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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Despite some high-profile bombings in recent days , Iraq 's security forces are ready to take over for U.S. forces this week to stabilize the nation 's major cities , the U.S. commander in Iraq told CNN on Sunday . Except for soldiers in advisory roles , all U.S. combat troops will leave Iraqi cities and towns by June 30 . Army Gen. Ray Odierno said he 's seen a `` constant improvement '' in both the security situation and governance in Iraq to prepare for the June 30 deadline for U.S. troops to withdraw from major cities . `` They 've been working for this for a long time , '' Odierno said on CNN 's `` State of the Union . '' In a separate interview on `` Fox News Sunday , '' Odierno said all U.S. troops already were out of Iraq 's major cities before Tuesday 's deadline . `` We have already moved out of the cities , '' Odierno said . `` We 've been slowly doing it over the last eight months . And the final units have moved out of the cities over the last several weeks . '' Watch CNN 's Michael Ware on the U.S. withdrawal '' The shift is part of the security agreement that former President George W. Bush 's administration signed with Iraq . In the CNN interview , Odierno blamed the recent violence in Iraq on `` extremist elements using the timeframe and date to gain attention to themselves and divert attention from the success of Iraqi security forces . '' The 131,000 U.S. troops in Iraq still will `` maintain full coordination with Iraqi forces inside the cities '' and continue to have intelligence capacity , Odierno said . With approval from the Iraqis , they also will carry out operations in major cities as necessary , he said . Odierno said his goal is to help provide security that allows Iraq to hold planned national elections leading to the eventual removal of all U.S. troops by the end of 2011 . He said his biggest worry is a breakdown in stability such as a `` consistent increase in violence '' or a situation that Iraqi forces ca n't handle . `` I do n't see that '' happening , Odierno said . `` I think we 're on the right path . '' Odierno also said Iran continues to `` interfere '' in Iraq , including training insurgents and paying surrogates . But he said his mission is limited to providing security within Iraq , no matter the provocation from Iran or elsewhere . `` I 'm not authorized to do anything outside the borders of Iraq , '' he said . Iran 's government has repeatedly denied fomenting violence inside Iraq . | Gen. Ray Odierno sees `` constant improvement '' in security , governance in Iraq . Iran continues to `` interfere '' in Iraq , Odierno says . Iranian government repeatedly denies instigating violence inside Iraq . | [[344, 516], [1556, 1570], [2041, 2055], [2097, 2104], [2110, 2212], [2416, 2489]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Rescuers on Tuesday spotted the wreckage of a Yemeni jet that crashed in the Indian Ocean off the island nation of Comoros , the country 's Vice President Idi Nadhoim said . Relatives of passengers of the plane that crashed arrive at Marseille airport in southern France . The plane , carrying more than 150 people , was en route to Moroni , the capital of Comoros , from Yemen 's capital , Sanaa . A reconnaissance plane spotted traces of the jet in waters off the town of Mitsamiouli , Nadhoim said . `` There were no sign of survivors , '' he said . `` There are a few bodies floating and there is a lot of debris floating around . '' The crash occurred as the plane approached the Hahaya airport in Moroni . The plane tried to land , but could n't , and then U-turned before it crashed , Nadhoim said . Officials did not know why the plane could not land , he said . There were 142 passengers and 11 crew members aboard , Yemenia Air officials said . Nadhoim offered another figure , saying there were 147 passengers . Flight 626 left Sanaa at 9:30 p.m. -LRB- 2:30 p.m. ET -RRB- for what was expected to be a four-and-a-half-hour flight . The airline has three regular flights a week to Moroni , off the east coast of Africa , about 2,900 km -LRB- 1,800 miles -RRB- south of Yemen . The crash occurred about 1:30 a.m. , Nadhoim said . Most of the passengers aboard the Airbus A310 were Comoran , an official at Sanaa 's international airport told CNN . An official at Charles De Gaulle airport in Paris said there were 66 French passengers aboard . There was no indication of foul play behind the crash , the official in Yemen said . The crash was the second involving an Airbus jet in a month . On June 1 , an Air France Airbus A330 crashed off Brazil while en route from Rio de Janeiro to Paris , France . All 228 aboard are presumed dead . The cause remains under investigation . CNN 's Saad Abedine contributed to this report . | NEW : French passengers aboard ; most on plane are Comoran . Crash occurs as plane tries to land at airport , official says . Reconnaissance craft spots traces of plane , bodies off Comoros . Plane crashes in Indian Ocean near Comoros , official says . | [[1358, 1416], [220, 229], [235, 291], [657, 730], [731, 754], [418, 476], [63, 75], [81, 108]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Federal investigators at the Nestle USA plant in Danville , Virginia , have found evidence of E. coli bacteria in an unopened package of raw chocolate chip cookie dough , two sources at the Food and Drug Administration told CNN Monday . A Nestle spokeswoman says the tainted product was in a 16.5-ounce package and read `` best before 10 JUN 2009 . '' Researchers were testing the bacteria to determine if it bears the same genetic fingerprint as the E. coli linked to an outbreak of illness that has affected at least 69 people in 29 states . The tainted sample was manufactured last February 10 at the Nestle Plant in Danville , said the sources , both of whom requested anonymity . All of the infected persons had been confirmed as having the outbreak strain of E. coli 0157 : H7 , the CDC said Monday . Those affected range in age from 2 to 65 , however 64 percent are less than 19 and 73 percent are female . Thirty-four people have been hospitalized and nine developed a kidney disease called hemolytic uremic syndrome . No deaths have been linked to the outbreak . A spokeswoman for Nestle said the company 's baking division was informed Monday of the finding . She said the tainted product was in a 16.5-ounce package that had a day code of 9041 and a `` best before 10 JUN 2009 '' on the package . The plant where the dough was produced has been shut since June 18 . | Bacteria found at Nestle USA plant in Danville , Virginia , FDA researchers say . Researchers tested bacteria for link to illness outbreak in 29 states . Nestle spokeswoman said company 's baking division was informed of finding . All infected persons confirmed as having strain of E. coli 0157 : H7 . | [[574, 658], [1102, 1199], [1132, 1199], [715, 807]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Fabian Cancellara retained his gold jersey at the Vuelta Espana despite being caught up in a huge pile-up involving the leading riders near the end of Tuesday 's fourth stage from Venlo to Liege . Andre Greipel of Team Columbia celebrates as he wins the 225km fourth stage of the Tour of Spain . Andre Greipel of Team Columbia edged out Belgian Wouter Weylandt and fellow German cyclists Bert Grabsch and Marcel Sieberg in a sprint finish to the rain-hit 225km leg which saw the race move from the Netherlands into Belgium . They moved clear after the main pack endured a major spill two kilometers from the end of the stage , which featured the first real climbs of the race . Switzerland 's Cancellara now has a nine-second lead over Belgian sprint specialist Tom Boonen , who moved up to second as the top 57 riders involved in the crash were given the same time as the leaders . Grabsch is third , 11 seconds off the pace , with Greipel next at the same time following his fourth-place finishes on the two previous stages . `` My goal before starting the Vuelta was to win a stage , '' Greipel told the Vuelta 's official Web site . `` I accomplished that here in Liege and now we 'll just take it one day at a time . However , I really want to direct my first words to my fellow racers in the peloton who were involved in the spill . `` I just hope everyone can continue the race . As for me , I received great support from my team and that made my job much easier . '' On a difficult day for riding , the temperature dropped from 25C to 17C and persistent rain led to several falls for the competitors . Ezequiel Mosquera was one to cross the finish line in an apparent pain , though no details were released as to his condition . Lars Boom of Rabobank led a breakaway from the 21km mark with Dominik Roels -LRB- Milram -RRB- , Javier Ramirez -LRB- Andalucia Cajasur -RRB- and Sergei Lagutin -LRB- Vacansoleil -RRB- , and they built a 14-minute lead by 55km . However , that was slowly trimmed to just 2:35 with 47km remaining , and then to less than two minutes after the third and final ranked climb . Once they were caught , Enrico Gasparotto of Lampre went 10 seconds clear with 10km left but was also reeled in just before the mass crash . The riders have a much much-needed day off on Wednesday before moving to Spain for the 174km fifth stage from the Catalan city of Tarragona to the coastal city of Vinaros in Castellon . British rider Charles Wegelius became the first entrant to quit the event , meaning that New Zealander Julian Dean of the Garmin team is now the only man with a chance of completing all three of the sport 's major three-week races this season . The duo started the Giro d'Italia , the Tour de France and the Vuelta along with Cancellara , Britain 's David Millar and American Tyler Farrar , with the latter trio failing to finish in Italy . | Fabian Cancellara retains his gold jersey at Vuelta Espana despite pile-up . Andre Greipel of Team Columbia wins fourth stage to Liege after late mass crash . All the peloton given the same time as leaders following rain-hit day of racing . Riders have a rest day on Wednesday before the race moves into Spain . | [[19, 82], [83, 215], [83, 215], [216, 314], [315, 438], [544, 643], [820, 837], [854, 901], [1494, 1523], [1526, 1585], [2270, 2455], [2286, 2297], [2298, 2308], [2313, 2374], [2326, 2455]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Flash floods have inundated refugee camps in northern Sri Lanka , endangering more than 16,000 Tamil refugees who only months ago survived cross-fire in the country 's two-decade civil war , the United Nations says . In this file photo Tamil civilians are seen at Menik Farm refugee camp on the outskirts of Vavuniya , Sri Lanka . Three days of heavy rains have damaged or destroyed nearly 2,000 shelters housing the refugees in the Vavuniya District and in Menik Farm , according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs . An internal U.N. memo obtained by CNN painted a dismal picture for the refugees , who have been caught in mud flows and the runoff from flooded latrines . `` Due to heavy showers on 14 August 09 ... many tents and toilets were submerged/badly damaged , '' the memo said . `` Reportedly more than 300 families gathered together and marched towards the main access gate of the Zone to protest , '' the memo continued . `` Though ... not violent , they seemed disgruntled and agitated due to the sufferings and expressed their resentment by hooting and making noises . '' The camps spread across northern Sri Lanka are home to about 280,000 people , who were displaced in the final months of the nation 's civil war . The flooding came ahead of Sri Lanka 's monsoon season , which typically brings heavy rains to the country 's northeast from October till January . `` If the rain continues , which is very likely , then the overall situation may go out of control of the management and lead to serious security threat , '' the memo warned , saying contingency plans are being `` discussed and worked out . '' Human Rights Watch has called for the immediate release of Tamil civilians living in the camps , which are surrounded by barbed wire , saying they are being confined against their will , like criminals . `` Those are not detention camps , '' Lakshman Hulugalle , a Defense Ministry spokesman , said in late July . `` They are relief villages . All the basic facilities are being given to the people . '' Hulugalle said that barbed wire is commonly used to define barriers in Sri Lanka and that military guards were being used out of security concerns . The government fears that rebels are hiding in the camps and is screening people living in them . Sri Lanka declared victory in May in its 25-year battle with the Tamil Tiger rebels , but concerns remain about how the island nation can heal its deep war wounds . The rebels -- formally known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam -- had waged war for an independent state for minority Tamils in Sri Lanka since July 1983 . As many as 70,000 people were killed in the conflict . Last month the government said it had a 18-day plan to resettle most of the refugees , but added that a lot of work remains to be done to infrastructure and basic services destroyed in the fighting . Human rights activists say , however , that the government is not working fast enough . Human Rights Watch said Sri Lanka 's goal now was to resettle only 60 percent of the refugees by year 's end . | Refugees caught in mud flows , runoff from flooded latrines , internal U.N. memo says . More than 300 families protest conditions , memo says . Flooding comes ahead of Sri Lanka 's monsoon season . Human Rights Watch has called for immediate release of Tamil civilians at camps . | [[566, 645], [629, 720], [862, 892], [841, 874], [897, 956], [1281, 1335], [1308, 1335], [1354, 1428], [1673, 1747]] |
RALEIGH , North Carolina -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Federal authorities are searching for an eighth alleged member of a North Carolina group that authorities say plotted `` violent jihad '' overseas , prosecutors said Tuesday . Daniel Patrick Boyd , left , and Mohammad Omar Aly Hassan are two of the seven men charged . Robin Zier of the U.S. attorney 's office in Raleigh told CNN that the eighth person , whose name has been redacted from court documents , is a U.S. citizen . She added that U.S. Attorney George Holding had said federal authorities hoped to have the person apprehended soon , and the public should not be worried . The U.S. attorney 's office would not release further details . According to an indictment released Monday , the eighth suspect , described as a North Carolina resident , traveled to Pakistan in October 2008 to `` engage in violent jihad . '' It offered no other information . Seven other men have been arrested on charges of supporting terrorism and conspiracy to commit murder abroad . Officials identified three of the men as U.S. native Daniel Patrick Boyd , 39 , and Boyd 's sons , Dylan Boyd , 22 , also known as `` Mohammed , '' and Zakariya Boyd , 20 . Daniel Boyd had fought against the Soviets in Afghanistan . The four others are : Mohammad Omar Aly Hassan , also a U.S.-born citizen ; Hysen Sherifi , identified as a native of Kosovo who is a legal permanent resident of the United States ; and Hiyad Yaghi and Anes Subasic , both naturalized U.S. citizens . Watch why wife says they were in Mideast '' Officials did not immediately identify the native countries of Yaghi and Subasic . All seven are accused of engaging in weapons training and military tactics in North Carolina , the Justice Department said . Sabrina Boyd , the wife of Daniel Patrick Boyd and the mother of the two younger Boyds , said the charges had not been substantiated . `` We are decent people who care about other human beings , '' Sabrina Boyd said in a statement read on her behalf by Khalilah Sabra . `` I have raised my sons to be good people and we are a good family , '' she said , according to Sabra , the North Carolina director of the Muslim American Society 's Freedom Foundation , a civic and human rights group . Sabrina Boyd said in the statement that her husband had fought against the Soviets in Afghanistan with the `` full backing '' of the U.S. government . Boyd went on to say in an interview with CNN that her family had traveled to the Middle East for peaceful reasons , including praying for a son who had died in a car crash . `` We all had agreed to go the Holy Land and pray for our son , '' Boyd said . `` It would be a positive action and it would help console us and it would be in a place where we felt , Islamically , we could do the most good for our departed beloved . '' According to the indictment , Daniel Boyd and his sons left the United States for Israel in June 2007 to `` engage in violent jihad , but ultimately returned to the United States after failing in their efforts . '' It said Yaghi and Hassan had also traveled to Israel in June 2007 , and that Daniel Boyd had lied to Customs and Border Protection agents at the Atlanta , Georgia , and Raleigh airports about intending to meet the two men in the Jewish state . The indictment also said Daniel Boyd had traveled to Gaza in March 2006 `` to introduce his son to individuals who also believed that violent jihad was a personal obligation on the part of every good Muslim . '' The indictment mentions mentions other trips -- by Yaghi to Jordan in October 2006 ; by Sherifi to Kosovo in July 2008 ; and by the unidentified defendant to Pakistan in October 2008 . All the trips were taken to `` engage in violent jihad , '' the indictment alleges , without providing details . The documents make no reference to a direct threat to individuals or property in the United States , but said the men had practiced military tactics in a North Carolina county that borders Virginia . The defendants , with a substantial cache of weapons , had `` practiced military tactics and use of weapons on private property in Caswell County , North Carolina , in June and July 2009 , '' the indictment said . Daniel Boyd , `` a veteran of terrorist training camps '' had `` conspired with others to recruit and help young men travel overseas in order to kill , '' according to a written statement from the Justice Department 's top counterterrorism official , David Kris . It was unclear whether the seven had hired lawyers , and the federal public defender 's office in Raleigh did not immediately return a phone call . CNN 's Mike Ahlers contributed to this report . | Seven other men have been arrested on charges of supporting terrorism . 8th person being sought is U.S. citizen ; public told not to be worried . Wife of suspect Daniel Patrick Boyd said charges had not been substantiated . Daniel Boyd , a U.S. citizen , and his two sons are among the seven men arrested . | [[905, 989], [10, 40], [44, 132], [380, 397], [452, 471], [593, 627], [1751, 1763], [1840, 1885], [220, 302], [905, 989], [1016, 1112]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Mexican President Felipe Calderon will wake up a lame duck Monday . How lame will depend largely on nationwide midterm elections Sunday . Mexican President Felipe Calderon has three years left in his six-year term . On the ballot will be 500 federal legislators , six governors and mayors and local legislators in 11 states . Although Calderon has three years left in his six-year term and is not on Sunday 's ballot , many analysts see the election as a referendum on his performance and his party 's nine-year reign on the presidency . By most accounts , Calderon 's party will fare well . `` He 's going to get a positive vote , '' said Larry Birns , director of the Washington-based Council on Hemispheric Affairs . `` The nation feels he is doing a better job than they imagined he would . '' Low expectations may be understandable , given the circumstances under which Calderon came to power . After a bitterly fought race that polls indicated was too close to call , the nation went to the polls July 2 , 2006 , to pick a successor to President Vicente Fox . The race was so close that the results were not verified until a controversial decision two months later . Calderon 's margin of victory was less than 1 percent . Losing candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador refused to accept the results and announced himself the winner . Fistfights broke out in the lower house , the Chamber of Deputies . The first three years of Calderon 's tenure have not been much smoother . Perhaps most famously , the president declared war on the drug cartels that have taken hold of Mexico , spreading corruption , fear and violence to all corners of the nation . The war 's outcome remains uncertain , but there 's no doubt about the human cost : About 10,000 people have died in drug violence since Calderon took office in December 2006 . The political fallout also has been costly . One U.S. politician said Mexico was undergoing a civil war . A Pentagon report said the nation was in danger of becoming a failed state . Calderon 's job got tougher when the bottom fell out of the global economy late last year and the H1N1 flu outbreak drew the world 's attention to Mexico this year . But Calderon 's actions in the face of such adversity have helped his standing , some analysts say . `` Calderon has become increasingly popular in the country because he did project a certain amount of strength in the anti-drug war , '' Birns said . `` He did stand up to the United States on certain things , like swine flu . '' Calderon 's aggressive management of the swine flu crisis -- in which he shut down schools , businesses and all public gatherings for more than a week to stop spread of the disease -- has given him higher credibility , said Peter Hakim , president of the Inter-American Dialogue policy institute . But Calderon 's personal popularity may not help his party in the legislative elections . `` The question is whether Calderon has coattails , '' said Ana Maria Salazar , a Mexico City columnist and political talk show host . Calderon is head of the National Action Party , known as PAN . The other two main parties are the leftist Party of the Democratic Revolution -LRB- PRD -RRB- , which narrowly lost the 2006 presidential election , and the Revolutionary Institutional Party -LRB- PRI -RRB- , which had a stranglehold on the presidency from 1929 until the 2000 . PAN candidate Fox -- Calderon 's predecessor -- broke that hold nine years ago . The PAN has the most seats in the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies but does not have a majority in either . The party could lose seats after Sunday , as most polls show the PRI holding a slight lead . `` We will see the resurgence of the PRI , '' said Robert Pastor , a Latin America national security adviser for President Carter in the late 1970s . The PRD , he said , has largely discredited itself through internal division . `` And the PAN has been overseeing a government that has shunted from one crisis to another , '' Pastor said . Still , some observers say PRI inroads may not make much difference . `` It will not change the balance of power much in Mexico , '' said Andrew Selee , director of the Woodrow Wilson Center 's Mexico Institute . `` Felipe Calderon will still have to negotiate with one of the two opposition parties to get legislation passed . '' Hakim said , `` It 's not going to be as critical election as everyone was predicting . '' But as Calderon moves into the last half of his presidency and other politicians start jockeying to succeed him , he probably will find it increasingly difficult to get his legislative agenda accomplished . `` Felipe Calderon will have a small window of opportunity to get in additional reforms , '' Salazar said . `` And all of this is happening amidst a terrible economic crisis , a terrible security crisis . '' And then there 's the issue of what many see as increasing voter distaste for the electoral process . `` There 's a general disenchantment about the PAN administration for the past nine years , '' said John Mill Ackerman , a professor at the National Autonomous University of Mexico . `` They 're linked to the economic crisis , the health crisis , the security crisis . '' But the PRI , he said , does n't offer much of a choice . `` The problem here is that the PRI is not a new PRI , '' Ackerman said . `` They 're not necessarily going to imply much change or difference . '' Nor is the PRI united , Salazar said . `` Everybody assumes that the PRI gets along . That 's not true , '' Salazar said , noting that the party is riven with `` fractionalism . '' Most voters will just stay home . Election officials predict a 30 percent turnout . Others will annul their vote : They will turn in blank ballots , so officials will see that they voted but not for anyone . `` There 's a lack of hope of making a difference with a vote , '' Ackerman said . Perhaps no one will be more interested in the results than the drug cartels . Numerous news reports have detailed how narcotraffickers fund some candidates , intimidate others to stay out of races and bribe politicians after they have been elected . `` The narcos definitely have taken this as another way in which they can expand their power , '' Ackerman said . Federal authorities have arrested more than 100 local officials in recent weeks on accusations that they have been taking money from drug cartels . The `` narco-politicians '' included mayors and a judge . Jose Vazquez , the former mayor of a town in Michoacan state , told a major newspaper two years ago how he had to go see the local drug boss when he decided to run . After he won , Vazquez said , he was constantly pressured to appoint officials the drug gangs wanted . `` If you do n't do it , they kill you , and that 's that , '' Vazquez was quoted as telling the Excelsior newspaper . `` All candidates have to suit them , whether they belong to the PRI , the PAN or the PRD . The drug gangs give their approval to candidates . '' Vazquez apparently fell out of favor . A group of armed men killed him in November . More recently , armed men opened fire last week in Sonora state on a PAN candidate for the lower house . He escaped , but two aides were killed . After all this , how the election and vote-counting is carried out Sunday looms as a major worry . No one wants to see a repeat of 2006 . `` This is a referendum on democracy , '' Ackerman said . '' -LSB- Mexicans -RSB- may be convinced on democracy . The question is whether they 're convinced that voting will lead to anything . '' | President is not on ballot , but many see vote as comment on his performance . Party is expected to do well despite years of troubles . Calderon has stood strong in face of adversity , analysts say . Many see increasing voter distaste with electoral process . | [[354, 362], [409, 435], [438, 556], [557, 573], [576, 610], [2206, 2280], [2283, 2302], [4859, 4862], [4868, 4960]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In an anguished 911 call , a Georgia man told dispatchers that he arrived home to find `` my whole family 's dead . '' Seven people were found dead Saturday at a residence in a mobile home park in Brunswick , Georgia . `` I just got home , '' a man identified as Guy Heinze Jr. told the emergency dispatcher in the Saturday call , released Monday by authorities . `` I was out last night . I got home just now , and everybody 's dead . ... My whole family 's dead . It looks like they 've been beaten to death . '' Seven people were found dead Saturday at a residence at the New Hope mobile home park in Brunswick , Georgia , authorities said . Two others were hospitalized in critical condition ; one of them , identified by police as 19-year-old Michael Toller , died Sunday . The remaining survivor remained in critical condition on Monday , police said . A neighbor of Heinze 's placed the call and put him on the phone , as well as the mobile home park 's maintenance man . The park manager also called 911 , sobbing as she told dispatchers , `` Please hurry . '' Listen as the 911 operator hears a family has died '' Police said Sunday that they have `` no known suspects '' in the case . `` We are not looking for any known suspects , '' Glynn County Police Chief Matt Doering said . `` That does n't say that there are no suspects . They 're just not known to us . '' Heinze was arrested Saturday night and faces charges of possessing a controlled substance and marijuana , as well as evidence tampering and making false statements to a police officer , Doering said . He said Heinze has been cooperative and stopped short of naming him a suspect in the deaths . `` We 're still looking for anybody and everybody that may be related to this , '' he said . `` That naturally includes -LSB- Heinze -RSB- . Of course we 're looking at him . '' `` I do n't know what to do , man , '' an emotional Heinze told the dispatcher . `` My dad , my mom , my uncle , my cousin ... my dad , he 's laying there dead . That was my dad . '' `` It 's a house full of people that live there , '' the neighbor said during the call . `` I know there 's a baby . I do n't know if the baby was in there or not . '' At one point , while the maintenance man , identified only as Mike , talked to dispatchers , Heinze went into the mobile home and reported that his cousin , identified as Michael , was still breathing . Asked to describe Michael , the maintenance man said that Michael is a `` young man with Down 's syndrome . '' Heinze reported that the youth 's `` face is smashed in , '' he said . Heinze got back on the phone to talk to a supervisor , repeating that Michael was breathing , although he appeared to be having trouble breathing and needed an ambulance . The dispatcher assured him that help was on the way and tried to question him gently . `` People 's beat , '' Heinze said . `` Everybody is dead . '' Asked what the mobile home looked like , he yelled , `` It looks like a -LSB- expletive -RSB- murder scene . '' At the dispatcher 's suggestion , Heinze tried to question Michael , asking him , `` Where do you hurt ? '' There was no response . Doering said Sunday that police think at least one person not in custody may have information in the case . Authorities have not released the identities or ages of the other victims , revealing only that they range in age from children through mid-40s . One additional victim was identified , Doering said Monday , but he did not release that person 's name pending notification of relatives . Autopsies on the victims began over the weekend in Savannah , Georgia , and continued Monday , Doering said . Police had been called to the home before , Doering said , but would not say why . He was tight-lipped Sunday about many aspects of the case , refusing to say how the victims died or to give a breakdown of male and female victims . All nine victims lived in the mobile home , he said , and police do not believe that any of them conducted the assault . He said police are making progress and have narrowed down the timeline for when the deaths occurred . Brunswick is about 300 miles southeast of Atlanta , on the Georgia coast . | Police identify one of deceased as 19-year-old Michael Toller . Guy Heinze Jr. heard on 911 call telling dispatcher he arrived home to find bodies . `` I do n't know what to do , man , '' Heinze tells 911 . `` My dad , he 's laying there dead '' Police say `` no known suspects '' in the attack ; 7 dead at scene , 8th died later . | [[724, 728], [731, 781], [19, 34], [46, 134], [282, 347], [282, 347], [998, 1014], [1033, 1076], [1871, 1901], [1904, 1948], [2004, 2006], [2010, 2029], [2240, 2259], [2281, 2285], [2288, 2309], [138, 225], [534, 609], [717, 728], [784, 797], [1142, 1213], [1214, 1258], [1336, 1359]] |
Editor 's note : CNN.com has a business partnership with CareerBuilder.com , which serves as the exclusive provider of job listings and services to CNN.com . When Twitter asks `` What are you doing , '' maybe you should be following tweets on job advice . When microblogging and social networking site Twitter debuted three years ago , plenty of people wrote it off as yet another pointless addition in the overcrowded networking world . Considering the site only allows people to post , or Tweet , messages of 140 characters or less , you ca n't blame early skeptics . But little by little , users proved the site 's worth to nonbelievers . Last year , student James Karl Buck was traveling in Egypt and wound up in jail . He Tweeted `` arrested '' to notify his friends of what was going on and ultimately get out of jail . During the 2008 presidential election , candidates reached out to voters using the service . When a plane crashed into the Hudson River in January , a Twitter user posted the first photograph from the scene . Although we 're in the nascent stage of Twitter 's existence and therefore have no idea how long it will be around , we do know it has more growing to do . If you 're not yet certain you want to start posting your own daily activities for everyone to read , you can still use the service as a resource for tips on finding a job and keeping up with industry news . Job seekers can follow people who will make your job search process easier , from the interviewing stage to the salary negotiations . I follow many people whom I think give great advice , post informative articles and know what they 're talking about . Seeing as the Twitter feed refreshes constantly so that I see new posts instantly , it 's like having a scrolling news ticker about only the subjects I want to read . I suggest you do the same to improve your job search . Here are the 10 job Tweeters you should be following . @adriennewaldo . About the author : Adrienne Waldo , a New York-based writer , consultant and blogger , made a name for herself when she began blogging about Generation Y . Why you should follow her : Waldo , a Generation Y-er herself , offers advice as someone who 's in the same shoes as many of her equally young Twitter followers , but she also uses her experience to let followers know what employers are thinking . @AlisonDoyle . About the author : Alison Doyle regularly writes articles on job-seeking issues , ranging from interview advice to using social media appropriately . Why you should follow her : She 's prolific , so you always have something to read , and she knows her stuff . @AnitaBruzzese . About the author : Anita Bruzzese is the author of `` 45 Things You Do That Drive Your Boss Crazy '' and also writes a workplace blog full of tips and advice for employees . Why you should follow her : She lets you know when she 's updated her blog , which is full of helpful advice . She also shares quirky , sometimes off-topic links that lighten the day 's mood . @CAREEREALISM . About the authors : Careerealism.com founder J.T. O'Donnell and a group of job experts let you know when they 've posted new advice for job seekers . They also respond to job seekers with career questions -- in 140 characters or less , of course . Why you should follow them : As a follower , you get to read advice from several experts who know what they 're talking about and give their own perspectives . @careerdiva . About the author : Eve Tahmincioglu blogs , publishes articles and Tweets on career issues . Why you should follow her : Her advice is excellent and she often brings up issues you might not have otherwise considered . @CBforJobSeekers . About the authors : CareerBuilder 's team of experts writes for the job seeking blog TheWorkBuzz.com and workplace articles , such as the one you 're reading right now . Why you should follow them : The team 's Tweets are a mix of tips , news stories , helpful articles and blog posts to keep you informed of what 's going on in the world of job seekers . @heatherhuhman . About the author : Heather Huhman is an expert on helping Generation Y job seekers and recent graduates navigate the professional world . Why you should follow her : Huhman Tweets when she writes a new article , directs followers to other helpful experts and offers her own tips from time to time . @InterviewCoach . About the author : Lewis Lin is a Seattle-based interview coach who prepares clients for the difficult questions that will come their way during a job search . Why you should follow him : Lin Tweets his own interview tips , as well as other experts ' advice and news articles . @Keppie_Careers . About the author : Atlanta-based Miriam Salpeter is a career coach and résumé writer for Keppie Careers . She helps job seekers spice up their résumés , prepare for interviews and achieve their career goals . Why you should follow her : In addition to posting links to the day 's job seeker headlines and news , she also offers career advice and lets you know where she 'll be giving presentations . @Writerbabe . About the author : Chicago-based Raven Moore authors The Writerbabe Series , a blog that explores professional , pop-culture and newsworthy topics . Why you should follow her : Moore directs you both to her own writings and to other writers ' works , as well as interesting news items she comes across . Plus , some of her personal Tweets are entertaining enough to make you forget about the current economy . Copyright CareerBuilder.com 2009 . All rights reserved . The information contained in this article may not be published , broadcast or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority . | Twitter is becoming a good tool to use for your career . @heatherhuhman : Helps Gen Y , recent grads navigate professional world . @careerdiva : Often brings up issues you might not have otherwise considered . @InterviewCoach : Interview tips , also posts other experts ' advice and news articles . | [[4077, 4195], [3597, 3623], [3624, 3665], [1293, 1398], [1542, 1553], [1559, 1612], [1533, 1534], [1587, 1612], [3319, 3362], [3884, 3969], [4270, 4312], [4908, 4910], [4920, 4980], [5162, 5168], [5174, 5233], [5262, 5333]] |
GDANSK , Poland -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- At least 20 world leaders gathered Tuesday in Poland to commemorate the start of World War II 70 years ago -- a conflict in which 6 million Poles died . Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin -LRB- right -RRB- chats with his Polish counterpart Donald Tusk in Poland on Tuesday . Germany 's pre-dawn invasion began when the battleship Schleswig-Holstein fired on the Westerplatte military base in Gdansk harbor on September 1 , 1939 . The attack set off a chain of events that eventually embroiled all of the world 's major powers in the war . Polish World War II veteran Romuald Bardzynski , said : `` I was a soldier on the front , a corporal in the cavalry . On September 16 I was injured . We were fighting against the Germans but I was shot by the Soviets . I was wounded three times . `` But the worst thing for me is the land in eastern Poland which was occupied by the Soviets ... and to this day we can not come to terms with it . `` The Russians took half of Poland , and after the Polish fighting on all the world war fronts it turns out that after the war Poland was 77 sq km smaller ! This was a great loss for us . '' Eugeniusz Cydzik , another Polish veteran , added : `` We have to talk about what happened ... to make sure it does n't happen again . `` The young generations , like the boy scouts for example , are continuing the memory of those who perished . We take them to the sites of the battles . We even found munitions from the 1914 -LSB- war -RSB- . '' WWII lasted until September 2 , 1945 when Germany 's ally Japan signed an unconditional surrender . Leaders from many of the warring nations were in Gdansk on Tuesday for a wreath-laying ceremony at the Cemetery of Defenders at Westerplatte , with commemoration speeches to take place in front of the Westerplatte memorial . Among those attending were German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin -- leaders of the two nations that once held power over Poland . Merkel said on Tuesday that her country unleashed `` endless suffering '' by starting the war , but also recalled the fate of ethnic Germans expelled at the end of the conflict . Watch as Poland marks start of WWII '' `` Germany attacked Poland , Germany started World War II . We caused unending suffering in the world . Sixty million dead ... was the result , '' Merkel said on German television , according to Agence-France Presse . Send us your World War II stories . `` But the expulsion of well over 12 million people from areas of the former Germany and present-day Poland is of course an injustice . This must also be recognized , '' she said . Poland first came under German influence at the start of the war , but was later dominated for about 40 years by the Russian-led Soviet Union as the Cold War between East and West settled in after World War II . A dwindling group of veterans , now in their 80s and 90s , was also due to attend . Later on Tuesday , many of the world 's leading classical musicians , playing together as the World Orchestra for Peace , performed a concert in Krakow to mark the 70th anniversary . Watch highlights of the performance '' | About 20 world leaders gathered in Poland to mark the start of World War II . Attack set off chain of events that embroiled all of the world 's major powers . German Chancellor Angela Merkel , Russian PM Vladimir Putin at event . Merkel says her country unleashed `` endless suffering '' by starting war . | [[9, 15], [44, 141], [1613, 1679], [2183, 2221], [2192, 2221], [468, 504], [498, 504], [510, 576], [1838, 1938], [2004, 2144], [2251, 2281], [2282, 2325]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Rescued after spending eight days lost at sea , Tressel Hawkins was happy to be back in Texas . Three missing boaters were returned safely to Port Aransas , Texas , after their rescue on Saturday . `` Actually , it feels great to be on solid ground , '' he told CNN on Sunday . Hawkins , 43 , and his fellow boaters , Curtis Hall , 28 , and James Phillips , 30 , set out to catch swordfish and marlin when they set sail about 100 miles south of Matagorda Bay in Texas . But one night early on during their trip in the Gulf of Mexico , Hawkins was jolted by a `` rude awakening . '' The bean bag Hawkins was sleeping on started to float beneath him , he said . There was a water extractor malfunction , causing so much water to get into the boat that the water was knee high , he said . Watch CNN 's Fredricka Whitfield talk to Hawkins '' There were yells and screams and attempts to stop the flooding , but it was too late . The boat capsized . They jumped ship , wondering how it all happened so quickly . `` We 're just trying to get each other calm and try to get as much stuff as we could because we knew automatically it was going to be a survival test , '' he said . Watch two other fishermen describe ordeal '' The men were missing at sea since August 22 . The Coast Guard had searched a week for three men before calling off the search Friday after it said it had looked more than 86,000 square miles . A day after the Coast Guard ended its search , the crew of a private vessel found the three sitting on top of their capsized 23-foot fishing vessel about 180 miles from Port Aransas , Texas , the Coast Guard said in a news release . Hawkins said that when they saw the boat they waved it down to catch the boaters ' attention . They were all `` crying '' and `` celebrating . '' `` We had been through so much of an ordeal we were already celebrating before we got on his boat . '' After the rescue , Hall went to a hospital in Corpus Christi , Texas , but left after he waited too long in the emergency room , his mother told CNN . He returned to his home in Palacio , Texas , to rest and will see a doctor later on Sunday for what he thinks are second-degree burns on his legs from sun exposure , she said . Phillips was on his way home to reunite with his family , his wife , Shane , told CNN . He did not seek medical attention , she said . Hawkins suffered open sores on his legs after floating in the water for eight days . He plans to head to Fort Worth , Texas , to reunite with his family , he said . CNN 's Janet DiGiacomo and Karen Zuker contributed to this report . | Three fishermen missing since August 22 were found Saturday on capsized boat . Boater spotted fishermen about 180 miles from coast of Port Aransas , Texas . Coast Guard had called off search for men on Friday . | [[1237, 1282], [1430, 1474], [1477, 1611], [1430, 1474], [1477, 1611], [1283, 1369], [1283, 1298], [1333, 1429], [1430, 1474], [1477, 1611]] |
WESTERPLATTE , Poland -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- On a sand swept stretch of Afghanistan , a high-ranking Polish general put his country 's mission there into perspective . The repurcussions of World War II lasted decades for Poland . He explained to a NATO delegation that Polish troops remind Afghan locals of two things about the mission : They are not Soviets and they know how difficult it is to live under foreign occupation . It is hard to ignore the incomparable price Poland paid during World War II . It was attacked by Germany , invaded by the Soviets , and became home to the notorious Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz . After six brutal years , Poles were the victors in war but losers in peace , living for four decades under Soviet repression . Many here will tell you they still have not come to terms with their fate after the war . Seven decades after the start of World War II , the conflict still defines Polish identity and history . September 1 , 2009 in Westerplatte , Poland turned out to be a blue sky day even as dignitaries and notably the leaders of Poland , Russia and Germany turned out to remember the dark horrors that so changed their histories . The leaders laid wreaths to honor the ` Defenders of Westerplatte ' , the men who died in the battle that started it all . It was here at this strategic port on the Baltic Sea , Danzig , now Gdansk , that Nazi Germany 's surprise attack on Poland triggered six years of bloodletting , a savage Holocaust and the death of more than 50 million people . The Polish Prime Minister , Donald Tusk , called it a war against humanity itself . Tusk also answered critics who felt his country and the world should now move on from World War II . He warned that if anniversaries are not marked and ceremonies not planned , there may be nothing to shield us from the brutality of future wars . But still today the events of the last 70 years have left their mark and fueled some modern day controversies . Send us your war stories . Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin tried to appeal directly to the people of Poland in an open letter . He reminded them that at least 27 million Russians died in the conflict but also warned against equating the Soviet Union 's role in World War II with the menace of Hitler 's Nazism . '' . . exploiting memory , anatomizing history and seeking pretexts for mutual complaints and resentment causes a lot of harm . '' wrote Putin . He backed that up with public comments saying , `` If we talk about an objective assessment of history , we should understand that it had no one color . It was varied and there were huge number of mistakes committed by many sides . All these actions , in one way or another , created conditions for the beginning of a large-scale aggression by Nazi Germany . '' Putin was at the heart of a tug-of-war over the war . Some Poles say Stalin was as evil and complicit as Hitler during the war . Russians say that callously overlooks the sacrifice of Russians in defeating Nazism and liberating Europe . In fact , it took German Chancellor Angela Merkel to put their achievement in perspective . She said that a unified , peaceful Europe was a blessing and indeed a miracle . | Poland helped win the war but lost the peace . It was invaded by Germany but put under Soviet influence after the war . 70 years from the start of WWII , the war still defines Polish identity and history . Polish military says its history helps its work in Afghanistan . | [[625, 647], [650, 699], [502, 528], [164, 225], [842, 887], [890, 946], [1858, 1922]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- British police are reviewing the death of Rolling Stones founder Brian Jones , 40 years after the hard-living rocker was found dead in a swimming pool . An autographed photo of Rolling Stones founder Brian Jones who was found dead in July 1969 . Police in Sussex , in southern England , have confirmed they are examining documents given to them by an investigative journalist who has been researching events surrounding Jones ' death . Scott Jones , who is not related to the musician , has spent four years reviewing the evidence and speaking to key witnesses in the case . In an article published in the Daily Mail in November 2008 , Jones wrote , `` I 'm convinced Brian Jones ' death was not fully investigated . The only question that remains is why ? '' Brian Jones ' body was found in the swimming pool after a party at his home in Cotchford Farm , East Sussex in July 1969 . He was 27 . An inquest returned a verdict of death by misadventure , despite post mortem results showing he had not taken illegal drugs and had only consumed the alcoholic equivalent of three and a half pints of beer . One of the most popular conspiracy theories that followed was that Jones was murdered by his builder , Frank Thorogood . The theory gained credence after Thorogood allegedly confessed to the killing before his death in 1993 . The storyline formed the basis of the 2005 film `` Stoned . '' Sussex police told CNN they could not say how long it would take to review the new material , nor whether it could lead to a full investigation . There have been repeated calls for closer examination of the case since Jones ' death , which came just three weeks after he left the Rolling Stones . His drinking and drug-taking had taken a toll on his health and the band , and in 1969 Jones announced he was leaving . In a statement he said , `` I no longer see eye-to-eye with the others over the discs we are cutting . '' Last year , Scott Jones published an article containing contents of an interview he conducted with one of the people present at Jones ' home on the night of his death . In the article , published in the Daily Mail , Jones ' said Janet Lawson , the girlfriend of Rolling Stones tour manager Tom Keylock , gave him a version of events that contradicted her official police statement . She is reported to have called her original statement , `` a pack of lies ... total rubbish . '' Lawson 's revised version of events is among the documents Jones has supplied to Sussex police . It is also believed to include previously unseen files released by the Public Records Office . Lawson died of cancer soon after telling Scott Jones her new sworn testimony . | Sussex police confirm they are reviewing information on Brian Jones ' death . Rolling Stones founder was found dead in his swimming pool in July 1969 . Inquest found `` death by misadventure , '' although questions remained . Investigative journalist has handed documents , other material to police . | [[9, 32], [36, 100], [282, 298], [313, 320], [323, 366], [124, 188], [210, 247], [252, 281], [796, 889], [753, 795], [931, 985], [338, 411], [381, 411], [416, 471], [2469, 2526]] |
CNN 's Ed Henry followed President Obama on his trip to the Middle East and Europe , ending at a commemoration of the 65th anniversary of the D-Day invasion of Europe . You can see his reflections from Normandy , as well as the entire Obama trip , by going to his Twitter page . Row upon row of gravestones at the American Cemetery mark those killed in the invasion . NORMANDY , France -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- I knew my first visit to the American Cemetery at Normandy would be emotional , but I really had no idea I 'd be tearing up literally within about eight minutes of walking the rows of bone-white gravestones . Those of us in the White House press corps traveling with President Obama to France on Saturday to celebrate the 65th anniversary of D-Day were very lucky . It was truly awesome to have a front-row seat to the celebration of the climactic battle of World War II , where Allied forces finally stopped the Nazi aggression . If there was a hint of a downside , it was that all of us had to wake up Saturday somewhere around 5 a.m. Paris time -LRB- 11 p.m. ET Friday , ugh -RRB- to then board one of several buses that would take us on a 3 1/2 - hour journey to Normandy . That 's right , 3 1/2 hours on a tour bus when you 're already totally exhausted from a very busy trip that took us from Saudi Arabia to Egypt and then Germany and France in just a few days . Watch President Obama 's speech at Normandy '' The upside ? WE 'RE GOING TO NORMANDY !!! Besides , do I really want to complain about a stinking bus ride when about 2,500 brave Americans lost their lives on this battlefield during the first 24 hours of vicious combat on June 6 , 1944 ? Did n't think so . So I jump off the bus , head for the cemetery and decide I should pick just one of the dozens and dozens of rows of tombstones and keep walking until I stumble upon the first grave of a soldier from New York -- my home state -- that I can find . In less than a minute , I found it . His name was Martin J. Biringer , a private from the 4th Cavalry . I bowed my head and thanked him for his service , trying to put myself in his combat boots , thinking that when I was an 18-year-old or 19-year-old kid growing up in New York , I doubt I had the strength and courage this man had to answer his country 's call . I decided to take my iPhone out and start posting reflections and photos on Twitter , starting with Biringer 's grave . I decided to keep walking down the same row of graves toward Omaha Beach , where the invasion began , and this is where I really got choked up . There was a bouquet of flowers sitting under one grave with a card written out in longhand on a piece of white paper . `` From your brother Pete , I remember you , '' it said so simply and yet so elegantly . That 's when I started feeling the chills on my back . The flowers were fresh , and so was the ink on the card . `` Pete '' had clearly been here in the last day or two , and I started thinking about the fact that he had not seen his `` brother '' in 65 years . Sixty-five years . And yet he made the trek all the way here to simply say , `` I remember you . '' I started tearing up thinking of my own family : imagining my son going off to war and dying , and my daughter traveling to this cemetery 65 years later , and leaving a card like that . I remember you . That 's when it hit me : how easily we take for granted the emotional holes that the war left in so many lives . In this case , I looked up and saw that Pete was paying tribute to his brother Theodore Cassera of New Jersey , a staff sergeant from the 8th Infantry who died a couple of weeks after D-Day . A man who fought and died so that we could be free . Nearby , I found another grave with another card , this one with a piercing question . The card said at the top : `` To save your world , you asked this man to die . Would this man , could he see you now , ask why ? WH Auden '' In other words , did he die in vain ? The quick and easy answer might be yes , this particular man died to save us from the Nazis , but in our busy lives , we often seem to take his sacrifice for granted . But after a couple more minutes of walking , I got a different answer . No , he did not die in vain . And the best part was that it was a few kids , about the age of my own children , who gave me that more hopeful answer . There was now a huge crowd gathering for the ceremony where Obama would speak . I came upon a large group circled around an old veteran in a wheelchair , all decked out in his old military uniform , and beaming from ear to ear . Watch D-Day vets in Washington talk about their experiences '' The source of the joy ? A group of young boys from New York were rushing around with autograph books , the kind they would normally take to Yankee Stadium to desperately try to get Derek Jeter 's signature . But on this day , they were desperately trying to get the signatures of as many World War II vets as they could find . It was a sight to see the wonder on their faces . Not just the boys -- the faces of the old men , too . | Normandy visit came at the end of President Obama 's trip to Mideast and Europe . CNN 's Ed Henry says walking the rows of gravestones brought chills , tears . On one grave were flowers and a message from a `` brother '' A group of young boys sought out autographs from assembled veterans . | [[2518, 2556], [2778, 2819], [2557, 2587], [2580, 2623], [4661, 4737], [4849, 4860], [4863, 4963]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Police in Houston , Texas , say they have busted a prostitution ring that may involve more than 1,500 clients , including professional athletes , doctors and lawyers . Investigators were scouring computers files and credit card records on Monday , trying to verify a large client list that could ignite scandals throughout the city , CNN affiliate station KHOU reported . Police arrested alleged ringleaders Deborah Turbiville and her husband , Charlie , as part of a two-year investigation , the affiliate reported . Turbiville called herself the `` Heidi Fleiss of Houston , '' referring to a woman who was dubbed the `` Hollywood Madam '' for providing call girls to famous and wealthy clients , police said . Turbiville , who reportedly recruited prostitutes through the online site Craigslist , was in court Monday on a charge of promotion of prostitution . Investigators said the women met their clients in upscale hotels and charged about $ 350 an hour , the affiliate reported . Clients also met prostitutes in a luxurious three-bedroom apartment , police told the affiliate . | Alleged ringleader dubbed `` Heidi Fleiss of Houston '' Investigators say women met clients in upscale hotels , charged about $ 350 an hour . Police scour computer files and credit card records to verify a large client list . | [[537, 593], [882, 978], [187, 264], [187, 200], [267, 350]] |
ALBANY , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Pamela Green-Jackson did n't learn until after her brother 's funeral that doctors had warned him his weight could cost him his life . Pamela Green-Jackson encourages a student in the Youth Becoming Healthy program . Bernard Green weighed 427 pounds when he died in 2004 . He was 43 years old . `` He did n't have to die , '' said Green-Jackson . `` I promised myself that I would do whatever I could to make sure another child did n't suffer like he did . '' Turning her pain into action , Green-Jackson quit her job and procured $ 30,000 in grants to build a fitness center in a local middle school . Today , Youth Becoming Healthy -LRB- YBH -RRB- has facilities in six middle schools and one elementary school in Albany and provides free fitness and nutrition education to about 350 students a year . Youths work one-on-one after school with personal trainers and nutritionists who help them get on the right track . To keep young people engaged and fit , YBH offers classes such as martial arts , hip-hop dance and a walking club . Green-Jackson says her group allows the children to set their own goals . `` If we instill these habits in them early , they will grow up to become healthier adults , '' said Green-Jackson , 43 . `` That 's what this is really all about -- saving the lives of children . '' Do you know a hero ? Nominations are open at CNN.com / Heroes . Since 2004 , YBH has helped about 4,000 youth lose thousands of pounds . Green-Jackson also successfully campaigned to have schools provide healthier options in their cafeterias and vending machines . Jasmine Warren has reaped the benefits of Green-Jackson 's efforts . Warren said that by age 11 , she had high blood pressure , a heart murmur and problems with her cholesterol . `` I felt bad about myself . People used to talk about me . ... ` Oh , she got too much weight . ' '' Warren , now 15 , has lost 37 pounds . She credits her brighter future to the program . `` Pamela saved me from going to an early grave , '' said Warren . Watch how Warren 's life changed through Green-Jackson 's program '' YBH targets children from low-income families . `` One in three children in this community is affected by childhood obesity because of poverty , lack of education and access to resources , '' said Green-Jackson , adding that dangerous neighborhoods are also a major obstacle . `` Kids do n't go out and play as much anymore because of the gangs and the crime . It is unsafe . '' Georgia has the third-highest rate of obese and overweight youths in the nation , with 37.3 percent of its children falling into those categories , according to a recent report from the Trust for America 's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation . -LRB- Mississippi and Arkansas rank one and two , respectively . -RRB- . This summer , the group is offering camp for students with high-risk health issues , such as heart problems , kidney disease , high blood pressure and high cholesterol . `` A number of kids have -LSB- these issues -RSB- . That is unheard of , '' said Green-Jackson . `` These children are -LSB- given -RSB- prognoses that they wo n't live to 21 years old . That is something we are trying to correct through this program . '' At nearly 400 pounds , every day is a struggle for 13-year-old Malik Thomas . `` It 's not easy carrying around all of this weight . I wanted to get healthy and fit , '' said Thomas , one of 25 children enrolled in YBH 's summer program . Green-Jackson 's program is giving Thomas hope for a healthier future . He 's beginning to lose weight , and his endurance has improved . `` Miss Pamela is my hero , because she 's helping me do things that I never thought I can do , '' he said . `` It feels great . '' Watch Green-Jackson 's program in action '' Green-Jackson believes the program will help Thomas by introducing him to other young people who share his health problems . `` They motivate each other , '' she said . `` This program is encouraging him to continue beyond the summer . '' YBH is mostly funded through donations , but Green-Jackson also spends a large amount of her own savings each year to keep the program running . She says she refuses to rest until the children 's healthy futures are secured . `` I want to have YBH in every school in the nation . '' Want to get involved ? Check out Youth Becoming Healthy and see how to help . | Pamela Green-Jackson began crusade for youth fitness after her obese brother died . Youth Becoming Healthy teaches middle schoolers about exercise and nutrition . The organization has helped about 4,000 children since 2004 . Do you know a hero ? Nominations are open at CNN.com / Heroes . | [[647, 685], [763, 839], [1410, 1420], [1423, 1470], [1346, 1366], [1346, 1348], [1353, 1366], [1367, 1409]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Michael Jackson , the show-stopping singer whose best-selling albums -- including `` Off the Wall , '' `` Thriller '' and `` Bad '' -- and electrifying stage presence made him one of the most popular artists of all time , died Thursday , CNN has confirmed . Michael Jackson , shown in 2008 , was one of the biggest pop stars in history . He was 50 . He collapsed at his residence in the Holmby Hills section of Los Angeles , California , about noon Pacific time , suffering cardiac arrest , according to brother Randy Jackson . He died at UCLA Medical Center . Lt. Fred Corral of the Los Angeles County Coroner 's Office said an autopsy would probably be done on the singer Friday , with results expected that afternoon . Watch crowds gather at Jackson 's hospital '' `` Michael Jackson made culture accept a person of color , '' the Rev. Al Sharpton said . `` To say an ` icon ' would only give these young people in Harlem a fraction of what he was . He was a historic figure that people will measure music and the industry by . '' Jackson 's blazing rise to stardom -- and later fall from grace -- is among the most startling of show business tales . The son of a steelworker , he rose to fame as the lead singer of the Jackson 5 , a band he formed with his brothers in the late 1960s . By the late '70s , as a solo artist , he was topping the charts with cuts from `` Off the Wall , '' including `` Rock With You '' and `` Do n't Stop 'Til You Get Enough . '' Watch Jackson perform at a 1988 concert '' In 1982 , he released `` Thriller , '' an album that eventually produced seven hit singles . An appearance the next year on a Motown Records 25th-anniversary special cemented his status as the biggest star in the country . Timeline : The life of Michael Jackson '' For the rest of the 1980s , they came no bigger . `` Thriller 's '' follow-up , 1987 's `` Bad , '' sold almost as many copies . A new Jackson album -- a new Jackson appearance -- was a pop culture event . iReport : Share your memories of Michael Jackson . The pop music landscape was changing , however , opening up for rap , hip-hop and what came to be called `` alternative '' -- and Jackson was seen as out of step . His next release , 1991 's `` Dangerous , '' debuted at No. 1 but `` only '' produced one top-ranking single -- `` Black or White '' -- and that song earned criticism for its inexplicably violent ending , in which Jackson was seen smashing car windows and clutching his crotch . And then `` Dangerous '' was knocked out of its No. 1 spot on the album charts by Nirvana 's `` Nevermind , '' an occurrence noted for its symbolism by rock critics . After that , more attention was paid to Jackson 's private life than his music career , which faltered . A 1995 two-CD greatest hits , `` HIStory , '' sold relatively poorly , given the huge expense of Jackson 's recording contract : about 7 million copies , according to Recording Industry of America certifications . A 2001 album of new material , `` Invincible , '' did even worse . In 2005 , he went to trial on child-molestation charges . He was acquitted . In July 2008 , after three years away from the spotlight , Jackson announced a series of concerts at London 's O2 Arena as his `` curtain call . '' Some of the shows , initially scheduled to begin in July , were eventually postponed until 2010 . Watch the reaction to Jackson 's passing . Rise to stardom . Michael Jackson was born August 29 , 1958 , to Joe Jackson , a Gary , Indiana , steelworker , and his wife , Katherine . By the time he was 6 , he had joined his brothers in a musical group organized by his father , and by the time he was 10 , the group -- the Jackson 5 -- had been signed to Motown . Watch Michael Jackson 's life in video . He made his first television appearance at age 11 . Jackson , a natural performer , soon became the group 's front man . Music critic Langdon Winner , reviewing the group 's first album , `` Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5 , '' for Rolling Stone , praised Michael 's versatile singing and added , `` Who is this ` Diana Ross , ' anyway ? '' The group 's first four singles -- `` I Want You Back , '' `` ABC , '' `` The Love You Save '' and `` I 'll Be There '' -- went to No. 1 on the Billboard pop chart , the first time any group had pulled off that feat . There was even a Jackson 5 cartoon series on ABC . Watch reaction from Motown Studios '' In 1972 , he hit No. 1 as a solo artist with the song `` Ben . '' The group 's popularity waned as the '70s continued , and Michael eventually went solo full time . He played the Scarecrow in the 1978 movie version of `` The Wiz , '' and released the album `` Off the Wall '' in 1979 . Its success paved the way for `` Thriller , '' which eventually became the best-selling album in history , with 50 million copies sold worldwide . At that point , Michael Jackson became ubiquitous . Seven of `` Thriller 's '' nine cuts were released as singles ; all made the Top Ten . The then-new cable channel MTV , criticized for its almost exclusively white playlist , finally started playing Jackson 's videos . They aired incessantly , including a 14-minute minimovie of the title cut . -LRB- `` Weird Al '' Yankovic cemented his own stardom by lampooning Jackson 's song `` Beat It '' with a letter-perfect parody video . -RRB- . On the Motown Records ' 25th-anniversary special -- a May 1983 TV extravaganza with notable turns by the Temptations , the Four Tops and Smokey Robinson -- it was Michael Jackson who stopped the show . Already he was the most popular musician in America , riding high with `` Thriller . '' But something about his electrifying performance of `` Billie Jean , '' complete with the patented backward dance moves , boosted his stardom to a new level . Watch Jackson perform `` Thiller '' '' People copied his Jheri-curled hair and single-gloved , zippered-jacket look . Showbiz veterans such as Fred Astaire praised his chops . He posed for photos with Ronald and Nancy Reagan at the White House . Paul McCartney teamed with him on three duets , two of which -- `` The Girl Is Mine '' and `` Say Say Say '' -- became top five hits . Jackson became a Pepsi spokesman , and when his hair caught fire while making a commercial , it was worldwide news . It all happened very fast -- within a couple years of the Motown special . But even at the time of the `` Motown 25 '' moonwalk , fame was old hat to Michael Jackson . He had n't even turned 25 himself , but he 'd been a star for more than half his life . He was given the nickname the `` King of Pop '' -- a spin on Elvis Presley 's status as `` the King of Rock 'n' Roll '' -- and few questioned the moniker . Relentless attention . But , as the showbiz saying has it , when you 're on top of the world , there 's nowhere to go but down . The relentless attention given Jackson started focusing as much on his eccentricities -- some real , some rumored -- as his music . As the Web site Allmusic.com notes , he was rumored to sleep in a hyperbaric chamber and to have purchased the bones of John Merrick , the `` Elephant Man . '' -LRB- Neither was true . -RRB- He did have a pet chimpanzee , Bubbles ; underwent a series of increasingly drastic plastic surgeries ; established an estate , Neverland , filled with zoo animals and amusement park rides ; and managed to purchase the Beatles catalog from under Paul McCartney 's nose , which displeased the ex-Beatle immensely . In 1990s and 2000s , Jackson found himself pasted across the media for his short-lived marriages , the first to Elvis Presley 's daughter , Lisa Marie ; his 2002 claim that then Sony Records head Tommy Mottola was racist ; his behavior and statements during a 2003 interview with British journalist Martin Bashir done for a documentary called `` Living With Michael Jackson ; '' his changing physical appearance ; and , above all , the accusations that he sexually molested young boys at Neverland . Watch report on legacy on Michael Jackson '' The first such accusation , in 1993 , resulted in a settlement to the 13-year-old accuser -LRB- rumored to be as high as $ 20 million -RRB- , though no criminal charges were filed , Allmusic.com notes . He also fell deeply in debt and was forced to sell some of his assets . Neverland was one of many holdings that went on the block . However , an auction of material from Neverland , scheduled for April , was called off and all items returned to Jackson . Interest in Jackson never faded , however , even if some of it was prurient . In 2008 , when he announced 10 comeback shows in London , beginning in July 2009 , the story made worldwide news . The number of concerts was later increased to 50 . Seventy-five thousand tickets sold in four hours when they went on sale in March . However , when the shows were postponed until 2010 , rumors swept the Internet that Jackson was not physically prepared and possibly suffering from skin cancer . Watch discussion of his tough life , brilliant career '' At the time , the president and CEO of AEG Live , Randy Phillips , said , `` He 's as healthy as can be -- no health problems whatsoever . '' Jackson held open auditions for dancers in April in Los Angeles . He is survived by his three children , Prince Michael I , Paris and Prince Michael II . | Michael Jackson suffers cardiac arrest at home in Los Angeles suburb . Singer was dominant in pop music for four decades with Jackson 5 , solo . Jackson had many No. 1s ; his `` Thriller '' is one of the best-selling albums of all time . | [[369, 441], [4751, 4753], [4760, 4811], [5547, 5554], [5601, 5631]] |
LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Florence Henderson , `` The Brady Bunch '' mom , may be one of America 's best-loved mothers . Florence Henderson is often asked for hugs by complete strangers . As Henderson travels the United States with her one-woman road show , `` All the Lives of Me , '' fans respond as if they grew up in her 1970s TV family . `` Every day , I 'm asked ` Can I have a hug ? ' '' Henderson said . `` And I do . I hug a lot of people . '' And on Mother 's Day every year , her mailbox fills with cards from people she does n't know but who think of her as Mom . `` I get mail from all over the world , 122 countries , '' she said . Henderson is using her fame as the iconic TV mother to help other moms who suffer from `` lackus appreciatus , '' which she says is `` a condition caused by years of under-appreciation and neglect '' of mothers by their kids . Her role as spokeswoman for the `` Center for Lackus Appreciatus Prevention '' is part of a tongue-in-cheek campaign sponsored by Kodak to promote an online service where Mother 's Day cards can be sent for free . A video posted on YouTube points to the Mom-a-thon . com Web site , which aims to close the `` appreciation deficit '' between what your mom does for you and what you do for your mom . Although just five seasons of `` The Brady Bunch '' were produced , starting in the fall of 1969 , children still grow up with the Bradys in syndication . `` It 's never been off the air in the United States , '' she said . Henderson said she sometimes encounters mothers who tell her `` You know , I really did n't like you when my kids were small , because they preferred you to me . '' She knows the power of her motherly voice , using it to make a reporter feel special with a scolding : `` Do n't play ball in the house ! '' For a moment , the interviewer feels like a Brady . | Florence Henderson touring with one-woman show . Henderson most famous as mom on `` The Brady Bunch '' Show has kept her in public eye , made her symbol for mothers . | [[209, 268]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- U.S. officials are downplaying any imminent threat of a North Korean missile strike or confrontation between the two countries at sea . A U.S. official says North Korean leader Kim Jong Il seems to be `` testing the new administration . '' The U.S. intelligence community does not believe North Korea intends to launch a long-range missile in the near future , a U.S. intelligence official told CNN , despite reports in Japanese media citing intelligence that the North Korean regime intends to fire a missile toward Hawaii on July 4 . Shortly after that report , Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he was deploying defensive measures around Hawaii . But a recent warning to mariners issued by North Korea suggests the country only intends short - and medium-range missile tests , according to one U.S. intelligence official . The North Korean government issued a warning to mariners to avoid an area in the Sea of Japan at certain times between June 24 and July 9 because of a `` military firing exercise , '' according to a U.S. military communication about the warning provided to CNN . The North Koreans had issued a similar warning prior to testing a long-range missile in April , but that warning indicated two potential danger areas more indicative of a long-range missile test . The official said that these shorter-range missiles can be `` rolled out on a dime , '' but the U.S. intelligence community sees no `` readily observable '' indication of an imminent long-range missile launch . Vehicular activity had been spotted around a long-range missile site in late May , U.S. Defense Department officials told CNN at the time . But the officials said the activity was very preliminary , with no missile parts seen , and any launch would take a lot more time to prepare . The U.S. intelligence official said there is always concern that a shorter-range test `` could go wrong , '' but for the most part the North Koreans have short and medium missile tests `` down pat , '' and those missiles are `` pretty accurate . '' The official added , `` It 's not particularly difficult to fire off '' short - and medium-range missiles . North Korea recently threatened to `` wipe out '' the United States if provoked . Watch the Pentagon reaction to the threat '' The official said the United States `` assumes '' North Korea will `` continue its provocations . '' The official acknowledged this phase of the usual ebb and flow of North Korean behavior seems to be lasting longer . This has been a `` protracted period , '' said the official , with the change in U.S. leadership being a `` big factor . '' The North Korean leadership seems to be `` testing the new administration . '' Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell defended Gates ' decision to deploy defensive measures around Hawaii . `` Previous long-range ballistic missile tests by the North have been failures . But they obviously are intent on developing that capability , and so long as they are , we need to do responsible , prudent things , '' Morrell said at a news conference Wednesday . `` And in this case -LSB- Gates -RSB- thinks the responsible , prudent thing is to deploy those assets . '' The U.S. military has positioned its Terminal High Altitude Area Defense -LRB- THAAD -RRB- missile defense system and its X-band radar system in the event a missile were to be launched toward Hawaii . Morrell said that no additional defenses were being deployed in the region because the defenses in place are sufficient . `` I think we 're perfectly comfortable with the assets that are in place , '' he said . `` This threat that is posed by North Korea is not a new one , so we have adjusted our assets that are normally in that area some time ago . '' Separately , the United States has not yet decided to seek permission to board and inspect a North Korean vessel it suspects of carrying illicit weapons or technology in violation of U.N. sanctions against that country , despite a recent promise by President Obama that North Korean violations would `` be met with significant , serious enforcement of sanctions . '' Morrell told reporters that while the United States is `` interested '' in the Kang Nam -- a North Korean-flagged vessel believed by officials to be carrying weapons or illegal technology -- no decision has been made to stop the ship and search it . The ship departed North Korea last week and is currently headed south toward Myanmar , U.S. officials believe . The decision to enact the U.N. Security Council Resolution to investigate will most likely not be made just by the United States but in coordination with other countries , Morrell told reporters on Wednesday . `` That 's a decision that will have to be made at some point , and not necessarily just by us or this government , '' Morrell said . `` But that is a decision I think we will likely take collectively with our allies and partners out there , and make a determination about whether we choose to hail and query this particular ship . And if we make that decision , when and where to do so . '' Watch why U.S. officials are watching the Kang Nam '' Asked about the Myanmar connection Wednesday , Morrell would only say there is `` some notion of that '' but would not elaborate . The United States has been tracking the ship 's progress with air assets including the P-3 spy plane and the USS McCampbell , which recently replaced the USS John McCain in trailing the Korean ship . The ship is suspected of carrying weapons because it is known to have carried proliferation materials previously , though U.S. officials concede they are not certain of the ship 's holdings . | U.S. does not believe North Korea intends to launch long-range missile soon . Sea of Japan mariners warned to be clear due to `` military firing exercise '' Japanese media reported North Korea may fire a missile at Hawaii on July 4 . North Korea recently threatened to `` wipe out '' the U.S. if provoked . | [[270, 388], [858, 995], [450, 565], [3347, 3392], [2169, 2236]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A single-engine plane crashed Saturday outside a bank in Oklahoma City , Oklahoma , seriously injuring the five people on board , authorities said . A damaged airplane lies on the ground Saturday next to a busy road in Oklahoma City , Oklahoma . The pilot reported engine problems shortly after leaving the city 's Wiley Post Airport , about a mile away from the crash site , at midmorning , said Lynn Lunsford , spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration . The plane hit two trees as it came down , and video showed the damaged Beechcraft Bonanza resting on the grass near a busy thoroughfare in the northwest section of the city . Fire Department Deputy Chief Cecil Clay said the two men and three women on the plane were taken to hospitals . Lunsford said they suffered multiple injuries . Watch footage of the plane at the crash site '' The plane was headed to Enid , Oklahoma , about 100 miles north of Oklahoma City . The pilot tried to return to Wiley Post Airport after he recognized the engine trouble , Lunsford said . `` I heard what I thought was a Dumpster being unloaded in the complex , '' said Shaddy Ahmad , who manages the U-Haul business across the street from the bank . He said emergency responders used special equipment to extricate the people from the plane , the top of which was peeled back . `` They were very lucky because this is a high-traffic area , '' Ahmad said . `` You have the expressway , the bank and stores in the area . They were blessed to land how they did . '' | Single-engine Beechcraft makes hard landing near busy road . Plane developed engine problems shortly after takeoff , FAA official says . Fliers were headed for Enid , Oklahoma , about 100 miles north . | [[168, 251], [530, 658], [265, 352], [867, 942]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The co-pilot of a plane that crashed in Buffalo , New York , in February was feeling ill and had considered backing out of the flight , according to a cockpit voice recorder transcript released Monday by the National Transportation Safety Board . First Officer Rebecca Shaw said before takeoff : `` You know , we 'll see how it feels flying . '' `` You know , we 'll see how it feels flying , '' First Officer Rebecca Shaw said as the plane prepared for takeoff . `` If the pressure 's just too much , I , you know , I could always call in tomorrow . '' She added , `` I 'm pretty tough . '' At a safety board hearing in May , NTSB investigators said Shaw had pulled an all-nighter before she got on the plane . After three days off , she had commuted through the night from Seattle , Washington , catching rides on FedEx flights to get to Newark , New Jersey , investigators said . Colgan Flight 3407 crashed February 12 during an instrument approach to Buffalo-Niagara International Airport . The four crew members and all 45 passengers died ; there was also one fatality on the ground . The transcript indicates intermittent sneezes and sniffles during the flight . The report released Monday adds to the factual material connected to the investigation and does not provide analysis into the probable cause of the accident , the safety board said . The other pilot on the flight , Capt. Marvin Renslow had nearly a full day off beforehand , but safety board investigators found that he slept in the Newark Airport crew lounge , against Colgan Air regulations . CNN 's Edmund DeMarche contributed to this report . | Transcripts show that Rebecca Shaw was feeling ill . Shaw said that if pressure was too much , she could call out the next day . Colgan Flight 3407 crashed February 12 during approach to Buffalo . | [[0, 15], [92, 107], [536, 569], [35, 42], [48, 66], [902, 1013]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The search for the data and voice recorders from the Air France plane that crashed more than a month ago off Brazil 's coast is entering a new phase , according to France 's accident investigation agency . Searchers have discovered hundreds of pieces of wreckage from Air France Flight 447 . All 228 people aboard the plane were killed in the June 1 crash . The flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder , commonly known as black boxes , stop giving out acoustic broadcasts after 30 days . But investigators decided to continue listening for the `` pings '' for 10 days after that . Now , the two U.S. naval vessels and a French Navy submarine will halt their search for the recorders which investigators hope will shed light on exactly how the plane crashed . The second phase of the search will involve France 's oceanographic ship `` Pourquoi Pas ? '' which carries specialized exploration and intervention vehicles , according to the French air accident investigation agency known as the BEA . The French vessel will conduct new searches using diving equipment and towed sonar , the BEA said . Finding the recorders is of `` capital importance , '' and `` no effort must be spared in achieving this end , '' Air France has said . `` We want to stress that for the sake of the families , we hope that the search for the black boxes will be successful , '' an Air France representative said . This month , investigators revealed that the plane bellyflopped intact into the Atlantic Ocean . Investigator Alain Bouillard said it was still not clear what caused the crash , the deadliest in Air France 's 75-year history . The mountainous ocean floor in the search area ranges from 3,280 to 15,091 feet , BEA officials have said , making the search for the recorders -- and the rest of the plane 's debris -- difficult . `` It is as if it fell in the Andes , '' said Olivier Ferrante , chief of the BEA search mission . Flight 447 went down in stormy weather while flying from Rio de Janeiro , Brazil , to Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris , France . Brazil called off the search for bodies June 27 , having found 51 of the 228 people who died , according to the military . Investigators have also found more than 600 parts and structural components of the plane , along with luggage , Bouillard said . | Plane went down off Brazil on June 1 , killing all 228 aboard . Voice , data recorders stop broadcasting after 30 days . Investigators planned to keep listening for 10 additional days . French oceanographic ship will conduct new searches . | [[68, 88], [94, 143], [311, 376], [2149, 2163], [2168, 2172], [377, 432], [467, 518], [523, 611], [790, 862], [1027, 1109]] |
MEXICO CITY , Mexico -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In response to a spate of attacks allegedly by a drug cartel , Mexico more than tripled the number of federal police officers patrolling the state of Michoacan , a government spokeswoman said . Drug violence is up in Michoacan state , shown by recent attacks on police in at least a half-dozen cities . The government on Thursday dispatched 1,000 federal police officers to Michoacan state in southwest Mexico , increasing its presence to 1,300 total , Public Safety spokeswoman Veronica Penunuri told CNN . At least 18 federal agents and two soldiers have been killed since the weekend in Michoacan , the home state of President Felipe Calderon . The sudden spike in violence followed the arrest Saturday of Arnoldo Rueda Medina , whom authorities described as a high-ranking member of the drug cartel known as La Familia Michoacana . Cartel members first attacked the federal police station in Morelia to try to gain freedom for Rueda , authorities said . When that failed , drug gangs attacked federal police installations in at least a half-dozen Michoacan cities , according to authorities . The Michoacan cartel also is accused in the slaying of 12 federal police officers whose bodies were found Tuesday on a remote highway . Video from the scene showed three signs , known as narcomensajes , left by the killers . They all stated the same thing : `` So that you come for another . We will be waiting for you here . '' Since Calderon went after the drug cartels shortly after coming into office in 2006 , more than 10,000 people have died across Mexico , about 1,000 of them police . The state of Michoacan , on Mexico 's southwest Pacific coast , is not alone in the wave of violence sweeping the country . The border city of Ciudad Juarez set a record this weekend when its toll of drug-related deaths for the year topped 1,000 , a distinction the Mexican city did not reach last year until September . | Mexican government responding to a spate of deadly attacks in Michoacan . The number of federal police officers patrolling the state has more than tripled . Sudden spike in violence follows arrest Saturday of high-ranking drug cartel member . La Familia Michoacana accused in the slayings of 12 federal police officers . | [[103, 109], [120, 165], [142, 199], [343, 449], [234, 272], [688, 769], [827, 875], [1137, 1157], [1163, 1218], [1189, 1272]] |
Saudi Arabia 's Cabinet was reassured Monday about the condition of its crown prince , according to state-run media , amid mounting speculation about his health . Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud is in Morocco recovering after medical treatment . The country 's second deputy prime minister , Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud , spoke to ministers about the condition of Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud while leading a Cabinet session in Jeddah , according to the Saudi Press Agency . The crown prince has been convalescing at his residence in the Moroccan city of Agadir , where he arrived in May , after undergoing surgery and treatment in New York for an undisclosed illness . Speculation has mounted since he arrived in New York in February . The crown prince 's age has never been officially announced but most estimates put him in his 80s . Earlier this week , Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz , stopped in Agadir to visit the prince and check on his health . The Saudi Press Agency issued a statement during the king 's trip , saying he was `` reassured about the health of his brother the crown prince . '' Though Saudi officials have maintained publicly that Sultan 's health has improved , the appointment in late March of a second deputy prime minister raised more questions . In April , King Abdullah named the interior minister , Prince Nayef -- the powerful brother of the crown prince and half-brother to the king -- to the post of second deputy prime minister . While many Saudis took the appointment to mean that Nayef is now the country 's crown prince in waiting and second in line to be king , others interpreted it as a simple administrative move , ensuring leadership at home if Abdullah and Sultan are abroad at the same time . | Crown prince recovering after treatment in New York for an undisclosed illness . Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud believed to be in his 80s . Has been convalescing at his residence in the Moroccan city of Agadir . Saudi officials have maintained publicly that Sultan 's health has improved . | [[163, 197], [220, 256], [603, 605], [623, 702], [834, 869], [163, 219], [231, 256], [508, 594], [1146, 1287]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The organist on the seminal 1960s song `` A Whiter Shade of Pale '' has won a long-running legal battle for a share in the royalties for the tune . Matthew Fisher , shown here in a 2006 photo , has won a battle over `` Whiter Shade of Pale '' royalties . Matthew Fisher sued former Procol Harum bandmate Gary Brooker in the House of Lords , Britain 's highest court . A lower court had ruled in his favor in 2006 , granting him co-writing credits and a share of the royalties . Another court partly overturned the ruling in 2008 , giving Fisher co-writing credit but no money . The Court of Appeal said Fisher had waited too long to bring his claim to court . The House of Lords disagreed , said there was no time limit on such claims . Fisher -- whose organ chords open the anthemic song and carry the psychedelic tune through its final swells -- says on his Web site that the song is the most-played ever on the books of Phonographic Performance Ltd. . Lord David Neuberger of Abbotsbury said the organist had played a key role in the success of the song . `` Fisher 's subsequent contribution was significant , and , especially the introductory eight bars , an important factor in the work 's success , '' he wrote in his verdict . The ruling could be worth a lot of money to him . BBC television , for example , pays # 43.89 -LRB- $ 72.40 -RRB- per minute in royalties each time it plays the four-minute song , according to PRS for Music , which collects royalties on behalf of music writers , composers and publishers . BBC Radio 2 pays # 19.35 -LRB- $ 31.92 -RRB- per minute . Writers and composers receive royalties until 70 years after their death in the British system . | Matthew Fisher sued former Procol Harum bandmate Gary Brooker . Fisher was seeking share of royalties for `` A Whiter Shade of Pale '' Lower court had ruled in his favor in 2006 , but another partly overturned ruling in 2008 . | [[291, 374], [404, 448], [514, 564]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Where were you on the night of July 15 ? You may not even remember , but for me it was an extraordinary evening , an evening of unimaginable triumph and unbearable tragedy . Andrew Kinard testifies before a Senate Armed Services subcommittee on April 29 , 2009 . But I would not actually know everything that happened until the night was long over . A couple of weeks before July 15 , a friend who works with injured troops emailed me to say it was time for Andrew 's going away party . Andrew Kinard is a young Marine I first met a few years ago at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington where he was recovering from a devastating IED attack in Iraq . He had stepped on the roadside bomb and lost his entire body below the hips . The party being arranged was Andrew 's farewell to D.C. Andrew is off to the rigors of Harvard Law School . He 's says he 's itching to get into a courtroom . You need to remember the name Andrew Kinard . Many of his friends believe Andrew is such an amazing man that he will become president of the United States . If I had to bet , I 'd say it could happen . I would n't have missed the party for the world . I was touched that this tight-knit community of wounded warriors had included me in this very special , very intimate evening . There was a display of photos of Andrew serving in Iraq . I suddenly realized I never knew how tall he was before the war . There were a few sniffles and wiping of eyes in the room for a Marine whose dream of service to his country ended within a few months of getting to Iraq . But sniffles did n't last long and the evening became one of hugs , laughter and good wishes -LRB- and more than a few beers -RRB- for a young Marine who had triumphed over what the war had dealt him . But my warm feelings did n't last long . The next day another source in the wounded troop community came to me in the Pentagon hallway with another tale . `` You have to do something about the story of Ray Rivas , '' he said . In the very hours we were celebrating Andrew in Washington , tragedy was unfolding in Texas . Lt. Col. Raymond Rivas , a 53-year old civil affairs officer who had dedicated his career to rebuilding war torn countries , was found dead in his car in the parking lot of Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio Texas . Colleagues of Ray 's said prescription pills and notes he wrote to his family and wife , Colleen , were found . A military source told me all indications are Ray took his own life . His devastated family understandably declined to talk publicly , and the military wo n't discuss the case citing privacy concerns . But friends and colleagues I spoke to confirmed that Ray had suffered multiple blast injuries to his brain from bomb attacks during several deployments over the years . Watch Ray Rivas 's struggle with his brain injuries '' In October 2006 , Ray survived an attack in Iraq that rendered him briefly unconscious . He was transferred to Europe but somehow talked the doctors into sending him back to the war zone . A week later , ill and confused , he was sent back to the United States . A close associate tells me that at first , despite being diagnosed with traumatic brain injury in Iraq , some doctors thought Ray might be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder . They did n't realize he had all the symptoms of traumatic brain injury . He had trouble talking , reasoning and remembering . He was sent to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio so he could be near his family , but for the first few months he just sat in his room . Fellow soldiers helped him with his bathing , dressing and eating . Finally , Ray was assigned a case manager , and things began to move rapidly . He got therapy and was able to go home . But by all accounts from his friends , Ray had become seriously debilitated by the injuries to his brain . A private email shown to CNN revealed that Ray had been diagnosed with rapidly emerging Alzheimer 's disease . The cumulative impact of all those bomb blasts were destroying his brain . Colleagues say Ray knew he might have to move to an assisted living facility . Ray 's doctors are not discussing his treatment because of privacy concerns . A colleague told me Ray was tired and in pain on the night of July 15 . He was found in his car in the parking lot at the army hospital where he had spent so long trying to get better . But Ray will be remembered for all he did for others . Even with all his suffering , he wanted to make sure other injured troops were helped . In April he and his wife Colleen went to Capitol Hill to testify with other wounded warriors about their needs . Sitting on that panel with Ray was Andrew Kinard . | CNN 's Barbara Starr celebrated a victory and mourned a loss on July 15 . An injured Marine was celebrating getting into Harvard Law School . On same night , a warrior with a traumatic brain injury was found dead in his car . Men 's stories are linked -- both pleaded with the government to aid injured soldiers . | [[2109, 2131], [2234, 2331], [4500, 4557]] |
LIMA , Peru -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The government of Peru on Friday declared a state of emergency in a remote northern area after a clash between police and indigenous people protesting what they say is the exploitation of their native lands left a number of people dead . Alberto Pizango , a leader of the protesters , says his followers did not kill police officers . Police and indigenous protesters said separately that at least eight police and 22 protesters died . The clash took place at dawn outside the northern province of Bagua in the Department of Amazonas as police attempted to break up a roadblock on the 59th day of protests . Foreign Minister Jose A. Garcia Belaunde told CNN en Español that the state of emergency was ordered to give the government the opportunity to re-establish order and reopen talks with the protesters . Under the state of emergency , the army can be called on to maintain order . `` Look , the use of force is legitimate , '' he said . `` Today , what we have received in response were gunshots -- directed at police helicopters , killing eight or nine police . '' But Alberto Pizango , the principal leader of the indigenous group , said his followers could not have been responsible for killing any police , because they were armed only with stones and arrows . He said the demonstrators had been pursuing a peaceful protest . Authorities have not confirmed the number of civilian deaths . The director general of the police , Jose Sanchez Farfan , said government buildings in Bagua had been looted and set aflame . Though a congressional commission has recommended the repeal of the laws rejected by the native communities , President Alan Garcia supports those that allow using the lands , maintaining that the richness of the Amazon belongs to all Peruvians and that a significant percentage of natural areas are already protected . `` These people do n't have crowns , '' he said about the protesters . `` These people are n't first-class citizens who can say -- 400,000 natives to 28 million Peruvians -- ` You do n't have the right to be here . ' No way . That is a huge error . '' Garcia called Pizango a criminal . Several days ago , Garcia announced an arrest warrant had been issued for Pizango , who is accused of inciting his followers to violence . Journalist Maria Elena Belaunde contributed to this story from Lima . | Violence flares as police attempt to break up a roadblock . Government declares state of emergency in remote northern area . Indigenous people protest what they call the exploitation of their native lands . Peruvian president says land belongs to all the people of the country . | [[467, 638], [568, 638], [7, 27], [64, 119], [153, 268]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Yemenia Airways is canceling all its flights between Yemen and the Comoros Islands after this week 's crash on the same route , the airline said Saturday . Bahia Bakari holds her father 's hand as she lies on a stretcher in a plane after landing in France . One more flight between Sanaa and Moroni is scheduled for Sunday , but all flights on the route are canceled after that , Yemenia said . A Yemenia Airways Airbus 310 went down early Tuesday , carrying 142 passengers and 11 crew members . It originated in Yemen 's capital , Sanaa , and went down just miles from Comoros ' capital , Moroni . One person , 13-year-old French girl Bahia Basari , survived for hours in the Indian Ocean clinging to the debris of the downed plane . She arrived home in France on Thursday , where she was reunited with her father . Watch teen survivor from crash '' She is the only known survivor from the crash , which killed her mother . The Airbus 310 plane tried to land at the airport in Moroni , then made a U-turn before it crashed , Comoros Vice President Idi Nadhoim said . The Comoros Islands are between the east African country of Tanzania and the island nation of Madagascar . French and U.S. divers are helping to search for debris and bodies . The French military has detected a rescue beacon , but rescue workers say the wreckage is difficult to reach in deep waters . The plane 's data recorders have yet to be found , said Capt. Mohammed Abdel Rahman Abdel Qadir , a spokesman for Yemen 's civil aviation department . | Teenage girl only person to survive plane crash off Comoros islands . French , U.S. divers are helping to search for debris and bodies from the plane . The plane 's data recorders have yet to be found , Yemeni authorities say . | [[618, 654], [670, 708], [870, 915], [1194, 1262], [1389, 1425], [1389, 1416], [1426, 1437]] |
LAKE VIEW TERRACE , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A massive fire that has charred more than 147,000 acres in Southern California and destroyed dozens of homes north of Los Angeles was caused by arson , a U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman said Thursday . A wildfire burns close to blackened hills in the Angeles National Forest outside Los Angeles on Wednesday . A homicide investigation has been initiated by the Los Angeles County Sheriff 's Department into the deaths of two firefighters as a result of the Station fire , said spokeswoman Rita Wears . The firefighters died Sunday in a vehicle crash while trying to escape fast-moving flames . The fire was at 38 percent containment Thursday . It has been burning for more than a week . Fire officials said progress has been made , particularly on the west side of the fire , but the blaze was still producing hot spots , including one that forced the evacuation of 25 residents early Thursday . Families in 11 homes were awakened at about 4 a.m. and given three hours to leave their homes near the Dillon Divide community . The fire had scorched 147,418 acres as of Thursday . Residents have fled from 10,000 homes along the edge of the Angeles Forest since the fire began on August 26 . However , the majority of evacuees were allowed back into their homes by Wednesday . Watch as firefighters struggle to keep the blaze at bay '' `` We 're fighting for every foot of containment we can get on this fire , '' said U.S. Forest Service Fire Chief Mike Dietrich . He said firefighters have made progress controlling the northern and western parameters of the fire , but the priority is to keep the southeastern corner of the fire away from areas along Interstate 210 , including Pasadena , Arcadia and Sierra Madre . The blaze is headed toward the San Gabriel Wilderness Area of the Angeles forest . The San Gabriel represents the eastern edge of the fire , he said . Nearly all the fire was in forest land and the nearby foothill communities , including La Canada Flintridge , La Crescenta and Acton . `` This is a very complicated situation , and it continues to be complicated as it moves east , '' Dietrich said . The fire has destroyed 64 homes , three commercial properties and 49 outdoor structures since it began last week , authorities said . The state has spent about $ 27 million so far fighting the fire in the Angeles National Forest , Dietrich said . Firefighters expect to have the blaze fully contained by September 15 . Earlier , Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was asked about the cost of the firefighting , given the state 's precarious financial position . `` I 've made it clear that even though we have a budget crunch and we have an economic crisis and we just solved a $ 23 billion deficit , we will always have the money available to fight the fires because public safety is our No. 1 priority , '' Schwarzenegger responded . That budget gap covers two years . The governor said he insisted that the state budget he signed in July have a $ 500 million reserve for emergencies such as fires . California has had 5,000 blazes so far this year , he said . He said 21 firefighters have been injured battling the Station fire , in addition to the two killed Sunday . While temperatures remain high , the humidity level increased on Wednesday and Thursday -- a boon to the firefighting efforts . Firefighters could get another break if temperatures cool off on Friday , as expected . CNN 's Barbara Starr in Lake View Terrace , California , contributed to this report . | Investigation treated as homicide case because two firefighters died . The fire was at 38 percent containment Thursday , officials say . Station fire has burned more than 147,000 acres north of Los Angeles . Blaze still forcing some residents to evacuate . | [[360, 487], [360, 384], [522, 551], [3207, 3230], [644, 693], [50, 64], [70, 128], [252, 359], [1075, 1127], [830, 839], [872, 945]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Security forces patrolled deserted streets in Gabon 's capital as citizens of the west African nation awaited official presidential results amid growing fears of violence , witnesses told CNN on Thursday . Police block supporters of opposition candidate Pierre Mamboundou in Libreville , Gabon . Voters in the oil-rich nation went to the polls Sunday to elect a successor to President Omar Bongo , who died in June after more than four decades in office . Bongo , 73 , was Africa 's longest-serving ruler . His son , Ali Bongo , a candidate for the ruling Gabonese Democratic Party , was one of the main contenders . Local media reports indicated that the younger Bongo had won , but CNN was unable to confirm those results . `` The Gabonese have come out of 42 years of dictatorship ; they do n't care who will be the next president , as long as it is not Bongo , '' Andriankoto Ratozamanana told CNN by phone from the capital , Libreville . `` They want change . They do n't want Bongo , because he is his dad 's son . '' Libreville was deserted because residents had fled to villages for fear of post-election violence , Ratozamanana said . `` The citizens wo n't accept if Ali Bongo wins , because that will mean the government stole the vote , '' Ratozamanana said . The younger Bongo , a former defense minister , was one of 23 politicians originally in the ballot . Several candidates pulled out a few days before the vote to support the opposition , said Archippe Yepmou , a media activist . Bongo , main opposition leader Pierre Mamboundou and former interior minister Andre Mba Obame have all claimed victory . The elder Bongo took power in 1967 , seven years after the country 's independence from France . He imposed one-party rule a year after succeeding the country 's first president , who died in office . He allowed multiparty elections after a new constitution in 1991 , but his party retained its grip on the government despite that . The nation of about 1.5 million has a per capita income four times that of most sub-Saharan African nations , according to the CIA World Factbook . Despite its wealth , which also comes from timber exports , a large percentage of its population lives in poverty because of poor financial management and a huge gap between the rich and the poor . CNN 's Umaro Djau contributed to this report . | Tension grows in Gabon , West Africa as citizens await result of presidential election . Capital Libreville deserted as residents flee the city through fear of violence . Voters went to the polls on Sunday to elect a successor to President Omar Bongo . | [[97, 189], [97, 189], [1043, 1140], [315, 414]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama will rack up plenty of frequent flyer miles this summer with planned trips in Africa , Russia and Italy . President Obama will travel to Ghana for two days after the G8 Summit in July . Obama , along with his wife , Michelle , will visit Accra , Ghana , on July 10 and July 11 , the White House said Saturday . It will follow Obama 's trip to the G8 summit in L'Aquila , Italy , from July 8 to July 10 . Obama will address various bilateral and regional issues with Ghanaian President John Atta Mills , the White House said in a news statement . `` The President and Mrs. Obama look forward to strengthening the U.S. relationship with one of our most trusted partners in sub-Saharan Africa , and to highlighting the critical role that sound governance and civil society play in promoting lasting development , '' according to the statement . Obama announced a week ago that he will visit Egypt on June 4 to deliver a speech on America 's relationship with the Muslim world . Egypt is `` a country that in many ways represents the heart of the Arab world , '' White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said at the time . Gibbs deflected several questions at his daily briefing about whether Egypt is a wise choice given President Hosni Mubarak 's resistance to making his government more democratic . Obama originally promised to deliver the speech during his first 100 days , but senior administration officials say the date slipped in part because of security and logistical issues . Obama has visited Africa before as a senator . In 2006 , he received a hero 's welcome in his father 's native Kenya . Before the G8 summit , the president is scheduled to travel to Moscow from July 6 to July 8 at the invitation of Russian leader Dmitry Medvedev . The G8 is made up of Canada , France , Germany , Italy , Japan , Russia , England and the United States . | Obama to visit Ghana after his trip to Italy 's G8 Summit in July . Obama also planning to visit Egypt , Russia this summer . Obama last traveled to Africa in 2006 . | [[152, 231], [357, 414], [888, 1020], [1649, 1669], [1672, 1740], [1672, 1685], [1699, 1776]] |
-LRB- AOL Autos -RRB- -- It had never been done before , but as Monte Perlin gunned the engine of his Harley motorbike and prepared to land it in an open boxcar of a moving train , he was strangely calm . Stuntman Monte Perlin putting his motorcycle through its paces . Rather than fret for his own life , he was thinking about the responsibility he had for the life of the woman sitting on the saddle behind him . He laughs to tell the story now , but his moving-train stunt for Disney 's 2008 Adam Sandler vehicle `` Bedtime Stories '' was perhaps the most dangerous Perlin 's attempted in his 25 years in Hollywood . His career has involved many films , including `` Spider-Man , '' `` Star Trek , `` Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull '' and portraying Arnold Schwarzenegger 's stunt double in `` Terminator 3 : Rise of the Machines . '' That 's right : Monte Perlin is a stunt man . In fact , he said that after completing that train stunt , which involved probably more math than we 'd care to compute -LRB- consider a man jumping 70 feet on a motorbike at 60 mph from a ramp into an open car of a train traveling at 45 mph , all with a woman on the seat next to him ... sounds a bit like a SAT question , does n't it ? -RRB- the footage showed he missed . In actuality , he came too close -- or about 6 inches -- to one of the boxcar 's doors . So , he had to do it again . `` I have to time it with a girl on my back , '' Perlin said . `` Too short , I 'm dead . Too late , I 'm dead . Too high , fast or powerful , I take my head off . It had to be perfect . While he did n't sleep for two nights before the stunt , he says a strange type of calm precedes any of his attempts at a difficult trick . Then , just before launch , he says , as he revs the engine of whichever `` boss hog '' he 's riding that day , his adrenaline kicks into gear . `` I get that feeling , that I could wrestle 10 gorillas , I could jump 10 trains , and boom ! I go for it . '' Perlin completed the stunt , this time `` hitting '' it almost exactly through the middle of the box-car 's open gate and the movie 's production team wrapped the scene . `` I did it again and just hit it perfect , '' he said . `` I hit the impossible stunt . '' It did n't start this way . Perlin grew up in Lake Arrowhead , not far from Hollywood , where from the age of 10 he ripped around the largely rural area on motocross bikes before he graduated onto some seriously heavy machinery -- including his own super-modified Harley Davidson that packs a 350 Chevy car engine . That gave him a perfect start in his chosen career of motorcycle stunt riding . AOL Autos : Fastest coupes under $ 30k . He got into Hollywood by ditching the small-town naysayers who did n't believe in him , he says , and traveling to Los Angeles . After a couple misfires , he looked into a stunt school he found in a Hollywood trade publication and he found his calling . AOL Autos : Top 10 best car commercials . Perhaps more importantly , Perlin met his wife , also a stuntwoman . '' -LRB- She -RRB- changed my life and stopped my drinking , '' he said . `` I told her , ` If we 're gon na get married , I got ta have a career . ' '' In addition to traveling to Africa , Israel , Russia , and all over the world , the couple raised four kids on a 10-acre ranch about 25 miles north of Hollywood in Lancaster . Perlin has n't touched a drop of alcohol in nearly 25 years . He says he often takes his grandkids for `` wheelies '' around his neighborhood . As it turns out , stuntin ' runs in the family : His 17-year-old daughter is a champion horse show-jumper and is gunning for an Olympic place , but is already a professional stuntwoman . AOL Autos : Ford 's ` Wonder Woman ' engineers important new car . Stunt work is n't something to be taken lightly , though . Perlin has the scars to prove it . He says he 's broken `` almost everything . '' Everything , according to Perlin , includes both of his arms , legs , knees , feet , ankles , several of his ribs , his back and his pelvis . But , his background in gymnastics has left him some flexibility . AOL Autos : Most common car - related injuries . Perhaps philosophically , Perlin points out that the most important thing for any stuntman , alongside having a particular niche or forte like motorbike riding , is learning from the mistakes you 'll inevitably make . Sometimes this means knowing when to say no and , simply , when to go for it . He recalls the time he was cajoled by a director into doing a motorcycle stunt he considered too dangerous . `` The worst thing -LRB- I ever did -RRB- was on a Brian Bosworth series 13 years ago in Florida . I had to jump off a pier , over the water and into a barge . Well , usually they give you a lighter bike mocked up to look like a Harley , but they would n't do that -LRB- for -RRB- this so I had to get a stock Kawasaki 1200 Vulcan . I could jump a 35-foot distance -LRB- on that bike -RRB- but from pier to barge was now more than 35 feet . I checked the tide and the jump was 40 feet long . `` Now -LRB- I know -RRB- I do n't want to do it . But the production manager came running out and said , ` If Monte Perlin does n't do this jump , you all are going home right now . ' He was really throwing it at me . I did the jump and landed perfectly , but the bike snapped in half and crushed my ankle . In the hospital , the ` doc said they were gon na have to cut my foot off . '' Perlin 's foot was saved by steel plates and screws , but not before he learned an important lesson : `` It 's not the fact of making mistakes in life , it 's what you learn from them . '' He describes a later stunt where he had to jump a motorbike down 2.5 stories from a roof , jumping through a window , all while wearing a rubber monster suit . He says the lights were bad , and he `` could n't see a thing . '' `` I called down to floor , said I could n't see the ground , '' he said . `` They said ` You wimp , my mother could do that . ' But , five minutes later the lights were right , and I landed it . The end result was I had learned from my mistakes . There are ways to get around anything . '' One tough assignment . Most famously , perhaps , Perlin portrayed Arnold Schwarzenegger in `` Terminator 3 , '' a role that still has a special place in his memory -LRB- although he says he 's back working with his old Terminator team on a `` major blockbuster '' to be filmed this summer -RRB- . AOL Autos : Top 10 movie car chases . `` For Terminator 3 , I got a call to double Arnold , to go in and meet him . We hung out for six months , riding together and training . Now -LRB- as a double for the -RRB- Terminator , I ca n't be riding and looking , or turning my head . I had to use peripheral vision for all my stunts . '' Not that he needed a reminder , but Monte 's Terminator experiences proved once again that stunt work is serious business . `` In one of the sequences , Arnold 's riding on a motorcycle and the lady 's on a crane . She swings at him and he grabs the crane . But that transfer was not as sweet as it looked . Riding at 45 mph , following the crane , a harness was supposed to bring me closer to the crane and lock me safe to it . But , the crane made a swerve and it pulled me off the motorbike , and he 's still going . Picture a fish on the end of a hook , being swung around . If that timing was off I would -LRB- have been -RRB- wrapped around a pole and torn in half . '' On the same shoot , Monte had to do battle with an object much larger than him and perhaps less forgiving than a moving crane . `` For an explosion shot in the movie , I was heading right toward a tanker , '' he said . `` I swerved around -LRB- it -RRB- and was head on with a remotely controlled ambulance , -LRB- which was -RRB- on fire . If I had fallen and it would of hit me , I would have been bone dead . `` But , it landed beside me -- a full-weight paramedic truck flipping through the air . I talked to the guy on the remote control after that . He said it would have landed on top of me , but on the last second it turned to the right and missed me . It woulda squished me . '' Unless you 're Monte Perlin , do not try this at home . You might get squished . | Stuntman Monte Perlin has broken `` almost everything '' in his 25-year career . His films include `` Spider-Man , '' `` Star Trek , `` Terminator 3 : Rise of the Machines '' One motorbike stunt involved jumping 70 feet at 60 mph into open car of moving train . Remotely controlled , burning ambulance flipped and barely missed him . | [[874, 903], [3867, 3910], [620, 810], [61, 178], [181, 204], [914, 1125], [7746, 7777], [7915, 7971], [8075, 8096], [8121, 8132]] |
KABUL , Afghanistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Afghanistan 's opium production dropped dramatically this year partly because of new aggressive drug-fighting tactics in the country , a United Nations study found . Afghan police officers use tractors to destroy poppy crops in Helmand province earlier this year . According to the report from the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime , production dipped by 10 percent this year , while cultivation fell by 22 percent . `` At a time of pessimism about the situation in Afghanistan , these results are a welcome piece of good news and demonstrate that progress is possible , '' said Antonio Maria Costa , the office 's executive director . The United Nations notes that drugs originating in Afghanistan have `` catastrophic consequences . '' `` They fund the activities of criminals , insurgents and terrorists in Afghanistan and elsewhere . Collusion with corrupt government officials is undermining public trust , security and the rule of law . `` Widespread money-laundering is harming the reputation of banks in the Gulf and farther afield , '' it said . Watch U.N. official discuss concerns about opium stockpiles '' The report , released this week , attributed the decrease to better government leadership , aggressive counter-narcotics tactics , a push for farmers to grow legal crops and pressure from NATO-led soldiers . This was the second year that the production of the opium , used to produce heroin , had dropped in Afghanistan . The study found 20 of the 34 provinces in Afghanistan were now free of opium farming . The most significant drop this year was in Helmand province , the volatile southern region where NATO-led forces are battling with militants . In that opium hotbed , cultivation dipped from 103,590 to 69,833 hectares -LRB- 255,976 to 172,561 acres -RRB- . But even with this seemingly good news , some fear that drug traffickers in Afghanistan are preparing to fight back . According to the report , researchers found evidence strong drug cartels , similar to ones seen in Colombia , were being formed by participants in Afghanistan 's drug trade . `` A marriage of convenience between insurgents and criminal groups is spawning narco-cartels linked to the Taliban , '' Costa said . Incentive programs giving local farmers seeds and training in growing legal crops represent a key tactic in the fight against drugs . Local farmers in Helmand are being trained at a facility ran by the U.S. Agency for International Development . Farmers like Abdul Qadir said programs like this one are key to bringing peace to war-torn Afghanistan . `` These countries that are here , why are they with guns and bombs ? If you can just help the people of Afghanistan in this way , the fighting will go away , these Taliban and other enemies of the country will also disappear , '' Qadir said . CNN 's Atia Abawi contributed to this report . | U.N. : Drugs originating in Afghanistan have `` catastrophic consequences '' Success attributed to aggressive drug-fighting tactics in the country . Report : 20 of 34 provinces in Afghanistan now free of opium farming . Local farmers also encouraged to grow legal crops . | [[672, 770], [702, 770], [0, 5], [8, 35], [71, 171], [1154, 1164], [1188, 1284], [1476, 1529], [1476, 1562], [1296, 1361], [2246, 2379]] |
PALLAVAKAM , India -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- South India 's sun beats down on a long line of trucks wending to the Bay of Bengal . In the back of these trucks , giant , brightly painted statues of the Hindu god Ganesha are waiting to be dropped in the nearby ocean . Ganesha worshippers transport their Idol for an immersion ritual . All over India , Hindus recently celebrated the birthday of the elephant god and now the idols made for this festivity are being taken to India 's ocean , rivers and lakes and deposited . It 's part of the Hindu religious cycle . But it 's also a huge source of pollution . And in recent years , idol immersion has become a popular local event , with some statues so huge they must be lifted by cranes . The Ganeshas gleam with gold paint and glisten with reds , pinks and greens . But scientists who 've studied the problem say these paints often contain toxic metals , such as lead and mercury . They contaminate plants , and poison fish and irrigation and drinking water . They end up in the human food chain . The problem is not just caused by idols of Ganesha , but by the many other Hindu god idols as well , such as Saraswati and Durga . Hundreds of thousands of god idols are immersed every year in festivals across India . A detailed study of the problem has been done by Shyam R. Asolekar of the Indian Institute of Technology in Bombay . He estimates that , in the city of Mumbai alone , several hundred thousand idols are made annually . Watch a Hindu immersion ritual '' Decades ago , there were far fewer idols and idols were made of mud and biodegradable materials , Asolekar said . The effect also was `` minimal '' he said , because waterways were n't linked as they are now . As a result of water and irrigation projects , `` connected water systems and dams have reduced the flow of water '' and dramatically increased the effect of pollution . According to Asolekar 's study , `` Forbidding the disposal of painted idols , ornaments and decoration is the only sure way of protecting our water bodies . '' Various Indian states are testing out new approaches , such as mobile immersion tanks , and encouraging mud idols . Asolekar dismissed the idea of an eco-friendly idol , saying even large amounts of mud kill waterways . `` The number of idols is so high , '' he said , `` no matter what the material , there will always be an impact . Even organic substances in large quantities cause a problem . '' He suggests a `` dry immersion , '' in which the idol is sprinkled symbolically with water and then later dried for reuse . This approach would face great hurdles in a country where religious rituals have deep social and cultural ties and change comes slowly . Another possible interim measure uses a polymer-lined tank for immersion . More than 100 such tanks have been installed in Mumbai . The linings can be rolled up after use and the materials separated into bio and nonbiodegradable materials for composting and landfill . The water is filtered . But this solution is far from ideal , Asolekar said , as tens of thousands of such tanks would be needed , and there is still plenty of contamination . `` It will take time to change people 's attitudes , '' he said . | Hindu ritual of immersing idols in oceans , rivers and lakes is causing contamination . Paints on idols often contain toxic metals , such as lead and mercury . Pollutants contaminate plants , poison fish and irrigation and drinking water . `` Dry immersion '' suggested as a solution -- idol is sprinkled symbolically with water . | [[260, 326], [408, 514], [561, 600], [813, 924], [925, 948], [2452, 2482], [2464, 2482], [2497, 2542]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Investigators have arrested a third suspect in the killing of a prominent doctor near Houston , Texas . Dr. Jorge Mario Gonzalez was found dead at his ranch last month , police say . The Texas Rangers arrested Misael Sotollo , 18 , Tuesday evening in a Houston apartment , the Austin County Sheriff 's Office said in a statement . Sotollo and two others -- brothers Cristobal Galvan Cerna , 23 , and Moises Galvan Cerna , 18 -- are charged with murder in the death of Dr. Jorge Mario Gonzalez . Bail has been denied for all three , according to authorities . The doctor was chief of the critical care section at Houston 's Methodist Hospital and `` a pulmonary medicine leader , '' according to the hospital system 's Web site . Gonzalez was found dead August 22 , after deputies responded to a 911 call of a burglary in progress at his weekend ranch , in a rural and isolated area outside Bellville , Texas , authorities said . Bellville is about 50 miles west of Houston . The suspects were already at the home when the Gonzalez family arrived around noon , law enforcement officials said . The doctor was able to enter his home and obtain a handgun in an attempt to defend himself and his family , authorities said . Gunshots were exchanged , and the doctor died at the scene , they said . Also wounded in the shooting was ranch hand Noel Galvan Cerna , who worked for Gonzalez and is the brother of two of the men in custody in the killing . Sotollo is their cousin . An officer responding to the Gonzalez home on the robbery report was met by vehicles leaving the location , Austin County Sheriff 's spokesman Sgt. Paul Faircloth said , and a person in one vehicle fired on the officer . Neither the officer nor his patrol car was struck , and the officer did not return fire , Faircloth said . The officer was able to provide a detailed description of the vehicles , he said . The officer found Gonzalez ' wife and toddler unharmed inside the home . | Dr. Jorge Mario Gonzalez found shot to death at his ranch on August 22 . Police say Gonzalez arrived at the rural home to find suspects already there . He was able to get his gun from the house but died in ensuing gunfire , police say . Ranch hand was injured in the attack ; the suspects are his brothers and cousin . | [[123, 186], [748, 781], [994, 1076], [189, 201], [1112, 1184], [1317, 1373], [1345, 1350], [1404, 1464]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Henry Joseph Madden was a good student and track team member in high school , but he had a secret : He sometimes wore his mother 's pantyhose and underwear under his clothes . Dr. Jennifer Madden , a family physician , began her transition to being female at age 48 . `` I really wanted to be a girl so bad , and that was one way for me to satisfy those feelings , '' Madden said . `` I always felt like someone was looking over my shoulder . '' The desire to be female never went away . At age 48 , Madden confessed these feelings to a doctor , and started seeing a gender therapist who suggested Madden was transgendered . Through reconstructive surgeries , electrolysis , laser procedures and voice lessons , Henry Joseph became Jennifer Elizabeth , known as Jenny . She is a practicing family physician in Nashua , New Hampshire . Watch Jenny 's story '' Chastity Bono , child of performer Cher and the late entertainer and politician Sonny Bono , announced Thursday the beginning of a transition from female to a male . While still relatively rare -- one advocate estimates that 0.25 to 0.5 percent of the American population is transgendered -- the idea of changing gender identity has become more widespread in recent years . The term `` LGBT '' -LRB- Lesbian , Gay , Bisexual , Transgender -RRB- is more commonly recognized , and transgendered people have been portrayed in the 1999 film `` Boys Do n't Cry '' as well as the 2002 book `` Middlesex '' by Jeffrey Eugenides . Many people who have transitioned , including Madden , say they knew they had been born into the wrong gender from childhood . As early as age 3 , Dr. Julie Praus , born male , did n't understand why her father wanted to play catch . As a boy , Praus learned how to fish and hunt , but enjoyed collecting Depression-era glassware vases . Praus , 48 , a psychiatrist in Brattleboro , Vermont , started living as a woman in March 2008 . `` I get up every morning and say , ` Wow , I can actually look at myself in the mirror , ' because I 've never been able to do that in my life , because what would stare back at me was not me , '' Praus said . iReport.com : Share your story of gender change . Doctors speculate that there is a biological foundation to gender identity , but no one has determined what in the biological makeup determines that gender . The interactions between personality and culture also contribute to identity , said Chris Kraft , clinical director at the Johns Hopkins Sexual Behaviors Consultation Unit . The process of changing genders . For people who want a gender change on a biological level , the first step is therapy , experts say . Dr. Gary Alter , a plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills , California , said patients do n't come to him until they 've been in therapy , a process that can take as much as a year . A therapist then gives a physician approval to start the patient on hormone treatment . At that point , the patient may or may not start living as the chosen sex , Alter said . Females seeking to transition into males may elect to have their breasts removed via surgery . With testosterone , they will grow hair on their face and chest after about two years . Read one man 's female-to-male advice to Chaz Bono . A higher percentage of males transitioning to females will go forward with genital surgery than females going to males , Alter said . Surgical methods for creating a penis -- which range from making one out of the clitoris to using the skin from the forearms -- are `` not perfect , '' and many patients are happy with just chest surgery , he said . Genital surgeries for creating female genitalia are better , he said . Alter 's method is to make a clitoris out of the head of the penis , and make space for a vagina . Facing the rest of the world . It is rare for people to undergo a gender transition and then want to reverse it , especially when surgery is involved , experts say . Some say changing genders is one of the best things they 've done , like Jamison Green , 60 , author of `` Becoming a Visible Man , '' who went through chest reconstruction and genital surgery . `` I do n't have too hard of a time telling people about it , '' Green said . `` I worried about that a lot in the beginning , before there was any kind of community and support about this condition , but one of the things I learned early on was that living in fear and shame is not very healthy . '' Green , who started his transition at age 40 , is now happily married to a woman whom he did not know before his change . Praus is also married to a woman , who knew her before her transition . Madden has a boyfriend . `` For the longest time , I really felt like I had a mental illness , and I do n't feel that way anymore , '' Madden said . But all three have experienced shock and dismay from others around them . Green said his mother took five years to adjust . One of Praus ' sons does n't speak to her . Madden 's marriage to a woman ended in divorce during her transition , and her children have struggled . Yet these three transgendered individuals say they feel better in many ways in their chosen gender roles . `` My patients say I 'm a better doctor , '' Praus said . `` Some of it is that I 'm not exerting so much energy hiding myself . '' Psychologists recommend that people who change genders adopt a `` transgendered identity , '' and not keep their history of transition a secret . But some who `` pass '' as their new genders do n't want to risk stigma , and tell only people closest to them , Kraft said . Often , males who transition to females face more problems than females who become males , Kraft said . Transgendered individuals who start as men tend to face more stigma , particularly if they are more noticeably transgendered . Transgendered individuals do face some legal quandaries . Some states require people to show proof of a medical procedure before changing gender on documents such as driver 's licenses , while others require that the person has taken hormones , Kraft said . People may also elect to change their birth certificates to reflect chosen gender . Chastity Bono , who now goes by `` Chaz , '' has been a prominent gay-rights activist . `` You could speculate that that could make it more complicated -- when you 're a public figure -- to take on something stigmatizing '' such as a gender transition , Kraft said . | Estimate : 0.25 to 0.5 percent of the American population is transgendered . Doctors speculate that there is a biological foundation to gender identity . People rarely undergo gender-reassignment surgery and then want to reverse it . | [[1044, 1071], [1075, 1251], [2197, 2271]] |
Editor 's Note : Lucas A. Powe Jr. is a professor of constitutional law at The University of Texas and the author of the recently published book , `` The Supreme Court and the American Elite , 1789-2008 . '' He clerked for Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas . Lucas Powe Jr. says it 's not a surprise that justices voted 5-4 in favor of the New Haven firefighters . AUSTIN , Texas -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Monday , in the much anticipated New Haven , Connecticut , firefighters ' case , the Supreme Court reversed an opinion joined by Judge Sonia Sotomayor , President Obama 's Supreme Court nominee . The reversal was expected and is not the first time an appointee has been reversed by the court he was about to join . Indeed , two of Chief Justice Warren Burger 's opinions for the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals were reversed in 1969 , the year he joined the court . One was Watts v. United States , in which the defendant had been convicted for threatening the life of the president . By a 5-4 vote , the Supreme Court reversed , holding that Watts ' supposed threats were really nothing but hyperbole . The decision came down one month before President Nixon nominated Burger . More significantly , after Burger had been confirmed , the Court reversed him again , this time in a major case -- Powell v. McCormack . The House had refused to seat Harlem , New York , Democratic Rep. Adam Clayton Powell after he won yet another election . The reasons for the House 's action were misappropriation of public funds and abuse of process in state courts to avoid paying a judgment . Burger wrote that federal courts could not decide Powell 's case because the issue was nonjusticiable -- that is , not appropriate for a judicial resolution because issues of membership in Congress were exclusively committed to Congress . When the case reached the Supreme Court , a lengthy opinion by Chief Justice Earl Warren held that courts could rule in such a case and that a House of Congress could only exclude someone if that person did not meet the qualifications , age , citizenship and residence requirements set forth in the Constitution . There was but a single dissent . The reversal of Sotomayor was expected because a majority of the current court are Republicans who believe governmental decisions should be made on a color-blind basis . Beginning with the presidency of Ronald Reagan , Republicans have taken aim at affirmative action , and the Republican justices have concurred . Only once in the past 15 years has the Republican majority voted in favor of minorities in an affirmative action case . That came in 2003 , when the court upheld the affirmative action program at the University of Michigan Law School . That case , however , was profoundly influenced by an amicus brief signed by 45 retired admirals and generals -LRB- plus former Defense Secretary William Cohen -RRB- stating that affirmative action was essential at the Service Academies in order to create a diverse officer corps in order to ensure necessary military cohesiveness . When asked about the military brief , Solicitor General Theodore Olson stated that he had not thought about the consequences of ending affirmative action at the Service Academies . That was enough for Justice Sandra Day O'Connor , a Republican , who switched from her normal skepticism of affirmative action to sustain the law school program . Nevertheless , four Republican justices -- William Rehnquist , Antonin Scalia , Anthony Kennedy and Clarence Thomas -- voted to invalidate the program . With John Roberts replacing Rehnquist and Samuel Alito replacing O'Connor , the court acquired a majority that appears more concerned about discrimination against whites than about racial equality in American society . Thus just two years ago in cases out of Seattle , Washington , and Louisville , Kentucky , the Republican majority invalidated school assignment plans that the school districts themselves had decided were appropriate to prevent resegregation . With those cases as background , the majority 's sympathy for the plight of Frank Ricci , who studied so hard for the New Haven promotion examination , was easily predictable . But so was the fact that the four dissenters in the Seattle and Louisville cases -- John Paul Stevens , Ruth Bader Ginsburg , Stephen Breyer and the now-retired David Souter -- would side with the city in its concern that the results of the test left no African-Americans eligible for promotion . What the New Haven case showed was that Republicans have been winning presidential elections and therefore gaining Supreme Court nominations more often than Democrats for the past generation . So when a Democratic president finally got a nomination , any person selected would dissent from the Republicans ' disdain for affirmative action . It is merely a coincidence that the nominee , Sotomayor , happened to participate in the case already . Some Republican senators may try to use the New Haven majority to paint Sotomayor as out of the mainstream . But that conclusion requires painting the four dissenters as out of the mainstream , too . Only the Republican base could believe that . Sotomayor will be confirmed without a hiccup . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Lucas A. Powe Jr. . | Powe : Two Warren Burger rulings were reversed as he was about to join court . He says ruling in favor of New Haven firefighters was not a surprise . He says Sotomayor is not out of the mainstream since 4 justices were on her side . Powe : Justices named by GOP presidents generally oppose affirmative action . | [[698, 720], [721, 727], [730, 836], [1204, 1235], [1238, 1266], [266, 371], [286, 371], [266, 371]] |
This year marks the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Solferino which led to the creation of the International Committee of the Red Cross . The ICRC is using the date to launch an awareness campaign of its work in conflict-affected countries , featuring photos taken by five award-winning photojournalists . This week we 're bringing you stories from some of the world 's most troubled countries , as told by the ICRC . MONROVIA , Liberia -LRB- ICRC -RRB- -- On a dusty pitch in the middle of the capital of Monrovia limbless young men play football as though their lives depended on it . Coach Paul Tolbert says many members of Liberia 's amputee football team had lost the will to live . Football has given them hope . They are members of the Liberian National Amputee Football Team and for the most part , victims of the war . Some participated in cruel acts against civilians during the fighting and face a daily struggle to live with both their disability and the past . `` I was at church when armed men came in and killed hundreds of us , '' says 18 year old Richard Duo , who is now a star infield attacker and one of the highest goal-scorers on the team . `` I lost my mother , father and one of my brothers . My other siblings were wounded and I lost my leg . `` Now that there is peace , I have decided not to think about that anymore . I only want to look forward , to see what I can do to help myself and my family in the future . Those terrible things have already happened . I just want to focus on the future , '' he says . See photos of Richard Duo and his team mates '' Tens of thousands of people were killed or injured in Liberia 's 14-year civil war . The fighting brought rape and mutilation , children were abducted and forced to become fighters and untold numbers had to flee their homes . Since 2003 , peace has returned and while efforts are underway to rebuild the country the emotional and physical scars of war remain . Amputee football began in Liberia as a means of therapy and healing . It was an initiative of the National Commission for Disarmament , Demobilization , Reintegration and Rehabilitation , which is responsible for assisting former fighters . The team 's coach , 30 year old Paul Tolbert , began recruiting members when he worked for the commission as a counseling coordinator . `` When you ask them how they felt after they were amputated , most of them wanted to kill themselves , '' says Tolbert . `` Life no longer had meaning for them . Amputee football restores their hope . Take the example of the guy who won Most Valuable Player in the recent African Cup of Nations . He was a very good player before he was amputated , but gave up hope when he lost his leg . `` When I went to recruit him , I told him ` You can make it , there is still a chance for you . ' He since has regained a sense of hope . ' '' In 2008 , the Liberian team hosted the African Cup of Nations and won the tournament . The team has been to Russia and Turkey for international competitions and will travel to England in June for the Amputee World Cup , where they have a very good chance of making it to the final . The President of Liberia , Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf , is their number one fan , ensuring support for travel and profiling the team in her speeches . Tolbert says the healing effects go well beyond the players . `` I tell my team they are bringing a sense of victory to the country . In my eyes , they are not disabled . They are men who bring pride to this nation . '' The players themselves say they are motivated by a desire to leave the war behind and to make something of themselves for their families . They 're also looking for a sense of belonging and brotherhood among those who know what it 's like to live with the horrors of war and to struggle just to survive . `` I love the sport because I can experience friendship again , '' says Joseph Allen , 21 , who was named the best goalkeeper in the Russian tournament . `` Friendship was gone from my life for the longest time . Football brings attention to our disability and helps people better understand that we are able to contribute to society . '' For players like 32 year old Anthony Doe , amputee football has opened up a window on a world he never dreamed possible . `` I never thought that one day I would go and see Turkey or Russia but thanks to football I 've been able to travel to compete , '' says the striker . For more about this topic go to the ICRC Web Site . Have you been affected by conflict ? Send your photos and stories to iReport . | Many members of Liberia 's amputee football team had lost the will to live . They were recruited by a counselor working to rehabilitate former fighters . Coach Paul Tolbert : `` They are men who bring pride to this nation '' Photos were taken by war photographer Christopher Morris for the ICRC . | [[590, 662], [614, 690], [2121, 2135], [2144, 2190], [2431, 2448], [3355, 3423], [3461, 3506], [3470, 3473], [3478, 3506]] |
NEW DELHI , India -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- `` Slumdog Millionaire '' leaves audiences uplifted . But that is hardly how one of its child stars felt on Thursday . Indian authorities demolished the home of `` Slumdog Millionaire '' child actor Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail . Despite the hit movie 's mega-millions in box-office receipts , Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail 's life changed little after he returned home to Mumbai , India 's , Garib Nagar , or city of the poor . On Thursday , even the roof over the real-life slum dweller 's head was taken away as Indian authorities tore down the shanty where Ismail 's family lived . Authorities said the home and about 20 others around it were illegally built . Senior Inspector Rahim Sheikh told CNN that the shanties were brought down as part of a municipal drive to clear encroachments on public land . Bulldozers leveled the slum built on a municipal garden , said Sheikh , who is in charge of the locality in Mumbai where Ismail lived . The little boy sat among twisted corrugated metal and other debris , surrounded by filth and squalor . Memories of Hollywood 's glitz and glitter were distant as tears streamed down his face . He said his family was given no notice of the demolition and did not have time to remove their belongings . But , they said , they plan to return and rebuild . Watch ` Slumdog ' actor 's home razed . '' `` Slumdog Millionaire '' is the story of Jamal , an impoverished , uneducated teen who competes on an Indian game show . Ismail , who played a young Jamal 's brother , Salim , traveled to Los Angeles , California , in February for this year 's Academy Awards , where the movie won eight Oscars , including best picture . CNN 's Sara Sidner contributed to this story . | Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail 's home is in Garib Nagar , or city of the poor . Indian authorities say the home , 20 others , were illegally built . Family says they got no notice , plan to rebuild . | [[329, 460], [618, 673], [635, 696], [1170, 1277], [1178, 1226], [1284, 1293], [1296, 1329]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Almost all British troops in Iraq are being pulled out because the agreement that allows them to be there expires on Friday , the British Ministry of Defence said Tuesday . Nearly all of Britain 's troops in Iraq will have left by the week 's end . The withdrawal marks the first time since the invasion of Iraq more than six years ago that there will be almost no British troops in the country . The only British troops there will be a group of about a dozen helping to train Iraqi police as part of a NATO mission , the ministry said . The United Kingdom 's remaining contingent of 100 to 150 troops is leaving Iraq for neighboring Kuwait , a Ministry of Defence spokesman told CNN . He declined to be named in line with policy . `` The small handful of British military personnel operating in Iraq will be withdrawn to Kuwait after Iraq 's parliament adjourned without passing a deal that would let them stay , '' the spokesman said . Iraq must give its permission for foreign troops to be on its soil . It was a group of Iraqi lawmakers loyal to anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr that prevented parliament from approving a new agreement on British troops . They walked out of parliament as a group on July 11 , depriving the legislature of the minimum number of lawmakers necessary for votes to take place . Parliament is now on summer recess until September 8 . Fawzi Akram , a lawmaker from the Sadr bloc , confirmed that the bloc reject the Iraqi-British security agreement . He said that Iraq does not need the British troops and that Iraqi security forces are ready to handle security on their own . Britain hopes the Iraqi parliament will eventually approve the security agreement . `` While this delay is unfortunate , we are continuing to seek a solution with the Iraqi Government that will provide our forces with the sound legal basis they need , '' the ministry said in a written statement . The British troops who are being pulled out include Royal Navy servicemen who have been helping the Iraqis to protect oil fields around the port town of Umm Qasr , according to the Ministry of Defence spokesman . All British combat troops have already left the country , another ministry spokesman told CNN . There were about 46,000 British troops in and around Iraq at the peak of major combat operations in March and April 2003 , according to the Ministry of Defence . CNN 's Jonathan Wald in London and Youssif Basil in Baghdad , Iraq , contributed to this report . | Almost all British troops in Iraq are being pulled out . Agreement that allows them to be there expires on Friday . Only about dozen British troops will remain to help train Iraqi police . | [[209, 284], [285, 305], [372, 432], [2166, 2221], [9, 32], [70, 159], [433, 551]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Before the storm hit and the floodwaters took over , Kimberly Rivers Roberts pulled out her new video camera . Kimberly Rivers Roberts and her husband , Scott , sit outside their flood-damaged Ninth Ward home . The aspiring rapper and her husband , Scott , were among those trapped in the Ninth Ward in New Orleans , Louisiana , in late August 2005 as Hurricane Katrina raged toward them . The couple , who 've described themselves as street hustlers , compiled amateur footage that captured the horrors experienced in their community and among their neighbors . From the middle of rising waters in attics where people waited to the struggles to find help from and for others , they documented what outsiders could n't see . About 1,300 miles away , in Brooklyn , New York , documentary filmmakers Tia Lessin and Carl Deal sat glued to their televisions . `` After a few days of seeing people stranded on roofs , we had to do something , '' said Lessin , who with Deal had previously worked with Michael Moore . Watch Lessin and Deal talk about how the film was made '' So they set out , planning to do a film about New Orleans National Guardsmen . But when that was shut down -- '' ` Fahrenheit 9/11 ' screwed it up for all you guys , '' she remembered hearing -- they found what she called `` an unexpected gift '' in Kim and Scott , whom they met 10 days after the storm . The home video material , coupled with archival news footage and film verite capturing the couple 's journey , led to the documentary `` Trouble the Water , '' which won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival and is up for an Oscar at this year 's Academy Awards . Lessin and Deal , who both directed and produced this documentary that took two-and-a-half years to make , spoke to CNN about their Ninth Ward collaborators , their own experiences and the impact the film 's made . CNN : Tell me about meeting Kim and Scott . Did you know right away that you were on to something ? Tia Lessin : We were in a Red Cross shelter in central Louisiana -- that 's where we met the subjects , the hero -LSB- es -RSB- of our film . They 'd been on this five-day journey out of the city to higher ground . ... Everyone had a story to tell , but their story really rose to the top . Carl Deal : They called themselves `` street survivors . '' Kim said the most support and help they ever got from the government were the skills to survive on their own . They were used to not getting assistance . ... It 's a slap in the face for those of us who come from a more privileged place . ... And the home video , it enabled us to ground the film in this inside point of view . CNN : I ca n't imagine what it was like to work on this . What was this experience like for you ? Lessin : Originally the film was fueled by a sense of outrage . What it became , I guess , was something a little different . It 's really about hope and survival . We were inspired by Kim and Scott 's journey , and their commitment to do something different in their lives . The voices on 911 calls , we think about those people all the time , and there 's no way to know what happened to them . What keeps us up at night now is that people are still struggling . Levees are still vulnerable , there 's a lack of affordable housing , lack of jobs . Schools are a dismal failure . Tens of thousands of people ca n't return home . We hope in this new administration , things will happen . CNN : What did you hope this film would inspire in terms of emotion and action ? Deal : We want to challenge people , when they see it , to think about themselves and the impact they can have in the community and the world . People respond to this film in different ways . We screened at the Democratic National Convention in Denver . Mayor -LSB- Ray -RSB- Nagin -LSB- of New Orleans -RSB- came to the screening and walked out after a few minutes . Sen. -LSB- Mary -RSB- Landrieu , had a completely different response and tearfully embraced Kimberly . Lessin : We get hundreds of e-mails from strangers every day , about how they 're using the film in classrooms , in churches , on college campuses to organize trips -LSB- to volunteer -RSB- in New Orleans . They 're inspired to act . All of America , our hearts went out -LSB- after Katrina -RSB- . There 's still a real connection . People want to know what 's happening . They care deeply about the story and are appalled the Bush administration did so little and hope the Obama administration does better . CNN : How much do you think politics , and issues popular to the time , influence Oscar wins ? Lessin : I would hope that the best film wins . It 's an extraordinary pool of nominees . -LSB- That said , `` Trouble the Water '' -RSB- does resonate . It 's about people who beat the odds and survived . And that 's what we 're all trying to do . Kim and Scott showed us how to do it with grace and dignity . CNN : I imagine the film 's success has in many ways turned Kim and Scott 's lives upside down . How are they doing today ? Lessin : They 're rebuilding their community . They started a record label , Born Hustler Records . Kimberly is carnival royalty -LSB- at Mardi Gras -RSB- . They 're hometown heroes , as well they should be . They 're living where they weathered the storm , but they 're in a no-flood zone . iReport.com : Who do you think will win ? | Ninth Ward couple captures on video horrors of Hurricane Katrina and flood waters . The New Orleans footage is used in Oscar-nominated film , `` Trouble the Water '' Filmmakers Tia Lessin and Carl Deal hope to inspire action . Originally `` fueled by a sense of outrage , '' the story is about `` hope and survival '' | [[409, 429], [472, 581], [1625, 1676], [2778, 2832], [2895, 2933]] |
MEXICO CITY , Mexico -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In response to a spate of attacks allegedly by a drug cartel , Mexico more than tripled the number of federal police officers patrolling the state of Michoacan , a government spokeswoman said . Drug violence is up in Michoacan state , shown by recent attacks on police in at least a half-dozen cities . The government on Thursday dispatched 1,000 federal police officers to Michoacan state in southwest Mexico , increasing its presence to 1,300 total , Public Safety spokeswoman Veronica Penunuri told CNN . At least 18 federal agents and two soldiers have been killed since the weekend in Michoacan , the home state of President Felipe Calderon . The sudden spike in violence followed the arrest Saturday of Arnoldo Rueda Medina , whom authorities described as a high-ranking member of the drug cartel known as La Familia Michoacana . Cartel members first attacked the federal police station in Morelia to try to gain freedom for Rueda , authorities said . When that failed , drug gangs attacked federal police installations in at least a half-dozen Michoacan cities , according to authorities . The Michoacan cartel also is accused in the slaying of 12 federal police officers whose bodies were found Tuesday on a remote highway . Video from the scene showed three signs , known as narcomensajes , left by the killers . They all stated the same thing : `` So that you come for another . We will be waiting for you here . '' Since Calderon went after the drug cartels shortly after coming into office in 2006 , more than 10,000 people have died across Mexico , about 1,000 of them police . The state of Michoacan , on Mexico 's southwest Pacific coast , is not alone in the wave of violence sweeping the country . The border city of Ciudad Juarez set a record this weekend when its toll of drug-related deaths for the year topped 1,000 , a distinction the Mexican city did not reach last year until September . | Mexican government responding to a spate of deadly attacks in Michoacan . The number of federal police officers patrolling the state has more than tripled . Sudden spike in violence follows arrest Saturday of high-ranking drug cartel member . La Familia Michoacana accused in the slayings of 12 federal police officers . | [[103, 109], [120, 165], [142, 199], [343, 449], [234, 272], [688, 769], [827, 875], [1137, 1157], [1163, 1218], [1189, 1272]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A sailor accused of killing another sailor was found dead in his cell in a southern California military jail , officials said Friday . Seaman August Provost , shown on his MySpace page , was killed while on sentry duty at Camp Pendleton . Petty Officer Jonathan Campos was found dead in the brig at the Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in San Diego , a military statement said . The cause of death was self-inflicted asphyxiation , according to the statement . Campos had been charged with murder in the June 30 shooting death of Seaman August Provost . Provost was killed while he was standing guard as a sentry for the Assault Craft Unit 5 compound at Camp Pendleton , officials said . Authorities also said Provost 's body was set on fire at his guard post . Provost 's family believed that he was killed partly because of his sexual orientation . However , a spokesman for Camp Pendleton , where the shooting took place , said there was no indication early in the investigation that the killing was a hate crime . Along with the murder charge , Campos was facing charges of drug use , larceny , burglary , theft , arson and unlawful handling of a deceased individual . | Sailor charged in death of gay sailor found dead in brig , officials say . Officials believe Jonathan Campos asphyxiated himself . Seaman August Provost was shot , killed during sentry duty in June . | [[0, 15], [47, 127], [130, 153], [258, 334], [690, 706], [398, 448], [154, 175], [206, 257], [480, 572], [519, 572], [598, 658]] |
Los Angeles , CALIFORNIA -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Whitney Houston swept into the room in full diva mode -- hair , makeup and entourage . She looked the part . Whitney Houston has credited mentor Clive Davis , right , for her comeback after a seven-year absence . She smiled and cooed over mentor Clive Davis , calling him `` Big Papa '' and `` Daddy '' while the music mogul patted her arm like a proud parent . The pair was in a side room at the Beverly Hilton Hotel just before the Los Angeles , California , listening session for `` I Look to You , '' Houston 's first album in seven years , scheduled to be released Sept. 1 . `` I just took a break , which sometimes you have to , '' said Houston , 45 , looking elegant in diamonds and a black Prada dress . `` You have to know when to slow that train down and kind of just sit back and relax for a minute . '' Watch an interview with Whitney Houston '' This was definitely the old Whitney -- pre-troubled marriage to Bobby Brown and pre-comment to Diane Sawyer that `` crack is wack . '' Next door , several hundred industry folks , journalists and friends gathered in a ballroom surrounded by large screens emblazoned with the words , `` The Wait is Over . '' Jane Fonda , Halle Berry , Magic Johnson , Penny Marshall and Jackie Collins sat in the front while Barry Manilow , Brian McKnight and producer David Foster found seats in the back of the room . Davis , who has steered Houston 's career for more than 25 years , introduced each of the album tracks , mostly slick , upbeat , radio-friendly tunes penned by proven hit makers such as R. Kelly , Alicia Keys , Akon and Johnta Austin . Heads bobbed while the songs thumped over the loudspeakers , with applause and cheers erupting after each cut . To the amusement of those seated in the audience , even Davis shook his shoulders behind his podium and pumped his fist to the beat from time-to-time . A ballad on the new disc , `` I Did n't Know My Own Strength , '' alludes to Houston 's personal troubles in recent years . The song , written especially for Houston by Diane Warren , includes the lyrics : . I did n't know my own strength . And I crashed down and I tumbled . But I did not crumble . Houston deftly steered the focus away from herself , saying she identified with the lyrics because everyone has been through ups and downs in life . At the end of the session , Houston stepped from the wings to a standing ovation . `` I 'm humbled , '' she said , her hand on her heart . `` There 's so much love in the room . '' Then she joked , `` Jane Fonda 's at my listening party ? How cool am I ? '' AEG chairman and CEO Randy Phillips also was hanging around , no doubt ready to pounce on a chance to promote her next tour . `` I think it 's the biggest hit she 's had , '' Barry Manilow said . `` It was really , really good , '' Stevie Wonder said . `` God takes care of his children . '' | Whitney Houston held L.A. listening party for first album in seven years . Jane Fonda , Barry Manilow and Halle Berry were among the stars in attendance . The nine-track album contains songs written by R. Kelly , Alicia Keys and Akon . Stevie Wonder said the album was `` really , really good . '' | [[153, 200], [211, 256], [1534, 1640]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Search crews have recovered the bodies of the flight captain and a steward from the Air France flight that crashed off the coast of Brazil . A Brazilian diver floats on wreckage of Flight 447 earlier this month . The search for more debris continues . The two flight members are among the victims that have been identified , Air France said in a statement Thursday . About a dozen victims have been identified among roughly 50 bodies recovered from the crash of Flight 447 , which killed 228 people on June 1 , authorities in Brazil said this week . Crews continue to search for bodies , wreckage and flight-data recorders that apparently rest deep on the ocean floor . Data from the recorders may be crucial in helping investigators determine what caused the plane to crash . Watch more wreckage recovered from crash '' Autopsies conducted on some of the 50 bodies found so far show they suffered broken bones , including arms , legs and hips , Brazilian authorities have told French investigators , according to Paul-Louis Arslanian , head of the French accident investigation board . Such injuries suggest that the plane broke apart in midair , experts have said . Asked about that theory , Air France Chief Executive Pierre-Henri Gourgeon told France 's RTL radio this week that he would not go that far . `` What I know is that the investigators would like to know the causes of death , '' Gourgeon said . `` That knowledge of causes of death will better clarify what exactly happened . Were the victims killed before the impact , or during impact ? '' Searchers have found dozens of pieces of debris in the water and think they know the general location of the wreck , but Arslanian said this week that there is a chance the entire aircraft may never be found . Air France plans to pay relatives of the victims an initial compensation equivalent to about $ 24,500 , or 17,500 euros , for each victim , Gourgeon has said . The airliner said this week that it has been in touch with about 1,800 relatives of the people who died when the Airbus A330 crashed , but that it has been difficult tracing the relatives of all 228 victims . `` The modern world is different and we often have only a cell phone , and as you can imagine , this cell phone is unfortunately in the aircraft , '' Gourgeon said . `` So we probably -LRB- will put in -RRB- more hours to access all the relatives . '' The company is also providing families with counseling , he said . The were 32 different nationalities present on Flight 447 . | Search crews recover bodies of flight captain and steward from crash . All 228 people onboard flight 447 from Brazil to France were killed . None of names of bodies recovered have been released at request of families . | [[0, 15], [19, 120], [481, 491], [500, 527]] |
DUBAI , United Arab Emirates -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Inspired by images of Iranians taking to the streets to support the opposition presidential candidate , Michelle May decided to head to Tehran . Michelle May , an American and Irish national , was detained and forced to leave Iran . `` I just felt a real need to be there with my friends , and I just wanted to be a part of what could possibly be history , '' May told CNN 's `` American Morning '' on Wednesday . `` So I made arrangements at the last minute . '' May , who is an American and Irish national , used her Irish passport to travel to Tehran just days before the street demonstrations turned violent as Iranian authorities cracked down on those protesting the results of the June 12 election . `` I had been there two times before , and I feel very connected to the country and the people there , '' she said . `` I have a lot of friends . '' Her third visit took a terrifying turn Saturday shortly after she checked for the latest news at an Internet cafe in Tehran . `` This young man befriended me . I was trying to download CNN to find out -- this was the day after the ayatollah gave his prayer on Friday , '' May said . Afterward , the man helped her hail a taxi outside the cafe to meet one of her friends for lunch , she said . `` About half an hour into that ride , the next thing I know , there are two motorbikes on either side of my taxi , '' she said . `` He 's on the back of one of them , and three big Basij guys are on the other , and they pull me over . I knew what was happening . '' The Basij , Iran 's feared volunteer paramilitary group , has cracked down on the thousands of protesters in the bloody aftermath of the Islamic republic 's disputed presidential election . `` I was terrified , and I immediately started screaming , saying no , no , no , '' May said . The young man climbed into the taxi and told her to go with him and the three other men . `` So I stood up to get out of the taxi , but then I thought I 'll make a scene on the street , maybe they 'll leave me alone , '' she said . `` However , that did n't work . I think because everyone 's just terrified of the Basij right now . '' She was forced into a car and held for more than an hour . Her captors accused her of spying , and after much back-and-forth they drove by a police station where about 50 Iranian police were hanging out . `` I actually trust the police there so I banged on the window , and the guy next to me , the one who spoke English , said , ` OK , we 'll stop . ' `` They brought me into the police station where I was questioned there . And I had a pretty good idea at that time that everything was going to be OK because they really had nothing on me , '' May said . `` I 'm not a terrorist ; I 'm not a spy . So they really had nothing to go on . '' She was told to leave the country , and she headed for Dubai where she spoke to CNN . May said she admires the bravery of the Iranians protesting in Tehran . `` I do n't even know how they 're doing it , because honestly everyone I know there is just scared , '' she said . `` They know that they 're risking their lives , but they are so fed up that they 're willing to do that . '' | Michelle May , an American and Irish national , had been to Iran before . Basij picked up May after she looked at news at an Internet cafe . May : ' I immediately started screaming , saying no , no , no ' | [[512, 515], [522, 555], [903, 1028], [965, 1028], [1778, 1809], [1819, 1821], [1778, 1779], [1812, 1831]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Michael Jackson 's sudden death has thrown the peculiar path of his later life back into the spotlight . Michael Jackson spent 11 months living in Bahrain after his acquittal on child abuse charges in the U.S. . He spent much of the past four years flitting from one part of the globe to another , failing to put down permanent roots . However , one of his longest spells in one place was spent in Bahrain . When his life was falling apart at the seams in 2005 he was offered sanctuary in the Persian Gulf kingdom . He had been just been acquitted of 10 child abuse charges at the end of a 14-week trial in the U.S. , but there appeared to be no respite from the bad publicity and his spiraling debts which had forced the sale of his Neverland ranch . He suffered health problems during the trial and appeared increasingly frail . Jackson , who died owing an estimated $ 500 million , had been living beyond his means for years and wanted to flee the spotlight . He had not been seen in the two weeks after the trial before reports emerged from Bahrain that he and his children had landed there on a private jet as the guests of Sheikh Abdulla Bin Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa , the king 's son , and a friend of Jackson 's brother , Jermaine . It was claimed at the time that Jackson had a large fan base in the kingdom and wider Gulf region . Watch why Jackson is `` as big as it gets '' '' Indeed Bahrain , a chain of around 30 islands with a population of 766,000 and relaxed social social environment , appeared the perfect escape -- for 11 months anyway . It was made even more enticing by Sheikh Abdulla 's generosity . In 2008 he sued Jackson in a Britain 's High Court for # 4.7 million -LRB- $ 7.7 million -RRB- , claiming the pop star had reneged on a music contract . Sheikh Abdulla said he had paid all of Jackson 's living , travel and other expenses until his departure from Bahrain in May 2006 , and advanced funds to retain legal and financial advisers . Watch Jesse Jackson share memories '' Sheikh Abdulla also built a recording studio , which he believed would be used to record albums using material he had helped to write . However , he claimed the singer pulled out of the deal in May 2006 after 11 months . iReport.com : Your Michael Jackson tributes . Jackson claimed the payments were gifts . In November last year the High Court in London was told the dispute had ended with an `` amicable settlement , '' the details of which remain confidential . | Jackson was offered sanctuary in Bahrain by king 's son in 2005 . He spent 11 months in the Persian Gulf kingdom . Sheikh Abdulla Bin Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa later sued Jackson . | [[427, 534], [124, 230], [146, 230], [1408, 1422], [1523, 1567]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Tour de France winner Alberto Contador has launched a stinging attack on Astana teammate Lance Armstrong after returning as a hero to his native town of Pinto near Madrid . Lance Armstrong -LRB- right -RRB- looks on after Alberto Contador is handed the Tour de France trophy in Paris . Contador told a news conference that relations between the two riders were tense throughout the race , making the atmosphere very difficult for the team as a whole . Although not giving specific reasons why , Contador admitted the situation has affected his relationship with the American . `` My relationship with Lance Armstrong is non-existent . Even if he is a great champion , I have never had admiration for him and I never will , '' the 26-year-old Spaniard admitted . `` It was a delicate situation , very tense , the two riders who had most weight on the team did not have an easy relationship and that puts the rest of the technical staff and the riders in an uncomfortable position , '' he added . The Spaniard , who also won the Tour in 2007 , compared the situation with that of Formula One drivers Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton at McLaren when they were colleagues . `` That situation in some way illustrated what I have experienced . But I knew that if we kept a cool head everything would be OK , '' he added . With Armstrong and Astana team chief Johan Bruyneel both leaving the team at the end of the season , Contador 's future also remains unclear . `` We will have to see what happens . I do not know where I 'll go , but I am clear that it will be a team that is 100 per cent behind me . '' Contador eventually finished the race over four minutes clear of Luxembourg 's Andy Schleck , with American Armstrong -- who was riding in his first Tour since completing the last of his seven wins in 2005 -- a remarkable third . It was Contador 's fourth successive grand tour victory , after he also won last year 's Giro d'Italia and Vuelta Espana following the Tour organizers ' decision not to invite the Astana team to the race . | Alberto Contador launches an attack on Astana teammate Lance Armstrong . Tour de France winner admits he will never have admiration for the American . Contador beat Andy Schleck by over four minutes to gain his second Tour win . | [[0, 15], [41, 191], [687, 722], [1623, 1714]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Wednesday that laboratory tests on popular smoking devices known as electronic cigarettes have found they contain carcinogens and other toxic chemicals dangerous to humans . E-cigarettes are battery-operated and contain cartridges filled with nicotine and other chemicals . Known as `` e-cigarettes , '' the devices are battery-operated and contain cartridges filled with nicotine and other chemicals , spiced with flavors such as chocolate , cola or bubble gum . While manufacturers tout e-cigarettes as a `` healthy way '' to smoke , federal health officials say the devices turn nicotine , which is highly addictive , and other chemicals into a vapor that is inhaled by the user . `` The FDA is concerned about the safety of these products and how they are marketed to the public , '' said Dr. Margaret A. Hamburg , commissioner of the FDA . CNN contacted Florida-based Smoking Everywhere , one of the largest manufacturers of e-cigarettes , after the FDA announcement , and a spokeswoman said the company had no comment . Because e-cigarettes have not been submitted to the FDA for evaluation or approval , the agency had no way of knowing the levels of nicotine or the amounts or kinds of other chemicals that the various brands of these products deliver to the user . That is why the FDA began to test them . The FDA 's Division of Pharmaceutical Analysis analyzed the ingredients in a small sample of cartridges from two leading brands of e-cigarettes . In releasing its information , the FDA did not identify the two companies , but said in one sample , diethylene glycol -- a chemical used in antifreeze that is toxic to humans -- was detected . Other samples detected carcinogens that are dangerous to those who smoke them , the FDA said . The FDA has been examining and seizing shipments of non-U.S.-made e-cigarettes at the U.S. border since summer 2008 . To date , 50 shipments have been stopped . The products examined thus far meet the definition of a combination drug-device product under the Federal Food , Drug , and Cosmetic Act . `` We know very little about these devices , said Dr. Jonathan Samet , director of the Institute for Global Health at the University of Southern California , `` but to say they are healthy -- that 's highly doubtful . '' Samet and other health experts attended the FDA announcement on its findings . Dr. Jonathan Winickoff , chairman of the American Academy of Pediatrics Tobacco Consortium , said parents need to be aware of e-cigarettes . `` It is very important that parents let their children know these are not safe and to make recommendations , or even enforce rules that they not be used , '' he said . `` Children who use these products may also be using other tobacco products , '' said Dr. Matthew McKenna , director of the Office of Smoking and Health , Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . `` It 's a good idea to make sure the child is aware of the dangers of tobacco in products in general . '' The FDA has been challenged regarding its jurisdiction over certain e-cigarettes in a case pending in federal court . The FDA suggested health care professionals and consumers report serious side effects or product quality problems with the use of e-cigarettes to the FDA 's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting Program either online , by regular mail , fax or phone . CNN 's Valerie Willingham contributed to this report . | FDA lab tests on e-cigarettes find carcinogens and other toxic chemicals . E-cigarettes are battery operated , contain cartridges filled with nicotine , chemicals . They turn nicotine , chemicals into a vapor that is inhaled by the user . Product had not been submitted to the FDA for evaluation or approval . | [[0, 136], [143, 251], [1733, 1795], [143, 251], [252, 308], [298, 351], [379, 437], [427, 478], [719, 731], [737, 761], [1104, 1186]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The National Transportation Safety Board on Tuesday will launch three days of hearings into the circumstances surrounding the US Airways Flight 1549 emergency landing on New York 's Hudson River . In January , passengers of US Airways Flight 1549 had to be rescued out of the Hudson River after a bird strike . Looking into several issues from the January 15 incident -- from migratory birds to why a rear door opened after the landing -- the NTSB panel will hear testimony from key witnesses , including Capt. Chesley `` Sully '' Sullenberger , the pilot ; and Billy Campbell , the only passenger scheduled to testify . On Monday , the NTSB corrected remarks made by board member Robert Sumwalt , who was quoted by The Associated Press as saying Campbell was being called to contradict statements made by flight attendant Doreen Welsh , who has said a panicked passenger opened the rear door . The NTSB said Sumwalt , who will lead the three days of hearings , was mistaken and that Campbell 's written statement does not suggest Welsh opened the rear door . NTSB spokesman Peter Knudson said the board asked Campbell to testify because he had the most detailed statement of those people in the cabin at the time of the crash . `` Safety Board investigators interviewed 145 passengers , each of whom provided their own perspective on what happened , '' the NTSB said Monday night . `` Some of the passenger reports conflicted with the accounts of other passengers , including accounts of how the rear door was opened . '' `` What was consistently reported by those inside the plane was that the water entered the aft section of the cabin immediately while everyone was still seated , '' the statement said , adding that the NTSB will focus on how the water gushing `` affected the ability of the passengers and the crew to evacuate the aircraft since two of the four slide-rafts were in the rear of the plane , on each of the rear doors , and they could not be used . '' Sullenberger was the pilot in command during the flight , which lost power in both engines after hitting a flock of Canada geese . Bird detection , and standards for engines to handle bird strikes , are among subjects to be covered in the hearing . Other topics include pilot training for ditching and forced landings on water , and cabin-safety training , emergency procedures and equipment . CNN 's Mike Ahlers contributed to this report . | Hearing will cover several topics , including why rear door opened after landing . US Airways Flight 1549 landed in the Hudson River on January 15 . Plane lost power in both engines after hitting a flock of Canada geese . | [[330, 386], [418, 454], [2200, 2239], [111, 215], [216, 226], [229, 329], [2036, 2046], [2055, 2121]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Phillip Garrido had a story to tell -- about how God helped him overcome the evil inside him . Phillip Garrido , a registered sex offender , was arraigned in California on Friday . The campus at the University of California at Berkeley was his pulpit , and he hoped his neighbors and customers of his printing business would become his flock . He wanted to share his story with anyone who would listen , including law enforcement . Just days before he was arrested and an 18-year-old kidnap mystery was solved , Garrido walked into an FBI office in San Francisco , California , with a stack of documents . The purported writings were a two-part manifesto . First he discussed the `` Origin of schizophrenia revealed . '' Some who know him say Garrido spoke of having schizophrenia and attention deficit disorder . In the second part of the documents , Garrido detailed his struggle with sexual urges , in writings he titled `` Stepping into the light . '' In the documents , obtained by CNN , Garrido confessed his past aggressive sexual impulses , but said he is no longer that man . Listen to Garrido speak of `` heartwarming '' story '' Garrido and his wife were charged last week with crimes relating to the abduction of 11-year-old Jaycee Lee Dugard in 1991 and her captivity in a hidden shed-and-tent compound in the couple 's backyard in Antioch , California . They pleaded not guilty to charges of rape , kidnapping and false imprisonment . See photos of Dugard 's living conditions '' After his arrest , Garrido said documents he gave to the FBI would be key , that they would help people understand who he really was . He told a local television reporter the documents would show a `` heartwarming story , '' one that helped him `` completely '' turn his life around . KCRA : Read transcript of Garrido 's interview after his arrest . The documents provide a glimpse into the mind of a man who said he thinks he has a God-given gift . The power to control minds with sound was his salvation , he said , and would help others before they committed violence . He wrote that he wanted to share his story to provide `` solid hope for everyone who suffers from the many forms of aggressive sexual behavior as well as other problematic behaviors . '' Garrido spoke of his sexual urges during his trial in 1977 , when he was convicted of abducting and raping a 25-year-old casino worker in a mini-warehouse . He spent 11 years in jail for those crimes . He testified about his sexual fantasies , which included masturbating while reading magazines , watching movies , and in restaurants or bathrooms . In his writings , he detailed how hard it was for him to control himself . Garrido wrote that he realized he could n't control his impulses and they were plaguing the ones he loved . `` Certain behaviors cause a great deal of pain in myself and those who are victimized by those behaviors , especially our family and my wife , '' he wrote . That pain made him try to change from the predator he had become , he wrote . He said he began forcing himself to look at attractive women , but would not allow himself to act . `` See how beautiful she is to look at , '' he would tell himself . In time , Garrido wrote , he began to stop physically acting on his feelings . As time went on , Garrido wrote , he kept those sexual compulsions at bay , beginning with controlling masturbation , which he said in the past had often taken place in public . He wrote that he became free and able to experience sexual enjoyment for the first time with his wife , though it was unclear whether he was referring to Nancy , his legal wife , or to Dugard , the mother of two of his children . He claimed he realized how wrong he had been in the past . `` I realized I never needed to act or do the things I used to believe was so great and stimulating , '' Garrido wrote , referring to what he called `` one of the most powerful freedoms imaginable . '' `` I began to weep telling her ' I am so sorry for the things I did in the past , ' '' Garrido wrote about his wife , adding that he experienced a feeling of remorse he never had before . That feeling of salvation was something Garrido believed was a gift . He said he thought it meant it was up to him to help other sexual predators turn their lives around . `` It will begin to open a new pathway for us all . God willing , I will be teaching this and other skills Christ is providing for me in the prisons throughout the U.S. as well as overseas , '' he wrote . | Suspect Phillip Garrido gave FBI documents just days before he was arrested . Suspect says in documents he used mind control to stop predatory impulses . Garrido in document : `` I realized I never needed to act or do the things I used to '' Garrido , wife Nancy , arrested for kidnapping girl in 1991 , keeping her in shed . | [[451, 517], [531, 581], [3290, 3297], [3324, 3363], [3760, 3809], [1159, 1214], [1208, 1281], [2340, 2430]] |
ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A north Georgia pastor was shot to death by police when he struck an officer with his car after he was seen in a vehicle with a drug suspect , authorities told CNN . Authorities say they found nothing illegal in Jonathan Ayers ' car after he was slain during a drug sting . Jonathan Ayers , pastor at Shoal Creek Baptist Church in Lavonia , Georgia , died after the incident Tuesday afternoon in the nearby town of Toccoa , Georgia , police said . The Georgia Bureau of Investigation -LRB- GBI -RRB- is looking into the shooting . An undercover drug task force team had set up an operation at a local business , and had a woman under surveillance -- someone they had bought drugs from on two previous occasions , GBI spokesman John Bankhead told CNN Thursday . The officers saw the woman in a car with Ayers and saw what they believed was a drug transaction , Bankhead said . They followed the car as Ayers dropped the woman off at a gas station . The undercover officers wanted to question Ayers about what they had just seen , he said . `` They approached the vehicle . They were in plain clothes . They identified themselves as police officers , which civilian witnesses say happened . They also had badges around their necks . '' Ayers put the car in reverse and backed up , striking an officer , Bankhead said . According to Bankhead , Ayers then put the car into drive , and another officer fired into the car , hitting Ayers , because he thought his life was in danger . `` The subject kept going and drove off , '' Bankhead said . `` And later he ran off the road . He was taken a local hospital , went into surgery and died an hour later . '' The incident was caught on the gas station 's surveillance camera . Watch surveillance video of Ayers ' car hitting officer '' Police later determined what they had seen was not a drug transaction , but `` other circumstances were involved , and that 's part of the investigation , '' Bankhead said . The woman who was in the car with Ayers was taken into custody and faces drug charges , Bankhead said . Stephens County sheriff Randy Shirley has placed both officers involved in the incident on paid administrative leave , he said . The officer that was struck by the car was treated and released at a local hospital . No drugs and nothing else illegal was found in Ayers ' car , Bankhead said , `` even though what occurred would make any undercover officer working drugs think that was a possibility . I ca n't get into that , but that 's what we 're looking at . '' Shirley told CNN the drug task force unit comprises three Georgia counties -- Stephens , Habersham and Rabun . Ayers ' sister did not return a call from CNN Thursday . Ayers maintained a blog , in which he wrote that he had three loves in life : `` Jesus Christ , my wife Abby , and the Church . '' Toccoa is about 95 miles northeast of Atlanta . CNN 's Carolina Sanchez contributed to this report . | Authorities say Jonathan Ayers was in car with drug suspect . When police approached car , they claim Ayers struck officer with vehicle . Another officer shot Ayers ; both officers placed on paid administrative leave . Nothing illegal found in Ayers ' vehicle , authorities say . | [[127, 177], [1990, 2075], [10, 33], [45, 126], [93, 135], [1079, 1108], [1271, 1276], [1316, 1335], [1785, 1790], [1797, 1815], [2094, 2210], [203, 275], [219, 310], [2309, 2367]] |
WESTERPLATTE , Poland -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- On a sand swept stretch of Afghanistan , a high-ranking Polish general put his country 's mission there into perspective . The repurcussions of World War II lasted decades for Poland . He explained to a NATO delegation that Polish troops remind Afghan locals of two things about the mission : They are not Soviets and they know how difficult it is to live under foreign occupation . It is hard to ignore the incomparable price Poland paid during World War II . It was attacked by Germany , invaded by the Soviets , and became home to the notorious Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz . After six brutal years , Poles were the victors in war but losers in peace , living for four decades under Soviet repression . Many here will tell you they still have not come to terms with their fate after the war . Seven decades after the start of World War II , the conflict still defines Polish identity and history . September 1 , 2009 in Westerplatte , Poland turned out to be a blue sky day even as dignitaries and notably the leaders of Poland , Russia and Germany turned out to remember the dark horrors that so changed their histories . The leaders laid wreaths to honor the ` Defenders of Westerplatte ' , the men who died in the battle that started it all . It was here at this strategic port on the Baltic Sea , Danzig , now Gdansk , that Nazi Germany 's surprise attack on Poland triggered six years of bloodletting , a savage Holocaust and the death of more than 50 million people . The Polish Prime Minister , Donald Tusk , called it a war against humanity itself . Tusk also answered critics who felt his country and the world should now move on from World War II . He warned that if anniversaries are not marked and ceremonies not planned , there may be nothing to shield us from the brutality of future wars . But still today the events of the last 70 years have left their mark and fueled some modern day controversies . Send us your war stories . Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin tried to appeal directly to the people of Poland in an open letter . He reminded them that at least 27 million Russians died in the conflict but also warned against equating the Soviet Union 's role in World War II with the menace of Hitler 's Nazism . '' . . exploiting memory , anatomizing history and seeking pretexts for mutual complaints and resentment causes a lot of harm . '' wrote Putin . He backed that up with public comments saying , `` If we talk about an objective assessment of history , we should understand that it had no one color . It was varied and there were huge number of mistakes committed by many sides . All these actions , in one way or another , created conditions for the beginning of a large-scale aggression by Nazi Germany . '' Putin was at the heart of a tug-of-war over the war . Some Poles say Stalin was as evil and complicit as Hitler during the war . Russians say that callously overlooks the sacrifice of Russians in defeating Nazism and liberating Europe . In fact , it took German Chancellor Angela Merkel to put their achievement in perspective . She said that a unified , peaceful Europe was a blessing and indeed a miracle . | Poland helped win the war but lost the peace . It was invaded by Germany but put under Soviet influence after the war . 70 years from the start of WWII , the war still defines Polish identity and history . Polish military says its history helps its work in Afghanistan . | [[625, 647], [650, 699], [502, 528], [164, 225], [842, 887], [890, 946], [1858, 1922]] |
GDANSK , Poland -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- At least 20 world leaders gathered Tuesday in Poland to commemorate the start of World War II 70 years ago -- a conflict in which 6 million Poles died . Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin -LRB- right -RRB- chats with his Polish counterpart Donald Tusk in Poland on Tuesday . Germany 's pre-dawn invasion began when the battleship Schleswig-Holstein fired on the Westerplatte military base in Gdansk harbor on September 1 , 1939 . The attack set off a chain of events that eventually embroiled all of the world 's major powers in the war . Polish World War II veteran Romuald Bardzynski , said : `` I was a soldier on the front , a corporal in the cavalry . On September 16 I was injured . We were fighting against the Germans but I was shot by the Soviets . I was wounded three times . `` But the worst thing for me is the land in eastern Poland which was occupied by the Soviets ... and to this day we can not come to terms with it . `` The Russians took half of Poland , and after the Polish fighting on all the world war fronts it turns out that after the war Poland was 77 sq km smaller ! This was a great loss for us . '' Eugeniusz Cydzik , another Polish veteran , added : `` We have to talk about what happened ... to make sure it does n't happen again . `` The young generations , like the boy scouts for example , are continuing the memory of those who perished . We take them to the sites of the battles . We even found munitions from the 1914 -LSB- war -RSB- . '' WWII lasted until September 2 , 1945 when Germany 's ally Japan signed an unconditional surrender . Leaders from many of the warring nations were in Gdansk on Tuesday for a wreath-laying ceremony at the Cemetery of Defenders at Westerplatte , with commemoration speeches to take place in front of the Westerplatte memorial . Among those attending were German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin -- leaders of the two nations that once held power over Poland . Merkel said on Tuesday that her country unleashed `` endless suffering '' by starting the war , but also recalled the fate of ethnic Germans expelled at the end of the conflict . Watch as Poland marks start of WWII '' `` Germany attacked Poland , Germany started World War II . We caused unending suffering in the world . Sixty million dead ... was the result , '' Merkel said on German television , according to Agence-France Presse . Send us your World War II stories . `` But the expulsion of well over 12 million people from areas of the former Germany and present-day Poland is of course an injustice . This must also be recognized , '' she said . Poland first came under German influence at the start of the war , but was later dominated for about 40 years by the Russian-led Soviet Union as the Cold War between East and West settled in after World War II . A dwindling group of veterans , now in their 80s and 90s , was also due to attend . Later on Tuesday , many of the world 's leading classical musicians , playing together as the World Orchestra for Peace , performed a concert in Krakow to mark the 70th anniversary . Watch highlights of the performance '' | About 20 world leaders gathered in Poland to mark the start of World War II . Attack set off chain of events that embroiled all of the world 's major powers . German Chancellor Angela Merkel , Russian PM Vladimir Putin at event . Merkel says her country unleashed `` endless suffering '' by starting war . | [[9, 15], [44, 141], [1613, 1679], [2183, 2221], [2192, 2221], [468, 504], [498, 504], [510, 576], [1838, 1938], [2004, 2144], [2251, 2281], [2282, 2325]] |
LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A California woman who turned up alive 18 years after being kidnapped at age 11 is reconnecting with her family after nearly two decades apart , her aunt said Thursday . Tina Dugard speaks to the media Thursday about how her niece Jaycee is reconnecting with her family . Police said Thursday that the man charged with abducting and raping Jaycee Lee Dugard had been accused of raping a 14-year-old in 1972 , but those charges were dropped for unknown reasons . `` I think there 's a good chance of that , yes , '' Antioch Police Lt. Leonard Orman said when asked whether he believed that other victims would be found . Dugard is spending time in `` a secluded place , reconnecting '' with her mother and younger sister , said Jaycee 's aunt , Tina Dugard , who spent time with them . The two children born to her during her captivity are `` clever , articulate , curious girls , '' she said . `` This is a joyful time for my family , '' she said . `` Jaycee remembers all of us . '' Jaycee Lee Dugard was kidnapped in 1991 from a bus stop near her home in South Lake Tahoe , California , and discovered last week . Authorities say a couple kidnapped her and raised her in a compound of tents and outbuildings in the backyard of their Antioch , California , home for 18 years . Nancy and Phillip Garrido have been charged with a total of 29 felonies , including the rape and kidnapping of Dugard , who police say gave birth to two daughters fathered by Garrido during her captivity . The Garridos have pleaded not guilty . Philip Garrido is a registered sex offender . Tina Dugard appeared in Los Angeles on Thursday to read a statement on behalf of her family . Watch Jaycee 's aunt speak to the media '' `` Jaycee is a remarkable young woman who has raised two beautiful daughters , '' she said . `` They are clever , articulate , curious girls who have a bright future ahead of them . '' The girls are 11 and 15 . `` Although they have no formal education , they are certainly educated , '' she said . `` Jaycee did a truly amazing job with the limited resources and education that she herself had , and we are so proud of her . '' Tina Dugard said Jaycee 's mother 's smile is `` as wide as the sea . '' `` Her oldest daughter is finally home , '' she said . Dugard , now 29 , is enjoying catching up on the years missed with her family , Tina Dugard said . `` She is especially enjoying getting to know her little sister , who was just a baby when Jaycee was taken , '' she said . `` Not only have we laughed and cried together , but we 've spent time sitting quietly , taking pleasure in each other 's company . '' The Dugard family statement thanked the law enforcement and social agencies involved in reconnecting them . `` Their support and professionalism have been invaluable , '' it said . A trust fund has been established for donations to help Dugard , the aunt said . `` It has come to my family 's attention that there may be unauthorized solicitation of funds to support Jaycee and the family , '' she said . The family released three photos of a young Dugard . One was taken at her grandmother 's home when she was 3 . A second showed her dressed as a punk rocker the Halloween before her abduction . Tina Dugard said she snapped the third photo at the 1991 Rose Bowl Parade when she asked her niece to `` make a face for me , and she did . '' | NEW : Police say suspect accused of raping 14-year-old in 1972 . Jaycee Dugard `` reconnecting '' with family , her aunt says . Dugard has raised two `` clever , articulate , curious '' daughters . Trust fund has been established for Jaycee Dugard . | [[316, 450], [0, 11], [124, 186], [189, 213], [214, 315], [265, 315], [664, 670], [713, 763], [713, 763], [766, 785], [771, 785], [806, 828], [2911, 2926], [829, 921], [1433, 1439], [1457, 1484], [1750, 1826], [1843, 1890], [2846, 2908]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- North Korea 's state-run news agency said Thursday that the country has sent a letter to the United Nations announcing that `` reprocessing of spent fuel rods is at its final phase and extracted plutonium is being weaponized . '' The Yongbyon nuclear facility , home of North Korea 's nuclear program . North Korea can also now enter the final stage of uranium enrichment , it said in the letter to the president of the U.N. Security Council , according to state-run KCNA . When enriched to a high degree , uranium can be used as weapons-grade material . Plutonium can be used in atomic bombs . Despite stating in the letter that they `` totally reject '' a Security Council resolution in June that demanded that the country no longer pursue nuclear weapons , the North Koreans said they are `` prepared for both dialogue and sanctions , '' KCNA reported . The government also warned , `` If some permanent members of the UNSC wish to put sanctions first before dialogue , we would respond with bolstering our nuclear deterrence first before we meet them in a dialogue , '' according to KCNA . The news comes on the heels of the Obama administration 's latest attempt to restart stalled nuclear negotiations with the reclusive state . In the coming days , U.S. envoy Stephen Bosworth and the director of the State Department 's Office of Korean Affairs , Sung Kim , will meet with officials representing China , Japan , South Korea and Russia -- all countries partnering with the United States in talks aimed at ending North Korea 's nuclear program . North Korea quit the talks in April after the U.N. Security Council censured Pyongyang for a long-range rocket test that month . In the letter Thursday , Pyongyang stated that it `` never objected to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and of the world itself . What we objected to is the structure of the six way talks which had been used to violate outrageously the DPRK 's sovereignty and its right to peaceful development . '' Tensions had eased somewhat in recent weeks on the Korean peninsula , giving hope to the resumption of nuclear talks with the North . In August , North and South Korea agreed to resume cross-border tourism , ease border controls and facilitate cross-border family reunions , signaling a warming in relations that had been tense for most of the year . Cross-border traffic between North and South Korea returned to normal Tuesday , after eight months of restrictions by the North . Recent meetings between Korean officials are in stark contrast to the tense public statements the nations made about each other earlier this year . Tensions between the two were heightened in July when North Korea launched seven short-range missiles toward the Sea of Japan . The launches came after North Korea conducted a nuclear test on May 25 and threatened the United States and South Korean ships near its territorial waters . The two Koreas have officially remained in conflict since the conclusion of the Korean War in 1953 , which ended in a truce , but no formal peace treaty was signed . | North 's media reports N. Korea reprocessing of spent fuel rods in final phase . When enriched to a high degree , uranium can be used as weapons-grade material . State-run news agency reports country had informed the United Nations by letter . Letter says N. Korea rejects U.N. demand it stop pursuing nuclear weapons . | [[393, 395], [463, 492], [493, 523], [493, 573], [34, 39], [40, 55], [0, 15], [56, 126], [393, 395], [463, 492], [0, 15], [56, 126], [708, 712], [718, 776]] |
KABUL , Afghanistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A NATO airstrike on a pair of hijacked fuel trucks early Friday in northern Afghanistan killed at least 90 people -- a mix of Taliban militants and civilians , NATO and provincial officials said . A victim of an ISAF airstrike on a hijacked oil tanker is carried into the Kunduz hospital on Friday . Capt. Elizabeth Mathias of NATO 's International Security Assistance Force , also known as ISAF , said the military believed there were no civilians near the trucks at the time of the attack . NATO learned afterward that was not the case . `` Based on what we know , there were civilians there , '' Mathias said . Local Afghan officials were quoted as saying in some news reports that nearly half the people killed in the airstrike were civilians who rushed the fuel trucks . Mathias declined to confirm those numbers . Investigators are trying to determine who was at the site and whether a mistake was made , Mathias said . She said a local NATO team is already in Kunduz province conducting an investigation with Afghan forces and another team from the central office is on its way . Watch more about the airstrikes '' `` Because of the prevalence of reports of civilian casualties , we do n't want to be seen as ignoring the situation , '' Mathias said . `` We do n't want to wait . If something happened , we want to apologize . '' Gen. Stanley McChrystal , the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan , is following the investigation , his public affairs officer , Lt. Col. Tadd Sholtis , said in an e-mail . `` He takes the possible loss of any innocent life seriously , and while he will not rush to judgment on the facts , he is following the investigation very closely , '' Sholtis said . Brigadier General Eric Tremblay released a statement that said , `` ISAF will do whatever is necessary to help the community , including medical assistance and evacuation as requested . ISAF regrets any unnecessary loss of human life , and is deeply concerned for the suffering that this action may have caused to our Afghan friends . '' See images of the strike aftermath '' Afghan President Hamid Karzai said he was `` deeply saddened '' by the deaths and reiterated that no civilians should be killed or injured in anti-terrorist military operations . Sholtis said McChrystal `` has been in touch with President Karzai and leadership of the major ministries on the incident . '' Karzai 's office issued a statement saying he had ordered a delegation to the area to investigate the incident and report back to him as soon as possible . The delegation includes representatives of the Ministry of Interior Affairs , National Directorate of Security , and the Provincial Administrative Department , according to the statement . A spokesman for the provincial governor , Mahboobullah Sayeedi , said more than 90 people were killed . The fuel trucks were hijacked late Thursday in Kunduz province and were spotted several hours later on the banks of the Kunduz River , ISAF said . The hijacked vehicles became stuck in the Chardara area of the Ali Abaad district while trying to cross the river , according to Sayeedi . Militants had commandeered the trucks , which were carrying fuel for NATO forces , he said . People tried to empty fuel from the tankers when they could n't go any farther . With the trucks stuck on the riverbank , the German commander of the NATO forces called in the airstrike around 2:30 a.m. , the German military said . No German soldiers or planes were involved in the airstrike , but a German patrol made it to the site about 10 hours after the attack and came under small-arms fire , the German military said . The patrol continued its investigation Friday afternoon . CNN 's Chris Lawrence , Ingrid Formanek and Wahid Mayar contributed to this report . | NEW : Top U.S. commander in country is following the investigation , an aide says . Death toll from NATO airstrike on oil tankers in northern part of country exceeds 90 . Local Afghan officials quoted as saying many civilians were killed in the attack . Target of attack was two fuel trucks that had been hijacked by militants . | [[1376, 1399], [1442, 1472], [1665, 1711], [8, 35], [106, 152], [2759, 2798], [2824, 2862], [580, 632], [653, 770], [2759, 2798], [2824, 2862], [2863, 2925], [3149, 3229]] |
CABO SAN LUCAS , Mexico -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Hurricane Jimena weakened to a Category 3 storm Tuesday afternoon , but remained dangerous as it bore down on the Mexican peninsula of Baja California , with the resort town of Cabo San Lucas in its path . Jimena bears down Tuesday evening on Baja California , with the resort town of Cabo San Lucas in its path . Meanwhile , Tropical Storm Erika formed in the Atlantic on Tuesday , east of the northern Leeward Islands , the National Hurricane Center said . Jimena 's maximum wind speed dropped from 125 mph to 120 mph -LRB- 195 kph -RRB- , according to the U.S. National Weather Service 's 5 p.m. PT -LRB- 8 p.m. ET -RRB- update . `` A gradual weakening is forecast during the next 24 to 48 hours , '' the weather service said . `` However , Jimena could be near major hurricane strength when it makes landfall . '' The storm 's center is forecast to come ashore on Thursday morning , but the weather service warned that `` because it will be moving parallel to the coastline , any slight change in direction could have a huge impact in the location and timing of landfall . '' Mexico 's government extended a hurricane warning for most of the southern half of the Baja peninsula -- from Punta Abreojos on the peninsula 's west coast to Mulege on its east coast , according to the National Weather Service . See the storm 's projected path '' A hurricane warning means hurricane conditions are expected within the warning area in the next 24 hours and people should quickly prepare `` to protect life and property . '' `` A dangerous storm surge along with battering waves will produce significant coastal flooding along the Baja California Peninsula , '' NWS said . On its current track , Jimena 's center will approach the peninsula 's southern portion later on Tuesday and central Baja California peninsula by Thursday , the weather service said . In addition to damaging winds , the storm could bring as much as 15 inches of rain , forecasters said . Jimena -- the 10th named storm of the Pacific season -- was centered about 85 miles -LRB- 135 km -RRB- west-southwest of Cabo San Lucas , according to the weather service . It was traveling north-northwest near 12 mph -LRB- 19 kph -RRB- . On Tuesday , the skies in Cabo San Lucas were overcast and gusts of wind began to pick up . There were good waves for surfing , but popular beaches were devoid of tourists . Red flags warned people to stay out of the water , in case they needed any reminding . The day before , airlines offered extra flights to leave the area . Lionel Alvarez , who runs a resort hotel called `` Las Ventanas al Pariaso '' in the town of San Jose del Cabo , found a silver lining to the coming storm . `` The wind is refreshing a little bit because of the high temperatures we 've gone through in the past few days , '' he said . But Alvarez , like other locals , had work to do in preparation of Jimena . `` We protect the property by dismantling all that could be dangerous , fly or can be broken , '' he said . Authorities had asked about 10,000 people to evacuate the area , but many had decided to wait out the storm . Cuauhtemoc Morgan , a local resident of Los Cabos who sent videos to to CNN 's iReport , said residents had protected every home in his neighborhood , fortifying windows with masking tape . Lines at supermarkets were long with worried residents preparing for the storms , Morgan said . See iReport videos . Authorities were setting up shelters in schools and trying to devise a plan to protect the homeless , he added . The Pacific is n't the only place seeing action . As of 8 p.m. ET Tuesday , tropical storm watches were issued for the Caribbean islands of St. Maarten , Antigua , Barbuda , St. Kitts , Nevis , Anguilla , St. Martin and St. Barthelemy by the governments of France , the Netherlands Antilles , and Antigua and Barbuda , according to the hurricane center . A tropical storm watch means that tropical storm conditions , including winds of at least 39 mph , are possible within 36 hours . See Erika 's projected path '' Interests in the northern Leeward Islands , the U.S. and British Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico should monitor Erika 's progress , forecasters advised . Erika 's center was about 390 miles -LRB- 625 km -RRB- east of the northern Leeward Islands , the hurricane center said . Its maximum sustained winds were near 50 mph -LRB- 80 kph -RRB- , with higher gusts . While Erika meandered Tuesday afternoon , it was expected to start moving west-northwest at about 9 mph during the night . `` Some slow strengthening is forecast during the next couple of days , '' forecasters said . Tropical-storm force winds extended outward up to 105 miles -LRB- 170 km -RRB- from Erika 's center . The storm was moving west-northwest at near 9 mph -LRB- 15 kph -RRB- , and was expected to continue doing so for the next couple of days , the hurricane center said . Tracking maps put the storm east of the Bahamas by Sunday . On the forecast track , Erika should remain northeast of the Leeward Islands , forecasters said . CNN 's Betty Nguyen and CNN Radio 's Matt Cherry and Ninette Sosa contributed to this report . | Hurricane Jimena downgraded to Category 3 , hurricane center says . Jimena 's maximum winds fall to 120 mph , but storm could strengthen . Hurricane warning covers most of the southern half of the Baja Peninsula . Tropical Storm Erika forms in eastern Atlantic , National Hurricane Center says . | [[43, 108], [465, 501], [3886, 3921], [4330, 4357], [4902, 4929], [502, 582], [502, 530], [585, 675], [1123, 1224], [1388, 1407], [1414, 1492], [357, 366], [369, 423], [465, 501], [3886, 3921], [4330, 4357], [4902, 4929]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Who 's the greatest driver of all-time ? Michael Schumacher ? Maybe Alain Prost ? Ayrton Senna perhaps ? In an exclusive interview with CNN , three-time Formula One world champion , Jackie Stewart had no hesitation in naming his choice for the greatest driver of all-time . Three-time F1 champion , Jackie Stewart back in his heyday . `` My hero , and the man I most respected and probably still do is Juan Manuel Fangio . '' Stewart told CNN . It 's not misty-eyed nostalgia for a bygone era that persuades `` The Flying Scot , '' as Stewart became known . And it was n't just Fangio 's tally of world titles that convinced Stewart ; it is the manner in which the Argentine legend saw off his rivals . Who do you think is the greatest ? `` Fangio won five world championships almost in a different car every year . He had the dignity , the style and the ability , '' Stewart explained . What 's more , as Stewart points out , Fangio did n't start racing in Formula One until he was 39-years-old , and whether driving a Ferrari , Lancia , Maserati or Mercedes , he kept on winning races . Though Fangio was the greatest , Stewart rated fellow countryman Jim Clark as the best driver he raced against . `` His batting average was very good and he did n't race in too many grands prix . '' Clark -- who was tragically killed racing at Hockenheim in 1968 -- won 25 of his 73 Formula One races . Stewart 's record is comparable , winning 27 from 100 starts . It 's this win to race ratio that really separates the good from the great Stewart believes . `` I 'm on record as saying winning is not enough , it 's easy to win . Most people win . To be successful , like a Fangio or a Jim Clark is more difficult . '' See our photo gallery of Formula One 's greatest drivers '' As much as Stewart admires seven-time champion Michael Schumacher , he 's finds it hard to put the German in the same league as Fangio or Clark . `` Not to take anything away from him -LSB- Schumacher -RSB- , but his car was so dominant and his team had so much in terms of money and resources , '' Stewart said . `` Although he has won more , his batting average is n't as good -- from starts to wins -- as Fangio or Clark . '' Stewart , who retired from Formula One in 1973 , is a great admirer of the current crop of drivers and he singled out Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel as potential legends of the future . But they have a long way to match Stewart 's record of three Drivers ' Championships , let alone Fangio or Schumacher . Do you agree with Jackie Stewart ? Or do you think that Michael Schumacher is the greatest ? Have we missed anyone you think deserves special mention ? Use the Sound Off box to have you say . | F1 legend Jackie Stewart tells CNN who he thinks is the sport 's greatest driver . Win to race ratio is determining factor of greatness according to Stewart . Schumacher ? Senna ? Have your say on who you think the best F1 driver . | [[141, 175], [218, 309], [462, 480], [1491, 1501], [1506, 1573], [1491, 1519], [1574, 1584], [739, 773], [2581, 2638], [2581, 2583], [2587, 2638]] |
CIANJUR , Indonesia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- More than a day after a major earthquake jolted Indonesia 's Java Island , killing at least 57 people , there is still no word from remote villages along the coast , a relief worker told CNN Thursday . Soldiers try to dig out the body of a victim buried by a landslide caused by the earthquake . `` This earthquake has injured hundreds of people and -LRB- destroyed or damaged -RRB- thousands of houses , '' World Vision 's Katarina Hardono said . `` We worry that the number can be easily more because in many places , actually the coastal areas , we still -LRB- have n't gotten -RRB- any news . '' Rescuers are still searching for dozens of people feared trapped in a quake-triggered landslide in Cianjur in West Java . They pulled several bodies from the rubble Thursday bringing the death toll from the quake to 57 . `` The death count has been thankfully low , but we have to remember that tens of thousands of homes have been damaged or destroyed and children and adults are urgently in need of relief items , '' said Hardono , who spoke to CNN from the Indonesian capital , Jakarta . Rainfall Thursday hampered the rescue efforts in Cianjur , where the landslide buried at least 11 homes where 32 people live , local officials said . Watch description of the evacuation after the quake hit '' Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono visited Cianjur , and vowed to free up nearly $ 500,000 -LRB- 5 billion rupiahs -RRB- for emergency response efforts , according to the state-run Antara news agency . He said there was no need for foreign assistance just yet . `` Until now the Indonesian government is still able to handle it by itself using existing national resources , '' he said , according to Antara . Rescuers in Cianjur used their hands and rudimentary tools to try to pry away the rocks , some that were bigger than cars . No heavy machinery could be brought in to help in the rescue effort because many roads in the area were blocked . The 7.0-magnitude temblor jolted the island on Wednesday shortly before 3 p.m. local time -LRB- 4 a.m. ET -RRB- . More than 400 people were injured . Watch how buildings swayed during quake '' The temblor rocked high-rise buildings in Jakarta , prompting a mass evacuation in the capital 's central business district . iReport.com : Swimming pool shakes during quake . `` I was on the 13th floor of our office building , and you know we could feel the building -LRB- shake -RRB- from left to right , '' said CNN 's Andy Saputra . `` We all ran to the fire escape and escaped from there . '' Indonesia is no stranger to major earthquakes . It is located on the `` Ring of Fire , '' an arc of fault lines circling the Pacific Basin that is prone to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions . In 2004 , an earthquake measuring at least 9.0 in magnitude struck off the coast of the northern tip of Indonesia 's Sumatra island , triggering a major tsunami in the Indian Ocean that killed more than 200,000 people in 11 countries . About three weeks ago , a series of earthquakes -- ranging in magnitude from 4.7 to 6.7 -- struck off the western coast of Sumatra . At least seven people were injured and one building collapsed . CNN Radio 's Chris Chandler contributed to this report . | NEW : At least 57 killed , another 400 injured , says disaster agency . Tsunami watch quickly expires , Pacific Tsunami Warning Center says . Older buildings damaged in Tasikmalaya in Indonesian island of Java , witness says . Series of quakes hit Indonesia 's Sumatra Island three weeks ago . | [[10, 35], [114, 140], [335, 394], [761, 851], [793, 859], [2111, 2146], [63, 96], [3026, 3047], [3050, 3073], [3117, 3158]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A former `` Manson family '' member who stabbed actress Sharon Tate to death more than 40 years ago and is now terminally ill faces her 13th parole hearing on Wednesday . Susan Atkins , shown here after her indictment in the Manson murders , has a parole hearing Wednesday . Susan Atkins , 61 , has terminal brain cancer . As of earlier this year , she was paralyzed over 85 percent of her body and could not sit up in bed or be moved into a wheelchair , according to a Web site maintained by her husband and attorney , James Whitehouse . However , despite her declining health and an impressive prison record , Whitehouse wrote , `` there is still a very real chance the Parole Board will nonetheless insist her release would be a danger to society . '' The hearing will be held at the Central California Women 's Facility at Chowchilla , California , said Terry Thornton , spokeswoman for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation . Atkins was moved to the Chowchilla facility from the California Institution for Women at Frontera last year because of her illness . Watch Linda Kasabian describe the murders '' `` Last we heard , she is expected to attend , '' Thornton said Tuesday of Atkins . The proceeding is scheduled to be held in a hearing room , but depending on Atkins ' condition , it could be held at her bedside , Thornton said . The panel is expected to render its decision following the hearing after deliberating behind closed doors , she said . Atkins -- California 's longest-serving female inmate -- has been denied parole 12 times previously , Thornton said . She was 21 when she and other followers of Charles Manson participated in a two-night rampage that left seven people dead and terrorized the city of Los Angeles in August 1969 . She and the others -- Manson , Leslie Van Houten , Patricia Krenwinkel and Charles `` Tex '' Watson -- were initially sentenced to death in the slayings of five people , including Tate , and two additional deaths the following night . Their sentences were automatically commuted to life in prison when the Supreme Court struck down the nation 's death penalty laws in 1972 . By her own admission , Atkins held Tate down as she pleaded for mercy , and stabbed the actress , who was eight months pregnant , 16 times . In a 1993 parole board hearing , Atkins said Tate `` asked me to let her baby live . ... I told her I did n't have any mercy on her . '' After killing Tate , according to historical accounts of the murders , Atkins scrawled the word `` pig '' in blood on the door of the home Tate shared with her husband , director Roman Polanski . Polanski was not home at the time , but three of Tate 's houseguests were also slain by the killers , as was a teenager who was visiting the home 's caretaker in his nearby cottage . If the panel decides to grant Atkins parole -- called a `` tentative suitability finding '' -- the decision is subject to a 120-day review process by the California Board of Parole Hearings , Thornton said . If it still stands , the matter then goes to the governor 's office . The governor 's options include allowing the decision to stand , actively approving it , modifying it or reversing it , according to the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation 's Web site . However , Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has previously opposed Atkins ' request for compassionate release -- a request made by terminally ill patients wishing to be released before death . The Board of Parole Hearings unanimously denied that request in July 2008 . It was also opposed by Debra Tate , Sharon Tate 's sister . If parole is not granted , another hearing will be set in three , five , seven , 10 or 15 years , at the discretion of the panel , Thornton said . Atkins has been described as a model prisoner who has accepted responsibility for her role in the slayings and now shuns Manson . But Debra Tate told CNN in an e-mail in March she does not believe any Manson family member convicted of murder should ever be set free , saying the slayings were `` so vicious , so inhumane , so depraved , that there is no turning back . '' `` The ` Manson Family ' murderers are sociopaths , and from that , they can never be rehabilitated , '' Debra Tate said . `` They should all stay right where they are -- in prison -- until they die . There will never be true justice for my sister Sharon and the other victims of the ` Manson Family . ' Keeping the murderers in prison is the least we , as a society who values justice , can do . '' In a manuscript posted on her Web site , Atkins , who was known within the Manson family as Sadie Mae Glutz , wrote that `` this is the past I have to live with , and I have to live with it every day . '' `` Unlike the reader , or the people who seem to think Charles Manson was cool , I ca n't think about it for an hour or so and then go on with my life . Just like the families and friends of the victims , this is with me every day . I have to wake up every day with this and no matter what I do for the rest of my life and no matter how much I give back to the community I will never be able to replace what my crime took away . And that 's not ` neat , ' and that 's not ` cool . ' '' Atkins ' brain cancer was diagnosed in March 2008 , Whitehouse wrote on his Web site . On May 15 , doctors predicted she would live less than six months . But she passed that deadline , he wrote , and celebrated her 21st wedding anniversary on December 7 . | Susan Atkins has admitted she stabbed pregnant actress Sharon Tate to death . She has been denied parole on 12 previous occasions . Atkins has terminal brain cancer and just months to live . She was denied compassionate release in July 2008 . | [[2194, 2200], [2247, 2311], [1500, 1506], [1547, 1599], [294, 306], [314, 341], [5321, 5330], [5333, 5388], [3488, 3563]] |
PARIS , France -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The French trader accused of a multi-billion-dollar fraud at banking giant Societe Generale will go on trial next year , a lawyer for the bank said Tuesday . Kerviel faces up to five years in prison if convicted of fraud charges . Jerome Kerviel will face charges including forgery , breach of trust , and introducing fraudulent data into the bank 's data system , Societe Generale lawyer Jean Veil told CNN . He faces a penalty of up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $ 375,000 euros -LRB- $ 538,000 -RRB- , Veil said . The bank also will ask that Kerviel reimburse them for almost 5 billion euros -LRB- $ 7.1 billion -RRB- , `` which probably he will not pay , '' Veil said . The trial is expected to start in the first half of 2010 , perhaps in May or June , Veil said . It will take place at the Tribunal de Grande Instance in Paris , he said . Kerviel , who is now free on bail , was arrested last year after Societe Generale unveiled trading losses of more than $ 7.2 billion . The bank attributed the losses to fraud by Kerviel , who traded European index futures for the bank . Kerviel is the only one charged in the case . His assistant , Thomas Mougard , was cleared of charges Monday , Veil said . Societe Generale believes Kerviel alone was responsible for the losses , which the bank announced in January 2008 . Kerviel maintains he was not acting alone , Veil said . `` The decision of the -LRB- court -RRB- confirms 100 percent the complaint of the bank , and that Kerviel was alone when he organized this massive fraud and that he was acting completely out of his -LRB- own accord -RRB- , '' Veil told CNN . | Jerome Kerviel faces charges including forgery , breach of trust , false data entry . Accused trader faces penalty of up to five years in jail , $ 538,000 fine . Societe Generale also to ask Kerviel to pay back almost 5 billion euros . | [[265, 333], [265, 279], [340, 396], [192, 232], [444, 550], [593, 668]] |
-LRB- Mental Floss -RRB- -- News outlets reported this week that legendary broadcaster Walter Cronkite never amended his will to include Joanna Simon , who had been his girlfriend for the last four years of his life . Cronkite 's daughter said the newsman never planned to leave Simon , a former opera singer and older sister of Carly Simon , any sort of inheritance , but either way , wills are back in the news . Leona Helmsley left her dog Trouble $ 12 million dollars in her will . What better time to look at some of the most bizarre codicils ever written ? 1 . Leona Helmsley . The notoriously egomaniacal hotelier famously left $ 12 million to her Maltese , Trouble , while entirely cutting two of her grandchildren out of her will -LRB- for `` reasons which are known to them '' -RRB- . Her other two grandchildren did n't get off the hook entirely ; their inheritances were contingent upon their regularly making visits to their father 's grave , where they would have to sign a registration book to prove they had shown up . 2 . Carlotta Liebenstein . Do n't think Trouble Helmsley is the richest pooch on the block . When Liebenstein , a German countess , died in 1991 , she left her entire $ 80-million estate to her dog , Gunther . 3 . Jeremy Bentham . The 18th-and-19th-century social philosopher left the world a rather odd bequest in his will : his preserved , clothed body . No one 's quite sure what Bentham was getting at with this `` gift , '' but since his 1832 death his clothed skeleton -- topped with a wax model of Bentham 's head -- has been preserved in a wood-and-glass cabinet known as the Auto-Icon . It now resides at University College London and is occasionally moved so Bentham can `` attend '' meetings . Bentham did n't want for the Auto-Icon to feature a wax head ; he actually carried around the glass eyes he wanted used in his preserved face for years before his death . However , the preservation process distorted his face , so the wax replica had to stand in . For many years Bentham 's real head sat between his feet in the Auto-Icon , but it was such a target for pranksters that it eventually had to be locked away . Mental Floss : 10 things your body can do after you die . 4 . Sandra West . West , a California socialite and oil heiress , died when she was just 37 years old and requested that she be buried `` in my lace nightgown ... in my Ferrari , with the seat slanted comfortably . '' Her family buried West in her powder-blue 1964 Ferrari 330 America , then covered the car with cement to deter car thieves . Good call : nice examples of that year 's 330 America can now sell for well over $ 300,000 . 5 . Luis Carlos de Noronha Cabral da Camara . The Portuguese aristocrat was a childless bachelor , so he divvied up his estate by picking 70 names at random from the Lisbon phone book in 1988 . When he died 13 years later , his attorneys notified the unsuspecting beneficiaries that they stood to inherit their benefactor 's cash , his home , and his car . 6 . Charles Millar . The Canadian attorney died a childless bachelor , but he left $ 568,106 to the mother who gave birth to the most children in Toronto in the 10 years following his 1928 death . This bequest prompted what Canadians called `` the Baby Derby '' as mothers raced to win the fortune . Finally , in 1938 four winners split the prize after giving birth to nine babies apiece . Mental Floss : Names you probably should n't give your kid . 7 . Heinrich Heine . The German poet left his entire fortune to his wife , but with one catch : she had to remarry `` because then there will be at least one man to regret my death . '' 8 . S. Sanborn . Sanborn , a 19th-century New England hatter , left a rather macabre bequest to a friend -- a pair of drums made from Sanborn 's skin . The friend received further instructions to go to Bunker Hill each June 17th and play `` Yankee Doodle Dandy '' on the drums . 9 . T.M. Zink . Zink , an Iowa lawyer who died in 1930 , must have had some pretty bad experiences with women . When he died he left his daughter a measly five bucks , and his wife got nothing . He stipulated that the rest of his $ 100,000 estate be put in a trust for 75 years , then used to create the Zink Womanless Library . The library would have no feminine decorations , no books or magazine articles by female authors , and was required to have `` No Women Admitted '' carved into the stone over the entrance . 10 . Robert Louis Stevenson . When the celebrated author died , he left his friend Annie H. Ide his birthday . Ide had previously complained to Stevenson about the inconvenience of being born on Christmas , so the writer left her November 13th as a new birthday provided she take care of it with `` moderation and humanity ... the said birthday not being so young as it once was . '' 11 . Henry Budd . It 's not clear how he originally made 200,000 pounds , but when Henry Budd died in 1862 , he left his substantial fortune to his two sons on the condition that neither sullied his lip with a mustache . 12 . Mark Gruenwald . When longtime comic book writer and editor Mark Gruenwald died in 1996 , fans of the Marvel Comics icon probably thought they 'd seen the last of the former Captain America writer . Gruenwald had other ideas , though . He requested that his ashes be mixed into the ink used to print the first trade paperback anthology of Squadron Supreme , another one of his landmark creations . Mental Floss : 5 comic superheroes who made real-world difference . For more mental_floss articles , visit mentalfloss.com . Entire contents of this article copyright , Mental Floss LLC . All rights reserved . | People have put some very bizarre stipulations in their wills . Socialite buried `` in lace nightgown ... in my Ferrari , with seat slanted comfortably '' Two very rich women left millions to their dogs . Comic book writer had his ashes mixed with ink for anthology . Iowa lawyer left money for library banning all female writers and visitors . | [[2239, 2243], [2287, 2397], [2297, 2300], [2327, 2435], [2439, 2505], [415, 478], [1128, 1179], [1182, 1232], [4144, 4176], [4210, 4258]] |
Editor 's note : Ivan Watson is CNN 's correspondent based in Istanbul , Turkey . The Bamiyan Valley is a visually and archaeologically stunning part of Afghanistan . The region hopes to build its tourism industry . -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Thursday is `` Chinese night '' at the Hotel Silk Road in Afghanistan 's Bamiyan province . Hungry guests sip cans of Coke and nonalcoholic beer and pick at a buffet that includes General Tsao 's chicken , egg drop soup and slices of sweet green melon grown in nearby fields . When a vegetarian diner arrives , the hotel 's Japanese owner , Hiromi Yasui , runs back to the kitchen to whip up a dish of spinach , garlic and steamed rice . `` This is the most clean kitchen in Bamiyan , '' she boasts in heavily accented English , as she directs her staff of Afghan assistants in fluent Dari . Yasui proudly points to an electric dishwasher , perhaps the only one of its kind in this battle-scarred Afghan province . The Hotel Silk Road has been open for less than two years . The green concrete walls of this compound jar somewhat with the brown , mud brick architecture of Bamiyan Valley . But the hotel is probably the largest foreign private investment in Bamiyan 's fledgling tourism industry since the overthrow of the Taliban eight years ago . See photos of the Bamiyan Province '' Aid workers say tourism is one of the greatest economic hopes for reviving this isolated , yet visually -- and archaeologically -- stunning part of Afghanistan , a region that has seen little infrastructure development over the last eight years , even though Bamiyan is one of the safest parts of the country . Tour the Bamiyan Valley 's caves '' `` The natural resources and cultural resources here are probably the single best place for economic development to happen , around revitalizing the tourism industry here , '' says Bob Thelen , the representative for the Aga Khan Development Network in Bamiyan . The nonprofit organization has been working with the government of New Zealand to distribute $ 1.2 million over a three-year period to develop eco-tourism as an industry in Bamiyan . Bamiyan first attracted widespread international attention in 2001 , when Taliban militants spent weeks blowing up two giant statues of Buddha . For more than 1,500 years , these colossal figures -- one was 53 meters -LRB- 174 feet -RRB- high , the other 35 meters -LRB- 115 feet -RRB- -- stood like sentries overlooking this alpine valley . Today , the massive caves where the Buddhas once stood are huge , empty pockets carved into cliffs that dominate the countryside . Despite the loss of these archaeological treasures , the cave network of monasteries that honeycomb the cliffs , as well as Bamiyan 's breathtaking mountains and alpine lakes , continue to attract a trickle of both Afghan and foreign tourists . Hotel Silk Road owner Yasui spotted Bamiyan 's potential when she first traveled here as a photojournalist in 1996 . `` Before the war , this was a touristic place , '' she says . `` More than 7,000 cars a day visited here . '' In the '60s and '70s , Afghanistan was a Central Asian stop on the Hippie Trail , a destination favored by hash-smoking Western visitors driving Volkswagen vans . But the Soviet invasion of 1979 plunged the country into a decades-long spiral of conflict . Bamiyan became the site of horrific massacres during the civil war of the 1990s and the subsequent rise of the Taliban . The Taliban 's overthrow in 2001 seemed to open the door to new opportunity . In 2002 , with the help of her Afghan husband and a Japanese investor who fronted hundreds of thousands of dollars , Yasui purchased a plot of land next to a bend in the river that runs through the valley . The couple then spent the next five years building their hotel . `` I like Afghanistan , I like Bamiyan , '' Yasui explains . '' -LSB- But in the past , -RSB- I did n't want to stay more than three days , because there was no shower , no place to sleep . '' Yasui 's hotel opened in 2007 . Rooms cost $ 100 a night , pricing them far out of the range of most Afghans . Guests must remove their shoes at the entrance and wear slippers , in accordance with Yasui 's strict standards of hygiene . `` The furniture has all been imported from Pakistan , '' Yasui said . `` I bought the water glasses from the PX -LSB- American military supermarket -RSB- in Kabul . '' Yasui is not the only hotelier in Bamiyan . In 2003 , an Afghan businessman named Raziq got a jump-start on the local tourism industry , when he and several partners rented a house on a plateau offering a spectacular view of the Buddha cliffs . The building had been housing American special forces soldiers . Raziq and his partners rechristened it the Roof of Bamiyan Hotel . Raziq , an ethnic Hazara who learned American-accented English catering to foreigners on Kabul 's touristic Chicken Street , says he got his inspiration to open a hotel after he saw female Western backpackers paying to sleep on the floor of a grimy tea shop in Bamiyan 's dusty bazaar . Over the last year , the Afghan government declared Bamiyan 's Band-i-Amir lake , which sits 3,000 meters -LRB- 9,843 feet -RRB- above sea level , the country 's first national park . The New Zealand-funded eco-tourism project , in conjunction with the Aga Khan Foundation , also recently trained 22 young male and female Afghans to be professional tour guides . The three-month course included `` the relevant topics for this area , geology , archaeology , history , hospitality , English , communication skills , '' said Thelen , of the Aga Khan Development Network . One of these guides is former Roof of Bamiyan employee Jawad Wafa . Though only 23 years old , this ambitious young Afghan plans to launch a tourism and logistics company , complete with a fleet of rental vehicles and guides . `` The first thing we need to have more tourists in Bamiyan , we need security and peace . The second one is roads , '' Wafa says . Eight years after the overthrow of the Taliban , the entire province of Bamiyan has barely 3 kilometers -LRB- about 2 miles -RRB- of paved roads . Travel here from Kabul requires at least seven hours driving on a bone-jarring dirt track . But even this isolated oasis is feeling the threat of the mounting violence spreading across the country . `` Every time there is a bomb in Kabul , visitors cancel reservations , '' says Raziq , operator of the Roof of Bamiyan Hotel . And in recent months , troops from New Zealand have documented a spike in insurgent attacks , mostly along Bamiyan 's border with Baghlan province , a region where Taliban insurgents have grown increasingly active . `` As much as on the one hand you can promote Bamiyan and other pockets throughout Afghanistan as secure and peaceful , there 's always the very real threat of violence , '' Thelen said . Tour operators saw a dramatic drop in foreign visitors this summer , due to the uncertainty and violence surrounding the August 20 presidential elections . In fact , the handful of people seen touring the remains of the Buddha statues last week were mostly American aid workers . They were sent by their organizations from less secure parts of Afghanistan , to take temporary shelter within the mountain walls of Bamiyan Valley . | Bamiyan is one of the safest parts of Afghanistan . Since the overthrow of the Taliban in 2001 , hotels have opened in the region . Colossal Buddha statues destroyed by the Taliban once towered over the valley . Stunning terrain and a cave network of monasteries draw tourists . | [[1581, 1632], [1129, 1283], [3438, 3515], [2189, 2259], [82, 166], [1322, 1449], [2641, 2672], [2765, 2832]] |
BRUNSWICK , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Guy Heinze Jr. , the son of one of the victims of last week 's killings of eight people in a southeast Georgia mobile home , has been arrested on eight counts of first degree murder , police said Friday . Guy Heinze Jr. faces eight first degree murder charges related to a shooting at a Georgia mobile home . Investigators obtained an arrest warrant Friday evening for Heinze , 22 , just hours after he had been freed from jail on charges of tampering with evidence and making false statements to a police officer , Glynn County , Georgia , Police Chief Matt Doering said . `` I can assure you that this person is responsible , '' Doering said at a news conference Friday evening . The bodies were discovered last Saturday at New Hope Plantation mobile home park , north of the Atlantic coastal city of Brunswick . Seven died in the mobile home , and the eighth died Sunday at a hospital . Doering refused to reveal how the victims were killed or the suspected motive . A 3-year-old who was injured struggles on life support at a Savannah hospital , her grandmother said . Heinze , who is unemployed , told police he was not home when the killings occurred . Watch sheriff describe attack as `` the most heinous crime we 've ever had in the community '' '' According to the earlier arrest warrant , Heinze provided `` investigators with false and misleading information about his whereabouts and involvement in the circumstances leading up to him calling 911 to report the deaths of his family members . '' The arrest warrant also said he removed a shotgun from the residence and hid it in the trunk of his car . A man identified as Heinze reported the slayings . He told an emergency dispatcher when he called Saturday , `` I was out last night . I got home just now , and everybody 's dead . ... My whole family 's dead . It looks like they 've been beaten to death . '' Listen to the 911 call '' Seven of the eight victims will be buried Saturday , as a 3-year-old who was injured struggles to survive at a Savannah hospital . The toddler 's grieving grandmother , Diane Isenhower , who lost four of her children in the rampage , said the child is on life support . Police said seven of the victims died in the mobile home , and the eighth died Sunday at a hospital . The funeral for Joseph L. West , 30 , is to be held at mid-month . For the other seven , viewing was scheduled for Friday night , and a funeral is to be held Saturday afternoon at Youngs Island Church in Eulonia , Georgia . West was the boyfriend of Chrissy Toler , 22 , who died along with her father , Russell D. Toler Sr. , 44 , and three siblings : Michelle Toler , 15 ; Michael Toler , 19 ; and Russell D. Toler Jr. , 20 . Michael Toler had Down syndrome . Russell Toler Sr. and Isenhower were divorced . Also killed were Guy Heinze Sr. , 45 and Brenda Gail Falagan , 49 , police said . Clint Rowe , whose wife is Isenhower 's sister , said the family was having trouble coping with the losses and noted that police , too , were affected . `` They 're the ones who walked in on that , so you know it wears on the police as well , '' he said . Referring to Isenhower , he added , `` It has been a long week for her . She 's lost all of her family , so naturally it would be . '' `` They 're just as nice as they could be , '' Rowe said of the victims . `` Friendly folks . Down-to-earth folks . '' Watch Rowe talk about the killings '' Russell Toler Sr. , who worked at a nearby factory , was a generous man who allowed relatives facing financial and health problems to live with him . There were 10 people in the mobile home , and their combined salaries were low , Rowe said . Among them was Toler 's sister , Falagan , who was in a wheelchair . Police have not said how the victims died , although autopsies were completed Monday . The bodies were discovered Saturday at New Hope Plantation mobile home park , north of the Atlantic coastal city of Brunswick . Police have released few details of the crime scene . Doering acknowledged that there is fear in the community but said that releasing details of the slayings wo n't allay it . `` We , too , have that same fear . We 're the ones that have to get out there and try to make people feel better as best that we can , '' he said . CNN 's Sean Calebs contributed to this report . | NEW : Warrant lists eight counts of first degree murder for Guy Heinze Jr. . Heinze told police he was not home when the killings occurred . 3-year-old injured in last week 's attack at Georgia mobile home is on life support . Funeral for seven victims will be held about Saturday . | [[12, 35], [157, 220], [244, 347], [265, 347], [1112, 1118], [1141, 1168], [1153, 1197], [1009, 1021], [1026, 1086], [1994, 2006], [2011, 2068], [2069, 2104], [2172, 2207], [1938, 1988], [2440, 2521]] |
ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Children with high-risk medical conditions or disabilities should be among the first to be vaccinated against H1N1 influenza , also known as swine flu , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised Thursday . CDC : The H1N1 virus is spreading in the United States , particularly in the Southeast . And high-risk children under 18 years of age should be rushed to a doctor at the first sign of the virus , said Dr. Thomas Frieden , CDC director . In addition , doctors should be aware that some otherwise healthy children with bacterial infections may be more susceptible to the flu , he told reporters during a conference call . Frieden said the vaccine should be available by mid-October , and will be free at public hospitals and other sites . All schoolchildren should be vaccinated , he said . `` We also are recommending that all people with underlying conditions get vaccinated -- people who have asthma , diabetes , lung disease , heart disease , neuromuscular conditions , neurological conditions that increase their risk factors and women who are pregnant , '' Frieden added . As of August 22 , there had been 556 deaths in the United States associated with the H1N1 virus , and 42 of those deaths were children under the age of 18 . The figures were published August 28 on the CDC Web site . Thursday , the CDC 's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report focused on the pediatric cases -- 36 that were counted among the 477 flu-related deaths up to August 8 . Watch more on what the CDC had to say about H1N1 influenza '' Seven of the children who died were younger than 5 years old , the report said , and 24 had underlying disabilities , such as muscular dystrophy or cerebral palsy , or one or more high-risk medical conditions . Frieden said the H1N1 virus -- which he said never really went away , judging by the cases reported this summer -- is spreading in the United States , particularly in the Southeast . `` The good news is that so far , everything that we 've seen , both in this country and abroad , shows that the virus has not changed to become more deadly . That means that although it may affect lots of people , most people will not be severely ill , '' he said . He noted , however , that both H1N1 and the seasonal flu are unpredictable . Because of this , health professionals have to be ready to change their protocols based on any new information . On Wednesday , the CDC said there were six suspected cases among its approximately 7,000 employees at the Atlanta , Georgia , headquarters . Frieden referenced findings by federal agencies who were asked to study the impact of H1N1 in the Southern Hemisphere . They examined data from Argentina , Australia , Chile , New Zealand and Uruguay , since they more closely resemble U.S. demographics and economic development . `` All countries report that after mid-July , disease activity in most parts of the country decreased . This indicates that the duration of the current influenza season in the Southern Hemisphere , in which the 2009 H1N1 virus is the predominate strain , may be similar in length to an average seasonal influenza season , '' according to the Flu.gov Web site . Earlier Thursday , the Institute of Medicine released a report recommending a major step up in protection for health workers dealing with patients suspected or confirmed to have H1N1 influenza . The institute , in recommendations requested by the CDC , said loose paper masks are inadequate because workers can still breathe in the virus . Instead , health workers should switch to a specific type of mask -- N95 respirators -- that form an airtight seal around the nose and mouth . CNN 's Mariam Falco contributed to this report . | CDC : Children with medical issues should be among the first to get H1N1 vaccine . Head of CDC predicts the vaccine should be available by mid-October . As of August 22 , 42 of the 556 U.S. deaths linked to H1N1 virus were in kids . | [[10, 121], [112, 161], [676, 735], [1149, 1197], [1235, 1289]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A judge has ordered mediation in the case of a teen girl who says her family threatened to kill her for converting from Islam to Christianity . Rifqa Bary , 17 , ran away from her family in Columbus , Ohio , in July . She claims her father threatened to kill her . The 17-year-old girl , Rifqa Bary , ran away from her family in Columbus , Ohio , in July and took refuge in the home of the Rev. Blake Lorenz with the Global Revolution Church in Orlando , Florida . Bary 's parents want her back home . At a court hearing Thursday in Orlando , the girl 's parents denied all the allegations against them . Also at the hearing , Judge Daniel Dawson of the Orange County Juvenile Court ordered the girl and her parents to seek the mediation within 30 days . The judge had previously ruled that the girl will remain in Florida foster care until the allegations are resolved . The parents , Mohamed and Aysha Bary , could not attend the hearing in person but listened through a telephone conference as their lawyer spoke for them . They denied they ever threatened to kill their daughter because she converted to Christianity . Mohamed Bary told CNN he believes a lot of false information has been circulated about the case . `` We would n't do her harm , '' the father said , adding that he knew his daughter was involved with Christian organizations . `` I have no problem with her practicing any faith , '' he said . But Bary conceded he would have preferred that his daughter practice the Muslim faith first . The teen had heard of pastor Lorenz and his church through a prayer group on Facebook . The girl 's parents reported her missing to Columbus police , who found her two weeks later in Florida through cell phone records . The teenager , in a sworn affidavit , claims her father , 47 , was pressured by the mosque the family attends in Ohio to `` deal with the situation . '' In the court filing , Rifqa Bary stated her father said , `` If you have this Jesus in your heart , you are dead to me ! '' The teenager claims her father added , `` I will kill you ! '' Watch the teen talk about her fears '' Also at Thursday 's hearing , the judge sealed a report on the girl from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and issued a gag order for attorneys in the case . At one point during the hearing , the girl 's court-appointed guardian , Krista Bartholomew , told the court : `` This is not a holy war but a case about a broken family . '' Outside the courthouse after the hearing , a Muslim activist and several Christian activists exchanged words over the case . Watch the heated exchanges '' Another hearing is scheduled for September 29 if the family is not able to resolve the conflict through mediation . | Teenager claims father threatened to kill her because she converted to Christianity . Parents of teen have denied all allegations against them . Rifqa Bary , 17 , ran away from Ohio home ; took refuge in home of Christian pastor . Judge orders teen and her family to seek mediation within 30 days . | [[64, 75], [80, 162], [237, 283], [248, 283], [1058, 1141], [1748, 1760], [1786, 1803], [2045, 2061], [2065, 2093], [521, 559], [562, 623], [163, 173], [181, 217], [284, 304], [320, 356], [284, 304], [378, 460], [0, 15], [19, 75], [629, 643], [646, 773]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The airline operating an Airbus A310-300 jet that crashed in the Indian Ocean on Tuesday with 153 people aboard was being monitored by EU authorities , according to France 's transport minister . An Airbus 310 like the one pictured crashed while on the way to the capital of Comoros . Dominique Bussereau told French television that inspectors in his country had also noted several faults on the doomed Yemenia Airways plane , Agence France-Presse reported . `` The company was not on the blacklist -LRB- of airlines banned from European airspace -RRB- but was being subjected to closer inspection by us and was due to soon be heard by the security committee of the European Union , '' Bussereau said . The Airbus A310 was inspected in France in 2007 by the French civil aviation authority and `` a certain number of faults had been noted . '' `` The plane had not since then reappeared in our country , '' he added . However , Chris Yates , an aviation analyst for Jane 's Information Group , said he suspected weather and/or airport failings were a greater factor in the crash than a technical fault . Recent plane crashes '' `` It 's more than likely to be a weather-related incident . Having said that , you can not rule out a maintenance issue , '' Yates told CNN . Yemenia Air had used the jet since 1999 , on about 17,300 flights , Airbus officials said . The company said it would assist in investigating the crash . `` We are extremely saddened and our thoughts are with the families , friends and loved ones affected by this accident , '' Airbus spokeswoman Maggie Bergsma told CNN . `` We are giving our maximum support and assistance to the authorities and the airline . '' `` This includes a team of Airbus experts that will go on site and our crisis center has been open since early this morning , where our specialists work in direct contact with the airline and the authorities , '' Bergsma added . `` The task now is to gather as much information as possible , including retrieval of the black boxes , to help us understand what happened . This will need time and patience . '' It is the second crash involving an Airbus jet in a month . On June 1 , an Air France Airbus A330 crashed off Brazil while en route from Rio de Janeiro to Paris , France . All 228 aboard are presumed dead . The cause remains under investigation . In the wake of the Air France crash on June 1 , United States accident investigators have been probing two recent failures of airspeed and altitude indications aboard Airbus A330s . One flight was between the United States and Brazil in May and the other between Hong Kong and Japan in June . The planes landed safely and there were no injuries or damage , according to the National Transportation Safety Board . CNN 's Saad Abedine and Ayesha Durgahee contributed to this report . | EU concerned about airline operating jet that crashed in Indian Ocean . Jet was carrying more than 150 people to island of Comoros from Yemen . French officials noted faults with Airbus A310 when they inspected it in 2007 . | [[41, 63], [69, 107], [304, 443], [722, 808], [814, 859]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Perhaps , now the candidates will play nice . For all their insistence on how unlike they are from one another , the three U.S. presidential candidates share some noteworthy family connections , the New England Historic Genealogical Society has found . Democratic Sen. Barack Obama , who has made his opposition to the Iraq war a linchpin of his campaign , is distantly related not only to President George W. Bush but also to another wartime leader -- former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill . Because of his shared ancestry with President Bush , Obama is also indirectly related to his rival on the Republican side , Sen. John McCain . McCain , it turns out , is a sixth cousin of First Lady Laura Bush . Meanwhile , Sen. Hillary Clinton , is related to beatnik author Jack Kerouac , Canadian Prime Minster Pierre Trudeau and Camilla Parker-Bowles , wife of Prince Charles of England . Clinton also shares ancestors with Grammy Award-winning singers Celine Dion and Madonna . The senator won a Best Spoken Word Grammy for the audio version of her book , `` It Takes a Village . '' Rival Obama also snagged one in the same category for his book `` The Audacity of Hope . '' Conservatives who sometimes accuse Democrats of being in bed with liberal Hollywood elites may have been handed one more round of ammunition by the Society 's findings . Clinton , the Society said , is related to Angelina Jolie . And Obama is related to Jolie 's boyfriend Brad Pitt . Watch a report on the candidates ' family trees and other news '' The New England Historic Genealogical Society , founded in 1845 , says it is the oldest such organization in the country . Members spent three years tracing the lineage of the candidates . Among its other findings : . McCain , the Vietnam War veteran who spent five years as a prisoner of war , descends from a long line of kings : Scottish King William the Lion , English King Edward I and French King Louis VII . Obama , the son of a white woman from Kansas and a black man from Kenya , is `` related to millions of contemporary Americans - perhaps even a significant percentage of the population , '' the researchers said . He is cousins with six U.S presidents , including Lyndon Johnson , Harry Truman and Gerald Ford . He is also linked to American artist Georgia O'Keefe , the Duchess of Windsor and two men who signed the Declaration of Independence . Most surprisingly , Obama -- the man who could become America 's first African-American president -- is linked by ancestry to Robert E. Lee , who commanded the armies of the Southern slave-holding states during the American civil war . Bedfellows , it turns out , make for strange politics . E-mail to a friend . | New England Historic Genealogical Society studies candidates ' ancestry . Hillary Clinton is related to Angelina Jolie , Jack Kerouac and Madonna . Barack Obama is related to Brad Pitt ; John McCain shares a link to Laura Bush . | [[734, 743], [746, 876], [1372, 1379], [1382, 1398], [1401, 1431], [1432, 1474]] |
NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A man who allegedly set off a small bomb at a Starbucks coffee shop was arrested after he made the mistake of bragging about his exploit to friends , police said Wednesday . An NYPD officer stands guard outside a Starbucks where a bomb went off on Memorial Day . New York City Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly told reporters that Kyle Shaw , 17 , was arrested Tuesday night at his Manhattan apartment after a police investigation revealed that he bragged to his friends about planting the explosive outside an Upper East Side Starbucks on May 25 . Shaw allegedly told his friends prior to the explosion that `` Project Mayhem '' was about to begin , Kelly said , and that they should watch the news on Memorial Day . Shaw was a fan of the movie `` Fight Club '' and imitated Brad Pitt 's character from the film , the police commissioner said -- although he apparently failed to adhere to Pitt 's famous line in the film : `` The first rule of Fight Club is , you do not talk about Fight Club . '' The movie , released in 1999 , also includes a scene in which a Starbucks is destroyed . Kelly said there is no evidence at this time to suggest that Shaw was behind other recent small explosions in the city , such as the bombings at the Times Square Army recruiting center and the Mexican consulate . Shaw made the small explosive out of a plastic bottle , firework powder , a metal cap and electrical tape , Kelly said . The blast , at 3:30 a.m. on Memorial Day , damaged a nearby bench and shattered the store 's windows , the commissioner said . No one was injured in the explosion , but the bomb was powerful enough to have caused serious injuries if anyone had been nearby , Kelly said . Shaw has been charged with arson , criminal possession of a weapon and criminal mischief , he added . | Police : Suspect , 17 , wanted to launch `` Project Mayhem '' with bomb . Suspect is fan of Brad Pitt film `` Fight Club ' Memorial Day blast damaged a bench outside a Manhattan Starbucks . | [[746, 773], [239, 250], [257, 290], [436, 576], [1450, 1459], [1462, 1486], [1493, 1515]] |
TEHRAN , Iran -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Iran 's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Thursday called the U.S. president inexperienced , compared him unfavorably to President George W. Bush and suggested he apologize for `` interfering in Iran 's affairs . '' Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad lashed out at President Obama on Thursday . `` Do you think that this kind of behavior is going to solve any of your problems ? It will only make people think you are someone like Bush , '' the semiofficial Fars news agency quoted Ahmadinejad as saying . `` You are at the beginning of your way and you are gaining experience , and we do not wish the scandals of the Bush era to be repeated during your term of office , '' the Iranian leader said . President Obama , who has been in office for five months , has been treading a careful line on Iran , which has seen two weeks of street demonstrations following a disputed presidential election there . Watch how U.S.-Iran relations got to this point . Pro-government security forces have cracked down on the protests , with officials saying 17 people have died . Unofficial reports suggest the number is much higher . Official results gave Ahmadinejad a 2-to-1 victory over his nearest rival , former Prime Minister Mir Hossein Moussavi . Moussavi says the results were rigged . Obama has said Iranians must be free to demonstrate peacefully , and his administration Wednesday withdrew invitations to Iranian diplomats around the world to attend U.S. embassy Fourth of July parties . The extension of invitations last month was seen as a cautious outreach to Iran , which has not had diplomatic relations with Washington for 30 years . Obama wrote secretly to Iran 's Supreme Leader , Ayatollah Ali Khamenei , before the election , Iranian sources confirmed Wednesday . See photos from post-election violence '' Obama said Tuesday that Iran 's government must justify itself not in the eyes of the United States , but in the opinion of its own people . `` A sizable percentage of the Iranian people themselves ... consider this election illegitimate , '' he said at a White House news conference . `` It is not too late for the Iranian government to recognize that there is a peaceful path that will lead to stability and prosperity , '' he said . `` We hope they take it . '' Timeline of election violence '' Ahmadinejad said Thursday that even 5 - and 6-year-olds would not allow insults to the Iranian nation , telling Obama : `` We hope that you will avoid interfering in Iran 's affairs and somehow express your regret so that the Iranian nation can become aware of your regret . If there is real change , the Iranian nation will welcome it . '' | Ahmadinejad : `` We do not wish the scandals of the Bush era to be repeated '' Iran has been in gripped in post-election violence for two weeks . Obama has said that Iranians must be permitted to demonstrate peacefully . U.S. president secretly wrote to Iran 's supreme leader before the election . | [[618, 661], [827, 836], [843, 929], [1315, 1377], [1672, 1718]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Photographer Terry O'Neill is famous for his iconic images Hollywood stars in the 1960s and 1970s . One of the 1970s hottest actresses , Faye Dunaway photographed by Terry O'Neill in 1976 . He made his name capturing the era 's A-listers including Audrey Hepburn , Orson Welles and Brigitte Bardot in a uniquely relaxed and natural way . Always polite and professional in his approach , his informal and spontaneous style captured the spirit of the times . Rising stars , including rock bands The Rolling Stones and The Beatles , did not want the wooden , pre-fabricated images typical of the 1950s . As a result O'Neill became much in demand and his star began to rise alongside that of his subjects . During the 1980s Terry became the photographer of choice for Hollywood , and his commissions from the time are nothing short of a catalogue of global superstardom . Terry 's success continued into the 1990s and with 65 pictures held by London 's National Portrait Gallery , he is today revered as one the great British photographers . Born in the east end of London in 1938 , he began his photographic career working for an airline at Heathrow Airport as part of their photographic unit . Terry O'Neill 's images will be on exhibition through Getty Images Gallery in a pop-up gallery at Westfield , London from 7th July until 3rd August . | O'Neill began his career at The Daily Sketch a picture paper in the 1960s . Photographed Hollywood icons such as Brigitte Bardot and Paul Newman . A collection of O'Neill 's prints are on show at the National Portrait Gallery in London . | [[0, 6], [9, 135], [226, 373], [234, 367], [955, 1010]] |
TAMPA , Florida -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- TV pitchman Billy Mays ' death appeared to be from heart disease , not a bump to the head , according to the Hillsborough County medical examiner . OxiClean pitchman Billy Mays apparently died from heart disease , according to the medical examiner . The final cause of death will not be known until after toxicology results are available , Dr. Vernard Adams said at a Monday news conference . Mays , 50 , was pronounced dead at his home near Tampa Sunday morning , after his wife Deborah found him unresponsive , Tampa police said . The autopsy conducted Monday morning revealed Mays suffered from hypertensive heart disease , Adams said . `` It 's not uncommon to have a sudden death with this kind of disease , '' Adams said . Watch medical examiner discuss Mays ' autopsy '' `` Billy would be overwhelmed to see that his life touched so many people in a positive way , '' Deborah Mays said in a statement Monday . `` While it provides some closure to learn that heart disease took Billy from us , it certainly does n't ease the enormous void that his death has created in our lives , '' she said . Billy Mays had told a friend before he went to sleep Saturday he was not feeling well . `` He said he was groggy , he was n't feeling that great . He wanted to get some sleep , '' Todd Schnitt said . Watch friends remember Billy Mays '' Mays was on a US Airways flight from Philadelphia that had a hard landing Saturday at Tampa International Airport after the front tire of the plane blew out . After the flight , Mays told a Tampa TV station , `` All of a sudden as we hit , you know , it was just the hardest hit , all the things from the ceiling started dropping . It hit me on the head , but I got a hard head . '' Watch Mays talk about hard landing '' Mays , with his booming voice , was famous for fronting products such as OxiClean and Orange Glo in TV commercials . iReport.com : Mays imitator meets the real thing . No evidence of exterior or interior head trauma was found during Mays ' autopsy , Adams said . The Discovery Channel -- which airs `` Pitchmen '' co-hosted by Mays -- issued a statement saying , `` It is with incredible sadness that we have to report that Billy Mays died in his sleep last night . Everyone that knows him was aware of his larger-than-life personality , generosity and warmth . Billy was a pioneer in his field and helped many people fulfill their dreams . He will be greatly missed as a loyal and compassionate friend . '' CNN 's John Zarrella , Vivian Kuo and Chuck Johnston contributed to this report . | `` Heart disease took Billy from us , '' wife says in statement . Sudden death not unusual in heart disease cases , coroner says . Billy Mays , 50 , is best known for his ads in which he shouts the attributes of OxiClean . The pitchman was pronounced dead Sunday morning , authorities said . | [[0, 5], [8, 31], [66, 99], [183, 246], [907, 951], [961, 1032], [676, 745], [183, 211], [249, 284], [1794, 1798], [1826, 1910], [428, 432], [440, 497]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Saudi Arabian man was arrested after bragging about his sex life on television , local media reported . Mazen Abdul Jawad appeared last week on a show on Lebanese channel LBC , where he went into `` graphic details about his sexual conquests , '' according to Arab News , an English daily . A segment of the show `` Red Line '' posted on YouTube shows the 32-year-old talking about sex and foreplay . He also discusses losing his virginity to a neighbor while he was 14 . In deeply conservative Saudi Arabia , pre-marital sex is illegal and unrelated men and women are not allowed to mingle . A government official told the newspaper that discussing sex in public is a punishable offense that may affect anyone involved in the broadcast . `` It is wrong to host people on television to speak publicly about vice and issues against our religion , '' said Ahmad Qasim Al-Ghamdi , director of Mecca 's branch of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice , also known as the religious police . `` The program presents anomalies and deviancy in society that are unacceptable and immoral , and should be punished according to Shariah . '' About 100 people have filed a complaint against Abdul Jawad , alleging among other things , that he violated a principle of Shariah law by `` publicizing his sinful behavior , '' the daily said . It is unclear what punishment , if any , Abdul Jawad faces . CNN has been unable to reach Abdul Jawad or the Saudi Ministry of Justice for comment . | Mazen Abdul Jawad appeared last week on a show on Lebanese channel . He gives `` graphic details about his sexual conquests , '' reports Arab News . In deeply conservative Saudi Arabia , pre-marital sex is illegal . About 100 people have filed a complaint against Abdul Jawad ; punishment not clear . | [[125, 195], [175, 191], [204, 262], [265, 290], [493, 528], [531, 585], [1178, 1237], [1178, 1194], [1240, 1267], [1374, 1403]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When David Whitney traveled to Pakistan to shoot his film about a man forced to flee Afghanistan after falling foul of the Taliban he did n't expect fiction to turn into reality . A still from `` Kandahar Break . '' Production of the film was halted after the crew were fired upon by suspected Taliban militia . But that 's exactly what happened three weeks into shooting political thriller `` Kandahar Break '' in late 2008 . Gunmen attacked the first-time director and his crew near the Afghan border . Four Pakistani crew members were shot and wounded in the incident and the entire crew was forced to flee the region . Pakistani authorities later told Whitney that the gunmen were affiliated with the Taliban and were in fact targeting the Western members of the team . `` I was very upset . It was terrifying to know that somebody was trying to attack us , trying to shoot us , '' Whitney told CNN . With the help of local security forces the team was immediately evacuated to Islamabad and put on a flight out of the country in 24 hours . Whitney had only managed to film three-quarters of the script and the film 's future lay in the balance . `` When I heard that the crew members who had been shot were going to be fine I started to think like the businessman and the producer , '' says Whitney . `` I thought , ` How are we going to finish this film ? We 're not just going to give up . ' And to a man everybody involved agreed to finish it . '' After six months spent organizing financial backing , the original cast and crew flew to Tunisia to complete the movie and has been attracting interest from distributors . Despite the danger caused by shooting so close to the actual conflict zone , Whitney says he would shoot in the region again if he had the chance . `` Every place you point a camera there 's a great shot . You do n't have to go very far to find fantastic authentic Afghan architecture and beautiful landscapes . `` All the people are in the same sort of authentic costumes , so you do n't have the problem of trying to find authenticity -- it 's all around you . '' Whitney hopes the authenticity will help `` Kandahar Break '' enjoy the same level of success as Kathryn Bigelow 's `` The Hurt Locker '' -- the first film about the Iraq war to make a profit at the U.S. box office . Bigelow 's thriller tells the story of an elite army EOD bomb squad who battle insurgents and each other , as they disarm a innumerable roadside bombs on the streets of Baghdad . Bigelow shot `` The Hurt Locker '' in Jordan , as close as she could get to the actual conflict zone . She also made use of local actors . The film is based on screenwriter Mark Boal 's first-hand experiences gathered whilst embedded with a bomb unit in Iraq . `` Because it was based on real life , we wanted to keep it as realistic as possible and keep it accurate , '' Bigelow told CNN . `` I mean this is a conflict that 's still on-going so we felt responsible to the troops still there and the situation on the ground . '' The cast faced grueling shooting conditions : Temperatures ranged between 115 and 120 degrees Fahrenheit -LRB- 46 and 49 degrees Celsius -RRB- . It was even hotter in the authentic bomb suit worn by Jeremy Brenner , who plays Staff Sergeant James . The suit weighed 60 pounds . `` You really ca n't explain the heat and the weight of the suit , '' Brenner told CNN . `` That certainly helped the realism of it all . There were a few moments I felt like ... I 've been as close as I could 've come to war without actually being in the military . `` The heat was real , the dust was real , the costumes and everything was so real that the tension -LSB- was already there -RSB- , '' Anthony Mackie who plays Sergeant JT Sanborn told CNN . `` Kathryn would come to us before every scene and say , ` Remember at any moment you can die . ' And we kept that in mind throughout all the scenes . '' While `` The Hurt Locker , '' has made over $ 11 million in the U.S. , previous movies dealing with conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have struggled to make money . Observers have attributed this to `` war fatigue '' suffered by audiences due to an abundance of war-stories in the media . Bigelow and Whitney are confident that cinema audiences have a thirst for knowledge about volatile regions like Iraq and Afghanistan that goes beyond what is reported on the news . `` I think the conflict -LSB- in Iraq -RSB- has been somewhat abstract for the general public , certainly speaking for myself , '' Bigelow told CNN . `` The film provides kind of a window , a lens onto what this particular conflict might be like , and gives it some specificity . '' David Whitney hopes `` Kandahar Break '' can have a similar effect . `` Afghanistan is at the moment quite central to global security . I think it 's good that people are looking at Afghanistan , questioning it , asking all sorts of questions . If my film can play any part in that , any small part , then I 'm pleased . '' | Four Pakistani crew members shot during filming of `` Kandahar Break '' Despite difficulties , director David Whitney says it was a great film location . Star of `` The Hurt Locker '' says filming was similar to being in the military . | [[252, 347], [541, 578], [541, 568], [583, 606]] |
LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Seventy days after his sudden death , Michael Jackson will be interred in what may or may not be his final resting place Thursday evening . A private funeral for Michael Jackson will be held Thursday in Glendale , California , his family says . Only his family and closest friends will attend the private burial starting at 7 p.m. PT -LRB- 10 p.m. ET -RRB- inside the ornate Great Mausoleum on the grounds of Forest Lawn cemetery in Glendale , California . They 'll then drive to an Italian restaurant eight miles away in Pasadena , California for `` a time of celebration , '' the nine-page engraved invitation said . The first page inside the invitation holds a quote from `` Dancing the Dream , '' a book of essays and poems published by Jackson in 1992 : . `` If you enter this world knowing you are loved and you leave this world knowing the same , then everything that happens in between can be dealt with . '' Gallery : Invitation for Jackson 's service '' The news media -- which have closely covered every aspect of Jackson 's death -- will be kept at a distance , with their cameras no closer than the cemetery 's main gate . The family will provide a limited video feed that will only show mourners arriving . Little is known about the planned ceremony , though CNN has confirmed that singer Gladys Knight -- a longtime friend to Jackson -- will perform . Her song has not been disclosed . The massive mausoleum , which is normally open to tourists , was closed Wednesday as preparations were completed for the funeral . A security guard blocking its entrance said it would reopen to the public on Friday . Fans of Clark Gable , Carole Lombard and dozens of other celebrities buried on the grounds have flocked to Forest Lawn-Glendale for decades , but Jackson may outdraw them all . It is unclear how close tourists will be allowed to Jackson 's resting place . Security guards -- aided by cameras -- keep a constant vigil over the graves and crypts , which are surrounded by a world-class collection of art and architecture . The Forest Lawn Web site boasts that the mausoleum , which draws its architectural inspiration from the Campo Santo in Italy , `` has been called the `` New World 's Westminster Abbey '' by Time Magazine . Visitors will see `` exact replicas of Michelangelo 's greatest works such as David , Moses , and La Pieta '' and `` Leonardo da Vinci 's immortal Last Supper re-created in brilliant stained glass ; two of the world 's largest paintings , '' the Web site says . Jackson 's burial has been delayed by division among Jackson family members , though it was matriarch Katherine Jackson who would make the final decision , brother Jermaine Jackson recently told CNN . He preferred to see his youngest brother laid to rest at his former Neverland Ranch home , north of Los Angeles in Santa Barbara County , California . That idea was complicated by neighbors who vowed to oppose allowing a grave in the rural area -- and by Jackson family members who said the singer would not want to return to the home where he faced child molestation charges , of which he was ultimately acquitted . The mystery of where Michael Jackson would be buried became a media obsession in the weeks after his death . After his body was loaded onto a helicopter at UCLA 's Ronald Reagan Medical Center hours following his June 25 death , it stayed in the custody of the Los Angeles County coroner for an autopsy . It was only later disclosed that Jackson 's corpse was kept in a refrigerated room at the Hollywood Hills Forest Lawn cemetery until his casket was carried by motorcade to downtown Los Angeles for a public memorial service in the Staples Center arena . Again , speculation about Jackson 's whereabouts grew when the media lost track of his casket after his brothers carried it out of sight inside the arena . Though the family has not publicly confirmed where the body was taken , most reports placed it back at the Hollywood Hills Forest Lawn while awaiting his family 's decision . Though Thursday 's interment may settle one Michael Jackson mystery , a more serious one remains . The coroner announced last week that he had ruled Jackson 's death a homicide . A summary of the coroner 's report said the anesthetic propofol and the sedative lorazepam were the primary drugs responsible for the singer 's death . Los Angeles police detectives have not concluded their criminal investigation and no one has been charged . | NEW : Michael Jackson burial to begin at 7 p.m. PT -LRB- 10 p.m. ET -RRB- . Jackson 's burial has been delayed by division among Jackson family members . Coroner announced last week that he had ruled Jackson 's death a homicide . No one has been charged in the pop singer 's death . | [[289, 400], [337, 411], [2551, 2626], [4157, 4236], [4189, 4236], [4471, 4496]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- It 's a blog where people post , and make fun of , pictures of out-of-shape , poorly dressed and otherwise awkward people shopping at Wal-Mart . The `` People of Walmart '' blog features photos taken by users at the mega-chain . And , in less than a month , with no marketing to speak of , it 's become the toast of the Internet . `` People of Wal-Mart , '' a gag started by two 20-something brothers and their buddy to share crazy pictures with their friends , has gone viral . Promoted largely on sites like Digg and Funny or Die -- and linked ad nauseam on Facebook and Twitter -- the site picked up enough traffic to crash its servers on Wednesday . `` I 'm still baffled -- I really am , '' said Andrew Kipple , 23 , one of the creators of the site , who said his team was frantically working Wednesday to add enough server space to handle the surge in traffic . Photos on the site , sent in by viewers all over the United States , frequently feature overweight people wearing tight clothes , bizarre hairstyles -LRB- with versions of the short-in-front , long-in-back `` mullet '' leading the pack -RRB- and fashion crimes ranging from furry leg warmers to miniskirts that leave absolutely nothing to the imagination . There 's a guy enjoying a can of beer outside a Wal-Mart , a guy dressed as Captain America and another guy with a goat . Yes , a live goat . Andrew and his brother Adam , 25 , said they thought of the site after a visit to a South Carolina Wal-Mart where they saw a woman they believed to be a stripper , wearing an obscene T-shirt and leading a toddler in a harness . Around the next corner was a man with a beard reminiscent of the rock band ZZ Top . `` It 's kind of like the light bulb went off , '' Andrew said . `` We get the e-mails already from people who are like , ` Why did n't I think of this ? ' We just happened to be fortunate enough to have the ability to actually follow through on it . '' Their site was keeping up when it was getting about 500,000 views a day , but got swamped by a new spike in traffic late last week . The brothers , along with partner Luke Wherry , 23 , say response has been largely positive -- with only a handful of complaints out of every 100 e-mails they get . A post on the group 's Facebook page Thursday morning said they had gotten more than 1.2 million page views on Wednesday , even though the site was down for much of the day . The site was getting two or three photo submissions a day until last week they said -- when all of a sudden hundreds of e-mails , most with pictures , started rolling in . But not everyone appreciates the humor -- saying the site goes out of its way to mock poor and rural patrons of the store , reinforcing stereotypes along the way . `` American culture likes to single out people who appear to be different , '' said Tim Marema , vice president of the Whitesburg , Kentucky-based Center for Rural Strategies . `` Whether it 's a joke or not , all depends on which side of the camera you 're on . '' Furthering stereotypes can strengthen the rifts between rural , urban and suburban residents and , in the worst-case scenario , can affect the way some people are treated by government and industry , he said . Wal-Mart , the world 's largest retailer with more than 4,200 U.S. stores and over $ 400 billion in annual sales , may be more prominent in rural areas , Marema said , but to use that to stereotype its shoppers does n't make sense . `` The reality is that everybody shops at Wal-Mart , '' he said . `` If you want to find the guy in the golf shirt and khakis , he 's there too . '' A spokesman for Wal-Mart Stores Inc. declined to comment for this story . The brothers say they do n't mean for their site to be mean-spirited , and that they have standards for which photos they use . Andrew Kipple said they do n't include pictures of people with physical disabilities or apparent mental disabilities and wo n't run a picture of a person simply because they are overweight . `` We 're not going to go out and say we 're not making fun of anybody or we 're the nicest guys in the world . But I think you have to draw a line somewhere when you have a site like this , '' he said . `` If you have a mental handicap -- that 's not funny . If you have lost a leg and you 're on a crutch or in a wheelchair , some people may laugh at that , but we do n't find it funny . '' He denied complaints that the photos -- many of which attract a string of snarky comments from readers -- single out people because they are poor or unattractive . `` If you make a bad decision on what you 're going to be out in public wearing , that 's what we 're looking for , '' he said . `` If you 're 400 pounds , you should n't be wearing nothing but a pink tube top . Even if you shop at Goodwill , wherever you go , the shirts they sell have sleeves and they have your size . '' Adam Kipple , who works as a Web designer for a marketing firm , said he and his brother are frequent Wal-Mart shoppers themselves and that , in a way , their site could be boon to the shopping chain . `` People -LSB- who send e-mails wanting to take pictures -RSB- say , ' I have n't been to Wal-Mart in years , but now I have a reason to go , ' '' he said . | `` People of Wal-Mart '' blog went viral last week . Site features photos of unusual haircuts , fashion at the stores . Critics say site reinforces stereotypes , misrepresents Wal-Mart shoppers . Site 's creators say they have standards , wo n't mock everyone . | [[164, 247], [887, 905], [956, 1094], [2639, 2754], [2721, 2760], [3027, 3049], [3144, 3152], [3155, 3224], [3409, 3469], [3693, 3772], [4012, 4017], [4046, 4123]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Muslim teenager from Ohio says her father threatened to kill her because she converted to Christianity . Rifqa Bary claims her father wants her dead after she converted to Christianity . Rifqa Bary , 17 , ran away from her family in Columbus , Ohio , in July and took refuge in the central Florida home of the Rev. Blake Lorenz with the Global Revolution Church in Orlando . The teen heard of the pastor and his church through a prayer group on Facebook . The girl 's parents reported her missing to Columbus police , who found her two weeks later in Florida through cell phone records . The teenager , in a sworn affidavit , claims her father , Mohamed Bary , 47 , was pressured by the mosque the family attends in Ohio to `` deal with the situation . '' In the court filing , Rifqa Bary stated her father said , `` If you have this Jesus in your heart , you are dead to me ! '' The teenager claims her father added , `` I will kill you ! '' Mohamed Bary told CNN a lot of false information has been given and `` we would n't do her harm . '' He knew his daughter was involved with Christian organizations . `` I have no problem with her practicing any faith , '' he said , but Bary admitted he would have preferred his daughter to practice the Muslim faith first . Although Mohamed Bary said he did not expect his daughter to run away , Rifqa Bary was placed in foster care by an Orlando judge in August while the Florida Department of Children and Family investigated the threat allegations against the parents . In a court filing Monday , John Stemberger , Rifqa Bary 's attorney and president of the Christian advocacy organization Florida Family Policy Council , accused the parents ' Ohio mosque of having ties to terrorism and radical Islam . The Noor Islamic Cultural Center has denied the allegations . Stemberger told CNN he agreed with his client that she would be killed by radical Muslims if she is returned to Ohio . `` She is a person who is ripe for apostate killing or mercy killing . I 'm not going to let my client slip away in the night by going back , '' said Stemberger . Roger Weeden , the mother 's attorney in Florida , said the filing had no credible evidence but instead was meant `` just to inflame the community and the court . '' Weeden said he believes the teen 's attorney is trying to create an atmosphere of fear and intimidation . The teen 's attorney said his client has endured a history of abuse from her family . Stemberger said the young girl was forced to wear the Muslim headscarf called a hijab and was punched in the face by her father for being ashamed while wearing it . Stemberger is asking the court to keep Rifqa Bary in the custody of the state of Florida until she turns 18 in a year . Mohamed Bary , who is not a United States citizen , said he ca n't believe all the false allegations and the bad image caused by the situation . `` We are not bad people , '' Bary said . `` We are not like that , we are normal . '' The mother 's attorney said the teenager was a normal girl , a cheerleader in Ohio , and what Muslim extremist would allow his daughter be a cheerleader ? At a court hearing scheduled for Thursday in Orlando , the parents will have an opportunity to respond to the allegations against them . Their attorney said the parents will deny all allegations . After the court hearing , the judge may force all the parties involved into mediation , followed by an adjudication hearing . | Teen convert says she ran away from Muslim father after he allegedly threatened her . Rifqa Bary 's attorney says his client would be killed if she is returned to Ohio . Mohammed Bary calls allegations false , says Rifqa can practice any faith she wants . Hearing on case is scheduled for Thursday in Florida . | [[0, 15], [47, 93], [52, 125], [126, 207], [208, 218], [226, 262], [1924, 1952], [3149, 3198], [3146, 3282]] |
Editor 's note : Rudy Ruiz founded RedBrownandBlue.com , a site featuring multicultural political commentary , hosts a nationally syndicated Spanish-language radio show ; and wrote a guide to success for immigrants -LRB- '' ¡ Adelante ! '' published by Random House -RRB- . He is co-founder and president of Interlex , an advocacy marketing agency based in San Antonio , Texas . Rudy Ruiz says people hold on to their views despite the evidence for fear of being labeled a flip-flopper . SAN ANTONIO , Texas -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- As people shout over each other and tune out diverging views in town hall meetings , the health care debate is proving to be symptomatic of a major ailment threatening our nation : . A contagious culture of closed-mindedness threatens to suffocate our progress as a society . Why has it become so difficult to even consider changing our minds about important issues ? Here 's my diagnosis . Increasingly , the willingness to change one 's position on political issues has been misread as a mark of weakness rather than a product of attentive listening and careful deliberation . During the 2004 Presidential campaign , the successful branding of John Kerry as a flip-flopper doomed his bid . Fear of `` flip-flopper syndrome '' is apparently catching like the flu , because today politicians are not alone in their determination to adhere to partisan positions despite the changing needs of our nation . Nearly everyone 's so reluctant to appear wishy-washy that they stand firm even when the evidence is against their views . Three factors exacerbate this paralysis by lack of analysis : labels , lifestyles and listening . First , the labels ascribed to many potential policy tools render sensible options taboo , loading what could be rational , economic or social measures with moral baggage . This narrows our choices , hemming in policy makers . Any proposal including the words `` government-run '' elicits cries of `` socialism '' and `` communism . '' Any argument invoking the words `` God '' or `` moral '' sparks accusations of `` right-wing extremism , '' `` fascism , '' or `` Bible-thumping . '' Instead of listening to each other 's ideas , we spot the warning label and run the other way . Second , our lifestyles favor knee-jerk reactions . The way we think , work and live in the Digital Age demands we quickly categorize information without investing time into rich interaction , research and understanding . We 're hesitant to ask questions because we do n't have time to listen to the long , complicated answers that might follow . And we lack the time to fact-check competing claims . In our haste , it 's easier to echo our party 's position than drill down , questioning whether party leaders are motivated by our best interests or the best interests of their biggest contributors . Third , we tend to listen only to like-minded opinions as media fragmentation encourages us to filter out varying perspectives . If you 're a liberal , you avoid FOX News . If you 're a conservative you revile MSNBC . The dynamic is even more pronounced online , where a niche media source can be found for any outlook . This silences the opportunity for meaningful dialogue and deliberation that might lead to reformulating positions , forging sustainable compromises , and developing consensus crucial to moving our nation forward on complex issues . So how can we overcome this challenge , starting with the health care debate ? How do we open our minds to the possibility that we could actually learn from somebody else ? Here 's my prescription . For starters , we should eschew the notion that changing our minds is a character flaw . To the contrary , experts believe it 's a manifestation of higher intelligence . Renowned psychologist Stuart Sutherland wrote in `` Irrationality , '' his seminal 1992 book : `` The willingness to change one 's mind in the light of new evidence is a sign of rationality not weakness . '' To further free our minds , we should aggressively treat the three Ls : . Let 's lose the labels : from `` flip-flopper '' to `` commie , '' from `` fear-monger '' to `` right-wing nut job . '' Trash the diatribe ; mull the ideas . Let 's engage in some constructive lifestyle management , slowing down to ponder -- and make independent decisions -- as enlightened people . We can not allow the technological evolution to rob us of the intellectual strides of the American Revolution . We must value the art of listening , reflection , comparative analysis , and civil discourse if we 're to make the most of our democracy . In the process , we should signal to leaders that we 're willing to expand our horizons beyond party lines . Maybe they 'll get in front of our parade , collaborating for a change . Let 's request a second opinion and listen to each other . Switch channels . Visit different Web sites . Read a newspaper , while we can still find one . How about stepping into a town hall with an open mind , prepared to converse with people hailing from diverse circumstances ? A range of perspectives enriches our viewpoint , empowering us to craft nuanced responses to complex situations . Ultimately , we must stop thinking that the only thing to think is what we 've thought all along . As we learn more about multifaceted matters , our positions should evolve accordingly . Let 's accept that it 's OK to change your minds . In the end , opening our minds can only enhance the prognosis for our most cherished patient : America . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Rudy Ruiz . | Rudy Ruiz : It 's become unfashionable to have an open mind about issues . He says labels like `` socialism '' and `` fascism '' obscure the real choices . He says it 's a sign of rationality to be open to the evidence . Ruiz : Let 's listen to each other and take into consideration wider range of viewpoints . | [[803, 894], [3855, 3921], [3900, 3961], [3186, 3226], [3232, 3269], [4772, 4830], [4772, 4786], [4808, 4830]] |
HARARE , Zimbabwe -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Congestion in Zimbabwe 's prisons is set to ease a bit after President Robert Mugabe acceded to pleas by prison authorities to pardon more than 1,500 prisoners . Zimbabwe 's President Robert Mugabe has agreed to pardon 1,500 prisoners because of congestion . Mugabe granted the amnesty last month , but the Zimbabwe Prison Service is still identifying 1,544 prisoners to release . Zimbabwe 's prisons are congested because the crime rate has escalated due to the country 's economic collapse , prison officials have said . A senior justice ministry official told journalists Wednesday that Mugabe 's clemency would benefit all convicted female prisoners and juveniles , but excludes criminals facing serious charges including rape or any sexual offenses , carjacking , conspiracy , armed robbery , murder and stock theft . `` As a short-term relief option to try and contain some of these challenges seriously and negatively impacting on the effective and efficient administration of prisons , a proposal to have a general amnesty was granted to inmates , '' said David Mangota , the Justice Ministry permanent secretary , of Mugabe 's decision . The country 's 42 prisons have a capacity for 13,000 inmates but are currently holding 17,000 . As a result , the Prison Service has not been able to supply adequate rations to inmates . In April , a documentary showed half-naked , skeletal prisoners wasting away from hunger and diseases in some facilities . Prison officials said they are also strapped for cash , causing `` challenges '' in fulfilling basic needs for inmates , which include food , clothing and bedding , toiletries and transport , among others . One of the country 's largest detention facilities , Khami Prison , has had its water cut off because the Prison Service has n't paid its water bills , lawyers complained Wednesday . Sources said those bills now total more that U.S. $ 230,000 . `` Offenders incarcerated should be treated humanely and with dignity in matters of health care , personal hygiene , sanitary , ablution requirements and general living conditions , '' said Josphat Tshuma , president of the Law Society of Zimbabwe . Khami Prison is located about 500 kilometers -LRB- 310 miles -RRB- southwest of the Zimbabwean capital of Harare and holds more than 2,000 inmates . The water disconnection raises the possibility that diseases such as cholera could break out , the Law Society said . Last year , a number of prisoners died due to various diseases related to lack of water , hunger and inhuman and unhygienic conditions , the group charged . | Zimbabwe President agrees to pardon over 1,500 prisoners to ease congestion . Zimbabwe 's 42 prisons have capacity for 13,000 inmates but currently hold 17,000 . Adequate rations not available to all prisoners and some have become emaciated . | [[9, 33], [78, 160], [98, 170], [161, 198], [199, 295], [1184, 1244], [1184, 1209], [1249, 1262], [1271, 1279], [1184, 1209], [1253, 1279], [1294, 1370]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Somalis forced to flee war and drought are living in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions at home and in neighboring countries , including in Kenya and Ethiopia , an aid agency said Thursday . Somali refugees in Kenya queue to find out about a move to a displacement camp . Somalia has seen a rise in fighting between government forces and the Islamic militant group Al-Shabab , which wants to implement a stricter form of Sharia law or Islamic religious law . The clashes have left scores dead in recent months . The country in the Horn of Africa is also going through the worst drought in 10 years , international agency Oxfam said . `` Somalis flee one of the world 's most brutal conflicts and a desperate drought , only to end up in unimaginable conditions in camps that are barely fit for humans , '' said Robbert Van den Berg , a spokesman for Oxfam International in the Horn of Africa . `` Hundreds of thousands of children are affected , and the world is abandoning the next generation of Somalis when they most need our help . Why does it seem like you matter less in this world if you are from Somalia ? '' The international community has failed the refugees , who have little access to basic services such as water and medicine , Oxfam said . About 8,000 Somali refugees flock into the Dadaab camp in northern Kenya every month , the aid agency said . The camp , which has facilities for about 90,000 , has 280,000 refugees who have no access to basic necessities , including clean water , Oxfam said . `` The Kenyan government has repeatedly promised to provide more land to ease the overcrowding , but has so far failed to do so , '' Van den Berg said . `` More pressure from the international community is needed to make it happen . '' Kenyan officials decried the criticism . `` It is wrong to say we are not doing anything , '' said Francis Mwaka , a federal communications official . `` The Kenya government is aware of the problem and is working on a solution . '' Several government departments that deal with refugee issues are planning to meet next week , Mwaka said . `` During this meeting , they will discuss the possibility of having another camp for refugees in the country or relocating some of the ones in Dadaab to another camp , '' he said . Mwaka confirmed Oxfam 's report that the Dadaab camp was built to host 90,000 refugees . In Ethiopia , the Bokolmayo camp has about 10,000 people . At least 1,000 people arrive there every month , but the facilities are not adequate enough to handle the influx , Oxfam said . Meanwhile , in Somalia , insecurity has hindered international aid agencies from reaching the 485,000 people who have fled the capital , Mogadishu , to nearby Afgooye , Oxfam said . The displaced are getting help from Somalis , who do not have enough resources , it added . `` In all three locations -- Afgooye , Dadaab and Bokolmayo -- the services being provided to vulnerable and desperate people are far below international standards , '' Van den Berg said . About 1.4 million people have been displaced in Somalia and 500,000 more have fled to countries in the region , according to Oxfam . The transitional government has been mired in chaos since 1991 when warlords overthrew dictator Mohamed Siad Barre and sparked brutal clan infighting . Government officials have struggled to establish authority amid challenges by Islamist groups that have seized control of some cities . | Somali refugees living in unsanitary conditions at home and in neighboring countries . Clashes between government forces and Islamic militant group has killed hundreds . Somalia also suffering from worst drought in ten years , according to Oxfam . The Bokolmayo camp in Ethiopia is home to about 10,000 refugees . | [[0, 15], [50, 146], [294, 386], [481, 533], [534, 619], [622, 655], [2382, 2393], [2396, 2440]] |
-LRB- Mental Floss -RRB- -- Students , we know you may not be all that ecstatic about seeing your teachers -- and the homework they assign -- as the school year starts up . Pay attention in class , though ; you never know what hidden talents your teachers might have . Just look at all of these famous former teachers : . After teaching and performing music , Gene Simmons is now starring in his own reality show , `` Family Jewels . '' Gene Simmons : The tongue-flicking bassist of Kiss taught sixth grade in Harlem before he became the world 's most famous bass-playing demon . Simmons later revealed in interviews that his superiors canned him for replacing the works of Shakespeare with Spiderman comics , which he thought the students were more likely to actually read . Alexander Graham Bell : The telephone pioneer got his start teaching Visible Speech at the Boston School for Deaf Mutes . He developed a bond with a student named Mabel Hubbard , and when she was 19 the two married . Sting : Before he became a star with The Police , Sting taught English , music , and soccer at St. Catherine 's Convent School . Sting later said of working at a convent school , `` I was the only man on the faculty . In fact , I was the only teacher not in a habit . '' Mental Floss : How 10 celebrities picked their stage names . Robert Frost : Like King , Frost worked as a teacher to supplement the income from his fledgling literary career . Frost worked as both a farmer and teacher at the Pinkerton Academy in Derry , New Hampshire . His students called him `` the Hen Man '' because the poet was afraid of chickens , and Frost allegedly had trouble remembering to milk the school 's cows on time . Lyndon Johnson : The future president got his start as a principal at the Mexican-American Welhausen School in Cotulla , Texas . He later finished his teaching degree and landed gigs teaching public speaking at Pearsall High School in Pearsall Texas and Sam Houston High in Houston . The debate team he coached at Sam Houston lost the Texas state championship by a single point ; Johnson supposedly had to vomit backstage before he could bring himself to congratulate the winners . Art Garfunkel : We ca n't speak for Paul Simon , but at least half of Simon and Garfunkel was really , really good at math . Garfunkel nearly earned a doctorate in the subject and was teaching math at the Litchfield Preparatory School in Connecticut when `` Bridge Over Troubled Water '' soared to the top of the charts . John Adams : The second president of the United States spent a few years working as a schoolteacher in Worcester , Massachusetts . Teaching did n't suit Adams , who thought his students were nothing more than a `` large number of little runtlings , just capable of lisping A , B , C , and troubling the master . '' He eventually gave up the job to go to law school . Mr. T : It was hard for Chicago students to be fools when it came to gym class in the mid-1970s . You 'd pay attention if Mr. T told you to do jumping jacks , would n't you ? Sylvester Stallone : Did you know you were watching a matchup of tough-guy teachers when Stallone and Mr. T battled in `` Rocky III ? '' When Sly was attending the American College in Switzerland during the 1960s , he worked as a gym teacher to earn extra spending money . Mental Floss : Sly Stallone pudding and other unique celebrity products . J.K. Rowling : The Harry Potter author worked as an English teacher in Portugal as she plotted out the early adventures of her young wizards . Andy Griffith : Before he was a sheriff , before he was Matlock , Andy Griffith was a teacher . After graduating from the University of North Carolina , Griffith taught English at Goldsboro High School . Billy Crystal : The comedian worked as a junior high substitute teacher on Long Island while he waited for his career to take off . Among the classes he subbed for : girls ' gym , which must have been a great source of material . Kris Kristofferson : The country star was a Rhodes Scholar who studied literature at Oxford before joining the Army and rising to the rank of captain . Towards the end of his tour of duty , Kristofferson took a job as an English teacher at West Point , but he decided against the professorship at the last minute . Instead of heading to New York , he resigned his commission and moved to Nashville in 1965 . Stephen King : Although he initially had to work in an industrial laundry after his college graduation , the horror master eventually found a teaching job that paid a cool $ 6400 a year at the Hampden Academy in Hampden , Maine . King wrote `` Salem 's Lot '' while living in a trailer and working this job during the day . Mental Floss : Mojave Desert 's airplane graveyard . Sir William Golding : The author 's experiences as a teacher helped inform the novel that made his career . He once allowed a class of boys to debate with complete freedom , and the classroom quickly devolved into such disorder that it inspired Golding to write `` Lord of the Flies . '' For more mental_floss articles , visit mentalfloss.com . Entire contents of this article copyright , Mental Floss LLC . All rights reserved . | Some people who became famous , tried their hand at teaching first . President Lyndon Johnson taught public speaking , coached debate team . Art Garfunkel was teaching math when `` Bridge Over Troubled Water '' became a hit . Authors Stephen King and J.K. Rowling and singer Sting all taught English . | [[1352, 1439], [1828, 1836], [1870, 1909], [1877, 1969], [2306, 2315], [2361, 2468], [2439, 2502]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe has shown throughout her career that when it comes to voting , it 's her principles and constituents that guide her , not her party . Sen. Olympia Snowe has received overwhelming support from her constituents in past elections . Those principles , analysts note , are guiding her to find a compromise on health care reform currently stalemated in Congress . Jennifer Duffy , who follows the Senate for the Cook Political Report , said Snowe 's independent streak is `` not new behavior for her . '' `` I think they -LSB- Republicans -RSB- also realize that the only reason that the state of Maine has two Republican senators at all is the fact that they are very independent-minded and they vote their state , '' she said , referring to Snowe and Sen. Susan Collins . In fact , some estimates place Snowe as having voted with her party only 57 percent of the time in the current Congress . While her moderate views are at odds with GOP opposition to several of President Obama 's economic plans this year , the senator 's constituents seem to agree with her . In 2006 , she won re-election with 74 percent of the vote , compared to her Democratic opponent 's 21 percent . In 2000 , Snowe received 69 percent of the vote . In an interview with National Public Radio in 2006 , she said that while her views are moderate , Maine , like other New England states , has been `` naturally independent '' `` Oftentimes , I tell my leadership , do n't blame me , it 's just where I grew up , '' she said at the time . Snowe , 59 , was elected to Congress in 1978 at age 31 , and served Maine 's 2nd District for 16 years . She ran for Senate in 1994 and won , `` becoming the first woman in American history to serve in both houses of the state legislature and both houses of Congress , '' her Senate Web site notes . Her political career began in 1973 after her husband , Maine Rep. Peter Snowe , was killed in a car accident and she was elected to fill his seat . After two years in the state Senate , she won the U.S. House seat held by William Cohen when he ran for the U.S. Senate in 1978 . Snowe was elected to the Senate with 60 percent of the vote during the Republican revolution of 1994 , filling the seat of longtime Democratic Sen. George Mitchell , who retired . She married then-Maine Gov. John McKernan in 1989 . In 2006 , Time Magazine named her one of the top 10 U.S. senators , calling her `` the caretaker . '' `` Because of her centrist views and eagerness to get beyond partisan point scoring , Maine Republican Olympia Snowe is in the center of every policy debate in Washington , '' the article read . `` But while Snowe is a major player on national issues , she is also known as one of the most effective advocates for her constituents . '' Duffy said that if Snowe and Collins started voting with the Republican leadership all the time , `` They would probably both lose re-election . '' Part of the so-called `` Gang of Six '' on the Senate Finance Committee , which includes three Democrats and three Republicans , she has been actively negotiating with the White House . The White House said that Sens. Chuck Grassley and Mike Enzi , the other two Republicans in the Gang of Six , have backed away from negotiations , although Enzi released a statement that said he is still willing to talk . Snowe said it 's important to work with the other party despite criticism . `` I think sometimes , yes , I 'd find myself in that position , you know , with fewer and fewer ... people who are willing to reach across the political aisle and to create what I ... call the sensible center , '' she told NPR last week . `` I mean , that 's where the majority of Americans are . And I try to sort of build those ... bridges . '' Part of that bridge building was seen with her votes for the president 's $ 787 billion economic stimulus package in February . For the past months , Snowe has been pushing the idea of a safety net plan , or `` trigger , '' for a public health care option as part of a key compromise . A source familiar with her negotiations with Obama said that 's one of the things they 're talking about . Watch more on the health care debate '' The idea would give insurance companies a defined period to make changes in order to help cover more people and drive down long-term costs . But if those changes failed to occur within the defined period , a trigger would provide for creating a public option to force change on the insurance companies . `` This option would be available from day one in any state where -- after market and insurance reforms are implemented -- affordable , competitive plans still do not exist , '' she said in a press release . Her main concerns so far have been the high cost of health care proposals . `` What we have to do is develop a plan that 's going to be available to people on an affordable basis , and , secondly , containing costs both for the American consumer and the American taxpayer , '' Snowe said in the NPR interview last week . Cost has been a major part of her bipartisan efforts in the Senate . `` Given the gravity of our economic circumstances , I am pleased that our bipartisan negotiations have yielded a consensus solution that will create jobs , assist the displaced and invest in our economy , '' she said at the time about the stimulus plan . She added that it is not a `` matter of labeling something as spending or as tax relief ; it 's finding and including in this package the vital provisions necessary for jump-starting our economy . '' CNN 's Dana Bash , Ed Henry and Mark Preston contributed to this report . | Sen. Olympia Snowe is one of two GOP senators from Maine . Snowe has said she is guided by principles and constituents , not her party . Analyst : Snowe 's independent streak is `` not new behavior for her '' In 2006 , Time magazine named her one of the top 10 U.S. senators . | [[148, 160], [166, 175], [418, 432], [490, 555], [2379, 2386], [2389, 2444]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The son of Gabon 's former president was declared the winner of the country 's presidential elections on Thursday , sparking violent protests in some parts of the West African nation . Two men walk by tyres set on fire by opposition supporters in Libreville , Gabon . Voters went to the polls Sunday to elect a successor to President Omar Bongo , who died in June after more than four decades in office . Bongo , 73 , was Africa 's longest-serving ruler . In a live announcement Thursday on Gabonese television , Interior Minister Jean Francois Ndongou said Ali Bongo received 41.73 percent of the votes in Sunday 's election , with former interior minister Andre Mba Obame getting 25.88 percent and main opposition leader Pierre Mamboundou winning 25.22 percent . Opposition supporters protested the results outside the French consulate in the oil-rich city of Port-Gentil , on the country 's coast . A fire broke out at the consulate during the demonstrations , a French official told CNN . The official did not want his name to be used . Some people were seriously injured in the blaze , the official said . In his first address to the nation shortly after the results were announced , Ali Bongo , 50 , promised to work to improve living conditions for all Gabonese by a redistribution of the country 's riches , according to Gabonese media reports . The country has multiple lucrative natural resources , including oil , timber , minerals and gems . Before the results were made public , all three candidates had previously claimed victory , with the opposition candidates denouncing what they said was fraud in the election and vote-counting . Security forces patrolled the streets in the Gabonese capital of Libreville , where violence broke out in some quarters when the results were released , according to French media reports . Libreville was deserted because residents had fled to villages for fear of post-election violence , Andriankoto Ratozamanana told CNN by phone from the capital . `` The citizens wo n't accept if Ali Bongo wins , because that will mean the government stole the vote , '' Ratozamanana said . `` They want change . They do n't want Bongo , because he is his dad 's son . '' The younger Bongo , a former defense minister , was one of 23 politicians originally in the ballot . Several candidates pulled out a few days before the vote to support the opposition , said Archippe Yepmou , a media activist . The elder Bongo took power in 1967 , seven years after the country 's independence from France . He imposed one-party rule a year after succeeding the country 's first president , who died in office . He allowed multiparty elections after a new constitution in 1991 , but his party retained its grip on the government despite that . The nation of about 1.5 million has a per capita income four times that of most sub-Saharan African nations , according to the CIA World Factbook . Despite its wealth , which also comes from timber exports , a large percentage of its population lives in poverty because of poor financial management and a huge gap between the rich and the poor . CNN 's Alanne Orjoux and Umaro Djau contributed to this report . | Ali Bongo , son of Gabon 's former president declared the winner of election . Opposition supporters protest outside the French consulate in city of Port-Gentil . Voters went to the polls on Sunday to elect successor to President Omar Bongo . | [[0, 15], [39, 132], [784, 892], [287, 363]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The mayor of Ciudad Juarez , Mexico , is asking Mexican federal authorities not to pull military units out of the region for at least another six months . A Mexican soldier controls traffic at the Mexico-U.S. border customs post in Ciudad Juarez on August 16 . A decision on whether to withdraw the troops is expected before September 15 . The troops were sent to the city across from El Paso , Texas , in the spring of 2008 to help quell violence involving warring drug cartels . An additional surge of troops was sent this spring . That surge appeared to work at first , cutting the homicide rate in Juarez drastically . But murders in the city spiked over the summer . Figures provided by the city show that in August . more than 300 people were killed , the deadliest month so far this year . In July , 260 died and in June , 220 . Those numbers were in stark contrast to 16 homicides in March , 42 in April and 60 in May . The mayor , Jose Reyes Ferriz , attributed the summer spike in violence to wars between cartels over the control of street drug-sale points . The cartels are hiring mostly youths to handle retail drug sales , he said , and that has resulted in most of the murder victims being between the ages of 14 and 25 . The mayor said Juarez is not ready for the army 's full withdrawal , even though he is aware the troops ' presence was meant to be a temporary solution to give the city time to get rid of corrupt police officers , hire new ones and train its new force . `` We have accomplished the part that has to do with strengthening the police , but the city is in a very difficult situation . We are asking part of the army to stay and help us , '' Reyes Ferriz said . In September , 750 newly graduated police cadets are expected to join Ciudad Juarez Police Department , and another 400 in October , bringing the force to a total of about 3,000 officers . According to figures provided by the military , more than 6,000 soldiers are serving in Joint Operation Chihuahua in Juarez , of which 3,600 have been assigned to narco-traffic operations . The rest have been assigned to traffic duties and street patrols . The operation 's spokesman , Enrique Torres , said the military is `` evaluating the security situation '' in the city and will be `` implementing a gradual withdrawal . '' | Mayor Jose Reyes Ferriz would like federal army troops to stay six more months . Troops were sent to Ciudad Juarez to quell drug-fueled murders . Murders down in spring , but spike in summer ; more than 300 killed in August . Decision on whether to withdraw the troops is expected before September 15 . | [[0, 15], [57, 173], [359, 411], [500, 552], [646, 690], [742, 774], [777, 796], [280, 358]] |
LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Michael Jackson 's memorial service will take place Tuesday morning in the Staples Center , the 20,000-seat coliseum in downtown Los Angeles where Jackson rehearsed his show the night before he died , according to a person who has been briefed by a representative of the family . Michael Jackson was rehearsing at Los Angeles ' Staples Center . His memorial will now be there . No other details about the service , set to begin at 10 a.m. Tuesday , have been revealed . Thursday , CNN learned the family trust created by Jackson to receive all of his assets includes his mother , his children and a list of charities , according to a person with direct knowledge to the contents of the trust . Katherine Jackson 's 40 percent share would go to Michael Jackson 's three children after her death , the source said . The children -- ages 7 , 11 and 12 -- will also share 40 percent of the estate 's assets and the remaining 20 percent will benefits charities designated by the executors of the will , the source said . Jackson 's will did not specify where he wished to be buried . Many of his fans had hoped they 'd get a chance to pay last respects at Neverland Ranch , which Jackson purchased in 1987 , filled with animals and amusement rides , and named after the fictional world in J.M. Barrie 's `` Peter Pan . '' Planning had been under way for a motorcade to carry Jackson 's body from Los Angeles to the ranch in Santa Barbara County , California , which state and local officials suggested would be difficult and costly . A public viewing at the ranch on Friday also had been under consideration , law enforcement sources said . Gregory Son , a 31-year-old musician , was among many fans who had planned to ride to the ranch to say goodbye to Jackson . `` I think he was a modern-day prophet , '' Son said outside Grauman 's Chinese Theater in Hollywood . `` We kind of lost our father . '' DEA joins investigation . On Wednesday night , a federal law enforcement official said Wednesday night that the Drug Enforcement Administration had joined Jackson 's death investigation , once again fanning speculation that drugs may have been involved in the pop icon 's passing . Two law enforcement officials separately confirmed the DEA probe , saying agents would look at various doctors involved with Jackson , their practices and their possible sources of medicine supply . Neither official wanted to be identified because they could not comment publicly on the matter . Officially , a DEA spokeswoman referred questions to the Los Angeles , California , police department -- which would not confirm the involvement . `` We routinely offer assistance to any agency regarding the Federal Controlled Substance Act , '' said Sarah Pullen of the DEA . `` However , at this time , we have nothing further to comment about the death of Michael Jackson . '' Speculation about the role of drugs has been swirling since Jackson died on June 25 at his rented estate in Holmby Hills . The cause of his death , at age 50 , was pending toxicology results . On Wednesday , police released a car belonging to Jackson 's cardiologist , Dr. Conrad Murray . They had impounded the vehicle Friday , saying it might contain evidence -- possibly prescription medications . Police did not say whether they found anything . Murray 's lawyers issued a statement , asking the public to reserve judgment about the cause of death until the coroner 's tests are complete . `` Based on our agreement with Los Angeles investigators , we are waiting on real information to come from viable sources like the Los Angeles medical examiner 's office about the death of Michael Jackson , '' the statement said . `` We will not be responding to rumors and innuendo . '' The comments were in reaction to a claim by a nutritionist who said Jackson suffered from severe bouts of insomnia and pleaded for the powerful sedative , Propofol , despite knowing its harmful effects . `` I told him this medication is not safe , '' said Cherilyn Lee , a registered nurse . `` He said , ' I just want to get some sleep . You do n't understand . I just want to be able to be knocked out and go to sleep . ' '' Will nominates Jackson 's mother as kids ' guardian . Meanwhile , details of Jackson 's will -- written on July 7 , 2002 -- showed that the singer estimated his estate to be worth at least $ 500 million . In it , he nominated his mother , Katherine Jackson , as the guardian of his three children . If his 79-year-old mother is not living , `` I nominate Diana Ross as guardian , '' Jackson stated . Singer Ross , 65 , is a lifelong friend of Jackson 's . The will said Jackson `` intentionally omitted '' his former wife and the mother of his two oldest children , Debbie Rowe . It will be up to a court to decide who gets custody of the children , ages 7 , 11 and 12 . Rowe has not publicly indicated whether she will challenge the Jacksons for custody . The two men whom the will named as executors immediately filed a request to take control of the estate . One is John Branca , who represented Jackson from 1980 until 2006 and was hired again before the singer 's death . He helped acquire Jackson 's music catalog , which is worth millions . The other is music industry executive John McClain , a longtime Jackson friend who has worked with him and his sister Janet . The men said in their filing in Los Angeles Superior Court that control of the estate would allow them to tend to Jackson 's numerous outstanding debts , legal cases and business obligations . Judge Mitchell Beckloff held an emergency hearing Wednesday morning and decided there was no urgency to replace Katherine Jackson -- whom he appointed temporary administrator earlier this week . Another hearing has been set for Monday . -- CNN 's Drew Griffin , Kathleen Johnston , Michael Carey , Paul Vercammen , Carol Cratty and Kara Finnstrom contributed to this report . | NEW : Michael Jackson trust includes mother , children , charities . Michael Jackson memorial to be Tuesday at L.A. 's Staples Center . The Drug Enforcement Administration has joined Jackson 's death investigation . Speculation about the role of drugs has been swirling since Jackson died . | [[514, 522], [525, 660], [624, 660], [663, 737], [0, 11], [63, 133], [1942, 1967], [1968, 1986], [1989, 2127], [2161, 2223], [2900, 3022]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Toyota must start again , `` from the bottom up , '' new president Akio Toyoda said Thursday . New Toyota boss Akio Toyoda says he will cut his salary by 30 percent . Speaking at a news conference in Tokyo , the grandson of Toyota Motors ' founder said the company will focus on tailoring its product lines to customer demand in each region . Toward that end , Toyoda named an executive vice president to head each region . The company was not wrong to expand its business earlier this decade , Toyoda said , but he acknowledged that it might have overextended . Moving forward , the company 's focus will be on products , rather than profits , he said . Taking responsibility for the company 's $ 4.4 billion net loss in the most recent fiscal year , Toyoda said he would cut his salary by 30 percent . There are no current plans to close factories , a company executive said . Analysts say Toyoda must drastically cut costs , but he offered no hints as to how or even whether that would be done at his first news conference as president . The company board formally approved Toyoda , 53 , for the job on Tuesday . He has been with Toyota for 24 years . His grandfather slightly altered the family name when christening the company `` Toyota , '' which has eight brush strokes in Japanese -- a fortuitous number . | Akio Toyoda is the grandson of company founder Kiichiro Toyoda . Toyoda has been with the firm 24 years , says will cut his salary by 30 percent . Analysts say Toyoda must drastically cut costs -- he offers no hints as to how . | [[114, 185], [147, 185], [771, 822], [1135, 1173], [898, 944], [951, 1059]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Accusing local media in the Orlando , Florida , area of a `` barrage '' of coverage , Casey Anthony 's lead defense attorney asked Monday to have her death-penalty case moved from Orlando to Miami , Florida . Casey Anthony is accused of killing her 2-year-old daughter Caylee . `` The overwhelming majority of the media 's coverage of this case has been negative for the defendant , '' says a defense motion filed in Orange County Circuit Court . Anthony , 23 , is scheduled to go on trial on a first-degree murder charge in the death of her 2-year-old daughter Caylee . `` The effects of the inflammatory and negative aspect of the media coverage in this case is best witnessed in the violent and harassing protests which have dogged the defendant and her family for many months now , '' the motion says . Signed by Anthony 's lead lawyer , Jose Baez , the motion says moving the trial far enough away from local media will `` not end the coverage , '' which Baez said has produced thousands of articles and TV news reports , but will `` have a chilling effect '' on coverage . Peter Odom , a defense attorney appearing Monday on HLN 's Nancy Grace to provide analysis of the case , said , `` All the defense has to show is that there 's been extensive media coverage . That 's a cinch . '' `` Secondly , that it will be impossible for them to find a fair jury pool , '' he added , referring to the Orlando area . Baez cited a number of reasons in his request to the judge to move the case to south Florida , where he says it has been covered far less and there is a `` large and diverse jury pool . '' Local media in the Orlando area , he argued , have affected Anthony 's chances of getting a fair trial not only in Orange County but in much of Central Florida . If the judge rejects his request to move the trial to Miami , Baez said Broward County , about a 45-minute drive north of Miami , is a second choice . | Attorney cites negative TV , media coverage in request for venue change . Lawyer asked for trial to be moved from Orlando , Florida , to Miami , Florida . Lawyer says media coverage means Casey Anthony wo n't get a fair trial . Casey Anthony facing death penalty trial for daughter 's murder . | [[0, 15], [19, 54], [105, 215], [297, 399], [1098, 1108], [1203, 1207], [1210, 1289], [1434, 1492], [105, 215], [1788, 1844], [1657, 1666], [1669, 1784], [1623, 1654], [1669, 1784], [228, 287], [466, 473], [476, 478], [481, 580]] |
-LRB- AOL Autos -RRB- -- Since there have been cars , people have chosen their rides based on what their cars say about them . AOL Autos put a list of cars before automotive industry experts to capture their take on several popular cars . Drivers of the dependable Camry know what 's important in life , says expert . Our panel consisted of Stephanie Brinley , senior manager at Auto Pacific ; James Bell , editor and publisher of IntelliChoice and Jim Markwalder , veteran automotive consultant from Detroit . Rest assured , these experts did not pull any punches . Toyota Prius : Green no matter its color . Brinley looked through the company 's vast data on the Toyota Prius . `` Buying a Prius shows the world that you love the environment and hate using fuel , '' said Brinley . `` Compared to the overall industry , Prius buyers are more often women , have fewer kids and more often have college educations . '' Bell adds , `` New Prius buyers want to be part of the ` green ' club . '' `` Prius drivers like the video-game challenge of continuously trying to best your own fuel economy achievements , '' said Brinley . Markwalder opines : `` There 's a good chance that if you come upon a line of slow moving traffic , a Prius driver will be at the front of the line , self-righteously driving under the speed limit on his or her way to save the world . '' We 're just quoting here , folks . Chevrolet Corvette : Performer for the mid-life crisis . The Chevy Corvette `` seems to be more often a reward car . Its buyers are older than the industry average , with 88 percent born before 1946 , according to Auto Pacific data . Only 11 percent of Corvette owners are in Gen Y or Gen X. '' Bell adds : `` Sadly , the usual stereotype of the Corvette buyer as a 57-year old male deep in a mid-life crisis is proven . '' Better car than its image suggests . Bell sees another side to the Corvette . `` It is the absolute greatest performance bargain on the planet , '' said Bell . `` It 's an affordable giant-killer . '' Markwalder adds , `` There have been 1.5 million Corvettes produced since 1953 , and while plenty of old guys drive them , they are an engineering marvel that will run 180 mph or return 30 + mpg highway fuel economy . '' Toyota Camry : A major transportation appliance . `` I think the Camry gets a bad rap for being the ` microwave oven ' of the car industry , '' said Bell . `` It 's boring , reliable , efficient , and common . But to many drivers , these words are exactly all they are looking for , making the Camry their own personal rock star . A Toyota Camry in the driveway tells everyone that you know what is important in life , and it 's not your car . '' Dodge Challenger : The transcendent pony car . The Dodge Challenger looks more like its original than the 2010 Ford Mustang or Chevrolet Camaro . According to Brinley , the Challenger appeals to Baby Boomers who like styling and power . But almost 30 percent of Challenger buyers are Gen X or Gen Y. Surprisingly , this beats out the Prius , a more forward-looking vehicle ; only 18-percent of its buyers are Gen X or Y. Auto Pacific 's data shows that the Dodge Challenger is winning buyers too young to remember the original 1970-74 Challenger . `` All ages stop and stare at this car , '' said Bell . `` Especially when it 's in Hemi Orange , from old-skool Hot Rodders to the Import Tuner crowd . '' This wide appeal makes pegging the Challenger owner more challenging . Ford F-150 : Working man 's truck . According to Auto Pacific data , the driver of a Ford F-150 work truck -LRB- a plain , regular-cab model -RRB- , is an employed man . Markwalder confirms with this : `` Basic Ford trucks , like the XLT , make a good tool for the guy who works hard for an honest living . '' Bell adds , `` We 'll see fewer non-work trucks because using them for commuting has lost its shine . '' Mercedes-Benz R-Class : A marketing mystery . `` With 2008 sales of only 7700 vehicles , we do n't have enough information about buyers to provide a strong picture of why somebody drives an R-Class , '' said Brinley . `` The more expensive GL-Class and ML-Class SUVs each sold three times as many . '' Markwalder states , `` The R-Class has always been a contradiction , looking like a minivan but not delivering on functionality . '' Bell quips , `` My experience tells me that its few buyers are attracted to its three-pointed star -LRB- badge appeal -RRB- or the large discounts because the R-Class has n't sold well . '' The R-class , a `` tweener '' that is somewhat minivan , somewhat wagon and somewhat crossover , has few rivals . Only the Ford Flex and the new Toyota Venza seem to come close . Experts ' first thoughts . Bell on Chrysler Sebring Convertible : `` I hope it 's a rental . '' Brinley adds , `` It 's an old person 's cars , with only four-percent of its buyers from Gen Y. '' Bell on the Honda Insight : `` They 're members of the Prius Alternative Club for Honda lovers . '' Markwalder on Smart ForTwo : `` Experimenters with a sense of humor who would rather sprint away from a light than hold up traffic . '' | The model of car you drive may be telling people all about you . Prius drivers : College educated , want to be part of the `` green club '' Corvette : An `` affordable giant-killer '' for men in midlife crisis . Smart ForTwo : `` Experimenters with a sense of humor '' who sprint away from stops . | [[918, 927], [931, 989], [930, 989], [1984, 2020]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Turkish television show is offering contestants what it claims is the `` biggest prize ever '' -- the chance for atheists to convert to one of the world 's major religions . The TV show offers converts to Islam the chance to visit Mecca . The show , called `` Tovbekarlar Yarisiyor , '' or `` Penitents Compete , '' features a Muslim imam , a Catholic priest , a Jewish rabbi and a Buddhist monk attempting to persuade 10 atheists of the merits of their religion , according to CNN Turk . If they succeed , the contestants are rewarded with a pilgrimage to one of their chosen faith 's most sacred sites -- Mecca for Muslims , Jerusalem for converts to Judaism , a trip to Tibet for Buddhists and the chance to visit Ephesus and the Vatican for Christians . Ahmet Ozdemir , deputy director of Turkish channel Kanal T , which will air the show from September , said the program aimed to `` turn disbelievers on to God . '' `` People are free to believe anything they want . Our program does not have a say , '' he said , according to Turkish newspaper Hurriyet . Contestants will be judged by a panel of eight theologians and religious experts prior to going on the show to make sure their lack of faith is genuine . But the show has been condemned by Turkish religious leaders . The head of the country 's supreme council of religious affairs , Hamza Aktan , told CNN Turk that it was `` disrespectful '' to place different faiths in competition with each other and accused Kanal T of using religion to boost ratings . `` To do such a thing for the sake of ratings , not only with Islam but with all religions is disrespectful , '' said Aktan . `` Religion should not be the subject of this type of program . '' Although Turkey has a predominantly Muslim population and culture , religion is a sensitive subject because of the country 's staunchly secular constitution which outlaws most displays of faith in public life . Last year the Islamist-influenced government of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan clashed with the country 's constitutional court when judges overturned the efforts of Erdogan 's AK Party to lift a ban on female students wearing headscarves at public universities . Aylin Yazan at CNN Turk contributed to this story . | Turkish TV show features imam , Catholic priest , Jewish rabbi , Buddhist monk . Religious leaders attempt to persuade atheists to `` convert '' to their faith . Show has prompted criticism from religious groups who say it is `` disrespectful '' | [[334, 381], [134, 194], [779, 792], [881, 939], [1241, 1299], [1237, 1299], [1300, 1363], [1380, 1520]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The attorney for a man whose wife 's wrong-way accident killed eight people on New York 's Taconic Parkway in July says he will ask authorities to exhume her body to prove she was n't drinking at the time of the accident . On CNN 's `` Larry King Live '' Tuesday night , Daniel Schuler said his wife , Diane , was not an alcoholic . Dominic Barbera , attorney for Daniel Schuler , told CNN 's `` Larry King Live '' he believes Diane Schuler may have suffered stroke-like symptoms and that a fire after the accident could have turned blood sugar into alcohol . `` I read from the medical autopsy report that there was charring of the body because there was a fire , '' Barbera said . `` And I found -- my doctors found numerous cases where you can actually have sugar in the blood turn into alcohol . '' Barbera said Schuler may have had a Transient Ischemic Attack , which produces stroke-like symptoms but no lasting damage . Watch why husband believes wife was n't drunk '' The Westchester County medical examiner 's office found that Schuler , 36 , had a blood alcohol level of .19 percent -- more than twice the legal limit -- and had marijuana in her system when she drove a minivan the wrong way on the parkway and ran head-on into an SUV . Three adults in the SUV were killed in the July 26 crash , as were Schuler and four children she was carrying in the minivan -- her daughter and three nieces . A fifth child , Schuler 's son , survived . A spokeswoman for the medical examiner 's office , Donna Green , said that the office stands `` by the findings of the medical examiner 's report . '' But Daniel Schuler said he believed the report was wrong . `` I know the truth , what happened , with my wife , '' he said . `` She is not an alcoholic and does n't drink . She is an outstanding mother . '' Barbera and Schuler said they wanted to have the body exhumed for further examinations to prove that the accident was not caused by a drunken driver . Attorneys for the family of Daniel Luongo , 73 , one of the victims in the SUV , rejected the Schuler family 's contention . `` The scientific evidence indicates that Diane Schuler was intoxicated and under the influence of marijuana at the time of the crash , '' they said in a statement . `` Any claims denying her responsibility for this tragedy are wholly unsubstantiated , and the Luongo family finds these claims appalling , offensive and hurtful . They have lost a loved one to a senseless tragedy , and these claims do nothing but add insult to injury . '' | Husband wants to prove wife was n't drinking at time of fatal New York collision . Eight killed on Taconic Parkway in July as Diane Schuler drove wrong way . Attorney says Schuler may have had stroke-like symptoms . Fire after accident could have turned Schuler 's blood sugar into alcohol , attorney says . | [[0, 15], [75, 133], [1187, 1235], [434, 578], [434, 578]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Iran 's parliament on Thursday approved the Cabinet nominations of a suspected terrorist and the first woman minister in the Islamic republic 's 30-year history . Iran 's first woman minister Marzieh-Vahid Dastjerdi . She will head the health ministry . Lawmakers approved the nomination of Ahmad Vahidi for its defense minister post . He is a former leader of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and one of six former and current Iranian officials sought by Interpol for the bombing of a Buenos Aires Jewish center 15 years ago . Of those Cabinet choices approved by parliament , Vahidi won the highest number of votes . Argentina 's Foreign Ministry has deplored the nomination of Vahidi , who is accused of working with Lebanon 's Hezbollah militants in carrying out the 1994 attack . Marzieh-Vahid Dastjerdi was approved as the nation 's health minister . She is the first female minister since the Islamic republic was founded . Iranian lawmakers gave their votes of confidence to 18 of the 21 nominees proposed by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad -- who entered a second term of office after a disputed presidential election . Two of those who failed to get the required majority votes enabling them to start work officially were female nominees : Sousan Keshavarz for the education ministry and Fatemeh Ajorlou for welfare and social security . Hundreds of thousands of Iranians took to the streets for more than two weeks to protest the June 12 election results , calling them fraudulent after Ahmadinejad was declared the overwhelming winner . More than 1,000 people were arrested in a government crackdown , and Iran said at least 30 people were killed in post-election violence . | Islamic Republic appoints its first ever woman minister Marzieh-Vahid Dastjerdi . Lawmakers also approve nomination of Ahmad Vahidi for its defense minister post . Vahidi , a former leader of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard is a suspected terrorist . | [[0, 15], [50, 181], [875, 948], [273, 354], [355, 463]] |
LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A judge Wednesday approved Katherine Jackson 's request that Michael Jackson 's estate get the bill for the cost of this week 's burial of her son . A private funeral for Michael Jackson , here in 2002 , will be held Thursday in Glendale , California , his family says . More than two months after his death , the pop singer will be interred in a private ceremony Thursday evening at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale , California , the Jackson family said . A short hearing was held Wednesday morning before Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff to consider Katherine Jackson 's petition . The special administrators of his estate -- in control of the purse strings until the will is probated -- did not object to the Jackson family 's request . The cost of the burial is a secret -- kept under court seal by Beckloff 's order -- but it is believed to include paying Glendale police to handle traffic and security around the cemetery . The ceremony , which will be closed to the public and news media , is set for 7 p.m. at the cemetery 's Holly Terrace in the Great Mausoleum , a family spokesman said . On July 7 , Jackson 's family and friends gathered at Forest Lawn 's Hollywood Hills cemetery for a short service just before a public tribute to the singer in downtown Los Angeles . There has been widespread speculation about the whereabouts of Jackson 's body . It has remained a closely guarded secret . The pop star 's siblings and parents have been divided over where to bury him , several family members have said . Older brother Jermaine Jackson has said he wanted the singer to be buried at his former Neverland Ranch in Santa Barbara County , California , while others have objected . The burial comes less than a week after the Los Angeles County coroner made public his conclusion that Jackson 's June 25 death was a homicide . The coroner ruled that the anesthetic drug propofol and the sedative lorazepam were the primary drugs responsible for the death . Los Angeles police detectives have not concluded their criminal investigation into the singer 's death . No one has been charged . | Michael Jackson will be interred in private cermony Thursday night , family says . Cost of burial in Glendale , California , cemetery kept under court seal by judge 's order . Judge approves family 's request for Jackson 's estate to pay for funeral . Public tribute to pop singer held July 7 in Los Angeles ; he died June 25 . | [[193, 230], [241, 281], [297, 314], [315, 319], [352, 453], [481, 506], [841, 849], [853, 895], [62, 192], [1174, 1183], [1186, 1356]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Two people were killed and three others were in critical condition Saturday when a truck carrying fireworks on North Carolina 's Outer Banks exploded , officials said . Smoke from the explosion of a truck carrying fireworks rises over Ocracoke Island , North Carolina , Saturday . Jamie Tunnell , Hyde County spokeswoman , said the fireworks were to be used for the annual Fourth of July show on Ocracoke Island , and the five people were members of the crew setting up the display . The truck exploded at the Ocracoke Island docks . One person was killed at the scene , while another died at a hospital from injuries sustained in the blast , Tunnell said . Emergency crews and firefighters arrived . Tunnell said two volunteer firefighters were being treated for smoke inhalation and exhaustion . Joseph Chestnut , 16 , was working at the Ride the Wind kayak-rental stand in Ocracoke when he heard the explosion across the harbor . He thought a home under construction had collapsed , he told CNN 's iReport . iReport.com : Smoke rises from explosion site . `` I saw all these fireworks blowing up , '' he said . `` They were low , and I knew that something was wrong . '' Watch images from the scene '' `` It was just really scary . There 's never been an accident like that before that I 've seen here , '' Chestnut added . The Hatteras Island ferry service was temporarily suspended , but had reopened by midday , and Highway 12 was clear , she said . The island , which is part of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore , can be reached only by ferry , private boat or plane . The FBI and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol , Tobacco , Firearms and Explosives were going to investigate on Saturday , she said . | Two killed , three critically injured when truck carrying fireworks exploded . The five were to set up Fourth of July show on Ocracoke Island in Outer Banks . Truck blew up at the Ocracoke Island docks . Hatteras Island ferry service suspended ; reopened midday . | [[0, 5], [19, 41], [46, 144], [100, 168], [171, 180], [216, 242], [188, 299], [300, 313], [342, 430], [100, 168], [171, 180], [188, 299], [503, 552], [1346, 1379], [1412, 1434]] |
BRUNSWICK , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Seven of eight people killed last week in a southeast Georgia mobile home were laid to rest Saturday . The caskets were laid side by side for graveside ceremonies Saturday in Eulonia , Georgia . The funerals at Youngs Island Church in Eulonia , Georgia , were held for Chrissy Toler , 22 ; Russell D. Toler Sr. , 44 ; Michelle Toler , 15 ; Michael Toler , 19 ; Russell D. Toler Jr. , 20 ; Guy Heinze Sr. , 45 ; and Brenda Gail Falagan , 49 . The funeral for the eighth victim , Joseph L. West , 30 , is to be held at mid-month . Police have arrested Guy Heinze Jr. , the son of Guy Heinze Sr. , on eight counts of first-degree murder . Seven caskets for the seven victims stood side by side for the burial under sunny skies at a nearby cemetery . More than 200 mourners attended the funeral , including William Heinze , father of one of the victims and grandfather of the man accused of the killings . `` I 've never seen so much love and support at a funeral , '' William Heinze told CNN affiliate WJXT . William Heinze also said he doubted that his grandson , Guy Heinze Jr. , was responsible for the killings . `` We want to know what really happened , '' he said . `` The police may think they know what happened , but we want to really know the truth . '' Investigators obtained an arrest warrant Friday evening for Guy Heinze Jr. , 22 , just hours after he had been freed from jail on charges of tampering with evidence and making false statements to a police officer , Police Chief Matt Doering of Glynn County , Georgia said Friday . `` I can assure you that this person is responsible , '' Doering said at a news conference Friday evening . The bodies were discovered a week ago at New Hope Plantation mobile home park , north of the Atlantic coastal city of Brunswick . Seven died in the mobile home , and the eighth died a day later at a hospital . The chief refused to reveal how the victims were killed or the suspected motive . A 3-year-old who was injured was on life support at a Savannah hospital , her grandmother said . A man identified as Guy Heinze Jr. reported the slayings . He told an emergency dispatcher when he called last Saturday , `` I was out last night . I got home just now , and everybody 's dead . ... My whole family 's dead . It looks like they 've been beaten to death . '' Watch report on funerals and arrest from CNN 's Sean Callebs '' According to the first arrest warrant , Heinz provided `` investigators with false and misleading information about his whereabouts and involvement in the circumstances leading up to him calling 911 to report the deaths of his family members . '' The arrest warrant also said he removed a shotgun from the residence and hid it in the trunk of his car . The killings have made people in the southeastern Georgia city of more than 16,000 uneasy , a waitress at a restaurant said . `` There 's still a lot of concern that that many deaths at one time can not have been done by one person , '' Lucinda Bennett , a waitress at the 4th of May Cafe , said . `` There is still a little bit of nervousness in the area over whether they have got everyone that was involved with it . '' Linda Davis , who works at a barbershop in the city , said everyone is puzzled over the slayings . `` You do n't go in and kill eight people and nobody hears screams or shots or anything like that with trailers that close together , '' she said . CNN 's Sean Callebs and Lee Garen contributed to this report . | 7 of 8 people killed last week in a mobile home were laid to rest Saturday . Other victim will be buried mid-month , and an injured 3-year-old is on life support . Guy Heinze Jr. , the son of one of the victims , is charged with murder . Killings have left people in the city of 16,000 uneasy and incredulous . | [[12, 35], [48, 112], [12, 35], [101, 141], [481, 514], [517, 526], [539, 567], [1981, 2052], [2078, 2112], [2768, 2857], [3066, 3159], [3191, 3202], [3245, 3289]] |
LAWRENCE , Kansas -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- It started with a sore throat . Then her chest was burning . Arielle Spiridigliozzi is one of 350 students who have contracted H1N1 at the University of Kansas . University of Kansas freshman Arielle Spiridigliozzi said she thought her symptoms were signs of allergies , or maybe even a sinus infection . It could n't be H1N1 , she thought . But it was . `` I mean , I 'd never , ever guessed that coming into freshman year I would get the friggin ' swine flu , '' Spiridigliozzi said . Now she accessorizes her royal blue T-shirt with a mask . A stuffy nose , body aches , fever and coughing make up the litany of symptoms , Spiridigliozzi , 18 , and her roommate , Kaitlyn Perry , 18 , said they have suffered . For more than a day , the girls have been stuck in their suite , on what they call `` lockdown . '' Watch more about life on `` lockdown '' '' University officials have asked the girls to stay in their dorm suite to limit exposure to other students . The school provides door-to-door delivery from the campus dining hall , giving the girls one less reason to have to leave their immediate four walls . Spiridigliozzi has abided by the the university 's request , worried that she could infect another . But she does n't understand how she ended up in this situation in the first place . `` We took all the necessary precautions . Like , we really did . It was n't like I was licking the handlebars of the bus or anything , '' she said . `` I was hand sanitizing . I was being very careful . I do n't know how this happened . '' But she only has to look to her roommates for an answer , as illness has rapidly made its way through her suite . When Perry became ill it struck her suddenly . While shopping , she came down with a fever and started feeling like she did n't have the strength to stand , she said . Perry 's flu has n't been confirmed as an H1N1 strain , but a third roommate , the first to get sick , they said , was diagnosed with H1N1 . Then a fourth roommate got sick , illustrative of a spreading flu pattern the girls said is obvious from the empty seats in classes . The university estimates about 340 students , or 1 percent of the student body , have flu they suspect is H1N1 , said Patricia Denning , medical chief of staff at Watkins Health Center . The number of cases could be higher if students were not seeking care from campus doctors and nurses , she added . She said she has not heard of any students being hospitalized because of the flu . Vaccines are unlikely to help much this year , because supplies are not expected until late October and require about five weeks from the first inoculation -- two are required -- before they become effective . So , to make life easier for the sick , the school 's medical center has distributed what it calls a `` flu kit , '' which includes a mask and a home-care instruction sheet , Denning said . The tip sheet borrows from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 's information on H1N1 . It says to drink lots of fluids , eat three small meals a day and get plenty of rest , Denning said . `` And so it just goes through simple common-sense things that we all know we need to do that sometimes , when mothers and dads are n't around to remind them , this will help remind them , '' she said . Spiridigliozzi and Perry will get to wander outdoors again once their fevers have dissipated for at least 24 hours without the aid of fever-reducing medications , they said . They are eager to get back to their normal lives . Spiridigliozzi is tired of the soup and Jell-O , and Perry looks forward to playing Frisbee again . `` So boring '' is how Spiridigliozzi described their isolation . With all this free time , at least the freshmen -- on campus for only two weeks -- are n't falling too far behind in their school work . `` I got all my homework done , '' Perry said . `` Yeah , I 've gotten all my homework done for the next two weeks , probably , '' added Spiridigliozzi . CNN 's John Bonifield contributed to this report . | Spread of H1N1 among roommates illustrates how quickly virus jumps around . `` It was n't like I was licking the handlebars of the bus , '' freshman says . Girls quarantined in room , doing homework , until fever dissipates for 24 hours . The University of Kansas estimates about 1 percent of student body has H1N1 . | [[1404, 1471], [926, 1001], [3384, 3439], [2136, 2214], [2217, 2246], [2136, 2209], [2249, 2270]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- One FAA safety inspector was killed and another injured Tuesday when a helicopter they were on crashed into an apparently unoccupied house in Jackson , Mississippi , authorities said . The Robinson R44 helicopter that crashed is similar to the one pictured here . The Robinson R44 helicopter crashed into the duplex-style house about half a mile east of Hawkins Field airport , according to Kathleen Bergen of the Federal Aviation Administration . The two people on the aircraft were from the agency 's Flight Standards District Office in Jackson , Bergen said . Names of the two were not released . Both victims were taken to the Mississippi Medical Center where one of them died shortly after arriving , according to medical center spokesman Jack Masurak . Lee Vance , Jackson assistant police chief , said the rear roof of the house sustained most of the damage from the crash , and no one answered the door when emergency personnel arrived , leading him to believe the house was unoccupied at the time . The helicopter , which was registered to a local company and operated out of the airport , was demolished in the crash , authorities said . No further details about the crash were available . | Both victims taken to Mississippi Medical Center where one died , say officials . Rear of house sustained most of the damage from the crash , say police . Helicopter registered to a local company , demolished in crash , authorities said . | [[619, 676], [646, 676], [683, 722], [778, 787], [823, 898], [185, 203], [1027, 1043], [1050, 1083], [1027, 1041], [1118, 1145], [1148, 1166]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The ocean water around Chatham , Massachusetts , is playing host to some unwelcome guests this holiday weekend : sharks . Only 41 unprovoked shark attacks have been reported in the U.S. since 2008 . At least one large shark sighting was confirmed Friday by Greg Skomal , shark expert for the state 's Division of Marine Fisheries . That sighting occurred off the eastern shore of Monomoy Island , a National Wildlife Refuge off the southern elbow of Cape Cod , according to Lisa Capone , Massachusetts Department of Energy and Environmental Affairs press secretary . The species , though not confirmed , was `` most likely '' a great white shark , she said . The sighting came a day after Skomal reported as many as five large sharks were seen near the island , about a mile or more away from Chatham 's Lighthouse Beach , a public swimming area . Capone said Skomal was searching the area of the island Friday afternoon , though weather conditions were `` not ideal , '' with fog and wind . Meanwhile , officials were advising residents and visitors to be cautious while visiting the beaches this weekend . `` It is the eve of the last holiday weekend of summer , and we want to make sure folks on the Cape are aware , '' Capone said . Chatham 's Harbor Master 's office issued a public notice after the sightings Thursday , saying the waters surrounding Chatham are `` now a year-round home to a few thousand seals . '' Seals are a main source of food for large sharks , and as recently as August 28 , a large shark was seen feeding on the body of a seal near Chatham 's waters , the notice said . It advised people to avoid swimming near seals . A statement issued Friday by Chatham town officials said `` beaches will be closed immediately '' if a shark is sighted . Paul Zuest , general manager of the Chatham Bars Inn , said he and his staff also have been instructing their guests to be cautious . The hotel , about two miles away from where the sharks were spotted , has posted signs providing information on the sightings . George H. Burgess , director of the Florida Program for Shark Research and curator of the Florida Museum of Natural History 's International Shark Attack File , said that on average , sharks have killed four people annually worldwide for the past several years . `` The chances of us as individuals entering the sea and not coming back as a result of a shark attack are slim to none when you consider the millions upon millions of people that go into the sea each year , '' he said . The museum 's shark attack file lists 41 unprovoked shark attacks in U.S. waters in 2008 , with one fatality , in California . Most of the attacks , 32 , occurred in Florida . Massachussetts has recorded only four shark attacks since 1670 , two of which have been fatal . The last fatal shark attack in Massachussetts occurred in 1936 . | Shark expert confirms at least one large shark sighting Friday . Species unconfirmed , but `` most likely '' was a great white , expert says . As many as five large sharks were seen on Thursday near Monomoy Island . Expert : On average , sharks kill about four people per year , worldwide . | [[218, 287], [586, 597], [607, 620], [586, 610], [623, 664], [351, 413], [678, 778], [2052, 2069], [2213, 2314]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Philadelphia-area day care center said Thursday that members of a private swim club made racist comments about the center 's children , and the club then canceled their swimming privileges . Some kids from the Creative Steps Day Care center say club members made racial remarks . The Creative Steps Day Care children -- ages kindergarten through seventh grade -- went to the Valley Swim Club in Huntingdon Valley , Pennsylvania , on June 29 . The day center 's director , Alethea Wright , had contracted to use the club once a week . During their first visit , some children said they heard club members asking why African-American children were there . One of the boys told the Philadelphia Inquirer that a woman at the club said she feared the children `` might do something '' to her child . Days later , the day care center 's $ 1,950 check was returned without explanation , Wright said . The stepfather of one of the children was filing a complaint against the club with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission , the panel 's chairman , Stephen Glassman , said Thursday . Watch one of the children say what he heard at the swim club '' The commission is investigating the allegations , spokeswoman Shannon Powers said , and will attempt to resolve the conflict out of court . `` Protests and public outcry wo n't do much to help these families , but the Human Relations Commission can determine the facts and hold people accountable for any illegal acts of discrimination , '' State NAACP President J. Whyatt Mondesire , who serves as a commission member , said in a press release . Sen. Arlen Specter 's office said the Pennsylvania Democrat has sent a letter to the Valley Swim Club president asking him to reinstate the contract with Creative Steps , saying , `` I think that you would agree that there is no place for racism in America today . '' On its Web site , the Valley Club disputed the allegations of racism . `` We had originally agreed to invite the camps to use our facility , knowing full well that the children from the camps were from multi-ethnic backgrounds , '' the statement said . `` Unfortunately , we quickly learned that we underestimated the capacity of our facilities and realized that we could not accommodate the number of children from these camps . All funds were returned to the camps and we will re-evaluate the issue at a later date to determine whether it can be feasible in the future . '' CNN attempted to speak with club President John Duesler on Thursday . He said he had no comment and asked CNN to leave the club property . But Duesler told two Philadelphia television stations that the children had changed `` the complexion '' and `` atmosphere '' of the club . A small group of protesters gathered in front of the club Thursday and said they think Duesler 's statements prove that the club 's action was racially motivated . `` I was hoping it would n't be something that was so blatantly apparent . I was hoping that it was overcrowding , '' one protester said . `` When I read the statement by the club president , it made it blatant . '' Jim Flynn , who said he was one of the club members who made a complaint against the children , said it was not racially motivated . `` There were a lot of children in the pool and not enough lifeguards , '' he said . `` As general members , we were not told that they were coming . If we knew , we could decide to not come when the pool was crowded or come anyway . We could have had an option . '' He said two other day-care centers , neither of which included minority children , had previously been similarly disinvited . A private Philadelphia boarding school said Thursday that it plans to help the day care center . `` We thought it was appalling what happened , '' said Girard College Admissions Director Tamara Leclair . She is meeting with the director of Creative Steps to sign a contract allowing the children to use Girard 's facilities this summer , as early as Monday . `` We 've had a wonderful response . I even received an e-mail from a woman in Florida telling us we did the right thing . '' | NEW : Club says facility could not accommodate the number of children . Stepdad filing complaint with state Human Relations Commission . Day care center made deal to use private club 's pool . Kids say members made racist comments ; center 's check is returned . | [[2154, 2311], [915, 1041], [85, 154], [212, 300], [266, 300], [816, 826], [829, 878]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A young Iranian woman named Neda is gunned down in one of the most iconic images of the last week . Another walks down the street , defiantly showing off her hair and body in a revealing dress . And still another woman says she 's not scared of paramilitary forces -- no matter how many times she gets beaten . Women have taken to the streets of Tehran . `` This shows the new face of Iran , '' one expert says . `` When they want to hit me , I say hit . I have been hit so many times and this time it does n't matter . I just want to help my brothers and sisters , '' says the 19-year-old woman whose identity is being withheld by CNN for her safety . Amid the clashes and chaos , there has been a recurring scene on the streets of Tehran : Women , in their scarves and traditional clothing , at the heart of the struggle . Some are seen collecting rocks for ammunition against security forces , while video showed one woman trying to protect a fallen pro-government militiaman wounded in the government crackdown . At Shiraz University , riot police clubbed women dressed in black robes . `` Do n't beat them , you bastards , '' one man yells . When security forces come to attack , the 19-year-old woman protester says she looks them in the eye and asks : `` Why do you kill your brother ? Why do you hit your mother , your sisters ? '' `` We all tell them , if you 're Iranian , you should n't do that to your people , to your own country 's people , '' she told CNN by phone . Watch woman stand up in defiance to power '' But it 's the woman known as Neda who has become the symbol of women on the front line that has galvanized opponents of the Iranian regime . In a widely circulated video , Neda is seen in the middle of protests over the weekend . She is shot and drops to the ground . Blood runs from the side of her mouth as a few people , including her music professor traveling with her , press on her chest and shout her name . One pleads , `` Do not be afraid . '' The camera closes in on her face as her eyes roll back and are still . Karim Sadjadpour , an associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace , said the image of Neda and other women at the protests showed the difference from the 1979 revolution . `` The iconic pictures from the revolution 30 years ago were bearded men . This shows the new face of Iran -- the young women who are the vanguards of Iran . '' See images of protests '' Abbas Milani , the director of Iranian Studies at Stanford University , agreed that Neda was becoming a symbol for all the women who have become involved in the turmoil that has followed the disputed election . `` She will become the image of this brutality and the role -- the truly significant role -- that women have played in fighting this regime . I think that women are the unsung heroes of the last few years . They are the ones who began chipping away the absolute authority of the mullahs . '' The protests have n't just been confined to Iran 's everyday women . The daughter of former President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani was arrested over the weekend while taking part in a protest . She was later released . In addition , Zahra Rahnavard , the wife of Mir Hossein Moussavi , whose apparent defeat in Iran 's presidential election has sparked the unprecedented demonstrations , campaigned for her husband , an unusual step in politics in Iran . Her public support of his candidacy underscored his professed support for women 's rights . Learn more about the timeline of events '' And in another act of defiance , apparently from after the election , a woman who appears to be in her 20s or 30s walks down a street in Tehran , showing off her body in a revealing dress and displaying her long , curly hair . In Iran , women are forbidden to show their hair , and they must keep their bodies covered . `` Lady , is it a revolution already ? '' one female driver says as she passes by . The 19-year-old demonstrator , who spoke by phone with CNN , says women are out in the streets in much larger numbers than men . She provided CNN with images of paramilitary forces on Saturday confronting protests , just before she was beaten . She says she was beaten again during protests Monday . `` The women are all together and they say , ` We 're going to stay here . ' There are so more -LSB- women -RSB- than men , '' she said , referring to the number of women protesters . `` Until now , the women did n't have a chance to express themselves , to say that we are important in our country 's future . But now , they can play an important role in our freedom . It 's a good chance for us . '' Is she optimistic ? `` I 'm absolutely optimistic , because history has taught me that all the revolutions start like this , '' she said . `` Every revolution has violence and some people die , but nothing stays like this forever . '' CNN 's Ivan Watson and Wayne Drash contributed to this report . | Recurring theme of Iranian protests : Women defiantly standing up against authority . 19-year-old woman says , `` When they want to hit me , I say hit . '' A young woman named Neda has become the rallying cry of protesters . `` This shows the new face of Iran -- the young women who are the vanguards of Iran '' | [[1501, 1542], [435, 459], [462, 473], [19, 51], [1550, 1579], [374, 408], [2333, 2364], [2368, 2383], [2388, 2415]] |
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