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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- World number one Roger Federer is suffering from a lung infection and has pulled out of this week 's $ 2 million ATP tournament in Dubai . Australian Open champion Federer is set to be sidelined for up to six weeks and may not return to action until a big hard court event in the United States in March . Federer , who won his 16th grand slam when beating Britain 's Andy Murray in Melbourne , has been advised by a doctor not to play for at least a fortnight . He is set to play at the Masters Series event at Indian Wells which starts on March 11 , but may have to wait until the following tournament in Miami . `` There are no guarantees that I will play at Indian Wells -- this could be a maximum of six weeks , but if it 's treated properly everything should be fine and I should be back fairly quickly , '' he told the official ATP Tour Web site . Federer , who is a four-time Dubai Open champion , had traveled to the United Arab Emirates to practice ahead of the tournament , but found he was struggling . `` On Wednesday I could n't get up anymore - and the next day I just was n't in shape at all , '' he said . `` It 's a lung infection -- it 's the first time I 've had it - breathing is difficult -- I feel I am not fine , I 'm still very tired and slow . `` The doctors say it 's too serious for me to try -- and that I should rest for at least two weeks -- obviously I ca n't take any more chances . '' Federer , who has a home in Dubai , was looking to regain his title from Novak Djokovic , who will now be top seed , with Murray also in the field for his first tournament since Australia . Czech Jan Hernych , who went out in the final round of qualifying , benefits from Federer 's withdrawal to go into the main draw . In men 's ATP action on Sunday , Sam Querrey beat fellow American John Isner in the final of the tournament in Memphis . Eighth seed Querrey , who had accounted for Andy Roddick in the quarterfinals , beat Isner , seeded sixth , 6-7 7-6 6-3 in a closely-contested match . | Nasty lung infection sidelines world number one Roger Federer in Dubai . Federer is set to be ruled out for up to six weeks as he recovers from illness . 16-time grand slam champion Federer was hoping to regain the Dubai title from Novak Djokovic . Andy Murray of Britain is also competing at $ 2 million tournament . | [[0, 15], [19, 84], [0, 15], [75, 157], [158, 190], [198, 233], [433, 480], [693, 732], [1437, 1444], [1473, 1524]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An Organization of American States commission condemned Monday the slayings last month of three Honduran political activists opposed to a military-led coup that removed the elected president in June . The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights also said it deplores the kidnappings , arbitrary detentions , torture , sexual violations and illegal raids that the panel maintains other members of the political resistance have suffered since the June 29 coup . The commission cited more than 50 detentions , eight cases of torture , two kidnappings , two rapes and one raid on a residence during the past month . The attacks have been made against members of the resistance , union members and journalists , as well as their children , the panel said . Honduras returned to democracy in January , and the newly installed government of President Porfirio Lobo Sosa bears responsibility for safeguarding civil liberties and human rights , the commission said . `` Honduras must adopt urgent measures to guarantee the rights to life , humane treatment and personal liberty , '' the panel said in a report . `` All persons , without distinction , must be equally protected in the exercise of their rights to freedom of expression , assembly , and political participation . '' Honduras ' top law enforcement official said he `` laments and deplores '' violence that resulted from the coup that removed President Jose Manuel Zelaya from power and installed interim President Roberto Micheletti . `` We will strengthen our investigations aimed at clearing up these events , appointing a special squad that will produce the arrests of those responsible and the unrestricted application of justice , '' Minister of Security Oscar Arturo Alvarez Guerrero said last week . Micheletti instituted martial law during his seven-month rule , and some Zelaya supporters say they were harassed , arrested or worse . Human rights will be respected under Lobo , who was elected in November and assumed the presidency January 27 , national Police Commissioner Leonel Sauceda said Monday . Alvarez has been in office for only about a month but has promised to tackle the problem , Sauceda said . The OAS commission said that one of the recently killed activists was 29-year-old Vanessa Zepeda Alonzo , who was found February 3 . According to the panel , witnesses said her body was thrown out of a car . Another activist , union member Julio Funez Benitez , was chatting outside his home in Olancho on February 15 when two men on a motorcycle fatally shot him twice , the rights commission said . A third person , Claudia Maritza Brizuela , 36 , was killed in her home February 24 , the commission said . She was the daughter of union and community leader Pedro Brizuela , who participated against the coup . `` Two unknown individuals came to her door , and when she opened it , Claudia Brizuela was shot and killed in front of her children , ages 2 and 8 , '' the report said . The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights also expressed concern that activists ' family members are being threatened and harassed , with two of them killed in the past few weeks . `` The commission observes with dismay that it appears that sons and daughters of leaders of the Resistance Front are being killed , kidnapped , attacked and threatened as a strategy to silence the activists , '' the report said . Dara Gudiel , 17 , was found hanged February 17 in Danli , the commission said . She was the daughter of journalist Enrique Gudiel , who broadcasts the resistance radio program `` Siempre al Frente con el Frente '' -LRB- `` Always Up Front with the Front '' -RRB- . `` Days before she was found hanged , Dara Gudiel had been released after having been kidnapped and held for two days , during which time she was alleged to have been physically mistreated , '' the panel 's report said . Eight days earlier , the commission said , seven heavily armed men dressed in military uniforms and wearing ski masks abducted five members of a family active in the resistance . One of those taken captive , the panel said , was a young woman who reported in August being raped by four police officers who detained her in connection with an anti-coup demonstration . In the February 9 abduction , the armed men intercepted the vehicle in which the young woman was traveling with her brother , her sister and two other people . When the occupants offered to turn over the car keys , the report said , the men answered that they wanted the young woman , `` to see if she would report them this time . '' `` The five were forced at gunpoint to walk into the mountains , where two of the women were sexually violated ; the third was the victim of robbery and death threats , and the two men were subjected to physical torture , '' the report said . `` They were released hours later . '' Analysts note that violence is not new to Honduras , nor is it limited in scope . The violence can be political , from all sides of the spectrum . It can be criminal , either random or organized . And it can occur in urban or rural areas . `` Unfortunately , Honduras has a history of violence , '' said Otto Reich , who served the past three Republican presidents in a number of high-level Latin American posts . A State Department advisory admonishes that `` crime is endemic in Honduras and requires a high degree of caution by U.S. visitors and residents alike . U.S. citizens have been the victims of a wide range of crimes , including murder , kidnapping , rape , assault and property crimes . '' Poverty , gangs and low apprehension and conviction rates contribute to a critical crime rate , including mass slayings , the State Department said . But political violence deserves special attention to safeguard democracy , the OAS panel said . `` People from all political sectors have the right to fully and freely exercise their right to freedom of expression and their right to assembly , without violence and in accordance with the law and with inter-American standards for the protection of human rights , '' the report said . Reich , who supported Micheletti , spent three days in Honduras last week and met with Lobo , the new president . The new administration , Reich said , is committed to reconciliation and putting an end to divisions that resulted from the coup . Micheletti and the coup plotters maintained that Zelaya was trying to remain in power by maneuvering to hold a referendum that ultimately could have allowed him to run again . The nation 's congress had outlawed the vote , and the supreme court said it was unconstitutional . Reich said he hopes the OAS report does not blame the new government for the violence . But the report bears noting , he said . `` Any allegation of violations of human rights has to be taken very seriously , especially in a country with a history of human rights violations , '' Reich said . `` There 's a lot of ad hoc violence , but if there 's organized violence against political supporters of Zelaya , then that is wrong , and it should be condemned . '' The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights is an autonomous panel created by the OAS . The commission consists of seven independent members who act in a personal capacity , without representing a particular country . They are elected by the OAS General Assembly . | Organization of American States panel targets kidnappings , torture , raids . Report says political activists have suffered since June coup . New president must safeguard rights , report says . Security minister has promised to tackle problem . | [[220, 265], [271, 374], [400, 480], [821, 954], [2088, 2095], [2142, 2176]] |
Kettleman City , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Spring in California 's San Joaquin Valley is seemingly idyllic , with rolling hills and miles of fruit orchards . But what 's happening in the small town of Kettleman City has people scared . In the past three years , 10 babies in Kettleman City , California , have been born with birth defects , including cleft palates and heart problems . Four cases were reported in 2008 and there was another possible case that same year . According to the California Department of Public Health and California Birth Defects Monitoring Program , those four cases in Kettleman City are higher than expected . Nationally , the Birth Defects Monitoring Program lists one out of every 33 babies as born with a birth defect . Three infants have died , including Maria Saucedo 's daughter , Ashley . `` It 's such a small town and such a large problem . We want to give our children life , not death , '' said Saucedo . `` When Ashley was born , the doctors told me that there was something wrong with her . They told me that Ashley would n't live more than one or two months . '' Despite a weak immune system , Ashley managed to live for almost 10 months . She died of a blood infection on January 24 , 2009 . Through tears , Saucedo said , `` I apologized for not taking her earlier to the hospital , but the doctors told me that it was n't my fault , that with babies like this , this is what happens . '' But Saucedo wants to know why it happened to her and the other mothers living here . Kettleman City is one of the poorest towns in the state . Maricela Mares Alatorre , who works as a teacher , grew up there . `` It 's a really small town , '' said Alatorre . `` Most people have been here for generations . I like to call it the Mayberry feeing with a Latino twist . '' But unlike Mayberry , the 1,500 people of this farming community have no grocery store , no high school and few sidewalks . The town , which is surrounded by farms , is polluted . It is plagued with poor air quality , unsafe drinking water and exposure to pesticides . Kettleman City 's water does not meet EPA standards , because of high levels of naturally occurring arsenic . . The state and EPA have found poor air quality throughout the San Joaquin Valley . Kettleman City is surrounded by agriculture and is exposed to heavy use of pesticides . Because of its location right off Highway 41 , there also is a lot of emissions pollution . The major concern for many people in Kettleman City , however , lies just four miles outside town . It is the largest toxic waste site west of the Mississippi . The site is operated by the waste disposal firm Waste Management , which said that last year 400,000 tons of hazardous waste -- including lead and cancer-linked PCBs found in plastics -- was dumped there . Every day , hundreds of trucks pour in and out . Some residents believe the birth defects could be linked to the waste site . Waste Management has said its Kettleman Hills facility operates safely and fully protects human health and the environment . The site has been inspected by four separate local , state and federal entities since 2007 . All concluded the facility operates safely and does not affect local residents . Waste Management has agreed to cooperate with investigations into the community 's concerns . Tension between Waste Management and the community goes back decades . Residents led by the Rev. Jesse Jackson waged a battle against Waste Management in 1991 to stop a toxic waste incinerator from being built . They won . Now the residents of Kettleman City are fighting again , this time over a proposed waste site expansion , for which their local officials voted . For Alatorre , environmental activism is in her genes . `` I 'm a second-generation activist , '' she said . Alatorre has been fighting against the waste site expansion and fighting for a state health investigation into the birth defects for nearly two years . She and others are upset that the county voted to expand the waste site before a full investigation was completed . `` We do n't want an expansion because we feel like there are a lot of health problems in town and we 're not necessarily attributing it to the dump , but we feel like with all of the other environmental factors we face , why add more to it ? '' In December , the Kings County board asked the state for a health investigation into the birth defects , but one week later they voted in favor of granting a permit to allow the waste site to expand . Ingrid Brostrom , an attorney with the Center on Race , Poverty and the Environment , said , `` If there is any potential that these birth defects are caused by environmental contaminants , then we should n't be introducing any new contaminants . There should not be an expansion of the existing hazardous waste dump . It is essential the county knows what is causing these birth defects before the hazardous waste site can be expanded . '' Activists and residents have filed a lawsuit against Kings County in an effort to stop the waste site expansion . In a press release , Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger 's office said he has `` directed his State Department of Public Health and Environmental Protection Agency to expand their investigation into what could be causing an abnormal percentage of birth defects in the small farming town . '' For Saucedo and the other mothers of Kettleman City , an investigation ca n't come soon enough . `` I want a response and I want it quickly . Nobody 's given us any answers and children continue to be born sick , '' said Saucedo . | In 3 years , 10 babies in Kettleman City , California , have been born with birth defects . Residents blame a variety of pollution , including a toxic waste dump . Government reports say the dump is not a hazard . The latest on plans to expand the waste site on tonight 's `` Campbell Brown '' 8 p.m. ET . | [[240, 263], [266, 293], [296, 389], [4815, 4850], [3164, 3206]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Spanish leaders Barcelona gave Real Madrid hope of snatching the Spanish title after being held 0-0 at city rivals Espanyol on Saturday in a tense match that saw Daniel Alves sent off with half an hour to play . Real can now cut the champions ' league lead to just one point by winning at home to third-placed Valencia on Sunday night , after which there will be five rounds to play . The stalemate was the first time Barcelona had failed to score in La Liga since October , and came ahead of Tuesday 's Champions League semifinal first leg away to Inter Milan . Should that match in Italy go ahead if European air travel resumes following the volcanic ash fallout from Iceland , Inter boss Jose Mourinho will have eagerly noted Espanyol 's success in nullifying Barcelona 's star-studded line-up . Mid-table Espanyol lost 1-0 at the Nou Camp in December , but could have led at halftime in the first match between the two teams at the new Cornella-El Prat stadium . Barcelona had hit the crossbar when winger Pedro 's cross deceived goalkeeper Carlos Kameni , but the home side created the better chances and should have scored just before halftime but Victor Valdes pushed striker Osvaldo 's shot onto the near post . Alves was dismissed for a second booking in the 62nd minute after body checking Jose Callejon , but Espanyol could not take advantage of having an extra man . Earlier on Saturday , fourth-placed Sevilla bounced back from the midweek defeat at struggling Valladolid to crush Sporting Gijon 3-0 , who had two players sent off . Mali striker Fredi Kanoute opened the scoring in the eight minute after his initial header was blocked , and 13th-placed Gijon lost Mate Bilic to a second yellow card on 32 . Kanoute 's strike partner Luis Fabiano doubled the lead eight minutes after halftime with a header from Adriano 's cross as the Brazilian made up for having an earlier effort ruled out for offside . Jose Angel Valdes was sent off for a second booking with 10 minutes left after Alvaro Negredo went down clutching his face , and the Sevilla forward set up defender Cala from the resulting free-kick . Villarreal claimed sixth place from Athletic Bilbao after beating Atletico Madrid 2-1 in the late match . Argentine defender Diego Godin diverted in a 21st-minute corner and Italian forward Giuseppe Rossi made Atletico pay for calamitous defending just before halftime . Argentina forward Sergio Aguero ended his recent goal drought with his 19th of the season with a volley from Jose Antonio Reyes ' pass in the 64th minute , but 10th-placed Atletico went down to a 15th league loss this season ahead of Thursday 's Europa League semifinal first leg against English club Liverpool . Bilbao can move back into the top six with victory at Zaragoza on Sunday , while fifth-placed Mallorca face mid-table Osasuna . | Spanish leaders Barcelona held to frustrating 0-0 draw at city rivals Espanyol . Daniel Alves sent off as Barca move four points clear of second-placed Real Madrid . Real can reduce the gap with victory away to third-placed Valencia on Sunday . Fourth-placed Sevilla win 3-0 at Sporting Gijon , who have two players sent off . | [[0, 15], [19, 133], [231, 235], [294, 337], [316, 321], [322, 353], [1420, 1441], [1479, 1531], [1513, 1531], [1538, 1564], [1674, 1739]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Three men were sentenced to prison for forcing an African-American man out of a South Carolina convenience store , threatening him with a chainsaw and stealing his car , an incident the Department of Justice said was fueled by hate . Thomas Blue Sr. , 49 , owner of the convenience store , was sentenced Tuesday to 13 years in prison in the 2007 incident . A second man , Judson Hartley Talbert , was sentenced to nine years , the department said . Blue 's son , Thomas Blue Jr. , 29 , was sentenced to three years . The three pleaded guilty in December to conspiring to deprive and depriving Dahndra `` Ervin '' Moore of his right to engage in a federally protected activity -- entering the convenience store -- and also to conspiring to carjack and carjacking his car , authorities said . The elder Blue also pleaded guilty to depriving two other people , both white , of their right to engage in a federally protected activity and using a firearm in relation to a crime of violence against those two . The defendants admitted that the elder Blue `` forcibly escorted '' Moore out of a Marlboro County , South Carolina , store known as the Stop and Shop after he entered to use the restroom , the statement said . `` Once outside , the elder Blue forced the victim to the ground and Blue Jr. threatened the victim with a chainsaw while a small crowd watched , '' according to the Department of Justice statement . While the attack was occurring , Talbert stole Moore 's car , authorities said . Later , the elder Blue used a pistol to threaten two white men who he thought were trying to help the victim , including one who showed up to retrieve Moore 's car . All three men waived their right to appeal , according to court documents . The elder Blue 's attorney , Jack Swirling , called the incident `` most unfortunate '' and `` totally unacceptable . '' His client , he said , is very remorseful , adding that the incident would not have occurred but for Blue 's heavy drinking that day . Kirk Truslow , the younger Blue 's attorney , said his client had apologized to Moore and his family and `` wishes this never would have happened . '' The case `` went a long way in making some changes in the area , '' he said . `` I think it really made an impact , '' Truslow said . `` Everyone in this area took notice . '' Talbert 's attorney , Morgan Martin , called the incident `` regrettable '' and said his client is sorry it happened . `` This case is a reminder that violent acts fueled by bigotry and hate continue to happen all too frequently in our nation , even in 2010 , '' said Thomas Perez , assistant attorney general in charge of the Justice Department 's civil rights division . `` This senseless , terrifying assault was quite simply the product of hate , '' said Kevin McDonald , acting U.S. attorney for the District of South Carolina . `` I expect others tempted to act out in violent racism to take note of this prosecution and the sentences imposed . '' | 3 convicted for the 2007 attack at a store in South Carolina . Victim had stopped at the store to use the restroom , according to court documents . Defendants admitted taking him outside and threatening him with a chainsaw . One man stole his car , pulled gun on men he thought were helping the victim . | [[19, 131], [1142, 1211], [0, 15], [134, 186], [810, 819], [953, 983], [1435, 1465], [1468, 1494], [1516, 1521], [1524, 1578], [1544, 1640]] |
Dallas , Texas -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The modern Tea Party movement began on February 27 , 2009 , when small groups in 22 American cities gathered to protest the signing of President Obama 's stimulus bill . The Tea Party groups viewed the stimulus bill as the crowning moment of decades of irresponsible government fiscal behavior . The federal government is addicted to spending , and the consequences are now staring us in the face . Our national debt is at emergency levels and growing rapidly . Congressional Budget Office head Doug Elmendorf recently said the nation 's fiscal path is simply `` unsustainable . '' And yet this financial crisis seems obvious to virtually everyone except our elected officials in Washington . Tea Party members are not averse to paying taxes . However , taxpayers are stretched thin , and piling more taxes on their backs is not the answer . We do not understand nor approve of Washington 's insatiable appetite for spending , because that 's not the way we as individuals live . We do not massively overspend today and borrow money tomorrow to cover the bills . As California and New York are learning , that ride eventually comes to an end . This week , Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said , `` To avoid large and unsustainable budget deficits , the nation will ultimately have to choose among higher taxes , modifications to entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare , less spending on everything else from education to defense , or some combination of the above . '' The Tea Party endorses massive reductions of federal spending before any consideration of new taxes is brought to the table . Tea Party members clearly understand Bernanke 's warning . If something drastic is not done soon , our entire financial system and way of life will collapse . The Tea Party 's goal from inception has been to replace big-spending politicians from both political parties with common-sense , fiscally responsible leaders . America has moved away from the vision of our Founding Fathers who advocated for a nuanced balance between federal and state power . As America has drifted from constitutional values , federal power has grown . We have gone from a nation of self-sufficient producers to a nation divided between overburdened taxpaying producers and some nonproducers who exist on welfare from cradle to grave . So what would the Tea Party movement recommend to set America on its rightful course ? Federal spending must immediately be drastically slashed across the board : Abolish the useless departments of Education and Agriculture , among others ; get rid of the EPA ; and repeal the stimulus bill and other pork spending . These are millstones around the neck of the American taxpayer and our economy . Send all responsibilities of these agencies back to the states where they can be better and more efficiently managed . Foreign aid and Pentagon spending must be equally constrained and reduced . Second , the number of government jobs must be substantially cut , and those employees must return to the private sector . Overpaid bureaucrats with fat benefits and pensions not found in the real world are simply not needed . Or wanted . Third , fraud and welfare waste must be eliminated . Welfare and unemployment benefits must be drastically cut . Welfare , health and education services for illegal immigrants must be eliminated . The Center for Immigration Studies recently reported that 33 percent of immigrant households use some kind of `` welfare . '' Again , who pays ? The American taxpayer ! Government must get completely out of the private sector . Market freedoms must prevail for America to be successful . Government control over our financial and insurance industries , major manufacturing , health care and energy is a sure recipe for disaster . Washington bureaucrats are simply incapable of efficiency . The Tea Party is determined to send new , fiscally responsible leaders to Washington to trim government fat -- and not with scalpels , but with chainsaws . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Phillip Dennis . | Phillip Dennis : Eliminate Education and Agriculture departments , the EPA , the stimulus bill . Dennis : Government jobs must be substantially cut ; employees sent to the private sector . Tea Party wants welfare and unemployment benefits drastically cut , he says . Take a chainsaw to government , get it out of the private sector , Dennis writes . | [[2455, 2471], [2531, 2591], [2531, 2591], [2609, 2627], [2960, 2966], [2969, 3024], [3027, 3082], [3252, 3311], [3565, 3623]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Two men died Saturday morning when their pickup collided head-on with one of Trace Adkins ' tour buses north of Shreveport , Louisiana . Adkins was not on the bus , but five members of his band and crew suffered minor injuries , the country music singer 's Web site said . The bus was en route to Bossier City for a show at the CenturyTel Center . Adkins had already arrived at the venue when he heard the news , according to his Web site . `` This is a real tragedy , '' Adkins said in a statement . `` Two people have been killed and I do n't even know their names . So out of respect for their families , I prefer not to comment too much at this time . '' Adkins said he would perform a scaled-down acoustic set at Saturday 's show , which also featured singer Martina McBride . He will sit out a show in Pensacola , Florida , on Sunday . Adkins began his music career more than a decade ago with a platinum-selling debut , and has released nine albums since then . In 2008 , he appeared on NBC 's `` The Celebrity Apprentice , '' and last year , ventured into the world of comic books with the launch of the four-part `` Luke McBain , '' based on his likeness and persona . He is also the author of a book , `` A Personal Stand : Observations and Opinions from a Freethinking Roughneck . '' | Two people in pickup truck died Saturday in collision with Trace Adkins ' tour bus . Adkins was not on bus during crash . Adkins performed at concert Saturday , but he will sit out tour stop on Sunday . | [[19, 141], [520, 550], [156, 181], [801, 860]] |
-LRB- Mental Floss -RRB- -- Either I had a really short attention span as a kid and never made it past the first verse of a song -- which is entirely possible -- or there are some obscure lyrics to the songs we all know and love . 1 . `` The Teapot Song '' goes on to further explain this little teapot character : . I 'm a clever teapot , Yes it 's true Here let me show you What I can do I can change my handle And my spout Just tip me over and pour me out ! 2 . `` Do Your Ears Hang Low ? '' I 'm impressed that a children 's song contains the word `` semaphore . '' Do your ears hang high ? Do they reach up to the sky ? Do they droop when they are wet ? Do they stiffen when they 're dry ? Can you semaphore your neighbour with a minimum of labour ? Do your ears hang high ? 3 . `` My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean '' involves terrifying nightmares : . Last night as I lay on my pillow Last night as I lay on my bed Last night as I lay on my pillow I dreamed that my Bonnie was dead . Mental Floss : 10 adult versions of children 's songs . 4 . `` Oh My Darling Clementine '' I did n't know anything beyond the `` Oh my darling '' chorus , but there 's a whole little tale that goes along with the tragic Clementine . There are a few variations . One of them goes like this : . In a cavern , in a canyon , Excavating for a mine Dwelt a miner forty niner , And his daughter Clementine Light she was and like a fairy , And her shoes were number nine , Wearing boxes , without topses , Sandals were for Clementine . Drove she ducklings to the water Ev'ry morning just at nine , Hit her foot against a splinter , Fell into the foaming brine . Ruby lips above the water , Blowing bubbles , soft and fine , But , alas , I was no swimmer , So I lost my Clementine . How I missed her ! How I missed her , How I missed my Clementine , But I kissed her little sister , I forgot my Clementine . 5 . `` Bingo '' The earliest recorded version from 1888 adds two verses after the one that spells out the famous farmer 's dog 's name . They went like this : . Thys Franklyn , syrs , he brewed goode ayle , And he called it Rare good Styngo ! S , T , Y , N , G , O ! He call 'd it Rare goode Styngo ! Nowe is notte thys a prettie song ? I thinke it is , bye Jyngo , J wythe a Y -- N , G , O -- I sweare yt is , bye Jyngo ! Mental Floss : Look What the Dog Swallowed ! 6 . `` Twinkle , Twinkle , Little Star '' just keeps going : . When the blazing sun is gone , When he nothing shines upon , Then you show your little light , Twinkle , twinkle , all the night . Then the traveller in the dark , Thanks you for your tiny spark , He could not see which way to go , If you did not twinkle so . In the dark blue sky you keep , And often through my curtains peep , For you never shut your eye , Till the sun is in the sky . As your bright and tiny spark , Lights the traveller in the dark , -- Though I know not what you are , Twinkle , twinkle , little star . 7 . `` Baa Baa Black Sheep '' If you feel the need to deplete the rest of the barnyard denizens of their precious goods after you 've taken the sheep 's wool , you certainly can : . Cluck , cluck , red hen , have you any eggs ? Yes sir , yes sir , as many as your legs . One for your breakfast and one for your lunch ; Come back tomorrow and I 'll have another bunch . Moo , moo brown cow , have you milk for me ? Yes sir , yes sir , as tasty as can be . Churn it into butter , make it into cheese , Freeze it into ice cream or drink it if you please . Buzz , buzz busy bee , is your honey sweet ? Yes sir , yes sir , sweet enough to eat . Honey on your muffin , honey on your cake , Honey by the spoonful , as much as I can make . 8 . `` A Tisket , A Tasket '' You probably know about the green and yellow basket , and you might remember that the person singing the song dropped it . After that , the sordid tale goes like this : . I dropped it , I dropped it Yes , On the way I dropped it A little girlie picked it up And put it in her pocket She was truckin ' on down the avenue , Without a single thing to do She was peck-peck-peckin all around When she spied it on the ground She took it she took it my little yellow basket And if she does n't bring it back I think that I shall die -LRB- Was it brown ? -RRB- no , no , no , no , -LRB- Was it red ? -RRB- no , no , no , no , -LRB- Was it blue ? -RRB- no , no , no , no , Just a little yellow basket . Mental Floss : 10 highly decorated animals . | There are some obscure lyrics to the children 's songs we all know and love . `` My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean '' involves terrifying nightmares . After spelling out BINGO the dog 's name , this song goes on about some fine ale . And after a girl drops a green and yellow basket , someone else takes it . | [[171, 207], [784, 850], [1964, 1971], [1977, 2022], [4135, 4174]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In a long-awaited speech Thursday in Florida , President Obama will boldly go where no president has gone before , laying out an entirely new vision for the U.S. space program . The firestorm of controversy has already begun . For more than 50 years , presidents have pushed for government rockets to send astronauts to space , the moon and possibly Mars . But now a new paradigm is being proposed . The moon program is off the table , and Mars is only a distant possibility . NASA is essentially getting out of the astronaut business , letting the Russians and private enterprise take over . The glory days of NASA , some say , are over . The Obama plan is truly breathtaking , ending an era that lasted from Presidents Kennedy to Bush . Some specifics : . • The moon program , called Constellation , is being suspended , and its components and $ 9 billion of research are going down the drain . The Ares rocket , which recently underwent a successful preliminary test , will be canceled . The Orion lunar module will be repurposed as an astronaut `` lifeboat '' tethered to the international space station . • The space shuttle program is ending , causing 4,600 workers to lose their jobs . -LRB- This was also in the Bush plan , but that proposal included funding the Ares rocket . -RRB- . • Without a space shuttle , the U.S. will rely temporarily on Russian rockets to send our astronauts into space . • Eventually , private enterprise will take over launching our astronauts . Some critics say that this is all too much , too soon . Private companies may not be ready to pick up the slack for years to transport astronauts . Conceivably , any political crisis with the Russians in far-away places , such as the Balkans , might affect our access to outer space . And we will just have to swallow our pride when the Chinese plant their flag on the moon sometime after 2020 , as they say they will . Proponents of the plan Obama is expected to describe , however , say that it is long overdue and inevitable . In these trying financial times , the U.S. can not sustain an ambitious space program . Get real , they say . Let private enterprise take over . It 's the American way . But everyone agrees that the wheel is broken and needs to be fixed . It all boils down to one dirty four-letter word : cost . During the Cold War , the superpowers gladly opened their treasuries because the space race was a matter of national pride and honor . Since then , the realities have sunk in . It costs about $ 10,000 per pound to send anything into near-Earth orbit . -LRB- Think of John Glenn made of solid gold . -RRB- But when you add in life support and safety factors , it costs about $ 65 million to send each astronaut aboard the space shuttle , which in turn costs half a billion dollars per launch . To go to the moon would cost perhaps 10 times as much . There are some positive recommendations that Obama should keep in mind as he plots the future of the space program . • NASA needs to set concrete goals and deadlines . In the past , the space shuttle and the international space station were used to justify each other 's existence . Instead , the space program should hold the feet of the bureaucracies and corporations to the fire . Having a tangible vision of the future , with a clear destination and mission , will hold planners accountable , give a sharp focus to the objectives of the space program and cut waste . • NASA has to abandon its cost-plus model , where it guarantees its contractors a profit beyond the cost . This model is unsustainable -- the tail wagging the dog . It 's an open invitation for bureaucracies and corporations to pad their budgets , rather than operate as efficiently as possible . • NASA has to inspire competition and innovation . The Hubble Space Telescope and the robotic missions to the planets have been a shining beacon for research based on goals set by scientists instead of the narrow priorities of bureaucracies and politicians . • NASA has to fund risky , out-of-the-box propulsion systems -- besides the expensive chemical rockets that are used now -- to help drive down the cost of space travel . A lot of a rocket 's fuel goes into lifting itself into orbit , which is a waste . Ground-based laser and microwave beams , for example , can vaporize water contained in a rocket , which is then shot out the other end , so only the payload goes into space , not the fuel . As he speaks to aerospace workers , the president should frame this moment as an opportunity to redesign the space program . The key is to maintain the U.S. as the leader in innovation , ideas and progress , because science is ultimately the engine of prosperity . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Michio Kaku . | Michio Kaku : President Obama 's changes to space program alter vision that 's held for 50 years . Kaku says cuts and new priorities make some critics believe NASA 's glory years over . Kaku : Program must rely on Russia until private firms can get our astronauts back in space . Kaku : NASA must streamline operating costs , innovate and set concrete goals for the future . | [[246, 375], [612, 634], [648, 658], [1340, 1425], [1426, 1438], [1441, 1501], [1558, 1575], [1593, 1649], [2994, 3044], [3261, 3338], [3341, 3371], [3261, 3338], [3374, 3447]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Hundreds of law-enforcement officers were making arrests and executing search warrants Thursday in Arizona as part of an investigation into human smuggling , the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency said . Authorities made at least 40 arrests in an investigation into the suspected smuggling of illegal immigrants in vans that took them from the border to Tucson and Phoenix , two officials with Immigration and Customs Enforcement said . Federal authorities scheduled a news conference for Thursday afternoon to discuss what they called `` a massive , yearlong investigation targeting the infrastructure of several major Arizona-based human smuggling networks . '' | Crackdown under way as part of an investigation into human smuggling . Authorities made at least 40 arrests on Thursday , ICE officials said . Immigrants were shuttled in vans from the border to Tucson and Phoenix , officials said . | [[231, 346], [177, 230], [231, 346], [402, 463], [231, 346], [342, 346], [352, 399]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Haiti 's top prosecutor on Friday denied reports that charges have been dropped against nine of the 10 American missionaries accused of kidnapping children after a devastating earthquake hit the nation in January . Attorney General Joseph Manes was responding to news from the office of U.S. Sen Jim Risch , R-Idaho , whose staff on Thursday said the charges had been dropped against all but one of the Baptist missionaries . Group leader Laura Silsby remains in a Haitian jail . Risch spokesman Kyle Hines said the senator had been contacted by officials at the U.S. State Department , confirming that the kidnapping charges against the other nine were dropped . However , Manes said that information was `` absolutely incorrect . '' He said that under Haitian law , all charges against the 10 Americans stand until the examining judge , Bernard Saint-Vil , renders his final decision on whether to proceed to trial . Risch 's communications director , Brad Hoaglun , said : `` We are standing by what we were orginally told by the State Department . We did , however , ask the State Department to reconfirm for us , and we are waiting that response . '' A senior State Department official told CNN Friday the charges were dropped , but deferred questions to Haiti 's government , saying `` this was a Haitian decision . '' On Thursday , Saint-Vil could not be reached for comment and Manes declined to respond to CNN 's questions until he could do so in person on Friday . Authorities in Port-au-Prince , Haiti , accused the group , many of whom belong to a Baptist church in Idaho , of trying to kidnap 33 Haitian children after an earthquake in January leveled much of the capital and surrounding areas . The Rev. Clint Henry of the Central Valley Baptist Church said the missionaries were notified by a State Department e-mail that the charges were dropped and no other charges were pending . Meanwhile , Manes said his office received the documents pertaining to Saint-Vil 's investigation and that his staff has five days to derive an opinion , which will remain confidential , on whether to move forward on a trial or dismiss the charges . At that point the case will be returned to the judge for a final decision . The 10 Americans have said they were trying to help the children get to a safe place after the magnitude-7 .0 earthquake . Haitian authorities stopped the group on January 29 as they tried to cross the border with the children without proper legal documentation . The group said it was going to house the children in a converted hotel in the Dominican Republic and later move them to an orphanage . Silsby originally claimed the children were orphaned or abandoned , but the Haitian government and the orphans ' charity SOS Children say that all have at least one living parent . Some said they placed their children in Silsby 's care because that was the only way they knew to ensure a better quality of life . Eight of the missionaries were released from custody in February and a ninth , Charisa Coulter of Boise , Idaho , was released in March . One of the missionaries told CNN affiliate KTKA on Thursday that the news of charges being dropped against him and the others was bittersweet . `` It 's partial good news , '' Drew Culberth said . `` It 's good for me but not good news for -LSB- Laura -RSB- Silsby . '' CNN 's Lonzo Cook contributed to this report . | U.S. senator said Thursday he 'd been told charges were dropped against 9 of 10 . Haiti official says judge still has to decide status of charges . Missionaries say they were trying to help children after massive earthquake . Group 's leader , Laura Silsby , remains in Haitian jail . | [[361, 444], [499, 525], [606, 682], [3158, 3203], [754, 937], [2167, 2242], [2243, 2365], [2270, 2365], [445, 498]] |
Beirut , Lebanon -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Lebanese man who had been condemned by a court in Saudi Arabia to die last week for `` sorcery '' has not been executed , his lawyer said Monday . May El Khansa told CNN that she got confirmation from Ibrahim Najjar , Lebanon 's justice minister , that her client , Ali Hussain Sibat , was still alive . She added that she had heard Saturday from sources in Saudi Arabia with knowledge of the case that the beheading had not been carried out Friday , as originally planned . Also Saturday , she said , she sent an official letter to Saudi Arabia 's King Abdullah asking him to pardon her client . She said she would send more letters of appeal Tuesday to Lebanese government officials asking them to intervene . Saudi government officials would not comment to CNN about the case . Justice Minister Najjar said last week that he had urged the Saudi government not to carry out the execution , and Sibat 's wife made an emotional plea for mercy from the kingdom 's rulers during a CNN interview Thursday . `` All I ask is for the Saudi king and the Saudi government to show him mercy -- let him come back to his country and his family , '' Samira Rahmoon said . Sibat used to offer predictions and advice to callers on a Lebanese television network . He was arrested by Saudi Arabia 's religious police and charged with sorcery while visiting the country in May 2008 while on an Islamic pilgrimage , El Khansa said . Saudi authorities have not disclosed details of the charge for which Sibat has been condemned . `` We ca n't understand how they could arrest him and charge him and sentence him to death , '' Rahmoon said . `` It does n't make any sense . '' El Khansa said Wednesday that she had been told about the upcoming execution by a Saudi source with knowledge of the case and the proceedings . Lebanon 's government said it had no confirmation that his execution had been set , but Najjar called the sentence `` disproportionate . '' `` I have asked them not to implement any execution in this case , '' he said . `` As far as I know , such an act does n't deserve such a punishment , unless there is something else -- something that I have not had the possibility to study or to examine myself . '' Rahmoon said the family has been unable to contact Sibat `` for a long time '' and has received no official notification that her husband 's execution date has been set . `` We do n't understand how he could be executed without us getting any notification first , '' Rahmoon said . `` How could they decide to execute him and not inform us ? '' A law against witchcraft remains on the books in Lebanon , but is the equivalent of a misdemeanor , Najjar said . `` I respect the law of Saudi Arabia , which is based on Sharia law , '' he said . `` But at the same time , I 'm very concerned about such a sentence . '' Sibat was convicted by a court in Medina and sentenced to death in November , El Khansa said . He appealed , and his case was sent back to the trial court for reconsideration . But the judges in Medina upheld their original verdict in March , she said . The human rights group Amnesty International has called for Sibat 's release . His case drew a small knot of protesters from a Lebanese youth group to the Saudi Embassy in Beirut on Thursday , and Najjar said he told his Saudi counterpart that beheading Sibat `` would not be productive '' to Lebanese-Saudi relations . `` I have done what I thought was responsible for the justice minister in Lebanon to do , and I said to my colleague in Saudi Arabia that such an act in Lebanon would not be sanctioned by more than two months of imprisonment , '' Najjar said . CNN 's Mohammed Jamjoom contributed to this report . | Lawyer said Lebanon 's justice minister confirmed Ali Hussain Sibat was still alive . Sibat 's lawyer has also sent an official letter to Saudi Arabia 's King Abdullah asking for pardon . Sibat used to offer predictions and advice to callers on a Lebanese television network . Sibat arrested , tried and sentenced during pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia . | [[160, 184], [185, 283], [291, 301], [324, 341], [529, 537], [540, 600], [571, 634], [1198, 1286], [36, 117], [2860, 2900]] |
Jerusalem -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A number of Israelis and tourists entering the country at Ben Gurion Airport have had their new Apple iPads seized by customs officials . Israeli authorities say the devices ' Wi-Fi standard does not match Israel 's standard , which is also used in Europe . Yechiel Shavi , spokesman for the Ministry of Communication , told CNN that the ban only applies to those iPads built for the American standard but would not apply to devices that match the European specifications . Apple announced on Wednesday that it was delaying the worldwide release of iPads because `` demand is far higher than we predicted and will likely continue to exceed our supply . '' `` We know that many international customers waiting to buy an iPad will be disappointed by this news , but we hope they will be pleased to learn the reason -- the iPad is a runaway success in the U.S. thus far , '' the company said in a statement announcing the delay . Those words are not likely to comfort those in Israel who have had their iPads taken away , with reports of angry scenes at the airport . Customs officials said that tourists will be able to get the devices back when they leave the country . Tech-savvy Israelis are known for grabbing up the latest high-tech consumer goods , including Apple 's iPhone , which became a must-have item when it released in Israel in the last year . iDigital , which represents Apple , in Israel was unavailable for comment as of this writing . | Israelis , tourists at Ben Gurion Airport have had their Apple iPads seized . Authorities : Devices ' Wi-Fi standard does n't match Israel 's standard , which follows Europe . Tourists will be able to get the devices back when they leave the Israel . | [[0, 25], [91, 166], [1003, 1009], [1014, 1045], [167, 253], [235, 253], [262, 286], [1094, 1167], [1122, 1130], [1144, 1197]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Calling capital punishment in California an `` empty promise , '' the father of murdered teen Chelsea King said he supported a deal to take death off the table for his daughter 's killer in order to bring closure to the community . `` We stand here because of a despicable evil act committed against our beautiful daughter , Chelsea , committed against our family and committed against our community , '' Brent King said in a news conference Friday . `` While our unequivocal first choice is the death penalty , we acknowledge that in California that penalty has become an empty promise . '' San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis said the family 's blessing contributed to a plea deal with registered sex offender John Gardner III in Chelsea 's death and two other cases . Gardner , 31 , pleaded guilty Friday to the murder of King , the murder of Amber Dubois , and assault with intent to commit rape of a third person . King , 17 , was last seen alive leaving Poway High School in suburban San Diego on February 25 . Her car , with her cell phone inside , was found at Rancho Bernardo Community Park , where she was known to run on the trails . Her disappearance sparked a massive search that ended a few days later with the discovery of her remains in the park . Dubois , 14 , disappeared in February 2009 while walking to school in Escondido . She was considered a missing person for more than a year , until her remains were found in March . Prosecutors revealed in court Friday that Gardner led authorities to Dubois ' body in exchange for assurances that it would not be used against him in court . In exchange for his guilty pleas , Gardner is to be sentenced to two consecutive terms of life without the possibility of parole . He also waived his right to appeals , ensuring that he will die in prison , Dumanis said at the news conference . Superior Court Judge David Danielsen accepted the plea and scheduled sentencing for June 1 . A gag order is in place until then . The surprise change of plea came during a hearing Friday , after prosecutors charged him with murder with a special circumstance of rape for Dubois 's death . Gardner was facing the death penalty on one charge of murder with a special circumstance of rape for King 's death . Dressed in dark blue jailhouse garb , his wrists chained , Gardner nervously responded `` yes '' several times to the judge 's questioning of whether he understood his rights and was entering his plea willingly . He cast his gaze downward as the judge read brief descriptions of how he raped and murdered Dubois and King . Gardner made no statement . According to court documents , on February 13 , 2009 , Gardner abducted Dubois and brought her to a remote area of Pala , where he raped and stabbed her , and buried her in a shallow grave . Gardner admitted to attacking King while she was running and dragging her to a remote area , the documents said . He raped and strangled her , and also buried her body in a shallow grave . Gardner also admitted to attacking another female on December 27 , 2009 , while she was running . In a news conference after Friday 's hearing , Dubois ' father , Moe , expressed gratitude over the case 's resolution . `` As you can imagine , this turn of events in the case came as a surprise to all of us when we were informed about the details yesterday , '' he said . `` As a parent I am thankful -LSB- for -RSB- the work put forth by the district attorney 's office and the defense team in coming forth with a resolution in the case and allowing us to have justice and closure for Amber 's case . '' Without the plea deal , Dumanis said her office did not have enough evidence to charge Gardner in the death of Dubois . Her remains were not found until Gardner led authorities to her body , three days after he was charged in King 's death , Dumanis said . `` The only promise made to him in exchange for this information was that we could not use it against him in court . This was a somber decision , '' the district attorney said in a press conference after Friday 's hearing , surrounded by tearful family members . `` To end the anguish of the unknown for the Dubois family and to bring Amber home , we agreed we would not use this information against Gardner in court . '' Further efforts to collect evidence linking Gardner to Dubois ' death were unsuccessful , Dumanis said , leaving her office otherwise unable to pursue charges against him -- until he offered to plead guilty . `` Accepting this plea has been an extremely difficult decision . We have the evidence to pursue a murder charge against the defendant for Chelsea 's murder , but not for Amber 's murder , '' she said . `` By accepting this guilty plea , we are obtaining a conviction for the murder of Amber that we otherwise would not have been able to obtain . '' The prosecutor also echoed the sentiments of King 's father on the death penalty in California , where 13 executions have been carried out since the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated capital punishment in 1976 . `` Most of us realize a death sentence at this time is a hollow promise in California . Even if death was imposed , Brent , Kelly and their family would have to endure a preliminary hearing , a trial , decades of appeals and the pain of reliving the murder over and over again , '' she said . `` In addition , as parents they realized what Amber 's parents were facing . Her case would have no legal closure . '' A resolution for the Dubois family also figured into the King family 's decision to support the plea , Brent King said . `` We find ourselves in a position to help give another grieving family a measure of closure . The Dubois family has been through unthinkable hell the past 14 months . We could n't imagine the confession to Amber 's murder never seeing the light of day , leaving an eternal question mark , '' he said . `` There 's nothing , nothing satisfying about this moment . It 's only one more unbearably painful day that we 'll have to carry in our memory as long as we live . '' | John Albert Gardner III admits to raping , murdering Chelsea King , Amber Dubois . Plea deal sparing Gardner the death penalty also includes attack on jogger in December . Without plea , not enough evidence to charge Gardner in Dubois ' death , prosecutor says . Chelsea King 's dad says he wanted to avoid agony of trial , bring closure to Dubois family . | [[804, 813], [817, 862], [2501, 2610], [2530, 2610], [3019, 3026], [3032, 3090], [3019, 3026], [3032, 3090], [3648, 3743], [4393, 4405], [4408, 4473], [82, 150], [4144, 4226], [5483, 5517], [5523, 5563], [5628, 5698]] |
Mexico City , Mexico -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The death toll from heavy floods and mudslides in Mexico increased Tuesday to 41 , a government agency announced . Most of the deaths -- 30 -- have occurred in eastern Michoacan state , on the central Pacific coast . The state attorney general 's office released a list of the deceased Tuesday . Another 12 people are missing after mudslides from two large hills , Michoacan Gov. Leonel Godoy said Tuesday . The remaining 11 deaths resulted from a mudslide Saturday near the small town of Temascaltepec in neighboring Mexico state . Interior Secretary Fernando Francisco Gomez Mont has declared a state of natural disaster for the Michoacan cities of Angangueo , Ocampo , Tiquicheo de Nicolas Romero , Tuxpan and Tuzantla . The declaration makes those cities eligible for money from the federal natural disaster fund . The death toll in Michoacan had been 27 until three additional bodies were discovered Tuesday . Godoy said officials are focusing on three tasks : searching for anyone who is alive , recovering bodies and removing boulders and downed trees . Officials are under pressure to act quickly , he said , because another cold front with more possible rain is expected within the next few days . More than 3,500 Michoacan residents are homeless , the state government said on its Web site . In addition to Michoacan and Mexico states , unusually heavy rain in the past week also flooded parts of Mexico City , the nation 's capital . Up to 37,000 people nationwide have been affected , government officials said . On Sunday , Mexican President Felipe Calderon toured Valle de Chalco , another city in Mexico state on the eastern outskirts of the Mexico City metro area . National Water Commission Director Jose Luis Luege said Tuesday that contaminated water from a sewage network there that overflowed Friday will continue to flood the town for at least another 48 hours . The break in the sewage pipe had been fixed , but it burst again . Officials also built two dikes to contain the sewage but were unable to use them out of concern that they would burst under the intense pressure from the floodwaters , Luege said . `` It 's a very complicated operation , '' he said . More than 3,000 homes in Valle de Chalco were flooded . Mexico state is bordered on the west by Michoacan and adjoins Mexico City on three sides -- north , east and west . | Most of deaths have been in Mexico 's eastern Michoacan state . A dozen people missing after mudslides , Michoacan governor says . Flooding has affected up to 37,000 people nationwide , officials say . | [[155, 223], [336, 402], [405, 447], [1485, 1534]] |
New Delhi , India -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An explosion Saturday at an eatery in the western Indian city of Pune killed at least nine people and injured 33 others , authorities said . `` It appears to be a bomb blast , and bombs obviously are related to terrorism , '' said U.K. Bansal , special secretary for security in India 's Interior Ministry . Four of the dead were not from India , he told CNN . Home Secretary G.K. Pillai told reporters that the explosives were packed in a bag noticed by a waiter at the popular eatery called the German Bakery . The explosion occurred about 7:30 p.m. local time Saturday . Rajendra Sonawane , joint police commissioner for the city , said the blast struck the German Bakery in Pune 's Koregaon Park , sister network CNN-IBN reported . Initially , authorities thought a cooking gas cylinder had exploded at the bakery , but all cylinders were accounted for , according to CNN-IBN . An anti-terrorism squad is assisting in the investigation , Chandra Iyengar , home secretary for Maharashtra state , told CNN . However , he would n't confirm the blast as a terrorist attack . The German Bakery is frequented by tourists . It 's near the Osho Ashram , a commune founded by the late Indian guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh , who returned to India from the United States in the 1980s . CNN 's Harmeet Singh contributed to this report . | NEW : Explosives packed in bag noticed by waiter , home secretary says . NEW : Four of the dead not from India , security official says . At least eight people killed and 33 injured in explosion in Pune . Shop , known as the German Bakery , is frequented by tourists . | [[398, 480], [475, 522], [345, 381], [0, 33], [139, 156], [504, 549], [1112, 1157]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Spain striker Fernando Torres faces a race against time to be fit for the start of the World Cup after being ruled out for the rest of the European soccer season . Torres ' English club Liverpool announced that the player was to have knee surgery on Sunday night and would be sidelined out for about six weeks . That means the 26-year-old will miss the last four games of the English Premier League campaign , with Liverpool battling to qualify for next season 's Champions League . He has scored 22 goals this season , but had a month out after a knee operation in January . Top scorer Torres will also sit out both legs of the Europa League semifinal against Spanish side Atletico Madrid , with the second-tier European club tournament being Liverpool 's only hope of winning a trophy this season . `` Fernando saw a specialist in Spain earlier today and it was decided that he would need surgery on a torn cartilage in his right knee , '' Liverpool 's Web site reported on Sunday . `` This will be carried out later tonight . We can not comment ahead of the operation , but as a guide , the usual rehabilitation period for this type of procedure is around six weeks . '' The World Cup in South Africa kicks off on June 11 , with Spain 's first match against Switzerland five days later -- which gives Torres a two-week window to return to match fitness . Spain coach Vicente del Bosque must name his final 23-man squad by June 1 . European champions Spain will have pre-tournament friendlies in Austria against Saudi Arabia on May 29 and South Korea on June 3 , then play Poland in Murcia on June 8 . Meanwhile , Arsenal 's English Premier League title hopes are over after the third-placed London club conceded three goals in the last 11 minutes to lose 3-2 at struggling Wigan . Arsenal led with goals by England winger Theo Walcott and French defender Mikael Silvestre either side of halftime , but Ben Watson pulled one back with 10 minutes to play and a howler by Polish goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski gifted Titus Bramble a headed equalizer and Charles N'Zogbia curled in a superb injury-time winner . It was Arsenal 's second defeat in five days following the 2-1 reverse at fourth-placed Tottenham , and left Arsene Wenger 's team six points behind leaders Chelsea with three games to play . Wigan moved seven points clear of the relegation zone to almost guarantee another season in the top flight . Aston Villa moved above Liverpool into sixth place with a 2-1 win at relegated Portsmouth as substitute Nathan Delfouneso scored the winner with his first touch after Norway striker John Carew leveled and then missed a first-half penalty . In Spain , Real Madrid closed the gap on leaders Barcelona with a 2-0 victory at home to third-placed Valencia . Argentina striker Gonzalo Higuain coolly slotted his 25th league goal of the campaign after turning onto Guti 's threaded pass in the 25th minute , while fellow top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo sidefooted home Marcelo 's low cross with 12 minutes to play to also have 27 this season . Real trail champions Barca by one point with five matches to play , while Valencia are another 24 points adrift . Mallorca can move up to fourth place above Sevilla with victory at home to Osasuna on Monday . In Sunday 's other games , Athletic Bilbao stayed seventh after a 0-0 draw at home to struggling Zaragoza , third-bottom Tenerife won 3-2 against eighth-placed Getafe , Deportiva La Coruna drew 0-0 with Almeria , while Malaga were also held goalless by fellow relegation battlers Valladolid . In Italy , Roma returned to the top of Serie A with a 2-1 victory against Rome rivals Lazio on Sunday . Montenegro forward Mirko Vucinic scored both goals , the second a fine free-kick , after Tommaso Rocchi 's 14th-minute opener for Lazio as Roma went one point clear of champions Inter Milan with with games to play . Lazio should have led 2-0 but Sergio Floccari missed a penalty just after halftime , while teammate Cristian Ledesma was sent off at the end . Third-placed AC Milan lost 2-1 at Sampdoria , with defender Daniele Bonera sent off after 53 minutes with his team 1-0 up thanks to a first-half goal from Marco Borriello . Antonio Cassano leveled from the penalty resulting from Bonera 's dismissal and Giampaolo Pazzini headed an injury-time winner to put his side fourth , seven points behind Milan . In Germany , Borussia Dortmund failed to overtake fourth-placed Bayer Leverkusen after conceding a late equalizer in the 1-1 draw with visiting strugglers Hoffenheim . Bottom club Hertha Berlin earned a 2-2 draw at Eintracht Frankfurt but are still six points from safety with three games to play . | Fernando Torres ruled out for about six weeks as he needs operation on his knee . Liverpool striker will miss rest of European season and faces battle for World Cup fitness . Arsenal 's English title hopes suffer big blow with shock 3-2 defeat at Wigan . Real Madrid close to within a point of Spanish leaders Barcelona , beating Valencia 2-0 . | [[183, 330], [230, 281], [183, 214], [230, 240], [286, 330], [872, 955], [0, 15], [19, 115], [0, 15], [116, 182], [183, 330], [183, 214], [230, 240], [286, 330], [331, 426], [1623, 1632], [1635, 1724], [1749, 1752], [1769, 1802], [2668, 2676], [2679, 2726], [3062, 3122]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A spray-painted anti-Muslim message was discovered Thursday morning on the front of the Al-Farooq Islamic Center in downtown Nashville , Tennessee , according to police . A written note disparaging Islam also was left at the mosque , police said . Video from the scene showed `` Muslims go home , '' in red spray paint across a window of the mosque . The mosque was established in 2003 , according to the center 's Web site . The FBI also is involved in the investigation . CNN could not immediately reach mosque members for comment . | `` Muslims go home '' found sprayed on the Al-Farooq Islamic Center . A written note also was left disparaging Islam , police said . The FBI also is involved in the investigation . | [[21, 26], [27, 54], [0, 15], [40, 153], [190, 222], [228, 250], [0, 15], [40, 153], [0, 15], [168, 189], [190, 222], [228, 250], [253, 266], [445, 452], [458, 492]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Winter Olympics has been hit by tragedy after the death of a Georgian competitor following a crash during training for the high-speed luge event -- the International Olympic Committee -LRB- IOC -RRB- and the Georgian Embassy have confirmed . Nodar Kumaritashvili , 21 , was on the final corner of the course during official training when he had a `` serious crash '' and was propelled off the track at the Whistler Sliding Center in Vancouver , Canada , according to the IOC . `` Our first thoughts are with the family , friends and colleagues of the athlete . The whole Olympic Family is struck by this tragedy , which clearly casts a shadow over these Games '' , IOC President Jacques Rogge said in a statement . `` We are deeply struck by this tragedy and join the IOC in extending our condolences to the family , friends and teammates of this athlete , who came to Vancouver to follow his Olympic dream '' , added John Furlong of VANOC , the Games Organizing Committee . In the same statement , International Luge Federation President Josef Fendt said : `` This is a terrible accident . `` This is the gravest thing that can happen in sport , and our thoughts and those of the ` luge family ' , are naturally with those touched by this event . '' The luge event is one of the most dangerous in sport , with competitors sliding down an icy track on a sledge , while steering with their legs , at speeds approaching 100 miles per hour . Kumaritashvili was not considered one of the favorites to win a medal and was ranked 44th in the world . However , earlier in practice , gold medal favorite Armin Zoggeler of Italy also lost control and crashed on curve 11 , although he was able to walk away from the incident . The accident came just hours before the Games officially started with a lavish opening ceremony on Friday evening . | The Winter Olympics are hit by tragedy after the death of a competitor . Nodar Kumaritashvili of Georgia was killed suring a training crash for luge event . The 21-year-old smashed into a pole after coming off the track at high-speed . | [[0, 15], [19, 167], [0, 15], [19, 167], [361, 363], [394, 465]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The United States and Russia say they will be unable to reach a deal on an arms control treaty by the end of the year to replace their existing one , which expired this month . Assistant Secretary of State P.J. Crowley told reporters Tuesday that the U.S. delegation -- led by Assistant Secretary Rose Gottemoeller -- had returned for a recess from the START negotiations in Geneva . Talks are expected to resume in mid-January with new proposals . `` The team has gone through an intensive period of negotiations with their Russian counterparts over more than two months , '' Crowley said . `` Our goal remains to conclude a solid treaty for the president 's signature as soon as possible . '' The 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty , commonly known as START , expired on December 5 but the leaders agreed to honor its spirit until a new treaty could be negotiated to replace it . President Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev , who met last week in Copenhagen , Denmark , had hoped to sign an agreement by the end of the year . A statement on the Russian Foreign Ministry 's Web site said , `` Preparation of the new treaty is practically complete '' but `` a few problems have to be overcome in order to finalize the treaty and submit it to -LSB- the -RSB- presidents of Russia and the United States . This will be done very soon . '' `` Having resolved most issues discussed in recent months , delegations arrived at corresponding positions , '' the statement said . `` The Russian side would like to emphasize the talks have been constructive and business-like . It reflects partnership and mutual respect which characterize the current stage in the relations between Russia and the United States . '' Crowley also cited a few `` hurdles '' to an agreement , including the complexity of the weapons systems , agreement on the numbers of warhead reductions , and verification . But he said the two sides hope to finalize a deal to replace START when they meet next month . `` Clearly , over the course of these two months , we have made dramatic progress , '' he said . `` There are still issues that we continue to work through , so there 's still more work to be done . But I think we remain confident that , given good faith and the ongoing efforts of both sides , that this will get done . '' | Talks are expected to resume in mid-January with new proposals . 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty expired on December 5 . Leaders agreed to honor START until a replacement treaty could be negotiated . U.S. and Russian presidents had hoped a new agreement could be ready this year . | [[414, 478], [414, 419], [433, 478], [148, 206], [725, 765], [794, 815], [820, 897], [859, 913], [914, 967], [1014, 1069], [1934, 1988]] |
New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The son of actor Michael Douglas apologized to a federal judge before being sentenced to a five-year prison term Tuesday , promising to follow `` the true right path '' when released . Cameron Douglas , 31 , pleaded guilty to distributing large quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine in January . `` I apologize to the court for my decisions and actions that put me in front of you today , '' Douglas said in a trembling voice . He added , `` I have developed , in my mind , the idea that I want to take the right path , the true right path . '' U.S. District Judge Richard Berman rebuffed pleas by defense lawyers for a more lenient sentencing , telling the spectators that prison may be Douglas ' `` last chance . '' Cameron Douglas is the son of the two-time Academy Award winner and his first wife , Diandra Luker , both of whom attended the sentencing . As Cameron Douglas spoke , his mother was crying and his father appeared to be fighting back tears . Douglas , who was arrested in July 2009 at a Manhattan nightclub , asked Berman `` for opportunity to be a role model to my younger brothers and sisters . '' `` I believe , your honor , things will be different this time , '' he added . If given a second chance , he said , `` I will never squander that opportunity . '' Berman acknowledged that numerous letters sent on the defendant 's behalf by celebrities and others , but said some of the letters implied that he should not make an example of Douglas because he is the son of a famous actor . `` None acknowledged appropriately the numerous impacts to victims of society for dealing drugs , '' the judge said . | Cameron Douglas pleaded guilty in January to distributing meth and cocaine . Federal judge rebuffed pleas by defense lawyers for a more lenient sentencing . Douglas , 31 , was arrested in January 2009 at a New York nightclub . He is the son of actor Michael Douglas and his first wife , Diandra Luker . | [[213, 233], [236, 327], [577, 645], [750, 832]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- He never told a lie , as the story goes . So maybe if he were alive today , President George Washington could tell a New York City library what he did with two books he checked out 221 years ago . The two books -- weighty discourses on international relations and parliamentary debates -- were checked out on October 5 , 1789 . They were due on November 2 , 1789 , but were n't brought back . Since then , they 've been steadily collecting a fine of a few cents each day , adding up to more than $ 4,000 by the New York Society Library 's informal estimate . `` I 'm sorry , math is not my thing at all , '' said Jane Goldstein , the assistant head librarian when asked to hazard a guess . The fine at the time was 2 pence a day . Now , it 's 15 cents -- `` It 's really gone up , has n't it ? '' she quipped . One of the librarians , Matthew Haugen , guessed the fine to be in the region of 3,000 British pounds , or about $ 4,577 . `` He stuck with the pence concept , '' Goldstein said . The library first learned of the missing books when it discovered a yellowed ledger in its basement . It listed all the people who had checked out books from the city 's oldest library between July 1789 and April 1792 . Next to the works `` Law of Nations '' and the 12th volume of `` Common Debates '' was the name of the person who checked them out : `` President . '' At the time , New York was the capital of the United States , and the library was the only one in town . Soon after , the capital was relocated to Philadelphia and then Washington D.C. . The New York library , a subscription library that was New York 's first library open to the public , has known about the missing books since the 1930s . The matter came up again recently because the library is capturing the ledgers in digital form to preserve the records . Library officials cross-checked the books mentioned in the ledger with the ones in their collection . `` Volume 12 -LRB- of `` Common Debates '' -RRB- was still missing , '' as was the other book , Goldstein said . The library is not so concerned about the fine as it is about each book . `` We do n't know where it is , '' she said . `` We have tried to find it and we ca n't , '' she said . | George Washington has racked up a growing fine on two overdue books from NYC library . The discourses on international relations , parliamentary debates were never returned . New York Society Library would like to track down the books . The library has known about the missing books since the 1930s . | [[175, 184], [188, 215], [216, 304], [308, 346], [347, 351], [388, 411], [1568, 1588], [1661, 1721]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Claudio Ranieri 's Roma side are through to the final of the Italian Cup , despite losing 1-0 to Udinese in the second leg of their semifinal on Wednesday . Serie A leaders Roma will now face Inter Milan at their own Olympic stadium next month in a battle of the leading two teams in the table -- after going through 2-1 on aggregate . Remarkably it will be the fifth time in six seasons that the teams are meeting in the final , with each winning two finals apiece prior to May 's showpiece . The only goal came with nine minutes remaining when Alexis Sanchez fired a shot through goalkeeper Julio Sergio 's legs from an acute angle . That gave Roma some nervy moments as the clock ran down . Marco Cassetti was sent off for a second bookable offence , meaning the visitors played the last six minutes with just 10 men . And they were lucky not to concede again when Gokhan Inler 's fierce drive from long range struck the post . Serie A champions Inter secured their place in the final with a 2-0 aggregate win over Fiorentina last week . Meanwhile , in the English Premier League , Aston Villa boosted their hopes of reaching the fourth Champions League place with a 2-0 win at relegation-threatened Hull . Gabriel Agbonlahor put the visitors ahead in the 13th minute , taking advantage of some poor Hull defending . And Villa secured their win when James Milner netted a 75th-minute penalty after the England midfielder had been fouled in the area by George Boateng . Villa are up to sixth place , three points behind fourth-placed Tottenham although they have played a game more , while remain third bottom of the table , three points behind fourth bottom West Ham United . | Claudio Ranieri 's Roma side are through to the final of the Italian Cup . They are through despite losing 1-0 to Udinese in the second leg of their semifinal . Roma will now face Inter Milan in the final for the fifth time in the last six seasons . | [[0, 15], [38, 59], [0, 15], [94, 175], [176, 205], [211, 312], [176, 196], [202, 312], [355, 484]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Icelandic volcano producing the ash cloud snarling much of European air traffic has not stopped erupting . Is there any chance that flight schedules could return to normal any time soon , and does the weather forecast provide any relief ? Here are some common questions and answers about the ash cloud crisis . Q : For how long will the volcanic cloud remain in the atmosphere ? A : The very fine ash previously injected into higher levels of the atmosphere -- above 20,000 feet -- will remain in the air for `` quite some time , '' because the particles can be removed only by thunderstorms , which are not expected in the next few days , the World Meteorological Organization said Tuesday . The current high pressure system , with weak winds and slowly descending air in the center , is not helping to disperse the ash cloud , the WMO said . Still , the ash particles are slowly descending to lower levels , and there is evidence that most of the ash is now between the ground and about 10,000 feet , the WMO said . Q : What does the weather forecast say ? A : The current high-pressure system over Iceland is expected to dissipate toward the end of the week , when a stronger low-pressure system is predicted to develop , the WMO said . Not only will this system change the winds and push the ash toward the Arctic , but the rains associated with this system will help `` wash out '' the ash at lower levels , the WMO said . While that directly affects only the ash in Iceland , it could be good news for the rest of Europe , because some of the ash could be `` washed out '' of the air before it reaches the continent , said CNN weather anchor Mari Ramos . For Ireland and the United Kingdom , upper-level winds coming from the north are not predicted to change any time soon . Any rain that does develop closer to Europe would be unlikely to help wash much of the ash out of the atmosphere , Ramos said , because the ash cloud has generally remained above any weather system . The ash currently being spewed out by the volcano is reaching as high as 20,000 feet . Q : If the weather is n't going to change , when might the volcano stop erupting ? A : The eruption will continue for a while , but the activity will become less and less explosive , said volcanologist Simon Day of University College London . The more important question is how long the volcano will continue to send ash high into the atmosphere . `` With the first phases , the ash was going up to 30,000 to 40,000 feet , '' Day said . `` The current levels that the ash is being ejected to is maybe only 10,000 or 20,000 feet . It 's probably also coarser-grained ash as well -- it 's not quite so finely divided on the whole -- so it 's going to settle out faster . So although the eruption may continue for a long time , and we may over the next few months see bursts of explosive activity , it 's probably not going to be as much of a problem as it has been during this last week . '' Q : Does the appearance of the volcano 's plume indicate anything about the ash ? A : The whiteness of the plume suggests it contains mainly steam and little ash , the WMO said . When under-glacier eruptions occur , like this one in Iceland , the volcanoes tend to produce finer particles of ash , which stay in the air longer , Day said . That 's because the melting ice shatters the magma , which contains the particles that eventually become ash . Q : What do the ash particles look like ? A : The particles are extremely fine -- about as fine as pollen , Day said . They are made up of rocks , minerals , and volcanic glass , which together form volcanic ash , the WMO said . Such ash is hard , does not dissolve in water , and is extremely abrasive and mildly corrosive , the WMO said . Q : Iceland has many volcanoes , so why has n't this situation happened before ? A : The last time an Icelandic volcano produced so much ash over Europe was in 1947 , when the Hekla volcano erupted -- but that was when there were fewer planes in the sky and the world was n't as dependent on air travel as it is now , Day said . Disruption to air travel as a result of volcanoes happens frequently in the northern Pacific , along the Alaska-to-Japan route , where four to five days a year ash levels force flights to be diverted , Day said . But airlines can more easily divert their routes there than they can in Europe . | Meteorologists : very fine ash in upper atmosphere will remain for `` quite some time '' Low-pressure system expected to push ash toward the Arctic , bring rain . Volcanologist : Activity will become less and less explosive over time . Ash particles are as fine as pollen , but hard , abrasive and mildly corrosive . | [[406, 480], [466, 480], [497, 534], [2366, 2439], [3274, 3277], [3286, 3308], [1263, 1340], [1343, 1433], [2220, 2272], [3479, 3520], [3662, 3670], [3714, 3756]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The scrolling list of online student activities for Tuesday , April 20 , lists a spring play rehearsal , a talk by `` famous photographer , John Fielder '' -- and `` NO SCHOOL . '' It 's a tough day to be within those walls . It was there , 11 years ago , that Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold embarked on a massacre -- shooting 12 classmates and a teacher dead and injuring 23 others before turning the gun on themselves . Columbine High School was forever etched into the psyche of America . The top news story of 1999 . An iconic shooting . An event prompted intense debate over gun control . `` A day that changed us forever , '' as former President Bill Clinton said at 10th anniversary observances last year . Clinton , who was in the White House at the time of the killings , said he was personally inspired by the courage of the Columbine community . Tuesday marks anniversary number 11 , an odd-year milestone that millions of Americans will let come and go without notice . But for the survivors , for the victims ' families and friends , time 's steady march is not enough to dull the pain . The memories are still raw in Littleton , Colorado . Principal Frank DeAngelis attended a teary prom last weekend when Columbine crowned a king and queen with special needs . An act of goodwill and fraternity . An act exemplifying the human spirit . `` This , '' DeAngelis told CNN affiliate KMGH in Denver , is what Columbine is all about . '' In far away Dallas , Texas , Jordan Niland , 17 , said he is sure to pick up his telephone Tuesday . He will dial the number of Richard Castaldo . Castaldo , a junior at Columbine in 1999 , suffered five gunshot wounds to his chest , back , arm and colon that left him paralyzed from the waist down . Niland was a young boy then . But after seeing Michael Moore 's documentary , `` Bowling for Columbine , '' he struck up a MySpace conversation with Castaldo . The two have been friends since . '' `` The anniversary means so much to me , '' Niland said . `` I have had the privilege to talk and get to know a survivor and to fully understand what really went on that day . '' If people could personally hear Castaldo 's story , Niland said , they would stop to reflect on this day . Because such a horror , he said , should not be forgotten . And because life goes on . A Columbine memorial dedicated in 2007 , is sure to be visited Tuesday . But like the tragedy itself , the memorial , meant as a place of reflection , is incomplete , gaps running through it like the voids in people 's lives . The memorial park has posted a wish list to complete the peace it is intended to bestow . Hackberry trees , lavender mist , spirea , purple asters . And 24 columbines . Any variety will do , the memorial 's website says . As long as they are columbines . | Columbine High School will be closed on day of anniversary . `` Day that changed us forever , '' former President Bill Clinton said last year . Memorial park has posted a wish list of items sought to complete it . | [[615, 620], [626, 644], [647, 731], [2562, 2624], [2591, 2651]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Spain striker Fernando Torres has rejected accusations he put the World Cup before his club Liverpool after he was ruled out of action for six weeks . Torres traveled from England to Barcelona by car to see a specialist , due to the ongoing disruption to flights caused by the ash emanating from a volcano in Iceland , for an operation on his knee . The 26-year-old will miss the rest of the English Premier League season , as well as Liverpool 's Europa League semifinal against his former club Atletico Madrid , after picking up the injury in a game against Portuguese side Benfica . He now faces a race to be fit for Spain 's opening game of the World Cup in South Africa against Switzerland on June 16 . He told his official Web site : `` I picked up the injury in the second minute of the Europa League clash at home to Benfica , and I went onto to play for another 85 minutes with an injured knee . `` If I was only thinking about Spain and the World Cup , I would have asked the boss -LSB- Rafael Benitez -RSB- to have taken me off straight after the incident . `` We analyzed all the possibilities before finally choosing the last of them all : surgery . The meniscus was damaged and the doctors all agreed that I needed an operation on my right knee . '' On the World Cup Torres said : `` I have been waiting four years for this and , if all goes well , I do not anticipate missing it . My road to recovery has already started . '' Torres expressed his disappointment at missing the European clash with his former club , Atletico Madrid , who he left to join Liverpool in 2007 . He added : `` I was very excited about returning and playing against `` Atleti '' . I wanted to be there again and greet the people , because for me this is a very endearing qualification round . I will have many more opportunities in the future . '' Torres had to travel to Barcelona by car after his original flight was cancelled due to the fallout from the ash cloud that has grounded all European flights . He said : `` On Friday we knew that with the meniscus not quite right , we were facing a race against time . `` The flight we originally had booked was cancelled and we had to organize a trip out of nothing in just under 30 minutes . The journey was very long , but it was the only way of getting to Barcelona . '' | Fernando Torres insists he did n't put his country before his club . Torres has been ruled out for six weeks after an operation on his knee . Liverpool striker will miss rest of European season and faces battle for World Cup fitness . | [[0, 15], [19, 120], [74, 169], [369, 490], [605, 726], [618, 713]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Delaware pediatrician was indicted Wednesday on 58 additional counts of rape and other sexual offenses in the alleged child abuse of his patients , state Attorney General Beau Biden announced Monday . Dr. Earl Bradley , 56 , previously pleaded not guilty to 471 felony counts involving 102 girls and one boy . Wednesday 's indictment -- which includes charges of rape , unlawful sexual contact , continuous sexual abuse of a child and sexual exploitation -- involves 24 girls he saw as patients from 1999 to 2009 . Biden has said the charges are based on `` video and digital evidence '' seized from Bradley 's home and medical practice in December , when the doctor was arrested . Bradley , whose practice was in Lewes , Delaware , also has medical licenses in Pennsylvania , New Jersey and Florida . Authorities have said they have contacted officials in those states . In a February 24 interview with CNN , Bradley 's attorney said he would base his client 's defense on mental health . `` Most of the evidence in this case comes from videotapes -- it 's kind of hard to argue with videotapes , '' Eugene Maurer Jr. said . He added , `` The issue in this case is going to come down to his mental health at the time . '' | Dr. Earl Bradley previously pleaded not guilty to 471 felony counts . Latest charges involve 24 girls he saw as patients from 1999 to 2009 . Officials say charges are based on `` video and digital evidence '' | [[222, 238], [246, 296], [279, 330], [331, 354], [479, 535], [536, 605], [1011, 1069]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Apple Inc. has n't said how much future generations of the iPhone will cost , but an editor of a technology blog said his site shelled out $ 5,000 to get its hands on a possible prototype . Gizmodo Senior Editor Jesus Diaz said his blog paid `` a source '' $ 5,000 for the phone , which was shown in a video on the blog Monday . `` Paying for an exclusive has always been done in the journalism world . There are people who admit they do it and people who do not . We have done it , '' Diaz told CNN 's Gabriela Frias in an interview on CNN en Español 's `` En Efectivo . '' Diaz said the blog 's source obtained the phone after it was left in a bar . `` An engineer was in a bar , celebrating his birthday . He drank two drinks too many and forgot the phone , '' Diaz said . He said Gizmodo returned the phone to Apple after receiving a letter asking for it . `` It has come to our attention that Gizmodo is currently in possession of a device that belongs to Apple , '' says the short letter from Apple 's lawyer to the blog . `` This letter constitutes a formal request that you return the device to Apple . Please let me know where to pick up the unit . '' Gizmodo , which posted the letter on its site , said the letter erases any doubt that the phone is the real deal . `` Just so you know , we did n't know this was stolen when we bought it , '' wrote Brian Lam , the site 's editorial director , in his response . `` Now that we definitely know it 's not some knockoff and it really is Apple 's , I 'm happy to see it returned to its rightful owner . `` P.S. I hope you take it easy on the kid who lost it . I do n't think he loves anything more than Apple except , well , beer . '' Photos of the fourth-generation iPhone prototype first appeared on the tech blog Engadget over the weekend . The site said whoever sent the photos found the phone on the floor of a bar in San Jose , California . On Monday , Gizmodo said it had obtained the device , but would n't say how . Diaz said the price Gizmodo paid for the phone was worth it , even though editors were n't able to take advantage of all its features . `` It was remotely deactivated by Apple , '' he said . `` But the screen is better , double the resolution of past versions . The quality of the product is much better . ... It is pleasing to touch it . '' The find was widely considered the real thing in the tech world . `` At this point we 're pretty much certain it is this summer 's new model , '' wrote Wired magazine . `` Somebody at Apple is in big trouble . '' Daring Fireball blogger John Gruber , who is known to have connections inside Apple 's Cupertino , California , headquarters , said on his blog that Apple had reported a prototype stolen . He also said Apple has a patent out for a phone with a ceramic backing . Some of the images online appeared to show just such a backing . Gizmodo 's photos of the device 's internal components show they 're labeled as Apple products . The blog also said a computer recognized the device as an iPhone , and the phone apparently runs the yet-to-be-released iPhone OS 4.0 . Apple has not confirmed that a new version of the iPhone exists , though analysts widely expect the fourth generation of the device will be released in the summer . Apple did not return CNN requests for comment . Even if the new iPhone is real , it 's important to keep in mind that the device is just a prototype . It 's unclear how many of its features will be available on the new phone . A quick glance at the photos shows a flatter , less curvy iPhone . The back of the phone is completely flat , unlike the current model , which is tapered to fit the curve of a palm . The new phone 's back is ceramic rather than plastic , and has an aluminum border with two volume buttons instead of just one . Unlike the current model , it has a front-facing camera . It also has a camera on the back , which is larger than the one on the back of the current 3GS model . | Blog editor says his site shelled out $ 5,000 to get a possible 4G iPhone prototype . Gizmodo says it received a letter from Apple that erases any doubt the phone is real . The leaked new iPhone is 3 grams heavier than the iPhone 3GS , blog says . Photos show a less curvy iPhone with a ceramic back , unlike the current plastic back . | [[101, 208], [209, 297], [795, 863], [803, 879], [1180, 1187], [1228, 1294], [3507, 3573], [3690, 3742]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Wimbledon organizers have increased prize money for the men 's and women 's champions to # 1 million -LRB- $ 1.53 million -RRB- . The All England Club has sanctioned the # 150,000 rise to offset the effects of the falling value of the British pound against the US dollar and euro . The total prize money for the event will be # 13.725 million , an increase of # 1.175 million on 2009 . The All England Club agreed to pay women the same prize money as men for the first time in 2007 . The # 1 million prize for the 2010 ladies singles ' champion is more than double that of eight years ago . `` Wimbledon exists in a highly competitive global marketplace and it is the world 's best players who create and drive the interest , '' said All England Club chairman Tim Phillips in a statement on the tournament Web site . `` It is important that we offer a level of prize money which is both appropriate to the prestige of the event and which gives the players full and fair reward . '' Phillips also announced that this year 's tournament , which runs from June 21 to July 4 , will be a `` World Cup-free zone '' , with football fans denied the chance to watch matches on the big screens at the All England Club . `` This is arguably the leading tennis tournament in the world and people come here to watch tennis , '' Phillips added . `` If people want to watch the World Cup they should go to South Africa or watch it on the TV . '' Meanwhile , world number three Rafael Nadal has pulled out of the Barcelona Open in order to rest an ongoing knee problem . Nadal , who won the Monte Carlo Masters on Sunday , had been expected to attempt to win his sixth title in a row at him home tournament . `` I am really sorry not to be able to play in Barcelona , more than any other tournament , but this year after the win in Monte Carlo my body is asking me to rest , '' Nadal told his official Web site . | Wimbledon men and womens ' champions to receive # 1 million prize money . The figure is # 150,000 higher than last year 's total . Wimbledon championships to be a `` World Cup-free zone '' Rafael Nadal pulls out of Barcelona Open to rest knee injury . | [[19, 104], [503, 609], [1001, 1009], [1015, 1221], [1450, 1459], [1462, 1539], [1462, 1493], [1540, 1573]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho has played down the threat posed by Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi as two of European football 's giants face off in the Champions League semifinal on Tuesday night . Messi has been in scintillating form all season , scoring all four goals in Barca 's quarterfinal second leg victory over Arsenal . The Argentine will spearhead the Barcelona attack in the first leg clash at Milan 's San Siro stadium , but Mourinho sees the 22-year-old as just one part of a formidable team . `` What we know is that he is an important player but football , for me , is not about marking man to man , Mourniho told reporters at a pre-match press conference in Milan . `` It is not one against Messi and 10 versus 10 , it will be 11 v 11 , although he deserves special attention . '' Mourinho is charged with plotting a path past the reigning European , Spanish and World Club champions who are seeking to become the first team to defend the European Cup since AC Milan in 1990 . Inter drew 0-0 at home with Barca in the group stage of this season 's competition and were beaten 2-0 in Spain . `` Barca deserved to win in November , '' said Mourinho , who worked as a translator at Barcelona in the 1990s before becoming a manager and leading Porto to the Champions League trophy in 2004 . `` They are as strong now as they were then , but we are much stronger . I do n't mind if the football world considers them favorites , I think we have a 50 % chance of playing in the final . '' Barcelona arrived in Milan on Monday evening after being forced to travel for 14 hours by road because of the volcanic ash cloud hovering over Europe . `` It is not the ideal situation for us to travel 14 hours by coach after a league game and before a semi-final against Inter , but you can not stop a volcano , can you ? , '' said Barca coach Josep Guardiola . `` We decided to use two buses to have more space and I did n't travel with the players because I think it 's better for them not to always have their coach with them . '' Guardiola is wary of the threat posed by a side who knocked out English Premier League leaders Chelsea in the last 16 and have won the Italian league title the last four years . `` They 're a very strong team and we 'll need to play well twice . We 'll play our game and try to score as many goals as possible , '' he said . `` But we could lose because we 're playing against one of the best teams in Europe . '' | Mourinho plays down threat posed by Barcelona star Messi in Champions League semifinal . Inter take on the defending champions in Milan on Tuesday night . Barcelona arrived in Milan on Monday after a 14-hour journey by road . | [[0, 15], [19, 77], [130, 219], [1521, 1649]] |
Atlanta , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Early-morning commuters in much of the Deep South , braced for the possibility of a second round of snow and ice , had an easier-than-expected ride Monday as warmer temperatures kept winter weather at bay . Most winter weather advisories and warnings were canceled early Monday except for portions of northern Alabama and Georgia at higher elevations . However , the advisories and warnings stretched into Ohio and Pennsylvania . Forecasters had warned of an additional 1 to 3 inches of snow accumulation in the South on Sunday night into Monday morning . The Deep South had up to 6 inches of snow in some areas Friday . But `` the accumulating snow that was in last night 's forecast is n't going to happen , '' CNN meteorologist Sean Morris said Monday . `` It is now too warm . '' As of 5:30 a.m. ET , the temperature in Atlanta was 41 degrees , well above the freezing mark , and rain was falling . Forecasters initially had expected the rain to turn into snow after 1 a.m. Monday . Snow flurries are forecast later Monday as an Arctic front moves through , Morris said , but no accumulation was expected outside mountainous areas . The weather will be `` not nearly as bad as what was forecast , '' CNN meteorologist Rob Marciano said . Hundreds of flights were canceled out of Atlanta in anticipation of the newest round of winter weather . Delta Air Lines said Sunday that it was canceling 400 flights from early morning through noon Monday , the majority in the Carolinas , Tennessee and Georgia . AirTran Airways canceled 48 flights scheduled to depart or arrive in Atlanta between 8 and 10 a.m. Monday , and a spokesman said more cancellations were possible . Beleaguered states in the mid-Atlantic region also may catch a break from the heavy snowfall initially predicted . A snow emergency set to take effect Monday morning in Washington will not happen . The National Weather Service was forecasting a slight chance of snow before noon , then a mix of rain and snow , with an above-freezing high of 36 degrees . The area already has shoveled itself out of a season record snowfall of 55.9 inches , according to preliminary National Weather Service estimates . iReport : Share your pictures and videos . Slick conditions in Kansas on Sunday caused at least two massive pileups , one of which involved as many as 30 vehicles . Video showed cars , vans and trucks sandwiched on a small bridge , with emergency workers climbing over vehicles to reach the injured . The extent of injuries was not immediately known . Portions of Interstates 70 and 35 were closed for hours , according to the Kansas Department of Transportation . Drivers involved in the I-70 pileup described poor visibility conditions to CNN affiliate KSHB in Kansas City , Missouri . `` It happened too fast , '' said motorist Sam Skramstad , who was driving home to Colorado . `` It was just there and I headed for the guardrail and it did n't move . And then I just kept getting nailed from behind . '' He said his wife went to the hospital with chest pains after the crash . Friday 's storm system crawled from Texas to the Atlantic Coast , starting before dawn Thursday and lasting until Saturday morning . During that period , 8.8 inches of snow fell on Harkers Island , North Carolina , according to weather service data . Other notable snowfall totals include : 14.9 inches in Duncanville , Texas ; 6 inches in Belleville , Alabama ; 6.1 inches in Shreveport , Louisiana ; 8 inches in DeKalb , Mississippi ; and 7.3 inches in Columbia , South Carolina . As of Friday , according to the National Weather Service , 68.1 percent of the United States was covered with snow , compared with 51.2 percent in January . Every state except Hawaii had some snow cover . | NEW : Most weather advisories canceled Monday except higher elevations in Alabama , Georgia . NEW : CNN meteorologist : `` Snow that was in last night 's forecast is n't going to happen '' Hundreds of Atlanta flights for Monday were canceled as system approached . Slick conditions in Kansas cause at least two massive pileups . | [[244, 314], [662, 686], [722, 744], [1279, 1383], [1384, 1484], [2253, 2325]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- If treating heroin addicts by giving them heroin seems counterintuitive , having the government fund that addiction to the tune of more than $ 22,000 per patient per year comes across as downright radical . A heroin addict identified as Sarah says the program had an almost immediate affect on her life . A newly released British study , however , found that daily heroin injections given to hard-to-treat addicts as part of a comprehensive program succeeded in treating those addicts and reducing crime . The use of street heroin was reduced by three quarters and the crimes committed trying to get drugs were cut by two-thirds , the study found . `` The intensity of the program is quite striking , '' said John Strang , who led the research team at Britain 's National Addiction Centre , associated with King 's College in London . `` The bond that is formed and the commitment that 's established between the patient coming in for treatment and the staff is far greater than you would ever ordinarily see . '' Taking heroin off the streets seems to be making a difference . Researchers injected heroin in a safe , stable environment at medically supervised clinics . They crucially paired that with intensive counseling and addiction treatment . The researchers reported that benefits were evident just six weeks into treatment among users who had failed at other kinds of treatment . One of those participants was `` Sarah , '' who said that after coping with her addiction for more than 20 years , she lost hope that anything would work . Watch Sarah describe the program '' Sarah described how the program had an almost immediate affect on her life . She said she was able to keep a schedule , stop buying drugs on the street and gain an appreciation of what her life could be like if she was n't so consumed by getting high . `` You 'll always be an addict basically ; it 's about managing it and leading a positive life '' said Sarah , adding , `` It quickly became , well , I actually do want to stop . I do n't really want to have to stick needles in me all my life . '' Her biggest fear now is that the program will be cut or shut down if the government deems it too controversial . Another patient , who asked to be identified as `` Emma , '' said , `` The morality of it was taken out of the question . I was n't being condemned for it and at last I could start taking responsibility in a rational way . '' Emma described being chaotic , confused , emaciated and always dreaming about her next fix . By contrast , she said , the program made her feel cared for , supported and , above all , confident that she could kick the heroin habit . `` This thing that was the meaning of your life is becoming the thing that is getting in the way of your life and it becomes very unattractive , '' she said . Strang said the stubborn nature of heroin addiction is proof that getting addicts into treatment is really a shallow achievement , because many will eventually turn to drugs again . He believes this promising approach could change the way hard-to-treat addicts are treated and convince the government that the initial high cost offers good value . `` From the cost point of view , if you actually look at the bigger picture , cheap treatment is n't always good treatment . If cheap treatment does n't deliver any benefit then it 's particularity bad value , '' Strang said . The reduction in crime found by the study mirrors results in a handful of studies in other countries . The treatment is relatively expensive , about $ 22,000 per patient , per year . But in Britain many are coming to terms with the fact that keeping a person in prison can cost three times that . If the encouraging results continue , Britain could one day set up permanent clinics around the country , dispensing heroin for its most hard-to-treat addicts . | British program gives daily injections to addicts as part of a comprehensive program . Injections are paired that with intensive counseling and addiction treatment . Program costs $ 22,000 per patient per year ; proponents say that 's cheaper than jail . Patient : `` I could start taking responsibility in a rational way '' | [[341, 371], [384, 541], [1207, 1285], [9, 32], [110, 206], [3527, 3606], [2390, 2453]] |
Austin , Texas -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The man who flew an airplane into a building housing an Internal Revenue Service office may have replaced some of its seats with a drum of fuel to cause maximum damage , a law enforcement official familiar with the investigation said Friday . The official , who would not speak on the record because it is an ongoing case , said investigators have determined that the Piper Cherokee PA-28 had several seats removed and that a fuel drum was missing from the airport from which Andrew Joseph `` Joe '' Stack III took off Thursday morning . `` I think there is a good chance he might have put it on his plane , '' said the official , who cautioned that investigators were still working that lead and sifting through the crash site . The single-engine plane has a fuel tank capacity of 38 gallons and is equipped with four seats , according to the Web site risingup.com . The FBI said Friday it has taken the lead role in the investigation of Thursday 's crash into the 7-story building in northwest Austin that held offices for nearly 200 IRS workers . `` You 're talking about a federal agency that was basically assaulted , '' Ralph Diaz , special agent in charge of the FBI 's San Antonio , Texas , field office , told reporters . Two people were killed and two others were hospitalized , federal officials said . Though the remains found in the IRS building have been identified , their identities will not be revealed until after a forensic examination , Diaz said Friday . `` One may be Mr. Stack and our fear is certainly the other would be either someone who was visiting or someone who was employed in the building , '' he said . Emergency services chief Ernie Rodriguez said one of the injured was treated and released ; the other remained hospitalized . City of Austin Fire Chief Rhoda Mae Kerr credited the building 's fire protection , fast work by the Fire Department and the fact that the employees had practiced exiting the building in case of an emergency for the low loss of life and injuries . `` It truly worked , '' she said . Austin attack stuns community . Rodriguez said units arrived on the scene within five minutes of the first 911 call prepared to manage hundreds of injured people . `` We found only two persons , '' he said . `` When you look at the fire , when you look at the evidence , it 's hard to say that we were lucky , but we were , '' he said . `` The big thing to remember is that yesterday , in the midst of this event , God 's grace was upon us . '' Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo credited fast thinking by some people who were inside the building as the plane approached for the fact that few people were hurt . `` Some folks saw it coming and sounded the alarm yesterday , and some folks started running away from that side of the building , '' he said . Stack 's wife , Sheryl Stack , expressed her `` sincere sympathy to the victims and their families '' Friday . `` Words can not adequately express the sorrow or the sympathy I feel for everyone affected by this unimaginable tragedy , '' she said in a statement read by a family friend , Rayford Walker . Authorities say Stack also torched his $ 230,000 home in Austin on Thursday morning before embarking on his fatal flight . Police said Sheryl Stack spent Wednesday night in an Austin-area hotel but did not say why . Acevedo said police had received no calls of domestic violence from the house . The only calls to police were made a couple of years ago and concerned barking dogs , he said . A 3,000-word message on a Web site registered to Stack railed against the government , particularly the IRS . Read the apparent suicide note -LRB- PDF -RRB- . `` I saw it written once that the definition of insanity is repeating the same process over and over and expecting the outcome to suddenly be different , '' the online message says . `` I am finally ready to stop this insanity . Well , Mr. Big Brother IRS man , let 's try something different ; take my pound of flesh and sleep well . '' Acevedo reiterated on Friday his assertion first made Thursday that the incident was not an act of terrorism . `` Part of our jobs in law enforcement is not to overreact and cause undue panic , '' he said . `` And with the information that we had , there was no need to alarm our colleagues around the country and community members by using the word ` terrorism . ' That is why definitely I did not use it yesterday and I 'm not using it today . '' An IRS criminal investigator visited Stack 's accountant after Thursday 's events , leaving a business card on the CPA 's front door . The online message believed to have been written by Stack mentions accountant Bill Ross , saying it had become `` brutally evident that he was representing himself and not me . '' Watch what Stack 's writing reveals about him . IRS investigator James L. Neff said that Ross is not under investigation ; officials just wanted to make sure he was OK . `` We did n't know if he was alive or dead , '' Neff said . Ross , who did not return a call from CNN , was fine , the investigator said . Friends and former colleagues said Friday they had no inkling of the rage apparently building inside Stack . `` He hid that very well , '' said Billy Eli , in whose band Stack played bass until a few years ago . `` Obviously he was in some serious distress and had some real despair . I never saw that . '' Neither did another former bandmate , Ric Furley . Watch how bandmates remember Stack . `` I never saw him in a bad mood or speaking negatively about anything or anyone , '' Furley told CNN 's `` American Morning . '' `` This has been such a shock because it was totally out of character with the Joe Stack I played with for three years , '' said Eli . `` We liked him , '' said Furley . `` We liked him . '' Share information about the crash and the pilot . An IRS spokesman said federal law prohibits the agency from releasing information about any interactions the agency may have had with Stack . The IRS issued a statement Friday saying tax returns will not be delayed . CNN 's David Mattingly , Ed Lavandera and Carol Cratty contributed to this report . | NEW : Seats removed from plane , fuel drum missing from airport . FBI takes lead role in investigation into Austin , Texas , crash . Pilot 's wife expresses her `` sincere sympathy to the victims and their families '' Joseph Stack believed to have flown plane into IRS building in suicidal attack . | [[277, 291], [358, 498], [902, 1036], [2832, 2845], [2863, 2930], [2993, 3063], [34, 41], [46, 86]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A South Carolina sheriff 's office is investigating whether Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps smoked marijuana on the University of South Carolina campus . Michael Phelps is facing a criminal investigation into whether he smoked marijuana on a college campus . Authorities will file criminal charges if the investigation determines that they are warranted , a spokesman said Tuesday . `` If someone breaks the law in Richland County , we have an obligation as law enforcement to investigate and to bring charges , '' Sheriff Leon Lott said in a statement . `` The Richland County Sheriff 's Department is making an effort to determine if Mr. Phelps broke the law . If he did , he will be charged in the same manner as anyone else . The sheriff has a responsibility to be fair , to enforce the law and to not turn a blind eye because someone is a celebrity . '' Phelps admitted `` regrettable behavior '' on Sunday after a British newspaper published a photograph of him smoking through a bong . The tabloid News of the World showed Phelps using the bong during what it said was a November party at the University of South Carolina , in Richland County . Both university police and Columbia , South Carolina , police have said they would not pursue charges , according to The State newspaper in Columbia . It was unclear where the party took place , the paper said , or whether it was on the USC campus . `` I engaged in behavior which was regrettable and demonstrated bad judgment , '' said Phelps , who won a record eight gold medals at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing , China , in a statement Sunday . See the photo on the cover of Star magazine '' `` I 'm 23 years old , and despite the successes I have had in the pool , I acted in a youthful and inappropriate way , not in a manner that people have come to expect from me , '' he said . `` For this , I am sorry . I promise my fans and the public -- it will not happen again . '' The U.S. Olympic Committee also issued a statement that said in part , `` Michael has acknowledged that he made a mistake and apologized for his actions . We are confident that , going forward , Michael will consistently set the kind of example we all expect from a great Olympic champion . '' In 2004 , Phelps was arrested on charges of driving under the influence in Salisbury , Maryland . He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 18 months probation . He also issued an apology after that incident . Phelps is one of 12 Olympic athletes who have signed on to `` My Victory , '' an initiative launched last year by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency aimed at keeping competitive sports clean . | Charges will be filed if warranted , sheriff 's spokesman says . Tabloid published photo it says was taken at University of South Carolina . Photo shows Phelps with a water pipe used for smoking pot . Phelps apologized over weekend for `` regrettable behavior '' | [[380, 406], [1399, 1425], [883, 935], [1959, 1985], [1991, 2113], [2412, 2414], [2420, 2459]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar , the Afghan Taliban commander whose capture was made public this week , is one of the most senior figures in the movement to be seized -- second only to Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar . Baradar was Afghanistan 's deputy defense minister when the Taliban controlled the country , according to the U.N. committee in charge of sanctions on al Qaeda and Taliban members . In recent years , he has been a senior military commander and a member of the Taliban 's governing Quetta Council , the committee said . He has been `` very much in control of the military operation in Afghanistan , responsible for appointing the commanders '' on the ground , said M.J. Gohel , executive director of the Asia-Pacific Foundation , a think tank focusing on security . `` Baradar is known to have had a very close relationship with Osama bin Laden in the past , '' Gohel said . `` If anyone would know where the senior leaders are of al Qaeda and the Taliban , then Baradar is someone who would be privy to that kind of information . '' Afghanistan Crossroads blog : More on Baradar and the Taliban . It was critical to keep his capture secret at first , Gohel said . It is not clear exactly when he was detained in the Pakistani city of Karachi . But Reva Bhalla , director of analysis at the Stratfor think tank , said she doubted he could lead the CIA straight to those who are most wanted . `` It 's not like you have one guy , and that immediately opens the door to everyone else , '' she said , adding that the Taliban guard information carefully because the militant group knows its members could be captured . Baradar was cagey about his contacts with his superior in an interview that Newsweek magazine said it conducted with him by e-mail last year . Asked if he was `` in direct contact with Mullah Omar , '' he responded , `` Continuous contacts are not risk-free because of the situation . -LSB- But we -RSB- get his advice on important topics . '' He appeared to consider the possibility of breaking ties between the Taliban and al Qaeda if it would get the Americans out of Afghanistan . `` Our decisions are made on the basis of our national interests , '' Baradar said , according to Newsweek . He could be replaced by a more radical figure , said Rand Corp. analyst Arturo Munoz . `` Mullah Zakir is actually notorious because he was in Guantanamo for six years , and then he was released and immediately returned to Afghanistan and rejoined the Taliban , '' Munoz said . `` He left Guantanamo very much more radicalized , and I think Mullah Zakir is actually much more radical than Mullah Baradar , and much more dogmatic and much more in the al Qaeda mindset . '' Stratfor 's Bhalla said the capture could be important for what it shows about U.S.-Pakistani ties , regardless of its effects on the battlefield or the hunt for bin Laden . `` It 's hard to believe that this will lead to this huge intelligence coup , but if the Pakistanis are shifting their mode of cooperating -LSB- with the United States -RSB- that is significant , '' Bhalla said . `` Pakistan did n't do this for free -- they are going to be asking for some very concrete concessions '' from the United States , she said . She noted reports that Baradar represented Omar in secret negotiations brokered by Saudi Arabia . `` Baradar is one of the main mediators , '' she said . Pakistan 's cooperation with the U.S. in capturing him may be its way of telling Washington to deal with Islamabad -- not Saudi Arabia -- if it wants to negotiate with the Afghan Taliban , she said . `` The Saudis have been very involved in back-channel talks , and Pakistan wants to show it is the only one that has the real leverage and intelligence to wield carrots and sticks , '' she said . It is not clear that the Saudi-brokered talks are still going on . `` The Taliban leadership through Mullah Baradar engaged with the Saudis by conducting talks with Saudi intelligence chief , Muqrin , '' Mehlaqa Samdani of the Center for Strategic and International Studies wrote last week . `` These talks came to an abrupt halt when in mid-2009 , Prince Muqrin was told point-blank that Mullah Omar decided to discontinue all negotiations -LSB- since he -RSB- took it as an affront that on the one hand Washington aimed to engage the Taliban through Saudi Arabia , while on the other hand it planned to continue all efforts to defeat the Taliban through its troop surge and drone strikes , '' Samdani wrote in `` Saudi Arabia , Pakistan and prospects for peace with the Taliban . '' The Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence , or ISI , must have known Baradar 's location and turned a blind eye for some time , Bhalla said . `` He was hanging out in southern Karachi with ISI knowledge . He was n't really posing a threat to Pakistan , '' she said . Baradar has been under U.N. sanctions since February 2001 , with his assets frozen and travel banned . The United Nations also forbids selling weapons to him . He was born around 1968 in the village of Weetmak in Afghanistan 's Uruzgan province , according to the world body . `` Baradar , '' which means brother in Afghanistan 's Dari language , appears to be a nickname . CNN 's Richard Allen Greene , Joe Sterling , Dick Uliano and Ben Wedeman contributed to this report . | Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar in control of military operation in Afghanistan , experts say . Afghan Taliban 's second-in-command reportedly captured in Pakistan . Baradar has had close relationship with Osama bin Laden , analysts say . Capture may suggest change in Pakistan 's cooperation with U.S. , some experts say . | [[557, 563], [572, 633], [1226, 1281], [803, 813], [823, 893], [2718, 2891], [2737, 2891]] |
Marjah , Afghanistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- U.S. Marines fighting the Taliban in southern Afghanistan achieved a main objective Tuesday -- taking over the police headquarters in the center of the Taliban stronghold of Marjah . CNN correspondent Atia Abawi , embedded with the Marines , said troops did n't receive any resistance when they took the station , but gun battles broke out in the area a few hours later . There was an engagement for 15 to 20 minutes , with constant gunfire coming from different directions , and there have been `` sporadic battles , '' Abawi said . Unlike previous days , there was fighting in the evening , with Taliban militants trying to attack Marine locations with small arms and rocket-propelled grenades . One of the grenades hit close to one of the U.S. positions and a fire broke out . About 15,000 Afghan and NATO forces are taking part in Operation Moshtarak , which focuses on the town of Marjah and surrounding areas in Helmand province . Set in a region known as the country 's heroin capital , Marjah is where the Taliban established a shadow government . The military says the goal of Operation Moshtarak is to provide security , governance and development , and authorities hope fighters choose to reject the insurgency and join the government 's reintegration process . Clearing out poppy fields is a key part of the push , the biggest since the Afghanistan War started in 2001 . The Taliban finances its activities in part through the illegal opium trade . One of the biggest challenges facing the NATO mission in Afghanistan is attacking the Taliban while limiting civilian casualties . On Sunday , 12 civilians died in a rocket attack by coalition troops . Three other Afghan civilians were killed by NATO in separate incidents on Sunday and Monday . On Tuesday , Abawi spoke to one civilian whose property had been destroyed in the initial push by Marines . Despite that , he said he was happy to see Americans arrive and noted that Marines promised to pay for the damages to his home . He said Afghans have suffered under the Taliban , who he said had beheaded some people and forced their way into people 's homes for food . | Operation Moshtarak focuses on area where heroin produced , Taliban has shadow government . Taliban finances uses illegal opium trade to finance activities . Gun battles broke out hours later after headquarters seized , CNN correspondent says . Taliban militants try to attack Marine locations with small arms and rocket-propelled grenades . | [[875, 894], [903, 976], [1034, 1095], [1423, 1500], [358, 411], [464, 513], [638, 737]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Tony Fernandes is the CEO of Air Asia , Asia 's leading low fare , no frills airline , flying to destinations across the region . After graduating from the London School of Economics in 1987 , he worked as an accountant for Richard Branson 's Virgin Records from 1987 to 1989 . The amateur guitarist went on to become vice-president for Southeast Asia for Warner Music Group from 1992-2001 . In a dramatic change of direction , Fernandes left the music industry to buy Air Asia , a bankrupt carrier -- the purchase cost him a token fee of 26 cents . Since taking over Air Asia he has become known as the Richard Branson of Asian air travel . E-mail to a friend . | Tony Fernandes is the CEO of Asia 's biggest budget airline . He studied in the UK and joined Richard Branson 's Virgin Records . In 2001 Fernandes bought Air Asia for just 26 cents . | [[19, 148], [149, 209], [212, 296], [521, 568]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The story of how I became a national figure in the media is widely known , but few people know what I actually did for the CIA . I was a covert operations officer specializing in nuclear counter proliferation -- essentially , making sure the bad guys did n't get the bomb . My job was to create and run operations that sought to peer into the procurement networks and acquisition chains of rogue nations . It was intense , tactical , creative and demanding . I believed that there was no more important work to be done . I resigned from the CIA in 2006 because it was no longer possible to do the covert work for which I was highly trained and which I loved . This happened because in 2003 , my covert identity was revealed in retaliation against my husband , Ambassador Joe Wilson , who wrote an op-ed piece in which he accused the White House of distorting the intelligence that was used to draw us into the Iraq war . But I did not lose my belief that the danger of nuclear terrorism was the most urgent threat we face . Nor did I lose my passion for working , albeit in a new way , to address that threat . I am working on this issue now as part of the international Global Zero movement , in which political , military and faith leaders , experts and activists strive for the worldwide elimination of all nuclear weapons . We know that terrorist groups have been trying to buy , build or steal a bomb . In the past two decades , there have been at least 25 instances of nuclear explosive materials being lost or stolen . There is enough highly enriched uranium , or HEU , in the world today to build more than 100,000 bombs . Terrorists looking to buy or steal HEU could look to the approximately 40 countries with nuclear weapons materials . And then there are rogue individuals out there who are running black markets selling nuclear materials and technology . Pakistan 's Dr. A. Q. Khan did it for years before my group at the CIA brought him down in December 2003 after catching him red-handed selling a full-scale nuclear bomb to Moammar Gadhafi 's regime in Libya . If terrorists manage to get their hands on enough HEU , they could smuggle it into a target city , build a bomb and explode it . A hundred pounds of highly enriched uranium could fit in a shoebox , and 100,000 shipping containers come into the United States every day . The nuclear threat is not limited to terrorism . There are also the dangers of proliferation and accidental or unauthorized nuclear launch . Today , nine countries have more than 23,000 nuclear weapons , and the U.S. and Russia still maintain thousands of nuclear weapons on hair-trigger alert , poised for launch within a few minutes . The only way to eliminate the danger that nuclear weapons will be used by countries in conflict , by accident or by terrorists is to lock down all nuclear materials and eliminate all nuclear weapons in all countries : global zero . Today we have a real opportunity to set the course to global zero . U.S. President Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev , whose countries have 22,000 nuclear weapons or 96 percent of the world 's stockpile , are signing an agreement to reduce their strategic nuclear arsenals by a third each . This is the most significant arms reduction treaty in two decades and a crucial first step . Next week , Obama is hosting the leaders of 48 countries at a summit in Washington to address the global nuclear threat and initiate programs to secure all nuclear materials worldwide . With the U.S. and Russia leading the way , 2010 could mark the beginning of the end of nuclear weapons . But achieving global zero will take years , a realistic plan of action and tremendous amounts of political will . In February , leaders of the Global Zero movement met in Paris , France , and outlined a step-by-step plan to eliminate all remaining nuclear weapons . The plan , backed by hundreds of former heads-of-state , foreign ministers , national security advisers and military commanders , calls in its first phase for the U.S. and Russia to cut their arsenals to 1,000 total warheads each . All other countries with nuclear weapons would freeze their arsenals , and the international community would conduct an all-out global effort to block the further spread of nuclear weapons and to secure all nuclear materials . Locking down nuclear bomb-making materials involves building secure facilities for storage , accounting for all stockpiles , guarding materials in transit -LRB- transportation being the most vulnerable to terrorist attack and seizure -RRB- , regulating exports , interdicting smuggling operations , ending production of new bomb materials and ultimately eliminating existing stockpiles . These steps would be followed by the first multilateral negotiations in history for reductions by all nuclear weapons countries . I 'm proud to be working with the Global Zero movement and its team of world leaders and grass-roots organizers , presidents and college kids . I want to do everything I can to raise public and political support for the elimination of nuclear weapons . And that is why I said yes when Lawrence Bender , producer of `` An Inconvenient Truth , '' `` Good Will Hunting '' and `` Inglorious Basterds , '' asked me to be in an extraordinary and chilling documentary film , `` Countdown to Zero , '' which premiered in January at the Sundance Film Festival to critical acclaim and will be released in U.S. theaters in July . The film will be a stunning wake-up call to citizens and our political leaders about the urgent threats posed by nuclear weapons , including proliferation , nuclear terrorism and accidental nuclear launch . It will build awareness and support for the Global Zero movement to eliminate nuclear weapons . Based on my experience in the field , I believe that if governments do n't act now to begin eliminating all remaining nuclear weapons , we will witness in our lifetime the use of the bomb by a country or terrorist group . To get governments to act , everyone needs to get involved , to make their voices heard , to bring this issue to the top of the political agenda , to everyone 's kitchen table and to the front pages of every blog and every newspaper . There is still time to change direction and set our course to global zero , but the clock is ticking . To learn more about the issue and get involved in the growing movement , go to globalzero.org and sign the declaration . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Valerie Plame Wilson . | Valerie Plame Wilson is a former CIA officer who worked to stop spread of nuclear materials . She says nuclear weapons and terrorism represent No. 1 threat faced right now . Plame says nations need to reduce nuclear arsenals and tightly control materials . If governments do n't act now , we will witness use of a bomb in our lifetime , she says . | [[944, 1032], [974, 1042], [5567, 5688], [5823, 6006]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Western politicians are currently scrambling for air tickets to Kiev . Britain 's Foreign Secretary David Miliband rushed to Ukraine soon after Russia announced its recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia . U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney will follow . Ukraine 's President Viktor Yuschenko has made it clear that he would welcome closer ties with the West . They want to shore up the Western-leaning President Viktor Yuschenko , amid fears that his country could become the next frontline in the power struggle between Russia and the West . It is in part a deliberate signal to an emboldened Moscow not to overreach . But EU nations will only be taking their support so far , for geographical , practical and political reasons . Conflict between Russia and Georgia , a tiny country of around 5 million citizens , was one thing . Conflict with the 47 million strong Ukraine would be a different matter , with much wider ramifications . What do you think of Russia 's relationship with the West ? While Georgia 's President Mikhail Saakashvili , at least for the moment , seems to have the bulk of the Georgian population behind him , Ukraine is much more divided about relations with Moscow . There is a huge energy dependency . Around 17 percent of Ukraine citizens , according to the census , are ethnic Russians . Even the country 's political leadership is divided . Although they were allies in Ukraine 's 2004 Orange Revolution and both would like to see Ukraine in the EU , Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has distanced herself from Yuschenko 's eagerness to enter the embrace of NATO . She has also criticized his presidential decree restricting the movements of Russia 's Ukraine-based Black Sea fleet , based in Ukraine 's Crimean peninsula , where there is a heavy concentration of ethnic Russians . Yuschenko flew to Tblisi to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Saakashvili over the conflict in Georgia , while Tymoshenko focused on calls for a cessation of hostilities . Miliband used his visit to Kiev to insist that Russia 's re-drawing of the map in the Caucusus was a moment of truth for Europe , marking the end of a post-Cold War period of geopolitical calm . But significantly Miliband also urged Ukraine to avoid giving Russia a pretext to intervene in the Crimea , where Kiev accuses Russia of trying to stir up trouble -- just as Saakashvili had accused Moscow of doing in South Ossetia before launching his military assault . The Ukranian port of Sebastopol is leased to the Russian Black Sea fleet until 2017 and Yuschenko has urged that Russia should be asked for a higher rent and be subject to more restrictions . Miliband may be making the toughest warning noises he dares to Russia , but he also urged that `` the Ukrainian government should ensure that the letter of the agreements are stuck to until 2017 . '' In recent years Ukraine has sought an uneasy balance between courting the West and not too overtly angering Moscow . But lately Yuschenko has grown bolder , offering to co-operate in the U.S. missile defense shield in Europe , despite the chilling threats from Moscow to Poland over its planned participation . NATO and EU leaders would not want him to get much bolder than that . While a majority of Ukrainians , according to opinion polls , would like to see their country in the EU , they are sharply divided about joining NATO . Only last April EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso complained about the country 's lack of political stability -LRB- a key qualification for membership -RRB- . Disputes between president and prime minister over relations with Russia , he suggested , were holding up progress . There is a regular EU/Ukraine meeting next month and Kiev will be looking for strong signals that it will meet a favorable response over its membership aims . Miliband declared in Kiev : `` My visit is designed to send a simple message : we have not forgotten our commitments to you . '' Ukraine allies like Poland will be pushing for those words to be reinforced with action , but EU commitments tend to come with rather vague timetables , and to become entangled in wider issues . Poland 's prospects of speeding its membership prospects will depend on who wins the internal EU argument between those who , with an eye to their energy supplies , want to see the conflict with Russia cool down and those who want to send a strong signal to Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and President Dmitry Medvedev , in that order , that they have already gone too far . | Western leaders heading for Ukraine to show support for pro-Western government . West concerned at what it sees as Russia `` re-drawing of the map in the Caucusus '' UK foreign minister tells Ukraine not to give Russia a pretext to intervene in its affairs . Ukraine , like Poland , looks toward EU for possible membership . | [[2019, 2113], [107, 186], [2218, 2240], [2246, 2319]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A massive iceberg -- more than twice the size of New York 's Manhattan island -- is drifting slowly toward Australia , scientists said Wednesday . The iceberg , measuring 140 square km -LRB- 54 square miles -RRB- , cleaved off an ice shelf nearly 10 years ago and had been floating near Antarctica before commencing on its unusual journey north . Named B17B , it was about 1,700 km -LRB- 1,056 miles -RRB- off the coast of West Australia , according to the country 's Antarctic Division . `` B17B is a very significant one in that it has drifted so far north while still largely intact , '' said Australian Antarctic Division glaciologist Neal Young , who spotted the slab using satellite images taken by NASA and the European Space Agency . `` It 's one of the biggest sighted at those latitudes . '' It is unlikely to drift too close to the coast in its current form , Young said . The warmer waters will cause it to melt . `` As the water warms up , the iceberg is slowly breaking up , resulting in hundreds more smaller icebergs in the area , '' Young said on the Australian Antarctic Division Web site . In November , an iceberg estimated to be 500 meters wide and 50 meters high was spotted close to Macquarie Island in the southern Pacific drifting towards New Zealand . Scientists working on the island were astounded by its size . `` We pulled out the binoculars that we use for work on the seals and , sure enough , it was a huge floating island of ice basically and , yeah , it was an incredible sight , '' Australian researcher Dean Miller told CNN affiliate TVNZ . The Australian Antarctic Division said the iceberg was part of a flotilla that would have broken off from a larger ice flow that possibly came from the Ross Ice Shelf , Antarctica 's largest . Although shipping lanes in this region are not particularly busy in November , the icebergs prompted Maritime New Zealand to issue navigation warnings . Three years earlier , another family of icebergs led to a small tourist boom when they drifted along the east coast of New Zealand 's South Island . Oceanographer Mike Williams told Radio New Zealand the icebergs had `` pretty much the same origin '' but that some had probably been trapped in the icy seas of Antarctica for longer , before being carried north by the currents . However he was reluctant to cite global warming as the reason for the large-scale movement of ice . `` We do have to a change our position a little because in 2006 we thought this was a ` once in a lifetime ' event . `` But large ice shelf carvings , where the ice comes from , are still only carving on a 30 to 50-year period . '' | The iceberg , measuring 140 square km cleaved off an ice shelf nearly 10 years ago . Named B17B , it was about 1,056 miles -LRB- 1,700 km -RRB- off the coast of West AustraIia . In November this year a flotilla of icebergs was spotted drifting towards New Zealand 's coast . | [[166, 177], [180, 231], [166, 177], [234, 278], [366, 376], [379, 456], [1128, 1139], [1142, 1184], [1128, 1139], [1142, 1152], [1169, 1296], [1597, 1670]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer said Wednesday he is giving up his proposal to grant driver 's licenses to undocumented workers , a plan he said would `` improve the safety and security of the people of my state . '' New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer says Wednesday in Washington that opposition to his plan doomed it . Spitzer said he was giving up because he had concluded that `` New York state can not successfully address this problem on its own . '' He said he wanted to act because of the failure of the federal government to deal with immigration policy and the impact that failure was having on New York . `` I would suggest to you what everyone already knows , '' Spitzer said . `` The federal government has lost control of its borders . It has allowed millions of undocumented workers to enter our country and now has no solution to deal with them . '' The effect was about 1 million undocumented workers in New York state , `` many of whom are driving without licenses , '' said Spitzer , surrounded at a news conference by members of his state 's congressional delegation . Watch Spitzer explain why he 's withdrawing the proposal '' Spitzer said licensing workers who did not have Social Security numbers , which New York had done in the past , would have aided law enforcement and would have made the state 's streets safer and more secure . However , Spitzer acknowledged that `` you do n't need a stethoscope to hear the heartbeat of the public , '' saying he had concluded that opposition to his plan would have doomed it . `` You have polarization on this issue that has defied resolution , '' he said . Watch what a hornet 's nest the proposal stirred up . Spitzer put forward his proposal in September , saying it would bring New York 's estimated 1 million illegal immigrants `` out of the shadows . '' In October , the governor said there would be three tiers of licenses , ranging from a license restricting travel , a document called Real ID for legal residents and a stricter one that would allow people to travel into Canada . U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel , D-New York , on Wednesday thanked Spitzer for making the effort to bring about change , noting that undocumented workers `` are part of the economy , they are part of what America 's supposed to be . '' `` There is no question that we lack the leadership on the national level to change the tone , '' Rangel said . `` And that is the reason why leaders all over the country -- mayors and governors -- are trying so desperately hard to deal locally with a problem that is basically a national problem . '' One influential member of New York 's congressional delegation missing from the briefing was Sen. Hillary Clinton , considered the front-runner in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination . A spokesman from her office said she could n't attend the news conference because of a scheduling conflict . As the plan became a topic of national discussion , critics accused her of failing to take a definitive stance on the issue . In a debate last week , Clinton said Spitzer 's plan `` makes a lot of sense '' but stopped short of endorsing it . On Wednesday , Clinton issued a written statement supporting Spitzer 's decision to withdraw the proposal . `` His difficult job is made that much harder by the failure of the Congress and the White House to pass comprehensive immigration reform , '' Clinton said . `` As president , I will not support driver 's licenses for undocumented people and will press for comprehensive immigration reform that deals with all of the issues around illegal immigration , including border security and fixing our broken system . '' Clinton 's rivals quickly pounced on her statement . A spokeswoman for Sen. Chris Dodd , D-Connecticut , called her action `` flip-flopping cubed , '' and Bill Burton , a spokesman for Sen. Barack Obama , D-Illinois , also sharply criticized Clinton for switching her views on the issue . `` When it takes two weeks and six different positions to answer one question on immigration , it 's easier to understand why the Clinton campaign would rather plant their questions than answer them , '' Burton said . Seventy-six percent of Americans oppose giving driver 's licenses to illegal immigrants , according to a poll conducted in October for CNN by the Opinion Research Corp. . Members of the New York State Sheriffs ' Association voted in October to oppose Spitzer 's proposal . `` I believe this is just a fundamental issue of right and wrong , '' said Rep. Tom Latham , an Iowa Republican against Spitzer 's plan . `` And to give people official recognition when they come in and break the law in their first act in this country is simply wrong . '' E-mail to a friend . CNN 's Alexis Ginsberg contributed to this report . | NEW : Rivals criticize Clinton for changing stance . Sen. Hillary Clinton says she will not support licenses for illegal immigrants . N.Y. governor describes `` polarized '' public opinion on immigration . Gov. Eliot Spitzer says federal government `` has lost control of its borders '' | [[3680, 3732], [3733, 3766], [3903, 3968], [1563, 1601], [476, 596], [709, 768]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- BMW Oracle won the America 's Cup as victory in Sunday 's second race off Valencia against Swiss holders Alinghi gave them an unassailable 2-0 lead in the best-of-three series . The syndicate , founded by software magnate Larry Ellison , is the first American team to win yachting 's most prestigious trophy since 1992 . Ellison was on board as they clinched victory by a margin of five minutes and 26 seconds , underlining their superiority against Alinghi , who made a series of uncharacteristic errors in both races off the Spanish coast . `` It 's an absolutely awesome feeling . I could n't be more proud , '' said the 65-year-old billionaire , who fought a lengthy legal battle to earn the right to challenge the Swiss syndicate . The victory means the Golden Gate Yacht Club of San Francisco will now defend the America 's Cup in the 34th staging of an event which dates back to 1851 . Oracle have held the technological edge in both races , with a radical 223ft -LRB- 68 meters -RRB- wingspan on their catamaran . Alinghi , who won the trophy with a 5-2 win over Team New Zealand in Valencia in 2007 , dropped a possible protest after the second race as the result was confirmed . Light winds meant the start of Sunday 's race was delayed for six hours , but when racing got underway Alinghi were again at a disadvantage having been penalized before the start , as in Friday 's defeat . But with Ernesto Bertarelli at the helm , Alinghi held an early lead of over 600 meters before Oracle established a winning advantage of their own , touching speeds of 30 knots on the 39-nautical mile course . | BMW Oracle take a winning 2-0 lead in the best-of-three America 's Cup series . The American challengers beat Swiss holders Alinghi by over five minutes on Sunday . Software magnate Larry Ellison founded BMW Oracle over 10 years ago . Golden Gate Yacht Club of San Francisco now official defender of America 's Cup . | [[19, 123], [19, 123], [340, 428], [197, 254], [257, 339], [774, 826], [834, 884], [774, 800], [827, 884]] |
Los Angeles , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Roy Edward Disney , the nephew of Walt Disney , died Wednesday after a yearlong battle with stomach cancer , according to a Walt Disney Co. spokesman . Disney `` played a key role in the revitalization of the Walt Disney Co. and Disney 's animation legacy , '' the company said . He died in a Newport Beach , California , hospital at the age of 79 . His father -- Roy O. Disney -- co-founded the Disney entertainment business with Walt Disney in 1923 . Roy E. Disney 's 56-year association with the company culminated in 2003 when he stepped down as vice chairman of Disney 's board and chairman of the Disney Studio 's Animation Department . He kept the title director emeritus and consultant in recent years , the company said . `` As head of Disney Animation , Disney helped to guide the studio to a new golden age of animation with an unprecedented string of artistic and box office successes that included ` The Little Mermaid , ' ` Beauty and the Beast , ' ` Aladdin ' and ` The Lion King , ' '' the company said . A private funeral service and cremation are planned , the company said . His ashes will be scattered at sea , it said . He was born in in Los Angeles seven years after his father and uncle began building the Disney empire . His entertainment career began in 1952 -- after he attended Harvard University and Pomona College -- with a job as an assistant film editor on the `` Dragnet '' TV series . He joined the family business a year later as an assistant film editor at the Walt Disney Studios . He received two Oscar nominations . One was as a writer and production associate on the 1959 short subject film `` Mysteries of the Deep , '' and the second was for his work in 2003 as executive producer of `` Destino , '' a film based on storyboards and original art by the iconic artist Salvador Dali . Disney founded Shamrock Holdings , an investment company owned by the Disney family , in 1978 . He also was an avid competitive sailor , the company said . He held several elapsed-time records for offshore races in the Pacific Ocean , including multiple wins in the 2,225-mile Transpac race between Hawaii and California , it said . CNN 's Brittany Kaplan contributed to this report . | Roy Edward Disney dies at 79 after battle with stomach cancer . His dad co-founded Disney entertainment business with his uncle Walt Disney in 1920s . `` Little Mermaid , '' `` Lion King '' among successes when Roy E. Disney headed animation . Roy E. Disney received two Oscar nominations in 50-plus year career . | [[0, 11], [14, 40], [92, 150], [324, 363], [375, 393], [394, 404], [422, 435], [480, 486], [394, 404], [428, 496], [907, 940], [946, 1002], [1562, 1597]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Fourteen alleged members of the Gambino crime family have been indicted on charges including murder , racketeering , prostitution of minors and trying to locate and intimidate a sequestered jury , the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Manhattan , New York , said Tuesday . `` Today , the Gambino family has lost one of its leaders , and many of its rising stars have now fallen , '' U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said . `` We will continue to work with our partners at the FBI to eradicate the mafia and to keep organized crime from victimizing the businesses and the people of this city . '' Twelve people , including Daniel Marino , named by the U.S. attorney as the current boss of the Gambino crime family , were arrested Tuesday morning . One was arrested last week , and another was at large Tuesday afternoon , Bharara 's office said . Marino has been charged with murder in various cases , including the 1989 killing of Thomas Spinelli , a member of the family who testified before a federal grand jury about the mafia 's members and activities . The other defendants , who authorities say include some high-ranking members of the Gambino crime family , also have serious charges brought against them . Onofrio Modica is charged with jury tampering , which stems from 1992 , when then-boss John J. Gotti was on trial on federal racketeering and murder charges . According to the U.S. attorney , Modica and other members of the Gambino family tried to locate the anonymous , sequestered jurors sitting on the trial . Modica was able to penetrate security measures and locate the hotel where the jury was sequestered , but the plan was called off after Gotti decided that the jury would not convict him , authorities allege . The U.S. attorney alleges several of the defendants also operated a prostitution business from 2008 to 2009 , where young women and girls as young as 15 allegedly were recruited to be prostitutes and advertised on websites such as Craigslist . According to Bharara , the defendants drove the women to their appointments and kept approximately half the money paid to them . The women allegedly were made available for sex to gamblers at weekly high-stakes poker games that authorities say were run by the defendants . Read how rare it is for women and children to be involved . A press release from Bharara 's office detailed the other charges against the defendants , including extortion ; assault ; trafficking of narcotics , such as cocaine , OxyContin and marijuana ; wire fraud , which includes the alleged defrauding of several high-end New York restaurants by inflating invoice costs ; loansharking ; and gambling . `` This case shows that it 's still about making money illegally , by whatever means , '' FBI Special Agent-in-Charge George Venizelos said . `` No crime seemed too depraved to be exploited if it was a money-maker , including the sexual exploitation of a 15-year-old . '' According to the U.S. attorney 's office , the fourteen defendants are Marino , Modica , Thomas Orefice , Dominick DiFiore , Anthony Manzella , Michael Scotto , Michael Scarpaci , Thomas Scarpaci , David Eisler , Salvatore Borgia , Steve Maiurro , Keith Dellitalia , Suzanne Porcelli and Anthony Vecchione . Maiurro remains at large . The 13 defendants all entered not guilty pleas on Tuesday , according to the U.S. attorney 's office , and they are expected to appear Wednesday before a federal judge who has been appointed to the case . | Boss of Gambino crime family , other members arrested , U.S. attorney says . Daniel Marino , who U.S. attorney says is group 's boss , charged with murder . One of Marino 's charges connected to '89 killing of man who testified about mafia . Some defendants accused of operating prostitution business with girls as young as 15 . | [[645, 658], [661, 735], [1081, 1185], [1193, 1236], [1396, 1445], [2952, 2992], [645, 658], [661, 735], [869, 969], [869, 969], [1758, 1809], [1815, 1865], [1868, 1953], [2873, 2948]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- For Nadya Suleman , being in the spotlight is a double-edged sword . The media have invaded her privacy and turned her into a carnival attraction , she told Oprah Winfrey on Tuesday . But Suleman also acknowledges that the media has also become a source of income for her , a single mother of 14 children . `` That -LSB- Star magazine -RSB- photo shoot was $ 100,000 , '' Suleman said on Winfrey 's show via satellite from California , referring to the January cover that depicted her `` bikini body . '' `` I was ashamed of that -- that 's not my character -- but I felt as though I needed to do something , '' she said . `` I did it because there were 14 hungry mouths . I own full responsibility for providing for my children . We have some of that money left until I figure out another way to make ends meet . '' At this point , with eight 14-month old babies and six other children between the ages of 3 and 8 , one of whom has autism , Suleman does n't appear to have the time to take up a full-time job . She does have three nannies who help her during the day in shifts . But even so , Suleman says she is constantly counting heads , making bottles or keeping a child from hurting another , as was revealed when Winfrey 's camera crew spent 24 hours in her home . `` You 're so busy trying to keep up , you do n't have time to think , reflect or feel anything , '' she told Winfrey . `` You ca n't regret children , but -LSB- my -RSB- choices were childish , immature and selfish . I was n't thinking at that time . '' At the start of the interview , Winfrey made it clear that Harpo Productions , her multimedia company , did n't pay Suleman `` a dime '' and , in fact , Suleman approached Winfrey to tell her side of the story . `` Everything that -LSB- the media -RSB- have said so far about me , and about me wanting to do this on purpose -- I never wanted to use children for fame , '' Suleman said , adding that her rationale for implanting eight embryos at one time stemmed from a variety of factors . There was what she calls `` a childish desire to have a large family , '' and `` perhaps selfishness , trying to compensate for being an only child , trying to fill some missing piece inside , '' she said . `` I believe I 've always coveted that connection , that attachment to another human being , and it felt safer with children than a significant other , '' Suleman added . Suleman emphasized repeatedly to Winfrey that she 's determined to take care of her brood on her own , without government assistance and without turning to adoption or foster care . `` I will do everything as a mother to avoid that at all costs , '' she told Winfrey , although she said she would never consider a reality TV show , which she considers exploitative and borderline abusive , or doing porn , despite having received three offers since the birth of her octuplets . Yet Suleman did appear in a two-hour Fox special that documented the first six months of her octuplets ' lives and aired on the network in August 2009 . Around that time , there were reports that Suleman had signed on to do a reality show with U.K. production company Eyeworks . However , Suleman said that she `` would never do a reality show , that 's been a lie from the beginning . '' She told Winfrey that she has `` been ashamed of myself to go through certain media outlets to provide for my children , '' before adding , `` this was my choice and my responsibility , and I did n't want to depend on anyone . '' As a result , Suleman said she lives `` every single day , every hour of the day , with a tremendous amount of guilt . I feel guilty when I look at the older ones , they all have different unique needs , '' she told Winfrey . `` I feel guilty when I 'm holding one or two and I ca n't be there for the others when they 're crying . '' Regardless of the way she markets her `` Octomom '' identity , Suleman said the biggest misconception people have about her is that she did it all for fame . `` I 'm not a celebrity . I 'm a pseudo-celebrity catapulted into this media mess , '' she said . `` Was I in denial thinking it would n't happen ? Yeah . Did I want it ? No . '' | On Tuesday 's `` Oprah Winfrey Show , '' Nadya Suleman revealed what her life is like . She said the media has both invaded her privacy and been a way to make money . She said she never thought she would have 8 more kids , and doing so was a selfish choice . Suleman said she 's determined to take care of her family on her own . | [[167, 202], [88, 122], [207, 214], [220, 314], [2036, 2136], [3421, 3464], [2414, 2595], [2460, 2463], [2478, 2514]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When Command Sgt. Maj. Michael T. Hall of the International Security Assistance Force announced that fast-food offerings like Pizza Hut , Dairy Queen and Orange Julius were being shuttered in Afghanistan , he was blunt about it . `` This is a warzone , not an amusement park , '' he wrote on the ISAF blog . These mobile restaurants and others that can be found on large bases in Kandahar and Bagram , are `` nonessentials '' and are being shut down to streamline delivery of much-needed battlefield supplies . However , according to some soldiers and Marines -- all of whom have served in combat in Iraq or Afghanistan -- access to the familiar hometown mall fare is n't as important to morale as many civilians may have thought . The veterans and active-duty troops all said that access to healthy foods , local cuisine and packages of snacks sent by friends and family trumped military base fast food as morale boosters . The announcement of the fast-food outposts ' shuttering inspired a lively debate on CNN 's Afghanistan blog about morale and the amenities afforded servicemen and women serving overseas -- often in harm 's way . Those affected , however , did n't seem very concerned . `` The big things that improve morale in a combat zone are lots of letters and packages from loved ones , '' Marine Cpl. David Brian Crouch said . Especially appreciated in these care packages are sweet , sour , salty and spicy condiments , such as Tabasco , sugar packets and seasoned salts for enlivening the military 's frequently derided Meals Ready to Eat -- individually packaged rations for service members stationed away from meal preparation facilities . These high-calorie MREs , which have long drawn criticism for depressingly bland flavors and textures , are precisely what Crouch , who served two tours in Iraq , says drove his fellow troops to seek out more flavorful , familiar fast food . Others look a little closer to their temporary home , sampling the local fare . While many soldiers out on combat patrols were , according to Army Capt. David Swaintek , `` too tired and drained to care much about their meal , '' he developed a taste for Iraqi flavors during his tour , which lasted from 2002 to 2008 . While he stands up for food on base , calling it `` decent '' and `` healthier '' than fast-food alternatives , he still misses his favorite flatbread , which he 'd buy while out on patrol , and he laments not being able to find anything like it stateside . Similarly adventurous , previously deployed Marines now at California 's Camp Pendeleton do n't have to venture far from their barracks to indulge in the Middle Eastern-style specialties they 've come to love . According to the Marine Corps Times , DedeMed 's Shawarma House now serves the eponymous gyro-like sandwich -- as well as hummus , tabbouleh salad and baklava -- to Marines who 'd been stationed in Iraq and the Persian Gulf . Swaintek , while lauding the indigenous cuisine , also cried foul about fatty U.S. fast foods , saying that `` overweight soldiers are a problem . '' Army Sgt. Paul Williams , who is serving in Iraq , agrees with the captain but indulges in `` the occasional pizza from Pizza Hut , burrito from Taco Bell , or maybe even a sandwich from Subway , '' citing the virtue of being able to enjoy a pizza in the middle of the desert and escape for a few minutes to talk with fellow soldiers about their homes , sweethearts or future plans . Ultimately , though , the military is a culture of intense physical fitness , and access to nutritious meals at mess halls helps servicemen and women maintain their physical and psychological . edge . And Williams says that `` a soldier has a responsibility to maintain himself . '' While deployed troops can certainly take the reins of their physical health , friends and family stateside can still boost morale and offer a taste of home with much-appreciated care packages . The Department of Defense maintains a list of links to groups coordinating care packages for overseas soldiers . According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture , most foods that are tightly prepackaged and immune to mold or bacterial growth are safe for sending to soldiers . They recommend dried proteins , like beef and turkey jerky , as well as dehydrated soups , dried fruits and even dense baked goods like fruitcakes . Just make sure to seal it all up with a kiss . | Military closing mobile Pizza Hut , Dairy Queen , Orange Julius , other outlets in Afghanistan . Eateries are called nonessential , officers say the closures wo n't upset troops ' morale . Troops : Morale is about the amenities sent from families , friends in U.S. | [[19, 36], [42, 224], [327, 362], [442, 444], [449, 529], [327, 362], [421, 444], [751, 786], [791, 922], [3751, 3772], [3829, 3867], [3874, 3880], [3829, 3880], [3829, 3857], [3885, 3944]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- African-American farmers hoping for government settlement money in a racial bias case met with lawmakers Wednesday and called on Congress to come up with a way to fund the $ 1 billion deal . Litigation known as the Pigford Case established a longstanding pattern of discrimination at the U.S. Agriculture Department against African-American farmers who had applied for farm loans and support from federal programs . Under the terms of an involved process overseen by a federal judge and dating to 1999 , qualified farmers could receive $ 50,000 each to settle claims of racial bias . In addition , U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has said those farmers may pursue a claim for actual damages from the bias and potentially receive up to $ 250,000 . Ralph Paige , executive director of the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund , said Wednesday that he believed that Congress was `` very close '' to coming up with a way to pay the settlement , which covers as many as 80,000 African-American farmers . `` These farmers have suffered much , much too long , and it 's time that this thing get behind us . We can settle Pigford once and for all and send a clear message to the country that we are on the right track as a nation , '' Paige said at news conference . `` We 're talking about much more than the money . We are talking about remedying past discrimination , '' Paige said . A March 31 deadline to appropriate the funds has passed , and farmers now may withdraw from the settlement and pursue independent litigation against the government . Congress now has a target date of the end of May to come up with a plan . `` We spend a billion dollars on a jet to go bomb somebody . We 're talking about a billion dollars to help feed our country , and I just do n't see why Congress and the president ca n't go ahead and find -LSB- the funds -RSB- . It is an emergency , '' said Gary Grant , with the Black Farmers and Agriculturalists Association . Rep. G.K. Butterfield , D-North Carolina , said there is a `` total commitment '' from President Obama and the majority party in the House and Senate to make sure the settlement is taken care of . Butterfield represents his state 's First Congressional District , which is home to Timothy Pigford , who filed the class-action lawsuit more than a decade ago . Butterfield said lawmakers need to work out how to pay for the settlement under the PAYGO rule , meaning Congress must balance any increased spending with equal savings elsewhere . The other option would be to designate the settlement as an emergency , which would be exempt from PAYGO . Lawmakers are looking for an appropriate piece of legislation in which to include the settlement to avoid adding to the deficit , Butterfield said . `` If we can not find the appropriate vehicle , then I would certainly support declaring this settlement as a national emergency and adding it to the next supplemental that may be on the House floor , '' he said . Farmers have until May 31 to withdraw from the pending class-action settlement and pursue an independent claim against the government if they feel their chances would be better for a payout . If they choose to stay in the class , they will wait as a group to apply for the promised monetary damages . Vilsack has said there 's no question the damages are due for African-American farmers . In a statement last week , he said , `` I have met with and talked to key stakeholders and members of Congress reiterating the administration 's ongoing efforts to close this chapter in the history of the department . '' CNN 's Paul Courson and Kristi Keck contributed to this report . | Advocates say lawmakers are on their side , but they want them to speed up the process . Rep. Butterfield says Congress needs to have a payment plan or declare an emergency . Lawsuit says U.S. Agriculture Department discriminated against African-American farmers . | [[0, 15], [138, 178], [2353, 2447], [2534, 2603], [0, 15], [19, 104], [230, 367]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Just what is it that separates a champion athlete from the also-rans ? Natural talent , hard work and determination are all essential , but athletes and coaches are becoming increasingly aware of the crucial role diet plays in sporting success . Olympic athletes are fueled by high-carb diets . Dr Samantha Stear is national lead for performance nutrition at the English Institute of Sport -LRB- EIS -RRB- and helped make the Beijing Olympics Britain 's most successful games for a century . `` A good diet is n't going to turn a mediocre athlete into a champion , but a champion eating a bad diet may just miss out , '' she told CNN . Training is the key to improving athletic performance , and the right diet is the key to sustaining a punishing training regime . Your body uses glycogen stored in the muscles to provide the energy needed for exercise , and the body makes that glycogen by breaking down the carbohydrates you eat . So carbohydrates are the vital fuel needed for training , and the more training an athlete does , the more fuel they need . Sprinters will often train for just an hour a day , whereas an endurance athlete will train for three hours or more . To sustain that level of training , sprinters need to eat around 5g of carbs per kg of body weight every day , whereas endurance athletes need at least 7g per kg . For Jamaican sprint sensation Usain Bolt , that means consuming some 450g of carbs a day , whereas , while Ethiopian distance demon Haile Gebrselassie would need at least 380g . Despite doing less training , Bolt would have to eat more carbs simply because he weighs more . So what 's the fuel of choice for these elite athletes ? `` In general , endurance athletes are better about getting a variety of carbs , just because they have to eat so many they get bored . They 're good at mixing up pasta , rice and potatoes , '' says Stear . Because `` strength-and-speed '' athletes do less training than endurance athletes , they have to watch their weight . Stear says sprinters often favor low glycemic-index carbs to help them keep their weight in check . What is the glycemic index ? Carb consumption becomes crucial when athletes are training more than once a day . Stear says it 's essential that athletes refuel between training sessions , otherwise they risk fatigue , which can weaken their immune system and make injury more likely . She also stresses the importance of refueling immediately after training , when the body restocks glycogen at a higher rate . When it comes to this kind of rapid refueling , athletes load up on high glycemic-index carbs , which the body can better convert to glycogen -- and then to energy . But man can not live by bread alone . Protein is needed for building and repairing muscle and is essential in the diet of athletes and non-athletes alike . Surprisingly , the protein recommendations for elite athletes are much the same as for regular folks . A confirmed couch potato needs about 0.75 g of protein per kg of body weight per day , while someone doing regular activity -- about an hour of a day -- needs some 1.2 g/kg . Endurance athletes need about 1.3 g/kg and strength and speed athletes , with their extra muscle volume , need about 1.5 g/kg . Even once the competition has begun , nutrition has a role in keeping the body working at its best . In endurance events , from distance running to tennis , the main danger for an athlete is dehydration . `` In a marathon the runners need to refuel and rehydrate and one of the best ways of doing that is with a sports drink . They provide carbs for fuel and there 's salt in there to help with electrolyte loss and help with the absorption of the water , '' says Stear . As well as eating the right food , athletes use a host of ergogenic aids to maximize performance . For example , some athletes use buffers such as sodium bicarbonate and sodium citrate to neutralize the lactic acid that builds up in the blood during exercise , fending off fatigue , while others choose to have a caffeine boost on race day . Stear says the EIS uses over 100 ergogenic aids to aid performance , as well giving athletes assorted anti-oxidants , fish oils and amino acids to boost their immune system . Diet is a serious business at the EIS , which employs 18 nutritionists . Although performance nutrition was only brought in to the set up in 2005 , it has clearly had an impact on British sport . At the 2004 Olympic Games Britain won nine golds -- at the 2008 games team GB won 19 . While nutrition alone can not take the credit for that remarkable improvement , when London hosts the Olympic Games in 2012 , the competitors will be all too aware the right diet could be the difference between gold and silver . | The right diet can be the difference between a gold and silver medal . Carbohydrate intake is the key to sustaining a punishing training regime . A sprinter like Usain Bolt needs to eat 450g of carbohydrates each day . Rehydration with sports drinks is essential during endurance events . | [[4685, 4755], [715, 784], [2145, 2227], [1363, 1399], [1407, 1447], [2228, 2331], [2401, 2404], [2410, 2473], [3477, 3551], [3543, 3581], [3529, 3551], [3557, 3581]] |
Havana , Cuba -- Alejandro Robaina , considered a legend among Cuban tobacco growers , died Saturday , according to Cuban cigar company Habanos S.A. , which produced cigars named for him . Robaina was 91 . He was diagnosed with cancer last year and died on his farm in the western Cuban province of Pinar del Rio , said Habanos spokesman Jose Antonio Candia . Robaina 's tobacco leaves are considered some of the best in the world . In Cuba , he was called `` The Godfather . '' His deeply wrinkled face smiled out from billboards , T-shirts and boxes of Vegas Robaina cigars , among Cuba 's finest . A box of premium Vegas Robaina cigars can fetch more than $ 500 on the international market . But the man behind the smile was also a simple country farmer who got up at the crack of dawn every day to survey his fields until cancer slowed him down . `` I would n't say I 've triumphed , but I 've done something with my life , '' he told CNN in 2008 . `` The first thing is to love the land , take care of the land . '' Robaina 's family have farmed tobacco continuously since 1845 on the plantation . Under Robaina , business flourished , and the plantation had some of the best yields in the region , producing highly-prized wrapper leaves used for the outer layer of cigars . Cigar aficionados around the globe called him the dean of Cuba 's cigar industry and every year thousands of visitors made the two-hour trek from Havana , hoping to share a stogie and a glass of rum with `` the Don . '' Robaina kept his lands even when many ranches were nationalized after the 1959 revolution led by Fidel Castro . `` I had a very strong conversation with Fidel 18 or 20 years ago , '' Robaina said in 2008 . `` He asked if I would join a big cooperative since I had so many workers , and I told him no . `` For me tobacco growing had to be in the family , done with love . Because in the big cooperatives , everyone 's the boss , nobody worries as much as the grower . '' Now , almost all of Cuba 's tobacco farms are private , according to the Agriculture Ministry . And they generally take their lead from Robaina , planting and harvesting on the same days he did . `` I like to sow during a waxing moon , and harvest in a waning moon , '' he said . Robaina said he 'd been smoking cigars since he was 10 years old . `` When I get really old , I 'll stop smoking the strong stuff , '' he said . In 1997 , Cuba launched the Vegas Robaina brand , named in his honor . They 're made from the golden wrapper leaves grown on Robaina 's plantation but are rolled in a separate factory . Like most of Cuba 's cigars , they 're largely exported . Because of the U.S. trade embargo , however , Cuban cigars are off-limits in America . Robaina said in 2008 he hoped that policy would end during his lifetime . `` Of course I have hope they 'll open up the market , '' he said . `` Cuba 's willing to send cigars and they 're willing to smoke them . They 're going crazy because they ca n't smoke cigars from here . '' Robaina will be buried Sunday , said Candia . | Robaina , who was diagnosed with cancer last year , died on his farm in Pinar del Rio . Robaina 's tobacco leaves are considered some of the best in the world . A box of premium Vegas Robaina cigars can fetch more than $ 500 . Robaina kept his lands after the 1959 revolution , when many others ' were nationalized . | [[206, 244], [206, 208], [249, 312], [360, 432], [601, 694], [1500, 1589]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Now that Arizona lawmakers have passed what 's considered some of the toughest immigration legislation in the country , other states are watching to see whether they should follow in the state 's footsteps or stand back . Arizona 's bill orders immigrants to carry their alien registration documents at all times and requires police to question people if there 's reason to suspect they 're in the United States illegally . It also targets those who hire illegal immigrant day laborers or knowingly transport them . Critics , including immigrant advocates and the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona , are concerned that the legislation will foster racial profiling , arguing that most police officers do n't have enough training to look past race while investigating a person 's legal status . The bill made it through the state Senate on Monday after it was passed by the state House last week . It 's now awaiting the signature of Republican Gov. Jan Brewer . Supporters of the measure expect her to sign it . Latino members of Congress are calling on Brewer to veto it . Michael Hethmon , general counsel for the Immigration Reform Law Institute , helped draft the language of the Arizona bill . The institute is the legal affiliate of the Federation for American Immigration Reform . On the heels of the Arizona initiative , Hethmon said he has been approached by lawmakers from four other states who have asked for advice on how they can do the same thing where they live . He declined to identify the states , citing attorney-client privilege . `` Arizona was meant to be the leading edge , '' Hethmon said . `` If you are going to work on developing a state-based response to this enormous problem -- the lack of a national immigration policy -- Arizona is the place to do it . '' Hethmon pointed to Arizona 's history of citizen ballot initiatives in support of immigration reform , noting that `` what 's happening in Arizona just did n't pop out of nowhere . It 's the latest step in a fairly deliberate process . '' Republican State Rep. Russell Pearce , who sponsored the legislation in Arizona , said the four initiatives he put on the 2006 ballot regarding illegal immigrants passed by an average of 75 percent . State laws relating to immigration have increased in recent years , according to numbers from the National Conference of State Legislatures . In 2005 , 300 bills were introduced . The next year , that number nearly doubled , and in 2007 , more than 1,500 bills were introduced . Another 1,305 were introduced in 2008 , and about 1,500 were considered in 2009 . About 15 percent of those were enacted , dealing with issues such as driver 's licenses , health and education . About1 ,000 bills have been brought up so far this year . Hethmon cited the election year , the Democratic leadership 's position on the issue and the tough economic times as catalysts for introducing legislation . `` Historically , not only in the U.S. but in virtually all industrialized nations , when the unemployment rates go up ... the public becomes much less sympathetic toward programs which bring in large numbers of foreigners as workers and economic players , '' he said . Whether Arizona becomes the standard-bearer on illegal immigration depends on the fate of the legislation , said Ann Morse , the program director of the National Conference of State Legislatures ' Immigrant Policy Project . `` Certainly states will look at it , but not in a rush , '' she said . With court challenges promised from opponents , states will be watching to see if the legislation is deemed constitutional and if it 's costly , Morse said . Omar Jadwat , the staff attorney with the ACLU 's Immigrants Rights ' Project , said following in Arizona 's footsteps would take states in the wrong direction . `` Although we are aware that people are trying to convince other legislatures to go down this path , I think it 's clear that both as a policy matter and a legal matter , that Arizona 's approach is the wrong one , '' he said . Isabel Garcia , a legal defender in Arizona 's Pima County , blasted the bill as `` the most dangerous precedent in this country , violating all of our due process rights . '' `` We have not seen this kind of legislation since the Jim Crow laws . And targeting our communities , it is the single most largest attack on our communities , '' she said . Pearce brushed off her criticism , saying , '' ` Illegal ' is not a race , it 's a crime . '' `` We do not tolerate those who break into our country , just like we do n't tolerate those who break into our homes , '' he said . Hethmon praised the legislation as `` the most cost-effective and the most humane way to deal with the illegal immigration problem . '' `` Every time you convince an illegal alien to self-deport , you bypass having to resort to direct physical deportation , '' he said . In addition to providing a model for other states , Hethmon said the legislation in Arizona and other bills in the works in other states also provide an example on the national level . `` The states are laboratories for democracy . The federal government is in gridlock , '' he said . `` We 're providing models for the day when the ice breaks up on the Hill and the legislative waters flow and the country decides to confront this problem in a realistic way . '' | Arizona bill requires police to question people if there 's reason to suspect they 're in U.S. illegally . Governor has not yet signed bill . Attorney says lawmakers from 4 states have asked how to follow Arizona 's lead . `` Arizona 's approach is the wrong one , '' ACLU attorney says . | [[241, 370], [374, 382], [390, 430], [923, 987], [1314, 1352], [1355, 1426], [1404, 1426], [1431, 1486], [4005, 4041]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- You may drive a hybrid car , eat organic food , use `` green '' beauty products and design your home according to the latest environmentally friendly standards . But if you have n't considered `` greening your love life , you are still a total environmental disaster , '' according to Stefanie Iris Weiss , author of the recently released book , `` Eco-Sex . '' How should it work ? Should you envision melting glaciers during a romantic dinner with your significant other ? Well , not quite . It could be as simple as where you choose to go on a date . `` How about going to a restaurant where you can eat a seductive menu based on organic , local food , which has produced less carbon dioxide before it ends up on your plate ? '' Weiss suggested . She is hoping to steer people away from `` dirty '' sex toward eco-sex . That means : . • Hop on your bike for your next date and leave your car at home . -LRB- That means saying `` adieu '' to long-distance relationships . -RRB- . • Stop excessive spending on Valentine 's Day . -LRB- It produces way too much trash anyway . -RRB- . • Wear comfy bamboo underwear . • Do n't be so keen on having babies . How about adopting a child instead or implementing a one-child policy ? Weiss ' theory is not entirely new . Greenpeace published a guide to `` environmentally friendly sex '' in 2002 , which includes `` switching off the lights during romance '' or `` if you want to see your partner , have sex during the day . '' But Weiss goes further : She covers everything from your first date to raising your kids `` green . '' She also suggests keeping the environment in mind when your sex drive is fading . Viagra , she says , is overrated . `` People should eat oysters as an aphrodisiac instead , '' Weiss says . `` They are a full of zinc , a precursor of testosterone . Casanova himself was known to eat them in great quantities before sex . '' On the streets of Washington , the idea of an eco-friendly love life is met with laughter . `` How green is my love life ? Are you serious ? Do n't be absurd ! '' were the most common reactions from people on the street . But the concept is in full display at a local sex shop . `` We sell organic oils , edible underwear and toys that are completely recyclable , '' says Luis Cadillos , a salesman at Georgetown 's `` Pleasure Place . '' `` The problem is our customers are embarrassed to dispose their toys properly . '' He says he thinks promoting an eco-friendly sex life could be `` big business . '' `` We should have an extra shelf for our green-conscious customers , '' Cadillos suggests . His colleague , Paula Kov , is less enthusiastic about the idea . `` I try to live environmentally friendly , but it goes way over the top to think about -LSB- carbon dioxide reduction -RSB- in my love life , '' she says . Climate activist Mike Tidwell disagrees . `` I never thought about how green my love life is . But in fact this is about reducing our extensive consumption and that should concern every part of our life , '' he says . Tidwell , who is the director of Chesapeake Climate Action Network in Washington , decided long ago to have only one child . `` But I am glad the book does n't prohibit making love outdoors , '' Tidwell joked . `` That produces zero carbon dioxide . '' It 's clear in Weiss ' 200-page book that she is using sex to promote a completely green lifestyle . But is that such a bad thing ? `` With sex anything sells . Even the environment , '' Weiss says . She says she is hoping that , in the midst of the global climate crisis debate , her book `` may finally approach those green-grumps , who do n't know the basics about living an environmentally friendly life . '' That does n't seem likely after reading conservative blogger William Teach 's post on her book : . `` I actually hope the climate alarmists , consisting of mostly liberals , take her advice on how to have eco-friendly sex without getting pregnant , '' Teach posted on rightwingnews.com . `` The world could use a whole lot less unhinged liberals taught by their unhinged liberal parents . '' John Bargh , who teaches psychology at Yale University , sees a different problem with the eco-sex theory . Thinking about the environmental impact of your love life , he says , goes against human nature . `` Human beings are irrational , '' he says . `` We make decisions based on our desire , especially when it comes to love . '' | Author Stefanie Iris Weiss wants you to make your love life green . She says couples should go for a bike ride and leave their car at home . She suggests older men eat oysters instead of taking Viagra . | [[1604, 1607], [1613, 1667], [3907, 3979], [868, 905], [868, 869], [910, 934], [1722, 1767]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama will deliver a eulogy on Sunday for the 29 workers killed in a mine explosion in West Virginia . Before the service in Beckley , the president and Vice President Joe Biden will meet privately with the miners ' relatives . `` All the hard work . All the hardship . All the time spent underground . It was all for their families . For a car in the driveway . For a roof overhead . For a chance to give their kids opportunities they never knew ; and enjoy retirement with their wives , '' Obama will say in his eulogy , according to excerpts that the White House made available . `` It was all in the hopes of something better . These miners lived -- as they died -- in pursuit of the American dream . '' The April 5 blast at the Upper Big Branch Mine was the worst U.S. mine disaster since 1972 , when 91 miners died in a fire at the Sunshine Mine in Kellogg , Idaho . Obama ordered a review , saying the mine explosion was due in part to failures by both the management and loopholes in existing laws and regulations . `` We can not bring back the men we lost . What we can do , in their memory , is thoroughly investigate this tragedy and demand accountability , '' the president said soon after the explosion . Obama called Massey Energy Co. , the coal producer that owns the mine , a `` safety violator '' and described the safety record at the mine as `` troubled . '' Massey Energy later called Obama 's criticism `` regrettable '' and defended its safety record . `` We fear that the president has been misinformed about our record and the mining industry in general , '' the company said . | President Obama to attend memorial service for West Virginia miners killed in explosion . April 5 blast was worst U.S. mine tragedy in nearly 40 years . Obama has ordered review into cause of explosion . | [[71, 131], [737, 827], [902, 924]] |
-LRB- PEOPLE.com -RRB- -- Last Tuesday , Danny Cahill became the biggest ` Biggest Loser ' ever when he dropped 239 lbs . in seven months to win the eighth season title . Now , as NBC goes back to a couples edition of the series , the contestants and the challenges they face get bigger as well . On January 5 , `` The Biggest Loser : Couples '' premieres with 11 teams of two competing for the Season 9 crown . Among the players are Michael Ventrella , a 30-year-old deejay from Chicago , Illinois -- who at 526 lbs . becomes the heaviest contestant ever on the series -- and his is mother , Maria , a 51-year-old corporate travel agent . `` I would do anything for Michael , '' his mom Maria , who starts at 281 lbs. , told PEOPLE . `` At first I did n't think I could do it because I have too many responsibilities at home . I have a husband who is disabled , my mom in a wheelchair , a full-time job , home cleaning -- it 's a lot . But then he needed it so bad and so I am here , and I need it for myself , too ! '' The Ventrellas are one of eight parent-child duos on the show this season . Attorney Melissa Morgan , 39 , and her husband Lance , 38 , a rancher , hail from Aspermont , Texas , and are both interested in losing weight and saving their marriage . California-based cousins Sam Poueu , 24 , and Koli Palu , 29 , were inspired by the success of Tongan cousins Sione and Filipe in season seven and hope to do the same for the people and culture of American Samoa . Orlando , Florida , identical twins James and John Crutchfield , 30 , weighed in at a combined 969 lbs . `` I 'm glad I 'm here , '' James said , `` because my only other alternative is surgery . '' Here are the other teams vying for a $ 250,000 winner prize or $ 100,000 at-home prize : . Mom Patti Anderson , 55 , a business owner , and daughter Stephanie Anderson , 29 , a radio sales executive , from Lafayette and West Hollywood , California . Mom Cherita Andrews a 50-year-old homemaker and daughter Vicky Andrews , a 22-year-old student from Houston , Texas . Mom Miggy Cancel , 48 , a Pemberton , New Jersey chef and daughter Migdalia Sebren , 28 , a homemaker from Sanford , North Carolina . Mom Cheryl George a 50-year-old store-owner and son , Daris George , 25 , a salesman , from Ardmore , Oklahoma . Father O'Neal Hampton , Jr. , a U.S. Postal Service station manager , 51 , and daughter SunShine Hampton , 24 , a restaurant server , from Minneapolis , Minnesota . Father Darrell Hough , a press operator and mechanic , 46 , and daughter Andrea Hough , a 24-year-old executive assistant from Ann Arbor , Michigan . Mom Sherry Johnston , a 51-year-old non-profit administrator and daughter Ashley Johnston , a 27-year-old manager and esthetician from Knoxville , Tennessee . Also , season seven 's Tara Costa will return to PEOPLE.com to blog for season nine ! © 2010 People and Time Inc. . All rights reserved . | The ninth season of `` The Biggest Loser '' features its heaviest competitors yet . A 30-year-old deejay from Chicago , Illinois is the heaviest competitor ever at 526 lbs . The first episode of the new series premieres January 11 . | [[519, 569], [519, 569]] |
Bangkok , Thailand -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Thailand 's prime minister huddled with the chiefs of the country 's armed forces early Friday after a string of grenade attacks killed at least one person and wounded dozens of others in the already-tense capital . Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva called an emergency meeting of top officials after the Thursday night attacks , which followed weeks of protests aimed at toppling his administration . Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban told CNN the grenades were launched from the area where the anti-government protesters , known as the Red Shirts , have been encamped for weeks , but the protesters denied any responsibility for the attacks . Suthep told Thai television earlier that three people died in the attacks , but Bangkok 's Erawan Emergency and Rescue Center later revised the number to one . At least 87 people were wounded , the center said . Suthep said riot police and helicopters were deployed to join Thai troops in the area , which was still littered with glass amid the standoff . Across the barricades , the Red Shirts were playing music and trying to encourage a festive atmosphere . iReport : Are you there ? Share your story , images . Demonstrators told CNN late Thursday they wanted to drive home the point that their demonstrations are supposed to be peaceful . Thursday 's explosions took place near an elevated train station where the Red Shirts are gathered , said Col. Sansern Kaewkumnerd , spokesman for the Center for Resolutions under Emergency Situation . Three of the grenades landed on the roof of the station , but at least one landed outside a nearby hotel , Sansern said . The emergency center , which records patients admitted to Bangkok hospitals , said the victims suffered wounds ranging from light to some more serious injuries . Watch red shirt protests . The Red Shirts support former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra , who was ousted in a bloodless military coup in 2006 . They want Abhisit to dissolve the government , hold new elections and leave the country . Meanwhile , pro-government demonstrators in multicolored shirts have also mobilized to support Abhisit during the crisis . Thailand 's military on Monday stationed about 1,500 troops in the area , a Bangkok financial center that houses offices for some of the nation 's largest companies . The Red Shirts are occupying a large area nearby . Clashes between the two sides left about two dozen people dead and hundreds wounded on April 10 . Abhisit declared a state of emergency April 7 , hours after anti-government demonstrators stormed the country 's parliament . He said then that the `` purpose is to restore peace and order and to stop the spreading of false information to the Thai public . '' Amid the long-simmering dispute , Thailand 's independent election commission recommended the dissolution of Abhisit 's Democrat Party after finding it accepted an $ 8 million campaign donation from a private company and mishandled funds allocated to it by the commission . The ruling still must be reviewed by the country 's attorney general 's office and its Constitution Court , but if it stands , the 64-year-old party will be broken up , and Abhisit and its other senior leaders will be banned from politics for five years . CNN 's Kocha Olarn and Arwa Damon contributed to this report . | NEW : Death toll revised downward ; emergency center says at least 87 wounded . Three grenades land on roof of elevated train station , official says . Pro-government demonstrators mobilize to support Abhisit then disperse . Protesters demand PM to dissolve government , hold new elections and leave country . | [[768, 847], [848, 879], [882, 899], [1332, 1396], [2055, 2064], [2067, 2177], [1965, 2009]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The international draw of its star players , the huge sums paid for rights to broadcast live action and the loyal nature of its consumers have long made the English Premier League an attractive home for investors . In recent years this has included a number of American billionaires who , having made their money with sport franchises in the United States , saw ownership of teams including Manchester United -LRB- Malcolm Glazer -RRB- , Liverpool -LRB- Hicks and Gillett -RRB- and Aston Villa -LRB- Randy Lerner -RRB- as the best way to expand a global portfolio . Stan Kroenke -- owner of the Denver Nuggets basketball team , the National Hockey League 's Colorado Avalanche and Major League Soccer 's Colorado Rapids -- could be the next to join this elite group after a major shareholder at London-based Arsenal confirmed that she is looking to sell her stake . Kroenke already owns 29 percent of the Champions League quarterfinalists , and needs only one more percent to trigger a complete takeover . Blog : Should Stan Kroenke buy Arsenal ? But with the economic downturn compounding both Liverpool and Manchester United 's struggles with debt and growing fan unrest -- coupled with Kroenke 's recent confirmation of a takeover bid for the St Louis Rams -- would it be wise for the American to aim his sights on owning Arsenal now ? CNN 's business correspondent Jim Boulden helps break down Kroenke 's decision . Why invest in the English Premier League ? The recent sale of their overseas television rights amounted to over $ 1.5 billion , while the domestic rights went for much more . This means the Premier League clubs can sign expensive players on big wages , according to Boulden . `` A lot of the league 's strength is to do with Sky and its multi-billion dollar deal to show the games around the world , '' he said . `` Sky gives an enormous amount of money to Premier League clubs . '' Could Kroenke expect much profit from Arsenal ? Boulden says the main way to maximize profit is to keep a club healthy , and deliver success on the pitch before selling it on down the line for a profit . He said : `` I look upon Stan Kroenke like these other guys in America : the Glazers own a NFL team , the guys who own Liverpool own hockey clubs in America . They only make money if they hold onto them for a really long time and sell them . '' Is Arsenal a financially healthy club ? Yes , according to Boulden . He says the club had to take out a big loan to build its new stadium -- the Emirates , which opened in 2006 -- but that is being chipped away . He explained : `` There is a small section of seats at Arsenal 's new ground that generates as much money on a match day as the entire former ground did . All other seats are gravy , so the amount of money they make per game is phenomenal . '' The site of the former ground has been turned into flats , which has also generated a considerable amount of money , Boulden said . Boulden believes Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger 's model of investing time and money into youth players is also a shrewd move . `` Arsene Wenger 's theory is to buy someone when they are young and other clubs have n't even noticed them . By the time they come good , and most of them do , he would have to pay $ 20 million to get these guys . '' He says these players can also be sold on for huge profit , like in the case of France striker Nicolas Anelka , who came through the Arsenal youth system before being sold to Real Madrid for $ 35 million . Would Kroenke put the club in debt to buy it , as did the owners of Manchester United and Liverpool ? The Glazer family bought Manchester United by putting the debt onto the club , and their most recent accounts show they are over $ 1 billion in debt . Boulden says any similar move at Arsenal may not do the club any good . `` Arsenal already has a debt from the building of the new stadium , so it would be hard to see how Kroenke would get a bank to agree to give them more debt , '' he said . Does Kroenke 's extra investment in the St Louis Rams limit his spending power ? Boulden says Kroenke 's purchase of the Rams makes it very unlikely he would also fight to acquire Arsenal at the same time : `` The fact that he has just ingested the Rams -- one of the worst teams in the NFL -- means he is going to have to spend his time and effort trying to rebuild that club . It 's hard to see that he would do that and try to take over Arsenal -- that would be a lot for one person to take on . '' | U.S. businessman Stan Kroenke is largest shareholder at English soccer club Arsenal . Kroenke has just signaled his intention to buy NFL side the St Louis Rams . CNN 's Jim Boulden says Kroenke 's Rams move means he may not buy Arsenal . | [[585, 597], [732, 834], [1173, 1191], [1195, 1278], [1173, 1191], [1195, 1278], [4008, 4088], [4089, 4139], [4102, 4212]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- American Wayne Odesnik has accepted `` a voluntary provisional suspension '' from tennis after pleading guilty to importing human growth hormone into Australia . Odesnik , currently ranked 111th in the world , was heading for the Brisbane International tournament in January when he was stopped by customs officers . The 24-year-old pleaded guilty to taking eight vials of human growth hormone into the country at Brisbane Magistrates Court and was hit with an $ 8,000 fine . Odesnik has agreed to a temporary suspension , though he can decide return to the game at any time , and must wait to hear the findings of an independent tribunal after the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme has concluded its investigation of the case . A statement on the International Tennis Federation Web site said : `` Wayne Odesnik has accepted a voluntary provisional suspension from all events covered under the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme , including Grand Slam tournaments , ATP-sanctioned events and ITF-sanctioned tournaments . `` In accordance with normal policy , the ITF does not intend to make further comment on this matter until its resolution . '' | American tennis player Wayne Odesnik has accepted a voluntary suspension from tennis . Odesnik pleaded guilty to importing human growth hormone into Australia . The 24-year-old was stopped in January by customs officials in Brisbane . | [[0, 15], [19, 180], [495, 539], [743, 807], [810, 890], [0, 15], [19, 180], [336, 459], [181, 188], [229, 335]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A man suspected of opening fire at a Tennessee hospital Monday , killing one and wounding another before killing himself , had a history of mental health problems , police said Tuesday . Investigators searching suspected shooter Abdo Ibssa 's home found medicine for psychotic problems and a note indicating that Ibssa believed a doctor at the hospital had placed an electronic chip inside him during a 2001 appendectomy , Knoxville Police Chief Sterling Owen IV told reporters Tuesday . `` The suspect believed he was being tracked due to this chip , '' Owen said . Owen said family members had committed Ibssa to a mental health facility in February , but it was not clear when he had been discharged . Police said Ibssa shot three women outside the Parkwest Medical Center in Knoxville , Tennessee , Monday afternoon before shooting and killing himself . Rachel Wattenbarger , 40 , died from gunshot wounds . The two survivors -- Ariane Guerin , 26 , and Nancy Chancellor , 32 -- were taken to the trauma center at the University of Tennessee hospital . Owen said Tuesday that they were in stable condition . When Ibssa showed up at the hospital Monday afternoon , he asked for the doctor who had apparently performed his appendectomy . He was told the doctor was not there , Owen said , and later opened fire outside the facility . Owen said the .357 Magnum revolver used by the shooter was reported stolen from a residence in Knox County , Tennessee , in March . Police searching Ibbsa 's home also found a Beretta .22 handgun and a book called `` The Official CIA Manual of Tracking and Deception , '' Owen said . | Medicine for psychotic problems found at Abdo Ibssa 's home . Ibssa believed doctor at the hospital had placed an electronic chip inside him . Suspect opened fire at hospital after asking for doctor who had performed his appendectomy . Police : Ibssa shot three women outside hospital before shooting and killing himself . | [[206, 315], [309, 439], [1131, 1184], [1187, 1210], [1200, 1210], [1215, 1258], [0, 15], [84, 108], [117, 139], [724, 876], [736, 807], [859, 876], [1298, 1302], [1314, 1354]] |
Tehran , Iran -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad warned the United States and other nations Tuesday not to impose tougher sanctions in reaction to the Islamic country 's nuclear ambitions . Iran already faces U.N. sanctions and the five permanent Security Council members -- the United States , Britain , Russia , China and France , all of which have veto power -- have been engaged along with Germany in discussions about possible further measures . `` It 's high time for some people to open their eyes and adapt themselves to real changes that are under way , '' Ahmadinejad said at a news conference in Tehran . Asked specifically about the threat of tougher sanctions , the Iranian president said , `` We prefer that they move in the spirit of cooperation . It wo n't put us in trouble . They themselves will get into trouble . '' Ahmadinejad also seemed to threaten unspecified retaliation , saying Iran wo n't act like it has in the past . `` Definitely , we will show a reaction that will put them to shame , like always , '' he said . Ahmadinejad 's comments came one day after U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal expressed concern over Iran 's nuclear program . Meeting in Riyadh with al-Faisal during a four-day trip to the Middle East , Clinton called Iran 's recent announcement that it has started to produce higher-grade enriched uranium `` a provocative move in defiance of United Nations Security Council resolutions . '' Clinton further warned that the `` increasingly disturbing and destabilizing actions '' by Iran `` will result in increasing isolation . '' Earlier Monday , Clinton told a town hall meeting in Doha , Qatar , that the United States believes Iran `` is moving toward a military dictatorship . '' Clinton was responding to a question about whether the United States was preparing for military action in Iran . `` No , we are planning to bring the world community together in applying pressure to Iran through sanctions adopted by the United Nations that will be particularly aimed at those enterprises controlled by the Revolutionary Guard , which we believe is , in effect , supplanting the government of Iran , '' Clinton said . She added , `` We see that the government of Iran , the supreme leader , the president , the parliament , is being supplanted , and that Iran is moving toward a military dictatorship . Now , that is our view . '' Clinton called for stronger actions after Iran announced it is stepping up production of highly enriched uranium . `` Iran leaves the international community little choice but to impose greater costs for its provocative steps , '' Clinton said . `` Together , we are encouraging Iran to reconsider its dangerous policy decisions . '' Speaking at the U.S.-Islamic World Forum , Clinton said the United States is `` working actively '' with its partners `` to prepare and implement new measures to convince Iran to change its course . '' Ahmadinejad said at a Monday news conference that Iran had no choice but to enrich the uranium because the International Atomic Energy Agency did not fulfill its obligation to provide the Islamic republic with the nuclear material . Iran said last week that it had completed its first batch of 20 percent enriched uranium and will soon triple production . Uranium enriched to 20 percent can set off a nuclear reaction , scientists say , but is not weapons grade . Answering a question from CNN , Ahmadinejad said it was not economical for Iran to perform its own enrichment . The Islamic republic would rather buy it from other sources , he said . But the nation 's supply of enriched uranium was running low and Iran could not afford to wait any longer , Ahmadinejad said . He would not confirm or deny that Iran would be willing to stop its enrichment program if it could obtain the uranium elsewhere . Iranian enrichment of uranium at 20 percent is `` wholly unjustified , '' three diplomats wrote the U.N. nuclear agency 's director-general in a letter obtained Tuesday by CNN . The U.S. , French and Russia ambassadors to the IAEA said the move is `` contrary to U.N. Security Council resolutions '' and poses `` a further step toward a capability to produce high enriched uranium . '' Such an enrichment , the three said in a letter dated February 12 , `` is not only unnecessary , but would serve to further undermine the confidence of the international community in Iran 's actions . '' On Monday , U.S. Assistant Secretary of State P.J. Crowley talked about the joint letter to IAEA director General Yukiya Amano . `` We referred back to the Tehran research reactor proposal from last fall that Iran has yet to accept and we alluded to the availability of medical isotopes on the international market , '' Crowley said . `` Given these two legitimate and immediately available options , there is no rationale for Iran to attempt to produce its own fuel . '' Asked about comments made Monday by the director of Iran 's Atomic Energy Organization , Ali Akbar Salehi , to the semi-official Fars News Agency that Iran would be prepared to stop its 20 percent enrichment , Crowley encouraged Iran to put forth its proposals . `` If they have ideas on how to enact the Tehran research reactor proposal , they should bring them to the IAEA and we can have another round of talks , '' Crowley said . `` Within the parameters of the Tehran research reactor proposal , we are happy to discuss effective ways of implementing it . Our problem is that we had one meeting on the issue and Iran has yet to come back to the table . '' Iran insists its nuclear program is solely for peaceful civilian purposes . Clinton said she 's not so sure . `` Iran has consistently failed to live up to its responsibilities , '' she said . `` It has refused to demonstrate to the international community that its nuclear program is entirely peaceful . And last year , the world learned of a secret nuclear facility near the city of Qom . '' Iran could obtain the enriched uranium it says it wants for medical research by accepting a proposal under which Iran would ship its uranium abroad to be enriched and then returned , but Iran has rejected that offer , Clinton said . `` This has only deepened the international community 's doubts about Iran 's nuclear intentions , along with the Iranian government 's own isolation . '' She added that Iran has also refused recent diplomatic efforts to reach a resolution . A soon-to-be released U.S. assessment of Iran 's nuclear program is expected to conclude the government has resumed limited work on a nuclear weapon , according to a U.S. official . CNN 's Shirzad Bozorgmehr and Elise Labott contributed to this report . | Ahmadinejad warns U.N. Security Council against imposing tougher sanctions . Told a press conference he prefers council members move in the `` spirit of cooperation '' U.N. Security Council and Germany are discussing possible sanctions . Sanctions would be in response to Iran 's nuclear ambitions . | [[0, 6], [9, 211], [585, 637], [697, 723], [726, 784], [378, 472]] |
RICHMOND , Virginia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Maria Stephens barely flinches when her three rambunctious young sons strike up a baseball game in her living room . `` I thought you boys were going to play in the front yard , '' she laughs while Christian , 2 , swings a black plastic bat near the kitchen table . Maria Stephens went from making $ 80,000 a year to being homeless with three boys to care for . It 's hard to imagine all that energy cooped up in the small room where Stephens and her children spent seven months last year -- in a homeless shelter . Stephens , a mortgage underwriter who made $ 80,000 a year , faced a reversal of fortune so swift and devastating she still ca n't quite fathom it . The single mom went from paying $ 1,900 a month in rent to bunking at the shelter , an unexpected victim in the foreclosure crisis . And she is not alone . While the foreclosure rate across the country has grown dramatically in recent months , often lost in the statistics are numbers of Americans made homeless through no fault of theirs -- renters . About 40 percent of people facing eviction from foreclosure in the United States are renters , according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition -LSB- NLIHC -RSB- . Yet regulations on the rental industry vary by state , and often there are no protections for those living in rental properties . For Stephens , the ordeal started with bad news from her landlord . `` My landlord came and told me that his property was being foreclosed on , '' Stephens said . She moved her children , one then a newborn and the other two under 7 , to a cheaper rental but had to leave there , too , when she lost her job and then her new landlord decided to sell the property . Watch more about the ordeals of some renters '' `` I had to hold back my tears because I 'm like , oh my goodness . I 'm from a middle-class family . ... I 've had the best of everything , '' said Stephens . `` I 've never been in a situation where I did n't have a place to live . I made the money . '' While Stephens ' situation was worsened by the loss of her income , advocates with organizations such as NLIHC say many times evictions hit renters who are working and financially up-to-date . `` People who had been paying their rent on time , had been keeping up with their lease requirements , all of a sudden are served with foreclosure notices , '' said NLIHC Deputy Director Linda Couch . `` And in every state but New Jersey and the District of Columbia , renters are not allowed to stay through their lease term and are given no special protections . '' The problem is exacerbated for low-income renters , who may struggle to find affordable housing on short notice . The director of SERVE , a homeless advocacy group in Manassas , Virginia , has seen an explosion of renters in need of shelter over the past seven months . Officials at another Virginia shelter have braced for an influx of families they believe will start seeking services soon . Some offer emergency shelter for families who might get only a few days ' notice before being forced to move out . Last year , an Illinois sheriff temporarily refused to evict renters , some of whom learned about the foreclosure when sheriff 's deputies showed up at their door . Bill Apgar , senior adviser for mortgage finance at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development , said the Obama administration is working to solve the problem . The president 's 2010 budget proposal includes $ 1 billion for a National Housing Trust Fund , which would go towards building and preserving low-income housing . There is also a boost in funding to a voucher program that keeps families in their homes . NLIHC 's Couch applauded these efforts but urged the federal government to go further . She wants to compel banks and owners who take over foreclosed property to allow renters to stay through their lease . Mortgage finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac already give renters that protection . `` We do think that solutions as simple as those requirements could have an immediate and dramatic impact on potentially millions of peoples ' lives , '' Couch said . For Stephens , who now has a new job and is renting again , the experience has caused her to leave as little as possible to chance -- she saves enough to give her family a cushion , just in case . And she emphasizes to her children an outlook on life now vital for renters as well as for homeowners . `` No matter where we laid our heads , '' Stephens said , `` I told my sons as long as we 're together , we 'll be OK . '' | About 40 % of people facing eviction from foreclosure are renters , coalition finds . Many times , evictions hit renters who are working and financially up-to-date . Only New Jersey and D.C. offer renters any protections during a foreclosure . Former mortgage underwriter Maria Stephens was forced to go shelter with her boys . | [[1056, 1082], [1137, 1148], [1056, 1082], [1151, 1225], [1320, 1355], [2130, 2172], [2130, 2172], [2140, 2217], [305, 389]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- China 's figure skating pair of Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo capped an emotional comeback to the Winter Olympics on Monday by capturing the pairs figure skating gold . By winning the event , Shen and Zhao captured their country 's first gold medal in figure skating and fulfilled a quest that had previously eluded them . The husband-and-wife team had retired from Olympic competition , but was coaxed back by the hope of claiming gold . China made it a 1-2 finish in pairs skating after Pan Qing and Tong Jian claimed silver , according to the Vancouver Olympics Web site . Germany 's Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy claimed third place and the bronze medal in the event . Elsewhere at the Olympics , South Korea 's Mo Tae-Bum captured the gold medal in the men 's 500-meter speed skating event . Japan 's Keiichiro Nagashima and Joji Kato captured silver and bronze , respectively . In figure skating , China 's Shen and Zhao had retired in 2007 after capturing three world championships and two Olympic bronze medalists , making them the most decorated figure skaters in their country 's history . Shen and Zhao were also newlyweds after Zhao proposed to Shen on the ice following a stunning 2007 World Championship performance in Tokyo . Headlining the popular Stars on Ice tour in the United States , retirement seemed like a natural step for Zhao and Shen . But after just two years away , they declared they would return for the Vancouver Olympics , presumably to capture the gold medal that eluded them . CNN memories : What was it like to train with Olympic champs ? Zhao and Shen kicked off their comeback fittingly by winning the Cup of China last season . They won all three of their events and set a new world record at the Grand Prix Final . The pair , formerly ranked number one in the world , opened the Vancouver Olympic figure skating competitions by performing first of the 20 competing pairs . Their draw was considered bad luck , especially because Shen and Zhao currently rank 29th in the world after being away from competition . Zhao and Shen delivered a near flawless performance in the short program on Sunday , what many skating analysts called their strongest program ever . `` We wanted the program to show all that we have , and we made it , '' Zhao told the Xinhua news agency in Vancouver following the short program on Sunday . `` It 's the best gift for the Valentine 's Day , '' Shen added . CNN 's Jo Ling Kent contributed to this report . | China 's Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo claim figure skating pairs gold . Husband-wife team had returned to competition after two-year absence . South Korea 's Mo Tae-Bum wins gold in men 's 500-meter speed skating . Japan claims silver and bronze in men 's 500-meter speed skating . | [[0, 15], [138, 182], [183, 203], [206, 280], [1387, 1412], [1415, 1473], [721, 816], [817, 886]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- International arms dealer Viktor Bout has been indicted by federal authorities on a series of new charges , including counts of illegally purchasing U.S. cargo planes to ferry weapons to warring parties and regimes in Africa and the Middle East . The new indictment , announced in New York and Washington Wednesday , comes as the United States steps up efforts to extradite Bout to New York from Thailand , where he has been jailed since 2008 . The indictment charges Bout , a Russian native , and his alleged American co-conspirator , Richard Chichakli , with the illegal purchase of a Boeing 727 and a Boeing 737 and with money laundering and wire fraud . Chichakli remains at large , authorities said . The Justice Department said Bout has been an international weapons trafficker since the 1990s , carrying out a massive weapons trafficking business by assembling a fleet of cargo planes to transport weapons to parts of Africa , the Middle East and South America . `` The arms that Bout has sold or brokered have fueled conflicts and supported regimes in Afghanistan , Angola , the Democratic Republic of the Congo , Liberia , Rwanda , Sierra Leone and Sudan , '' the Justice Department said . Bout `` allegedly made a career of arming bloody conflicts and supporting rogue regimes across multiple continents , even using the U.S. banking system to secretly finance a private fleet of aircraft , '' said U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara . The superseding indictments were returned by a grand jury in the Southern District of New York . The previous indictment of Bout centered on his alleged efforts to send millions of dollars worth of weapons to arm guerrilla fighters in Colombia . Thai courts to date have balked at extraditing Bout to the United States on the basis of the original charges . `` The United States has apprised Thai authorities of the new charges against Bout ... and will continue to work closely with them on this matter , '' the Justice Department statement said . `` The United States is also coordinating with Interpol to locate and arrest Chichakli . '' Tuesday , a Thai court rejected a request by Bout to be released on bond . | Bout accused of buying planes to transport weapons to Africa , Mideast . Bout , a Russian , has been in jail in Thailand since 2008 . U.S. has been trying to extradite him , hopes latest charges will help . American Richard Chichakli also accused of illegal purchase of Boeing 727 , Boeing 737 . | [[168, 276], [736, 921], [736, 758], [832, 961], [426, 434], [437, 474], [356, 434]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery , then fast food giant Burger King is paying its longtime industry rival a royal compliment . In a new television commercial , Burger King 's mascot , a slightly sinister king with an outsized , motionless plastic head , breaks into the headquarters of McDonald 's and steals the recipe to their Sausage McMuffin with egg and cheese . The advertisement is a parody of super agent derring-do , with high-tech gadgets and a swift getaway . But it 's also a sly wink at Burger King 's new BK Breakfast Muffin Sandwich 's undeniable resemblance to the classic Sausage McMuffin . But are McDonald 's executives upset with this campaign ? Have lawyers been rallied and accusatory calls been made ? `` We have n't received any direct feedback from competitors , '' said Brian Gries , Burger King 's vice president of marketing impact . Gries further defends his company 's choice to be up-front about the similarities between the BK Breakfast Muffin and the McMuffin , saying , `` We are not above taking a product that we know customers like and delivering it to our guests at a great price . '' In fact , many others in the fast food arena are n't averse to this , either . For instance , both the BK Breakfast Muffin and the Egg McMuffin are part of special breakfast `` dollar menus . '' But , as Gries points out , `` we were the first to launch a national breakfast value menu , and now you see that becoming an industry norm . '' But it 's a `` norm '' that is rarely acknowledged . When asked about Burger King 's campaign admitting to `` stealing '' the Sausage McMuffin , a McDonald 's representative said , `` We remain focused on our business and serving our business . '' The proof , however , is on the record . Even if Burger King had n't publicly admitted `` burglarizing '' McDonald 's , the McMuffin arrived to market first . The original Egg McMuffin was conceived in 1972 . Fortunately for competitors , McDonald 's does n't own the rights to eggs , sausage , cheese or English muffins . Just the powerful brand-name `` McMuffin . '' But even `` the House That Ronald Built '' is n't above finding inspiration in the products of other fast food innovators . In 2008 , McDonald 's faced criticism for launching its Southern-Style Chicken Sandwich , which featured a fried chicken cutlet on a buttered bun with two pickles . To fast food connoisseurs , it appeared nearly identical to the chicken sandwich that made Georgia-based Chik-fil-A famous . These allegations were disputed by McDonald 's . And this is n't the first time Burger King has created a product that mirrored its longtime rival . The Big Mac is McDonald 's signature burger : two all-beef patties , special sauce , lettuce , cheese , pickles , onions , served on a sesame seed bun . But in 1997 , Burger King released the Big King , which was two all-beef patties , special sauce , lettuce , cheese , pickles , onions , served on a sesame seed bun . The difference between the Big Mac and the Big King ? It was n't the `` special sauce , '' a variation on Thousand Island dressing . It was the beef patties : Burger King `` flame-broils , '' but McDonald 's `` grill fries . '' The Big King was discontinued in 2003 . | Some food fights are so polite that the public may not notice . But Burger King commercialized its copying of McDonald 's Sausage McMuffin . Burger King executive : No direct feedback from competitors . In 2008 , McDonald 's launched chicken sandwich similar to Chik-fil-A 's . | [[758, 818]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- As the country was sinking into its worst financial crisis in more than 70 years , Security and Exchange Commission employees and contractors cruised porn sites and viewed sexually explicit pictures using government computers , an SEC investigation obtained by CNN showed . `` During the past five years , the SEC OIG -LRB- Office of Inspector General -RRB- substantiated that 33 SEC employees and or contractors violated Commission rules and policies , as well as the government-wide Standards of Ethical Conduct , by viewing pornographic , sexually explicit or sexually suggestive images using government computer resources and official time , '' said a summary of the investigation by the inspector general 's office . More than half of the workers made between $ 99,000 and $ 223,000 . All the cases took place over the past five years . `` It is nothing short of disturbing that high-ranking officials within the SEC were spending more time looking at pornography than taking action to help stave off the events that brought our nation 's economy to the brink of collapse , '' said Rep. Darrell Issa . The Republican is a ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform . `` This stunning report should make everyone question the wisdom of moving forward with plans to give regulators like the SEC even more widespread authority , '' he said . `` Inexplicably , rather than exercise its existing regulatory enforcement authority , SEC officials were preoccupied with other distractions . '' | SEC investigation : Dozens of employees , contractors surfed porn sites on work computers . Staffers violated government-wide ethics rules , report finds . Report : All cases occurred while country was teetering on verge of financial collapse . | [[22, 179], [0, 5], [184, 244], [247, 292], [293, 322], [325, 608], [591, 662], [864, 866], [884, 1006], [293, 322], [325, 608], [1025, 1035], [1041, 1095]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Mexican authorities on Thursday continued to investigate the kidnappings of at least six people from a Holiday Inn in Monterrey , Mexico , Wednesday . Nuevo Leon state Attorney General Alejandro Garza y Garza said in a news conference that the unidentified gunmen entered a second hotel as well , the state-run Notimex news agency reported . A convoy of between 10 and 15 vehicles carrying as many as 30 gunmen pulled into the Holiday Inn at around 2 a.m. , Garza y Garza said . According to him , the gunmen brought a handcuffed man into the lobby , who gave them information on the intended victims . A businessman from Mexico City , Luis Miguel Gonzalez , was kidnapped , along with three other guests , Garza y Garza said . The other guests were identified as Angel Ernesto Montes de Oca of Mexico City , Manuel Juarez and Aracely Hernandez , an employee of a staffing company near the border with the United States . A hotel receptionist , David Salas , was also kidnapped , together with another hotel employee , authorities said . A security guard at the hotel was missing , but it was not confirmed that he too was kidnapped , Garza y Garza said . Before leaving , the gunmen took the computer from the reception desk as well as the video from the security camera , he said . Minutes later , there was a report of the same group of gunmen entering the Mision Hotel , located near the Holiday Inn . Police responded to the hotel , but the officials there declined to report a crime to the authorities . Northern Mexico , particularly the states of Tamaulipas and Nuevo Leon , have seen a recent uptick in violent activity , much of it blamed on warring drug cartels . | About 30 gunmen stormed into the Holiday Inn at around 2 a.m. Man in handcuffs told gunmen which rooms to go to . A businessman from Mexico City was among those kidnapped . Same gunmen reportedly entered a second hotel . | [[420, 474], [622, 652], [678, 691], [694, 723], [170, 313], [1303, 1316], [1319, 1391]] |
Mountain View , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- At this moment we have reached a major turning point for both science and the public at large . The SETI Institute is now offering the world the first taste of raw SETI -LRB- Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence -RRB- data collected by the Allen Telescope Array in California . With this we move closer to fulfilling the institute 's mission , which is to search for our beginnings and our place among the stars . Throughout the institute 's 25-year history -LRB- we are a private , nonprofit organization dedicated to scientific research , education and public outreach -RRB- , we have analyzed these raw data with custom algorithms operating on semi-custom hardware . Now we are transitioning to readily available hardware and servers because technology has caught up to us -- hooray ! In the future , we hope that a global army of open-source code developers , students and other experts in digital signal processing , as well as citizen scientists willing to lend their intelligence to our exploration , will have access to the same technology and join our quest . As I look at my team at the SETI Institute in Mountain View , and at a handful of other SETI teams around the globe , I see very clever individuals who have been willing to forgo the traditional challenges and rewards of academic research to work on a program of immense potential -- to do work that can literally change the world . Many see SETI as a fascinating avocation , but few indeed are willing to make it their vocation . Read more about Jill Tarter at TED.com . In 2009 , when TED awarded me its TED prize and the opportunity to make a wish to change the world - - a wish they would help me fulfil l -- I thought of a mirror . It is the mirror that we hold up to the planet in our scientific search for the answer to the ancient question , ` Are we alone ? ' It is the mirror in which all humans can see themselves as the same , when compared to the extraterrestrial other . It 's the mirror that allows us to alter our daily perspectives and see ourselves in a more cosmic setting . It is the mirror that reminds us of our common origins in stardust . TED and technology are helping me and my team hold up that mirror to all inhabitants of this planet so that we can see our reflection as Earthlings . I told TED that `` I wish that you would empower Earthlings everywhere to become active participants in the ultimate search for cosmic company . '' Soon it will be time for you to get involved by participating at setiQuest.org , a website that will make available the results that we get from our telescopes . Right now the site is geared to those knowledgable about digital signal processing , but in the coming months , anyone -- from a child playing a setiQuest game to an interested adult -- can join the search for intelligent life in the cosmos . It 's been 50 years since Philip Morrison and Guiseppe Cocconi published their seminal scientific paper on SETI in the journal Nature , and since Frank Drake first used the Tatel telescope in Green Bank , West Virginia , to attempt to detect any radio signals from technologies he thought could be orbiting the nearby stars of Tau Ceti and Epsilon Eridani . Since then , only those of us privileged enough to use the marvelous tools of the astronomer have been able to shape this pursuit of cosmic company . For the past decade , you and any other person around the globe have been able to leave your computer turned on and search through data recorded at large radio telescopes with the SETI@home screen saver . But you could n't change or improve the search your computer was enabling , you could n't get involved creatively . You did n't have to see your reflection in the cosmic mirror . Now that computing has gotten fast enough , now that Amazon Web Services , Dell , Intel , Google and others have donated resources to the SETI Institute , my team and I can benefit from your skills and your energy . You can help us with our search . Access the raw data we have published at setiQuest and show us how to process it in new ways , find signals that our current signal detection algorithms are missing . This summer , when we openly publish our software detection code , you can take what you find useful for your own work , and then help us make it better for our SETI search . As I wished , I 'd like to get all Earthlings spending a bit of their day looking at data from the Allen Telescope Array to see if they can find patterns that all of the signal detection algorithms may still be missing , and while they are doing that , get them thinking about their place in the cosmos . That 's the way we can change the world ! We do n't yet know how to get our data out of the observatory and presented to willing citizen scientists in real-time -- but if you are technically savvy , that 's where you come in , that 's where you can help us make the search better . The SETI Institute can begin to count anyone in the world as a member of our team . All of the SETI searching over the past 50 years is equivalent to examining one 8-ounce glass of water from the Earth 's oceans -- a lot of human effort , but not a lot of exploration . As our technologies improve exponentially , and as the world joins our searches , we may finally have the right tools for exploring the cosmic ocean . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Jill Tarter . | Jill Tarter says the SETI Institute is offering the world raw cosmic data from its telescopes . She said technology has enabled nonscientists to help search for extraterrestrial life . When the setiQuest site is fully developed , even kids will be able to search data . Tarter : More people combing data means a greater possibility of finding signs of life . | [[142, 160], [164, 272], [2559, 2570], [2576, 2641], [3524, 3597], [4027, 4134]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Barcelona will be without influential midfielder Andres Iniesta for most of the decisive run-in to the end of this season as the Catalan side seek to retain their Spanish and European titles . Iniesta had only just returned to Josep Guardiola 's team last week as a substitute for the second leg of the Champions League quarterfinal against Arsenal , and then also came on in the 2-0 win at Real Madrid , but has suffered another injury blow in training after tearing a calf muscle . The 25-year-old Spain international could be out for up to a month , Barcelona 's Web site reported on Tuesday , meaning he may not be fit to return until the club 's final domestic league match against Real Valladolid on May 16 . `` Andres Iniesta suffered the injury during training and doctors have diagnosed a total rupture of the right femoral biceps muscle , '' the club 's Web site said . Iniesta is set to miss the Champions League semifinals against Italian champions Inter Milan on April 20 and 28 , but may return for the final on May 22 in Madrid if Barca progress that far . Barcelona lead Real by three points with seven matches to play ahead of Wednesday 's home clash with Deportivo La Coruna , while their title rivals travel to Almeria on Thursday . Barca will again be without injured striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic , but the Sweden international is expected to return to training before Saturday 's local derby at Espanyol , the club 's Web site reported . Meanwhile , Sevilla 's hopes of qualifying for next season 's Champions League suffered another blow with a 2-1 defeat at relegation-threatened Valladolid on Tuesday night . Sevilla stayed in fourth place on goal difference from Mallorca , who travel to struggling Zaragoza on Wednesday . Valladolid remained second from bottom despite giving former Spain coach Javier Clemente victory in his first home match . Clemente has earned four points from two games since taking over as Diego Costa headed the opening goal four minutes before halftime and fellow striker Manucho scored the second eight minutes after the break . Juan Cala pulled one back from long range with seven minutes left , but Sevilla fell to a ninth defeat from 16 away games this season . Getafe claimed seventh place from fellow Europa League Villarreal with a 3-0 victory in Tuesday 's late match . On-loan striker Miku netted twice , scoring either side of a free-kick from Mane as all three goals came in the second half . Goalkeeper Diego Lopez gifted Miku the 56th-minute opener , and he pushed Mane 's 25-yard strike onto the post and slowly over the line with 18 minutes left . Tenerife stayed in the third relegation place , one point above Valladolid , despite registering a first away win this season , 2-0 at mid-table Sporting Gijon . Roman Martinez and Alejandro Alfaro scored in the final 20 minutes to put the islanders just two points behind Malaga , who travel to Osasuna on Wednesday . | Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta ruled out for up to a month with a calf injury . Spain star may not be fit to return until final match of domestic season on May 16 . He will miss both legs of Champions League semifinal against Inter Milan this month . Fourth-placed Sevilla suffer shock 2-1 defeat at relegation-threatened Valladolid . | [[19, 140], [503, 569], [19, 140], [572, 593], [616, 733], [899, 906], [1011, 1061], [899, 1010], [1476, 1485], [1488, 1649]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Nearly 2,000 miles from Haiti , there 's a ripple effect from the earthquake that devastated the country on January 12 . U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents have arrested 140 Haitian men and women who have crossed the border from Canada into Vermont since late January . Many had gone to Canada well before the earthquake to seek asylum , and thought they could take advantage of a relaxed U.S. policy on deporting Haitians . `` One of the things that 's happening is that some of these individuals that have previously been either deported or ordered deported and are looking for refuge in Canada , have entered Canada illegally , are now looking to come back into the U.S. and possibly take advantage of the temporary protected status that our government has given , '' said David Aguilar , acting deputy commissioner at U.S. Customs and Border Protection . That temporary protected status allows Haitians who were in the United States at the time of the earthquake to stay longer , regardless of whether they were in the country legally or not . But the policy does not protect Haitians illegally entering the country now . `` We are going to apprehend them , '' said Aguilar . `` These are people that should not have come into this country and applied for a program that they do not benefit from . '' That message was likely lost in translation , said David Watts , a court-appointed attorney for three Haitians charged with illegal entry and jailed . `` I think there 's no doubt that there was some confusion , '' Watts said . `` None of them have immigration lawyers , they 're relying on the word on the street and the word in the community . '' One of the men Watts represents is Arry Seguin , whose story is not uncommon . Seguin was living in the Haitian community in Montreal after going to Canada in 2008 to seek asylum . Until then , he had been living in Florida with his wife and two children , now ages 6 and 2 . Seguin left the United States after losing appeals to stay . His wife , Louizette , a naturalized citizen , lives in a cramped apartment in Lantana , Florida , and does n't understand why her husband ca n't join her . `` You see , everything is a mess without him . Nothing is working well without him , '' she says . She says she struggles to take care of her children , but she is also getting calls from relatives in Haiti who are desperate for help . It 's the reason she believes her husband tried to return to Florida . He never made it far beyond the Canadian-Vermont border and was arrested in the early morning hours of March 21 . Because Seguin does n't have a criminal record , his lawyer was able to reach a settlement with prosecutors . For now , Seguin will be eligible to stay in the United States under supervised release , checking in with immigration authorities . It will be up to a judge to decide if that happens . Watts expects his client will released from jail soon . While Seguin will eventually face deportation , Watts says the goal is to return him to his family to weather their immediate personal crisis . `` So he will have achieved his goal , but for the fact that he 's spent an awful lot of time in jail , '' Watts said . `` It would have been better , given what actually happened , if he had been able to come back and help sooner . '' Taking the risk of getting caught was in the cards , says Chrissy Etienne , who works as an interpreter for the Haitian men and women who 've been arrested . Etienne is a Haitian native living in Burlington , Vermont , having recently graduated from Middlebury College . Because she speaks Creole , she had signed up to be a translator and was stunned when attorneys called in February asking for help . Since then , her phone has n't stopped ringing and she 's met with dozens of Haitians who 've been arrested , meeting them either in prison or in court . `` I think some thought there is a great chance I will get caught , '' says Etienne . `` I think some expected to get caught . I think it was get to the U.S. at all costs , get to my family at all costs . '' `` I think that it is connected to the earthquake , '' says Etienne . `` When you lose your home , when you lose Haiti as a whole . What is left ? '' Giving a voice to the arrested Haitians , she said , has been tough since she is restrained in what she can do . Etienne describes a common scenario with the men and women she deals with , saying , `` There is that , that wish for a system that is more personal . Could n't I just explain this to a judge ? To someone ? That I am not a criminal . That I have no background or criminal background . I am just trying to get to my family . Is n't there someone who is going to believe that story ? And who is going to hear me ? `` And there is that moment where ... I know what the attorney is going to say and I have to relate it with that same sort of calm , collected feeling , but I am also watching someone fall apart . '' | 140 Haitians have crossed the U.S.-Canada border since the Haiti earthquake . Some Haitians are seeking refuge based on a U.S. policy revised post-quake . One refugee 's attorney says his client is confused and just wants to be with his family . | [[4642, 4680]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Floyd Mayweather will not be fighting Shane Mosley for a world title on May 1 after the `` Money Man '' refused to pay the World Boxing Association 's sanctioning fee . The five-time world champion takes on Mosley in Las Vegas on May 1 but insists his legacy is more important to him than fighting for `` Sugar Shane 's '' welterweight title . `` I did not want to fight for the WBA title , '' Mayweather told Sky Sports . `` At this point , it 's all about enhancing my legacy . `` I 've done a lot of things in this sport , things that a lot of fighters were n't able to do in the sport and did n't do in the sport . This fight with Shane Mosley will enhance my legacy . '' Mayweather , 33 , has won all 40 of his professional bouts and is a six-time world champion at five different weights . His proposed `` super fight '' with WBO welterweight champ Manny Pacquiao broke down after a disagreement over drug testing procedures , and he opted to fight Mosely instead . Mayweather referred to his opponent as `` a solid welterweight with great accomplishments , '' but dismissed his chances of a victory at the MGM Grand . `` We are totally different , '' he added . `` He 's a fighter that always worries about landing one big shot , he worries about who is extremely strong . `` And I worry about being smart and winning . We approach fights in two totally different ways . When I shoot my shots , I am looking at my opponent . When Shane punches , a lot of times he closes his eyes . `` I am pretty sure Shane is going to be in good condition . We are going to put on one hell of a show on May 1 come the fight . Like I have always said before - there is no remedy on how to beat Floyd Mayweather . Everyone is trying to solve the problem . `` It 's like a difficult maths problem that no one can solve . No one can solve it . The ultimate goal is try to solve the problem . How to beat Floyd Mayweather ? I know what I have to go out there and do . '' | Floyd Mayweather 's fight with Shane Mosley will not be for the World Boxing Association title . Mayweather refused to pay the WBA 's sanctioning fee ahead of May 1 bout . The 33-year-old says his boxing legacy is more important . Mosley is current WBA welterweight champion . | [[19, 109], [103, 187], [188, 216], [259, 362], [461, 498]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- FA Cup finalists Portsmouth will not be allowed to play in next season 's Europa League , the English Football Association -LRB- FA -RRB- have confirmed . The financially-stricken side , who became the first-ever Premier League club to enter administration earlier this year , would have been gauranteed a place in Europe next season because their final opponents , Chelsea , have secured a Champions League place . However , Portsmouth 's administrators -- who revealed on Wednesday that the club is in debt to the tune of $ 170m -- have been told that any late application for a UEFA club licence will not be considered due to the club 's on-going financial problems . A joint statement from the FA and English Premier League said : `` The FA and Premier League have confirmed to the administrators of Portsmouth that they shall not consider any late application for granting of a UEFA Club Licence for the 2010-11 season . '' The decision means the team who finish seventh in the Premier League , with Liverpool currently in that position , will take Portsmouth 's place . European football 's governing body UEFA had earlier revealed that the club could submit a late application before May 31 -- but the Premier League and FA have subsequently decreed that the Portsmouth 's financial situation is so bad that they would not meet any of UEFA 's criteria to enter . Portsmouth 's administrator Andrew Andronikou told Press Association Sport : `` We have spent a long time going through all the necessary steps and we had hoped to make a European application next week . `` We felt that we would do our bit and that it would be up to the FA and the Premier League to do theirs . It 's wrong for the fans that they should not be allowed to support their club in Europe next season . '' | FA Cup finalists Portsmouth will not be allowed to play in next season 's Europa League . Portsmouth were guaranteed a place in Europe because Chelsea will be in Champions League . But the English FA have vetoed this because of the club 's financial crisis . | [[0, 15], [19, 106], [174, 205], [289, 382], [353, 382], [385, 434], [445, 473], [548, 689], [1224, 1377]] |
Rome , Italy -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Vatican said a lawsuit accusing it and Pope Benedict XVI of covering up sexual abuse by a priest at a Catholic school in the United States has no merit . `` While legitimate lawsuits have been filed by abuse victims , this is not one of them , '' Vatican lawyer Jeffrey Lena said Friday . `` Instead , the lawsuit represents an attempt to use tragic events as a platform for a broader attack . '' The lawsuit by an unnamed Illinois man demands the Vatican release the names of thousands of Catholic priests that the suit says have `` credible allegations of sexual misconduct '' against them . The alleged victim , who is now an adult , says he was molested by the Rev. Lawrence Murphy while a student at St. John 's School for the Deaf , according to the complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Milwaukee , Wisconsin . `` The defendant , -LSB- the -RSB- Holy See , has known about the widespread problem of childhood sexual abuse committed by its clergy for centuries , but has covered up that abuse and thereby perpetuated the abuse , '' the suit says . `` The case against the Holy See and its officials is completely without merit , '' Lena said . `` Most of the complaint rehashes old theories already rejected by U.S. courts . '' Lena added , `` With regard to Murphy himself , the Holy See and its officials knew nothing of his crimes until decades after the abuse occurred , and had no role whatsoever in causing plaintiff 's injuries . '' Benedict was named as a defendant because he has the ultimate authority to remove priests and because of his involvement in reviewing sex abuse cases when he was Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger , the suit says . Peter Isely , Midwest director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests , estimated the Vatican is investigating 4,000 cases of sex abuse by church employees . The lawsuit aims to change church policies and practices that conceal sex offenders , Isely said . `` It 's going to protect children , we hope , around the world , '' he said , `` This is a historic day and hopefully this is going to result in historic changes . '' Arthur Budzinski , a deaf man who said he was sexually assaulted and raped by Murphy , stood with Isely at a news conference Thursday . He said the priest `` may have stolen our bodies , '' but higher clerics such as cardinals , archbishops and the pope `` stole our voices . '' Budzinski , who is not a party to the lawsuit , made his comments in sign language and his daughter , Gigi , interpreted his words . Murphy , who died in 1998 , is believed to have molested up to 200 boys , Isely said . The lawsuit said the church `` knew that there was a high probability that these clerics would sexually molest more children , but sought to protect itself from scandal , sought to keep its income stream going , at the peril of children . '' Murphy , it says , was a `` top fundraiser and recruiter '' for the church and the `` Holy See wanted to retain Murphy 's services . '' The same Minnesota law firm representing the Illinois plaintiff also filed suit Wednesday on behalf of a Mexican resident who says he was sexually abused by a priest . The suit alleges Catholic officials in Los Angeles , California , aided and abetted the abuse by moving the priest to different dioceses as allegations piled up against him . CNN 's Alan Duke and Hada Messia contributed to this report . | Some lawsuits legitimate , but not this one , Vatican lawyer says . Illinois man accuses Catholic Church , Pope Benedict XVI of covering up abuse . Plaintiff says he was molested by priest at Wisconsin school for the deaf . | [[193, 251], [254, 277], [0, 4], [7, 28], [32, 174], [877, 882], [1007, 1072], [630, 650], [673, 721], [2149, 2159], [2164, 2214], [3110, 3128], [3133, 3174]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- If you 've been to the movies recently , you 've probably been pummeled with trailers for interchangeable all-star action movies : `` The Expendables , '' `` The A-Team '' and `` The Losers . '' Mercenaries are in this year , and khaki is the new black . `` The Losers '' is first out of the blocks , and it 's a cheerfully vulgar shoot - 'em - up that does n't have a serious bone in its pumped-up body . Based on Andy Diggle 's Vertigo comic book -LRB- itself loosely inspired by the old DC comic -RRB- , the movie does n't really flow ; it just spurts out in quick , oily jets . It 's actually less like a comic book and more like a 90-minute trailer : all the best bits stuck end to end and the filler condensed into a pithy line or -LRB- better yet -RRB- a clubby music cue . -LRB- The Kills ' `` U R A Fever '' comes up twice -- once for a fight scene and then again for a sex scene -- but there 's no doubt the fight is the turn-on , and it lasts much longer , too . -RRB- . If you 've seen the trailer , you 'll feel you 're halfway there , and if you caught co-writer Peter Berg in `` Smokin ' Aces '' a couple of years back , you 'll know what else is in store . The Losers are some kind of CIA black ops squad , but only for a nanosecond . There are five of them , each with his own wardrobe fetish and each with a prescribed skill set : Clay is the leader -LRB- Jeffrey Dean Morgan from `` Watchmen '' -RRB- , and he looks good with one shirt-tail hanging out . Jensen -LRB- Chris Evans -RRB- is tech support and comic relief in a series of nasty T-shirts . Cougar -LRB- Oscar Jaenada -RRB- is a sniper and never separated from his cowboy hat . Pooch -LRB- Columbus Short -RRB- is the driver and family man . Roque -LRB- Idris Elba , aka Stringer Bell from `` The Wire '' -RRB- is second-in-command , a knife expert with a scar down his cheek . They 're a bit lightweight in star power -- Evans is the biggest draw and the most fun -- and they 're not so badass that they 're willing to take out a Bolivian crime boss when they realize he 's surrounded himself with children . In rescuing the kids , the Losers seal their own death warrant with their controller , Max , a super-patriot whose precise role in U.S. intelligence is shrouded in secrecy but who has been written as a cross between Dick Cheney and Dr. No -LRB- though Jason Patric , who plays him , resembles a psychotically soft-spoken Warren Beatty -RRB- . Left for dead in the jungle , the team is rescued , sort of , by a high-kicking beanpole with an open credit line . This is Aisha -LRB- Zoe Saldana -RRB- , and she hires the Losers to bring down Max . `` How do I know I can trust you ? '' Clay wants to know . `` Because if I was lying , I would n't have used the words ` suicide mission , ' '' she very reasonably points out . Locked into the faddish slam-cut video game look and filtered -LRB- perhaps in deference to a string of Central American locations -RRB- in malarial shades of green and yellow , `` The Losers '' wants to seem cutting edge , though it clings to a quaint Saturday morning serial black-and-white morality . Max is n't just down on kids , he plans to get his paws on `` next-generation '' weapons , kick-start a war or two , destabilize the developing world and put the U.S. back on top . Laughable ! Directed by Sylvain White -LRB- `` Stomp the Yard '' -RRB- , the movie musters a modicum of snap , crackle and pop , but the whole shooting match is delivered in such an assiduously shorthand style that when the smoke clears , it 's hard not to feel a teensy bit short-changed . | `` The Losers '' is based on Andy Diggle 's Vertigo comic book . Film stars Chris Evans , Jeffrey Dean Morgan , Columbus Short and Zoe Saldana . It musters a modicum of snap , crackle and pop , but it 's hard not to feel short-changed . | [[425, 467], [3387, 3440], [3553, 3563], [3568, 3604]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Barack Obama has come in at eighth in a list of golf-playing American presidents , higher than both George Bush and Ronald Reagan . Bush was known for his love of golf , but figures released by Mark Knoller of CBS Radio , the unofficial White House statistician , have revealed that Obama has played golf 32 times during his presidency -- eight times more than his predecessor did during his entire tenure at the White House . In fact , president Obama played a round as recently as last Sunday , when his flight to Poland for the funeral of president Lech Kaczynski was cancelled due to the volcanic ash cloud over Europe . Golf Digest magazine has ranked president Obama ahead of both Bush and Reagan , but behind Bill Clinton -- who was known to practise his putting in the aisle of Air Force One . | Barack Obama has come in at eighth in a list of golf-playing American presidents . Mr Obama comes in higher than both George Bush and Ronald Reagan . The current president had played golf eight times more than Bush did during his entire tenure . | [[0, 9], [19, 101], [644, 721], [193, 238], [268, 427], [358, 445]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Nearly 180 Department of Homeland Security weapons were lost -- some falling into the hands of criminals -- after officers left them in restrooms , vehicles and other public places , according to an inspector general report . The officers , with Customs and Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement , `` did not always sufficiently safeguard their firearms and , as a result , lost a significant number of firearms '' between fiscal year 2006 and fiscal year 2008 , the report said . In all , 243 firearms were lost in both agencies during that period , according to the January report from Inspector General Richard Skinner . Of those , 36 were lost because of circumstances beyond officers ' control -- for instance , ICE lost a firearm during an assault on an officer . Another 28 were lost even though officers had stored them in lockboxes or safes . But 74 percent , or 179 guns , were lost `` because officers did not properly secure them , '' the report said . Following a review of the draft report in December , Homeland Security took steps to implement its recommendations and overhaul its property management policy , according to a response in the report . A department spokeswoman did not immediately return a call from CNN Thursday seeking comment . The report concluded the department did not have specific procedures and policies in place regarding firearms . `` Instead , DHS relied on its components to augment its general property management policies and procedures with specific guidance for safeguarding and controlling firearms , '' it said . `` Although some component policies and procedures for safeguarding firearms were sufficient , personnel did not always follow them . '' The inspector general cited several examples of `` inappropriate practices . '' A customs officer , for instance , left a firearm in an idling vehicle in the parking lot of a convenience store . The vehicle was stolen while the officer was inside . `` A local law enforcement officer later recovered the firearm from a suspected gang member and drug smuggler , '' the report said . In addition , an ICE officer left an M-4 rifle and a shotgun unsecured in a closet at his home . Both weapons were stolen in a burglary and later recovered from a felon , according to the report . Another officer left his firearm in the restroom of a fast-food restaurant , and it was gone when he returned . `` Other CBP and ICE officers left firearms in places such as a fast food restaurant parking lot , a bowling alley and a clothing store , '' the report said . `` Although our review focused on CBP and ICE , other components described similar incidents . For example , a TSA officer left a firearm in a lunch box on the front seat of an unlocked vehicle ; the officer realized the firearm was stolen when he returned to the vehicle two days later , '' said the report . `` Officers may have prevented many of these losses had they exercised reasonable care when storing their weapons . '' Of the 179 lost because of laxity , 120 were reported stolen and 59 as lost , the report said . That resulted from the agencies ' lack of guidance on a standard method for classifying and reporting lost firearms , as well as `` a common perception among officers that reporting a stolen firearm was more acceptable than reporting a lost firearm . `` Although CBP and ICE reported 120 firearms as stolen , our analysis showed that these firearms were lost -LRB- stolen -RRB- because officers left the firearms unsecured , '' according to the report . `` All 179 losses may have been prevented had the officers properly secured their firearms . '' The department had about 188,500 weapons in its inventory as of last summer , the report said . The majority are assigned to Customs and Border Protection and ICE officers , but others are carried by agencies including the U.S. Coast Guard , the U.S. Secret Service and the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center . | Customs , ICE officers `` did not always sufficiently safeguard their firearms , '' report says . Of 243 guns , 179 were lost `` because officers did not properly secure them '' Guns were left in unlocked cars , fast food restaurants , bowling alleys . Homeland Security responds by overhauling property management policy . | [[213, 255], [256, 341], [420, 506], [509, 526], [902, 926], [929, 987], [990, 1010], [2106, 2126], [2574, 2594], [2884, 2904], [3102, 3119], [3545, 3573], [3748, 3765], [256, 341], [420, 506], [527, 533], [536, 594], [536, 548], [597, 669], [902, 926], [929, 987], [3454, 3542], [144, 210], [1825, 1842], [1860, 1939], [2324, 2398], [2436, 2532], [1011, 1061], [1064, 1169]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Robin Dehaven usually replaces windows . On Thursday morning , after a small plane crashed into an Austin , Texas , office building , he was breaking them , having rushed into the burning structure to help people escape . Dehaven , an Army veteran who works for a glass company , was driving to a job when he witnessed the plane crash . With the building in flames and emergency personnel still minutes away , Dehaven drove his truck to the parking lot . People in the building were trapped , screaming for help . '' -LSB- Other people who 'd gathered -RSB- said they needed my ladders on my truck , because there were people stuck on the second floor , '' Dehaven told CNN 's `` The Situation Room . '' He took a ladder off his truck and put it up to a window of a smoke-filled area where five people were trapped . `` The people were kind of in a panic , wanting to get out quickly , of course , so I climbed up into the building with them , '' Dehaven said . He then broke a nearby window under which the ladder could have better footing , and he helped the five escape , he said . See iReport photos and videos from the scene . Dehaven was one of several people who rushed to the site to help , local reports and the Texas governor 's office said . `` In true Texas form , first responders and everyday citizens responded to today 's plane crash with selfless acts of heroism , securing the area , evacuating the building and controlling the fire , and are to be commended , '' Texas Gov. Rick Perry said in a written statement Thursday . Authorities said they believe pilot Joseph Andrew Stack III , 53 , of Austin , intentionally crashed the small aircraft into the building , where nearly 200 Internal Revenue Service employees worked . Authorities said Stack apparently had a grudge against the IRS . The remains of two people were found in the building after the crash , and 13 other people were injured -- one seriously -- authorities said . The identities of the dead were n't released as of Thursday evening . Witnesses described a scene of panic , fire and smoke . Lyric Olivarez , who was working in a nearby building , told CNN affiliate KXAN that she felt her building shake when the plane crashed . `` It sounded like an explosion , but it felt like an earthquake , '' Olivarez said . `` Someone came into our office and said there was a bomb in the building next door . We had no idea it was a plane at the time . '' When she and others ran outside , they saw the neighboring building in flames . `` People on the second and third floors were busting out windows , screaming , ` Help me ! Help me ! Get me out of here ! ' waving handkerchiefs or whatever they could find , '' Olivarez told KXAN . `` Not before long , the entire parking lot was filled with smoke , and people praying and crying , '' she said . `` I just saw smoke and flames , '' said CNN iReporter Mike Ernest . `` I could not believe what I was seeing . It was just smoke and flames everywhere . '' Dehaven said that as he was driving before the crash , he could see the plane flying low , approaching the building . `` I saw it turn and start heading down like it was diving to come in for a landing , but there 's no landing -LSB- strip -RSB- , '' he said . `` So I knew it was going to crash . '' He said his 6 1/2 years in the Army , with two tours in Iraq , helped him Thursday . `` I 've had some experience in triage and battlefield , with ... gunfire , '' he said . `` My first thought -LSB- was -RSB- maybe I can help , because I 'm more used to dealing with traumatic situations like that . `` I have a clear head and a calm head to try to help those people , and luckily I did . '' | Army vet was driving work truck when he saw plane hit building . Robin Dehaven used ladder from his truck to reach trapped workers . He and other bystanders helped people out of burning building . | [[241, 248], [299, 355], [723, 753], [60, 79], [82, 150], [153, 155], [176, 240], [1066, 1091]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A tornado almost a mile wide tore through Mississippi on Saturday , killing at least 10 people and causing significant injuries and damage as it raked cities from the central western border with Louisiana northeastward to Alabama . Two of the dead were children and one was a 3-month-old baby , according to Mississippi Emergency Management Agency -LRB- MEMA -RRB- spokesman Jeff Rent . The death toll is expected to rise as rescue crews reach hard-hit areas where structures have been badly damaged , said another MEMA spokesman , Greg Flynn . Five of the dead were from Choctaw County , in the north central part of of the state , four were from Yazoo County , north of Jackson , and one was from Holmes County , also in the north central Mississippi , he said . Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour , who was in Yazoo City where his home is located , called the twister `` gigantic '' and said that `` in places -LSB- it -RSB- seemed to be to be several miles wide . '' Some residents were trapped in badly damaged homes , he said . `` They 're working to get to the people and rescue as many as they can , '' said Dan Turner , a spokesman for the governor , reporting `` significant injuries '' in at least three counties . Residents from the region shared tales of tragedy and survival on Saturday evening . Dale Thrasher was inside Yazoo City 's Hillcrest Baptist Church when it was flattened by the tornado . `` I went in the sanctuary and got under the pulpit table and the whole building fell around me , '' he said . His injuries : `` three little scratches . '' Rob and Ashley Saxton were driving to a Yazoo City restaurant owned by Rob 's father -- planning to take shelter in the restaurant 's walk-in freezer ahead of the tornado -- when the twister blew out the car 's windows at a red light . The car was tossed across the intersection , then picked up again and flung into the restaurant . `` When the windows exploded it was n't like anything I 've ever experienced , '' Rob Saxton said . `` It was amazing . It scared us plumb to death . '' Watch Gov. Barbour 's update on storm damage in Yazoo City . In all , 12 counties were reporting injuries , with some of the injured airlifted to a Level 1 trauma center at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson , said Jeff Rent , a MEMA spokesman . The hospital has 27 patients with injuries sustained in the tornado , including eight adults in critical condition and six children in serious condition , according to spokesman Jim Albritton . Many tornado victims were seeking attention at King 's Daughters hospital in Yazoo City , where only one doctor was on duty Saturday night , said Jess Silvino , a nurse there . The hospital is expecting `` another one or two waves of victims '' as crews are able to fully access the tornado 's path , said Richard Summers , chairman of emergency medicine at the medical center . The hospital has crews in Yazoo City and Lexington that have been `` amazed and astounded '' by the amount of damage they 're seeing , Summers said . The state 's emergency management officials have set up a command post near U.S. 49 in Yazoo City and the state has activated a 25-person rapid response team from Hattiesburg that is capable of search and rescue operations . my601.com : Local reports of damage , fatalities . The governor said he is activating local members of the National Guard in Yazoo City to maintain order . President Obama has `` been briefed on the tragedy in Mississippi and the situation is being followed by the White House , '' Obama spokesman Bill Burton said . Barbour said that he has not yet requested emergency federal aid but that he plans to do so on Monday . `` FEMA is in contact and coordination with our state and local partners and stand ready to help if a request is made , '' said Brad Carroll , a spokesman for the Federal Emergency Management Agancy . Mississippi residents reported that the path of the twister was a half-mile to a mile wide , said Mark McAllister , a forecaster with the National Weather Service in Jackson . CNN meteorologist Jacqui Jeras said the tornado had traveled 150 miles across Mississippi , starting in the western part of the state and moving northeast before weakening as it moved into Alabama . In Yazoo City , Fire Chief Roy Wilson said that between 20 to 30 houses were destroyed , and said some people were trapped inside structures . Wilson said he did n't yet have confirmed numbers on injuries . `` It 's in pretty bad shape so far , '' he said of the city . Speaking to reporters in Yazoo City , Barbour said that 17 injured have been taken to a hospital via ambulance and that two others were airlifted to Jackson . `` By God 's grace -LSB- the tornado -RSB- did not go into the most central part of the city , the most populous . However , it went through the southern edge and eastern edge of town in a number of large neighborhoods , '' he said . `` A number of businesses have been destroyed and others severely damaged -- there are churches that have been obliterated . '' The sheriff 's department in nearby Hinds County is sending two dozen deputies and 100 inmates to assist with the response in Yazoo County and to clear debris , MEMA said . Have you been affected by severe weather ? Send in pics , video . In Eagle Lake , near the Louisiana border , about 30 homes were destroyed , Turner said . In Holmes County , 50 homes sustained structural damage , the National Weather Service reported . Parts of three highways were closed due to downed trees and other damage : State Highway 3 in Yazoo County and State Highways 14 and 17 in Holmes County , according to the the Mississippi Department of Transportation . On I-55 , traffic was down to a single lane in each direction in parts of Holmes County and in the area north of Pickens , the transportation department said . Linda Green , a dispatcher with the Issaquena County Sheriff 's Department , said there was minimal damage in the area around Valley Park , and a few power lines were down . No injuries have been reported in Valley Park after the twister ripped through around 11:30 a.m. -LRB- 12:30 p.m. ET -RRB- , she added . Valley Park is in Issaquena County , while Yazoo City is located in Yazoo County . Issaquena County is in the western part of the state , north of Vicksburg . Saturday 's tornado was part of a broad band of storms that stretched from Missouri to the Florida Panhandle , Jeras said . The storm system struck Louisiana before it moved into Mississippi . A Tallulah , Louisiana , police dispatcher said a chemical plant in the city had been damaged , but could not give further details . Turner , the Mississippi governor 's spokesman , said emergency response teams had been slowed by people out surveying the effects of the storm . `` One of the biggest obstacles is , of course , people are curious and want to get out and see the damage , '' he said . `` We 've urged people to stay away from those areas , not only because it slows down the emergency response , but there are also still live electrical wires , there are open gas lines that will have to be shut down . '' | NEW : At least 10 have been killed , including a 3-month-old , state emergency official says . Survivors share harrowing accounts of encounter with twister . Five of the dead were in Choctaw County , in north central Mississippi . President Obama has `` been briefed on the tragedy in Mississippi , '' spokesman says . | [[0, 15], [87, 163], [285, 311], [293, 311], [314, 405], [3444, 3509], [3567, 3604]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A 17-year-old boy was among the seven people killed in a noon shootout Friday on the streets of Ciudad Juarez , Mexico , police said Saturday . The other victims were police officers , Mayor Jose Reyes Ferriz said Friday . Five were federal police officers and one was a female city police officer , all part of the joint police task force formed to combat drug violence in the border town . Another federal officer was gravely wounded , Reyes said , and a city officer was wounded but not with life-threatening injuries . A civilian was hit by shrapnel , but those injuries were also not serious , he said . Reyes said the incident began when two patrol cars , one from federal police and one from city police , stopped several people they had been investigating . Gunmen in at least two vehicles attacked the police convoy with weapons including AK-47s , he said . The federal police said the gunmen , who escaped in a gray Dodge Durango and a green Dodge Caravan , may have been drug dealers and that the attack may have been in response to several recent arrests in Juarez , including that of eight people apprehended Thursday for possession of weapons , drugs and a stolen van . The mayor said it was n't immediately clear why the police had stopped the people or whether the incident was drug related . Investigators are treating the incident `` as a direct attack on police officers , '' he said . Federal police launched an aerial search for the gunmen 's vehicles , but there have been no arrests . Reyes said at a meeting with federal police that he was ordering an increase of patrol cars so there will be three or four cars per location . About 800 police cars now patrol the city , Reyes said . The city police force consists of 3,000 officers , bolstered by 5,000 federal officers . Ciudad Juarez is the most violent city in the nation , with more than 2,600 drug-related deaths in 2009 . No official numbers are available , but more than 400 killings have been reported by local media this year . The city , long the focal point of President Felipe Calderon 's battle against drug cartels , came to renewed prominence after the January 31 killings of 15 people , most of them students with no links to organized crime . The massacre sparked outrage throughout Mexico and drew worldwide attention . In another incident that drew widespread attention , three people associated with the U.S. Consulate in Juarez were gunned down in two shootings last month . Two of the victims , including a pregnant woman , were U.S. citizens living in El Paso , Texas . CNN 's Esprit Smith contributed to this report . | NEW : Gunmen may be drug dealers retaliating several recent arrests , police say . Six police officers , one civilian killed Friday in noon shootout in Ciudad Juarez , Mexico . Five of the dead were federal police officers , one was a female city officer , mayor says . Two officers , one civilian wounded . | [[886, 1128], [47, 128], [163, 201], [163, 201], [242, 275], [280, 347]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- What do President Barack Obama , New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad have in common ? They all have been the subject of a snide `` prayer '' circulating that seemingly calls for their deaths . A recently created Facebook page reads , `` Dear Lord , this year you took my favorite actor , Patrick Swayzie -LRB- sic -RRB- . You took my favorite actress , Farah -LRB- sic -RRB- Fawcett . You took my favorite singer , Michael Jackson . I just wanted to let you know , my favorite president is Barack Obama . Amen . '' The page has received more than 600,000 `` thumbs-up '' messages of approval since it was posted April 10 . But its owner , who does not disclose his or her identity on the popular social media site , wrote , `` We are not really praying for the death of Obama . It is just some humor to show our disapproval of our current president . '' Similar imprecations were circulating online last year . But Facebook spokesman Andrew Noyes said that `` while it may be considered distasteful and objectionable to some , '' the page does n't violate the company 's content policies . `` We 're sensitive to content that includes pornography , bullying , hate speech , and actionable threats of violence , and we react quickly to remove content that violates our policies when it is reported to us , '' Noyes said in a written statement . `` Facebook is highly self-regulating and leverages its more than 400 million users to keep an eye out for offensive content , '' he added . `` We encourage users to report such content , and we have a large team of professional reviewers who evaluate these reports and take action per our policies . '' Variations on the jab have circulated in New Jersey , where teacher 's union officials apologized for a nearly identical memo that substituted Gov. Chris Christie for Obama earlier this month . Christie is locked in a bitter struggle with the New Jersey Education Association over funding for state schools , but union President Barbara Keshishian said , `` Language such as that has no place in civil discourse . '' And in January , hackers posted a similar message on Ahmadinejad 's Web site . `` Dear God , In 2009 you took my favorite singer -- Michael Jackson , my favorite actress -- Farrah Fawcett , my favorite actor -- Patrick Swayze , my favorite voice -- Neda , '' the hackers wrote , the last entry a reference to a young Iranian woman shot and killed during protests over last June 's disputed presidential election . `` Please , please , do n't forget my favorite politician -- Ahmadinejad -- and my favorite dictator -- Khamenei -- in the year 2010 . '' | Obama , others subject of snide `` prayer '' that seemingly calls for their deaths . Facebook page has received more than 600,000 `` thumbs-up '' messages of approval . Facebook says page does n't violate company 's content policies . | [[142, 196], [176, 248], [571, 678], [971, 1145]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Lawmakers in Ukraine scuffled with each other , throwing punches and eggs , as parliament met Tuesday to ratify a treaty with Russia that extends the latter 's navy presence in the Ukraine 's Crimean peninsula until 2042 . The ruling Regions party eventually ratified the treaty but not before howls of protest from the opposition . Someone set off a smoke bomb inside the building , while Speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn sought refuge behind an umbrella as he was pelted with eggs . During a rally attended by thousands on Saturday , opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko -- the former prime minister who lost to Viktor Yanukovych in the presidential election run-off in February -- said the ratification must be prevented at all costs . She claimed that Yanukovych is `` selling out '' Ukraine , has `` openly embarked on the path of destruction of -LRB- Ukraine 's -RRB- national interests , and has actually begun the process of eliminating the state 's sovereignty . '' The deal was signed last week by Yanukovych and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev . Tymoshenko said it violated part of the Ukrainian Constitution , which forbids the country from hosting foreign military bases after 2017 . The deal extends Russia 's lease of a major naval base in the Black Sea port of Sevastopol for an additional 25 years , in exchange for a 30 percent cut in the price of natural gas that Russia sells to Ukraine . The agreement may bring an end to years of disputes over natural gas prices , which culminated in Russia turning off the pipeline to Ukraine . The dispute affected not only Ukrainians , but many Europeans who depend on Russian gas pumped through Ukraine . The two countries had been at odds ever since the `` Orange Revolution '' swept Yanukovych 's fiercely anti-Russian predecessor Viktor Yushchenko to power in 2005 . Throughout his time in office , Yushchenko repeatedly threatened to expel Russia 's Black Sea Fleet from Sevastopol . The Russian military lease there was scheduled to expire in 2017 . Yanukovych said the new deal added a `` concrete and pragmatic dimension '' to centuries of relations between Ukrainians and Russians . Opposition groups in Ukraine , however , were quick to denounce the agreement . Yuschenko 's `` Our Ukraine '' party said the treaty would lead to the `` Russification '' of Ukraine . | Punches , eggs and smokebombs thrown in Ukraine parliament . Scuffle happened during session ratify a treaty with Russia . Treaty extends Russia 's navy presence in Ukraine 's Crimean peninsula until 2042 . | [[0, 15], [67, 92], [352, 400], [409, 495], [0, 15], [40, 64], [0, 15], [95, 151], [145, 151], [157, 241], [1208, 1325]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez insists Fernando Torres is happy at the English Premier League club after Manchester City were linked with a multi-million dollar bid for the Spain striker . Torres has scored 18 goals in 22 league games for Liverpool this season but will miss the rest of the campaign after having surgery on a knee injury , meaning the 26-year-old faces a race to be fit for Spain 's opening game in the World Cup against Switzerland on June 16 . City spent over $ 100 million in the transfer market before the start of this season and are currently battling for fourth spot in the league , which would guarantee a lucrative Champions League place . Liverpool , meanwhile , sit in seventh place and look set to miss out on qualification for the money-spinning tournament . It has led to speculation that Torres could be top of City 's wanted list once the season ends . City 's Italian manager Roberto Mancini told reporters : `` We are a top team and I think all the top teams are interested in Torres but sometimes it depends on the player because they want to play in the Champions League . `` For me , he is with Carlos -LSB- Tevez -RSB- , -LSB- Wayne -RSB- Rooney , -LSB- Lionel -RSB- Messi , -LSB- Zlatan -RSB- Ibrahimovic , -LSB- Cristiano -RSB- Ronaldo as the best in Europe . Fernando is a fantastic striker ; all the teams in Europe would like him . '' The City manager did admit a successful pursuit of Torres may only come about if the club can secure Champions League football next season : `` If we do n't get into the fourth position I think it will be difficult , '' he said . Liverpool were knocked out of Champions League in the group stages but have progressed to the semifinal of the Europa League against Atletico Madrid . They lost the first leg 1-0 in the Spanish capital on Thursday . After the game Benitez dismissed the possibility of Torres leaving the club . He told reporters : `` Torres is happy . The thing he 's thinking about now is being ready as soon as possible and that 's it . From the beginning , he 's said he 's been very happy at Anfield . `` We have said repeatedly that Fernando is not for sale and he still has three years of his contract remaining , so how can they sign a player who does not wish to leave ? '' | Manchester City express an interest in signing Liverpool striker Fernando Torres . City manager Roberto Mancini says many teams in Europe would like Torres . Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez insists Torres is happy at Liverpool . Torres is currently sidelined with a knee injury . | [[907, 961], [989, 1053], [1354, 1396], [0, 15], [19, 119], [210, 216], [275, 358]] |
Atlanta , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Tiger Woods ' comments Friday may become the most scrutinized apology in history , fodder for dinner tables and Internet chat rooms alike : Was he genuine ? Was it a PR stunt ? Can he do anything to restore people 's faith in him ? The biggest knock on golf 's biggest star is that it took him three months to utter any words publicly about his infidelity and then did so in a controlled environment . That 's a no-no , according to apology etiquette . `` If you have to take time to say ` sorry , ' you 're not being authentic . We do n't need extra time to rationalize whether we 're sorry or not , '' said Glenn Llopis , the founder of the Center for Innovation & Humanity , a California-based think tank . It seems everyone is apologizing for everything these days . In February alone , there has been a bevy of `` I 'm sorries , '' from a tearful John Mayer for his use of the n-word to Toyota 's top boss for the automaker 's repeated shortcomings . But do apologies still carry weight , or does the flood of mea culpas dilute their meaning ? Lauren Bloom , a business ethics expert and the author of `` The Art of the Apology , '' says , `` It 's never too late to say ` I 'm sorry . ' `` But saying ` I 'm sorry ' in a tightly controlled environment , '' she says , `` makes it look more and more like an exercise in ` let 's check the box and do what my PR people tell me to do . ' '' Woods delivered his apology in front of a small hand-picked crowd that was not allowed to ask questions . `` I was unfaithful . I had affairs . I cheated , '' he said . `` I am the only person to blame . '' Read full story about Woods ' apology . How would Bloom rate Woods ' authenticity ? `` I thought he was very authentic , '' she said , adding with a laugh , `` He was most authentic when he was attacking the media . '' `` But I think he was very sincere . I think he had a very tough thing to say today , and he sucked it up and did well . '' Bloom has six essentials to an effective apology : Say sorry sincerely ; take responsibility ; make amends ; express appreciation to fans and friends who have stuck by you ; listen to the people affected by your actions ; and do better next time . `` He did pretty well . He checked all the boxes , '' she said . `` We now have got to see changed behavior . ... I hope he follows through on it . I think America would love to welcome him back . '' Watch Tiger Woods ' apology . Bloom says the importance of an apology should n't be overlooked . There was a time , she says , when people viewed apologizing for your actions as weak . That perception has since changed , because Americans now recognize that people are inherently flawed . `` Folks are starting to wake up to that , '' she said . `` Most of the time , people are ready to forgive and forget . '' Who has given an effective public apology ? She says actor Hugh Grant , who hit the talk show circuit immediately after his infamous encounter with a prostitute in 1995 . A bad apology ? John Edwards , according to Bloom . `` Serial apologies , '' she says , `` they never work . '' In his apology , Woods said that he had undergone 45 days of in-patient treatment and that he would return to therapy Saturday . `` I have a long way to go , but I 've taken my first steps , '' Woods said . `` I need to regain my balance and be centered . '' Therapist Gregory Jantz , who has treated sex addiction for 25 years , says relapse is common . His Seattle-based facility has seen only a 5 percent `` full recovery '' of addicts . `` This is not a go-into-rehab-and-be-finished type of addiction . '' An apology is important and a good step in the recovery process , Jantz says , but from a therapist 's standpoint , it was important to hear him say : `` Not only did I goof up , but I need ongoing help . '' As for Llopis , he says Woods might 've won some people over . `` He did a fairly good attempt to capture the heart , but is he forgiven for what he 's done ? No , '' he said . `` There 's nothing he can say in my book , '' he added , `` that would make me view him as authentic and genuine and human again . '' | `` If you have to take time to say ` sorry , ' you 're not being authentic , '' ethicist says . Tiger Woods ' apology the latest `` I 'm sorry '' in February . Society needs apologies , but `` serial apologies ... never work , '' business ethics expert says . | [[496, 532], [537, 566], [808, 992], [3086, 3097], [3100, 3120]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The seizure of the Afghan Taliban 's top military leader in Pakistan represents a turning point in the U.S.-led war against the militants , U.S. officials and analysts said . The arrest of Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar represents the most significant Taliban capture since the terrorist attacks of September 11 , 2001 , a senior Obama administration official said Tuesday . Baradar has been a close associate of Osama bin Laden 's and is seen as the No. 2 figure in the Afghan Taliban , behind Mullah Mohammed Omar . `` If anyone would know where the senior leaders are of al Qaeda and the Taliban , then Baradar is someone who would be privy to that kind of information , '' said M.J. Gohel , executive director of the Asia-Pacific Foundation . It 's `` major success for the CIA '' and `` a major blow for the Taliban , '' Gohel said . The United States has tried to target Baradar for years , a senior U.S. official said . The arrest also represents a `` new level of cooperation '' between Pakistani and American forces working to rout the Taliban , said U.S. Sen. John Kerry , chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and co-author of legislation designed to improve cooperation between Pakistan and the United States . Described as a savvy and modern military leader , Baradar was arrested in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi several days ago , a senior Pakistani intelligence official said . The official asked not to be named because he is not authorized to speak to the media . Baradar is being held in joint custody and investigated by both the CIA and Pakistan 's Inter-Services Intelligence agency , another senior Pakistani source said . Qari Yousuf Ahmadi , a Taliban spokesman in Afghanistan , denied that Baradar had been captured . He said Baradar is continuing his operations and is in Afghanistan . Another Afghan Taliban spokesman , Zabiullah Mujahid , also denied Baradar had been arrested . He said reports of his arrest are designed to demoralize the Afghan Taliban . Despite confirmation of the arrest by Pakistani sources , Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik said he could not verify reports of the capture . He also denied reports the CIA and ISI conducted a secret raid that captured Baradar , saying the agencies share intelligence but that the CIA does not conduct raids on Pakistani soil . Afghanistan Crossroads blog : More on Baradar and the Taliban . Several raids in Karachi last week netted dozens of suspected Afghan militants , and intelligence agencies are in the process of verifying their identities , Malik said . Baradar 's arrest occurred as some 15,000 Afghan and NATO forces were battling the Taliban in the Marjah region of southern Afghanistan 's Helmand province in the largest NATO offensive since the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 . It also comes weeks after the CIA ratcheted up its operations against the Taliban in apparent response to a December suicide attack that killed seven CIA officers in eastern Afghanistan . And the arrest comes amid reports of major successes for the United States in its battle against the Taliban and associated militants in Afghanistan and Pakistan . The leader of the Pakistani Taliban , Hakimullah Mehsud , died recently after reports that a suspected U.S. drone strike targeted him in January , according to Taliban and Pakistani intelligence sources . The previous leader of the Pakistani Taliban , Baitullah Mehsud , also died in a suspected U.S. drone strike . CNN national security analyst Peter Bergen called Baradar 's capture a `` huge deal , '' saying he is `` arguably more important than Mullah Omar from a military point of view , because Mullah Omar really is more of a religious figure than an operational commander of the Taliban . '' `` This guy also is the No. 2 political figure in the Taliban . The fact that he was discovered in Karachi is very significant . Karachi is the largest city in Pakistan . It 's a long way from where the war is being fought , '' Bergen said Monday on CNN 's `` Anderson Cooper 360 ° . '' The capture `` indicates that the Pakistani intelligence services and CIA -LSB- are -RSB- cooperating very closely on a very high-value target . '' A number of high-value targets , including Omar , have moved into Karachi from a region near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border , where the Pakistani military and suspected U.S. drones have battled Taliban militants , a senior U.S. official said . Bergen said the operation suggests the Pakistanis are willing to move not only against the Pakistani Taliban but also against the Afghan Taliban , which has its headquarters in Pakistan . Baradar also would have been in regular contact with Omar , Bergen added . Robin Wright , a fellow at the U.S. Institute of Peace , called the move a `` huge catch in terms of understanding the organization , '' but she also said the `` Taliban is in many ways a decentralized force , and it 's not necessarily that he is going to be involved in knowing what every single unit on the ground is doing . '' `` The critical issue is how much will he talk and provide information on where other assets are , potentially where the Taliban in Pakistan are , and , of course , the United States would love to know where Osama bin Laden himself is , '' Wright said on `` AC 360 . '' Wright also raised the issue of what will happen to Baradar when the interrogation concludes . `` One of the big questions , of course , is , what are they going to do with him ? '' Wright asked . `` They ca n't take him to Guantanamo Bay . Are the Pakistanis going to prosecute him ? '' According to Interpol , Baradar was born in 1968 in Weetmak village in the Dehrwood District of Uruzgan province in southern Afghanistan . Bergen said Baradar and Omar run the Quetta Shura , which operates in southern Afghanistan . `` In terms of the information about the southern Afghanistan operations of the Taliban , this guy is potentially a gold mine , '' Bergen said . `` I suspect he 's not being read his Miranda rights by these Pakistani people who are interrogating him . '' Muhammad Amir Rana , director of the Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies , a Pakistani think tank , called Baradar `` basically the de facto leader '' of the Taliban . `` With Mullah Omar staying out of the scene , Baradar was running the operations of the Taliban . '' Baradar and Omar `` started the Taliban together . He was in the movement since the very beginning , '' Rana said . `` He is a very skilled military tactician . When the Taliban were in government in Afghanistan , he was the supreme commander of the army and was heading the charge against the Northern Alliance holdouts at that point in time . '' Rana said the setback is significant because Baradar was directing the Taliban 's activities in Afghanistan at the time of his arrest . `` His capture would be a severe blow to the Taliban morale at a time when the operation in the Helmand province is under way . '' Rana said Baradar and Afghan President Hamid Karzai hail from the same Popalzai tribe . Karzai has talked about reaching out to some Taliban members , and a Newsweek profile of Baradar last year said that `` Baradar once authorized a Taliban delegation that approached Karzai with a peace offer '' and that he approved peace feelers to Karzai 's brother . Those efforts did n't go anywhere , the magazine said . Reva Bhalla , director of analysis at the Stratfor think tank , said Baradar has been representing Omar at some of the peace talks going on behind the scenes with the Saudis and describes his capture as a big catch . Bhalla said the Pakistanis did n't do this for free ; they want concessions from the United States , and it 's a shift in the strategy on how it 's dealing with the Afghan Taliban in its own territory . The Pakistanis have launched offensives against the Pakistani Taliban , and now the move indicates they might plan to get tough on the Afghan Taliban . `` It 's not like you have one guy , and that immediately opens the door to everyone else . It 's hard to believe that this will lead to this huge intelligence coup . But if the Pakistanis are shifting their mode of cooperation , that is significant . '' CNN 's Ed Henry , Richard Greene , Kiran Khalid , Barbara Starr and Joe Sterling contributed to this report . | Arrest in Pakistan `` a major blow for the Taliban , '' Asia-Pacific expert says . Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar reportedly captured in Karachi , Pakistan . Arrest signals Pakistani-U.S. cooperation , Sen. John Kerry says . Taliban spokesman in Afghanistan denies that Baradar has been captured . | [[3511, 3594], [6869, 6938], [1312, 1391], [953, 963], [969, 1050], [1694, 1712], [1752, 1791], [1861, 1893], [1921, 1955]] |
Editor 's Note : CNN.com has a business partnership with CareerBuilder.com , which serves as the exclusive provider of job listings and services to CNN.com . This article first appeared in September 2005 . -LRB- CareerBuilder.com -RRB- -- Are skyrocketing gasoline prices cursing your commute ? Wondering why you 're driving to work only to spend your hard-earned dollars to get you there and back ? Perhaps telecommuting is the answer . Telecommuting is changing the way we work . An estimated 10 percent of today 's workforce works from home and remains on the company payroll . And a recent study commissioned by Bell Atlantic estimates that 2 million American businesses support some kind of telecommuting program . Employees who telecommute largely report that they are happier with their jobs and more satisfied with their personal lives . A survey by the Information Technology Association of America even found that 36 percent of respondents would choose telecommuting over a pay raise . Increased quality of life sits at the top of the list of employee benefits along with reduced stress levels , greater flexibility and increased productivity . And contrary to the popular `` out of sight , out of mind '' misconception that telecommuting will take you off the fast track , a study of 17,000 telecommuters by the U.S. Small Business Administration -LRB- Myths and Realities of Working at Home -RRB- found that teleworkers receive a higher proportion of promotions than their stay-at-work counterparts . Employers in turn benefit from reduced real estate costs and absenteeism , increased productivity , morale and employer turnover costs . In addition , many find that telecommuting seems to encourage certain entrepreneurial qualities in their employees , including drive , self-discipline , self-reliance and improved judgment . There are benefits to the community as well : reduced fossil fuel consumption and traffic congestion which lead to cleaner air and safer neighborhoods . According to the Environmental Protection Agency , if an additional 10 percent of the nation 's workforce would telecommute just one day a week , Americans would avoid the frustration of driving 24.4 million miles , breathe air with 13,000 tons less air pollution and conserve more than 1.2 million gallons of fuel each week . Are you a candidate for telecommuting ? Certain jobs such as writers , salespersons , accountants , programmers , graphic artists , researchers , engineers , architects and public relations professionals lend themselves to telecommuting better than others . You also need to have the right personal qualities . For example , do you have the self-discipline to work from home under minimal supervision ? Does your boss perceive you as a self-starter who can work independently ? Are you a proven performer ? Well-organized ? A good time-manager ? If the answers are yes , you may want to propose a telecommuting arrangement with your employer . To do so successfully , follow the same principles you would in a job interview . Focus on the benefits of telecommuting to the company , not the benefits to you . State only that telecommuting will make you more productive and efficient , be a better use of the time you currently spend on the road , make your boss 's life easier -- whatever benefits you come up with that focus on the employer 's needs , not yours . Outline in writing your job description and assure your boss that you 'll meet your responsibilities . Emphasize that you know what needs to be done and that telecommuting wo n't significantly change that . You may even want to include a table that shows which of your job functions will be accomplished off-site , which will be performed in the traditional workplace and which can be done at either location . Describe how you will handle key relationships with other team members . Think about yourself the same way you would if you were looking for a new job . What is your unique selling proposition ? How are you an asset to your employer , and what do you do better then anyone else in your company ? By effectively communicating your value to your employer , you 'll be better able to sell your boss on the idea of letting you telework . E-mail to a friend . Copyright CareerBuilder.com 2009 . All rights reserved . The information contained in this article may not be published , broadcast or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority . Kate Lorenz is the article and advice editor for CareerBuilder.com . She researches and writes about job search strategy , career management , hiring trends and workplace issues . | An estimated 10 percent of today 's workforce telecommutes from home . 2 million American businesses support some kind of telecommuting program . Survey : 36 percent would choose telecommuting over a pay raise . | [[509, 543], [645, 719], [846, 995], [919, 995]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The defense attorney appointed to represent an Alabama professor accused of shooting her colleagues said Friday he regrets describing her as `` wacko . '' But at a news conference , Roy Miller said `` something 's wrong with this lady . '' He also said his client , Amy Bishop , is `` aware of what she 's done and she 's very sorry for it . '' Bishop is under suicide watch in jail , Miller said . In an interview Thursday with CNN affiliate WHNT after visiting Bishop , Miller said , `` I just think the case speaks for itself . '' He added , `` I think she 's wacko . '' At Friday 's news conference , he referred to that remark . `` Good lord , y' all , '' Miller said . `` Listen , I went overboard with that . When I talk to y' all I make statements ... I wish I had n't have made . And probably that 's one of them . '' He added that he was trying to imply that the facts of the case `` speak for themselves . '' Bishop told him she does not remember the incident , Miller said . But now , `` she knows she 's killed some folks , I 'm sure . '' The biology professor is charged with capital murder and three counts of attempted murder in the shootings at the University of Alabama in Huntsville last week . At the end of a biology department faculty meeting at the University of Alabama in Huntsville , Bishop suddenly `` just stood up and shot , '' a professor who survived the incident told CNN affiliate WAAY . Three of Bishop 's colleagues were killed ; three others were wounded . Bishop , a Harvard-trained geneticist , had recently been denied tenure . Bishop , a professor and researcher at the university , was arrested as she was leaving the building . A 9 mm handgun was found inside , on the second floor . A university spokesman , Ray Garner , identified the dead as Gopi Podila , chairman of the biological sciences department ; Maria Davis , associate professor of biology ; and Adriel Johnson , associate professor of biology . Miller said his client is `` trying to keep from cracking up down there emotionally , '' and is worried that if she breaks down , officials in the jail might think she 's going to commit suicide . Discussing his client 's mind , he said that doctors of biology `` have got , in my estimation , high IQs -- and the high IQ in my opinion is sometimes not good for people . '' He said Bishop sometimes is `` so focused on the mental basis '' that she `` does not know what 's going on around her . '' He said he believes the case will boil down to Bishop 's mental state at the time of the killings . In the wake of the shootings , information came to light about previous run-ins with the law Bishop had . She faced criminal charges after an altercation at a Massachusetts restaurant nearly eight years ago , police said . The police report says Bishop became furious that there was no booster seat available for her child , began screaming at the woman who had taken the last one and struck her in the head . Authorities previously have said Bishop , who is also known as Amy Bishop Anderson , fatally shot her brother in the family 's Braintree , Massachusetts , home in 1986 . The shooting was ruled accidental , but after a review of the incident after the Alabama shootings , Norfolk County District Attorney William Keating issued a statement saying that probable cause had existed in 1986 to charge Bishop with assault with a dangerous weapon , carrying a dangerous weapon and unlawful possession of ammunition . However , the statute of limitations on those charges has expired , as well as on a potential charge of `` wanton and reckless conduct '' -- the lowest standard for manslaughter in Massachusetts , Keating said . In addition , the Boston Globe reported Monday that Bishop and her husband , Jim Anderson , were questioned in the 1993 attempted mail bombing of a Harvard Medical School professor . Jim Anderson said on Monday that federal investigators had gathered `` a dozen subjects '' in the attempted bombing , but `` there were never any suspects . Never anyone charged , never anyone arrested . Then five years later , we got a letter from the ATF saying , ` You are in the clear . ' '' | There 's `` something wrong with this lady , '' attorney Roy Miller says . Lawyer told reporters he regrets calling client Amy Bishop `` wacko '' Bishop charged with murder in killings of three University of Alabama colleagues . She allegedly opened fire at faculty meeting last week . | [[178, 198], [201, 255], [404, 417], [677, 693], [992, 1005], [0, 15], [104, 170], [593, 621], [624, 652], [1071, 1232]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- CNN gave you the chance to pitch your questions to Team USA 's goalkeeper Tim Howard recently and now he has answered . The U.S. are hopeful of glory in South Africa where English Premier League star Howard will be helping his team do battle against England , Algeria and Slovenia in World Cup Group C. Play the video at the top of the page to find out what motivates Howard ahead of the South Africa tournament , whether the goalkeeper thinks the form of his side from the Confederations Cup can be continued and if there is `` smack-talk '' between the Everton teammates who are Africa-bound . The 31-year-old also tells CNN 's Pedro Pinto about his thoughts regarding a move back to Major League Soccer -LRB- MLS -RRB- and which striker he fears most in the world . Born in North Brunswick , New Jersey former Manchester United goalkeeper Howard has won 29 caps for USA . Having replaced France 's Fabien Barthez at Old Trafford , 6 ' 2 '' Howard moved to Everton in February 2007 for $ 4.67 million where he has now made 138 appearances . USA finished top of the CONCACAF qualifying group -- where Howard 's former Everton teammate Landon Donovan set a new USA record for World Cup qualifying goals scored by contributing to his side 's 2-1 win against Honduras . He scored in the away game against Honduras to seal a 3-2 victory and secure a place at the World Cup finals . This is now USA 's sixth consecutive World Cup finals appearance and many are expecting the side to go far . | Tim Howard has now made over 135 appearances for English Premier League side Everton . This summer will see USA 's sixth consecutive World Cup finals appearance . Send your questions to this stars of English and American football . | [[172, 250], [1007, 1021], [1028, 1061], [1398, 1462], [19, 112]] |
Atlanta , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People , one of the oldest civil rights groups in the nation , will announce the successor to Chairman Julian Bond on Saturday as the organization strives to prove its relevance and influence to a new generation . NAACP Vice Chair Roslyn Brock has emerged as the favorite to fill the seat left by Bond , a civil rights leader who has held the post since 1998 . Bond , a stalwart of the civil rights movement , helped found the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee , known for its student sit-ins in the early 1960s , and served as the first president of the Southern Poverty Law Center . He served in both houses of the Georgia Legislature , totaling two decades in office , before leading the NAACP . `` I think he 's been enormously effective ; he 's just a thoughtful person with a rich history in civil rights struggles , '' said historian Patricia A. Sullivan , whose book , `` Raise Every Voice , '' chronicled the history of the NAACP . Sullivan said Bond brought his experiences from the forefront of the civil rights movement to his role as chairman to take on disparities in the criminal justice system , education , housing and unemployment to the national level . Most recently , amid internal , grass-roots level tensions over whether the NAACP would support same-sex marriage , Bond appeared at the National Equality March in Washington in October . `` I 'm fond of saying there 's no such thing as saying gay rights or black rights . There 's civil rights , and every American deserves civil rights , '' he said at the time . `` He 's very clear on what has long been the NAACP message of civil rights and inclusive democracy , '' Sullivan said . Bond also is known for some of his political criticism , doling it out consistently against the Republican Party and the Bush administration in the earlier years of his tenure . At the 2001 NAACP convention , which was held before the September 11 attacks , Bond sharply criticized some of President George W. Bush 's political appointments , saying Bush had `` selected nominees from the Taliban wing of American politics , appeased the wretched appetites of the extreme right wing and chosen Cabinet officials whose devotion to the Confederacy is nearly canine in its uncritical affection . '' Bush spoke before the NAACP in 2000 , during his first run for the presidency , but he did not make another appearance until 2006 , during his second term . Bond has called out Democrats as well , complaining they are too often `` not an opposition ; they 're an amen corner . ... When one party is shameless , the other party can not afford to be spineless . '' `` Julian has been very effective , '' said Mary Frances Berry , former chairwoman of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights . `` He came out of a tradition of conflict and advocacy , and has taken on people rather vocally at times . `` Probably , the next person will need to take into account the change in terms of people they 're dealing with . '' Bond , 70 , indicated he was ready to leave the organization in 2008 , but stayed on in 2009 as the NAACP celebrated its 100th anniversary . At the time , there was talk about whether the organization was still relevant in what some observers called a `` post-racial '' United States . John McWhorter , a linguist and conservative political commentator , spelled it out in a February 2009 column titled , `` If the NAACP ceased to exist tomorrow , would it have a significant effect on black America ? '' For Bond , the answer was obvious . `` We have for the first time a black man who can open the doors to Air Force One , but we now know his children could n't go to a pool in Philadelphia , '' Bond said in July , referring to a decision by a suburban Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , swim club to revoke privileges of a largely minority day care center last year . `` So , as long as this disparity exists , we 're not the national association for the advancement of one colored person , we want all colored people to advance , '' he continued . `` And for us , people come in all colors -- black , brown , yellow , everything . We want everyone to advance , everyone to progress , and until that 's true , the NAACP is going to be here . '' To ensure it will be here , the organization has showcased youthful leaders among its ranks , most notably by tapping Benjamin Todd Jealous as its president in 2008 . At 35 , Jealous was the youngest person to hold the post at the NAACP . Berry , who now teaches history at the University of Pennsylvania , was on the NAACP search committee at the time . `` It 's a generational change , '' she said Friday . `` The organization is clearly doing what every organization should do . They should renew their leadership and reach out to the next generation . ... Otherwise they 'll die . '' Selecting Brock -- who made history in February 2001 when she was unanimously elected vice chair of the NAACP National Board of Directors at age 35 , making her the youngest and first women to get the job -- as chairwoman will only support that vision , Berry said . `` She 's very different from Julian . But the fact that she 's younger , vibrant , very dynamic -- I think it 's great , '' Sullivan said . `` It 's an important position , and I think having someone like her in that position says something . '' She added that the NAACP has managed to stay effective by maintaining its large grass-roots support , with chapters in every corner of the country . Bond , in his interview last year , said , `` What we do has not changed -- we fight racial discrimination . But the way in which we do it has changed remarkably . '' `` We need to be more aggressive , we need more members , we need to do more of everything we do right now , '' he said . `` I 've never thought we were the perfect organization . I 've always thought we could do better tomorrow than we do today . '' In his speech on the 100th anniversary of the NAACP , President Obama said `` the pain of discrimination is still felt in America '' among African-Americans , Latinos and Muslim-Americans . `` Even as we inherit extraordinary progress that can not be denied , even as we marvel at the courage and determination of so many plain folks , we know that too many barriers still remain , '' he said . For the NAACP , that means there is decades of work left to be done . | NAACP Vice Chair Roslyn Brock has emerged as the favorite . Some question need for NAACP in `` post-racial '' American . Bond says group is needed as long as racial disparity exists . | [[307, 364], [3252, 3353]] |
-LRB- CNN Student News -RRB- -- February 17 , 2010 . Download PDF maps related to today 's show : . • Afghanistan • Iran . Transcript . THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT . THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED . CARL AZUZ , CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR : This Wednesday , February 17th , CNN Student News begins with a big story out of southeast Asia . I 'm Carl Azuz , reporting from the CNN Center in Atlanta ! First Up : Taliban Leader Arrested . AZUZ : First up : What could be a major defeat for the Taliban . Pakistani officials say the Taliban 's second-highest leader has been arrested . Details , right after some fast facts on the Taliban : This is a militant organization that used to control Afghanistan . It allowed the al Qaeda terrorist group to live and train there . A U.S. led coalition knocked the Taliban out of power in late 2001 , after the September 11th attacks on America . Now , Pakistani intelligence says Taliban leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar was caught several days ago in Pakistan , which borders eastern Afghanistan . Baradar 's capture could be a huge victory for the U.S. because America has been hunting him for years and he could have some incredibly valuable information about both the Taliban and al Qaeda terrorists . American officials are saying this could be a turning point in the war in Afghanistan . But there is a hitch : the Taliban deny that Baradar 's been caught . They say he 's still working for them and that reports of his arrest are designed to hurt the Taliban 's morale . That is important to them right now because America , along with other coalition forces , are currently fighting the Taliban in southern Afghanistan . In the town of Marjah , a stronghold of the Taliban , U.S.-led forces are making progress . Marines took over a police headquarters there yesterday . New Nuclear Power Plant . U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA : We are announcing roughly $ 8 billion in loan guarantees to break ground on the first new nuclear plant in our country in three decades . AZUZ : And it would be an expansion of this nuclear facility in the eastern part of Georgia . The Obama administration claims the two , new nuclear reactors would create more than 3,000 construction jobs and 850 permanent jobs at the nuclear plant . The White House also says the power it would generate would be enough for more than half a million homes . Republican leaders , including both of Georgia 's senators , like this idea . Sen. Saxby Chambliss says it 's a step in the right direction , adding , the power generated by the Burke County Facility -- that 's the one that 's already there -- is safe , reliable , emissions-free and environmentally responsible . But some Democrats are against it , along with nuclear power critics . One of those , energy analyst Ben Schreiber , says , `` The last thing Americans want is another government bailout for a failing industry . '' Schreiber went on to call nuclear power `` unsafe and dirty . '' Iran 's Warning . AZUZ : Iran 's nuclear plan is worrying diplomats at the United Nations . And Iran 's leader is warning the U.N. Security Council not to punish his Middle Eastern nation for its nuclear program . At a news conference yesterday , Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said he wants the U.N. to `` move in the spirit of cooperation . '' But if it does n't , he says Iran would react in a way that would put the U.N. to shame . To the international community , those are very unwelcome words . The U.N. wants Iran to stop enriching uranium , because enriched uranium could help Iran make an illegal , nuclear weapon . Iran continues to argue its program would be used only to help provide power to civilians . The global community does n't believe it . Cybersecurity . AZUZ : There are attacks going on in the U.S. that most people never hear about probably because most of the time , they fail . We 're talking about cyber attacks . And many times , they come from other countries , testing our electronic systems -- they might target cell phone companies , power companies , Internet companies . Yesterday , a panel of former government workers got together in a cyber-attack drill to work on ways the U.S. could react to a large-scale , cyber attack . What they hope to get out of this are ideas : suggestions they could take to the Obama administration on how to improve the electronic systems that so many of us rely on day-to-day . Shoutout . TOMEKA JONES , CNN STUDENT NEWS : Today 's Shoutout goes out to the students of Pikeville High School in Pikeville , Kentucky ! Which of these rulers was known as `` the boy king '' ? You know what do to ! Was it : A -RRB- King Henry VIII , B -RRB- Genghis Khan , C -RRB- Alexander the Great OR D -RRB- King Tut ? You 've got three seconds -- GO ! The ancient Egyptian King Tutankhamen is `` the boy king '' ; he took over at around age 10 . That 's your answer and that 's your Shoutout ! King Tut Findings . AZUZ : So we know he was young when he took over , that he died young in his late teens , and that King Tut ruled for about 10 years , starting in around 1336 B.C. . But there is so much more we do not know , like how he died . Well , there 's a new report out , based on King Tut 's DNA . It 's being published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association and it could fill in some blanks . The report suggests that the boy king died of complications from a broken leg along with malaria , a disease of flu-like symptoms carried by mosquitos . He also had a form of scoliosis and foot disease : health problems that researchers believe ran in his family . Hip-Hop Orchestra . AZUZ : Hip-hop and classical : Two musical genres that do n't seem to go together . But the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and hip-hop artist A. Leon Craft mixed it up recently . It 's part of the orchestra 's work to promote the arts in school curriculum as well as try something new and novel . Take a listen . Hear for yourself how it came together and how it sounded . -LRB- BEGIN VIDEO -RRB- . UNIDENTIFIED MALE : The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra . `` 808 BLAKE '' GERMAN , SMKA PRODUCTIONS : Classical music , it gets kind of the rap that it 's , you know , old-timey and boring and that it 's for an older generation . It 's really the basis of how a lot of the music today is put together . The chance to work for a symphony to me is extraordinary . A. LEON CRAFT , RAPPER -LSB- RAPPING -RSB- : Use it to escape ... . JERE FLINT , CONDUCTOR , ATLANTA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA : Well , I think this is our first venture into hip-hop . By blending the two , I think that we reach really a kind of a broad expansive of audiences . We took basically a sampling of a piece . GERMAN : Gave me `` Hoe-Down '' by Copeland . I took the sample and I slowed it down , which kind of gave it this sort of feel right here . And I took it , chopped it up , and kind of looped it again , and then I added a second part right here . I usually start layering it with instrumentation , so , and the guitar kind of gives it that laid-back , just good-feeling vibe to it . As is with hip-hop , you know , you 've got to have , this is the , that snap is what , the fact that it kind of gets you really bobbing your head . Kind of really feeling the music right there . What really drives it is this . Once we got the music together , then we brought in A. Leon Craft to do , to bring in and do the lyrics for us . CRAFT -LSB- RAPPING -RSB- : Music , yes , feel good , music . CRAFT : The hood goes , music is my life . GROUP -LSB- SINGING -RSB- : Music is my life . CRAFT -LSB- RAPPING -RSB- : The base clef and treble clef carries me away . CRAFT : I 'm , like , I 'm lost in the music . UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE -LSB- SINGING -RSB- : On a beat like maestro . CRAFT -LSB- SINGING -RSB- : Music is my life . UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE -LSB- SINGING -RSB- : It 's with me everywhere . It 's in my soul . CRAFT -LSB- RAPPING -RSB- : Music , yes , feel good music . So I got to make you feel good . CRAFT : I 'm singing and rapping in front of the orchestra while , you know , the conductor is conducting the music , like , it 's , wow . CRAFT -LSB- RAPPING -RSB- : Whether you appreciate my musical past . Everything in life has a rhythm , has emotion . Through emotion music will infinitely last . FLINT : It was just fascinating . A fascinating piece of work . Whether it 's , whether it will last as a real art form or genre or just as an experiment , I ca n't tell . But it was fun to do it . UNIDENTIFIED MALE : It was very fun . I am , I 'm a big fan of hip-hop . I like to dance a lot . UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE : Very fun . I really enjoyed it . CRAFT -LSB- RAPPING -RSB- : Oh how I love my music . CRAFT : Thank you so much . -LRB- END VIDEO -RRB- . Promo . AZUZ : Facebook , tomorrow , 7:00 p.m. Eastern , 4:00 p.m. Pacific : Be there . I will be live at Facebook.com / CNNStudentNews , answering your questions . They could be questions for me , questions about the show . You know where to find us : Facebook.com / CNNStudentNews . Before We Go . AZUZ : Before we go , picture an igloo . Maybe one of those domed rooms of ice blocks with a little crawl space to get inside . Now picture a luxury igloo . Because what else would you call a spacious , four-room , iced house wired for a sound system , fired for warmth with a wheelbarrow , and , oh yes , a flat-screen TV . It 's taken since about New Year 's to finish the thing , but it 's no doubt the coolest home you 'll ever see . Goodbye . AZUZ : ... though to live there , you 'd have to be an ig-lunatic . I can see your class from here , and I can feel your cold stares . Hopefully , you 'll warm back up to us by tomorrow . I 'm Carl Azuz for CNN Student News . | Take note of what could be a major blow to Taliban militants . Unravel part of the mystery surrounding a legendary boy king . Lend your ear to a sound that blends classical and hip-hop . Use the Daily Discussion to help students understand today 's featured news stories . | [[473, 521], [5740, 5789], [5804, 5826], [5945, 5960]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A 400-year-old minaret collapsed Friday on worshipers in Meknes , Morocco , killing 36 and injuring 71 , the official news agency Maghreb Arabe Presse reported , citing the Interior Ministry . The collapse occurred as hundreds of people were gathering in Bab Berdieyinne mosque in Meknes , a town in northern Morocco located 140 km -LRB- 87 miles -RRB- southeast of Rabat , it said . `` We were in the middle of prayers '' when the structure collapsed , said one victim told Morocco TV from his hospital bed . The incident occurred after several days of unrelenting rain , the television station reported . It broadcast video showing dozens of people inside the mosque carrying survivors out of the damaged structure to waiting ambulances . King Mohammed VI has ordered that the mosque be rebuilt as soon as possible and that its original architecture be preserved , it said . | Minaret in Meknes , Morocco , was 400 years old . Incident came as worshipers were gathering in northern town . King ordered that mosque be rebuilt . | [[212, 306], [403, 438], [442, 470], [760, 883]] |
Santo Domingo , Dominican Republic -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A man who acted as a legal adviser to the American missionaries arrested on child kidnapping charges in Haiti is himself facing allegations of human trafficking in El Salvador and human smuggling charges in the United States . An international arrest warrant was issued Saturday for the legal adviser on sex-trafficking charges . Salvadoran police raided a home in May that turned up passports and an ID card in the names of both Jorge Torres Puello and his alias , Jorge Torres Orellana . Each of the documents bore photos of the same man . His wife was arrested in that raid and charged with sex trafficking , and her trial is pending . In a phone interview with CNN on Sunday , Jorge Torres Puello acknowledged he is the same man wanted by Salvadoran authorities . He denied the charges against him . Full coverage of the earthquake aftermath in Haiti . According to the warrant , Torres Puello is accused of running an international sex trafficking ring that lured women and girls from the Caribbean and Central America into prostitution with offers of modeling jobs . A wanted poster released by Interpol , the international police organization , includes crimes against children as one of the offenses that Torres Puello is being sought for . `` I never did anything , '' Torres Puello said Sunday . `` I started helping a Dominican pastor helping a lot of people who were stranded to get back to their home countries . We once gave some Nicaraguan and Costa Rican women some money to return home and instead they went to the authorities and put in a complaint against us . I never had anybody against their will . '' Torres Puello also denied Salvadoran allegations that he ran a brothel out of his home with wife Ana Josefa Ramirez Orellana , who remains jailed pending trial , according to Salvadoran police . `` I want to clear the Salvador matter up and I am hiring a lawyer to do that , '' he said . `` I know I am innocent and I want to clear my past . '' His mother , Soledad Puello , told CNN Sunday that she first heard of the Salvadoran accusations when her son called to tell her of his wife 's arrest . She said her son told her he had known about the sex ring , but was n't involved in it . Soledad Puello led CNN to believe that her son remained in the Dominican Republic , but she would not say where . Torres Puello , who said he was born in Yonkers , New York , in 1977 to a Dominican mother and a Puerto Rican father , also said he is wanted in the United States on charges of smuggling people between Canada and the United States , which he also denied . He said he spent 18 months in a Canadian jail pending what he called an unsuccessful extradition request by U.S. authorities . He has served jail time in the United States before , he said -- one year in 1998 for handling funds related to a drug-trafficking operation , and was jailed again briefly between late 2001 and January 2002 for violating parole . He denied the drug charge . Both his mother and Torres Puello say he served briefly in the U.S. Army in a military intelligence unit , and Torres Puello said he also worked undercover with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Department of Homeland Security . A family photo shows Torres Puello in a military uniform alongside a truck with the words `` U.S. Military '' printed across the bumper . CNN was unable to reach government officials to confirm his claims of working with the military , the DEA and Homeland Security . Torres Puello 's statements regarding the charges against him could not be immediately verified . But on Sunday , four men showed up at his mother 's home while CNN reporters were present . The men said they were from the U.S. Embassy and looking for Torres Puello . One of the men told Soledad Puello that her son has three outstanding arrest warrants -- two in the United States and one in El Salvador . He did not specify the charges . One of the men was wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the words `` U.S. Marshals Service , Fugitive Task Force . '' Torres Puello said he made contact with the Central Valley Church in Idaho and their family representatives and offered to provide legal assistance to the American missionaries shortly after they were jailed in January after trying to cross the Dominican border carrying 33 children without proper documentation . Family representatives in Idaho did not give the exact date when they were contacted by Puello but said it was `` shortly after their arrest '' . Hiram Sasser , attorney with Liberty Legal of Plano , Texas , sought to distance his client , Jim Allen , from Torres Puello . He stated in an e-mail to CNN : `` No attorney has ever been authorized to represent Jim Allen other than our team , which includes Mr. Lissade . The only spokesperson for the Allen family has been me and our team . '' Haitian attorney Louis Gary Lissade showed up at court in Port-au-Prince on February 9 to represent Allen , one of the 10 Americans . Another of Allen 's U.S. defense team , Reginald Brown , said he , Sasser and other U.S. attorneys were only hired to represent Allen on Super Bowl Sunday -- nine days after the Americans were arrested . In a February 9 letter from Brown to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton , Brown stated : `` It 's our understanding from press reports ... that all 10 Americans were represented by a single Haitian attorney . ... We 're not able to confirm if that counsel was independently chosen by Jim -LSB- Allen -RSB- . '' Until February 7 , Torres Puello said he had been appointed legal adviser to all 10 Americans and Haitian attorney Edwin Coq said he was handling the case in Port-au-Prince on behalf of all 10 . Coq , who was the attorney Brown referred to in his letter to Clinton , says he resigned on February 6 over a dispute about payments . Torres Puello said he had fired Coq . Torres Puello turned up at court Monday , February 8 , saying he was there to organize legal representation for all 10 Americans after Coq left the case . Torres Puello said he read about the case and decided to offer his services for free . However , Torres Puello 's stepfather , Franco Ceminara , said the arrested Americans ' families had already wired more than $ 40,000 to his stepson . A receipt provided by Torres Puello 's family to CNN showed the Haitian lawyers are charging $ 40,000 to represent the Americans . The receipt , for an advance payment of $ 10,000 , was signed by Aviol Fleurant , one of the Americans ' Port-au-Prince-based defense team that also includes Lissade . Family and church representatives in Idaho , where most of the 10 Americans are from , told CNN earlier in the week that they had not paid money to the man they know as Jorge Puello . Regarding the American missionaries , Torres Puello said : `` Prior to this earthquake I never knew those people -LSB- the Americans -RSB- . When I read about their case I just decided to help them . I 'm in the real estate business and was working with a team of lawyers . '' | Jorge Torres Puello acting as legal adviser to 10 Americans charged with kidnapping . He faces allegations of human trafficking in El Salvador , human smuggling charges in U.S. An international arrest warrant was issued Saturday for the legal adviser . Torres Puello acknowledges he 's wanted by Salvadoran authorities , denies the charges . | [[54, 59], [64, 117], [4086, 4099], [4198, 4281], [5579, 5655], [5909, 5922], [5964, 6043], [5971, 5973], [5984, 6063], [0, 50], [164, 280], [2379, 2392], [2503, 2609], [3799, 3937], [3839, 3937], [54, 59], [64, 117], [281, 383], [768, 821], [822, 857], [1267, 1302], [1678, 1691], [1697, 1774], [2992, 3019]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Jane Goodall left her home in London for the wilds of Africa when she was just 26-years-old driven by the love of and the fascination for animals . Jane Goodall has spent a lifetime studying primates . Despite no formal training , her enthusiasm to study primates led to the key discovery that chimpanzees have abilities and personalities similar to humans . Five decades on , and Dr. Goodall is now a tireless campaigner for conservation and environmental causes , especially the need to protect natural habitat . With Goodall 's global Roots and Shoots movement , her work has moved from the jungle to the classroom and much of that effort has been focused on educating the next generation . Jane Goodall will be on CNN African Voices on Saturday , October 24 , 12.30 and 19.30 GMT , and Sunday , October 25 , 18.00 GMT . | World renowned British primatologist is a tireless conservationist . Worked over five decades in Africa studying apes and educating others . Her Roots and Shoots movement is set on educating next generation . | [[400, 482], [167, 220], [190, 220], [585, 593], [649, 712]] |
New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A new report saying that Iran could be secretly working on a nuclear weapon is a major development , but not one that should lead the U.S. to consider a military strike against the Tehran regime , according to analyst Fareed Zakaria . The draft report , obtained by CNN and not yet approved by the International Atomic Energy Agency 's board of governors , is the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency 's strongest warning yet that Iran could be aiming to build a nuclear bomb . Zakaria told CNN the report should spur U.S. diplomacy to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons but that talk by commentators outside the U.S. government of a potential military strike against Iran was wrongheaded . `` To be casually talking about military action because we 're getting frustrated seems to me somewhat dangerous , '' he said . Iran 's Green Movement of protesters against the regime indicates that waiting could have its benefits , Zakaria said . `` At the end of the day , time is not on the side of this regime . It 's a dysfunctional regime that has run the economy into the ground , taken a great and open and proud nation and turned it into a kind of paranoid and closed one and which is clearly losing the support of young Iranians by the day . '' Zakaria , author and host of CNN 's `` Fareed Zakaria GPS , '' spoke to CNN on Thursday . CNN : The International Atomic Energy Agency has done a report saying that Iran could be at work on building a nuclear weapon . What do you think that means ? Fareed Zakaria : That 's a major development because so far we have not really been able to assess whether Iran has decided definitively that it wants nuclear weapons . We know that it wants a nuclear capacity -- that is clear -- and it wants a large nuclear capacity and one that is robust so that they have multiple production sites . But it has always seemed as though there were two views within the Iranian leadership . One was that Iran should develop a robust civilian nuclear capability and a robust missile program but that it should not put the two together because that would place it in clear violation of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty . There are clearly others in Iran who believe that Iran should simply have nuclear weapons . ... This would suggest that the harder line faction within Iran is winning out . We do n't know for sure because this is all guesswork frankly . ... CNN : What 's happening with the negotiations ? Zakaria : The Iranians have been playing a very peculiar negotiating game where they sometimes seem interested in negotiating but rarely do they actually engage in good faith . ... They rarely seem to engage in these with a consistent pattern with consistent positions -- which either means the leadership is very divided or they 're playing games . CNN : What 's your view about the wisdom of imposing new sanctions ? Zakaria : It probably is the only course available right now since the prospect of engaging with Iran and giving it positive inducements does not seem to be going anywhere . I also think the sanctions that are being talked about are fairly narrow and targeted at particularly the Republican Guard within the regime , which seems to be most powerful faction . And that 's the right approach to take . We know that generalized sanctions only hurt the average Iranian , and that is entirely counterproductive . CNN : What 's the impact of the domestic turbulence inside Iran , including the protest movement ? Zakaria : Nobody knows for sure , but it does seem to have confused the situation internally . -LSB- Iranian President Mahmoud -RSB- Ahmadinejad had made some conciliatory statements on the nuclear issue , which were then attacked by the opposition , and he retracted it , which suggests that he 's feeling the pressure . It suggests that there are divisions within the regime , there 's some sense of vulnerability . ... It just makes it more difficult to negotiate with them , but it also suggests it may not be the worst thing in the world to wait and watch how this plays out in Iran . CNN : What do you think about the military option ? Zakaria : The problems with the military option remain what they 've always been , and it 's a little alarming to see the way in which people are gravitating toward a military option , out of a sort of frustration that there is n't some magical solution here . The military option is certainly not a magical solution . It 's a very risky strategy with many potentially large , unintended consequences . A military strike would be a pre-emptive invasion of another country by the United States . It would not have any sanction in international law . It would not be supported by the vast majority of the world , and it would only delay rather than destroy the Iranian program . I 've talked to many military experts , and we do not seem to have the ability to completely destroy a program like this , partly because nuclear technology is after all not some cutting-edge technology . This is 60-year old technology , and there are lots of people in Iran who are trained scientists . It would also strengthen the hard-line elements within the regime , would weaken the Green Movement because they would have to come out in support of the regime , and against what would be a foreign attack on Iranian soil . It would inflame the Middle East and make tensions rise everywhere , including the two places where the U.S. has a huge stake and tens of thousands of troops -- Afghanistan and Iraq -- and it would put the moderate Arabs on the defense . It would have the effect of radicalizing the region . And those are pretty much the known consequences . ... Then , there 's always in the business of war , the unknown consequences . What would Iran 's reaction be ? ... What kind of militia operations could it fund in Iraq and Afghanistan that would directly kill Americans ? CNN : Do you think the administration is seriously contemplating military action ? Zakaria : I do n't think the administration is seriously contemplating it , but I 'm struck by the degree to which many outside commentators are doing it , and the danger is ... that the administration places itself in a box where it says things which leave it no option but to keep taking a harder and harder line . I do n't think it 's likely , but I do worry that there is a train which is leaving the station , which might end up in a military strike . CNN : Do you think Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been sounding the right note ? Zakaria : Absolutely . Secretary Clinton has been sounding the right note and being tough , making the point that they 're willing to engage with the Iranians if they are serious . I also think this most recent declaration by IAEA will make it easier for us to continue building a containment strategy against Iran , getting moderate Arab countries to ally with the United States , tacitly with Israel and against Iran politically and militarily within the region , get the Europeans even more strongly on board and most crucially get the Russians and the Chinese on board for sanctions in the U.N. -- further , tighter and tougher sanctions . CNN : Aside from sanctions and watchful waiting , is there anything else that should be done ? Zakaria : I think we should be supporting the Green Movement in Iran . I do n't think we need to do it in a dramatic and overt kind of way , which would probably be counterproductive . But there are ways in word and deed that the United States could make clear that we support the aspirations of those Iranians who want a more normal Iran , a more open democratic Iran , more engaged with the world . That is not inconsistent with us saying we want to negotiate with Iran . We did that with the Soviet Union . If there was a way for us to construct a containment strategy that at the same time left room for negotiations on the one hand and also left room for us to express our hopes and support for a different Iran in the future , that would be the best long-term strategy for us . ... It 's difficult to predict when and where things will change , but it 's difficult to imagine that 25 years from now Iran will still be run by this unholy alliance of a bunch of reactionary mullahs and power-hungry military leaders . | Draft report from U.N. watchdog agency says Iran could secretly be working on a nuclear bomb . Fareed Zakaria says report is a major development , could spur new sanctions against Iran . He says talk of a military strike against Iran is wrongheaded and dangerous . Zakaria : Time not on the side of Iranian regime that 's suppressing Green Movement protesters . | [[28, 140], [446, 497], [1370, 1493], [28, 140], [0, 24], [104, 126], [133, 140], [146, 222], [605, 720], [721, 833], [969, 993], [996, 1036]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- All three people on board a twin-engine plane died Wednesday when their aircraft crashed into a residential East Palo Alto , California , neighborhood , a spokesman with the Federal Aviation Administration said . The victims were employees of Tesla Motors , a luxury electric car company . `` Three Tesla employees were on board a plane that crashed in East Palo Alto early this morning . We are withholding their identities as we work with the relevant authorities to notify the families , '' said CEO Elon Musk in a statement . `` Our thoughts and prayers are with them . Tesla is a small , tightly knit company , and this is a tragic day for us . '' The Cessna 310 took off from Palo Alto Airport at 7:53 a.m. , FAA spokesman Ian Gregor said . During takeoff , the plane struck 60-foot high power lines , forcing the plane down onto a driveway , said Josh Cawthra , a National Transportation Safety Board aviation accident investigator . Four homes were affected , and two had fire damage , Menlo Park Fire Chief Harold Schapelhouman said at a press conference . A day care in a house sustained heavy damage when the plane went down , East Palo Alto Police Capt. Carl Estelle said . No children were there at the time . The craft 's fuselage landed in a house 's yard , sparking a fire that destroyed several vehicles , Estelle said . One of the engines fell elsewhere in the neighborhood , apparently hitting the rear overhang of a yard , he said . `` Miraculously , incredibly , no one was injured on the ground , '' Schapelhouman said . The crash site was about one mile northeast of the airport , he said . The travelers were headed to Hawthorne Municipal Airport in Hawthorne , California , more than 350 miles south , according to Gregor . Gregor noted foggy conditions , but said it was not known if the weather played a role in the accident . Gregor said the cause of the crash was unknown . Patricia Armistad said she lives maybe four or five houses from the impact site . `` I heard a loud bang and when I went to my bedroom window I felt a big hit , like an earthquake , '' she said . She ran outside into the thick fog and immediately saw neighbors rushing to help , she said . Residents pulled people from the damaged houses and used their garden hoses to extinguish fires , she said . iReport : More photos from the scene . The crash triggered a massive power outage in the area . In addition to transmission lines , the aircraft also struck a transmission tower , Pacific Gas and Electric spokesman Joe Molica said . The tower and lines run electricity into neighboring Palo Alto , he said . Some 28,000 customers lost electricity , but power had been restored to all by 6:15 p.m. , according to the City of Palo Alto Web site . CNN 's Khadijah Rentas contributed to this report . | Plane crashes into East Palo Alto , California , neighborhood , fire chief says . Three deaths on the plane ; no one injured on ground , chief says . Plane took off from Palo Alto Airport in foggy conditions before crash , official says . Day care center in one house hit , but no children were there , he says . | [[0, 15], [45, 141], [85, 169], [348, 355], [361, 407], [1503, 1535], [1768, 1797], [1205, 1241]] |
-LRB- PopSci.com -RRB- -- As a species , we 've hit the bedtime barrier . You can eat at your desk , socialize in the break room , and answer text messages on a date , but sooner or later , you 're going to have to sleep . Your a.m. routine may involve downing a burst of liquid energy , boosting your performance for 22 hours at a stretch . `` After 18 , 19 hours awake , your brain function starts to fail , '' says Dallas , Texas , sleep-medicine specialist Andrew O. Jamieson . Coffee might keep you up , `` but you 're not going to be focused . '' Coffee ? You might as well be commuting by buggy . Old-school stimulants like caffeine , amphetamines and the drug Ritalin are about to be marginalized by eugeroics . This emerging breed of `` wakefulness '' pills promises to keep the workers of tomorrow not just awake , but alert , on-task and feeling fine through the night and well into the next day . Remember these names , because they 're your future : Modafinil , approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 1998 for the treatment of narcolepsy and marketed in the U.S. as Provigil , is already giving a competitive edge to everyone from Air Force pilots on 40-hour missions to -LRB- less legally -RRB- college students cramming for exams . The drug 's maker , Cephalon in Frazer , Pennsylvania , is awaiting FDA approval for armodafinil , which promises even longer periods of wakefulness on a single dose , and Irvine , California-based Cortex is working on its own drug , code-named CX717 and developed with funding from the military . The drugs are targeted at sleep disorders like narcolepsy , but it 's their dramatic potential influence on the workplace that has researchers and efficiency experts buzzing . Scientists understand how the drugs work only broadly . Unlike traditional stimulants , eugeroics do n't simply jazz up the whole body . Instead they tweak specific sleep-related mechanisms in the brain , so users do n't feel jittery or wired , just alert . And in experiments with CX717 , sleep-deprived rhesus monkeys on the drug often outperformed their own well-rested but undrugged best efforts on mental-performance tests . Modafinil , too , `` is definitely a cognitive enhancer , '' says cognitive psychopharmacologist Barbara Sahakian of the University of Cambridge . In her studies of alert human volunteers , the drug improved planning , concentration and impulse-control skills , and even boosted some forms of memory . Here 's the rub : The drugs do n't replace sleep , and decades of research show that sleep deprivation prompts immune dysfunction , depression and other disorders . Sleep is n't something we should be looking to phase out of our lives . Yet the economic pressure to stay out of bed is intense . Cutting out four hours of sleep a night would free up almost 1,500 extra hours a year . That 's an additional nine months ' worth of standard 40-hour workweeks -- plenty of time to earn a promotion or start your own company on the side -LRB- or , worst case , slog away in obscurity -RRB- . From Napoleon to Edison to Churchill , many of history 's most notable figures got by on only a few hours of sleep a night . Give an entire workforce the energy of a Thomas Edison , and you 've got a new Industrial Revolution . For better or worse , when the trend takes hold , there will be no going back . Imagine sticking to double lattes while everyone else in the office -- or at the start-up down the road -- is juicing on the latest eugeroic , and you 'll seem as naive and obsolete as the NFL linesman who swears by protein shakes alone . Any worker could benefit , says University of Virginia bioethicist Jonathan Moreno , author of the recent book Mind Wars . `` But for consultants or contractors , people who are n't on a salary ? The incentives are ridiculous . '' E-mail to a friend . Copyright © 2009 Popular Science . | `` Wakefulness '' pills promise to keep future workers alert through the night . They tweak sleep-related area in brain so users do n't feel jittery , just alert . One drug is already giving an edge to Air Force pilots on 40-hour missions . | [[720, 861], [1875, 1932], [1935, 1972], [909, 929], [1099, 1109], [1117, 1198], [909, 929], [1110, 1198]] |
Atlanta , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- As soon as he heard the news about Haiti 's earthquake , Myk Manon began planning to get himself and two fellow power specialists from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association into the heart of the disaster zone . On January 16 , four days after the 7.0-magnitude quake had flattened much of Port-au-Prince and killed more than 200,000 people , the three engineers flew into the Dominican Republic , then drove into Haiti 's capital , parked their truck in front of the U.S. Embassy -- where they figured they 'd be safe -- and went to sleep . They would need it -- the city was dark , except for a few lights from private generators , and they knew their expertise would be in demand beginning the next morning . Here 's what they found : All four power plants serving the city were off line ; power lines lay on the ground all over the place ; the earthquake had tossed 56-ton transformers from their bases . `` They literally jumped up 10 inches and tipped over , '' said Manon , 61 , a California native and former Peace Corps volunteer . After finding $ 65-per-night rooms in a two-story , wooden hotel that had survived the earthquake , the men set about trying to find out how much of Electricity of Haiti 's -LRB- EdH -RRB- system of substations and generators had also survived . But they found that the power system had already been in extremis . Before January 12 , only 60 percent of Port-au-Prince 's 3 million residents had electricity ; nationwide , the figure was 40 percent , Manon said . Many of them were simply stealing it , tapping lines feeding streetlights . Before the quake , the capital had 60,000 paying customers , but there were 150,000 connections to the grid , and the power company was losing $ 1 million to $ 2 million per month , he said . `` In Haiti , that 's a lot of money , '' he said . He credited donations from Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez for having kept Haiti 's lights on . Now , to get them on again , Manon faced the task of replacing thousands of poles , many of which had been crushed by toppling buildings . Manon and his colleagues , Bud Stanley and Christian Ponce , worked to get live lines to critical sites , like hospitals , water pumping stations and grocery stores . The men had at their disposal four trucks and 30 EdH workers , some of whom had lost their own families . As they went to work , the engineers carted what they could from the power company 's warehouse , which had been condemned and was to be torn down . But there were n't enough poles , lines and other equipment needed to reilluminate a city the size of Port-au-Prince , he said . Nor were there any maps that would tell the engineers where the wires went once they left the plant . So they gave their teams GPS units and created the nation 's first maps of its electrical grids , Manon said . The Haitian workers were inventive with the tools they had -- primarily pickup trucks carrying ladders -- but they had a view of safety that concerned their American counterparts . `` Safety is not a primary concern in the Haitian electric sector , '' Manon said . `` It would scare you to death . '' Few wore basics , like hard hats , safety goggles or gloves , he said . Manon recalled a 1970s-vintage Ford truck that had been donated by one of their U.S.-based cooperatives to the Dominican Republic to help restore electricity after Hurricane Georges knocked out power nationwide in 1998 . He made a couple of calls and found it sitting in a garage on the Dominican side of the island , paid a mechanic to get it running again , and had it driven to Haiti . That -- combined with two other trucks from the Dominican Republic and four other Haitian line trucks that `` sort of work '' and were already in the country -- was it for the specialized equipment needed to make rapid line repairs . The rest of the work is being done by people using pickup trucks and ladders , he said . They got the first of the capital 's four plants back on line within 10 days of the earthquake , he said . The first place to get electricity restored was University Hospital , outside of which stacked bodies oozed fluids onto the paving stones . His biggest challenge was keeping his footing . `` Lord , do n't let me fall on the bodies , '' he recalled telling himself , his voice cracking . Now , slightly more than a month after the earthquake , service has been restored to 25 percent of Haiti 's customers , he said . Two of the city 's four power plants are back on line , and a third is nearly ready , he said . Manon appealed Wednesday to a nationwide convention of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association in Atlanta for help getting teams of workers and trucks to Haiti . `` If we can get four or five teams , that would help a lot , '' he said . `` The international community is going to have to come forward now . '' Manon 's experience with the topic goes back to 1972 , when he was a Peace Corps volunteer in Managua , Nicaragua , and an earthquake destroyed the center of the city , killing thousands . But things have improved since then . Three weeks after that quake , the city still had no electricity , he said . | Engineers fly from U.S. to Dominican Republic 4 days after quake , drive to Haiti . They find 4 power plants off line , power lines down , 56-ton transformers off their bases . Before the quake , only 60 % of capital 's residents had electricity ; 40 % nationwide . With scant safety supplies and tools , team and Haitians restore service to 25 % of customers . | [[262, 275], [278, 354], [393, 445], [393, 412], [448, 480], [3468, 3470], [3611, 3635], [762, 779], [788, 840], [892, 958], [1405, 1422], [1425, 1497], [1513, 1538], [4407, 4470]] |
KABUL , Afghanistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The death toll from Tuesday 's fatal bomb blast in this country 's northeast has increased to 75 , Afghan officials said Friday . Afghan women weep over the coffins of victims from Tuesday 's bomb blast . Zohur Afghan , a spokesman for Afghan Education Ministry , said that after a thorough investigation , officials determined that 59 schoolchildren and five teachers were killed and 93 children and three teachers were wounded . In addition , the blast killed six legislators and five of their bodyguards . It was the deadliest-ever suicide attack since the fall of the Taliban regime in late 2001 . The victims were killed as they were visiting a sugar factory in northeastern Afghanistan 's Baghlan province . The blast went off as schoolchildren lined the route where as many as 18 national lawmakers and dozens of local dignitaries walked on their way to visit a sugar plant as part of an economic assistance plan for the northeastern province . The ministry spokesman said the age of the students ranged from 8 to 17 years old . Afghan officials also said that the education minister has issued a ban on students assembling for such events in all schools around the country . Afghan President Hamid Karzai called the attack a `` heinous act of terrorism . '' Among the lawmakers listed as dead was Mustafa Kazemi , the former commerce minister and spokesman for the opposition , who is also a top warlord in the region . Other lawmakers killed included Abdul Mateen , Alhaj Sahibur Rahman , Hajji Muhammad Aref Zarif and Sebghatullah Zaki , the statement said . E-mail to a friend . Journalist Farhad Piekar in Kabul contributed to this report . | Death toll from Tuesday 's sugar factory bomb blast in Afghanistan reaches 75 . Dead included 59 schoolchildren ; 93 schoolchildren also injured in blast . Attack was deadliest-ever suicide attack since fall of Taliban in 2001 . | [[8, 35], [103, 135], [244, 256], [303, 469], [548, 640]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- For 20 years , it has circled quietly above us , capturing a dark , secret world billions of light years away . From black holes to primordial galaxies , the Hubble Space Telescope has provided out-of-this-world images of space where no human has ever gone . NASA , the European Space Agency and the Space Telescopic Science Institute celebrated Hubble 's 20th year in orbit on Saturday by releasing another stunning photo caught by the iconic telescope . The striking color shot shows a small portion of the Carina Nebula , `` one of the largest seen star-birth regions in the galaxy , '' according to NASA . Former NASA astronaut John Grunsfeld , who flew on three service missions to Hubble , said that inside those newborn stars `` are the chemical elements ... that make up people . '' Time.com : Greatest hits from Hubble . `` The carbon and oxygen in our bodies was all built inside of stars , '' he said , `` Hubble is answering fundamental scientific questions that in the end tell us about our earth , our solar system and ultimately how we were formed . '' The photo , captured February 1 and 2 , is one of more than 500,000 images that Hubble has taken -- captivating scientists and astronomy enthusiasts alike -- since it was launched into orbit by the space shuttle Discovery on April 24 , 1990 . `` I never would have believed in 1990 that the Hubble would have turned out this great , '' said Ed Weiler , associate administrator of NASA 's Science Mission Directorate . `` I knew it was going to be great , but it has just exceeded all of our expectations . '' Among its most famous findings , Hubble has : . -- Helped astronomers discover dark energy , which exerts a repulsive force that works against gravity ; . -- Helped determine the age of the universe -LRB- about 13.75 billion years old -RRB- ; . -- Acted as a virtual time machine , providing glimpses into how the universe might have looked millions of years ago and helping shed light on how the giant galaxies we see today were formed ; . -- Helped identify the atmospheric makeup of planets beyond our solar system . Weiler cites supermassive black holes , the largest type of black hole , as another of Hubble 's most prominent discoveries . `` When Hubble was launched in 1990 , supermassive black holes were a fantasy , a theory -- something you saw on ` Star Trek , ' '' Weiler said . `` One of our goals was to ... find at least one and prove it exists . `` As it turns out , Hubble surprised us , '' he said , `` Not only did it find one but it basically showed us that supermassive black holes are pervasive throughout the universe ... and they clearly play a role in the evolution of a universe . '' Despite its age , Hubble is 100 times more powerful today than at the time of its launch , NASA says , thanks to its most recent visit by astronauts , including Grunsfeld , on a service mission last May . `` We had hoped to get 10 to 15 years out of it with frequent shuttle visits every two and a half to three years , '' Weiler said . `` As it turns out , we 're now 20 years into this program , and thanks to the work of John and the crew in the last mission , we 're looking forward to at least another five years and maybe even another seven , eight or nine or 10 years more . '' | New color photo of Carina Nebula marks Hubble Telescope 's 20 years in space . Hubble helped to determine age of universe , shed light on how galaxies were formed . Hubble has captured more than 500,000 images since 1990 . | [[278, 282], [285, 405], [285, 353], [406, 474], [475, 541], [1751, 1770], [1754, 1836], [1844, 1875], [1963, 2007], [1087, 1098], [1127, 1161], [1142, 1161], [1167, 1183], [1187, 1209]] |
Asheville , North Carolina -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama prayed Sunday with the Rev. Billy Graham at Graham 's mountaintop home before leaving North Carolina to attend the memorial service for 29 West Virginia coal miners killed in a recent explosion . Obama became the first sitting U.S. president to visit Graham at his family home , according to Graham spokesman Larry Ross . He is the 12th president , dating back to Harry Truman , to meet with the so-called `` pastor to the presidents . '' `` I am pleased to have had President Obama in my home this afternoon , '' Graham said in a statement , adding that Obama sought the meeting while on vacation in Asheville for the weekend . `` My son Franklin and I enjoyed a brief visit with the president , followed by a time of prayer together . '' During the meeting , Ross said , Obama shared some insights about his faith and the challenges of being commander-in-chief . `` Like others before him , President Obama shared how lonely , demanding and humbling the office of president can be , and how much he appreciated the counsel of people like Mr. Graham and the prayers of so many citizens , '' Ross said . The two men also discussed their love of golf and the city of Chicago , where Graham attended school and held several of his religious crusades , Ross said . At the end , Graham presented Obama with two Bibles -- one for him and the other for first lady Michelle Obama , Ross said . The two men then prayed together , with Obama first praying for Graham and then Graham `` concluded with a prayer for the president , his family and his administration , '' according to Ross . Obama was `` extremely gratified '' that Graham made time for the meeting and private prayer , White House spokesman Bill Burton said . The visit was a follow-up to Obama 's telephone call to Graham on the evangelist 's 91st birthday in November , Burton said . At that time , the two agreed to meet as soon as possible , according to Burton . Ross told CNN the visit came together hastily after the White House officially inquired on Friday , after Obama arrived in North Carolina . Obama and his family vacationed in Asheville over the weekend , and the first couple played tennis Sunday morning before their departure , Burton said . The meeting with Graham came three days after the Army rescinded an invitation for Franklin Graham to speak at the Pentagon on the upcoming National Day of Prayer . The Army decision was because of controversial comments about Islam by the younger Graham . Billy Graham 's statement referred to the upcoming event without mentioning the controversy involving his son . `` As we approach the National Day of Prayer on May 6 , I want to encourage Christians everywhere to pray for our president , and for all those in positions of authority , and especially for the men and women serving in our military , '' Graham said in the statement . In December , Franklin Graham told CNN 's Campbell Brown that `` true Islam '' could not be practiced in America because `` you ca n't beat your wife , you can not murder your children if you think they 've committed adultery or something like that , which they do practice in these other countries . '' Franklin Graham later tried to temper his remarks by saying that he had Muslim friends . Last week , he said he regretted the Army 's decision but stood by his comments . `` I do n't like the way they treat women , the way they treat minorities . I just find it horrific . But I love the people of Islam , '' he said , adding some of his work has been in Muslim nations . The Army , which oversees the National Day of Prayer ceremonies at the Pentagon , feared that if Graham spoke at the Pentagon on May 6 , Islamic militants would publicize his comments , potentially fueling tensions in Muslim nations such as Iraq and Afghanistan , where U.S. troops are deployed . Graham 's invitation was not the only controversy swirling about the National Day of Prayer this year . Last week , a federal judge struck down as unconstitutional the 1952 law that established the day , saying it violated the ban on government-backed religion . On Thursday , the Justice Department informed a federal appeals court that the Obama administration will appeal that decision . | Obama is first sitting U.S. president to visit Graham home , Graham 's spokesman says . Obama was `` extraordinarily gratified '' for the meeting , White House says . Graham presented Obama with two Bibles -- one for him , other for Michelle Obama . Army pulled invitation for Graham 's son to speak at Pentagon on Day of Prayer . | [[258, 338], [258, 263], [341, 383], [1642, 1677], [1324, 1334], [1337, 1375], [2279, 2377], [2325, 2443]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Joel Sartore 's photograph of gentle Bryn is a permanent record , but she has been lost forever . The Columbia Basin pygmy rabbit died in 2008 shortly after the picture was taken . She was the last of her kind . Sartore , who has worked for the National Geographic Society for two decades , called the brief shooting session with the doomed rabbit a `` solemn occasion , '' knowing she would not be around much longer . Bryn is one of dozens of animals profiled in a new book , `` Rare : Portraits of America 's Endangered Species , '' by the award-winning photographer . See more portraits . Sartore , a Nebraska native , traveled the country to get glimpses of 69 species -- red wolves , Hawaiian orchids , hellbenders -LRB- a prehistoric-looking salamander -RRB- , and sea turtles -- all now or once hanging on the verge of extinction . As the United States celebrated Earth Day on Thursday , Sartore talked with CNN recently about his passion for raising awareness about preserving the variety of animal and plant life before it is too late . CNN : This may be the only chance for most readers to see these beautiful , rare creatures . Joel Sartore : Whatever press these animals get is really minimal . Even some of the animals we call `` charismatic mega-fauna '' -- like whooping cranes , California condors -- they do n't get enough press , so can you imagine the Pyne 's ground-plum or the Mount Graham red squirrel -- what odds to they have to ever get even their 15 minutes of fame nationally ? The goal is really to get people first aware of these always amazing plants and animals and to get them to care , before it 's too late . A lot of the things that are going away are very small , little plants and invertebrates . CNN : This book expanded on a National Geographic magazine feature from several years ago . Why do an entire book ? Sartore : I was always interested in endangered species , mainly why we let it happen . If we wo n't save our own plants and animals , how can we expect poorer nations to do that ? So it 's always been a bit of an outrage to me that we can let things disappear into extinction . CNN : You decided not to shoot your subjects in the wild , in their natural habitats . Instead you chose simple indoor backgrounds . Was that a practical or artistic consideration ? Sartore : I needed to drive the point home that the small things are as important , if not more so , than the big things , and I figured by putting them on black and white backgrounds , it would make a rare butterfly as `` impactful '' as a polar bear . It is a great equalizer , and I tried to capture the intimacy and essence of each plant or animal . It 's really hard to show something like an Iowa Pleistocene snail in a dramatic way when it 's the size of a pencil lead and it lives in a kind of in a crack in a rock . If I shot in the wild , I would have had to pass on a lot of small creatures because I could n't figure out a way to make the picture sexy enough . CNN : Does taking them out of their natural habitats remove some of the connection with the reader , that these animals exist in a larger wild environment ? Sartore : That really was n't a concern . I 'm desperate to get somebody to care , right now . I have to make as dramatic a picture as I can . The American public cares a lot more about what 's on TV and the price at the pump . That 's sometimes all they care about , so my job is to get people to stop and think in any way I can that we 're talking about a matter of life and death . There 's such a disconnect now between humans and the natural world , and it gets worse every year . CNN : Many of these rare animals exist near human habitation , accessible to people who might want to seek them out . Sartore : That 's true , but it 's sad the disconnect from nature is so great that guys like me are having to turn the volume up any way we can on images to try to get people to care before all these species go away . We lost five birds in the turn of the last century , including the passenger pigeon . I 'm seeing this acceleration I never thought would happen in my lifetime -- I thought I 'd have a lot more time -- for literally thousands of species , and it 's just very hard to get anybody excited about it , which stuns me . CNN : You shot an ocelot , a neotropical wildcat that ventures into extreme south Texas and Arizona . Sartore : It would n't stay still . It was trained to walk on a leash at the San Diego Zoo , and we got seven minutes with him before he got full . He 'll stay in a certain area and not get antsy if you give him treats . The moment he fills up , he 's done . For the grizzly bear , we painted an exhibit area white at the Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita . That bear was pacing the whole time , so we took pictures of him as we could . Most of the time , the animals are n't happy about it , but this is the only chance they 'll get to be seen and so the ends justify the means . Most of the time , it 's a really quick process . CNN : What surprises readers most ? Sartore : The one comment I get from people is : Wow , I had no idea that these things exist and that they 're intricate , interesting and beautiful . And they did n't know they are on the edge of not existing . I 'm hoping these pictures give a voice to the voiceless , that they allow some of these things that are living in forgotten marshes or some breeding facility that does n't have enough funding , that they allow these species to be heard at least once before they go away . CNN.com : The American burying beetle is not well known , but nevertheless is important to the planet . Sartore : The St. Louis Zoo has a successful breeding program . That 's an insect that was thought to go into extreme decline after the passenger pigeon went away because it 's an animal that will actually bury the carcass of a dead bird or a rodent , and then create a nest chamber near it and then the parents shovel food back and forth to the young . So when billions of passenger pigeons were shot and disappeared , there went the carcasses , -LRB- and -RRB- the beetle was taken down with it . They 've been rediscovered in a few states , but having undisturbed habitat is critical for this animal . CNN.com : Why should people care , and what can they do about it ? Sartore : Many of the stories we tell are sad ones -- not all . There are many stories of hope -- the California condor , whooping crane , black-footed ferret , bald eagle , and the American alligator . So people can and have done good things . We can make great choices every day to help our planet . Every time we spend money we can help the planet , if we act responsibly . But if we do n't turn things around , things are going to get very uncomfortable . My job is to make great pictures and get people to see what 's going on . It 's not hopeless , we can turn things around , but we have to first realize there 's a problem . Hopelessness does n't get us anywhere . It 's just a matter of getting people to realize what 's at stake . Most of these species are failing because their habitat is being chewed up . It 's folly to think that as animals ourselves , we can let the rest of the world go to hell but we 'll be just fine . We 're all interconnected . | Joel Sartore 's work appears in ` Rare : Portraits of America 's Endangered Species ' The Nebraska native traveled the country to photograph 69 endangered animals and plants . Sartore says many people are surprised that so many species are on the verge of extinction . Sartore : `` My job is to ... get people to see what 's going on . It 's not hopeless '' | [[623, 630], [653, 813], [5085, 5129], [3923, 3983], [6796, 6802], [6833, 6869]] |
Seoul , South Korea -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An explosion at close range , and not a direct hit , caused the 1,200-ton patrol ship Cheonan to sink last month , a team of South Korean military and civilian investigators has tentatively concluded . The investigators ' determination was reported Sunday by the Yonhap news agency . `` Instead of being directly hit by a torpedo or other underwater weapon , the Cheonan was affected by a strong explosion that occurred below its bottom at a close range , '' the news agency quoted a government official as saying . The explanation matches one that investigators offered shortly after the ship 's stern was salvaged 10 days ago . A final result is not expected for a month , Defense Minister Kim Tae-young told reporters . He said that the most likely cause of the sinking was a `` bubble jet '' created by the external explosion under the ship . A bubble jet effect occurs when an explosion goes off under a ship . The change in pressure causes a huge column of water that strikes the ship with great impact . On Saturday , recovery crews found the body of a missing sailor in the wreckage of the ship . The ship sunk in the Yellow Sea near the western sea border with North Korea on March 26 . Forty of Cheonan 's 104 crew members have now been confirmed dead , and six more are also believed dead , though they are still listed as missing . Fifty eight others were rescued before the vessel sank . South Korea has not ruled out a theory that North Korea was involved . But Seoul has avoided directly blaming North Korea , which sloughed off allegations it is responsible . The families of the dead sailors began a five-day mourning period on Sunday . On Thursday , the South Korean navy will hold a funeral ceremony at a naval command in Pyeongtaek , about 70 kilometers -LRB- 43 miles -RRB- south of Seoul . The navy has also decided to posthumously promote the dead seamen by one rank and award them a military honor for their patriotism . | Report : Close-range explosion caused S. Korean ship to sink . Families of dead sailors on Sunday begin period of mourning . Ship went down in Yellow Sea ; cause not yet known . Death toll now stands at 40 ; six sailors listed as missing . | [[8, 89], [92, 151], [426, 444], [450, 492], [1422, 1439], [1615, 1692], [1144, 1234], [1235, 1300], [1348, 1352], [1357, 1382]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Chennai Super Kings won the third staging of the Indian Premier League -LRB- IPL -RRB- as they beat Mumbai Indians by 22 runs in the final of the Twenty20 tournament on Sunday . Mumbai with home advantage and with an in-form Sachin Tendulkar in their ranks fell well short in their pursuit of the 168 for five wickets posted by Chennai in their allocated overs . Suresh Raina was the star for Chenna with an unbeaten 57 in their knock and a tight spell of bowling including the wicket of lower-order dangerman Harbhajan Singh . He posted a blistering 72-run stand with Chennai and Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni -LRB- 27 -RRB- but their total still looked only respectable with the likes of Tendulkar and Keith Pollard in the Mumbai ranks . But off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin immediately piled on the pressure with an opening maiden over to Shikhar Dhawan , who fell in the next over to Australia paceman Doug Bollinger as he edged to Dhoni . Tendulkar and Abhishek Nayar -LRB- 27 -RRB- shared a 66-run stand but just when they were upping the ante , Nayar was run out and Raina , introduced for the first time in the 12th over , also got rid of Harbhajan in the same over . The killer blow came in the 15th over when left-arm spinner Shadab Jakati had Tendulkar caught for 48 on the boundary and then removed Saurabh Tiwary . With the Indians needing 55 from the last three overs , the crowd were silent until Pollard , who had been mysteriously kept back , smashed Bollinger for two sixes and two fours in the 18th which yielded 22 runs . However , both Rayudu -LRB- 21 -RRB- and Pollard fell in the penultimate over from Albie Morkel and the game was up for Mumbai with the final action played out in near silence among the capacity crowd . | Chennai Super Kings win the final of the IPL by beating Mumbai Indians by 22 runs . Suresh Raina hits unbeaten 57 for Chennai and takes key wicket of Harbhajan Singh . Sachin Tendulkar scores 48 in losing effort for Mumbai . It was the third staging of the money-spinning Twenty20 tournament . | [[0, 15], [19, 196], [382, 518], [197, 336]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Brazilian superstar Kaka celebrated his return from injury by scoring Real Madrid 's winner against 10-man Zaragoza on Saturday night , keeping the pressure on Spanish leaders Barcelona . Kaka ended a six-week absence as he came off the bench in the second half and slotted home his eighth goal this season with eight minutes to play to give Real a 2-1 away win that left the capital club a point behind defending champions Barca . The midfielder , who cost $ 100 million when he signed from AC Milan in June , fired in a low effort across goalkeeper Roberto after running into the box to collect a precise pass from fellow big-money acquisition Cristiano Ronaldo . Ronaldo was also involved when Real , knowing they had to win after Barcelona 's earlier 3-1 victory against bottom club Xerez , finally took the lead five minutes after halftime . The Portugal forward was quickest to react after Roberto could only first parry a low shot by Gonzalo Higuain and then block the former Manchester United star 's own attempt , and veteran forward Raul was in the right place to sidefoot home the resulting cutback pass . Raul , who came on for injured Dutch midfielder Rafael van Der Vaart in the first half , also hit the post in the 26th minute . Zaragoza , just two points above the relegation zone , were reduced to 10 men only a minute after Raul 's goal when Matteo Contini was sent off for aiming an elbow at Higuain -- the Argentine went down clutching his face even though the on-loan Italian defender 's limb appeared to strike his chest . Raul also left the pitch with an injury , to be replaced by French forward Karim Benzema . But the home side , promoted back to the top flight this season , shocked Real by equalizing in the 61st minute as on-loan striker Adrian Colunga broke free on the counterattack and rounded goalkeeper Iker Casillas to slot the ball into the empty net . Sergio Ramos headed against the Zaragoza woodwork from Guti 's free-kick as Real pressed for a winner , which came after the 75th-minute introduction of Kaka . Barcelona bounced back from the 3-1 midweek defeat against Inter Milan , which followed a long bus trip to northern Italy due to the volcanic ash cloud that closed Europe 's airspace . Coach Josep Guardiola rotated his squad ahead of Wednesday 's second leg of the Champions League semifinal , and Jeffren and Thierry Henry took advantage of their call-ups to put the Catalans 2-0 up inside 25 minutes . The 22-year-old winger Jeffren curled in a fine 14th-minute effort after linking with Xavi , while France forward Henry was set up by strike partner Zlatan Ibrahimovic . Xerez pulled one back just a minute later with a fierce shot from Mario Bermejo that caught Barca napping after a mistake by defender Dmitro Chygrynskiy , but Ibrahimovic restored the hosts ' two-goal cushion 11 minutes as halftime after Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure laid on an easy chance . Xerez ended the match with nine men as Matias Alustiza and Fabian Orellana were red-carded for bad tackles in the final minutes , and are now six points from safety with four matches to play . It was Xavi 's 200th victory in 349 appearances in a Barcelona shirt , extending his club record . `` It was a dangerous game because however much you prepare tactically , your mind is on last Tuesday 's match and the one we will play on Wednesday against Inter , '' Guardiola told reporters . `` Today we played thinking about Inter , and it was inevitable because it 's just so important for us . '' Valencia consolidated third place with a 1-0 victory at home to Deportivo La Coruna in the late match , with striker David Villa scoring the only goal from the penalty spot in the 34th minute after defender Ze Castro handled the ball . Los Che moved seven points clear of fourth-placed Mallorca , who host Malaga on Monday . The only blot on the night was the late sending-off of substitute Rubens Baraja , who received two quickfire yellow cards . The first spell also ended on a bizarre note as the referee blew for halftime before the required 45 minutes were played , and then had to restart the match after protests from both sides . | Real Madrid remain one point behind Spanish leaders after beating Zaragoza 2-1 . Kaka scores 82nd-minute winner as he comes off bench after six weeks on sidelines . Barcelona earlier bounced back from midweek defeat to beat bottom club Xerez 3-1 . Xerez have two men sent off in final minutes as Barca have eye on Champions League . | [[331, 380], [366, 380], [386, 450], [0, 15], [19, 134], [207, 297], [240, 308], [685, 835], [2979, 3067], [3860, 3939], [3915, 3939], [3946, 3983]] |
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