazilian midfielder fabio rochemback . the premier league club had an option to extend brazilian rochemback 's deal by another two years , but manager gareth southgate has decided to let him go . `` we both feel that the time is right for fabio to have a fresh challenge , '' southgate said . `` he is a talented footballer and i think he 's just had his best season for us , while it was fitting that he should bow out against manchester city on sunday with probably his best performance in a middlesbrough shirt . '' the 26-year-old joined boro from barcelona in 2005 and played 91 games for the teesside club . he signed off in style by scoring a thumping long-range free-kick in sunday 's 8-1 victory over city . rochemback , who netted seven times for boro , played a major role in helping the club reach the 2006 uefa cup final , a year after appearing in the final during a loan spell with sporting lisbon -- where he is expected to move back to this summer . mendieta , 34 , was one of football 's costliest players when he joined lazio from valencia for 48 million euros in 2001 , but he disappointed and joined barcelona and then boro on loan . the former spain midfielder joined permanently on a free transfer in 2004 , but has not played for the first team since december 26 , 2006 . `` it was a difficult situation for a player of gaizka 's caliber to find himself out of the first team reckoning , '' added southgate . `` i made it clear to him that he did not figure in my plans but he decided to stay and try to get back into the first team . `` that did n't work out but his attitude to training was always excellent and he was a good influence on some of our young reserve team players . '' south korean international lee joined boro on a free transfer from pohang steelers in january 2007 . he scored only twice in 11 starts and 18 appearances as a substitute and has not appeared for the first team since early february . southgate is still hopeful of persuading goalkeeper mark schwarzer to sign a new contract at the riverside . the 35-year-old australian joined boro from bradford city in a $ 3 million deal in february 1997 and has played nearly 450 games for the club . his deal runs out this summer and he has so far refused to sign an extension , prompting reports of interest from a host of european clubs . `` we are talking to mark . i 'd like him to stay . his experience is important but he has real drive and determination that is still increasing , '' said southgate . `` he is the one in our dressing room that can truly say he has played at the highest level -- in world cups , in europe , in cup finals and so on . `` we have to negotiate and see where we go , but players have to want to stay here and we have to want to keep them . `` mark has been here a long time so he has to decide if he needs a fresh challenge , whether what we are trying to do is going to excite him , whether he feels he is going to be appreciated here . '' southgate also confirmed they have offered striker tom craddock and right-back tony mcmahon one-year extensions to their current deals , which run out this summer . brazilian rivaldo has changed his mind about retiring and says he will play for greek club aek again next season . the 36-year-old had decided to quit after aek were denied the title because olympiakos were awarded three points for a game they lost after the opposing team fielded an ineligible player . `` the truth is that at the end of the championship , i felt great disappointment and a -lrb- sense of -rrb- injustice , but the love and support i have received from fans and the team have contributed to my final decision ... i have decided to stay at aek next season , '' rivaldo said in a statement on the club 's web site . olympiakos lost 1-0 on february 3 , but greek sports authorities gave them the points because apollon played roman wallner who had turned out for two other clubs during the season . apollon 's appeal to the court of arbitration for sport was rejected on april 21 . olympiakos finished the season with 70 points , two ahead of aek , for their 11th title in 12 years . rivaldo , who has played at ac milan and barcelona and starred in brazil 's 2002 world cup victory , spent three seasons at olympiakos from 2004 . he moved to aek last year after a contract dispute . tottenham midfielder jamie o'hara has signed a new three-year contract with the club . the 21-year-old made his debut this season and went on to score two goals in a total 25 appearances . `` he has come a long way in a short space of time so i congratulate him and this new contract is recognition of his efforts , '' said manager juande ramos . `` jamie is an example to all the young players at the club in that reaching the first team can be achieved through hard work and giving the best of yourself . '' however , tottenham goalkeeper radek cerny has left the club . the 34-year-old czech international , who was on loan from sparta prague , has joined ambitious championship club queens park rangers on a two-year contract .<doc-sep>there was a time when middlesbrough would not have been such outlandish underdogs against manchester city . in fact , it was n't so long ago that the teessiders inflicted one of the most humiliating defeats in city 's history . on saturday , they meet again in the fa cup fourth round with city the overwhelming favourites to progress . on loan middlesbrough striker patrick bamford will be hoping start against manchester city in the fa cup . on the final day of the 2007/08 premier league campaign city were thumped 8-1 at middlesbrough . but just eight years ago they were unrecognisable from the club we know today . it was on the final day of the 2007/08 campaign that sven-goran eriksson 's side were thumped 8-1 at the riverside stadium . the former england boss wore a haunted look as his team capitulated , suffering their biggest loss in more than 100 years . it had been reported erkisson already knew of his fate and that owner thaksin shinawatra had long since decided the swede was not the man for the job . the 8-1 defeat was sven-goran eriksson 's last game in charge of city as he was sacked three weeks later . middlesbrough : schwarzer , young -lrb- mcmahon 75 -rrb- , riggott , wheater , pogatetz , boateng , rochemback , arca -lrb- johnson 62 -rrb- , downing , sanli -lrb- aliadiere 62 -rrb- , alves . goals : downing 16 pen , alves 37 , downing 58 , alves 60 , johnson 70 , rochemback 80 , aliadiere 85 , alves 90 .<doc-sep>mendieta was one of four brothers and their dad , andres , was a professional with real madrid , deportivo la coruna and villarreal . his sons , however , were not born with natural talent . chelsea goalkeeper and drummer petr cech is good friends with queen drummer roger taylor . besiktas boss slaven bilic played guitar in croatian rock band rawbau . carlos tevez was in a band in argentina with his brother called piola vago . trumpeter nolberto solano formed the geordie latinos salsa band at newcastle . ps it goes the other way too . spanish crooner julio iglesias was real madrid 's reserve keeper before becoming a pop star . ` my brothers were n't very good and i was n't great but i just wanted to improve so badly so i practised for days and days . i used to go to fields with my brothers and my dad to practise . i used to go in a squash court with a ball and just kick , kick , kick . my dad was really sad when i quit for athletics because he would have loved me to be a footballer . but he always supported me because both he and my mum wanted me to be happy . so they were very proud at what i went on to achieve . ' what did he achieve ? eight goals in 40 caps for spain , the champions league runners-up medals , a spanish cup with valencia and a league cup at middlesbrough . so how did he end up on teesside ? ` the chance to come to england arose in a way i did n't expect , ' says mendieta , whose first season at lazio had been an unhappy one . ` steve mcclaren and keith lamb , the chief executive , turned up at the training ground in rome . ` they told me about the new project they wanted to build . i told them i would think about it but , after a little time , i thought , `` why not ? '' . i wanted to be part of their plans and help them make history -- which i did . ' former england manager steve mclaren convinced mendieta to come to middlesbrough . the spaniard has no regrets in signing for middlesbrough and has even moved back into the area . mendieta poses with teammates after winning the 2004 league cup with middlesbrough .<doc-sep>man city : isaksson , jihai , corluka , dunne , ball , ireland , gelson , petrov -lrb- elano 71 -rrb- , garrido , vassell -lrb- hamann 62 -rrb- , benjani -lrb- castillo 13 -rrb- . goals : elano 87 . and so it proved his last game in charge . in fact , he has n't managed in the premier league since . bizarrely , the performance of city 's players at boro was said to be a show of support for eriksson , a protest at the treatment of their boss . a deliberate act of unprofessionalism or otherwise , their cause was hardly aided when richard dunne was sent off following a reckless challenge on tuncay sanli inside the penalty area after just 15 minutes . perhaps the sight of their skipper getting his marching orders for such a needless lunge persuaded the rest of the visiting team to throw in the towel also -- either way , boro certainly took advantage . stewart downing scored from the resulting spot-kick before alfonso alves -- the misfiring brazilian striker -- made it two before the break . richard dunne -lrb- right -rrb- was sent off after a reckless first half challenge on tuncay sanli inside the penalty area . stewart downing -lrb- left -rrb- tucked home the resulting spot kick to give middlesbrough a 1-0 lead on 16 minutes . fabio rochemback scored the teesiders sixth goal of the match with a free-kick . and then the floodgates opened . downing netted the goal of the game with a with a stunning left-foot volley , before alves sprinted clear for a fourth . future city star adam johnson came off the bench and got in on the act -- albeit via a deflection off michael ball -- and brazilian fabio rochemback smashed a sixth courtesy of a powerful free-kick into the top corner .<doc-sep>in a nightclub on the mediterranean coast , a man wearing a hat to disguise his identity slips into the dj stand and takes control of the decks , where he plays his records until sunrise . earlier that evening -- in front of many of the same folk on the dance floor -- that very same dj had dictated a different kind of rhythm ... a football match in front of 55,000 fans at valencia 's mestalla stadium . only now has gaizka mendieta revealed his secret in an interview which explores the football career he very nearly abandoned . gaizka mendieta reflects on a playing career that has taken him from spain to italy and england . the former middlesbrough midfielder now works as a pundit for sky 's coverage of spain 's la liga . mendieta finished his playing career with a five-year spell with middlesbrough . but it is the subject of music which hits the right note with the former valencia , lazio , barcelona and middlesbrough star , who last month played the cavern club in liverpool made famous by the beatles . ` it has always been my passion , ' says the 40-year-old . ` my friend in valencia , who owned a record shop , used to dj . if i played on saturday i would then sneak into the club , but it was always off the record , i would wear a hat and go in disguise . i would then dj and no-one would know it was me . i loved it . it was an escape . ' mendieta was a platinum-standard schemer who manipulated the mood of a match with his cunning . much like the dj . ` i do n't have a setlist of what i 'm going to play . we take a box of vinyls and we only arrange the first few songs and then see how the mood is and what people want , ' he says . ` when you are on the pitch you have a split-second to decide a pass , it is the same as a dj picking the next song . it is the same feeling of tension as playing football and i do get nervous before i dj . ` but that is good , that 's the way i enjoy things . it is the possibility of making people happy , seeing them having fun and going mad at your choice of song . ` i play everything from aretha franklin to kings of leon to lou reed . wherever i am in the world i always find the record shops . ' | <t> middlesbrough release midfielders fabio rochemback and gaizka mendieta . </t> <t> the premier league club decide not to take up option on rochemback 's deal . </t> <t> rivaldo changes mind about retirement and will continue at aek next season . </t> | middlesbrough free rochemback , mendieta<T> |
douglas , arizona -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- it 's a tale of homeland security concerns blocking wildlife management , and the hue and cry that ensues . this photo , taken by warner glenn in 1996 , is believed to be the first of a live jaguar in the united states . when most people think of jaguars , they think of the jungles of central and south america , not the remote desert ranges between the united states and mexico . that region is known as mountain lion country , and that 's what rancher warner glenn thought he was tracking when he saddled up his mules on a summer day 12 years ago near douglas , arizona . glenn has hunted mountain lions for 60 years , since he was eight years old . but glenn was stunned when he saw what his hunting dogs had chased up to a high mountain perch . the rancher took what 's believed to be the first photo of a live jaguar in the united states . but it was n't his last . in 2006 , some 40 miles away , glenn and his hunting party again cornered a jaguar -- a different one . jaguars , an endangered species , have a breeding population in northern mexico . scientists believe there are no more than 120 left in the wild there . it 's believed that since 1910 , the cats are only visitors north of the border . they have been virtually unstudied here until recently . but glenn and other conservationists worry that the possible return of breeding jaguars to the united states could be stopped in its tracks . the reason : the border fence .<doc-sep>last month the department of homeland security waived 30 environmental laws to finish 470 miles of the fence by the end of the year . homeland security secretary michael chertoff told congress that the agency continues to talk to some 600 landowners along the border to get their input . but in order to comply with the congressional mandate , he said , there is no time to deal with `` unnecessary delays caused by administrative processes or potential litigation . '' `` we are currently in a lawless situation at the border , '' says chertoff . `` i feel an urgency to get this tactical infrastructure in . and although we 're going to be respectful of the environment , we 're going to be expeditious . '' two environmental groups , defenders of wildlife and the sierra club , have filed appeals with the u.s. supreme court , claiming the waivers are unconstitutional and set a dangerous precedent . `` national security and environmental protection do not have to be at odds with each other , '' says defenders of wildlife spokesman matt clark . `` if we can drop this arbitrary deadline for constructing the fence and go through the proper procedures , then there are inevitably ways to minimize environmental impact , but as it is now it 's throwing all of those laws out the window . '' mountain lion tracker jack childs also worries about the impact of the fence on local wildlife , especially the jaguar . childs captured the first video of a live jaguar in the late summer of 1996 , a few months after warner glenn . watch childs and glenn talk about efforts to preserve the jaguar '' `` i knew historically there had been a few jaguars sighted in arizona but in the last hundred years never in any numbers . '' his encounter sparked a passion for the big cats . along with wife anna and biologist emil mccain , he created the borderlands jaguar detection project . see images of the controversy ''<doc-sep>childs and mccain hike into remote mountain areas where the jaguars roam and have placed more than 50 motion sensor cameras near the border . they 've taken 69 photos of three different jaguars since 2001 , including several of the same cat childs first saw in 1996 . he has nicknamed that cat macho b . a jaguar 's spots are like fingerprints -- each cat has a unique set . one of the spots on macho b resembles a pinocchio cartoon figure , and that 's how they identify him . `` we spend a lot of time walking along the border during the daytime , and we actually find his tracks going through the fence , so we know for sure that he crosses back and forth , '' says childs . `` a fence like that is going to inhibit wildlife movements and migrations back and forth . it 's not going to effectively stop human traffic . they 've got wire cutters and torches . '' see where the jaguars have been spotted '' childs says the fence also has an impact on wildlife because drug runners and human traffickers have been pushed up into the mountain areas to avoid the fence in the lowland valleys . `` it 's impacting the animals number one , what 's going on down there . it 's almost brought my wildlife study to a stop because they -lrb- the traffickers -rrb- are tearing down my cameras as fast as i 'm putting them up because they think we 're taking pictures of them . '' the u.s. fish and wildlife service finds itself in a unique position . its mission is wildlife and habitat protection , but it must uphold another federal agency 's mission to override environmental concerns . bill radke , manager of the san bernardino wildlife refuge , says the border patrol is trying to work with his agency .<doc-sep>`` the hope is that by working with border patrol that we can meet the national security mandate and at the same time protect the wildlife , '' says radke . `` border patrol is putting up camera towers but are putting them up on areas that are off the refuge . they 're working on barriers but not barriers that would impede wildlife and large animals like jaguars . '' at 6 foot 6 , with steely blue eyes , dressed in leather chaps astride his mule , rancher warner glenn is every inch the american cowboy . and he is a man forever changed by his encounters with the jaguar . he has written a book , `` eyes of fire , '' about his experience . he says he 'd like to `` invite mr. bush to come out on a mule '' so he can see `` what 's going on here in these mountains . '' for glenn , the cat represents all that is wild about the southwest . `` it would be a loss to me that maybe my granddaughter or my daughter would n't be able to see one like i have . it 's just an animal that 's a beautiful , magnificent cat and they 're having a little bit of trouble surviving . but they 're doing it , and i would hate to see us do anything that would cause the survival of that cat to go backwards . `` i 'm a livestock rancher , but i would n't mind donating a few calves to that jaguar , so to speak . '' biologist emil mccain agrees . `` they are part of our natural heritage . they are part of the american west . they are part of the american wild as much as the bald eagle or the grizzly bear , and the jaguar is really special because it is such an elusive and beautiful creature -lsb- that -rsb- it evokes a sense of imagination and curiosity about the natural world . '' though the jaguar is elusive , conservationists say the animal is caught -- in the political crossfire at the border . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>after an investigation , israel apologized in october for the deaths of the egyptian policemen . a rare statement of regret was issued in the days after the shootings . after the revolution in egypt and the subsequent increase of instability in the nation 's sinai peninsula , the israeli government has accelerated the pace of construction of a steel border fence that will run along the 260 kilometers -lrb- about 160 miles -rrb- of shared border . originally proposed as a method of stemming the flow of illegal immigration into israel , the $ 350 million fence is increasingly being regarded in israel as a necessary defense against lawlessness and what israel says is the growing influence of radical islamist groups operating in the sinai peninsula . construction is expected to be completed by the end of the year . prime minister benjamin netanyahu vowed monday that the morning attack wo n't slow work on the security fence . `` this barrier is meant both to prevent terrorism and also to prevent the entrance of infiltrators , '' he said . `` its construction is of supreme national interest . '' cnn 's guy azriel contributed to this report .<doc-sep>a neighbour has admitted throwing raw chicken , bananas and pickled onions on the driveway of a man dubbed the ` mooning millionaire ' after a bitter dispute with another neighbour . mari hannah swanson , 30 , who lives in the wealthy suburb of kingswood , surrey , has been handed a restraining order banning her from contacting neville williams after admitting harassing him . mr williams , 53 , had been locked in a bitter six-year dispute with neighbour , gerald mead , 72 , over a narrow strip of land between their properties - with both believing the land belonged to them . scroll down for video . feud : neville williams -lrb- left -rrb- was captured on camera ` mooning ' at his neighbour as his gardener looked on . mr williams chopped down trees planted on the border by mr mead - and a smashed greenhouse , burnt trees and mr williams removing his trousers before ` mooning ' at mr mead all followed . although mr williams has said there has been some resolution to the border dispute , he is convinced it is the reason for swanson 's attacks on his # 950,000 two-bedroom detached house . he said : ` we do n't know her from adam . but we have been in a dispute with my neighbour for quite a while and he has been going round to neighbours and saying things against me . ` it was decided he would put up a fence along the boundary by june 8 which he has n't . this may have been how she came round and decided to attack my property . '<doc-sep>after an investigation , israel apologized in october for the deaths of the egyptian policemen . a rare statement of regret was issued in the days following the shootings . the incident also follows this week 's reopening of a an israeli highway that runs along the border . the road had been closed for safety reasons since the august attacks . `` wide-scale work was carried out in order to strengthen the defenses of the road , '' the israeli military said . following the revolution in egypt and the subsequent increase of instability in the nation 's sinai peninsula , the israeli government has accelerated the pace of construction of a steel border fence that will run the 260 kilometers -lrb- 162 miles -rrb- of shared border . originally proposed as a method of stemming the flow of illegal immigration into israel , the $ 350 million fence is increasingly being regarded in israel as a necessary defense against lawlessness and what israel says is the growing influence of radical isamist groups operating in the sinai peninsula . construction is expected to be completed by the end of the year . cnn 's mohamed fadel fahmy contributed to this report .<doc-sep>one way or another : officials say smugglers often attempt to cut holes in the fence that runs along the u.s.-mexico border . they also try tossing things over and digging under the fence . that fence stood between 18 and 26 feet high and extended at least 7 feet underground . the hole in a section of the fence 1 1/2 miles east of the nogales city limits was discovered by agents on saturday . the border patrol says it is working on repairs for both fences and has agents monitoring the areas . ` smugglers often attempt to cut border fences ; dig under them ; climb over them ; and even throw things over the fence , ' border patrol spokeswoman nicole ballistrea said in a written statement . ` as the tucson sector continues to improve deterrence efforts along the border , smuggling organizations are finding it more difficult to move their illicit goods into the interior of the united states . fencing infrastructure gives border patrol agents the time they need to stop illegal cross-border activity . ' the storms that caused the fencing to topple began friday in sonora , mexico , and resumed saturday night until sunday morning , when debris from the mexican side of the border traveled through a wash and piled up against the border fence . the fence was built in 2011 . it is constantly monitored by agents because smugglers and others who attempt to cross illegally routinely try to breach or knock down parts of it . | <t> it is believed that jaguars in northern mexico total no more than 120 . </t> <t> conservationists worry that border fence could prevent return of breeding jaguars . </t> <t> homeland security officials have waived laws to make sure fence is completed . </t> <t> agencies look for solution that enhances security while preserving wildlife . </t> | border-fence dispute snares rare jaguars<T> |
-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the presidents of sudan and chad signed a non-aggression agreement late thursday , aiming to halt cross-border hostilities between the two african nations . chad president idriss deby , right , and sudan 's president omar al-beshir , left , shake hands after signing the pact . the signing came after nearly two full days of talks in dakar , senegal , between sudan president omar al-beshir and idriss deby , the president of chad . senegalese president abdoulaye wade facilitated the talks , and united nations secretary general ban ki-moon met with officials from both nations and witnessed the signing of the agreement at about 10 p.m. `` the idea is to get the governments of sudan and chad to normalize their relations with each other and to halt any action that would allow for the cross-border movement of rebel factions or armed factions of either side that could hurt the other country , '' said united nations spokesman farhan haq . each country accuses the other of supporting armed rebel groups that cross the border to attempt to destabilize the government . the rival nations ' armies have skirmished several times . the united nations says refugees and armed groups have been regularly crossing the border between the troubled darfur region of sudan and chad . they allegedly include many of the rebels that attacked n'djamena , the capital of chad , in early february . as recently as thursday , just hours before the agreement was signed , chad issued a communique saying rebels from sudan had crossed the border . chad is still recovering from a failed attempt last month by rebels to overthrow deby 's regime . the united nations says the swelling number of darfur refugees and other displaced people living in eastern chad is causing serious strain on the region . kingsley amaning , the u.n. 's humanitarian coordinator for chad , said more than 10,000 people from darfur , in sudan , have fled into 12 official refugee camps in eastern chad . they join some 240,000 darfurians who have lived in chad since 2004 because of fighting in their homeland and an estimated 180,000 displaced chadians also living there . the number of displaced chadians is growing because of the recent fighting there , kingsley said . haq said the united nations , which has peacekeeping troops in the darfur region , will work to assure sudan and chad carry out the terms of thursday 's deal . the countries have signed several peace agreements in the past , only to see renewed violence flare up . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>they join some 240,000 darfurians who have lived in chad since 2004 because of fighting in their homeland and an estimated 180,000 displaced chadians also living there . the number of displaced chadians is growing because of the recent fighting there , kingsley said . haq said the united nations , which has peacekeeping troops in the darfur region , will work to assure sudan and chad carry out the terms of thursday 's deal . the countries have signed several peace agreements in the past , only to see renewed violence flare up . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>an impasse over the boundaries of the town of abyei is a major reason the peace agreement has not been fully implemented . fighting erupted in abyei on may 13 . it resumed tuesday despite a cease-fire and has `` resulted in the destruction '' of the town `` and the displacement of between 30,000 and 50,000 people , '' the secretary general said in a statement . do n't miss sudanese opposition leader arrested sudan cuts ties with chad after attack darfur rebels advance on sudan capital , their leader says `` if the situation is not urgently addressed , the achievements thus far of the comprehensive peace agreement could be placed at serious risk , '' he said . the civil war in sudan , which started in 1983 , pitted a northern government dominated by arab muslims against black christians and animists in southern sudan .<doc-sep>the participants are expected to discuss means of achieving peace in the region , welcoming the steps for realizing peace in darfur , progress of the relations between qatar , sudan , chad and eritrea and other issues of mutual concern , suna said . tahir al-fati , chairman of the justice and equality movement 's legislative assembly , told cnn on saturday that a preliminary document for the framework agreement was signed saturday in chad between representatives of the two sides . a permanent cease-fire -- which , according to this preliminary accord , is to be signed before march 15 -- will be a final step , al-fati said .<doc-sep>the conflict has wiped out entire neighborhoods and transformed into a full-blown war between two large tribes , the nuer and the dinka . machar belongs to the nuer community , while the president is a dinka . bucciarelli 's pictures provide a rare window into a civilian population under siege . `` south sudan 's war represents one of the longest and most forgotten african conflicts , '' he said . `` its tragic consequences are quietly fading away from the headlines , making these pictures even more crucial . '' social media . follow @cnnphotos on twitter to join the conversation about photography . south sudan split from sudan in 2011 as part of a peace deal that ended decades of war in africa 's largest nation . that war left 2 million people dead and ended with the peace agreement that included an independence referendum for the south . the recent clashes have been a major setback for a country so desperate for a new start . instead of relishing its independence , residents of areas such as bentiu , bor , nyang and mingkaman are struggling to survive as communities turn against one another . concerned neighboring nations have stepped in and urged warring parties to sign ceasefire deals , but the weapons have not gone quiet . frantic international pleas for peace have gone unheeded . fabio bucciarelli is an italian photographer whose work focuses on conflict and war . you can follow him on twitter . | <t> sudan , chad presidents sign agreement aiming to halt cross-border hostilities . </t> <t> signing came after nearly two days of talks between presidents of sudan and chad . </t> <t> each accuses other of supporting rebels that attempt to destabilize the government . </t> <t> just hours before agreement , chad claimed rebels from sudan had crossed border . </t> | chad , sudan sign peace deal<T> |
-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- leading jockey frankie dettori may have spent most of his life on a diet , but when it comes to his favorite pastimes food is right up there with racing . around five years ago dettori met michelin-starred chef marco pierre white and asked him where he could go out with his young family to eat . `` i could n't answer the question , '' marco pierre white told cnn , `` and that 's how frankie 's was born . that simple . '' they opened their first restaurant in london in 2004 . now there are four in london , one in shanghai and one in dubai . this march , a cookbook followed : `` frankie dettori 's italian family cookbook . '' this is his favorite recipe . enjoy ! frankie : `` my father loved this particular dish as , although it 's vegetarian , it has the meaty and slightly smoky texture of a good steak . to this day it makes me think of childhood sunday lunches . '' parmigiana di melanzane / aubergine parmigiana . ingredients . 1 kg aubergines . extra virgin olive oil . sea salt and freshly ground black pepper . 2 garlic cloves , chopped . 3 x 400g cans of good quality tinned tomatoes , sieved and chopped .<doc-sep>a small handful of fresh basil leaves . a large handful of finely grated parmesan . 1 1/2 kg fresh mozzarella , cubed . preheat the oven to 180 c/350 f/gas mark 4 . cut the aubergines in 1/2 cm strips , lengthwise . sprinkle each slice with salt and layer on a plate . cover with a plate of the same size and add a heavy weight on top -lrb- such as a large bottle of water -rrb- so that water can be squeezed out of the aubergines . set aside for 2-3 hours . meanwhile , heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a saucepan , add the garlic and fry until slightly golden . add the tomatoes and basil , and cook over a medium heat for 25 minutes , until the sauce thickens . season to taste . remove the weight from the aubergine , thoroughly rinse the slices and pat dry . generously cover the bottom of a large frying pan with olive oil and place over a high heat . in batches , brown the aubergine slices on both sides , lowering the heat and adding oil as required . drain the slices on kitchen roll as you go along . cover the bottom of a 23cm x 30cm ovenproof dish with a thin layer of tomato sauce ; add a layer of aubergine slices , then top with a handful of the cheeses . ladle some tomato sauce over this and continue layering , finishing with one of tomato sauce and a sprinkling of cheeses . bake for 15-20 minutes to heat through and melt the mozzarella , then set aside for a few minutes to cool . cut into squares and serve warm . serves 8 . preparation time : 3 hours . cooking time : 50 minutes . courtesy : harpercollins publishers e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>where do you go to relax ? my backyard . where 's your favorite place to spend a night out on the town ? a washington nationals baseball game with my friends . are there local specialty dishes or drinks that visitors must try ? eggplant parmigiana and white pizza at pines of rome in bethesda . what 's the biggest tourist trap ? there are n't any . all of -lsb- the attractions -rsb- are great and unique , but i especially love the lincoln memorial and the jefferson memorial . what is a good local souvenir ? check out the stuff at the smithsonian gift shops . nice souvenirs there .<doc-sep>by . emily sheridan and louise saunders . published : . 14:09 est , 7 july 2013 . | . updated : . 12:44 est , 8 july 2013 . many pregnant women are prone to feeling uncomfortable in the hot weather . so poor frankie sandford must have been positively sweltering as she managed to perform in the blistering sunshine in a jacket and black dress . the singer , who is six months pregnant with her first child , braved the soaring 29c temperatures as she danced with her saturdays bandmates at the barclaycard british summer time festival in london 's hyde park . bumping along nicely : the saturdays singer frankie sandford shows off her bump in a black chiffon dress at the british summer time festival in london 's hyde park . working up a sweat : the singer must have been sweltering in her warm outfit . while frankie , 24 , was covered up on the hottest day of the year , her bandmates were dressed a lot more summery in colourful vests and mini skirts . her bandmate rochelle humes , 24 , asked the audience to give an extra cheer for frankie , who was clearly feeling hot . she said : ` give it up for frankie , she 's heavily pregnant and really struggling in the heat . ' colourful : frankie 's bandmates mollie king -lrb- left -rrb- and una healy -lrb- right -rrb- looked a lot more comfortable . wowing the crowd : the five-piece performed their recent no. 1 what about us and new single gentlemen . mollie king , 26 , then piped up : ` that 's really harsh . ' however , rochelle added : ` but she 's wearing all black and the highest heels out of all of us . ' frankie was adamant she loved her heels too much : ` i 'm not ready to give up the heels just yet . ' good spirits : frankie is expecting her first child in october . singing her heart out : frankie belts out a verse . perhaps frankie 's chose her outfit after recently admitting she felt self-conscious about her changing body .<doc-sep>by . nick enoch . fans of legendary up pompeii ! star frankie howerd can snap up personal items from the comedian 's huge collection of memorabilia including his passport - complete with his awful toupee photo . among the other lots set for auction next week are some of his school reports , which reveal ' a marked talent in dramatics ' - and his first contract of employment as a filing clerk , for which he received # 1 a week . camp comic frankie became a national treasure in the early 1970s when millions tuned in to watch him play lecherous slave lurcio , in the hit bbc sitcom set in ancient rome . frankie 's catchphrases ` oooh er , missus ; titter ye not ; and nay , nay and thrice nay , ' won him millions of fans . comedy fans will smirk at frankie howerd 's hairpiece in the passport photo taken in 1967 - two years before he made his big tv breakthrough . fans of the legendary up pompeii ! star can snap up personal items from the comedian 's huge collection of memorabilia including his passport . a photo strip up for auction showing frankie during the time he served as a gunner in the royal artillery in world war two . born francis alick howard in york in 1917 , the carry on star later decided to adopt the more distinctive frankie howerd as his stage name . another item going under the hammer is frankie 's first ever contract of employment - as a junior filing clerk with henry a lane & co in tooley street , london , in 1935 on the princely wage of # 1 a week . he was a regular at the royal variety performance and was awarded an obe in 1977 . now frankie 's well-thumbed passport , photos of him with elizabeth taylor and elton john , old school reports and his first contract of employment are to go under the hammer . titter ye not ! comedy fans will smirk at frankie 's hairpiece in the passport photo taken in 1967 - two years before he made his big tv breakthrough . the dog-eared passport reveals frankie was an impressive globe-trotter with stamps ranging from his favourite holiday villa in malta , to new york , boston , toronto , australia , brazil , kenya , fiji , hong kong , singapore , bangkok , antigua and budapest .<doc-sep>one person wrote : ` great work by @c4paralympics bring on the games shame you have idiots like frankie boyle undermining it with tweets poking fun #clueless ' . another said : ` frankie boyle is flogging a dead horse on here tonight . turn it in frankie , we got it the first time . ' while a third had this to say : ` had to unfollow frankie boyle . he can be hilarious but he 's just uncalled for during the paralympics ' . causing offence : boyle tweeted a series of controversial messages while watching the paralympics opening ceremony , which was held in the olympic stadium in east london . divisive : frankie boyle 's detractors said he was ` flogging a dead horse ' with his comments during the show . backlash : boyle 's comments offended some twitter users , one of whom accused the comedian of trying to undermine the games . | <t> frankie dettori 's favorite recipe from his new cookbook : aubergine parmigiana . </t> <t> leading jockey spends many months dieting but when `` off-duty '' loves food . </t> <t> opened first of `` frankie 's '' restaurants in 2004 , now chain of six worldwide . </t> <t> released italian family cookbook with chef marco pierre white in march , 2008 . </t> | frankie 's parmigiana<T> |
-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- english club birmingham city have released a statement to explain why co-owner and managing director were interviewed by police in a corruption probe . birmingham co-owner david sullivan was interviewed by police on wednesday night . the premier league outfit temporarily suspended share trading on the london stock exchange on thursday morning after david sullivan -- who owns the club with david and ralph gold -- was questioned and bailed by officers from city of london 's economic crime unit along with md karren brady . the club released a statement on thursday afternoon to `` clarify the situation '' before trading resumed at 1300 gmt .<doc-sep>`` the city of london police investigation is focusing on payments to a football agent and two players dating back to 2002-03 , '' it said . `` there is absolutely no allegation that any director of the company or the club itself has benefited financially from any of this activity . `` in so far as there may be any implications for the company , these are not considered material to its financial affairs and they are in relation to the payment , or possible non payment of paye and national insurance contributions . the club and its directors are co-operating fully with the police in this investigation and will continue to do so . '' birmingham was raided by the unit last month as part of an ongoing investigation into corruption in english football . the club said at the time that the inquiries related to an unrelated third party .<doc-sep>birmingham released a statement on wednesday night confirming that sullivan and brady `` willingly attended '' the interviews `` by long-standing appointment . '' `` birmingham city football club is fully committed to helping the police with their inquiries , '' read a statement on the club 's web site . police confirmed that they questioned a 59-year-old man and a 39-year-old woman on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud and false accounting and that they were released on bail , the uk press association reported on thursday . a london stock exchange statement read : `` at the request of the company trading on aim for the under-mentioned securities has been temporarily suspended from 7.30 a.m. , pending an announcement . ''<doc-sep>shares in the company had been selling for 35.5 p until the announcement half an hour before the start of trading , pa reported . sullivan , 59 , was in 2004 named britain 's 68th richest man by the sunday times , with assets of more than $ 1 billion . he made his fortune through pornography and newspapers . brady , 39 , became britain 's youngest managing director when birmingham floated on the stock market in 1997 and is married to professional footballer paul peschisolido . she is also non-executive director of channel 4 , mothercare and sport england . pa reported that she made no comment as she left her home in knowle , solihull , shortly before 8 a.m. today . dressed in a dark suit , brady left the gated property at the wheel of a black 4x4 porsche . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>she first pinched a purse from the pouch of a 90-year-old woman 's walking frame before lifting a bag from a toddler 's pushchair in another aisle of the shop . the next day she walked off with a handbag from a shopper trying on shoes in clarks in birmingham city centre before repeating the trick at another store on january 12 . on january 23 she stole a handbag from high street outlet deichman , but was spotted by undercover officers a few days later . speaking after the hearing , investigating officer pc matt evans , of west midlands police , said : ` this was a systematic targeting of the vulnerable and distracted . ` her victims included a 90-year-old woman , a mother with small children and foreign students - johnson is the pickpocket queen of birmingham and a callous thief .<doc-sep>staff at the pound called the police , who called in counter - terrorism teams . the next morning , omar khan phoned to ask if he could pick up the car and he and passenger jewel uddin were arrested , along with mohammed hasseen , who had not been in the car but whose fingerprints were found on the weapons . pipe bomb : these are parts of a partially put together pipe bomb which was seized by police . other passengers anzal hussain , zohaib ahmed and mohammed saud were arrested after their taxi was stopped in birmingham . police and mi5 had no idea about the plot , despite uddin being named a ` subject of interest ' in 2011 after he collected money for a terror cell , the members of which were jailed last week for more than 90 years for plotting suicide attacks using rucksack bombs . ahmed was on bail for separate terror charges , and hussain was the brother of ishaaq hussain , who was jailed for 40 months for his part in the rucksack bomb plot . rally : the plotters were targeting this edl rally in dewsbury , west yorkshire , but were foiled because they arrived too late - after the crowds had gone . it also emerged that police and security services saw uddin and khan go into a shop in birmingham five days before the planned attack . they bought kitchen knives but police were keeping their distance and did n't see the purchase . uddin , 27 , ahmed , 22 , khan , 31 , hussain , 24 , saud , 22 , and hasseen , 23 , were told to expect ` significant custody ' by judge nicholas hilliard , qc , who adjourned sentencing until june 6 . marcus beale , head of the counter terrorism unit at west midlands police , said : ` we do not believe that any one individual failed because the dots were there and they did not join them up . ' caught on camera : five of the men are seen on cctv in dewsbury at approximately 4.37 pm - two hours after the edl rally had finished . terror targets : edl demonstrators were the target of the muslim extremists at the rally in dewsbury last june . attack plan : around 750 edl members , rivals from unite against fascism and dozens of police officers were at the rally which the muslim extremists were targeting . rally : penned in by police , these are the edl protesters in dewsbury caught on police video from a helicopter . the gang of muslim fanatics were targeting the protest . rally finished early : the event was shorter than planned because edl leader tommy robinson , a crowd pleaser , was not able to attend . a series of coincidences saw the plan . by islamic fanatics to use bombs , guns and swords in a murderous attack . on far-right extremists foiled . firstly , . the five members of the gang who drove to the event on june 30 last . year - all the men except hasseen - made a mistake with their timing , . arriving two hours late because the rally had finished earlier than . expected . the event was shorter than planned because edl leader tommy robinson , a crowd pleaser , was not able to attend .<doc-sep>by . mark duell . published : . 05:05 est , 15 october 2013 . | . updated : . 06:26 est , 15 october 2013 . this is the dramatic moment police targeting ` modern-day slavery ' battered their way into the first of nine brothels in a major overnight raid . five people were arrested on suspicion of managing a brothel while five more women , believed to be victims of sexual exploitation , were freed and taken into care following the raids in birmingham . officers barged their way into the properties using battering rams last night , with three properties recently abandoned when they arrived - although the criminals had left evidence of their activities . scroll down for video . raids : west midlands police officers barged their way into the properties in birmingham using battering rams . operation : five people were arrested -lrb- one believed to be pictured left -rrb- while five more women -lrb- one believed to be pictured right -rrb- , believed to be victims of sexual exploitation , were freed and taken into care after the raids . taken away : the five most common countries of origin of potential victims were romania , poland , nigeria , vietnam and hungary . detectives seized phones and other items at the addresses . video footage shows two officers knocking on one door , before a third with a metal battering ram smashes through the front door .<doc-sep>by . anna edwards . published : . 15:42 est , 4 june 2013 . | . updated : . 17:09 est , 4 june 2013 . a ` greedy and dishonest ' stadium manager at birmingham city fc who invented imaginary stewards to cover premier league matches has been jailed for conning the club out of # 45,000 . scheming peter smith , 63 , fleeced thousands while working for the blues by putting his family on the payroll and inventing ` ghost ' stewards over a three year period . a court heard the fraudster added his wife , sons and daughter-in-in law to the payroll at st andrews between december 2009 and april 2012 . former birmingham city fc employee peter smith was jailed for conning the club out of # 45,000 . he also made up another imaginary steward - by the name of paul knowles - and paid those wages into his account to help clear debts and his mortgage . birmingham crown court heard the club were alerted to the suspicious transactions during an internal audit in april 2012 , the year after they were relegated to the championship . they contacted west midlands police who launched an investigation and found payments had been made to staff who had never carried out their stadium duties . specialist fraud investigators probed the club 's payroll and uncovered a number of false employment documents . they also found smith 's wife had never even set foot inside the football stadium , while his two sons and daughter-in-law were on the payroll despite not having any steward training and qualifications . | <t> new : birmingham say police investigation involves agent and two footballers . </t> <t> club temporarily suspend shares amid corruption probe by the english police . </t> <t> co-owner david sullivan and managing director karren brady both interviewed . </t> <t> police raided city in march as part of investigation into corruption in football . </t> | birmingham : police targeting payments<T> |
washington -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the u.s. government has charged an international arms dealer with conspiring to sell a rebel group millions of dollars in weapons `` to be used to kill americans in colombia , '' federal prosecutors announced tuesday . viktor bout is accused of selling missiles , rockets and other weapons to farc , a colombian rebel group . viktor bout , who was recently captured in thailand , had agreed to sell the revolutionary armed forces of colombia -lrb- farc -rrb- surface-to-air missiles , armor-piercing rocket launchers , `` ultralight '' airplanes , unmanned aerial vehicles , and other weapons , the u.s. department of justice said in a news release . there was no immediate public response from bout , who remains in custody in thailand . federal authorities unsealed an indictment charging bout with four terrorism offenses : conspiracy to kill u.s. nationals , conspiracy to kill u.s. officers or employees , conspiracy to acquire and use an anti-aircraft missile , and conspiracy to provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization .<doc-sep>farc is designated a terrorist organization by the u.s. state department . justice department officials said they are seeking bout 's extradition to the united states . the indictment alleges that bout made agreements with farc between november 2007 and march of this year . in their news release , federal prosecutors said bout agreed to sell weapons `` to two confidential sources '' working with the u.s. drug enforcement administration , who had `` represented that they were acquiring these weapons for the farc , with the specific understanding that the weapons were to be used to attack united states helicopters in colombia . '' the news release also refers to a `` covertly recorded meeting in thailand on march 6 , 2008 . ''<doc-sep>`` with the unsealing of this indictment , we are one step closer to ensuring bout has delivered his last load of high-powered weaponry and armed his final terrorist , '' dea acting administrator michele m. loenhart said in the news release . attorney general michael mukasey last month singled out bout as a leading example of a new breed of organized crime leaders who operate across international boundaries to amass wealth without regard to political ideology . `` viktor bout has long been considered by the international community as one of the world 's most prolific arms traffickers , '' u.s. attorney michael garcia said in the news release tuesday . bout 's assets in the united states were frozen in 2004 after he allegedly shipped weapons to liberia in violation of u.s. government restrictions .<doc-sep>new york -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- convicted russian arms dealer viktor bout could face life in prison after a federal jury returned guilty verdicts wednesday on four counts related to a conspiracy to kill americans , acquire and export anti-aircraft missiles and provide material support to a terrorist organization . bout 's attorney , albert dayan , said the verdict will be appealed . `` i still stand by my position that viktor was wrongfully accused , '' said dayan . `` the jury has spoken but his position is still that he 's innocent . '' widely dubbed `` the merchant of death , '' bout was often referred to by u.s. and united nations officials as among the most notorious of global arms traffickers . he had pleaded not guilty to all the charges . dayan said during the trial that the former soviet air force officer was not involved in illegal arms sales , and that federal agents had baited bout into selling the weapons alongside a deal to sell airplanes . but preet bharara , the u.s. attorney for manhattan , called the russian tycoon `` a very dangerous man '' in a statement wednesday . `` he aimed to sell those weapons to terrorists for the purpose of killing americans . '' commentary : three chilling moments from the trial . the heart of the case stemmed from a 2008 sting operation in thailand by the u.s. drug enforcement agency . undercover agents posing as colombian rebels attempted to buy larges caches of weapons , according to a 2008 federal indictment . both the united states and the european union identify the rebel group -- the revolutionary armed forces of colombia , or farc -- as a terrorist organization . the agents tried to purchase 700 to 800 surface-to-air missiles , thousands of ak-47s and landmines , telling bout that they wanted the arms `` to kill americans , '' the indictment said . bout responded , it said , by saying he `` was going to prepare everything the farc needed . ''<doc-sep>washington -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the u.s. government has charged an international arms dealer with conspiring to sell a rebel group millions of dollars in weapons `` to be used to kill americans in colombia , '' federal prosecutors announced tuesday . viktor bout is accused of selling missiles , rockets and other weapons to farc , a colombian rebel group . viktor bout , who was recently captured in thailand , had agreed to sell the revolutionary armed forces of colombia -lrb- farc -rrb- surface-to-air missiles , armor-piercing rocket launchers , `` ultralight '' airplanes , unmanned aerial vehicles , and other weapons , the u.s. department of justice said in a news release . there was no immediate public response from bout , who remains in custody in thailand . federal authorities unsealed an indictment charging bout with four terrorism offenses : conspiracy to kill u.s. nationals , conspiracy to kill u.s. officers or employees , conspiracy to acquire and use an anti-aircraft missile , and conspiracy to provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization . farc is designated a terrorist organization by the u.s. state department . justice department officials said they are seeking bout 's extradition to the united states . the indictment alleges that bout made agreements with farc between november 2007 and march of this year . in their news release , federal prosecutors said bout agreed to sell weapons `` to two confidential sources '' working with the u.s. drug enforcement administration , who had `` represented that they were acquiring these weapons for the farc , with the specific understanding that the weapons were to be used to attack united states helicopters in colombia . '' the news release also refers to a `` covertly recorded meeting in thailand on march 6 , 2008 . '' `` with the unsealing of this indictment , we are one step closer to ensuring bout has delivered his last load of high-powered weaponry and armed his final terrorist , '' dea acting administrator michele m. loenhart said in the news release . attorney general michael mukasey last month singled out bout as a leading example of a new breed of organized crime leaders who operate across international boundaries to amass wealth without regard to political ideology . `` viktor bout has long been considered by the international community as one of the world 's most prolific arms traffickers , '' u.s. attorney michael garcia said in the news release tuesday . bout 's assets in the united states were frozen in 2004 after he allegedly shipped weapons to liberia in violation of u.s. government restrictions .<doc-sep>new york -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- a syrian arms dealer was sentenced to 30 years in a u.s. federal prison for conspiring to sell weapons as part of a plot to kill americans in colombia , according to prosecutors . syrian-born arms dealer monzer al-kassar , seen in a file photo , tried to sell weapons to undercover u.s. agents . monzer al-kassar was also ordered tuesday to forfeit all of his assets , according to a news release from the u.s. attorney 's office for the southern district of new york . al-kassar 's co-defendant luis felipe moreno godoy received a 25-year prison sentence for his role in the conspiracy .<doc-sep>bangkok , thailand -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- a thai appeals court ruled friday that suspected international arms dealer viktor bout can be extradited to the united states . the court ruled that the extradition process must be completed within three months , otherwise bout will be released . bout , a former soviet military officer , was shackled in chains during the hearing . his wife and daughter were also in the courtroom . after the ruling , they stood up and cried . friday 's ruling came after heavy lobbying from u.s. officials . `` we are extremely pleased that the appeals court in thailand has granted the extradition of viktor bout to the united states on charges of conspiring to sell weapons to a terrorist organization for use in killing americans , '' said a statement by acting u.s. deputy attorney general gary grindler . `` we have always felt that the facts of the case , the relevant thai law and the terms of our bilateral extradition treaty clearly supported the extradition of mr. bout on these charges . '' russian foreign minister sergei lavrov described the thai appeals court 's ruling as an `` unlawful , political decision '' that was `` taken under a very strong pressure from the outside , '' russian state-run news agency ria novosti reported . `` i can assure you that we 'll do everything necessary for his return to his home country , '' lavrov told reporters , according to ria novosti . bout had been indicted by u.s. federal authorities on a series of charges , including counts of illegally purchasing u.s. cargo planes to ferry weapons to warring parties and regimes in africa and the middle east . thai courts had previously balked at extraditing bout to the united states on the basis of the original charges against him , which centered on his alleged efforts to send millions of dollars worth of weapons to arm guerrilla fighters in colombia . last year , a thai court rejected the u.s. government 's request for extradition . bout was arrested in bangkok in march 2008 after a sting operation led by agents of the u.s. drug enforcement agency , posing as members of the revolutionary armed forces of colombia -lrb- farc -rrb- . bout , widely regarded as a prolific arms dealer , has been in thai custody since . bout has repeatedly said he has not broken any laws and the allegations against him are lies . he is accused of supplying weapons to war zones around the world -- from sierra leone to afghanistan . in february , a federal indictment charged bout and an alleged co-conspirator with the illegal purchase of a boeing 727 and a boeing 737 , money laundering and wire fraud . the united states charged bout in 2008 with agreeing to sell surface-to-air missiles , armor-piercing rocket launchers , `` ultralight '' airplanes , unmanned aerial vehicles , and other weapons to farc . justice department officials have sought his extradition since then . federal authorities accused bout of four terrorism offenses : conspiracy to kill u.s. nationals , conspiracy to kill u.s. officers or employees , conspiracy to acquire and use an anti-aircraft missile , and conspiracy to provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization , the designation given to farc by the u.s. state department . a former soviet air force officer who speaks six languages , bout allegedly began building his arms business as the soviet union disintegrated in the early 1990s . he acquired surplus soviet planes and , according to the u.s. treasury department , started shipping arms and ammunition to various conflict zones . it is widely believed that he inspired the character of yuri orlov , the arms dealer played by nicolas cage in the 2005 film `` lord of war . '' journalist james hookway contributed to this report . | <t> viktor bout offered to sell surface-to-air missiles , rockets to farc . </t> <t> arms dealer captured in thailand . u.s. seeks extradition . </t> <t> u.s. says bout is an example of a new breed of organized crime leaders . </t> | indictment : arms dealer offered weapons to kill americans<T> |
-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- in `` street kings , '' keanu reeves ' bad-boy cop tom ludlow may not play by the rules , but the film sure does . keanu reeves , second from left , and forest whitaker are shifty cops in `` street kings . '' the movie is textbook cop noir . directed by david ayer , who wrote `` training day '' and directed `` harsh times , '' from a script that originated with `` l.a. confidential '' novelist james ellroy , it 's a story both men have told before and will doubtless return to again . too bad that story -- the one about the constant struggle with an impure world , betrayal , disillusionment , retribution , all that jazz -- is n't told with much originality this time around . as ludlow , a detective with a special lapd vice squad , reeves shoots first and asks questions much , much later . in his field the bad guys are easy to spot , and if tom has to get his hands dirty , well , then he 'll be careful to wipe away the residue before he calls it in . he works from the gut . we have ludlow 's number from the beginning : he wakes up , vomits , cleans his gun , and knocks back a couple of miniature bottles of vodka . then he crashes a kidnappers ' den and puts down four gangsters before they know what 's hit them .<doc-sep>`` do n't worry , '' he tells the distraught little girls caged up in the back . `` i 'm a cop . '' it 's probably superfluous to add that he 's still nursing a grievous hangover from the wife who died in flagrante with a person unknown two or three years ago . it 's also probably superfluous to mention that internal affairs -lrb- headed by hugh laurie -rrb- is beginning to sniff around ludlow 's unit . in particular , ia is talking to his ex-partner washington -lrb- terry crews -rrb- , a revelation that sends ludlow reaching for his baseball bat . before he can put washington straight , though , his old pal is gunned down before his eyes by a couple of punks . can ludlow cover up his own potentially incriminating presence at the scene and still track down the cop killers ? hell , yes , even if he has to alienate everyone in the department before he 's through . reeves does n't do much `` acting '' as such , but he does n't need to : his performance is clean and spare , in synch with ayer 's clipped economy , and he has a doleful quality that goes some way to redeem a nasty and wretchedly naïve character . alcoholism does n't appear to have thrown off ludlow 's aim any , but it must have dulled his reasoning . a broody , intuitive detective should be able to piece together this boilerplate mystery without too much head-scratching , but ludlow never stops to look even two steps ahead . -lrb- i guess he 's not a james ellroy fan . -rrb- .<doc-sep>but what he lacks in insight he makes up for in sheer determination , not to say blood-lust . in a neat touch , when it 's time to cool off his public profile for a spell , the rogue cop is transferred to a desk in the complaints department -- surely his idea of purgatory , and , obviously , an utterly pointless occupation . forest whitaker boosts the energy level as ludlow 's paternalistic mentor , boss , and no. 1 fan : `` you 're the tip of the spear , '' he tells him . `` who else is going to hold back the animals ? '' violent and cynical and a shade or two overdetermined , `` street kings '' ably demonstrates the pitfalls embedded in the pragmatics of `` a necessary evil , '' or anyone who sets himself up as a law unto himself , but ultimately it ca n't conceive of a better alternative . after all , the rest is politics , a game that even the most hard-boiled anti-hero would never lower himself to enter . and , besides , he 's seen it before . `` street kings '' is rated r and runs 107 minutes . for entertainment weekly 's take , click here . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>18.00 : after a quick change , head down to circular quay for sun downers at the opera bar . with the harbor bridge to your left and the grand old opera house to your right , it is easy to see why it is the place for evening drinks . house brut is a steal at aus$ 34 -lrb- $ 32 -rrb- ; the bucket-sized portions of fries a snip at aus$ 7 -lrb- $ 6.50 -rrb- . do not be late , though -- the view here at dusk is enough to make you want to stay in sydney forever . 19.00 : while in the vicinity , see what is on at the opera house -- there is a huge program , from world music to musicals too . -lrb- www.sydneyoperahouse.com -rrb- . if that is not your scene , it is still worth taking a tour of the iconic building -- the last one is at 5pm , though -lrb- $ 32 -rrb- . 21.00 : with sydney famed for its cuisine , dining options are not in short supply . billy kwong 's is one of the city 's foremost places , dishing up vast portions of fresh , light and ever-so-tasty chinese food in a tiny shanghai tearoom-style restaurant -lrb- 355 crown street , surry hills -rrb- . for a taste of modern australian , take a taxi to the bathers ' pavilion , a seafood restaurant in the western suburb of balmoral -lrb- 4 the esplanade , balmoral beach -rrb- . finally , tetsuya 's -- with its famed $ 195 10-course degustation menu -- is ranked by restaurant magazine as the fourth best restaurant in the world -lrb- 529 kent street , sydney -rrb- . to sit at its hallowed tables , you need to book several months -- possibly even a year -- in advance . 11.00 : still standing ? then hit the late-night bars . the loft by the water -lrb- 3 lime street , kings street wharf , sydney -rrb- , arthouse hotel in the cbd -lrb- 275 pitt street , sydney -rrb- , ruby rabbit in city 's clubbing district -lrb- 231 oxford street , darlinghurst -rrb- and the tilbury in one of sydney 's smartest suburbs -lrb- 12 nicholson street , woolloomooloo -rrb- are all good choices . and if you are at the latter , finish off your night with a pie at harry 's cafe de wheels -lrb- cowper wharf road -rrb- -- another sydney institution . click here to subscribe to cnn traveller . copyright © 2008 ink publishing and cable news network , lp , lllp , a time warner company . all rights reserved .<doc-sep>family affair : children took part in the march as well and are called pearly princesses or princes as they are too young to hold the full title . london 's pearly kings and queens have followed in the footsteps of the group 's founder , henry croft . the tradition began more than a century ago as a way to raise money and add a dash of cheer and cheekiness to ordinary london life . pearly kings and queens have become icons of working class culture with ` royal families ' now in every borough in the capital . henry croft , the original pearly king and founder of the movement , was an orphan who later became a street sweeper . he got the idea for the decoration of pearly outfits after working alongside apple sellers who festooned their suits with buttons down the sides of the legs and on the waistcoat and cap . he designed his own bright outfit with pearl buttons he found during his job as a street sweeper . he became a local attraction and used his popularity to collect money for his old orphanage . his success meant other charities called on him to help raise funds for them , and so he asked the market traders to help him - and the pearly kings and queens were born . today , about 30 ` royal families ' - one for each london borough - are still active . they usually pass the titles down through the generations but people who have raised a lot of money for charity can be ` crowned ' . croft 's great-granddaughter is the pearly queen of somers town . a statue of henry croft in the crypt of the st martin in the field 's church . fundraisers : generations of charitable ` pearlies ' as they are known gathered at the church today bearing donations . mayors from most of the boroughs also joined the pearly procession and wore their ceremonial outfits . the parade also featured a number of traditional english past-times were also displayed , including a maypole . a ` pearly throne ' was also on show . the black chair is decorated in hundreds of white pearl buttons and a royal crown . the . pearly kings and queens were founded in the 19th century by henry croft , an orphan , . who worked as a street sweeper in somers town , london . ornate costumes : pearlies wear the traditional black suits and hats that are adorned with hundreds of pearl buttons and other decorations such as feathers on their hats . donations : the pearly queen of greenwich adds gifts to a collection for charity in the guildhall yard . patriotic : a man decked out in a union flag suit and bowtie waits with pearly kings and queens at st mary-le-bow church . historic : today 's procession took place almost 125 years after the foundation of the pearly kings and queens of london .<doc-sep>a hotel in upstate new york 's yelp rating plummets to one star after guests learn that they 've promised to charge couples who book weddings $ 500 for every negative review a guest posts online . the union street guest house in hudson , ny is known for its historic decor , strict cancellation policy , and its hatred of bad reviews , reports the new york post . the hotel has 572 reviews online , 554 of them were posted today and most of them are negative . scroll down for video . no room for reviews : the union street guest house charges couples who book weddings at the venue $ 500 for every bad review posted online by their guests . low rating : the hotel 's $ 500 bad review policy cost them 4 stars . viral yelp : hundreds took to yelp today to give the hotel bad reviews . ` please know that despite the fact that . wedding couples love hudson and our inn , your friends and families may . not , ` says the hotel 's website . ` if you have booked the inn for a wedding or other type of event . . . and given us a deposit of any kind . . . there will be a $ 500 fine that will be deducted from your deposit for every negative review . . . placed on any internet site by anyone in your party . ' their policy goes on to explain how they charge for bad reviews because the wedding guests who are obligated to stay at the hotel may not understand what the hotel is like and therefore their negative reviews should n't be taken into consideration . the hotel says that their bathroom and kitchens are designed to look ` vintage ' and that their furniture is ` hip ' and ` period ' other than the beds which are new .<doc-sep>police facts allege the girl became too scared to talk and started shaking . khan then allegedly pulled into a dark street , stripped naked and forced her to perform oral sex on him . police say the teen was walking along darlinghurst road with a male friend after being at the wayside chapel . the marsfield man then allegedly pulled off her skirt and underwear and forced her to lie down in his car , then forced her to have sexual intercourse . eventually , police say , khan drove the girl back to kings cross and dropped her off . ` thank you , that 's all i wanted , ' he allegedly said while driving her back to potts point . | <t> `` street kings '' has been done better before , says cnn.com 's tom charity . </t> <t> movie stars keanu reeves as rogue cop who finds self in awkward position . </t> <t> film is adequate , but no surprises for those who 've seen `` training day '' </t> | review : ` street kings ' is all too by-the-book<T> |
-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- skybus airlines announced friday it is shutting down its passenger flights -- becoming the third airline this week to cease operations . skybus airlines joins ata and aloha airlines , which announced shutdowns earlier this week . the low-cost carrier could n't overcome `` the combination of rising jet fuel costs and a slowing economic environment , '' the company said friday . `` these two issues proved to be insurmountable for a new carrier . ''<doc-sep>skybus , an ohio-based airline founded in 2004 , will cease operations effective saturday . earlier in the week , ata airlines and aloha airlines announced they would shut down flights as both companies work through bankruptcy filings . ata , an indiana-based low-cost charter airline , filed for chapter 11 status wednesday as a result of financial problems `` following the loss of a key contract for our military charter business , '' the company said . the company started operation in 1973 .<doc-sep>hawaii-based aloha airlines announced sunday it would shut down its passenger operations this week after filing for bankruptcy protections last month , concluding 61 years of service . in its bankruptcy filing , aloha said it was unable to generate enough revenue from its inter-island passenger flights because of below-cost fares by competitors mesa air group 's go ! airline . the company said it was forced to match the competitor 's fares during an unprecedented increase in the cost of jet fuel . skybus said all flights friday would be completed ; passengers with reservations for saturday and beyond were told to seek refunds from their credit card companies . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- for the first time in a few years , talk about airline bankruptcies has ramped up once again , with concerns expressed this week about a certain carrier based in texas . whether the reports about american airlines are true or not does n't really matter -- it 's enough to make people anxious . i 've received a fair bit of e-mail this last week asking what happens if bankruptcy becomes a reality . in short , there 's nothing to worry about with an airline like american , but i thought it would be a good idea to devote this week 's column to the issue since it 's at the top of mind for many travelers . will american go bankrupt ? i 'm certainly not qualified to answer that question . only the airline itself knows its plans , but the balance sheet certainly does n't point to bankruptcy being necessary in the short to medium term . yes , american has been losing money recently while others have profited , but at the end of june , it had more than $ 5 billion in the bank and it has been able to arrange financing since then . that does n't sound like a company that would be filing for bankruptcy protection , which should be a last resort . even if it does for some strategic reason , flights would n't be affected . still , it 's worth talking about what to do when an airline goes bankrupt , because airlines around the world shut down every year . it 's always good to know what you can do . here is some advice .<doc-sep>other carriers that have declared bankruptcy recently include skybus and ata airlines . eos asked passengers to contact their credit card companies or travel agents to find out how to obtain refunds for unused tickets . it said frequent-flier program participants will not be able to redeem their points . any value related to membership will be determined by the bankruptcy court . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>american is the only major airline that has lost money this year , losing a whopping $ 286million in the second quarter alone . but maxim group airline specialist ray neidl countered : ` it 's been a tremendous overreaction today in my opinion . monday : amr shares have not closed below the $ 2 mark since 2003 . five-day : shares of american airlines parent company amr tumbled 33 per cent on monday to close at $ 1.98 after a terrible five-day spell in new york . 2011 : the amr stock price is down more than 75 per cent since this year began . ` american does have big problems to solve , but they have plenty of time to do it . ' the airline said bankruptcy is ` certainly not our goal or our preference ' . ` for a long time , i 've thought that the company has been at a disadvantage ' basili alukosmorningstar airline analyst . ` we know we need to improve our results , and we have a sense of urgency as we work to achieve that , ' it added . the airline is expected to end the third quarter with a healthy $ 4.3 billion in cash reserves . as of late june , amr had about $ 9.77 billion in liabilities . but mr alukos said the airline still ` may not be able to satisfy all of its future commitments on its current fiscal trajectory ' .<doc-sep>coastal floods in aberdeenshire . high tides and drastic conditions led to 25 people being taken from sheltered housing complexes at stonehaven . further north at peterhead , about 30 people were evacuated from properties in the roanheads area . hailstones the ` size of pound coins ' have already fallen in penzance , cornwall . after last week 's freezing conditions , temperatures are now slightly above average for december , with eastern parts seeing the best of the sunshine . this was the scene in tynemouth , tyne and wear , this morning . the winter sun rises over tynemouth as surfers get an early start today . elsewhere , hail battered the south coast . land 's end airport in cornwall has been closed due to a waterlogged runway . skybus , which provides flights to the isles of scilly , said it had to close following torrential rain until at least monday . the grass runaway was only reopened last weekend after being closed for . more than a week following earlier heavy rainfall this month . passengers were being transported to newquay airport to get to the scillies . hailstones the ` size of pound coins ' have already hammered the southernmost tip of england today . the balls of ice sent people and animals ` running for cover ' in penzance , cornwall . photographer mark stokes was tending his chickens when he was bombarded by the hailstones . he said : ` all of a sudden the chickens legged it inside and it began hammering down . ` it was really intense - for ten minutes it was like being in a war zone . the racket was unbelievable . ' the 50-year-old hid inside the chicken coop until the deluge of ice stopped , at around 9.30 am . he added : ` the last time i saw hailstones that big was in 1979 in south . africa . i never thought i 'd see hail that big in england . ' but after last week 's freezing . conditions , temperatures are now slightly above average for december , . with eastern parts seeing the best of the sunshine , according to the met . office . the wet weather did not stop the first great lyme regis pudding race . competitors race along the seafront with their christmas puddings , in lyme regis , dorset . the competitors limbo under a rope carrying their puddings . while . it is wet , the freezing conditions of last week seem to have melted . away , with temperatures peaking at eight degrees and dipping to three . degrees by tonight . tomorrow . will have a similar outlook , with scattered and occasionally heavy . showers and highs of eight degrees , while wednesday will also be wet and . windy . further rain is likely on thursday . | <t> low-cost carrier cites high price of jet fuel . </t> <t> ata and aloha also closing after bankruptcy filings . </t> <t> skybus says passengers can seek refunds from credit card firms . </t> | skybus becomes third airline this week to close<T> |
washington -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- a smiling pope benedict xvi arrived in the united states on tuesday afternoon to start the six-day , two-city journey that will take him from the white house to the halls of the united nations . the papal plane , shepherd 1 , touched down at andrews air force base in maryland to cheers from a crowd of invited guests gathered for the event . after he stepped off the plane , benedict did not kiss the ground , as his predecessor , pope john paul ii , often did during visits . the pontiff was greeted by president bush , first lady laura bush and their daughter jenna , each of whom shook his hand . watch the arrival '' it was believed to be the first time an american president has greeted a world dignitary on arrival at andrews . `` it had the look and feel of a monumental and historic event , '' cnn 's brian todd reported . this is the first u.s. papal visit since the attacks of september 11 and benedict 's first visit to the united states . there will be a welcoming ceremony for the pope on the south lawn of the white house on wednesday . benedict is to speak before meeting with u.s. cardinals and bishops . where will the pope be ? ''<doc-sep>one of the stated goals of the pope 's visit is to energize the u.s. catholic community , which has an estimated 70 million members . three years after succeeding pope john paul ii , benedict is likely to address the sex scandal within the catholic church , the church 's relationship with other faiths , the u.s.-led war in iraq and the upcoming u.s. presidential election , said john allen , a cnn vatican analyst . the fallout from the sex scandal has had a serious impact on the u.s. catholic church in terms of its finances , its moral authority and the demoralization of catholics . during the flight from rome to washington , the pope told reporters aboard that he was ashamed of the problem . watch the pope express his shame about the scandal '' ` intense ' security . meanwhile , security preparations were under way in the air , on land and in the water . twenty-seven state , local and federal agencies will protect the pope as he meets with religious leaders , celebrates mass at a baseball stadium and makes his way around the capital in his distinctive `` popemobile . '' there are no specific threats against benedict , according to the fbi , but a march audio message from osama bin laden mentioned the pontiff .<doc-sep>the centerpiece of the washington leg of the u.s. visit will be thursday 's mass at nationals park , a new baseball stadium where 46,000 people will gather to watch the pope . everyone will go through metal detectors on their way in , and nearby roads and bridges will be closed . temporary flight restrictions will be in place over the stadium . watch how washington is preparing for papal visit '' a 1 1/2 - mile section of the adjacent anacostia river will be closed during the mass. . the coast guard will patrol the river in boats with machine guns mounted on their bows . `` i am worried about a terrorist attack , '' said lt. lynda lecrone of the coast guard . `` we are here to detect , deter and defend against waterborne attack on this highly publicized event . ... we can use force . '' the pope will be making his way around parts of washington in the popemobile , a mercedes benz modified with bulletproof glass surrounding a seating area from which the pope can wave to bystanders along his route . the vehicle , one of three popemobiles in the vatican motor pool , arrived in the united states last week . it will be driven by a secret service agent . the agents have been training with the vehicle . `` we try best-case scenarios and also try worst-case scenarios so our staff will know how to react , '' said secret service special agent renee triplett , who oversees secret service training . benedict will travel to new york on friday and address the u.n. general assembly , linking the visit to the 60th anniversary of the universal declaration of human rights . he 'll celebrate mass sunday morning at yankee stadium . still a mystery .<doc-sep>despite three years as the head of the catholic church , the pope remains a bit of a mystery to many american catholics . `` i think most american catholics may not know a whole lot about him , '' allen said . `` he 's not the sexy media icon that john paul ii was , but what they 've seen , by and large , they 've liked . '' of american catholics polled by the pew research center , 74 percent give pope benedict a favorable rating . but the survey points out that he 's not as highly regarded as his predecessor . see other meetings between popes and presidents '' for one , their personalities are different . john paul was known for his charisma . benedict is known as an intellectual and introvert . `` he does n't quite get the same energy from crowds that john paul ii got , '' said cardinal francis george , president of the u.s. conference of catholic bishops . `` john paul ii was extroverted and got energy talking to people , and the present holy father loses energy . he has to rest between all these encounters . '' the energy factor is partly due to age . benedict turns 81 this week . when john paul became pope , he was only 58 and was able to keep a much more rigorous schedule traveling around the globe . e-mail to a friend . cnn 's jeanne meserve , jim spellman and mary snow contributed to this report .<doc-sep>by . jill reilly . published : . 06:13 est , 2 may 2013 . | . updated : . 04:28 est , 3 may 2013 . benedict xvi is experiencing a post-retirement slump and has been depressed since stepping down as pope in february , vatican insiders claim . according to an aide , the 86-year-old pope emeritus has suffered from the same sense of deflation many busy people feel when they suddenly stop work . his low mood is compounded by failing health , according to whispers in the loggia , the catholic gossip blog written by vatican observer rocco palmo . benedict returned to rome yesterday to take up residence in a former convent in the vatican gardens . welcome home : pope emeritus benedict xvi , left , is welcomed by pope francis as he returns at the vatican from the pontifical summer residence of castel gandolfo , south-east of rome . retirement home : former pontiff benedict will live in the mater ecclesiae monastery inside the vatican state , pictured above , where pope emeritus benedict xvi will live in retirement . new era : all eyes will be on pope benedict 's , left , physical state as he is welcomed by pope francis , right , at his new retirement home , a converted monastery tucked behind st. peter 's basilica . a new house and a new pope will greet pope emeritus benedict . xvi when he comes home today , as an unprecedented era begins of a . retired pontiff living side-by-side with a reigning one inside the . vatican gardens . all eyes will be on benedict 's . physical state as he is welcomed by pope francis at his new retirement .<doc-sep>3 . journalist roxana saberi was freed from imprisonment in this country . * . * . 4 . pope benedict xvi became the first pope to visit this country in nine years . * . * . 5 . this is the location on the earth 's surface directly above where an earthquake begins . * .<doc-sep>it 's an approach that puts its finger on critically important concerns , but one also fraught with potential for conflict . in general , john paul ii was a great pioneer of catholic-muslim relations . he met with muslims more than 60 times over the course of his almost 27-year pontificate , and in 2001 he became the first pope ever to enter an islamic mosque : the grand umayyad mosque in damascus , syria . john paul 's opposition to the two u.s.-led gulf wars and his broad sympathy for the palestinians was also appreciated by many muslims . like john paul , benedict xvi sees himself as a friend of islam . friday in amman , jordan , on the first day of his weeklong swing through the middle east , benedict reaffirmed his `` deep respect for muslims . '' his broad vision is what he calls growing `` intercultural dialogue '' between muslims and christians , which implies an alliance against forms of secularism in the west that the pope regards as hostile to religion . the fact that benedict xvi has chosen to begin his tour by spending three days in jordan , which the vatican has long regarded as a model of muslim-christian co-existence , suggests the emphasis he places on islam . when john paul came in 2000 , he spent just 24 hours here . watch a walk through amman for everday jordanians ' reactions to the visit ''<doc-sep>benedict 's decision to call himself emeritus pope and to keep wearing white will fan concern voiced privately by some cardinals about the awkward reality of having two popes living within the vatican walls . adding to the concern is the fact that benedict 's trusted secretary , monsignor georg gaenswein , will be serving both pontiffs - living with benedict at a monastery inside the vatican and working in the new pope 's household . stepping down : benedict leading sunday prayers for the last time before leaving his office . benedict has made it clear he is retiring to a lifetime of prayer and meditation ` hidden from the world ' . pope emeritus is a title that has been coined to cover the near-unprecedented presence of a retired pope . the word 'em eritus ' enables someone of status such as a professor who has handed over their position to retain their former rank in their title . the pope has two days left before he takes the historic step of becoming the first pontiff in six centuries to step down instead of ruling for life . he will be known as ` pope emeritus benedict xvi ' or ` roman pontiff emeritus benedict xvi ' , be addressed as ` your holiness ' , and be referred to as ` his holiness benedict xvi ' . | <t> new : pope benedict xvi arrives in washington for six-day u.s. visit . </t> <t> new : president bush , first lady laura bush and daughter jenna greet pontiff . </t> <t> security tight for first papal visit since september 11 attacks . </t> <t> benedict will also visit new york ; will celebrate mass in both cities . </t> | pope benedict xvi begins first u.s. tour<T> |
-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- eight florida teenagers -- six of them girls -- will be tried as adults and could be sentenced to life in prison for their alleged roles in the videotaped beating of another teen , the state attorney 's office said thursday . the teenagers seen in a video assaulting a 16-year-old could face life in prison . the suspects , who range in age from 14 to 18 , all face charges of kidnapping , which is a first-degree felony , and battery , said chip thullbery , a spokesman for the polk county state attorney . three of them are also charged with tampering with a witness . everyone involved in the case was under a gag order imposed by a judge . the only attorney for the teens who has been publicly identified did not return calls from cnn , and his assistant cited the gag order as the reason . the teens are scheduled for their first appearance in court friday . the video shows a brutal scene : the 16-year-old victim is punched , kneed and slapped by other girls . she huddles in the fetal position , or stands and screams at her attackers , but the assault continues . authorities say the eight teens said they were retaliating for insults posted on the internet by the attack victim . polk county sheriff grady judd called the march 30 attack `` animalistic . '' `` i 've been involved in law enforcement for 35 years , and i 've seen a lot of extremely violent events , but i 've never seen children , 14 to 18 years of age , engage in this conduct for a 30-minute period of time and then make these video clips , '' he said . police say the teens planned to post the video on youtube . watch the disturbing video '' the victim , a 16-year-old from lakeland , florida , was hospitalized , and still has blurred vision , hearing loss , and a swollen face , her mother told cnn on wednesday . the video shows only girls doing the beating ; judd said the boys acted as lookouts . the idea of girls administering a vicious beating so they can post the video online may seem shocking , but it 's becoming an increasingly common scenario , according to experts and news reports . watch why more teens are putting fights online '' a search for `` girl fight '' on youtube gets thousands of results , and a suggestion to also try `` girl fight at school , boy girl fight '' and other search terms . there 's at least one web site devoted exclusively to videos of girls fighting . in 2003 , 25 percent of high school girls said they had been in a physical fight in the past year , according to a survey by the centers for disease control and prevention . -lrb- the figure for boys was 40.5 percent . -rrb- . a justice department report released in 2006 showed that by age 17 , 21 percent of girls said they had assaulted someone with the intent to cause serious harm .<doc-sep>frank green is executive director of keys to safer schools , a group that studies and tries to prevent school violence . he said he 's not sure whether girls have actually become more violent , or whether there 's just more awareness of their fights . `` in one respect , girls have always been more vicious than boys , '' green said . `` their violence is of a personal nature . '' he said boys usually have some focus and a concrete goal when they fight . `` but girls want to cause pain and make the other girl feel bad , '' he said . judd , the polk county sheriff , said an important part of the plan in the lakeland attack was to post the video of the beating on youtube to humiliate and embarrass the victim . `` it 's the next stage of cyberbullying , '' psychologist susan lipkins said . `` they want to show what they 're doing . '' `` our kids are being peer pressured , in another sense of a trend , to put these shock videos out there at other peoples ' expense , '' said talisa lindsay , the victim 's mother . `` and i hope that it does n't come to the point where there 's more people 's lives that are being affected by having to take a beating for entertainment , or possibly being killed . '' watch mother describe how the victim is doing '' the suspects did n't have a chance to post the video online before police moved in and seized it , judd said . the sheriff 's department made it public , and it wound up on youtube anyway . judd recognizes the irony . `` in a perverted sense , we were feeding into exactly what the kids wanted , '' he said . `` but according to florida law , -lsb- the video -rsb- is public record , and it 's going to be in the public domain whether we agree with that or not . '' judd said the suspects showed no remorse when they were arrested and booked . `` they were laughing and joking about , ' i guess we wo n't get to go to the beach during spring break . ' and one ... asked whether she could go to cheerleading practice , '' he said . lipkins , the psychologist , says there 's a `` disconnect between their actions and their thoughts . '' `` they think the entire society is doing it , and they think it 's funny . so they put it on youtube . and i do n't think they expect kids to get really hurt , and they also do n't expect to get really caught . '' e-mail to a friend . cnn 's rich phillips contributed to this report .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- eight florida teenagers -- six of them girls -- will be tried as adults and could be sentenced to life in prison for their alleged roles in the videotaped beating of another teen , the state attorney 's office said thursday . the teenagers seen in a video assaulting a 16-year-old could face life in prison . the suspects , who range in age from 14 to 18 , all face charges of kidnapping , which is a first-degree felony , and battery , said chip thullbery , a spokesman for the polk county state attorney . three of them are also charged with tampering with a witness . everyone involved in the case was under a gag order imposed by a judge . the only attorney for the teens who has been publicly identified did not return calls from cnn , and his assistant cited the gag order as the reason . the teens are scheduled for their first appearance in court friday . the video shows a brutal scene : the 16-year-old victim is punched , kneed and slapped by other girls . she huddles in the fetal position , or stands and screams at her attackers , but the assault continues . authorities say the eight teens said they were retaliating for insults posted on the internet by the attack victim . polk county sheriff grady judd called the march 30 attack `` animalistic . '' `` i 've been involved in law enforcement for 35 years , and i 've seen a lot of extremely violent events , but i 've never seen children , 14 to 18 years of age , engage in this conduct for a 30-minute period of time and then make these video clips , '' he said . police say the teens planned to post the video on youtube . watch the disturbing video '' the victim , a 16-year-old from lakeland , florida , was hospitalized , and still has blurred vision , hearing loss , and a swollen face , her mother told cnn on wednesday . the video shows only girls doing the beating ; judd said the boys acted as lookouts . the idea of girls administering a vicious beating so they can post the video online may seem shocking , but it 's becoming an increasingly common scenario , according to experts and news reports . watch why more teens are putting fights online '' a search for `` girl fight '' on youtube gets thousands of results , and a suggestion to also try `` girl fight at school , boy girl fight '' and other search terms . there 's at least one web site devoted exclusively to videos of girls fighting . in 2003 , 25 percent of high school girls said they had been in a physical fight in the past year , according to a survey by the centers for disease control and prevention . -lrb- the figure for boys was 40.5 percent . -rrb- . a justice department report released in 2006 showed that by age 17 , 21 percent of girls said they had assaulted someone with the intent to cause serious harm .<doc-sep>ram ayodhya , who could face up to seven years in prison for his role in the attack , told police he was justified in beating the woman , tiwari said . graphic content warning : villagers beat woman '' ayodhya said he paid her to use magic and prayer to improve his wife 's health . when his wife 's condition deteriorated , ayodhya accused her of performing black magic , tiwari said , and a crowd soon gathered and tied her to the tree . the woman seen being attacked is expected to testify when the suspects appear before the magistrate . tiwari said he was disturbed by the fact that a journalist filmed the incident before contacting authorities .<doc-sep>by . snejana farberov for mail online . innocent bystander : john wayne whitmore , 65 , was waiting for a train in los angeles in june when he was attacked by two women , who beat him with brass knuckles and left him for dead . two california women have been arrested in the beating death of a 65-year-old man at a train station in los angeles two months ago . the suspects in the vicious killing of john wayne whitmore have been identified by the los angeles county sherif 's department as tracy gomez , 24 , and virginia butler , 23 . gomez , from hawthorne , was taken into custody last sunday and was ordered held on $ 1,061,000 bail . butler was arrested wednesday at her home in los angeles . she is being jailed on $ 1million bail . the two women are facing murder charges in connection to the attack on mr whitmore , an artist from los angeles who was savagely beaten while standing on a platform at the willowbrook metro station june 13 , reported ktla . on thursday , ms gomez pleaded not guilty to a single count of murder . her alleged accomplice is expected to be arraigned friday . according to police , the brutal attack unfolded on june 13 while john whitmore was waiting for a blue line train . it was witnessed by dozens of people , who reportedly did nothing to help the victim . investigators said gomez and butler approached the 65-year-old bystander and began arguing with him . case closed : sheriff 's officials in los angeles apprehended tracy gomez and virginia butler , pictured in stills from a surveillance footage , in connection to the beating death . the verbal dispute quickly escalated and turned physical , with the 24-year-old gomez allegedly using brass knuckles to beat up the stranger without any provocation . after whitmore collapsed on the platform , the two women blended with the crowd and vanished . police released a surveillance video and still photos hoping the public could help them identify and locate the culprits . a $ 10,000 reward was also announced for information leading to the attackers . investigators asked for the public 's help and offered a $ 10,000 reward to help find the perpetrators . mr whitmore passed away from blunt-force trauma to the head 10 days later at st. francis hospital . ` he was a talented artist who was merely running his errands , ' stated a sheriff 's department press release . a criminal complaint filed against tracy gomez revealed that the woman was convicted of second-degree robbery in 2009 . she could face life in prison if convicted in john whitmore 's beating death .<doc-sep>sentenced : candace brito , 27 , and vanesa zavala , 26 , were sentenced to six years in prison on friday for beating annie ` kim ' pham to death outside of a santa ana nightclub . brain dead : pham was repeatedly kicked in the head and left unconscious outside of the santa ana night club , she was declared brain dead when she arrived at the hospital . brito and zavala had been charged with second-degree murder , which would have carried a possible life term , but a jury in july opted for the lesser conviction of voluntary manslaughter . the two faced a minimum of three years and a maximum of 11 years in prison . katie nguyen , pham 's stepsister , recalled holding pham 's hand as she lay in a coma in the hospital . pham 's family later donated her organs according to her wishes . ' i remember crying so much my eyes were unable to produce any more tears , ' nguyen said . ` she needed to grow old , have kids and see me get married -- but that would not happen . ' video : on-lookers captured video footage of the beating on their cell phones showing pham being kicked repeatedly but did nothing to stop the horrific fight , says the judge . injury : the coroner listed the aspiring writer 's cause of death as blunt force injury of the head . brito said she prays each day to pham , asking for forgiveness , and zavala -- who has a 4-year-old son -- said as a parent herself she ca n't imagine pham 's father 's pain . | <t> eight florida teens to be tried as adults in videotaped beating case . </t> <t> video shows 16-year-old girl punched by other girls . </t> <t> 21 percent of girls age 17 say they 've assaulted someone , the justice dept. reports . </t> <t> the teens have `` disconnect '' between thoughts and actions , psychologist says . </t> | suspects in video beating could get life in prison<T> |
tokyo , japan -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- authorities have arrested a u.s. sailor on suspicion of robbery and murder in the death of a japanese taxi driver . the u.s. military handed him over thursday at yokosuka naval base , south of tokyo . a yokosuka police spokesman identified the sailor as olatunbosun ogbogu , a 22-year-old nigerian national . taxi driver masaaki takahashi , 61 , was found dead march 19 of stab wounds to the neck about a mile from the base in yokosuka . the presence of u.s. in japan has sparked controversy this year amid reports linking service members to crimes . in march , the u.s. military said it plans to court martial four marines accused of raping a 19-year-old woman in hiroshima last year . authorities are also investigating allegations that a member of the u.s. military raped a philippine woman on the island of okinawa .<doc-sep>and a u.s. marine was detained in the rape of a 14-year-old girl until the girl dropped the allegations . as ogbogu was arrested , the u.s. ambassador to japan , thomas schieffer , met with japan 's foreign minister . `` we 're dealing with human beings that do criminal acts from time to time , '' schieffer told reporters afterward . `` and i think justice is going to be done in this matter because we 've been able to work so closely together . '' watch the u.s. ambassador to japan discuss the case '' the u.s. military presence in japan has at times bred resentment among locals , who have long complained about crime , noise and accidents . anti-american sentiments boiled over in 1995 after three american servicemen kidnapped and gang-raped a 12-year-old okinawan schoolgirl . two years ago , a u.s. civilian military employee was jailed for nine years for raping two women . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>mcdonough 's slip came as president obama , currently on a three-day state visit to india , offered his condolences to japanese prime minister shinzo abe over the killing of a japanese national by isis . in a statement from the white house , the president said that the united states will stand ` shoulder to shoulder ' with japan . the japanese government is still reviewing an online video that purports to show the murder of isis prisoner haruna yukawa . the u.s. president also called for the immediate release of the second japanese hostage being held by the militants , kenji goto .<doc-sep>the issue came to a peak in 1995 when a sailor and two marines -- both american -- were convicted of raping a 12-year-old girl . tens of thousands of okinawans took to the streets at the time , demanding that the united states leave the island south of japan 's main islands . in that case , the u.s. military at first declined to turn over the suspects to japanese authorities . but in the most recent case , the suspects were in japanese custody almost immediately . the alleged attack took place two months after a u.s. marine was arrested , accused of assaulting and molesting a woman in naha , the capital of okinawa . relations between the u.s. military and okinawans have already been stressed over the u.s. marine corps ' deployment of mv-22 osprey tilt-rotor aircraft to a base on the island . some residents are concerned because the osprey has had a reputation for crashing . the okinawan community has long been against the presence of the u.s. military , which has announced that thousands of marines will be moved to a base in guam . cnn 's ben brumfield contributed to this report .<doc-sep>relations between the japanese and the u.s. military also suffered in 1995 when a u.s. sailor and two u.s. marines were convicted of raping a 12-year-old girl . tens of thousands of okinawans took to the streets at the time demanding that the united states leave the island . cnn 's jethro mullen in hong kong contributed to this report .<doc-sep>during world war ii , the historic vessel was stripped of her luxurious amenities and painted a camouflage gray as she transported more than 16,000 troops across the world . fast forward to today and the queen mary has been restored to her former art deco glory , though her sailing days are long over . instead , guests can stay in one of 314 original staterooms and nine suites , in her permanent home in long beach , los angeles . we all live in a silver submarine . history buffs can experience life as a world war ii sailor -- without the combat -- aboard the historic uss silversides submarine . the mighty military vessel sank 23 japanese ships during the war , making her the third most prolific u.s. submarine of the time . no longer patrolling key enemy shipping routes , today the silversides is moored in the muskegon channel , michigan . the 95-meter vessel , popular with school groups , features 72 bunk beds , giving youngsters the chance to step back in time and dream of life as a wartime sailor . | <t> japanese police arrest u.s. sailor for allegedly killing a japanese taxi driver . </t> <t> u.s. navy presence in japan has been marred by reports of rape and crime . </t> <t> in 2006 , u.s. civilian military staffer jailed for nine years for raping two women . </t> | u.s. sailor held over killing of japanese man<T> |
-lrb- mental floss -rrb- -- there have been presidential daughters almost as long as there have been presidents . -lrb- george washington had no children . -rrb- . president warren harding made child-care payments to his mistress for years until his death in 1923 . what these women did -- both under the influence of and independent from their influential fathers -- make fascinating stories . here are five you might not have heard : . 1 . sarah knox taylor davis . she packed a lot of drama into her 21 years . the second daughter of future u.s. president zachary taylor , sarah also was the first wife of future confederate president jefferson davis . her parents gave her the middle name knox after fort knox , in pre-state indiana , where her military father was stationed and where she was born in 1813 or 1814 . sarah was often called knox or knoxie . the life of an army brat was certainly more dangerous in the early 19th century . during taylor 's posting in louisiana , sarah and her two sisters came down with `` bilious fever , '' now thought to be malaria . sarah survived , but her older and younger sisters died . the taylors were stationed at fort crawford -lrb- now prairie du chien , wisconsin -rrb- in 1832 , when sarah met and fell in love with a young officer named jefferson davis . zachary taylor opposed the relationship , and accounts vary as to why -- because he did n't want his daughter to continue to be exposed to the hardships of army life , or because he and davis did n't get along . or both . davis was transferred , so he and sarah conducted a long-distance relationship for two years . they even planned their wedding by mail . the ceremony took place in june 1835 , in louisville , kentucky . sarah 's parents did not attend . once again there is disagreement over why they were absent . the newlyweds immediately headed south , and they visited davis 's relatives in louisiana . sarah , mindful of the family tragedy the last time the taylors traveled those parts , wrote home , `` do not make yourself uneasy about me , the country is quite healthy . '' but while staying with davis 's oldest sister at `` locust grove '' in west feliciana parish , louisiana , the couple fell ill with malaria . jefferson davis recovered , but sarah died , barely three months into her marriage . mental floss : 5 memorable white house weddings . 2 . elizabeth harrison walker . her life straddled the gilded age of her father , president benjamin harrison , and the television age , when accomplished women were just beginning to enter in numbers into the mainstream of public life . elizabeth was born in 1897 , four years after her father left office . a widower with two children by his first wife , harrison had married mary scott lord dimmick , and elizabeth was the couple 's only child . she was just 4 when her father , the last of the bearded presidents , passed away . if elizabeth 's dynastic 1921 marriage to james blaine walker -- grandnephew of her father 's secretary of state and onetime republican presidential nominee james g. blaine -- was conventional , much of the rest of her life was not . by the time of her wedding , she had received several academic degrees , including a law degree from new york university law school , and was admitted to the bar in new york and indiana at age 22 . after her marriage , she began publishing a monthly newsletter , `` cues on the news . '' geared toward women , it offered economic and investment tips , and was distributed nationally by banks . her expertise led to appearances on radio and , later , television , where she spoke on economic issues pertaining to women . she died in 1955 , at the age of 58 . mental floss : quiz : post -- white house lives of presidents . 3 . margaret woodrow wilson . thirty years before the beatles went to india to sample and popularize its spiritual wonders , another musician and political activist , margaret woodrow wilson , had already been . it was the final chapter in the peripatetic life of the eldest of president woodrow wilson 's three daughters . margaret was born in 1886 , in gainesville , georgia . during her father 's presidency , both of margaret 's sisters had white house weddings . so when their mother died in 1914 , it fell to the unmarried eldest wilson sister to become white house hostess . the president 's remarriage a year later allowed margaret to pursue her passion -- music . she studied piano and voice at the peabody institute of music in baltimore . in 1915 , she made her singing debut with the chicago symphony orchestra , in syracuse , new york . during world war i , she gave recitals that benefited the red cross and performed at army camps . in 1918 , she began nearly a year 's stay in france , singing before allied troops . the experience led to a breakdown , the loss of her singing voice , and the end of her musical career .<doc-sep>mental floss : why do we sing the national anthem at sporting events ? with the war over and women gaining the right to vote , margaret became an advocate of a style of local participatory democracy in which neighborhood schools would become community centers . the annual $ 2,500 stipend bequeathed by her father upon his death in 1924 was not enough for her live on , so margaret entered the advertising business . a speculation in oil stocks went sour , and as the 1920s ended , she ceased being a public figure . in the 1930s she discovered the writings of sri aurobindo , a contemporary of mahatma gandhi 's , whose philosophy for ending foreign rule in india was grounded in yoga and meditation . eventually she followed her guru east . when a new york times reporter found margaret in aurobindo 's ashram in pondicherry , india , in 1943 , she had been living there four years . at the ashram she was known as dishta . she died there in 1944 at the age of 57 of uremic poisoning . 4 . elizabeth ann christian blaesing . probably the only advantage to being the child of one of america 's worst presidents was not having his last name . warren g. harding had no children with his wife , but a married man with two mistresses is bound to leave a legacy . elizabeth ann was the daughter of nan britton , who as a teenager began a six-year affair with harding , which lasted until his death in 1923 . elizabeth ann was conceived on a couch in harding 's senate office and was born in 1919 . on the birth certificate , britton wrote christian as the baby 's last name . until his inauguration in 1921 , harding made child-care payments to britton in person , but always refused to meet elizabeth ann . after he entered the white house , secret service agents delivered the payments . but when harding died , the money stopped . in 1927 , after harding 's widow refused to continue child support , britton published the president 's daughter . the tell-all book became a bestseller . as the years passed , the story of nan britton and the president 's `` love child '' faded , along with memories of harding 's inept presidency . as an infant , elizabeth ann was adopted by britton 's sister and brother-in-law for the sake of appearances . as an adult , she married henry blaesing . they lived quietly in glendale , california , and raised three sons . elizabeth ann gave one of her first interviews , to the new york times , in 1964 . in it she revealed that her mother was living secretly nearby . nan britton died in 1991 , `` evidently so forgotten by history that no obituary was published , '' the los angeles times later wrote . elizabeth ann died in 2005 . 5 . margaret truman daniel . the helicopter parent is nothing new . but that pesky parental hovering can whip up a lot of dust when dad is straight-talking president harry s truman . born in 1924 , margaret was harry and bess truman 's only child . like margaret wilson , she began her career as a singer . she was studying history and international relations at george washington university when her father became vice president in january 1945 . less than three months later , franklin roosevelt died and harry truman became the 33rd president . after intensive musical training , margaret made her singing debut in 1947 with the detroit symphony orchestra on a nationally broadcast radio program . she began touring the country , appeared on radio and television , and signed a recording contract . then came her infamous 1950 concert in washington , d.c. 's constitution hall , in which her father played a role perhaps larger than hers . `` paul hume , the music critic of the washington post , while praising her personality , said that ` she can not sing very well , ' added that ` she is flat a good deal of the time ' and concluded that she had no ` professional finish , ' '' the new york times recalled at the time of margaret 's death last january . `` incensed , president truman dispatched a combative note to mr. hume , who released it to the press ... it said , in part , ' i have just read your lousy review ... i have never met you , but if i do , you 'll need a new nose . ' '' -lrb- read the review and president truman 's response here . -rrb- . the episode did n't seem to impact her career , but her professional singing days were numbered anyway . margaret would become a radio and television personality , co-hosting the 1950s radio program , `` weekday , '' with mike wallace . she acted in summer stock . and in 1956 she married new york times editor clifton daniel , with whom she had three sons . but margaret still had other media to conquer . she became a prolific author , writing several non-fiction books , including biographies of her parents . and she penned 13 mystery novels , beginning with `` murder in the white house . '' for more mental_floss articles , visit mentalfloss.com . entire contents of this article copyright , mental floss llc . all rights reserved .<doc-sep>by . louise boyle . published : . 14:13 est , 5 november 2012 . | . updated : . 17:45 est , 5 november 2012 . in the final tense days before the election , both presidential candidates have been pulling out all the stops in their bids for the white house . over in the republican camp , nominee mitt romney has been surrounded by his adult sons , their wives and grandchildren . the children of his running mate paul ryan appear to be delighted by all the excitement , hamming it up for the cameras in campaign hats and t-shirts . by comparison , barack obama 's 14-year-old daughter malia and sasha , 11 , have hardly been seen at all on the campaign trail in 2012 compared to four years ago . the girls were last seen in public on october 28 as they attended church in washington d.c. with their father and godmother kaye wilson . scroll down for video . seldom seen : president obama on stage at the dnc on september 6 , 2012 with wife michelle and daughters malia -lrb- left -rrb- and sasha . last outing : the obama girls were last in the public eye when they attended church with their father on october 28 in washington d.c. . the girls appeared at the democratic national convention on september 6 in north carolina , where they waved from the stage as their father accepted the presidential nomination . however , the girls ' public appearances seem to have been kept to a minimum . they did not appear at the presidential debates - unlike many of romney 's grandchildren . in contrast , romney is almost constantly accompanied by members of his large family , including his wife of 42 years ann , his five sons and their wives and many of his 18 grandchildren , who are often photographed on his campaign jet . republican vice president nominee paul ryan has also had his children along for the ride in the last days of the campaign . his ten-year-old daughter liza , who is close in age to sasha obama , has been pictured striking a number of comic poses while her father appears at events in swing states . his son charlie , eight , appears shy while the youngest , seven-year-old sam , often steals the show with a beaming grin for the waiting press . parade : obama campaigns in pueblo , colorado in 2008 with michelle and daughters sasha and malia when they were seven and ten . just the two of us : president obama appeared with wife michelle but not sasha and malia during the third presidential debate in florida . the trio appear to be enjoying the . shift from their lives in small town janesville , wisconsin , to . motorcades across the country , posing in romney-ryan hats and t-shirts . and attending football games . while . michelle obama is a seasoned and prolific campaigner for her husband 's . cause , malia and sasha have been kept out of the public eye by their . parents . at the . presidential debates , michelle obama supported her husband from the . audience with members of his campaign team - but without their girls . the romney camp were pictured in the audience and following the debate with their grandchildren as they met the obamas . barack has spoken about his worries over his daughters as they grow up in the public eye . he told mtv last month that he was concerned about malia going on facebook because she was so well-known . the romney clan : the republican candidate has regularly been pictured with his five adult sons and many of his 18 grandchildren while he campaigns for the white house . family man : paul ryan with his wife janna and three children -lrb- left to right -rrb- charlie , sam and liza on stage before crowds in tampa bay , florida . courting the gang vote : while her parents pose in the background , liza ryan struck an unusual stance . obama said : ` i 'm very keen on protecting . her privacy . she can make her own decisions as she gets older , but . right now , for security reasons , she does not have a facebook page . ' in 2008 , obama 's two daughters were by his side during a lot of the campaign , wearing t-shirts and being involved in events like packing boxes for overseas troops . he drew criticism when he allowed his daughters to be interviewed by access hollywood four years ago . malia and sasha , ten and seven at the time , spoke on camera , in an interview which was then splashed across the tv networks . when asked about the decision , obama said he was surprised by the attention the interview had garnered before adding : ` we would n't do it again and we wo n't be doing it again . ' although their father could be attempting to shield his daughters from the viciousness of the presidential campaign , there could also be one simple answer - both malia and sasha are mid-way through term at the private sidwell friends school they attend in d.c. mailonline was awaiting a comment from the white house . growing up in the public eye : one of the earliest pictures of the obama family in 2004 taken while he was in the running for the senate .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- barack obama 's two daughters had another reason to high-five their dad 's election to the presidency tuesday night : they 're getting a puppy . president bush 's dog barney walks in the white house rose garden in 2007 . `` sasha and malia , '' obama said in his victory speech at chicago 's grant park , `` i love you both so much , and you have earned the new puppy that 's coming with us to the white house . '' the new white house pet will follow in the paw-steps of a menagerie of animals that have had the run of 1600 pennsylvania avenue over the years . the bush family shared their eight years at the white house with a cat , a feisty english springer spaniel and two scottish terriers -- all of whom have their own pages on the president 's web site .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- comedian mark russell was at a recent event in chicago , illinois , when he found himself sitting next to valerie jarrett , an adviser to president-elect barack obama . moving the obamas into the white house will take about six hours . russell asked her whether president bush 's staff members were going to remove all the os from their computer keyboards , alluding to the 2001 incident in which president clinton 's departing staff removed ws from some white house computers . jarrett said no , but that did n't stop russell from speculating what really happened when president bush 's daughters , barbara and jenna , gave obama 's two daughters a tour of the white house recently . `` the bush daughters showed sasha and malia obama around , '' russell joked . `` barbara showed them where all the bedrooms were , and jenna showed them how to make a fake id . '' russell sees humor in the presidential transition , but the actual operation to move both families in and out of the white house is serious business . the clearing out of the bushes ' belongings began over the summer , when many items were packed and taken to crawford , texas , says anita mcbride , chief of staff to first lady laura bush . then , during the christmas holiday , the bushes moved their personal things out of camp david , the presidential retreat in maryland , according to mcbride . on january 20 , the obamas move in -- a side of inauguration day that most people never see : a grueling , precisely timed workday involving scores of staffers that follows six months of careful planning . gary walters worked at the executive mansion from 1986 until 2006 as chief usher in charge of moving presidential families in and out of the white house . from his virginia home , walters described how the complicated obama move in to the white house is completed in only a few hours . in the morning , after the bushes and obamas depart the executive mansion for the capitol hill swearing-in ceremony , moving trucks will roll up to the south side of the white house , walters said . the drivers put down their tailgates , allowing most of the white house 's 93 staff members to begin unloading obama family items , he said . `` staff members all have been given very specific jobs on that day , almost down to the minute as to what their responsibilities are , '' walters said . the move is designed to be seamless , painless and invisible while millions of washington visitors -- and millions more watching on tv -- follow the inauguration ceremonies and the parade that follows . by about 5 p.m. , before the obamas move from the parade viewing stand to their new home , the presidential move must be complete . `` their clothes will be in their closets ; everything will be put away , '' walters said . `` there should be no full or half-empty boxes will in view . furniture will be set in proper places . their favorite foods will be in the kitchen or the pantry . the chief usher will welcome them into their home and ask them what they would like to do before going out to enjoy the inaugural balls . ''<doc-sep>-lrb- mental floss -rrb- -- president-elect obama 's mother-in-law will be moving to washington with the first family , at least temporarily , his transition team has confirmed . marian robinson will be the latest in a line of presidential in-laws who , for good or ill , lived under the same roof as the president . president dwight eisenhower and his mother-in-law , elivera doud , pose for pictures with some of the grandchildren . here are four stories that confirm the old truism : while america can choose its president , the president ca n't choose his in-laws . 1 . ulysses s. grant and ` the colonel ' you would think that the civil war was settled at appomattox , and no question of its outcome would have been raised in the white house of ulysses s. grant , who , after all , was the general who won the war . but you would be wrong , because living with ulysses and julia grant was the president 's father-in-law . colonel frederick dent -lrb- his rank seems to have been self-selected -rrb- was an unreconstructed confederate , a st. louis businessman and slaveholder who , when his daughter julia went to the executive mansion early in 1869 , decided to relocate there as well . the colonel did n't hesitate to make himself at home . when his daughter received guests , he sat in a chair just behind her , offering anyone within earshot unsolicited advice . political and business figures alike got a dose of the colonel 's mind as they waited to meet with president grant . when the president 's father , jesse grant , came from kentucky on one of his regular visits to washington , the white house turned into a civil war reenactment . according to `` first families : the impact of the white house on their lives '' , by bonnie angelo , jesse grant preferred to stay in a hotel rather than sleep under the same roof as the colonel . and when the two old partisans found themselves unavoidably sitting around the same table in the white house , they avoided direct negotiations by using julia and her young son , named for the president 's father , as intermediaries , betty boyd caroli writes in `` first ladies '' : `` in the presence of the elder grant , frederick dent would instruct julia to ` take better care of that old gentleman -lsb- jesse grant -rsb- . he is feeble and deaf as a post and yet you permit him to wander all over washington alone . ' and grant replied -lsb- to his grandson and namesake -rsb- , ` did you hear him ? i hope i shall not live to become as old and infirm as your grandfather dent . ' '' mental floss : 5 feisty first daughters . the colonel remained in the white house -- irascible and unrepentant -- until his death , at age 88 , in 1873 . 2 . harry s truman and the mother-in-law from heck . harry truman and bess wallace met as children . he was a farm boy ; she was the well-heeled granddaughter of independence , missouri 's flour king . when they married in 1919 , truman was a struggling haberdasher , and bess 's mother , madge wallace , thought bess had made a colossal social faux pas . until she died in 1952 , madge wallace never changed her mind about harry truman . her bess had married way below her station . madge had plenty of opportunities to let her son-in-law know it . the newlyweds moved into the wallace mansion in independence , and the three lived together under the same roof until the end of madge 's life . when harry truman was elected senator , `` mother wallace , '' as truman judiciously called her , moved with her daughter and son-in-law to washington . in the family 's apartment , she shared a bedroom with the trumans ' daughter , margaret . and when truman became president , she moved with them into the white house , where she cast her cold eye on the new commander-in-chief . `` why would harry run against that nice mr. dewey ? '' she wondered aloud , as truman was fighting for his political life in the 1948 presidential race , according to `` first mothers '' by bonnie angelo . and when truman fired gen. douglas macarthur for insubordination , mother wallace was scandalized . `` imagine a captain from the national guard -lsb- truman -rsb- telling off a west point general ! '' in december 1952 , shortly before truman 's term ended , madge wallace died , at age 90 . for the 33 years they lived together , she never called her son-in-law anything but `` mr. truman '' to his face . mental floss : presidential siblings and the headaches they caused . | <t> president harding 's illegitimate daughter was conceived on couch in senate office . </t> <t> review of harry truman 's daughter prompted presidential threat against reporter . </t> <t> president taylor 's daughter married future president of an enemy power . </t> <t> woodrow wilson 's daughter followed a guru to india . </t> | 5 feisty presidential daughters<T> |
-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- georgian leaders may be blaming russia for the conflict raging in south ossetia , but former soviet president mikhail gorbachev said thursday `` there is no doubt '' that georgia provoked the clash . mikhail gorbachev told cnn 's larry king that russia called extra troops into georgia to stem violence . gorbachev told cnn 's larry king that russia moved additional forces into south ossetia in response to `` devastation '' in the south ossetia city of tskhinvali . `` this was the use of sophisticated weapons against a small town , against a sleeping people . this was a barbaric assault , '' said gorbachev , the last president of the former soviet union .<doc-sep>but georgian president mikheil saakashvili , who also appeared on cnn 's `` larry king live '' thursday , said he was `` profoundly shocked '' that mikhail gorbachev would use a television appearance `` for basically vindicating lies and deceptions . '' last week , georgia said it launched an operation into south ossetia after a cease-fire was broken with artillery fire from russian separatists that killed 10 people including civilians and peacekeepers . it accused russia , which also has peacekeepers in the region , of backing the separatists . hours later , the russian news agency interfax reported that russian authorities said 10 russian peacekeepers had been killed and 30 wounded in an attack by georgians . `` western television did n't show what happened in tskhinvali , '' gorbachev said . `` only now they 're beginning to show some pictures of the destruction . so this looks to me like it was a well-prepared project . and with any outcome , they wanted to put the blame on russia . '' watch gorbachev discuss `` barbaric assault '' ''<doc-sep>he called georgia 's claims that russia is attempting to dismantle its democracy `` all lies from beginning to end . '' in response , saakashvili expressed disappointment with the sentiments from gorbachev , who he said he once respected . `` this is the man , mr. gorbachev , who helped to , you know , bring down kgb kingdom . and he is the one who is , you know , justifying what the kgb people are doing right now in my country , '' saakashvili said .<doc-sep>`` shame on him . shame on you , mr. gorbachev , for perpetuating the very regime you helped to defeat and you fought against as the head of the soviet union . '' gorbachev also said the united states is jeopardizing its fragile relationship with russia by backing georgia . watch gorbachev discuss u.s.-russia relations '' `` there is a chance for our two countries to develop a new agenda for cooperation so as to promote both u.s. and russia interests , and the interests of other countries , and the interests of stability , particularly in the hotspots in different continents , '' said gorbachev , who won the nobel peace price in 1990 .<doc-sep>international agreements signed in the early 1990s allow russian peacekeepers to maintain a presence in south ossetia and abkhazia as part of a force including georgians and south ossetians . analysts see the conflict as a gamble initiated by georgia , which is seeking eu and nato membership , to test the strength of its western allies in the face of russia 's unwillingness to see the west encroaching on its doorstep . in five days of fighting , both sides accused the other of targeting civilians , with casualty reports in the thousands . many more people have fled the fighting into russia and georgia , leaving heavily bombarded towns and cities deserted . despite tuesday 's cease-fire deal , accusations of ongoing hostilities have continued on both sides , and russia 's incursion into undisputed georgian territory has adding to confusion fueled doubts that a quick solution to the conflict can be found . watch as a reporter is grazed by a bullet '' russian gen. nikolai uvarov said russia had invaded gori because it is georgia 's main military base and an arms munition storage there had been left unattended . ireport.com : ask ex-soviet leader mikhail gorbachev about the crisis . meanwhile , russia 's deputy chief of general staff , col. gen. anatoly nogovitsyn , said that a withdrawal plan to pull troops from the breakaway region had yet to be approved by russia 's defense ministry or its president , dmitry medvedev . during a moscow visit by the leaders of south ossetia and abkhazia , lavrov said that georgia 's current borders were `` limited , '' an indication that the two breakaway regions may never agree to rejoin it . all three voiced their unity against what abkhazian leader sergey bagapsh called `` those aggressors from georgia . ''<doc-sep>`` i do n't even have any theories concerning the incident , '' the president told the interfax news agency . `` the man had just started working in this office . '' north ossetia and the rest of the caucasus region have been plagued with violence and political instability over the years . north ossetia borders georgia 's south ossetia region , where a conflict erupted between georgia and russia in august . the area also borders the long-turbulent breakaway region of chechnya .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the european union has launched a fact-finding mission to determine the causes of the august war between georgia and russia , an eu spokeswoman said tuesday . heidi tagliavini , a swiss dipomat , will head the investigation into what started the georgian conflict . the eight-month inquiry will examine the facts of the conflict in regard to international law , humanitarian issues and human rights , said the spokeswoman , who did not give her name because she was not allowed to speak publicly . investigators will also assess the basis for all accusations made regarding the conflict , the spokeswoman said . heidi tagliavini , a swiss diplomat and former united nations special representative for georgia , will head the mission , the spokeswoman said . the mission began its work monday and was due to finish july 31 , 2009 , ending with a report to the eu , the u.n. and the organization for security and cooperation in europe , the spokeswoman said . georgia launched a campaign against south ossetia , a russian-backed separatist territory , on august 7 . the following day , russian tanks , troops and armored vehicles poured into south ossetia and another breakaway georgian territory , abkhazia , advancing into georgian cities outside the rebel regions . the two sides blamed each other for starting the conflict and have made accusations of ethnic cleansing . moscow has since recognized south ossetia and abkhazia as independent regions .<doc-sep>tbilisi , georgia -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the number of people displaced by the warfare in georgia is approaching 100,000 and the figure could rise , the u.n. refugee agency said monday . thousands of people have been displaced by the worsening conflict in the region . international agencies and nations were working to help thousands of people fleeing violence in war-ravaged georgia , where 275,000 previously displaced people , refugees , stateless people and returnees had been living even before hostilities broke out last week between georgia and russia . `` it 's a very fluid situation , '' said ron redmond , a spokesman for the u.n. high commissioner for refugees . georgia proper is a particular problem because some of the people who fled to gori in georgia from south ossetia when the conflict began found themselves in a conflict zone and had to go somewhere else . the numbers redmond cited were as of sunday . he said about 56,000 people have fled in and around gori . many displaced people are headed to tbilisi , where people are staying with relatives and acquaintances or at facilities available for the displaced . watch u.s. and russia clash '' the unhcr said in a written statement that georgian officials believe `` a few thousand have fled south into georgia proper from south ossetia , but a registration must be carried out to get an exact figure . '' when unhcr and world food program officials traveled to gori on sunday , they determined about 80 percent of residents had left the city , which appeared largely deserted . about 30,000 people from south ossetia headed to north ossetia in russia , redmond said , citing russian numbers . he said many women and children are showing up without husbands and fathers , indicating many families have been separated . many of the uprooted are `` extremely distressed , '' he said . they are staying in schools and other public buildings . those in schools will have to leave by september and `` there 's some concern about where they are going to . '' `` it 's assumed that many will probably go back '' to south ossetia , redmond said . at the same time , he said , `` there 's been heavy destruction . many may not have anything to go back to . '' redmond said more displacement is possible because hostilities are continuing in the area . | <t> new : georgian president criticizes gorbachev for `` vindicating lies and deceptions '' </t> <t> gorbachev says russian called up forces in response to violence in tskhinvali . </t> <t> georgia says russia backed separatists who broke cease-fire and sparked violence . </t> <t> the former president says u.s. is jeopardizing ties with russia by backing georgia . </t> | gorbachev : georgia started conflict in s. ossetia<T> |
-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the united states believes that some members of pakistan 's spy service provided support for the deadly bombing last month of india 's embassy in afghanistan , a u.s. counterterrorism official told cnn friday . the indian embassy in kabul was badly damaged in the july 7 bombing . pakistan strongly denied the allegation friday , but afghanistan and india have previously accused pakistan of involvement in the attack which killed 58 people including an indian defense attache . the official told cnn the evidence was not strong enough to draw a firm conclusion but there is a `` strong suspicion '' the taliban was behind the attack , and that some unspecified aid came from pakistan 's directorate of inter-services intelligence , or isi . the official would not say how the intelligence was gathered , but he said the evidence was presented to senior pakistani officials by a top cia official , deputy director stephen kappes . the new york times , sourcing u.s. government officials , reported friday that the united states intercepted communications between pakistani intelligence officers and militants who carried out the attack in kabul . pakistani maj. gen. athar abbas said the report `` unfounded and malicious '' and an `` effort to malign the isi , '' -- pakistan 's directorate of inter-services intelligence . the bombing killed 58 people . `` the isi is a very disciplined organization , manned by military officials . it has played the most crucial role in the war on terror and apprehended members of al qaeda , the taliban , and those linked to the attack on mainland america on 9/11 , '' abbas said . abbas said `` despite our insistence , no evidence has been provided to us about these allegations . '' afghanistan claims pakistan informally supports militants operating from havens in pakistan 's lawless tribal regions near the porous 1,500-mile border the two countries share . earlier this month , afghan lawmakers directly accused pakistan 's isi in connection with a string of attacks in afghanistan . among these were the kabul strike and an assassination attempt on afghan president hamid karzai at an april 27 military ceremony .<doc-sep>a senior afghan government official said the charges were based on phone intercepts of conversations of plotters in kabul with isi officers in pakistan . a u.s. government official , who would not comment on the specifics of the new york times story , said , `` we 've long noted the troubling reports of a relationship between the isi and the taliban , and the incident at the indian embassy seems to fit the pattern of those reports . '' india has previously blamed militants from pakistan for the july 7 car bombing at the embassy . wajid shamsul hasan , pakistan 's high commissioner to britain , and hamid gul , former head of the isi , firmly denied the agency 's involvement in the attack . watch pakistan deny the allegations '' `` there seems to be a bit of sensationalism in this story , '' hasan said . he said the government has regularly denied claims that isi is involved with militants in afghanistan and noted that pakistan has been cooperating in the fight against terrorism . gul said the claims are `` preposterous '' and `` totally false , '' and cautioned that the cia has been proven to be wrong about intelligence in the past . the new york times report also sourced the u.s. officials as saying `` there was new information showing that members of the pakistani intelligence service were increasingly providing militants with details about the american campaign against them , in some cases allowing militants to avoid american missile strikes in pakistan 's tribal areas . '' pakistan and afghanistan have a tumultuous past . during the soviet occupation of afghanistan in the 1980s , religious schools in pakistan helped train fighters who battled the soviets . after the taliban took over afghanistan in 1996 and imposed fundamentalist rule , pakistan was one of the few countries that recognized the regime diplomatically . it dropped its support after the september 11 , 2001 , terrorist attacks on washington and new york . pakistan also has a troubled history with india , and in the past india has accused the isi of supporting militant separatists in indian-administered kashmir , which has been the root of two wars between them .<doc-sep>kabul , afghanistan -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the u.n. security council voted unanimously to pass a resolution extending the mandate of nato-led military forces in afghanistan for a year , hours after a deadly bombing near the indian embassy in kabul . the bomb exploded in the center of kabul on the corner of passport lane and the indian embassy . the suicide car bomb attack on thursday left at least 17 people dead , most of them civilians , and 63 wounded . `` i think this is another reminder of the dangers that the taliban pose to the afghan population and to the international community in afghanistan , and the importance of the continued international efforts there , '' said john sawers , britain 's ambassador to the world body , after the resolution was passed . the council provides international legal approval for the deployment of nato troops to assist in the protection of civilians in armed conflict . the resolution , however , did not address troop numbers , an issue that has generated controversy since the commander of u.s. and nato forces in afghanistan , gen. stanley mcchrystal , requested an additional 40,000 troops . the security council also condemned the attack , calling for the `` perpetrators , organizers , financiers and sponsors of this reprehensible act of terrorism '' to be brought to justice . in addition to extending the mandate , the resolution stressed the need to bolster afghan security forces to help them become self-sufficient in protecting their country . anders fogh rasmussen , nato 's new leader , recently announced that nato forces would begin training afghan police and increase training of the afghan national army . some 90,000 international forces are deployed in afghanistan , with 35,000 serving with nato and 65,000 with the united states . the taliban claimed responsibility for the thursday bombing , saying an afghan national in a sport utility vehicle carried out the attack . the bomber had intended to strike the embassy , indian officials said . watch what a local shopkeeper says about the area '' `` the suicide attack -lrb- er -rrb- ... attempted -lrb- to go -rrb- through one of the embassy gates , '' vishnu prakash , spokesman for india 's external affairs ministry , told cnn on thursday . `` the embassy was the target . '' the bomb went off about 8:30 a.m. , just as offices and shops were opening for the day . the force of the blast shattered some of the embassy 's windows , according to prakash . the bombing came a year after a similar deadly attack outside the indian embassy . the thursday attack killed 17 -- most of them civilians -- and 63 were wounded , interior ministry spokesman ezmary bashary said . the taliban said the attack killed 35 people , including high-ranking indian embassy officials , as well as international and afghan police officers . the blast damaged a security checkpoint outside the the embassy , said staffer j.p. singh , but `` there were no casualties on the indian side . '' the embassy is in the center of kabul , in a shop-lined street across from the interior ministry and several other government buildings . the explosion shattered car windows and toppled restaurant walls . paramedics dug through twisted metal and debris , looking for survivors . a statement from president hamid karzai 's office called the blast an obvious assault on civilians and said `` the perpetrators of this attack and those who planned it were vicious terrorists who killed innocent people for their malicious goals . '' about a year ago , another suicide car bomb detonated outside the embassy . among the 58 people killed in the july 7 , 2008 , attack were two indian diplomats and 14 students at a nearby school . more than 100 were wounded in that blast . afghan and indian officials accused pakistan 's spy agency of involvement in that attack . pakistan denied the accusation . india is the sixth largest donor to afghanistan , providing millions of dollars to help with reconstruction efforts there . cnn 's atia abawi and harmeet shah singh contributed to this report .<doc-sep>kabul , afghanistan -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- afghan lawmakers have directly accused pakistan 's intelligence agency of involvement in a string of deadly attacks in afghanistan , blasting their neighbor as `` the largest center for breeding and exporting terrorism . '' the recent attack by a suicide bomber on the indian embassy in kabul killed more than 40 people . a pakistani official tuesday bristled at the accusation , saying that afghan lawmakers were making allegations without proof . `` we are not an irresponsible nation and we do n't blame our failures on others , '' said a senior official with pakistan 's directorate for inter-services intelligence -lrb- isi -rrb- . `` if they want to engage in this kind of game , let them be . '' the afghan cabinet made the scathing indictment in a resolution monday , saying afghanistan would boycott a series of meetings with pakistan unless `` bilateral trust '' is restored . in recent weeks a wave of attacks carried out by islamic militants have killed scores of people in afghanistan , including an assault on a military outpost sunday that killed nine u.s. soldiers , as well as a suicide attack on the indian embassy a week ago that killed 58 people . the two incidents , along with an assassination attempt against afghan president hamid karzai at a military ceremony on april 27 , are `` indicative of the attempts by the isi -lrb- inter-services intelligence -rrb- to once again occupy afghanistan and to perish the true right of the people of afghanistan for national sovereignty , '' the resolution said .<doc-sep>islamabad , pakistan -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- a massive blast targeting the danish embassy in pakistan monday killed at least six people and wounded as many as 18 , authorities said . the scene of devastation in islamabad monday after a suicide car bomb attack near the danish embassy . the blast left a four-foot deep crater in the road . confusion lingered about the attack in the capital city of islamabad and the number of casualties . police at the scene said a suicide car bomber pulled up next to the embassy at about 1 p.m. and detonated explosives . but senior superintendent of police ahmad latif told cnn that authorities could not immediately label it a suicide attack . likewise , a medical worker told cnn the explosion killed eight people , including a young child and at least one foreign national . but latif put the number of fatalities at six and said none of the dead were foreigners . among the wounded , he said , was a brazilian citizen of pakistani descent . watch pakistan 's foreign minister respond '' authorities differed on the number of wounded as well , with figures ranging from five to 18 . no embassy official was seriously hurt , latif said . it is not uncommon for preliminary casualty figures to vary : police cautioned that the numbers could rise . danish foreign minister per stig moeller condemned the act . `` my immediate reaction is that you can only condemn this , '' said stig moeller . `` it is terrible that terrorists do this . the embassy is there to have a cooperation between the pakistani population and denmark , and that means they are destroying that . they 're destroying the pakistanis ' ability to connect with denmark . it is completely unacceptable . '' watch the aftermath of the deadly attack '' the blast , heard more than two miles away , sheared off the embassy 's front wall and kicked in its metal front gate . the impact blew out the building 's windows and also damaged the offices of a non-profit organization . the danish and the eu flag , knocked off their staff , hung limply from a spot on the embassy balcony . pakistan foreign secretary salman bashir told reporters at the scene that police are beefing up security at embassies and foreign missions throughout the city . `` i just want to assure everybody that the government will do everything to protect the diplomatic missions and also the security and safety of the citizens of pakistan , '' he said . the explosion was the first deadly attack in islamabad since a bomb was hurled over a wall surrounding an italian restaurant on march 15 . that explosion killed a turkish woman and wounded 12 people , including four u.s. fbi agents . after monday 's attack , dozens of cars -- blanketed with dirt kicked up by the blast -- littered the street , their windows knocked out . rescue workers carried away a bloodied person , covering his body with a blanket . pieces of shoes and tattered clothing lay amid the rubble . police said the attack targeted the embassy . danish embassies in predominantly muslim countries , such as pakistan , have been the scene of protests since danish newspapers reprinted cartoons that muslims say insult their prophet . in february , several newspapers in denmark reprinted the controversial cartoons of islam 's prophet , muhammad , after danish authorities arrested several people who allegedly were plotting a `` terror-related assassination '' of the cartoonist , kurt westergaard . westergaard 's cartoon depicted the prophet wearing a bomb as a turban with a lit fuse . he said he wanted his drawing to say that some people exploited the prophet to legitimize terror . however , many in the muslim world interpreted the drawing as depicting their prophet as a terrorist . islam generally forbids any depiction of the prophet -- even favorable ones -- fearing that it may lead to idolatry . two years ago , demonstrations erupted across the world after some newspapers printed the same cartoons . some protests turned deadly . the protests prompted danish officials to temporarily close the embassy in islamabad . there were no immediate claims of responsibility for monday 's blast . in the past , authorities have blamed islamic militants for carrying out attacks inside pakistani cities . the country experienced a month-long lull in attacks after a new government took office in march and set on a course to negotiate with militants . but since then , attacks have picked up again . cnn 's reza sayah contributed to this report .<doc-sep>an 18-year separatist campaign in the indian-controlled portion of the largely muslim territory has claimed more than 43,000 lives , according to government officials , although human rights groups and nongovernmental organizations put the toll at twice that number . india has long accused pakistan of supporting the separatists in kashmir , a charge pakistan denies . india blamed militants from pakistan for a suicide car bombing outside its embassy in afghanistan that killed 58 people on july 7 . a december 2001 attack on india 's parliament that india blamed on the militants brought the two nations to the brink of another war , but they have expanded economic and cultural ties since the november 2003 cease-fire agreement . -- cnn 's aliza kassim in atlanta and mukhtar ahmad in srinagar contributed to this report . | <t> u.s. intelligence points to pakistan agents involved in attack on indian embassy . </t> <t> pakistan denies its spy agency helped plan bombing that killed 58 . </t> <t> maj. gen. athar abbas said the report was an `` effort to malign the isi '' </t> <t> india and afghanistan both accuse pakistan of role in the attack . </t> | pakistan denies embassy bomb accusation<T> |
new york -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- when the emperors club vip said it was sending kristen , a call girl it described as a `` petite , very pretty brunette , 5 feet 5 inches , and 105 pounds , '' client 9 was pleased . ashley alexandra dupre writes on her myspace page : `` i have been broke and homeless . '' `` great , ok , wonderful , '' he told the escort service 's booking agent , according to a federal affidavit . client 9 , later revealed to be new york gov. eliot spitzer , was caught arranging the liaison on a federal wiretap . it was the beginning of the end for him . for the woman at the heart of the prostitution scandal , it was just another step on what she calls an `` odyssey '' of degrading abuse and high aspirations . court documents reportedly identified ashley youmans -- now known as ashley alexandra dupre -- as kristen , the high-priced prostitute who met with spitzer at the mayflower hotel in washington on february 13 . dupre is a 22-year-old would-be singer from new jersey , the new york times reported wednesday . she has not been charged with any crime . watch a report from dupre 's apartment building '' dupre made a brief appearance monday in u.s. magistrate court as a witness against four people charged with operating emperor 's club vip , the prostitution ring , the times said . spitzer announced his resignation wednesday as governor of new york , two days after reports of his connection to the emperors club vip emerged . dupre told the times she 's mostly gone without sleep since the case became public . `` i just do n't want to be thought of as a monster , '' dupre told the newspaper . she revealed little else in the interview , but her myspace page offered some insight into her background . dupre writes that she left home at 17 to begin `` my odyssey to new york . '' `` it was my decision , and i 've never looked back , '' she writes . `` left my hometown . left a broken family . left abuse . left an older brother who had already split . left and learned what it was like to have everything , and lose it , again and again .<doc-sep>`` learned what it was like to wake up one day and have the people you care about most gone . i have been alone . i have abused drugs . i have been broke and homeless . but , i survived , on my own . i am here , in ny because of my music . '' watch kyle youmans describe his sister as `` tough '' '' in her profile , dupre says she moved to manhattan to pursue her music career . `` i am all about my music , and my music is all about me , '' she writes on her myspace page . `` it flows from what i 've been through , what i 've seen and how i feel . '' the page includes a picture of dupre with the slogan `` what destroys me , strengthens me . '' it also features a song titled `` what we want '' recorded by dupre , with lyrics including `` i know what you want , you got what i want , i know what you need , can you handle me ? '' on the myspace page , dupre lists singers etta james , aretha franklin and celine dion , as well as her brother , as her influences . she also offers some advice for those experiencing hard times . `` i made it . i 'm still here and i love who i am . if i never went through the hard times , i would not be able to appreciate the good ones , '' dupre writes . `` cliché , yes , but i know it 's true . i have experienced just how hard it can be . i can honestly tell you to never dwell on the past , but build from it and keep moving forward . '' her brother , kyle youmans , told cnn he would not comment on the case or how his sister earns money , but he said she is `` the best sister you could have . '' `` i 'm sticking by my sister , doing everything so she 'll be fine , '' youmans said . `` she 'll make it through . '' the family is `` holding together '' since the spitzer scandal became public , he added . dupre 's mother , carolyn capalbo , told the times that she and her daughter were close , adding that `` she obviously got involved in something much larger than her . '' e-mail to a friend . cnn 's allan chernoff contributed to this report .<doc-sep>suggested that earle , who left his wife for the former escort , had . proposed and a wedding was still in the works . a close friend told mailonline : ` izabel is one of the best things that 's ever happened to ashley . ` she is so in love with her . nothing means more to her than her little family . she feels very lucky . ' ashley dupré is the call girl most famous for bedding former new york governor eliot spitzer . dupré 's affair with spitzer - who became known as ` client no 9 ' - led him to resign after just 14 months in office . a stint as a relationship advice columnist for the new york post and a spread in playboy followed the scandal for the mother-to-be . she has recently transformed herself into a lingerie and swimwear specialist with a small boutique . miss dupré 's book of sex tips was also published today . delighted : baby izabel looked gorgeous in her matching pink onesie and hat as her mother cradled her in her arms this afternoon . for sale : ashley dupré surveys the merchandise at her store in red bank in new jersey . new mommy : ashley looked contented in her new role with baby girl izabel . looking good : miss dupre looked like she had bounced back into shape two months after giving birth in her ensemble of skinny jeans and fitted cardigan . ` tricks of the trade : advice on sex , . love , and lust , ' was released on thursday by the new york post . the . resident post ` sexpert 's book is comprised of her ` ask ashley ' columns , . written between 2008 and 2012 . the ebook , among other things , boasts chapters about relationships , fetishes , cheating and family drama . dupré and mr earle began an illicit . affair shortly after news of her dealings with mr spitzer hit the . headlines but the asphalt heir was still married to wife alisa with whom . he has two children . after meeting at a jersey shore restaurant , mr earle had reportedly boasted to a friend : ' i could have had her for free . '<doc-sep>former new york governor eliot spitzer given an estimated $ 50million from his father 's estate - plus $ 6million his brother and sister missed out on . former new york governor eliot spitzer is in line for $ 6million more than either of his siblings after the details of his father 's will were revealed . real estate tycoon bernard spitzer , who owned a string of luxury apartments around central park , died at the age of 90 earlier this month after a long battle with parkinsons . he left 10 per cent of his $ 500million fortune to each of his three children including son daniel , 57 , a neurosurgeon , and daughter emily , 60 , a lawyer . eliot , 55 , was also handed 10 per cent of the fortune , but was left an additional $ 6million to be paid after his mother anne passes away . the remaining $ 250million was donated to the bernard and a nne spitzer charitable trust , the new york daily news reports . eliot and anne have also been handed control of the family business , spitzer enterprises , which eliot had been running on behalf of his father . in his will , bernard spitzer wrote : ' i am mindful and take pride in the accomplishments of my children and the fact that they are established in life , in largest measure through their own talents and efforts , but as well , if in smaller measure , through the contributions of their mother and mine during our lifetime . ` it is for these reasons , and not through any lack of love for them , that i have left a substantial portion of my estate to the bernard and a nne spitzer charitable trust . '<doc-sep>valerie baber was one of several prostitutes out of the job when new york escort service the emperors club was busted in 2008 , following a federal investigation of then-governor eliot spitzer . a former prostitute at the escort agency famously exposed in the federal investigation of then-new york governor eliot spitzer has written an essay about her time as a sex worker , after leaving the business to get her master 's degree . valerie baber went by the name racquel when she worked at the emperors club - a prostitution service for vips in new york that was disbanded in 2008 following the revelation that governor spitzer was ` client 9 ' . but baber only has positive reviews of working at the emperors club , and even admits enjoying some of the sex she had with forbes-listers , royalty , politicians , athletes , celebrities and industry titans . baber says '90 per cent ' of her clients were attractive and influential people who did n't have to pay for sex but did it out of convenience or addiction . ` in my dealings with clients , i often felt like they could be addicts , ' she said . ` but i did n't mind , and it has never been my job to overthink it . ' she adds that the work was n't always easy . most of the men she slept with made her do all the work in the bed . ` that 's how all of my clients preferred it . i guess if i were paying $ 1,500 an hour , i would n't want to do any work either , ' she said . among her regular clients were ` professional gamblers and boxers , top-tier doctors and lawyers , high-flying finance types , an ivy league professor and several successful entrepreneurs . ' baber liked being a prostitute because she could make more in one hour than seven hours dancing as a stripper , one of her previous occupations . ' a high-end agency would allow me to take a break from the unhealthy world of gentlemen 's clubs . i 'd need to meet with only one man instead of 40 . i would n't have to be around a group of vapid people in various stages of chemical alteration , and unlike the guys i had to approach at the club , i knew the men i 'd meet through a service would be guaranteed to want my company -- they would have already handpicked me , ' she said . ` i 'd also be able to get to bed at a reasonable time and get up in the morning with the rest of the normal world . ' busted : eliot spitzer -lrb- left -rrb- resigned after it was revealed that he patronized the emperors club , and consorted with prostitute ashley dupre -lrb- right -rrb- . client 9 : baber worked at emperors club with dupre -lrb- pictured above -rrb- , who went by the name kristen and was caught by federal investigators setting up ` meetings ' with spitzer . but her life of easy money came crashing down the day she received a phone call from agent kenneth hosey , asking to meet as soon as possible . baber lawyered up and signed a proffer agreement to divulge everything she knew about the club to federal investigators . while she knew prostitution was against the law , baber did n't know why she was being targeted . ' i felt violated and confused . why was it anyone 's business what i did in my private life ? i had n't hurt anyone . i paid my taxes . i helped women with strollers down subway stairs . ' i was made to feel as though i had done something truly horrible . but i knew with every fiber of my being that i had done nothing wrong . in fact , i 'm still unsure what `` crime '' was ever committed . ' baber ended up having to pay her lawyer $ 25,000 to settle the issue . after the end of the emperor 's club , baber temporarily moved to the u.k. where she got two university degrees from the university of sussex and middlesex university . she also received a degree from nyu . while the end of the emperors club turned out to be a good thing for baber in that she was finally able to go back to school , it was more traumatic for spitzer . after the revelation that he slept with an emperors club escort named ashley dupre , spitzer resigned and he was unsuccessful when he tried to salvage his career by running in new york city 's comptroller race this year - losing out to scott stringer . looking back on the prostitute part of her life , baber says it helped her learn that men ` are n't pigs ' and just like women , they ` need to be with someone who puts effort into maintaining all the things that attracted them in the first place . ' ` it seems simple enough , but these things often go neglected by their wives and partners . '<doc-sep>by . daily mail reporter . published : . 10:06 est , 1 august 2013 . | . updated : . 11:23 est , 1 august 2013 . eliot spitzer has refused to deny claims that he is cheating on his wife silda - again . the new york city comptroller candidate was given three opportunities this morning to defend himself against allegations he has a girlfriend , but instead chose to dodge reporters ' questions . ' i am so tired of the personal attacks and i 've answered all those questions , ' he said at a brooklyn campaign stop . former new york governor eliot spitzer has refused to deny that he has a girlfriend . with wife silda by his side , eliot spitzer publicly apologizes to his family after he was linked to a prostitution ring in 2008 . spitzer spectacularly resigned from politics five years ago after admitting he regularly had sex with prostitutes , including emperors club vip call girls ashley alexandra dupré . while his wife silda , 55 , stood by him , it has been reported she now plans to leave her husband as soon as the new york election is held in november . the couple also reportedly live apart . spitzer today tried to play down the fresh rumors about a new extra-marital tryst - telling reporters the public does n't care about his love life . ` the public cares about what i did in government . that 's what i 'm going to be talking about and that 's what the public is going to be voting on - based on what i did in terms of trying to clean up wall street , which got a lot more attention than the other things we did , ' he said , according to the new york post . ` but the other things we did was just as important . ' when the topic was raised again , spitzer insisted voters were n't interested in his private affairs . ` we 've . said everything we can say about that and these are attacks that are . | <t> new york times : court documents identify the woman as ashley alexandra dupre . </t> <t> she has not been charged with any crime . </t> <t> dupre writes on her myspace page that she abused drugs and has been homeless . </t> <t> `` she 'll make it through , '' her brother says . </t> | spitzer 's escort : ` i love who i am '<T> |
-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- texas authorities are investigating `` the safety of children '' at a ranch occupied by about 400 followers of polygamist sect leader warren jeffs , officials said friday . an aerial view taken last year shows some living quarters at polygamist leader warren jeffs ' texas ranch . authorities have sealed off the 1,900-acre ranch near eldorado and no one is allowed to enter or leave , officials with child protective services and the department of public safety said . the people living at the ranch are cooperating , authorities said . escorted by police , social workers entered the compound in south central texas at 8 p.m. thursday after receiving `` a referral , '' said child protective services spokeswoman marleigh meisner . watch police seal off the compound ''<doc-sep>child protective services `` is conducting an investigation into safety issues of the children who live within the compound , '' she said . meisner would not provide details about the referral but did say officials responded `` within days '' of receiving it . as of friday morning , meisner added , her agency had `` not determined that there is a safety issue with these children . '' several law enforcement agencies are assisting with the investigation , said tela mange , of the texas department of public safety . `` the people at the ranch have been cooperative and they are providing the investigators with everyone they want to talk to , '' she said . jeffs ' fundamentalist church of jesus christ of latter day saints -lrb- flds -rrb- bought 1,900 acres near eldorado four years ago and built the ranch , which they call the yfz ranch . it is now home to as many as 400 members who relocated from their arizona and utah compounds . jeffs , the 52-year-old leader and `` prophet '' of the 10,000-member church , was convicted in utah last year on two counts of being an accomplice to rape , charges related to a marriage he performed in 2001 . he still faces trial in arizona on eight charges of sexual conduct with a minor , incest and conspiracy .<doc-sep>state and local law enforcement agencies set up roadblocks around the ranch thursday evening , preventing journalists from seeing what was happening on the property , according to randy mankin , editor of the eldorado success weekly newspaper . `` this came totally out of the blue , '' mankin said . there were no indications of any violence around the ranch , he said . when cnn crews have visited the ranch , it was guarded by armed men equipped with night vision gear and other high-tech surveillance tools to prevent intruders . when cnn flew over the ranch in a small plane last year , the crew saw a massive temple , the three-story housing units where jeffs ' chosen followers live , the water tower , the school and community center , the dairy and cheese factory and a massive concrete mill .<doc-sep>the flds church openly practices polygamy in two towns straddling the arizona-utah state line -- hildale , utah , and colorado city , arizona. , but members living on their texas ranch rarely venture into eldorado , four miles to the south . critics of the sect say it arranges marriages for girls as young as 13 , and that competition for brides may be reduced through exiling young men . if male followers are excommunicated , the critics claim , their wives and children can be reassigned to someone else . jeffs is now being held in the mohave county jail in kingman , arizona , where he will be tried on charges of being an accomplice to incest and sex with minors . in november , jeffs was sentenced to 10 years in jail after being convicted of two charges of accomplice to rape . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- texas authorities are investigating `` the safety of children '' at a ranch occupied by about 400 followers of polygamist sect leader warren jeffs , officials said friday . an aerial view taken last year shows some living quarters at polygamist leader warren jeffs ' texas ranch . authorities have sealed off the 1,900-acre ranch near eldorado and no one is allowed to enter or leave , officials with child protective services and the department of public safety said . the people living at the ranch are cooperating , authorities said . escorted by police , social workers entered the compound in south central texas at 8 p.m. thursday after receiving `` a referral , '' said child protective services spokeswoman marleigh meisner . watch police seal off the compound '' child protective services `` is conducting an investigation into safety issues of the children who live within the compound , '' she said . meisner would not provide details about the referral but did say officials responded `` within days '' of receiving it . as of friday morning , meisner added , her agency had `` not determined that there is a safety issue with these children . ''<doc-sep>by . associated press . and alex greig . state agents have seized a polygamous group 's texas ranch where hundreds of children were removed during a 2008 fbi raid prompted by child sex abuse allegations . the group 's leader , warren jeffs , is serving life in prison after being convicted of sexually assaulting two girls he took as child brides . the texas department of public safety says its agents took possession of the secluded property near eldorado on thursday . ranch seizure : texas department of public safety trooper shawn baxter waits to advise media at the yearning for zion ranch on thursday . secluded community : the yearning for zion ranch , the fundametalist latter day saints compound that was once home to a polygamist cult . in a statement , dps says authorities were helping the remaining eight adults living on the ranch leave and to do an inventory . a judge in january ordered the forfeiture of the yearning for zion ranch , which was owned by the fundamentalist church of jesus christ of latter day saints . the state sought to seize the property over allegations of mismanagement by jeffs . according to ksbw , the texas department of public safety and the schleicher county sheriff 's office met wednesday afternoon with two residents of the yearning for zion ranch who told them eight adults are currently living there . much changed : warren jeffs seen in court in 2007 -lrb- left -rrb- and in a prison mugshot in 2011 -lrb- right -rrb- . polygamist ranch : state agents have seized the eldorado property , which belonged to the fundamentalist church of jesus christ of latter day saints , and was where hundreds of children were removed during a 2008 fbi raid prompted by child sex abuse allegations . ` law enforcement personnel are working with the occupants of the ranch to take all reasonable actions to assist with their departure of the property , to preserve the property , and to successfully execute the court order , ' the state agency said . the ranch was raided in 2008 after phone calls to a family violence hotline alleged abuse and rape . police removed some 468 children from the ranch , and another 130 women left voluntarily . the children were eventually returned after the supreme court rule there was no indication they were in imminent danger . created specifically as a center for warren jeffs ' leadership of mormon fundamentalists , the 1,700-acre yearning for zion ranch once had about 700 inhabitants . jeffs was convicted in 2011 of sexually assaulting two minors whom he described as his spiritual wives . at trial , prosecutors presented dna evidence to show he fathered a child with one of those girls , aged 15 . first raid : vehicles belonging to law enforcement and other investigators are parked near the main temple building at the yearning for zion -lrb- yfz -rrb- ranch , the flds compound , near eldorado , texas in 2008 . jeffs , 58 , is serving a life prison term in texas . he has continued to try to lead his roughly 10,000 followers from behind bars . the sect is a radical offshoot of mainstream mormonism whose members believe polygamy brings exaltation in heaven . online records from the schleicher county appraisal district indicate a dozen pieces of property at the ranch 's address that are owned by the trust and total 1,691 acres . combined , the most recent appraised value of the properties is $ 33.4 million . jeffs ' most devoted followers consider him god 's spokesman on earth and a prophet , but they were absent from court for the bulk of his criminal trial . paving the way to jeffs ' conviction were his own ` priesthood records ' - diary-like volumes , covering tens of thousands of pages , in which jeffs recounted his sexual encounters and records even his most mundane daily activities . largely abandoned : aerial view of the main temple building and two-story family homes at the yearning for zion -lrb- yfz -rrb- ranch , the flds compound , near eldorado , texas . ` this will be a major gathering place of the saints that are driven , ' jeffs wrote of the ranch . ` you can see it is well isolated . in looking at this location , we can raise crops all year round . there is no building code requirements . we can build as we wish without inspectors coming in . ' jeffs wanted the ' a rural location where the flds could operate a polygamist compound where the systemic sexual assault of children would be tolerated without interference from law enforcement authorities , ' according to the affidavit . the ranch was largely abandoned after jeffs ' conviction and neighbors told fox 13 that most of the polygamists have moved to other enclaves in south dakota , colorado , arizona and utah .<doc-sep>texas authorities initiated the seizure of the 1,600-acre ranch where prosecutors say polygamist sect leader warren jeffs and others sexually abused children , officials said thursday . the texas department of public safety and the schleicher county sheriff 's office met wednesday afternoon with two residents of the yearning for zion ranch near eldorado , texas , and those occupants said eight adults live there , a dps spokesman said thursday . authorities provided the residents with copies of court orders directing the state to take possession of the forfeited ranch , state officials said . `` law enforcement personnel are working with the occupants of the ranch to take all reasonable actions to assist with their departure of the property , to preserve the property , and to successfully execute the court order , '' the state agency said . more from ksan/klst .<doc-sep>eldorado , texas -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- dozens more children and young women were removed saturday from a texas ranch that is home to members of a polygamist sect , as state workers investigated claims of physical and sexual abuse . texas authorties used the bus in the background to transport children from a flds compound friday . a total of 183 people -- including 137 children -- have been taken away since law enforcement officers raided the compound thursday night , said marleigh meisner , a spokeswoman for the texas child protective services division . the children -- most of them girls -- were being interviewed by special investigators , she said . `` we 're trying to find out if they 're safe , '' she explained . `` we need to know if they have been abused or neglected . '' eighteen of the girls have been taken into state custody . authorities believe that they `` had been abused or were at immediate risk of future abuse , '' said child protective services spokesman darrell azar . the others were taken to a nearby civic center . meisner described them as doing `` remarkably well . '' authorities continue to search the 1,900-acre yfz ranch , occupied by followers of imprisoned polygamist sect leader warren jeffs , and at least one man is being sought by police . | <t> new : state child protective services agents interviewing children . </t> <t> new : no one permitted to enter or leave 1,900-acre texas compound . </t> <t> ranch home to hundreds of followers of polygamist leader warren jeffs . </t> <t> jeffs in arizona jail awaiting trial ; sentenced to 10 years in prison last year . </t> | agents at polygamist ranch checking ` safety of children '<T> |
kampala , uganda -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- at least 19 schoolgirls died when fire erupted in their dormitory west of the capital , kampala , late monday , say police and school officials . villagers surround the gutted school building tuesday . authorities also found the bodies of two adults in the ashes of the blaze at buddo junior school in mpigi . the school 's headmaster said 42 girls survived . police said they were investigating the cause , but children who lived in the dorm said they heard an explosion shortly before the fire broke out .<doc-sep>there were conflicting reports of the doors of the living quarters being barred , trapping the children inside . school officials insisted that the doors were n't locked , while girls who lived there said they were . mpigi is about 60 kilometers west of kampala . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>by . katy dartford . published : . 10:15 est , 5 november 2012 . | . updated : . 13:19 est , 5 november 2012 . new victim : liam trimbrell died in hospital today , is pictured with baby charlie who died in hospital a couple of days after the fire in prestatyn . a 23-year-old man has become the fifth person to die after a house fire in denbighshire . liam timbrell had been in a critical condition since the blaze on 19 october in prestatyn and died on monday at leicester 's glenfield hospital . his partner lee-anna shiers , 20 , and their 15-month-old son charlie died , along with ms shiers ' nephew bailey allen , four , and niece skye , two .<doc-sep>the los angeles county blaze erupted late friday in the steep terrain of the angeles national forest on the outskirts of sylmar , about 20 miles north of los angeles . see images from the los angeles county fire '' that fire has burned more than 10,000 acres and is about 40 percent contained , california fire officials said sunday . nine other homes and 10 businesses had been destroyed in los angeles by saturday evening , mayor antonio villaraigosa said . firefighters were struggling to contain the third blaze , in orange and riverside counties , said lynette round , a spokeswoman for orange county fire authority . ireport.com : ` insurmountable ' wall of flames looms . firefighters were hoping that strong winds in southern california would die down sunday , helping them to quell the blazes . `` if the winds die down it will give the firefighters an upper hand on fighting this , '' round told cnn on sunday morning . `` it is a wind-driven fire and with those gusty winds up to 25 miles an hour , it 's giving the firefighters a really difficult time . it 's hopscotched throughout the county . '' round said 168 homes were destroyed or damaged in the orange county area . the so-called triangle freeway complex fire had also damaged a building at a high school , round said . that blaze , which burned more than 23,700 acres , is 19 percent contained , according to california fire officials . watch residents as fire approaches their homes '' winds -- which have joined with low humidity and unseasonably high temperatures to help strengthen the fires -- were gusting up to 80 mph saturday . the high temperature in los angeles reached 92 degrees , according to the national weather service . gov. arnold schwarzenegger declared states of emergency for the affected counties after the fire damaged or destroyed hundreds of homes and closed major freeways .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- when daniel okalany bought his first computer at the age of 21 , he was hooked . just two years on , okalany runs his own mobile gaming company called kola studios from an office in the ugandan capital of kampala . okalany recalled how he was able to buy the pc as part of a government scheme to get more computers into homes . `` it was a tropix tt3 , '' he said , `` my mum paid half for it and i paid the other half . it was about 1.3 million ugandan shillings -lrb- $ 500 -rrb- . '' okalany soon went on to set up kola studios with two friends . `` initially , we started the business in my home , '' he said . `` it 's very common in africa for people to play traditional card games and we make these games available on mobile . '' at first , the company developed a two-player app called matatu , a digital version of an old ugandan card game by the same name . matatu proved a smash hit , with 20,000 people downloading the game through the mac app store , google play and the windows store . today , kola studios makes educational games with a fun twist . the company 's zombie spelling game , zword , is designed to help children and adults improve their english language skills . in order to fight off hordes of zombies , the player must spell words correctly within a time limit . `` the faster you type , the faster they die , '' reads the website 's slogan . according to unicef , over a quarter of the ugandan population is illiterate and okalany hopes games like zword will help to tackle the problem . `` it was just a concept that we were experimenting with , '' he said . `` we wanted to put the app into schools to help kids to spell . there is a major challenge in the fight against illiteracy . '' despite kola studios ' meteoric rise , the developer runs on a small staff of just five people . okalany said the company is starting to take on interns but recruiting workers with the right skills is proving difficult .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- prominent human rights activist al-amin kimathi was released from custody monday at the outset of the trial for suspects in the fatal july 2010 bombings in kampala , uganda . ugandan high court justice alphonse owiny dollo , who is presiding over the case , released kimathi , a kenyan , on grounds that the state had dropped charges against him . he was one of five suspects released monday . originally , 38 suspects were taken into custody , and that number had been trimmed to 19 before monday . the defendants have remained jailed on charges of terrorism , murder , attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder . the twin suicide bombings occurred at a popular rugby club and an ethiopian restaurant in the ugandan capital where people had gathered to watch the world cup soccer finals from south africa in july 2010 . the explosions , just minutes apart , left 76 dead and scores injured . | <t> 19 schoolgirls and two adults die in primary school dormitory fire , police say . </t> <t> school denies pupils ' claim that dormitory door was locked from the outside . </t> <t> police investigate cause of blaze at school 60 kilometers from kampala . </t> | 19 schoolgirls die in ugandan blaze<T> |
the mother of murdered schoolboy damilola taylor has died of a suspected heart attack , the press association reported wednesday . gloria taylor outside london 's central criminal court with damilola 's older brother tunde in 2006 . gloria taylor , 57 , collapsed while walking with her husband richard in south-east london tuesday , the agency reported . efforts to revive her at hospital failed and she was pronounced dead moments later , according to london police headquarters scotland yard . damilola , 10 , bled to death after being attacked on his way home from oliver goldsmith primary school in november 2000 . he staggered 100 yards with blood pouring from a sliced artery in his leg after being stabbed . nigerian-born damilola had been in britain for only a few months when he was attacked while walking home from an after school computer club .<doc-sep>damilola 's killing was front-page news in britain , and prompted soul-searching on topics ranging from the deprivation of inner cities to school bullying . a year after their son 's death , the taylors established the damilola taylor trust , aimed at improving the lives of underprivileged young people . the trust offers scholarships for medical students from poor backgrounds , and also set up the damilola taylor center , in peckham , south-east london , which provides sports and community activities . at the time , gloria said the trust aimed to provide hope and opportunities for britain 's `` downtrodden and underprivileged youth '' . `` damilola lost his life because of enormous problems in this society . our son wanted to be a doctor . `` he was a leader , and we are sure he would have been extraordinary . we would like the trust to heal many of the ills faced by today 's youth , '' the guardian newspaper reported her saying at the time .<doc-sep>in august 2006 , two teenage brothers were convicted of his manslaughter and given eight-year youth custody sentences . danny and ricky preddie , who were 12 and 13 at the time of the killing , were convicted at a retrial . the conviction came after three trials and two police investigations , parts of which were strongly criticized , the guardian reported . pa quoted a metropolitan police spokeswoman as saying : `` police were called at about 7.45 pm on april 8 by london ambulance service to reports of a woman taken ill on the street in shooters hill . `` local officers and london ambulance service were in attendance and a woman in her 50s was taken by ambulance to hospital suffering a suspected heart attack and was pronounced life extinct at 8.29 pm . `` a post-mortem examination will take place in due course . `` the incident is being investigated by local borough officers and is currently being treated as non suspicious . '' e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>by . rob cooper and louise eccles . published : . 07:42 est , 2 october 2013 . | . updated : . 16:30 est , 2 october 2013 . one of the brothers who killed ten-year-old damilola taylor arrogantly held up a sign as he left a court hearing calling for ` real justice ' for his victim . ricky preddie , 26 , posed outside court with a piece of paper which read : ` real justice for damiola taylor ' -- misspelling the schoolboy 's name . the stunt followed an appearance before west london magistrates where he denied a string of driving offences . today , damilola 's father richard , 65 , said the placard was ` distressing ' and called for preddie to identify his son 's real killer -- if he really is innocent . killer : ricky preddie mocks his 10-year-old victim damilola taylor by holding up a sign apparently demanding ` real justice ' for the boy . he spelled his victim 's name wrong . damilola bled to death on a stairwell . on a peckham estate in south london in november 2000 after being stabbed . in the leg with a broken beer bottle on his way home from the library . preddie and his brother danny , who were 13 and 12 at the time , were convicted of manslaughter in 2006 and jailed for eight years . widower . mr taylor said : ` it is very upsetting and disturbing for me . if he has . evidence about my son 's death then he should say something . maybe he is . using it as a ploy to distract from his court appearance . ' ricky was first released from prison on parole in 2010 - but he was sent back to jail three times after breaking the terms of his release . his brother danny was released from prison in 2011 . he faces returning to jail for the fourth . time since he was released in 2010 halfway through an eight-year . sentence for damilola 's killing . the schoolboy was caught on cctv just minutes before he was attacked walking home . taunt : preddie , wearing a dark blue tracksuit , leaves hammersmith magistrates ' court in west london today where he pleaded not guilty to a series of motoring offences . taunt : ricky preddie is seen outside the court today where he denied a series of motoring offences . victim : damilola taylor who died after being stabbed by a bottle in peckham , south east london . his family had moved to london from nigeria in search of a better life just months before the fatal attack . eight years later , damilola 's mother gloria taylor , 57 , died from a heart attack after suffering from high blood pressure following her son 's death . the mother , who dedicated her life after her son 's death to helping underprivileged children , collapsed while walking near her home in blackheath , south east london . today , almost . 13 years after the killing , ricky preddie appeared before hammersmith . magistrates ' court charged with a string of driving offences plus a . separate matter . of trespassing on railway property . he denied all nine charges . he was was arrested in august - just three months after being released . from jail for the last time after serving out his sentence for killing damilola . wearing a plaster on the left side of his head after having his ear hacked off in a prison fight , preddie spoke in court only to confirm his name , date of birth and address . he is due to stand trial on december 6 at westminster magistrates ' court . final journey : damilola taylor is seen running home from the library minutes before he was stabbed with a broken bottle in a stairwell in peckham , south-east london . weapon : five shards from the bottle which was used to stab damilola taylor . the schoolboy died on the stairwell half an hour later . he . was granted bail at hendon magistrates court in august and is currently . living just a few miles from the spot in peckham , south east london , . where he killed damilola . preddie . was first released in september 2010 , but recalled to custody in march . 2011 after returning to peckham from his west london bail hostel in . breach of his licence conditions . then in october 2011 he beat up . another prisoner , but a parole board hearing on december 23 decided he . should be released on january 25 , 2012 . he . lasted just 16 days before being taken back to prison for again . violating his parole by going to areas he was banned from and visiting . friends from his old gang . he . was let out in july 2012 , which means he has lasted just five months on . early release before being hauled before the authorities again for . handling stolen goods . he was released after serving out every day of his eight-year sentence earlier this year . although the eight-year jail term was handed down in 2006 , he had already served time behind bars on remand . he was granted unconditional bail today to return for a one day trial at westminster magistrates ' court . district . judge james henderson told him : ` you have unconditional bail until . then , which requires you to be there at 9.30 am on 6th december . ` if you do not attend the trial it will go ahead in your absence . next time bring your driving license and documents with you . ' he faces three counts of driving while . disqualified , three counts of driving without insurance , two counts of . inconsiderate driving and one count of trespassing at west brompton rail . station in west london . summer 2000 - damilola taylor 's family come to britain from nigeria searching for a better life . november 27 - the schoolboy dies after being stabbed to death in a stairwell in peckham , south-east london . december - police make a series of arrests . january 19 , 2001 - family members , footballers and government officials attend the schoolboy 's funeral . june - four youths are charged with murder and assault with intent to rob . january 2002 - the group go on trial at the old bailey but the case falls apart and eventually all four are cleared . january 2005 - two brothers and hassan jihad , 19 , are charged in connection with the killing . january 24 , 2006 - the three men go on trial at the old bailey . march 7 - an expert for the defence said that damilola fell on a shard of glass and was not stabbed . april 3 - hassan jihad , 20 , is cleared of all charges . april 4 - the brothers are cleared of murder but the jury can not reach a verdict on manslaughter charges . june 23 - danny and rickie preddie face a retrial at the old bailey . they are named for the first time as they have both turned 18 . august 9 - both men are found guilty of manslaughter and are jailed for eight years . april 2008 - gloria taylor , damilola 's mother , dies from a heart attack after collapsing in the street . september 2010 - ricky preddie is released on parole just four years after the eight-year sentence was handed down . 2011 - danny preddie is released from prison . march . 2011 - ricky is returned to prison after visiting to peckham from his west london bail hostel in . breach of his licence conditions . october 2011 - ricky beat up . another prisoner , but a parole board hearing on december 23 decided he . should be released on january 25 , 2012 . february 2012 - just 16 days after he is released , ricky preddie is back in prison for again . violating his parole by going to areas he was banned from and visiting . friends from his old gang . may 2013 - ricky preddie is released after serving every day of his eight-year sentence . killers : ricky preddie -lrb- right -rrb- and his brother danny -lrb- left -rrb- who were jailed after being convicted of damilola taylor 's manslaughter . anguish : damilola 's parents richard -lrb- second from right -rrb- and gloria taylor meet former prime minister tony blair and his wife cherie in 2001 , a year after the 10-year-old schoolboy was killed . grief : damilola 's aunt dorcas fayemi lays flowers at the spot where her nephew was murdered in november 2000 . grief : damilola 's coffin is taken to his funeral at all saint 's church , plumstead , after a killing which shocked britain . stabbing : damilola taylor bled to death after being stabbed with a broken bottle in this stairwell in peckham , south east london . sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons .<doc-sep>by . daily mail reporter . published : . 18:44 est , 25 may 2013 . | . updated : . 06:04 est , 26 may 2013 . support : richard taylor tried to help murder suspect michael adebowale , when he was a child . the father of murdered schoolboy damilola taylor acted as a mentor to woolwich suspect michael adebowale , who was known to his friends as toby .<doc-sep>by . arthur martin . one of the thugs who killed ten-year-old damilola taylor has been sent back to prison for a third time . ricky preddie , 25 , has been recalled to custody after police allegedly found a stolen motorbike at his bail hostel . preddie served just four years of an eight-year sentence imposed in 2006 after he and his brother danny stabbed damilola in the leg with a broken bottle as the schoolboy walked home from a library in peckham , south london , in november 2000 . back in jail : ricky preddie -lrb- left -rrb- , who killed schoolboy damilola taylor by stabbing him in the neck with a broken bottle , has been recalled to prison after being charged with handling stolen goods . habitual offender : preddie has already breached his parole terms twice having only served half his 8-year jail term for the manslaughter of damilola . last night damilola 's father richard , 64 , called the justice system an ` embarrassment ' . he said : ` preddie has proved he can not be rehabilitated . he should now stay in prison . ` if he had been jailed for life for killing my son in the first place , we would n't have this prison merry-go-round .<doc-sep>in one scene , he walks under a railway arch where he claims he and his gang used to ` rob ' people and take drugs . he says to camera : ` these are the parts where we just used to smoke , hang out , wait for victims to come , so that , basically , rob people and stuff like that . i think this was like the robbing grounds . ' but when asked by this newspaper if he robbed anybody , mr preddie replied : ` i never per se robbed anybody . if i did rob anyone , i would have got arrested and i would have got a criminal record , so no . i was obviously peer-pressured , and sometimes you fall to peer pressure . once again , she -lsb- the documentary reporter -rsb- placed it in my mouth . ' scroll down for video . against : richard taylor -lrb- left -rrb- , the father of murdered schoolboy damilola taylor -lrb- right -rrb- who was stabbed to death by chris preddie 's cousins said he was against the awarding of the obe . guilty : danny preddie -lrb- left -rrb- and his brother ricky preddie -lrb- right -rrb- are cousins of chris preddie who has just been awarded an obe . the brothers were convicted of damilola taylor 's manslaughter . crime scene : damilola taylor was stabbed on a north peckham estate in november 2000 . when we asked if he grew up in south . london , mr preddie said he ` spent time there ' as his maternal . | <t> mother of murdered schoolboy damilola taylor dies of suspected heart attack . </t> <t> gloria taylor , 57 , collapsed while walking with her husband richard tuesday . </t> <t> damilola , 10 , was stabbed in 2000 , death prompted soul-searching in britain . </t> | mom of murdered schoolboy damilola dies<T> |
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