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A mother is seeking to have the womb of her severely disabled daughter removed to prevent the 15-year-old from feeling the pain and discomfort of menstruation. Doctors in Britain are now taking legal advice to see if they are permitted to carry out the hysterectomy on Katie Thorpe, who suffers from cerebral palsy. But a charity campaigning for the disabled said on Monday the move could infringe human rights and would set a "disturbing precedent." Andy Rickell, executive director of disability charity Scope, told the Press Association: "It is very difficult to see how this kind of invasive surgery, which is not medically necessary and which will be very painful and traumatic, can be in Katie's best interests. "This case raises fundamental ethical issues about the way our society treats disabled people and the respect we have for disabled people's human and reproductive rights. Watch why the surgery is so controversial » . "If this enforced sterilization is approved, it will have disturbing implications for young disabled girls across Britain." Katie's mother Alison Thorpe, who lives in Billericay, southern England, said the operation was in her daughter's best interests. "First of all, this is not about me. If it was about me, I would have given up caring for Katie a long, long while ago," she told GMTV. "It is about quality of life and for Katie to not have the associated problems of menstruation adds to her quality of life. It means she can continue with the quality of life we can give her now. "Katie wouldn't understand menstruation at all. She has no comprehension about what will be happening to her body. All she would feel is the discomfort, the stomach cramps and the headaches, the mood swings, the tears, and wonder what is going on." Thorpe said an operation would be best for Katie, despite the initial pain it would cause. She added: "The short-term pain and discomfort we can manage with painkillers. We will be able to manage that pain much better than menstruation once a month, when Katie cannot tell us 'I'm in pain.'" E-mail to a friend .

Mother seeks to have womb of severely disabled daughter, 15, removed . Briton wants to prevent cerebral palsy sufferer feeling pain of menstruation . UK doctors seek legal advice to see if they can perform hysterectomy . Charity for disabled says move could infringe human rights .

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The Chinese government is bracing itself for a rush of people wishing to marry when the summer Olympics kick off on August 8 -- because the number carries a special significance in Chinese culture, the state news agency said Sunday. A traditional Ming-style wedding is held in Nanjing, China, last December. The number "eight" (ba) is considered auspicious by many in China because it sounds like the word for "wealth" and "fortune," the news agency Xinhua said. "We've long been prepared for a stampede of newly-wed couples this year," Guo Xusheng, spokesman with the Beijing Municipal Civil Affairs Bureau, told Xinhua. Every year, many couples choose the 8th of August -- the eighth month of the year -- hoping "eighth of the eighth" luck will rub off on them, the news agency said. Nearly 3,400 couples got hitched on the day last year, some waiting all night outside the marriage registration office in Beijing. This year, the civil affairs bureau is accepting online reservations for marriage registrations for the day. The significance that numbers carry in Chinese culture often dictate various aspects of the people's lives there. And of all the numbers, eight is considered one of the luckiest. Beijing, itself, opted to kick off the Olympic Games at 8 p.m. on 8/8/08. E-mail to a friend .

China braces for rush of weddings on opening day of Olympics . Opening day of Beijing Olympics is August 8, 2008 . The number "8" is considered by many Chinese to carry good fortune .

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Nihat Kahveci sent Turkey into the Euro 2008 finals behind defending champions and Group C winners Greece with the only goal in a narrow 1-0 victory over battling Bosnia-Herzegovina. Goalscorer Nihat gets a kiss from team-mate Altintop after Turkey sealed their place with a 1-0 win over Bosnia. The result ended Norway's hopes of snatching qualification despite their 4-1 victory away to Malta with Steffen Iversen scoring a first half hat-trick. Nihat struck at the end of a first half that Fatih Terim's Turkey dominated, yet the hosts were unable to build on that lead and had to endure some tense moments. Just a point had separated the third-placed Scandinavians from Terim's men -- and Turkey needed to win to progress. Nihat led the charge forcing early saves from goalkeeper Adnan Guso and finally making the breakthrough two minutes before half-time. Hamit Altintop found space down the left and crossed for the Villarreal forward who finished from 12 meters. Iversen broke the deadlock in Malta after 25 minutes and fired a second from the penalty spot three minutes later -- completing his treble on the stroke of half-time. Michael Mifsud hit back for Malta after the re-start, but Andre Schembri was red-carded after 67-minutes before Morten Gamst Pedersen's strike wrapped it up all to no avail. Portugal went through from Group A after a goalless home draw against qualification rivals Finland while group winners Poland completed their program with a 2-2 draw away to Serbia E-mail to a friend .

Nihat Kahveci put Turkey into Euro 2008 with 1-0 win over Bosnia/Herzegovina . Nihat struck at the end of a first half as Turkey joined holders Greece in finals . Portugal joined Poland in qualifying from Group A with 0-0 draw with Finland .

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Coalition troops killed the al Qaeda terrorist who masterminded the February 2006 attack on Samarra's al-Askariya mosque and set off continuing violence and reprisal killings between Sunnis and Shiites, the U.S. military said Sunday. The attack on Samarra's al-Askariya mosque set off violence between Sunnis and Shiites. Haitham Sabah al-Badri, the al Qaeda emir of greater Samarra, was killed by an airstrike Thursday east of Samarra, said Rear Adm. Mark Fox during a news conference. "Eliminating al-Badri is another step in breaking the cycle of violence instigated by the attack on the holy shrine in Samarra," Fox said. "We will continue to hunt down the brutal terrorists who are intent on creating a Taliban-like state in Iraq." Coalition forces Thursday raided four buildings outside Samarra that were associated with al-Badri, according to a U.S. military news release. During the raid, at least four armed men were seen leaving the buildings and setting up tactical fighting positions in an effort to ambush coalition forces, the release said. The coalition forces called in close air support, killing al-Badri and the three others, the release said. One of those killed was identified as a foreigner; al-Badri was identified by his close associates and relatives, the military said. El-Badri's death was first reported Saturday by a high-ranking Iraqi Interior Ministry official. No one was injured in the attack on the Golden Mosque, one of the holiest Shiite sites, but thousands have been killed by the death squads and reprisal bombings that have ravaged Iraq in the 17½ months since the attack. In addition to the February attack that collapsed the mosque's dome, another bombing in June destroyed the shrine's two remaining minarets. Al-Badri is believed to have been involved in other attacks, including two last year, Fox said -- the June 23 bombing of a Kirkuk courthouse that left 20 Iraqis dead and the August 28 attack at a Samarra checkpoint that killed 29 Iraqi soldiers. Samarra is in Salaheddin province, north of Baghdad. Mortar attacks kill 11 . Two mortar rounds struck a gas station in a mainly Shiite neighborhood in eastern Baghdad on Sunday, killing at least 11 people and wounding 15 others, a spokesman with Iraq's Interior Ministry said. The attack in the Afdhailiya neighborhood happened about 8 a.m. (12 a.m. ET), the spokesman said. Suicide bombers attacked two gas stations Wednesday, killing 70 people, Reuters reported. Meanwhile, coalition forces said Saturday they killed four suspected militants and detained 18 thought to have helped make or plant roadside bombs, the U.S. military said. The militants were suspected of coordinating logistical support from Iran for elements of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's Mehdi Army and other Shiite militias operating in Iraq, the military said. Iraqi family upset with U.S. soldier's sentence . A U.S. soldier has been sentenced to 110 years in confinement for participating in the rape of a 14-year-old girl and the killings of her and her family in Iraq, an Army spokeswoman said. The girl's family told Reuters on Sunday they were dismayed by the punishment and would have preferred to see the death penalty handed down in the case. Pfc. Jesse Spielman was convicted Friday of rape, conspiracy to commit rape, housebreaking with the intent to commit rape and four counts of felony murder. The girl, her parents and younger sister were shot dead in March 2006 in Mahmoudiya, south of Baghdad. "We were expecting the death penalty against those criminals and the place to carry out the sentence is where the incident happened," the girl's cousin, Abu Ammar, told Reuters. Her uncle, Hadi Abdullah, told the wire agency that family members wished there was a way to appeal the sentence so the death penalty could be imposed. Three soldiers have previously pleaded guilty in the case and were given sentences ranging from five to 100 years. The accused ringleader, former Pvt. Steven Green, was discharged from the Army and awaits trial in a civilian court. Other developments . CNN's Pierre Bairin and Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report.

Haitham Sabah al-Badri was the al Qaeda emir of greater Samarra . U.S. military says al-Badri suspected in two other attacks that killed 49 . Family of slain girl upset soldier wasn't sentenced to death, Reuters says . At least 11 people killed in mortar attacks in Baghdad, Interior Ministry says .

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Richard Roberts, the embattled president of Oral Roberts University and the son of its namesake evangelist founder, stepped down Friday, according to the school's Board of Regents. Richard Roberts and wife Lindsay appear on CNN's "Larry King Live" in October. "I love ORU with all my heart. I love the students, faculty, staff and administration, and I want to see God's best for them," Roberts wrote in his resignation letter. Roberts' decision was effective immediately and came as the school fought a wrongful termination lawsuit filed by three professors who accused him and his wife of misconduct. John Swails, Tim Brooker and Paulita Brooker said they lost their jobs after reporting information indicating that Roberts and his family lavishly spent school money for personal expenses. Roberts and his wife, Lindsay, have denied the allegations. The suit also claimed Oral Roberts University gave a "convicted sexual deviant unrestricted access to students" and evidence in the case had been shredded -- charges the university has denied. In addition, the suit alleged Lindsay Roberts repeatedly spent time with an "underage male" in various situations. She denied any improper behavior, insisting in a statement that she had "never, ever engaged in any sexual behavior with any man outside of my marriage." The Board of Regents, which voted to hire an auditor to look into the claims, will meet early next week to discuss a search process for a new president, according to Friday's statement from Chairman George Pearsons. Roberts announced last month he would step aside temporarily as president, saying he and his family had suffered "heavy damage." The controversy has drawn international attention to the private Christian university in Tulsa, Oklahoma. E-mail to a friend .

"I love ORU with all my heart," Richard Roberts writes in his resignation letter . Three professors allege they were fired for revealing misspending . Roberts and wife deny spending university funds improperly . Roberts announced last month he was stepping aside temporarily as president .

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Amid high emotions and tight security, thousands lined the streets of Beirut Friday to honor Antoine Ghanem, the anti-Syrian Lebanese MP killed in a powerful bomb blast along with four others. Amin Gemayel (R), Phalange party head, carries the coffin of assassinated deputy Antoine Ghamen. Against an atmosphere of intense political and patriotic fervor, the flag-draped coffins of the politician and two bodyguards also killed in Wednesday's rush hour blast made its way through the city's Christian district to the Sacred Heart church on what the government had declared as a day of national mourning. The procession was accompanied by thousands waving flags, as well as a brass band playing the anthem of Ghanem's Phalange Party, The Associated Press reported . TV pictures showed distraught mourners crowding and reaching out to the coffins as they were carried aloft. Several people were seen to collapse and had to be carried away. Mourners also carried photographs, threw rose petals and unfurled banners, some of which read "We Won't Kneel," AP said. The coffins were greeted at the Christian Maronite church with applause from the gathered mourners, the agency said, including majority leaders and the Lebanese cabinet as well as Ghanem's family and friends. Ghanem was later buried in the city's Christian district. Ghanem's death is the latest in a series of attacks targeting prominent anti-Syrian figures, with the most notorious being the February 2005 assassination in Beirut of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, which sparked widespread protests that led to the ouster of Syrian forces from Lebanon. Hariri also died in a massive explosion. The incident threatens to cast the country into political uncertainty ahead of a key presidential vote in a tightly divided parliament, almost evenly split between anti- and pro-Syrian camps. Watch how Ghanem's death disrupts Lebanese politics » . CNN's Beirut bureau chief Brent Sadler said that many Lebanese now feared for the future, especially given other events in the region including the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis, recent political differences in Iraq and Iran's bid to become a super power. "There continues to be among a great deal of people here a sense of foreboding that perhaps the worst is yet to come," he said. U.S. President George W. Bush, in a written statement, joined other world leaders in condemning the "horrific assassination." "Since October 2004, there has been a tragic pattern of political assassinations and attempted assassinations designed to silence those Lebanese who courageously defend their vision of an independent and democratic Lebanon," Bush said Wednesday. Also in a written statement, a spokesperson for Ban Ki-moon said the U.N. secretary-general "condemns in the strongest terms this terrorist attack." "The secretary general urges all Lebanese to exercise utmost calm and restraint at this very critical time and to allow judicial procedures to take their course," the spokesperson said. Bush's statement added: "The United States opposes any attempts to intimidate the Lebanese people as they seek to exercise their democratic right to select a president without foreign interference. We will continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Lebanese people as they resist attempts by the Syrian and Iranian regimes and their allies to destabilize Lebanon and undermine its sovereignty." The U.S. Embassy in Beirut issued a statement saying: "It is not a coincidence that these attacks target those figures who have been working to secure Lebanon's independence from renewed Syrian hegemony. We note with concern that many Lebanese politicians allied with Syria have in fact warned that murder and violence would be the results of any effort to exercise genuine parliamentary democracy." And U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, in a written statement, said: "The bombing that claimed these lives was another act in a campaign of terror by those who want to turn back the clock on Lebanon's hard-won democratic gains." "The world should speak with one voice in calling for an end to violence in Lebanon intended to subvert democratic processes in that country," Rice said. "Lebanese elections, scheduled to begin in just days, must proceed, in accordance with the Constitution, without threats of foreign interference and the violence that accompanies such obstruction." E-mail to a friend .

Thousands lined Beirut streets to honor anti-Syrian MP, killed in car bomb blast . Noted parliamentarian killed along with four others during Wednesday rush hour . Flag-draped coffin paraded through streets before burial in Christian district . Day of national mourning called, with schools, universities, public offices shut .

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Police made a string of arrests across Europe Tuesday, detaining 20 people suspected of involvement in the recruitment of suicide bombers, Italian police said. Eleven of the arrests were in Italy, in the northern cities of Milan, Reggio Emilia, Bergamo, and San Remo, said. Lt. Col. Sandro Sandulli, the head of the Carabinieri special forces. One was already in custody, so authorities served him with a new arrest warrant which included new charges against him, Sandulli said. Three arrests were in Britain, one in France, and one in Portugal, Sandulli said. The remaining arrests happened in European countries but Sandulli did not specify which ones. Those arrested are suspected of forming Salafi Jihad terrorist cells which were recruiting suicide bombers and sending them to Iraq and Afghanistan, said Col. Mario Parente, deputy commander of the Carabinieri special forces unit. Parente said that during the arrests, police found al Qaeda manuals for the production of explosives, detonation devices, and various poisons. He said the manuals also included details of guerrilla-style war operations. Salafi is an extreme school of Islamic thought which developed in Egypt and began to have prominence with militant groups there in the late 1960s and has since been adopted by terrorist groups in North Africa, the Middle East, and Europe, said Sajjan Gohel, director of international security at the Asia Pacific Foundation in London. "It's become the ideology of choice for transnational terrorism, including al Qaeda," Gohel said. "It's emerging as a very dangerous ideology." The Madrid train bombers and various terrorist cells in Italy were part of the Salafi school of thought, he added. Italian police said Tuesday's arrests were the result of an investigation, started in 2003, into some Salafi cells which were organized by Tunisians and Algerians. The main suspect in the operation is a Tunisian who was arrested in 2002 during a separate antiterrorism operation, police said. The main terrorist cell was based in the northern Italian region of Lombardy and involved what investigators called a "long-term" jihadist program which provided military and ideological training. Another cell, based in Reggio Emilia, had the goal of creating a grand Islamic "empire" stretching from Morocco to China, police said. Parente said those arrested are also accused of producing false documents, facilitating illegal immigration, and covering up other individuals wanted for terrorism-related crimes. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Flavia Taggiasco in Rome contributed to this report .

Police say 20 suspected of involvement in the recruiting suicide bombers held . Arrests were in Italy and across other European countries, police say . Those held are accused of recruiting bombers to go to Iraq and Afghanistan . 11 people were held in Italy and nine others across Europe .

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They wore feathers. They wore fancy hats. And of course, they wore fur. Never mind the human -- the dog in haute couture was the fashionistas' focus during Pet Fashion Week. But the models strutting down the runway were of the four-legged variety. The glamorous pooches were accompanied by human models -- but the furry ones were getting all the attention. It was Pet Fashion Week New York and these canines were not wearing the boring plaid raincoats that have sold for years. They were wearing one-of-kind design creations. The show last weekend was aimed at owners of sophisticated canines who may be willing to pay for their pup's own stylist. Booths at the annual event features couture clothing, jewelry and other accessories for the well-dressed doggie -- all part of the $40 billion pet industry. E-mail to a friend .

Dogs ruled in New York during Pet Fashion Week . Dazzling couture designs trotted down the runway . Upscale pet accessories, apparel, and lifestyle items on display . Design awards encourage pushing the envelope in style .

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From "Mississippi Masala" to "Vanity Fair," Mira Nair's movies have entranced audiences in India and the West. CNN spoke to the director of "Monsoon Wedding" and "Salaam Bombay!" at the Bollywood Movie Awards in Long Island about filmmaking in India and America and her adaptation of Jhumpa Lahiri's novel about loss and family, "The Namesake." ............................... Film director Mira Nair . CNN: What inspired you to make "The Namesake"? Mira Nair: I happened to read "The Namesake" on a plane in early 2004, when I traveled from New York to Jo'berg to finish the filming of "Vanity Fair." I read "Namesake" while in huge grief with the death of a beloved person to me [Mira's mother in law]. It was at that state of mourning that I picked up this novel, and in it Jhumpa writes really acutely of a loss of a parent in a foreign country, and I thought I had been understood by someone. It was also a story that linked the two cities in which I had grown up -- Calcutta and New York City -- and it was almost certainly the road that I had traveled. It just spoke to me and I felt compelled to do this film. A few months later we were shooting it. CNN: It's filmed in both India and New York, such different cultures. Tell us about the universal themes involved during the film. Nair: Well, the story of movement and crossings is as old as the hills. It's a tale of millions of us that have left one home for another, and tried to find out who we are through these places. Then when we have children, life gets more interesting. It is about growing up through our adult lives and our children's lives. It is also equally a love story between two people who come from a culture who don't send roses and diamonds for love; who sit at a kitchen table and look at each other. It's about that generation of parents who have that stillness about one another, versus the clang and hustle of young Gogol who is 15 and grows up in an American world because he wishes to be American. That flow -- that see-saw between parents and children, that's what "The Namesake" is about. CNN: Tell us about casting the role of Gogol. Nair: Well, Kal Penn plays Gogol and he's known as a comic star, but I had no idea that he existed until my 15-year-old son said, "This has to be your Gogol." I didn't take him seriously at all until every night the campaign mounted at home: "Tell me in the morning it's Kal Penn!" he would say. And then Kal wrote to me and told me he became an actor because he had seen "Mississippi Masala" when he was eight years old and realized people on the screen could look like him, and other such seductive things. He came to my office and auditioned and he was just so appealing, and so much the real thing, that I cast him as Gogol. CNN: How have Indian audiences reacted to your heavily western-influenced films? Nair: It's not that different a kind of audience, that's what pleases me. "Salaam Bombay!" we really made for the children on the streets and the kids who really love that Bollywood stuff, and also with "Deeply Alternative," which ran for 27 weeks. "Monsoon Wedding" was also a big hit in India. But no, they don't come to my films for Bollywood fare; it's a completely alternative thing. In terms of audiences on both sides, I've been blessed: the films have been really well received and highly anticipated. CNN: "The Namesake" was filmed in America and India. What differences were there in the two locations? Nair: In India it is more about orchestrating chaos, and it's about sifting the chaos, but I get especially excited about the throb and chaos on the streets and so on, and in America it's about paying for the chaos, you know every head has to be placed there and paid for. CNN: "The Namesake" is about not losing the identity of Indian culture. Was that a challenge? Nair: I am at home in many cultures. I live actively in three continents and I've done that for most of my life, so I just make films as I see the world, and that happens to speak to people. I do things that I want to do. It so happens because I am fluent in both worlds that my films enter both worlds, perhaps. CNN: Do Indian and American audiences behave differently? Nair: No, not really. I think films have to reach people and really grab them. That's what I hope to do when I make a film -- to get under your skin and really make you think about something, and have a transporting time that takes you somewhere. E-mail to a friend .

Nair directed "Monsoon Wedding," "Vanity Fair," "Salaam Bombay!" Her film, "The Namesake," is based on Jhumpa Lahiri's novel . Nair cast character of "Gogol" after teenage son's recommendation . Nair: Indian and American audiences "not that different"

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A grand jury Tuesday indicted four suspects on charges of first degree felony murder and armed burglary in the slaying of Washington Redskins star Sean Taylor. A grand jury identified Eric Rivera Jr. as the shooter in the death of NFL star Sean Taylor. Court documents say the youngest is alleged to have fired the fatal shot. The three adult suspects -- Venjah K. Hunte, 20, Jason Scott Mitchell, 19, and Charles Kendrick Lee Wardlow, 18 -- appeared in court Tuesday via videoconference wearing thick green vests, which defense attorneys said were suicide safety smocks. They were ordered held without bail at the Pre-Trial Detention Center in Miami, Florida, where Corrections Officer Janelle Hall said they are under suicide watch. The fourth suspect -- Eric Rivera Jr., 17 -- remained in custody in Fort Myers, Florida. His attorney, Wilbur Smith, told CNN he expected his client to be moved to a Miami-Dade juvenile detention facility Wednesday. Watch CNN's Rick Sanchez speak to attorneys for two of the suspects » . Rivera was armed during the alleged burglary, and "during the course of the commission of the offense ... discharged a firearm and as a result of the discharge, death or great bodily harm was inflicted upon Sean Maurice Taylor, a human being," the indictment says. The four men were arrested Friday, officials said. Taylor, 24, died a day after he was shot during an apparent burglary at his home. Miami-Dade police investigators said they believe the burglars thought the house was empty. Thousands of mourners attended Taylor's funeral Monday at Florida International University's arena. See photos from the funeral » . Police said Taylor and his girlfriend, Jackie Garcia, were awakened by noise coming from the living room early November 26. Taylor got up and locked the bedroom door, but the door was kicked in and two shots were fired, police said. One struck Taylor in the leg. Garcia and the couple's 18-month-old daughter were not hurt. Authorities have said Garcia told police she was hiding under the bedding during the attack, did not see what happened and could not provide a suspect description. A break-in had been reported at Taylor's residence eight days earlier. A police report from that incident said someone forced a window open and left a kitchen knife on a bed. Several drawers and a bedroom safe were searched during the break-in, according to the report. Taylor spent four years with the Redskins, earning his first Pro Bowl selection in 2006. He suffered a sprained right knee in a November 11 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles and had not played since. The 2004 first-round draft pick played at the University of Miami, where he was an All-American in 2003. He was regarded as one of the hardest-hitting players in the NFL. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Kim Segal and John Couwels contributed to this report.

The 17-year-old suspect allegedly fired the fatal shot . NEW: Eric Rivera Jr. will be moved to a Miami-Dade facility Wednesday, attorney says . Three adult suspects in Sean Taylor slaying on suicide watch . Taylor died after being shot in home invasion last week .

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A man serving a life sentence for robbing a drugstore has confessed to overpowering and fatally shooting a deputy who was taking him to court Wednesday, authorities said. Michael Mazza, 40, was arrested outside a pawn shop in Hollywood, Florida, hours after the death of Broward County Deputy Paul Rein sparked a massive manhunt. It was the third shooting of a Broward County sheriff's deputy in four months, and the second fatality. The incident happened as Mazza was being taken to the second day of his trial in connection with the armed robbery of a Coral Springs bank, Sheriff Al Lamberti said. Mazza was being transported in a medical van because of a medical condition, Lamberti said. The driver's compartment of the van was separated from the back by a cage or grill. Mazza and Rein left about 8:05 a.m., Lamberti said. Minutes later, a truck driver who saw all or part of the altercation near Pompano Beach called 911. "All of this transpired within six minutes. That's all it took," Lamberti said. The struggle began when Rein apparently pulled the medical transport van over at an intersection. The deputy's body showed other injuries from the fight -- a broken finger, bruises and cuts, Lamberti said. Mazza allegedly took Rein's service weapon away from him and shot him, authorities said. Although two shots were fired, Rein was shot only once, the bullet entering his upper chest and exiting his lower back, Lamberti told reporters. After the shooting, Mazza is believed to have thrown Rein from the van and driven away. A city public works employee later spotted the blood-spattered van in Fort Lauderdale, Lamberti said. Mazza, meanwhile, is believed to have hitchhiked his way down to Hollywood, about 20 miles away. He approached a man at a pawn shop and asked for a ride. The man, who was headed to a second pawn shop, agreed. When the man arrived at the second pawn shop, he left Mazza in the car and went inside, Lamberti said. As he was talking to the clerk, a television in the shop began broadcasting news about the deputy's shooting, and showed a picture of Mazza, he said. The man "tells the clerk, 'Hey, I have that guy in my car,' " Lamberti said. He went back to the car, took his keys, came back and told the clerk to call police. Mazza was arrested shortly afterward. Rein's gun was found with Mazza in the man's car, the sheriff said. Mazza faces charges including first-degree murder and escape, Lamberti said. He was being interviewed by police Wednesday afternoon and was to appear before a judge at some point, he said, and afterward would be transported to Dade County Jail. Because the shooting was "an emotionally charged event for all of us ... we feel it's probably better that he be housed at another facility outside of Broward County," Lamberti said, and Dade County agreed to house him. Mazza initially was reluctant to talk to authorities, but later agreed, and confessed to shooting Rein, the sheriff said. He offered no details. Lamberti said Mazza was serving a life sentence for robbing a drugstore in Coconut Creek, correcting his earlier statement that Mazza was serving two life sentences. He was on trial for robbery of the Coral Springs bank. Broward County also has a pending case against Mazza -- a February drugstore robbery in Pompano Beach, he said. Mazza was dressed in civilian clothes -- a suit -- rather than jail scrubs Wednesday because he had a court date, authorities have said. When caught, however, Mazza was wearing a T-shirt, shorts and sneakers, Lamberti told reporters. Police are investigating whether he had planned the escape in advance and whether anyone helped him. Rein's co-workers told reporters he was "in outstanding condition physically." The sheriff's office has fitness-for-duty standards that deputies must meet. Broward County deputies conduct some 400 to 500 inmate court transports a day -- one deputy transporting up to a handful of inmates, Lamberti said. Thin staffing and scant resources prevent more than one deputy being involved, he said. "It's a routine thing," Lamberti said. "But it shows, in this profession, nothing is routine, whether it be a domestic, a traffic stop or just transporting an inmate to court." As news of the escape broke, all 273 schools in Broward County went on lockdown, according to Nadine Drew, a spokeswoman for the school system. Lamberti said Rein's wife spoke to her husband by cell phone just 10 minutes before he was shot. "She said you never think it's going to happen to you," the sheriff said. The deputy was memorialized Wednesday on the Web site of the Broward County Sheriff's Office. Visitors to the site were greeted by a photo of Rein, with a caption saying, "Husband. Father. Friend." E-mail to a friend .

Deadly struggle "transpired within six minutes. That's all it took," sheriff says . NEW: Suspect faces charges including first-degree murder and escape . Incident happened as the deputy was transporting Michael Mazza to court . Mazza was apprehended after a massive manhunt .

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"Human error factors" probably were involved in a ship crash and oil spill that killed nearly 400 birds in San Francisco Bay and prompted a federal criminal probe, the U.S. Coast Guard said Monday. A worker checks oil cleanup gear near the Golden Gate Bridge Thursday in San Francisco, California. The U.S. attorney in San Francisco has opened a federal criminal investigation into Wednesday's crash of the MV Cosco Busan to determine whether the captain and crew violated federal maritime laws. Although not officially detained, the captain and crew were barred by law from leaving the vessel, which is docked for repairs in Oakland, the Coast Guard said. "You had a competently manned ship with a pilot, all the navigation and sensors," said Adm. Thad Allen, Coast Guard commandant. There were "probably some human error factors, but we need to determine the facts, because there's no reason a ship like that should have collided with the bridge." Watch Allen on the criminal probe » . The Cosco Busan was departing Oakland for South Korea when it struck a tower supporting the western suspension span of the Bay Bridge, cutting a 212-foot, 12-foot wide gash in the ship's side. About 58,000 gallons of heavy-duty bunker oil poured out of the vessel as it was moored near Treasure Island. See where oil spilled » . The oil sickened birds and formed globules on more than 20 of the area's beaches. It oozed along the San Francisco city waterfront and out of the bay, beneath the Golden Gate Bridge toward Marin County. Allen defended the Coast Guard against criticism of its response to the spill. Some lawmakers, including one of the state's U.S. senators, Democrat Barbara Boxer, have criticized the Coast Guard's handling of the collision and resulting spill. Boxer said the Coast Guard initially reported that the ship's owner had said only 140 gallons had spilled from the Cosco Busan. Boxer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California have called for congressional hearings into the accident and resulting spill. Although Allen conceded some confusion in the Coast Guard's communication, he said it did not reflect their response. "Response was set into play within an hour of the event itself," Allen said Monday. Regarding the initial low estimate of 140 gallons of lost oil, Allen said heavy fog and damage to the ship's tanks hindered initial aerial and on-ground evaluations of how much oil had leaked from the ship. In addition to federal prosecutors, the National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the accident, and NTSB spokeswoman Debbie Hersman said Sunday that agency was interviewing the pilot, the ship's crew, and other pilots who were on the water at the time of Wednesday's crash. See photos of oil coating the bay » . The crew had been on its inaugural voyage on the ship, which the current owner purchased last month, Hersman said. The NTSB also intends to review the ship's voyage data recorder, which should have recorded captain and crew conversations on the bridge and other information in the 12 hours leading up to the bridge collision, Hersman said. The oil spill has sparked concern among local officials and environmentalists. As of Sunday, 23 beaches in the area remained closed. Angel Island State Park, the Bay's largest island, reopened Monday, the Coast Guard said. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has declared a state of emergency, freeing money to clean up the spill. Seven miles of containment boom stretched across the bay has collected more than 12,271 gallons of oil so far, and another 4,000 gallons have evaporated, officials said. Nearly 400 dead birds have been recovered from the bay, while another 500 birds have been rescued alive but soaked in oil, according to Lisa Curtis, administrator of the Department of Fish and Games Office of Spill Prevention and Response. In 1989, the oil tanker Exxon Valdez ran aground and fouled Alaska's Prince William Sound with almost 11 million gallons of crude -- the nation's worst ever oil spill. Thousands of birds and animals died in the disaster, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Often birds and animals are threatened when they come in contact with the oil and swallow it as they try to clean themselves, said the NOAA Web site. In addition to birds, oil spills can be very harmful to fish and shellfish, NOAA said. Twenty wildlife teams were scheduled Monday to be the bay, working to find sick birds so they can be rehabilitated, Curtis said. On Sunday, the state's other U.S. senator and a leading Coast Guard official decried the accident. "This an incident which, in my view, should not have happened," Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California, said Sunday after being briefed by Coast Guard officials. Rear Adm. Craig E. Bone, the Coast Guard's director of inspection and compliance, echoed Feinstein's comments. "This incident should have never ever occurred," he said. "There's systems, there's capabilities, there's licensed operators, there's a pilot on board the vessel, there's the capacity and the capability to safely navigate through this port and waterways every day." He added, "But we have to move beyond the incident and the fact that it occurred and move forward into the response." The California Department of Transportation said the collision did no structural damage to the bridge and there was no interruption of bridge traffic -- more than 250,000 vehicles daily. E-mail to a friend .

Coast Guard initial assessment: Human error probably involved . It was crew's first voyage on Cosco Busan, which hit Bay Bridge in dense fog . Crew not allowed to leave ship due to federal law, says Coast Guard . Feds launch criminal probe; 58,000 gallons leaked and killed nearly 400 birds .

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Josephs and Marys in search of a room at the inn this Christmas are being made an offer they can't refuse. Mary and Joseph ride a donkey to Bethlehem in a performance of the Nativity story near Guildford, England. A British hotel chain is promising free accommodation to couples who share their first names with the couple from the Christian Nativity story. Almost 30 Josephs and Marys had already signed up for the free night's stay at the Travelodge, said Shakila Ahmed, a spokeswoman for the hotel chain. "The 'gift' of a free night's stay is to make up for the hotel industry not having any rooms left on Christmas Eve over 2000 years ago when the original 'Mary and Joseph' had to settle for the night in a stable," the company says on its Web site. The offer is good at any one of the chain's 322 hotels in the United Kingdom, the Web site says. The couples must bring proof of identity and must prove that they are in a long-term relationship. "If you satisfy the criteria, you get a free night in a family room for two adults and two children," Ahmed said. "There's also parking space for a donkey if needed," she joked. Ahmed said the offer, which will run from Christmas Eve to Twelfth Night -- December 24 to January 5 -- had been very well-received. "We've had a lot of interest. I think people like the fact that it resonates with the Nativity story at a time when the actual meaning of Christmas often becomes forgotten in festive overkill," she said. Couples can register their names at a special e-mail address set up by Travelodge, which has hotels across the Britain, Ireland and Spain, Ahmed said. E-mail to a friend .

Couples who share names with the couple from the Nativity story get free room . Almost 30 Josephs and Marys have signed up for the free night's stay . Couples have to bring proof of identity . They also have to prove that they are in a long-term relationship .

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It may take a lot of frequent-flier miles, a penchant for cold places, a tolerance of taxes and regular doses of chocolate, but happiness could be within reach. However, it's not where most people might expect. Journalist Eric Weiner says he wanted to explore the relationship between place and happiness. Just ask Eric Weiner, who made it his mission to find the most content places around the globe, uncovering lots of surprises along the way. Hungering for a tropical paradise? A warm climate doesn't necessarily make a happy nation, Weiner said. Thinking of moving to a wealthy state? Money can degrade happiness, he found. Weiner, who wrote the book, "The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World," began his quest for very personal reasons. "I'm an unhappy person, so it's kind of what prompts a hungry person to search for food," he said. Weiner spent 10 years as a foreign correspondent for National Public Radio, a job that took him to some of the least happy places in the world. It was enough to send him on a yearlong journey to look for just the opposite. Weiner mapped out his quest with a combination of scientific and personal methods, choosing some countries because they traditionally score high on happiness surveys and selecting others to see how factors like money play a role. A world map of happiness, based on 100 different studies and produced by Britain's University of Leicester in 2006, listed Denmark as the world's happiest nation. But for Weiner, the place where he felt the most bliss was a toss-up between Bhutan and Iceland, countries that ranked eighth and fourth, respectively, on the happiness map. Weiner's list of favorites also included Thailand, India and Switzerland. See photos of his favorites and listen to him explain why they're happy » . His top two picks, though very different countries, have unconventional paths to happiness, he said. "Bhutan is probably the closest thing on Earth to Shangri-La, that fictional paradise," Weiner explained. He pointed out that while other countries focus on their gross domestic product, the Himalayan kingdom proudly touts its policy of "gross national happiness." "The Bhutanese very much believe that happiness should be part and parcel of every government decision," Weiner said. Cold place, warm relationships . Thousands of miles away, Weiner found happiness in a very different environment, marveling at the creativity and "coziness" of Iceland. "Everyone in Iceland is a poet," Weiner recalled. He visited the country during winter and said he found a certain beauty in the cold and the darkness. Such a chilly climate usually encourages warm relationships, Weiner found. "The cold inspires people to cooperate, traditionally. If you go back a few hundred years, people in cold climates have to cooperate or they die together. It's that simple," he said. Weiner found a different flavor of happiness in Switzerland, where he discovered people are content partly because everything runs like clockwork. Simple pleasures like trains arriving on time contributed to national happiness, he said. But there may be a much sweeter reason why Switzerland is a happy place. "The Swiss eat a lot of chocolate, and let's not forget that," Weiner said. He was also impressed with how the Swiss view money. "Their attitude is that if you've got it, hide it. While our attitude is if you've got it, flaunt it," Weiner said, comparing the Swiss to Americans. Weiner called the United States, which came in at No. 23 on the University of Leicester's world map of happiness, a nation that "is not as happy as it is wealthy." The impact of wealth and taxes . The relationship between money and happiness took Weiner to the Middle East and Qatar, a country with one of the highest per capita incomes in the world, thanks to oil and natural gas revenues, according to the CIA World Factbook. "I went there specifically to examine what happens when the entire country wins the lottery," Weiner said. He found the wealth made the residents comfortable, but also degraded their level of contentment. "Most of our happiness is derived from our relationships with other people," Weiner said. "The money in Qatar has allowed them to wall themselves off, literally and figuratively, from other people. ... That's not a recipe for happiness." There are no income taxes in Qatar, but that's not a cause for contentment, Weiner found. Some taxation is necessary for happiness because it's a way of being invested in a place, he argued. "You're giving money to someone else, a government, and you're trusting them to do something good with it," Weiner said. "In a country where there's no taxation at all, people don't have vested interests in how well the government performs. You can't say, 'Hey, those are my tax dollars at work.'" Quest creates buzz . Weiner's book has struck a chord, recently rising to the top 10 of The New York Times nonfiction best-seller list. An expert who studies happiness said part of the book's appeal may lie in how Weiner mapped out his journey. "He arranges an interesting itinerary because he uses science as his compass," said Daniel Gilbert, a psychology professor at Harvard University and the author of "Stumbling on Happiness." Gilbert said it's only recently that a combination of biology, sociology and psychology has been able to answer the "where's and why's" of happiness, a subject that has always fascinated people. "The quest for happiness is the central preoccupation of human beings and has been for as long as there have been human beings," Gilbert said. He echoed Weiner's findings that bliss is other people. "Everyone has been telling us for the longest time that happiness is about social relationships, well, bingo, they're right," Gilbert said. Meanwhile, after a year of exploring some of the world's happiest places, Weiner -- the self-described "grump" -- said his mind-set has improved somewhat. "I would describe myself as a recovering grump," Weiner said. "At this point, I think I am marginally happier than before I started the project." E-mail to a friend .

Journalist spent a year looking for the world's happiest countries . Eric Weiner: Bhutan is probably the closest thing on Earth to Shangri-La . He marvels at the creativity and "coziness" of Iceland . Self-described "grump:" chocolate contributes to happiness in Switzerland .

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A Saudi Arabian human rights attorney is asking the government to allow him to represent a woman who was gang-raped -- and then sentenced to prison for speaking out about the case. Human rights groups want Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah to drop charges against the rape victim. The attorney, Abdulrahman al-Lahim, had his license revoked last week by a judge for speaking to the Saudi-controlled media about the case, al-Lahim told CNN. The judge more than doubled the sentence against al-Lahim's 19-year-old client because she spoke to the media about the case, a court source told Arab News, an English-language Middle Eastern daily newspaper. The woman -- who was initially sentenced in October 2006 to 90 lashes -- had her sentenced increased to 200 lashes and was ordered to serve six months in prison under Saudi Arabia's strict Islamic law. "We were shocked," al-Lahim said of the increased sentence. CNN has been unable to reach Saudi government officials for comment on this report, despite repeated requests. Watch the emotional toll the crime took on the rape victim » . Al-Lahim had petitioned the court to sentence the attackers to the death penalty, but instead the court agreed to increase their jail sentences, which had been two to three years, to two to nine years, al-Lahim said. The case has sparked outrage among human rights groups. "Barring the lawyer from representing the victim in court is almost equivalent to the rape crime itself," said Fawzeyah al-Oyouni, founding member of the newly formed Saudi Association for the Defense of Women's Rights. "This is not just about the girl, it's about every woman in Saudi Arabia," she said. "We're fearing for our lives and the lives of our sisters and our daughters and every Saudi woman out there. We're afraid of going out in the streets." Human Rights Watch said it has called on Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah "to immediely void the verdict and drop all charges against the rape victim and to order the court to end its harassment of her lawyer." The woman, who is married, and an unrelated man were abducted and she was raped by a group of seven men more than a year ago, the lawyer said. The male victim was also given an increased sentence of 200 lashes and six months in prison, al-Lahim said. The man and woman were attacked after they met so she could retrieve an old photograph of herself from him, according to al-Lahim. Citing phone records from the police investigation, al-Lahim said the man was trying to blackmail his client. He noted the photo she was trying to retrieve was harmless and did not show his client in any compromising position. Al-Lahim said the man tried to blame his client for insisting on meeting him that day. It is illegal for a woman to meet with an unrelated male under Saudi's Islamic law. Al-Lahim has been ordered to attend a disciplinary hearing at the Ministry of Justice next month, where he faces a possible three-year suspension and disbarment, according to Human Rights Watch. He told CNN he has appealed to the Ministry of Justice to reinstate his law license and plans to meet with Justice Minister Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Ibrahim Al Al-Sheikh. "Currently she doesn't have a lawyer, and I feel they're doing this to isolate her and deprive her from her basic rights," he said. "We will not accept this judgment and I'll do my best to continue representing her because justice needs to take place." He said the handling of the case is a direct contradiction of judicial reforms announced by the Saudi king earlier this month. "The Ministry of Justice needs to have a very clear standing regarding this case because I consider this decision to be judiciary mutiny against the reform that King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz started and against Saudi women who are being victimized because of such decisions," he said. Saudi Arabia's Islamic law or sharia is not written and, therefore, subject to a wide array of interpretations. Human Rights Watch points out that a judge in Jeddah threw out a lawyer simply because he was a member of the Ismaili faith, a branch of Shia Islam. Under Saudi law, women are subject to numerous restrictions, including a strict dress code, a prohibition against driving and a requirement that they get a man's permission to travel or have surgery. Women are also not allowed to testify in court unless it is about a private matter that was not observed by a man, and they are not allowed to vote. The Saudi government recently has taken some steps toward bettering the situation of women in the kingdom, including the establishment earlier this year of special courts to handle domestic abuse cases, adoption of a new labor law that addresses working women's rights and creation of a human rights commission. Christoph Wilcke of Human Rights Watch praised the female rape victim and her attorney for speaking out about the case, which he said may be indicative of "many injustices that we still don't know about." "It's not only one court, it is the Saudi government that is fully behind punishing a woman who's been raped [and] punishing the lawyer who's trying to help her and doing that both because they've spoken to the media," Wilcke told CNN. "And if they hadn't spoken to the media, we wouldn't know about it." Shying away from criticism of key ally, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack called the case and the punishment "surprising" and "astonishing." "While this is a judicial procedure -- part of a judicial procedure -- overseas in courts outside of our country, still while it is very difficult to offer any detailed comment about this situation, I think most people would be quite astonished by the situation, " McCormack said. "I can't get involved in specific court cases in Saudi Arabia dealing with its own citizens. But most people here would be quite surprised to learn of the circumstances and then the punishment meted out," he said. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Saad Abedine and Mohammed Jamjoom contributed to this report .

Woman sentenced to 200 lashes and six months in jail under Islamic law . Judge more than doubled 19-year-old's sentence for speaking to the media . Woman's lawyer loses law license for speaking to Saudi-controlled media . Human rights group: Lawyer faces three-year suspension and disbarment .

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Investigators probing the deadly mall shooting in Omaha have seized computers and are analyzing information on Web sites in the search for clues in the case, police said Thursday. The 19-year-old gunman sent at least one text message to his former girlfriend, with whom he broke up about two weeks ago, Omaha Police Chief Thomas Warren said. Robert Hawkins also left a voice mail for his mother before killing eight people at a department store Wednesday. He chose his victims randomly, police believe, then took his own life. Hawkins visited a friend near the Westroads Mall before the shootings and apparently went directly to the shopping center after that meeting, Warren said. Police don't yet know why Hawkins chose the mall or the Von Maur department store in particular, Warren said, adding only that the teen "may have frequented the Westroads Mall." See who Hawkins killed in department store » . The incident itself appeared to be premeditated, as Hawkins left a suicide note and other correspondence, Warren said. Watch officials detail the rampage » . "Typically there are hints that something like this may take place," Warren said. "Certainly you can't anticipate someone engaging in this type of shooter rampage, but if there is any justification, any explanation," police will find it, he said. "Apparently he had been experiencing some mental health problems, ideations of suicide." Debora Maruca-Kovac -- a friend of Hawkins' family who was letting him live in her home -- found the suicide note just minutes before the shootings. Watch her describe their last conversation » . "He basically said how sorry he was for everything," she told CNN's Anderson Cooper on Wednesday. "He didn't want to be a burden to people and that he was a piece of s--- all of his life and that now he'd be famous." Warren said the rifle used was an AK-47. Police haven't finished tracing the gun, but believe Hawkins stole it from his stepfather's home. Security officers flagged Hawkins as suspicious when he entered the mall. He left soon after he entered, then returned less than six minutes later with something apparently hidden in a balled-up sweatshirt. He went up an elevator to the mall's third floor, then immediately began firing, ultimately turning the firearm on himself, Warren said. "It doesn't appear as though there was an opportunity for intervention," Warren said. Hawkins fired more than 30 rounds, the police chief said. The shootings sent panicked holiday shoppers fleeing for cover. "It was just so loud, and then it was silence," said witness Jennifer Kramer, who hid inside a circular clothing rack. "I was scared to death he'd be walking around looking for someone else." Watch how Kramer and her mother hid » . A friend of Hawkins' said he hadn't thought Hawkins was capable of such violence. "He was the one guy, you know, if people would be getting in a fight he'd be trying to break it up," said Shawn Saunders, who had known Hawkins for about 2½ years. "If there were arguments amongst our friends or groups, he was kind of like the calm, cool and collected one." Watch how Saunders learned Hawkins was the shooter » . Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman said Hawkins had been a ward of the state for nearly four years, but he did not specify in what capacity. The state's custody ended in August of last year, Heineman said. U.S. Army recruiters turned Hawkins down last summer when he tried to enlist, a source familiar with the situation said Thursday. The source didn't want to be named because it is against the military's rules to discuss potential recruits. The reason for his rejection was unclear. Heineman ordered that flags throughout the state be lowered to half-staff through Sunday. The dead include six store employees and two customers, ranging in age from 24 to 66. One store employee was in critical but stable condition Thursday and another had been upgraded from critical to serious, according to hospital officials. Another person was still being treated Thursday afternoon, Warren said, but he did not specify whether the individual was a customer or employee. Two other customers had been treated and released, he said. Westroads Mall remained closed Thursday, but the facility, including the Von Maur store, could reopen Friday. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Kevin Bohn contributed to this report.

Police confiscate computers, examine information on Web sites . Gunman may have frequented the Westroads Mall, police say . Mall shooter was ward of state for almost four years, governor says . Army recruiters turned down Robert Hawkins when he tried to enlist .

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Oscar-winning actress Angelina Jolie is visiting Iraq to boost what she sees as lagging efforts to deal with the problems of 2 million "very very vulnerable" internally displaced people in the wartorn country. Angelina Jolie has been working to focus attention on problem of refugees in Iraq. "There doesn't seem to be a real coherent plan to help them," said Jolie, speaking in an exclusive interview with CNN's Arwa Damon Thursday. "There's lots of goodwill. Lots of discussion, but there seems to be a lot of talk at the moment, and a lot of pieces that need to be put together. I'm trying to figure out what they are." A goodwill ambassador for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, Jolie wants to find ways to help the agency be more active inside war-torn Iraq. Watch CNN's exclusive interview with Jolie » . Sunni-Shiite sectarian violence in the country has sparked a displacement crisis that is considered the most significant in the Middle East since the 1948 creation of Israel. More than 4.2 million Iraqis have fled their homes, around 2 million to neighboring states, mostly Syria and Jordan, and another 2.2 million displaced inside Iraq. The flight was aggravated by the February 2006 bombing of a Shiite shrine in Samarra, an attack that stoked pitched sectarian warfare. Many of the internally displaced live precarious lives amid conditions of squalor, crowded into camps and slums that often lack basic necessities, such as proper food, health care and shelter. "How Iraq settles in the years to come is going to affect the entire Middle East," said Jolie. "It's in our best interest to address a humanitarian crisis on this scale because displacement can lead to a lot of instability and aggression." Read transcript of interview . Jolie has been working to help draw attention to the problem and has called for governments to bolster their support of the U.N.H.C.R. In August, Jolie first visited Iraq and Syria to get a sense of the problem. She heard stories from refugees about their plight. Watch as Jolie lunches with troops » . This visit to Iraq is focusing on the problems of the internally displaced, 58 percent of whom are under age 12. A top issue for the agency is getting better security. Jolie is talking with U.S. officials, including top U.S. Gen. David Petraeus, about that issue, and are willing to provide such security which she said "needs to be addressed and solved." The Iraqi government needs to empower agencies that deal with migration to address the concerns of the displaced -- but that has not happened yet, she said. Jolie said it was crucial that the government prepare a plan to deal with refugees who return home from Syria and Jordan and find that their homes are "occupied" by others or "bombed out." She emphasizes the way in which these people are resettled will have "broad implications" in the region. Jolie also is talking to people about moving forward the U.S. effort to resettle Iraqi refugees in the United States, which has set a goal of taking in 12,000 of those people by September. Only 375 have been admitted so far. "I have to believe there are people working toward that goal," she said. International agencies, such as the United Nations and the Arab League, and many countries in the region and in Europe are addressing the refugee and the internally displaced persons' crisis, and money is being allocated to Iraq and host countries to help clothe, feed and house people. Most of the refugees are in Syria and Jordan, and they reside in big cities like Damascus and Amman. The U.N.C.H.R. is trying to help governments in Syria and Jordan to cope with the influx, which has stretched the resources of institutions like schools and health systems. It is also attempting to help 41,000 non-Iraqi refugees in Iraq, such as Palestinians and Iranians. Last month, the UNHCR announced a plan to seek $261 million this year for its work to help these refugees. It has almost 350 staffers "directly engaged in operations for Iraq and the surrounding region." Officials in Iraq and the coalition have been heartened by the fact that some refugees are starting to trickle back home. But they are returning to a country where mixed Shiite and Sunni neighborhoods have turned into Sunni or Shiite enclaves and that they might not be able to return to their homes. E-mail to a friend .

Angelina Jolie visits Iraq to boost efforts to help internally displaced refugees . Actress tells CNN: "There doesn't seem to be real coherent plan to help them" Jolie is goodwill ambassador for U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees . More than 4.2 million Iraqis have fled homes, 2 million to neighboring states .

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Udinese remained in fifth place in Italy's Serie A after suffering a 3-1 defeat away to Napoli on Saturday, with both teams having a player sent off. Ezequiel Lavezzi inspired Napoli to victory against Udinese, netting twice and setting up the first goal. Ezequiel Lavezzi scored twice in two minutes to end a goal drought lasting two and a half months, netting on 74 and 75 as Napoli moved up to ninth in the table. The Argentine also provided the cross that Udinese defender Cristian Zapata put into his own net to leave the visitors playing catch-up from just the third minute. Pepe leveled the score on nine minutes, and then Napoli played with 10 men from the 36th minute after Paolo Cannavaro was expelled for a last-man foul. But the teams were even in numbers again after Pepe was ejected for a second yellow card on 60 minutes. Udinese are still four points behind fourth-placed Fiorentina and the last Champions League berth. Fiorentina hosts AC Milan, which has 30 points, on Sunday. In Saturday's other match, Fabrizio Miccoli scored the only goal to give Palermo a 1-0 victory over Livorno. Miccoli struck in the 76th minute with a shot from just outside the area with Livorno goalkeeper Marco Amelia partially unsighted by several players. Palermo keeper Alberto Fontana saved a penalty by Francesco Tavano at the end of the first half, and had to make several vital stops in the first opening period. Palermo had lost their last three Serie A matches and dropped down the table, but the win put them one point above Napoli in eighth. In Sunday's other matches, leaders Inter Milan host second-bottom Empoli and second-placed Roma travel to third-bottom Siena. Genoa are at home to Catania, third-placed Juventus host bottom club Cagliari, Sampdoria travel to Lazio, Parma play Atalanta and Reggina face fellow strugglers Torino. E-mail to a friend .

Udinese stay fifth in Italy's Serie A after suffering a 3-1 defeat away to Napoli . Ezequiel Lavezzi scored twice in two second-half minutes to end goal drought . Both teams were reduced to 10 men, with one player sent off in each half . Fabrizio Miccoli scores only goal to give Palermo a 1-0 victory over Livorno .

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A six-month trial was launched this week that promises to transform the way luggage is tracked and monitored at London's Heathrow airport. As many as 28 in every 1,000 passengers do not arrive at their destination at the same time as their luggage. The trial -- run by BAA and airline Emirates -- is using RFID (radio-frequency identification) technology to tag baggage. This will allow staff to more accurately track bags passing through the airport. The crucial difference between RFID and the existing barcode system is its scanning accuracy. Barcode tags can be easily damaged in transit and are also at risk of being covered when scanned. If not scanned, details must be entered manually into the system, adding time and error to the process. BAA estimates that Heathrow can read only 60 per cent of labels that pass through. RFID is reported to offer over 99 percent accuracy. The £150,000 trial -- the first of its kind in the UK -- will continue for six months tracking bags for passengers traveling with Emirates to and from Dubai, and transferring through Heathrow. A duplicate of the Heathrow system has been installed at Dubai Airport. During the check-in process at Heathrow Terminal 3, staff apply tags containing RFID chips to bags with information including the passenger's name and route. The chips are then read on entry into the baggage system; they are tracked as they move throughout; and finally on leaving the system. As a result, says Shaun Cowlam, Logistics Director at Heathrow Airport, staff can know where a bag is at "every moment of every day". BAA is also considering introducing a SMS text messaging service to keep passengers informed of where their bags are. When passengers arrive at Heathrow, says Cowlam, the idea will be to send passengers a text informing them what belt and what time their bags will arrive at. Ultimately, the use of RFID could extend services to frequent flyers, and provide the means to added value services such as faster check-in, and even be integrated with secure collection and delivery. The main benefits, however, will be for travelers passing through major hubs such as Heathrow and Dubai, as this system offers better processing of baggage on transfer flights. Emirates and BAA are sharing the costs of the trial. But as Vic Sheppard, Emirates Vice President for UK and Ireland says, "cost is not an issue", especially considering the savings the airline is expected to achieve by reducing loss and repatriation of bags. And as Cowlam adds: "if we can introduce this across the whole network the costs will reduce significantly." Hong Kong International Airport was one of the first to deploy RFID technology in 2005. But as outlined in a recent survey by SITA, RFID is being used in just 6 percent of the airports surveyed. "For this system to really take off we need other airports and other airlines to embrace the technology," says Cowlam. That widespread adoption may not be far off. The SITA survey indicated that RFID tags will be used in 45 percent of airports by the end of 2009. It's still early days, but BAA and Emirates are optimistic for RFID's future in airports. "There have been giant strides in the technology in aviation in recent years. But in the last few decades there hasn't been any advancement in the methods adopted for baggage handling," says Sheppard. "This is a major step forward." E-mail to a friend .

New trial at Heathrow airport will use RFID to accurately track and monitor luggage . Compared to exsiting bar codes, RFID tags offer 15 percent more reading accuracy . A proposed service will send SMS to passengers informing when bags arrive .

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Jordan's King Hussein sent a secret message to President Richard Nixon in 1970 pleading with him to attack Syria, according to declassified documents released Wednesday by the former president's library. President Nixon works at his desk in the Oval Office in a June 1972 photograph. The papers are among about 10,000 documents released by the Nixon Presidential Library, some of which offer harbingers of present-day events, such as concerns about terrorism and Saudi Arabia. Library director Timothy Naftali said the documents describe challenges such as how to get the Saudis more involved in solving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, how to get them more engaged against terrorism, how to address the Arab view that the United States always sides with Israel and how to build up moderate Palestinians to counter extremists. A 1973 diplomatic cable cites this objective: "isolate and undermine terrorisms [sic] and commandos [sic] by establishing another, more stable and respectable Palestinian political entity and political personality." Documents detail U.S. efforts to persuade Saudi Arabia to move away from Fatah, the military wing of the Palestine Liberation Organization, because U.S. officials believed the PLO was supporting the terrorist-linked, anti-Israel group Black September, referred to as BSO. The document, a U.S. State Department telegram from the embassy in Jeddah to Washington reads, "BSO and Fatah [are] now linked together in vicious effort to create chaos and uncertainty. One might wonder whether central objective BSO conspiracy was not to erase any slight progress toward Middle East peace." The document release was intended to coincide with Mideast peace summit among Palestinian, Israeli and other Mideast leaders in Maryland, Naftali said. The Nixon White House also was adjusting to Israel's acquisition of a nuclear weapon. "We are declassifying the records today that laid the basis for Richard Nixon's decision in 1969 to accept the fact, a fact of life, that Israel had a bomb, a nuclear device," said Naftali. "That, of course, is very important with what's going on in Annapolis." "Even though it is clear from the documents that the United States government did not encourage Israel to acquire a nuclear deterrent, it became a fact of life," Naftali said. "There are materials here that show how our government, 30 years ago, dealt with this very, very difficult problem." Rather than openly declare itself as a nuclear power, Israel still maintains a strategic ambiguity over its nuclear weapons capability. In 1970, as King Hussein dealt with threats by both Palestinian refugees in his country and Syrian military forces crossing Jordan's border, the king asked "the United States and Great Britain to intervene in the war in Jordan, asking the United States, in fact, to attack Syria," Naftali said. "Syria had invaded Jordan and the Jordanian king, facing what he felt was a military rout, said please help us in any way possible." The telegram indicates that Hussein himself called a U.S. official at 3 a.m. to ask for American or British help. "Situation deteriorating dangerously following Syrian massive invasion...," the document said. "I request immediate physical intervention both land and air ... to safeguard sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Jordan. Immediate air strikes on invading forces from any quarter plus air cover are imperative." The library has withheld the Nixon documents from public access until Wednesday and have been reviewed for release and/or declassified, Naftali said. Nixon served as president from January 20, 1969, to August 9, 1974, when he resigned under political pressure during the Watergate scandal -- the only U.S. president to do so. He died in 1994 after suffering a stroke at the age of 81. E-mail to a friend .

Telegram: King Hussein wanted U.S. strike on invading Syrian troops in 1970 . Nixon White House urged Saudis to distance from PLO's Fatah organization . Papers also discuss Israeli acquisition of nuclear weapon . Documents among 10,000 papers released Wednesday by Nixon Library .

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The Rev. James Orange, a civil rights activist whose 1965 jailing sparked a fatal protest that ultimately led to the famed Selma-to-Montgomery march and the Voting Rights Act, died Saturday at Atlanta's Crawford Long Hospital, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference said in a statement. He was 65. Orange was a native of Birmingham, Alabama, "who resided in southwest Atlanta for four decades while fighting the good fight for equality and social justice for all mankind," said the SCLC, a civil rights organization. Orange was arrested and jailed in Perry County, Alabama, in 1965 on charges of disorderly conduct and contributing to the delinquency of minors for enlisting students to aid in voting rights drives. As rumors spread that Orange would be lynched, civil rights activists organized a march to support him. However, the marchers clashed with Alabama state troopers during the February 18 demonstration, and a young black man, Jimmie Lee Jackson, was shot in the stomach. "I could hear the singing and the commotion," Orange told CNN last year. "Once the tear gas was flying and the shots started, I couldn't tell what was going on." Jackson, 26, died eight days later. Witnesses said Jackson's grandfather, who was active in the voting rights movement, had been beaten by troopers, and Jackson was trying to get him to the hospital. The anger resulting from Jackson's death led civil rights leaders, including the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., to organize the Selma-to-Montgomery, Alabama, voting rights march. The first attempt at that march was broken up by club-wielding state troopers and sheriff's deputies, a melee that became known as "Bloody Sunday." "Jimmie's death is the reason that Bloody Sunday took place," Orange said. "Had he not died, there would never have been a Bloody Sunday." On the marchers' third attempt, in March, they made it to Montgomery. President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act into law in August 1965. In May 2007, a former Alabama state trooper, James B. Fowler, now 74, was indicted in Jackson's shooting, one of several cases involving the deaths of civil rights activists that prosecutors have revived in recent years. Fowler has claimed he shot Jackson in self-defense, but Orange and Elijah Rollins, who was upstairs at a nearby cafe when the shooting took place, last year disputed claims that protesters were throwing rocks and bottles at police. "Not one bottle or brick was thrown back at the troopers," said Orange, adding that film and a Justice Department report back that up. He said he was glad Jackson's case had "never been forgotten." Orange was a project coordinator at the SCLC from 1965 to 1970, then later became a regional coordinator with the AFL-CIO in Atlanta, the SCLC said. Since 1995, he had served as the founder and general coordinator for the M.L. King Jr. March Committee-Africa/African American Renaissance Committee, Inc., which coordinated commemorative events honoring King and also promoted industry and commerce among Atlanta, the United States and South Africa. Orange is survived by his wife, five children and two grandchildren, the SCLC said. Funeral arrangements were incomplete Saturday. E-mail to a friend .

Orange jailed in Alabama in 1965 for getting students to help voting rights drives . In march to support him, a man was killed, leading to 'Bloody Sunday,' famed march . After successful Selma-to-Montgomery march, Voting Rights Act signed into law .

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Supporters and opponents of Lebanon's pro-Western government appeared to split seats on Sunday as Lebanese voters went to the polls to replace two ruling-party lawmakers assassinated in recent months. Lebanese women wait in line to cast their votes in Beirut. Voters in Beirut sent pro-government candidate Mohammed al-Amin Itani to parliament to replace Walid Eido, who was killed in a June bombing. Both Eido, a Sunni Muslim, and Itani are members of the bloc led by Saad Hariri -- the son of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, whose 2005 killing triggered Lebanon's current wave of political upheaval. But in Metn, a Maronite Christian suburb east of the capital, anti-government candidate Camille Khouri upset former President Amin Gemayel by a few hundred votes, Lebanese television network LBC reported. Khouri is a member of the Free Patriotic Movement, the anti-government party led by former Lebanese Army Gen. Michel Aoun. Aoun has said he will run for president of Lebanon -- and since the post is chosen by members of parliament, Sunday's results were closely watched. Gemayel was seeking the seat held by his son Pierre, who served as industry minister in the government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora before being gunned down in his car in November 2006. He served as president from 1982 to 1988, during the civil war in Lebanon. His brother, Bashir Gemayel, was elected president in 1982 but was assassinated before he could take office. Eido and Gemayel were among several Lebanese political figures killed since the February 2005 killing of the elder Hariri. All were critical of Syria's influence in Lebanon, and their supporters blamed Damascus for their deaths -- allegations the Syrians and their allies in Lebanon denied. Hariri's killing triggered a wave of protests against Syria known as the "Cedar Revolution," which brought Siniora's government to power and forced Syria to withdraw the garrison it kept in Lebanon for three decades. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Nada Husseini contributed to this report.

Former Lebanese President Amin Gemayel loses by a few hundred votes . Candidates will replace legislator Pierre Gemayel and lawmaker Walid Eido . Both were allies of U.S.-backed Lebanese government and opponents of Syria .

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The CIA asked the Justice Department to investigate whether former operative John Kiriakou illegally disclosed classified information when he talked about the waterboarding of a terrorism suspect, government officials say. Ex-CIA agent John Kiriakou says he underwent waterboarding in training and cracked in a few seconds. Kiriakou spoke last week with several news organizations, including CNN, after the CIA disclosed that videotapes of certain interrogations were destroyed in 2005. That revelation has prompted new calls for investigations on Capitol Hill. The Bush administration appeared in U.S. District Court on Friday to answer a judge's questions about the tapes' destruction. Speaking to CNN last week, Kiriakou said that U.S. interrogators drew valuable information from al Qaeda captive Abu Zubayda by "waterboarding" him. But Kiriakou said the procedure amounts to torture and should be stopped. Waterboarding involves pouring a stream of water onto the cellophane-covered face of a suspect to induce the sensation of drowning, Kiriakou said. Watch how a suspect is waterboarded » . Kiriakou told CNN he was unaware that CIA interrogations were being taped, but that the tapes should have been kept "as a matter of historical record." Kiriakou's attorney Mark Zaid told CNN that the referral of the case to the Justice Department is standard procedure. "A criminal referral from the CIA would be both expected and normal under the circumstances," Zaid said in a written statement. "It is a routine act that the CIA undertakes even when they know no violation has occurred." Zaid added that the question is whether the Justice Department will proceed, and that such a decision "must be measured carefully." "Doing so will unlock a Pandora's box that will place a spotlight on the information in question as to the lawfulness of the alleged conduct and the activities of those involved." he said. "There would also exist a challenge regarding whether Mr. Kiriakou was being targeted for exercising his First Amendment rights." CIA officers who leave the agency are required to sign documents promising never to divulge classified information. Written comments are cleared by an agency review board before publication, and unscripted oral comments -- such as television interviews -- are referred to the Justice Department after the fact. About one case a week is referred to the Justice Department, and an investigation could take months to complete, a source in the intelligence community said. For private citizens found to be in violation of the secrecy standard, penalties can range from loss of security clearances to criminal prosecution leading to jail time. Justice Department spokesman Dean Boyd said the department has no comment on the Kiriakou matter, and routinely refuses comment on whether another agency has referred a case. Kiriakou said he was not present when other agents used the waterboarding technique on Abu Zubayda, but that he was told the al Qaeda suspect lasted 30 or 35 seconds. Kiriakou said he himself was subjected to the treatment during his training, and lasted about five seconds before having to stop. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Kelli Arena contributed to this report.

Justice Department must decide whether to pursue investigation . Former agent John Kiriakou talked about interrogation technique on TV . Kiriakou attorney says probe could cause CIA more problems . Administration summoned for court hearing on destroyed tapes .

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For some, Valentine's Day can be heavenly. For others, it's just plain hell. Take Felicia Sullivan, of Brooklyn. Four years ago, she and her live-in boyfriend -- the guy she thought she would marry -- were having a pre-Valentine's Day brunch when Sullivan leaned over and whispered a few sweet nothings in his ear. "I said, 'I'm so happy to know that you're the one for me. Aren't you glad to know I'm the one for you?' " says Sullivan, 32, who works in marketing. "And there was this silence. And then he was, like, 'I know you're the one for me now. But can you give me until summer to make a final decision?' " Aghast at his response, Sullivan quickly broke things off -- but she couldn't move until she found a new apartment. Home alone on February 14 in the apartment they shared, she decided to snoop through her ex-boyfriend's e-mail and discovered he'd had contact with several other women while they were together. "I've never been a big fan of the holiday," Sullivan says. "But now I typically refer to it as Black Monday..." Watch whether romance is still alive » . Good times, bad times . Sullivan isn't alone in dreading Valentine's Day. Thanks to super-sized expectations and over-the-top commercialization, February 14 has gone from a sentimental aside to a pressure-filled gauntlet lined with chocolate boxes, tennis bracelets and cheesy stuffed bears. See where the love dollars go » . "The holiday's designed to make you feel (bad)," says Judy McGuire, author of "How Not to Date." "If you're in a relationship, it's never anything that it's supposed to be. And if you're single, you feel like a big loser because you don't have anybody. I think people should lower Valentine's Day expectations to pretty much nil. That way, anything that happens is good." Brian Wise, a 32-year-old technical writer from Seattle has seen his Valentine's Day go sideways repeatedly -- most memorably the time he ended up in handcuffs (and not in a good way). "Last year, I was in Singapore and I met this beautiful woman who took me to dinner at this hot, new restaurant,'" he says. "But then she gets food poisoning and ends up in an alley with major gastrointestinal problems. And while I'm standing guard, the cops pull up and think I'm paying her for sex." Wise talked his way out of an arrest (luckily, one of the policemen had eaten at the same place) but he's found no release from his unlucky Valentine's. "It doesn't matter who I'm out with," he says. "The day is just cursed." There are ways, though, to avoid a miserable holiday. Good plans . Most women will admit they like to celebrate, but a fancy night on the town isn't necessary. "Sometimes, hanging out at home can be a lot more fun than going out to some restaurant filled with couples," says author McGuire. "Stay home with champagne, caviar and maybe a new toy from a tasteful sex shop." If you're not dating anyone, take some time to indulge yourself (a luxurious bar of chocolate, a pedicure), do something relaxing (take a yoga class or get a massage) or spend time with some of your closest friends. Make sure you're on the same page . And if you do make plans, stick to them. Galen, a 28-year-old secretary from Seattle, and her boyfriend had made special Valentine's Day plans a month in advance. But on the big night, his buddies showed up and talked him into going out with them instead. "I was dressed to the nines," says Galen, who asked that her last name not be used. "When his friends stopped by, he says, 'Do you mind if I go with them?' I said, 'Fine, go,' being totally sarcastic, and he picked up his coat and left." Although they talked about it later, Galen said, her boyfriend seemed not to understand that she was unhappy with his wanting to ditch her for his buddies. The two later broke up. Breaking a date on Valentine's Day is definitely bad form, but automatically expecting one to happen (a much more common scenario) is also problematic. To avoid a disconnect with your significant other, McGuire suggests being honest. Simply expecting your partner to know what you want is unrealistic. Not-so-good gifts . If you decide to go the gift route, McGuire recommends not settling for a cliché like a stuffed animal or a hastily purchased bouquet of flowers. "Listen to what the person talks about," she says. "She may want the new 'Godzilla' game for her Wii. His underwear may be riddled with holes." Another thing to avoid, advises Katie Briggs, 44, of Seattle, is the gag gift. A few years ago, Briggs and a new beau went out to a nice restaurant where they shared dinner, drinks and presents. Briggs gave her date homemade cookies and a Starbucks gift card. He gave her a beautifully-wrapped box -- of Spam. "He thought it was the best joke ever," says Briggs. "But it just wasn't thoughtful. If you're going to go with a joke, you need to back it up with something else." E-mail to a friend . LifeWire provides original and syndicated lifestyle content to Web publishers. Diane Mapes is the author of "How to Date in a Post-Dating World." Her column, "Single Shot," appears in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

Woman remembers one Valentine's Day as "Black Monday" High expectations for day can come crashing down . Man ended Valentine's Day in handcuffs with date puking . Skip gag gifts -- can of Spam not a good gift .

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Attorneys for a "high-value" terror suspect who says he was tortured while being held at secret CIA prisons have requested that a judge bar the agency from destroying evidence of the alleged torture. One of 14 "high-value" detainees held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, alleges he was tortured. The motion, filed by the Center for Constitutional Rights attorneys on behalf of Majid Khan -- who is being held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba -- is dated November 29. That is a week before CIA Director Michael Hayden acknowledged the agency destroyed videotapes it made in 2002 of interrogations of al Qaeda suspects using newly approved "alternative" interrogation techniques. Khan -- a native of Pakistan who attended high school in Baltimore -- was held for more than three years at the secret CIA prisons and "subjected to an aggressive CIA detention and interrogation program notable for its elaborate planning and ruthless application of torture," attorney Gitanjali S. Gutierrez claims in the court documents. Details of Khan's torture claims are redacted in the filing -- a whole page is blacked out -- but Khan's attorneys say he suffers "severe physical and psychological trauma from which he is unlikely ever to recover fully" as a result of his ordeal. Asked about Khan's claims, CIA spokesman Paul Gimigliano told CNN, "CIA's terrorist interrogation effort has always been small, carefully run, lawful and highly productive. Fewer than 100 hardened terrorists have gone through the program since it began in 2002, and of those, less than a third required any special methods of questioning. The United States does not conduct or condone torture." Khan's attorneys claim he was taken into custody in 2003 and "forcibly disappeared" before his transfer to Guantanamo, "where he remains imprisoned without charge or trial." He filed a legal challenge to his detention in September 2006 and appeared before a Combatant Status Review Tribunal in April, the court documents said. He was found to have been properly detained as an enemy combatant, but filed a challenge to that on August 14. He was not allowed to meet with an attorney, however, until October, the document said. The Bush administration contends Khan was an operative working for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, mastermind of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Khan researched how to blow up gas stations and poison reservoirs in the United States, the administration has said. He is among 14 "high-value" detainees held at Guantanamo. Gutierrez and another CCR attorney, Wells Dixon, also released declassified notes of their meetings with Khan, saying he has been on hunger strikes while in Guantanamo, is "painfully thin and pale" and suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. In detention, he has been able to communicate with Abu Zubayda, an alleged lieutenant for Osama bin Laden, they said in the notes. A government official with knowledge of the destroyed CIA tapes has said that Zubayda was one of the two al Qaeda suspects whose interrogations were videotaped. While undergoing interrogation and torture by the CIA, "Khan admitted anything his interrogators demanded of him, regardless of the truth, in order to end his suffering," the documents said. Without a court order requiring the preservation of evidence, "there is substantial risk that the torture evidence will disappear" and that may affect the challenge to his detention, the attorneys claim. The motion was filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Hayden has said the CIA stopped videotaping in 2002, while Khan was not taken into custody until the following year. "The careful, professional and lawful questioning of hardened terrorists has produced thousands of intelligence reports, revealed exceptionally valuable insights on al Qaeda's operations and organization, foiled terrorist plots and saved innocent lives," Gimigliano said. "The information developed by the detention and interrogation program has been irreplaceable, and the program has operated in strict accord with American law." E-mail to a friend . CNN's Gary Nurenberg contributed to this report.

Majid Khan's attorneys say he endured an "aggressive" interrogation program . Khan's allegations of torture redacted in court documents . Bush administration: Khan worked for 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed . CIA: The United States does not conduct or condone torture .

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City officials in New York have denied Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's request to visit the site of the destroyed World Trade Center next week, a police spokesman said Wednesday. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad asked to visit ground zero, but New York city officials said no. The controversial, outspoken president wanted to "pay his respects" and lay a wreath at the site of the 2001 al Qaeda attacks during his visit to the U.N. General Assembly, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said, citing Iranian officials. But workers are rebuilding the foundations of the site, "and it would not be possible for him to go where other people don't go," Kelly told CNN. Iranian officials have not put in any additional requests to visit the public platforms at ground zero, police spokesman Paul Browne told CNN. But, he said, "If there were a further request, we'd reject it" because of security fears. Watch why New York said no to Iranian leader » . The Iranian mission to the U.N. said it had not been told of the decision, but in a statement issued Wednesday evening, it called the rejection "unfortunate." Iran is ruled by a Shiite Muslim government hostile to the fundamentalist Sunni al Qaeda. Ahmadinejad's predecessor at the time of the September 11 attacks, Mohammed Khatami, condemned them, and Tehran cooperated with the U.S.-led campaign to topple al Qaeda's Taliban allies in Afghanistan that followed. The United States and Iran have not had formal diplomatic relations since 1980 after Iranian militants stormed the United States Embassy in Tehran and held Americans hostage for 444 days. The United States considers Iran a state sponsor of terrorism and has accused the country of meddling in Iraq and in Afghanistan where U.S. troops are battling Taliban and al Qaeda remnants more than six years after the September 11, 2001, attacks. More than 2,700 people died in the attack on the World Trade Center, when al Qaeda terrorists flew hijacked passenger jets into the twin towers. A third jet hit the Pentagon, and a fourth crashed in a Pennsylvania field after passengers resisted their hijackers. "It is appalling that President Ahmadinejad, one of the world's leading sponsors of terror, would find it appropriate to visit this hallowed ground," State Department spokesman Tom Casey said. Several presidential candidates also condemned the requested visit. Hillary Clinton, the New York senator and Democratic front-runner, called the request "unacceptable." Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, a leading Republican, called it "shockingly audacious." And former Mayor Rudy Giuliani -- whose leadership after the attacks is the cornerstone of his GOP presidential bid -- said that "under no circumstances" should Ahmadinejad be allowed to visit the World Trade Center site. Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said the site should not be "used as a photo op." Numerous critics have attacked Ahmadinejad's hard-line anti-Israel stance and his insistence that Iran will defy U.N. demands that it halt its production of enriched uranium. Iran insists it is producing nuclear fuel for civilian power plants, but Washington accuses Tehran of trying to produce a nuclear bomb. E-mail to a friend . CNN Correspondent Deborah Feyerick contributed to this report.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad wanted to visit ground zero . New York City officials said no because site is under construction . The United States considers Iran a state sponsor of terrorism . Leaders call request "audacious," "unacceptable"

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A Florida judge Friday handed a legal victory to a former astronaut accused of assaulting a romantic rival, ruling evidence found in her car and statements she made to police after her arrest were inadmissible at trial. Lisa Nowak, accused of using pepper spray against a romantic rival, is set to go on trial in April. Ninth Judicial Circuit Judge Marc Lubet ruled that all were unlawfully obtained. He said his decision stemmed from a variety of factors, most concerning police tactics in their interview of Lisa Nowak and the fact that no written consent was obtained to search her car. "In each and every case, this court must ensure that the constitutional protections afforded by our forefathers are scrupulously honored," Lubet wrote in his opinion. "Unfortunately, in this case those protections were not as thoroughly followed as the law demands." Nowak, 44, is accused of stalking Air Force Capt. Colleen Shipman and using pepper spray against her in a parking lot at Orlando International Airport in Florida on February 5. She pleaded not guilty March 22 to charges of attempted kidnapping with intent to inflict bodily harm, battery and burglary of a vehicle using a weapon. Her trial is set for April. If convicted, she would face a sentence of up to life in prison. Her defense attorneys had claimed Nowak's comments to police and her consent to search her car were made under duress. During a hearing held in August, Lubet heard testimony from, among others, Nowak, Shipman and Orlando police detective William Becton, who interviewed Nowak after her arrest. Lubet said in his ruling that when Nowak asked Becton if she needed an attorney during the interview, he failed to answer her question in a "simple and straightforward manner." "There was a concerted effort to minimize and downplay the significance of the Miranda rights by referring to these constitutional rights as 'formalities' " during the interview, Lubet wrote. On the audiotape of the interview, there was no audible response from Nowak on whether she understood that her statements could be used against her in court, and when she was asked whether anyone had threatened or promised her anything to get her to talk to police, Lubet wrote. "Thus, there is nothing in either the audio recording or the transcript of the interview that demonstrates that defendant understood these two rights and waived them." Nowak testified at the August hearing she did not respond to Becton's questions because she was confused, Lubet wrote. In addition, he said, Becton used "legally impermissible" statements and techniques, including threats, to get Nowak's statements and consent. "Well, what you say can change what you're charged with," Becton said at one point. "Right now we're looking at [a] possible life felony of carjacking." In a written statement, an Orlando Police Department spokeswoman said it was inappropriate for the department to comment on the case since it is pending in court, and referred questions to prosecutors. Lubet noted that, although Nowak was given the opportunity to use the restroom and was asked if she wanted something to eat, she was "subjected to a barrage of questions" beginning in the predawn hours and was questioned for six hours without being given the opportunity to sleep or make a phone call. "Defendant had not slept during the preceding 24 hours," the judge said. Nowak's consent to search her car, Lubet wrote, "followed illegal police activity, such as a prolonged detention, threats to obtain a warrant and repeated requests for consent." Prosecutors accuse Nowak of driving nearly 900 miles from Houston to Orlando -- wearing NASA diapers to cut down on the number of stops she needed to make -- and donning a disguise before following Shipman from baggage claim to a parking lot. Her attorney has strongly denied that she wore the diapers. Shipman told police that after she got into her car, Nowak feigned distress and knocked on the window. When Shipman cracked it to talk to her, Nowak sprayed her in the face with pepper spray, Shipman said. Police said Nowak was detained as she was disposing of her disguise in an airport trash bin. Nowak has said she merely went to the airport to talk to Shipman, who had begun dating Nowak's former love interest, Navy Cmdr. Bill Oefelein, who was also an astronaut but has since left the astronaut corps. At the August hearing, Becton testified that when he searched Nowak's car, he found maps showing how to reach the airport, maps of the airport's layout, a buck knife and papers including a letter Nowak appeared to have written to Oefelein's mother. He also testified he found used and clean diapers in the car. Police previously said they also found a BB gun, a steel mallet, a 4-inch knife and rubber tubing in the vehicle. Nowak's attorneys in August filed a notice of intent to rely on an insanity defense, saying in court documents her diagnoses include a litany of more than a dozen psychiatric disorders. On August 30, Lubet granted Nowak's attorneys' request that her electronic tracking ankle bracelet be removed. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Cristy Lenz contributed to this report.

Judge: Lisa Nowak's statements and items in her car were unlawfully obtained . Nowak's attorneys have said her comments were made under duress . Former astronaut is accused of stalking and assaulting a romantic rival . Nowak has pleaded not guilty to charges including attempted kidnapping .

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Sharon Long's work has earned her the nickname "Skull Lady." Sharon Long is a forensic artist whose job is to help identify the dead, often murder victims. She is a forensic artist whose job is to give faces -- and sometimes identities -- back to anonymous murder victims who have been robbed of both. Armed with sculptor's clay, glass eyes, wigs and research, Long creates a face from a human skull. When Fort Myers, Florida, police found eight sets of human remains in the woods in March, they turned to her -- anything to help identify the people who were so mercilessly left to rot amid the trees and mud. "[Police] have no other way. They have no fingerprints; they have no flesh. Usually, the last resort is building a face," Long said. See the "skull lady" at work » . She hopes that when the faces of those killed get printed in newspapers or appear on TV or online, a friend or loved one recognizes them and says, "Gee, we haven't seen so-and-so for a while, and that kind of looks like him." "Then, at least, you have a lead, and then you can get DNA from people. And then [police] have something to go on." Long, 67, has made faces for the unknown victims of grisly homicides and solved historical mysteries. During her 20-year career, the forensics specialist from the University of Wyoming helped identify the crew of the H.L Hunley, a Confederate submarine sunk during the Civil War. She also created the first picture of the only explorer to have died on the Lewis and Clark expedition. When law enforcement asks for Long's assistance, it is almost always on a case that has gone very cold. And that was exactly the case in Fort Myers, where police were desperate for any information on the dead they found: eight men killed, their bodies discovered in a wooded area on March 23, 2007. Watch how bones can give clues to investigators » . There were no witnesses, no leads and little evidence of killings other than the victims' bones. If Long could identify the victims of the crime, it might help to catch a serial killer. But before Long could create any likeness of the victims, she would have to do a lot of work -- hundreds of hours of it. Long first creates a mold of the skull and uses it to make a plaster replica. She puts eraser tips on points to mark tissue depth. Sculptor's clay fills in for skin and muscle. The faded gumline on the skull's teeth helps Long determine how thick the person's lips were. The victim's hair and eye color requires guesswork and research, Long says. Often while working on cases, she talks to people who lived in the same area as the victim or victims to find out the most common eye color and what hairstyles are in fashion. See how to decode a face » . She spent two months on the Fort Myers skulls. "I start working, and 15 hours can go by, and I don't get up and move, and you don't realize how much time has gone by, and, well, that's how intense I get," she said. "It's like you get carried away in this life of somebody. I start trying to think of them as being an alive person and doing something and not getting killed." Eventually, publicity about the Fort Myers case would lead people with missing relatives to submit their DNA. Testing revealed that two of the men were Erik Kohler and John Blevins. Both men lived hardscrabble lives and had run-ins with police. Both disappeared in 1995. At a news conference last month where Fort Myers police unveiled Long's sculptures, investigators said they still need to identify the other six victims if they are to solve the case. Kohler and Blevins didn't closely mirror Long's sculptures of their faces, but there were some similarities, some facial features that looked liked the two dead men. And that's what police say they want: They hope people with missing relatives will look at every detail of the other six sculptures to see whether they notice any resemblance, no matter how faint. "Going into this, I knew there would be some level of subjectivity in the art part of it, but I think what it does is generate the interest," Fort Myers Police Detective Barry Lewis said. "I am just looking for that one little similarity, that one little key that someone could recognize that they could make a call that that is their loved one." Since the news conference, police say, they have received hundreds of leads. Long's work on the case might be done, but she still has nightmares about the eight men killed. "I hear screaming, and I hear pleading, and I hear all these things which I couldn't imagine," she said. "I can see somebody dragging a body out there, and here he kept taking them to the same area. I think, what in the hell is wrong with this guy?" Six of those killed remain nameless. And police are still trying to find the killer. Authorities urge anyone with more information on the case to call 877-667-1296. E-mail to a friend .

Sharon Long is forensic artist who creates faces from skulls . Fort Myers, Florida, police called her after they found eight sets of remains . Only two of the eight remains have been identified .

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German zookeepers in Nuremberg will bottle-feed a four-week-old polar bear and rear it away from its mother after concerns the mother would eat her cub, officials said Thursday. Zookeepers fear the unnamed polar bear cub could be at risk of being eaten. The cub, which doesn't yet have a name, was being cared for at Nuremberg City Zoo, where it was resting under heat lamps and is drinking formula. "It's gaining weight, it's very hungry, it drinks a lot of milk," said Alexandra Foghammar, a spokeswoman for the city. The zoo announced Thursday that the cub is female. Wednesday, the zoo said keepers decided to take the cub away from its mother, Vera, because the mother was showing signs of being upset and confused, taking her baby in and out of the animals' enclosure. "We were 100 percent sure that the baby was going to die if we didn't take it away from her," Nuremberg zoo director Dag Encke told Time magazine. "This would have been a death verdict for the cub." The zoo confirmed earlier this week that its other female polar bear, Vilma, had eaten her two offspring. The zoo said it feared Vera would do the same, so it took her cub away as a precaution. Since then, the cub is thriving in the care of humans, but Vera seems to miss her cub, Foghammar said. Watch how zoo has faced criticism over polar bears. » . "The mother is a little bit nervous," she said. "She walks around and is searching for the baby, but the responsible persons for the zoo say this is normal. It will continue for three or four days. It's a normal situation." The zookeepers are pondering whether to bring another adult bear, possibly the cub's father, Felix, to the zoo to help Vera overcome her loss, and are seeking another small bear to serve as a companion for the rescued cub, Time reported. The zoo said a keeper entered Vilma's enclosure Monday and noticed that her two cubs were nowhere to be found. The zoo said it assumes Vilma ate her young because she believed the cubs were sick, though zookeepers say the cubs were last seen on Sunday and appeared in good health. But Foghammar told Time that the separation of the bears was bad for the "principle of wildlife conservation" at the zoo: "Now the cub will not grow up to act in a natural way, just as the mother lacked the experience to bring up a cub." The plight of the cub follows the case last year of Knut, a cub rejected by its mother at Berlin Zoo who became the focus of a media frenzy after animal rights campaigners called for it to be killed, claiming it had become too dependent on humans. E-mail to a friend .

Four-week-old polar bear separated from mother amid fears she would eat it . Nuremberg City Zoo's other polar bear ate its own two offspring earlier this week . Mother was showing signs of being upset and confused, zookeepers said .

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Pastor Brady Boyd calls it the "highlight of my ministry" -- seeing the parents of the man who shot up his church be embraced by the parents of two teenage sisters who were killed in the attack. A former roommate took this photo of Matthew Murray performing in a 2002 Christmas program. "The four of them met and hugged and cried," said Boyd, the senior pastor at New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado. "It made me evaluate my own life and think, 'Is there anyone I'm not forgiving?'" Boyd was referring to a meeting on January 3 between Ron and Loretta Murray, whose 24-year-old son Matthew carried out the December 9 attack at New Life Church, and David and Marie Works, whose daughters, Stephanie, 18, and Rachael, 16, were killed in the rampage. David Works also was wounded in the shootings. Learn more about the victims » . The pastor said he invited the Murrays to visit the New Life campus after praying over the holidays. The family immediately accepted his invitation and was given a guided "step-by-step" tour of where the rampage took place and shown where their son died. "It was extremely emotional. They wanted to hear the details. I kept telling them I would stop with details, but they wanted to hear them," he told CNN in a phone interview this week. At one point, the parents also met with security guard Jeanne Assam, who shot their son in the leg before he turned his gun on himself. The parents thanked Assam for her swift action and for helping save more lives, said Casey Nikoloric, a Murray family spokeswoman and long-time friend. "They told Assam that they were so deeply sorry she had to do what she did," said Nikoloric. "There were tears, lots of embraces, prayers." The visit, she said, was "very, very, very important" in the healing process for the Murrays as they deal with the loss of their son and the terror he inflicted. Boyd agreed. "I thought this would be best for the Murrays," he said, adding that it touched everyone involved. "I've never seen repentance and forgiveness as profound as I did that day." The Murrays toured the church with their other son, Christopher, 20, a student at Oral Roberts University. The Murrays met the Works in Boyd's office. He said he also asked the Murrays to share "some of the good memories" of Matthew as a boy. "It put it in context: This kid was raised in an upper middle-class home and had every chance to do well," Boyd said. "You wonder what went wrong for Matthew. They described Matthew as any parent would describe their son." The pastor said he didn't tell many people about the meeting before it happened, fearing it "could have gotten volatile and hostile." "It was risky, but I knew enough about the Murrays to know they were mature and good people," he said. On Sunday, he began his sermon by telling his congregation about what had transpired just a few days earlier. He was met with loud applause. Matthew Murray began his assault that day at the Youth With a Mission center in Arvada, Colorado, killing two people -- Tiffany Johnson, 26, and Philip Crouse, 24 -- and wounding two others before he went to the New Life Church, about 80 miles away. The Murrays visited the mission center December 12 and met with the families of the slain victims, according to Nikoloric. "The depth of our sorrow and our grief is greater than we could possibly describe," the Murrays said in a written statement. "But with thanks to God, these remarkable families and their pastors and churches, healing and reconciliation have begun." E-mail to a friend .

Parents of church shooter meet with victims' family . They "met and hugged and cried," pastor says . Matthew Murray, 24, killed four people in two shootings, before killing himself . His parents also thanked guard who shot their son .

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More than a dozen uncontained wildfires raged Monday across Southern California, threatening thousands of structures and forcing people to flee homes from San Diego to Malibu to Lake Arrowhead. This photo taken from space Monday afternoon shows smoke rising from the wildfires in Southern California. Fire officials said more than 265,000 people have been evacuated and nearly 4,900 firefighters are battling the fast-moving blazes, which began over the weekend. By Monday afternoon, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention had reported 13 active wildfires have consumed more than 98,000 acres and destroyed or damaged at least 50 homes and businesses across six counties. The winds driving the flames are expected to stay strong, coming out of the northeast, at least through Tuesday, according to CNN meteorologist Rob Marciano. "It's a tragic time for California," California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said earlier Monday. He declared a state of emergency in seven counties and asked the National Guard to pull 800 soldiers from patrolling the U.S.-Mexico border to help battle the wildfires. Monday evening, Schwarzenegger asked U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates to order delivery of all available Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems (MAFFS) to help fight the fires. Watch fires devour homes and land » . Citing the proliferation in the number of fires, Schwarzenegger wrote, "Your immediate assistance is necessary to deploy Department of Defense aircraft located in Wyoming, North Carolina and Colorado to assist California in our firefighting effort." According to the White House, the federal Agriculture Department will provide fire crews, air tankers and helicopters to fight the fires, and the state will receive assistance grants to help pay firefighting costs. See where fires burn across Southern California » . Hardest hit was San Diego County, where 250,000 people have fled from five fires. One person was killed and 18 were reported injured in the county, including five firefighters. Local officials said the fire situation had worsened throughout the day, prompting new evacuations. "We have a very dangerous, unpredictable situation," said Ron Roberts, chairman of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors. "We have some of the highest temperatures, some of the driest landscape conditions and some of the most powerful winds -- all the ingredients for a perfect firestorm." On one cul-de-sac in the San Diego suburb of Rancho Bernardo, five of six homes burned to the ground, leaving flames from gas lines flickering amid the ruins, according to a KGTV report. See photos of the fires » . Officials turned Qualcomm Stadium, home of the NFL's San Diego Chargers, into an evacuation center. Residents of four housing areas at the Camp Pendleton Marine base in northern San Diego County were put on notice for possible evacuations and told to pack personal belongings as a precautionary measure. Earlier Monday, fixed-wing firefighting aircraft were grounded by the strong winds, officials said, making the jobs of fire crews on the ground even harder. Fires threatened the San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park on Monday, causing the park to close. Some of the animals, such as endangered condors, are being moved to a safer location, according to zoo spokeswoman Yadira Galindo. Authorities are asking people to hold off on 911 calls unless there is a real emergency, saying clogged cell phone lines are hurting rescue efforts. The largest of the wildfires was the Buckweed blaze north of Los Angeles, which has consumed 27,500 acres and forced the evacuation of 15,000 residents from Santa Clarita and nearby communities, according to the state forestry department. About 4,000 structures were threatened, and the fire was moving toward the Magic Mountain amusement park. Two fires that erupted Monday morning in San Bernardino County near Lake Arrowhead have destroyed at least 123 structures and charred 1,800 acres, said Loretta Benavidez, a spokeswoman for the San Bernardino National Forest. Several communities in the area, including Green Valley Lake, Arrowbear and Running Springs, were evacuated. And in Malibu Canyon, south of the Pacific Coast Highway, nearly 1,450 firefighters were battling a blaze that began Sunday afternoon and still threatened 900 structures in the area, which is home to many Hollywood luminaries, the state forestry department said. The Canyon fire is only 10 percent contained, an official said. The Pacific Coast Highway remains shut down in Malibu. E-mail to a friend . Copyright 2007 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.

123 structures destroyed by wildfires in Lake Arrowhead . NEW: White House: Federal Agriculture Department will provide fire crews . Fires threaten San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park; animals evacuated . Malibu Canyon fire is 10 percent contained, officials say .

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Wednesday's Glasgow derby between Celtic and Rangers has been postponed as a mark of respect following the death of Motherwell captain Phil O'Donnell, the Scottish Premier League announced. O'Donnell, left, celebrates Motherwell's Scottish Cup final win against Dundee in May 1991. "These are never easy decisions. But we recognise that as a former player, Phil was part of Celtic's extended football family," said SPL secretary Iain Blair. "After consultation with Rangers we agreed to postpone the Old Firm fixture on the second of January." Motherwell's game against Hibernian on the same day was called off on Saturday night in the hours after O'Donnell, 35, died following his on-field collapse. Gretna's match against St Mirren was also postponed as it was scheduled to take place at Fir Park which has become a shrine to the memory of O'Donnell, but the SPL confirmed that the other three fixtures scheduled for Wednesday will go ahead. Celtic skipper Stephen McManus spoke out in favor of the postponement after he and his team-mates met on Monday morning for the first time since O'Donnell's death. "A number of our squad have very close connections to Phil's family and feel it would be inappropriate to proceed with this match at such a time, following such a tragic event," he said. Rangers manager Walter Smith agreed that the game should not be played. "You cannot think of playing at a time like this," he said. "Obviously it is a very difficult time for everybody, especially Phil O'Donnell's family." Motherwell's home game against Celtic next Sunday had already been postponed by the SPL. E-mail to a friend .

Glasgow derby between Celtic and Rangers on Wednesday is postponed . Decision made as a mark of respect after death of ex-player Phil O'Donnell . Motherwell's home game against Celtic next Sunday was already called off .

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In a nation of more than a billion people and millions of unresolved court cases, how do you take care of the backlog? Long distances over questionable roads stop many Indians from making it into courtrooms. Solution: You take the courts to the people. A bell rings. A bailiff yells out the name of the accused. It's another day in the mobile courtroom of Judge Sandeep Singh. His courtroom is a desk plopped down in the middle of a dusty schoolyard in the northern Indian village of Haryana. "It works like any other regular court," Singh said. "The only difference is that instead of people going to the court, the court comes to the village." The mobile court is bused into rural areas to hear both criminal and civil complaints as part of an effort to dig the nation's court system out from under an enormous backlog of cases. With an estimated 300 million unresolved cases languishing in Indian courts, one consultant believes, it could take more than 300 years to clear the docket at the current pace. There's one main reason for the backlog: inconvenience. People often have to travel long distances over questionable roads, using slow modes of transportation. "The witnesses -- definitely, they don't show up -- and even the parties -- they don't show up -- and they send their advocate," Singh said. "But here, people are closer by, so definitely it makes a difference." With distance no longer a problem, more villagers and their attorneys are coming to hearings. Compared to the traditional legal system, the mobile court claims to be both fast and efficient. Singh said he has been able to clear 1,100 cases in just six months time compared to 500 under the traditional court system. E-mail to a friend .

Indian judges bus mobile courts to rural villages to ease backlog . Judges say the mobile courts make justice more convenient . India has an estimated 300 million unresolved court cases .

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President Bush's top adviser on homeland security is stepping down after 4½ years on the job, the White House said Monday. Fran Townsend served more than four years as homeland security adviser. Homeland Security Adviser Fran Townsend turned in her letter of resignation to President Bush on November 6 and will be looking for new opportunities outside government. "I'm going to just take another job doing 20-hour days, but this time in the private sector," said Townsend, who has spent 25 years working in law enforcement and government. Bush praised Townsend's work Monday. "Fran has always provided wise counsel on how to best protect the American people from the threat of terrorism," Bush said in a statement. "We are safer today because of her leadership." Townsend's job, as the president's top adviser on fighting terrorism, involved identifying terrorist groups around the globe and assessing their threat, and finding ways to track and cut off their funding. She said that experience should will be useful in the private sector as well. Townsend -- the mother of two, ages 6 and 12 -- said she first will look into public speaking, writing and board work before pursuing opportunities in global risk management for a large multinational corporation or financial institution. Watch how Townsend is planning to use her skills » . She said she's been talking with the president about her planned departure for eight months. Townsend's name had come up during the president's recent search for a new attorney general, but she was not considered. She said not getting the job "had absolutely nothing to do with her decision to leave." She said Bush had wanted her to stay on in his administration. "It was a hard decision as I have loved and will cherish my every minute of service," she said in an e-mail. "My family actually advocated that I remain and has always been supportive of my service so this was entirely my decision." Townsend is part of the search committee to find a replacement by the beginning of next year. The president appoints the senior staff position, and it needs no Senate confirmation. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Suzanne Malveaux contributed to this report.

Fran Townsend says she'll look for opportunities in the private sector . Townsend has worked in government and law enforcement for 25 years . Townsend will be on a panel searching for a replacement .

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Chiquita Brands International faces a $7.86 billion lawsuit filed Wednesday on behalf of nearly 400 Colombian families who say the company should be held responsible for the "torture and murder" of their loved ones. With a map of alleged victims, Jonathan Reiter makes his case Wednesday at a New York news conference. Attorney Jonathan Reiter said his clients are seeking "damages for terrorism, war crimes ... and wrongful death." The plaintiffs are asking for $10 million in compensatory damages and $10 million in punitive damages for each of the 393 victims named in the suit. Earlier this year, Chiquita, as part of a plea agreement, admitted that what it called protection payments had been given to Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia, or AUC. AUC was named a terrorist organization by the United States in 2002, making it a crime to give them money. The lawsuit alleges Chiquita's interaction with the paramilitary group went further than the payments -- it accuses the company of facilitating shipments of arms to the group. "They conspired with the AUC, aided and abetted them in a far-reaching conspiracy and plan to control every aspect of banana growing, distribution and sale," Reiter said. The attorney said one couple refused to sell their banana farm "for pennies" and were killed by AUC in 2001, and other murder victims had been directed to "sell their bananas only to Chiquita." The families filing the suit will remain anonymous because of fear of reprisals in their home country, he said. "The principle upon which this lawsuit is brought is that when you put money into the hands of terrorists, when you put guns into the hands of terrorists, then you are legally responsible for the atrocities, the murders and the tortures that those terrorists commit," Reiter said. Responding to the allegations Wednesday afternoon, the company said, "Chiquita Brands International categorically denies the allegations made by these attorneys. We reiterate that Chiquita and its employees were victims and that the actions taken by the company were always motivated to protect the lives of our employees and their families." Chiquita's director of communications, Michael Mitchell, went on to say, "Our company had been forced to make protection payments to safeguard our workforce. It is absolutely untrue for anyone to suggest that these payments were made for any other purpose." Mitchell said the company will fight the allegations. "Chiquita has already been the victim of extortion in Colombia. We will not allow ourselves to become extortion victims in the United States." In the March plea agreement, Chiquita Brands International agreed to pay a $25 million fine for the payments made by the company's former banana-producing subsidiary in Colombia. During a government investigation, the company admitted to making payments to AUC even after outside counsel told the company those payments were illegal and should stop immediately. E-mail to a friend .

Attorney: Clients allege terrorism, war crimes, wrongful death, seek $7.86 billion . Plaintiffs want $20 million in damages for each of 393 victims named in suit . Chiquita admits paying a group that the U.S. labeled a terrorist organization . Company "categorically denies" attorneys' allegations, says it will fight them .

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Before dying, 2-year-old Riley Ann Sawyers was beaten with belts, picked up by her hair, thrown across the room and held under water, according to an affidavit from the Galveston County Sheriff's Office. Police believe 2-year-old Riley Ann Sawyers is "Baby Grace." The affidavit says the girl's mother, Kimberly Dawn Trenor, described to police how her daughter died and was put in a plastic storage box that Trenor and her husband, Royce Zeigler, later dumped into a Galveston waterway. Trenor told police Zeigler tried to commit suicide the weekend before Thanksgiving, and wrote a note that said, "My wife is innocent of the sins that I committed." The body of the then-unidentified toddler was found on October 29. A fisherman found Riley's body stuffed inside a blue storage container that washed up on an uninhabited island in Galveston's West Bay. A medical examiner said the child's skull was fractured, and a forensic dentist estimated her age at 2 to 3 years. Police dubbed the child "Baby Grace." A police artist's sketch of her was widely circulated in the news media and prompted a call to Galveston police from Riley's grandmother in Ohio, who had not seen the girl in months. On Saturday, police arrested Trenor and Zeigler on charges of injuring a child and tampering with physical evidence, the sheriff's department said. Their bonds were set at $350,000 each. The affidavit, obtained by CNN, says when police interviewed Trenor on November 23, she "gave a voluntary statement on video with her attorney present in which she describes her involvement, with Royce Zeigler, in the physical abuse, death and disposal of the remains of her daughter, Riley Ann Sawyers." Trenor's statement said on July 24, she and Zeigler both beat the child with leather belts and held her head under water in the bathtub. She said Zeigler picked the girl up by her hair and also threw her across the room, slamming her head into the tile floor. After her daughter died, Trenor's statement said, she and Zeigler went to a Wal-Mart that night and bought the Sterilite container, a shovel, concrete mix, and other supplies. The statement said the box containing the child's body was hidden in a storage shed for "one to two months." Then, Trenor said, she and Zeigler carried it to the Galveston Causeway and tossed it in, and she saw it drifting away. Riley Ann's father, Robert Sawyers, on Monday tearfully remembered her as a "fun-loving girl ... with a big imagination." Watch Riley Ann's father describe the little girl » . Riley was "very active, very hyper, but also very well-behaved," Sawyers told reporters in Mentor, Ohio. She would play "with a water hose ... spraying the whole patio soaking wet until she was done with it," he said, as he sat behind two photographs of his daughter, a toddler with wispy blond curls. Robert Sawyers' mother, Sheryl Sawyers, said the family was "devastated" to learn that police believe Riley is dead. "It's hard to think that I'll never see her again," she said, clutching a red Elmo doll she had planned to give Riley for Christmas. Maj. Ray Tuttoilmondo of the Galveston County Sheriff's Department said Monday that authorities are "fairly confident" that the toddler whose body was found on October 29 is Riley Ann Sawyers. DNA analysis is still in progress to confirm the identification. The results will be available in two to three weeks, Tuttoilmondo said. Tuttoilmondo said Riley is originally from Mentor, Ohio, a Cleveland suburb, and that "she and her mother came down to Texas earlier this year." The toddler was last seen in Texas "three or four months ago," Tuttoilmondo said, although he did not know by whom. Tuttoilmondo said police did investigate whether Child Protective Services had taken Riley away, something the mother had reportedly alleged. Of that report, Tuttoilmondo said, "What we believe is that is not what happened." The affidavit said Trenor admitted that after the body was found, Zeigler had her type up a fake letter from the Ohio Department of Children's Services saying that Riley was to be taken away. Trenor left Ohio in late May, after filing an allegation of domestic violence against Robert Sawyers and reaching a joint voluntary agreement that gave her custody of Riley and gave Robert Sawyers visitation rights, the Sawyers' family lawyer said Monday. "She disappeared," Laura DePledge said Monday at the Ohio news conference with the Sawyers. Sheryl Sawyers said Monday that she saw widely distributed police sketches of "Baby Grace" and contacted Galveston police in November. The girl in the police sketches strongly resembles photos of Riley. "No, I never did think it would end up like this," Sheryl Sawyers said Monday, eyes welling. "I guess knowing is better than not knowing." The girl's family in Ohio has been "very helpful" in this case, Tuttoilmondo said, adding that the FBI and a Galveston County police officer visited the family in Ohio on Sunday. DePledge said Riley was the product of a "teenage pregnancy." Trenor and Robert Sawyers were together for two years as a result of the pregnancy, DePledge said, during which time they lived with Sheryl Sawyers. DePledge said Monday that the family, whose grief she described as "simply overwhelming," wants Riley's body returned to Ohio for a memorial service. "What Riley needs is to be brought home," she said. "I think this family needs some closure." Tuttoilmondo asked anyone who knew the child or her family to help detectives reconstruct the events of Riley's short life. The toddler's case has touched even hardened police officers, he said. "Any way you look at it, we carry a piece of her with us, and we'll always carry a little piece of her with us," he said Monday. He held up a small, pink-and-white shoe identical to those the child was wearing when she was found. "That says it all. A little-bitty shoe." E-mail to a friend . CNN's Sean Callebs contributed to this report.

Police affidavit quotes mother's statement about beating that killed girl . Mother's husband threw Riley Ann Sawyers across room, affidavit says . Husband later attempted suicide, mother told police . Riley Ann's mother and her husband arrested after a tip led to search .

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A chronology of bombings and attempted bomb attacks in the mainland UK since the 1970s: . Police close off streets around Haymarket, in London's busy theater district. June 29, 2007: Police defuse a bomb consisting of 200 liters of fuel, gas cylinders and nails found in an abandoned car in Haymarket, central London. A second car packed with gas and nails was later found to have been parked just a few hundred yards from the first, before it was towed away by traffic wardens in the early hours of Friday for violating parking restrictions. Police say two vehicles clearly linked. July 21, 2005: Two weeks after the deadly 7/7 bombings, four men are alleged to have attempted to carry out a second wave of attacks against London's transport network at three London underground stations and aboard a bus. But their alleged rucksack bombs fail to explode. July 7, 2005: Four suicide bombers detonate themselves aboard three underground trains and a bus in a morning rush hour attack against London's transport network, killing 52 people and injuring around 700 more. Al Qaeda claims responsibility in a video statement. August 2004: Anti-terrorist police disrupt a plot by Islamic militants to blow up targets including the Ministry of Sound nightclub and the Bluewater shopping center in southeast England using explosives packed into limousines and large vehicles. Seven men are convicted in May 2007 and sentenced to up to 26 years in prison. March 2001: A car bomb explodes outside the BBC's London headquarters, wounding one man. Police blame the Real IRA, a republican splinter group opposed to the IRA's cease fire. April 1999: Three people die when a nail bomb explodes in the Admiral Duncan pub in London's gay district -- the third in a spate of series of nail bomb attacks also targeting immigrant areas of the city that left dozens injured. A 23-year-old self-declared "Nazi", David Copeland, is sentenced to six life terms. June 1996: A massive IRA bomb explodes in a shopping center in central Manchester, injuring more than 200 people. February 1996: Two people die as IRA terrorists detonate a bomb in London's Docklands area, causing damage estimated at around $170m and ending the group's 17-month cease fire. April 1993: An IRA truck bomb devastates part of London's financial district, killing one and wounding 44. March 1993: Two boys aged three and 12 are killed and dozens are injured by two bombs left in litter bins in Warrington, northern England. The IRA admits planting the bombs. April 1992: A huge IRA car bomb in London's financial district kills three people and wounds 91. February 1991: IRA terrorists launch a mortar attack at Prime Minister John Major's Downing Street offices. No-one is injured. September 1989: Eleven people die and 22 are wounded when an IRA bomb explodes at a Royal Marine music school in Deal, southern England. December 1988: A Pan Am airliner explodes over the Scottish town of Lockerbie, killing 259 aboard and 11 people on the ground. Libyan agent Abdel Basset al-Megrahi, convicted of the attack in 2001, was this week granted the right to mount a fresh appeal. (Read about Lockerbie bomber) October 1984: Five people die in an IRA bomb attack on a hotel in Brighton, southern England, where Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and her cabinet are staying for the Conservative Party's annual conference. December 1983: An IRA bomb at London's Harrods department store kills six people. July 1982: Two IRA bomb attacks on soldiers in London's parks kill 11 people and wound 50. October-November 1974: A wave of IRA bombs in British pubs in Birmingham and Guildford kill 28 people and wound more than 200. February 1974: A coach carrying soldiers and families in northern England is bombed by the IRA, killing 12 and wounding 14. E-mail to a friend .

Two cars loaded with gasoline and nails found abandoned in London Friday . 52 people killed on July 7, 2005 after bombs exploded on London bus, trains . British capital wracked by violence by the IRA for years .

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Topps Meat Co. on Saturday expanded a recall of ground beef from about 300,000 pounds to 21.7 million pounds, one of the largest meat recalls in U.S. history. The recalled products are all ground beef patties with various brand names. In a statement, the Elizabeth, New Jersey, company said the hamburger patties may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, a bacterium that can cause severe diarrhea and cramps, as well as other complications. A statement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture said 25 illnesses are under investigation in Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Maine, New Jersey, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania. The ground beef products being recalled have a "sell by date" or a "best if used by date" between September 25, 2007, and September 25, 2008, Topps' statement said. Watch the latest on the beef recall » . The packages also have the marking "Est. 9748" inside the USDA mark of inspection. Tuesday, the company announced a recall of about 331,000 pounds of hamburger meat, according to the USDA. "Because the health and safety of our consumers is our top priority, we are taking these expansive measures," said Vice President of Operations Geoffrey Livermore in the statement. "Topps is continuing to work with the USDA, state departments of health, retailers and distributors to ensure the safety of our consumers. Additionally, we have augmented our internal quality control procedures with microbiologists and food safety experts. We sincerely regret any inconvenience and concerns this may cause our consumers," Livermore said. This is the company's first recall in its 65 years of business, the statement said. Consumers who find the products at home are asked to cut off the UPC code and return it to Topps for a full refund, then dispose of the product immediately, Topps spokeswoman Michelle Williams said. The company said to avoid E. coli, consumers should wash hands thoroughly after handling the beef. Topps set up a toll-free recall help line at (888) 734-0451. Williams said because the products may have been produced up to a year ago, many of them have already been safely consumed. Production in the ground beef area of the company's plant in Elizabeth has been shut down until all the investigations are complete, Williams said in a phone interview. "We're working with the USDA and the CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] and conducting our own investigation," she added. The products, all ground beef patties and hamburgers with various brand names, were distributed mainly in the northeastern United States, but went to retailers in many other areas of the country as well, Williams said. While the sheer size of the recall is large, two other companies have been involved in larger recalls. In 2002, Pilgrim's Pride recalled more than 27 million pounds of poultry, and Hudson Foods recalled 25 million pounds of ground beef in 1997. E-mail to a friend .

Topps Meat Co. hamburger patties may contain E. coli bacteria . New Jersey plant's grinding operation shut down . As many as 25 cases of illness recorded in eight states .

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A boy playing with matches started a Southern California wildfire that scorched more than 38,000 acres, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said Tuesday. A firefighter talks on a radio while battling the Buckweed blaze on October 22. The Buckweed Fire, which destroyed 21 homes on its rampage, began October 21 in the Agua Dulce community. "Our arson explosive detectives, in conjunction with the Los Angeles County Fire Department investigators, immediately began their investigation, and during the course of the investigation, it led to a juvenile suspect," Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy Tony Moore told CNN's "American Morning" Wednesday. "After talking with that juvenile, he admitted to playing with matches, and accidentally starting the fire in that area," he said. Watch what's next for young suspect » . The boy, whose name and age were not given, is home with his parents, police said. The case will be presented to the Los Angeles County district attorney for possible charges. According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the Buckweed Fire burned 38,526 acres. Sixty-three structures, 21 of them homes, were destroyed, and three civilians and two firefighters were injured. The sheriff's department said the fire forced the evacuation of about 15,000 people. As of Tuesday, 18 of 23 wildfires in Southern California were completely under control, and the remainder were at least 70 percent contained, according to the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The fires are blamed for 14 deaths and charred more than 508,000 acres, destroying about 1,600 homes. Five people were arrested in arson probes last week, and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Saturday vowed to "hunt down" people responsible for setting wildfires. Authorities said Saturday they were following 1,700 tips about a white Ford F-150 pickup seen near the origin of the sprawling Santiago Fire in Orange County. Witnesses reported seeing the 1998-2004 model truck with chrome tubular running boards on Santiago Canyon Road on October 21 at about the time the Santiago Fire started. Authorities said last week they had found evidence at the scene, although they declined to describe it. "If I were one of the people who started the fires, I would not sleep soundly right now, because we're right behind you," Schwarzenegger said, urging the culprits to turn themselves in. E-mail to a friend .

"He admitted playing with matches and starting the fire," says police report . Boy, whose name and age were not given, is home with his parents . Buckweed Fire burned 38,000 acres, destroyed 63 structures, 21 of them homes .

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It's all tied up in Texas. Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are running a tight race in Texas. A new CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll suggests the battle for the Democratic presidential nomination between Sens. Hillary Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois is a statistical dead heat in Texas, which holds primaries March 4. In the survey, out Monday, 50 percent of likely Democratic primary voters support Clinton as their choice for the party's nominee, with 48 percent backing Obama. But taking into account the poll's sampling error of plus or minus 4½ percentage points for Democratic respondents, the race is a virtual tie. Watch Democrats target Texas. » . Two recent polls by other organizations also show the race statistically even. Map: National and state polling . "One reason the race appears to be tight is that Texas Democrats are having a hard time choosing between two attractive options," says CNN polling director Keating Holland. "Likely Democratic primary voters would be equally happy if either candidate won the nomination, and they don't see a lot of difference between them on several top issues. "Roughly a quarter of likely voters say they could change their minds in the next two weeks -- and not surprisingly, those people are splitting roughly equally between Clinton and Obama." Many political strategists and analysts consider Texas and Ohio -- which also holds a March 4 primary -- must-win states for Clinton. Obama has won the past eight contests and is now ahead in the overall battle for delegates, 193 of which are at stake in Texas. The new survey indicates Arizona Sen. John McCain is the clear favorite for the Republican presidential nomination. Among Republicans, 55 percent of likely Texas GOP primary voters support McCain as their choice for nominee. Thirty-two percent back former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and 11 percent support home-state congressman and former Libertarian standard-bearer Ron Paul. The poll's sampling error for Republican respondents is 4 percentage points. The CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll was conducted by telephone from Friday through Sunday. Pollsters talked to 1,506 adults in Texas, including 553 likely Republican primary voters and 529 likely Democratic primary voters. McCain is the overwhelming front-runner in the fight for the Republican presidential nomination and party leaders have rallied around the candidate in an attempt for party unity. The poll was released on the same day the only living former Republican president -- George Herbert Walker Bush, the current president's father -- endorsed McCain at an event in Houston. Watch McCain get a big boost » . But McCain has had trouble winning conservative voters. Just last week, McCain lost the conservative vote to Huckabee in the Virginia primary, according to exit polls. The new survey, though, suggests McCain may have better luck in Texas. "It looks like McCain has made some inroads with conservative Republicans," Holland said. "McCain is picking up a bare majority among conservative likely voters in the GOP primary. The McCain campaign probably wishes that number were higher, but it does mean that a McCain victory in Texas would not be based on the votes of moderates and independents, as has happened in several states in the past few weeks." Texas Democrats and Republicans may not see eye to eye on the issues, but the poll suggests they do agree on what's the most important issue. Thirty-five percent of Democrats and an equal number of Republicans said the economy was the most important issue in their choice for president. The second most important issue for Democrats was health care, at 23 percent, followed by the war in Iraq at 22 percent, illegal immigration at 10 percent and terrorism at 7 percent. Nineteen percent of Republicans said illegal immigration was their most important issue, putting it in second place, followed by the war in Iraq and terrorism at 17 percent and health care at 8 percent. Sixty percent of Republicans say they'll definitely support the candidate they are now backing. That number climbs to 76 percent for Democrats. Likely Democratic primary voters view Clinton and Obama on roughly equal terms. Seventy-nine percent say they would be satisfied if Clinton were the nominee; an equal number feel the same way about Obama. Seventy-nine percent say it's likely Clinton can win the nomination; 82 percent say the same about Obama. The two candidates are essentially tied on immigration, Iraq and the economy, but Clinton has an advantage on health care and abortion. E-mail to a friend .

Texas voters go to the polls March 4 . Sen. John McCain is the clear front-runner on the Republican side . Sen. Barack Obama is on an eight-state winning streak . Some strategists see Texas as a must-win state for Sen. Hillary Clinton .

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At least 200 people were evacuated from their homes, including 84 residents of an apartment building for the elderly, after a tanker truck carrying 9,000 gallons of gasoline erupted early Wednesday in a northern Boston suburb. Firefighters battle a blaze Wednesday north of Boston after a tanker overturned carrying 9,000 gallons of gas. No serious injuries were reported in the Everett, Massachusetts, blast, but witnesses recounted close calls to a local television station. One man said he narrowly escaped from his car before it exploded. "In consideration of everything that firefighters had to deal with, I think it's a miracle that we haven't seen some serious injuries," Everett Fire Chief David Butler said. The tanker overturned and caught fire at a traffic circle in the town of about 37,000 outside Boston. Officials are investigating whether the driver was speeding, Butler said. "Our major concerns right now are we still have an ongoing fire operation in the family dwellings, and we are still heavily engaged in those operations, and we have some concerns environmentally," Butler said. Watch residents of an elderly housing complex describe their shock » . Flames from the truck engulfed at least 40 cars and three buildings, two of them houses, fire officials said. The truck was destroyed, but the driver was not seriously injured, the officials said. WCVB-TV in Boston identified the driver as Chad LaFrance of Dover, New Hampshire. Seven hours after the truck caught fire, firefighters were still battling a blaze in one of the homes, according to the television station. Evacuees were taken to an armory converted into a shelter, Red Cross official Amelia Aubourg told CNN. Local streets were closed temporarily, and a nearby school was shut down for the day, WCVB reported. One evacuee who fled a high-rise building told the television station he saw at least 15 cars burning. "And popping, they were popping. I don't know if it was tires that were blowing, but they were completely gone, the cars," Dan Savage told WCVB. Nearby resident Chris Barrow awoke to the sound of a "big bang," he told WCVB. At first, he thought it was a car accident, but when he went outside to investigate the noise, he saw fire "just coming down the hill toward the houses as fast as you could think." Barrow tried to escape in his car, but fire quickly surrounded the vehicle, he told the TV station. "I rode over the fire and my car caught fire," he told WCVB. "I got out just in time, and I ran a couple feet just before it blew up." E-mail to a friend . CNN's Michelle Cumbo and Saundra Booker contributed to this report.

Fire chief: "I think it's a miracle that we haven't seen some serious injuries" Officials are investigating whether truck's speed a factor in the accident, chief says . Evacuees taken to an armory converted into a shelter, Red Cross says . Man tells WCVB-TV his car caught fire, exploded as he fled; "I got out just in time"

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Despite the obvious claims of younger rivals Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, few can really argue with the 96 football journalists who voted Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite as the 2007 World Footballer of the Year. Brazilian genius Kaka fully deserves winning the 2007 World Footballer of the Year award. The prestigious Ballon d'Or award is widely regarded as the most prestigious individual prize in football and Kaka's inclusion on its coveted roll of honor is a testament to the 25-year-old Brazilian's current standing in world football. When AC Milan defeated Liverpool in the Champions League final in Athens, avenging their heartbreaking loss to the same team in Istanbul two years previously, it enabled Kaka to fulfill his dream of holding aloft Europe's premier trophy -- a winner's medal he fully deserved after a sublime 90-minute performance. Kaka's stock for both club and country has risen steadily since his move to the San Siro from Sao Paulo for a fee of just $8.5 million in the summer of 2003. Unlike many a Brazilian sporting genius, Kaka did not hone his skills on the beach or the streets of a favela shanty town. He was born into a comfortable middle class Brasilia family, where football was not the only hope of a bright future. However, it soon became clear that this particular boy had a very special skill and he was signed by Sao Paulo, after his family had moved there, at just eight years of age -- making his first team debut as an 18-year-old. Kaka's progress was soon picked up by his national team coach and Felipe Scolari named the graceful midfielder in his 23-man squad for the 2002 World Cup finals, earning him a winners' medal despite playing only 19 minutes of the tournament in a group match against Costa Rica. A year later, and Kaka was on his way to Milan. Within a month he had made the starting line-up and his 10 goals helped the Rossoneri lift the Scudetto and the European Super Cup. Throughout his career, Kaka has always possessed the innate ability to score goals -- his record for both club and country sees him average roughly a goal every three games. Yet to describe Kaka merely as a goalscoring midfielder would be doing him a massive injustice. Tall, elegant and blessed with astonishing skill, Milan and Brazil utilize Kaka's ability superbly. Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti soon recognized Kaka's genius, changing his team's system to a 4-4-1-1, playing the Brazilian behind a main target man. With Andrea Pirlo and Gennaro Gattuso holding the central midfield area, Kaka has a license to roam in behind the lone striker, be it Filippo Inzaghi, Ronaldo or Alberto Gilardino. And Kaka does this with devastating effect, running at the opposition with pace and power, finding defense-splitting passes or shooting from range with deadly accuracy be it from a dead-ball situation or open play. The fly in the ointment for Milan comes in the shape of their poor form this season. Although they have already reached the last 16 of the Champions League, the club are floundering in Serie A and face the unthinkable prospect of not qualifying for next season's competition unless they win the trophy. Real Madrid have coveted Kaka for the last two years -- expect the world transfer record to be smashed if Milan don't secure a place among Europe's elite. E-mail to a friend .

Kaka deservedly named World Player of the Year for the first time in his career . The Brazilian beats Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in the journalists' vote . The 25-year-old averages one goal in three games for both AC Milan and Brazil .

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Interpol on Monday took the unprecendented step of making a global appeal for help to identify a man from digitally reconstructed photos taken from the Internet that it said showed him sexually abusing underage boys. This moving image shows how police used software to unscramble the image. (Source: Interpol) The man's face was disguised by digital alteration, but the images were capable of being restored, according to a bulletin from Interpol -- the international police agency based in Lyon, France. Interpol Secretary General Ronald K. Noble said the pictures have been on the the Internet for several years, but investigators have been unable to determine the man's identity or nationality. "We have tried all other means to identify and to bring him to justice, but we are now convinced that without the public's help this sexual predator could continue to rape and sexually abuse young children whose ages appear to range from six to early teens," Noble said. He said there is "very good reason to believe that he travels the world in order to sexually abuse and exploit vulnerable children." Interpol has determined the photos were taken in Vietnam and Cambodia. "The decision to make public this man's picture was not one which was taken lightly," said Kristin Kvigne, assistant director of Interpol's Trafficking in Human Beings Unit. The suspect's photo and more information can be seen online at Interpol's Web site. E-mail to a friend .

Man posted photos on the Internet of himself sexually abusing underage boys . Computer experts managed to undo digital masking to reveal the man . Man abused 12 boys in Vietnam and Cambodia .

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Up to 80,000 items at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library are unaccounted for, probably because of haphazard record-keeping and inventory procedures, officials said Thursday. An audit found "significant breakdown in internal controls" at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. An audit completed last month by the National Archives and Records Administration's inspector general looked at the management of presidential artifacts at six presidential libraries. It "cites particular issues at the Ronald Reagan Library. ... We acknowledge that problems exist in inventory control at the Reagan library," said a statement from Allen Weinstein, national archivist. Inspector General Paul Brachfield was more blunt. A "significant breakdown in internal controls" was found at the Reagan library, in Simi Valley, California, he said in a statement Thursday. The audit results prompted the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation to urge the National Archives -- which is responsible for maintaining the artifacts -- to move quickly to fix the problems. The chairman of the board of trustees has contacted Weinstein "to express the serious concerns and disappointment on behalf of the Reagan Foundation and Mrs. Reagan," the foundation said. Library officials told auditors that "the collection contained approximately 100,000 items, yet the library systems only had information to locate and account for approximately 20,000 items," Brachfield said. "This does not automatically mean the approximately 80,000 remaining items are missing. The vast majority may very well be safely located within the library's storage facilities. ... Some of these items may be missing or stolen, or none of these items may be missing or stolen." Control deficiencies at the library created an environment that could potentially have been exploited, Brachfield said. Although Congress has a copy of the audit, it has not yet been made public because of the ongoing investigation into the whereabouts of the items. The count of 100,000 was an estimate taken from the original Reagan White House Gift Unit database, Weinstein said Thursday, but was never meant to be used as a concrete inventory control number. The Reagan library has already begun implementing recommendations from the audit, he said. It has upgraded its management inventory software, is hiring additional trained museum staff, has begun a comprehensive inventory and is addressing storage issues by reshelving artifacts and taking steps to protect artifacts in case of an earthquake. "Like all of the presidential libraries, the Reagan library stores their gifts in a locked vault, which is protected by a security camera," Weinstein said. The audit examined management of artifacts at the Reagan library; the Franklin D. Roosevelt library; the John F. Kennedy library; the Gerald R. Ford library; the George Bush library; and the William J. Clinton library, Weinstein said. "Early collections of artifacts came to presidential libraries with few controls and incomplete information relating to the collections," he said. E-mail to a friend .

Of 100,000 items, library systems are able to locate about 20,000 . Inspector general: This does not mean the remaining items are missing . Inspector general: Items may "be safely located within the library's storage" Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation expresses "serious concerns"

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Dozens of Defense Department personnel are actively engaged in fighting the wildfires raging in Southern California, Pentagon officials said Tuesday, and thousands more National Guard and active-duty military personnel are available to help. The Rice fire, east of Camp Pendleton, caused the evacuation of the Fallbrook community. Paul McHale, assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense, said that 12 Defense Department firefighting teams, with 12 engines, are already working the blazes and more than 17,000 National Guardsmen are potentially available if needed. In addition, he said, 550 Marines from Camp Pendleton are preparing to deploy to the fire area. "All of the aid that we provide is the result of a request ... from the state," McHale said. "However, we have been very proactive in independently preparing those capabilities for the possibility of such requests, and we have reached out early to state officials." California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has already called up 1,500 National Guard troops, including more than 200 taken from border duty to help with supplies and security at San Diego's Qualcomm Stadium and DelMar Fairgrounds and Racetrack, where thousands of evacuated residents are taking shelter. Schwarzenegger also requested and received from the federal government six "modular airborne fire fighting systems" units -- which are C-130s that drop water and fire suppressant on the blazes. Watch California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger talk about the crisis » . The Pentagon provided 11 helicopters equipped with water buckets to fight the fires, McHale said. Aerial attacks on the fires, however, have been minimal because of high Santa Ana winds with gusts approaching 70 mph. In an effort to make room for more civilians who have had to evacuate their homes, sailors stationed in Southern California are abandoning their barracks. "Orders have been given to all sailors ashore in barracks to move to shipboard billeting to provide room for evacuees," said a Tuesday statement released by the U.S. military. Only essential personnel are requested to report to duty at Naval Base San Diego, Naval Amphibious Base in Coronado, and Naval Air Station in El Centro. Those bases have also set up cots and tents for evacuees. Also, the Navy has offered an Aegis cruiser, a guided missile destroyer, and two fast frigates to support evacuation efforts. Meanwhile, the Pentagon designated March Air Reserve Base as the primary staging area for medical and relief supplies coordinated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, McHale said. And some 100 California National Guard medical personnel are helping alleviate "critical staffing shortfalls" at the San Diego Veterans Center, whose hospital staff are under voluntary and mandatory evacuation orders. The fires are also having a direct effect on military personnel -- McHale said 1,400 Navy personnel and their families have been forced to evacuate, and Camp Pendleton ordered 3,000 Marines to evacuate because of the fire, the Pentagon announced Tuesday evening. In all, the military has about Video 20 facilities around the San Diego area. E-mail to a friend .

Fires at Camp Pendleton cause evacuation of 3,000 marines . Military lending direct and indirect assistance to firefighting efforts . As firefighting efforts go on, base officials poised to evacuate . Navy and Marine Corps have more than 20 facilities in San Diego area .

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Tom Cruise expounds on his beliefs in Scientology in a 2004 video that made its way onto the Internet this week. Tom Cruise appears with his wife, Katie Holmes, at a movie premiere earlier this month. "I think it's a privilege to call yourself a Scientologist, and it's something you have to earn," Cruise says at the beginning of the video. Cruise says he's "driven ... by the opportunity to really help, for the first time, change people's lives. I'm absolutely, uncompromisingly dedicated to that." The video was shown at a 2004 Scientology ceremony honoring Cruise for his humanitarian work. Church of Scientology officials said it can be viewed at any of its churches, but it created a stir this week when what the church calls a pirated and edited version appeared on YouTube. The video has since been taken off YouTube, but an interview portion remained available on the celebrity Web site gawker.com on Thursday. Watch snippets of Cruise video » . "The Cruise Indoctrination Video Scientology Tried To Suppress" is the title of gawker.com's presentation. "You have to watch this video," the site says. "It shows Tom Cruise, with all the wide-eyed fervor that he brings to the promotion of a movie, making the argument for Scientology," which it calls "the bizarre 20th-century religion. Watch "Showbiz Tonight" discussion of Cruise video » . Cruise talks over a repetitive guitar-riff soundtrack, and appears to be answering questions, though an interviewer is not seen or heard. A second part of the video, made available to CNN by the publisher of a new unauthorized biography of Cruise, shows Cruise accepting Scientology's Freedom Medal of Valor award and exchanging military-like salutes with Scientology chairman David Miscavige to audience applause. The publisher denies leaking other parts of the video to the Web. In the video by the publisher, Cruise also salutes a portrait of L. Ron Hubbard, cited on the church's Web site as the founder of "the only major religion founded in the 20th century." Hubbard's biography cites his accomplishments as everything from mariner and horticulturalist to author and humanitarian. In the video, Cruise puts emphasis on the latter role. A Scientologist "has the ability to create new realities and improve conditions," Cruise says. On its Web site, the Church of Scientology highlights its humanitarian work, from anti-drug campaigns in places from Minnesota to Taiwan to teacher training in India. The Web site defines Scientology as "the study of truth." Cruise embraces that in the video. "If you're a Scientologist, ... you see things the way they are," Cruise says. He also says he finds peace in the religion. "The more you know as a Scientologist, you don't become overwhelmed by it," according to Cruise. The unauthorized biography of Cruise is by author Andrew Morton. A Cruise spokesperson and the Church of Scientology have disputed the book, saying Morton did not seek their comment. "Accuracy and truth were not on Morton's agenda," according to a church statement. Morton denies that and says Cruise, who he calls "a towering figure on the international scene," and his faith are worthy of scrutiny. "Tom Cruise has done remarkable work for his faith over the past few years," Morton said. "If it wasn't for him the Church of Scientology would be a shadow of what it is today." E-mail to a friend . CNN's Brad Lendon, David Mattingly and Don Lemon contributed to this report.

Scientology membership a privilege that's earned, Cruise says . 2004 video part of ceremony honoring Cruise for humanitarian work . Scientology defined as "study of the truth"

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Australia's new prime minister assured Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Saturday that his country's troops intend to be in Afghanistan "for the long haul." French President Nicolas Sarkozy, left, shakes hands with Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Kabul. Kevin Rudd and French President Nicolas Sarkozy flew into the Afghan capital, Kabul, on Saturday to meet with Karzai and visit their respective country's troops participating in the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force. In a morning meeting, Sarkozy "assured President Karzai of his government's long term political and military support with the people of Afghanistan," according to a statement from the Afghan president's office. Rudd, who was elected in a landslide victory Nov. 24, appeared with Karzai at a news conference, where he repeatedly said that the Australian commitment to Afghanistan is strong. "We will be, as I said before, in this country, Afghanistan, for the long haul. It's important for us to be here in partnership with NATO countries," Rudd said. "On the question of the broader security policy challenges faced within Afghanistan, of course they are significant, they are real. But we are confident that in partnership with our friends in the Afghan government and with our other allies, particularly in NATO, that we can continue to achieve real progress in the long-term security of this country," he added. Australia's new defense minister, however, warned U.S. and NATO allies recently that they risk losing the war in Afghanistan without a sharp shift in military and reconstruction efforts there. Joel Fitzgibbon, who took office with Rudd allies during a conference in Scotland earlier this month, said that more work needs to be done to win the "hearts and minds" of the people of Afghanistan in the 6-year-old war against the country's former Taliban rulers and their al Qaeda allies. Karzai wished those at the news conference a merry Christmas, then thanked Australia, France and other countries for their help and support. More than 1,900 French troops are in Afghanistan, serving both the ISAF and the U.S.-led Operation Enduring Freedom. Australia is the largest non-NATO contributor to the war in Afghanistan, with nearly 1,000 troops stationed mostly in the southern province of Oruzgan. Sarkozy, elected to lead France last May, told the U.S. Congress during a visit last month that France would stand "shoulder to shoulder" with the United States on the war in Afghanistan. "Let me tell you solemnly today: France will remain engaged in Afghanistan as long as it takes, because what's at stake in that country is the future of our values and that of the Atlantic Alliance," he said. Rudd made a surprise visit Friday to Iraq, where he promised continued Australian aid, despite a decision to withdraw all 550 Australian troops in Iraq by mid-2008 -- an effort his predecessor, John Howard, staunchly opposed. Rudd had said he would start a phased withdrawal of Australian forces from Iraq if his Labor Party won the vote. E-mail to a friend . Journalist Farhad Peikar in Kabul contributed to this report.

French and Australian leaders arrive in Afghanistan . Both leaders expected to meet with Afghan President Hamid Karzai . Both will visit with their respective country's troops .

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Michael Vick turned himself in to authorities on Monday to get a head start on serving his sentence for running a dogfighting ring, the U.S. Marshals Service said. Michael Vick leaves court in Richmond, Virginia, in August after pleading guilty to dogfighting charges. The Atlanta Falcons quarterback is scheduled to be sentenced on December 10 on a federal conspiracy charge of bankrolling the dogfighting operation. Vick, 27, voluntarily turned himself in around noon, said Kevin Trevillan of the Marshals Service, and is being held at Northern Neck Regional Jail in Warsaw, Virginia, until the sentencing hearing. The quarterback, who has been suspended indefinitely by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, faces 12 to 18 months in prison on the charge. Vick pleaded guilty in August after three associates admitted their own roles in the operation and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors. "From the beginning, Mr. Vick has accepted responsibility for his actions and his self-surrender further demonstrates that acceptance," Vick's attorney, Billy Martin, said in a statement. "Michael wants to again apologize to everyone who has been hurt in this matter and he thanks all of the people who have offered him and his family prayers and support during this time," Martin's statement said. CNN Senior Legal Analyst Jeffrey Toobin speculated that Vick started his sentence early "to get it out of the way." Watch Toobin explain why Vick would surrender early » . On September 25, a Virginia grand jury indicted Vick and the three co-defendants -- Purnell Peace, 35, of Virginia Beach, Virginia; Quanis Phillips, 28, of Atlanta, Georgia; and Tony Taylor, 34, of Hampton, Virginia -- on state charges of running a dogfighting ring at Vick's home outside Newport News. The Surry County grand jury brought two charges against the four men: one count of unlawfully torturing and killing dogs and one of promoting dogfights. Each is a felony charge that could result in a five-year prison term. In addition, Taylor faces three additional counts of unlawful torture and killing of dogs. A hearing in that case is set for November 27, but Vick does not have to be in court at that time. In September, Vick was put under tight restrictions by the federal court after he tested positive for marijuana use. Vick tested positive for the drug on September 13, a court document from the Eastern District of Virginia shows. As a result, U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson ordered Vick to "submit to any method of testing required by the pretrial services officer or the supervising officer for determining whether the defendant is using a prohibited substance." Those methods could include random drug testing, a remote alcohol testing system "and/or any form of prohibited substance screening or testing," the order said. Vick was also ordered to stay home between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., "or as directed by the pretrial services officer or supervising officer," the order said. He was to be electronically monitored during that time. Vick must participate in substance abuse therapy and mental health counseling "if deemed advisable by the pretrial services officer or supervising officer" at his own expense, the order said. E-mail to a friend .

Vick's attorney says early surrender shows Vick accepts responsibility . Sentencing set for December 10 on dogfighting charges against Michael Vick . Atlanta Falcons quarterback pleaded guilty in August . Monday, he surrendered to begin whatever sentence he gets on December 10 .

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Football should be used to teach young people moral lessons, Pope Benedict XVI said during an audience with representatives from the Italian football league and lower division clubs. Pope Benedict XVI is presented with a football by Ancona club officials. Italian football has been tarnished in recent seasons by corruption, match-fixing scandals and crowd trouble, but the pope insisted the sport celebrated positive virtues as well. "The sport of football can be a vehicle of education for the values of honesty, solidarity and fraternity, especially for the younger generation," the pope said, according to Italy's Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper. The comments are not the first foray by the Bavarian-born pope -- reputedly a Bayern Munich supporter -- into Italian football. In October, he was presented with a No. 16 shirt by officials of the lower league club Ancona after the Vatican endorsed its campaign to turn itself into a "beacon of morality" by adopting an "innovative, ethical model of practising football," Reuters reported. The code committed Ancona to promoting fair play in a family atmosphere. The club is currently second in Serie C1/B, Italian football's third tier league. "Football should increasingly become a tool for the teaching of life's ethical and spiritual values," the pope said. Pope Benedict XVI's predecessor, Pope John Paul II, was also a keen football fan, reportedly playing in goal during his youth in Poland. All Italian football matches were cancelled on the weekend following his death in 2005. E-mail to a friend .

Pope says football can teach values of "honesty, solidarity and fraternity" Sport should be used as a vehicle of education for young people, he says . Vatican has endorsed lower league club Ancona's adoption of ethical code . German-born pope is reputed to be a Bayern Munich fan .

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Two tractor-trailer trucks crashed and burst into flames Thursday on a bridge between the United States and Mexico, shutting a key border crossing and killing four people, police said. Police look at the aftermath of a fiery crash on a bridge linking Reynosa, Mexico, and Pharr, Texas. The collision on the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge in Texas triggered a chain-reaction accident with three other vehicles, said Lt. Lupe Salinas with the Pharr Police Department. A pickup flipped off the bridge, killing three people. Another person died in a vehicle that struck one of the tractor-trailers. Six others were injured. Pharr Emergency Management Coordinator Elsa Sanchez told The Associated Press the pickup truck had Texas license plates, and the two 18-wheelers and a minivan involved in the wreck appeared to have Mexican plates. Watch aftermath of fiery crash » . The accident happened around 7:30 p.m. (8:30 p.m. ET). The bridge was closed for the rest of the evening. The bridge reopened on Friday morning after Texas Department of Trnasportation engineers inspected it, according to CNN affiliate KRGV. The bridge is normally open from 6 a.m. until midnight and is closed overnight. The 3.2-mile-long bridge connects U.S. 281 in Pharr, Texas, to the city of Reynosa in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, according to the city of Pharr's Web site. On an average day, the site says, 5,800 vehicles cross it. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Ed Payne and Jessica Jordan contributed to this story. Copyright 2008 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.

Bridge reopens Friday morning after highway engineers give OK . Four killed in chain reaction crash that started when two tractor-trailers collided . Three killed in pickup truck that fell off bridge; 4th victim in car that hit one 18-wheeler . Crash happened on bridge linking Pharr, Texas, and Reynosa, Mexico .

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The wife of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra arrived in Thailand Tuesday morning to face corruption charges, promising to fight the accusations, her attorney said. Pojamarn Shinawatra with her husband Thaksin Shinawatra. According to Pichit Chuenban, Pojamarn Shinawatra was presented with an arrest warrant shortly after arriving at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International Airport and was escorted by authorities to the Supreme Court. "She intends to fight all charges through judicial system," Pichit said. Greeted by about 50 well-wishers, Pojamarn arrived at court accompanied by her three children. She faces charges stemming from a Bangkok land deal and a stock concealment plan that could put her in jail for up to eight years, according to the Thai News Agency. The court released her on 5 million baht (about $168,000) bail and ordered her not to leave the country. On Monday, Thaksin's attorney Noppadon Pattama said the former prime minister would return from exile in mid-April to answer to the same charges his wife faces. He was deposed by a military junta in Sept. 2006 and fled to London. He plans to return after Thailand's new government is in place. In December's parliamentary elections, supporters of Thaksin, the People Power Party, won nearly half the seats in the lower house and will lead the ruling coalition. PPP leader Samak Sundaravej said a new parliament controlled by his party would pass an amnesty law to allow Thaksin's return and amend the constitution to let Thaksin get back into politics. Thaksin said he would not re-enter politics when he returned to Thailand. He said that he and his family had "suffered enough" but that he wanted to face the charges against him and prove his innocence. Thaksin is a 58-year-old telecommunications tycoon who owns the English Premier League Manchester City Football Club. Thaksin's party won two landslide victories before he was deposed. E-mail to a friend .

Thaksin Shinawatra's wife handed arrest warrant after she returns to Thailand . Pojamarn Shinawatra faces corruption charges that could imprison her for 20 years . The case involves Pojamarn's 2003 purchase of some prime Bangkok real estate .

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The Paris suburbs were again rocked by riots after a second night of lawlessness Monday caused widespread destruction and left scores of police injured, according to French authorities and media reports. Firefighters in a Paris suburb battle to control a blaze started after youths rioted Sunday night. An angry mob repeatedly clashed with riot police and torched cars and buildings in the town of Villiers-le-Bel, north of Paris, after two teens on a motorcycle were killed following a collision with a police car Sunday night. Rioters bombarded police with baseball bats, Molotov cocktail bombs and bottles filled with acid as the violence spread to the nearby towns of Longjumeau and Grigby Monday night. The 15- and 16-year-old boys, both sons of African immigrants, according to police, died when their motorbike hit a patrol car in Villiers-le-Bel. Some residents, populated largely by immigrants and their French-born children, accused police of fleeing the crash scene. However, three eyewitnesses, interviewed on TV, said the police stayed and tried to revive the two boys with mouth to mouth resuscitation. Watch why a repeat of past rioting is feared » . More than 60 police officers were injured in Monday night's confrontation, with five kept in hospital in a serious condition, according to reports in a number of French newspapers. A spokesman for the police authorities in the Val d'Oise prefecture refused to confirm the numbers of police injuries, telling CNN that police feared the information could further enflame the already tense situation. The police spokesman said 60 cars, a library and car dealer's showroom had been set on fire in Villiers-le-Bel. He said a police station had also been damaged and 15 garbage cans torched. Security was tightened Tuesday, with helicopters deployed to patrol over the town, the spokesman said. Villiers-le-Bel was not among the districts hit by the weeks of nationwide rioting in November 2005, when disaffected youths nationwide set thousands of cars ablaze to protest against unemployment and discrimination. Those riots were also sparked by fatalities, namely the deaths of two men of North African descent who were electrocuted while hiding from police in an electrical substation. French president Nicolas Sarkozy, then serving as the interior minister, provoked controversy at the time by referring to the rioters as "scum." Sarkozy, currently on a state visit to China, had urged residents Monday to "cool down and let the justice system determine who is responsible for what." A spokesman for the president's office told CNN Tuesday they were continuing to monitor the situation. The prosecutor's office in the nearby town of Pontoise has already begun an inquiry into the deaths. Police said the teens drove through a red light without wearing helmets and on an unregistered bike. But Omar Sehhouli, the brother of one of the victims, told French media the police involved should be arrested. "Everyone knew the two boys here," he told French radio. "What happened, that's not violence, it's rage." According to the initial findings from the French police watchdog, reported Tuesday in the daily newspaper, Le Figaro, the boy's motorbike was driving "at very high speed" and had failed to give priority to the police patrol vehicle. The police car was driving normally at around 40 kilometers an hour, the newspaper reported the watchdog had found. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Jim Bittermann contributed to this report .

Riots in French suburb for second night after two teens killed in police crash . Violence spreads from Villiers-le-Bel, north of Paris, to two nearby towns . More than 60 police injured, bombarded with Molotov cocktails and bottles of acid . Parallels drawn with unrest in 2005, when President Sarkozy was interior minister .

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Japanese actress Rinko Kikuchi walks Anjali Rao through the streets of Tokyo. She stunned global cinema audiences with her controversial and Oscar-nominated performance as a lonely deaf girl in the film "Babel." Rinko Kikuchi is one of Japan's hottest young actresses and models, recently working with Karl Lagerfeld as the new face of Channel. Despite her success, she remains an unconventional figure in Japan, at odds with the traditional demure image of the Japanese woman and forging a career on her own terms. Talk Asia follows her on a modelling assignment, discusses how her life has changed since "Babel" and revisits the unique location of one of the film's most important scenes. E-mail to a friend .

Rinko Kikuchi was Oscar-nominated for her performance in the film "Babel" She has recently worked with Karl Lagerfeld as the new face of Channel . She challenges the traditional demure image of the Japanese woman .

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The orgy of violence that has greeted Kenya's disputed election result has led to hundreds of deaths and forced tens of thousands to flee their homes. But away from the tragic human cost, the unrest has also provoked concerns about the stability of the east African country's economy, until now seen as a model for the region. Businesses have been destroyed and looted and supply routes disrupted after the opposition accused incumbent president Mwai Kibaki of election fraud after he was declared winner Sunday. Investors are watching events closely in the country, fearful of how it could affect one of Africa's few economic success stories. And the early signs have been worrying. The equity market on the Nairobi Stock Exchange lost 40 billion Kenyan Shillings ($591 million) in value on its first day of New Year trading Wednesday, the Kenyan financial newspaper Business Daily Africa reported. And business leaders said that the government was losing around 2 billion Shillings ($29.5 million) a day in lost revenue as a result of the political violence, the paper reported. "We do seem to be in a new place, there's a lot of uncertainty about where we go from here. And a lot depends crucially on how long-lasting this is," said Razia Kahn, an analyst specializing in Africa at Standard Chartered bank. Kenya has attracted a large number of multi-nationals and is home to one of the world's fastest growing stock exchanges. Its relative economic success has been helped in part by its thriving tourist sector, with visitors attracted by its abundant wildlife and pristine beaches. Provisional figures for 2006 from the Kenya's tourist board said the country had received 1.5 million visitors for the year, a growth of 5.2 per cent. However, fears that the tourist industry could take a heavy hit from the unrest grew with the British Federation of Tour Operators announcing Thursday it was suspending all holidays to the country departing up to and including this Saturday. Watch an aid worker describe fears that crisis may resemble Rwanda's » . British tourists already in the country have been advised by the British Foreign Office to stay indoors and to stay away from the major cities. There are also worries about the knock-on effect for the region, since around 40 percent of Kenya's exports go to other African nations, Kahn said. Of even greater concern is the effect on Kenya's lucrative agriculture industry. Exports of tea, coffee, vegetables and flowers are big earners for the country, with agriculture making up about a fifth of the total economy. There have been media reports of tea and coffee auctions being halted by the violence as well as widespread disruption to transport routes as rioters blockade major roads across the country. Arun Shah, who runs a coffee import business based in London, told CNN his livelihood depended on a stable Kenya. "We have had absolutely reliable supply," he said. "We have had reliable quality and the quantities that we need for our trade." E-mail to a friend . CNN's Jim Boulden in London contributed to this report .

Kenya's once-stable economy faltering due to violence following disputed election . Equity market on Nairobi Stock Exchange lost $591 million on first day of 2008 . Business leaders say the government losing $29.5 million a day in revenues . Thriving tourist industry also hit, with British tour operators calling off flights .

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This month on Art of Life we feel the need for speed. From the world's first road-legal grand prix bike to a rock legend with a passion for aviation. Monita Rajpal samples the finest in Italian motorbikes . Monita Rajpal meets the boys behind Ducati's motorbikes, Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson explains why flying is his new source of adrenaline, and trance legend Paul Van Dyk takes us round his favorite haunt in the former East Berlin. Ducati: Riding in Style . Ducati has long-been the ultimate name in luxury motorbikes, but just like its racers, the company has had to compete fiercely to defend its title. As a small Italian manufacturer, up against Japanese mega-plants, employing thousands of workers, Ducati's comparatively small family is driven by pride. CNN's Monita Rajpal visits the Bologna factory floor and talks to some of the men behind the company, meets Ducati's Moto GP champion Casey Stoner and takes a test drive of Ducati's Desmosedici racing replica, the world's first road-legal grand prix bike. Watch Monita's trip to the Ducati factory . Bruce Dickinson: Rock star in the sky . A leather-clad, long-haired pilot, donning a t-shirt with blood-spewing skeletons would be a nightmare for many uneasy flyers. Fortunately for passengers on Bruce Dickinson's plane, the lead singer of Iron Maiden has gotten a new wardrobe and a new day job. Art of Life meets up with the rock legend to find out why he has chosen to take to the skies and become a commercial airline pilot. Watch Dickinson take to the skies . Paul Van Dyk: Guides us through Germany . Paul Van Dyk, the legendary trance musician, DJ and producer has made his name well-known, even though his genre of music is typically associated with young ravers and more urban listeners. Watch as Van Dyk takes Art of Life on a tour of his hometown, the former East Berlin, and shows how he has drawn from the city's war-weathered rhythms to gain inspiration for his songs. Watch Van Dyk tour Berlin E-mail to a friend .

This month Art of Life looks at motorbike, planes, DJs and Rock idols . Monita visits the Ducati factory in Bologna, meets Moto champ Casey Stoner . Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson talks about his passion for flying . DJ Paul Van Dyk takes us on a tour of his favorite parts of Berlin .

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The most compelling action during Michigan's primary Tuesday will be on the Republican side. The Democratic Party has stripped the state of its delegates for moving up its primary date so early, and top-tier Democratic candidates have taken their names off the ballot, except for Sen. Hillary Clinton. The struggling auto industry has been a drag on Michigan's economy. In many ways, the Republican battle for Michigan will be similar to last week's New Hampshire contest. The primary is open, and any registered voter -- including independents and Democrats -- can participate. Sen. John McCain won New Hampshire with the help of independent voters, and he is campaigning hard to re-create that success in Michigan. In 2000, McCain defeated then-Texas Gov. George W. Bush in the Michigan primary. In that vote, more than half -- 52 percent -- were either independents or Democrats. Among Republican voters, McCain lost to Bush 29 percent to 66 percent. In that contest, almost three out of every 10 voters identified themselves as members of the religious right. Overall, Michigan is a swing state, producing narrow margins of victory for presidential candidates and statewide officeholders. However, voting trends favor the Democrats. Michigan's governor, Jennifer Granholm, is a Democrat, as are the state's two U.S. senators -- Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow. The Democratic presidential nominee has carried Michigan in the last four elections. Sen. John Kerry, the Democrats' 2004 standard bearer, won Michigan 51 percent to 48 percent over President Bush. The state's economy is powered by the automotive industry, which has experienced its fair share of struggles. Michigan's unemployment rate, 7.4 percent, is higher than the national average of 5 percent. Region by region . Wayne County, in the southeastern corner of the state, contains the economically depressed Detroit, Michigan's largest city. Detroit is predominantly black and solidly Democratic. North of Wayne County are the more-affluent suburban counties of Oakland and Macomb, which have grown in population in the last two decades. These two counties have been the state's central political battleground in recent elections. West of Wayne is the "university belt," home to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and Michigan State University in East Lansing. The area also includes the industrial cities of Saginaw and Flint, where unions remain strong, as well as Jackson and Bay City. The state's capital, Lansing, and the sparsely populated upper peninsula are also part of this region. The southwest part of the state is dominated by Grand Rapids, Michigan's second-largest city. Grand Rapids is traditionally Dutch-American and has many Christian conservatives and generally votes Republican. The area also contains smaller industrial cities and farming communities. The economy of the sparsely populated north and northwest is based on agriculture, tourism and timber. It traditionally votes Republican. Endorsements . The Detroit Free Press has endorsed McCain. "While the Free Press differs with McCain on a number of issues, the Arizona senator is a smarter, more tested and pragmatic leader who has shown since 2000 that he knows how to build bipartisan alliances around issues," the newspaper said in an editorial. The Detroit News also endorsed McCain, citing his fiscal conservatism and command of military and foreign affairs, over Michigan native Mitt Romney. "Other GOP contenders, most notably former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, are capable figures with impressive resumes and a solid grasp of the issues. But McCain's longtime presidential ambitions are at last aligned with the needs of the nation," the newspaper said. E-mail to a friend .

Independents, Democrats can vote in Michigan's open Republican primary . No Democratic delegates at stake, and most top-tier candidates aren't on ballot . Economic woes top concern for Michigan primary voters .

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A search is under way for a pregnant 20-year-old Marine who has been missing from Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, since December 14. Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach was eight months pregnant when she went missing on December 14. Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach could give birth at any time, Onslow County Sheriff Ed Brown told the Jacksonville, North Carolina, Daily News on Monday. The sheriff's department said Lauterbach's mother said that her daughter, of Montgomery, Ohio, had witnessed an incident at Camp Lejeune and was to testify about it. Sheriff's department officials said evidence causes them to be concerned about Lauterbach's disappearance, WITN reported. The Marine's car was found Monday at Jacksonville's bus station, Brown told the Daily News, and her cell phone had been found at Camp Lejeune's front gate on December 20. Her mother reported her missing on December 19, and told the sheriff's department "that she was very suspicious that something bad may have happened to her daughter," the department said in a news release. Watch Lauterbach's mom say what raised her concerns » . Investigators told the Marine Corps Times that a withdrawal from Lauterbach's bank account was made on December 14 and said there was "suspicious activity" on the account 10 days later. December 14 was also the last time Lauterbach's cell phone was used, authorities told the Marine Corps Times. The Raleigh News and Observer, citing Brown, reported that the woman's mother said her daughter phoned home or her relatives up to 12 times a week and the mother became concerned when she did not hear from her daughter for five days. A Facebook page established to help find Lauterbach says she was last seen December 14 in Jacksonville. "Call mom!!! You know the number," the page says. "All of us love you and we miss you. Please come home!" The page contains pleas for contacts from fellow Marines and friends of Lauterbach in Ohio. Lauterbach is a personnel clerk assigned to Combat Logistics Regiment 27, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, II Marine Expeditionary Force, the Marine Corps said. She joined the service on June 6, 2006. E-mail to a friend .

Lance corporal due to give birth at any time, sheriff says . Marine's car found Monday at bus station . Mother reported Marine missing on December 19 . Sheriff: Marine was to testify about incident at base, according to mother .

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The head of Iraq's main humanitarian group said an 18-year-old approached him with a baby suffering from leukemia. The desperate mother said she'd do "anything" for treatment for her child -- and then offered herself up for sex. Baha, 12, waits for treatment in an Iraqi Red Crescent center after shrapnel pierced his left eye. Said Ismail Hakki breaks down in tears as he recalls that story. Leukemia can be treatable to a degree in much of the world, but not in Iraq. The baby died two months later. "It shook me like hell," said Hakki, the president of the Iraqi Red Crescent. "All my life I've been a surgeon. I've seen blood; I've seen death. That never shook me -- none whatsoever. But when I see the suffering of those people, that really shook me." The plight of Iraq's children is nearing epidemic proportions, he said, with mothers and fathers abandoning their children "because they're becoming a liability." The parents don't do it out of convenience, they do it out of desperation. Watch the plight of Iraq's children » . "When you become so desperate, you tend to just throw everything up and go," Hakki said. "Every time I look at those children, I ask myself first, 'What crime have those children committed?'" Hakki says Red Crescent has the monumental task of treating and feeding more than 1.6 million children under the age of 12 who have become homeless in their own country. That's roughly 70 percent of the estimated 2.3 million Iraqis who are homeless inside Iraq. How to help the Iraqi Red Crescent . With 95,000 volunteers and 5,000 employees, the Iraqi Red Crescent is the last line of defense for the country's poor, sick and displaced. They try to blend in as best they can, with Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds working in the neighborhoods distinct to their ethnicities. Six employees of the Iraqi Red Crescent have been killed over the last four years. Eight have been wounded, including six left disabled by the severity of their wounds. Hakki says the spike in numbers of abandoned children is especially alarming, the result of sectarian violence and drastic socio-economic problems. The majority of parents in Iraq, he says, leave their children with a single relative who often has about 20 to 30 children to look after. Some parents just leave their kids altogether. Many of the families are living in areas without basic needs, like water and electricity, and there are no jobs available. "It's a desperate situation," he said. "Children are becoming a liability for both the father and the mother." The greatest concern is the ripple effect it will have in the long term -- an entire generation lacking basic life skills, surviving with no education, no income and no families. See wounded Iraqi children get help in neighboring Jordan » . "The trauma of what's happening to those children is enormous," he said. "If somebody is injured by a bullet or shrapnel, it takes a week or two and he's fine. ... The psycho-social injury is pretty deep and can take months, if not years, to heal. "That's the task -- the mammoth task -- the Iraq Red Crescent is facing." The group gets some financial support from the central government. It's also negotiating with the U.S. Embassy, he said, to see if it can offer financial aid. But funds are low. Just recently, the group closed 18 camps for the winter and is trying to house those thousands of people in abandoned government buildings. At a waiting room at an Iraqi Red Crescent treatment center in Baghdad's Mansour district, CNN came across several young children in desperate need of care. But they were among the lucky ones -- if that term can even be applied -- because their parents remain with them. Baha, a 12-year-old boy, was waiting to see a doctor, recalling the exact date -- January 16, 2004 -- he lost his left eye. "I want my eye to get well," he said. Baha was with his father in a market when someone opened fire on U.S. soldiers. When the soldiers fired back, shrapnel hit his eye. Despite what happened, this brave boy still goes to that same market. "I'm not afraid," he said. Across the room, 3-year-old Saja lightened the mood in the room. "Iraqis, we are still brothers!" she sang. She giggled, laughed and darted around, bringing smiles to all who saw her. Yet, she couldn't see most of what was around her. She's blind in one eye and losing sight in the other -- the result of shoddy medical care. Her father, Dia'a, said he heard about the Iraqi Red Crescent from television and others who had been treated here. He said he can't afford to travel outside the country for medical treatment for his girl. This clinic, he said, has given him "a ray of hope that I had lost." He, too, expressed despair over the plight of Iraq's youngest generation. "Our children are suffering. All they talk about is weapons and bombs," he said. "They are children. We are older; our hair turns gray. What happens to them hearing all the explosions and bombs? "We can't make them feel better because we are down." That's a sentiment that haunts the head of the Iraqi Red Crescent. "There are times I get up in the middle of the night and I say, 'Oh my God, how are we going to solve it? God help me to help those kids!'" E-mail to a friend . CNN.com's Wayne Drash contributed to this report in Atlanta.

Head of Iraqi Red Crescent says parents abandoning their kids at alarming rates . Sometimes he wonders: "Oh my God, how are we going to solve it?" The greatest concern is the long-term effect on an entire generation . "Trauma of what's happening to those children is enormous"

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Coalition forces found 26 bodies buried in mass graves and a bloodstained "torture complex," with chains hanging from walls and ceilings and a bed connected to an electrical system, the military said Wednesday. Twenty-six bodies were found in mass graves near a "torture complex" discovered by coalition forces. The troops made the discovery while conducting an operation north of Muqdadiya, Iraq. From December 8 to 11, the troops who found the complex also killed 24 people they said were terrorists and detained 37 suspects, according to a statement issued by Multinational Division North at Camp Speicher in Tikrit. The moves were part of an operation called Iron Reaper that has been in progress across northern Iraq for the past few weeks. The complex was in an area thought to be an al Qaeda in Iraq haven and operating base, the military said. Iraqis had told the military about the site during an earlier operation. "Evidence of murder, torture and intimidation against local villagers was found throughout the area," the military statement said. Ground forces first found what appeared to be a detention facility, which was one of three connected to the torture complex, Multinational Division North said. One of the facilities appeared to have been a headquarters building and a torture facility, it added. As the area was cleared, the bodies were found. Eventually, 26 bodies were uncovered in mass graves next to what were thought to be execution sites, the military said. The bodies are believed to have been dead between six and eight months, according to a gruesome military video shot at the scene. Some had their hands tied behind their backs. Identification is proving to be a challenge because of advanced decomposition. Photos given to the news media show a filthy bed wired to an electrical system, with an outlet hanging from wires on the wall. In the video, troops point out rubber hoses and boxing gloves, a ski mask and a blood-covered sword and knives. Other still photos show an entrance to the underground bunker and barbed wire stretched outside it. A short distance away from the complex, troops found a bullet-riddled Iraqi police vehicle. Some of the bodies may belong to Iraqi police, according to the military video. The operation netted nine weapons caches, which have been destroyed, the military said. They included anti-aircraft weapons, sniper rifles, more than 65 machine guns and pistols, 50 grenades and a surface-to-air missile launcher and platform, the statement said. Also found were mines, pipe bombs, rocket-propelled grenades, mortar tubes and rounds and 130 pounds of homemade explosives. E-mail to a friend .

Military says some of the 26 bodies may belong to Iraqi police . Complex believed to be an al Qaeda in Iraq haven . Coalition forces say they made the discovery during operations in northern Iraq . Military: Evidence of torture and murder against local villagers found .

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Pakistan's foreign ministry Wednesday rejected concerns raised by the U.N. nuclear watchdog chief that the country's nuclear weapons "could fall into the hands of an extremist group in Pakistan or in Afghanistan." Mohamed ElBaradei, the U.N. nuclear watchdog chief. fears for Pakistan's nuclear weapons. Mohamed ElBaradei's comments to Al-Hayat newspaper were "irresponsible" and "unwarranted," foreign ministry spokesman Mohammed Sadiq said at a news briefing on Wednesday. "Pakistan rejects the statement by Dr. ElBaradei, Director General IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency), hinting at the possibility of its nuclear weapons falling into the hands of extremists," according to a ministry statement. "As head of the IAEA, which is a U.N. body, he has to be careful about his statements which ought to remain within the parameters of his mandate. "His remarks also ignore the fact that the strategic assets of Pakistan are fully secure and under multilayered safeguards and controls exercised by the National Command Authority." In an interview published in Al-Hayat Tuesday, ElBaradei said that Pakistan's recent political instability makes it more sensitive to susceptible to problems in other Muslim countries. "The effects of any new war in the Middle East and the Islamic world could have repercussions, not only in Iran, but what I fear most is the effect in Pakistan, a nation with many internal problems," ElBaradei said. "I fear a system of chaos or extremist regime in this state, which has 30 or 40 nuclear weapons." Pakistan has been in a state of political upheaval since the country's opposition challenged President Pervez Musharraf's tight grip on power, pushing him to step down as military chief and lift the emergency rule he had imposed in early November. The country further spiraled into chaos after the December 27 assassination of leading opposition figure and former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto. In response to the IAEA director-general's comments, Pakistan's foreign ministry stressed in its statement that ElBaradei, "on several occasions, has been briefed about the structure and control mechanisms put in place to ensure complete safety of our nuclear assets." "Pakistan is a responsible nuclear weapon state. Our nuclear weapons are as secure as that of any other nuclear weapon state. We, therefore, believe statements expressing concern about their safety and security are unwarranted and irresponsible. "Pakistan attaches great importance to IAEA and has extended cooperation and assistance to the Agency on many important issues towards the fulfillment of its mandate. Our civilian nuclear program is under IAEA safeguards and we have always fully complied with IAEA obligations," the ministry said. E-mail to a friend .

Pakistan rejects fears its nuclear weapons could fall into the hands of extremists . Mohamed ElBaradei, U.N. nuclear watchdog chief, voiced his worries Tuesday . ElBaradei: I fear chaos in this state, which has 30 or 40 nuclear weapons . Pakistan: Our nuclear weapons as secure as those held by other nuclear states .

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After expressing condolences and outrage over events in Pakistan, presidential candidates turned their discussion toward whose foreign policy credentials were better. Hillary Clinton, then U.S. first lady, meets with Benazir Bhutto in Pakistan in 1995. In a campaign that had been drifting toward economic issues, the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and the turmoil in Pakistan could refocus voters on who is best qualified to deal with crises in other parts of the world. "My theme has been throughout this campaign that I am the one with experience, the knowledge and the judgment. So, perhaps it may serve to enhance those credentials," said Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona. Locked inside a tough three-way battle for the Democratic nomination in Iowa, Sen. Hillary Clinton has spent a year calling herself the most experienced, most qualified candidate in the field. She stressed her ties with Bhutto and the tragedy of her death. "This is one of the most important elections of our lifetime, and it certainly raises the stakes high for what we have to expect from our next president," the New York senator said. Watch how the assassination is resonating on the campaign trail » . Sen. Barack Obama's camp, which has spent a year pushing back on criticisms that he lacks experience, insisted they welcome the renewed talks on foreign policy and called attention to Clinton's "yes" vote on the Iraq war. "She was a strong supporter of the war in Iraq which we would submit is one of the reasons why we were diverted from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Al Qaeda, who may have been players in this event today. So that's a judgment she'll have to defend," said Obama adviser David Axelrod. The Clinton campaign said the suggestion that her vote caused unrest in Pakistan is baseless, adding that this is a time to focus on the people of Pakistan and not politics. When asked about Axelrod's remarks late Thursday, Obama told CNN's Wolf Blitzer that, "This is one of those situations where Washington is putting a spin on it. ... He in no way was suggesting Hillary Clinton was somehow directly to blame for this situation." The Illinois senator added that "it's important for us to not look at this in terms of short-term political points scoring." Watch the showdown on foreign policy » . But the candidates all reacted, in part because of the gravity of the event, in part because they are just days away from the January 3 Iowa caucuses. Conversation quickly moved from condolences to campaign issues. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani talked terrorism, connecting the attack in Pakistan to the September 11, 2001, attacks. "America feels a connection because of the attacks that took place here," he said. McCain, who along with Giuliani scores best on national security, bluntly challenged Giuliani's foreign policy experience. Watch how the GOP candidates are reacting » . "He did a great job post-9/11 in handling a post-crisis situation, but I don't know how that provides one the credentials to address national security issues," he said. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson said he would call on Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf to step down. "What is in U.S. interest is for there to be a stable, democratic Pakistan that is fighting terrorists. Right now, we have the worst of all worlds," he said Friday on CNN's "American Morning." But Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson said calling for Musharraf to step down wouldn't be a good idea. "I hope that we as candidates out here don't start lobbying these ideas that get plenty of attention but are not very sound," Thompson told CNN. Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards said he called Musharraf and "urged him to continue this democratization process." Democratic hopeful Joe Biden, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said Bhutto's death was a "genuine tragedy." Watch how the Democrats are responding » . "Ladies and gentleman, the stakes are incredibly high. They are incredibly high. If Pakistan falls into complete turmoil, martial law is declared again, you end up with a state that is being run by a dictator; ladies and gentleman that does not bode well for Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, India," he said. The shift in focus might not play out well for former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, whose foreign policy credentials have been under a microscope since he admitted to journalists that he was unaware of a major report on Iran's nuclear weapons program. He appeared to make another minor gaffe Thursday when he seemed to suggest incorrectly that Pakistan was currently under martial law. Later Thursday, Huckabee told CNN that "it was not that I was unaware it was suspended, two weeks ago, lifted. ...The point was, would it be reinstated, would it be placed back in? All of the aspects of martial law have not been completely lifted even now. There's still a heavy hand Musharraf has used." If voters see a high-stakes drama in Pakistan, that could resonate at the polls. Most of the candidates said they didn't want to turn the assassination into a talking point, but it is just a week before the Iowa caucuses, and world events not only change the conversation -- they can change a campaign. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Candy Crowley, Dana Bash and Suzanne Malveaux contributed to this report.

Discussion on campaign trail turns to foreign policy, national security, terrorism . Candidates trying to portray themselves as the one with the most experience . Richardson says he would call on Musharraf to step down, Thompson disagrees . McCain challenges Giuliani's foreign policy experience .

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I was 14 at the time. Lebanon's civil war was in full flood. One afternoon the shells began raining down on our neighborhood in Beirut. A Lebanese woman and her son run through west Beirut in 1989 during fighting between rival forces. We ran from school screaming. Forget the book bags, classmates, homework. Just run. Out of breath, my knees giving way, it seemed to take forever to reach our local shelter -- a dark humid room at the back of our apartment block. The memory of that terrifying afternoon receded -- until recently. After more than a decade of relative peace and reconstruction, the bombings and assassinations have returned to Beirut. Every time I hear of a new explosion, I think of a frightened child sitting in darkness. In 1988, I watched the last throes of Lebanon's civil war firsthand -- and like millions of Lebanese, sad, frustrated and often fearful. See a timeline of Lebanon's recent history » . Now I watch from another continent, but I find those same emotions resurfacing. The conspiracies, the car bombs, the threatening rhetoric and political deadlock are eerily familiar. The actors are like shadows from a long gone past. They are grayer perhaps -- those who have avoided assassination. But the cast in Lebanon's tragedy has changed little in two decades. Then, as now, a presidential election is the setting, and the struggle where religion and clan play the main roles threatens to set Lebanon back 20 years. See bios of Lebanon's major players » . In 1988, the president's term was coming to an end and the warring factions were unable to agree on a new candidate. Militias prevented parliament members from reaching the assembly building. Compromise was nowhere in sight. The West had abandoned Lebanon to the manipulation of its neighbors. Syria had its choice for president; Israel had its own allies -- a foil for growing Muslim radicalism. The country was awash with weapons. In his last act as president, Amin Gemayel named fellow Christian and Army Chief Michel Aoun as prime minister. At a stroke, he shattered the convention that a Muslim hold that position. Muslims refused to serve in the Cabinet and the country ended up with two governments. Aoun famously declared: "I am prime minister and six ministers in one." Aoun's "War of Liberation" against Syria turned into defeat. Then, he turned on fellow Christians of the Lebanese Forces in the "War of Elimination." When that failed, the Syrians drove Aoun to take refuge at the French Embassy. In August 1990, I came to CNN as a World Report panelist. I tried to explain Lebanon's chaos, the bewildering array of factions and the horrors of civil war for ordinary civilians. I had seen people killed in front of me; children orphaned in seconds, parents burying their infants in oversize white coffins. So when I was offered the opportunity to stay at CNN, I gratefully accepted the chance to escape the anarchy. But almost as I left, the civil war was being laid to rest. The various factions had fought each other to a standstill; Arab governments, supported by the West, helped negotiate a new constitutional framework overseen by Syrian influence. Peace came to Lebanon, but it would be five years before I returned. In 1995, I went back and was stunned. I kept looking around for checkpoints manned by militants. I couldn't believe that I could go anywhere without being harassed or kidnapped by one faction or another. No longer did identity -- Christian, Muslim or Druze -- define where Lebanese could go. People mixed freely in chic coffee shops and smoked the hubble-bubble, laughing at the same jokes. It was as if Lebanon's divisions had been wiped away by some magic eraser. Downtown Beirut, once rocked by explosions and pitted with bullet holes, was rocking to Lebanese pop music. The dusty sandbags had given way to boutiques carrying the latest European fashions and deluxe hotels. Lovers had returned to Beirut's Corniche, overlooking the Mediterranean, for romantic strolls at sunset. But the agreement that ended the civil war was more a truce than a real settlement -- and was overseen by a "pax Syriana." As anti-Syrian sentiment grew, so did political tensions. On Valentine's Day 2005, the Corniche was once again rocked by an explosion. Former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was killed. The symbolism left me speechless. On the day of love, Lebanon was thrown back into its most hateful history. It had been widely expected that Hariri would run for office again and demand the withdrawal of Syrian troops. Suspicion fell on Damascus, which vehemently denied involvement. On March 14, Martyrs' Square became a human sea of demonstrators: Muslims, Druze and Christians alike, demanding the "truth." But Hariri's death also exposed the fault lines that had broken Lebanon a generation previously. Even after it withdrew its troops, Syria still had allies in Lebanon. One was Hezbollah, accused of the suicide attacks that had killed scores of U.S. Marines in Beirut more than 20 years previously. Another was Gen. Michel Aoun; now back from exile, the same Michel Aoun who had defied Syria in 1989, but who now made common cause with Hezbollah against his fellow Christians. Earlier this year I visited Martyrs' Square. The spirit of the Cedar Revolution had evaporated. The place looked like a morgue. Anti-government Hezbollah squatters had brought life there to a standstill. As I passed through, business owners stood silent in the sun and shook their heads at me in despair. I wondered if they sensed my disappointment, my pain at watching Beirut bleed again. Lebanon's political actors now find themselves re-enacting scenes from the final act of the civil war 19 years ago. Once again, the term of the president is approaching its end; there is no agreement on his successor. Suspicion and fear are the political currency of the day. And the questions haunts me: Will the country's brief renaissance that so amazed me in 1995 be snuffed out by the old curse of sectarian rivalries? E-mail to a friend . CNN's Joe Sterling, David Ariosto, Saad Abedine and Tracy Doueiry contributed to this report.

CNN's Octavia Nasr: Will Lebanon's brief renaissance be snuffed out? Nasr says Lebanon's key power players haven't changed since 1980s . Nasr: Current struggle threatens to set Lebanon back 20 years .

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Seven Manchester United supporters were taken to hospital after violence flared before the 1-1 Champions' League draw against Roma in Italy. Manchester United supporters were segregated inside the Olympic Stadium for the Champions tie. British Embassy officials in Rome said five fans received stab wounds while two others, including a 16-year-old boy, needed treatment for being drunk, the Press Association reported. None of the stab victims is understood to have serious injuries following the clash between the rival fans outside the Stadio Olympico. An embassy spokeswoman said: "Seven Manchester United supporters were taken to hospital after fighting broke out on the Pont Duca d'Aosta bridge which fans cross over the river to get to the stadium. "Five are receiving treatment for stab wounds while two others, one who was a 16-year-old boy, were understood to be drunk. "Their injuries are not thought to be serious and most of them will be discharged in the next couple of hours. One person may be kept in overnight for observation. "The situation in the stadium is now fine and everything is running smoothly." The embassy had warned travelling fans beforehand not to use the Pont Duca d'Aosta bridge because it was habitually used by Roma's notorious Ultras - a following of hardcore fans. Roma coach Luciano Spalletti condemned the latest violence. "It's difficult to give a comment on what has happened," said Spalletti. After watching a video replay of the ugly scenes, Spalletti added: "These people are sick." The trouble marked the second consecutive game between Roma and Manchester United in the Italian capital which has been marred by violence. Eighteen United fans needed hospital treatment in April after clashes on the terraces in Rome and outside the ground. United boss Sir Alex Ferguson had hoped tonight's game would pass off peacefully but the British Embassy in Rome had warned supporters faced a "real danger of attack" by the Ultras. The 1,200 British supporters who made the journey were largely shepherded into the stadium two hours before kick-off, with clear segregation in place in the less than capacity crowd. E-mail to a friend .

Seven Manchester United supporters taken to hospital before game in Rome . British Embassy officials in Rome said five of the fans received stab wounds . Embassy spokeswoman said that the injuries were not thought to be serious .

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An intense manhunt was under way Monday for Chester Stiles, a 37-year old man whom police say is a suspect in the videotaped rape of a 3-year-old girl four years ago. Chester Arthur Stiles, 37, of Nevada is being sought as a suspect in the videotaped rape of a 3-year-old girl. Also Monday, Stiles' former girlfriend told CNN she believes she put him in contact with the girl. Tina Allen said she is "disgusted" and "mortified" at her role in bringing them together. Nye County Sheriff Tony De Meo said Friday the girl has been found and is safe. He said the child's mother was cooperating with authorities. De Meo addressed Stiles directly: "Turn yourself in to your local law enforcement agency. Understand this: Law enforcement not only has a long arm but a long memory. You will not be forgotten by members of this agency or any other law enforcement agency." Stiles' former girlfriend said she is stunned by the allegations. Watch Allen describe her first impression of Stiles » . Allen said she and Stiles had been in an on-again, off-again relationship for 10 years and that he was good with her children. "He said he'd been in the Navy and, you know, I was looking for a strong guy to represent to my sons what I thought they needed to be," Allen said. Allen took Stiles to a crowded apartment where her son and daughter lived. Also living in the apartment were a family friend and her 3-year-old daughter, who allegedly was victimized by Stiles. "I'm disgusted. I'm ashamed, embarrassed, mortified," Allen said. "I regret every, every step I ever took; I feel bad for the baby." Todd Allen, Tina Allen's son, told CNN he recognized his old apartment from scenes in the video. He said his mother and Stiles spent time together there. Todd Allen said nobody realized the child may have been abused. "She's what you'd expect a little girl in elementary school to be like," he said. He said he never witnessed Stiles physically assault anyone. "But I have seen him verbally and mentally assault many people," Todd Allen told CNN. Looking back, Tina Allen said there were some warning signs. She said Stiles hit her once but she didn't file a police report. She said she blames herself. "How could I not know? Why couldn't I have recognized something? Why are all these people going through this torture now because of me?" Allen asked. Allen ended her relationship with Stiles a few months ago. She said she believes it will be difficult for police to find him. "He will hide out in mountains if that's what it takes, he will hide out in a crowd, he'll find somebody who hasn't heard anything and stay there," she said. "He has skills. He knows how to hunt, I mean hunt with a gun, a knife, a bow." Allen said Stiles stopped by her house last week for a friendly visit before his name was linked to the videotape. She said his appearance had changed. She said his hair was longer and he had put on weight. Stiles, a resident of Pahrump, Nevada, is a former animal trainer, authorities said. De Meo said the FBI also is seeking him in a separate matter involving state charges of sexual assault and lewdness with a minor under 14. The man who claimed to have found the tape in the desert and held it for at least five months before handing it over to authorities turned himself in Sunday to Nye County officials. Darren Tuck, a Nevada resident who allegedly showed the tape to others before giving it to police, faces a possible sentence of 10 years to life for exhibiting pornography and another one to six years for possession of child pornography, according to De Meo. Tuck's attorney, Harry Kuehn, said last week on CNN's "Nancy Grace" that his client had been "wracked by indecision" as to what to do with the tape once he realized what it was. E-mail to a friend .

Chester Stiles' ex-girlfriend says she's "disgusted" she helped him meet child . Stiles sought by police as suspect in 3-year-old girl's videotaped rape . Ex-girlfriend Tina Allen says he seemed good with kids when she dated him . Allen says the girl lived in same apartment with her children .

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On a videotape released Sunday, American al Qaeda member Adam Yahiye Gadahn renounces his U.S. citizenship, destroys his passport and cites U.S. President Bush's upcoming trip to the Middle East. "American jihadist" Adam Gadahn, originally from California, in a video released in September 2006. The 50-minute tape -- titled "An Invitation to Reflection and Repentance" -- was released by As Sahab, al Qaeda's video production wing and was provided to CNN by www.LauraMansfield.com, a Web site that analyzes terrorism. In it, Gadahn renounces his citizenship to protest the imprisonment of Sheikh Omar Abdul Rahman, a blind Egyptian Muslim leader serving a life sentence for his role in the 1993 attack on the World Trade Center; and John Walker Lindh, the American Taliban who was arrested in Afghanistan in 2001, and others. Gadahn displays his passport to the camera, rips it in half and says, "Don't get too excited -- I don't need it to travel anyway." Though Gadahn speaks mostly in English, he references Bush -- who is to travel this week to the Middle East -- only in Arabic. "We raise an urgent appeal to our mujahedin brothers in the Muslim Palestine, the Arabian Peninsula in particular, and the region in general, to be prepared to receive the crusader butcher Bush on his visit to Muslim Palestine and the occupied peninsula at the beginning of January," he said. "They should receive him not with roses and applause, but with bombs and booby-traps." The video also refers to the Annapolis Conference, indicating it was produced after last November 27, when the conference was held. National Security Council Spokesman Gordon Johndroe said the U.S. president would not be deterred. "His comments are indicative of an al Qaeda ideology that offers nothing but death and violence," Johndroe told CNN in a written statement. "President Bush will travel to the region to stand with the mainstream governments who want liberty and justice for their people." The self-proclaimed American jihadist, also known as Azzam the American, is on the FBI's Most Wanted List, with a reward of up to $1 million for information leading to his capture. Gadahn was indicted in 2006 on charges of treason and offering material support for terrorism, the first American charged with treason since World War II. Gadahn, who grew up in rural California, embraced Islam in the mid-1990s and moved to Pakistan. Since October 2004 he has appeared in at least eight al Qaeda videos in which he speaks in English and praises the terrorist network. E-mail to a friend .

Adam Gadahn in videotape tears up U.S. passport, speaks in Arabic and English . Tape was released by As Sahab, al Qaeda's video production wing . Originally from California, Gadahn talks about Bush's upcoming trip to Middle East . Gadahn is on the FBI's Most Wanted List with $1 million reward for information .

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During the 1960 presidential election, Theodore Sorensen helped then-Sen. John F. Kennedy draft a speech addressing Kennedy's Catholicism and the separation between church and state. At the time, many questioned whether Kennedy, who would go on to become the nation's first Roman Catholic president, would be influenced by the Catholic church. Theodore Sorensen helped write John F. Kennedy's 1960 speech on Catholicism. Speaking to CNN Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider, Sorensen discussed Kennedy's famous 1960 speech and compared it to the speech on faith in politics delivered Thursday by Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, who would be the first Mormon in the White House if he is elected. Question: Did Kennedy's 1960 speech win him the presidency? Sorensen: Well, he obviously didn't lose it, nor did he free the country from the curse of anti-Catholicism. The hate mail still poured into his office. The vicious picket signs were still seen out on the campaign trail, and, indeed, on Election Day. According to a University of Michigan survey, more people voted against Kennedy because of his religion than any other reason. Nevertheless, that speech, which was nationally broadcast and frequently rebroadcast, certainly took a lot of the poison out of the anti-Catholic issue and reassured all reasonable people. Watch Sorensen discuss why Kennedy gave his speech » . Q. Could President Kennedy have delivered the speech Romney gave on Thursday? Sorensen: No. Mr. Romney's position on many of the issues are very different than JFK's. JFK wanted to particularly stress that he believed in the separation between church and state. He believed that no one needed to worry about a Catholic bishop or a cardinal dictating to him as a president, and that freedom of religion included freedom for those to go to any church or not to go to any church at all. So, Romney emphasized the role of religion in public life more strongly than JFK did or would have. Q. Romney seemed to differ quite strongly with Kennedy on the privacy of religion, didn't he? Sorensen: Yes, he did. In fact, Romney felt compelled for some reason to define his personal views of Jesus Christ. Kennedy said, as you noted, his personal views of religion were totally his business and not the business of the American people. Q. Romney made the statement "freedom requires religion just as religion requires freedom." Do you think Kennedy would have agreed with that? Sorensen: I don't think anyone would disagree strongly with that. There were some lines in the Romney speech that echoed the Kennedy speech. As an old speechwriter, I would congratulate Mr. Romney. It was a pretty good speech. I think he touched all the bases he wanted to touch. Q. Romney discussed his views of Jesus Christ, something that Kennedy avoided. Why did Kennedy avoid discussing his religious views? Sorensen: Because [Kennedy] began the speech by saying his private religious beliefs -- his relationship with God or Jesus Christ or anything else -- was not a matter of public discussion. He did not think the election should be based on -- as he said, it's not what kind of church I believe in, the question is what kind of country do I believe in. Q. Kennedy's speech in 1960 is widely viewed as being successful. Do you think Romney's speech is likely to be viewed as a success? Sorensen: I assume so. I don't think Mr. Romney should be denied the presidency because of his religion. Just as I don't think Senator [Barack] Obama should be denied because of his race. Or that Mrs. [Hillary] Clinton should be denied the presidency because of her gender. This country is in deep, serious trouble, and thoughtful citizens surely are going to make up their minds based on the major issues confronting the country and the major qualities of the candidates and not on such superficial tests as religion, race, or gender. E-mail to a friend .

Ted Sorensen helped draft Kennedy's 1960 speech on Roman Catholicism . GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney delivers speech on faith in politics . Kennedy, Romney views on religion differ greatly, Sorensen says . Sorensen says Kennedy viewed religion as more of a private matter .

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The Boeing 777 is the mainstay of many airlines' long-haul fleets and has never been involved in a fatal accident during its service history. British Airways aircrew fly the Royal Standard from the flight deck of the Boeing 777 aircraft. The aircraft first entered service on June 7, 1995, with more than 900 suppliers from 17 countries coming together to provide the more than three million parts needed in its construction, according to the Boeing Web site. Since its inaugural flight, Boeing has extended the 777 family to five commercial passenger models and a freighter version, collectively making more than two million flights. The aircraft seats between 301 and 368 passengers in a three-class configuration and can fly distances up to 17,500 kilometers. The 777 has also won a number of design awards, as well as setting a number of records and firsts. On November 9 and 10, 2005, a Boeing 777-200LR Worldliner set a new world record for distance traveled non-stop by a commercial jetliner. The 777-200LR set a record distance of 21,601 km on a route traveling eastbound from Hong Kong to London Heathrow. The flight lasted 22 hours and 42 minutes. The achievements was recognized by the U.S. National Aeronautics Association, The Federation Aeronautique Internationale and the Guinness Book of Records. The Federation eéronautique Internationale recognized the Boeing 777 in April 1997 for achieving a speed and distance record for airplanes in its size and class. The Boeing Web site claims the 777 set the "Great Circle Distance Without Landing" record, traveling 20,044 km, and it set the record for "Speed Around the World, Eastbound," traveling at an average speed of 889 km per hour. According to Boeing the aircraft reached 500 deliveries by 2005 -- faster than any other twin-aisle commercial airplane in history. Boeing prides itself on the 777's landing gear, which it claims is the largest ever incorporated into a commercial aircraft. Each main landing gear is fitted with six wheels, while the nose gear has two. E-mail to a friend .

The Boeing 777 aircraft first entered service on June 7, 1995 . First airplane U.S. (FAA) approved for extended-range twin-engine operations . Engineers designed, electronically pre-assembled the 777 using computers . In 2005, a Boeing 777 set a new world record for distance traveled non-stop .

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A major donors conference to raise funds for the Palestinians has gone beyond expectations, with donors pledging $7.4 billion to help build a Palestinian state, organizers said Monday. France's Nicolas Sarkoxy, left, welcomes Tony Blair and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas on Monday. Other delegations at the Paris meeting are offering aid in kind, such as the International Monetary Fund, which said it would provide monitoring of the Palestinians' promised reforms to reassure donors that their money would be used efficiently. Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad called the pledge of money a "vote of confidence" in the Palestinians. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair said the support of donors needed to be repaid in the coming months with steps to create a lasting settlement. "Over the next few months, we have to show people our capability of making the difference on the ground," said Blair, who co-hosted the conference in his new role as envoy for the so-called Middle East Quartet of the United Nations, United States, European Union and Russia. The Paris conference focuses on short-term priorities for the Palestinians, and French President Nicolas Sarkozy said those include providing immediate support for the Palestinian people -- particularly those living in Gaza -- and stabilizing the Palestinian economy. Watch CNN's Jim Bittermann explain the conference's aims » . It follows on the heels of last month's peace talks in the U.S. in which Israeli and Palestinian leaders vowed to negotiate a final-status agreement by the end of 2008. French President Nicolas Sarkozy said France would donate $300 million, and the United States was expected to pledge more than $500 million. Central to the Palestinians' request for aid is a three-year reform plan that the Palestinians prepared for the conference. The plan, which covers 2008 to 2010, centers on economic development and government reform. The World Bank praised the plan, calling it a "promising effort" to link policy-making, planning and budgeting. But in a report released Monday, the World Bank pointed out the reforms would succeed in helping Palestinians only if they were accompanied by both donor aid and Israeli actions. Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni spoke of taking such actions, saying Israel is committed to meeting its responsibilities under the Middle East road map, especially regarding the contentious issue of settlements. Livni said an agreement had been reached with the European Union to provide training for Palestinian police. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said the Palestinians didn't lack will or determination but resources. He promised donors that Palestinians would work hard to create a modern country in control of its security. "We are at a historic stage today, and the destiny of our region and peace depends on this," said Abbas, who requested the conference be held. Abbas earlier had requested $5.6 billion in aid over the next three years. Sarkozy repeatedly told the conference he is a "friend of Israel," but he urged the Israeli government to withdraw troops from the West Bank, freeze settlements, reopen institutions in East Jerusalem and help the isolated population of Gaza. The World Bank's report detailed the challenges facing attempts to revive the Palestinian economy, which has become almost totally dependent on foreign aid. The Palestinian Authority is the largest employer for its people, as private-sector jobs dry up. The World Bank said wages for public sector employees account for almost half of the government's expenditures. With public investment having nearly ceased, the World Bank said, almost all government funds in the past two years have been used to pay salaries and cover operating costs. Staffing also has gone up in the health and education sectors, the World Bank said, leaving little money for pharmaceuticals, medical supplies, teaching and learning materials, and overall maintenance. The World Bank said the reforms would only succeed if they include Gaza, where 40 percent of the Palestinian population lives. Gaza has been subject to a wide-ranging crackdown since Hamas took power in June; its borders are closed, fuel imports are restricted, and there are strict limits on all imported goods. "The continued entry of humanitarian goods has mitigated the impact of the closures on Gaza's population, but has not been sufficient to offset the collapse of the private sector there," the World Bank report said. Unemployment across the Palestinian territories stands at nearly 23 percent, the World Bank said, but in Gaza, 33 percent of the population is out of a job. It predicted the figures would rise if the restrictions continue. A report Monday from the U.N. Development Program spotlighted the pressures on private Palestinian businesses, especially in Gaza, where it said the private sector "is on the verge of collapse with no scope for recovery" unless Israeli restrictions are lifted. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Jim Bittermann contributed to this report .

Donors pledge $7.4 billion to help build a Palestinian state . NEW: IMF offers to monitor Palestinians' promised reforms . Palestinian aid conference organizers hail event as a new beginning . Tony Blair says donors need to be repaid with steps to create a lasting settlement .

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Rep. Tom Lantos, the Democratic chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, died Monday due to complications from cancer, his office said. Lantos was 80. Rep. Tom Lantos represented his Northern California district for 14 terms. He died at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, surrounded by his wife, Annette, daughters Annette and Katrina and many of his 18 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, according to his office. Lantos' life was "defined by courage, optimism, and unwavering dedication to his principles and to his family," said his wife, Annette, his childhood sweetheart, in a statement the House of Representatives released. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Monday that she was "quite devastated" by the death of her "dear, dear friend." She called him "a true American hero" and "the genuine article." "He's going to be really, really missed," she said. Rice described Lantos as "the embodiment of what it meant to have one's freedom denied and then to find it and to insist that Americans stand for spreading the benefits of freedom and prosperity to others." Lantos, who was serving his 14th term in the House, was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in December. He announced last month that he would not seek a new term. "It is only in the United States that a penniless survivor of the Holocaust and a fighter in the anti-Nazi underground could have received an education, raised a family and had the privilege of serving the last three decades of his life as a member of Congress," Lantos said in a statement at the time. "I will never be able to express fully my profoundly felt gratitude to this great country." Watch Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid remember Lantos » . The lawmaker is the only Holocaust survivor to have served in Congress. The Hungarian-born Lantos came to the United States in 1947 after surviving a forced-labor camp in his Nazi-allied homeland. He escaped and was sheltered in a Budapest safe house set up by Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg, who was credited with saving tens of thousands of Hungarian Jews during World War II. He arrived in the United States after being awarded an academic scholarship to study, according to his congressional Web site. He received bachelor's and master's degrees in economics from the University of Washington in Seattle and later earned a doctorate in economics from the University of California, Berkeley, the site said. As a lawmaker, Lantos was an outspoken human rights advocate. He supported the 2002 congressional resolution that authorized President Bush to launch the invasion of Iraq but later became an outspoken critic of the conflict. He was the latest of more than a dozen members to announce plans to leave the House at the end of the year, most of them Republicans. His San Francisco-area district is solidly Democratic, and he won re-election with more than three-quarters of the vote in 2006. "Chairman Lantos will be remembered as a man of uncommon integrity and sincere moral conviction -- and a public servant who never wavered in his pursuit of a better, freer and more religiously tolerant world," House Republican Whip Roy Blunt of Missouri said in a statement. E-mail to a friend .

Secretary of state calls Rep. Tom Lantos "a true American hero" Lantos was only Holocaust survivor to serve in Congress . California congressman disclosed last month he was suffering from cancer . Lantos had said he would not seek re-election to 15th term in House .

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All vehicles were banned from the largely Shiite city of Amara Wednesday after three car bombs ripped through a market district, killing at least 27 people and wounded 151, officials said. Iraqis gather at the site of a car bomb in the city of Amara on Wednesday. The blasts detonated in close succession in a commercial area in the central section of Amara, the provincial capital of Maysan province and a city that has been the scene of fighting between rival Shiite factions. Baghdad was also hit by violence on Wednesday. A car bomb there killed five Iraqi civilians and wounded 15 others, an Interior Ministry official told CNN. The incident occurred in a Christian section of the largely Shiite New Baghdad district. Maj. Gen. Abdul Karim Khalaf, head of the Interior Ministry's National Command Center, confirmed the casualty figures in the Amara bombing. He and a committee were headed to Amara to investigate the incident. He said the ministry fired the city's police chief in the aftermath of the attack. Maysan Gov. Adil Muhawdar Radhi announced the vehicle ban, which he said will be in place through Thursday. He said additional security measures have been put in place in the city. The first bomb, in a car parked in a commercial area, detonated about 9:30 a.m. As onlookers gathered, the second one exploded in a nearby garage a few minutes later. It was followed by a third bomb in the garage a few minutes after that. Ambulances and police raced to the scene. News footage showed burning vehicles and black smoke, and the clothing of victims scattered beside pools of blood. Iraqi state television showed hospitals packed with people. Al-Forat, an Iraqi TV station affiliated with the Supreme Islamic Council of Iraq political movement, reported that most of the casualties were women and children. Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, in a statement, denounced the attack. "The targeting of unarmed civilians today in the markets of Amara town by car bombs -- that is another ring in the chain of conspiracy against the Iraqi people that is aiming to destabilize the security and stability in this province," which he said endured cruelty under the Saddam Hussein regime. Maysan, which borders Iran, has been under Iraqi security control much of this year after control was transferred from the British military. It was not immediately known who was responsible for the blasts, but the violence is a reminder of the intense fighting between the Mehdi Army -- the militia of anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr -- and the Badr Brigade, the militia of the SICI, which condemned the bombings and blamed "Saddamists and Takfiris." The two movements are bitter rivals and have been in the middle of local power struggles in Iraq's southern provinces and other Shiite areas. Watch how Shiite groups have been vying for power » . Britain, which has been in command of the south since the Iraqi war began, has been working to withdraw its troops from the region, which, despite this latest violence, has always been more stable than Baghdad and other outlying regions. Britain's Defense Ministry said on Wednesday that the British military will transfer security control of the southern province of Basra to Iraqi forces on Sunday. Ali al-Dabbagh, Iraq's government spokesman, confirmed the date and said the Maysan attacks will not affect the handover. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Jomana Karadsheh contributed to this report.

All vehicles banned in city of Amara through Thursday, provincial governor says . Death toll continues to rise as Interior Ministry reports 151 wounded . State television reports that many of the casualties are women, children . Amara has been scene of fighting between rival Shiite factions vying for power .

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Kenya has enjoyed a reputation as one of East Africa's most stable nations since achieving independence from the UK in 1963. Residents of the Mathare slum in Nairobi shout at demonstrators during violent clashes. But a booming tourism industry, impressive economic growth -- currently six percent a year according to The Economist -- and decades of peace in a region scarred by conflict have served to disguise widespread poverty, violent crime and corruption and simmering ethnic tensions. Tribal bonds remain stronger than national identity in Kenya, with the country's 36 million people claiming allegiance to around 40 different tribes. Last week's election pitched incumbent President Mwai Kibaki, a member of Kenya's largest Kikuyu tribe, against opposition leader Raila Odinga of the Luo tribe. The Kikuyu make up about 22 percent of Kenya's population. Mostly originating from Kenya's central highlands, the Kikuyu have long wielded strong economic and political power within the country. Kenya's first post-independence leader, Jomo Kenyatta, president from 1964 until 1978, was a Kikuyu. Kibaki, a government minister from 1965 until winning power as head of the Party of National Unity in elections five years ago, also enjoys the support of Kenyatta's successor, Daniel Arap Moi, a member of the Kalenjin tribe who ruled Kenya for 24 years from 1978 to 2002. The Luo make up around 13 percent of the population, mostly in the west of the country. But they also form a sizeable community in some of Nairobi's most notorious slums, such as the vast Kibera shantytown where Odinga enjoys strong support and where some of this week's fiercest violence has occurred. Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement is also backed by many members of the Luhya tribe, Kenya's second largest ethnic group, after Odinga promised to make a leading Luhya his deputy if elected. This week's violence came as election officials declared victory for Kibaki with 51.3 percent to 48.7 percent for Odinga in the closest presidential vote in Kenyan electoral history. But the result has been questioned by international election observers, throwing the country's political future into doubt. Kibaki's first election success in 2002 -- declared free and fair by international observers -- was hailed at the time as a step forward for Kenyan democracy. However, his term has been dogged by allegations of corruption and graft. E-mail to a friend .

Kenya's 36 million population made up of around 40 tribal groups . President Mwai Kibaki belongs to the influential and powerful Kikuyu tribe . Challenger Raila Odinga's Luo tribe forms sizeable group in west, Nairobi slums . Kenya dogged by poverty, violent crime, corruption, simmering ethnic tensions .

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In the days after Benazir Bhutto's assassination, it will be tempting to reach two hasty conclusions: that she was Pakistan's last great hope and that her geo-politically crucial country has revealed itself to be inherently hopeless. Irshad Manji is a controversial Muslim feminist and activist from Toronto, Canada. On each front, I take a different view. While far more liberal and democratic than Gen. Musharraf, Bhutto disappointed moderate, modern Pakistanis with her adherence to feudal politics. Writing to me through my Web site, American feminists say they are "aching" over the loss of "our dear, sweet, brave Benazir." I understand the sentiment. But "brave" is not the word used by Pakistani women from whom I've also heard. They're hurting more over Bhutto's "self-imposed" conformity. "She never realized her potential," a woman from Karachi tells me. "And not because she was killed but because when she had the chance, she did not effectively challenge the backward mindset that has now led to her demise." For example, during Bhutto's time in office, Pakistan didn't defy the anti-female rape and adultery laws. Those notorious ordinances, known as Hudood, took their inspiration from tribal politics masquerading as Islam. Watch Manji argue on CNN why Bhutto's legacy is mixed » . Imagine the opportunity: Bhutto could have championed a purer faith by tackling corrupt cultural practices. In so doing, she might have created allies among conservatives, who can be persuaded that although Islam is God-given, culture is man-made. Last year, a media campaign to strike down the Hudood Ordinances achieved this fine balance. But not because of her. And that, say many progressive Pakistanis, amputates Bhutto's legacy. The fact that cruel laws against women can be publicly debated at all should suggest that Pakistan has hope anyway. An exceptional leader can tap into it. History tells us so. There was a time when Pakistan's democratic politicians stuck it to the feudal fanatics. Bhutto's father, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, was once heckled by a religious fundamentalist. "You drink alcohol!" shouted the critic. "Yes," retorted the elder Bhutto, "but I don't drink the blood of the people!" His response captured the spirit of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Pakistan's founder. In 1947, Jinnah exuded high hopes for his people: "You are free. You are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques, or to any other place of worship in the State of Pakistan. "You may belong to any religion or caste or creed. That has nothing to do with the business of the state. We are starting with this fundamental principle that we are all citizens of one state... You will find that in due course of time, Hindus will cease to be Hindus and Muslims will cease to be Muslims, not in the religious sense ... but in the political sense as citizens of the state." Jinnah meant every word of his unconventional vision because he, himself, lived as a maverick. He adored his non-Muslim wife, and his sister often appeared with him on the campaign trail. Her visibility attested to Islam's embrace of women as partners of men. In the months ahead, the people of Pakistan will need to recall Jinnah's vision. It may be of comfort know that they're not alone. Countless Americans are now asking about their founders' intentions, desperate to re-discover the better angels of their country after eight years of George W. Bush. Still, Pakistan must avoid America's enduring mistake. The United States lapsed into profound divisiveness following the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy. Many would argue that today's politics of polarization can be traced to the unresolved trauma of the King-Kennedy murders. For Pakistan, it's high time to transcend both trauma and tribalism. I pray that in death, Benazir Bhutto will be the catalyst for a deeper democracy than she ever advocated in life. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the writer. E-mail to a friend .

Manji says Bhutto disappointed some because she adhered to feudal politics . During Bhutto's time in office, writer says, she did not defy anti-rape laws . Pakistan must "transcend both trauma and tribalism," Manji says .

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Saudi King Abdullah has pardoned a rape victim who had been sentenced to 200 lashes and six months in prison in a case that sparked international attention, a Saudi newspaper has reported. The case cast light on the treatment of women under Saudi Arabia's strict Islamic law. Al-Jazirah newspaper quoted a Saudi Justice Ministry official saying King Abdullah issued a royal pardon Monday -- the same day that the Hajj, the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, begins in Saudi Arabia. The victim's husband told CNN he has not received an official letter regarding her pardon, but considers it to be legitimate since it was announced in an official Saudi newspaper. He thanked King Abdullah for the pardon, saying: "This fatherly care and noble gesture will help (in) lifting the emotional and psychological stress and suffering that our family has been enduring." "This is not something new because we know that the King was always generous in dealing with his people and the entire world," the husband said. "This week, we have two holidays to celebrate; the Eid and this great news of the pardon." Saudi sources told CNN that the king's pardon was not related to the beginning of the Hajj nor the Eid al-Adha festival that follows, which is normally when the Saudi monarch issues amnesty for prisoners. Watch how Arab media is reporting the story. » . Saudi Arabia's Justice Minister Abdullah Bin Mohammad al-Sheikh told al-Jazirah newspaper that the king felt the pardon would be in the best interests of the Saudi people, and the decision did not reflect any lack of confidence in the Saudi justice system. The White House welcomed King Abdullah's decision, but National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe stressed that "this is obviously a matter for the Saudi Arabians and King Abdullah." A Saudi court ruled the 19-year-old had an "illegitimate relationship" with a man who was not her husband, and that she was raped after she and the man were discovered in a "compromising situation, her clothes on the ground." The rape took place in Qatif in March 2006 when the woman was engaged to be married. The case has drawn international attention, provoked outrage in the West and cast light on the treatment of women under strict Islamic law in Saudi Arabia. The woman was meeting with a man -- described by the woman's attorney as a former friend from whom she was retrieving a photograph -- when they both were abducted last March. Seven men, convicted of abducting the pair and raping her, were sentenced from two to nine years in prison. Abdul Rahman al-Lahim, the lawyer who represented the woman, faced a disciplinary hearing for "insulting the Supreme Judicial Council and disobeying the rules and regulations" of the judiciary. The hearing has been postponed. The woman's husband has been outspoken in his support for his wife. He called a Lebanese TV show to defend her, when a former Saudi judge claimed on the program that she "spoil(ed) their marital bed" by meeting an unrelated male "in secret" and admitted her guilt. Al-Lahim has said he hopes the case changes the Saudi justice system. "We want to highlight the rape crimes in Saudi Arabia and the way they are handled and sentenced in court," he added. "This is a new era for all of us." He said that the rape case had elicited a fierce response, including calls for his beheading. U.S. President George W. Bush said last week that King Abdullah "knows our position loud and clear" on the case. Under Saudi law, women are subject to numerous restrictions, including a strict dress code, a prohibition against driving and a requirement that they get a man's permission to travel or have surgery. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Mohammed Jamjoom, Saad Abedine and Isha Sesay contributed to this report .

Sources say pardon unrelated to Hajj nor subsequent Eid al-Adha . NEW: Justice minister says king felt pardon in best interests of Saudi people . Report: King Abdullah pardons rape victim sentenced to 200 lashes . A Saudi court had ruled the 19-year-old had an "illegitimate relationship"

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Claims by Diana's former butler that he knew a mysterious "secret" about the late princess have been trashed by the coroner in her inquest. Diana's former butler has given conflicting information at the enquiry into her death. The coroner said the information was already in the public domain and some of it was even mentioned in one of Paul Burrell's own books. Considered the first star witness of the inquest, Burrell's appearance Tuesday was delayed after the coroner asked him to retrieve the last letter the princess gave him. Monday, the ex-butler -- once described by the princess as "her rock" -- told the inquest the letter contained a "secret," which he claimed he could not remember. After returning to London from his home in northern England Tuesday, Burrell said the letter was not there, but at his home in Florida. He then handed the coroner a note that he said contained the supposed secret. The coroner revealed that what Burrell referred to was that Diana was planning to buy property to live in part of the time and that the location may have been in the United States or South Africa. The coroner said the revelation is "fairly and squarely in the public domain" and that some of the information appeared in Burrell's book "The Way We Were." Explaining the apparent discrepancies in his testimony, Burrell said he was confused by the cross-examination, which he described as "horrid" and "disgraceful." The questioning of the former butler is expected to continue Wednesday. Diana and her boyfriend, Dodi Fayed, died in a Paris tunnel in the early hours of August 31, 1997, along with their driver, Henri Paul. They had driven away from the Ritz Hotel in a black Mercedes with paparazzi chasing behind. There has been speculation that the couple had planned a big announcement the night they died. Photographers have testified they had heard rumors Diana would say she was getting engaged to Fayed or having a baby. Watch report on claims about Diana's marriage plans » . Burrell did not take the stand until Tuesday afternoon. Earlier in the day, the inquest heard from Diana's former lawyer, who said the princess had claimed Queen Elizabeth was planning to abdicate in April 1996 and allow Prince Charles to be king. Maggie Rae said at the inquest that Diana also believed there was a plot to seriously injure her in an accident. Rae said the claims came at a meeting with her legal team at Kensington Palace in which the princess also made clear her belief that the succession of the English crown should skip a generation to her son, William. The morning's evidence also heard that Britain's top police officer had advised the queen against allowing Diana to go on holiday with Mohamed al Fayed, the father of Dodi. In a note from Chief Superintendent Dai Davies, head of the Royal Protection Squad, that was read out to the court, it was stated that he and Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Paul Condon believed that the planned holiday was "unwise." Al Fayed -- a successful businessman and owner of the London luxury store Harrods -- was considered a controversial figure at the time. Diana defied the advice and went on the trip. It was during this holiday on the tycoon's luxury yacht in the French resort of St. Tropez that she met Dodi Fayed. During her testimony, Rae also gave an insight into the princess's lifestyle, which she described as "odd" and "lonely." She said she did not believe Diana's claims of a conspiracy against her. "I remember one occasion when she told me about her weekend and she had been alone in those rather silent set of apartments. She had heated her own food in the microwave," Rae told the court. "I thought she lived in a very odd environment. I thought she was quite lonely." E-mail to a friend . CNN's Melissa Gray contributed to this report.

Claims by Diana's butler that he knew "secret" about her trashed by coroner . Paul Burrell asked to testify about the last letter the late princess gave him . Coroner revealed Burrell's "secret" was Diana planned to buy property abroad . But coroner said the revelation is "fairly and squarely in the public domain"

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Princess Diana's relationships with two Muslim men provoked an outburst from her mother, who called her daughter "a whore", Paul Burrell, the princess's former butler, told an inquest Monday. Diana once referred to her former butler Paul Burrell as "my rock." Burrell, who returned to Britain from his home in Florida to give evidence, was the first star witness of the London inquest, now in its fourth month. His role as confidant to Diana, who died in a Paris car crash on August 31, 1997, along with her boyfriend Dodi Fayed and hotel security chief Henri Paul, meant his testimony was eagerly anticipated. Burrell, whom the late princess once called "my rock," cast doubt on whether Diana was ready to marry Fayed. According to Burrell, the princess was still "holding a candle" for former boyfriend and heart surgeon Hasnat Khan -- who she called "her soulmate" -- when she started dating Fayed "on the rebound." Burrell told the inquest that Diana asked him to listen in on a conversation in June 1997 with her mother, Frances Shand Kydd, who died in 2004 and who was critical of her relationship with Muslim men. "She called the princess a 'whore' and she said that she was messing around with 'effing Muslim men' and she was 'disgraceful' and said some very nasty things," Burrell said. He agreed that, as a result of such calls Diana, decided not to talk to her mother again. The inquest, which began in October and is expected to last another two or three months, aims to uncover the facts surrounding the deaths of the Princess and Dodi and determine their cause of death -- whether by accident or otherwise. Asked earlier in the day if he believed that Fayed was "the one," Burrell said "no, I did not have that impression." He also cast doubt on claims that Fayed and Diana were engaged or on the cusp of engagement, saying: "I find that difficult to believe." Asked to explain himself, Burrell said: "Because this was only a 30-day relationship and the princess had just finished a long-term relationship with someone (Khan) she cared deeply about. I knew that because I was there and I saw it." Diana's 18-month relationship with Khan ended around the same time she started seeing Fayed in July 1997. Burrell said Diana had asked him at one point to investigate how a private wedding with Khan might take place, given that Khan is Muslim. Watch report on claims about Diana's marriage plans. » . Khan had not proposed to the princess, Burrell said, adding that Khan was "the man she loved more than any other." He said he spoke to Diana about the possibility that Fayed would give her a ring shortly before her death. Burrell said he suggested to the princess that she wear it on the fourth finger of her right hand, rather than the left, as is customary with engagement rings. "I need marriage like a bad rash," Burrell claimed Diana told him. Last month at the inquest Lady Annabel Goldsmith, a friend of Diana, said the princess had remarked that she needed another marriage "like a rash on my face." Burrell also indicated that the ring was not an engagement ring, as the Fayed family has maintained. Fayed family spokesman Michael Cole testified last week that Dodi's father, Mohamed Al Fayed, was certain the couple had planned to marry. Lawyers at the inquest asked Burrell whether he knew whether a special announcement had been planned for the Monday following the fatal car crash. There has been speculation the couple planned to announce special news, such as an engagement. But Burrell said he knew nothing of such a plan. He said he had actually looked at Diana's schedule for that day and found only mundane items, and nothing to indicate she planned a special announcement. Burrell also told the inquest he did not believe Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth's, husband was involved in Diana's death. Mohamed Al Fayed, father of Dodi and the owner of Harrods department store, has long claimed that senior members of the royal family -- specifically the queen's husband, Prince Philip -- ordered the pair be murdered. He also claims that Diana was pregnant at the time of her death. But Burrell said that he knew Prince Philip very well and that he could not have been behind the deaths. "I can tell you that is not Prince Philip's nature, " he said. "Plus the princess was the mother of his grandchildren. Why would he want to harm her? It's not possible." The inquest has seen and heard about correspondence which Prince Philip sent to Diana, with some witnesses claiming that he wrote cruel and hurtful letters. But other correspondence shown to the jury appeared to be friendly and was affectionately signed, "Pa." Burrell explained that Philip could sometimes come across as terse because he says what he thinks. "Prince Philip doesn't mix his words," Burrell said. "He says it as it is, but he is not a nasty man. Prince Philip isn't known for his diplomacy. He was fond of the princess." Burrell worked for the British royals for 21 years and became close to Diana after her separation from Prince Charles. He has written two books about his time with the princess. In his second book, Burrell told of a letter from Diana which indicated she feared for her life. The princess wrote that Prince Charles planned "'an accident' in my car, brake failure and serious head injury." One of Diana's close friends, however, testified last month that she believed the letter could have been forged. Lucia Flecha de Lima said on December 18 that Burrell was capable of imitating the princess's handwriting. Lawyers questioned Burrell about the date of the letter. Burrell said it was written in October 1996, two months, after Diana and Charles divorced -- yet the letter refers to Charles as "my husband." Burrell responded that Diana always referred to Charles that way, even after the divorce. The inquest has revealed that Diana was a prolific letter-writer who also received a lot of correspondence. Witnesses, including Burrell, recall that the princess kept the letters in her desk, with the more important ones stored in a special box. Burrell testified that after Diana's death, her mother, Frances Shand-Kidd, worked every day for a week shredding the papers from Diana's desk. He said he expressed concern about the shredding during a meeting he had with the queen on December 19, 1997. It was at this meeting that Queen Elizabeth told Burrell: "There are powers at work in this country about which we have no knowledge." That comment, which has been widely reported, was meant to warn him to be careful, Burrell said, and was not a warning about any one person or group of people. At the same meeting Burrell also told the queen that he had taken some of Diana's belongings to keep safe. The details of the conversation emerged when Burrell stood trial for their alleged theft in 2002, causing the case against him to collapse. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Emily Chang and Heidi Berger contributed to this report.

Paul Burrell, Princess Diana's former butler, gives evidence at inquest . Describes phone call in which Diana's mother called her daughter"a whore" Burrell says Queen Elizabeth's husband was not involved in Diana's death . Also claims that Diana told him: "I need marriage like a bad rash"

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U.S., Turkish and Iraqi leaders all held talks Monday about Kurdish rebels using northern Iraq as a launchpad for cross-border attacks into Turkey. Turkish troops patrol near the border with Iraq on Monday. President Bush chatted by phone with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, while separately two senior Iraq national government figures met with the head of the country's Kurdish region. The diplomatic moves came after Turkish warplanes pounded Kurdish separatist targets in northern Iraq on Saturday and Sunday as well as last week. Bush and Erdogan talked about the dangers of the Kurdish separatist rebels along the Turkish-Iraqi border, the White House confirmed. National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said they discussed their common efforts to fight terrorism, and the importance of the United States, Turkey and Iraq working together to confront the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK. Bush has vowed to help Turkey fight PKK rebels. The PKK has spent two decades fighting for autonomy for Kurds in southeastern Turkey, with some of its attacks launched from inside northern Iraq. The United States and European Union consider the group a terrorist organization. Last week, Turkey's ambassador to the United States, Nabi Sensoy, said his country's maneuvers against Kurdish militant targets in northern Iraq were based on intelligence provided by the United States. In the Kurdish Iraq city of Sulaimaniya, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, who is Kurdish, and Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi, who is Sunni Arab, met with Kurdish Regional Government President Massoud Barzani. Iraqi Kurdish officials, while critical of the PKK, have denounced the Turkish bombing campaign. Last week, Barzani snubbed visiting U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in protest of the attacks. "We have vehemently condemned the bombardment. The bombing targeted safe and secure areas and innocent people. Several people were either killed or wounded," Barzani said on Monday at a press conference with the others. "We held consultations with President Jalal Talabani and we will continue our consultations with other concerned parties to put an end to these aggressions and put to an end the shelling of villages." The three Iraqi officials also dealt with national unity. They signed a "memorandum of understanding" to deepen relations further with their three parties: Talabani's Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, Barzani's Kurdistan Democratic Party and al-Hashimi's Iraqi Islamic Party, a Sunni Arab entity. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Kathleen Koch, Talia Kayali and Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report .

Bush: U.S., Turkey and Iraq must unite against PKK Kurdish separatists . Iraqi Kurds are critical of both PKK and air attacks against them . Turkey bombed alleged PKK sites in northern Iraq over the weekend . PKK has spent 20 years fighting for autonomy in Turkey; uses Iraq as a base .

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Top-seed Andy Roddick easily defeated Delray Beach winner Kei Nishikori of Japan 6-2 6-4 in the headline match at the ATP tournament in San Jose on Thursday night. A pumped up Roddick needed little over an hour to dispatch teenager Nishikori. Roddick needed just 63 minutes to defeat the 18-year-old Japanese who won his first ATP title on Sunday and was on an eight-match winning run. But American number one Roddick imposed his quality from the start by taking a commanding 3-0 lead and breaking Nishikori's serve before the youngster won a game. Roddick, who has won twice in San Jose, repeated the break later in a feisty opening set which came to a head in the seventh game. Roddick barked at the young player as they exchanged shots at the net. Nishikori held his cool, did not respond, and just walked away. "I didn't understand a word he said," Nishikori said. But when pressed he acknowledged that he did in fact understand what Roddick had shouted at him but just did not want to repeat it before the press. But Roddick had no trouble repeating what he had said. "I told him to stick me with it the next time. I just let him know that he needs to finish it. I had no problem with it. But it was a monologue." Roddick duly rounded off the set in the next game and broke Nishikori's service in the fourth game of the second only for his youthful opponent to break straight back. But as Nishikori served at 4-5 to stay in the tournament he made two crucial errors. He missed an easy slam shot that would have given him the advantage at deuce and then saw his saw his volley go wide that gave Roddick the match. "I made too many easy mistakes," Nishikori said. "I didn't take advantage of the many chances I had. But overall I was happy with the way I played." In the early evening match, James Blake, beaten by Nishikori in the Delray Beach final, overcame first-serve problems to beat Jesse Levine 6-4 6-4 to move onto the quarterfinals. The second-seeded New Yorker, ranked ninth in the world, will face Robby Ginepri in the quarterfinals. "I thought I played well," Blake said. "I felt comfortable and although I had a slow start I was able to put pressure on Jesse." In afternoon matches, John Isner beat third-seeded German Tommy Haas 4-6 7-6 6-3 to advance to the quarterfinals. Isner, the ATP Tour's second-tallest player at six-foot-nine, will next face Spain's Guillermo Garcia-Lopez. Haas, ranked 26th in the world, was three match points from winning the second set in a tiebreaker before the 106th-ranked Isner rallied to win. Fifth-seeded Mardy Fish also advanced, beating Germany's Denis Gremelmayr 6-7 6-3 6-3 to make the quarterfinals for the second week in a row. Fish will face Roddick in the quarterfinals. Taiwan's Lu Yen-hsun beat American lucky loser Wayne Odesnik 6-4 6-4. Lu will face fourth-seeded Czech Radek Stepanek in the quarterfinals. E-mail to a friend . Copyright 2008 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.

Top seed Andy Roddick reaches last eight of ATP tournament in San Jose . The American defeats Delray Beach winner Kei Nishikori of Japan 6-2 6-4 . Second seed James Blake also advances but third seed Tommy Haas is out .

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Several Marines who were involved in the November 2004 offensive in Falluja, Iraq, are now the focus of an investigation into allegations that civilians were intentionally killed during the operation, several Pentagon officials have confirmed. Members of the 1st U.S. Marines Expeditionary Force operate in Falluja, Iraq, in November of 2006. No one has been charged in the probe, which is based on what one official told CNN were "credible allegations" from a former Marine. That Marine volunteered the information during an employment polygraph test administered by the U.S. Secret Service. Several sources familiar with the probe say the Naval Criminal Investigative Service is conducting the investigation. The allegations first surfaced on a Web site, defendourmarines.com, posted by Nathaniel Helms, a military journalist who wrote a book about the Marines in Falluja. The Web posting includes an account from a Marine who alleges eight captured Iraqis were gunned down following a firefight. The weeklong anti-insurgent offensive in Falluja began on November 7, 2004. It was called Operation New Dawn, and it sparked intense fighting involving airstrikes and house-to-house searches. There were reports of civilians being killed in the crossfire at that time. The allegations are the latest involving Marines and civilian deaths in Iraq. Seven Marines and a Navy medic were charged with killing an Iraqi civilian in Hamdaniya in April 2006. One Marine will serve eight years in a plea deal; another Marine withdrew his guilty plea, saying he acted under orders. Four Marines were charged with murder in the 2005 killings of 24 Iraqi civilians in Haditha. Four officers are accused of failing to investigate and report the deaths properly. Haditha was a target of Marine operations to root out insurgents. Both U.S. military law and international law of armed conflict prohibit the killing of unarmed captured prisoners, whether or not they are combatants. E-mail to a friend .

Several Marines are the focus of 2004 Falluja civilian death investigation . Allegations from former Marine called "credible" Sources: Naval Criminal Investigative Services conducting the probe .

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At least 10 people have died and thousands have been left homeless after torrential rains inundated large parts of Ecuador, officials said Thursday. A man grabs on to a piece of wood as a boat passes him on a flooded street this week in Puerto Inca, Ecuador. Authorities said the rains, which began a week ago, were the worst in a quarter century. Civil defense officials said more than 10,000 families have been affected. Los Ríos -- north of Guayaquil -- was the hardest hit of nine provinces affected, civil defense officials said. In Los Ríos province, five people died when an ambulance drove into a hole at the side of a street at dawn Thursday. A newborn boy, his parents, a doctor and a driver were killed. Streets also were flooded in the capital of Quito. Watch the scenes of devastation in Ecuador » . On Wednesday, President Rafael Correa declared a state of emergency and ordered 2,000 members of the army and the police to help rescue workers. Correa increased by $25 million the $10 million he already had allocated for the emergency efforts. He also directed another $88 million to municipalities. Once the crisis has eased, an emergency fund will give seed and fertilizer to help farmers whose fields were washed away, Ecuador's government said. There also have been reports of livestock drowning. Cristina Medina, a spokeswoman for the Ecuadorean Red Cross, said provinces most heavily affected were along the Pacific coast, where drinking water was often in short supply. In some towns, high waters forced entire neighborhoods to evacuate, Medina said. E-mail to a friend .

At least 10 people have died in torrential rains in Ecuador, officials say . Authorities say the rains are the worst in a quarter century . Civil defense officials say more than 10,000 families have been affected . Ecuador's president declares state of emergency, orders army, police to help .

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Italian tennis players Potito Starace and Daniele Bracciali have been banned by the ATP for betting on matches. Top Italian player Potito Starace has been suspended for six weeks for betting on matches. The country's top player Starace -- 31st in the ATP rankings -- has been suspended for six weeks from January 1 and fined $30,000 (20,890 euros) for making five bets totalling around 90 euros two years ago. Bracciali, world ranked 258, has been banned for three months and fined $20,000 (13,930 euros) for making around 50 five-euro bets between 2004 and 2005. The Italian Tennis Federation (FIT) confirmed the news on its website, www.federtennis.it. However, they denounced the penalties as disproportionate, saying the players never bet on their own matches. "Injustice is done," the statement said. "These penalties are absolutely, excessively severe compared to the magnitude of the violations carried out by the two players." The federation said the two were not aware of the ATP's betting regulations, and that they stopped placing the bets as soon as they learned it was against the rules. Another Italian player, Alessio Di Mauro, became the first player sanctioned under the ATP's new anti-corruption rules when he received a nine-month ban in November, also for betting on matches. Starace and Bracciali said they were scapegoats for a larger match-fixing scandal."It's disgusting," said the 26-year-old Starace. "The ATP doesn't know where to turn. It's all a joke." Bracciali said the two had been "sacrificed." "That's why they came after us," the 29-year-old said. "We are not champions and we don't count in the upper echelons." ATP officials could not be reached for comment on Saturday. Concerns about match-fixing have risen since August, when an online betting company reported unusual betting patterns during a match between fourth-ranked Nikolay Davydenko of Russia and Martin Vassallo Arguello of Argentina. The company, Betfair, voided all bets and the ATP has been investigating. Davydenko, who retired while trailing in the third set, denies wrongdoing. Since then, several players have said that they had been approached with offers to fix matches in exchange for money. E-mail to a friend .

Italian tennis players Potito Starace and Daniele Bracciali banned by the ATP . The pair have been suspended for betting on matches, although not their own . Starace suspended for six weeks while Bracciali is banned for three months .

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The sole survivor of the crash that killed Princess Diana has told a court he still cannot remember the incident but does not support the conspiracy theories surrounding it. Bodyguard Trevor Rees and the back of Princess Diana's head are seen shortly before the car crash. Bodyguard Trevor Rees, formerly known as Trevor Rees-Jones, was the front-seat passenger in the Mercedes that carried Diana, her boyfriend, Dodi Fayed, and their driver, Henri Paul. He sustained serious injuries in the August 31, 1997 crash and testified that he received anonymous phone calls and letters after the accident, threatening him to keep quiet. He said the caller told him to keep quiet, saying, "We know who you are, we know where you are, and we know where you live." Rees said he didn't take the calls or letters seriously. A lawyer also asked Rees about a supposed encounter with a woman in which he told her, "If I remember, they're going to kill me." Rees said he didn't recall the conversation and found it unlikely he ever made the remark. Rees, who still has a visible scar from the accident over his left eye, told the court he remembers nothing new about the crash, which, he has said, was an accident. He has said the last thing he remembers that night was leaving the Ritz Hotel in Paris, and that his next memory is more than a week later, in his hospital bed, when his parents told him everyone else in the car was dead. Rees suffered major injuries to his lower jaw, the base of his brain, and his pulmonary system and has had several surgeries and hospitalizations, some of which al Fayed paid for. Rees also testified that he did not support the allegations by Dodi Fayed's father, Mohamed al Fayed, that British security services were behind the crash. He denied the security services paid him to change his story. At the time of the crash, Rees was working for al Fayed's security team and was assigned to guard Dodi Fayed. He was also protecting the princess because she was Fayed's companion on the trip. He no longer works on al Fayed's security team. Rees has said what was once a good relationship with his former employer has broken down, largely because he does into support al Fayed's conspiracy theories about the crash. "I am not a part of any conspiracy to suppress the truth at all," Rees testified. "All I have ever done is given the truth as I see it." In 2000, Rees published a book, "The Bodyguard's Story: Diana, the Crash, and the Sole Survivor," offering his account of the events surrounding the crash. He said al Fayed tried unsuccessfully to stop the book's publication in England. Rees told CNN he wrote the book to give a definitive account of what he remembered and knew, but also to counter al Fayed's accusations that his unprofessionalism caused the accident. Rees also said proceeds from the book helped pay his legal bills. During the morning session, Rees testified that he had two flashbacks in the months after the crash, but his psychiatrist told him they were false memories. In the first, Rees said, he recalled hearing the voice of a woman -- apparently Diana -- calling out, "Dodi" from the back seat of the car. In the second flashback, Rees said he recalled seeing a paparazzi motorbike next to the car. Lawyer Ian Burnett then read from a letter written by Al Fayed to Lord Stevens, who investigated the crash for the British police. In the letter, Al Fayed says Rees is lying about losing his memory. "He knows the detail which the security services are so eager to suppress," Al Fayed wrote, alluding to his belief that the crash was part of a murder plot. Rees testified that he was not lying about his memory loss: "I have no memory of -- after leaving the back of the hotel, that's my last true memory." Rees also said claims the couple visited a jeweler's in Monte Carlo to buy an engagement ring in late August 1997 were untrue. British authorities hold an inquest whenever someone dies in suspicious circumstances. A judge, who is also called a coroner, holds hearings to determine how the person died, but he will not determine blame or apportion guilt. Although Diana and Dodi Fayed died in Paris, a British coroner must still investigate because their bodies were returned to Britain. The inquest does not involve driver Henri Paul because his body remained in France. British authorities had to wait to begin the inquest until after French authorities concluded their investigation, which lasted from August 1997 to late 2003. The inquest then began but immediately adjourned so that British police could do their own report, which was needed for the British inquest. The British police inquiry took almost three years and concluded in December 2006. The inquest then resumed in October 2007 and is expected to last four to six months. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Teresa Martini contributed to this report.

Dodi Fayed's bodyguard says can't remember crash that killed Princess Diana . NEW: Trevor Rees received anonymous threatening phone calls, letters after crash . Princess Diana, boyfriend Dodi Fayed and driver Henri Paul all died in accident . Rees was a bodyguard employed by Dodi Fayed's father, Mohamed Al Fayed .

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Stranded in the snowy California woods for three days after losing their way while searching for a Christmas tree, a father and his three children fashioned a "Help" sign out of twigs on a nearby unpaved road, according to the helicopter pilots who found them. Lexi and Joshua Dominguez exit a helicopter Wednesday, shortly after being found. The four sought shelter from the heavy snow in a culvert and removed their sodden socks in an effort to stay warm and dry while they waited for rescue, the pilots said. Frederick Dominguez said that during the three-day ordeal, he and his children slept inside a log for warmth and ripped apart their shirts to wrap their wet, freezing feet. "You just go to survival mode," he said. "Every parent would do that. You would do anything, sacrifice yourself, because these are your kids." Dominguez and his children -- Christopher, 18; Lexi, 14; and Joshua, 12 -- were reported missing Monday night by Dominguez's former wife and the children's mother, Lisa Sams, according to police in Paradise, California, a town of 27,000 people about 90 miles north of Sacramento. Watch the family talk about their "scary" ordeal » . "I'm glad I'm home. Praise God," Dominguez told reporters after exiting a chopper at the search command post. "It was awful." Asked how he survived, he replied, "Jesus Christ." Dominguez said he used branches and sticks to spell out the word "Help" near the culvert, where the three slept the last two nights -- at times sleeping with their feet inside each other's shirts to help stave off frostbite. He said his daughter was the first to hear a California Highway Patrol helicopter overhead. He said he ran though several feet of snow barefooted to wave it down. "When they turned around, man, I was just praising God and saying, 'Thank you Lord, thank you Lord,' because I knew we had made it," he said. Police vehicles equipped with snow chains rumbled up mountain roads to help conduct the search, which also involved a snowmobile and dogs. More than 80 searchers scoured the woods Wednesday until the four were found about 1 p.m. (4 p.m. ET). Officer Steve Ward said he was piloting the helicopter out ahead of bad weather when he spotted Dominguez coming out of the culvert and waving. "We were very lucky that we just saw this guy at the last second." Paramedic Flight Officer Dave White, who was with Ward, said that after the two shut down the helicopter and waved the family over, all four came running. "The little girl was in tears," he said. White said the family was found north of where ground crews were searching. The pilots could see the "Help" sign they had made with twigs on a nearby four-wheel-drive road, he said. Christopher Dominguez told CNN's Anderson Cooper the family got lost Sunday searching for a tree, which they had chopped down but later abandoned. He said they didn't have food, heavy coats or other provisions to help prepare for the cold nights. "We weren't prepared at all," he said. "We just thought we were going to go up to the mountains, get our tree and go back home. It didn't turn out that way." After the family failed to locate their vehicle, he said, snow and darkness began to fall. At that point, Lexi Dominguez said, "I started freaking out." "It was really, really scary," she said. "I just remember walking and walking and being like, we're not going to make it," Lexi said. And as they huddled for warmth, Christopher Dominguez said, his sister sang songs to help pass the time until help arrived. "We were all just happy, happy to be rescued," Christopher Dominguez said late Wednesday, huddled with his siblings under blankets in their home. "I feel good, just happy to be home," said Joshua Dominguez. "Because I didn't think we were going to make it." All four appeared to be in good condition as they were brought by chopper to the command post and taken to ambulances. Wendy Wilson, the children's aunt, told CNN the two younger children had some frostbite on their toes and a touch of hypothermia, but were expected to make a full recovery. Butte County Search and Rescue dispatcher Madde Watts said, "They had angels with them, for sure." The search riveted those in Paradise and beyond. Mayor Alan White, whose son played soccer on the same team as Joshua last year, said he and many others in and around Paradise have cut Christmas trees in the same place where the family vanished. When winter weather sours there, he said, people in the woods can get lost quickly. "If you're 50 feet from your car, you might not be able to find it," he said. Although police found the family's car, it offered no clues as to where they might have gone. The inaccessible area is beyond the reach of cell phones, authorities have said. Paradise High principal Mike Lerch said students had volunteered to help in the search. "This is a good family," he said. Christopher Dominguez had graduated from the school a few months ago, Lerch said, and Lexi is a sophomore there. Joshua attends Paradise Intermediate School. E-mail to a friend .

Joshua, 12, "happy to be home. ... I didn't think we were going to make it" Family sought shelter from snow in culvert, warmed each other's frostbitten feet . Frederick Dominguez and his 3 children set out Sunday to cut Christmas tree . More than 80 people searched for them Tuesday in heavy snow .

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Oscar said yes to "No Country for Old Men" and to European actors on Sunday night. Actors Daniel Day-Lewis, Tilda Swinton, Marion Cotillard and Javier Bardem toast their success. "No Country," the Coen brothers' brutal tale of a man pursued by death and the law across the bleak moonscapes of West Texas, won best picture at the 80th Academy Awards. The four acting awards, meanwhile, went to Europeans: Marion Cotillard, Daniel Day-Lewis, Javier Bardem and Tilda Swinton. The Coens also won best director and best adapted screenplay, and Bardem, who played cattle-gun-armed killer Anton Chigurh, won best supporting actor. Producer Scott Rudin shared the best picture award with the brothers. "We're very thankful to all of you out there for letting us continue to play in our corner of the sandbox, so thank you very much," Joel Coen said in accepting the directing award. He observed that the pair didn't think they were doing much different work now from when, as a child, Ethan Coen "got a suit and a briefcase and we went to the Minneapolis International Airport with a Super 8 camera and made a movie about shuttle diplomacy called 'Henry Kissinger, Man on the Go.' " Watch the best of the winners' backstage remarks » . The Coens, who have been known for their arch style and oddball humor in films such as "Fargo," "O Brother, Where Art Thou" and "The Big Lebowski," received some laughs for Ethan Coen's laconic acceptance speeches. After the pair won for adapted screenplay, Ethan Coen gave a brief thanks. Upon winning the directing award, he expanded on his speech slightly, sort of: "I don't have a lot to add to what I said earlier. Thank you," he said. Day-Lewis was more effusive in his thanks after winning best actor for his performance as a misanthropic oilman in "There Will Be Blood." "My deepest thanks to the members of the Academy for whacking me with the handsomest bludgeon in town," the British actor said as he accepted the award. "I've been thinking a lot about fathers and sons in the course of this, and I'd like to accept this in the memory of my grandfather, Michael Balcon, my father, Cecil Day-Lewis, and my three fine boys, Gabriel, Ronan and Cashel," he added. See the complete list of winners . As he accepted his first Oscar, Bardem, one of Spain's top actors, thanked his directors and reflected on his role as a creepy killer with a bad haircut. "Thank you to the Coens for being crazy enough to think that I could do that, and to put one of the most horrible haircuts in history over my head," he said. Watch "No Country" win best picture » . It was his second career nomination. His other came for "Before Night Falls" (2000), in which he played Cuban poet Reinaldo Arenas. In a mild surprise, French actress Cotillard won her first Academy Award for her portrayal of singer Edith Piaf in "La Vie en Rose." Early handicappers had bet heavily on veteran Julie Christie, a previous Oscar winner who played a woman falling victim to Alzheimer's in "Away from Her." But Cotillard, who's received raves for her performance as the French singer, had been considered a strong contender for best actress. "I'm speechless now ... I ... I ... thank you life, thank you love," Cotillard exclaimed. "And it is true, there are some angels in this city. Thank you so, so much!" The actress has appeared in dozens of films in her native France, but she may be most recognizable to American audiences for her performances in "A Very Long Engagement" (2004) and "Big Fish" (2003). In a highly competitive race, Swinton nabbed the best supporting actress Oscar for her portrayal as lawyer Karen Crowder in the legal drama "Michael Clayton." "I have an American agent who is the spitting image of this. Really, truly, the same shape head and, it has to be said, the buttocks," the British actress said, examining her new Oscar. "And I'm giving this to him because there's no way I'd be in America at all, ever, on a plane if it wasn't for him." See Swinton on the red carpet » . Swinton beat out 83-year-old Ruby Dee, who had been considered a sentimental favorite for her first Oscar nomination in the supporting actress category, playing Mama Lucas to Denzel Washington's drug kingpin Frank Lucas in "American Gangster." Swinton also beat Cate Blanchett (as a mid-'60s take on Bob Dylan in "I'm Not There") and Amy Ryan (a difficult working-class mother in "Gone Baby Gone"). The Academy Awards opened with host Jon Stewart joking about the recently ended writers strike -- which forced a cutback in the Golden Globes and threatened the Oscars as well -- and commenting on the bleakness of the best picture nominees. "Tonight we look beyond the dark days to focus on happier fare: This year's slate of Oscar-nominated psychopathic killer movies," Stewart joked. "Does this town need a hug? What happened? 'No Country For Old Men,' 'Sweeney Todd,' 'There Will Be Blood'? All I can say is, thank God for [the comedy "Juno's"] teen pregnancy. I think the country agrees." Check out Oscar prep photos » . "Juno" has been the little movie that could all season. The film, which cost a relatively paltry $7.5 million, was the only best picture nominee to top $100 million at the box office, ensuring it a rooting interest from moviegoers. Star Ellen Page received plaudits for her performance as the title character, and screenwriter Diablo Cody -- famously a former stripper -- has become one of Hollywood's "it" scribes. Cody won best original screenplay. "This is for the writers. I want to thank all the writers. I especially want to thank my fellow nominees because I worship you guys and I'm learning from you every day," Cody said. The first award of the evening, for costume design, went to "Elizabeth: The Golden Age." The best animated feature went to "Ratatouille," a computer-animated Pixar film directed and written by Oscar winner Brad Bird ("The Incredibles"). The rat-turns-chef movie beat out "Persepolis," based on the graphic novel by Marjane Satrapi, and "Surf's Up," a computer-animated film about penguins. "The Counterfeiters" from Austria took the best foreign-language film. The movie is based on a true story about a counterfeiter who, after being sent to a concentration camp, was employed by the Nazis to fake other countries' currency. Best original song was awarded to "Falling Slowly" from "Once." It beat out three songs from "Enchanted," the Disney film about an animated princess come to life. The Oscars were spread around. "No Country" picked up four, "The Bourne Ultimatum" earned three (one for its rapid-fire editing) and "There Will Be Blood" received two: Day-Lewis' acting award and Robert Elswit's cinematography honor. But nobody had any doubt what film was considered the evening's big winner. "There's nothing like it, and especially with these two guys," producer Rudin said backstage with the Coens of their unusual Western. "I'm incredibly proud, and I think it's the best movie we have been involved with. I loved it from the first minute I saw it." E-mail to a friend .

"No Country for Old Men" wins four awards, including best picture and director . Four acting awards go to Europeans: Cotillard, Day-Lewis, Bardem and Swinton . Best original screenplay is awarded to former stripper Diablo Cody for "Juno" Host Jon Stewart jokes about the recently ended writers strike .

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The death of a passenger last week aboard an American Airlines flight underscores the importance of taking precautions before flying, a travel health industry representative said Monday. An American Airlines passenger complaining that she was having trouble breathing died on a flight last week. Jill Drake, a marketing representative for MedAire, Inc., said its physicians last year advised 74 airlines on how to handle more than 17,000 in-flight medical events. Flight attendants with sick passengers call Good Samaritan Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona, a level-one trauma center where emergency room physicians and a service able to translate 140 languages are on call to answer questions from any of 2 million airline passengers flying at any given time, she said. "Very rarely" does the call result in a diversion, a decision made not by the doctor but by the pilot who must consider a number of variables beyond the passenger's health, she said. The pilot must weigh weather conditions, remaining fuel and proximity to an airport. As of 1 p.m. (3 p.m. ET) Monday, MedAire had fielded 110 calls, "which is a very busy day for us," she said. On average, the company gets about 50 in-flight calls from commercial airliners for an entire day, and an additional 25 or 30 calls related to events that occur at airport gates or aboard yachts and commercial ships, she said. Airlines contracting with MedAire include Continental, Southwest and British Airways. American has its own in-house medical team. Drake said MedAire's doctors documented 97 onboard deaths in 2007, down from 110 in 2006. The top categories of in-flight illness are fainting, gastrointestinal problems, respiratory issues such as shortness of breath, heart problems ranging from arrhythmias to arrest and orthopedic problems, such as broken bones, Drake said. By law, U.S.-based commercial airlines must carry automatic external defibrillators, oxygen and medical kits. Some airlines choose to carry extra, non-mandated medications. If a passenger already has breathing problems, airplane travel will only worsen the condition because cabins are typically pressurized at 8,000 feet, said Drake. Her advice to anyone not feeling 100 percent: "Do not travel." And anyone with a medical condition who travels should pack any critical medications in a carry-on bag, she said. Though flight attendants are trained to handle on-board emergencies, "they are not medically trained," she said. "To think that they are going to be able to assist your every need, that's quite a high expectation." Hydration and moderation are key, and passengers should carry water and a snack, she said. Vacationers often return home from tropical locales sunburned and, in some cases, drunk. "Altitude amplifies the buzz," Drake said. "You have a couple of cocktails in Denver, you feel it a little bit more than in Omaha." Denver's altitude is 5,280 feet; Omaha's is 1,040 feet. Flying in a fresh cast can also prove dangerous. "Your arm could expand and it could cut off your circulation," she said, noting that the risk is reduced with older casts, which have typically already expanded to accommodate any swelling. Though the FAA began demanding that airlines carry certain medications more than 30 years ago, the list was tiny. During the 1990s, overseas airlines began carrying more sophisticated equipment, and pressure increased for U.S.-based airlines to follow, said Dr. Russell Rayman, executive director of the Aerospace Medical Association, which has roughly 3,000 members including physicians, research scientists and flight nurses. Congress held hearings and then required airlines carry more robust kits and defibrillators by 2004. American Airlines was among the first to do so, said Dr. David McKenas, who served for 10 years as the airline's corporate medical director until 2002. He lauded the defibrillator as "so good it's like 100 cardiologists in a box." The machine will only work if the patient's heart is fibrillating, a condition where the contractions become so irregular it loses its ability to pump blood efficiently. American Airlines buys its kits from Banyan International Corp., which describes itself as "the nation's leading provider of emergency medical kits." Each of the nine-pound, $250 kits includes aspirin, alcohol swabs, nitroglycerine tablets, antihistamines, IV tubing, a stethoscope, a blood-pressure gauge, a bronchodilator, syringes, gloves, saline solution, epinephrine, dextrose, a manual resuscitation bag, alcohol pads and shears. Oxygen comes in several forms aboard planes. The oxygen that flows into masks stored above individual seats is not medical oxygen and would not suffice for a passenger in an in-flight medical emergency, said Rayman. Flight attendants have portable bottles of oxygen that they are to use for themselves in the event of a cabin decompression. "It could be used if there is a medical emergency on board, but that's not its purpose," he said. More oxygen is stored in the cockpit for the pilots. Though MedAire keeps track of its clients' medical air incidents, Rayman criticized the FAA's failure to do so. "There is no central repository where these things can be archived and then retrieved," he said. "They don't want to report it because it just doesn't look good. It's not good P.R., you could say." He said even an anonymous registry would serve a useful purpose. "We're concerned for safety on the flight," FAA spokeswoman Alison Duquette said. "Once someone leaves the aviation system, there is no way for us to track the outcome." E-mail to a friend .

Flight attendants call hospital with 24/7 staff, multi-lingual staff who give advice . Pilots, not doctors, decide whether to divert a flight due to passenger illness . U.S.-based commercial airlines carry defibrillators, oxygen and medical kits . A passenger died last week aboard an American Airlines flight .

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President Bush on Wednesday signed a sweeping energy bill that he said would help the country become "stronger, cleaner and more secure." President Bush on Wednesday signs a bill raising auto fuel economy standards for the first time in decades. The bill -- approved overwhelmingly Tuesday by the House of Representatives -- raises automotive fuel economy standards for the first time in more than three decades, requiring a corporate average of 35 miles per gallon by 2020. It also boosts federal support for alternative fuel research and energy conservation efforts. A Republican filibuster in the Senate removed provisions that Bush objected to that would have eliminated tax breaks for oil companies and a requirement that electric utilities produce a portion of their power from alternative sources. The current fuel-economy standards of 27.5 miles per gallon for passenger cars and 22.2 for light trucks were established in 1975. The new bill sets a single average standard for manufacturers. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, said Tuesday's bill was "a great, wonderful first step for an energy revolution that starts in America and ripples throughout the world." But Reid said Democrats would continue pushing to shift federal tax breaks away from fossil-fuel producers and into renewable energy research -- one of the party's top priorities when it took control of Congress in January. House opponents such as Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, complained that the bill will undo many of the efforts made to foster increased production of fossil fuels in an energy bill passed in 2005. "I understand the consequences of elections. I understand there's a new majority," said Barton, the ranking Republican on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. "I do not understand how what made sense two years ago doesn't make sense today." Barton called the legislation a "no-energy" bill and "a recipe for recession," arguing its mandated conservation measures would raise prices for fuel, homes and appliances for consumers. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Ed Henry contributed to this report.

New law raises auto fuel efficiency standards . Increase to fleet average of 35 miles per gallon is first in 32 years . Senate majority leader calls bill a "great, wonderful first step"

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U.S. President George W. Bush on Friday stressed the role of faith-based groups in the fight against AIDS, calling the struggle one of conscience and morals on the eve of World AIDS Day. Activists call for more AIDS funding in front of the White House, draped with a giant red AIDS ribbon. Bush was speaking at Calvary United Methodist Church in Maryland after meeting with representatives of religious and community groups. "Faith-based groups like these are the foot soldiers in the armies of compassion," he said. "They are helping to defeat this epidemic one soul at a time." More than 33 million people worldwide have HIV -- the virus that can lead to AIDS -- according to the United Nations. That includes 2.5 million children younger than 15. Watch a report on living with HIV » . More than 2 million people have died of AIDS this year -- including 330,000 children. Bush is asking Congress for an additional $15 billion to continue and expand the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, a program approved by Congress after he announced it in his 2003 State of the Union address. On Friday, he announced plans to visit sub-Saharan Africa early next year to see the program at work. He renewed his call for lawmakers to continue funding it. "Now the time has come for the United States Congress to act again," he said. "I'm confident they will." The White House says the program -- which targets countries hardest-hit by the disease -- has treated more than 1.3 million people with AIDS. Increased funding would boost that number to 2.5 million, while expanding AIDS prevention programs and offering care to millions more with AIDS. Despite some successes, the program has been criticized for requiring that participating groups emphasize abstinence education. At the White House, about 40 people carried signs in support of more AIDS funding. Before speaking, the president, along with First lady Laura Bush, participated in an hourlong faith-based roundtable discussion at the church. Among others, the president met with Martha Chilufya, founder of the Mututa Memorial Center in Zambia. The center works with faith-based and other caregivers to serve more than 150 patients. Laura Bush and daughter Jenna visited the center in June. Bush said the first lady will join him on his trip next year. A giant red ribbon -- the international symbol for AIDS awareness -- was hung from the north portico of the White House Friday morning "to represent the continued battle against HIV/AIDS and to affirm the matchless value of every life," the White House said. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Larry Lazo contributed to this report.

Bush: Faith-based groups are "helping to defeat this epidemic one soul at a time" World AIDS Day is Saturday . More than 2 million people have died of AIDS this year . Bush wants to expand the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief .

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A 12-year-old boy should get a say in whether he gets circumcised, the Oregon Supreme Court has ruled. The court sent the parental custody dispute back to the trial court "to resolve the factual issue whether M agrees or objects to the circumcision." "M" is the child at the center of a long-running custody dispute between James and Lia Boldt, who divorced in 1999. Soon after, the father began studying Judaism and later converted. He also started teaching his son about the faith. By then, James had parental custody and told his ex-wife the boy would convert as well, and that to do so, he would have to have the circumcision procedure. The mother objected, saying the child had been raised in the Russian Orthodox faith while the couple was married. Because the two sides disagreed, and were living in neighboring states, the conflict dissolved into ongoing personal and constitutional dispute. James Boldt said that as a Jew and the primary caregiver, he has a First Amendment right to practice his faith as he sees fit for his child. Lia Boldt countered her son does not want to go through with the circumcision, and that it is an invasive, irreversible, and potentially dangerous medical procedure. The state high court seemed especially reluctant to address the issue, saying normally such disputes "are considered private family matters." But the justices noted "these parties cannot or will not resolve this matter without resort to the courts." So rather than offer a definitive ruling, the justices ordered both sides to go to the actual source of the conflict. "In our view, at age 12, M's attitude regarding circumcision, though not conclusive of the custody issue presented here, is a fact necessary to the determination" of whether the mother can press her objections to the procedure, wrote Chief Justice Paul De Muniz for the six-member panel. "Forcing M at age 12 to undergo circumcision against his will could seriously affect the relationship between M and his father, and could have a pronounced effect on father's capability to properly care for M." There was no initial reaction to the decision from the parents or their attorneys. The case is James Boldt v. Lia Boldt (S054714). E-mail to a friend .

Case part of parental custody dispute . Father converted to Judaism after splitting with wife . Father wanted son to convert after getting custody . Russian Orthodox mother says son doesn't want procedure .

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A man who rescued a co-worker from the jaws of a crocodile in northern Australia also accidentally shot him in the process, police said. A mature saltwater crocodile in the the murky waters of the Adelaide River, near Darwin in the Northern Territory. The two men were collecting crocodile eggs by a river bank in Australia's Northern Territory Tuesday when a crocodile grabbed Jason Grant by the lower right arm, a spokeswoman for the area police told CNN. The second man, Zac Fitzgerald, shot the crocodile, causing it to let go of Grant's arm. But a second shot that Fitzgerald fired struck Grant in the upper right arm, said Northern Territory police spokeswoman Katie Fowden. Grant, who is in his late 20s, was flown to a hospital for treatment of both the bullet and the crocodile wounds. His injuries were not life-threatening, Fowden said. The two men are workers at a crocodile farm in Darwin, the capital city of the Northern Territory. They were collecting the eggs legally, police said. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Saeed Ahmed contributed to this report .

Man rescues co-worker from jaws of crocodile in northern Australia . He shot crocodile, causing it to let go of man's arm, second shot hit man's arm . The two were collecting crocodile eggs by a river bank in the Northern Territory . Wounded man's injuries were not life-threatening .

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Four active-duty U.S. soldiers -- three of them elite Army Rangers -- have been arrested and charged with planning to rob drug traffickers. A courtroom sketch shows David White, left, Stefan Champagne, center, and Carlos Lopez. Wearing street clothes, Rangers Carlos Lopez, 30, and David Ray White, 28, and Army medic Stefan Andre Champagne, 28, appeared in federal court Friday. They're charged with conspiracy to possess and distribute cocaine and with carrying firearms in connection with that conspiracy. U.S. Magistrate Judge Alan Baverman ordered them held in custody until a preliminary hearing Wednesday. Another Ranger, Randy Spivey, 32, is scheduled to appear in court Monday. "It is a sad day when members of one of America's most elite corps of soldiers, the Army Rangers, are alleged to have become involved in criminal activity," U.S. Attorney David E. Nahmias said of the case. "These men were trained to defend the people and principles of this country, not to use their skills to steal cocaine from drug dealers at gunpoint." Lopez, White and Champagne were arrested Thursday at a storage facility in Sandy Springs, Georgia, a suburb just north of Atlanta, by agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives who had set up a sting operation. Spivey was apprehended at Camp Frank D. Merrill, an Army Ranger training center in Dahlonega, Georgia, on Friday, the ATF said. Dahlonega is about 60 miles north of Atlanta. Lopez, White and Champagne were to commit the robbery while Spivey covered for them back at the camp, where the men are stationed, according to an affidavit filed with U.S. District Court. All four were to get a cut of the spoils of the robbery, the affidavit from ATF Agent Brett Turner says. The investigation began in November, when the ATF "became aware" that some soldiers were interested in robbing drug dealers of their cocaine, Turner says. He posed as a disaffected security guard for the drug traffickers who wanted to "rip them off." The first try to set up the "robbery" failed, but a second attempt earlier this month succeeded, leading to the arrests at the storage facility and, a day later, the Ranger camp. A subsequent search found that Lopez, White and Champagne were carrying semiautomatic pistols and had an AR-15 assault rifle and a field pouch with 15 magazines of ammunition for it in their vehicle. Agents also found a ski mask, binoculars and a Taser among the items the men brought with them. The four soldiers face minimum mandatory sentences of 10 years in prison each for the drug conspiracy and an additional five years, consecutive, for the weapons allegation. The Army Rangers are an elite light infantry fighting force capable of deploying anywhere in the world within 18 hours. They became a permanent presence in the U.S. military in the 1970s. From the Colonial Era until that time, Rangers were activated for specific missions or conflicts and then deactivated when their work was completed. E-mail to a friend .

Arrests made after ATF agents set up a sting operation . Affidavit: ATF "became aware" some soldiers wanted to rob dealers of their cocaine . The investigation began in November . The Army Rangers are an elite light infantry fighting force .

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Armenian President Robert Kocharian declared a state of emergency Saturday night after a day of clashes between police and protesters, a spokeswoman for the Armenian Foreign Ministry said. Opposition supporters wave an Armenian flag during a protest rally in Yerevan, Armenia, on Saturday. The protesters claim last month's presidential election was rigged. The state of emergency will "hopefully bring some order" to the capital, Yerevan, said Salpi Ghazarian, assistant to the Armenian foreign minister, who spoke to CNN early Sunday. The state of emergency could last until March 20, she said, but the government hopes "that it will be lifted sooner." The clashes began when authorities used force to clear Freedom Square of thousands of demonstrators who had camped there for the past 10 days, according to a U.S. Embassy official. Ghazarian said the authorities "moved in" because "they thought that there were arms there, and it turned out that they were right." Watch a report on clashes between police and the opposition » . The embassy official estimated that the demonstrations in Freedom Square grew to as many as 60,000 Armenians at times over the last 10 days. As of early Sunday morning, Freedom Square was empty, Ghazarian said, but the protesters were demonstrating in a main square elsewhere in the city. Watch Ghazarian discuss the situation in Armenia » . "What is happening on the streets of Yerevan is people protesting what they consider to be unfair elections," Ghazarian said. "After the president was forced to declare a state of emergency, things have quieted down. There are a couple of burning cars, and there are a few hurt people," she said. "We're convinced that this will come to an end soon." She did not elaborate on the number of people injured or the extent of their injuries. Witnesses told CNN that Saturday morning's action by Armenian riot police was bloody, but the U.S. official said there were no confirmed deaths or serious injuries. An Armenian woman interviewed by CNN said there was "huge chaos" when police moved in. "These are innocent people," she said. "They just want their freedom. They just want to be heard. They are being beaten up, some people have horrible wounds." She asked that CNN not use her name because she feared for her safety. As night fell Saturday, the sounds of gunfire could be heard from the direction of the protesters' gathering, and tracer fire could be seen in the sky, according to another Yerevan resident, who also asked not to be identified out of fear for his safety. The man said his wife saw two demonstrators hit by a police car earlier in the day. The car initially did not stop, he said, but the protesters surrounded the car, dragged the officers out and burned the vehicle, he said. The officers were able to escape, he said, but he did not know the condition of the protesters who were struck. The protests began soon after the February 19 presidential election. Opposition presidential candidate Levon Ter-Petrosian lost to Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian, a political ally of outgoing President Kocharian. The opposition party immediately accused the government of vote fraud and demanded that the results be voided. Ghazarian said Sunday that the government had reached out to the opposition. "We are hoping with the help of the international community, the opposition, the leader of the opposition, will come and enter a political dialogue rather than continuing this debate on the streets," she said. Haroutiun Khachatrian, editor of the Noyan Tappan News Agency, told CNN that riot police arrested several hundred people in the square Saturday morning, including many opposition party officials. Ter-Petrosian was there but was not arrested, he said. The opposition vowed to pursue its claims through legal means. The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) monitored last month's Armenian election and concluded that it was mostly in line with international standards, although it did include some criticism in its report. The U.S. Embassy has warned the several hundred Americans living in Yerevan to stay at home and avoid the downtown area where the demonstrations have been taking place, the U.S. official said. Armenia, population 3 million, is a former Soviet republic east of Turkey, south of Georgia and north of Iran. E-mail to a friend .

Protest moves after crackdown at Freedom Square . Order sought after protests over last month's election turn violent . Demonstrators say the election was fraudulent . State of emergency could last until March 20, official says .

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Nearly 3 million gallons of sewage spilled into San Francisco Bay when a pump failed at a waste treatment facility, the Marin County Sheriff's Department told CNN on Friday. Attempts are being made to contain Thursday night's 2.7 million-gallon sewage spill. The 2.7 million-gallon spill occurred Thursday night. A pump failed at the South Marin Sanitation District's waste treatment facility in the town of Mill Valley, said Lt. Doug Pittman. The waste was released into Richardson Bay, an inlet of the large bay on the east shore of Marin County, he said. See the spill from the air » . The sewage and storm water was partially treated, according to Greg Renick of the California Office of Emergency Services. In addition to the pump failure, he said, an alarm that would have alerted workers at the facility to the spill also failed. The accidental release occurred between 5:30 and 8:30 p.m. Thursday, according to a statement from Marin County's emergency operations center. But the Sewerage Agency of Southern Marin didn't report it to the state until 11:16 p.m., Renick said. The state Office of Emergency Services notified local offices in the bay area within an hour of receiving the report, he said. The Marin County Department of Environmental Health was conducting tests Friday to determine how far the contamination had spread, Pittman said. Boaters were being warned to avoid the Richardson Bay area, and residents were told to avoid contact with the water. The California Department of Fish and Game has had a boat and personnel on the water since early Friday, and has found no sign of sick or distressed wildlife resulting from the spill, agency spokesman Steve Martarano said. Marin County is just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Chuck Afflerbach contributed to this report .

Sewage was partially treated, Office of Emergency Services says . The 2.7 million-gallon spill occurred Thursday night, Sheriff's Department says . Pump and alarm failed at Marin County waste treatment facility . Area being tested; boaters advised to avoid Richardson Bay area .

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A massive anti-Mafia sweep that stretched from New York to Sicily has not only cut off the head of the Gambino crime family but lopped off "the shoulders and chest" too, prosecutors said Thursday. John "Jackie the Nose" D'Amico, shown in 1992, is one of 62 people indicted. Sixty-two members of the Gambino, Genovese and Bonanno families face 80 charges, ranging from money laundering to illegal gambling and murder. "These charges strike at the very core of the Gambino family," said Benton Campbell, United States attorney for the Eastern District of New York. The Gambino family profited from extortion within the New York construction industry and its labor unions, according to the charges. Watch the perp walk » . Several companies allegedly paid a "mob tax" in return for "protection" and "permission to operate," said Gordon Heddell, inspector general of the U.S. Department of Labor. Other charges involve an alleged illegal gambling ring, said Richard Brown, Queens County district attorney. Nicholas Corozzo -- a reputed captain in the Gambino family -- was involved in a sports gambling enterprise that relied in part on toll-free telephones, Brown alleged. Meanwhile, four members of the Gambino family are charged with eight crimes involving murder, according to the indictment. Those charges include the felony murder of Jose Delgado Rivera, who was shot and killed in an armored truck during a robbery in 1990. "Today we are able to bring closure to crimes from the past that have never been forgotten," Campbell said. He said the crimes span back over three decades. Watch feds say they've 'cut off the head' of crime family » . Key to the Gambino arrests Thursday was a member of the Attorney General's Organized Crime Task Force who infiltrated the Gambino family and recorded hundred of hours of conversations, said John Milgrim, a spokesman for the attorney general. Forty-five of those charged are already in custody, police said. Arrests were made in New York City; Long Island, New York; and New Jersey. "It is as unrelenting as weeds that continue to sprout in the cracks of society," New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said of organized crime. "We will not rest until organized crime is a distant memory." In addition to the arrests in the New York area, police in Italy detained 77 people in connection with organized crime. Those arrests netted important members of a powerful clan in Sicily linked to Mafia boss Salvatore Lo Piccolo, who was believed to be the successor of the boss of bosses, Bernardo Provenzano. Watch the prosecutor explain why authorities acted now » . Police say that in his attempt to rise to power, Le Piccolo tried to mend fences with New York-based Mafia families after those ties were broken during the bloody Mafia wars of the 1980s. Those families included the Gambinos of New York and the Inzerillos of Italy. Provenzano was arrested two years ago in Corleone. "It is evident that the intent of the Mafia in Palermo was to re-establish a dialogue through the Inzerillo family in the U.S," Francesco Messineo of the Italian Police said. "A dialogue that was never interrupted because the relationship between the American and the Italian Mafia is historic, based on long tradition. But there was certainly an attempt to re-establish that connection." Investigators believe mob clans wanted to collaborate on illegal commercial ventures such as money laundering and drug trafficking. Italian officials said the arrests were aimed at preventing these illegal activities, but they warned that other Mafia clans in Sicily oppose the return of the Inzerillo family to the island, and therefore were concerned about a new Mafia war. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Deborah Feyerick and Alessio Vinci contributed to this report.

Dozens of people face charges, ranging from money laundering to murder . Gambino family accused of profiting from extortion . Several companies allegedly paid a "mob tax," Department of Labor official says . Police in Italy also make 77 arrests in connection with organized crime .

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Saddam Hussein let the world think he had weapons of mass destruction to intimidate Iran and prevent the country from attacking Iraq, according to an FBI agent who interviewed the dictator after his 2003 capture. Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein in an unknown location in Iraq after his capture in 2003. According to a CBS report, Hussein claimed he didn't anticipate that the United States would invade Iraq over WMD, agent George Piro said on "60 Minutes," scheduled for Sunday broadcast. "For him, it was critical that he was seen as still the strong, defiant Saddam. He thought that (faking having the weapons) would prevent the Iranians from reinvading Iraq," said Piro. During the nearly seven months Piro talked to Hussein, the agent hinted to the Iraqi that he answered directly to President Bush, CBS said in a posting on its Web site. "He told me he initially miscalculated ... President Bush's intentions. He thought the United States would retaliate with the same type of attack as we did in 1998 ... a four-day aerial attack," Piro said. "He survived that one and he was willing to accept that type of attack." "He didn't believe the U.S. would invade?" Correspondent Scott Pelley asked. "No, not initially," Piro answered. Once it was clear that an invasion was imminent, Hussein asked his generals to hold off the allied forces for two weeks, Piro said. "And at that point, it would go into what he called the secret war," the agent said, referring to the insurgency. But Piro said he was not sure that the insurgency was indeed part of Hussein's plan. "Well, he would like to take credit for the insurgency," he said. Hussein had the ability to restart the weapons program and professed to wanting to do that, Piro said. "He wanted to pursue all of WMD ... to reconstitute his entire WMD program." Hussein said he was proud he eluded U.S. authorities who searched for him for nine months after the U.S.-led invasion, Piro said. "What he wanted to really illustrate is ... how he was able to outsmart us," Piro said. "He told me he changed ... the way he traveled. He got rid of his normal vehicles. He got rid of the protective detail that he traveled with, really just to change his signature." Hussein was hanged in 2006. E-mail to a friend .

CBS: Hussein claimed he didn't think the U.S. would invade Iraq over WMD . FBI agent says Hussein lied about having WMD to intimidate Iran . But the Iraqi dictator said he wanted to start the WMD program again, agent said . Hussein was captured in 2003 and hanged in 2006 .

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• The twins get a check-up (2/26/08) • VIDEO: Nancy Grace introduces on set 2-14-08 • The twins go out for a stroll (2/11/08) • The twins at 3 months (2/4/08) • The twins in January (1/21/08) • VIDEO: First video of Nancy Grace's twins E-mail to a friend .

Pictures of Nancy Grace's twins . John David and Lucy Elizabeth were born November 4, 2007 . Come back to this site for regularly updated pictures!

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Hispanics are described as the largest minority group in the United States, as a burgeoning force in the electorate and as an untapped frontier of the business market. Yet these descriptions belie the complexity of the 44 million people to whom they refer. Susana Clar, with daughters Vanessa (left) and Virna (center), says the labels "Hispanic" and "Latino" are limiting. Even the terms used to name them -- Hispanics, Hispanic-Americans, Latinos, Latino-Americans, the Spanish-surnamed -- too tightly package the people categorized by those definitions, some observers say. "We are mixed and we are many things," said Phillip Rodriguez, a documentary filmmaker. Many of his films, such as "Los Angeles Now" and "Brown is the New Green: George Lopez and the American Dream," explore the experience and identity of Latinos in the United States. Latinos "very often don't share language, don't share class circumstances, don't share education; it's very difficult to speak about them as one thing," he said. From a census standpoint, being of Hispanic or Latino origin means a person identifies himself in one of four listed categories: Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban or "other Spanish, Hispanic or Latino" origin. In the latter more open-ended category, respondents can write in specific origins, such as Salvadoran, Argentinean or Dominican. According to a Pew Hispanic Center/Kaiser Family Foundation survey in 2002, that is how most Latinos choose to identify themselves. When asked which terms they would use first to describe themselves, 54 percent said they primarily identify themselves in terms of their or their parents' country of origin. About one quarter choose "Latino" or "Hispanic," and 21 percent chose "American." But the broader terms -- Latino, Hispanic -- are the ones tossed about when the media want to discuss a "trend among Latinos," or when a politician appeals to the "Hispanic vote." The U.S. government came up with the term "Hispanic" in the 1970s to generally refer to people who could trace their origin to Spanish-speaking countries. The term "Latino" refers to origins from Latin America, which includes non-Spanish speaking countries like Brazil. The terms are often used interchangeably, which is a point of some contention in the wider community. But do the terms carry meaning among the people to whom they refer, or are they merely governmental designations? "That's the way you call our people," Susana Clar, 52, said of the terms. She and her family emigrated from Uruguay nearly two decades ago, and she works as a vice president in her daughter, Vanessa Di Palma's, Salt Lake City, Utah-based communications firm. "Either you are Latino [or] Hispanic. I'm fine with that, but I think that we are so much more than that," Clar said. Manuel Baez, 49, a native of the Dominican Republic who owns an insurance agency in Tampa, Florida, laughingly answered the question of how he identifies himself. "Manuel or Manny," he said, adding, "We're being put together in this package and that's too hard," he said, stressing that he didn't like labels. He continued, "Dominican-American really represents who I am, instead of Dominican or Latino." He never uses Hispanic to identify himself because "I am mixed," Baez said. "Hispanic doesn't go with me because I don't believe that Spain was the best thing for Latin America." "For me...there is no such thing as a Latino identity," said Suzanne Oboler, professor of Puerto Rican and Latino studies at John Jay College at the City University of New York. "There's certainly a cultural understanding... [And] a political identity," she said, noting that the many different groups will join on particular issues such as immigration and wages. But she stressed that it was not a homogenous group. "Not all Latinos speak Spanish, for example. Not all Latinos are going to vote Democratic... All Latinos are not immigrants." Others, such as Carl J. Kravetz, a longtime veteran of Hispanic marketing, said similarities among the different subsets of Latinos do show a Latino identity, one partly fused through the group's experience in the United States. Kravetz heads a Los Angeles-based Hispanic advertising agency called cruz/kravetz: IDEAS. The Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies embarked on a Latino cultural identity project last year -- when Kravetz was the organization's chairman -- to better understand a group of consumers they felt could not be adequately reached through the traditional Spanish-language market. There is "very definitely a Latino identity," Kravetz said. It is drawn along parallels in values and ways of thinking and regardless of country of origin, the group tends to "cluster" in a few areas, he said. Those areas include interpersonal relationships (Latinos tend to emphasize family; individuality is not as important), perceptions of time and space (they have longer time horizons and have a relaxed sense of privacy), and spirituality (religion and spirituality have a strong influence on Latino life and perception of the world). David Chitel, the founder of New Generation Latino Consortium, a group of advertising and media companies, also said there are definite cultural ties among Latinos, particularly between those born in the United States. So much so, he said, that he and others coined the term "new generation Latinos" to refer to them. "We're talking about people that have grown up here in the U.S. in Latino households, most likely with their parents speaking Spanish at home, eating certain foods at home, certain values and traditions that are instilled in them, from music to religious beliefs to the importance of family, these sorts of things," Chitel said. "And it creates very much an identity that is Latino." Chitel said this group of U.S.-born Latinos should be reached with culturally nuanced media, in the same way the African-American market functions. Still, some chafe at the labels. "Every time it comes up it just kind of annoys me and makes me mad," Anna Rivas, of Boulder, Colorado, said of her background. Her parents emigrated from Mexico before she was born, but she said she's never identified with the Mexican culture. "On a regular basis I get asked where I'm from," she said. "And I'll usually reply, 'My parents are from Mexico.' And I don't say, 'I'm Hispanic or Latino, or I'm from Mexico,' because I'm not." E-mail to a friend .

There are more than 44 million people of Hispanic origin in the U.S. The community includes diverse national origins, generations, languages . Some observers say enough similarities exist to project a communal identity .

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The U.S. Navy has moved the guided-missile destroyer USS Cole and other ships to the eastern Mediterranean Sea off Lebanon, Pentagon officials said Thursday. A file image of the USS Cole, which the U.S. Navy moved to the Mediterranean Sea off Lebanon. The deployment comes amid a political standoff over Lebanon's presidency, but the Navy would not say whether the events are linked. "It's a group of ships that will operate in the vicinity for a while and as the ships in our Navy do, the presence is important," Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Thursday. "It isn't meant to send any stronger signal than that," he said. "But it does signal that we're engaged and we are going to be in the vicinity, and that's a very important part of the world." The Cole was badly damaged by an al Qaeda bombing during a port call in Yemen in 2000, killing 17 sailors. It returned to service in 2002. The destroyer and two support ships are close to Lebanon but out of visual range of the coast, Pentagon officials said. Another six vessels, led by the amphibious assault ship USS Nassau, are close to Italy and steaming toward the other three, the officials said. Mullen would not say whether the deployment has anything to do with the upcoming Lebanese parliamentary vote on a new president, which was postponed for a 15th time earlier this week. But he said the vote was "important," and Washington was waiting for it to take place. And a Bush administration official told CNN the decision to move ships to the region was a message to neighboringSyria that "the U.S. is concerned about the situation in Lebanon, and we want to see the situation resolved." "We are sending a clear message for the need for stability," said the official, who was not authorized to speak for publication. The ships "should be there a while," the official added. Lebanon's pro-Western majority in parliament and the pro-Syrian opposition have battled for power over the last three years. The country has been without a president since November, when pro-Syrian leader Emile Lahoud's term expired and parliament was unable to agree on a replacement. Despite general agreement among the factions to award the post to army chief Gen. Michel Suleiman, disagreements over how to share power in a future Cabinet have kept the issue from coming up for a vote. Parliament speaker Nabih Berri's office announced Tuesday that the next planned session has been pushed back to March 11. Berri's office said the Arab League needed more time to break the deadlock. Lebanon has been wracked by a sometimes-violent power struggle since the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, whose supporters blamed Damascus for his killing. The resulting outcry eventually drove Syrian forces out of Lebanon, where they had been stationed since the 1970s. E-mail to a friend . CNN Correspondent Zain Verjee contributed to this report.

U.S. Navy makes move amid a political standoff over Lebanon's presidency . The presence is important," says chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff . Lebanon's pro-Western majority in parliament struggles with pro-Syrian opposition .

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Sen. Hillary Clinton got her campaign back on track with projected wins in the Texas, Ohio and Rhode Island primaries. Sen. Hillary Clinton claimed victory in Texas, Ohio and Rhode Island. Delegate-rich Texas and Ohio were considered must-wins for her campaign. Obama, who claimed victory in Vermont, had won 12 straight contests since Super Tuesday on February 5. Texas also held Democratic caucuses Tuesday, but it was too close to declare a winner. "For everyone here in Ohio and across America who's been ever been counted out but refused to be knocked out, for everyone who has stumbled but stood right back up, and for everyone who works hard and never gives up -- this one is for you," Clinton said before supporters in Columbus. "You know what they say," she said. "As Ohio goes, so goes the nation. Well, this nation's coming back and so is this campaign." Obama congratulated Clinton on her victories but downplayed his losses. CNN's political team weighs in on the results » . "We know this: No matter what happens tonight, we have nearly the same delegate lead as we had this morning, and we are on our way to winning this nomination," Obama told supporters in Texas. Sen. John McCain swept all four Republican contests on Tuesday to become his party's presumptive nominee. Read about McCain's victory . McCain won primaries in Texas, Ohio, Vermont and Rhode Island, giving him more than the 1,191 delegates needed to clinch the GOP nomination. "I am very, very grateful and pleased to note that tonight, my friends, we have won enough delegates to claim with confidence, humility and a great sense of responsibility, that I will be the Republican nominee for president of the United States," McCain told supporters Tuesday night. Watch McCain claim victory » . Mike Huckabee dropped out of the Republican race after the results came in. "It's now important that we turn our attention not to what could have been or what we wanted to have been, but now what must be -- and that is a united party," Huckabee told a crowd in Dallas. Watch Huckabee bow out » . McCain is slated to go to the White House on Wednesday to receive the endorsement of President Bush, according to two Republican sources. The Arizona senator's campaign -- his second run for the White House -- was largely written off for dead last summer amid outspoken opposition from the party's conservative base, a major staff shakeup and disappointing fundraising. But McCain said earlier Tuesday that he was confident he would emerge as the presumptive nominee by the end of the night. McCain overwhelmingly won moderates and conservatives in Ohio, but he lost the evangelical vote to Huckabee, according to exit polls. Obama's campaign pressed to extend voting by one hour in two Ohio counties. See county-by-county results in Ohio . "Due to reports of ballot shortages in Cuyahoga and Franklin counties, we requested a voting extension in those counties," said Obama spokesman Bill Burton. A judge ruled to keep parts of Cuyahoga county open an extra hour. In Texas, Clinton held a two-to-one advantage over Obama with Hispanic voters, while Obama had the overwhelming advantage with black voters in the state's Democratic primary, according to CNN's exit poll. See county-by-county results in Texas . Eighty-three percent of blacks voted for Obama, while 16 percent supported Clinton, according to the exit poll. Meanwhile, 64 percent of Hispanics backed Clinton, while 32 percent went for Obama. Early exit polls indicate a distinct "age gap" in both states. Obama appealed most strongly to younger voters while older voters favored Clinton. Among Ohio Democratic primary voters aged 17 to 29, 65 percent went for Obama, and 34 percent went for Clinton. Among those age 60 and older, Clinton led Obama 67-31 percent. The same pattern held true in early exit polling from the Texas Democratic primary. Among voters aged 18 to 29, Obama led Clinton 61-39 percent, and among voters 60 and older, Clinton led Obama 63- 36 percent. Poll workers in Collin County, near Dallas, estimated that nearly three-quarters of the Democratic voters would participate in the Democratic caucuses to be held after the polls close. In an unusual system, the 193 delegates that Texas will send to the Democratic National Convention will be split between Obama and Clinton according to the results of both the primary and the caucuses. State party officials say the dual primary/caucus system promotes participation in the party. Both Clinton and Obama have encouraged supporters to do the "Texas two-step" and vote in both events. Obama came into the day with momentum on his side. He had 1,378 pledged delegates and superdelegates to Clinton's 1,269. Neither candidate is close to the 2,025 needed to win the Democratic nomination. Allocate delegates yourself and see how the numbers add up » . Former President Bill Clinton said in February that if his wife won Ohio and Texas, she'd go on to win the nomination. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Paul Steinhauser, Rachel Stratfield, Mary Snow, Mark Preston and Sasha Johnson contributed to this report.

Clinton wins in Ohio, Texas, CNN projects . NEW: McCain clinches GOP nomination; Huckabee drops out . NEW: Clinton wins Rhode Island; Obama wins Vermont .

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The top three Democratic presidential candidates face off in a Monday night debate in South Carolina, with the hearts and minds of African-American voters on the line. Sen. Barack Obama addresses Ebenezer Baptist Church, where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. once preached. Sens. Hillary Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois and former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina share the stage at Myrtle Beach's Palace Theatre as the nation honors the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. with a federal holiday. The debate, put together by CNN and the Congressional Black Caucus Institute, comes five days before the Democratic primary in South Carolina, where almost half of the Democratic primary voters are African-Americans. These voters will be crucial to the outcome of Saturday's primary in South Carolina. They now appear to be leaning heavily toward Obama, who if elected, would become the country's first black president. Having a debate on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in South Carolina "is very fitting," said David Bohrman, CNN senior vice president and Washington bureau chief, who is executive producer of the debate. "Perhaps a debate on Martin Luther King Day in South Carolina should be made a must-stop on the road to the White House every four years." A CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll released Friday suggested that nearly 60 percent of black registered Democrats were backing Obama as the presidential nominee, with 31 percent supporting Clinton. That's a major shift from October, when African-Americans backed Clinton over Obama, 57 percent to 33 percent. What appears to have changed is Obama's electability. "There's been a huge shift among African-American Democrats from Clinton to Obama. African-American Democrats used to be reluctant to support Obama because they didn't think a black man could be elected. Then Obama won Iowa and nearly won New Hampshire. Now they believe," Bill Schneider, CNN's senior political analyst, said. "Obama's lead over Clinton among black men is more than 50 points, and among black women, once a Clinton stronghold, Obama has an 11-point advantage," said Keating Holland, CNN's polling director. Entrance polls from Saturday's Nevada Democratic caucuses match what appears in the CNN poll. Eighty-three percent of black voters questioned before they entered the caucuses said they were backing Obama, with 14 percent supporting Clinton, who if elected, would become the country's first woman to win the presidency. These kinds of numbers could spell trouble in South Carolina for Clinton, who's coming off victories in the New Hampshire primary and the Nevada caucuses. But Clinton holds a special relationship with many in the black community, thanks to her efforts in support of civil rights and to the popularity of former President Clinton with African-Americans. Both Democratic front-runners were reaching out to African-American voters Sunday. Obama, who often refers to King in his speeches, spoke at Atlanta, Georgia's Ebenezer Baptist Church, where the late civil rights leader once preached. Watch Clinton, Obama reach out to black voters » . Obama recalled the legacy of discrimination against African-Americans but challenged the audience at the historic black church to take a look at a few lingering prejudices among some within the community. "And yet, if we are honest with ourselves, we must admit that none of our hands are entirely clean. If we're honest with ourselves, we'll acknowledge that our own community has not always been true to King's vision of a beloved community," Obama said, citing homophobia, anti-Semitism and anti-immigrant sentiment. Obama told the congregation Sunday morning that if King could forgive his jailers, "surely we can look past what divides us in our time." Obama's visit to the city coincided with his endorsement Sunday by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, which cited his "appeal across many of the lines that have divided America," adding that "both Clinton and Obama would make very good presidents, [but] Obama is the person; this is his time." Georgia voters head to the polls February 5. In New York, Hillary Clinton spent Sunday morning at another historic black church, Harlem's Abyssinian Baptist Church, where she picked up the endorsement of its pastor, the Rev. Calvin Butts. Butts said outside the church: "A vote for Hillary Clinton is a vote to elect someone who has proven through time to me and to this community and this country that she has the experience to make things happen, and the vision to return us to a place of prosperity." Clinton also sounded a conciliatory note Sunday. "I have the highest regard and admiration for my friend and colleague Sen. Barack Obama. I am honored to be running with him," she said. "I hope that this election remains focused on the big challenges that confront us." After a distant third-place finish in the Nevada caucuses, Edwards on Sunday made light of his performance. On CNN's "Late Edition With Wolf Blitzer," Edwards said he hopes "what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas," admitting, "I got my butt kicked." Edwards would like to rebound in South Carolina, his native state. He won the primary there in 2004 when he was making his first bid for the White House. But he's running a distant third in most recent surveys in South Carolina, behind Obama and Clinton. On Sunday, Edwards sounded a cautious note, saying South Carolina was important but just one "part of the long process. ... We will see how it goes." Also on "Late Edition," the House majority whip, Rep. James Clyburn, D-South Carolina, cited the timing of the debate to help put the spotlight on issues important to blacks. Clyburn, the highest ranking African-American in Congress, was instrumental in having Monday's debate held in South Carolina. "When we were dealing with the dates of the primary, we tried to work in the symbolism that it would have to all of the world, for that matter, to have this debate on Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday celebration," Clyburn told Blitzer, who is the moderator of the event. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Paul Steinhauser, Rebecca Sinderbrand, Chris Welch and Josh Levs contributed to this report.

Congressional Black Caucus Institute, CNN host Democratic debate tonight . Front-runners vying for African-American voters ahead of South Carolina primary . Sen. Barack Obama visits former church of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Atlanta . Sen. Hillary Clinton picks up pastor's endorsement at Harlem church .

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Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's assassination was her own fault, the country's president, Pervez Musharraf, said in an interview on U.S. television. Bhutto sits on stage at a campaign rally minutes before her assassination. "For standing up outside the car, I think it was she to blame alone -- nobody else. Responsibility is hers," the former general told CBS' "60 Minutes" on Sunday. Bhutto was killed December 27 in Rawalpindi, south of the Pakistani capital Islamabad, while she was standing in an armored moving car after rallying supporters for now-postponed parliamentary elections. Her head was above the roof and unprotected at the time of the attack. The cause of her death is not clear: a bomber blew himself up near Bhutto's limousine and videotape showed a gunman present, though no autopsy has been carried out. Asked if Bhutto could have been shot, Musharraf said, "Yes, absolutely, yes. Possibility." He has said he welcomes an international investigation. Musharraf, who seized power in a bloodless coup in 1999, rejected criticism that his government did not do enough to provide security to Bhutto, who was seeking to regain the post of prime minister. He noted that she had already survived one assassination attempt and "was given more security than any other person." Asked about the hunt for al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, widely rumored to be in the remote border region between Pakistan and Afghanistan, Musharraf said, "There is no proof whatsoever that he's here. We are not particularly looking for him, but we are operating against this -- and al Qaeda and militant Taliban. And in the process, obviously, it is combined. Maybe we are looking for him also." And Pakistan's ambassador to the United States, Mahmud Ali Durrani, told CNN's "Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer" that, "If we knew where he was, we would have taken him out." Durrani added that Musharraf's comment about "not specifically looking for Osama" means that the Pakistani military is "totally focused on destroying al Qaeda and the Taliban network and not just one person." About Bhutto's death, he noted only that the investigation is not completed "and we should not jump to conclusions." Still, he added, "if she had not come out of the vehicle, the protected and armored vehicle, maybe we would have seen her smiling face again today." Though Musharraf's popularity at home has plummeted, he retains support from GOP presidential contender Sen. John McCain. "I think he's a good man," the Arizonan told NBC's "Meet the Press." "But I think he's made mistakes, don't get me wrong. And we've got to move forward with these elections and have them free and fair. "But I can work with him. He understands the threat to his country that the Taliban and al Qaeda present. And radical Islamic extremists. He's a very smart man. He'd be one of the first to go. They've tried to kill him nine times, OK? Nine times they've tried to kill Musharraf. He's not their favorite guy." The New York Times reported Sunday that the Bush administration is considering expanding covert operations in the western part of Pakistan to shore up support for Musharraf's government and to find bin Laden and his second in command, Ayman al-Zawahiri. Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson of New Mexico told CNN's "Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer" that, though he had not heard details of the plan, "it sounds like a strategy that makes sense." He added, "We have got to take whatever action is needed." Richardson has called for Musharraf to step down and has called for free and fair elections. "What we need to do is ask Musharraf, push him, push him to step aside for the good of the country, because he is widely unpopular," he told CNN. Sen. Hillary Clinton, a Democratic presidential candidate from New York, said Saturday that she would try to persuade Musharraf to share the responsibility for safeguarding his country's nuclear weapons with a delegation from the United States and perhaps Great Britain. Meanwhile, detectives from Britain's Scotland Yard on Sunday once again examined the white Land Cruiser that Bhutto was riding in when she was assassinated, Pakistan's state-run news agency said. The Associated Press of Pakistan said the detectives also watched videos of Bhutto's last moments three times, and looked at bird's eye view photographs of Liaqat Bagh park taken from a building that overlooks the Rawalpindi public site. The team of five detectives arrived in Pakistan Friday after Musharraf agreed they should work alongside Pakistani agencies to determine how Bhutto was killed and who was responsible for her death. On Saturday, the team spent more than two hours at the park. Musharraf said he expected the Scotland Yard investigators to help "solve all the confusion" surrounding the case. Bhutto's husband, Asif Ali Zardari, wants a United Nations inquiry into his late wife's assassination. The Pakistan interior ministry say the former leader died when she hit her head on the lever of her car's sunroof after ducking for cover after a suicide bomb attack on her convoy. However, supporters of Bhutto insist she was shot prior to the explosion -- a view that some say is supported by video footage of the moments before the blast. E-mail to a friend .

British counter-terrorism experts re-inspect Bhutto's vehicle . NEW: Bhutto's assassination was her own fault, says Musharraf in interview . NEW: He blamed her for standing up outside the safety of an armored car . Bhutto's husband, Asif Ali Zardari, wants a U.N. inquiry into his late wife's death .

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A Texas couple charged with killing the little girl known as "Baby Grace" now face capital murder charges, after a Texas grand jury upgraded the charges on Wednesday. Riley Ann Sawyers was moved from Ohio to Texas by her mother. Prosecutors said they have not decided whether to seek the death penalty against the girl's mother, Kimberly Dawn Trenor, and Trenor's husband, Royce Clyde Zeigler II. Two-year-old Riley Ann Sawyers was beaten to death and her body was disposed of in Galveston Bay. Riley's body was found October 29 by a fisherman on an uninhabited island in the bay. It was wrapped in black plastic bags and stuffed in a blue, plastic bin. Her identity was not known at first, and police dubbed her "Baby Grace." Police sketches of the child were widely distributed, and Sheryl Sawyers, the girl's paternal grandmother, contacted police from her Ohio home to say the drawing resembled her granddaughter. DNA testing confirmed the child's identity. Trenor, 19, and Zeigler, 24, were initially charged with injury to a child and tampering with evidence. But since the initial charges were filed last month the investigation has continued and police have gathered additional evidence, in addition to confirming Riley's identity, said a statement released Wednesday by Galveston County Criminal District Attorney Kurt Sistrunk. Based on that, the grand jury was asked to upgrade the charges, he said. A three-hour hearing was held Wednesday in which grand jurors heard testimony from five witnesses, including police and FBI investigators and the medical examiner. The grand jury deliberated for only three minutes Wednesday before upgrading the charges, Sistrunk said. Trenor told police Riley had been beaten and thrown across a room and that her head was held under water before she died July 24. She said the couple hid the girl's body in a storage shed for one to two months before putting it in the plastic container and dumping it into the bay. A medical examiner said Riley's skull was fractured in three places that would have been fatal injuries. Trenor and the girl moved to Texas from Ohio in May to be with Zeigler, who Trenor had met online. Sistrunk said the investigation is continuing, and a decision on whether to seek the death penalty will not be made until its conclusion. E-mail to a friend .

Grand jury upgrades charges against girl's mother and mother's husband . Presented new evidence, jury took just 3 minutes to vote for tougher charges . Riley Ann Sawyers, initially known as Baby Grace, was beaten to death . Prosecutors haven't decided whether to seek death penalty for couple .

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