doc_text
stringlengths 157
16.7k
| summary_text
stringlengths 26
11.1k
| highlight_spans
stringlengths 9
3.7k
|
|---|---|---|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Lots of kids are into dinosaurs . Tyler Lyson says he just never grew out of it . He grew up in rural North Dakota and says fossils were more widespread there than in other places in the U.S. Tyler Lyson 's interest in fossil discovery led him to help create a research foundation . `` I was very fortunate to grow up in a very rural area ... that just happens to be one of the best places to find dinosaur fossils , '' Lyson said . But in 1999 , he did n't find just any fossil ; he discovered something jaw-dropping : a 25-foot-long dinosaur , complete with skin . Lyson 's find was an Edmontosaurus he named Dakota . The 65 million-year-old mummified dinosaur was unearthed with Lyson standing by in 2004 . Lyson explained that the dinosaur is one of approximately six `` dinosaur mummies '' in the world . `` This dinosaur mummy has portions that none of the other dinosaur mummies have preserved , '' he said . `` So we 're able to get a good look at the feet and the legs and the hands and basically the entire body -- what it actually looked like . '' Watch the CNN.com Live interview '' Lyson is the co-founder of the Marmarth Research Foundation in his hometown . The foundation is creating a museum and outreach programs to give volunteers hands-on field and lab work with fossils . While getting his doctorate at Yale , Lyson wants to make sure that other kids do n't grow out of their fascination with the extinct . E-mail to a friend . | Tyler Lyson discovered a 25-foot-long dinosaur fossil with skin in 1999 . Check out the YPWR blog to meet this week 's featured young person . iReport.com : Do you know someone who rocks ? Let us know . | [[639, 706]] |
SEATTLE , Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An accident involving de-icing solution being sprayed on an Alaska Airlines plane in snow-covered Seattle sent seven people to a hospital Wednesday , airport and hospital officials said . Emergency vehicles gather around Alaska Airlines planes in Seattle , Washington , on Wednesday . The seven , who were crew members , were transported to Highline Medical Center for minor issues , such as eye irritation , dizziness and nausea , said Sea-Tac Airport spokesman Perry Cooper . Eighteen passengers were treated at the scene . There had been an initial report that two people were badly hurt , but Cooper said all of the injuries were minor . He said six of the crew members transported to the hospital were working and one was off duty . Caroline Boren , Alaska Airlines spokeswoman , confirmed the injury numbers and said the most extensive treatment given to the passengers was an eye wash . None of them requested further treatment or were transported to the hospital . Matt Crockett , assistant administrator at Highline Medical Center , confirmed the hospital was assessing seven people in its emergency room . He said six of them were in satisfactory condition and another was still being evaluated . The incident began when fumes from the de-icing application got into the cabin of Alaska Airlines Flight 528 . Watch an ex-transportation official explain how the fumes seeped into the plane '' Alaska Airlines said the flight was getting ready for takeoff to Burbank , California , when passengers began to complain of eye irritation and strong fumes from the chemicals . Video footage showed several emergency vehicles around the plane on the snow-covered tarmac . The airline said the plane , a Boeing 737-800 , was carrying 143 passengers and several crew members . Boren called the situation `` very unusual '' and said maintenance crew had been working on the plane . Cooper said the airline was bringing in another aircraft to transport the passengers to their destination . Seattle has been blanketed with nearly 9 inches of snow this week , and forecasters predicted snow mixed with rain Wednesday , with an accumulation of about a half inch of new snow through Thursday . One passenger , Joe Dial of Seattle , told CNN affiliate KIRO-TV that passengers were exposed to the de-icer fumes for 45 minutes before they were able to leave the plane . The jetliner had pulled away from the gate Wednesday morning , but then had to return for the de-icing process , Dial told KIRO . Meanwhile in Moline , Illinois , an AirTran Airways jet skidded off the runway at Quad City International Airport , CNN affiliate WQAD-TV reported . Witnesses said passengers were being evacuated to buses , and there appeared to be no injuries , according to WQAD . The airport was closed to all traffic after the accident , the station said . At airports elsewhere across the U.S. , weather was forcing significant delays as travelers tried to reach their destinations by Christmas . Flights bound for Newark-Liberty International Airport in New Jersey faced delays averaging three hours . Flights into Chicago 's O'Hare International Airport in Illinois , John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and San Francisco International Airport in California were all subject to delays averaging an hour or more , according to the FAA . Travelers at O'Hare were hoping Wednesday went better than the day before as thousands were stranded in the nation 's second-busiest airport overnight when hundreds of flights were canceled . `` It is ruining my holiday , '' one stranded passenger , Keith Bouchard , told CNN affiliate WLS-TV . `` I am not going to have a holiday mood till I get home , '' stranded passenger Ken Estes told WLS . O'Hare 's trouble extended to South Florida , where Laura Weichhand and Rachel Lewis got stuck at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport when their flight to Chicago was canceled . `` If we want to be home for Christmas ... our only option is we 're going to drive 26 hours to be home for Christmas , '' Lewis told CNN affiliate WPLG-TV . The Chicago area was expected to get 1 inch to 3 inches of new snow Wednesday . At Colorado 's Denver International Airport , lost luggage was a huge problem . Thousands of pieces of unclaimed baggage were in the airport 's arrivals area , CNN affiliate KMGH-TV reported . Deanna Nokes , who was stranded in Denver on her way to Portland , Oregon , told KGMH her bags were nowhere in sight . `` They do n't even know where my bag is , '' she told the station . `` It still could be in Vegas , or Phoenix , or Portland . '' Airports in Portland , Oregon , and Seattle , Washington , were hit hardest by weather delays earlier in the week , with hundreds of flight cancellations Sunday through Tuesday . The two Northwest airports were reporting just a few delays Wednesday , but a new storm was rolling in from the Pacific Ocean , bringing snow and rain , the National Weather Service said . `` It will not be as strong as this past weekend 's storm , '' said weather service meteorologist Kirby Cook in Seattle . But that may be of little consolation to thousands of travelers stranded at Northwest airports because of cancellations earlier in the week . Alaska Airlines , the area 's major carrier , said fully booked holiday flights left it with few options to accommodate the weather weary , CNN affiliate KHQ-TV in Spokane , Washington , reported . Some in Spokane turned to Craigslist.com to try to get home for Christmas . The Web site had more than 30 posts from people looking to get to or out of Spokane , CNN affiliate KXLY-TV reported . `` I know Craigslist has a rideshare community so I thought I 'd try , and so far not so good , '' Priscilla Davis of Federal Way , Washington , told KXLY . | NEW : 18 passengers treated at scene after exposure to de-icing fluid . Fumes send seven Alaska Airlines crew members to the hospital . AirTran jetliner skids off runway in Moline , Illinois , TV station reports . Weather delays Christmas Eve flights across country . | [[518, 565], [10, 36], [130, 187], [325, 334], [351, 421], [697, 741], [1013, 1026], [1082, 1155], [2553, 2561], [2564, 2598], [2647, 2679], [4356, 4388], [5631, 5663], [2875, 2912], [2915, 3015], [4639, 4682], [4685, 4695], [4698, 4752]] |
LONDON , England -- Former Culture Club singer Boy George has been convicted of falsely imprisoning a male escort . The judge told Boy George he faced jail . Norwegian Audun Carlsen , 29 , said the frontman with the 1980s band beat him with a metal chain as he tried to flee his London flat after a naked photo shoot . A jury at a London court found on Friday that the case was proven against the 46-year-old musician -- tried under his real name of George O'Dowd . The singer declined to give evidence during the trial but the jury heard he told police he handcuffed Carlsen to his bed while he investigated alleged tampering with his computer . Carlsen told the court O'Dowd invented the story about computer tampering so he could punish him for not having sex at a previous meeting . He said : `` I think he could n't handle the refusal -- me not having sex with him . '' O'Dowd looked grim as the verdict was delivered , according to the Press Association . The singer was bailed until sentencing on January 16 . Judge David Radford warned him that he was likely to face jail . `` The fact that your bail is being continued does not imply that this will be dealt with by a non-custodial sentence . I do n't want any false expectations created , '' he said . | Boy George convicted by jury in London of falsely imprisoning male escort . Norwegian Audun Carlsen said star beat him with metal chain after photo shoot . Singer told police he handcuffed Carlsen while he investigated tampered computer . | [[0, 6], [9, 115], [329, 417], [212, 269], [593, 646]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When makers of one of the most anticipated video games of the year invited users to help design part of the game , the gamers jumped at the chance to create animated characters . Users will have the option to incorporate other people 's `` Spore '' designs or choose to block them all . But some took it upon themselves to create something entirely different : a new kind of Internet porn . It started when the makers of `` Spore '' released a Creature Creator program that allowed users to develop their own characters to drum up hype before the game 's scheduled release in September . The game , a joint venture from `` Sims '' creator Will Wright and Electronic Arts , allows users to create a unique creature and then control its evolution from a single cell into a complex cultural civilization . Within 24 hours of the Creature Creator 's release , gamers had gone creature-crazy , designing millions of critters that were all thrown into a database and shown on a YouTube channel for the public to see . But scrolling through the database -- past the three-legged sea horse , past the seven-eyed wildebeest and the half-motorcycle-half-pig -- revealed something many users did n't expect . Buried among the more wholesome attempts were two-legged dancing testicles , a `` giant breast monster '' and a four-legged `` phallic fornication machine , '' for starters . Watch Bradshaw demonstrate the `` Creature Creator '' and `` Spore '' '' These naughty -- some would say obscene -- creations have spawned an Internet meme nicknamed `` Sporn , '' short for `` Spore '' porn . For EA , the developer of `` Spore , '' it 's the downside to tapping into the booming user-generated content arena , which has made sites like YouTube , Flickr , MySpace , Facebook and Second Life so popular . These games and sites often allow people to create and host their own content in addition to creating cartoon personas , called avatars , for themselves . Many of the popular user-generated content sites have faced similar challenges in trying to control obscene material . In Second Life , users can read Slustler , a cyberporn magazine , or buy programs that allow them to have animated sex with other characters . `` Whether it 's modeling clay , dolls or crayons , a small number of people can be counted on to use it for something vulgar , '' said Lucy Bradshaw , `` Spore 's '' executive producer . Despite its `` Sporn '' issues , `` Spore '' is poised to become one of the most popular games because of its ability to let people tell their own story , rather than one mapped out for them , Bradshaw said . `` Rather than putting players in the shoes of Luke Skywalker or Frodo Baggins , we 're giving them the opportunity to be George Lucas or Peter Jackson , as they create their own universe from scratch , '' she said . But for every George Lucas and Peter Jackson , there 's always a spoiler . Enter the Spornmaster , a 37-year-old Web developer who refused to give his name for this interview . He , like many others , has spent hours creating characters and turning them into sexual beings . `` It came up simply as something silly and juvenile to do , '' he said . The creatures are not just static . Users can create animated scenarios for the characters to engage in , some of which include sexually graphic acts . When EA got word of the Sporn creations , it began working with YouTube to pull them down . Players who repeatedly upload `` offensive content '' are warned , suspended and eventually banned , Bradshaw said . But the policing is n't restricted to EA and YouTube . Users also are able to flag and report content that they find offensive . That angered some content creators , who feel that they should be able to create whatever they want . `` It was a totally ridiculous overreaction , '' the 37-year-old Web developer said . `` I admit it is silly and juvenile , but I do n't think there 's anything perverted , vile or awful about it . If people find it offensive , they can simply not search for it online . No one is forcing anyone to see this content . '' In response , he created a site to preserve as many of his naughty creations as possible . He said many other creators of Sporn have told him that they too were only joking around . But the Web developer and other Sporn creators have had their share of critics . On blogs and message boards , some have called these creators perverts . `` I consider this very similar to child pornography , at least to the extent of distributing the material to children , '' said 18-year-old Michael James from Calgary , Alberta . James said he has flagged about 10 of the `` disgusting '' creations . EA plans to make sure nobody sees the content if they do n't want to , Bradshaw said . When playing `` Spore , '' users will be given three choices regarding people 's creations : to receive no outside content , to receive content from buddies only or to receive all external content . Bradshaw hopes the sexual characters do n't spoil `` Spore '' for everyone or get in the way of what she says is a revolutionary game . `` User-created content gives players total control over their game experience and empowers them to express their creativity in ways that they never thought possible , '' Bradshaw said . `` It also gives them a powerful emotional connection to the game , since they 've created the world from scratch . '' Miles Moffit , a gamer attending the University of Georgia who has created tons of `` clean '' characters on his own , is glad to know EA will be regulating what makes it into the game . Moffit is eagerly awaiting the game 's September 7 release . And if by chance a Sporn character shows up in his virtual `` Spore '' world , he has a plan . `` My initial reaction to discovering it in my final game would be to ban it so it would n't show up again and then blow it to pieces for the sheer satisfaction of it , '' Moffit said . `` Go ahead , create a walking phallus . See how long it lasts in the databases and galaxies of ` Spore . ' '' | Creature Creator allows gamers to design characters for new `` Spore '' game . Some users have created sexual creatures , now known as `` Sporn '' `` Spore '' maker EA is banning those who continue to upload offensive creations . One Sporn creator : `` I do n't think there 's anything perverted , vile or awful about it '' | [[0, 9], [24, 33], [74, 131], [461, 487], [493, 606], [1505, 1566], [3436, 3534], [3912, 3981]] |
ALTADENA , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When she was laid off in February , Patricia Guerrero was making $ 70,000 a year . Weeks later , with bills piling up and in need of food for her family , this middle-class mother did something she never thought she would do : She went to a food bank . Patricia Guerrero was laid off in February . Desperate to make ends meet , she recently went to a food bank . It was Good Friday , and a woman helping her offered to pay her utility bill . `` It brought tears to my eyes , and I sat there and I cried . I was like , ` This is really where I 'm at ? ' '' she told CNN . `` I go ` no way ; ' -LSB- but -RSB- this is true . This is reality . This is the stuff you see on TV . It was hard . It was very hard . '' Guerrero is estranged from her husband and raising her two young children . She 's already burned through her savings to help make ends meet , and is drawing unemployment checks . She has had to take extreme measures to pay for her interest-only mortgage of $ 2,500 a month . In fact , her mother moved in with her to help pay the bills . Guerrero even applied for food stamps , but was denied . Watch Guerrero describe going to food bank '' `` I never used the system . I 've been working since I was 15-and-a-half . I needed it now and it turned me down , '' she said . Stories like Guerrero 's are becoming more common as middle-class Americans feel the pinch of an economic downturn , rising gas prices and a housing crunch , especially in a state like California that has been rocked by foreclosures . On Wednesday , a key government report on the battered housing market found new home sales fell to their lowest level in 13 years in February , suggesting the nation 's housing market is still struggling . Americans also have been attending in large numbers foreclosure fairs where mortgage lenders , financial planners and counselors offer tips to hard-hit homeowners . `` Our economy is struggling , and families in the ` Inland Empire ' and across the nation are hurting , '' California Rep. Joe Baca said , referring to an area of Southern California in his district . `` Our housing market is in a state of crisis due to rampant abuses of sub-prime lending , and unemployment is rising . At the same time , the cost of necessities such as gas , healthcare , and education continue to rise . '' Map : Foreclosures state-by-state '' Daryl Brock , the executive director of Second Harvest Food Bank in California 's San Bernardino and Riverside counties , said his organization supplies food to more than 400 charities in metro Los Angeles , from homeless shelters to soup kitchens to an array of food banks . While the majority of people they help are working poor families , he said they have seen some major changes . In the last 12 to 18 months , Brock said , the agencies he supplies have begun seeing more middle-class families coming to their doors . `` Our agencies have said there is an increasing number of people coming to them for help , '' Brock told CNN by phone . `` Their impression was that these were not people they normally would have seen before . They seemed to be better dressed . They seemed to have better cars and yet they seemed to be in crisis mode . '' He added , `` The only thing they can do is give us anecdotal evidence that they think it 's because of the sub-prime mortgage meltdown and the housing crisis . '' See recent trends of foreclosure filings '' A former loan processor , Guerrero knows all about that , although so far she has been able keep her house . She used her tax refund to help pay many of her bills for the first two months , but now that money 's gone . She says she 's now in a middle-class `` no-man 's - land . '' `` It just happened so fast . It happened in a matter of -- what -- two months , '' she said . She 's eager to get back to work and to hold onto her home until the market turns . But for this single mom , every day it becomes harder to hang on . `` It 's just depressing , '' she said . `` For me , I just do n't want to get out of bed , but I have to . That 's my hardest thing . I have to . '' E-mail to a friend . CNN 's Gregg Canes contributed to this report . | Patricia Guerrero went from making $ 70,000 to drawing unemployment checks . Desperate to feed her kids , she recently went to a food bank for the first time . Expert says charities are reporting a rise in middle-class families at food banks . Guererro : `` It just happened so fast . It happened in a matter of -- what -- two months '' | [[41, 74], [77, 123], [828, 842], [899, 931], [235, 293], [369, 403], [1148, 1193], [2782, 2809], [2812, 2822], [2825, 2918], [2919, 2984], [3733, 3762], [3763, 3792]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Indian owners of car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover -LRB- JLR -RRB- have agreed to pump `` tens of millions '' of dollars into the luxury car brand to prevent a cash flow crisis , it was reported Monday . Jaguar Land Rover was bought by the Indian company Tata earlier this year for $ 2.3 billion . The moves comes as the British government ponders a public-funded bailout of the West Midlands-based automaker , the Financial Times newspaper said . Tata , which bought JLR earlier this year , warned its support for the UK subsidiary did not negate the argument that the British government should provide bridging loans and credit guarantees to help the company and the car sector as a whole through the current financial difficulties , the FT said . Last week , the ailing `` big three '' automakers in the U.S. were given a boost when the Bush administration agreed a $ 13.4 billion loan package . Now British Business Secretary Lord Mandelson has come under pressure to come up with a similar package for UK manufacturers . JLR employs 15,000 workers in Britain and is seen as a vital contributor to the West Midlands regional economy in particular . However , the business secretary at the weekend reiterated that the state had to be a `` lender of last resort , '' only after Tata has looked to its own resources , the FT reported . Any state support would be conditional on the due diligence on the Indian parent company being conducted by the government 's City advisers , according to officials . A spokesman for Lord Mandelson 's Department for Business , Enterprise and Regulatory Reform told the British Press Association : `` The Government does n't have an open cheque-book to bail out ailing companies , but we are doing all we can to help businesses overcome the current challenges . `` Jaguar Land Rover have owners who are well resourced and have the first responsibility to sustain the companies they own . '' According to the FT , accountancy firm KPMG and investment bank NM Rothschild have been called in to advise the UK government on the Indian group 's complex finances and to assess demands from the car sector . | Tata bought the British-based luxury car maker earlier this year . UK government also pondering a public-funded bailout of the company . JLR employs around 15,000 workers in Britain . | [[245, 338], [489, 493], [502, 530], [339, 388], [358, 449], [1067, 1104]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- No budget for a new computer in this recession ? It 's a common malady these days . A self-admitted tech geek , Chris Pirillo is president of Lockergnome.com , a blogging network . But this does n't mean you have to suffer along with substandard performance from your system just because it 's got more dust on its cover and less hard drive space than that shiny floor model you 've been drooling over at the local Fry 's . Will an '09 Ford Escort outpace a '67 Mustang in a drag race ? If the Mustang 's been neglected and allowed to rust away in the back yard for the past decade , then ... probably . If it 's been babied and protected from the elements , then it 's not even a fair contest . Like any machine , a well-maintained car or computer will surprise you , no matter its age . In our modern consumer culture , it 's not surprising that many people are under the impression that newer always means better . Yesterday 's top-shelf computer is as disposable as a Taco Bell spork , and what cost $ 3,000 four years ago is now surpassed by technology that did n't even exist -- for any price then -- for a comparable pittance . We 're conditioned to kowtow to the expectations of obsolescence . Why settle for less , manufacturers will ask coyly , when we could have so much more -- interest-free for six months if we just sign up today ? I 'm here to tell you that even if you do n't have the riches to get your dream setup today , you do n't have to settle for less than what yesterday 's perfect computer can offer . Here 's a list of things that could help keep you and your machine playing nicely together for a while until you can save up enough pennies for tomorrow 's offerings . It may be your software that 's slow -- not your computer . Check for driver and version updates either at your computer manufacturer 's Web site or through the list of software you use frequently ; see if new drivers or versions are available . If you 've been using the same programs for a year or two , it 's likely that such updates are available , and those updates could result in noticeable performance improvement . The future of the desktop is on the Web , where there 's little -LRB- if anything -RRB- for you to install to -LRB- and slow down -RRB- your system . For this reason , I recommend moving as many of your activities to the Web as possible . Many of today 's Web sites are built with rich JavaScript frameworks , which enable amazing in-browser experiences for everybody . If you can , begin accessing and managing your email from the Web rather than the desktop . If you use more than one computer on a regular basis , this is likely what you 're doing anyway . A lot of people I know swear by Google 's Gmail -LRB- especially for its pretty good spam-filtering capabilities -RRB- , but you have many options -- and most of them are free . At the risk of seeming Google-centric , I have to point out that it 's even possible to manage basic documents and spreadsheets online -- once proprietary to bloated Microsoft Office products -- for free with Google Docs . And sharing the data from these applications for collaboration with friends and coworkers has never been easier . If you 're still using Internet Explorer , stop ! Please , stop . It 's not fast -- not by today 's standards . You 're better off with a newer build of Firefox or possibly Google Chrome or Safari -LRB- my personal favorite -RRB- . External hard drives are a good way of keeping transient data off your computer 's core hard drive , which should give your operating system some extra room to do its job more efficiently . Another option takes us back to the Web -- you can often get an online backup plan that will remove your valuable data not only from that main hard drive , but also from your computer 's immediate vicinity . If a calamity -LRB- whether human-created or , as insurance companies like to say , an `` act of God '' -RRB- befalls your household , your data will be safe in a sanctuary far , far away and not melted on that physical , external hard drive next to that poor old computer we 've been trying to save ! Instead of downloading music and storing it indefinitely , consider paying for a music/content subscription service instead . There 'll be less data bogging down your computer , less stuff for you to manage , and you 'll have access to so much more content . Comparably minor hardware upgrades like more RAM or better video cards will likely make a major difference in your old system 's performance . A second monitor is one way I 've found of , if not making my computer more productive , at least making my interaction with the computer more productive . Doubling your screen real estate is a great way of getting the most out of the information that your computer 's giving you without having to switch back and forth between pages on a smaller , single-screen setup . Make sure your video card supports this option ; if not , there are USB converters that might help overcome this obstacle . See ? Your old computer , treated with care and respect , can still make that pan-global road trip on the Information Superhighway . It just needs a careful hand on the wheel and a steady toe on the pedal to maximize its potential : That New Computer Smell on an Old Wallet Budget . | Here 's how to squeeze the most performance out of your older computer . It may be your software that 's slow , not your computer ; check for updates . Move as many of your activities , such as e-mail , to the Web as possible . If you 're still using Internet Explorer , stop ! You 're better off with a newer build of Firefox . | [[1714, 1773], [1724, 1737], [1743, 1750], [2306, 2376], [2511, 2518], [2527, 2599], [2511, 2514], [2521, 2599], [3216, 3253], [3272, 3278], [3325, 3436]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A federal judge has stayed what would be the nation 's first military execution since 1961 , saying the U.S. soldier -- who was convicted of rape and murder two decades ago -- should have more time to pursue a federal appeal . Pvt. Ronald Gray has been on the military 's death row at Fort Leavenworth , Kansas , since 1988 . A court-martial panel sitting at Fort Bragg , North Carolina , unanimously convicted him of committing two murders and other crimes in the Fayetteville , North Carolina , area and sentenced him to death . Last month , the Army said Gray was scheduled to be executed by lethal injection December 10 at the Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute , Indiana . But in an order issued November 26 , U.S. District Judge Richard Rogers of Kansas said that a stay is necessary so Gray can pursue his federal appeal . Rogers ruled on a motion filed by Gray 's attorneys , who asked for time to challenge the legality of his convictions and sentence . Government attorneys have asked Rogers to reconsider his decision , saying that Gray seeks a stay `` apparently based on the premise that at some point he will identify a new legal issue or discover new evidence '' upon which to appeal and that Gray `` continues to delay unnecessarily . '' Gray has had ample time to appeal , the Justice Department attorneys said . In a response filed Tuesday , Gray 's defense attorneys point out that the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear his appeal in March 2001 , and `` since then , it has taken the Department of the Army , the Department of Defense , the Department of Justice and the Office of the President over seven years to approve as final Private Gray 's sentence of death . The significant constitutional issues presented on the face of Private Gray 's case ... have obviously troubled the decision-makers , as evidenced by the years they had his case under advisement . '' President Bush approved Gray 's death sentence in July , making it final , defense attorneys write in the filing . Inmates sentenced to death in state and federal courts are given a year to file federal appeals after their death sentence becomes final , they claim , and members of the military under death sentences should receive the same consideration . `` Private Gray is seeking federal habeas court review for the first time and he has not delayed commencing this action , '' defense attorney Thomas Bath wrote . `` In fact , until the president approved his death sentence , there was no action available . '' Gray was convicted of raping and killing a female Army private and a civilian near his post at Fort Bragg . He also was convicted of the rape and attempted murder of another fellow soldier in her barracks at the post . Military and civilian courts both found Gray responsible for the crimes , which were committed between April 1986 and January 1987 . Gray pleaded guilty to two murders and five rapes in a civilian court and was sentenced to three consecutive and five concurrent life terms . The general court-martial at Fort Bragg then tried him and in April 1988 convicted him of two murders , an attempted murder and three rapes . Bush 's July action , the Army said in a statement at the time , followed `` completion of a full appellate process , which upheld the conviction and sentence to death . '' Members of the U.S. military have been executed throughout history , but just 10 have been executed with presidential approval since 1951 under the Uniform Code of Military justice , the military 's modern-day legal system . The Army has also sought Bush 's authorization to execute another condemned soldier , Pvt. Dwight Loving , who was convicted of killing and robbing two cab drivers in 1988 . The last U.S. military execution was in 1961 , when Army Pvt. John Bennett was hanged for raping and attempting to kill an 11-year-old Austrian girl . Bennett was sentenced in 1955 . The U.S. military has n't actively pursued an execution for a military prisoner since President Kennedy commuted a death sentence in 1962 . Nine men are currently on military death row . CNN 's Mike Mount contributed to this report . | U.S. soldier should have more time to seek federal appeal , judge says . Pvt. Ronald Gray has been on death row for 20 years . He was convicted of two murders and other crimes in North Carolina . Gray had been scheduled for execution December 10 . | [[119, 135], [188, 245], [710, 721], [743, 857], [2097, 2168], [246, 320], [332, 344], [345, 388], [408, 549], [3028, 3067], [3101, 3129], [3659, 3674], [3679, 3741], [550, 560], [563, 693]] |
SAN ANTONIO , Texas -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Three Americans rescued last week from captivity in the Colombian jungle will return to their homes Saturday , the U.S. Army South said . Left to right , Keith Stansell , Marc Gonsalves and Thomas Howes talk about spending more than 5 years as hostages . Marc Gonsalves , Thomas Howes and Keith Stansell have been undergoing a reintegration process at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio , Texas , since their return 10 days ago to the United States . The men were among 15 hostages , including former Colombian presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt , who were rescued July 2 in a Colombian military operation . The men carried with them a metal lock , a bullet and a chess board made of cardboard -- small items that are reminders of the years they spent away from their families , cut off from the world outside the jungle , seeing only fellow hostages and their captors , the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia -LRB- FARC -RRB- . The group had held the three U.S. government contractors hostage since February 2003 , after their plane crashed in a remote region of the South American country . `` They do n't recognize humanity , they do n't recognize human rights . They 're animals . They 're terrorists , '' Stansell said of the FARC . `` We do n't want to exaggerate what happened . We just want to tell the truth . '' The men painted a gruesome picture of their captivity , describing months in which they were ordered not to speak to each other and an initial campsite where they lived with a rat 's nest above them . They slept on the floors of drug labs and were forced to march for hours while chained . Chains were very much a part of their captivity . `` That was put around my neck every night , '' Stansell told Headline News ' Robin Meade on Thursday , holding a heavy industrial lock . `` This lock , with 5 meters of chain -- thick , 1-inch links -- went to his neck , '' Stansell said , pointing at Gonsalves . `` We slept like that , '' he said . Watch how the rescue surprised the hostages '' Gonsalves also held small wooden chess pawns he had carved using a broken piece of a machete . It took three months to make them , he said . Watch Gonsalves talk about how chess made him feel free '' `` We 're in chains , sitting Indian-style on a piece of plastic , just playing chess , '' Stansell said . `` And when you 're doing that , you 're free . '' Howes , the most reticent of the three , carried with him a bullet from a commander who had once threatened to kill him . But despite the chains , the intolerable living conditions and the isolation , being away from their families was possibly the most difficult hardship to endure , the men said . `` I remember my darkest day was in the first month of our captivity , '' Gonsalves said . `` We were , at that point , locked in boxes at night . ... That night , I dreamt about my daughter , who was my little girl and still is . And I had this dream about her that was so real ; she was sitting on my lap , and ... she had little braids in her hair , '' he said . Watch Gonsalves talk about his darkest hour '' `` It was a wonderful dream , with all of my family . But the problem was , I woke up . '' Colombian government agents infiltrated the FARC leadership over several months , eventually tricking the rebels into moving the hostages by saying a humanitarian group wanted to check on them . A helicopter carrying fake rebels picked up the hostages at a rendezvous point on July 2 , ostensibly to take them to another rebel camp . But it was actually a Colombian military helicopter and the hostages were flown away , free , without a shot being fired . Read about the daring rescue mission . The FARC , which has been fighting with the Colombian government and other paramilitary groups for decades , defends the taking of captives as a legitimate act of war . The group is thought to be holding about 750 prisoners in the nation 's remote jungles . Along with the former contractors , French-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt was also freed from FARC . She was abducted by the rebels in 2002 during her campaign for Colombia 's presidency . She told CNN 's Larry King on Wednesday that her time as a hostage was `` hell . '' Stansell , who was captured while his girlfriend was pregnant with twins , said he believed for a while that one had died . A guard told Stansell he saw a photograph of the girlfriend with only one son , he said , although the guard did not produce the photograph . Then , one day on the radio , he heard `` two little guys ... sending me messages . '' On Sundays , Caracol Radio airs a program called `` Voices of Captivity , '' a lifeline for FARC hostages as the program often plays messages from the family members of the hostages . `` This is just a deep breath of happiness , '' Stansell said of his sons . Watch the full interview - Part 1 ; '' Watch the full interview - Part 2 '' The radio was also how Stansell 's girlfriend accepted his marriage proposal , which he had smuggled out with a hostage who had been released , he said . She also accepted in person after his rescue , he said . `` And I looked at -LSB- her -RSB- and I said , ` This is a go , right ? ' She said , ` That 's it . This is our family , ' '' he recalled . He said when he saw his sons for the first time , it was as though he had known them since birth . `` I opened the door . ... I hear , ` Papa , Papa , Papa , '' he said . `` And they just hit me ; it was like I had never even been gone . '' Captivity also separated Howes from his wife and two sons . `` Before this -LSB- I -RSB- was a guy that was kind of a typical American guy that was working , busy working , running through a life full-speed , '' he said . `` I had a little boy when we crashed that was 5 years old , another one 15 . Had a wife who was back in the States ; we just got a house . I had 12 nights in the house of my dreams in the States , '' he said . `` And suddenly , we drop off the face of the Earth . '' He said , `` When you 're in our situation , we realize what 's important . We know . The three of us know better than any of you guys out there , it 's the family . And I 'd like everyone to listen very closely to that . '' | Former FARC captives talk to CNN a week after they were freed . One keeps a lock that held the chain that was placed around his neck at night . Another has a cardboard chess set that he carved as a hostage . FARC captured the U.S. government contractors hostage in February 2003 . | [[1719, 1760], [714, 745], [985, 1069]] |
Editor 's note : You can follow the Bilsons ' progress on CNN American Morning 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. through February 4 . Mary Bilson tries to contain her autistic daughter Marissa 's tantrum , as Marissa 's brother Brendan looks on . Seal Beach , CALIFORNIA -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Bilson family is like many other families : three kids , a cat , and a small , lovely home with lots of family photos and carved wooden wall signs with sayings like `` Live , Laugh , Love . '' But step inside their house after 4 p.m. most weekdays and you 'll want to cover your ears because of the noise -- the screaming , to be exact . These are not the shouts of sibling rivalry or parental annoyance . This is the high-pitched , ear-shattering sound of a 13-year-old girl . More accurately , it is the sound of a frustrated , irritated , very loud teenager with autism . Marissa , the middle Bilson child , was diagnosed with autism when she was a toddler . Her mother , Mary , a nurse , knew something was n't right early on , when young Marissa 's tantrums were off the charts and seemingly unwarranted . But during the first few years , doctors told Mary Bilson that her daughter was fine and this behavior would eventually pass . They were wrong on both counts . Marissa 's behavior has not passed ; it has , in fact , become worse . According to Bilson , Marissa and her tantrums rule the household . `` I do n't want to hear her screaming and tantruming , so we pretty much let her do what she wants , '' Bilson says . `` We '' means Mary , her husband , John , and their two other children , Brittany , 15 , and 6-year-old Brendan . Keeping the peace means that , when it comes to Marissa , the rules are different . She is allowed unlimited time on the one family computer . She is allowed access to her siblings ' rooms and possessions . She is allowed to eat dinner at the computer instead of the family table . Watch part one of the Bilsons ' journey '' But before you sit in judgment of the Bilsons , and suggest they just need a firm hand to keep their middle child in line , consider one thing : They are trying to cope with a child with severely impaired social sensibilities . `` Do you think people who do n't have children with autism know how tough it is to deal with them ? '' CNN 's senior medical correspondent , Elizabeth Cohen , asked Marissa 's mom in a recent interview . `` No , '' Mary Bilson replied . `` And I do n't see how they could . '' She 's right -- we ca n't , because many of us have never seen autism in action , day in and day out . Learn more about autism '' Autism is described on the National Institutes of Health Web site as a `` developmental disorder that appears in the first three years of life , and affects the brain 's normal development of social and communication skills . '' According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , autism and related disorders affect about one out of every 150 babies born each year . Autism manifests itself in many different ways . Although there are some common threads , like language issues , repetitive movements and difficulties connecting to others , specific behavioral patterns are largely unique to the individual . `` Children with autism are all different ; they are like snowflakes , '' explains Dr. Ronald Leaf , co-director of the group Autism Partnership . The one thing that Leaf believes they all have in common is that `` they are not expected to do enough . '' Leaf insists we have set the bar too low for what we think children and adults with autism can do . `` They are highly teachable , '' he says . `` You just have to have a good teacher . '' A good teacher is exactly what Bilson was looking for to help her with Marissa . The family had already tried various programs , starting when Marissa was a toddler -- but nothing completely worked for her . And as Marissa entered her teen years , her behavior grew worse . Mary knew that her daughter needed to be reined in , and it needed to be done now . `` She is getting older . She 's 13 and her tantrums are louder and longer than they used to be . It 's just so inappropriate . It was OK when she was much younger , but now that she 's going to be an adult soon , she ca n't be behaving this way , '' Bilson says with tired resignation . But what could the Bilsons do ? This family does n't have a lot of extra money , and most programs either are n't covered by insurance or have long waiting lists . The costs are staggering , according to the Web site FightingAutism.org . Families with autistic children can expect to spend $ 30,000 annually to provide proper medical , educational and other assistance necessary for dealing with an autistic child . Watch part two of the Bilsons ' journey '' Enter Autism Partnership , or AP . This group , founded in 1994 , offers extensive therapeutic services to children and adults with the disorder . One of its most unique programs is an intensive one-on-one , at-home intervention service that is similar in scope to what happens on the television show `` Nanny 911 . '' It 's not cheap -- about $ 2,500 per day , typically for a five-day period -LRB- with additional days on an `` as needed '' basis -RRB- . Most of AP 's work is grounded in a behavior modification technique known as Applied Behavioral Analysis or ABA . Essentially , the method breaks down behavior patterns , rewarding proper behavior while being careful not to encourage improper responses . And that is exactly how AP therapist Rick Schroeder hopes to reshape Marissa Bilson 's worst behavior . The group , which met Marissa while working in her school , offered the Bilson family a free week-long intervention with the proviso that CNN be allowed to record the process . The week started off with a day of observation -- a day with lots and lots of screaming and tantrums , that left Schroeder stunned . He had observed Marissa at school where , he says , she was much less demonstrative . But Schroeder is still eager and ready to tackle the challenge . `` I think the family is starting to realize something needs to change , and that 's very good , '' he says after his day of observation . `` As far as Marissa 's behavior goes -- and the level that she is capable of going to -- she 's pretty much out of control , for sure . '' | CDC : Autism and related disorders affect one out of every 150 children . Each autistic child is unique in his or her behavior , but there are common threads . Social skills , communication are common problem areas . Marissa screams , throws tantrums -- behavior her family hopes to change . | [[2811, 2870], [2873, 2942], [3134, 3201], [3098, 3131], [117, 186], [773, 851], [1014, 1087], [1341, 1386]] |
Kathryn Kolbert is president of People for the American Way , a nonprofit advocacy group that supports equality and freedom of speech and religion . An attorney who has been recognized as one of the most influential lawyers in America , she appeared frequently before the U.S. Supreme Court from 1986-1997 , arguing in favor of retaining a legal right to abortion . Before joining People for the American Way , she was executive producer of Justice Talking , a radio show about law and American life and senior research administrator with the Annenberg Public Policy Center . Kathryn Kolbert says Rick Warren 's selection upset activists who supported Barack Obama . -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The announcement that Pastor Rick Warren has been chosen to give the invocation at Barack Obama 's inauguration ceremony landed with a thud in my inbox . Many people who know Warren as the affable megachurch pastor and best-selling author may be confused about the anger and disappointment that his selection has generated among progressive activists who worked so hard to help elect Obama . Here 's my explanation ; you can find plenty of other voices online . Warren enjoys a reputation as a bridge-building moderate based on his informal style and his church 's engagement on issues like AIDS in Africa . He took grief from some of his Religious Right colleagues when he invited then-Senator Obama to his church for a conference on AIDS a couple of years ago . And , in August he hosted presidential candidates Obama and McCain at his church . Warren has worked hard to cultivate a moderate public personality but his views are very similar to those of traditional Religious Right leaders.In an email sent before the 2004 election he wrote a Falwell-esque message proclaiming that , for Christian voters , the issues of abortion , marriage for same-sex couples , stem cell research , cloning and euthanasia were `` non-negotiable . '' In fact , he said , they are `` not even debatable because God 's word is clear on these issues . '' And while some Religious Right leaders were nervous that Warren would give Obama a platform to talk about poverty and the environment at the August event , Warren thrilled them by eschewing those issues entirely in order to emphasize issues like abortion and marriage that worked to McCain 's advantage with the evangelical audience . iReport.com : Your thoughts on Rick Warren . Warren also campaigned for Proposition 8 , the initiative that stripped same-sex couples in California of their right under the state constitution to get legally married . But it 's not just his support for Prop. 8 that is so galling to equality activists . It 's that Warren , in an interview with Beliefnet.com , has since equated allowing loving same-sex couples to get married with redefining marriage to permit incest and pedophilia . And he has repeated one of the Religious Right 's big lies : that somehow allowing marriage equality to stand would have threatened the freedom of preachers like him to say what they thought about homosexuality . That 's not remotely true , but it 's a standard tool of Religious Right leaders trying to resist the public 's increasing support for equality . In other words , Warren has been divisive and dishonest on the issues of marriage equality and religious freedom -- and on other issues important to many Obama supporters , as well . He adamantly opposes a woman 's legal right to abortion and dismisses common-ground efforts to reduce the need for abortion by comparing them to accommodating the Holocaust . He is disrespectful of progressive people of faith , suggesting that they are tools of the Democratic Party or more Marxist than Christian . So much for the values of unity and respect , not to mention the constitutional principle of equality , on which President-elect Obama campaigned . Why exactly is he being given the high honor of delivering the invocation at one of the most historic ceremonies in American history ? There is no shortage of religious leaders who reflect the values on which President-elect Obama campaigned and who are working to advance the common good . Rev. Joseph Lowery , who has been selected to give the benediction , is a lifelong advocate for justice . There are others like him , and in our increasingly diverse nation , they are n't all Christian . Rick Warren gets plenty of attention through his books and media appearances and has every right to promote his religious views . But he does n't need or deserve a position of honor at the inauguration of a president who has given hope to so many Americans by rejecting the politics of division and emphasizing his commitment to constitutional values . I am still excited about the tremendous changes in policy that I expect under an Obama administration . But it 's the job of progressive advocates to hold public officials accountable , and to speak up even when our friends drop the ball . This decision , which will leave a bad taste in the mouths of many passionate supporters of Barack Obama , is one of those times . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Kathryn Kolbert . | Kathryn Kolbert : Rick Warren has image of a moderate religious leader . She says his views are closer to those of the Religious Right . Kolbert : Warren backed Prop. 8 and opposed abortion and stem cell research . She says he does n't deserve position of honor at Barack Obama 's inauguration . | [[1603, 1678], [4480, 4496], [4508, 4562]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Somalia 's transitional president has resigned amid a power struggle with the African nation 's prime minister and parliament , sources told CNN on Monday . Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed tried to fire his PM this month but later lost a confidence vote . Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed announced his resignation Monday before parliament in Baidoa . Ahmed 's resignation is the latest turn in the political crisis in Somalia , which is already struggling with an Islamist revolt , a refugee crisis and rampant lawlessness that has fueled a wave of piracy off the Horn of Africa . Somalia has been without an effective central government since 1991 . The U.N.-backed transitional government has the support of Ethiopian troops that ousted an Islamist government at the end of 2006 , but it controls little of the country outside the southwestern city of Baidoa . Ahmed attempted to fire his prime minister , Nur Hassan Hussein , earlier this month for being ineffective . But Hussein said the president did not have the power to fire him , and the vast majority of members of parliament backed Hussein in a vote of confidence . Kenya -- a major player in international efforts to stabilize Somalia -- warned that the government crisis endangered peace efforts and singled out Ahmed over his attempt to sack Hassan . | Somalia 's transitional president resigns amid power struggle with PM , parliament . Country struggling with Islamist revolt , refugee crisis and rampant lawlessness . Kenya has warned that Somali government crisis is endangering peace efforts . | [[0, 15], [19, 144], [265, 349], [417, 424], [433, 443], [455, 478], [417, 424], [436, 478], [481, 521], [527, 579], [1127, 1132], [1200, 1314]] |
ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Murphy bounds up the stairs , down the stairs , over the hurdles , through the tunnel and stops . He cautiously sidesteps the large white ring in front of him and sits down . Betty Yadlosky tries to tease her Himalayan Persian named Tangerine with a feather . `` Through the ring ! Come on , Murphy , through the ring ! '' his owner encourages , as she enthusiastically jingles a feathered toy on the other side of the obstacle . Murphy glances over , clearly saying , `` There is no way I am jumping through that hoop . '' And anyone watching -- anyone who has ever owned a cat -- knows he is right . `` It can be frustrating , '' Donna Hinton says from the sidelines of the agility course . `` But it 's a challenge , a new dimension to showing . '' Hinton is the owner of Kevi , one of the nation 's top agility cats . Dressed to impress , Hinton looks more like a business executive than a cat fanatic -- but the breeder of Maine Coon cats has more than 20 years experience in pedigree showing . `` Some people like to go to the golf course on the weekend . I like to go to a cat show , '' she says with a smile . This time around , it was last weekend 's Cat Fanciers ' Association 's International Cat Show , in Atlanta , Georgia -- touted as the Western Hemisphere 's largest cat show , with 729 cats from 41 breeds and 14 countries . Elaborately decorated cages fill both sides and the back of the convention center floor . Vendors sell everything from cat hammocks to gutter guards -LRB- even the show manager is n't sure why gutter guards are there -RRB- , and a man in a wig shows off his tightrope-walking cats . But arguably the most important activity takes place just past the garbage cans marked `` Dump litter here , please . '' Judging . Bob Druzisky carries Zoe -- short for Mittsnpaws Zoe of Wyldephyre -- two-handed under her belly , stretching her out to her full length as they walk to one of the 12 judging rings . '' -LSB- We do this -RSB- to show her off to the crowd and to avoid handprints on her fur , '' he says . Zoe 's judge wipes down his table with disinfectant and then picks up Zoe , staring into her eyes as her feet dangle four feet above the ground . He puts her down and proceeds to feel her coat and check her response time . At one point , she tries to escape from the table , but is nabbed by the quick-handed judge . The whole thing is over less than a minute later . Each cat is judged by six judges throughout the weekend , show manager Emily Turner says . The cats are split into three groups : kittens -LRB- less than 8 months -RRB- , champions -LRB- adult cats -RRB- , and premiers -LRB- adult neutered/spayed cats -RRB- . These categories are broken down again by breed , color and sex . On Sunday morning , judges tally up the points and select the top two cats from each category . A panel then picks the best in show . `` That 's it in a nutshell , '' Turner says . Of course , it 's slightly more complicated . Each judge must train for six years . They must know the standards for each breed -- written descriptions of the `` ideal '' cat -- and be able to tell which Siamese has the perfect ear width or which red cat has the best color . Time and money . The ideal breed standard is impossible to reach , Turner says , but owners spend hundreds of hours , and dollars , trying . That 's most evident when an announcement comes over the loudspeaker for a DNA `` blue-eyed '' breeding seminar , starting in one hour . Druzisky and his wife , Jennifer , attend approximately 30 cat shows each year . The couple arrived in Atlanta with Zoe and Angel on Thursday night after a 12-hour drive from Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania . Between gas , hotel rooms , entrance fees and cat supplies , Druzisky estimates the shows cost him between a couple hundred and $ 1,000 per month . Of course , showing cats is a lot cheaper than showing horses -- as Betty Yadlosky is quick to point out . She and her husband Bill showed horses for many years before switching to Himalayan Persians . The couple has 11 Persians , all of which need regular baths if they 're showing . Each bath takes Betty Yadlosky an hour and a half to two hours , including a blow dry . So how much time does the average owner spend grooming their cats ? `` Just depends on how many you have and how well you take care of them , '' she says . `` You 've got to keep them healthy and happy . '' For the love of it . Back in the ring , Kevi is running Hinton ragged . He zooms through the other obstacles , only to stop short at the blue weave bars . Once , twice , three times he stops , before Hinton sighs , wiping her forehead with her arm . `` I think we 're tired , '' she says . `` Bored , not tired , '' agility instructor Carol Osbourne calls out to Hinton . '' -LSB- Kevi -RSB- could do this all night . Keep your body ahead -LSB- of the cat -RSB- and make a wide sweep with your arm . '' Hinton goes to scoop up Kevi , only to miss the rascal by inches . This starts a game of chase that ends with Kevi in a red carrier and Hinton laughing . Putting on a show this large takes more than a year , and it 's scenes like this one that convince Turner her hard work is worth it . She says most of the people who come to shows are there simply because they love animals . `` There 's the best of all things , '' she says , speaking loudly over the call for Tokinese cats in ring three . `` At night , when you go home you have this warm , fuzzy , cuddly animal that adores you and you adore him or her . I mean , how could you ask for anything better ? '' | Cat Fanciers ' Association holds International Cat Show in Atlanta , Georgia . More than 700 cats of 41 breeds participate in show . Kuorii Santos of Cuzzoe wins `` Best in Show '' Cats give owners trouble on the agility course during training time . | [[1155, 1171], [1174, 1249]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A new national poll suggests Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich could be on the top of Santa 's naughty list . Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich tops new CNN poll of which politician has been the naughtiest of 2008 . Fifty-six percent of those questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey released Wednesday said Blagojevich , who has been arrested on corruption charges , was the naughtiest politician in 2008 . Blagojevich , accused of attempting to sell President-elect Barack Obama 's former Senate seat , has said he has done nothing wrong and plans to fight the allegations . The poll also found 23 percent believed former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer should get the nod , followed by 19 percent for former presidential candidate John Edwards . Spitzer resigned in March after it was revealed he was Client No. 9 in a high-end prostitution ring . In November , prosecutors announced they would not be bringing criminal charges against Spitzer . Edwards , who had been considered a major contender for the Democratic presidential nomination , admitted in August to having an extramarital affair with former campaign staffer Rielle Hunter . The former North Carolina senator also denied he was the father of Hunter 's then-newborn baby . CNN polling director Keating Holland said while Blagojevich 's top spot in the survey may be due to his arrest occurring more recently than the transgressions of the others , there may be another reason . iReport.com : Do you trust your political leaders ? `` Americans typically take a much dimmer view of corruption than of sex scandals , since the former is a violation of the public trust and the latter is usually considered more of a private matter , '' he said . | CNN poll : Rod Blagojevich was the naughtiest politician in 2008 . Illinois governor accused of trying to sell President-elect Obama 's Senate seat . Former Gov. Eliot Spitzer was second in poll , followed by former Sen. John Edwards . | [[125, 226], [176, 226], [227, 253], [388, 427], [428, 439], [442, 522]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter met Sunday in Damascus , Syria , with Khaled Meshaal , the exiled leader of Hamas ' political wing , a Hamas official said . Syrian President Bashar al-Assad , left , walks with Jimmy Carter north of Damascus on Sunday , December 14 . The five-hour meeting ended late Sunday and covered several issues , including Cpl. Gilad Shalit -- an Israeli soldier held captive by Hamas since June 2006 , the official said . Carter previously met with Meshaal in April . In that meeting , the Hamas leader promised Carter that the group would allow Shalit to send a message to his parents , Noam and Aviva . Carter also asked Hamas to release Shalit , Meshaal said after the former president 's visit , but the request was rejected . Watch report on Carter 's meeting '' Hamas said Sunday it will soon release a statement about the latest meeting between Carter and Meshaal . Carter 's series of meetings with top Hamas officials in April garnered condemnation from the U.S. and Israeli governments . They criticized him for engaging in diplomacy with a group that both governments consider a terrorist organization . How the incoming Obama administration will receive Carter 's meetings with Hamas remains to be seen . During his visit in Syria , Carter also visited the Saint Taqla convent in the city of Maalula , north of Damascus , with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad . CNN 's Cal Perry contributed to this report in Beirut , Lebanon . | Hamas says five-hour meeting ends late Sunday in Damascus , Syria 's capital . Carter 's appeal for release of Israeli solider captured in 2006 is rejected . U.S. , Israeli governments criticized previous meetings between Carter , Hamas . | [[0, 15], [54, 84], [289, 328], [389, 445], [750, 776], [919, 1043]] |
ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Two of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. 's children are suing their brother , accusing him of wrongfully taking money from their parents ' estates . Dexter King , left , Bernice King and Martin Luther King III attend a 2006 tribute for their late mother . Bernice King and Martin Luther King III allege that Dexter King took `` substantial funds '' out of Coretta Scott King 's estate and `` wrongfully appropriated '' money from their father 's estate . The suit , filed Thursday in Fulton County Superior Court , serves as a very public fissure in an iconic family that has always professed unity , particularly as questions have swirled around some of their financial dealings . In a written statement Friday , Dexter King called the suit `` inappropriate and false . '' `` I 'm disappointed that our personal family disagreement , as it relates to the family business , has evolved into being handled in a public legal forum , '' he said . `` It is my hope that this inappropriate and false claim by my siblings will be swiftly resolved and we can go about the business of focusing on our parents ' tremendous legacy . '' The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in April 1968 in Memphis , Tennessee , where he was to lead garbage workers on a protest march . King 's wife , Coretta Scott King , also devoted her life to the civil rights movement , died in 2006 . Attorneys for Bernice King and Martin Luther King III would not say Friday how much money they are accusing Dexter King of taking from their mother 's estate . Bernice King is the administrator of that estate . Dexter King , the suit says , controls their father 's estate , which is registered as a Georgia corporation . All three children are shareholders in that corporation . The lawsuit names Dexter King and the corporation as defendants . It alleges that last month , the defendants `` converted substantial funds from the estate 's financial account at Bank of America for their own use . '' Harmon Caldwell , an Atlanta attorney representing the plaintiffs , said Dexter King is a signatory on the account , but `` was not authorized to transfer the funds , '' and gave his sister `` no notice that those funds were being transferred . '' The suit says that as a result of the transfer , `` plaintiffs have and will suffer financial loss . '' The lawsuit lists Bernice King as a plaintiff both individually and as administrator of their mother 's estate . Separately , the suit says Dexter King `` has wrongfully appropriated assets belonging to the -LSB- estate of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. -RSB- or its shareholders for his own benefit . '' Caldwell said Dexter King has refused to say what has happened with some of the corporation 's money . `` I ca n't tell you that he 's gone out and used corporate assets for his own living expenses , '' the attorney said . `` What I can tell you for certainty is that by not providing Martin and Bernice with information about how the corporation is using its assets , he is essentially using those assets , appropriating those assets for his own benefit . '' The plaintiffs ' attorneys would not estimate the size of either estate . But one , Jock Smith , noted that a collection of King 's manuscripts and other items was sold in 2006 for a reported $ 32 million . `` I do n't think it was a substantial corporation of any sort before that , '' Smith said . Over the years , the family of the civil rights leader has zealously protected its financial interests , at times taking legal steps even against the media for showing some of King 's most famous speeches . In 2005 , some news agencies reported on the King Center , a nonprofit , having put millions of dollars into a for-profit business run by Dexter King . The family rejected allegations of wrongdoing , and has generally pushed to keep financial matters private . Smith said his clients made repeated efforts to reach out to their brother in recent weeks before deciding to take legal action . Smith agreed with the suggestion that it was emotionally tough for the King children to file the suit . `` That would be the understatement of the year , Smith said . | Bernice King , Martin Luther King III name Dexter King , father 's estate as defendants . Suit also says defendants wrongfully took money from Coretta Scott King estate . Suit alleges defendants `` converted substantial funds '' for their own use . The suit was filed in Fulton County Superior Court in Atlanta , Georgia . | [[10, 33], [114, 140], [130, 184], [344, 420], [426, 490], [1491, 1501], [1507, 1571], [2504, 2666], [344, 420], [1858, 1992], [1858, 1860], [1887, 2008], [2504, 2666], [3039, 3041], [3078, 3126], [491, 499], [502, 548]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- What recession ? Christie 's , the famed auction house , this week sold a nearly 36-carat diamond for $ 24.3 million , which it said was the highest price for a diamond sold at auction . The 35.56-carat diamond dates back to the 17th century . The previous record was a mere $ 16.5 million for a 100-carat diamond in 1995 , Christie 's said . `` In the midst of these challenging times , we were thrilled to achieve an historic price for an historic diamond , '' said Francois Curiel , chairman of Christie 's Europe and auctioneer for Wednesday 's sale . The 35.56-carat Wittelsbach blue diamond , dating to the 17th century , was purchased by international jeweler Laurence Graff , the auction house said in a release . Graff was bidding against Aleks Paul of Essex Global Trading , a professional of Russian origin based in New York , Christie 's said . `` Known as ` Der Blaue Wittelsbacher ' since 1722 , it is one of very few diamonds which can claim 17th century heritage , incredible rarity and exceptional beauty . '' The diamond , mined in India nearly 400 years ago , has been privately owned since 1964 . Until 1723 , Christie 's said , all diamonds worn by European royalty came from India . The diamond has a royal lineage . Christie 's traces it thus : King Philip IV of Spain -LRB- 1605-1665 -RRB- selected the diamond in 1664 as part of a dowry for his daughter , the Infanta Margarita Teresa -LRB- 1651-1673 -RRB- . She had become engaged to Leopold I of Austria -LRB- 1640-1705 -RRB- , who later became Holy Roman Emperor . When she died in 1673 , her husband retained the diamond , which was passed on to his heirs . In 1722 , the diamond entered the Wittelsbach family when the Archduchess Maria Amalia of Austria -LRB- 1701-1756 -RRB- married the Bavarian Crown Prince , Charles Albert -LRB- 1697-1745 -RRB- . It was worn by successive rulers until the abdication of King Ludwig III -LRB- 1845-1921 -RRB- in 1918 . The world 's largest deep blue diamond is the `` Hope Diamond , '' a 45.52-carat stone housed at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington , DC . Diamonds apparently are recession-proof . Christie 's reported jewelry sales of $ 226 million for the first half of 2008 , calling it `` the best jewelry season ever seen at auction . '' Sales for the first six months of this year marked a 32 percent increase over the same period in 2007 , Christie 's said . According to Christie 's , key diamonds the company sold in the first half of 2008 included a 13.39-carat fancy intense blue diamond that fetched $ 8.9 million in Geneva on May 14 and the pear-shaped potentially flawless 38-carat Onassis diamond , which sold for $ 7.1 million on June 11 in London . | Christie 's sells nearly 36-carat diamond for $ 24.3 million . Amount said to be highest price for a diamond sold at auction . Jewel was mined in India nearly 400 years ago . | [[195, 222], [134, 152], [161, 172], [195, 222], [138, 152], [169, 204], [1063, 1074], [1077, 1112], [1063, 1098], [1115, 1152]] |
MEXICO CITY , Mexico -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- More than 11,500 public servants have been suspended or fined for corruption during the past two years , the Mexican government said . Mexican President Felipe Calderon , at right , spoke at the National Public Security Session last month . `` We have made an important effort to oversee the good use of public funds , '' said President Felipe Calderon on Tuesday . `` We have broken up networks of corruption in Pemex -LSB- the state-owned oil company -RSB- , ... in customs or in areas linked to construction of public works . '' Some 40 agents of the attorney general and of the secretary of security also are under investigation for presumed ties to drug cartels . Some are accused of receiving money from the narcotraffickers in exchange for information . Among them is the nation 's former anti-drug czar , Noe Ramirez , who is accused of receiving $ 500,000 per month for passing information to the Pacific Cartel . Although organized crime has penetrated state institutions charged with fighting crime , Calderon said he had a program intended to work on that . Watch what Mexico is grappling with '' `` With Operation Cleanup , we will continue acting against police , agents , public ministers or any servant implicated in corruption who may have crossed over the line to crime . '' The problem extends beyond bureaucracy . A poll by the organization International Transparency shows that Mexico is one of the emerging countries where businesses are more open to paying bribes . In all , 38 percent of Mexican businesses surveyed said they tended to use relationships with friends or relatives to obtain public contracts , and 32 percent said they had bribed politicians and government workers . `` Clearly , this lends itself to corruption , '' said Jose Claudio Trevino , a senior manager with Ernst & Young in Mexico . Corruption is rampant in the private sector , particularly in deals that involve buying or selling , he said . According to official studies , more than 100 million acts of corruption are committed in the country each year , and the typical family spends the equivalent of 25 percent of its income on bribes . | International Transparency poll : Businesses in Mexico more open to paying bribes . Organized crime has penetrated state institutions charged with fighting crime . Some 40 government agents under investigation for presumed ties to drug cartels . | [[972, 1049], [572, 643], [649, 708]] |
ALLENTOWN , Pennsylvania -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A federal court Thursday struck down ordinances passed by Hazleton , Pennsylvania , that were intended to limit where illegal immigrants could live and work . Last year , Hazleton passed the Illegal Immigration Relief Act Ordinance , which would have fined landlords who rented to undocumented immigrants and would have penalized companies that employed them . Under another law , tenants would have had to prove they were citizens or lawful residents , register with the city and pay for a rental permit in order to receive an occupancy permit . The ordinances were copied by other cities . The court ruled that Hazleton can not enact any ordinances dealing with illegal immigration because they conflict with the supremacy clause of the U.S. constitution . `` Hazleton , in its zeal to control the presence of a group deemed undesirable , violated the rights of such people , as well as others within the community . Since the United States Constitution protects even the disfavored , the ordinances can not be enforced , '' U.S. District Judge James M. Munley wrote in the 206-page opinion . Mayor Lou Barletta , who spearheaded the opposition , said he will appeal the ruling . `` This fight is far from over , '' he told reporters outside the courtroom . `` Hazleton is not going to back down . ... We will take it all the way to the Supreme Court if we have to . '' Watch mayor decry `` injustice '' '' Barletta drafted the act last year after `` a high-profile murder , the discharge of a gun at a crowded city playground , and drug busts '' allegedly involving illegal immigrants , he wrote on his Web site , www.smalltowndefenders.com . `` Illegal aliens in our city create an economic burden that threatens our quality of life , '' he wrote . `` With a growing problem and a limited budget , I could not sit back any longer and allow this to happen . I needed to act ! '' Hazleton 's population was 23,000 in 2000 . Since then , it has risen to an estimated 30,000 to 33,000 , with many of the newcomers being Mexican immigrants , according to Munley . The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania was among several groups that filed the suit on behalf of Hazleton residents , landlords and business owners . The groups contended that only the federal government has the right to regulate immigration or to deprive residents of the rights to equal protection . In addition , they said , the ordinances violated state and federal housing laws . The ordinances , Munley said , `` penalize landlords , tenants , employers and employees without providing them the procedural protections required by federal law , including notice and an opportunity to be heard . '' `` Our analysis applies to illegal aliens as well as to legal residents and citizens . The United States Constitution provides due process protections to all persons , '' he wrote , emphasizing `` all . '' The city exceeded its police powers by enacting unconstitutional ordinances , wrote Munley , whom President Clinton appointed to the federal bench in 1998 . Barletta said he would `` continue to fight for the people of this community and other cities around the country . '' `` It 's almost amusing to me that the judge would say we ca n't do what the federal government should be doing , when in fact the federal government is not doing their job , '' he told CNN 's Lou Dobbs . A spokesman for the ACLU of Pennsylvania expressed satisfaction with the ruling . `` Hazleton-type laws are designed to make life miserable for millions of immigrants , '' said Vic Walczak , legal director for the group and a lead attorney in the case . `` They promote distrust of all foreigners , including those here legally , and fuel xenophobia and discrimination , especially against Latinos . '' Anthony D. Romero , executive director of the ACLU , added , `` Political leaders , like Mayor Barletta , must stop scape-goating undocumented immigrants for all the problems we confront in our local communities . '' E-mail to a friend . | Federal court throws out laws limiting where illegal immigrants can live , work . Judge says ordinances conflict with supremacy clause of U.S. constitution . Law would have fined landlords renting to illegal aliens . Mayor Lou Barletta : `` This fight is far from over '' | [[44, 91], [99, 110], [113, 202], [657, 802], [231, 348], [1226, 1256]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The former Utah state trooper suspected in a series of roadway shootings earlier this week died Wednesday , the Dallas County Medical Examiner 's Office said . CNN affiliate KSL in Salt Lake City , Utah , provided this file photo of the Dallas suspect , Brian Smith . Police said Tuesday that Brian Smith attempted suicide after Monday 's shootings . Smith was brought to a local hospital in serious condition , officials said . At 7 p.m. Wednesday Smith died at Parkland Hospital , the medical examiner 's office said . An autopsy is slated for Thursday . Two people were killed in the shootings along a three-mile stretch on and near the LBJ Freeway , about 10 miles northeast of downtown Dallas . Police used ballistic tests to link Smith , a 12-year veteran of the Utah state police , to three of the four shootings , Dallas Police Lt. Craig Miller said Tuesday . Miller said Smith was a suspect in both nonfatal shootings and one of the fatal shootings . He said it was unclear if Smith was a suspect in the fatal shooting that occurred first . The first attack occurred in the city of Garland at about 5:41 p.m. Victim Jorge Lopez , 20 , was sitting in his Nissan at a traffic light in Garland when a man in a pickup pulled alongside him and fired shots into his car , killing him , Officer Joe Harn of the Garland police said . A few minutes later and two miles away on the LBJ Freeway , a gunman fired at two tractor-trailers . While one driver escaped injuries , William Scott Miller , 42 , of Frankfort , Kentucky , was shot to death behind the wheel of a United Van Lines truck , police said . `` He was going to be traveling home , '' Lt. Miller said . `` He was about to park his rig . He was going to get on a plane to fly to be with his wife and children for the Christmas season and then come back to this location . '' Miller called the truck driver a hero because he was able to control his rig before he died -- preventing other motorists from being hurt . The fourth attack came a mile west on LBJ Freeway , where gunfire shattered the windshield of another tractor-trailer . The bullets missed the driver , but flying glass caused minor cuts , police said . Smith , 37 , left his trooper job in Utah after he was caught abusing alcohol and drugs , CNN affiliate WFAA reported , citing an official report . The sergeant began using drugs and alcohol after his patrol car was rear-ended while he was writing a ticket , according to the report by Utah Peace Officers Standards and Training . He moved to Texas shortly afterward , the station said . Harn told WFAA that Smith 's wife had phoned police Monday to say her husband was suicidal and driving around with a gun . Police were able to locate him using cell phone transmission towers . A three-hour stand-off followed , ending when Smith shot himself in the head , Harn said . | Police say ex-Utah officer was tied to at least three of four Dallas shootings . Police : Brian Smith was hospitalized in serious condition after a suicide attempt . Two drivers were shot and killed , another wounded in Dallas rush hour Monday . | [[19, 109], [887, 978], [287, 369], [312, 369], [370, 428], [19, 109], [576, 615]] |
ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- One of the best gifts you can give a child this holiday season may not be the latest gadget , toy , or tasty treat , but instead the gift of a healthy lifestyle . Participants get a workout at the FitWit fitness boot camp . An Atlanta-based non-profit organization is doing its part to combat childhood obesity by teaching kids proper nutrition and exercise in a six-week fitness boot camp similar to NBC 's `` The Biggest Loser . '' The FitWit Foundation hopes its program will catch on nationwide . `` We wanted to work with teens in a meaningful way , and we saw firsthand how fitness and physical activity in general is being neglected in this population . With a lot of help from volunteers and donors , we 've started a program this past spring that encourages hard work and is a fun way to get in shape , '' said FitWit instructor Ben Thoele . FitWit 's program is a six-week after-school boot camp competition which rewards participants with prizes for meeting fitness goals . An iPod Nano was the grand prize for Atlanta Public Schools students completing a recent fitness session . Watch for more on FitWit '' Students who are motivated to get in shape but not involved in an organized sports team are selected as contestants . Participants ' fitness levels are assessed at the beginning and end of the program . Each week , volunteers lead three 60-minute sessions that include fitness instruction and physical health education . In addition , the participants are assigned two home workouts to be performed between sessions . `` After six weeks , all participants have an increased total fitness ability . We averaged over 40 percent improvement in total fitness in our first program last spring . It 's common to have a participant double their fitness ability , '' Thoele said . `` A lot of these kids do n't know how to work out , or that they even have the capacity to work out . They gain an appreciation for pushing their limits , and when that happens , we see a tremendous boost in their self-confidence , '' he said . The need for increased fitness across the country is striking . According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , 17.6 percent of U.S. teenagers were obese in 2006 -- more than triple the rate in 1980 . Obesity puts the teens at increased risk for heart disease , bone and joint problems , sleep apnea , and social and psychological problems , the CDC says . `` Success for us is when a kid is thinking about fitness outside of the program , because they enjoy how they feel when they 're in better shape , '' Thoele said . `` Our first winner , Raquel , told us that she continued to come because she just felt better . She had incredible numbers as well . She was not able to perform even one sit-up at the start of the program and did 21 in our final assessments . She also shed more than 90 seconds off her mile time . '' `` Since I 've been here , I 've been eating healthy , '' one FitWit participant said . `` I have been watching what I eat and drink . I drink three cups of water every day . And I exercise more often . I do n't spend too much time inside my home anymore . '' | FitWit 's program is a six-week after-school boot camp competition . CDC data shows childhood obesity is a huge problem in the U.S. Program rewards participants with prizes for meeting fitness goals . | [[261, 426], [888, 1021], [909, 954], [961, 1021], [888, 1021], [909, 954], [961, 1021]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- We 're in Hollywood on this month 's CNN Business Traveller where we look at style on the road . As travelers of the world , we want to express our own individuality , we want to fit in and look the part but at the same time stand out . Hollywood is the perfect place to look get to grips with style because in this city - image is everything . Watch the show . '' Why style matters . If we live in a particular way , we want the same when we travel ; and the airline and hotel industry are more in tune with what we want than ever before . We look at why style matters on the road and in the air . Attire to suit every occasion . We get some golden rules from Hollywood stylist Negar Ali who shows Richard Quest how to co-ordinate and downsize his wardrobe , and a secret weapon - equivalent to the ` little black dress ' . Bags of style . Your suitcase travels as much as you do and is often the next thing people look at after your clothes . For some , making a statement with their luggage is important , for others functionality is the key . Two business travelers road test some stylish pieces whilst on their business trip to Maastricht . Smart Traveller . This month 's Smart Traveller focuses on tagging services that reunites lost property with the owner . Richard Quest found out that it really does work when he left his Treo PDA in the back of a New York taxi and only realized he 'd lost it when he got an email from Zreturn once in LA. . Sunrise to Sunset . Award-winning documentary maker Morgan Neville shows us round his hometown -- giving us ideas on how to enjoy our spare time in LA from Sunrise to Sunset . E-mail to a friend . | CNN goes to Hollywood to get to grips with traveling in style . Top Hollywood stylist shares tips on how to co-ordinate a wardrobe on the road . Two business travelers road test some stylish luggage on a trip to Malta . | [[36, 95], [102, 132], [667, 724], [697, 724], [729, 767], [1083, 1181]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An Austrian man who participated in a Nazi massacre of Jews during World War II and later gained U.S. citizenship has been deported to Austria , U.S. officials said . The Sachsenhausen concentration camp just north of Berlin where the U.S. says Krumpf worked as an SS guard . Josias Krumpf , 83 , lived for years after the war in Racine , Wisconsin . The United States revoked his citizenship in 2005 after the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice sought to denaturalize him . Acting Assistant Attorney General Rita Glavin announced Krumpf 's deportation Thursday . It was not clear when he arrived in Austria , and representatives of the Austrian Justice Ministry were not immediately available for comment . `` His court-ordered removal from the United States to Austria is another milestone in the government 's long-running effort to ensure that individuals who participated in crimes against humanity do not find sanctuary in this country , '' Glavin said . The United States removed Krumpf because of his participation in that and other Nazi-sponsored acts of persecution during the war , Glavin said . Krumpf admits standing watch on November 3 , 1943 , as SS guards at the Trawniki Labor Camp in Poland shot and killed 8,000 Jews , including women and 400 children , in pits . Glavin said Krumpf said he had orders to shoot any prisoners who survived . Krumpf also served as an SS guard at the Nazi-run Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp in Germany and at slave labor sites in Nazi-occupied France , where prisoners under his watch built launching platforms for German missile attacks on England , Glavin said . The November 1943 shooting was part of a larger Nazi operation called `` Aktion Erntefest , '' or `` Operation Harvest Festival , '' that led to the deaths of 42,000 Jews at three camps in eastern Poland in two days , the Justice Department said . At Trawniki , Krumpf said , he was assigned to watch for victims who were still `` halfway alive '' or `` convulsing '' and prevent their escape by shooting them to death , the Justice Department said . Krumpf , who was born in Serbia , immigrated to the United States in 1956 and became a U.S. citizen in 1964 . His removal to Austria is part of an effort by several U.S. government departments and law enforcement agencies to identify and prosecute participants in Nazi crimes of persecution who live in the United States , the Justice Department said . The Criminal Division 's Office of Special Investigations -LRB- OSI -RRB- started the operation in 1979 and has since won cases against 107 alleged Nazi criminals , the Justice Department said . The OSI also has a watch list for World War II war criminals that has prevented the entry of more than 180 people into the United States , the Justice Department said . | Josias Krumpf lived for years in Wisconsin before being deported to Austria . The 83 year old admits he shot survivors during a masscare in Poland in 1943 . The U.S. revoked his citizenship in 2005 , deported him to Austria this week . His removal is part of a U.S. effort to identify and prosecute Nazi war criminals . | [[0, 15], [116, 161], [295, 308], [316, 355], [19, 34], [39, 98], [1343, 1345], [1357, 1394], [0, 15], [116, 161], [370, 504], [744, 868]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When David Green , 22 , graduated from Western Washington University in December , he applied for dozens of jobs , from fast food to secretarial positions -- sending out more than 50 resumes and scoring only two interviews in the process . The organization Reach to Teach has seen a 100 percent increase in applications to teach English in Asia . `` It was horrible . I could n't find anything , '' said Green , a history and social studies major . With few employment options in his hometown of Bellingham , Washington , Green applied to teach English in a South Korean middle school through Reach to Teach , an organization that assists college graduates with finding teaching positions in Asia . Green , who counts trips to Canada as his only experience abroad , will be leaving for Seoul on March 20 for one year . `` I am scared . I 've only had one major breakdown so far , ... but I 'm really excited about being on my own ... somewhere completely new where I know absolutely no one , '' he said . Like Green , many recent college graduates are searching for alternatives to jumping into the job market in the face of the recession . An increasing number of young Americans are searching out paid positions teaching English in countries like South Korea , Japan , China and Spain as a means to expand their horizons and weather the economic doldrums . Mitch Gordon , director of school relations for Reach to Teach , said his organization has seen more than a 100 percent increase in applications in the last six months , with 3,784 applicants compared to 1,488 during the same six-month period last year . The application system does n't track U.S. applicants separately , but Gordon estimates more than 70 percent are from the United States . The program also has seen a significant increase in current teachers extending their teaching contracts abroad for an extra year . Gordon said he believes the recession is the primary reason for the steady increase in applicants , and the increase has made the program more competitive . `` We have more people for the same number of positions , '' he said . `` We 're able to raise our standards a little bit more . '' Japan 's JET -LRB- Japan Exchange and Teaching -RRB- program also has recorded a jump in applicants . For 2009 positions , the Japanese government-sponsored program has received 15 percent more U.S. applications than last year , according to program coordinator Joelle Williams . The program attributes the jump in part to the economic situation and the tough job market in the United States . JET officials also noticed that more applications arrived farther in advance of the deadline this year . ` Taking control of my own life ' Ayana Hosten , a spring 2008 graduate of Claremont McKenna College , has been working as an English teaching assistant in Madrid , Spain , since February through a program organized by the Ministry of Education of Spain . Her contract is ending in June and she is already looking to extend her stay for another year . Spain 's Ministry of Education has announced more than 1,200 openings for U.S. and Canadian `` cultural ambassadors '' for the 2009-2010 school year . Grants provide the teaching assistants with about $ 900 a month for the eight-month stay . Teachers are responsible for their own lodging and transportation costs , and applicants should have a functional knowledge of Spanish . For Hosten , 22 , going to Spain was a way to escape a rough job market that left her without a full-time job between graduating and applying for the teaching program . `` After being unemployed for three months , it really started to affect me emotionally , which was something I was not prepared for , '' Hosten said in an e-mail . `` Going to Spain was me taking control of my own life and pretty much just wiping my hands of the financial crisis . '' Travis Lee , a University of Tennessee alumnus who is in a teaching program sponsored by a university in Wuhan , China , began teaching English in September 2008 , originally intending to stay for one year . `` Now I 'm thinking of extending my stay for another semester or full year , and if I really like it and ca n't find a job in America , who knows ? '' Lee said in an e-mail . He said the economy and the tight job market have been a big influence in his consideration to stay in China . Trying another path . For many recent graduates , working abroad is becoming a more secure option than searching for a job in the United States . Most teaching programs in other countries will provide teachers with a salary and health insurance , and some programs in Asia will even provide free housing , said Jake Hanin , a teach abroad program coordinator for the Council on International Education Exchange , who also has noticed an increase in applications . For programs in Asia , fluency in English is usually the most important qualification for teaching jobs , and many do not require applicants to have previous teaching experience , Hanin said . Lee 's salary in China is approximately $ 555 per month , which he says is more than enough to live comfortably in Wuhan . The university also provides him with a rent-free apartment and pays his electric bill . `` We make twice what a Chinese teacher with a bachelor 's makes and we do half the work , '' Lee said in an e-mail . But for Lee and many other recent graduates , working abroad is primarily about having once-in-a-lifetime experiences in a completely different culture . `` You have plenty of time to get a career , start a family , and follow that path , '' Lee said . `` Why not try another path first ? What have you got to lose ? '' CNN 's Marnie Hunter contributed to this report . | Economy is prompting some recent grads to delay entering U.S. workforce . Reach to Teach applications are up 100 percent from last year . Japan 's JET program receives 15 percent more U.S. applications . | [[1037, 1159], [259, 338], [1378, 1390], [1443, 1569], [2191, 2251], [2257, 2292], [2191, 2251], [2257, 2292], [2293, 2311], [2314, 2417]] |
SHANGHAI , China -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In between selling tickets and greeting customers , Min Min turned his curvy 6-feet-tall frame to survey the spacious dance hall and revealed he is no ordinary doorman at this extraordinary place . Min Min hosts a drag show in Shanghai while not manning a ballroom dance hall for older gay men . `` When I first started this , it was only a dozen or so of us , '' reminisced the former factory worker-turned-drag queen . `` Now 300 people or more come each night . '' Welcome to Lai Lai Dance Hall , arguably the only entertainment venue for older gay men in Shanghai , if not the whole of China . Tucked away in a rundown neighborhood in the city 's northeast , Lai Lai sits atop a public bathhouse , and features cracked wooden floors and a primitive sound system . Its location and facilities , however , belie its prominence in a community that thrives almost entirely underground . Every weekend , men flock here to unleash their ballroom dancing skill as well as their true identities for three treasured hours . Lai Lai 's `` gay nights '' are only on Fridays , Saturdays and Sundays . Casually dressed in jeans and sneakers , men of various ages -- but mostly in their 40 's and upwards -- and shapes filled the dimly lit dance floor one recent evening . They waltzed , jitterbugged and rumbaed in pairs to the nostalgic Mandarin tunes churned out by a live band on the small stage . `` You wo n't see this anywhere else , '' said Min , organizer of this regular gathering , himself a middle-aged gay man whose dual passions lie in ballroom dancing and performing in drag . On this Sunday night , however , he was out of drag , donning a sweater and cargo pants . `` I do n't really do this for the money -- it 's just great fun . '' Patrons pay a mere 5 yuan -LRB- 70 U.S. cents -RRB- to enter and enjoy cheap drinks -- a bottle of beer costs just 3 yuan . Observing from the sidelines , one of Min 's fellow drag queens -- known as Teacher Zhang -- noted most older gay men do n't feel comfortable going to the more expensive bars or clubs frequented by the younger generation . `` It 's a totally different culture and environment in those places , while everyone fits right in here , '' said the 58-year-old former soldier and retired school administrator . `` It 's a rare outlet for people to relax , to find friends or sex . '' Zhang 's personal story mirrors those of many patrons at Lai Lai . Realizing he was gay at an early age , Zhang -- like many gay men in China -- married a woman because of family and social pressure . He is expecting to become a grandfather this autumn . `` My wife and my son have suspicions about me , but it 's always going to be a question mark in their minds , '' Zhang said . `` They have seen me perform folk dance in drag , but I will never let them see me in an intimate situation with another man . '' Unlike many among Lai Lai 's largely blue-collar clientele , Zhang said success in running his own catering business has injected freedom and flexibility into his closeted life . `` I bought a big duplex for my wife , and I told her I would stay in the old apartment to concentrate on work , '' Zhang said . `` Chinese women at her age are very pragmatic -- they are satisfied as long as you take good care of the family . '' Taking precautions . Family issues aside , activists have pointed to inconsistencies in government policy to explain older gay men 's reluctance to come out . Although homosexuality is not illegal in China and has been removed from the country 's list of officially recognized mental disorders since 2001 , it remains a taboo topic in the state-run media . Gay venues have popped up in major cities across China in recent years , but the authorities sometimes shut them down during politically sensitive times . The upcoming Olympics appears to be one such occasion , amid reports of a series of recent police raids on gay clubs , saunas and cruising spots in Beijing and Shanghai . Activists have voiced their worries about a new crackdown aimed at `` cleaning up '' the country ahead of the Summer Games in August . Both Zhang and Min said they will keep a low profile and be even more cautious about staging drag shows in the next few months . As an extra precaution , they requested their real names not published and Min also insisted no pictures be taken at Lai Lai . For now the dance routines continue and have attracted new fans like Ray Mahoney , an American volunteer with a local AIDS-prevention organization . Mahoney , 50 , has been visiting Lai Lai with fellow volunteers to hand out free condoms and safe-sex literature . While he loves the uniquely romantic dance scene , Mahoney emphasized that he has an urgent message for Chinese gay men of his age group . He said many people in this generation , because of their educational and social background , have never used a condom before -- either with their wives or with their male sex partners . `` I had three friends in the U.S. die in the 1980 's of AIDS , '' Mahoney said . `` The people at Lai Lai do n't realize AIDS is really close to them and it 's spreading quickly in the gay community here . '' Acknowledging the rising HIV-infection rate among gay men , Chinese health officials have quietly started their own outreach program , which calls for sending trained staff to gay venues nationwide to promote AIDS awareness and encourage voluntary testing . Although he has welcomed the volunteers and admires Mahoney 's dedication , Min still focuses his attention on dancing . He is even prepared to set his sights on an alternative `` Olympic '' event that includes ballroom dancing as a competitive sport . `` In the future we might , '' Min responded when asked if he and other Lai Lai regulars would join the Gay Games -- the gay answer to the Olympics -- next to be held in 2010 in Cologne , Germany . `` We probably wo n't win , '' he said with a laugh . `` But I bet we could finish in 6th place ! '' Steven Jiang is a Beijing-based freelance writer and former CNN producer . | Old dance hall one of few underground gay clubs in Shanghai for older generation . Caters for a different generation who enjoy ballroom dancing and drag acts . Homosexuality is not illegal in China , but culturally difficult for older men to come out . Many fear a crackdown on gay clubs in the lead up to the Olympics . | [[3434, 3475], [3485, 3522], [4000, 4057]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- U.S. Masters -- April 9-12 , 2009 . 2007 Masters champion Zach Johnson puts the green jacket on 2008 winner Trevor Immelman . While The Open Championship at St Andrews , Scotland may rival it for history , few would argue that the U.S. Masters tournament is unrivalled in terms of beauty and exclusivity . Played at the prestigious Augusta National Golf club in the city of Augusta , Georgia , the first `` major '' of the golfing year is a strictly invitational event controlled by the club itself . The top 50 golfers in the official world rankings are all guaranteed an invite . The dramatic azalea-draped course -- the brainchild of golfing great Bobby Jones -- provides a tough test for the world 's elite golfers , particularly since it has been lengthened or `` Tiger-proofed '' in recent years . However the relatively short 12th hole , named Golden Bell , is arguably the most challenging . Jack Nicklaus once called it `` the hardest tournament hole in golf , '' due to the fact that its perilously narrow green is protected in front by Rae 's Creek , with two sand traps behind it . Misjudge the wind or get your club selection wrong and the ball will most likely end up in the water . Since Horton Smith won the inaugural Masters title in 1934 , the tournament has become as famous for its traditions as it has for the quality of golf on show . Winners are presented with a green jacket by the defending champion -- which they are obliged to return to the clubhouse the following year . Nicklaus , nicknamed the `` Golden Bear , '' became the first golfer to successfully defend his green jacket . He also holds the record for the most titles won at Augusta with six -- his last coming in 1986 at the age of 46 . American players currently dominate the competition , following a period in the 1980s and 1990s which saw European players , including Seve Ballesteros and Nick Faldo , win 10 titles in 17 years . Current world number one Tiger Woods has won four times at Augusta since 1997 , while compatriot and rival for top spot , Phil Mickelson , won in 2004 and 2006 . South Africa 's Trevor Immelman is the current owner of the coveted green jacket . 2008 season in pictures '' U.S. Open - June 15-21 , 2009 . Tiger Woods and his caddie walk up to the 18th green on the Black Course at Bethpage State Park in 2002 . The second of the four major tournaments , the U.S. Open is hosted by the United States Golf Association -LRB- USGA -RRB- . Since its inaugural event in 1895 at the Newport Golf and Country Club , the event has been staged at a number of different courses . What 's your favorite tournament ? It was n't until 1913 that the U.S. Open championship really caught the imagination when a young American amateur , Francis Ouimet , stunned the golf world by defeating famous English professionals , Harry Vardon and Ted Ray , in a playoff . The format of the tournament has changed several times . The USGA extended the championship to 72 holes in 1898 , with 36 holes played on each of two days . In 1926 , the format was changed to 18 holes played each of two days , then 36 holes on the third day . In 1965 , the present format of four 18-hole daily rounds was implemented for the first time . Over the years , much has been made of the way U.S. Open courses have been set up , with incredibly tough pin positions and rough thick enough to require a compass to navigate through . `` Sometimes the players feel -LSB- the USGA -RSB- has gotten a little close to the edge on some holes , '' defending champion Retief Goosen told the BBC at Pinehurst , North Carolina in 2005 . Two years later , when Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania hosted the tournament , World Golf.com quoted Tiger Woods as saying `` a 10-handicapper did n't stand a chance at breaking 100 '' on a course that boasts over 200 deep bunkers . Bobby Jones , Jack Nicklaus , Ben Hogan , Willie Anderson and Hale Irwin have all triumphed at the U.S. Open on four occasions , while Woods , who won last year 's event at Torrey Pines following a dramatic playoff victory over Rocco Mediate , counts three so far among his haul of 14 major titles . The U.S. Open is the only major that requires participants to play-off over 18 holes . This year 's event at Bethpage State Park 's Black Course in Farmingdale , New York should be familiar to Woods , as he won here in 2002 . At 7,214-yards , the municipally-owned Bethpage was the longest U.S. Open course in history . The aptly-named Black Course even carries a warning sign about its difficulty on the first tee . In 2002 , American Hale Irwin missed the cut for only the sixth time in 33 Open starts after two torrid rounds of 82 and 81 . `` They can go out and write a new book and title it , ` Massacre at ... wherever the heck we are , '' U.S. Open.com quoted him as saying . It remains to be seen whether the recently-injured Tiger can tame the course once again . Watch more about Woods ' comeback '' The Open Championship -- July 16-19 , 2009 . Padraig Harrington -LRB- right -RRB- and Greg Norman line up putts during the 2008 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale . Organized by the R&A , which takes its name from Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews , Scotland , The -LRB- British -RRB- Open Championship is the oldest of the four major tournaments . It is also the only one held outside of the United States . First held in October , 1860 , The Open was mostly played in Scotland during its early years . Prestwick Golf Club in Ayrshire was the birthplace of the event , which saw just eight players compete in its inaugural year . A year later the tournament was declared open to the whole world and the event has been known simply as `` The Open '' ever since . Since the early days , the R&A has established a rota of British seaside `` links '' courses to host the event . The major difference between a links course and a parkland course -- such as Augusta -- is that it is far less manufactured . Links courses are constructed out of the sandy , windswept coastal terrain , with few `` man-made '' additions . Players are faced with thick rough , narrow undulating fairways that snake around dunes , and lightening quick greens . There are far fewer trees and water hazards . When the wind gusts these courses demand the highest level of skill and imagination . This year 's tournament will be held on the famous Ailsa course at Turnberry on the west coast of Scotland . With its dramatic views and elevated cliff-top holes , the 7,200 yard course previously hosted The Open in 1977 , 1986 , 1994 . The winning aggregate scores in 1977 and 1994 rank among the lowest recorded in Open history , largely because the wind was n't blowing as it can . Current Open champion Padraig Harrington will arrive at Turnberry looking to win the tournament for the third time in as many years . At Carnoustie in 2007 , Harrington became the first Irishman to win The Open since Fred Daly in 1947 . He defended his title the following year at Royal Birkdale , finishing four strokes ahead of England 's Ian Poulter . Harrington has a long way to go before matching the great Harry Vardon 's record of six Open victories between 1896 and 1914 . Surprisingly , U.S. golfers -- more used to parkland courses -- have enjoyed great success in the competition in recent years , with 10 wins in 12 years . Tiger Woods , who missed out through injury last year , lifted the Claret Jug in 2000 , 2005 and 2006 . U.S. PGA Championship -- August 10-16 , 2009 . Harrington pumps his fist as he sinks a putt to win the 2008 U.S. PGA Championship at Oakland Hills . The final major of the year , The PGA Championship is organized by the Professional Golfers Association of America -LRB- PGA of America -RRB- and is also held at a different course each year . The brainchild of New York salesman Rodman Wannamaker , the first PGA Championship was held at Siwanoy Country Club in Bronxville , New York in 1916 -- the same year the PGA of America was founded . The winners ' trophy is named after him . The competition , which was only switched from a matchplay to a strokeplay format in 1958 , does not allow amateurs to compete . It always attracts a world class field , in addition to a number of ordinary club professionals in the United States who can qualify through a national tournament . This year 's tournament will be held at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska , Minnesota , the scene of Rich Beem 's defeat of a charging Tiger Woods in 2002 . Beem , an unknown club professional who also sold car stereos , held off Woods by recording birdies in his final four holes for a 68 that gave him victory by just one shot . The 7,149-yard course is ranked among the top courses in the United States , according to the PGA . Its signature 16th hole features a wide open fairway that narrows into a long peninsula featuring an elevated green protected by Lake Hazeltine . This year Padraig Harrington will attempt to defend the trophy , a year after he pulled off a dramatic victory over Spain 's Sergio Garcia at Oakland Hills . If he succeeds he will become only the second man -- after Tiger Woods -- to be back-to-back PGA Champion . However , both men lag behind Jack Nicklaus , who won a record-equaling fifth U.S.PGA title in 1980 at Oak Hill , Rochester -- the hometown of Walter Hagen , the player whose record Nicklaus tied . | U.S. Masters is always held at prestigious Augusta National , Georgia , U.S. 2009 U.S. Open at Bethpage State Park 's Black Course in Farmingdale , NY . Open Championship is the only major held outside the United States . U.S. PGA Championship is only major not open to amateur golfers . | [[325, 400], [5329, 5388], [5340, 5388]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A man sought in the slayings of a woman and her four young children in Oklahoma was arrested Tuesday night after a car chase in Texas , authorities said . Joshua Steven Durcho was arrested Tuesday after a car chase with police . Joshua Steven Durcho was arrested in Waco , Texas , after a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper tried to stop the car Durcho was driving because the trooper suspected a drunk driver , according to Erin Mangrum of the Canadian County , Oklahoma , sheriff 's office . The trooper checked the vehicle tag on the car and it matched the tag being sought by Oklahoma police , Mangrum said . Mangrum said Durcho 's car sped off , but he later wrecked the vehicle , and Durcho was taken into custody . Durcho suffered minor injuries in the accident , Mangrum said . Officers found the bodies of Summer Rust , 25 , and her children Monday in their apartment in El Reno , about 30 miles west of Oklahoma City . Rust 's daughter Evynn was 3 , son Teagin was 4 , and daughters Autumn and Kirsten were both 7 . Durcho is believed to have taken the slain woman 's car , the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation said . CNN affilate KOCO reported that Durcho had been spotted Monday night in Clinton , Oklahoma . His image was captured by surveillance cameras , the affiliate said , quoting police . Authorities would not reveal how Rust and her children were killed , pending the outcome of autopsies . Rust 's mother , Susan Rust of Carson City , Nevada , said her daughter had been shot , but she did not know how her grandchildren had been killed . Watch authorities name Durcho as the suspect '' Susan Rust said her daughter was loving and outgoing but tended to get involved with the wrong men . Durcho was unemployed and had been living with Summer Rust and her children , the mother said . Police were asked to check up on the family because Rust and Durcho had had a fight , she said . Summer Rust attended Redlands Community College in El Reno , where she majored in legal assistant training , according to school officials . Rust 's mother said she was retraining after losing her job in casino security several months ago . `` Summer was very bright , very outgoing , had a positive attitude and was very determined to complete her education , '' Julie Lamb of the college told CNN Radio . Lamb heads a student support program on campus . The school brought in grief counselors Tuesday to help students affected by the killings . Domestic violence groups also reached out to the students . A friend posting online described Summer Rust as `` fun-loving '' and `` a little crazy kind of person '' who was also very smart . `` Her children were beautiful , funny and always cheerful and sometimes a little wild . They were a great bunch of kids and they loved each other very much . They were proud of their mom for going back to school , '' the friend said . `` She was going to make a better life for her family . I ca n't believe something like this could happen to her and the kids . ... I will miss her silliness and her smile . I will miss them all . '' | NEW : Joshua Steven Durcho arrested after police chase in Texas . Durcho suspected in deaths of woman , four kids in El Reno , Oklahoma . Friends and relatives describe victim Summer Rust as bright , outgoing . | [[0, 15], [63, 77], [90, 152], [174, 247], [19, 98], [812, 883], [1373, 1406], [1641, 1741], [1657, 1693], [2176, 2185], [2220, 2243]] |
DENVER , Colorado -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Early indications show no problems with the landing gear , tires or brakes on the Continental Airlines jet that veered off a runway at Denver International Airport in Colorado , despite earlier reports . The wreckage of the Continental Airlines plane sits in a ravine December 22 in Denver , Colorado . `` There 's no indication from the physical examination on the scene of brake problems at this time , '' said Robert Sumwalt , a National Transportation Safety Board member leading the investigation team . Saturday 's accident injured more than three dozen people , including the captain who piloted the plane . Sumwalt said preliminary evidence indicated no problems with the Boeing 737 's landing gear , tires or engines before the jet ran off the runway into a 40-foot-deep ravine during its take-off roll . Earlier Monday , a source with knowledge of the investigation told CNN that early indications suggested that a problem with the landing gear , tire or brakes may have caused the accident . The source said the problem could have caused a wheel to lock up or some other situation that would have made the plane veer off as it headed down the runway . Watch what NTSB official has to say about flight recorders '' `` The brakes showed no leaks , no locked brakes , '' Sumwalt told reporters late Monday , adding that the brake pads `` looked good . '' He said tire marks indicate that all four main landing gear were inflated . The weather was clear , and no obstacles were on the runway , he said . The accident injured 38 people , most from bruises and broken bones as frightened passengers tried to flee a fire that broke out on board Flight 1404 . No fatalities were reported . Sumwalt said the captain , an 11-year veteran of Continental , was injured in the accident and `` not physically able '' to be interviewed yet . But an investigator interviewed the first officer , who told them that the initial take-off roll and taxi was normal . The the co-pilot `` noticed a deviation from the center line of the runway and a sudden left turn , '' Sumwalt said . An off-duty crew that flew the aircraft into Denver before the Saturday flight to Houston was also on board . The first officer from that crew said there was `` absolutely no problem with the aircraft '' during the previous flight . Sumwalt said the cockpit voice recorder `` shows nothing out of the ordinary '' during the preflight operations . He said the recording revealed that 41 seconds after the brakes were released , there were sounds of bumping and rattling . Four seconds later , a crew member called for a rejected takeoff . Flight 1404 was taking off about 6:18 p.m. Sumwalt said the plane reached a maximum speed of 119 knots -LRB- 137 mph -RRB- before going into the ravine . Passengers on Sunday described the chaos inside the plane after the plane came to rest . Watch survivor describe crash on blog '' `` Some people were trying to get luggage from the top , the engine was on fire so I was worried , you know , about getting out of there , '' said Gabriel Trejos . `` And then we had another guy yelling , ` Oh the plane 's gon na blow up ! The plane 's gon na explode ! ' '' Another passenger , Jeb Tilly , described the experience as `` incredibly violent . '' Watch first responders on the scene '' Trejos , who was traveling with his wife and baby , told CNN he sensed something was wrong with the plane before it took off . `` I heard something over the intercom before , you know , that they were having engine problems and shortly after that they said that everything 's fine ... there 's going to be an on-time flight . '' Continental spokeswoman Julie King , however , told CNN that she was unaware of any announcement of engine problems on board the flight . Sumwalt agreed , saying , `` I do n't have any information , no one has come to us that they knew of a problem '' before the accident . | NTSB says early evidence does not point to tires , brakes or landing gear . Earlier report from CNN source suggested a potential problem . Captain was injured in accident and has n't been interviewed yet . Jet veered off runway into a 40-foot-deep ravine during its takeoff in Denver Saturday . | [[0, 6], [9, 143], [341, 429], [652, 839], [851, 865], [913, 1039], [1730, 1737], [1743, 1754], [1779, 1820], [115, 143], [149, 212], [241, 326], [652, 839], [770, 850], [1150, 1174]] |
-LRB- AOL Autos -RRB- -- Ever wonder what goes into the making of that round , black , rubber thing that holds air , we refer to as a tire ? To the casual observer all tires look the same , but there 's a lot more to it than meets the eye ... There are many different tire designs and they may contain up to 200 raw materials . Modern tire construction has allowed for a degree of handling , ride comfort , traction , extended treadwear and fuel economy that far exceeds the tires of just a few years ago . Today there are tire designs that contain up to 200 raw materials , as well as complex architecture of steel belts , textile piles and computer designed tread patterns , which deliver maximum traction under all conditions . Each component of a tire is designed to perform its own function and to work together with the rest of the components . For instance , the belt system 's job is to provide stability to the tread area , keep the tread grooves open , and work as a unit with the sidewalls to provide stability in cornering and handling . Kind of reminds me of the old song , `` The toe bone 's connected to the foot bone '' well ... you get the picture , right ? The major component in tires is rubber . How did this substance find its way into the American automobile tire ? As with most inventions , this is a fascinating story . Rubber by itself is a gooey substance that is extremely sensitive to temperature . Back in the early 1830 's `` rubber fever '' was the craze , and it ended as quickly as it started . At first , everybody wanted things made of this new waterproof gum from Brazil , and factories sprung up to meet the demand . Then abruptly , the public became fed up with the messy stuff that froze bone-hard in winter and turned glue-like in summer . Not one of the young rubber companies survived as long as five years . Investors lost millions and everyone agreed that rubber had seen its hay-day in America . AOL Autos : Best car deals of the month . Then Charles Goodyear stepped up to the plate . Through extensive experimentation and persistence , Goodyear found that rubber could be stabilized and formed into a useful compound by adding sulfur and applying heat . He found that steam under pressure , applied to the compound for 4 to 6 hours at about 270 degrees Fahrenheit , gave him the most uniform results . This was the beginning of rubber compounds ! AOL Autos : Most popular sedans . Rubber compounding is like mixing a cake . Different ingredients are mixed together at different degrees to produce rubber with specific characteristics . Some rubber compounds are stickier for better traction when racing . Some compounds are much harder for heavy-duty work in construction or with heavy equipment . All-season rubber for all-season tires is rubber that does n't freeze below thirty-two degrees , allowing for movement of the tread in the cold weather so it will grip and give maximum traction in all weather . AOL Autos : Best-selling hybrid cars . Ever wonder how a steel belted radial tire is constructed ? Check this out . 1 . First comes the construction of the casing . This is the body -LRB- or carcass -RRB- of the tire ... the `` foundation '' upon which everything is built . The casing is made up of a series of cords -LRB- most typically polyester -RRB- which are combined to form layers or piles . These layers are connected to two circular strands of steel called beads . Then the inner liner is added , serving as the air seal . Once the casing is formed , everything else is added to make up the tire . AOL Autos : Consumer reports picks best used luxury cars . 2 . Next comes the steel belt . This is a belt made up of woven steel strands that cover the casing of the tire and is located directly under the tread . The steel belt adds strength and durability , aids in keeping the tread grooves open for maximum traction , and protects the casing against impacts and punctures . On high performance tires an extra belt is usually added for strength ; this is a nylon overlay that is wrapped around the whole steel belt package . As the tire rolls faster it heats up . The nylon in turn heats up and tends to shrink , counteracting the natural tendency of centrifugal force to throw the whole thing apart at high speeds . AOL Autos : Cars with best Blue Book resale value . 3 . Finally , the tread is added . Remember that this rubber compound is a special mix for a specific application and varies depending on the function of the tire . In this day and age , computers play a big role in the tread designs . Tread designs are tested for traction in `` virtual reality '' before they are molded into the rubber . While tread designs vary greatly , there are consistent elements present in all tread patterns . The tread block grips at its leading and trailing edge . Within each block , sipes are often molded or cut to provide additional traction . These sipes segment the block and allow for movement of each individual block so that when it comes in contact with the pavement , it opens and closes causing a squeegee -LRB- or pumping -RRB- action , cleaning the road surface as it rolls along . The grooves built into the tread pattern are designed to channel away weather elements such as water , snow , slush , and mud . To illustrate how a tread design channels away water , just pour water over the tread of the tire and watch the water directed right out of the sides of the tire . On the outside edges of the tires `` shoulder lugs '' are molded into the tread . These heavy segments provide protection as well as additional traction during hard cornering . A final note and credit to Charles Goodyear . He did n't just happen upon this discovery of rubber compounding and the use of heat . Goodyear spent five miserable years in poverty trying to perfect his idea . Then one day , it happened ... the great discovery came in the winter of 1839 . As stated earlier , Goodyear was using sulfur in his experiments . Although Goodyear himself has left the details in doubt , the most persistent story goes as follows . One February day , Goodyear wandered into Woburn 's general store to show off his latest gum-and-sulfur formula . Snickers rose from the cracker-barrel forum , and the usually mild-mannered little inventor got excited and waved his sticky fistful of gum in the air . It flew from his fingers and landed on the sizzling-hot potbellied stove . When he bent to scrape it off , he found that instead of melting like molasses , it had charred like leather . And around the charred area was a dry , springy brown rim -- `` gum elastic '' still , but so remarkably altered that it was virtually a new substance . He had made weatherproof rubber ! This discovery is often cited as one of history 's most celebrated `` accidents . '' Goodyear stoutly denied that . Like Newton 's falling apple , he maintained , the hot stove incident held meaning only for the man `` whose mind was prepared to draw an inference . '' That meant , he added simply , the one who had `` applied himself most perseveringly to the subject . '' Thanks for your perseverance Charlie . Tom Torbjornsen is a veteran of 37 years in the auto service industry , an automotive journalist registered with IMPA . | Writer credits Charles Goodyear for developing rubber compounds . Tires may be constructed from 200 raw materials . Tire casings are made up of a series of cords , which form layers . Tread designs are first tested for traction in `` virtual reality '' | [[281, 327], [507, 650], [3231, 3279], [3663, 3669], [3678, 3734], [4571, 4674]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A rat believed to be extinct for 11 million years , a spider with a foot-long legspan , and a hot pink cyanide-producing `` dragon millipede '' are among the thousand newly discovered species in the largely unexplored Mekong Delta region . The `` dragon millipede '' is among the 1,068 new species discovered in the Mekong Delta region . The region , including parts of Vietnam and five other countries , is home to 1,068 species found between 1997 and 2007 , according to a World Wildlife Fund report released this week . Some of the creatures were not lurking in fertile floodplains or tropical foliage . A scientist visiting an outdoor restaurant was startled to see a Laotian rock rat among the nearby wildlife . The hairy , nocturnal , thick-tailed rat , which resembles a squirrel , had been thought for centuries to be extinct . `` There is a certain amount of shock because our scientists will sometimes see something that does n't fit anything they know , '' said Dekila Chungyalpa , Director of the Fund 's Mekong Program . `` They run through a catalogue of wildlife in their brain , asking themselves , ` Have I seen this ? ' '' Perhaps a more startling discovery than the rat was a bright green pit viper scientists spotted slithering through the rafters of a restaurant in Khao Yai National Park in Thailand . The Fund dubbed the Mekong a `` biological treasure trove . '' The organization 's report `` First Contact in the Greater Mekong '' says 519 plants , 279 fish , 88 frogs , 88 spiders , 46 lizards , 22 snakes , 15 mammals , four birds , four turtles , two salamanders and a toad were found . Scientists are still trying to determine if they have uncovered thousands of new invertebrate species . Scientists are discovering new species at a rate of two per week , said Chungyalpa , who said the reason for publishing the report now was twofold . `` We realized that we should highlight these discoveries in part because of the legacy of war and conflict in the region , '' she said . `` There 's an urgency with the threat of development in the Mekong countries . '' A horned bovine found in 1991 living in the evergreen forests of the Annamite Mountains of Laos and Vietnam has not been found in recent years , she said . Timber development and mining industries are encroaching . There are 150 large hydropower dams that have been constructed along the Mekong river , and another 150 are slated to be built , according to the Fund . Dams that can trap and kill fish are at different stages of planning in the Greater Mekong . High variation in geography and climate zones that enabled species to flourish are now jeopardized by climate change , said Chungyalpa . War is always a threat in countries touched by the Mekong River , particularly Burma . Also known as Myanmar , the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia has been ravaged over the years by conflict , political instability and natural disaster . This summer , for example , the United Nations reported that as many as 100,000 people were killed by a cyclone that hit Myanmar . The country 's ruling military junta blocked the outside world for weeks before allowing aid to flow into the region . There are cultural obstacles to protecting rare species , too . Many restaurants serve them as food . Restaurants often have rickety bamboo floors that one can look through to see cages filled with exotic animals , Chungyalpa says . The more exotic the animal , the more status it often bestows on the person who consumes it . `` Reports -LSB- like the WWF 's -RSB- are important because these regions can be educated , '' said Maureen Aung-Thwin , the director of The Burma Project , which is funded by the George Soros Foundation and supports local Indonesian organizations working toward an open society . `` People are taking climate change more seriously and even the ruling junta have a forestry NGO . There are glimpses of hope , '' said Aung-Thwin . `` But it 's also a situation where someone could step forward and say ` We do n't need this ' and cut it all down . '' WWF said it is working with governments and industry to plan the conservation of more than 231,000 square miles of forest and freshwater habitats that cross borders with all countries in the Greater Mekong . | World Wildlife Fund documents new species of mammals , plants , lizards , fish . 1,068 species were found between 1997 and 2007 , according to WWF report . WWF calls the Mekong Delta region a `` treasure trove '' of rare creatures . | [[173, 258], [259, 316], [295, 356], [357, 421], [424, 448], [435, 476], [357, 421], [479, 520], [492, 541], [1343, 1402]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Venice has suffered its worst flooding in 22 years , leaving some parts of the historic Italian city neck-deep in water , reports said Monday . A woman wades through high waters in Venice 's Piazza San Marco . Water burst the banks of the coastal city 's famed canals , leaving the landmark Piazza San Marco -- St Mark 's Square -- under almost a meter of water at one point , news agency ANSA reported . Strong winds pushed waters to a high of 1.56 meters -LRB- 5 feet 2 inches -RRB- at 10:45 a.m. local time , prompting the city government to issue warnings to the public , the agency said . The flood level began to drop soon afterwards , prompted by a change in the direction of the wind . Previous highs include 1.58 meters in 1986 and 1.66 meters in 1979 , the news agency said . Watch more about the flooding '' Photographs showed people wading through inundated piazzas and waves lapping over waterside cafe tables . Venice , built around a network of canals and small islands , has for years been trying to tackle the problem of floods that have regularly blighted the city . In 2007 , the United Nations cultural organization UNESCO warned Venice -- a designated World Heritage Site -- is under threat from rising sea levels caused by climate change . See pictures of Venetians wading through flood waters . '' It said that unless the problem is tackled , Venice could be flooded daily and water levels would permanently rise by 54 centimeters in the city by the year 2100 . | Venice reportedly suffering one of its worst floods in 22 years . Landmark Piazza San Marco under almost a meter of water at one point . UNESCO has warned Venice at risk of high waters caused by climate change . | [[16, 69], [0, 15], [72, 138], [229, 234], [289, 326], [1104, 1111], [1114, 1175], [1104, 1111], [1114, 1154], [1215, 1253], [1231, 1280], [1340, 1503], [1385, 1431]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Police digging for clues in the deaths of six people found in the New Mexico desert hope the identification of one set of bones will generate leads . An Albuquerque , New Mexico , police forensics team member digs last week at the burial site . The remains of Victoria Chavez and five other people were found in a 92-acre area housing development under construction just west of Albuquerque . Chavez was a prostitute and drug user who was last seen in 2003 and reported missing in 2004 , Albuquerque police said . The six bodies were found after a woman walking her dog found a human bone two weeks ago and notified police , said John Walsh , Albuquerque police spokesman . Authorities have not yet identified the other five sets of bones but say they might find others . Attempting to piece together identities could take a long time because , they said , `` it 's very difficult '' to determine cause of death from skeletal remains . `` We 're going off of one remain so far , '' Walsh said . `` And that 's all we 've got at the moment . We 've only got skeletal remains . `` This is a slow go , '' Walsh said . `` Things wo n't pop up in hours , likely in weeks . '' Chavez 's remains were identified through dental records that her family provided when she was reported missing in 2004 . It will be tougher to identify the others . For example , one had no dental work and another had no skull . The cause of Chavez 's death was not known , but Walsh speculated that her death could be related to violent sex trade . He said police are looking at reports of missing prostitutes over the years and are trying to determine possible suspects . He said he hopes family members of those missing could help authorities . Police are trying to figure out how the bodies got there . They are investigating the possibility that one person put the bones there . `` At this stage , the best way I can describe it , we have a handful of theories , '' Walsh said . The names of two dead men have surfaced during the investigation of Chavez 's death , Walsh said , confirming a news report . One was a pimp who died of natural causes . The other was killed by a pimp after he killed a prostitute , the report said . The last set of remains exhumed at the site was nine or 10 feet deep . Authorities were using heavy and light equipment and cadaver dogs to find bodies and clues . Investigators think there could be even more remains buried on the New Mexico site . | NEW . Only one body identified ; she was a prostitute last seen in 2003 . The bones of six bodies found in desert west of Albuquerque . Authorities fear remains of even more bodies might be buried there . | [[423, 449], [454, 462], [468, 475], [423, 449], [463, 475], [19, 71], [61, 102], [264, 411], [1060, 1094], [693, 704], [762, 790], [2389, 2473], [2429, 2473]] |
NAIROBI , Kenya -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Three British guards jumped overboard and were rescued from the water after battling in vain to prevent pirates hijacking a chemical tanker off the coast of Somalia . Three British security guards board a helicopter to be transferred to a Royal Navy vessel . The Liberian-flagged Biscaglia came under `` sustained and heavy attack '' early Friday morning , Nick Davis , Director of Anti-Piracy Maritime Security Solutions -LRB- APMSS -RRB- , said in a statement . The three APMSS-employed security guards -- all former British servicemen -- mounted `` sustained non-lethal resistance '' but were unable to stop the attackers seizing control of the ship , Davis said . The trio were airlifted to safety by a German naval helicopter and flown to a French frigate after the vessel summoned assistance from coalition warships . They were later transferred to a British Royal Navy ship . All three were unhurt , Davis said . `` I have spoken with my team leader on the phone and he informs me that the level of violence was significant and forced them reluctantly to leave the vessel after every effort was made to ensure the safety of the ships crew , '' Davis said . Pirates continued to shoot at the three in the water , Davis said . `` The hijacked vessel with pirates in control then attempted to run them down . '' The Biscaglia is managed by Singapore-based Ishima and owned by Winged Foot Shipping in the Marshall Islands and was crewed by 25 Indians and two Bangladeshis who are believed to be still onboard . The vessel is believed to be on its way to an anchorage in Puntland , northeastern Somalia , Davis said . iReport.com : Share your view from ` Inside Africa ' Also Friday , pirates released the Greek ship MV Centauri , which was hijacked in September off the coast of Somalia , according to Andrew Mwangura , the head of the Kenya Seafarers Association . There was no immediate information about the 25 crew members on board the ship when it was taken . A multinational naval force including vessels from the U.S. , NATO member states , Russia and India has been patrolling the Indian Ocean waters seas near the Gulf of Aden , which connects the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea , following a sharp increase in pirate attacks in the region . Around 20,000 oil tankers , freighters and merchant vessels pass along the crucial shipping route each year . So far this year , pirates have attacked almost 100 vessels off the coast of Somalia coast and successfully hijacked nearly 40 , according to the International Maritime Bureau 's Piracy Reporting Center . The most high-profile hijacking so far came earlier this month , when pirates seized a Saudi oil tanker carrying $ 100 million worth of oil and a crew of 25 , although that attack occurred outside the pirates ' normal operational range , 450 nautical miles southeast of Mombasa , Kenya . Pirates are still holding the ship . Another vessel held since September is the Ukrainian MV Farina , which was carrying a cargo of weapons and tanks and a crew of 22 . In an interview provided to CNN this week , a pirate leader claimed attacks on shipping would continue as long as life in Somalia remained desperate . `` The pirates are living between life and death , '' said the pirate leader , identified by only one name , Boyah . `` Who can stop them ? Americans and British all put together can not do anything . '' The interview was conducted in August by journalists working for the Somali news organization , Garowe . | 3 security guards battle pirates , jump overboard as tanker hijacked off Somalia . British trio were rescued from water by German naval helicopter . Liberian-flagged Biscaglia also carrying 25 Indians , 2 Bangladeshis . Pirates release Greek ship MV Centauri , held since September . | [[0, 7], [10, 31], [35, 72], [10, 31], [63, 158], [10, 25], [105, 201], [10, 31], [63, 158], [703, 765], [1351, 1364], [1452, 1509], [1489, 1509], [1514, 1548], [1722, 1765], [1730, 1767], [1774, 1799]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Drew Peterson has met with a prominent divorce attorney more than a year after his wife , Stacy , disappeared , his lawyer confirmed to CNN on Tuesday . Drew Peterson 's behavior after his wife disappeared deepened suspicion , but he says she ran off . Peterson , a former Bolingbrook , Illinois , police sergeant , has not filed divorce papers , said his attorney , Joel Brodsky . But Peterson told an author he would look into a divorce after Stacy had been missing for a year . He said he was considering divorce for the sake of their children . `` I can confirm that Drew Peterson did have a consultation with Jeffrey Leving , '' Brodsky said , adding that no divorce papers have been filed . Leving , who bills himself as a father 's rights lawyer , represented Cuban immigrant Elian Gonzalez 's uncle and ultimately helped reunite the boy with his father . Police have said that 54-year old Peterson is a suspect in his wife 's disappearance , which investigators have labeled a `` potential homicide . '' Peterson maintains that his wife , who was 23 at the time of her disappearance , left him for someone else . In an interview in May with Derek Armstrong , author of `` Drew Peterson Exposed , '' Peterson hinted that he planned to divorce her after she had been missing for a year . In Illinois , willful desertion or abandonment is grounds for a divorce after a year . The interview begins with Peterson expressing frustration with the media attention and negative reactions from his neighbors . `` We were talking about the neighbors and how it 's hard to live in the neighborhood with the media trucks around and the neighbors being so difficult , '' Armstrong told CNN . `` I asked if he was going to move , and he said , ` Yeah , when I get a chance , but Stacy 's on the title . ' '' After the one-year anniversary of Stacy Peterson 's disappearance passed , Armstrong said he began to make some phone calls to see whether Drew Peterson was acting on his earlier plans . Armstrong said he called two other prominent divorce lawyers until he reached Leving 's office , which confirmed the meeting . In a phone conversation , Peterson confirmed to Armstrong that he was `` getting information '' and `` exploring options . '' Armstrong pressed Peterson , who responded , `` A desertion . She deserted me . '' Peterson elaborated , `` I 've always said that I 'm mad about that . But I 'm looking into this for the kids . This neighborhood is not healthy for my kids because of Sharon Bychowski . '' Bychowski has been battling Peterson since his wife -- her friend and neighbor -- disappeared in October 2007 . Peterson has accused Bychowski and other neighbors of harassing and threatening him . Armstrong asked Peterson whether he thought news of the divorce might encourage Stacy to contact him . `` I have nothing more to say , '' the former cop shot back . Brodsky told CNN he had not been aware that news of the meeting with the divorce lawyer had become public knowledge . `` We definitely did n't advertise it , '' he said . `` That 's real thorough detective work . -LSB- Armstrong -RSB- could show police a thing or two about finding someone . '' Drew Peterson said he awoke at his suburban Chicago home to find his wife gone October 28 , 2007 . He said she called him at 9 p.m. and announced that she was leaving him , Peterson said . Police confirm that there was some activity on Stacy Peterson 's cell phone about 9 p.m. October 28 , but her family and close friends say she would never leave her two children behind or go away without mentioning it to her family . In the days leading up to her disappearance , Stacy Peterson confided in friends and her sister . She said she was afraid of her husband and wanted to leave him , according to her sister , Cassandra Cales . `` If anything happens to me , he killed me . It was n't an accident , '' Cales quoted her as saying . At 10 a.m. that Sunday , Stacy Peterson failed to show up for an appointment with a friend . Worried , Cales called police Monday , October 29 , and reported her sister missing . The media frenzy and police scrutiny soon revealed that Drew Peterson 's third wife had died mysteriously a few years earlier during a nasty divorce . Kathleen Savio died just before the division of the marital assets was finalized , making Drew Peterson the sole beneficiary . Savio was found in the dry bathtub of her home . At the time , the death was ruled an accidental drowning . But her family continued to insist that Savio died as a result of foul play . The investigation into Stacy Peterson 's disappearance brought renewed interest in Savio 's death . Authorities exhumed Savio 's body , further tests were conducted , and her death has now been ruled a `` homicide staged to look like an accident . '' Some witness statements portray Drew Peterson as jealous , possessive and controlling . He was said to keep such close track of his wife that he frequently called her cell phone and appeared unannounced at social outings to take her home . This caused tension in the marriage , the witnesses told police . Police named Drew Peterson as the prime suspect in his wife 's disappearance in November 2007 . He has not been charged in the case , but he has been charged with illegal gun possession , which could put him behind bars for up to five years if he is convicted . | Peterson says he 's looking into options since wife deserted him a year ago . Peterson : Neighbors are making it unsafe for family to live in home . Stacy Peterson left him October 28 , 2007 , husband says . Police have said Drew Peterson , an ex-cop , is prime suspect . | [[405, 499], [1055, 1063], [1112, 1139], [2134, 2157], [2160, 2256], [1574, 1612], [2455, 2529], [1031, 1139], [1055, 1063], [1112, 1139], [3191, 3280], [3210, 3289], [882, 966], [5124, 5219]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- One million free text messages will be sent every day for 12 months from Monday in South Africa in a bid to raise HIV awareness and encourage testing for the disease . Former South African president Nelson Mandela launched a similar cell phone initiative in 2003 . The ambitious Project Masiluleke is being rolled out across the country after a pilot period that saw calls to a AIDS national helpline shoot up by 200 percent , organizers say . The United Nations estimates that there are currently six million people living with HIV in South Africa and just one in 10 get the treatment they need . `` South Africa is the epicenter of the global HIV epidemic , '' said HIV activist Zinny Thabethe in Octorber at an annual conference for the social innovation network Pop!Tech , an organization instrumental in developing the concept . ` Project Masiluleke , ' or ` Project M ' was set up to try to encourage people to seek testing and treatment in a country where cell phones are abundant . Africa is cited as the fastest growing mobile-phone network in the world . In South Africa , more than 80 percent of the population has one -- the country has a population of 49 million , and it is estimated that 43 million have cell phones . Almost 95 percent of the phones are prepaid . The initiative plans to broadcast millions of health messages every month to phones across South Africa . `` This is the largest ever use of cell phones for health information , '' said Gustav Praekelt , one of the project 's originators . `` There is near universal coverage , '' said Praekelt during the launch of the project . `` And in the absence of other services , the mobile phone has become the central component for people to get access to information . '' Organizers say ` Project M ' will offer South Africans the privacy to get tested and pursue treatment options and counseling by staff who are HIV positive themselves . The system sends the messages using a so-called `` Please Call Me '' -LRB- PCM -RRB- service . This free form of text messaging , common across Africa , allows someone without any phone credit to send a text to a friend asking them to call . Each sent PCM message has the words `` Please Call Me , '' the phone number of the caller , and space for an additional 120 characters . The extra space is normally filled with advertising , which helps offset the cost of running the service . The message reads : `` Frequently sick , tired , losing weight and scared that you might be HIV positive ? Please call AIDS Helpline 0800012322 . '' Encouraging people to get tested is a huge challenge in a country where people with the AIDS virus still face stigma and shame . However , ` Project M ' appears to be having an impact , since it was initiated in October . `` We have observed a dramatic increase in the call rate to the AIDS Helpline -- from approximately 1,300 calls per day to a new average of 3,600 , '' said Milo Zama , Projects Development Manager for LifeLine , one of the partners . Trained operators provide callers with accurate healthcare information , and referrals to local testing clinics . Many of the messages are broadcast in English and in local languages such as Zulu . As well as Pop!Tech , the project has been developed and funded by HIV charities and technology and design firms , including Nokia Siemens , MTN , the Praekelt Foundation , iTeach and National Geographic . Pop!Tech 's Director of Communications Jason Rzepka told CNN there are plans to expand the project to other affected countries after its official launch in February 2009 . He said : `` One of the objectives of the February launch event will be to secure additional funding , so we can continue to expand Project Masiluleke into its planned 2nd and 3rd phases beyond South Africa . '' | One million free texts will be sent every day for 12 months from Monday . Project Masiluleke has seen rise in use of AIDS helpline during pilot project . The initiative plans to send millions of health messages every month . | [[0, 6], [9, 32], [36, 140], [379, 393], [399, 436], [412, 460], [2807, 2884], [1315, 1420]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has signed a deployment order to move an additional 3,000 troops to Afghanistan next year , according to U.S. military officials . Helicopters are the main transportation of the U.S. military in Afghanistan , with its high mountain terrain . The troops will be part of a combat aviation brigade , the latest approved by Gates for the expected build-up of U.S. troops in Afghanistan throughout next year . Earlier this year , the U.S. commander in Afghanistan , Gen. David McKiernan , requested at least 20,000 additional troops be sent there to fight the increasing violence by the resurgent Taliban forces in the southern and eastern parts of the country . The officials could not say what units are being tapped to go because those units are now being told of their deployment and the announcement has not yet been made public . The aviation brigade will send a number of much-needed helicopters to the region . Helicopters are the main transportation of the U.S. military in Afghanistan , where high mountain roads and passes make it difficult for large transport vehicles to move troops and supplies around the country . There are more than 30,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan . Meanwhile , a Dutch soldier was killed Friday in southern Afghanistan , the NATO command confirmed . The soldier died in an improvised explosive device strike , according to a news release from NATO 's International Security Assistance Force . `` Our sincere condolences and sympathies are with the family and friends of this brave soldier , especially during this holiday season , '' said ISAF spokesman Capt. Mark Windsor Royal Navy . `` This soldier 's death is an irreplaceable loss to all of us who fight for the peace and stability of Afghanistan . ISAF will continue to fight for the cause for which this brave soldier gave his life . '' Eighteen Dutch troops have died in the Afghan conflict , according to a CNN count of casualty figures . | Troops will be part of a combat aviation brigade ; transport helicopters to be sent . They are latest to be approved for expected build-up of U.S. troops next year . Dutch soldier has been killed in southern Afghanistan , NATO confirms . Soldier died in an improved explosive device strike . | [[308, 360], [897, 979], [0, 26], [30, 155], [363, 470], [1247, 1256], [1259, 1316], [1348, 1405]] |
HOLLYWOOD , Florida -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- For nearly three decades , John Walsh 's black leather jackets and swagger have made him a crime-fighting cultural icon . But when he returned this week to the Hollywood police station , he was once again the father of a murdered child . John and Reve Walsh turned their grief into activism on behalf of missing children and crime victims . His face was ashen . His eyes were red and brimming with tears . He clutched the hand of his wife , Reve , as police closed the books Tuesday on their 27-year investigation into his boy 's abduction , murder and decapitation . Ottis Toole , a convicted pedophile and murderer who was a partner of serial killer Henry Lee Lucas , was officially named the killer . Toole died in prison for an unrelated crime in 1996 . After his son 's death , Walsh became an advocate for missing children and crime victims , and host of the TV show `` America 's Most Wanted . '' He always thought Toole was the boy 's killer . Now he knows for sure . `` For 27 years , we 've been asking , ` Who can take a 6-year-old boy and murder and decapitate him ? Who ? ' We needed to know , '' Walsh said . `` The not knowing has been a torture , but that journey 's over . '' `` We will always be the parents of that little boy , '' Reve Walsh said . Watch Reve Walsh thank her children '' In 1981 , the world seemed to be a much safer place . It was not unusual for parents to let children play outside unattended or to drop them off at parks , malls and schoolyards . After Adam 's murder , his parents went through tough times , separating and later reconciling . They raised three other children , who are now 26 , 24 and 14 . Adam would be 33 . Walsh said the birth of their oldest daughter , Megan , `` probably saved our lives , because she was born a year after Adam -LSB- died -RSB- , when we were spiraling into hell . '' Perhaps to save themselves , they made it their mission to preserve Adam 's legacy by helping other crime victims . The abduction and murder of Adam Walsh also fundamentally changed the way law enforcement agencies look for missing children . Chad Wagner , the police chief in Hollywood , where Adam was abducted , said law enforcement back then was `` like a whole ` nuther world . '' Watch the chief close the case '' Hollywood police were accused of some major blunders in their investigation , and Wagner apologized to the Walshes for those mistakes . The case , he said , `` made us a better agency ... . If this same type of situation were to occur today , I would tell you it would be a much quicker , much better , much cleaner outcome . '' `` In 1981 , when Adam disappeared , you could n't enter missing children information into the FBI computer system , '' said Ernie Allen , president of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children . The Walshes are co-founders of the center . `` You could enter information on stolen cars , stolen guns and stolen jewelry , but you could n't enter information on missing children , '' he said . Walsh , who before Adam 's murder was a hotel developer , went to Capitol Hill and began a second career as an activist for crime victims . He fought for passage of the 1982 Missing Children 's Act , which created the FBI 's national database . Today , there are at least 80,000 missing children listed in the database . In 1981 , when Adam was taken and killed , there was no coordinated national response to child abductions . The 18,000 police departments across the United States did not effectively communicate . `` Most police departments would tell you he probably just ran away , if he does n't come back , call us in 48 or 72 hours , '' Allen said . `` But , what we 've found in 75 percent of cases , the child is dead within the first three hours . Waiting until the day after tomorrow is just too late . '' Walsh lobbied for more federal legislation and by 1984 , the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children was up and running . With it came an explosion of activism that resulted in the faces of missing kids being printed on milk cartons and on fliers that have gone into 85 million homes a week for 23 years . There also have been advances in age enhancement photography . `` Code Adam '' is now an internal alarm at 70,000 department stores and shops that alerts employees to potential threats to children . The employees are trained to lock the doors when the alarm goes off . `` It 's a powerful example of the legacy of one little boy and his courageous parents , '' Allen said . Beyond the technical advances , there are social and cultural changes as well . People have become much more aware of crime , predators and fugitives . The Web site for John Walsh 's show , `` America 's Most Wanted '' says it has helped catch 1,049 fugitives . `` Society has built on a lot of the things they have done , '' said CNN law enforcement analyst Mike Brooks . There are surveillance cameras at businesses , and Amber Alerts are issued when a child is missing . Walsh `` has helped law enforcement immensely , '' Brooks said . `` The more eyes and ears you can get out there looking for a missing person , the better . '' The Walshes raised their three other children in an envelope of pain and grief for a sibling they never knew . On Tuesday , the Walsh children , now grown , accompanied their parents to the police station in Hollywood , Florida . They stood silently as their parents clutched hands and fought tears , once again victims , once again the parents of a murdered child . | Murder of Adam Walsh , parents ' response , changed law enforcement . Adam , 6 , was abducted and murdered in July 1981 . Police closed case Tuesday , named deceased drifter Ottis Toole . Boy 's father , John Walsh , became activist for crime victims . | [[2004, 2042], [2048, 2130], [5026, 5071], [3363, 3370], [3378, 3382], [3397, 3403], [490, 606], [607, 618], [709, 742], [277, 379], [797, 819], [822, 885], [3042, 3047], [3125, 3181]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Caroline Kennedy , the 51-year-old daughter of President John F. Kennedy , has indicated her interest in filling the New York Senate seat being vacated by secretary of state designee Hillary Clinton . Caroline Kennedy has her eyes on the New York Senate seat . `` I 've talked to Caroline Kennedy and she 's clearly interested , '' New York Sen. Chuck Schumer said at a news conference Monday afternoon . He indicated that 12 people were interested in the position . `` She 's interested in the position , '' New York Gov. David Paterson confirmed . But at the same time `` she realizes it 's not a campaign . '' Paterson , who will name Clinton 's successor , noted that Kennedy had indicated a desire to `` sit down and tell me what her qualifications are . '' The Rev. Al Sharpton also released a statement Monday indicating that he had received a call from Kennedy `` who expressed to me her interest in -LSB- Clinton 's -RSB- Senate seat . '' Kennedy 's interest in the seat could mean the continuation of a family legacy in the Senate that began 56 years ago with the election of her father as the then-junior senator from Massachusetts . Background : The Kennendys in Politics '' Her uncle Ted Kennedy has represented Massachusetts in the Senate since 1963 , and her uncle Robert Kennedy served as New York 's junior senator from 1965 until he was assassinated in 1968 . `` Remember , -LSB- Clinton 's -RSB- seat in the Senate was once held by Robert Kennedy , '' said Bill Schneider , CNN 's senior political analyst . '' -LSB- Caroline Kennedy 's -RSB- other uncle , Ted Kennedy , is ill right now . If Paterson appoints Caroline Kennedy to the Senate , it means there could be a Kennedy staying in the Senate for quite a long time . '' Watch Sen. Schumer on the possible candidates '' CNN reported earlier this month that Caroline Kennedy had called Paterson to discuss the possibility of taking the seat . Paterson has the power to appoint a replacement , who will then face a special election in 2010 to fill out Clinton 's term . Paterson confirmed to CNN last week that Kennedy had called and `` asked a few questions '' about the expected vacancy . One Democratic source close to the Kennedy family told CNN earlier this month Kennedy was `` interested to say the least '' in the Senate seat and had asked a tight circle of other family friends and political advisers for advice . Before this year , Kennedy generally limited her forays into the public sphere to nonpartisan activity , penning books on civil liberties and serving as the de facto guardian of her father 's legacy . But in January , she backed a political candidate for the first time , announcing her endorsement of Obama during the Democratic primary season with an op-ed in The New York Times that drew days of the kind of media attention she has spent her life avoiding . `` I have never had a president who inspired me the way people tell me that my father inspired them , '' she wrote . `` But for the first time , I believe I have found the man who could be that president -- not just for me , but for a new generation of Americans . '' `` Apparently , she has acquired a taste for politics , '' Schneider noted . `` She wants to be part of this new regime in America , clearly playing a key role in the Senate if she gets that appointment . '' Watch Bill Schneider 's report '' There are a slew of high-profile candidates for Clinton 's Senate seat , including New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo , whose last name carries some star power of its own New York , where his father was once governor . Kennedy 's roots in New York also run deep . Her mother , Jacqueline Kennedy , relocated to New York after her husband 's assassination in 1963 , with children Caroline and John F. Kennedy Jr. . Caroline Kennedy has also spent most of her life in the city , working there after graduating from Harvard , meeting her husband , Edwin Schlossberg , on the job at the Metropolitan Museum of Art , and attending Columbia Law School there . Her most prominent public roles involved overseeing her father 's presidential library and presenting the annual Profiles in Courage Award . She 's also edited several books , from a volume of children 's poetry and an updated edition of her father 's book `` Profiles in Courage '' to a collection of patriotic verse -LRB- `` A Patriot 's Handbook : Songs , Poems , Stories , and Speeches Celebrating the Land We Love '' -RRB- . Most of her leadership positions have been based in the arts : serving as host of the annual nationally televised Kennedy Center Honors in Washington and serving as the honorary chairwoman of the American Ballet Theatre , as her mother did . In late spring and early summer she was mentioned as a possible vice-presidential candidate and more recently as a contender for secretary of education in an Obama Cabinet . But elected office would mark a major shift for Kennedy . In a 2002 Time magazine interview promoting the updated `` Profiles in Courage , '' Kennedy would not rule out the possibility of a run for public office . `` I do n't have any plans to do that right now , '' she said . `` I do n't plan ahead . My kids are young , and I 'm really happy to be able to be around . But I do care about issues , and I 'm interested in them . So I do n't see that now , but you know , I have a long life ahead of me . '' CNN 's John King , Kate Bolduan , Mark Preston and Alexander Mooney contributed to this report . | NEW : Sen. Schumer says Kennedy is `` clearly interested , '' one of 12 candidates . Kennedy 's interest in the seat could mean the continuation of a family legacy . Gov. David Paterson can appoint replacement who will face special election in 2010 . Kennedy is the daughter of former President John F. Kennedy . | [[0, 15], [84, 156], [424, 485], [442, 485], [2261, 2325], [0, 15], [84, 156], [220, 279], [880, 890], [895, 963], [967, 1059], [2261, 2325], [1936, 1983], [1949, 2054], [1970, 1983], [1990, 1999], [2005, 2061], [1970, 1983], [1995, 2061]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- British people love pubs -- so much , in fact , that a recent survey found that they cherish only fish and chips and the Queen more . A combination of factors including the smoking ban , higher taxes and cheap supermarket alochol are hurting pubs . Yet this enduring icon of British culture is under threat after having flourished for hundreds of years . Recent surveys found that more British pubs are closing than ever before -- victims of an indoor smoking ban , higher taxes and food prices , and changing times . Tuesday marks one year since England followed Wales , Scotland , and Northern Ireland to ban indoor smoking at pubs , restaurants and bars . Some feared that would mark the death of the traditional British pub in all its smoky glory -- and they were quick to blame the ban when surveys found the pub numbers in sharp decline . Those findings , released in March by the British Beer and Pub Association and CAMRA , the Campaign for Real Ale , showed that more than 1,400 pubs closed in 2007 . That 's a sharp increase from 2006 , when 216 pubs closed ; and 2005 , when just more than 100 closed down . The advocacy groups , however , say the ban may be just one of many factors shutting pub doors . Watch more on the decline of British pubs '' Pub owners -- landlords , as they 're called in Britain -- are turning in their leases for a variety of reasons . Some say it 's hard to compete with cheap alcohol sold at supermarkets , a trend increasing amid the credit crunch . Others feel they could make more money operating as a wine bar or cafe . Patrons say two things in particular have had an impact on the decline of pubs -- one being the smoking ban . Those who used to enjoy a smoke along with their pint now must smoke outside , and many pubs -- particularly in urban areas -- have little space or shelter on the sidewalk . CAMRA says , however , that the effects of the smoking ban , introduced just halfway into 2007 , are `` not yet fully evident . '' Pubgoers were also turned off by a boost to alcohol taxes . `` Rents and rates are shooting up , '' said Ian Lowe , a spokesman for CAMRA . `` There 's also things like excise duty . The chancellor kindly put another 4 pence -LSB- 8 cents -RSB- on the price of a pint , and while supermarkets can probably absorb that , the pubs have to pass it on -LSB- to the customer -RSB- . '' Pubs are also passing higher food prices on to the customer , denting a plan by many proprietors to fall back on the menus to boost business . About 57,000 pubs remain in Britain , and while they may be under threat , they 're not going away any time soon . A drink at `` the local '' -- where social and financial status cease to matter -- remains one of the average Briton 's favorite pastimes . `` If you took a guy from the 10th Century and brought him forward in time , the only things he would recognize in the world today are churches and pubs , '' said Peter Brown , the author of `` Man Walks Into a Pub , '' a history of pubs and beer . The smoking ban may also be attracting a new kind of customer , Brown said . '' -LSB- Smokers -RSB- stopped going to the pub immediately as soon as the ban came in , whereas a lot of other people who did n't used to go to pubs have now started to come back to the pub because they now prefer a smoke-free environment , '' he said . Advocates say pubs provide a safe place to drink and are a valuable part of British culture . They are lobbying the British government to help stop their rapid decline by cutting beer taxes and changing planning laws to prevent pub demolitions . CNN 's Robin Oakley contributed to this report . | Traditional British pubs are facing tough times , with 1,400 closing in 2007 . Indoor smoking ban , higher taxes and cheap supermarket alcohol hurt pubs . About 57,000 pubs still remain in Britain despite decline in numbers . | [[417, 463], [881, 965], [996, 1045], [170, 284], [391, 553], [1218, 1251], [1447, 1481], [1613, 1679], [1683, 1710], [2016, 2075], [2540, 2575]] |
NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Two-year-old Tangena Hussain vanished three months ago in the Detroit suburb of Hamtramck , Michigan , and police say the trail has gone cold . Tangena Hussain , 2 , has been missing since October 2 and police in Michigan are asking for the public 's help . Tangena 's mother called police on the evening of October 2 , 2008 , to report her daughter missing after frantically searching the area where she was last seen . The child 's mother , Nilufa Begum , told police she had left the girl in the care of her boyfriend , Jamrul Hussain . Although Tangena and Hussain have the same last name , he is not her father . Begum told investigators her daughter was with Hussain all day while she worked at the Northland Mall . Hussain said he stopped at a gas station with Tangena while on the way to the mall to pick up Begum . They stopped at about 9 p.m. to buy gum and juice , he said . Hussain told police he left Tangena in the car for only a few moments and when he returned , the little girl was gone . He did not call police and did not conduct a search , but instead drove to the mall and picked up Begum , investigators said . When she saw Tangena was not with Hussain , Begum asked him where she was . His response was cryptic , she told police . He said he would take her to the place where her daughter was . Begum became alarmed as Hussain drove to a gas station where , he said , Tangena disappeared . They searched for Tangena together , while Begum called the police to report her daughter missing . A surveillance camera shows the boyfriend , Hussain , going into the gas station 's store , police said . On the video , he makes some purchases and leaves within a few minutes . But there is no video of the area where Hussain parked his car , nor any video that could show whether the little girl had been there or how she might have disappeared . Police have not named a person of interest in the toddler 's disappearance . When the media picked up the story , a teenager came forward , saying she recognized Hussain as the man who allegedly attacked her . During the investigation , police discovered that the young accuser , then 15 , had been Hussain 's prior girlfriend . Hussain , 24 , was arrested and charged with two counts of having sex with a minor . He is free on bail while awaiting trial . `` My client is innocent of the charges . He did not have sex with a minor child , '' said Hussain 's lawyer , Shawn Patrick Smith . Tangena 's parents said they just want answers . Her father , Mohammad Ahmed , lives in New York and added $ 5,000 to an existing Crimestopper 's reward of $ 1,000 . `` We are praying that someone knows something that can help us find my daughter , '' Ahmed said . `` How can a child disappear without someone seeing something ? Something does n't fit about -LSB- Hussain 's -RSB- story . '' When questioned , Begun told police only she and Hussain saw Tangena in the week leading up to her October 2 disappearance . A Michigan Amber Alert was issued for Tangena at 5 a.m. the morning after she disappeared . But in the months since , police have hit a dead end . Police and family members are turning to the public for help . If anyone has seen Tangena Hussain or has any information regarding her whereabouts , please call the Detroit Police Department at 313-596-1240 . Tangena is 3 ' 2 '' tall , weighs 34 lbs , has black short hair , brown eyes , and is of East Indian descent . She was last seen wearing white cargo pants , brown long-sleeved T-shirt with a cartoon picture on the front and gold sandals . The reward for information leading to the whereabouts of Tangena Hussain is $ 6,000 . | Tangena Hussain last seen on October 2 . Mother left child , age 2 , in care of boyfriend . Mom 's boyfriend says child disappeared from car at gas station . A $ 6,000 reward is offered . Call Detroit police at 313-596-1240 . | [[172, 187], [190, 249], [449, 468], [486, 548], [3292, 3351], [3591, 3617], [3664, 3676]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Houston Astros shortstop Miguel Tejada is expected to plead guilty Wednesday in federal court to a count of lying to Congress about his knowledge of Major League Baseball players using performance-enhancing drugs , according to officials familiar with the case . Miguel Tejada , a shortstop for the Houston Astros , has been charged with lying to Congress . In a document filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia , Tejada is charged in a criminal `` information , '' a document that routinely signals a plea bargain agreement . The document does not directly accuse Tejada of using steroids or other substances . However , the court document says that in 2003 Tejada gave another player more than $ 5,000 in checks `` for substances which he believed to be HGH -LSB- human growth hormone -RSB- . '' The document says Tejada lied to congressional investigators when he told them on August 26 , 2005 , that he had never heard discussions about steroids by other players , and that he never knew of any other player using steroids . After the December 2007 Mitchell Report on steroid use in baseball , which appeared to contradict Tejada , the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform asked the Justice Department to investigate whether Tejada `` made knowingly false statements to the committee . '' The investigators concluded he had lied . `` Defendant Tejada unlawfully withheld pertinent information from the committee because defendant Tejada before and during his interview with the committee staff , then and there well knew that Player # 1 -LSB- unidentified -RSB- , one of his teammates on the Oakland Athletics , had used steroids and HGH , '' the document says . Tejada played for the Athletics from 1997 to 2003 . He is scheduled to appear at 11 a.m. Wednesday before a magistrate judge , indicating the charge against him will be a misdemeanor carrying a maximum sentence of a year in jail . However , a government official familiar with the case said that under sentencing guidelines , Tejada could get from zero to 6 months , which means he may receive probation without jail time . Tejada , who started his MLB career in 1997 , hit at least 30 home runs from 2000 through 2004 with the exception of 2003 , when he hit 27 . He won the American League 's most valuable player award in 2002 , when he hit a career-best 34 home runs . He matched that total in 2004 , his first year with the Baltimore Orioles . He began playing with Houston in 2008 . The information came one day after MLB star Alex Rodriguez -- the New York Yankees ' third baseman since 2004 -- admitted that he had used a `` banned substance '' during the 2001-2003 seasons . Sports Illustrated had reported that Rodriguez had tested positive for steroids in 2003 , when he was playing for the Texas Rangers . | Court document : Tejada knew teammate used performance-enhancing drugs . Document : Tejada lied in 2005 when he denied knowing of players using steroids . Houston Astros shortstop charged with lying to congressional investigators . | [[1560, 1565], [1571, 1692], [835, 895], [1344, 1385], [282, 295], [335, 376], [835, 895]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Barack Obama 's daughters are moving into a house with a swimming pool , a bowling alley and its own movie theater . Sasha Obama , left , and Malia Obama will make the White House home come January 20 . When their father is inaugurated on January 20 , Malia Obama , 10 , and Sasha Obama , 7 , will also be moving into a place where they 'll not only be under the watchful eye of the Secret Service but also under the eye of the media . `` One of the negatives of the White House is that its very much a fishbowl , '' presidential historian Doug Wead said . `` There 's something that Sasha or Malia will say or do and they 'll be remembered for it for the rest of their lives , '' said Wead , who wrote `` All the Presidents ' Children , '' a book on the lives of kids at the White House . Watch what life 's like for White House kids '' Theodore Roosevelt 's children used to like to drop water balloons on foreign dignitaries , Wead said . They also let their pet snake slither around the White House dining room . John F. Kennedy Jr. was known for hiding under his father 's Oval Office desk . His older sister , Caroline , had a pony who romped untethered around the White House grounds . President Abraham Lincoln 's youngest son , Thomas , used to startle everyone in the building by making all the White House bells ring at one time . But with the mischief and pranks comes a lifetime of pressure , said Noah McCollough , who wrote the book `` First Kids . '' `` John Quincy Adams ' kids went through alcoholism and addiction because they could n't live up to their parents expectation '' in their later years , McCollough said . Read up on the blessed and star-crossed lives of some other White House kids '' Much of Malia and Sasha 's White House experience will be monitored by their mother , Michelle Obama , who seems determined to be active in their lives . Even as her husband campaigned for the presidency , Michelle Obama was a soccer mom , cheering from the sidelines of her daughters ' games . `` I 'm a mother first . And I 'm going to be at parent-teacher conferences , and ... I 'm going to be at the things that they want me to attend . I 'm not going to miss a ballet recital , '' Michelle Obama said . Together with the president-elect , she 'll have to decide where the girls will attend school . `` If they send their child to a private school they 'll be called elitist for betraying the public school system , '' Wead said . Jacqueline Kennedy , not wanting Caroline being hounded by the media as she went to school , set up a first-grade classroom on the third floor of the White House . Ten of Caroline 's friends also attended , each bringing their own lunch pail . President Jimmy Carter sent daughter Amy , age 9 when she moved to Washington , to the public Hardy Middle School . President Bill Clinton 's daughter , Chelsea , attended the private Sidwell Friends School . No matter the choice , even their grades will come under public scrutiny . `` If you flunk that huge math test , it 's on the front page of the newspaper the next day , '' McCollough said . But assuming no one gets grounded for bad grades , imagine the possibilities for sleepovers or parties . President Gerald Ford 's daughter Susan , for example , held her senior prom at the White House . Whatever the educational choice , the Obamas have made clear their kids wo n't be an afterthought now that Barack Obama is about to become the world 's most powerful person . On Friday morning , before the president-elect met with his advisers on the troubled economy and before his first news conference since the election scheduled for the afternoon , Barack and Michelle Obama went to a parent-teacher conference at the University of Chicago Lab School . And the girls will have company at the house on Pennsylvania Avenue . `` You have earned that puppy that is coming with us to the White House , '' their father told them in his acceptance speech . | Malia Obama , 10 , Sasha Obama , 7 , will be in the public eye . Historian : Kids will do something that they 'll be forever remembered for . Flunk a test and make headlines , historian said . Pranks and mischief : Teddy Roosevelt 's kids dropped water balloons on people . | [[227, 305], [633, 694], [857, 946]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- As familiar and reassuring as the map of the world is , there is only so much that physical geography can tell us about the state of the planet . Forest loss : This cartogram shows areas where the worst deforestation occured from 1990 to 2000 . A new book , The Atlas of the Real World , has redrawn the map giving vivid new insights and bringing economic , social and environmental data to life . Not since the German meteorologist , Alfred Wegener , sketched out the first detailed theories of continental drift has the world appeared so misshapen , so otherworldly . The 366 cartograms -LRB- statistical maps -RRB- which make up the book twist , shrink and distend countries and continents into all sorts of shapes and sizes . The book and the accompanying Web site were devised by Daniel Dorling , professor of human geography at the UK 's University of Sheffield , Anna Barford , a research associate at Sheffield and Mark Newman , a professor of physics at the University of Michigan . Work on the project began in earnest in 2006 when Dorling teamed up with Newman , who had co-created a new software technique for creating equal area cartograms the year before . With the software in place , the painstaking task of assembling the data began . The information was drawn from a variety of organizations including the United Nations , the World Health Organization and the World Bank . For ease of visual comparison , territories are split into 12 geographical regions -- e.g. blue for North America , brown for Northern Africa -- and shading marks out specific countries . The range of subjects is impressive , from greenhouse gas emissions , wealth and disease to more obscure data about numbers of dentists and working tractors . John Pritchard , research assistant at University of Sheffield and part of the team working on the project , told CNN : `` I think the maps of disease are particularly shocking and bring home the scale of the problem in Africa better than a table of statistics does . '' Indeed , the map of malaria deaths is striking : 94 percent of deaths from malaria occur in Africa , making the continent appear like a vast bloated blob . The rest of the world is reduced to a disparate series of veiny streaks . There are other sobering statistics to consider . In June 2008 , Principal Voices spoke to Head of Research at Oxfam GB Duncan Green about strategies to eradicate poverty . Green talked about the education being crucial to breaking the cycle of poverty , particularly for girls . The new atlas 's Girls not at Primary School cartogram graphically illustrates the lack of female education in many parts of the developing world . Team members are currently working on a map of languages and soon hope to be producing animated maps . `` We have a series of maps that show deaths at various stages , which would be particularly suited to an animation , and we now have a PhD student looking at extending the Web site , including ways of mapping flow . '' Pritchard said . | The Atlas of the Real World brings economic , social and environmental data to life . 366 cartograms include vivid data on disease , wealth , poverty and the environment . Team are extending the collection with maps of language and developing animations . | [[281, 291], [316, 433], [281, 291], [316, 433], [2704, 2730], [2739, 2760], [2704, 2716], [2721, 2760], [2704, 2716], [2765, 2806]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- One person has died and another was trapped in a pair of avalanches in the Utah mountains Sunday afternoon , authorities said . One of the Utah avalanches , at Snowbird Ski Resort , buried one woman under 2 feet of snow . She later died . Heather Gross , 27 , died Sunday evening at a hospital in Salt Lake City from her injuries , Salt Lake County Sheriff 's Deputy Levi Hughes said . Gross , a county resident , had been buried under 2 feet of snow by an early-afternoon snowslide at Snowbird Ski Resort , Hughes said . Rescue teams found her about an hour after the avalanche , and she was flown to University of Utah hospital , where she died . A man who was with her at the time was not injured and reported the slide , Hughes said . A second avalanche occurred nearby in the backcountry area known as Lake Desolation , said Randy Doyle , a spokesman for the Big Cottonwood Canyon resorts nearby . He said the avalanche , which left at least one person trapped , was not within the resort . | NEW : Woman taken University of Utah hospital dies of her injuries . Woman was buried under 2 feet of snow in avalanche at ski resort . Witness contacted authorities ; woman rescued an hour later . One person trapped after second avalanche near resort , officials say . | [[0, 5], [19, 38], [241, 257], [258, 271], [279, 330], [600, 648], [635, 648], [657, 667], [147, 173], [201, 240], [405, 410], [422, 524], [541, 597], [43, 125], [758, 816], [922, 1014], [930, 943], [952, 984]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The dramatic developments in Gaza over the past three days have driven Arab citizens to the streets , where they have displayed anger directed first and foremost at their own governments . A Yemeni protester rips through an Israeli flag in the capital , Sanaa , on Sunday , December 28 . In Yemen , thousands of demonstrators gathered in the capital , Sanaa , shouting slogans in support of Gaza and its residents and burning Israeli and U.S. flags . They cried out against the League of Arab States , which delayed discussion on the crisis . One demonstrator told the Al-Jazeera network , `` The Arab League is worthless . ... They 're all worthless leaders , and they should all go home . '' Al-Jazeera is based in Doha , Qatar . Israel has been conducting airstrikes in Gaza for three days , in what they say is retaliation for repeated rocket attacks into southern Israel by Hamas . Hundreds of people have died , mostly Hamas militants , according to Palestinian security forces . In Sudan , the scene was similar . A woman wearing a Hamas banner around her forehead told Al-Manar TV , `` Where are the Arab leaders ? Where are their actions ? Enough condemnation and finger-pointing . Show Gaza your support . '' Students at the University of Qatar boycotted their classes and demonstrated their support for Gaza . Watch a report from CNN 's Octavia Nasr '' One student spoke about what he saw as his moral responsibility : `` Our ancestors claimed that the news about the Palestinian disaster reached them late in 1948 . We have a responsibility to our children and the future generations . We ca n't tell them we heard about the Gaza disaster of 2008 but did n't do anything . '' Jordan 's parliament held a special session in solidarity with Gaza . But one parliamentarian defied the speaker 's orders and burned the Israeli flag before stepping on it in the middle of applause from some of his colleagues . The images played repeatedly on Arab media . Egypt has been the recipient of much criticism in this crisis . Hamas supporters say Egypt has sold the Palestinians out by being too close and friendly with Israel and the United States . From Egypt , political analysts retaliated , blaming Hamas for ending the Egyptian-brokered cease-fire , thus inviting the Israeli airstrikes . One expert speaking to the Dubai-based Al-Arabiya blamed Hamas for `` presenting Gazans on a silver plate to the Israeli monster . '' He then blamed Syria and Iran for not taking military action to stop the bloodshed in Gaza . | In Yemen , thousands of people demonstrate in capital city of Sanaa . Citizens of Sudan also protest Israeli airstrikes in Gaza . Students at University of Qatar boycott their classes in support of Gaza . Some Arabs blame Egypt , saying it 's too cozy with Israel and the United States . | [[307, 315], [318, 368], [307, 309], [318, 344], [379, 452], [307, 315], [318, 344], [437, 469], [1238, 1297], [1238, 1273], [1302, 1339], [2045, 2169], [2081, 2097], [2102, 2169]] |
BAGHDAD , Iraq -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Four Americans -- two soldiers and two civilians from the Defense and State departments -- were killed Tuesday in a blast that rocked a municipal building in Baghdad 's Sadr City , the U.S. Embassy said . The attack also killed six Iraqis and wounded 10 others , an Iraqi Interior Ministry official said . A second employee from the U.S. Defense Department also died , but that person was n't an American . The employee was a dual Italian-Iraqi national , the Italian Foreign Ministry said . The U.S. military said the blast struck a meeting of a district advisory council , a neighborhood group that looks at local needs and passes on its assessments to the provincial government . The deputy head of the council was seriously injured , the Interior Ministry official said . The U.S. military blamed Iranian-backed militants it calls Special Groups for the blast and detained three people in connection with the attack , including a suspect `` fleeing the scene -LSB- who -RSB- tested positive for explosive residue . '' `` We believe the target of the attack was a high-ranking -LSB- district advisory council -RSB- member as well as the U.S. soldiers , '' said Lt. Col. Steve Stover , a U.S. military spokesman . `` We believe the Special Groups criminals were upset that the DAC member was working with coalition forces to improve the quality of life for the southern Sadr City residents . '' A statement from Ryan Crocker , U.S. ambassador to Iraq , identified the slain State Department employee as Steve Farley . `` Mr. Farley was a member of our embedded Provincial Reconstruction Team for the Sadr City and Adhamiya districts of Baghdad City , '' the statement said . `` We extend our deepest condolences to their families and friends , and our profound appreciation for the ultimate sacrifice that they made in service to their country and for the people of Iraq . This is a tragic loss and one we all mourn . '' The U.S. Embassy statement did n't identify the other victims . The blast dramatizes the perils the war still poses for Americans despite a Pentagon report Monday that touted a sharp decrease in violence in Iraq in recent months . The explosion also marked the third strike in two days involving local politicians and political institutions in Baghdad . A city councilman on Monday fired on U.S. forces at a municipal building southeast of the capital in the Salman Pak area and killed two soldiers . Separately , the head of Abu Dsheer City Council in Baghdad 's southern Dora area was gunned down at his home later Monday . Last week , a bomb ripped through Baghdad 's Hurriya district near a neighborhood advisory council meeting where U.S. troops were stationed , killing 63 people and wounding 71 others . The U.S. military also blamed that attack on a Special Groups cell , but Stover could n't say whether it was connected to Tuesday 's blast . `` Last week 's event was an attempt to incite sectarian violence and hatred against the Iraqi Sunni population in an effort to keep them from returning to Hurriya , '' Stover said . Sadr City , the scene of Tuesday 's deadly blast , is a stronghold of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and where some of the capital 's most intense fighting in recent months has occurred between Shiite militia members and Iraqi security forces . A truce deal was reached last month between the Iraqi government and al-Sadr 's followers , ending weeks of fighting and allowing the Iraqi army to enter Sadr City , but violence persists . Al-Sadr recently announced his intention to develop a new fighting force that would battle U.S.-led forces in Iraq . Many followers in al-Sadr 's Mehdi Army militia have heeded a long-standing cease-fire , but some rogue forces are thought to be involved in violence . `` This was the fourth meeting of this district council , led by hard-working Iraqis determined to make a difference and set Sadr City off on the right path . Special Groups are afraid of progress and afraid of empowering the people , '' Lt. Col. John Digiambatista of the 4th Infantry Division said in a news release , referring to Tuesday 's attack . Twenty-five U.S. troops have died in Iraq to date this month . There have been 4,109 deaths of U.S. service members since the war began . Other developments . • Three U.S. soldiers and their Iraqi interpreter were killed Tuesday evening by a roadside bomb in northern Iraq 's Nineveh Province , the U.S. military said . No other details were immediately released . • A suicide car bomb went off near a police station in central Mosul Tuesday evening , killing a child , a police officer and wounding dozens more . Police and civilians , including women and children , were among the wounded , though injury reports varied from 90 to 70 to 57 , according to the U.S. Military , Mosul police and the Iraq Interior Ministry , respectively . All three sources agreed on the death toll , however . Several houses were affected by the blast , which destroyed a coffee shop in a residential area . • Earlier Tuesday , coalition troops in Mosul killed a senior-level al Qaeda in Iraq leader , the U.S. military said . The operation led to the killing of the group 's `` emir '' of Mosul , the military said . A dozen people were detained in raids targeting the group in northern Iraq and Baghdad , the military said . • U.S. troops raided a Shiite militant hideout Tuesday in southeastern Baghdad 's Karrada district , capturing four suspects the military said were connected to recent attacks on coalition bases . A vehicle bomb being built in the hideout was destroyed , according to a coalition statement . • Anbar province will soon be run by the Iraqi military . The U.S. military said it is transferring security responsibility this week to the Iraqis . Anbar is the 10th of the 18 provinces where Iraqi forces have taken charge of security control since 2003 and the first largely Sunni Arab province to do so . CNN 's Yousif Bassil and Jomana Karadsheh contributed to this report . | NEW : Another victim identified as Italian-Iraqi working for U.S. Defense Department . NEW : Child and policeman killed , dozens wounded in Mosul suicide car bomb . Four Americans and six Iraqis among 11 dead in blast in Baghdad 's Sadr City . U.S. military will transfer security responsibilities in Anbar province to Iraqi military . | [[340, 400], [441, 487], [4513, 4597], [4513, 4533], [4600, 4615], [4662, 4713], [4716, 4738], [0, 7], [10, 155], [148, 155], [161, 212], [239, 249], [255, 272], [4307, 4384], [5650, 5707], [5708, 5799], [5731, 5799]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Corporate lobbyists may have to jockey for attention alongside smaller , grassroots organizations under new ethics rules issued by President-elect Barack Obama 's transition team , one analyst says . President-elect Obama 's rules will mean nonprofits will have an easier time being heard , an analyst says . Chai Feldblum , a Georgetown University professor who teaches lobbyists-in-training , said nonprofit groups are likely to have a stronger voice under the restrictions that Obama 's transition staff issued this week . `` Lobbyists for business will absolutely get meetings with staff for people on the Hill , just like they got meetings before , so their access will not be denied , '' Feldblum said . `` Their positions will be heard , but now they wo n't be the only ones being heard . '' The rules , which transition co-chairman John Podesta announced Tuesday , bar federal lobbyists from contributing to or raising money for the transition effort . Those who leave the transition team will be barred for a year from lobbying the incoming administration on matters related to their transition jobs , and current lobbyists who join the team are barred for 12 months from working in policy fields related to their lobbying work . Podesta called the new policy `` the strictest , the most far-reaching ethics rules of any transition team in history . '' They follow a pledge Obama made during his campaign , when he instituted similar rules for aides and vowed that lobbyists `` will not drown out the voice of the American people . '' Feldblum said lobbying is protected by the First Amendment , which guarantees the right to petition the government for redress of grievances , and that the trade 's ranks in Washington are unlikely to shrink . But she said corporate lobbyists `` will have to share the stage with other people representing other points of view . '' `` I think that lobbyists for a broader range of the American public -- lobbyists for Catholic Charities USA , lobbyists for the Epilepsy Foundation , lobbyists for domestic violence groups -- people trying to bring those positions forward will have an easier time being heard , '' Feldblum said . One practicing lobbyist told CNN he hopes the new rules will improve the public image of a trade that has become a `` dirty word . '' Michael Lewan , who has pleaded the case for some of the biggest U.S. corporations for 16 years , said a stricter regime Congress imposed on itself after the influence-peddling scandal involving disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff `` was n't such a bad thing at all . '' `` We were all very upset when we found out we could no longer take Capitol Hill staffers to lunch , '' he said . `` But you know what ? At the end of the day , we all saved money and lost weight . '' But seriously , Lewan said , both Obama and his Republican opponent , John McCain , blasted lobbyists on a near-daily basis during the presidential campaign , `` and it 's my hope that we can bring down that level of vilification by cooperating with the new administration . '' | Analyst : Corporate lobbyists will not be only ones heard by Obama 's transition staff . Transition team 's ethics rules will give nonprofits stronger voice , analyst says . One of the rules : Federal lobbyists ca n't contribute to transition effort . Transition co-chairman : Ethics rules strictest `` of any transition team in history '' | [[211, 229], [321, 338], [779, 825], [134, 208], [211, 229], [230, 318], [321, 338], [339, 352], [425, 505], [903, 990], [134, 208], [829, 900], [1269, 1315], [1318, 1330], [1331, 1388]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When the water of Lake Delton ripped through the highway and drained into the Wisconsin River this week , so did the lifeline for much of the surrounding community . Boats sit mired in mud Tuesday after Lake Delton drained into the Wisconsin River the day before . Lake Delton Village and Wisconsin Dells , the self-professed `` waterpark capital of the world , '' are home to about 5,000 residents . But the area 's motels , resorts and vacation homes can accommodate more than 10 times that , according to the visitors bureau . Innkeepers , restaurateurs and other business owners were getting ready for the typically bustling tourist season this week when torrential rains sent the 267-acre lake rushing through an embankment propping up Highway A . The manmade lake sucked a 200-foot swath of highway and a half-dozen homes into the Wisconsin with it . `` I was on the water when I realized the plug had been pulled , '' said Steve Zowin , who was towing a capsized pontoon boat when he noticed the water level quickly diminishing . `` It drained like a bathtub . '' Watch a report from the lake '' Zowin and his wife , Kathy , have owned Lake Delton Watersports for almost three decades . In addition to running a marina , the couple offers parasail rides and rents boats . Personal watercraft and ski boats are their most popular wares , he said . `` My gross income will be reduced by about 75 percent , and that 's huge , '' he said Wednesday . `` It 's a big step backwards for someone who 's been in business for 29 years . '' Zowin , 56 , says that most of the tourists hail from metropolises like Chicago , Illinois ; St. Paul/Minneapolis , Minnesota ; and Madison and Milwaukee , Wisconsin -- all `` within a gas tank of the Dells . '' They start trickling in on Father 's Day , and tourism booms between Independence Day and mid-August , he said . Like many business owners around Lake Delton , Zowin is seeing canceled reservations from disenchanted visitors who will be spending their summers elsewhere . Asked whether visitors were canceling reservations at her lakeside resort , one owner who did n't want to give her name replied , `` Every day , many . '' Thomas Brown , who owns Port Vista , a popular burger and steak joint on the lake , said that one of his resort-owner friends has refunded $ 10,000 in deposits for canceled reservations . The friend has closed his resort until at least July , Brown said . iReport.com : Are you near the floods ? Send photos , video . Brown , 49 , who has owned the bar and restaurant for 15 years , said business has n't been hit hard yet . `` The first couple of days has been absolutely packed because of all the people coming by to look at the lake and stopping by for a burger or steak , '' he said , adding that he does n't expect business to boom for long . `` I think when people see what they have to see , it 's going to be not so good . '' Some business owners who are n't on the lakefront are still trying to gauge what effect the drained lake will have on them . Watch the rushing lake carry a home away '' Del-Bar is a popular seafood and steak restaurant near the lake on Wisconsin Dells Parkway . It 's so popular , in fact , that actor Johnny Depp and director Michael Mann recently stopped in during filming of their upcoming movie `` Public Enemies , '' owner Jeff Wimmer said . Wimmer said his restaurant , which he has owned for 30 years , may be more resilient than lakefront businesses because he relies more on Wisconsin Dells locals . The 66-year-old knows that the summer brings hungry tourists ; it 's just too early to tell how many of them have been deterred by the dry lake bed . `` We 're anticipating that it 's going to affect us , but it 's too early to tell right now , '' Wimmer said . How long the lake will remain dry is also a question . Business owners say , some skeptically , that there are efforts afoot to refill the lake by mid-July . Delton Oaks Resort ran a warning on its Web site to potential guests , explaining that there was no timetable for refilling the lake and repairing the highway . But the resort 's owners showed they still have a sense of humor . `` We at Delton Oaks Resort are ` make lemonade ' kind of people , so we will be adding terrific beach volleyball and horseshoe courts in the near future . And , of course , building sand castles on the beach will be big this year , '' the site quipped . `` For all you dog lovers , as soon as the last of the lake bed has dried up , we will have the biggest dog park you 've ever seen . '' Even if the lake is refilled quickly , business owners like Zowin and Brown fear that the lake 's splendid fishing might not make a rapid rebound . The lake was home to white and largemouth bass , walleye , crappie , bluegill and perch , but those fish are now in the Wisconsin River after their habitat burst through the Highway A embankment . `` Fishing might be gone for the next four or five years , '' Brown predicted . Business owners around Lake Delton say they hope to bounce back sooner , perhaps by next summer , but this summer may be a wash . `` Once in a while , the more serious ramifications -- mostly financial -- they hit me , and I 'm flooded with a few emotions , '' Zowin said . `` It 's going to hurt , but I 'll survive . '' | Lake Delton went away as businesses were getting ready for busy tourist season . `` My gross income will be reduced by about 75 percent , '' one business owner says . Many businesses at the lake are already seeing canceled reservations . Some owners not on lakefront try to gauge how drained lake will affect them . | [[549, 672], [1373, 1427], [1928, 1992], [2040, 2113], [2929, 2988], [2996, 3016], [2929, 2978], [2983, 3053]] |
ULAANBAATAR , Mongolia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Standing slightly more than 4 feet tall , 9-year-old Tuguldur proudly stated the greatest challenge he faced in a horse race across the Mongolian plains in the country 's annual Naadam Festival was serenading his horse . Young wrestlers cheer on teammates during the opening round at the Naadam Festival . `` The hardest part of the race was singing to my horse while riding , '' said Tuguldur , wiping perspiration from the July sun off his face . The long-distance horse race is exclusively for children , ranging in ages from 6 to 12 . Riding up to 30 kilometers -LRB- 19 miles -RRB- , these children maneuver their galloping steeds on a thin saddle pad that often does not have stirrups . `` Mongolians believe they can communicate with their horses through singing , and their horse will go faster , '' said Tamir , a senior at Mongolian University . `` This is why the kids must keep singing during the race . '' Singing to racing horses is just one part of Mongolia 's Naadam Festival , an annual event believed to have existed for centuries , and rivaling the Olympics as the premier sporting event in the central Asian nation . `` For us Mongolians , the Naadam Festival is what we look forward to all year , '' said Dashtsogtsol Erdenetuya , who has competed in the Naadam Festival for the past 22 years . `` It is our tradition and a reminder of an ancient way of life . Getting gold in this festival brings as much honor as any Olympic medal . '' Held every July , the Naadam Festival was possibly founded as long ago as 800 years ago by Genghis Khan . The festival is believed to have started as a way for Mongols to train for military and hunting expeditions . Today , it formally commemorates the 1921 revolution when Mongolia declared itself a free country . Many of Naadam 's customs , which include wearing traditional clothes and singing hymns once sung in battle , are still followed , a sign of the importance of the festival . `` In the Naadam Festival , everyone knows who you are ; many companies will sponsor you , and if you win , you can become the face of the country , '' said Nasanbat Oyunbat , director of the Mongolian Olympic National Team . `` The Olympics are only now becoming popular in Mongolia and were televised for the first time in the 2004 Games in Athens . '' `` The horses in the Naadam Festival have higher endurance than the horses that will compete in the Olympic Equestrian events in August , '' bragged Edward Rochette , an American lawyer who married a Mongolian woman and is living in Ulaanbaatar . `` Most thoroughbreds would die if you ran them for 30 km . The Mongolian horses have been running across these plains for hundreds of years and have developed the correct body type for this kind of sport . '' Rochette 's wife 's family lives in a yurt -LRB- round animal skin tent -RRB- , owns more than 1,500 and entered 20 horses in the three-day race competition this year , which was visited by thousands of tourists . `` I was overwhelmed watching the clouds of dust rise across the prairie as the horses galloped to the finish line , '' explained Miep Thulijls , a tourist from Holland . `` I could not believe these tiny kids could ride for so long and was terrified when I saw one of the children fall off his horse like a rag doll . '' The age limit was raised from 4 to 6 after a child was killed in a race a few years ago . Only small children are allowed to compete in this event because they are particularly light . The kids are generally rewarded with warm mare 's milk and candy while the horse owners get money and sometimes even cars . Wrestling without weight limits . Mongolian wrestling has no weight divisions ; a time limit was only introduced after a match went on for more than four hours . Wrestlers compete in single elimination events and are weeded down from 512 participants during nine rounds of competition . `` It is more difficult to wrestle the little guys because they are so quick , '' complained Gantogtokh , who at 130 kilos -LRB- 286 pounds -RRB- is an eighth-generation wrestler . His father placed second in Judo in the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico . Dressed in tight blue shorts and a half shirt , which is usually red or blue , the wrestlers dance around the judges in slow graceful sways and then pay homage to the nine flags dating back to Genghis Khan before and after each match . It is rumored that the dress code , which requires wrestlers to compete without shirts was imposed after a female participated in the event disguised as a man . Many of the male athletes who compete in the free style wrestling and judo events in the Olympic Games were once Naadam Festival winners . But , the Olympic gold medal hopeful this year is a female Judo wrestler . `` Each generation of wrestlers gets stronger as they have more opportunities to work out , '' Gantogtokh said . `` I hope this year we will bring home a gold in Judo and wrestling . But , the competition is going to be tough . '' Arrows to anklebones . Other athletes participated in archery and anklebone shooting . `` This has always been my dream , '' beamed Dashtsogtsol Erdenetuya , 36 , who has competed in the Naadam Festival for the past 22 years . `` I placed second the past three years and finally came in first this time . My mother was a champion in 1969 and 1975 and taught me everything I know about archery . '' Archery is usually the only event in which women compete . Men shoot from 75 meters and women from 65 meters . Mongolians sing to the archers and stand on either side of the targets . The singers , dressed in elaborate decor , sing three different types of songs , including an invitational song and songs that recognize a good or bad shot . Famous for his ability to shoot backward on horseback , Genghis Khan created the sport of anklebone shooting to strengthen the middle finger of his soldiers , so they would be better skilled in archery . Anklebone shooting is the newest event in the Naadam Festival , only becoming an official sport in 2000 . `` The game is becoming more modern now , '' explained Khatanbator , 56 , an anklebone participant . '' Competitors now use pieces of deer antler instead of anklebones . It is easier on the wrist to flick than anklebones . But , everyone still refers to the sport as anklebone shooting because it has been this way for hundreds of years . '' The competitors are divided into teams of eight who compete against each other . The first to knock all the deer chips down wins . `` People cheer for the other competitor like fans would in a soccer game , '' explained Berkfat Tumenjin , a Mongolian tour guide . `` While the singing in other events is used to encourage competitors , the singing in this event is used to distract them . '' | Naadam Festival is held every July in Mongolia . Competition 's events have origins in military , hunting training . Naadam in the most widely watched festival in Mongolia . | [[1607, 1716]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A U.S. Navy submarine and a Navy amphibious ship that collided Friday in the Strait of Hormuz south of Iran have arrived in Bahrain to be assessed for damage , the Navy said . The submarine USS Hartford and amphibious ship USS New Orleans are shown in Navy photos . The submarine USS Hartford and amphibious ship USS New Orleans arrived Saturday in Mina Salman pier to `` to further assess and evaluate the damage that resulted from their collision at sea , '' the service said in a written statement . Fifteen sailors were slightly hurt aboard the Hartford in the collision , which occurred early Friday morning . On Friday , Navy officials in Washington told CNN that there was significant damage to the sail , or tower-like structure on the topside of the submarine . On Saturday , the Navy said there was no damage to the submarine 's propulsion unit . No injuries were reported aboard the New Orleans . The ship 's fuel tank ruptured , spilling 25,000 gallons of marine diesel fuel in the Strait of Hormuz , the U.S. Navy said in the Saturday statement . `` Aerial searches of the area where the fuel spill occurred were conducted yesterday , and revealed no indication of any remaining fuel on the ocean 's surface , '' the Navy said . `` The quick dissipation of the fuel is likely due to the type of fuel , and various environmental factors to include air and water temperatures , winds and seas . '' When the collision occurred , both vessels were headed to ports in the Persian Gulf to stock up on provisions and allow for some recreation , Navy spokesman Lt. Nate Christensen said Friday . Christensen said there were about 200 sailors in the sub and 1,000 sailors and Marines aboard the ship . The Strait of Hormuz is located between the United Arab Emirates and Iran , linking the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf . It is heavily used by oil tankers . Both vessels are on regularly scheduled deployments to the U.S. Navy Central Command area of responsibility , and conduct Maritime Security Operations . | Vessels in Bahrain `` to further assess and evaluate the damage , '' says Navy . USS Hartford , USS New Orleans collided near Arabian Peninsula . 15 sailors on Hartford slightly injured . Fuel tank on New Orleans ruptured , spilling 25,000 gallons of fuel . | [[0, 15], [143, 176], [285, 331], [348, 432], [285, 331], [413, 474], [45, 67], [73, 126], [522, 593], [927, 957], [960, 1029]] |
NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- One of the perks of using search engine Google 's home page is checking out the frequently changing seasonal , current-event , and holiday-inspired `` doodles '' used for the logo . Christin Engelberth 's `` doodle '' beat out more than 28,000 entries in Google 's annual contest . Soon the work of 12-year-old Christin Engelberth will occupy the Google spotlight to be viewed by millions of online searchers worldwide . On Wednesday , Google announced that Christin , a sixth-grader at Bernard Harris Middle School in San Antonio , Texas , is this year 's winner of `` Doodle 4 Google , '' a yearly competition that asks K-12 students to dream up their own variation of the logo . Her work will be featured on Google 's main site for 24 hours on Thursday . The theme of this year 's contest was `` What I Wish for the World . '' `` Both our country and the world are undergoing significant change , '' Google said on the contest 's Web pages . At Google we believe in thinking big , and dreaming big , and we ca n't think of anything more important than encouraging students to do the same . '' `` A New Beginning , '' the title of Christin 's doodle , depicts the Google logo as a land and sea naturescape intertwined with trees , a frog and leaping dolphin , a curious lizard , a turtle and fish , and a butterfly set against an orange and yellow background with a rising sun represented by the second `` O '' in `` Google . '' In an interview with CNN , Christin said she portrayed a dawn as a symbol of a new day . Her wish was that `` out of the current crisis , discoveries will be found to help the Earth prosper once more . '' She added that wanted to portray a brighter tomorrow and `` discoveries being made lead to a better Earth for everyone . '' Christin said her initial idea for a doodle was for animal conservation , but then she decided `` it should n't just include animals ; it should include the rest of the world . '' Christin did check out her competition , and said she thought the other doodles were `` much better than mine . '' But a panel of independent judges and Google employees , along with close to 6 million online voters , disagreed , and chose her sketch as the overall winner from a field of over 28,000 other submissions . Google 's Marissa Mayer , vice president of search products and user experience , and Dennis Hwang , webmaster manager , said on the Google Blog that Christin 's design was part of `` a very creative pool of doodles . '' As the national winner , Christin will receive a $ 15,000 college scholarship , a laptop , and a $ 25,000 technology grant for her school , in addition to having her artwork featured on the Google site . She was presented with her award at the Smithsonian 's Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in New York City , where Google also unveiled an exhibit of the top doodles . They will be on display until July 5 . National finalists also were selected in three grade groups . Each will receive a laptop computer . All winners were treated to a day in New York that Google said `` included activities which promote peace , sustainability and wellness -- all inspired by this year 's theme . '' The winners also will participate in a doodling class led by Dennis Hwang and the Google doodle team . Grand prize winner Christin -- who told CNN she was excited to visit New York City -- said she 's been `` drawing for as long as she can remember . '' When she grows up , she said , she hopes to do `` anything to do with art . '' | San Antonio , Texas , 12-year-old wins `` Doodle for Google '' national contest . Christin Engelberth 's work will grace Google 's main site for 24 hours Thursday . Other prizes : $ 25,000 college scholarship , laptop , tech grant for her school . When she grows up , she said , she hopes to do `` anything to do with art '' | [[210, 309], [449, 461], [464, 615], [310, 391], [710, 785], [2535, 2647], [3456, 3473], [3476, 3484], [3487, 3531]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Flowers arrived at Capt. Marissa Alexander 's office at Fort Bragg , North Carolina , on June 3 , 2005 . Arlington 's Section 60 is the final resting place for many casualties of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan . Her husband , Staff Sgt. Leroy Alexander , was half a world away fighting with the Special Forces in Afghanistan , but he had found a way to send a floral arrangement to his wife , who was five months pregnant with twins . `` He called me and asked me what building I worked in . He said he had to update some records , '' Alexander said . The flowers lifted her spirits . But a few hours later , her emotions would be thrown into a tailspin . Alexander saw two Army officers in dress uniforms knock on her front door . One of the officers started to talk : `` We regret to inform you ... '' If he said any more , Alexander does n't remember . `` The next memory I have is in my kitchen , banging on the floor . I just could n't believe it , '' she said . The good feelings from flowers delivered a few hours before were gone , replaced by shock , pain and mourning . A roadside bomb had made her a widow . Staff Sgt. Alexander now lies in Arlington National Cemetery 's Section 60 , where 500 soldiers , Marines , airmen and sailors who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan are buried . For years Section 60 has been the one of busiest parts of the cemetery . Every day new burials bring precision marches , the somber tones of taps and the nerve-rattling three-gun salutes . Watch how widows connect at Section 60 '' Then there are family and friends who come to the graves to make an emotional connection to their lost loved ones . Memorial Day weekend brings even more activity and more visitors . Adults , even some uniformed generals , walk slowly between the rows and rows of headstones , looking for a familiar name . But small children often seem to find the cemetery a place to explore , even play . Their smiles and curiosity remind grown-ups that even in a place synonymous with death , life goes on . A sense of community has emerged in Section 60 . `` I 've come here at times and I 've met people who were paying remembrances to their loved ones . You become friendly , '' Capt. Alexander said . `` You see each other sometimes and you make a friendship because you know that your loved ones died for the same cause . '' Angie Capra 's husband is buried a few yards from Leroy Alexander . Air Force Tech Sgt. Anthony Capra was an explosive ordnance disposal expert , killed trying disarm a bomb in Iraq . `` Other widows will come by and put something on there for me if they do n't see me . They 'll put down flowers . It 's kind of a community , '' Capra said . More than flowers adorn the graves in Section 60 . Visitors of all faiths have picked up the ancient Jewish tradition of leaving a small stone on the headstones to show that a visitor had been to the grave . In most cases these are pebbles found near the grave . But some people have taken to leaving colored glass beads or elaborately painted stones with shamrocks or words like `` hero . '' View images from Section 60 '' Capra recently found a small Yoda figure on her husband 's grave . She does n't know who left it , but it must have been a friend , because her husband loved `` Star Wars . '' `` We never know who puts stuff '' on the headstone , she said . Some mementos leave one to wonder about the story behind them . Like the headstone topped by a tiny bottle of Tabasco hot sauce . Or a set of dog tags with a name that did n't match the name on the headstone . Watch how friends say goodbye to a fallen soldier '' There is another topped by a small Lego toy , perhaps left by a child whose father died in a far-off land before they even knew each other . Or the grave adorned with an empty bottle of Bud Light , a rubber duck and a candle . Nearby an empty Wild Turkey bottle is the lone addition to the grave of a soldier who died in a country where drinking alcohol is strictly forbidden . Capra has found a variety of items on Tony 's headstone . `` Coins , lots of rocks , candy . My husband was a candy freak , '' Capra said . `` There was a cross . A little necklace , Mardi Gras beads during Mardi Gras season . Anything they have they 'll put on top to show that they are thinking about them at the time . '' Alexander seems to draw strength from the items she finds . `` Someone came and did a picture of Lee , and it was a hand-drawn picture . I thought that was very interesting , '' she said . `` People who have n't been seen in years will leave a note of some sort . It 's nice to know that you 've been remembered after all of this time . To know that we have friends who still love and support us , that is just wonderful . '' Section 60 has been called the `` saddest acre in America , '' and without a doubt sadness abounds . But so do comfort , support and even an occasional smile . | National cemetery 's Section 60 holds dead from Iraq , Afghanistan wars . Visitors take up Jewish tradition of leaving stones on grave markers . Some mourners leave tokens such as toys , empty liquor bottles . Families of fallen service members meet at cemetery , form bonds . | [[135, 243], [1162, 1225], [2771, 2880], [2849, 2927], [3792, 3874], [1518, 1559], [1575, 1593], [1598, 1675]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In Russia , a country often associated with consumption of mass amounts of vodka , men have an average life expectancy of just 60 years -- one of the lowest in Europe . Men in Russia have an average life expectancy of just 60 years . Life expectancy for Russian men is well below that of western European countries like Germany , where men have an average life span of 77 years , according to World Health Organization figures . `` The biggest health problem facing Russia is the very high level of mortality among working aged men , '' says Martin McKee , an expert in Russian public health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine . A new dynamism appears to be taking hold of Russia as it aims to raise its prominence on the world stage . Despite having benefited from a boom in commodities prices before the global economy hit the skids , health indicators like life expectancy have shown marginal improvement . Life expectancy for men has stagnated for quite some time , and a major culprit has been high levels of alcohol consumption . Since the breakup of the Soviet Union , alcohol and tobacco use have risen , as Russians have struggled to adapt to economic change , health experts say . The transition from a system of state ownership to a market-oriented economy has not been easy for many Russians , according to Mireia Jofre-Bonet , a health economist at City University London . When the Soviet Union fell and the state disappeared , unemployment soared , and a significant portion of the population was pushed into poverty , she told CNN . Research suggests that those most vulnerable to alcoholism tend to be men with the lowest levels of education and the unemployed . A typical 18-year-old in the West has a 90 percent probability of reaching retirement age , but for young men in Russia the odds are reduced to 50 percent , says McKee . Alcoholism tends to be less of a problem among Russian women -- who have a higher average life expectancy of 73 -- but they face an equally worrisome health threat . There has been a big increase in smoking among women , who are being targeted by tobacco companies , says McKee . Traditionally , rates of smoking among Russian women have been very low , but now , he says , almost 30 percent among those under 30 smoke . `` Ten years of adjusting to a new regime created lots of stress , '' says Jofre-Bonet . The resulting rise in alcohol and tobacco abuse have led to ailments like heart disease and cancer . Besides chronic conditions , epidemics of infectious disease , including tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS , have added to the country 's health woes . In the 1990s , Russia experienced a resurgence of tuberculosis , considered a disease of poverty . Since then the growth of new cases has slowed , but strains of the disease that ca n't be treated with the usual drugs continue to pose a serious public health threat . Meanwhile , the number of people living with HIV in Russia has more than doubled since 2001 . While largely confined to injecting drug users , HIV remains a challenge . Lack of needle exchange programs has curbed efforts to combat the spread of the disease , says Annabel Kanabus , director of international AIDS charity AVERT . `` The crisis is still going on . Efforts at prevention are not really working . '' The Russian government is attempting to tackle its health challenges . The alcohol problem improved briefly in 2006 after federal restrictions were applied to the sale of non-beverage alcohols , such as aftershave , which are commonly drunk , McKee says . But he added , there is a major challenge in ensuring that law is enforced everywhere . And while the Kremlin has invested in upgrading technical equipment in recent years , facilities are still not well equipped to deal with high levels of chronic conditions such as high blood pressure . The economic downturn is n't helping . Anxiety levels are rising as a result of soaring unemployment , and the government does n't have enough funds to meet the needs of the health system . `` There is no money . It 's a big mess , '' says Jofre-Bonet . `` The health care system can not pay for what it needs and there is a lot of corruption in the way of under the table payments for medicines or doctors that legally people should get for free . '' | Russian men face startlingly low average life expectancy of just 60 years . Alcohol and tobacco use contributing to rise of heart disease and cancer . Health facilities not equipped to deal with high levels of chronic conditions . Tell CNN what you think about Russia and its resurgence . | [[119, 171], [205, 269], [270, 363], [1025, 1090], [2415, 2515], [3771, 3791], [3810, 3886]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Imagine the entire population of Kentucky forced out of their homes in the past 25 years , with many of the residents moving to a neighboring country . Displaced children at a camp in El Barrancon , Colombia , earlier this year . That 's what has happened in Colombia , a country of 45 million where up to 4 million people -- roughly the population of Kentucky -- have been forced to flee fighting between government forces and an entrenched Marxist rebel group . So many Colombians have taken flight to escape violence that the nation has the second largest number of internally displaced people in the world -- surpassed only by Sudan in Africa . Oftentimes , the violence is not incidental . `` Violence against civilians is a strategy of war for all the parties involved in the warfare , '' said Ellen Beattie , who worked for relief agencies in Colombia for 15 years . `` That 's the problem . They do it on purpose . They use it as a strategy . Vicious . '' Exact figures are hard to come by . Reliefweb , a United Nations Web site that provides information to humanitarian relief organizations , says nearly 400,000 Colombians were displaced last year . The Colombian government puts the number of displaced at 255,000 for 2008 . Likewise , the Colombian government says nearly 3 million citizens have been displaced inside the country in the past few decades . But the non-governmental Consultancy for Human Rights and Displacements , known in Colombia as CODHES , estimates more than 4 million people have had to leave their homes since the 1980s . Mauricio de Vengoechea , a political analyst with the Newlink Group consulting firm , says about 200,000 Colombians have ended up in Ecuador , which has granted 5,500 residency permits in the past eight weeks . At the heart of the violence lies a guerrilla war with the Colombian government and paramilitary groups on one side and the FARC , which is the Spanish acronym for Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia , on the other . The FARC has been waging war against the government since the 1960s and has major strongholds in the jungles of southwest Colombia , near the 366-mile -LRB- 590-kilometer -RRB- border with Ecuador . Narcotraffickers also have strongholds in the area and are often allied with the FARC , who provide security and intelligence . Many times the rebels and the narcotraffickers are one and the same . The guerrillas use drug money to buy weapons . `` There are large parts of Colombia where the state has no presence , no police , no army , nothing , '' said Myles Frechette , the U.S. ambassador to Colombia from 1994 to 1997 . `` That 's where the narcotraffickers hang out . '' That makes it valuable territory for the guerrillas and narcos , said Beattie , executive director of the International Rescue Committee office in Atlanta , Georgia . `` They 're more willing to fight over land that is strategic , '' she said . `` You 've poured gasoline on the fire with that . '' As the army , paramilitaries and the guerrillas fight for territory -- often retaking land one side or the other had held before -- the civilian population gets caught in the middle . When one side comes in , Beattie said , everyone living in the area is suspected of having collaborated with the enemy . That sometimes leads to massacres , or at least kidnappings and death threats . `` The majority of displacements in Colombia are not because of combat , but because people are directly threatened , '' said Gustavo Valdivieso , spokesman in Colombia for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees . `` They are told , ` Leave or be killed . ' '' Many times , indigenous populations in far-flung places suffer the most . That 's what happened earlier this year to the Awa tribe in southwest Colombia . The FARC admitted in an Internet statement that guerrillas `` executed '' eight people February 6 in the town of Rio Bravo because the rebels believed the Indians were gathering information to give to the Colombian military . The Human Rights Watch organization said the guerrillas tortured some of the Awa before killing them with knives . Luis Evelis Andrade of the National Indigenous Organization of Colombia said the FARC had targeted the Awa because the Indians do n't want to get involved in the armed struggle and refuse to reveal information on government troop actions . He said the FARC had abducted 120 Awa in February and killed 44 . `` We are very worried about the Awa community , '' said Monsignor Gustavo Giron Higuita , the bishop of the city of Tumaco . `` It is a community that is pretty unprotected and that in the past five years has received a type of persecution by armed groups . '' The Colombian government has issued a `` risk report '' warning that civilians in the region are in danger , and the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees proclaimed an alert this week about threats against human rights workers . A U.N. report notes that displacement disproportionately affects Colombia 's poorest citizens , and their lives get worse after they are forced to flee . One of every two displaced Colombians is unemployed and a similar number live in makeshift homes made of cloth , cardboard or wood , says the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees . More than three-fourths of children who leave school after being displaced never return . Then there 's the issue of forced conscription . According to Reliefweb , between 12,000 and 14,000 minors have been forced to join armed groups . Valdivieso , the U.N. spokesman in Colombia , notes that displaced residents have lost about 15 million acres -LRB- 6 million hectares -RRB- . That 's an area about the size of West Virginia . `` You have displaced people living in hunger in the cities of Colombia while they still have property , '' Valdivieso said . Displacement occurs when people move within a country . When they leave the country , they become refugees . The problem occurs among all segments of Colombian society . The political class is often hit hard . Ramiro Echeverri was among 12 regional lawmakers the FARC kidnapped on April 11 , 2002 , in Cali , Colombia 's third-largest city . The rebels killed him and 10 others on June 18 , 2007 , when a Colombian army patrol came upon the camp in which the hostages were being held . When the bodies were recovered three months later , autopsies showed most had been shot several times in the back . Echeverri 's son , also named Ramiro , was a doctor in Cali at the time . `` We buried him and the next day we left the country , '' he said . He , his wife and younger sister first went to Ecuador , where they lived for two months before securing passage to Atlanta , where he works as a neurological researcher for the Emory University School of Medicine . His mother stayed behind but visits often , especially after the birth of her granddaughter , Rafaela , four months ago . Echeverri , 28 , has been in the United States for 16 months but still harbors hopes to return . `` Of course , '' he said . `` It is a very good country . I believe there will be a solution . Once there is , I will go back . '' Atlanta resident Ibonne Pinilla Martinez , 25 , tells a similar story . Her father was a politician in Palmira , in southwest Colombia about 17 miles east of Cali . He started receiving threats and some colleagues were kidnapped . They first moved around inside Colombia , living in three cities over a two-year period . She , her parents and a younger sister then lived in Costa Rica for five years before moving to Atlanta two years ago , the soft-spoken Pinilla said . `` There is always fear when someone makes threats , '' she said . She , too , holds expectations of returning some day . `` We will wait for the right time and for all that to end , '' Pinilla said . Many refugees end up in Ecuador because it 's the nearest country to the killing fields of southwestern Colombia . Some are forced there by the fighting . `` Over the course of the past five years , the FARC has been pushed back into Colombia 's less densely populated jungle regions and across the Ecuadorian border , '' said Patrick Esteruelas , an analyst with the Eurasia Group consulting firm . `` More and more citizens in southern Colombia have been forced out and had nowhere else to go but Ecuador . '' Beattie , the aid agency official , has noticed the same phenomena . `` The Colombians go across where the violence pushes them that way , '' she said . `` Often , that 's the only direction they can go . '' Ecuador has started incorporating the displaced Colombians , giving residency status to 5,500 in the past few weeks . That may seem surprising , given the poor standing between the countries . Ecuador broke diplomatic relations with Colombia in March 2008 and amassed troops along the border after a Colombian military attack against a FARC camp inside Ecuador . The attack killed 25 people , including rebel leader Raul Reyes , four Mexicans and an Ecuadorian . No country in the area is afraid of Ecuador , says Frechette , the former U.S. ambassador . Neither is the FARC . `` Ecuador is a very weak state . It 's lost 60 percent of its territory since its independence -LRB- in 1822 -RRB- , '' he said . `` Ecuador is a little guy who gets pushed around by everybody . '' Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa used the tension to forge national unity when he successfully ran for re-election in April 2009 , said Vengoechea . `` It was more convenient for President Correa to be an enemy of Colombia than a friend of Colombia , '' Vengoechea said . `` Now both sides have been trying to find common points to restore diplomatic relationships , '' Esteruelas said . The issue of residency visas , he said , `` is one such point . '' Ecuador also may have felt the need to do something about the FARC . `` Ecuadorians are also under a lot of pressure since allegations that the FARC was coming across the border and Ecuador has been looking the other way , '' said Esteruelas . `` Ecuador is under pressure to register all Colombian immigrants coming in to prevent Colombian rebels from coming into Ecuador unregistered and unnoticed . '' | Colombian civilians caught in cross fire between rebels , government forces . `` Violence against civilians is a strategy of war , '' relief worker says . Many civilians flee homes as a result of direct threats . Ecuador is country closest to Colombia 's killing fields , many flee there . | [[249, 286], [380, 482], [1788, 1916], [3113, 3167], [714, 784], [486, 501], [520, 628], [3446, 3484], [3487, 3513], [8222, 8289], [123, 170], [1577, 1599], [1663, 1717], [7822, 7936], [8222, 8268], [8294, 8330]] |
CANNES , France -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Editor 's note : Watch The Screening Room Cannes special on CNN at the following dates and times : Wednesday 27 May : 0730 , 1730 , Saturday 30 May : 0730 , 1800 , Sunday 31 May : 0430 , 1730 , Monday 31 May : 0300 -LRB- All times GMT -RRB- . In the most high-profile amalgamation of Indian and western talent yet , Academy Award-winning actor Ben Kingsley stars with Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan in a drama about a pair of maths geniuses . Ben Kingsely who stars in `` Teen Patti '' is the first Academy Award-winner ever to take a role in a Bollywood movie . Bollywood-produced `` Teen Patti '' -LRB- `` Card Game '' -RRB- also marks Kingsley 's first return to Indian filmmaking since playing the title role in `` Gandhi , '' the critically-acclaimed biopic of the Indian leader that propelled him to fame in 1982 . He is the first Oscar-winning Hollywood actor ever to star in a Bollywood movie , and Kingsley believes that the future of filmmaking could lie in combining the twin talents of the world 's biggest film industries . `` I think the two talents put together could be extraordinary , '' Kingsley told CNN in Cannes where he was promoting `` Teen Patti . '' The 65 year-old English actor maintains that western cinema is suffering from a lack of originality and `` heart , '' with many films just ending up as a `` copy of a copy of a copy . '' He thinks that the Indian approach to filmmaking can give western productions the infusion of originality they need -- and that filmmakers in India can benefit from `` the technology , and the casting opportunities , the directorial opportunities of the west . '' `` Teen Patti '' is set in India and the UK , where Kingsley shot all of his scenes , and uses English and Hindi dialogue . The drama , which cost a mere $ 7 million to make , will have its world premiere in Mumbai in August . Watch CNN The Screening Room producer Neil Curry search for Ben Kingsely in Cannes '' It tells the story of a university professor , played by Bachchan , who schools five of his most able students in the finer points of high-stakes gambling . The film 's plot is reported to be similar to `` 21 , '' the 2008 Kevin Spacey drama , based on the story of the MIT Blackjack Team . Indian production company Serendipity Films , which was launched in 2003 by Ambika Hinduja , a member of one of India 's richest families , is behind the picture . One of the company 's central projects is cultural-fusion projects , like this one . The company is aiming to enter the big league by investing $ 50 million over the next three years in projects which bring together Indian and western talent . Do you think that Bollywood can make movies for a western audience ? Tell us below in the SoundOff box . Kingsley says he has wanted to be associated with mainstream Indian film ever since he made `` Gandhi '' -- an Indo-British production and so not `` entirely an Indian film '' -- with director Richard Attenborough in India . The actor who is acclaimed for performances in `` Sexy Beast '' -LRB- 2000 -RRB- and `` Schindler 's List '' -LRB- 1993 -RRB- says he wanted to know what it would be like to work with an Indian director -- Leena Yadav , `` who was amazing '' -- and a huge Indian star like Bachchan . `` I was very curious about him and he was very curious about me , '' says Kingsley of working with 66 year-old Bachchan , or `` Big B '' as India 's most prominent Bollywood star is affectionately known to audiences . Bachchan 's deep voice and brooding persona changed the face of Hindi cinema in the 1970s . Up until then Bollywood screens had been populated by wisecracking loverboys -- the trademark Indian hero in the 1960s . Today , he is best-known for hosting the Indian version of `` Who Wants To Be a Millionaire '' -LRB- `` Kaun Banega Crorepati '' -RRB- . Kingsley says that while on set , he and Bachchan `` circled each other like hunters . '' Despite his respect for the Godfather of Bollywood , Kingsley refused to socialize with the star : `` Because my character in this film is discovering Bachchan 's character and if it 's all frittered away in social ` bla-bla ' there 's nothing left to discover . '' Kingsley 's Indian connection goes back even further than `` Gandhi . '' The British actor was born Krishna Bhanji to an English mother an Indian father and adopted his British name while at drama school . Apart from his Bollywood work Kingsley has just finished filming a Martin Scorsese directed period drama , `` Shutter Island , '' which is expected to hit cinemas later this year . He is also busy producing his own films as part of SBK Pictures , the production company he founded in 2007 , as he says , `` putting into practice all the things that one has learnt along the way . '' The company currently has five films in development , one of which is a drama about native Indians called `` Whispers Like Thunder . '' For Kingsley , producing is a chance to have some control over the filmmaking process that is n't possible as an actor . `` It 's tragic when -LSB- a film -RSB- just misses , '' he told CNN . `` If you 'd made a slight adjustment in your casting , or your writing , or your director of photography or the rhythm of editing , it could have been absolutely perfect . '' Other Hollywood stars mixing with Bollywood include Sylvester Stallone , who will appear in Sabir Khan 's romantic comedy , `` Kambakkht Ishq '' and Mickey Rourke is set to star in Vidhu Vinod Chopra 's Hollywood debut , `` Broken Horses . '' | Oscar-winner Ben Kingsley stars with Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan . `` Teen Patti '' is Kingsley 's first return to Indian filmmaking after `` Gandhi in 1982 . It is the first time an Oscar-winner has starred in Bollywood film . Most high-profile amalgamation of western and Indian movie-making talent yet . | [[278, 348], [351, 378], [383, 422], [604, 625], [673, 766], [484, 496], [527, 585], [530, 560], [566, 603], [862, 941], [278, 348], [351, 378], [383, 422], [2621, 2629], [2636, 2678]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Staff Sgt. Cody Reeves has survived harrowing conditions and stared down enemies on the battlefield during two tours in the military hotspots of Iraq . Staff . Sgt. Cody Reeves works out with his fellow Old Guard soldiers . Now he is stationed near Dover Air Force Base in Delaware , trained to carry the remains of fellow soldiers who perished in that same conflict . Before , `` it was all about catching the bad guy , '' Reeves said . `` When you come here , it 's all about honoring your brothers who are fallen for catching the bad guys , for their service . '' Reeves serves in the Army 's Old Guard , a tight-knit group of soldiers of similar height and size who physically bear the weight of the Army 's fallen veterans . The Old Guard conducts a 15-minute ceremony called a dignified transfer . A recent decision by Defense Secretary Robert Gates gives families the choice to allow media to film the solemn event . It 's the first time in 20 years the ceremony has been open to the press . Watch members of the Old Guard in action '' Every detail of the transfer is precise . When an American soldier dies overseas , the Old Guard is called into action . They travel from their base to Dover , where they meet the aircraft carrying the soldier 's body . The six men receive the flag-draped casket , which can weigh 500 pounds , and carry the soldier 's body to a waiting vehicle . Women serve as officers in charge on the Army transfer teams , but do not carry the caskets . For Air Force transfers , which use eight people , women help carry the coffin . Despite the cold or the heat , the late hour when the planes often arrive and the physical and emotional strain of their job , the soldiers keep their faces blank . `` There 's definitely times where your mind goes off , even in the ceremony , '' said Spc. Wilbert Steinborn , another member of the Old Guard . `` You say , ` This guy might have a wife or kids or mother or father who 's never going to see him again . ' `` You ca n't let it show . Inside you might feel it , and definitely a human 's going to feel that -- they 're going to feel that emotion . But you ca n't show that on the outside , '' Steinborn said . The men stifle sneezes , learn to yawn through their noses and betray no sign of the burden they carry . And -- what they say makes keeping their composure even more important -- the team performs its duties in front of the soldiers ' families . `` We 're soldiers too . We 're infantrymen . We could easily be in their place , '' Steinborn said . `` It 's hard because you honestly think you see your wife or your girlfriend sitting where the next-of-kin is . You can imagine yourself being there ... . So I think that 's why we try to be as precise and exact , and look as good , and make them look as good as possible . '' Some of the Old Guard choose to learn about the lives of the soldiers they 've carried . Reeves asks for information about the fallen after having participated in the ceremonies , but never before he greets the soldier 's body . `` It 's ` take care of business ' and then afterwards I like to know a little bit about the soldier , '' he said . `` That way you can keep emotions at bay and you 're just focused on doing the soldier part . '' Strikingly , the men , who head to their barracks ' gym for intense weight training twice a day and take five-mile runs as a team , seem to be able to communicate without speaking . After drilling for countless hours on the base 's grounds , they can feel if another man is even minutely out of step in the ceremony . Sometimes they 'll whisper corrections so discreetly no onlooker would ever notice . The nature of their job means the men also share a tighter , unspoken bond . `` When I was walking through the aircraft and saw the transfer case with the American flag draped over it , it was -- it was very emotional , '' Steinborn said . `` I do n't know if it sadness or pride or what , but -- it was honestly the most difficult and touching thing that I have ever done . '' | `` It 's all about honoring your brothers who are fallen , '' Reeves says . Army 's Old Guard transfers remains of soldiers who died in conflict . The team performs duties in front of the soldiers ' families . The nature of their job means the men share a tight , unspoken bond . | [[451, 467], [471, 489], [492, 530], [508, 530], [535, 571], [1115, 1153], [1156, 1193], [2398, 2464], [3424, 3468], [3690, 3766], [3720, 3727], [3733, 3766]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama delivered the commencement address Friday to the U.S. Naval Academy 's graduating class , speaking to an audience of 30,000 that included a former presidential candidate and proud parent of one of the graduates in attendance . Jack McCain shakes hands with President Obama at Friday 's commencement ceremony . John Sidney McCain IV , more commonly known as Jack , on Friday became the fourth McCain to graduate from the Annapolis , Maryland , service academy and the fourth with the same name . `` America , look at these young men and women . Look at these sailors and Marines . Here are the values that we cherish . Here are the ideals that endure , '' Obama told the crowd . About midday at the academy 's commissioning and graduation ceremony , McCain received a Bachelor of Science degree , taking the oath of office and being commissioned as an ensign in the U.S. Navy 103 years after his great-grandfather did the same . Watch Obama hug John McCain 's son '' With parents John and Cindy McCain watching , he shook hands with the president and then walked back into the crowd to applause and more hugs . Joe McCain told CNN that his brother plans to join his father and great-grandfather as naval aviators . `` His grandfather , JSM Jr. , was in submarines , commanding three different boats in World War II , '' he said . That grandfather later became Adm. McCain and was commander of the Pacific Theater during the Vietnam War , when Jack 's father , now Arizona Sen. John McCain , was being held as a prisoner of war in Hanoi . In an interview last year with GoMids.com , Jack McCain reflected on the advice his father gave him on the day he arrived at the Naval Academy . `` My dad told me there is one thing McCains are good at , and that is not giving in to pressure , and honor -- keeping our honor regardless of what happens , '' Jack McCain said . `` He then said , ` Do n't lie , cheat or steal -- anything else is fair game . ' '' John McCain , the Republican presidential nominee in 2008 , frequently poked fun at his record at the Naval Academy while on the campaign trail , pointing out that he `` stood fifth from the bottom '' of his class and racked up dozens of demerits . At a campaign event last October , McCain joked that Jack needed a `` DNA check '' because he had yet to receive a single demerit . -LRB- Jack McCain told GoMids.com that he did accumulate some demerits -- for wearing flip-flops outside and forgetting to shave -RRB- . McCain told Fox News on Thursday that his son is graduating `` in better class standing than I had , which was n't hard to do . '' `` I 'm very proud of him , '' he said . Meghan McCain , Jack 's older sister , sent a message on Twitter Friday saying her younger brother , Jimmy , could not attend because he is serving overseas . McCain told Fox News he is returning home this weekend . In his remarks to the students , Obama made a vow that he would not send them to war unless it is `` absolutely necessary . '' `` It 's a promise that as long as I am your commander in chief , I will only send you into harm 's way when it is absolutely necessary , and with the strategy , the well-defined goals , the equipment and the support that you need to get the job done , '' he said . `` This includes the job of bringing the Iraq war to a responsible end and pursuing a new comprehensive strategy to disrupt , dismantle and defeat al Qaeda and its allies in Afghanistan and Pakistan . '' Obama also promised additional assistance to military families , vowing that `` we will be with you every step of the way , increasing your pay , increasing child care and helping families deal with the stress and separation of war . '' And he said new laws will help ensure that veterans are well taken care of . Obama 's commencement address was his third and final of the year . He was also commencement speaker at Arizona State University and the University of Notre Dame . | Son of Sen. John McCain , the former GOP presidential candidate , graduates . Jack McCain shakes hands with Obama , who delivers commencement address . He is the fourth McCain to graduate from Naval Academy . Obama vows to not send them to war unless it is `` absolutely necessary '' | [[19, 122], [262, 344], [1047, 1080], [345, 366], [409, 529], [2889, 2919], [2922, 2980], [3082, 3151]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Sailors aboard a U.S. ocean surveillance ship reacted with a mix of bemusement and profanity to what they said was harassment by Chinese ships earlier this month , according to video released Friday by the Pentagon . The Navy says this shows a trawler crew member using a hook to try to snag the Impeccable 's towed acoustic array . `` Chinese aggression , from aboard the USNS Impeccable , '' one member of the American ship 's crew is heard narrating . `` Details at 11 . '' The Pentagon has raised concerns about a March 8 incident in which `` increasingly aggressive '' Chinese ships harassed the Impeccable , an unarmed survey ship with a mostly civilian crew . China 's government accused the ship of violating Chinese and international laws during its patrols , which took place more than 100 miles off the Chinese coast . `` The U.S. claims are gravely in contravention of the facts and confuse black and white and they are totally unacceptable to China , '' Ma Zhaoxu , a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman , said after news of the incident emerged . Five Chinese vessels shadowed the Impeccable , with two of them closing to within 25 feet while their crews waved Chinese flags and stripped down to their underwear in a sign of disrespect . The Impeccable also turned fire hoses on one of the ships `` in order to protect itself , '' the Pentagon said . The Pentagon said the Chinese also attempted to snag the sonar equipment that the ship was towing behind it , leaving crew members discussing possible orders to destroy the equipment at one point . `` Lou and Wilson man the hoses while the Chinese irritate us to tears , '' the video 's narrator reports . `` Here he comes for another swipe at the array cable . '' Watch Pentagon video of Impeccable incident '' The 281.5-foot Impeccable is one of six surveillance ships that perform military survey operations , according to the Navy . It is an oceanographic ship that gathers underwater acoustic data , using sonar . It has a maximum speed of 13 knots -- or about 15 mph -- but it travels 3 knots , or 3.5 mph , when towing its array of monitoring equipment . It carries a crew of 20 mariners , five technicians and as many as 20 Navy personnel . The Chinese ships involved included a navy intelligence collection ship , a Bureau of Maritime Fisheries patrol vessel , a State Oceanographic Administration patrol vessel and two small Chinese-flagged trawlers , the statement said . | Irritation shows in video taken during harassment of U.S. ship by Chinese vessels . China says Navy surveillance vessel was violating Chinese and international law . USS Impeccable turned fire hoses on vessel that came close in March 8 incident . Crew discussed possibly destroying sonar equipment Impeccable was towing . | [[131, 135], [141, 191], [697, 796], [546, 564], [574, 641], [1281, 1295], [1301, 1338], [1412, 1423], [1429, 1501], [1512, 1591]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Four British Coastguard helicopters of the same model as the one that crashed off Canada last week have been grounded in Scotland to replace a gearbox mounting part , and all those models worldwide are expected to be grounded as well . Sikorsky 's Web site says the S-92 `` is the most advanced aircraft '' in its civil product line . This move comes after the Transportation Safety Board of Canada indicated on Friday that the components must be replaced on Sikorsky-92 A helicopters across the globe . The Canadian agency said the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration will issue an emergency airworthiness directive , effectively grounding all Sikorsky S-92 A helicopters worldwide until the parts are replaced . On March 12 , 17 people died when a Sikorsky S-92 A operated by Cougar Helicopters crashed or ditched in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Newfoundland . One person survived . Canada 's transportation board on Friday said investigators found a broken main gearbox component that had been addressed in a January alert from Sikorsky . Sikorsky 's alert , on January 28 , said the `` main gearbox filter bowl assembly mounting titanium studs should be replaced with steel mounting studs . '' This `` one-time modification '' was to be done within 1,250 flight hours or within a year of the alert 's issue date . According to Britain 's Maritime and Coastguard Agency , Sikorsky on Friday notified helicopter contractor CHC that aircraft operating out of Stornoway and Shetland in Scotland need the `` urgent modification . '' The British agency said that when it is clear how long the helicopters will be grounded or need to undergo engineering work , the agency `` will take a decision on implementing a contingency plan for longer term air coverage . The aircraft on the south coast are unaffected . '' | Canadian authorities warn Sikorsky-92 A helicopters need gearbox part replaced . FAA to issue emergency directive ordering repair , Canadian safety board says . Four British Coastguard helicopters grounded in Scotland to replace a part . Sikorsky-92 A crashed last week off Newfoundland ; 17 people died . | [[393, 539], [929, 1026], [540, 697], [9, 32], [90, 100], [130, 200], [93, 100], [106, 134], [751, 762], [765, 802]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- U.S. and NATO forces are engaged in a futile war against the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan , Canada 's prime minister said . Canadian leader Stephen Harper says he backs President Obama 's `` renewed commitment to Afghanistan . '' `` We are not going to ever defeat the insurgency , '' Stephen Harper told CNN 's Fareed Zakaria in an interview that aired Sunday . `` Afghanistan has probably had -- my reading of Afghanistan history -- it 's probably had an insurgency forever , of some kind . '' Harper 's blunt assessment comes as nearly 2,800 Canadian forces are fighting in Afghanistan . The country 's parliament has voted to pull them out by 2011 . Harper spoke with Zakaria last week after a visit by President Obama , who made Canada his first foreign trip since taking office in January . Obama has said Afghanistan is the central front to the U.S.-led war on terror . The Pentagon is in the process of sending an additional 17,000 troops to Afghanistan , bringing the total there to 55,000 . Harper told CNN that he supports Obama 's `` renewed commitment to Afghanistan '' but said he would not recommit any more Canadian troops until there is a clear plan for leaving Afghanistan . `` What has to happen in Afghanistan is , we have to have an Afghan government that is capable of managing that insurgency and improving its own governance , '' Harper said . `` If President Obama wants anybody to do more , I would ask very hard questions about what is the strategy for success and for an eventual departure . '' | Prime Minister Stephen Harper : `` We are not going to ever defeat the insurgency '' Canada 's parliament has voted to pull its troops from Afghanistan by 2011 . Harper says he supports President Obama 's `` renewed commitment to Afghanistan '' But Harper says he wo n't recommit more troops until there 's a clear plan for leaving . | [[116, 147], [254, 303], [615, 677], [148, 250], [184, 214], [193, 250], [1025, 1162], [1025, 1162], [1025, 1031], [1111, 1216]] |
BAGHDAD , Iraq -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Members of an Iranian group say Iraqi forces have beaten and abused them as Iraqis move to expel the Iranians from a camp on Iraqi land . About 3,500 people live at Camp Ashraf , where members of the People 's Mujahedin have lived for 24 years . The Iranian group -- designated a terrorist organization by the United States and Iran -- has asked the United States to intervene on their behalf . About 3,500 people live at Camp Ashraf , most of them members of the People 's Mujahedin Organization of Iran who have lived at the camp for 24 years after fleeing Iran . Iran , Iraq , Canada and the United States consider the People 's Mujahedin , which opposes the government in Tehran , a terrorist organization , although the European Union removed the group from its terrorist list in January . The United Kingdom did so last year . The People 's Mujahedin accused the Iraqi military of entering the camp north of Baghdad on Friday and forcibly evacuating a building that served mostly as a women 's dormitory . Ashraf residents rallied Monday against the military , chanting for Imam Hussein -- the Prophet Mohammed 's grandson and a holy figure for Shiite Muslims -- to save them from the abuse of the Iraqi soldiers . Statements from the National Council of Resistance to Iran , an umbrella group of Iranian opposition organizations -- the largest of which is the People 's Mujahedin -- accuse Iraq 's Shiite-dominated government of doing the bidding of Iran 's supreme leader , Ayatollah Ali Khamenei , also a Shiite . `` The Iranian Resistance calls for urgent intervention of the U.S. government and competent international bodies to neutralize plots by the clerical regime and prevent a human catastrophe in Camp Ashraf , '' said a statement dated Sunday . Iraq 's government denied that it was acting on Khamenei 's behalf . `` The Iraqi government 's position is clear and there is no retreat from its decision to close Camp Ashraf , '' said a statement from the office of National Security Adviser Mowaffak al-Rubaie . `` The national security adviser is only implementing the decision and the policy of the Iraqi government . '' The National Council also accused the Iraqis of barring delivery of all supplies to the camp except for food , banning Iraqi workers from entering the camp and blocking families from visiting relatives inside the camp . The Iraqi government statement denied keeping supplies from Camp Ashraf . `` The Iraqi government continues to facilitate all humanitarian materials entering Camp Ashraf , '' the Iraqi statement said . '' ... We welcome any visit by any international organization . '' A People 's Mujahedin spokesman in Camp Ashraf called the statement false and asked international groups `` to visit Ashraf and observe the facts and realities of the present situation by themselves . '' Camp Ashraf , which has housed Iranians since the mid-1980s , was under U.S. protection until January 1 , when it was handed over to the Iraqis . Maryam Rajavi , president-elect of the National Council and the long-time leader of People 's Mujahedin , sent a letter to President Obama asking for help against `` a conspiracy hatched by the religious dictatorship ruling Iran against the lives of 3,500 residents of Camp Ashraf . '' Rajavi cited comments by Khamenei during a meeting with Iraqi President Jalal Talibani last month calling for the expulsion of the People 's Mujahedin from Iraq and later comments by former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani during a trip to Baghdad calling for Camp Ashraf 's closure . After those remarks , the National Council said , al-Rubaie declared that the Iranians at Camp Ashraf had no right to refugee status or to political asylum and would be expelled either back to Iran or to a third country . Rajavi , in her letter to Obama , asked the president to `` issue an order so that the arrangements for the protection of Ashraf are reinstated to that which was in place before January 2009 , i.e. , the U.S. forces be tasked with the protection of Ashraf . '' The U.S. military in Iraq had no comment on the matter , referring queries to the State Department , which did not have an immediate comment . Also known as Mujahedin-e-Khalq , People 's Mujahedin was initially formed to oppose the shah of Iran , but fell out of favor with the Islamic revolution of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini after 1979 . People 's Mujahedin , which promotes a secular , Marxist government for Iran , waged a violent campaign against the fundamentalist Islamic Tehran government -- including bombings that killed politicians , judges and Cabinet members -- for years . The group allied with Saddam Hussein in Iraq in the mid-1980s and fought with the Iraqis against Iran in the latter years of the Iran-Iraq war . People 's Mujahedin renounced violence in 2001 , but a group of 12 former members told Human Rights Watch in 2005 that they were subject to physical and psychological abuse when they made it known they wanted to leave the organization . The group is also said to have provided Western governments with information about Iran 's nuclear program . The National Council accused al-Rubaie in particular of `` clearly implementing the dictates of Khamenei '' and said he should `` be prosecuted by international forces . '' | People 's Mujahedin Organization of Iran have lived at camp for 24 years . Group is considered terrorist organization by United States , others . Iraqi government has decided to close the camp . Group says Iraq is doing bidding of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei , who group opposes . | [[199, 203], [213, 279], [494, 538], [543, 599], [280, 297], [301, 366], [600, 675], [1916, 1974], [3541, 3585], [1397, 1420], [1424, 1513], [1829, 1866]] |
SRINAGAR , Indian-controlled Kashmir -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Senior Pakistani and Indian military officials met Tuesday to discuss a border clash in Kashmir , the first major skirmish between South Asia 's nuclear rivals since a 2003 cease-fire . Indian army soldiers on the outskirts of Kashmir 's summer capital Srinagar . Pakistan 's army spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas told CNN that Pakistan `` made our point clear '' regarding the firefight , which he said began after Indian soldiers crossed the Line of Control that separates Kashmir between India and Pakistan . But an Indian military spokeswoman , Capt. Neha Goyal , told CNN Pakistani troops crossed the Line of Control and `` started firing on our patrol , '' killing an Indian soldier . `` Our troops also retaliated and the Pakistan army troopers ran back , '' she said . Abbas said `` further action should be taken '' following Tuesday 's `` flag meeting , '' but did not elaborate . The meeting took place along the Line of Control . Reports in India 's media said four Pakistani soldiers were killed , but Pakistan 's military `` strongly denied the report of any -LRB- casualties -RRB- on the Pakistani side . '' Pakistan 's military also denied its forces crossed the Line of Control , saying the skirmish started when Indian soldiers tried to establish a forward post on Pakistan 's side of the line . `` On Pakistan 's ' objection , Indian troops opened indiscriminate and unprovoked fire , '' a Pakistan military news release , posted on Monday , stated . `` The Indian fire was immediately responded to . The firing continued -- intermittently during the whole night . '' Pakistan said the Indian soldiers `` were forced to flee from the area leaving behind their weapons '' after the firefight . Indian and Pakistani forces have exchanged periodic gunfire since May , but Monday 's clashes appear to be a serious setback to the ongoing peace process between the two nations . India and Pakistan had announced a bilateral cease-fire all along their borders in November 2003 and the cease-fire had been holding on the borders until recently . Kashmir has been at the root of two wars between India and Pakistan , both of which tested nuclear weapons in 1998 . An 18-year separatist campaign in the Indian-controlled portion of the largely Muslim territory has claimed more than 43,000 lives , according to government officials , although human rights groups and nongovernmental organizations put the toll at twice that number . India has long accused Pakistan of supporting the separatists in Kashmir , a charge Pakistan denies . India blamed militants from Pakistan for a suicide car bombing outside its embassy in Afghanistan that killed 58 people on July 7 . A December 2001 attack on India 's parliament that India blamed on the militants brought the two nations to the brink of another war , but they have expanded economic and cultural ties since the November 2003 cease-fire agreement . -- CNN 's Aliza Kassim in Atlanta and Mukhtar Ahmad in Srinagar contributed to this report . | Pakistan : Fighting began after Indian soldiers crossed the Line of Control . India accused Pakistan of attacking one of its patrols , killing a soldier . Firefight took place across the Line of Control border in disputed Kashmir region . | [[429, 442], [459, 514], [1178, 1198], [1252, 1368], [715, 745], [2599, 2696]] |
LA PAZ , Bolivia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Heads of South American nations lent support Monday night to President Evo Morales of Bolivia , who says opposition leaders are trying to overthrow his government . Indigenous people from El Alto , Bolivia , take part in an anti-U.S. demonstration in La Paz on Monday . Confronting their first crisis , members of the four-month-old Union of South American Countries voted to create a commission to support Morales ' democratically elected government , said President Michelle Bachelet of Chile . She read a nine-point statement on Chilean TV that calls for the support of human rights and democracy and the preservation of Bolivia 's territorial integrity . The statement condemns any attempts to overthrow the government . It also said the new commission would investigate a reported massacre in the Bolivian state of Pando , where violent clashes killed 30 people last week . Those clashes pitted supporters of eastern governors who want autonomy against the central government . The South American leaders also urged dialogue to address disputes in Bolivia . Morales attended the emergency meeting of the union , which is modeled on the European Union and aims to politically and economically integrate South American countries . The president is poised to approve the start of negotiations between his leftist government and opposition leaders of five provinces who demand greater autonomy and the cancellation of a constitutional referendum that would give the president more power . The opposition also is angry over tax money that Morales is diverting from the provinces to fund elderly programs . Morales said the opposition leaders are trying to overthrow the government . `` This is a coup in the past few days by the leaders of some provinces , with the takeover of some institutions , the sacking and robbery of some government institutions and attempts to assault the national police and the armed forces , '' Morales said . Opposition leaders say they merely want their demands met . Police kept order Monday during a march by about 2,000 pro-government groups opposed to the violence in the provinces . The demonstrators marched past the U.S. Embassy in La Paz . Morales expelled the U.S. ambassador to Bolivia last week , blaming the American government for inciting the violence . The United States called the accusations `` false and baseless '' and said Bolivia was making a `` grave mistake . '' Most of South America 's leaders attended Monday 's emergency summit , with the exception of President Alan Garcia of Peru . Protest leaders asked to attend the summit in Santiago , Chile , but it was limited to heads of state . The protests started 21 days ago in Pando , Beni , Santa Cruz , Tarija and Chuquisaca provinces . The opposition groups have blockaded major roads and threaten to disrupt the nation 's natural gas shipments , particularly to Brazil and Argentina . Anti-government protesters also have clashed with police and taken over offices and buildings in the five provinces . Watch some of the violent demonstrations across Bolivia '' Much of the violence has taken place in Pando -- Morales declared martial law there Friday . On Monday , supporters of Morales , or his so-called militias , were gathering in Santa Cruz , and threatening to encircle the city , stoking fears that blood could be shed there . In Pando , it was reported that arbitrary arrests were taking place as the military took to the streets . Houses had been broken into and shot up , and civic leaders were fleeing to Brazil . It was uncertain , meanwhile , whether the Bolivian military remained solely behind Morales . Some signs of divisions had been seen within the military . Opposition leaders say they will not negotiate if there are any more deaths . Vice President Alvaro Garcia said the government will not negotiate about the dead citizens but will rigorously pursue those responsible for the killings . There are conflicting reports over who killed the 30 peasants . Opposition leaders say the peasants were ambushed by local forces . The government says the peasants were armed and initiated the firefight . The opposition has offered to lift the blockades as a goodwill gesture , but the government demanded that the protesters also relinquish the buildings and other property they have seized . Morales , Bolivia 's first indigenous president , was elected in December 2005 . CNN 's Ione Molinares and Journalist Martin Arostegui contributed to this report . | NEW : Bolivian president to return home to approve negotiations with provinces . South American nation have met to discuss violence in Bolivia . At least 30 people killed during past week of protests . Violence is centered in the eastern province of Pando . | [[1270, 1402], [856, 861], [870, 914], [856, 861], [870, 914], [3107, 3152]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Recent headlines focusing on the rash of pirate attacks off the coast of Somalia should instead focus on the humanitarian crisis driving Somalis to commit crimes on the high seas , an international aid group said Thursday . Somalia 's population have suffered from a lack of the most basic services . An estimated one-third of Somalia 's population desperately needs emergency aid , the international agency Oxfam said , as donors to Somalia met in Brussels , Belgium . `` Without economic opportunities offering alternatives to criminality , and without law and order to curb these activities , then the massive economic returns of hijacking ships will continue to drive piracy , '' Robert Maletta , policy adviser for Oxfam , said in a news release . `` The international community must urgently focus their attention on finding ways to assist the millions of people in desperate need , '' Maletta said . Somalia , which is racked by poverty and conflict , has not had a fully functioning government since 1991 , when its president was overthrown in Mogadishu , the capital . Drought and rising food prices have added to the nation 's problems , according to Maletta . `` Families are finding it difficult to meet their most basic needs , as prices for basic food items are at record high levels , '' he said . Not only do civilians need emergency aid , they also need protection from military abuses , aid groups said . `` Since Somalia 's security forces have committed so many violent abuses against civilians , efforts to strengthen them also need to make them more accountable , '' said Georgette Gagnon , Africa director for Human Rights Watch . The combination of security and humanitarian assistance is necessary to curb piracy in the region , which borders the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean , aid groups said . The April 8 hijacking of the U.S.-flagged cargo ship Maersk Alabama made headlines worldwide when its American captain , Richard Phillips , was held hostage by four Somali men . Phillips was rescued four days later , after U.S. Navy snipers fatally shot three pirates . The fourth suspect , Abduwali Abdukhadir Muse , was brought to New York to face federal piracy charges . Ships with aid supplies destined for countries in the region , including Somalia , also have been hijacked in the Indian Ocean . Pirates held a ship carrying U.N. food aid for 100 days in June 2005 . Two years ago , a cargo ship and crew delivering U.N. aid to Somalia were held and released after 40 days . The Maersk was going to the coastal town of Mombasa , Kenya , to deliver relief supplies intended for various countries in the region , including Somalia . | Oxfam : One-third of Somalia 's population desperately needs emergency aid . Somalia has not had a fully functioning government since 1991 . Groups : Security , humanitarian assistance necessary to curb piracy . Brussels meeting aimed at supporting Somalia 's security through more funding . | [[320, 399], [926, 933], [978, 1031], [1673, 1770], [402, 437], [440, 476]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In a Nairobi slum , more than one in four children under 5 will die , but in a wealthier part of the Kenyan capital , the mortality rate is one in almost 67 , according to a World Health Organization report released Tuesday . A woman lies next to her sick child at a medical center in Sheshemene , Ethiopia , in July . The World Health Report 2008 aims to spotlight disparities in health care across the globe , and as the Nairobi example illustrates , the differences exist not only between the First and Third Worlds -- they can occur just across town . WHO roundly criticizes the organization , finance and delivery of health care and calls advances in the field `` deeply and unacceptably unequal , with many disadvantaged populations increasingly lagging behind or even losing ground . '' The report says that a citizen of a wealthy nation can live up to 40 years longer than someone in a poor country , and of the 136 million women who will give birth this year , about 58 million -LRB- 43 percent -RRB- will receive no medical assistance during childbirth or the postpartum period . UNICEF Executive Director Ann Veneman said the sharp inequities in the cost and access to health care often speak to larger societal ills . `` High maternal , infant and under-five mortality often indicates lack of access to basic services such as clean water and sanitation , immunizations and proper nutrition , '' she said in a statement . WHO Director-General Margaret Chan insists the dilemma is not just a matter of haves versus have-nots . `` A world that is greatly out of balance in matters of health is neither stable nor secure , '' she said in a statement from Almaty , Kazakhstan , where the report was released . The difference in annual government expenditures on health care is more canyon than gap , according to the report . While the wealthiest nations dole out as much as $ 6,000 per person each year , some countries are unable or unwilling to spend more than $ 20 per person . However , while calling for wide-ranging reforms in the delivery of primary health care , the report notes that it is n't always a matter of government expenditures . Tajikistan and Sierra Leone both spend less than $ 100 per person on health care . But while the health-adjusted life expectancy in Sierra Leone is under 30 years of age , Tajikistan 's is almost 70 -- a figure comparable to the United States , which spends more than $ 2,500 a person on health care . `` When countries at the same level of economic development are compared , those where health care is organized around the tenets of primary health care produce a higher level of health for the same investment , '' the report says . WHO defines primary health care as being `` universally accessible to individuals and families in the community by means acceptable to them , through their full participation and at a cost that the community and country can afford . '' The organization 's report -- titled `` Primary Health Care -- Now More Than Ever '' -- calls for a move toward universal coverage to reverse a trend over the last 30 years in which disparities in the levels of health care have actually widened . Universal coverage , the report says , would lower the risks of disease outbreaks for everyone , not just the impoverished . Currently , the most common means of paying for health care is out of pocket , which WHO says is the `` most inequitable method for financing health care services . '' The report says more than 100 million people fall into poverty in a given year because of health care bills . Another problem , the report says , is that doctors tend not to focus on prevention . `` Rather than improving their response capacity and anticipating new challenges , health systems seem to be drifting from one short-term priority to another , increasingly fragmented and without a clear sense of direction , '' according to the report . But the report also handed out accolades , most notably to Iran and Cuba . WHO applauded the Islamic Republic 's 17,000 `` health houses , '' which serve about 1,500 people each . The report credited the centers with boosting Iranians ' life expectancy from 63 to 71 years between 1990 and 2006 . And in Cuba , the nation 's `` polyclinics '' have yielded one of the longest life expectancies -LRB- 78 years -RRB- of any developing country , the report says . The report called for all sectors of society to help determine how health care is allocated , and it singled out the United States for spending just 0.1 percent of its health budget on health systems research -- the kind of research that policymakers use to decide how money is spent . The report also points to the pharmaceutical industry 's impact on health care in the United States , where the average expenditure on prescription drugs in 2005 was $ 1,141 per person -- twice the average in Canada , Germany and Britain , and 10 times the average in Mexico . To combat the problems facing global health care , WHO says in its report that nations must improve coverage and delivery , as well as policy and leadership . It acknowledges that primary health care is n't cheap , but asserts that the `` investment provides better value for money than its alternatives . '' `` The legitimacy of health authorities increasingly depends on how well they assume responsibility to develop and reform the health sector according to what people value -- in terms of health and of what is expected of health systems in society , '' the report says . | Health care disparities make world `` neither stable nor secure , '' WHO director says . Report : 43 percent of women giving birth this year will do so without medical help . Tajikistan , Sierra Leone have 40-year gap in life expectancy despite expenditures . Report applauds Iran , Cuba for finding ways to improve health care . | [[338, 428], [1556, 1566], [1590, 1647], [989, 1108]] |
-LRB- AOL Autos -RRB- -- Magazines are full of beauty and health secrets with tips on how to improve your inner health and polish and paint your external persona . All of this designed to keep you feeling young . With its low price , boxy-yet-stylish shape and must-have technology , the Scion xB is very youthful . We think that the beauty magazines are missing out on the best way to feel young : drive the right vehicle ! New cars for a fresh start . No offense to the Toyota Camry , Honda Accord and Chevy Malibu , but it 's almost impossible to feel young behind the wheel of an ordinary sedan , especially when every other car on the road is just like yours . We 've picked vehicles that are unique , different and even a little quirky . You are what you drive , and when you drive a spunky , youthful vehicle , that 's exactly what you are ! So , here are our choices for the top 10 vehicles to keep you feeling young : . 2008 smart fortwo pure coupe . Not since the original Volkswagen Beetle has a more perfectly youthful car been built than the smart fortwo pure coupe . This smart car has everything : it 's cheap , it 's fuel efficient , it 's safe -LRB- check out the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety ratings -RRB- , and best of all -- it is the cutest thing on four wheels . ` Nuff said . Starting at $ 11,590 . 2009 Nissan Versa . An excellent choice for a safe , efficient car , the Nissan Versa is no stripped-down econobox and it has a European style that makes others take a second look . It 's a genuinely comfortable , fun-to-drive cute car that will stand up to the rough treatment a young-at-heart driver can sometimes dish out . Starting at $ 12,990 . 2009 Honda Civic Hybrid . Driving a Toyota Prius is a statement to your friends and neighbors that you 're green ; driving a Honda Civic Hybrid is living green , pure and simple . There 's almost nothing less attractive than conspicuity . Give your inner beauty the opportunity to be green undercover in a subtle , stealthy Civic Hybrid . Starting at $ 23,550 . 2008 Subaru WRX STi . Nothing gets the heart beating like 305 hp . Add all-wheel drive and hatchback functionality and you have the Subaru WRX STi . Skip those troublesome , time-consuming trips to the gym and just give yourself a workout flogging the STi around the back roads , or throw some golf clubs in the back hatch and make your tee time in youthful style . Starting at $ 34,995 . 2010 Chevrolet Camaro . This one will take you back to your youth , the last heyday of the American Muscle Car . The 2010 Camaro is one of the most anticipated new cars due in the production pipeline , and anyone who drives one will be the center of attention . And that will make you feel young and beautiful . Prices to be announced . 2008 Mazda5 . When a minivan just is n't mini enough , maybe the mini-minivan is the answer to your needs . With seating for 6 , Mazda5 brings the capacity for carpooling without the style penalties of its larger minivan competitors , and fuel economy up to 28 mpg does n't hurt either . Feel young without looking like a soccer mom . Starting at $ 18,665 . 2008 Scion xB . With its low , low price , boxy-yet-stylish shape and must-have technology , the Scion xB makes a youthful statement just by showing up . Personalize your xB with accessories from Scion 's catalog , or from the extensive aftermarket that has grown up around the car . The bonus is that the xB is a very capable vehicle , and a lot of fun to drive . Starting at $ 16,420 . 2008 Toyota 4Runner . If you want to project an image of youthful vigor , muscularity , agility and strength -- without going over the top -- few vehicles do it as well as the Toyota 4Runner . That image is n't just on the surface ; the Toyota 4Runner is as comfortable on the trail as it is on the pavement . You get timeless good looks and reliability in one package . Starting at $ 28,415 . 2008 Jeep Wrangler . Is there a car more youthful and exuberant than the Jeep Wrangler ? The iconic off-roader has been a symbol of freedom , agility and capability for decades . Drop the soft-top , hang on to the integrated roll bar and head out for points west . Just do n't forget the sun block -- you want to look young as well as feel young . Starting at $ 20,205 . 2008 Vespa S . It was cool in the late 1960 's , and it 's cool again today . The Vespa S is a modern interpretation of the 1969 Vespa Special and the 1967 Vespa Primavera . An eco-friendly 150cc engine powers the S efficiently and smoothly , with enough oomph to keep up with city traffic . Easy to ride , easy to park , easy to love , the Vespa S might be the coolest ride on the block . Starting at $ 4,199 . | Some people say you are what you drive -- so drive something spunky ! Driving a Honda Civic Hybrid is living green , pure and simple . Toyota 4Runner projects youthful vigor , muscularity , agility and strength . Jeep Wrangler has been symbol of freedom , agility and capability for decades . | [[778, 815], [1797, 1861], [1921, 2020], [1944, 1947], [1960, 2020], [778, 815], [3541, 3654], [3999, 4088]] |
NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Former New York City police Commissioner Bernard Kerik pleaded not guilty in federal court Monday to a revised indictment charging him in a corruption and tax evasion case , according to a spokesman for the New York District Attorney . A revised indictment brings to 15 the number of counts against former police Commissioner Bernard Kerik . The revised indictment includes two new counts of aiding the filing of false returns and a charge involving making false statements while applying for a housing loan , spokesman Herbert Hadad of the district attorney 's office told CNN . Kerik is accused of failing to report more than $ 500,000 in income between 1999 and 2004 , said Patricia Haynes , the IRS agent in charge of the case . Prosecutors allege Kerik received and concealed benefits of about $ 255,000 in renovations to his Riverdale , New York , apartment from a company seeking to do business with the city of New York . Revisions to the original indictment , which included charges of corruption , conspiracy and tax evasion , bring to 15 the number of counts against Kerik . Barry Berke , Kerik 's attorney , declined to comment . The indictment also charges that Kerik made several false statements to the White House and other federal officials when he applied for the position as adviser to the Homeland Security Advisory Council , to the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq and in connection with his nomination to be secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security . U.S. District Judge Stephen Robinson did not rule Monday on whether the two counts that include charges of lying to White House officials will be tried in Washington or White Plains , New York . Kerik is due back in court February 3 for a hearing on pretrial motions , Hadad said . A trial date has not been set . Kerik , 53 , is a longtime friend and former protege of former Mayor Rudy Giuliani . President Bush nominated him to be secretary of homeland security after winning re-election in 2004 , but Kerik withdrew his name amid allegations that he employed a nanny who had a questionable immigration status . Bronx District Attorney Robert Johnson began investigating allegations that Kerik had traded payment on repairs to his Bronx apartment for favors , including city contracts . The former chief pleaded guilty in 2006 to accepting tens of thousands of dollars in gifts while he worked as city corrections commissioner . He was fined $ 221,000 and avoided jail time under his plea agreement . Before tapping Kerik for a Cabinet post , Bush dispatched him to Baghdad to train Iraqi police after the U.S. invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein . He left three months into an expected six-month stint , with Iraqi officials telling reporters that he had completed his assignment . In 2004 , he campaigned for Bush 's re-election and spoke at the Republican National Convention in New York . CNN 's Mary Snow contributed to this report . | Bernard Kerik is accused of failing to report more than $ 500,000 in income . Kerik is the former New York City police commissioner . Indictment also charges that Kerik made false statements to the White House . A trial date has not been set . | [[608, 697], [264, 369], [1170, 1184], [1190, 1285], [1203, 1318], [1589, 1702], [1803, 1834]] |
ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The video is deeply disturbing . Experts attribute long emergency rorom waits mostly to situations no one can control . In it , former CNN Headline News anchor Glenn Beck describes going to the emergency room in intense pain -- so overwhelming , he wept . He says that for two hours , no one gave him pain medication . In fact , he says , no one lifted a finger to help him at all for 40 minutes . Beck says his wife literally held him up in the emergency room , while nurses looked on and chatted about their holidays . He does not identify the hospital . `` I 'm in massive , massive pain , '' Beck writes on his Web site . `` This guy , this triage nurse , is 250 , 300 pounds , big guy . Not only does he not go to help my wife help me up , he actually had the audacity to stand there and drum his fingers against the door and look at us like , come on , come on , come on . '' Watch the video of Glenn Beck on his sickbed '' The video , which has had more than 800,000 hits on YouTube , brings to mind the case of Edith Rodriguez . Last year , she was on the floor of a Los Angeles hospital emergency room vomiting blood , and witnesses say no one did anything to help her . Her boyfriend actually called 911 , which refused to help since she was already in a hospital . Rodriguez died in the emergency room . These cases , while unusual , certainly happen , say emergency room doctors . `` There are truly situations where it 's so busy there are sick patients who are waiting . I will admit that , '' says Dr. Assaad Sayah , who runs three emergency rooms for Cambridge Health Alliance in the Boston , Massachusetts , area . `` Ridiculously long wait times are a huge issue , '' says Dr. David Beiser , an emergency medicine physician at the University of Chicago Medical Center . `` Recently we 've had over 40 patients in our waiting room . When I was in training -LSB- five years ago -RSB- , it was rare to see more than 20 patients in our waiting room . '' Donna Mason , an emergency room nurse for 33 years , says sometimes , she 'd have 75 patients waiting for 54 beds -- and she knew very sick patients were in the waiting room needing care . `` The greatest fear of every doctor or nurse is that -LSB- a situation like Beck 's -RSB- is going to happen in our emergency department , '' says Mason , the immediate past president of the Emergency Nurses Association . Released this week , a Harvard University analysis of more than 90,000 U.S. emergency room visits found that one in four heart-attack patients waited 50 minutes or more to be seen by a physician in an emergency room . These experts attributed long waits mostly to situations no one could control -- too many patients and too few beds . But they also acknowledged that ERs could be better organized . Sayah said reorganizing his ERs has led to dramatic decreases in waiting time . `` Beck would 've been in a bed in less than two minutes in my hospitals , '' he says . Waiting times are longer for patients who are n't very sick , but even for them , it 's better than it used to be . `` The average time from door to physician used to be about an hour . Now it 's 21 minutes , '' Sayah said . His staff -- especially those who greet patients -- receive customer service training . `` It 's just like the training they give in restaurants or entertainment places -- it 's how to be pleasant to people , '' he says . But what if you find yourself in an emergency room that has long waits and nasty employees ? Mason and the emergency room doctors have this advice about what not to do while navigating the ER : . 1 . Do n't forget to call your doctor on the way to the ER . When ER doctors hear from a fellow physician , they listen , says Beiser at the University of Chicago . `` They 'll talk to me professionally and put a bug in my ear , '' he says . `` This guy will now be on my radar screen . '' 2 . Do n't use an ambulance unless you really need it . `` There 's a myth out there that if you arrive in an ambulance , you 'll go straight back to the doctor , '' Mason says . `` But it 's not true . If we can see that you can walk , you may get asked to get off that gurney and go to the waiting room . '' 3 . Do n't be quiet . If the triage nurse -- that 's who makes the decisions about who needs care first -- is n't helping you , do n't stop there , says Sayah . `` Speak up . Say , ' I need to see the person in charge , ' '' he says . 4 . Do n't get angry , and do n't lie . While it 's important to make yourself heard , it 's also important to use basic etiquette . `` We 're all human , and usually when people are nice to us , we 're nicer back to them , '' Sayah says . Lying about your symptoms -- making them seem worse than they really are in hopes of getting attention faster -- can backfire , says Dr. William Bozeman , an emergency room doctor at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem , North Carolina . `` We have people saying they have crushing sub-sternal chest pain , that they 're having a heart attack , when in reality they 're trying to get Vicodin for chronic back pain , '' he says . When the staff figures it out , `` They may not be very pleased at all and may not treat you nicely . '' 5 . Do n't forget the phone . If things get really bad , and no one is helping you , look for a house phone , dial zero , and ask for the hospital administrator on call , Sayah says . `` Even the smallest hospitals have a hospital administrator or a patient advocate on call 24/7 , '' he says . `` Hospital administrators do n't want to hear patients are unhappy . Their job is to break the hurdles and move forward . '' Elizabeth Cohen is a correspondent for CNN Medical News . Senior producer Jennifer Pifer contributed to this report . | Experts : Call your doctor on the way to the emergency room . Do n't call an ambulance unless you absolutely need it . Try to be polite to the ER personnel , and do n't lie or misrepresent anything . As a last resort , call the hospital administrator on call . | [[3632, 3688], [3922, 3952], [3953, 3973], [4467, 4469], [4490, 4502], [5325, 5432]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A man who faked his drowning death nearly 20 years ago off a Florida beach was found out by North Carolina police who stopped him for a traffic violation , authorities said Thursday . Bennie Wint told police he faked his drowning death in Daytona Beach , Florida , in 1989 . Bennie Wint left behind a grieving fiancee and a daughter from a previous marriage . Over the past two decades , he acquired a common-law wife and another child in Marshall , North Carolina . Wint told police he faked his death in Daytona Beach , Florida , because he was `` paranoid '' about his narcotics-related activity at the time , Weaverville , North Carolina , police Sgt. Stacy Wyatt told CNN . When pulled over in Weaverville on Saturday because of malfunctioning lights on his license plate , the man said his name was James Sweet , Wyatt said . But when Wyatt ran the name through official databases , he was unable to find any information . `` I found it suspicious and believed it to be a false name , '' Wyatt said . He arrested the man on suspicion of driving without a license and giving false information , both misdemeanor offenses , and booked him under the name `` John Doe . '' But `` John Doe '' finally opened up to Wyatt , admitting he was really Bennie Wint and had been on the run since 1989 . Watch how reports of his death were premature '' Wint returned a call Thursday from CNN and asked what an interview with him would be `` worth to you . '' Told that CNN does not pay for interviews , he responded , `` Unless you want to pay for it , do n't come up here . You are wasting your time . There are ` no trespassing ' signs on my property . '' He then hung up . According to police reports , Wint was on a trip to Daytona Beach with his then-fiancee , Patricia Hollingsworth . She told police they were engaged and had discussed getting married while on the trip . But it was not to be . On September 25 , 1989 , Hollingsworth told beach patrol officials that Wint disappeared while swimming . `` We spent a bunch of time looking for him , '' said Volusia County Beach Patrol Capt. Scott Petersohn , who was on the beach patrol at the time , although he did not respond to the call . `` We used helicopters , boats and boatloads of lifeguards . '' Hollingsworth , then 37 , told officials Wint entered the ocean about 4 p.m. and swam past the breakers before she lost sight of him , according to the incident report . The report notes Hollingsworth was `` very upset '' and that after contacting officials , she `` began to run north and south in the area , '' looking for Wint . Members of the beach patrol , however , thought the supposed drowning was suspicious . `` It is very rare to drown offshore and not wash back in onto the shore , '' Petersohn said . In addition , he said , the lifeguard on the beach told officials he did not see anyone swimming in the area . Wyatt submitted Wint 's fingerprints to the FBI for identification and , while waiting for the results , searched the Internet for information on a Bennie Wint . `` I found a daughter that was looking for him , '' Wyatt said . The woman posted information about her father in 2007 , saying he went missing under suspicious circumstances . Wyatt contacted the now-23-year-old woman , who said she was 4 when her father disappeared . Wint has been released from jail and has not been charged in relation to the 1989 incident . It was not known whether he contacted his daughter . Wyatt said Wint now has a common-law wife , a child and a business selling NASCAR items . The night he was arrested , Wyatt said , his wife was `` distraught '' upon learning his true identity . Wyatt said Wint told him he was involved in narcotics in the 1970s and '80s , and `` he ran out of paranoia , thinking people were out to get him . '' He said he went from Daytona Beach to Ozark , Alabama . CNN 's attempts to contact Hollingsworth were unsuccessful , and it was unclear whether she knows Wint is alive . Petersohn said he is attempting to find the lifeguard on duty at Daytona Beach the day Wint disappeared to tell him the truth about the supposed drowning . `` For 20 years , that man that works for us thinks he might have missed something in the ocean , '' Petersohn said . `` I 'm glad the guy 's alive . I really am . ... It 's unfortunate the way it went down at the time , people looking for a body that was n't out there . '' | North Carolina officer did n't believe man 's story during traffic stop . He could n't find name man that gave in police database . Eventually , `` James Sweet '' confessed he was Bennie Wint . Wint was reported missing off Daytona Beach , Florida , in September 1989 . | [[111, 132], [137, 172], [855, 905], [908, 947], [1198, 1212], [1242, 1277]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A visit to the Eiffel Tower , the Statue of Liberty and the Pyramids is on the itinerary of most jet-setting travelers . Visiting the Eiffel Tower was voted the most overrated experience by tourists . But some of the most famous and iconic tourist attractions in the world are the most disappointing to actually visit , according to a survey of British tourists . And those questioned did n't think too highly of their own country 's best-known landmarks either , with Big Ben , Buckingham Palace and the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain also turning people cold . Travel expert Felice Hardy explained why many tourists , often after spending inflated amounts on reaching and then viewing the most famous places , are left with a feeling of anti-climax . `` It 's easy to be swayed by brochures that opt for the mainstream and focus on clichéd tourist sights around the world , '' she said . `` But many of them are overcrowded and disappointing . `` Pick carefully and do n't always go for the obvious . Natural phenomena are usually more exciting than the man-made , and can be wonderfully free of tourists . '' The Eiffel Tower -- described by Hardy as `` frustratingly overcrowded and overpriced '' -- was dubbed the most disappointing international sight . Britain 's biggest letdown was Stonehenge , a sacred Druid sight in the rural south of England , which was dismissed as `` an isolated pile of rocks in a usually muddy field '' by Hardy . The Diana fountain resembled `` a colorless wet skateboard park '' while as far as Big Ben was concerned : `` Once you 've seen it , you 'll know what time it is -- time to go somewhere else . '' Three of America 's most famous sights -- New York 's Times Square and Statue of Liberty plus The White House in Washington also made the list of shame . But the 1,267 adults questioned by Virgin Travel Insurance also nominated the best places to visit in the world , with the Treasury in the ancient city of Petra in Jordan topping the list . Other unmissables included the Grand Canal in Venice , Italy , the Masai Mara game reserve in Kenya and Australia 's Sydney Harbor Bridge . Alnwick Castle in Northumberland was voted Britain 's top tourist sight . TOP TEN MOST DISAPPOINTING GLOBAL SIGHTS . 1 . The Eiffel Tower , Paris ; 2 . The Louvre , Paris ; 3 . Times Square , New York ; 4 . Las Ramblas , Barcelona ; 5 . Statue of Liberty , New York ; 6 . Spanish Steps , Rome ; 7 . The White House , Washington DC ; 8 . The Pyramids , Egypt ; 9 . The Brandenburg Gate , Berlin ; 10 . The Leaning Tower of Pisa . TOP TEN MOST DISAPPOINTING UK SIGHTS . 1 . Stonehenge ; 2 . Angel of the North . Gateshead ; 3 . Blackpool Tower ; 4 . Land 's End , Cornwall ; 5 . Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain , London ; 6 . The London Eye ; 7 . Brighton Pier ; 8 . Buckingham Palace ; 9 . White Cliffs of Dover ; 10 . Big Ben . TOP TEN BEST GLOBAL SIGHTS . 1 . The Treasury at Petra , Jordan ; 2 . The Grand Canal , Venice ; 3 . The Masai Mara , Kenya ; 4 . Sydney Harbour Bridge ; 5 . Taroko Gorge , Taiwan ; 6 . Kings Canyon , Northern Territory , Australia ; 7 . Cappadoccia caves , Turkey ; 8 . Lake Titicaca , Peru and Bolivia ; 9 . Cable Beach , Broome , Western Australia ; 10 . Jungfraujoch railway , Switzerland . TOP TEN BEST UK SIGHTS . 1 . Alnwick Castle , Northumberland ; 2 . Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge , County Antrim ; 3 . The Royal Crescent , Bath ; 4 . Shakespeare 's Globe Theatre , Southwark , south London ; 5 . The Backs , Cambridge ; 6 . Holkham Bay , Norfolk ; 7 . Lyme Regis and the Jurassic Coast , Devon and Dorset ; 8 . Tate St Ives gallery , Cornwall ; 9 . Isle of Skye , Scotland ; 10 . The Eden Project , Cornwall E-mail to a friend . | Some of most iconic global tourist attractions are most disappointing to visit . The Eiffel Tower , the Statue of Liberty and the Pyramids on the list . The Treasury in the ancient city of Petra in Jordan voted the best place to visit . | [[157, 236], [241, 399], [601, 790], [642, 655], [741, 747], [750, 790], [1150, 1166], [1236, 1297], [1298, 1339], [1955, 2025]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Security contractors in Iraq use some over-the-top tactics and overreact at times , a top U.S. general in Iraq said Friday . Members of a private security company prepare the way for a U.S. convoy in Baghdad , Iraq . Many in Iraq have witnessed security contractors operating in a questionable fashion , said U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Joseph Anderson , chief of staff for the Multi-National Corps in Iraq . `` I can certainly say I 've seen them do some tactics that I thought were over the top . But that 's something we 've got to keep working out , '' Anderson said in a briefing to Pentagon reporters via teleconference from Iraq . His comments soon after Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he wants closer oversight of Pentagon contractors in Iraq . Gates has dispatched a team there to review accountability and oversight . Anderson did not offer specific examples of incidents he had seen . He agreed security contractors in Iraq have taken a lot of criticism , but he said they are in a tough position . `` They obviously have a tough job to do in a tough environment . I do n't know if they 're overly aggressive . I think the question becomes what rules do they follow with respect to what the rules of engagement are , '' he said . The actions of private security contractors have come under scrutiny since a Baghdad shooting incident earlier this month . Iraqi authorities say Blackwater guards fired indiscriminately , killing as many as 20 civilians ; Blackwater says its employees responded properly to an insurgent attack on a convoy . Under an order laid down by the U.S.-led occupation government in 2004 , security contractors are not subject to Iraqi law for actions taken within their contracts , a condition that irritates Iraqi officials . About 137,000 civilians are working for the U.S. military in Iraq , Gates said Wednesday . That number includes at least 7,300 of the estimated 25,000 private security contractors working in Iraq , he said . After the Blackwater shootings , Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England issued a memo to commanders in Iraq outlining their responsibility for holding contractors accountable , Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said . Anderson said the assessment team sent by Gates is getting a feel for how the military employs contractors , to what scale , what functions they 're providing and what differentiates between Department of Defense and Department of State contractors in the security role . The State Department also is investigating the role of private security contractors . Ambassador Patrick Kennedy , a management and policy expert , will lead the effort , along with a high-level panel of outside experts , including retired Gen. George Joulwan , former commander of NATO forces in Europe ; Stapleton Roy , former U.S. ambassador to China ; and Eric Boswell , a former assistant secretary of state for diplomatic security . Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice wants an interim report by next Friday . E-mail to a friend . | U.S. general says he 's seen private security contractors overreact . Defense secretary says he wants closer oversight of Pentagon contractors in Iraq . Iraqi officials upset after civilians killed by Blackwater USA guards . Blackwater says its contractors were attacked . | [[661, 664], [685, 780], [1393, 1398], [1415, 1425], [1458, 1489]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Throughout her career , singer-songwriter Cyndi Lauper has promoted gay and lesbian rights . She has a personal connection to this cause -- her sister is a lesbian -- but she also believes it 's a matter of fairness . Cyndi Lauper worked with Cathy Nelson of the Human Rights Campaign to raise awareness of LGBT issues . `` It 's always wrong to discriminate , '' the Grammy Award winner said . `` I grew up in the civil rights movement . It was wrong then , and it is wrong now . '' With her 2007 and 2008 `` True Colors '' tours , Lauper has helped raise awareness about lesbian , gay , bisexual and transgender rights around the country . She said fellow LGBT activist Cathy Nelson especially motivates her . Nelson worked at the Human Rights Campaign -LRB- HRC -RRB- , a national LGBT civil rights organization , and her dedication to those issues runs deep . Fighting for fairness and equality , she said , drives her . `` I 'm a lesbian , and I see the issues very personally , '' Nelson said . `` When it deep-down resonates that you do n't have the same rights and responsibilities , or people do n't view you the same , it can be demoralizing and empowering at the same time . '' Nelson 's passion for the cause has enabled her to inspire thousands of people across the country to get involved . When she was growing up in rural Illinois , Nelson said , she had n't imagined following this path . She trained to be a teacher , but on a whim , became a flight attendant with Eastern Airlines to fulfill her `` intense desire to travel . '' In the 1980s , she became involved with labor issues through her flight attendant union . That led to working on women 's issues with the National Organization of Women in Washington . In 1989 , she started working for the HRC . Since then , she has helped bring LGBT rights out of the closet and onto the national stage . Hired to increase the group 's membership , Nelson built a strong volunteer network in communities across the nation . HRC had just 12,000 members when Nelson started . Today it has more than 725,000 , making it the largest gay and lesbian rights organization in the country . `` Part of my job is getting people to be vocal , '' Nelson said . `` It 's important that everyone has an understanding that discrimination is happening every single day against a certain segment of society . And that 's just wrong . '' In 2007 , when Lauper worked with HRC for the `` True Colors '' tour , she and Nelson teamed up to bring gay and straight audiences together on fairness and equality issues . Nelson realized it was also an opportunity to shine the spotlight on an issue she 'd worked on for almost a decade -- the passage of a hate crimes bill that would make attacks based on sexual orientation , disability , or gender a federal crime . For Nelson , crimes against LGBT people -- such as the murder of Matthew Shepard -- represent the darkest side of ignorance on these issues . In 2006 , more than one in six hate crimes were committed against LGBT individuals , an 18 percent rise over the previous year , according to the FBI . `` I learned from Cathy that hate crimes send fear through a community , '' Lauper said . `` You could die just because of who you are . '' Watch Lauper and Nelson talk about the `` True Colors '' tour to raise awareness '' At every concert , Lauper spoke passionately about the need to pass the bill , and her song , `` True Colors , '' was used in a public service announcement about the legislation . HRC volunteers distributed information at each venue and had postcards on hand for people to send to their legislators . In the end , more than 15,000 people signed postcards , and both houses of Congress passed the bill by wide margins . Although President Bush never signed the bill , Nelson and Lauper have high hopes for it to soon become law . For Nelson , getting so many people engaged was a key achievement . `` The biggest reward for me is when I 've played some part in empowering someone to get involved , '' she said . Lauper knows first-hand how convincing Nelson can be . `` The fact that you can actually succeed and help people -- you really get that from her , '' she said . `` People like Cathy get all of us motivated . '' | Lauper and Cathy Nelson campaigned together for gay and lesbian rights . Nelson helped the Human Rights Campaign go from 12,000 members to 725,000 . Lauper and Nelson lobbied to expand federal hate crimes laws . | [[248, 350], [2416, 2423], [2426, 2437], [2487, 2590], [742, 800], [2020, 2069], [2070, 2100]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Americans were asked to stop whatever they were doing at 3 p.m. local time Monday to share a minute on Memorial Day and honor those who have died in the cause of freedom . Americans were asked to take one minute at 3 p.m. Monday to pause and reflect on those who died in battle . `` The time 3 p.m. was chosen because it is the time when most Americans are enjoying their freedoms on the national holiday , '' according to the White House Commission on Remembrance . Congress established the National Moment of Remembrance . `` The Moment does not replace traditional Memorial Day events ; rather it is an act of national unity in which all Americans , alone or with family and friends , honor those who died for our freedom , '' the Commission on Remembrance said on its Web site . `` It will help to reclaim Memorial Day as the sacred and noble holiday it was meant to be . In this shared remembrance , we connect as Americans . '' Observances included an interruption of Major League Baseball games , the pausing of the National Memorial Day Parade in Washington and the National Grocers Association and Food Marketing Institute asking shoppers to pause in stores nationwide to remember the fallen . `` We want our citizens to contemplate the ties that bind us and take a moment to put ` Memorial ' back into Memorial Day , '' said Carmella LaSpada , executive director of the Commission on Remembrance . Children touring Washington inspired the idea when LaSpada asked them what Memorial Day meant and they said that 's when the swimming pool opens , according to the commission 's Web site . | Commission on Remembrance asks Americans to pause , reflect at 3 p.m. Monday . Group hopes act will reclaim Memorial Day as `` sacred and noble holiday '' Observances include interruption of Major League Baseball games . Shoppers in grocery stores asked to take a minute to remember our fallen . | [[19, 93], [48, 150], [191, 277], [805, 873], [953, 1020], [48, 150], [191, 277], [1089, 1199], [1158, 1221]] |
SEOUL , South Korea -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The U.N. Security Council called an emergency meeting Monday after world leaders reacted with outrage to North Korea 's latest nuclear test . This screen grab from North Korean television on April 9 shows leader Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang . North Korea earlier said it had tested the weapon in an underground explosion , provoking an angry response from the world 's governments . It had threatened to conduct the test if the U.N. Security Council did not apologize for imposing sanctions on North Korea after it tested a rocket April 5 . The secretive communist state also apparently test-fired a short-range missile Monday , the White House said . The Security Council called on its members to discuss the reported test Monday at 4 p.m. ET . Watch how the test may have taken world by surprise '' The United States and many other countries denounced the test . Even China , North Korea 's strongest ally , said it opposed the test . The White House -- which less than three weeks ago announced a new diplomatic effort to restart stalled talks with North Korea about its nuclear program -- said the test was in `` blatant defiance '' of the Security Council . `` North Korea is directly and recklessly challenging the international community , '' the White House said . `` The danger posed by North Korea 's threatening activities warrants action by the international community . '' While the test was not a surprise , Adm. Mike Mullen , chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , said it showed Pyongyang was becoming `` increasingly belligerent . '' North Korea announced its underground nuclear test a little more than an hour after the U.S. Geological Survey reported a magnitude 4.7 seismic disturbance at the site of North Korea 's first nuclear test . There was no immediate information on the yield of the weapon used in Monday 's test . The Russian Defense Ministry said the explosion was between 10 to 20 kilotons . The U.S. State Department said it was analyzing the data . Mullen said it would take a couple of days to verify the reported test , but he added , `` there 's no indication that it was n't as they say . '' The North 's state-run Korean Central News Agency would say only that the latest test was safely conducted `` on a new higher level in terms of its explosive power and technology of its control . '' Watch more analysis on test '' U.S. intelligence estimated the first North Korean test , in October 2006 , produced an explosion equal to less than 1,000 tons of TNT . The low yield was a fraction of the size of the bombs the United States dropped on Japan at the end of World War II . Intelligence analysts had predicted North Korea would conduct a second rocket or nuclear test . The North threatened to do so after the Security Council voted unanimously to condemn its April launch as a violation of a 2006 resolution that bans North Korea 's ballistic missile activity . Watch how Pyongyang has used nuclear tests to gain concessions '' North Korea insisted the rocket was a communications satellite . It retaliated by threatening to walk away from the six-party talks aimed at disarming the country of nuclear weapons . The talks -- involving China , Japan , North Korea , Russia , South Korea and the United States -- are intended to persuade North Korea to scrap its nuclear program . The North also expelled international inspectors from its nuclear sites , announced plans to restart the reactor that produces plutonium for its nuclear weapons , and threatened to launch more rockets and another nuclear device . Monday 's test was conducted `` as part of the measures to bolster up its nuclear deterrent for self-defense in every way , '' the North Korean news agency said . `` They think this will enhance and embolden their diplomatic capability to deal with the other countries , '' said Han Sung Joo , former South Korean ambassador to the United States . `` Of course , it may be working the other way . But from their point of view , this is their lifeline , which they want to maintain . '' China 's government `` expresses firm opposition '' to the test , in which North Korea `` disregarded the opposition of the international community , '' according to a statement from China 's Ministry of Foreign Affairs . North Korea 's latest move could clear the way for the United States and the other members of the six-party talks , minus North Korea , to impose new punitive measures against a country desperate for food and energy assistance . For now , however , the North 's nuclear arms program is not a major security threat , analysts say . The country has yet to build an effective bomb or develop an effective delivery system to a target country . Watch South Korea 's reaction to the nuclear test '' Last year , North Korea acknowledged producing roughly 88 pounds -LRB- 40 kilograms -RRB- of enriched plutonium -- enough for about seven nuclear bombs . But analysts say North Korea is years from having a weapon it can put atop a long-range missile like those in the U.S. , Chinese or Russian arsenals . `` I know a lot of people may think , ` Oh no , a nuclear test . Does that mean war , conflict in the Korean Peninsula ? ' '' said Jim Walsh , an international security analyst at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology . `` The answer is ` no . ' '' CNN 's Sohn Jie-ae , Jaime Florcruz , Matthew Chance and Morgan Neill contributed to this report . | North Korea conducts second nuclear test , angering world governments . Emergency meeting of U.N. Security Council called . North also tested a short-range missile , White House says . U.S. says nuclear test was in `` blatant defiance '' of the Security Council . | [[39, 180], [278, 417], [278, 297], [358, 417], [39, 180], [687, 780], [622, 626], [627, 661], [664, 686], [972, 987], [1128, 1197], [4129, 4137], [4149, 4221]] |
ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- There 's a bit of a trend brewing this summer concert season -- put together a couple of big-name acts for a nationwide tour , then record a song together to promote the event . Members of Styx , REO Speedwagon and Journey in 2003 . Styx and REO have teamed up for a song and tour . It started with classic rockers REO Speedwagon and Styx , with their `` Ca n't Stop Rockin ' '' tour and single of the same name . Now Chicago and Earth , Wind & Fire are getting on the bandwagon . The two horn-heavy bands have recorded three songs especially for their joint 30-city summer tour . It 's part of a charity campaign to benefit food banks across the country -- `` Three Songs for Three Cans or Three Dollars . '' Chicago and Earth , Wind & Fire team up on the new song `` You . '' The bands also take a stab at each other 's material , with Chicago recording Earth , Wind & Fire 's `` I Ca n't Let You Go '' and Earth , Wind & Fire covering Chicago 's `` Wishing You Were Here . '' `` The fact that the artists and bands , in this case , are touring together builds excitement with the possibility of the live performance that is exclusive to the tour , '' said Bruce Burch of the University of Georgia 's Music Business School . It 's `` sort of a ` once in a lifetime ' type of attraction that helps to sell concert tickets , merchandise and , hopefully , CDs and downloads . '' Concertgoers who contribute three cans of food or donate at least $ 3 will get a download card to access the tunes . People who do n't make the shows will be able to donate online and download the songs at www.ewfandchicago.com . The Web site is expected to launch in early June . `` This is a dream come true , '' said Earth , Wind & Fire 's Philip Bailey , who came up with the three-songs promotion . `` We want to invite everyone to help us do our small part to help feed America , '' added Chicago 's trumpeter Lee Loughnane . Artists jamming together on stage is nothing new , and occasionally the songs are released as singles -- U2 and B.B. King 's `` When Love Comes to Town , '' from the 1988 album and film `` Rattle and Hum , '' for example . Of course , duets promoting two hot artists or bands are hardly new either . Remember Josh Groban and Charlotte Church on `` The Prayer '' or `` Almost Paradise '' by Ann Wilson of Heart and Mike Reno of Loverboy from the `` Footloose '' soundtrack ? `` Hip-hop artists have been using duets for some time to reach audiences of both artists , '' Burch said . In some cases , more than two artists collaborate . `` Even before that , country artists used this means to reach a larger audience for both artists , '' he said , noting the collaborations between George Jones and Tammy Wynette , and Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn . The new songs for the 2009 tours flip conventional wisdom . For decades , groups have recorded albums , then gone on tour to promote them . Specifically recording songs to promote a tour featuring a pairing of acts is a new idea -- and possibly one whose time has come , given the re-emergence of singles in the digital download age . Of course , it all depends on the success of the song . In the case of REO Speedwagon and Styx , they 've scored a hit with their new tune . It 's been riding near the top of the classic rock charts -- the biggest original hit by either band in years . `` The jam ... is just plain , old-school , rock 'n' roll fun , '' REO Speedwagon 's Kevin Cronin said on the band 's Web site . Should other bands follow suit and score hits , it might prompt other classic pop artists to join forces not only on tour , but in the studio as well . | REO Speedwagon and Styx have combined for hit and tour . Chicago and Earth , Wind & Fire recorded three songs for joint tour . Combining forces not new , but way it 's being used may be . | [[270, 319], [320, 375], [2872, 2878], [2902, 2937], [2961, 3012], [3189, 3227], [3230, 3273], [10, 33], [164, 214], [518, 568], [1758, 1771], [1778, 1818], [2961, 3012]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Police hunting for a New Zealand couple who fled the country after a bank mistakenly paid them $ NZ10 million -LRB- US$ 6 million -RRB- believe they traveled to Hong Kong . Westpac bank paid the couple 1,000 times the amount they asked for . New Zealand authorities have sought help from Interpol in locating the couple who disappeared May 7 , two days after an employee error at Westpac bank paid them 100 times the amount they asked for . TVNZ , a CNN television affiliate , named the couple as Leo Gao and his girlfriend Cara Young . Gao owned a petrol station in Rotorua , a lakeside tourist town famous for its hot water springs and bubbling mud pools . Police said Friday that the couple were believed to have traveled to Hong Kong . `` Enquiries to locate those individuals are continuing through Interpol in Hong Kong and official channels in Beijing , '' said Detective Senior Sergeant David Harvey . Watch as ` millionaires ' go on the run '' Police were not confirming the identities of those involved but they were working with the family of one of the individuals named in the media , Harvey said . The family were shocked at their name being associated with the case , he added . TVNZ said the couple applied for an overdraft from Westpac worth up to NZ$ 100,000 -LRB- US$ 61,000 -RRB- . However , on or about May 5 , the bank erroneously put NZ$ 10 million -LRB- US$ 6.1 million -RRB- into their bank account . What would you do in this situation ? The next day , the service station closed its doors . And the day after , the couple went missing . TVNZ said Westpac had confirmed that a customer had attempted to unlawfully transfer amounts totaling around $ 6.7 million -LRB- US$ 4.1 million -RRB- . Nearly NZ$ 3 million -LRB- US # $ 1.85 million -RRB- had been recovered and the bank was continuing to vigorously pursue the outstanding amount , Westpac Media relations manager Craig Dowling told the station . | Manhunt for couple who fled after bank mistakenly paid them NZ$ 10 million . New Zealand authorities seeking Interpol 's help to locate the couple . Police believe the couple flew to Hong Kong . | [[19, 58], [38, 58], [63, 138], [86, 154], [1351, 1444], [19, 58], [261, 338], [0, 15], [141, 191], [678, 758], [697, 758]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Melissa Huckaby , the former Sunday school teacher accused of kidnapping , raping and killing 8-year-old Sandra Cantu , will face additional charges that she tried to poison two people , including another 7-year-old girl . Melissa Huckaby is charged with killing Sandra Cantu and attempted poisoning of second child . A revised complaint against Huckaby , 28 , of Tracy , California , was made public just hours before she was due back in court on Friday . The new charges caused another delay in the murder case , CNN afiliate KRON reported . The complaint charged that Huckaby `` did willfully and unlawfully mingle a harmful substance with food or drink '' with the intent to harm the child , identified only as `` Jane M. Doe . '' Another alleged poisoning victim was identified as Daniel Plowman , but no age or other information was immediately provided . The latest charges also include one count of child abuse endangerment relating to the unidentified child , who was allegedly in Huckaby 's `` care and custody . '' Read the complaint -LRB- PDF -RRB- . Huckaby did not enter a plea in the Cantu slaying in her first two court appearances last month . At an earlier hearing , Judge Linda L. Loftis agreed to keep the autopsy and toxicology reports under seal , citing a `` great danger of public outrage . '' If convicted on the murder , rape and kidnapping charges , Huckaby , could face the death penalty or life in prison without parole , authorities said . CNN 's Alan Duke and Jim Roope contributed to this report . | NEW : Melissa Huckaby charged with attempting to poison `` Jane Doe , '' 7 . Huckaby due in court to face charges in slaying of another 8-year-old . She faces special circumstances including kidnap , rape by instrument . Decision on whether to seek the death penalty will come later . | [[242, 257], [299, 336], [1366, 1393], [1396, 1452]] |
ARLINGTON , Virginia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Barack Obama marked his first Memorial Day as president on Monday , calling on Americans to remember U.S. troops who died in the service of their country and navigating a Civil War memorial controversy . President Obama pays tribute to veterans at a wreath-laying at Arlington National Cemetery on Monday . The president participated at the 141st annual Memorial Day wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery 's Tomb of the Unknowns . The men and women buried at Arlington `` waged war so that we may know peace , '' Obama said . `` They were willing to give up everything for the defense of our freedom -LSB- and -RSB- were willing to sacrifice all for their country . ... They are the best of America . '' Also Monday , Obama decided to continue a controversial presidential tradition of honoring Southern Civil War soldiers by sending a wreath to Arlington 's Confederate Memorial , according to the White House . But the president decided to start what may become a new tradition by sending a wreath to the African-American Civil War Memorial at Vermont Avenue and U Street Northwest in Washington . See how fallen service members are being remembered '' Critics had called for an end to the longtime presidential practice of laying a wreath at the Confederate site . Last week , roughly five dozen professors sent a letter to Obama calling the tradition offensive to African-Americans . Some observers recently suggested adding the recognition of the African-American memorial as a possible compromise . Wreaths also were sent to be placed on the mast of the USS Maine and the Spanish-American War Memorial , both in Arlington National Cemetery . Obama also hosted a White House breakfast for several military Gold Star families , the relatives of service men and women killed in action . A separate Memorial Day observance was held at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial at 1 p.m. ET , and the National Memorial Day Parade started an hour later . All Americans were asked to pause for a moment of remembrance at 3 p.m. local time Monday `` because it is the time when most Americans are enjoying their freedoms on the national holiday , '' according to the White House Commission on Remembrance . `` The moment does not replace traditional Memorial Day events ; rather it is an act of national unity in which all Americans , alone or with family and friends , honor those who died for our freedom , '' the commission said on its Web site . `` It will help to reclaim Memorial Day as the sacred and noble holiday it was meant to be . In this shared remembrance , we connect as Americans . '' The 3 p.m. observances included , among other things , an interruption of Major League Baseball games and the pausing of the Washington Memorial Day Parade . The National Grocers Association and Food Marketing Institute has asked shoppers to pause in stores across the nation . Memorial Day was first marked May 30 , 1868 , three years after the end of the Civil War . Congress declared it a national holiday in 1971 . CNN 's Emily Schultze contributed to this report . | Obama continues controversial sending of wreath to Confederate Memorial . President also sends wreath to African-American Civil War Memorial . Obama takes part in Memorial Day wreath-laying at Arlington National Cemetery . Men and women buried there `` waged war so that we may know peace , '' he said . | [[774, 935], [1211, 1323], [1211, 1218], [1279, 1323], [244, 346], [973, 1155], [244, 346], [288, 296], [297, 346], [347, 486], [387, 413], [414, 432], [774, 935], [487, 537], [487, 504], [525, 563]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick arrived at his home in Hampton , Virginia , on Thursday morning . Michael Vick , left , arrives at federal court with attorney Billy Martin in Richmond , Viriginia , in 2007 . `` He is happy to be reunited with his family , '' said Chris Garrett , a spokesman for Vick . Vick was released from a federal prison in Leavenworth , Kansas , on Wednesday . He will serve the last two months of his 23-month sentence in home confinement in Virginia , his publicist Judy Smith said . Vick is a native of Newport News , Virginia . Watch a panel discuss his release '' Vick , 28 , pleaded guilty in August 2007 to a federal charge of bankrolling a dogfighting operation at a home he owned in Virginia . He could return to professional football as soon as September if reinstated by the NFL , according to the sports agent who negotiated Vick 's 10-year , $ 140 million contract with the Falcons . Meanwhile , Vick 's attorneys have said he will work at a Newport News construction firm after his release and he has also agreed to participate in a documentary for $ 600,000 . Last month , a federal bankruptcy judge denied a Chapter 11 bankruptcy plan presented by Vick and urged him to offer another plan . The original plan called for Vick to come up with $ 750,000 to $ 1 million in cash to be paid to creditors , U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Frank Santoro said , but he said he saw no evidence Vick could come up with that much . Santoro suggested Vick 's next plan not call for him to keep two houses and three cars , as did the rejected proposal . In testimony , Vick acknowledged committing a `` heinous '' act and said he should have acted more maturely . He said he has been earning 12 cents an hour as an overnight janitor in prison . His Falcons salary , he said , was between $ 10 million and $ 12 million . He acknowledged failing to handle his money well . After his release , Vick will work with the Humane Society of the United States on anti-dogfighting campaigns , Humane Society President Wayne Pacelle told CNN Tuesday . Vick will work on programs aimed at preventing youths from getting involved in dogfighting , and on programs to assist young people who have already been involved in the blood sport . Watch more about Vick 's dogs '' Pacelle said the Humane Society was approached by Vick 's representatives . He said he has traveled to Kansas twice to meet with the former quarterback , and during the second visit , the two discussed how Vick could use his sway over youths to discourage them from involvement in dogfighting , as well as help those who were apprehended in connection with it . Details have not yet been hammered out , Pacelle said , but will be in the next couple of days . iReport.com : Does Vick deserve a second chance ? More attention has been paid to dogfighting as a result of Vick 's case , Pacelle said . The Humane Society , which offers rewards for tips involving dogfighting , has recently paid out $ 40,000 in five cases , he said . CNN 's Marylynn Ryan contributed to this report . | Ex-Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick released from prison on Wednesday . Vick will serve last two months of sentence in home confinement . Attorneys have said Vick will work at construction firm ; Vick has OK 'd documentary . Vick , 28 , pleaded guilty in 2007 to bankrolling a dogfighting operation in Virginia . | [[338, 418], [419, 509], [955, 964], [967, 1065], [1066, 1132], [627, 631], [639, 703], [627, 631], [639, 656], [672, 737]] |
SEATTLE , Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A 66-year-old woman with stage 4 pancreatic cancer became the first person to use Washington 's assisted suicide law , a nonprofit organization announced Friday . Compassion & Choices , an organization that says it advocates choice for the terminally ill , said Linda Fleming of Sequim , took her prescribed medication and died Thursday evening at home with her family , her dog and her physician . She had been diagnosed a month ago with stage 4 pancreatic cancer and was told she was `` actively dying , '' Compassion & Choices said in a written statement . `` The pain became unbearable , and it was only going to get worse , '' Fleming said , according to the organization . It said Fleming had worked with the organization 's volunteers to consider her choices . `` I am a very spiritual person , and it was very important to me to be conscious , clear-minded and alert at the time of my death , '' she said , according to Compassion & Choices . `` The powerful pain medications were making it difficult to maintain the state of mind I wanted to have at my death . And I knew I would have to increase them . '' Washington 's law was approved by about 60 percent of voters in November . A similar law in Oregon passed in 1994 . Oregon says 401 people have died under the terms of its law . | 66-year-old woman with stage 4 pancreatic cancer chooses to die . Woman wanted to be `` clear-minded and alert at the time of my death '' Washington 's law was approved by about 60 percent of voters in November . | [[439, 504], [846, 938], [1156, 1230]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The British mother of a child who died after being brutally abused has been jailed indefinitely . A police computer image of some of the facial injuries suffered by baby Peter . The child 's -- originally known as Baby P -- horrifying death caused a furor in Britain , with the media , public and politicians united in demanding to know how his terrible injuries were missed by social workers , police and medical staff . Judge Stephen Kramer also Friday jailed the 27-year-old mum 's boyfriend for life with a minimum of 12 years and their lodger , Jason Owen , 37 , indefinitely but with a minimum of three years , the British Press Association reported . The boyfriend , 32 , was also convicted of raping a two-year-old girl . Baby P 's mum has to serve a minimum of five years . She and her boyfriend can not be named . Baby P -- he could not be known by his first name , Peter , until the recent lifting of a court order -- was only 17 months old when he was found dead in his blood-spattered cot in August 2007 . He had more than 50 injuries , including a broken back and fractured ribs , despite being on London 's Haringey council 's at-risk register and receiving 60 visits from social workers , doctors and police over eight months . The resulting public outrage saw the government 's child secretary , Ed Balls , step in to demand the removal of the council 's head of children 's services , Sharon Shoesmith , with two other leading officials also stepping down . Shoesmith had to be placed under police guard after death threats were made . Judge Kramer told Peter 's mother that she was `` a manipulative and self-centered person , with a calculating side as well as a temper . '' Watch more on the case '' `` Your conduct over the months prevented Peter from being seen by social services . You actively deceived the authorities ... you acted selfishly because your priority was your relationship , '' he told the court , PA reported . Judge Kramer 's comments echoed the country 's response to the case . `` Any decent person who heard the catalogue of medical conditions and non-accidental injuries suffered by Peter can not fail to have been appalled . '' A second serious review of the case commissioned by Balls and released Friday , also reiterated that Peter 's death `` could and should have been prevented . '' Graham Badman , the chairman of Haringey Local Safeguarding Children Board , which conducted the review said : `` I believe the most important lesson arising from this case is that professionals charged with ensuring child safety must be deeply skeptical of any explanations , justifications or excuses they may hear in connection with the apparent maltreatment of children . `` If they have any doubt about the cause of physical injuries or what appears to be maltreatment , they should act swiftly and decisively . Badman said the review found that if `` doctors , lawyers , police officers and social workers had adopted a more urgent , thorough and challenging approach , the case would have been stopped in its tracks at the first serious incident . '' `` Baby Peter deserved better from the services that were supposed to protect him , '' Badman said . | British mother of child who died after brutal abuse has been jailed indefinitely . Her boyfriend and lodger are also sent to jail over Baby P 's horrific injuries . Case caused an outrage in Britain after raft of people missed chance to stop abuse . | [[58, 65], [70, 102], [9, 32], [103, 133], [214, 302]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Going into the eighth season finale of `` American Idol , '' Adam Lambert looks like the favorite against competitor Kris Allen . But should Lambert even be on the show , since he has performed professionally in the national Broadway tour of `` Wicked '' ? Former ` American Idol ' runner-up Diana DeGarmo says it 's getting harder for the average person to get on the show . Diana DeGarmo , runner-up in the third season of `` American Idol , '' spoke with HLN 's Mike Galanos on Prime News about whether or not an amateur stands a chance on the show . The following interview has been edited for brevity and clarity : . Mike Galanos : What were the stipulations as to your past history before you joined `` American Idol '' ? How much could you do before they 'd say , `` You are n't an amateur anymore . You 're more of a professional '' ? Diana DeGarmo : Each contract for each show has gotten a little stronger and a little stronger . Prior to me doing `` American Idol , '' I had done things like theater , but at that point nowhere near on a professional level . The cool thing is they keep it fair by having little things in the contract about how you ca n't release a record nationally with a record label -- things like that . But people who have been signed prior can , of course , be on the show . Galanos : Do you think the `` rags-to-riches '' story is lost and we are going to get more and more people who have more and more experience ? DeGarmo : I think people now realize that `` American Idol '' is such a launching spot for anyone 's career . People that maybe would have not done it a few years ago , saying , `` Oh , I 'm too professional , '' maybe take a little bit of a second glance at the show because they realize it 's such a launching pad . But I do think it 's a little harder for the everyday Joe to get in it . Galanos : Do you think Adam has an unfair advantage since he was an understudy for the Broadway tour of `` Wicked '' ? DeGarmo : Not really , because it 's all about performing . So it 's just about what you are doing at that exact moment up there on the `` American Idol '' stage . I think Kris and Adam are just two totally different performers , but I think they are pretty even when it comes down to the end of the day . | DeGarmo : It 's harder for the `` everyday Joe '' to get on `` American Idol '' It 's more about what you 're doing on the ` Idol ' stage , she says . Kris Allen and Adam Lambert compete in the season finale . | [[276, 373], [1794, 1847], [2045, 2145]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- After Denise Honeycutt sashayed down the catwalk modeling a sleek sleeveless black dress with a blue lace jacket , she felt so good she bought the outfit . A model walks the runway at the Arlington United Methodist Church fashion show in an outfit from Goodwill . `` I got those two pieces and a skirt for $ 20 , '' she said . `` How 's that for a deal ? '' Such bargains may not be haute couture , but during a recession they are a thrifty shopper 's dream . As budgets tighten during the economic crunch , buying used clothing is no longer just for fans of vintage wear . Many are discovering the hidden treasures in consignment shops , as well as thrift stores and other places once thought to be only for the destitute . That 's a message that Brendan Hurley , senior vice president of Marketing and Communications for Goodwill of Greater Washington , has been working hard to get out . Goodwill of Greater Washington provided the fashions Honeycutt modeled for the show at the Arlington United Methodist Church in Arlington , Virginia , and has been actively campaigning to spread the word that Goodwill fashion is contemporary and hot . `` Most people have a misunderstanding of Goodwill 's mission and they believe that our mission is to sell inexpensive merchandise to the poor , '' Hurley said . `` In fact , Goodwill 's mission is to provide job training and employment services to people with disadvantages and disabilities . We just happen to fund that mission through the resale of donated items at our retail stores . '' To change the negative perception , Hurley said that four years ago they started a campaign to make the stores more appealing as a source of inexpensive fashions by holding virtual and live fashion shows . See one of Goodwill 's fashion shows '' Hurley said things really took off after they launched a viral marketing campaign and the very successful DCGoodWillFashions blog . Em Hall is the retail marketing manager who blogs as the DC Goodwill Fashionista in a gig that has become so high-profile that she was invited to blog this year from Fashion Week in New York . About once a month on average , Hall and her team put together `` travel and trunk shows '' where they pull merchandise from their nine stores , put them on rolling racks and take them to events for attendees to shop . People respond to the great prices and selection as well as the opportunity to recycle by buying someone 's gently used clothing , Hall said . iReport.com : Tell us about your thrift fashions . `` The response has been tremendous , '' Hall said . `` We know that finding that treasure at Goodwill , finding that vintage piece , really resonates with people . '' Across the country , Goodwill stores have launched several creative ideas to attract divas -LRB- or divos -RRB- who may have more style than funds . Goodwill Industries of Michiana Inc. of South Bend , Indiana , has `` Boutique Days , '' where they work with local fashion reporter and consultant Kathy Friend to raise awareness that Goodwill can be an excellent resource for brand name and designer clothing . Those who donate at least 20 clothing items receive an opportunity for a private consultation with Friend at a reduced rate . `` On a trip to Goodwill I 've found Chanel handbags still in the tissue paper and in Saks Fifth Avenue bags , '' said Friend , who as part of her consultation teaches clients everything from how to spot signs of wear to how they can get pieces altered . `` I was like , are you kidding me ? '' See examples of fashionable outfits from Goodwill '' The Goodwill/Easter Seals program in Minnesota held a `` Second Runway '' fashion show in February where 30 volunteer fashion designers took existing clothes from surrounding Goodwill stores and turned them into hip new outfits . The event attracted more than 500 attendees . `` We were given $ 50 and we could create up to three looks out of things we found at the Goodwill , '' said designer Kristina Bell , who whipped up a cute little dress out of recycled T-shirts . `` I 've always been a thrifter , but now it 's a really good way to save money . '' Someone else 's hard times can be a fashionista 's gain . Denise McShane owns McShane 's Exchange , whose two locations in the Chicago , Illinois , neighborhood of Lincoln Park have seen an uptick in those unloading their Prada and St. John . `` Business has really boomed , '' McShane said . `` The bad news is that we are in a recession , but I absolutely have had a surge in consigners . '' McShane said she offers those who still have a cash stash a bit of retail therapy during hard times . They can get great buys at a reduced rate . Such shops , known in the industry as resale stores , have long attracted quality merchandise , said Barbara Nell , owner of The Daisy Shop on Oak in Chicago . Nell said women are bringing in only the best for resale . `` Women seem to be cleaning their closets of their most luxurious items , '' said Nell . `` It 's not just the bread and butter or staples of their wardrobe anymore . '' iReporter Elizabeth McElherne scored a $ 25 mink coat in August at a shop in Fredericksburg , Virginia . Check out Elizabeth 's iReport on her find . `` If you ca n't buy something new , you might as well recycle and buy someone else 's stuff , '' McElherne said . `` I saw that coat and I said ` If it 's less than $ 100 I have to get it . ' '' Nicole Mladic is the `` babe '' behind the `` Budgeting Babe '' blog for `` young , working women who want to spend like Carrie in a Jimmy Choo store but have a budget closer to Roseanne . '' Mladic said she encourages her readers to not only shop thrift , but also to be generous in their giving . `` I make sure to thin out my wardrobe every so often , '' she said . `` Any pieces that I am not wearing , I donate . '' That type of generosity is much appreciated , especially in the current economy . Melissa Temme , a national spokeswoman for the Salvation Army , said that while the need for low-cost clothing is increasing , donations for such clothing have remained consistent and that could spell trouble . `` It means that down the road we may not be able to stock our shelves , '' Temme said . `` In the long term , that 's a concern . '' Katherine Ransom , communications manager for Goodwill of Orange County , California , said that as more people turn to thrift fashions to help stretch their dollars , they are discovering the clothing is a lot more current than they might have imagined . Ransom said even Hollywood types are getting in on the act , as wardrobe consultants for television shows and movies are also perusing the racks for good buys . A recently launched coupon campaign is bringing in even more shoppers , she said . `` People are saying ` I 've never done this before , but now is a good time to start , ' '' said Ransom , whose organization launched shopgoodwill.com 10 years ago . It now includes merchandise from 77 Goodwill organizations around the country . `` They are taking advantage of the quality merchandise with really deep discounts . '' | Buying used clothing gains popularity during a recession . Consignment and thrift stores seeing increased business . Goodwill and Salvation Army increasing visibility as fashion hot spots . Shop owner : `` Women cleaning their closets of their most luxurious items '' | [[4489, 4538], [4908, 4979], [4907, 4915], [4921, 4979]] |
CHICAGO , Illinois -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Police trying to identify the badly decomposed body of a woman discovered in an industrial area in Chicago , Illinois , denied Saturday that a blue barrel was located near the remains . An ambulance and police cars stand by near the location where a woman 's body was found in Chicago Friday . The original mention of a blue container in a statement from Lyons , Illinois , police sparked interest because of the possible tie to Stacy Peterson , 23 , who disappeared October 28 . Illinois State Police have named her husband , Drew Peterson , a suspect . They have investigated whether the former Bolingbrook , Illinois , police sergeant removed a blue plastic container from his home the night before his wife was reported missing . Drew Peterson , 53 , has consistently said he believes she ran away with another man . Chicago Police spokeswoman Monique Bond said on Saturday that no blue barrel was found near the body . An environmental surveyor from Lyons , Illinois , who was conducting tests at an industrial site in southwest Chicago found the remains Friday afternoon . Police said he called his supervisors to report he 'd seen what appeared to be a human foot and leg . The body was transported to the Chicago medical examiner 's office for autopsy . A spokesman for the Chicago Police Department said the body appears to be that of a female with reddish-blond hair . A posting on findstacypeterson.com describes the missing woman 's hair as brown . The body was found about 20 miles from the Petersons ' home , where Drew Peterson said he last saw her , CNN 's Susan Roesgen reported . Speaking to Nancy Grace on CNN Headline News , Drew Peterson 's attorney , Joel Brodsky , said local authorities have already asked a state task force working on Stacy Peterson 's disappearance not to get involved . `` I can tell you , it is not Stacy , '' Brodsky said . `` I can guarantee you that . '' Brodsky offered no proof of his assertion . Drew and Stacy Peterson have been married four years and have two children . Drew has other children from a previous marriage . Authorities are re-examining the death of Peterson 's third wife , Kathleen Savio , who was found dead in a bathtub in 2004 . E-mail to a friend . | NEW : Police say there was no trash container near woman 's corpse . NEW : Body has reddish-blond hair ; Stacy Peterson described as having brown hair . Suspect Drew Peterson 's attorney : `` I can tell you , it is not Stacy '' | [[10, 34], [158, 223], [859, 961], [916, 961], [1300, 1416], [1351, 1416], [1417, 1498], [1462, 1498], [1855, 1869], [1911, 1940]] |
MEXICO CITY -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A moderately strong earthquake rocked Mexico City on Friday afternoon , shaking the earth in the sprawling capital . People in Mexico City stream into the street as a magnitude 5.7 earthquake hits . The U.S. Geological Survey measured the quake at magnitude 5.7 , and placed the epicenter near the city of Puebla , about 85 miles southeast of Mexico City . It hit at 2:24 p.m. local time . The Mexican seismological service measured the quake at 5.9 . People in the city reported the earth and buildings shaking . Thousands of panicked people streamed into the streets as stopped cars snarled traffic . Parts of the city were without electricity Friday afternoon but there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage . Earthquakes are a frightening experience for the 20 million residents of Mexico City , where thousands of people perished in a massive quake in 1985 . The city , built on volcanic ash and clay , is particularly vulnerable to temblors . Aldo Pontecorvo of the humanitarian agency World Vision said the shaking lasted about 20 seconds . It came out of nowhere and `` without any warning , '' said Pontecorvo , who said he was in his office when the quake struck . Earlier this month , a moderate earthquake was measured off the coast of Mexico 's western Baja California peninsula . | U.S. Geological Survey measures quake at magnitude 5.7 . Thousands of panicked people stream into the streets . No immediate reports of injuries or damage . 1985 earthquake killed thousands in Mexico City . | [[230, 292], [545, 633], [545, 573], [600, 633], [698, 753], [51, 80], [847, 904]] |
COLOMBO , Sri Lanka -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The deafening roar of drums and horns rose as thousands of people took to the streets in Sri Lanka Friday for a victory parade marking the end of the decades-long civil war . Sri Lankan youth celebrate on the street in Colombo on May 20 , 2009 . Enthusiastic revelers danced in the street , carried yellow and red flags and some even carried hand-crafted puppets depicting the dead body of the leader of the rebel Tamil Tigers . Watch the victory parade '' Sri Lanka 's government declared victory Tuesday in the country 's 25-year civil war against the Tamil Tiger rebels . The announcement brought celebrations to some parts of the country . President Mahinda Rajapaksa announced that Tamil Tiger leader Velupillai Prabhakaran had been killed and local media released footage of the fallen leader 's body . But while thousands partied Friday , humanitarian organizations worried about the estimated 250,000 refugees the war created in northeast Sri Lanka . Many have had their homes destroyed are struggling for food , clean water , emergency health kits , cooking pots and school supplies , relief agencies say . Watch aid agencies fear for Sri Lanka '' A U.N. spokesman has said the country 's government has not adequately helped refugees and has started to restrict U.N. relief agencies from providing aid . Watch Sri Lanka dispell allegations '' `` The process of national reconciliation we feel must be all inclusive so that in can fully address the legitimate aspirations of the Tamil as well as other minorities . It is important that the victory becomes a victory for all Sri Lankans , '' said Vijay Nambiar , a U.N. special envoy . U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is expected to visit the area this week . CNN 's Sara Sidner contributed to this story . | Revelers dance in the street , wave flags to celebrate end of Sri Lanka civil war . Sri Lanka government declared victory over Tamil Tiger rebels on Tuesday . Aid groups express fears for 250,000 displaced people in country 's northeast . U.N. has accused the government of not providing enough help for refugees . | [[149, 213], [214, 275], [285, 327], [496, 613], [852, 882], [885, 956], [926, 997], [1155, 1195], [1222, 1282]] |
Fareed Zakaria is a foreign affairs analyst who hosts `` Fareed Zakaria GPS '' on CNN at 1 and 5 p.m. ET Sundays . Zakaria says India 's elections could mark its debut as a great power . -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh took the oath of office Friday for a second consecutive term after winning a mandate for his Congress party . President Pratibha Devisingh Patil administered the oath to Singh , seen as the architect of India 's economic reforms in the 1990s . Nineteen other lawmakers also were sworn in as members of the new federal Cabinet . The Indian National Congress , headed by Italian-born Sonia Gandhi , won 206 of 543 boroughs in the April and May general elections . That is the party 's best performance in almost two decades that saw mostly coalition governments running the country . CNN spoke to author and foreign affairs analyst Fareed Zakaria about the results . CNN : What do you think of the outcome of the Indian elections ? Fareed Zakaria : These elections I think may be looked upon as India 's debut as a great power -- the way the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics heralded China 's debut . They are also the perfect symbol , in this case , of India 's unique strengths -- which are defined not by government power but people power with all the messiness and chaos that implies . With 420 million people voting , India 's recent polling was the biggest exercise of democracy ever . CNN : But the exercise of democracy in India is n't new . What makes this one special ? Zakaria : You are right . It was the result of these elections . Over the last two decades , India has been consumed with its internal divisions -- of caste , ethnicity and religion . This has made if difficult for a government in New Delhi to mobilize national power to any purposeful and responsible end internationally . A decentralized , divided , and diffuse polity has punched well below its weight internationally or adopted policies abroad for purely domestic reasons . That 's bad for India and bad for the world . This could all change , starting with this election result . For the first time in three decades , a single party -- the Indian National Congress -- was given a clear and large mandate . CNN : Why were there so many problems in the past ? Zakaria : It was mainly two issues . First , populism trumps economic reform . Promising the voters goodies works better than imposing budgetary discipline . Two , in the age of terrorism , fear was an easy way to mobilize political support . -LRB- These problems have affected democracies in rich countries like America just as much as poor ones . -RRB- The Indian results contradict both notions . The Congress Party has been reasonably reform-mined economically and highly responsible on issues of terrorism . It chose not to react violently to the recent Mumbai terror attacks and was vilified as weak by the opposition . The voters did n't buy it . CNN : Can you think of why things have changed for the voters ? Zakaria : I ca n't be certain but I will put some of the credit for providing a new option to voters on the shoulder of Rahul Gandhi . He is the 39-year-old son of the former Prime Minister of India , Rajiv Gandhi , and the current head of the Congress party , Sonia Gandhi . He spent the last few years reviving the grassroots base of the Congress party . He also made a series of big strategic bets during the campaign such as to field young candidates , not to ally with caste-based parties which proved to be right . He , along with his mother and the current Prime Minister Singh , are reviving the Congress party , and have done all this while maintaining a commitment to secularism , economic reform and clean government . CNN : So the voters in India got it right ? Zakaria : I think so . But I also do want to take a minute to impress on readers the scope of elections in India . It really is amazing to see the largest democracy at work . First of all , look at the scope . 420 million people voted . That 's more than all the people -LRB- men , women and children -RRB- who live in the United States , Britain and Canada combined . Then the process -- there are five election days over the course of a month ; votes are cast in almost 1 million polling places . It is by far the biggest exercise in democracy in the history of the world . But all of that is only part of what makes it really remarkable . The Indian electorate is one of the poorest , least educated in the world but they actively participate in the political process . And they voted in a very intelligent way . Something they should be very proud of . | Zakaria : Election shows India 's unique strength , people power . 420 million voters make this biggest democracy exercise ever , he says . Zakaria : For the first time in three decades , one party has a clear mandate . | [[1152, 1230], [1374, 1442], [3996, 4022], [4285, 4361], [2116, 2151], [2154, 2168], [2192, 2241]] |
UNITED NATIONS -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- More than one million people in Darfur are at risk of losing food , water and shelter in coming months , following the expulsion of international aid groups by Sudan 's government , the United Nations ' chief humanitarian coordinator said Tuesday . A Doctors without Borders medic helps a sick child in a Darfur refugee camp . The statement by coordinator John Holmes comes after a joint U.N.-Sudanese assessment of the situation . The information was gathered from March 11-18 in hopes of stemming further troubles in Darfur after Sudan 's government expelled 13 international relief organizations from the wartorn region . The announcement came on the same day that President Omar al-Bashir , now an indicted war criminal , ignored the threat of arrest by traveling abroad to Eritrea . Also Tuesday , a Sudanese staffer working for a Canadian relief group was shot dead in Darfur . A full report of the assessment will be released soon , according to the U.N. , but an executive summary and recommendations were made available on Tuesday . `` While a significant effort is being made by the government , by the U.N. , by the NGOs -LSB- nongovernmental organizations -RSB- which are left , to plug some of the immediate gaps in these areas , these are at the same time , ` Band-Aid ' solutions , not long term solutions , '' Holmes said . The U.N. estimates that 1.5 million people in Darfur are dependent on healthcare support , 1.1 million need regular food aid , and another 1 million are in need of clean drinking water . The summary released Tuesday said the World Food Programme , which is still allowed to operate in Sudan , is carrying out a one-time-only distribution program in March and April , but that new partners will be needed to continue delivering food after April . After the International Criminal Court charged Bashir with war crimes and crimes against humanity on March 4 , Khartoum expelled 13 international aid agencies and revoked the permits of three organizations in the country . Bashir -- the first sitting head of state to be charged with war crimes by the court -- has continued to say that humanitarian efforts in the country should be `` Sudanized . '' `` Within a year , we do n't want to see any foreign aid group dealing with a Sudanese citizen , '' he said at a rally a week after his arrest warrant was issued . Holmes said that 13,000 to 14,000 aid workers in the region already were Sudanese nationals . Holmes said the cooperation and technical help from the Sudanese government on the assessment was a good step forward . But he called it `` only the first of many steps if the people in Darfur are not going to suffer major consequences from these expulsions . '' Sudan 's U.N. Ambassador , Abdalmahmood Abdalhaleem Mohamad , has repeatedly said he has information implicating the ousted organizations in activities contrary to their humanitarian missions . He has yet to make any of that information public . One claim is that some organizations acted as spies for the International Criminal Court . Holmes denied those allegations , saying they remain unfounded . `` Despite claims that there are dossiers of evidence , we have not been given any of that evidence , '' he said . `` In the absence of that , no meaningful investigation can be done . '' The British aid organization , Oxfam , one of the agencies expelled from Sudan , released a statement in response to Tuesday 's findings . `` Current stop-gap measures will only be effective for a short time , '' the statement said . `` As the rainy season arrives within the next two months , people living in weak temporary shelters , in flood-prone locations where latrines can fill and overflow , will become at extreme risk of disease and death . `` With the humanitarian capacity reduced by nearly 50 percent , responding to such emergency scenarios will be an enormous challenge for others to tackle , '' Oxfam said . | Assessment of humanitarian needs in Darfur conducted by UN and Sudan . Info collected in bid to stem further troubles after Sudan expelled 13 aid groups . Aid groups kicked out after President Omar al-Bashir indicted on war crimes by ICC . The U.N. estimates 1.1 million need regular food aid ; 1 million need drinking water . | [[361, 465], [0, 30], [139, 213], [466, 559], [466, 481], [521, 585], [566, 658], [1820, 1928], [1931, 1978], [0, 30], [139, 213], [566, 658], [1820, 1928], [1931, 1978], [1820, 1928], [1931, 1939], [1983, 2042], [1374, 1560], [1505, 1560], [1465, 1498]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- It 's a Tuesday morning and Dr. Eric DeJonge is headed to work . But unlike most physicians , DeJonge 's office is his car and his patients are waiting for him in their homes , not in a large waiting room . As part of the Medical House Call Program , Dr. Eric DeJonge visits one of his group 's 600 patients . DeJonge , a geriatric specialist at Washington Hospital Center , runs the hospital 's `` Medical House Call Program . '' Sharing duties with program co-founder Dr. George Taler and two other doctors , DeJonge criss-crosses the nation 's capital , checking on patients in their homes . Armed with a black bag and blackberry , DeJonge visits mostly the elderly who either ca n't get to a hospital or are so ill that moving them would prove life-threatening . He usually sees them once a month to check on their status , to make sure their medications are working , and to let them know he 's there for them . DeJonge says the one-on-one care is invaluable . `` We know the patients , their families , '' he says . `` We know when they change medically , what has to happen to prevent them from making an ER visit . '' Terry Carter 's father , Aubrey , has been homebound since he suffered a stroke over 20 years ago . For most of those years , Carter ran back and forth to doctors ' offices and the ER , making sure his father got the best medical help . It got to be expensive and time consuming and , as the years progressed , it became increasingly difficult to care for his dad . Carter says it was tough because `` I really do n't have very much help to take him out . '' Now , with DeJonge making regular visits , Carter 's father does n't have to be moved from his home and his health has improved . `` He 's only been in the hospital twice in the last three years , '' says Carter . `` Before that he was in the hospital every other month . '' Dr. Gupta : Watch more on the return of the house call '' House calls , once popular in the 1930s , began to drop off as medical technology improved . According to a recent article in the Clinics of Geriatric Medicine , home visits by doctors dropped from 40 percent of physician encounters in 1930 to 10 percent by 1950 ; by 1980 home visits represented less than 1 percent of physician encounters . Many patients , the article stated , felt they could get better care at hospitals and clinics , and shied away from having a doctor come to their home . And over the years , billing and paperwork for medical professionals became so overwhelming that many spent hours at their desks with calculators instead of spending time with their patients in their homes . And then , there was the financial disincentive : most insurance companies did n't pay for house calls . It was easier and more lucrative for doctors to see more patients in their office than fewer patients in their homes . Reimbursement was spotty and in order to survive doctors had to put house calls on the back burner . But that has begun to change . Ten years ago , Medicare made it a bit easier for physicians to receive payments for house calls by modifying the way doctors bill for their procedures . And this month , a new `` Independence at Home '' bill -- designed to coordinate benefits for Medicare 's most expensive beneficiaries , like Aubrey Carter -- will be reintroduced , making it easier and less expensive to carry out house calls . `` Our current health care system does a poor job caring for seriously ill Americans , who often are ` lost in transition , ' '' says Massachusetts Congressman Edward Markey , author of the bill . `` This bipartisan , bicameral bill holds great promise for improving quality of care , reducing hospitalizations , lowering costs and lifting the spirits of those who , after a lifetime of contributions to our society , deserve the dignity and peace of mind that comes with living independently . '' From the doctors ' perspective , DeJonge says it will make all the difference in how he and his partners practice , and everyone would benefit . `` Those savings would be shared with the health systems that are willing to create them and serve their communities . For now , DeJonge , along with his fellow physicians and staff -LRB- three nurse practitioners , three social workers , one office nurse and four support staffers -RRB- , will continue to provide care for 600 patients in the neighborhoods of Washington . With the help of machines such a portable EKGs , compact ultrasounds and X-ray programs for laptops , they can provide even more extensive care to patients in their own homes than their 1930s counterparts . DeJonge says it 's stressful but rewarding . `` They feel like the medical community is part of their family , '' he says . `` There is a trust level that they develop when you know them over that long period of time . That 's very important . '' | In 1930s , 40 percent of physician encounters were house calls ; 1 percent by 1980 . Financial disincentives and patient preference for clinics contributed to decline . 10 years ago , Medicare made it easier for physicians to get paid for house calls . Bill before Congress would make house calls less expensive , easier to arrange . | [[2099, 2199], [2202, 2279], [2641, 2649], [2652, 2688], [2997, 3010], [3013, 3114], [3151, 3165], [3168, 3205], [3333, 3395]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Somalia needs international help to fight Islamist extremists battling for power in the lawless Horn of Africa nation , the country 's moderate Islamist president said Monday . Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed was recently appointed Somalia 's transitional president . `` I am calling on the international community to help Somalia defend against foreign militants who have invaded the country , '' President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed said . Speaking at a news conference in Somalia 's capital city , Mogadishu , Ahmed called several times for international help in fighting foreign militants whom he claims are the same fighters who have fought the `` international community '' in Iraq and Afghanistan . `` Wherever they come , they fuel violence , '' the president said . `` The Somali people can not and should not accept that their countries should be a launching pad for these militants to attack . '' Ahmed told local journalists that he feared these foreign fighters would turn Somalia into another Iraq or Afghanistan , where U.S.-led forces are fighting Islamic extremist groups . He also praised local militias in the two regions of Hiiran and Middle Shabelle for struggling against the foreign militias . Last week , al-Shabab militants advanced to the presidential palace in Mogadishu , sparking sporadic fighting and shelling in the Somali capital . The recent fighting has killed more than 40 civilians and wounded about 150 others , according to sources at the scene . Al-Shabab -- once the armed wing of the Islamic Courts Union -- has been designated as a terrorist group by the United States , which says it is affiliated with the al Qaeda terrorist network . Ahmed participated in seizing control of Mogadishu in 2006 along with the Islamic Courts Union before it was ousted by Ethiopian forces later that year . He has since split from Somali jihad movements and was recently appointed Somalia 's transitional president through a process shepherded by the United Nations . Journalist Mohamed Amiin Adow contributed to this report . | President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed speaking at a conference in Mogadishu . Ahmed fears foreign fighters will turn Somalia into another Iraq or Afghanistan . Fighting in past two days kills more than 40 civilians . U.S. says Al-Shabab militants are affiliated with al Qaeda network . | [[456, 512], [922, 1040], [1378, 1431], [1607, 1624], [1633, 1692]] |
COLOMBO , Sri Lanka -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Shell-shocked and scarred both inside and out , they huddle in tents , water and medicine in short supply -- hundreds of thousands of people , civilian victims of Sri Lanka 's recently-ended civil war . Displaced Sri Lankan people look out from inside a camp in Cheddikulam . `` We suffered a lot because shelling was coming from everywhere , '' said a 38-year-old man identifying himself as Vishwamala . `` Firing , shelling -- many , many people have died ... there was nobody there to carry the dead . A lot of dead were left on the road . '' Another survivor , Krisha Duray , recalls `` running and running '' to escape shelling by both the Sri Lankan military and the Tamil Tiger rebels , who waged a bloody 25-year war . United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Saturday visited refugee camps housing such victims . `` I have traveled around the world and visited similar places , but this is by far the most appalling scenes I have seen , '' he said . Ban requested that the United Nations be provided full access to the displacement camps in order to provide aid . In a joint statement issued Saturday , Ban and Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa said the United Nations will continue to provide humanitarian assistance to displaced persons , and that the government will continue to provide access to humanitarian agencies . That access , however , is limited . The United Nations and other organizations have never had full access , as government officials fear some remaining Tamil Tiger rebels may be hiding in the camps and are screening those inside . Watch the U.N. chief discuss the humanitarian crisis '' Sri Lanka 's Sunday Times newspaper reported that attempts to smuggle youths out of the camps has prompted the government to impose restrictions on visits . Rajiva Wijesinha , the nation 's human rights ministry secretary , was quoted as telling the newspaper that people `` with the connivance of Non-Governmental Organization workers '' were involved in the plot . Because of the plot , `` a thorough screening of IDPs was under way , '' the newspaper said . `` I have United Nations humanitarian agencies , and there are ICRC -LRB- International Committee of the Red Cross -RRB- and many other international humanitarian agency workers , '' Ban said in a Saturday news conference , according to a transcript . `` They should be given unimpeded access and freedom of movement within the camp . That is what I have asked the foreign minister and the president -LRB- for -RRB- , and I was assured that the leaders of the Sri Lankan government will make sure -LRB- of this -RRB- . '' Sri Lanka 's government as of Sunday had not responded to Ban 's appeal . But the joint statement Saturday said , `` The government will expedite the necessary basic and civil infrastructure as well as -LRB- the -RRB- means of livelihood necessary for the IDPs to resume their normal lives at the earliest . `` The Secretary-General welcomed the announcement by the government expressing its intention to dismantle the welfare villages at the earliest as outlined in the plan to resettle the bulk of IDPs and call for its early implementation . '' Ban toured Manik Farm , a sprawling camp for internally displaced people in the country 's north , days after Sri Lanka declared victory in a 25-year civil war against the Tamil Tigers rebels . About 250,000 to 300,000 people are refugees in the country , according to humanitarian groups and U.N. figures . Some in the camp have experienced fierce fighting in recent months , saying that at moments they did not believe they were going to survive . Asked whether he agrees with the military 's assertions that not many civilians died in the violence , Ban told CNN he believes there were many civilian casualties . While the war 's end elicited celebrations in parts of the country , humanitarian groups and the United Nations worry about those uprooted by the fighting . Ban arrived in the South Asian island nation Friday , saying he came to offer help and partnership . `` I hope my visit today can help begin a process of national recovery , renewal and reconciliation for all Sri Lankans , '' Ban said in a written statement issued Friday . `` That is why I am here . '' He said he would urge the government to expedite the screening and processing of refugees and ensure that displaced camps have adequate supplies of food , medicine and water . With the war 's end , `` the government of Sri Lanka faces many immediate and long-term challenges relating to issues of relief , rehabilitation , resettlement and reconciliation , '' the joint statement said . Ban also flew to the site of the civil war 's final battle , near Mullaitivu . CNN 's Iqbal Athas in Colombo , Sri Lanka , and CNN 's Sara Sidner contributed to this report . | Ban Ki-moon says camp contains `` the most appalling scenes I have seen '' Ban asks president to grant unrestricted access to humanitarian agencies . About 250,000 to 300,000 people are refugees in the country , aid agencies say . Sri Lankan government has declared victory in the country 's 25-year civil war . | [[937, 977], [952, 989], [1005, 1101], [2386, 2467], [3397, 3456], [3397, 3428], [3459, 3510], [3313, 3396]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Eighteen-year-old Juan Gonzalez was dying alone in a hospital , thousand of miles from his Guatemalan home . He was separated from the family he had traveled to the United States to help support . Juan Gonzalez was earning $ 250 a week as a dishwasher when his heart trouble began . Diagnosed with a chronically weak heart , without much money and lacking resources , Gonzalez seemed bound to die without ever seeing his parents again . That changed after CNN aired a story about his plight . Thanks to the help of a compassionate hospital staff , a U.S. congressman and a concerned community , Gonzalez has been reunited with his parents for what may be the last time . Watch Gonzalez make his tearful plea '' Like many undocumented workers , Gonzalez came to the United States last fall to provide some financial help for his family , who had fallen on hard times back in Guatemala . He took a job as a dishwasher in Rome , Georgia , making about $ 250 a week . Then , in November , his heart gave out . Gonzalez has been in and out of the hospital for seven months . Doctors diagnosed Gonzalez with dilated cardiomyopathy , which means his heart muscle is very weak . Dr. Frank Stegall , Gonzalez 's cardiologist , said the Guatemalan teen 's heart pumps only 20 percent of the blood a healthy heart should . But as Gonzalez 's heart failed him , he opened up the hearts of others . Stegall and the staff at Rome 's Redmond Regional Medical Center were inspired by Gonzalez 's attitude and courage and set out to reunite the dying teen with his parents . They contacted U.S. Rep. Phil Gingrey , R-Georgia . Gingrey got the State Department involved in expediting visas for Pascual and Maria Gonzalez , Juan 's parents . Delta Air Lines donated tickets to Atlanta , and the Gonzalezes boarded a plane for the first time , bound for Georgia to see their dying son . Watch the family reunion '' Gonzalez has vowed to fight to the end , but doctors say his prognosis is n't good . With no money , Stegall says , it will be tough for the teen to get a heart transplant . Now , after traveling thousands of miles for more than two weeks to make a better life for his family and himself , Gonzalez faces his final fight , but it 's one he will face with his family , thanks to the kindness of others . | Undocumented immigrant went to Georgia to make money for family . He has an extremely weak heart muscle ; doctors give poor prognosis . Lawmaker got visas for parents ; Delta donated plane tickets . | [[763, 771], [808, 853], [302, 341], [1959, 1998], [1742, 1784]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Barack Obama is a married man but there 's another woman with a hold on him that his wife can never match : she runs the House . Nancy Pelosi has been an easy target for Republican ire . She is Nancy Pelosi , the Democratic speaker of the House of Representatives , the most powerful woman in Washington and lately , a target for Republicans . Pelosi is easy to spot in any crowd of U.S. politicians ; she 's the small brown-haired woman in the smartly tailored suit . Conservatives like to stereotype some Democrats as rich , isolated and out-of-touch . As the wife of an affluent investment banker , the always expertly coiffed Pelosi looks like exactly the kind of `` Limousine Liberal '' they 're talking about . Ironically , it 's money that makes her powerful . Under the U.S. constitution , the president ca n't spend a penny without the permission of Congress . Within the Congress , the Senate has its own powers but the House is the place where taxes and spending start . So almost every one of Obama 's plans needs a push from Pelosi . Maybe that 's part of the reason she 's in trouble right now . The issue is n't really part of her daily duties : `` waterboarding '' and other extreme interrogation tactics used against prisoners in the Bush era . Obama ordered an end to the harsh methods , but Republicans are asking why Democrats who knew about them years ago did n't try to stop them then . Pelosi was one of a handful of lawmakers who was briefed by the Central Intelligence Agency in 2002 , but she now accuses the agency of lying to her and hiding what it was doing . Republicans have been attacking Pelosi for making unsubstantiated and damaging accusations against a crucial national security agency . The man who once had her job , former Republican speaker Newt Gingrich , says Pelosi is lying in a way that is `` despicable , dishonest and vicious . '' Whether or not he 's right , it 's smart politics . Obama is still remarkably popular . Most of the country hopes that he 'll succeed in rebuilding the economy and ending the war in Iraq . If the president is immune to most easy attacks from the opposition , it needs to find someone who is n't . Pelosi is a crucial part of his plans . As potential targets go , with her nearly perfect hair and nearly perfect clothes , Pelosi is nearly perfect . | Nancy Pelosi , speaker in House , is most powerful woman in Washington . U.S. President Obama needs Pelosi to ensure his plans get House approval . Pelosi under attack over Democrats ' failure to challenge CIA over waterboarding . Tactic is smart move by Republicans as Pelosi an easier target than Obama . | [[1001, 1065], [148, 205]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Five people were killed when their boat struck a barge in southern Louisiana , the Terrebonne Parish sheriff said Thursday . The accident occurred Wednesday night in the Falgout Canal in Dularge , Louisiana , Sheriff Vernon Bourgeois said . The bodies were not discovered until Thursday morning , when people began arriving on the barge for work and saw the boat and one body , Bourgeois said . The barge is being used to repair damage to the canal from past hurricanes . The victims ' damaged boat was partially submerged under the barge , he said . The barge was slightly damaged , he said . The victims were last seen about 10 p.m. Wednesday leaving the Dulac , Louisiana-area en route to Bayou Dularge , the sheriff 's office said . The victims were identified as : Michael J. Carrere , 43 , of the Bayou Blue area , Louisiana ; Carey Meche , 52 , of Metairie , Louisiana ; Lawrence Flak , 54 , of Conroe , Texas ; Rene Gauthier , 59 , of Houston , Texas ; and William Voss , 49 , of Katy , Texas . They were entered in a fishing tournament that begins Friday , the sheriff said . Additional details were not immediately available . The accident occurred about 75 miles southwest of New Orleans . | 5 killed after boat hits barge Wednesday night in Falgout Canal in Louisiana . Bodies discovered Thursday morning by people arriving on barge for work . Victims ' boat was partially submerged under the barge ; barge was slightly damaged . Victims last seen Wednesday night leaving Dulac , Louisiana-area for Bayou Dularge . | [[0, 15], [19, 95], [144, 213], [260, 313], [321, 364], [0, 15], [19, 95], [491, 557], [570, 600], [613, 634], [640, 663], [613, 624], [635, 663], [654, 698]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- `` Jurymen seldom convict a person they like , or acquit one that they dislike . '' -- Clarence Darrow . A moussed , tousled brown hairstyle is murder trial defendant Phil Spector 's latest look . Since April , the murder trial of music producer Phil Spector has been playing out in Los Angeles , California , oddly contrasting gruesome CSI details with the defendant 's daily fashion emergency . Jurors finally will go behind closed doors for deliberations at the end of the week . Their impressions of Spector 's over-the-top fashion statements and nebbish-like demeanor could weigh as heavily , legal analysts say , as any of the conflicting expert testimony about ballistics , blood spatter and other forensic evidence . Spector , a diminutive aging hipster who invented the `` Wall of Sound '' and worked with the Beatles and Ike and Tina Turner , is accused of second-degree murder . He allegedly shot Lana Clarkson , a B-movie actress-turned-House of Blues hostess whose film credits include `` Barbarian Queen '' and `` Amazon Women on the Moon . '' As the sun began to rise on February 3 , 2003 , police found her body slumped in a chair in the foyer of Spector 's 8,500-square-foot Pyrenees-style castle , a Colt Cobra Special .38 - caliber revolver at her feet . The question the jury must answer is straightforward : Did Spector , 67 , shoot Clarkson , 40 , in the face after she spurned his romantic advances and tried to leave his home ? Or did she shoot herself , either by accident or in suicidal despair over her flagging Hollywood career ? The jurors did n't hear directly from Spector . The most damaging testimony came from his Brazilian-born driver , who said the boss wandered out of the castle that morning and announced , `` I think I killed somebody . '' His dress and mannerisms at the defense table were impossible to ignore . `` Sometimes the most important thing about a defendant 's court appearance is the defendant 's appearance , '' Court TV anchor Lisa Bloom said . `` Looks count when it comes to a criminal trial , '' agreed Laurie Levenson , a professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles . `` They can work for a defendant , and they can work against a defendant . '' Levenson , who observes and analyzes high-profile trials , has written a scholarly article on the subject . She cites studies that show jurors are influenced by how attractive -- or unattractive -- a defendant is . Such impressions are not formally recognized as evidence in most courts , and jurors are rarely instructed on how to weigh them , she found . Levenson concludes that jurors inevitably take cues from a defendant 's courtroom demeanor , whether judges want them to or not . Demeanor makes the biggest impact when a defendant does n't take the stand . `` We need to be realistic as to how we deal with the theater of the courtroom , '' Levenson concludes . `` Demeanor evidence of non-testifying parties is the new frontier . '' She suggests adding a jury instruction to weigh a defendant 's demeanor like any other character evidence . It could prove to be a controversial idea . Jeffrey Toobin , CNN 's senior legal analyst , is comfortable with the current standard . `` If it ai n't broke , do n't fix it , '' he said . `` Jurors ca n't help but look at a defendant . But turning it into a formal part of trial would be a mistake . '' Levenson agreed to share an advance copy of her richly footnoted paper , which will be published in January 's Minnesota Law Journal . She cites several well-known cases in which jurors later said their impressions of the defendant influenced their verdicts : . Attorneys long ago learned how to manipulate nonverbal cues to communicate with juries . `` Smart lawyers use it to their advantage , '' said Mark Geragos , a frequent guest on CNN 's `` Larry King Live . '' The prominent Los Angeles criminal defense attorney has given makeovers to several of his clients , including Whitewater figure Susan McDougal , who favored white pantsuits in court and won acquittals at two trials . Spector 's courtroom appearance seems to be a misfire , said Geragos , who does n't believe the defense team is making the fashion calls . Geragos says a defendant can `` make or break himself '' '' At Spector 's trial , jurors have heard about his history of threatening women with guns , although one witness left an impression more comic than fearsome when she offered this description of the gun-toting defendant : . `` He looked like Elmer Fudd . The gun was bigger than he was , '' said Kathy Sullivan , recalling an incident she alleges took place in 1997 or 1998 . By contrast , the jurors ' view of Clarkson has only two dimensions . In the agency photos she used to look for acting jobs , she is a striking , tanned California blonde with windswept hair and a broad smile of white , perfectly even teeth . In heels , she stood about 6 feet tall , according to testimony , while Spector is 5 feet , 4 inches tall . Jurors also have been barraged by gruesome crime scene photos of Clarkson . Her mouth is a pulpy crimson chasm . The revolver lies at her feet , which turn outward in platform Mary Janes . Jurors heard during the prosecutor 's case how the bullet severed her spinal cord and shattered her teeth , spraying bloody saliva in a two - to six-foot arc , about how her dying gasps may have sprayed onto Spector 's white jacket . Levenson has been advising the judge on legal issues during the Spector trial , so she declined to comment on the specifics of his case . But the consensus among the experienced trial analysts who spoke with CNN is that Spector has not done himself any favors . Spector has sported three hairstyles in three different shades , a color wheel of pastel ties and pocket handkerchiefs topped at times by foppish , flowing morning coats . He has worn an orange tie with a pink shirt , and a black shirt unbuttoned in a fashion better suited for an airport lounge . He wears platform shoes . Trial bloggers and observers gossip about whether he is wearing a wig or lipstick . `` He 's definitely a nutty guy , '' observed Toobin . `` He 's certainly not a very likable looking guy . '' `` Somewhere between Charles Manson and Marilyn Manson , '' quipped Kendall Coffey , a former U.S. attorney in Miami who regularly comments on legal matters for CNN . `` As a prosecutor you 're saying , ` Bring it on . We like blond . We like goofy clothes . We like a guy who looks like he 's as phony as a $ 3 bill . ' '' Coffey says Spector looks `` completely untrustworthy '' '' `` Fairly unhinged '' was the impression offered by Geragos , who described Spector 's courtroom look as `` perplexing . '' The usually ebullient lawyer was uncharacteristically subdued in his comments : `` It is not an engaging look . It is not repulsive . I do n't think this would be your ideal situation from a defense standpoint . '' Court TV 's Lisa Bloom believes Spector is trying to communicate to jurors that he 's `` an eccentric rock star '' who does n't place much stock in what 's happening in the courtroom . `` I think the pimp suits are his way for showing disrespect for the process . '' Bloom said Spector is sending a message : `` It 's all about me , me , me . I 'm the celebrity . It 's all about me . '' She doubts it will be effective . `` His clothes are so out there , '' Bloom said . `` His looks are so out there . Will it backfire ? I do n't know . You have to take into account this is L.A. '' E-mail to a friend . | Jury deliberations to begin soon in Phil Spector 's murder trial . Legal analysts say demeanor , odd looks could be a factor . Spector is accused of fatally shooting actress Lana Clarkson . Spector 's defense says Clarkson shot herself . | [[416, 501], [502, 614], [909, 940]] |
MOSCOW , Russia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Natalia Vodianova is the Russian supermodel and philanthropist described by designer Tom Ford as `` the most beautiful woman in the world . '' Natalia Vodianova : `` I think protecting your family and giving to them is the most important achievement . '' Natalia , 27 , is a mother of three and has set up her own children 's charity . The woman nicknamed `` Supernova '' tells My City_My Life about her tough childhood , her love of Moscow and why Russian vodka is the best . CNN : How would you describe Moscow ? Natalia Vodianova : It 's a city of contrasts . You have this great culture and traditions that are very normal , calm and established . And then you have explosions of emotion , craziness , art , and young people who are so proud to be Muscovites and really trying to be individuals . Moscow is a huge inspiration for me . I love what I find here , I love being here . CNN : What would you change about Moscow given the chance ? NV : Definitely the way it 's treated at the moment , the way the government wants to renovate the old buildings . To me it 's a little bit sad because in the West people have a very different mentality about renovating buildings , keeping them as intact as possible . Watch Natalia Vodianova take CNN on a tour of Moscow . '' CNN : What 's the fashion in Moscow ? NV : You see women in jeans wearing very high heels and a short puffy jacket . It 's really funny ! CNN : Tell me about your childhood . NV : I was born in Nizhny Novgorod to a very poor family and unfortunately my father and mother separated when I was very little . She was a single mum and had two more girls . It was a struggle but we all worked really hard and stood up for each other . My mum was amazing ; she never drank , she never smoked -- she lived for us . I appreciate what she has done for me and the way she raised me . CNN : Is family very important to you ? NV : I think protecting your family and giving to them is so important . It 's the most important achievement . CNN : How did your modeling career take off ? NV : I went to Paris when I was 17 . I was lucky because my career kind of gradually built up over two years -- I always had good work but I was n't a star straight away . In fact , my agency thought that I might never do shows because I was a bit shorter and not skinny enough , but when I gave birth to my first son I was 19 and I lost a lot of weight . I guess the stress on the body was extreme and I suddenly just turned into this stick -- just the way designers love models . My career took off after Lucas was born because I opened a lot of shows on the runway and that 's where a lot of stars are made in my industry . See Natalia Vodianova 's Moscow in photos . '' CNN : If you were n't a model , what would your life be like ? NV : It 's very hard to say what my life would be like if I had n't gone to Paris . People say I did n't change very much but I do n't think that 's true . I 'm a happy person and even if I thought that I was happy then , I had so much baggage to carry with me : my background , people 's expectations , the fact that I was n't a perfect student and I was n't going to school all the time -- I did n't live a normal life at all . That 's not with me anymore , because of my success . It really does n't matter because I know I have learned so much more than a lot of other girls who have had perfect childhoods . CNN : Tell us about the charity and what you are trying to achieve with it ? NV : I started my foundation in 2005 , after the Beslan tragedy -LSB- the 2004 school siege in which at least 339 hostages were killed -RSB- . I was in Moscow at the time and it just struck me so much . I went back to New York , where I was living at the time , organized a fundraising event and raised $ 350,000 to build a playground for the children that had survived in the area . I believe that play is very therapeutic . It 's really the only way for these children to forget about what happened and just be children , even if it 's only for five minutes . But then I realized that it would be good for all the other children in Russia and I just started raising money and building playgrounds . Now we have 23 places all over Russia and we are building 15 more this year and planning to build more . I want to fulfill my dream of building 500 play parks in Russia . Each one will cost about $ 300,000 so it 's a big dream -- an expensive one ! CNN : Let 's talk about vodka ... NV : Our vodka is definitely the best . It 's a very pure , good drink and it goes with Russian food . Generally I do n't drink vodka outside Russia , but when you come to Russia there is no reason to order a glass of wine . CNN : What do you think of your nickname -- Supernova ? NV : I do n't mind being called Supernova . If one nickname is going to stick , that 's not a bad one ! CNN : Which five words best describe Moscow ? NV : It 's mysterious , cultural , exciting , crazy and spiritual . | Natalia Vodianova is a Russian supermodel and has started a children 's charity . `` Moscow is a huge inspiration for me . I love what I find here , '' she says . She says she had a tough childhood but learned from the experience . `` I want to fulfill my dream of building 500 play parks in Russia , '' says Natalia . | [[0, 6], [9, 97], [290, 297], [320, 370], [836, 873], [371, 454], [4312, 4377], [4330, 4377]] |
KATHMANDU , Nepal -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Like many Nepalese guides , Apa Sherpa started trekking to the top of Mount Everest in the shadow of more famous climbers -- including the son of the late Sir Edmund Hillary , the first person to climb to the top of the world 's tallest peak . Apa Sherpa has climbed Mount Everest more times than any other person . But the 49-year-old Nepali -- who now lives in the United States -- on Thursday morning became the only person in the world to summit Everest 19 times . Apa says his goals in climbing the 29,029-foot -LRB- 8,848-meter -RRB- mountain have nothing to do with setting the world record for Everest summits , a title he has held since 1998 . `` Up to the 17th time in 2007 I climbed as a professional , as part of my occupation , '' Apa said , according to the Web site tracking the progress of his most recent expedition . `` But last year I climbed to raise funds for a school in Thame , my village on the foot of Everest . '' In addition to raising money for Nepali schoolkids , Apa also plans to remove more than two tons of garbage from Everest . Over the past 55 years , some 2,000 mountaineers have climbed the peak , leaving behind a trail of trash that includes oxygen bottles , food cans , gas cylinders , paper , plastic and even tents . Everest -- known by Nepalis as Sagarmatha -- is considered sacred by the Nepalese people , and is worshipped as a goddess of wealth and power by the Sherpas , the inhabitants of the Everest region . Apa comes from the famed Sherpa community of mountain guides , who work as porters and climbing guides for mountaineers from all over the world . While Everest is not considered the most technically challenging climb by experienced mountaineers , the world 's highest peak attracts an array of climbers who spend tens of thousands of dollars for the chance to make it to the top . However , the mountain is deadly for many climbers : More than 200 people have died trying to scale Everest . Apa began working as an expedition porter for Everest climbers to earn money after his father died when he was 12 years old , according to his biography on his team 's Web site , SuperSherpas.com . Many of the mountaineers noticed the young Sherpa who , despite his small size , was able to carry large loads `` with strength , quickness and a wide smile , '' according to his biography . But it was n't until he was about 30 years old that Apa began climbing Everest as a guide . He made it to the top in 1990 with a team that included Peter Hillary , whose father first summited the peak along Tenzing Norgay Sherpa in 1953 . That team also included Rob Hall , a New Zealander who lost his life on the mountain in 1996 , the deadliest season for climbers in Everest 's history . Eight climbers , including Hall , died trying to summit the peak on May 11 , 1996 , known as the `` Everest disaster . '' The incident highlighted the pressure that mountaineering companies face when their clients -- who have paid as much as $ 60,000 -- want to make it to the top despite foreboding weather and their lack of experience . Hall had asked Apa several times during the 1996 season to work for him , but Apa refused in order to be with his family , according to Everestnews.com . Apa reached Everest 's peak for the 19th time at 8 a.m. local time on Thursday , announcing over a crackling radio , `` I am at the top and looking at all the prayer flags , '' according to the Web site tracking his progress . `` I have just satisfied the deities and placed the Bhumpa on the summit . '' He was referring to an 8-inch-tall copper vase which is considered sacred and contains 400 elements , including precious metals , Buddhist relics , shreds of robes worn by venerated monks , holy water , and soil . Last month , Apa said that putting the vase on the mountain would be a prayer for world peace and prosperity . After spending 30 minutes at the top , he headed down . `` It is so cold here ... I am heading down . '' Crowds of climbers forced Apa to delay his ascent to the summit by an hour . May is considered the ideal time to try to reach the top of Everest , and Nepali tourism authorities said 98 people had climbed the mountain on Tuesday and Wednesday from the south side . Apa currently lives near Salt Lake City , Utah , where he works as a climbing instructor and gives lectures . He has three children -- two sons , ages 23 and 18 , and a 14-year-old daughter . He has said he does not want his children to follow in his footsteps as a climber . His SuperSherpas team has raised $ 30,000 to educate the children of Nepal , and Apa hopes that his climbing successes will continue to raise more money for the impoverished Himalayan country . `` I never had a plan to make a record , '' Apa told The Salt Lake Tribune last month before leaving for Nepal . `` I never had that as a dream . It just keeps happening . '' CNN 's Manesh Shrestha contributed to this report . | Apa Sherpa , 49 , of Nepal , successfully climbs Mount Everest for the 19th time . Apa says he climbs to raise money for his village , at the foot of the mountain . More than 200 people have died trying to scale Everest . At 29,029 feet , Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world . | [[281, 352], [357, 379], [387, 417], [357, 379], [441, 505], [3261, 3327], [1928, 1986]] |
KATHMANDU , Nepal -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Two people were killed and about a dozen others were injured when a bomb exploded in a Catholic church in Kathmandu on Saturday morning , police said . The damage inside the church in Kathmandu following Saturday 's bomb blast . The explosion in the Nepalese capital killed a 15-year-old girl and a 30-year-old woman . `` The bomb exploded inside the church when the explosion happened , '' senior police officer Kedar Man Singh Bhandari told CNN over the phone . About 100 people were in the church when the bomb exploded , police said . Manish Amatya , who was injured , said the blast interrupted their prayers . `` There was a loud explosion while we were praying and all of us ran out screaming , '' he said . Investigations are under way to determine who planted the bomb , which damaged the church . CNN 's Manesh Shrestha contributed to this report . | Explosion in Nepalese capital killed 15-year-old girl , 30-year-old woman . 100 people were in the church when the bomb exploded . Investigations are under way to determine who planted the bomb . | [[266, 355], [359, 422], [501, 559], [752, 780], [752, 766], [781, 814]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Colin Powell stirred up the Republican Party 's very public internal debate about the direction of the party and asserted it 's losing because it does n't appeal to moderates like him . The Republican Party is losing `` men , woman , white , blacks and Hispanics , '' says Colin Powell . Two Republican leaders questioned Powell 's GOP credentials . Conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh said Powell should leave the party . Former Vice President Dick Cheney said he thought he already had . Powell says he 's still very much a Republican and said the party would be better off to include more moderates like him . `` The Republican Party is losing north , south , east , west ; men , woman , white , blacks and Hispanics , '' Powell said in an interview with CBS ' `` Face the Nation . '' `` I think the Republican Party has to take a hard look at itself and decide : What kind of party are we ? '' As it has squabbled within the family , the party has wandered . Most analysts say it will get back on the right track when its next leaders emerge . Is Powell emerging as a voice of the moderates in the party ? `` A spokesman is good , '' said Bill Schneider , CNN senior political analyst . `` A candidate would be better . '' Watch what CNN 's Bill Schneider has to say about the debate '' The Republicans ' family argument started shortly after the Democrats won the White House and added to their control of Congress . Conservatives blame moderates for the losses , saying the party did n't present a contrast with Democrats and the only way for it to be successful is to lean harder to the right . Limbaugh and Cheney emerged from the leadership vacuum -- Limbaugh from his legions of listeners and Cheney in his emergent role as the sole defender of the Bush White House . Powell provoked Limbaugh when he suggested the GOP 's future was in peril if it went in the Limbaugh 's direction . Limbaugh responded that Powell is part of the `` stale , the old , the worn-out GOP that never won anything . '' Powell says the right has alienated undecided and independent voters and the only way for the GOP to return to power is to expand its narrow base . The former Pentagon commander of the 1991 Persian Gulf war has for the most part stayed out of politics since resigning as President 's Bush 's secretary of state in Bush 's first term . Among Republicans , Powell , Cheney and Limbaugh are equally revered with favorability ratings in the 60s , according to a new CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll . But among all voters questioned , Powell has a favorability rate of 70 percent compared to 30 percent for Limbaugh . A poll a week ago found that Cheney had a favorability rate of 37 percent . `` Colin Powell is not the guy you want to pick a fight with , '' Schneider said . `` He 's more popular than Dick Cheney and Rush Limbaugh combined . Between the two polls , Limbaugh 's unfavorable rating among all respondents was 53 percent and Cheney 's 55 percent . Former Homeland Security secretary Tom Ridge , another moderate , sided with Powell in an interview with with CNN 's John King on `` State of the Union '' on Sunday . The former Pennsylvania governor said the different wings of the party need to listen to each other and differences of opinions need to be less divisive . `` Rush Limbaugh has an audience of 20 million people . A lot of people listen daily to him and live by every word . But words mean things and how you use words is very important , '' Ridge said . `` It does get the base all fired up and he 's got a strong following , '' Ridge continued . `` But personally , if he would listen to me and I doubt if he would , the notion is express yourself but let 's respect others opinions and let 's not be divisive . '' Ridge , who ruled out a Senate bid earlier this month , also called for an end to personal attacks . `` Let 's lead our party based on some principles that have been very much a part of who we are for decades . And let 's be less shrill ... and particularly , let 's not attack other individuals . Let 's attack their ideas , '' said Ridge . Republican strategist and CNN contributor Mary Matalin challenged what she called the `` liberal-lite '' wing of the party and said Republicans win when they run on their conservative convictions . When -LSB- Powell -RSB- supports Barack Obama , one presumes he 's supporting those principles and policies , '' Matalin said . `` Those are liberal principles and they spawn liberal policies . The road forward for Republicans is not to be ` liberal-lite , ' '' said Matalin . `` This debate is a long one and it always is taking place vigorously when we change through any new paradigm . What is the scope and the role of a government in a free state ? Those are big principles , big ideas , and that 's how we should go forward . And anybody who agrees with those ideas should be in the party . If you do n't agree with those ideas , you can be in the other party , '' she said . On another talk show , former George W. Bush adviser Karl Rove , who served with Powell and Cheney in the White House , took Limbaugh 's side , saying he would choose the radio host over the former secretary of state if he `` had to pick between the two , '' in an interview on `` Fox News Sunday . '' | Conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh said Powell should leave GOP . Former Vice President Dick Cheney said he thought he already had . GOP `` losing north , south , east , west , '' says Powell . Karl Rove says he would choose Rush Limbaugh over Colin Powell . | [[369, 447], [416, 447], [448, 514], [487, 514], [284, 306], [638, 699], [4994, 5009], [5017, 5056], [5138, 5210]] |
PHILADELPHIA , Mississippi -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- James Young still remembers the Ku Klux Klan tormenting his neighborhood . He can still see his father holding a gun on the living room couch ready to shoot anyone who threatened his family . James Young poses with one of his young supporters after winning this week 's election . Nothing about Young 's childhood ever made him think he could be the mayor of Philadelphia , Mississippi , the town best known for the killings of three civil rights workers in 1964 . That 's the way it was for black kids growing up in this crucible of racial hostility -- big dreams were often squelched . Sitting on a sprawling Southern front porch this week , Young broke down in tears about what it means to be elected the town 's first black mayor . `` When you 've been treated the way we 've been treated , '' he told CNN , choking up and then pausing to wipe the tears from his face . Watch tearful Young describe victory '' For a moment , he could n't speak . He then regrouped , `` That 's why it 's so overwhelming to be a part of this history . '' This week , the 53-year-old Young was elected the mayor of Philadelphia , a town of about 8,000 in the east-central part of the state . Despite a 55 percent white majority , Young defeated Rayburn Waddell , a white , three-term incumbent , by the slim margin of 46 votes . See where the town is located '' Young described the victory as `` an atomic bomb of change . '' Another resident rejoiced , saying Young 's win symbolized the scab finally falling off this town 's wound . `` I could n't even have wrote that in a fairy tale , '' Young said . `` Who would have thought a little country boy like me would be mayor of Philadelphia , Mississippi ? '' Philadelphia was the site of one of the most notorious killings of the civil rights era . On June 21 , 1964 , three civil rights workers -- James Chaney , a 21-year-old black man from Mississippi ; Andrew Goodman , 20 , and Michael Schwerner , 24 , both activists from New York -- were shot to death at the edge of town . The killings inspired the 1988 movie `` Mississippi Burning . '' `` Philadelphia will always be connected to what happened here in 1964 , '' said Jim Prince , the publisher of the Neshoba Democrat newspaper . `` But the fact that Philadelphia , Mississippi , with its notorious past , could elect a black man as mayor , it might be time to quit picking on Philadelphia , Mississippi . '' Young knows his slim margin of victory means he still has to earn the trust of many more voters here . He knows there are still some in town who wo n't vote for him because he 's black , but he says that number gets smaller and smaller as time passes . `` We have some -- a very small pocket -- that will never change . That 's what we 've got to deal with , '' said Young . The mayor-elect says his election symbolizes a dramatic shift away from his hometown 's racist past . And for many black residents , it means they can finally call this place home . `` The places where we were locked out , I 'm gon na have the key , '' he said . `` The places we could n't go , I 've got the key . No better way to say it than that . '' He takes special pride that his victory comes the same year the nation swore in its first African-American president in Barack Obama . `` It inspired people , '' Young said . `` There are times and seasons , I think , for everything . The season arrived and the people let me know it was my time . '' The mayor-elect says he won by shaking hands and knocking on doors all over town . But the groundwork for Young 's climb to the top of Philadelphia 's political world started decades ago . Young was one of the first black students to integrate Philadelphia 's white schools . After graduating from high school , he worked in a motor factory and then as a hospital housekeeper . A white boss noticed Young 's charming people skills and recommended that he become a paramedic . He eventually worked his way up to become the director of the EMT unit , and that catapulted him to his first elected job as a county supervisor in 1991 . He is also a Pentecostal minister preaching on Sunday and organizing weekly Bible studies . `` I 've been prepping for this . I felt like I knew enough people . I felt like they knew me and that if I could convince them to just give me the opportunity , things could happen , '' said Young . Driving around Philadelphia in a 1981 Ford pickup truck , Young basked in the glow of victory . He calls it the `` honeymoon '' period . As we drove down the road , black and white residents cheered . `` We 're so happy , '' screamed one lady . Young shouted back , `` We did it ! '' Until he 's sworn in as mayor , Young will work out of a makeshift transition office provided by a prominent attorney . His victory might seem unlikely but there 's little time left to celebrate . `` It 's an awesome feeling to have that kind of respect that people support you in this way , '' Young said near the end of our interview . `` I 'll never let the people down which called for that . '' | Philadelphia , Mississippi , elects first black mayor . Town of 8,000 is best known for its notorious past , the killings of 3 civil rights workers . James Young won election by 46 votes ; the town has a 55 percent white population . `` When you 've been treated the way we 've been treated ... it 's so overwhelming '' | [[690, 781], [1087, 1096], [1099, 1158], [434, 510], [1741, 1830], [238, 249], [289, 326], [811, 814], [819, 821], [823, 838]] |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.