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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Ferrari 's Kimi Raikkonen claimed his fourth Belgian Formula One Grand Prix victory in five years at Spa to end an astonishing run of 26 races without a win for the 2007 world champion . Kimi Raikkonen celebrates ending his victory drought after winning the Belgian Grand Prix . Raikkonen was hounded all the way for the majority of the race by pole-sitter Giancarlo Fisichella , who gave Force India their first points in F1 after 30 races with a second-place finish . In a chaos-filled race , British duo Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton crashed out on the opening lap in an accident that also accounted for the Toro Rosso of Jaime Alguersuari and Renault 's Romain Grosjean . Despite Button failing to score points for the first time this season , the 29-year-old still has a 16-point world championship cushion over Brawn GP team-mate Rubens Barrichello , who was seventh , with Red Bull 's Sebastian Vettel is now 19 points down after he came home third . After his 18th career win , Raikkonen told reporters : `` We have n't brought new parts for the last few races as we are looking at next year . But my aim was always still to win a race because we are aiming for third in the -LRB- constructors ' -RRB- championship . `` We probably were n't the fastest in terms of lap time , but we were able to keep everybody behind us . Hopefully we can now win more . '' The Finn is fifth overall , 38 points behind leader Button and 17.5 adrift of fourth-placed Australian Mark Webber . Fisichella was delighted and disappointed in equal measure as he said : `` It 's a great result for us . `` It 's a great day but I was quicker than Kimi and I 'm a little bit sad because maybe I could have won the race as I was keeping pace with his car . '' Vettel believes anything is possible now over the remaining five races as he , teammate Webber and Barrichello continue to reel in Button . `` If you look at the championship it 's a good result , '' remarked Vettel . `` We lost too much ground in the first stint because of the guys ahead , but in the second and third the car was fantastic . It was a pleasure to drive . `` We 've managed to take points out of the Brawns , so overall a big thank you to the team and to Renault -LRB- engine providers -RRB- after all the trouble we 've gone through recently . `` It shows we are back . '' Webber finished out of the points in ninth , with the BMW Sauber pairing of Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld claiming fourth and fifth respectively . Hamilton 's McLaren teammate Heikki Kovalainen was sixth , and Nico Rosberg of Williams took the final points-scoring position in eighth . Raikkonen 's teammate Luca Badoer was again last of the 14 drivers who finished the race , with the Italian continuing to struggle as stand-in for the injured Felipe Massa . His future with the Italian marque will be decided by Wednesday , the team said after Sunday 's race . Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso retired after 26 laps due to a problem with a front wheel on his Renault , having been third at one stage . Toyota 's Jarno Trulli , who started second on the grid , also retired after 21 laps after earlier pitting for repairs . | Kimi Raikkonen claims fourth Belgian Formula One Grand Prix victory at Spa . Giancarlo Fisichella earns Force India 's first podium place by finishing second . Jenson Button still leads driver standings despite crashing out on opening lap . | [[0, 15], [45, 123], [206, 210], [259, 297], [364, 396], [403, 488], [489, 511], [514, 604]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Bollywood leading man Akshay Kumar plays a character who basks in the glamorous shadow cast by American stars like Sylvester Stallone and Denise Richards in his latest movie . Akshay Kumar is one of the biggest names in Indian film . In reality , Kumar has no need for such humility . One of the biggest names in Indian film , he 's increasingly rubbing shoulders with the global glitterati these days . In `` Kambakkht Ishq , '' he plays a Hollywood stuntman alongside Stallone and Richards , who have cameos in the film . He starred this year with U.S. rapper Snoop Dogg in the film `` Singh is Kinng , '' and he 's set to appear in a film alongside Australian pop star Kylie Minogue later in the year . The unstoppable rise of Bollywood and the massive popularity of Indian film beyond its homeland have made stars like Kumar hot property . The poster boy of Indian action films now finds himself at the vanguard of the crossover between the world 's two largest movie industries . Watch Kumar speak to CNN about his upcoming projects '' The Hollywood men in suits have been eyeing the Indian market greedily for some time . While the economic downturn has hit Tinseltown hard , Bollywood is a rising tiger -- the industry was worth $ 15 billion in 2008 and is projected to grow by 10 percent , according to PricewaterhouseCoopers . With the notable exception of this year 's runaway Oscar hit `` Slumdog Millionaire , '' attempts to make crossover films for both markets have largely failed . The masala mix of genres and exaggerated acting that typifies the Bollywood formula has met limited success in the West . Instead Hollywood studios have begun bankrolling Bollywood productions solely for the Indian market . But the financial traffic is by no means one-way . In the other direction , Steven Spielberg 's Dreamworks recently snagged a multi-million dollar film production deal with Reliance Big Entertainment , one of Bollywood 's biggest hitters . For Kumar , the strengthening of ties between Hollywood and Bollywood is bringing many opportunities , including the chance to work alongside his childhood hero Stallone . `` Well it was great . It was an honor to work with him , '' he told CNN . In addition to starring in `` Kambakkht Ishq , '' his other major role this year was as an Indian chef who learns martial arts in `` Chandni Chowk Goes to China . '' The movie was financed by Warner Brothers . -LRB- Warner Brothers , like CNN , is owned by Time Warner . -RRB- . The typically flamboyant plot of `` Chandni Chowk '' was loosely inspired by Kumar 's own life . Born in Punjab but raised in Delhi , he came to acting late after working as a waiter in Bangkok . While in the Thai capital he learned martial arts , which he taught upon his return to India before becoming a male model . He landed his first movie role in the 1992 Hindi language film `` Deeder '' and has gone on to become one of Bollywood 's leading men . He is married to fellow actor Twinkle Khanna . The couple created a buzz in India when they fell foul of the country 's notoriously strict obscenity laws in March after Kumar encouraged his wife to undo the top button of his jeans at a fashion show in Mumbai . A complaint was lodged with the police and they were briefly questioned . With more than 80 features to his name , Kumar maintains that a strong work ethic is the reason for his longevity in the movie business . `` I think it 's the simplest thing . It 's actually hard work and punctuality , '' the 41-year-old told CNN from the London set of his latest movie , a comedy called `` Housefull . '' `` Even if you 're not a good actor , to be a producer 's actor is essential . If you finish your films on time you save money for the producer , '' he noted . His devotion to the job is coupled with a strong sense of family duty . `` I would say my success lies at the feet of my parents because that 's been my biggest strength and that 's what we Hindus believe , '' he said . `` Every morning before you go to work just touch your parents ' feet and go ahead in life . People may not believe it , but I do . '' | Bollywood leading man Akshay Kumar has appeared in more than 80 movies . A former martial arts teacher , Kumar made his name as an action hero . Now he finds himself at the forefront of where Bollywood meets Hollywood . India is home to $ 15 billion film industry -- the world 's second largest . | [[36, 70], [2843, 2845], [2916, 2978], [880, 1020], [1249, 1292]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Injured Formula One star Felipe Massa is looking forward to taking his first steps towards driving again after passing a series of mental and physical tests in Miami . Felipe Massa has been given the all-clear to begin training as he bids to return to the race track . His team Ferrari reported on its Web site on Tuesday that the Brazilian , who suffered horrific head wounds in Hungary in July , had come through the tests satisfactorily on Monday . `` The checks -LRB- which included neurometric , impact and cognitive capacity tests -RRB- all had a positive outcome , just like the eye exam : everything is in order for Felipe to get back to racing , '' the statement said . `` Now there has just to be carried out some plastic surgery at the brain box , where the spring at the accident at the Hungaroring hit his helmet . `` The surgery will take place in the upcoming days . After a short convalescence Felipe can then gradually start with physical preparations . '' The 28-year-old , who finished second in last year 's drivers ' world championship , said that he planned to take things slowly following the operation . `` I 'm very happy about the results , '' he told www.Ferrari.com before returning home to Sao Paulo . `` After the small surgery , in the next few days I can finally start to go to the gym to get back into shape and drive some tests in karts . `` On the track with a Formula One single-seater ? Let 's take it step by step . At the moment I 'm concentrating on taking up physical activities , which is a great step forward . '' Ferrari said Massa was expected to be at 100 percent fitness in time for the 2010 season , but gave no indication whether he would return to racing this year -- he has , however , indicated that he would like to drive at his home Brazilian Grand Prix on October 18 . His replacement , test driver Luca Badoer , is not expected to drive at the Italian Grand Prix two weekends away after finishing last in his two races so far . Badoer , who stepped into the breach when F1 legend Michael Schumacher was unable to make a shock return to the sport due to a neck problem , was not allowed to test drive the current Ferrari vehicle during the four-week summer break due to this year 's regulations . Veteran Italian Giancarlo Fisichella has been linked with Ferrari after finishing second at the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday , but his team Force India insist that he will race for them at Monza . Highly-rated Polish driver Robert Kubica is also in the running to replace Badoer , with his team BMW Sauber dropping out of F1 at the end of this season . Badoer 's results aside , Ferrari have enjoyed a renaissance since Massa 's injury , with 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen winning in Belgium to end a personal drought of 26 races and placing third in Valencia . | Injured F1 star Felipe Massa passes series of mental and physical tests . The Brazilian driver can begin training following minor surgery this week . Massa suffered horrific head injuries after a freak accident in Hungary in July . Ferrari expected to drop his struggling replacement Luca Badoer . | [[0, 15], [19, 186], [346, 359], [417, 443], [187, 257], [901, 989], [1279, 1294], [1300, 1336], [346, 359], [366, 414], [1843, 1884], [1887, 1955]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When Autumn Preble was a teenager in the 1960s , she spent hours gazing at black-and-white LIFE magazine photographs that documented the journey of Peace Corps volunteers all over the world . George Stouter , 67 , is helping build mental health programs in Saint Kitts for his Peace Corps stint . Preble , of Whidbey Island , Washington , wanted to join , but after college came marriage and a child . Now at 58 , with her son off to college , she has begun her two-year stint as a Peace Corps volunteer working in the public health sector in Francistown , Botswana , where nearly one in four individuals are infected with HIV . `` I 'm getting to experience what it 's like to live in another culture , and that has a lot of value to me , '' Preble said from her simple two-bedroom bungalow in Botswana . Preble is known to natives in her community as Masego -LRB- Ma say ho -RRB- , which means `` many gifts . '' `` This is the kind of travel that I 'm interested in . '' Forget the mapped-out cruises or packaged vacations to see the world . A growing number of Americans over 50 are dedicating time in their golden years to volunteering abroad . The decision is becoming more attractive with a sickly national economy sparking more layoffs and early retirement packages . `` The economic crisis is giving them an opportunity to take a break , '' said Vanessa Noel , an associate director in the nonprofit department of Alliance Abroad Group . The Austin , Texas-based company offers work , teaching and volunteer programs to students and graduates in the U.S. and abroad . Noel coordinates volunteer trips abroad that typically last between two and 12 weeks . Inquiries from eager adults over 50 have flooded her office in recent months -- so much so that she is creating new programs this summer to Costa Rica and Ecuador tailored to older volunteers that will last several weeks . `` Life is short , and now they can seize the opportunities out there . '' Applications for the Peace Corps from adults over 50 have spiked 44 percent in 2008 compared to 2007 , driven largely by the weak economy and a campaign launched in 2007 to lure mature volunteers . All applicants to the Peace Corps -- a federal program created in 1961 that puts Americans overseas in places of need -- must pass background checks and a health test . Married couples are allowed to join together . By the end of 2008 , there were 428 Peace Corps volunteers over age 50 in the field in countries all over the world , from South Africa and Romania to the Eastern Caribbean , challenging the traditional image of the 20-something , post-college volunteer . See the stories of Americans over 50 who have volunteered abroad '' Other nonprofit groups specializing in shorter `` voluntourism '' trips also are seeing a spike in interest . For those unable to leave for the 27 months required by intensive volunteer programs like the Peace Corps , these paid programs last from a week to a year . Cross-Cultural Solutions , a nonprofit in New York that offers volunteer trips to countries like Russia and Peru from one to 12 weeks , experienced more than a 10 percent growth in volunteers over 50 in 2008 , compared with 2007 , according to company officials . San Francisco , California-based Global Services Corps , a nonprofit that coordinates service trips to Thailand , Tanzania and Cambodia for stays from two weeks to a year , saw a 25 percent jump in information requests from older Americans after the stock market tanked in October . Older volunteers have long donated time to volunteering abroad , perhaps most famously President Jimmy Carter 's mother , Lillian Carter , who applied to the Peace Corps at age 68 . As global health and economic issues abroad have become more publicized in an increasingly connected world , older Americans venturing overseas hope they can serve some of the poorest communities in the world while improving the tarnished American image abroad . Many older Americans , like Preble , say they are volunteering abroad in response to President John F. Kennedy 's inspiring words from their younger years , asking them to serve their country . Now , they finally have the time . `` They have had a pretty lifelong pattern of community activism , so it makes perfect sense that as they approach the retirement years , they will do a lot of volunteering abroad , '' said Linda George , a professor of sociology specializing in aging at Duke University . Some volunteers also say they are motivated by President Obama 's call for change . This month , Obama signed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act , which will pour an estimated $ 6 billion into volunteerism , including programs for older adults and retirees . Mary Hecht , 66 , and her husband Norman Hecht , 68 , left their cozy home in New Jersey to embark on a one-week trip this month to save the giant tortoises in the Galapagos Islands . In the midst of packing , she said she is excited to stay with a host family and learn more about the native food and culture . `` I think the older you get , the more set in your ways you become , '' said Hecht , who worked in the education sector for most of her career . `` I think the trip will teach me to be flexible and roll with the punches . '' While many volunteers over 50 say there are some drawbacks to volunteering later in life -- such as missing their children and grandchildren back at home -- there are many advantages , too . Mature volunteers bring with them valuable life and career experiences , and many countries tend to pay more respect to older people . `` The kinds of things they are struggling with in terms of creating programs are exactly the sorts of things I was previously involved with , '' said 67-year-old Peace Corps volunteer George Stouter , who started in Saint Kitts in the West Indies last fall . He consults on mental health initiatives at a local boys hospital , among many other projects . Stouter worked as a psychiatric social worker in Michigan for 35 years . Greg O'Neill , director of the National Academy on an Aging Society , added that Americans are retiring earlier and living longer , which lends more time to volunteering or making a career change . Darlene Grieger , an 81-year-old grandmother from Arizona , says there are no limits with age . In March 2007 , she bid farewell to her five children and 14 grandchildren and went on her first volunteer trip to Costa Rica -- thanks to money donated by her family -- where she volunteered at an orphanage for three months . There , younger volunteers on her program usually called her `` grandmom , '' she said , chuckling . Last fall , she jetted off to Thailand for six weeks to work with a women 's group . She did find time to do touristy things between her volunteer duties : Before coming back to the states , she flew on her own to Cambodia to catch a glimpse of Angkor Wat , one of the most famous temples in the world . `` I could n't even imagine just going on a trip , '' said Grieger , who is planning on selling her home so she can continue volunteering abroad . `` That has to be so boring . '' | Applications for the Peace Corps from adults over 50 have spiked 44 percent . Nonprofit groups offering `` voluntourism '' trips report more mature participants . Older Americans are motivated by President Obama 's call for change . `` I 'm getting to experience what it 's like to live in another culture , '' one volunteer says . | [[1064, 1168], [1683, 1759], [1981, 2064], [1981, 2033], [2084, 2133], [2986, 3010], [3122, 3193], [1064, 1168], [4480, 4495], [4501, 4563], [651, 720]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Nine people were killed and 957 rescued when a ferry capsized Sunday in the Philippines , leaving crews scouring the waters for survivors , officials said . A woman and child rescued from a ferry accident off the Philippines on Sunday arrive in port . Two people remained unaccounted for from the SuperFerry 9 vessel carrying 968 people , according to the Philippine Coast Guard . It had no dangerous or hazardous cargo on board . The ferry took off from the city of General Santos and was bound for Iloilo City . Survivors and their families were moved to a nearby location , where they were getting medical help and other forms of assistance , the coast guard said . An investigation will be conducted after rescue operations are completed . It was the third major incident involving the SuperFerry 9 in the past three years . No fatalities were reported in the other incidents in 2006 and 2007 . Meanwhile , a Panamanian cargo vessel sank off the central coast of the Philippines , though the 20 people on board -- 18 Filipinos and 2 South Koreans -- were rescued , the Philippine Coast Guard said . Journalist Cecilia Lazaro contributed to this report . | NEW : Nine dead , hundreds rescued as SuperFerry 9 capsizes in Philippines . Two people are missing , according to coast guard . Incident is third involving SuperFerry 9 in past three years . | [[0, 15], [19, 42], [47, 106], [271, 335], [271, 281], [358, 399], [665, 687], [1088, 1121], [763, 847], [770, 847]] |
KABUL , Afghanistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A helicopter crashed during takeoff from Kandahar airfield in southern Afghanistan on Sunday , killing 16 people , NATO said . U.S. Marines participate in operation Saturday to push Taliban out of Herati , Afghanistan . The aircraft was a `` civilian contracted '' helicopter , not a military one , NATO 's International Security Assistance Force said in a statement . The helicopter was not shot down , ISAF said , adding that the exact cause of the crash was not known . All the dead were civilians , ISAF said . There were an additional five casualties whose condition was not known , according to the military statement . Watch report on the crash '' The chopper was a Mil Mi-8 helicopter , owned by the Russian air company Vertikal-T , the Russian news agency Interfax said , citing Russia 's Federal Air Transportation Agency , Rosaviatsia . The aircraft `` was on a mission to support the peacekeeping forces , '' an unnamed Rosaviatsia spokesman said , according to Interfax . Separately , a U.S. military helicopter made a hard landing in eastern Afghanistan , ISAF said . ISAF denied the helicopter was shot down in Kunar province , but suggested the people on board were injured . `` Personnel on the aircraft were initially treated on site and evacuated to the nearest medical facility for further treatment , '' the ISAF statement said . The two helicopter incidents come a day after a plane crash that killed two airmen on a U.S. Air Force F-15 Eagle in eastern Afghanistan early Saturday , the U.S. military said . The two-man fighter went down while it was conducting military operations , Lt. Col. Reid Christopherson , said earlier . He said he was `` confident '' it had not been shot down . July has been a difficult month for coalition troops in Afghanistan , with 51 international military fatalities , the highest so far , a CNN tally of official statistics shows . The United Kingdom lost eight troops in 24 hours , and has now had more killed in Afghanistan than in Iraq . Watch report on UK deaths in Afghanistan '' The United States has lost 26 troops this month , putting it on pace to be the deadliest ever for U.S. forces in the country . CNN 's Ivan Watson contributed to this report . | Civilian contracted helicopter crashes during takeoff in Kandahar , NATO says . All of the dead were civilians , NATO says ; conditions of 5 other casualties unknown . Chopper owned by Russian air company , according to Russian news agency Interfax . U.S. military helicopter also makes hard landing ; personnel get medical treatment . | [[39, 40], [52, 109], [154, 165], [259, 335], [512, 539], [554, 664], [565, 594], [611, 624], [710, 731], [734, 777], [780, 817], [820, 870], [1037, 1106], [1231, 1259], [1295, 1358]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Top seed Dinara Safina battled from a set down to defeat Belarusian teenager Victoria Azarenka at the French Open , but there was no escape for scheduled semifinal opponent Maria Sharapova who suffered a humiliating exit . Sharapova bowed out of the French Open after suffering one of her worst career defeats . Sharapova was thrashed 6-0 6-2 by Slovakia 's Dominika Cibulkova in her last-eight match on Tuesday while fellow Russian Safina overcame 19-year-old Azarenka 1-6 6-4 6-2 . It could have worse for former world number one Sharapova as Cibulkova had a match point to mark her first Grand Slam quarterfinal by dishing out the dreaded double bagel . Sharapova survived and she saved three more match points in the 12th game of the second set before her resistance crumbled completely with a netted forehand . It was her heaviest loss since she went down 6-1 6-1 to Serena Williams in the fourth round in Miami in 2007 . Sharapova , playing only her second tournament since a 10-month lay-off because of a shoulder injury , was bidding to reach her second semifinal following a run to the 2007 last four . The Russian star , whose ranking slumped to 104 in the world during her time off the tour , had won both her previous matches against the pint-sized , 20-year-old Cibulkova and both were on clay . But Cibulkova was in complete control , breaking in the first , third and fifth games of the opening set . The Slovakian was then quickly 1-0 ahead before receiving a code violation for taking too long between points . It did not throw her off her stride and she was soon flat out on the dirt surface of Court Suzanne Lenglen in celebration . Safina was given the runaround in the first set and was at one stage being held at 4-4 in the second , but recovered her poise on Philippe Chatrier court . Ninth seed Azarenka had beaten Safina at Indian Wells earlier this year and had also won three titles in 2009 , in Brisbane , Memphis and Miami . She played an almost perfect first set in just 23 minutes , but Safina then found the form that had seen her lose just five games in her run to the quarters opening a 4-1 lead in the second . Azarenka fought back to make it 4-4 but Safina rallied again to take the set -- and break in the opening game of the third . World number one Safina , who has yet to win a grand slam , finished the stronger to wrap up victory in an hour and 52 minutes . `` I just did n't take the chances I had , '' said Azarenka . `` Shedefinitely stepped it up and played some good points at key moments , which I have to give her credit for . It 's all experience . Hopefully I 'll do better next time . '' | Dinara Safina battles from set down to beat Victoria Azarenka at French Open . Maria Sharapova was thrashed 6-0 6-2 by Slovakia 's Dominika Cibulkova . Cibulkova now faces semifinal with world No. 1 Safina who won 1-6 6-4 6-2 . | [[0, 15], [19, 65], [55, 60], [66, 132], [437, 502], [2205, 2241], [163, 207], [212, 241], [331, 430], [437, 502], [2290, 2313], [2350, 2418]] |
LONDON , England -- `` Ocean Emerald '' is a superyacht with added wow-factor . Her startling appearance has made sure of that and in real life she is every bit as dramatic as she appears in these photographs . `` Ocean Emerald '' is the second time Lord Foster has designed a superyacht . We were among the guests invited to the superyacht 's official launching in La Spezia , in northern Italy , when her celebrity designer and his team walked down the red carpet to cast his eyes upon his latest masterpiece . Lord Foster of Thameside is no stranger to eye-catching and dramatic design . His architectural firm Norman Foster + Partners is responsible for iconic London landmarks such as 30 St Mary Axe , better known as the Gherkin , and the Millennium Bridge . Foster is the master of the curved line . Imagine for a moment a photograph of the Gherkin split in two lengthwise and laid flat , recall the sweeping curves of the Millennium Bridge and you will see how he has managed to combine the drama of those two creations into what is arguably the most visually stunning superyacht of the year . Ocean Emerald is not the first of Foster 's forays into the world of superyacht design . It was he who drew the lines for the Lürssen-built Izanami , a 58-metre yacht now called Ronin and owned by Larry Ellison . Launched in 1993 , she is also a head-turner . Design and external appearance aside , Ocean Emerald is different from every other 41-metre superyacht in that she is not to be the sole property of any one owner . This perhaps is one of the reasons for her radical look as she is designed to appeal to those who are new to the concept of superyacht ownership . Unlike the traditional form of ownership , where one person , sometimes through an anonymous corporation , is the owner of all 64 shares of the yacht , the shares in Ocean Emerald are split either into eight or sixteen parts . These fractions -- one-eighth or one-sixteenth -- of Ocean Emerald have been sold to different individuals by the London-based company YachtPlus . When engaged to design the yacht , the Foster team were initially told to work within the confines of an existing hull designed by yacht builders Intermarine , part of Rodriquez Cantieri Navale . But after discussions , Rodriquez has produced a new 41-metre hull three metres longer than the original concept . Walking around Ocean Emerald , it is clear that Foster has taken all the traditional rules of yacht design , torn them up and started again . The public rooms benefit from abundant natural light , which floods in through the floor-to-ceiling windows , in addition to the copious artificial lights . Coupled with the use of pale-coloured woods , soft furnishings and white high-gloss , wipe-clean surfaces they create a wonderfully bright , modern feel . Unusually for a motor yacht , the natural teak decking extends right the way through from the aft deck to the saloon , ensuring a seamless visual transition between the outside and inside spaces . To join the Ownership Lifestyle Programme will cost an initial payment of $ 1.875 million . This buys you a one eighth share of the yacht and guarantees 30 nights per year on board -- ten nights peak season in the Mediterranean , ten nights peak season in the Caribbean , and two five-night cultural tours such as sightseeing , shopping , golf , Formula 1 , vineyard visits and museums . Each year there will be an annual service charge of $ 200,000 to cover overheads , including marine and hotel operations , permanent crew , mooring and berthing fees , year-round maintenance and mechanical upkeep , marine and port charges and cruise itineraries management . Lord Foster said : `` With my team we have given a new emphasis to such issues as quality and quantity of space , outdoor terraces , light and views . Our commission is for the total design concept of the fleet , with an eye on beauty , function and luxury , down to the smallest detail . We believe that there is great potential in the concept of luxury cruisers to think afresh such issues as views , light , privacy and the quality of spaces -- both inside and outdoors . '' The concept of fractional ownership is fast becoming acknowledged as a logical way forward for those wishing to enjoy high-end luxury products without the massive capital investement required . Foster himself owns one of the shares and is very much looking forward to experiencing what it is like to step into the shoes of a superyacht owner . It may only be for a fraction of the time but it is also , as he so eloquently puts it , only for a fraction of the price . Subscribe to SuperYachtWorld . COPYRIGHT © 2009 IPC MEDIA LTD. . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED . | Famous architect Norman Foster has designed a new superyacht . `` Ocean Emerald '' has a top speed of 17.5 knots . It will be co-owned by investors laying down an initial $ 2.6 million payment . | [[211, 289]] |
DALLAS , Texas -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The FBI has seized a two-page , handwritten letter of condolence sent by Jacqueline Kennedy to the widow of Robert F. Kennedy shortly after he was assassinated in 1968 . The family contends the letter was stolen . Jacqueline Kennedy sent her sister-in-law a condolence letter in 1968 which is now in the hands of the FBI . `` We 're trying to determine who the legal owner is , '' said Mark White , a spokesman for the FBI . `` There 's still an ongoing investigation . '' The letter 's path from the Virginia home of Robert Kennedy 's widow , Ethel Kennedy , to a locked evidence vault in the Dallas field office of the FBI is described in a six-page affidavit filed last month in U.S. District Court in the Northern District of Texas by Special Agent John Skillestad . It says Max Kennedy , the son of Ethel and Robert , alerted the bureau in July 2006 to the letter 's pending auction at Heritage Galleries and Auctioneers Galleries in Dallas . Max Kennedy , who said he is the sole person in charge of his parents ' papers , `` stated that he had not given authority to sell , give , or donate any papers of Ethel or Robert Kennedy to anyone , '' the affidavit says . After the gallery pulled the letter from its auction , the FBI traced its provenance to Thomas Nuckols , who told authorities he had found it among the papers left by his father , Russell Thomas Nuckols , a plumber who died in 1999 . `` Thomas Nuckols said he was dumbfounded upon discovery of the letter because he had never seen it before and did not know how it came into his father 's possession , '' the affidavit says . Nuckols said he contacted the Kennedy Library in Boston , Massachusetts , but `` the person on the telephone did not seem too interested in the letter '' and referred him to a Connecticut collector , who bought it for $ 6,000 , the affidavit says . CNN has not been able to reach Nuckols . The letter was then resold to several other collectors , and was at one time valued at as much as $ 30,000 before it wound up with the Dallas auctioneer , who has cooperated with authorities , the FBI said . Last October , the FBI spoke with Ethel Kennedy , who said she remembers Russell Thomas Nuckols as a plumber who worked at the Kennedy house in Virginia during the 1960s and 1970s , the affidavit says . The 81-year-old widow of the former senator and attorney general said she `` never gave the letter to anyone to keep and under no circumstances would anyone have the authority to transfer ownership of the letter to anyone . '' The affidavit concludes that the letter `` is considered as a stolen good . '' Once the rightful owner is determined , it will be given to that person , FBI spokesman White said . `` I do n't know how long it will take . '' Jacqueline Kennedy was the widow of President John F. Kennedy , who was assassinated in 1963 . In the letter she mentions `` Stas , '' an apparent reference to Stanislas Radziwill , her brother-in-law . Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis died in 1994 . The letter is not dated , but appears to have been written shortly after Robert Kennedy died on June 6 , 1968 , the victim of an assassin 's bullet . The Dallas News printed a copy of the letter , which White confirmed is authentic . It reads : . My Ethel -- . No one in the world could have ever been like you were yesterday -- except maybe Bobby -- We are going home now -- Your phone was busy . You do n't want any more callers you must be so tired -- I stayed up till 6:30 last night just thinking -- and praying for you -- and for you in the months ahead -- . I love you so much -- . You know that anything -- Stas will take little Bobby to Africa -- I 'll take them around the world + to the moon + back -- anything to help you + them now and always -- . With my deepest deepest love . Jackie . | FBI trying to determine who owns letter written by Jackie Kennedy in 1968 . Letter passed from collector to collector , but widow says she gave it to no one . Letter found among papers of Russell Nuckols , who died in 1999 , son says . Son Thomas Nuckols told authorities he found it among the papers left by his father . | [[66, 203], [360, 409], [1922, 1932], [1937, 1976], [2333, 2544], [1294, 1308], [1315, 1364], [1411, 1420], [1425, 1439], [1294, 1308], [1315, 1364], [1354, 1383]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Football legend Diego Maradona had his earrings seized by Italian authorities Friday to help pay off his back taxes , according to media reports . Diego Maradona sports expensive-looking earrings during a recent football match . The current coach of Argentina 's national team was staying at a clinic in northern Italy in a bid to lose weight when finance police swooped , Reuters.com reported . The jewelry was said to be worth $ 4,000 -LRB- $ 5,888 -RRB- . Italian tax authorities say he owes the country $ 31 million -LRB- $ 45 million -RRB- in back taxes from when he played for top league club Napoli between 1984 and 1991 . But Maradona says the Serie A club should have paid the taxes . Three years ago , tax police took two Rolex watches from him when he was back in Italy for a benefit match . The 48-year old is under intense pressure in his native Argentina after a dismal World Cup qualifying campaign left his star-studded team in danger of missing their first tournament since 1970 . After a recent defeat against Paraguay he was quoted by FIFA.com as saying , `` I am not afraid of criticism . I am afraid of nobody . I am doing my job , I have my team and I am going to go forward . `` I have been battling critics since I was 15 years old . Now I am 48 and I am going to continue to battle with them -LSB- the press -RSB- . '' | Maradona staying a clinic in Italy when tax authorities swooped . Reports : Argentina coach owes millions in taxes from his time playing in Italy . Maradona says Serie A club should have paid the taxes . | [[248, 346], [478, 582], [653, 712]] |
BAGHDAD , Iraq -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- At least 14 people were killed and dozens more were wounded in explosions across Iraq on Saturday , officials said . A woman adjusts a memorial of plastic flowers this week at the bombed Foreign Affairs Ministry building . Nine police officers were killed and 19 wounded in a suicide bombing north of Baghdad on Saturday morning , local officials said . The incident occurred in the Salaheddin province town of al-Shirqat . Local police said the suspected bomber had been driving a minivan near the outer checkpoint of a police base . The bomber detonated when police opened fire , police said . Twenty shops and dozens of cars were damaged . Later in the evening , a motorcycle rigged with explosives detonated outside a busy coffee shop in a southeastern Baghdad district called New Baghdad , killing two and wounding 13 others , according to the Ministry of Interior . The attack occurred about 9 p.m. -LRB- 2 p.m. ET -RRB- as people had gathered to break their fast for Islam 's holy month of Ramadan . In other violence Saturday , at least three people were killed and 40 wounded when a roadside bomb detonated in a marketplace in northern Iraq , an Interior Ministry official said . The bomb detonated in the town of Sinjar , a predominantly Yazidi town west of Mosul near the Syrian border . Yazidis are a minority group mainly concentrated in Iraq 's north and have been often targeted by insurgents . The deadliest attack since the start of the war was in August 2007 , when coordinated truck bombs hit Yazidi villages , killing more than 500 and wounding hundreds . Despite the improved security situation across the country , there has been a spike in attacks in recent weeks . Last week , two massive suicide truck bombs hit the foreign and finance ministries in Baghdad , killing at least 100 people and wounding hundreds more . The attacks come at a time when Iraqi security forces have come under a lot of criticism after they took control of security in cities and towns after the withdrawal of U.S. combat forces two months ago . CNN 's Jomana Karadsheh and Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report . | Nine police officers killed , 19 hurt in suicide attack in Iraq . Interior Ministry official says bomber drove minivan into police station . Motorcycle blows up outside coffee shop , killing two . Roadside bomb kills three in marketplace near Syrian border . | [[257, 289], [294, 362], [471, 568], [1041, 1067], [1186, 1222], [677, 697], [700, 735], [829, 863], [1041, 1067], [1070, 1107], [1108, 1183]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Singer Nelly Furtado is trying to cross over in a direction many artists do n't ordinarily take . Singer Nelly Furtado says she enjoys diversity in music and broadening her fan base . With `` Mi Plan , '' the Grammy Award-winning singer is taping into a brand new market and fan base , almost a decade after she came to fame in 2000 with the single `` I 'm Like a Bird . '' While the Canadian-born singer -- whose parents are Portuguese -- has sung in Spanish before , `` Mi Plan '' is the first time she has recorded an entire album in Spanish , a language she said she learned as a teen . It 's seems like a natural progression for Furtado , an artist often noted for diversity in her sound . A few years after her breakthrough , Furtado teamed up with superproducer Timbaland for her 2006 album `` Loose , '' a collaboration that gained her scores of hip-hop and R&B fans as well , and spawned hits such as `` Promiscuous '' and `` Say It Right . '' `` Mi Plan '' pairs her with a few Spanish-language music artists , including Alex Cuba , Juan Luis Guerra , Julieta Venegas and La Mala Rodriguez , as well as English-language artist Josh Groban . The first single off the album , `` Manos Al Aire , '' made history as it marked the first time a North American artist reached No. 1 on Billboard 's Hot Latin Songs chart with a song that was originally written in Spanish , rather than a translated version of an English-language song . Furtado spoke with CNN about her passion for Spanish , why she feels like an artist reborn and the career path she hopes to take . CNN : What was the inspiration for the new album ? Nelly Furtado : There were so many inspirations . The language was the biggest inspiration . I 've sang so much in Spanish in the past , and also Portuguese . I get a lot of joy in singing in Latin languages . It expresses the Latin side of me . Watch Furtado talk about her new album '' My parents were born in Portugal and they raised us in Canada . We grew up speaking Portuguese and then I learned Spanish at the age of 14 . I love being a multicultural artist , I love being a global artist . -LSB- The album -RSB- is almost like a literal reflection of that this time in the fact that it 's all in Spanish and it 's a completely original project written from scratch . CNN : So it 's all new ? Furtado : Yes . It feels like a rebirth of sorts . It 's almost like a parallel world where I get to reinvent myself again as an artist , but in a very whole kind of way . It 's been a lot of fun . CNN : You have such a loyal fan base . What do you hope they get from your latest project ? Furtado : Just because I have collaborated with so many different people with so many different styles of music that I think my sort of goal or mantra my whole career has been to broaden the minds of my fan base . This album is just an extension of that . I 'm an inclusive person and everyone is invited to the fiesta . I 'm excited because I am meeting brand new fans for the first time who do n't have any of my prior albums . Four albums in , it 's a tough job to try to attract new fans and I think that 's what I am doing with this new music . CNN : Did you consider it risky to do a Spanish-language album ? Furtado : I like to take risks . I live for risk taking and challenges . I just find it so much more exciting and it keeps my job entertaining and interesting . Everyone is looking for that next challenge at work . Everyone wants that extra credential on their business card . If it 's easy , it 's not fun . CNN : How is performing in Spanish different ? Furtado : When I express myself in Spanish or in Portuguese I feel very free . There are a lot of things you can say in a Spanish song that you ca n't say in an English song , especially from a feminine perspective . As a female , the moment you sing too passionately in English you are kind of labeled as an angry singer . In Spanish that does n't happen . You can be dramatic as you want and it 's accepted . So it 's liberating . CNN : There are a lot of Spanish-speaking artists who want to cross over into the English-language market . How does it feel to be doing the reverse ? Furtado : I think I 'm capitalizing a little bit on the inroads I have already made in the Latin world through working with other established Latin acts . I dabbled in Spanish on my third album . I had two records on there in Spanish and I really enjoyed writing them and playing them live . I 'm just going where my heart 's at and following the passions . CNN : What 's next for you ? Furtado : It 's interesting because when I got off the road from touring with my third album , `` Loose , '' I was exhausted . I tried to write some songs in English and no inspiration really came to me . Then I started writing songs in Spanish and it started flowing , so this album has been like a medicine of sorts . I 'm so excited about music now . I ca n't wait to put out another project in English and further Spanish albums as well as Portuguese . The list is never-ending . | Nelly Furtado 's new album is sung completely in Spanish . The singer worked with noted Latin artists on the project . Furtado , whose parents are Portuguese , finds performing in Spanish `` liberating '' First single made history on Billboard 's Hot Latin Songs chart . | [[488, 563], [2138, 2291], [4272, 4332], [4309, 4339], [399, 423], [441, 458], [1928, 1960], [1241, 1353]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Philippines Sen. Benigno `` Noynoy '' Aquino III announced he will run for president Wednesday , a month after the death of his late mother , the popular former President Corazon Aquino . Philippines Senator Benigno `` Noynoy '' Aquino III announce his candidacy in Manila on September 9 . `` I 'm accepting the challenge to lead this fight , '' said Noynoy Aquino , the state-run Philippines News Agency -LRB- PNA -RRB- reported . Aquino , 49 , is the only son of Corazon Aquino , who died on August 1 , and the late Benigno `` Ninoy '' Aquino , a senator who opposed dictator Ferdinand Marcos and was assassinated in 1983 on returning home from exile in the United States . Noynoy Aquino said his mother 's supporters had urged him to make a run for the presidency in next May 's elections . He said he would continue the fight started by his parents to promote democracy in the Philippines . At least one lawmaker was critical of Aquino 's run , PNA said . Rep. Pastor Alcover Jr. said the media has deceived the public by presenting Aquino as the man who can save the country . `` We need a hardworking president , '' Alcover said . `` But the problem is , Noynoy has a dismal performance as congressman for nine years and as senator for three years . Do we want more of his laziness ? '' President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo 's term ends in 2010 . Under Philippine law , she can not run again . Arroyo first took office in 2001 . Since then , she has survived several impeachment attempts and periodic rumors of coups . She won re-election in 2004 , though opposition parties called into question the legitimacy of that race . | Philippines Sen. Benigno `` Noynoy '' Aquino III announces he will run for president . He is the only son of former President Corazon Aquino , who died on August 1 . He said he would continue the fight started by his parents to promote democracy . President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo 's term ends in 2010 . | [[0, 15], [68, 113], [207, 234], [248, 308], [451, 457], [465, 498], [484, 498], [505, 521], [813, 871], [821, 899], [839, 913], [1312, 1368]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Rev. Jesse Jackson ended a trip to the Ivory Coast on Friday , after he spoke to leaders from the nation 's political parties and was honored as a prince by a tribe in the West African nation . Jesse Jackson says ceremony to name him a prince of the Agni people was `` very exciting . '' Jackson said he met with President Laurent Gbagbo and leading members of two opposition parties , Henri Konan Bedie and Alassane Ouattara . Bedie is a former president of the nation and Ouattara is a former prime minister . Jackson said his mission was not to endorse a candidate , `` but a process . '' `` I wanted the three of them to agree ... -LSB- to -RSB- campaign vigorously ... not to create divisive language , to each agree to support the winner , -LSB- and -RSB- end the -LSB- U.N. -RSB- sanctions , '' he said . `` I think there 's a common agreement on these points . This country has so much to offer the world and Africa . '' The United Nations imposed sanctions on the nation in 2004 , among them , a ban on arms and diamond trades , a travel ban and asset freezes for some individuals . The sanctions , renewed last year , are in effect until October 29 . Earlier in Jackson 's trip , Amon N'Douffou V , king of the Krindjabo kingdom , named Jackson a prince of the Agni people , news reports said . Jackson said it was a `` very exciting ceremony . '' Jackson 's wife , Jacqueline , suffered a broken leg during the trip when a stage she and her husband were on collapsed , Jackson told CNN in a telephone interview . `` We had excellent medical care , '' the pastor said , adding that the collapse was `` not the fault of the organizers , '' but that too many people had gathered on the stage . Official news agency Agence Ivoirienne de Presse reported that the stage collapse occurred in a sports complex in Yopougon , north of Abidjan . A doctor was to accompany them on their Friday night flight back to the United States , Jackson said . The coming elections in the Ivory Coast are being closely watched by U.N. officials . In a July 30 statement , the U.N. Security Council said `` any postponement of the elections of 29 November would be inconsistent with a credible process '' and with a peace agreement that had followed an armed rebellion in 2002 that had divided the country in two . The Security Council said it would review progress toward elections before October 15 . In March , U.S. State Department spokesman Gordon Duguid said the `` United States believes that long-delayed presidential elections are still technically possible in 2009 and calls on all parties to take every step necessary to ensure that credible elections go forward as promised . '' The statement said more than 5.7 million people had been enrolled as voters on a `` preliminary basis . '' | Coming elections in the Ivory Coast are being closely watched by U.N. officials . Jackson meets with president , opposition leaders in trip to West African nation . Leader of Krindjabo kingdom reportedly names Jackson a prince of the Agni people . Jackson : Wife received `` excellent medical care '' after breaking leg in stage collapse . | [[1972, 2011], [1972, 2057], [311, 450], [324, 360], [0, 15], [92, 94], [141, 216], [1213, 1229], [1264, 1305], [1381, 1396], [1412, 1466], [1550, 1579]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The box office fright flick `` The Haunting in Connecticut '' earned $ 23 million and a second-place ranking the first weekend of its release , satiating the moviegoer appetite for psychological thrills . Carmen Reed 's family lived in a former funeral home . Their stories inspired `` The Haunting in Connecticut . '' But what is entertainment for many was reportedly true life for Carmen Reed , who insists on using her maiden name to protect her children and grandchildren . Reed , her husband and four children rented an old colonial home in Southington , Connecticut , in the mid-1980s in order to be close to a hospital where her 13-year-old son was receiving cancer treatment . Soon after , two nieces also joined them in the house that they learned had once been a funeral home . It was n't long before that son began telling stories about noises he 'd heard and visions he 'd seen , including the one of the `` tall , thin man with long jet-black hair '' whom the boy said he saw every night , Reed said . `` I was the biggest skeptic of all , '' she explained . `` I put my son in a mental hospital because I did n't believe him . '' Watch Reed talk about life in a haunted house '' Reed sat down with CNN to talk about the spooky stories that later became her own and how what her family experienced inspired a blockbuster film . CNN : Tell me more about sending your son to a mental institution , where he arrived in a straitjacket and where you say he stayed for 45 days . Why did you do this , and what happened next ? Carmen Reed : At first I thought it was his cancer treatment . ... I took him to a psychologist , but he got darker and darker . And this one time , he got so bad , he attacked my niece . ... An ambulance came and took him to a mental hospital . ... He was saying , `` Mom , do n't leave me ! It 's going to come after you now . '' And it did . CNN : You mentioned seeing a hand that grasped your niece and that mop water would turn a deep , dark red . What are some other things you saw or heard ? Reed : Mattresses would breathe . They had a pulse . ... There was the normal banging on walls , but it always came in threes . ... There was a deep , gravelly voice . CNN : And yet you stayed for two years ! If what you were experiencing did n't drive you to move away , what did ? Reed : I could n't go to the grocery store without people telling me their ghost stories . I was usually there for three hours . CNN : You talk about how you read from the Bible in an attempt to drive away demons . How did your experiences in this home influence your faith ? Reed : I 've learned that most people just believe in this physical world . Some people question if there is a God or angels or demons . I do n't need to question that . I found that answer in this house . CNN : Are you still haunted by your experiences in that home ? Reed : I do dream about it , and I remember things , but one of the biggest mottos I have is `` Be not afraid . '' When people are afraid to go somewhere , I 'll go into the deepest , darkest part of it because I know I 'm not alone . CNN : You 've consulted on this new film and are writing a book about your story . Why do you insist on using your maiden name ? Reed : To protect my children . ... My daughter was more scarred by the publicity than she was by the house . And I have 11 grandchildren , and I want to protect them . CNN : What lesson do you hope people will take away from the film and the increased exposure to what you experienced in that Connecticut home ? Reed : Leave the occult alone . You think you can control it , but it 's going to backfire on you . | Big-screen thriller `` The Haunting in Connecticut '' is based on true story . Carmen Reed speaks about her family 's time living in a former funeral home . She says mattresses breathed , a hand grabbed and mop water turned red . Her message : `` Leave the occult alone '' | [[224, 278], [704, 714], [717, 727], [733, 806], [1163, 1208], [1903, 2004], [2051, 2055], [2058, 2084], [3556, 3560], [3563, 3587]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The U.S. Coast Guard Sunday continues its search for a missing sailor whose five Texas A&M University crew mates were hoisted out of the Gulf of Mexico earlier in the day after their sailboat capsized . Members of the Texas A&M Offshore Sailing Team are shown in this photo from the team 's Web site . The survivors -- four university students and a safety officer -- told the Coast Guard they were forced off their sailboat after it took on water and capsized . `` The flooding was so fast that the thing flipped over , '' USGS Capt. William Diehl told CNN . The missing sailor has been identified by the university as Roger Stone , the vessel 's second safety officer . The sailboat , named Cynthia Woods , was one of about two dozen boats heading from Galveston , Texas , to Veracruz , Mexico , for the annual Veracruz Regatta race , which began on Friday . Diehl said the boat was well-stocked with safety equipment -- including emergency radio beacons , life rafts and ring buoys -- but the crew could only manage to find four life jackets after the boat tipped over . `` The survivors told us that -LSB- when -RSB- they went into the water , they had four life jackets among the five , and they huddled together and they exchanged the life jacket among them so that they could stay afloat , '' Diehl said . Communication with the boat was lost about midnight Friday , and the boat missed its 8 a.m. radio check the next morning , the Coast Guard reported . A sailboat matching the description of the missing 38-foot boat was found overturned about 5:15 p.m. Saturday , authorities said . The five survivors were found several hours later , lifted to safety by a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter around 1 a.m. and taken to University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston for treatment . A Coast Guard spokeswoman could not say exactly where the survivors were rescued , but said the search was focused on an area about 10 miles south of Matagorda , Texas . Diehl said a Marine Corps C-130 , a Coast Guard cutter and a man-of-war naval vessel are searching for the missing crew member . All the mariners were experienced sailors , he said . `` They were very well trained , '' Diehl said . `` Obviously -LSB- they were -RSB- the more senior cadets at the university here , and they had very experienced safety people on board . '' When rescuers retrieved the capsized boat 's hull , Diehl said the keel was missing . `` That 's the part that keeps the sailboat balanced in the water , '' he said . `` And from talking to the survivors this morning , that 's where the flooding started for them . '' The 725-mile Veracruz regatta began on Friday and boats are expected to arrive in Veracruz on Wednesday and Thursday . | Coast Guard rescues five sailors reported missing ; search continues for sixth sailor . Texas A&M sailboat was taking part in regatta from Galveston to Veracruz , Mexico . Boat 's six-person crew missed 8 a.m. radio check Saturday . Sailboat matching description found capsized , with no one in sight . | [[0, 15], [19, 88], [1613, 1631], [1665, 1728], [1397, 1452], [72, 73], [121, 221], [1482, 1591]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Park Ji-Sung made history this year when the Manchester United midfielder became the first Korean to appear in the final of the European Champions League . Manchester United 's Park Ji-Sung in action for his club . The 28-year-old finished on the losing side in May , after Alex Ferguson 's team were beaten 2-0 by Spain 's Barcelona on the night , but for Park , his inclusion in the starting eleven represented a significant achievement . CNN will be traveling to the Red Devils ' training ground on September 21 to speak to Park about his life , and we 're giving you the chance to question the man himself . What do you want to ask Park Ji-Sung ? When it comes to Asian football , there 's no bigger star than Park Ji-Sung . The midfielder is a hero in his home country , not only for captaining the national team , but also for flying the flag for Korean football abroad thanks to a string of lung-busting performances for one of the world 's most famous club sides . Video : Park Ji-Sung talks to CNN . '' In fact , he has been nicknamed `` Three-lung Park '' by the media in his homeland , thanks to his seemingly overflowing energy supply . The same newspapers plaster Park on their front pages whenever he plays . Yet when he signed for Manchester United from Dutch side PSV Eindhoven , some unfairly thought that it was a mere sop , a marketing tool for Manchester United to sell more replica shirts . Check out CNN 's Park Ji-Sung gallery . '' But Ferguson has had other ideas , picking Park for some of United 's most important games . `` He has developed his tactical and technical ability and he has become a very important player for us , '' Ferguson told a press conference during United 's summer tour of Korea . `` He has had a fantastic career with us . '' That career has seen him earn a Champions League winner 's medal , numerous Premier League titles and a fourth place finish at the 2002 World Cup finals . If anything this year has been his best yet . Following last season 's English Premier League title , and a start in this year 's Champions League final , he led South Korea to the 2010 World Cup finals , scoring a late goal against Iran to secure their automatic qualification for South Africa . To confirm his status , he has just signed a two-year extension at United . And now CNN are offering you the chance to put your questions to arguably Asia 's greatest player . What is Alex Ferguson like to work with ? What has been the highlight of his career so far ? And what hope do South Korea have of emulating their 2002 World Cup glory in South Africa next summer ? Leave your questions below . | Park Ji-Sung is the first Korean to play in the Champions League final . He has just lead the South Korean national team to the World Cup finals . Sir Alex Ferguson calls him `` a very important player '' for United . Sound Off : What do you want to ask Park Ji-Sung ? | [[60, 174], [1996, 2049], [2056, 2096], [2105, 2152], [1622, 1670], [631, 669], [631, 635], [639, 669]] |
PINE VALLEY , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Dozens of America 's greatest military heroes are gathered in Chicago , Illinois , possibly the last large gathering of living Medal of Honor recipients . John Finn , 100 , at his California ranch , said he was just a dutiful soldier . That `` hero stuff is a bunch crap , '' he said . Among the men with light blue ribbons holding a star around their necks signifying uncommon bravery , will be John Finn . Finn , who received the nation 's highest medal for valor for his actions during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor , turned 100 this summer , the oldest living Medal of Honor recipient . Finn was stationed at Kanoehe Bay Naval Air Station , where the Japanese struck five minutes before attacking Pearl Harbor , across southeast Oahu Island from Kanoehe Bay . Finn recalled how a neighbor was the first to alert him , when she knocked on his door saying , `` They want you down at the squadron right away ! '' Finn saw the first Japanese plane before his car even reached his hangar . `` I put that old car of mine in second gear and wound it up getting down to the hangar where I could be where my guns and ammunition were , '' Finn said . One of the first things he did was take control of a machine gun from his squadron 's painter . `` I said , ` Alex , let me take that gun , ' '' Finn explained . `` I knew that I had more experience firing a machine gun than a painter . '' `` I got that gun and I started shooting at Jap planes , '' Finn said in the salty language not uncommon among veterans of that long-ago war . But Finn 's machine gun was right out in the open , nothing protecting him from the attacking pilots . `` I was out there shooting the Jap planes and just every so often I was a target for some , '' Finn said . `` They were Japanese fighter plane pilots . I can remember seeing , in some cases , I could see their faces . '' Watch John Finn 's give his account of his actions on December 7 , 1941 '' He was wounded in the head , the arm , the hand and the foot , but Finn fought on , a one-man counterattack to the surprise air raid that pulled America into World War II . Finn talked to CNN at his ranch in the desert east of San Diego , California . He surrounds himself with reminders of his life -- his entire life , not just that one infamous day out of 100 years . There are pictures of his wife , Alice , who married him before Pearl Harbor and was by his side until 1998 . The hillside outside his home is covered with old cars , old trucks and even an old military ambulance . But the first thing one notices when visiting Finn 's ranch is the sign at the road , with a painting of his medal next to his name . The citation for his Medal of Honor tells that part of his story : . `` He continued to man this gun and to return the enemy 's fire vigorously and with telling effect throughout the enemy strafing and bombing attacks and with complete disregard for his own personal safety . It was only by specific orders that he was persuaded to leave his post to seek medical attention . Following first-aid treatment , although obviously suffering much pain and moving with great difficulty , he returned to the squadron area and actively supervised the rearming of returning planes , '' the citation stated . With Japanese still attacking , getting his wounds treated was n't a priority , Finn said . `` Medical help comes later . If you 're busy shooting a machine gun or a rifle or a pistol or doing anything , you ca n't worry about getting medical attention , '' he explained . Less than a year later , Finn , out of the hospital and recovered from his wounds , was back on duty with the Navy in Hawaii . Adm. Chester Nimitz presented Finn with the Medal of Honor for his bravery , joining the ranks of the men , and one woman , recognized with the nation 's highest award for heroism . These days most medals are awarded at the White House , but with the war heating up , such a long trip was out of the question . In fact , his first visit to the White House came in the spring when President Obama invited him for a visit . Back at his ranch , Finn bristled when asked about being called a `` hero . '' `` That damned hero stuff is a bunch crap , I guess . Well , it is one thing that I think any man that is in that , you got ta be in that position , '' Finn said . `` You got ta understand that there 's all kinds of heroes , but they never get a chance to be in a hero 's position . '' Fewer than 100 men who have received the Medal of Honor are alive today . More than half of them are expected in Chicago this week for the annual Congressional Medal of Honor Society Convention . But because they are all veterans of World War II , Korea or Vietnam , their ranks are shrinking every year . The men from more recent conflicts , like Somalia , Afghanistan and Iraq , were all awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously . And this week , while many of those living recipients gather in Chicago , Obama will present the latest Medal of Honor at the White House to a soldier who fought and died heroically in Afghanistan . | In Pearl Harbor attack , John Finn was wounded in head and limbs but fought on . Finn 's medal citation states he continued to `` return the enemy 's fire vigorously '' Congressional Medal of Honor Society Convention is in Chicago this week . | [[1978, 2038], [2045, 2059], [2698, 2762], [2770, 2973], [4557, 4678]] |
LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Kanye West called Taylor Swift with a `` very sincere '' apology Tuesday for interrupting her acceptance speech at Sunday 's MTV Video Music Awards , Swift said . Kanye West called Taylor Swift to apologize for hijacking her speech at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards . West phoned Swift following her appearance on ABC 's `` The View '' Tuesday , her publicist said . Swift talked about it in a radio interview with ABC . `` Kanye did call me and he was very sincere in his apology , '' she said . `` And I accepted that apology . '' The apology came the morning after West , in an interview with Jay Leno , appeared to blame the pain of his mother 's death two years ago for his `` rude '' behavior . The rapper told Leno he would now `` take some time off '' to think about how he will `` make it through the rest of this life . '' West 's appearance on the prime-time premiere of `` The Jay Leno Show '' capped a 24-hour period that began Sunday evening with him strolling down the red carpet at New York 's Radio City Music Hall while gulping from a bottle of cognac . The low-light came about an hour later , when West jumped onstage and grabbed the microphone from Swift as she accepted the Best Female Video award . West declared that Beyonce Knowles should have won . West appeared sober and humble when he spoke on Leno 's Los Angeles stage Monday , an appearance that was originally to be just musical . Watch West give an emotional interview to Leno '' `` I immediately knew in this situation that it was wrong , '' West told Leno . `` And it was n't a spectacle , you know . It was actually someone 's emotions , you know , that I stepped on and it was very , it was just , it was rude , period . '' When Leno asked West what his mother would have thought of his behavior , he fell silent for more than a dozen seconds and appeared near tears . Leno pressed him again . `` Would she be disappointed in this ? Would she give you a lecture ? '' West gave a rambling , emotional answer : . `` Yeah , you know , obviously , you know , I deal with hurt and , you know , so many , you know , celebrities , they never take the time off , and I 've never taken the time off to really , you know , I just , music after music and tour after tour on tour , and I 'm just ashamed that my hurt caused someone else 's hurt . '' West said he was n't trying to justify his behavior , `` because I was just in the wrong . That 's clear . '' `` But I need to , after this , just to take some time off and analyze how I 'm going to , you know , make it through rest of this life , how I 'm going to improve , '' he said . `` Because , I am a celebrity and that 's something I have to deal with . '' He said he would like to personally apologize to Swift , a 19-year-old pop-country singer . `` And if there 's anything I can do to help Taylor in the future or help anyone , I want to live this thing . It 's hard sometimes , so . '' After his four-minute talk with Leno , West joined fellow hip-hop superstars Jay-Z and Rihanna to perform `` Run This Town , '' a song they recorded together . The timing of West 's antics came at a good time for Leno , who embarked on a new era of his career Monday . After 17 years of hosting `` The Tonight Show , '' Leno debuted his 10 p.m. weeknight talk show on NBC . Apologies from celebrities behaving badly have boosted Leno 's ratings . In 1995 , Leno enjoyed a ratings-grabbing moment when he asked actor Hugh Grant , `` What the hell were you thinking ? '' Grant had been arrested two weeks earlier for public lewd conduct with a Hollywood hooker . When Grant told Leno `` I did a bad thing , '' it gave Leno 's `` Tonight Show '' a viewership bump that has been credited with solidifying his lead over rival David Letterman in the late-night ratings war . This is just the kind of `` immediacy '' Leno was talking about in a call with reporters last week . `` The idea here is that we 'll tape a new , fresh show every single day , talking about the events that happened that day that night , '' Leno said . Jerry Seinfeld also appeared on Leno 's premiere Monday . | Kanye West reaches out to Taylor Swift to apologize . Rapper had interrupted Swift as she accepted the Best Female Video award . West contacted her after she appeared on `` The View '' Country singer said she accepted his apology . | [[44, 74], [207, 312], [313, 367], [2736, 2790], [121, 191], [1163, 1167], [1187, 1266], [44, 74], [313, 367], [542, 574]] |
Editor 's Note : This story details how two members of the CNN Special Investigations Unit reported a story about controversial plans to spend $ 31 million to enhance two remote crossings on the border between the United States and Canada . The road to the border was so quiet it was safe for Drew Griffin to sit in the middle of it . SCOBEY , Montana -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- We were driving through some of the most remote country in the United States , chasing a story that seemed hard to believe . The Department of Homeland Security had announced it was spending $ 31 million to enhance and upgrade two remote border crossings -- just 12 miles apart -- on the border between Montana and the Canadian province of Saskatchewan . The spending was lauded by Montana 's two senators , even though only an average of 22 cars a day traveled through these border posts . We hopped a plane from Atlanta , Georgia , to Billings , Montana , and then headed to Scobey and Whitetail . The six-hour drive took us through some of this nation 's most beautiful country into the high plains of the Missouri River Region . It was a drive punctuated with glimpses of cows and antelopes , but few people . In fact , Burl Bowler , editor of the Daniels County Leader newspaper , which serves the border towns , advised us where to stop for gas en route , so we would n't run out and then really be in trouble . Besides seeing a part of the country where Lt. Col. George Custer took his last stand , there was the added benefit -LRB- sorry CNN management -RRB- of having no phone or Blackberry access . In that respect , it was a peaceful drive . When we got to Scobey , the few people we encountered could n't have been nicer . Everyone we passed stopped , said hello , or waved . But encountering people was the problem -- and in fact , the story : We just did n't encounter that many . Certainly not at the border , where we stood and even sat in the middle of the road to show viewers how few people travel to and from Canada here . Watch just how quiet the border crossing was '' The Scobey border crossing itself seemed perfectly adequate . But the Department of Homeland Security had warned its agents not to allow us inside , so we do n't know what the interior is like . If we came in , we would be too disruptive , one government spokesman had informed us . In Scobey , that claim seemed a little far-fetched , since there was n't anything going on here -- disruptive or otherwise . On the Canadian side , farmer Marc Chabot , a U.S. citizen whose family has farmed the area on both sides of the border for generations , said he was grateful for the money his senators -- Democrats Max Baucus and Jon Tester -- steered to northeast Montana . But , he said , like others in the community , he gasped when he learned of the plan to spend $ 31 million expanding two border crossings that are rarely used . `` It would be wiser spent on something more useful to the public generally , '' he told us , adding that come winter , the average of 20 cars crossing a day in Scobey drops to almost none . Editor Burl Bowler told us the area could certainly use stimulus money for jobs , but not at the border . We asked both Bowler and Chabot about the possibility of terrorists creeping across the frontier . Both said that after the attacks of September 11 , 2001 , everyone needed to be more mindful of the porous border . But Chabot said the government had the area fairly well covered . `` Trust me , they know we are here right now , '' he said . And a massive new building costing more than $ 15 million in Scobey , Montana , was n't exactly a deterrence to someone set on harming the United States , he added . Chabot joked that any stranger in the area certainly would not be a stranger long , since everyone knew everyone -- a point echoed by Bowler , who pointed out that while he had n't told many people that CNN was coming to town , everyone seemed to know it anyway . In Whitetail , it was even quieter . The town has grain elevators and a post office . Bureau of Transportation statistics show only about two people a day cross the border there , and the agents ' building seemed in good shape , save for maybe needing a paint job . The DHS planned to spend $ 15 million on the outpost . That would buy a lot more paint than the building seemed to need . So why did these two areas get so much money ? Locals and critics suspect politics might have played a role . Baucus is chairman of the Senate Finance Committee ; Tester is on the Senate 's Homeland Security Committee . Both took credit for convincing the DHS to give these towns millions for border crossings , bragging in a joint press release that they pressured the agency . `` This is good news for all of Montana and especially communities across the northern tier , '' Baucus said in the statement . Tester said the spending would `` pay off for generations to come by creating new jobs and opportunity that will benefit all of Montana . '' As late as Wednesday , his spokesman reiterated Tester 's support of the spending , saying that it would seal security gaps on the border . So , the nagging question : Did politics , rather than security , guide the DHS ? Especially when a border town like Laredo , Texas , which sees 66,000 crossings a day , was getting not one dime of the $ 400 million in DHS border stimulus funds . Montana , in total , was to receive $ 77 million . In an interview Wednesday with CNN , Trent Frazier , the director of port modernization for the Department of Homeland Security , denied that politics played any role . `` We feel that these ports , like all ports of entry , are a vital part of the network of security that we have established across the border apparatus that we employ across the borders , and the investments we are going to do along these borders are a critical step in ensuring we can perform our mission , '' Frazier said . But if Frazier did not believe politics factored in the decisions , it appeared to play a big role by Wednesday afternoon . Fellow Democrat Sen. Byron Dorgan , from the neighboring state of North Dakota , sent out a news release urging DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano to suspend the stimulus program . He said that spending the money on such remote ports -- including the nine in his state -- was `` just nuts . '' Dorgan said the plan `` just defied common sense . '' Within hours , Napolitano announced she was ordering a 30-day review to see if the money was being spent appropriately . In her letter to Dorgan , Napolitano said 39 of the 43 Custom and Border Protection posts were located in the northern United States . She said most of the Southern ports were owned by the General Services Administration , and the money directed by Congress was earmarked for the Custom and Border Protection properties and required to be spent within 24 months . `` Nonetheless , '' she wrote , `` in order to ensure even further transparency in this process , I am ordering a 30 day review '' of all port construction decisions by officials who did not make the initial allocation decisions . So , for now , if you want to travel to Canada through Scobey or Whitetail , the agents who inspect your vehicles will be using the buildings now in place -- and according to the locals , you will be adequately served . | DHS planned to spend $ 31 million to upgrade remote border crossings . The crossings are 12 miles apart and get little to no traffic . Laredo , Texas , by comparison , gets 66,000 crossings a day . Laredo will not receive any of the $ 400 million in DHS border stimulus funds . | [[114, 240], [496, 625], [2805, 2866], [2823, 2889], [2823, 2889], [5252, 5258], [5275, 5302], [5217, 5258], [5261, 5266], [5305, 5381]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Water pressure is restored and it is now safe to drink in a Baltimore suburb where a huge water main burst , sending torrents of muddy water coursing over neighborhood streets and down highway ramps , officials said . Muddy water envelops the community of Dundalk , Maryland , on Friday . Many were left without power . `` A bad situation is well in hand , '' Baltimore County chief executive Jim Smith said during a press conference Saturday morning . Crews were still at work inspecting homes and clearing water from flooded basements , he said , `` but the danger is over , the crisis is over . '' A prestressed concrete water pipe burst late Friday afternoon under a road in the suburban Baltimore community of Dundalk . The 72-inch-wide main was shut about two hours after it ruptured , Smith said . No injuries were reported , Smith said , and knee-high to chest-high water had been reduced to 4 inches . Resident David Johnson said he felt helpless as he stood outside his house and watched the dirty brown water creep up his lawn and approach his front door . It stopped , inches away , and his basement stayed dry . The worst part now is the sewage smell , he said . Local public works officials said at least 39 basements in the area were flooded . See water main break damage '' Shannon Woerner was at home in nearby Essex , Maryland , when he heard the news about the water main break and the call for boats . He loaded his kayak in his truck and headed to the scene . `` I just wanted to see if I could help , '' he said . Woerner said he delivered car keys and other items across flooded streets to people who could n't get to their homes . Mike Pell , 34 , watched the water slowly recede after the main was shut . Water covered the wheels of his pickup . `` My basement 's done , '' he said , pointing to his shoulder to show the height of the water inside . He and his fiancee had a bedroom in the basement . `` All of our clothes are ruined , '' he said . He managed to get his two children , ages 2 and 3 , to a dry area on the first floor of the house . `` Now I wonder who 's gon na pay for this . We do n't have flood insurance ; this area does n't flood , '' Pell said , shaking his head . Samantha Hansley , 21 , could only watch from a dry hill and wonder if her truck would survive the flood . It sat in 2 feet of water a block away . Hansley and her boyfriend had been driving out of the floodwaters when they stopped to try to help some stranded drivers . `` Our truck just died , '' she said . A manager at the Box and Save grocery store about a block away from the break said the entire parking lot was flooded . Cathy Geisler said customers were still in the store Friday afternoon when police arrived to tell everyone except for essential personnel to evacuate . `` We were still doing business , then the electricity went out and we escorted everyone out of the store , '' Geisler said . Aerial video from CNN affiliates WMAR and WBAL showed a collapsed roadway covered by torrents of water . Entire neighborhoods had flooded streets , and some residents were evacuated , authorities said . Eric Braughman , who lives on one of the flooded streets , said he had `` thought something was up '' with the water Thursday when his faucets discharged orange-brown water . `` My wife did n't give the baby a bath because it did n't look safe , '' Braughman said . Nearly 1,000 customers were without power , according to Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. 's Web site . The main break is part of a larger issue with failing infrastructure in many U.S. cities , said Kurt Kocher , a spokesman for Baltimore 's Department of Public Works . Kocher cited two other huge main breaks in the Maryland and Washington area that were started from the same type of pipe that burst in Friday 's incident . `` This is a national infrastructure crisis , '' Kocher said . CNN 's Alec Miran in Dundalk , Maryland , contributed to this report . | Water is safe to drink ; pressure has been restored . Residents say water damaged vehicles , homes and left sewage smell . 72-inch main shut down after about two hours , county official says . Nearly 1,000 were without power , according to Baltimore Gas and Electric . | [[0, 9], [19, 45], [50, 95], [1144, 1182], [744, 808], [308, 338], [3409, 3450], [3409, 3431], [3453, 3510]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- U.S. Army ground commanders in Afghanistan say they need help , fast . That 's not a request for more troops , but a request from commanders who say the current camouflage uniform is not blending well in the diverse countryside . U.S. Army commanders in Afghanistan say the current uniform does not blend well in the countryside . In response , the Army later this month will field-test two new camouflage color schemes and patterns on about 1,000 soldiers in Afghanistan , where the terrain is extremely varied . Commanders have had problems there because of the numerous changes in environments a soldier can move in and out of in a short period of time -- from woodland to desert to alpine , and to rocky and snowy mountain tops . The current uniform , known as the Army Combat Uniform or ACU , has lighter shades of green and tan , which some commanders have complained does not blend well if soldiers need to stay motionless on a mission , as snipers or reconnaissance troops must . The effort by the Army was recently accelerated , according to Army officials , after U.S. Rep. John Murtha , D-Pennsylvania , told the Army he had a number of complaints from soldiers in Afghanistan who said the current camouflage pattern was not effective in the mountainous regions . Two yet-to-be-identified battalions -- a battalion has about 500 troops -- will test the two patterns , with initial results being turned into Army researchers by the end of October . While deployed , all 1,000 soldiers will have their regularly issued ACUs . In addition , one battalion will also get one of the new camouflage uniforms with a test pattern known as `` MultiCam . '' The pattern is made up of numerous blobs of white , brown , tan , black and greens for a more woodland look , and is already being worn by snipers and special operations forces . The other brigade will test a similar pattern to the ACU , called the Universal Cammo Pattern-Delta or `` UCP-Delta . '' While the pattern is the same , a series of `` digitized '' blocks of green and tan , the test uniform adds what he Army calls `` coyote brown '' and a slight color darkening all around to the greens and tans . The look is also designed to blend in the woods . Both battalions will be based in eastern Afghanistan where the terrain is the most rugged and diverse , Army officials said . The Army hopes to have the field input and a decision on what pattern is best by the end of January 2010 and the fielding of the new uniform as early as June 2010 . Troops will still keep the existing ACU , and commanders will be able to decide mission by mission what the soldiers should wear , according to Army officials . The testing is part of the Army 's long-term development of a permanent alternative to the current ACU , according to Army officials . | Commanders say current uniform does n't blend well in Afghanistan 's countryside . Army this month will field-test two new camouflage patterns in Afghanistan . Army hopes to have decision on new pattern by the end of January 2010 . | [[160, 170], [175, 259], [101, 170], [210, 259], [260, 360], [300, 360], [850, 863], [904, 923], [1206, 1217], [1222, 1304], [375, 383], [390, 501], [2375, 2515]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- One year after the collapse of banking stalwart Lehman Brothers , the administrator of its European business says the full impact on creditors may not be known until 2010 . One year ago cameras caught shocked Lehman Brothers ' employees leaving the building with boxes . Tony Lomas , a partner for PricewaterhouseCoopers , has been sorting through the financial remains of the banking giant 's European division since last September , when it became clear the bank would file for bankruptcy . He says administrators are still some months from finalizing the total amount owed to Lehman 's creditors . `` That will come at some point , maybe in the course of calendar 2010 , '' Lomas said . `` But up until that point we wo n't know the quantum of claims are . We have very complex trading relationships with a very large proportion of our counterparties . And we 've got six thousand or so live counterparties out there . '' Watch the full interview with Tony Lomas '' Within a week of Lehman 's collapse , Lomas sold Lehman 's equity trading business to Nomura . The deal saw about half of Lehman 's 5,000 employees in Europe move over to the Japanese investment bank . The agreement did n't include Lehman 's trading positions , the infrastructure , the intellectual property , or the building . `` One of the big reasons why we retained the infrastructure here was because we knew we were going to be dependent on it for many years to come because of the complexity of what we were unraveling , '' Lomas said . Some 400 to 500 Lehman 's staff still work in the London office for its administrators , poring through trading records and unwinding complex financial positions . `` We expect a significant number of those people to be with us for a reasonably significant time to work through all this , '' Lomas said . Among those who lost their jobs from Lehman Brothers , some such as former employee Caroline White , have turned their backs on the financial sector . White has since forged a new career in fashion and plans to unveil her first piece on Tuesday night . The former banker has n't put her last career completely behind her . Her collection includes a laptop bag with the Lehman 's logo . `` I themed it with a Lehman 's theme because I think its quite appropriate . I wanted to show where I have come from , and where I am going , '' the designer said . The future is less clear for the London-based administrators who say their job will not be done for several years . `` This could well take more than 10 years to resolve , all the issues , '' Lomas said . `` By that time , it will outdate me . '' He is confident creditors will receive some of their money . In the past year the administrators have recouped $ 9 billion dollars in cash , most of which has been invested in government-backed securities . `` Our priority is to keep it safe and make sure we do n't lose it , '' Lomas said . One year on , he said the job has n't become any easier . `` Reflecting back on the astonishment if you like of being appointed administrator here in the UK and contemplating what lay ahead of us , I do n't think I underestimated or understated the complexity of the task . It has proved to be every bit of that . '' `` There remains a very significant amount of complex still work to do , '' he added . CNN 's Jim Boulden contributed to this report . | Lehman administrator in Europe says significant amount of work still to do . Full amount owed to creditors may not be known until some time in 2010 . Up to 500 people still work for Lehman in London , unwinding trading positions . Lomas : `` This could well take more than 10 years to resolve '' | [[102, 208], [3263, 3333], [102, 208], [537, 551], [574, 636], [1550, 1636], [1550, 1581], [1639, 1683], [710, 725], [1534, 1549], [1839, 1854], [2526, 2576], [2596, 2611], [2930, 2945]] |
-LRB- Budget Travel -RRB- -- On your next trip , you could be checking into a wine cask , a salvaged 727 airplane , or a room where the furniture defies the law of gravity . The casks at the Hotel De Vrouwe Van Stavoren in the Netherlands once held the equivalent of 19,333 bottles of wine . Upside-down stay . At Berlin 's Propeller Island City Lodge , each of the 30 rooms is weird in its own way . The artist-owner , Lars Stroschen , has seen to that . One room , the first built , is made to look like a brightly painted medieval town , with an ultra-mini golf course surrounding the castle bed . Another has furniture attached to the ceiling , another has coffins for beds , and still another has lion cages on stilts -LRB- the Web site claims that kids `` love to sleep '' in them -RRB- . Then there 's the Freedom Room , which resembles a prison , complete with a toilet next to the bed -- oh , that German humor ! 011-49/30 -891 -90 -16 , propeller-island . com . A place to unwine 'd . When they were owned by a Swiss château , the four enormous casks on the grounds of the Hotel De Vrouwe Van Stavoren in the Netherlands held the equivalent of 19,333 bottles of wine . Now , after some creative recycling , it 's guests rather than booze that mellow out inside the casks . The richly worn and airtight oak barrels have two narrow beds , with a small sitting area outside . The grounds are quite close to tiny Stavoren 's harbor , which was a major port in the Middle Ages . 011-31/51 -46 -81 -202 , hotel-vrouwevanstavoren . nl . A bad trip -LRB- with none of the consequences -RRB- . The daughter of Ho Chi Minh 's number two masterminded the Hang Nga Guest House and Art Gallery , a complex that more than earns its local nickname , the Crazy House . This LSD nightmare 's three main buildings are Gaudi-esque concrete treehouse-like growths that appear as if they flowed organically out of the ground . Inside , the walls seem to dissolve into the floor , and right angles are avoided entirely . Each guest room is built around a different animal theme : the Eagle Room has a big-beaked bird standing atop a huge egg , while another has arm-sized ants crawling up the wall . The animal theme continues outside -- a large giraffe statue on the property contains a teahouse , and human-size `` spider webs '' are set up here and there . 011-84/63 -82 -20 -70 . Budget Travel : Check out these unusual hotels . In a league of its own . Hydrophobics should stay far from Jules ' Undersea Lodge , named for novelist Jules Verne of `` 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea '' fame . The 600-square-foot lodge , a former marine lab , is 21 feet underwater , close to the bottom of the mangrove-filled Emerald Lagoon , in Key Largo . You 'll have to know how to scuba dive to reach your room , and guests without the mandatory certification must take a course at the hotel . Once you 've reached the lodge , which sleeps up to six , you 'll be close to angelfish , anemones , barracuda , oysters , and other creatures -- each room is equipped with a 42-inch window , so you do n't need to be suited up to keep an eye on the neighborhood . 305/451 -2353 , jul.com . Crash in a jet plane . Near a beach that 's within Manuel Antonio National Park , the Hotel Costa Verde does n't lack for great sights . But few are as amazing as its own 727 Fuselage Suite , a salvaged 1965 Boeing 727-100 that looks as if it 's crashed into the Costa Rican jungle -LRB- it 's actually mounted atop a 50-foot pillar and reached via a spiral staircase -RRB- . The jet 's interior was once able to hold up to 125 passengers , but there are few reminders left of its days in the service of South African Airways and Colombia 's Avianca Airlines . The suite 's two bedrooms , dining area , and sitting room are now covered over entirely in teak to match the surroundings . Guests can play `` spot the toucan '' on the small wood deck that sits on top of the right wing . 011-506/27 -77 -05 -84 or 866/854 -7958 , costaverde.com/727.html . Your escape pod awaits . Colored bright-orange for easy visibility , the '70s - era escape pods that make up the Capsule Hotel once hung outside oil rigs , ready to be deployed in case of an evacuation . Recycled by self-proclaimed `` garbage architect '' Denis Oudendijk , the fleet of pods now rotates among different moorings in the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe . At the moment , two are in the western Dutch town of Vlissingen and another is in The Hague . For a kind of James Bond-meets-Barbarella twist , opt to book your pod with a disco ball and all the spy 's movies on DVD . It 's a super-kitschy nod to a similar pod 's appearance in `` The Spy Who Loved Me . '' 011-31/641 -76 -55 -60 , capsulehotel.info . On the road again . Imagine how much ground you could cover if you took your bed with you . That 's the idea behind Exploranter Overland Hotel , a converted 25-ton truck that 's a true hotel on wheels in Brazil . An awning extends out from the truck 's side to provide some al fresco shade at lunchtime . The `` kitchen '' comes tricked out with fridges , freezers , and a large convection oven -- on this trip , the restaurant comes with you too , and sometimes nearby cooks are brought in to give guests a taste of the local cuisine . Your luggage and sleeping quarters are towed behind you , in a trailer that sleeps up to 24 . With so much flexibility , guests can see Brazil 's back country , far from crowds and sometimes any other people at all . The tours , which last from three days up to three months or more , have included horseback riding , vineyard tours , bird watching , and rodeos . 011-55/11 -99 -38 -00 -58 , exploranter.com . Where the penthouse is a trailer park . Cape Town , South Africa 's sleek Grand Daddy hotel has a surprise on its roof : a fleet of seven Airstream trailers , six of which were imported from the U.S. . The aluminum-clad `` rooms , '' which sleep two people , have been done in playful themes that incorporate icons like `` Goldilocks and the Three Bears '' -LRB- a blonde wig and a bear suit are available for dress-up -RRB- , and John Lennon and Yoko Ono -LRB- the room 's white-on-white furnishings include an enormous bed , natch -RRB- . If you do n't want to stray as far from the trailers ' original looks , there 's the Pleasantville model , an Eisenhower-era fantasia with chintz , harvest-gold curtains , and flower-covered throw pillows . 011-27/21 -424 -7247 , granddaddy.co.za . STILL WEIRD ! Meet the giraffes -LRB- from the 2008 edition -RRB- . Without sacrificing its estate-in-the-country dignity -- or all of it , anyway -- Giraffe Manor in Langata , Kenya , is arranged so that roaming giraffes can poke their heads into any open window or doorway with impunity and lather guests with their sticky , prehensile tongues . Your guesthouse is their guesthouse , so the silly creatures pop up everywhere , including over the breakfast table , in the lobby , and through the curtains of the five guest rooms for adults . 011-254/20 -890 -948 , off-hours 011-254/20 -891 -078 , giraffemanor.com . Get the best travel deals and tips emailed to you FREE - CLICK HERE ! Copyright © 2009 Newsweek Budget Travel , Inc. , all rights reserved . | Guests can mellow out inside wine casks in the Netherlands . A sleek Cape Town , South Africa , hotel has an Airstream trailer park on the roof . A Costa Rica hotel offers stays inside a salvaged airplane . | [[1242, 1247], [1253, 1282], [5692, 5725], [5726, 5730], [5738, 5804], [47, 125]] |
Sunny Hostin is a legal analyst on CNN 's `` American Morning . '' Hollywood private eye Anthony Pellicano represented himself at his federal trial . The jury 's still out . NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- There 's a courthouse adage : A person who represents himself has a fool for a client . When a defendant utters those tragic words , `` I 'm going to represent myself , '' judges blanch , attorneys snicker , and even the court reporters grimace . I 've been on the opposite side of those who have chosen to represent themselves . It was n't pleasant . Since 1975 , when the U.S. Supreme Court held that the Sixth Amendment `` grants to the accused personally the right to make his own defense , '' many defendants have decided to take the law literally into their own hands . The most recent self-represented `` client '' is Anthony Pellicano , the Hollywood private investigator who 's been on trial for 78 counts lodged against him and two co-defendants . Pellicano 's jury has been out for a week , so it 's not yet clear whether the outcome of his case will follow the conventional wisdom . The 64-year-old celebrity sleuth is accused of leading a criminal enterprise that raked in more than $ 2 million by illegally spying , allegedly using wiretaps and law enforcement databases , on Hollywood 's rich and famous . He then dished the dirt to their rivals . If convicted of leading a criminal conspiracy , known as a RICO charge , he could spend up 20 years to life in prison . RICO , by the way , stands for the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act . It 's the law the Justice Department used to bring down the mob . Prosecutors have to prove that Pellicano and his co-defendants ran a corrupt enterprise that profited from information they obtained illegally . U.S. District Judge Dale Fischer granted Pellicano 's request to represent himself , but she was n't too happy about it . `` If the U.S. Supreme Court did n't require me to let defendants represent themselves , I would n't do it , '' she said . Even without a law degree , Pellicano seemed to realize that getting the jury to acquit him of the conspiracy charge was important . During his 15-minute closing argument , he denied he led a criminal enterprise and insisted that he acted as a `` lone ranger '' while gathering information for his clients . He also told the jurors that he shared no information with colleagues as he conducted investigations and allowed others to learn only what he wanted them to know . `` There was no criminal enterprise or conspiracy . Mr. Pellicano alone is responsible . That is the simple truth , '' he said , referring to himself in the third person . But unlike a seasoned attorney , he failed to address the evidence against him , including illegally taped conversations . Instead , he bragged about his career , while wearing an orange prison jumpsuit , saying of himself , again in the third person : `` Perhaps his business card should read , ' I deliver , ' because he did it over and over again . '' Courtroom observers said his `` cross-examination '' often consisted of little more than settling old scores . So is Pellicano a fool , or absolutely brilliant ? Well , if history is our teacher , he would do better if he had a lawyer , even a bad one . If you have a bad lawyer and you get convicted , you can always argue on appeal that your lawyer was ineffective and get a new trial . The following self-appointed lawyers learned the hard way that they had fools for clients : . In fact , I ca n't think of a defendant who represented himself or herself as well , or better , than a lawyer . So maybe I 'm biased , but lawyers are trained professionals . We 're trained in the art of trial war . Let us do our jobs . | Private eye Anthony Pellicano chose to represent himself at his trial . Pellicano is accused of illegally gathering dirt for A-list clients . People who represent themselves usually do n't do well with juries . | [[67, 149], [290, 332], [338, 428], [481, 489], [494, 531], [778, 844], [1825, 1834], [1846, 1866], [3539, 3550], [3555, 3588]] |
HAVANA , Cuba -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Thousands gathered in the Cuban capital on Sunday to pay their respects to one of Cuba 's few remaining original revolutionaries , Juan Almeida , who according to state media died of a heart attack Friday evening . Cubans wait Sunday at Havana 's Revolution Plaza to pay respects to deceased Cuban revolutionary Juan Almeida . A single column of people stretched around Havana 's Revolution Square in a well-coordinated show of solidarity and remembrance during what state media reported as a national day of mourning . President Raul Castro and other top government officials were reportedly on hand , though elder brother and former Communist leader Fidel Castro -- not seen in public since abdominal surgery in 2006 -- did not make an appearance . Almeida , 82 , fought alongside Fidel Castro and was among only a handful of surviving Cuban leaders who still bore the title `` Commander of the Revolution . '' Watch as Cubans remember Juan Almeida '' Widely admired among Cuban nationals , Almeida participated in the failed attacks on the Moncada army barracks in 1953 . He was aboard the famed yacht `` Granma , '' that carried the small group of Cuban rebels who would later topple U.S.-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista . A vice president and member of the Communist government Central Committee , Almeida was among only a few black leaders in top government posts . `` This shows how we 're all participants in our revolution and there is nothing that sets you apart , '' said Havana resident Fernando , who declined to give his last name . `` Not color , nor religion , '' he added . Almeida 's death underscores the mortality of an aging cast of Cuba 's revolutionary leaders . Widespread speculation surrounding the health of Fidel Castro grew in 2006 after he underwent abdominal surgery and later ceded the presidency to his younger brother , Raul . The elder Castro recently surfaced in a series of photos and video looking healthier , though he has not appeared in public in over three years . | Cuban revolutionary Juan Almeida died of a heart attack Friday evening . Thousands gathered in the Cuban capital on Sunday to pay their respects . He was among only a few black leaders in top government posts . Almeida fought with the Castros at the start of their revolution . | [[164, 176], [208, 247], [297, 359], [33, 161], [248, 359], [1338, 1406], [784, 791], [799, 828]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Rielle Hunter , the woman at the center of the John Edwards sex scandal , has been known variously as a spiritual seeker , an aspiring actress , a party girl and a political operative , according to media reports . A video image shows Rielle Hunter arriving at the federal courthouse in Raleigh , North Carolina , on August 6 . Last year , after months of denials , Edwards admitted having an affair with Hunter while he was campaigning for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2006 . Edwards ' campaign paid Hunter $ 114,000 to make a series of short webisode videos about his presidential campaign , and she traveled extensively with the candidate 's entourage . Edwards denies that he is the father of a baby Hunter bore in February 2008 , saying the affair was over before she became pregnant . Former Edwards aide Andrew Young claimed the baby was his . But Young later said that the former senator is the father and that his paternity claim had been made at Edwards ' request . Hunter has not said who the father is . Watch Hunter and baby arrive at federal court '' `` Rielle is the black sheep of the family . We were all raised the same way . She chose a different path , '' Hunter 's sister , Roxanne Marshall , told People magazine in August 2008 . Hunter , born Lisa Druck in Fort Lauderdale , Florida , was known for her partying ways as a young adult in New York , novelist Jay McInerney told People . He said Hunter , whom he dated for a while , and her friends inspired his book `` Story of My Life . '' After moving to Los Angeles , California , in 1991 , she married Alexander Hunter III , according to the Raleigh -LRB- North Carolina -RRB- News & Observer . They divorced in 2000 . Watch how a scandal might not wreck a career '' Hunter explored New Age spiritualism . She called her co-stars in the play `` Savage in Limbo '' together and burned herbs in the theater `` to clear the space of bad spirits and bring in the good ones , '' actress Elizabeth Dennehy told People . `` But it was all meaningful and earnest . '' Hunter changed her first name to Rielle in 1994 because `` it just came to her , '' publicist Pigeon O'Brien , a longtime acquaintance , told People . The movie Web site imdb.com lists Hunter under several names , as a writer , producer and actress , having appeared on screen in four films . She 's the co-founder of Midline Groove Productions , a New Jersey-based production company . Hunter told the television show `` Extra '' that she met Edwards by chance in 2006 when she was 42 . `` It was a random meeting . He was in a business meeting in New York , and I was in the same place , '' she said . Edwards ' wife , Elizabeth , related to talk show host Oprah Winfrey how her husband described the beginning of the affair . `` She was standing in front of the hotel and said to him , ` You are so hot . ' I ca n't deliver it , because I do n't know how to deliver such lines , '' she told Winfrey . `` But ` You are so hot ' are the words she said to him . '' The tabloid National Enquirer first reported in October 2007 that Edwards had engaged in an affair , but he denied it for months . He finally acknowledged the liaison in an August 2008 interview with ABC 's `` Nightline '' as the Enquirer 's reporting gained momentum , including the publication of a photo the tabloid said showed Edwards holding the baby . Hunter has shunned publicity since the affair became public . She spent an entire day in August at the federal courthouse in Raleigh , North Carolina . A federal grand jury is investigating payments to Hunter 's production company , but officials would not say whether the grand jury was meeting on the day of Hunter 's visit to the courthouse . Since the birth of her daughter , according to ABC , Hunter has assumed aliases and resided in various expensive homes in North Carolina and , more recently , in Santa Barbara , California . Edwards has denied giving any money to Hunter for anything other than her campaign work . Fred Baron , the finance chairman for the Edwards presidential campaign , told ABC that he used his personal resources to help Hunter move out of North Carolina and did not tell Edwards about the assistance , which consisted of access to jets , homes , cars and cash . | Rielle Hunter was party girl who became spiritual , acquaintances say . Filmmaker says she met former Sen. John Edwards by chance . Edwards ' wife says Hunter approached him at hotel , said , `` You 're so hot '' Hunter has avoided spotlight since birth of child ; paternity never stated . | [[0, 15], [93, 139], [1284, 1290], [1330, 1366], [2503, 2554], [2558, 2583], [2856, 2874], [2991, 2994], [2997, 3028], [1008, 1047], [3390, 3451], [3736, 3767], [3789, 3815]] |
LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Singer Chris Brown publicly apologized for assaulting his pop star girlfriend , Rihanna , in a video statement posted on his personal Web site Monday . Chris Brown , shown here at his June 22 court appearance , has publicly apologized in a video posted Monday . `` I have told Rihanna countless times , and I 'm telling you today , that I 'm truly , truly sorry in that I was n't able to handle the situation both differently and better , '' Brown said . `` What I did was unacceptable , 100 percent . I can only ask and pray that you forgive me . Please . '' Brown , 20 , was arrested after an early morning argument inside a rented Lamborghini on a Hollywood street in February . He admitted guilt to a felony assault charge in June in a plea deal under which he will serve five years of probation and do about 1,400 hours of `` labor-oriented service . '' Sentencing is set for August 5 . A publicist for Rihanna , whose real name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty , has not responded to CNN requests for comment on the apology . Watch Brown ask for forgiveness '' Brown , in the two-minute video , said he had wanted to `` publicly express my deepest regret and accept full responsibility '' since February , but he remained silent on the advice of his defense lawyer . `` Although I will do some interviews and answer some questions in the future , I felt it was time you heard directly from me that I am sorry , '' he said . `` I have tried to live my life in a way which can make those around me proud of me , and until recently , I think I was doing a pretty good job , '' Brown said . `` I wish I had the chance to relive those few moments again , but unfortunately I ca n't . I can not go into what happened , and most importantly , I 'm not going to sit here and make any excuses . '' The incident began when Rihanna , who was riding in the sports car driven by Brown , found a text message on his cell phone from `` a woman who Brown had a previous sexual relationship with , '' according to a sworn statement by Los Angeles Police Detective DeShon Andrews . `` A verbal argument ensued , '' followed by the physical attack , the statement said . It went on to describe the assault in great detail , saying Brown punched Rihanna numerous times and put her in a headlock , restricting her breathing and causing her to start to lose consciousness . He threatened to beat her and kill her , according to the statement , and he bit her ear and her fingers . Eventually , `` Robyn F. began screaming for help and Brown exited the vehicle and walked away , '' the statement said . `` A resident in the neighborhood heard Robyn F. 's plea for help and called 911 , causing a police response . An investigation was conducted and Robyn F. was issued a Domestic Violence Emergency Protective Order . '' At the end of his statement , the detective said Brown sent a text message nine days later , apologizing . `` I take great pride in me being able to exercise self-control , and what I did was inexcusable , '' Brown said in his video apology . `` I am very sad and very ashamed of what I 've done . My mother and my spiritual teachers have taught me way better than that . '' Brown , who lost several product endorsements after his arrest , said he realizes he has `` truly been blessed '' and he intends `` to live my life so that I am truly worthy of the term ` role model . ' '' `` As many of you know , I grew up in a home where there was domestic violence , and I saw firsthand what uncontrolled rage can do , '' he said . `` I have sought and I am continuing to seek help to ensure that what occurred in February can never happen again . And as I sit here today , I can tell you that I will do everything in my power to make sure that it never happens again . And I promise that . '' His probation requires that Brown complete domestic violence counseling . The judge said he can not have contact with Rihanna again until that is completed . | Chris Brown posts an apology on his Web site . Brown struck a plea deal last month for incident involving girlfriend Rihanna . Brown : `` I 'm not going to sit here and make any excuses '' | [[0, 11], [14, 40], [44, 121], [137, 186], [196, 207], [255, 289], [726, 793], [782, 793], [800, 843], [1776, 1825]] |
BEIJING , China -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- African governments have stopped importing Chinese dairy products as the crisis which has seen more than 52,000 Chinese children poisoned by melamine-tainted goods spreads . Burundi , Gabon and Tanzania have joined governments closer to China -- including Indonesia , Taiwan , Japan , Singapore and Malaysia -- in banning Chinese dairy products . At least 11 countries have banned imports . The precautions come as the number of affected children in China continues to swell . Four babies have died from melamine-tainted infant formula and more than 52,000 children have fallen ill , Chinese authorities say . `` I think we will see more cases , but it is , of course , impossible to predict how many cases there finally will be , '' said Hans Troedsson , the the World Health Organization 's China representative . `` We have to remember that China is a large country with a population of 1.3 billion people . However , of course , 40 - to 50,000 children are affected as reported now . It 's a staggering figure , but where we will end up is too early yet to say . '' On Monday , China 's top quality control official , Li Changjiang , resigned as a result of the scandal , which has seen the arrest of at least 18 people . Two brothers arrested last week on charges of selling contaminated milk could face death if convicted , according to China Daily , a state-run newspaper . The raw milk used to produce powdered baby formula had been watered down and the chemical melamine was added to fool quality checks , the newspaper said . Watch CNN visit the company at the center of the scandal '' Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao visited Beijing hospitals and a supermarket to show his concern . China 's Health Ministry said about 13,000 children were hospitalized , while another 40,000 had undergone outpatient treatment . `` What we need to do now is to ensure that nothing like this happens in the future , not only in dairy products , but in all foods , '' he said . `` Manufacturers and owners of dairy companies should show more morality and social responsibility in these cases . They are heartless , so we have to create strict law and legislation . I 'm sorry . '' Watch how Beijing is under pressure over public safety '' The repercussions from the scandal were felt as far away as Africa . Burundi imports milk products from two suspect Chinese companies and the government has set up a commission to investigate how much tainted product could remain on store shelves , officials said . `` For the moment , nobody knows if the milk is being sold on the Burundi market , '' Noel Nkurunziza , president of a Burundi consumer association known as ABUCO , is quoted as saying in The Guardian newspaper and other publications . In Asia , Singapore announced a recall of all Chinese milk products on Tuesday . The head of Indonesia 's Food Safety Watch said she was instituting a temporary ban of all milk imports from China , although contaminated milk has not been found in the country . In issuing its recall of milk products , Singapore had already suspended the import and sale of milk and dairy products from China on Friday , after it said it has found traces of melamine in three Chinese-made dairy products . The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority said `` White Rabbit Creamy Candy '' was ordered off of shelves after tests showed it was contaminated . White Rabbit is among the best-known candy brands in China and one of the few exported widely . The United States is among 40 nations that import the candy , a man in the administrative office of the Shanghai-based company told CNN Monday . Earlier , Singapore 's agri-food agency said it found melamine in two other milk-based Chinese imports : the Yili brand `` Choice Dairy Fruit Bar Yoghurt Flavored Ice Confection '' and the Dutch Lady brand of strawberry-flavored milk . In Bangladesh , three Chinese powdered milk brands -- Sanlu , Suncare and Yashili -- have been taken off shelves and all milk powder imports at Bangladeshi ports will be inspected . Bangladeshi TV showed the country 's Rapid Action Battalion climbing over a fence to raid a storage facility believed to contain tainted milk . In Malaysia , Health Minister Datuk Liow Tiong Lai announced that import of Chinese milk products had been stopped . In addition to banning imports , thousands of tons of tainted milk powder have been recalled . In the Philippines Monday , the country 's Bureau of Food and Drugs banned the distribution and selling of two brands of imported Chinese milk that could possibly be tainted , the Philippines News Agency reported . The milk brands were Yili and China Mengniu Diary Company , the agency reported . One of the implicated Chinese plants is operated by a subsidiary of the Marudai Food Co. in Japan . Marudai said it was recalling five types of products from the plant , would halt operations there for one month , and will send employees to the subsidiary to examine quality controls . The factory will be shut down through October 19 . Even some countries that do n't import Chinese dairy products , such as Malaysia and Brunei , have banned milk products from China . In Hong Kong , concerned parents have swamped hospitals . A 3-year-old Hong Kong girl was reported this weekend as the first case outside of mainland China . The girl was treated for kidney stones at Princess Margaret Hospital and released , Hong Kong 's government Web site reported . Her condition is being monitored . Watch the public outcry faced by the Chinese government '' A second child , a 4-year-old boy , had similar renal symptoms , the government reported Monday . The boy , a Hong Kong native , had consumed milk products contaminated with melamine and was diagnosed with a kidney stone in mainland China , the Department of Health said . He was treated at Princess Margaret on Monday and was in stable condition . The hospital said Monday it has provided medical consultation to 63 people who might have consumed contaminated milk products . The patients , 34 males and 29 females , ranged in age from 2 months to 17 years old . A Hong Kong government hotline has received nearly 1,000 calls . Melamine is commonly used in coatings and laminates , wood adhesives , fabric coatings , ceiling tiles and flame retardants . Some Chinese dairy plants have added it to milk products to make it seem to have a higher protein level . Learn more about the chemical melamine '' Melamine is the same industrial contaminant from China that poisoned and killed thousands of U.S. dogs and cats last year . Health experts say ingesting melamine can lead to kidney stones , urinary tract ulcers , and eye and skin irritation . It also robs infants of much-needed nutrition . | NEW : Burundi , Gabon , Tanzania ban import of suspect milk products from China . NEW : Singapore , Taiwan , Bangladesh , Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei impose bans . Head of China 's quality watchdog resigns over tainted baby formula scandal . Four infants in China dead , over 52,000 reported ill from tainted milk powder . | [[0, 7], [10, 31], [35, 114], [346, 381], [5051, 5065], [5071, 5114], [5046, 5065], [5131, 5178], [209, 342], [382, 425], [2764, 2771], [2774, 2844], [3025, 3054], [3066, 3075], [3080, 3165], [4200, 4211], [4214, 4316], [5046, 5065], [5131, 5178], [1105, 1114], [1117, 1154], [1173, 1208], [101, 114], [121, 163], [140, 198], [450, 511], [512, 600], [575, 616]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A giant oil-trading company is offering to pay thousands of Africans a settlement after a contractor illegally dumped toxic waste in West Africa three years ago . Parents say their child 's body is covered in lesions as a result of toxic waste dumped in Ivory Coast in 2006 . The United Nations says the 2006 dumping in Ivory Coast killed 15 people and sickened about 100,000 others . Trafigura is offering $ 1,536 -LRB- or 950 British pounds -RRB- per person to settle a lawsuit stemming from the dumping of 500 tons of toxic waste off Ivory Coast , or Cote d'Ivoire , a company spokeswoman said Monday . The law firm representing the claimants has said in the past it represents up to 30,000 people , making the settlement potentially worth about $ 46 million . A judge still must approve the deal before it becomes final . The Trafigura spokeswoman , Alex Nelless of the public relations firm Bell Pottinger , said she did not know if a court date had been set . The Dutch-based company does not admit liability in the settlement and aggressively fought the suit . It threatened to sue media outlets , including the BBC , for its reporting of the case . The British law firm representing the victims Monday refused to comment on any aspect of the case or to confirm the existence of a settlement . Nisha Patel , a spokeswoman for Leigh Day and Co. in London , said she did not know when the firm would be able to comment . Trafigura also sued Leigh Day for libel , a suit that Trafigura said had been `` resolved . '' Last week , the United Nations said that Trafigura caused death and injury when the cargo ship Probo Koala dumped 500 tons of toxic waste belonging to the company at sites around Abidjan , Ivory Coast 's largest city . `` According to official estimates , 15 people died , 69 people were hospitalized and over 100,000 others , complaining of nausea and vomiting after inhaling fumes , sought medical treatment after the incident , '' said the report released Wednesday by Okechukwu Ibeanu , an unpaid investigator for the Geneva , Switzerland-based U.N. Human Rights Council . The areas where the toxic waste was dumped still have not been decontaminated and continue to threaten residents ' health , Ibeanu said last month . Many people , he said , report headaches , skin lesions , digestive difficulties and nose , throat and lung problems , according to a U.N. statement . Trafigura rejects the U.N. findings and said the investigator ignored repeated offers to see the results of the company 's own studies . It said 20 experts it had hired did not find a link between `` exposure to the chemicals released from the slops -LSB- toxic waste -RSB- and deaths , miscarriages , stillbirths , birth defects , loss of visual acuity or other serious and chronic injuries . '' It admits that a contractor dumped the toxic waste but denies responsibility . `` It remains Trafigura 's position that it did not foresee , and could not have foreseen , the reprehensible acts of Compagnie Tommy in dumping the slops in and around Abidjan in August and September 2006 , and that Compagnie Tommy acted entirely independently of , and without any authority from , Trafigura , '' the company said in a statement Saturday . `` Nevertheless , Trafigura regrets that this incident occurred and is pleased that the matter has now been resolved , '' it said . Trafigura said the statement was being issued jointly with Leigh Day and that a court had ordered the law firm to publish the statement on its Web site . CNN could not find the statement on Leigh Day 's site , and the firm 's spokeswoman declined to say if it was there . `` While we certainly do not accept legal liability , Trafigura regrets the Probo Koala incident and in particular the distress that it caused the local population , '' company director Eric de Turckheim said in a statement . Trafigura says on its Web site that it has `` access to approximately $ 17 billion in credit facilities and investments ... around the world of more than $ 1 billion . '' | U.N. says 2006 dumping in Ivory Coast killed 15 people , sickened about 100,000 . Firm offers $ 1,536 per person to settle suit stemming from dumping of toxic waste . Settlement potentially could be worth $ 46 million ; judge must still approve deal . Dutch firm Trafigura says contractor dumped toxic waste , but it denies responsibility . | [[268, 311], [312, 420], [336, 420], [312, 315], [389, 420], [1557, 1566], [1569, 1694], [1813, 1827], [421, 495], [496, 584], [642, 681], [739, 799], [800, 861], [124, 198], [1002, 1068], [2831, 2909], [2846, 2881], [2846, 2858], [2886, 2909]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A legally insane killer who escaped in Washington state during a field trip to a fair was recaptured Sunday , the Spokane County Sheriff 's Department said . Authorities combed Washington state for Phillip Paul , a killer who escaped Thursday during a field trip . Phillip Paul , who was on the run for three days , had been planning the break for `` at least the last several months , '' Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich said at a news conference . Paul was recaptured at about 4 p.m. PT in Goldendale , Washington , sheriff 's Sgt. Dave Reagan said . Goldendale is about 250 miles from the site of Paul 's escape from a county fair in Spokane County , Washington . Police received a tip Saturday afternoon that Paul was dropped off by a person he managed to dupe into giving him a ride to Goldendale , Knezovich said . Police spotted him hiding in a wooded area about 100 yards from the drop-off point Sunday and eventually arrested him while he was trying to hitch another ride , Knezovich said . Sheriff 's officials told CNN affiliate KREM-TV that Paul also escaped briefly in 1991 and assaulted a law enforcement officer . That same officer was involved in arresting Paul on Sunday , Reagan said . Paul , 47 , escaped at around noon Thursday . Though Paul had been confined in a mental institution because of a murder confession , he was allowed to go on the trip to the county fair . Paul had packed all his personal belongings in a large backpack before leaving on the trip , which the sheriff said should have been a sign that Paul was `` about ready to do something this drastic . '' Paul was committed to Eastern State Hospital after admitting he strangled and slit the throat of community activist Ruth Motley in 1987 , KREM-TV reported . According to court documents obtained by KREM , Paul believed Motley was a witch and killed her in response to voices in his head . He subsequently burned a deer carcass as a sacrifice , according to the documents . Paul 's escape Thursday prompted a massive manhunt and brought criticism from many , including state government officials and police . `` There was an extreme amount of anger throughout the law enforcement community that this event even took place , '' Knezovich said . `` This is a situation , in my opinion , that should have never happened . '' Knezovich also complained that hospital officials had not reported Paul 's escape for two hours , which he said also hindered the investigation . A review of the policy that allows patients to take trips has been launched , said Susan Dreyfus , secretary of the Washington 's Department of Social and Health Services . Dreyfus said she was concerned about Paul 's escape and another recent brief escape by a patient at a different local mental facility . | Phillip Paul recaptured Sunday in Goldendale , Washington , authorities say . Paul duped someone into driving him 250 miles from escape site . Paul planned escape for at least several months , police say . Legally insane killer escaped Thursday during hospital field trip to fair . | [[0, 15], [105, 126], [460, 543], [563, 661], [747, 755], [759, 811], [284, 296], [333, 402], [29, 42], [47, 104], [232, 240], [245, 283], [1977, 2027]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- On a recent Southwest Airlines flight , a man dropped his pants and exposed himself to the female passenger sitting next to him , then punched her , according to an FBI affidavit . The plane was in midair , and the naked man reportedly grew angrier , screaming uncontrollably and shaking his fist in the air . In August , a man on Southwest Airlines exposed himself and punched a fellow passenger , an FBI affidavit says . The man had gone `` berserk , '' said James Scanlon , a 52-year-old passenger who witnessed the August incident . `` He was jeopardizing my safety on that airplane . I was afraid he would rush the cockpit or try to jump out . '' Laws prohibiting interference with flight crews and attendants on aircraft have been on the books for decades . But since the September 11 , 2001 , attacks , federal officials and airlines have clamped down on misconduct , imposing bigger fines and stricter punishments for passengers who behave badly . `` Now people are more hyper-vigilant on what occurs on aircrafts , '' said Ron Koziol , assistant section chief for the FBI 's violent crimes unit , who calls airplanes a `` high-risk '' environment . `` The U.S. government is more aware of what can occur on an aircraft , and -LSB- officials -RSB- do n't want those issues causing the plane to be in an unsafe environment . '' The FBI reports an average of 80 incidents aboard aircraft each year . The man on the Southwest fight , Darius Chappill , was charged in U.S. District Court in Oakland , California with interference with a flight crew and accused of exposing himself . If convicted , he faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a $ 250,000 fine . The Federal Aviation Administration , which handles unruly incidents deemed to be civil violations , has reported more than 900 cases over the past five years . In 2000 , a series of incidents in which passengers verbally harassed and hit crew members prompted the FAA to boost the civil penalty fine for interfering with a crew member from a maximum of $ 1,100 to $ 25,000 . The FBI usually handles more serious cases of abuse or dangerous behavior . The FAA numbers do n't reflect all the cases of inappropriate behavior , said Les Dorr , a spokesman for the agency . Crew members are used to experiencing the wrath of passengers who are frustrated by delays and missing baggage . Sometimes , these incidents are n't severe enough to be reported to government officials . Many confrontations occur when a flight attendant refuses to serve an intoxicated passenger another alcoholic beverage , according to flight attendants . When the temper tantrums get physical , airline officials may resort to plastic handcuffs and restraining tape . On a Frontier Airlines flight in July 2007 , passenger Tamera Freeman was seen physically abusing her children , who were crying , according to court documents . The court records show that when the flight attendant refused to serve her alcohol , Freeman threw her drink at the attendant . Crew members subsequently taped Freeman into her seat , and she spent three months in jail for the incident . Passengers who fail to comply with standard airline policies -- such as staying seated when the seat-belt sign is on or turning off electronics when the plane is landing -- also spark confrontation , airline attendants said . Christina Szele , a New York passenger onboard JetBlue Airways in 2008 , decided to smoke in her seat last summer despite the no-smoking law implemented on U.S. flights in 1990 . Court documents revealed that when flight attendants asked Szele to stop , she began to yell obscenities and racial slurs . The flight was diverted to Denver , Colorado . Szele later was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Denver to serve five years ' probation for interference with a JetBlue flight crew member . Szele was ordered to participate in anger management and drug and alcohol abuse treatment as well as fined nearly $ 8,000 . Tim Smith , an American Airlines spokesman , reported a slight decrease in the number of incidents of misconduct this year compared with last year . The number of unruly passenger incidents tracked by the FAA also has dipped since 2004 . The punishment for unruly behavior can be severe . In addition to federal charges , fines and jail time , passengers who are prosecuted may be liable for paying to divert a flight to an unscheduled airport , which can run into the tens of thousands of dollars . Depending on the offense , the unruly passenger may be banned from the airline permanently . But some passengers said they believe the airlines and government are reacting too harshly . `` You ca n't have a dispute on board an airline with the flight crew period , '' said Charles Slepian , CEO of Foreseeable Risk Analysis Center Inc. , a security consulting group . `` In some instances , it 's a good thing . But others will say it is a violation of my First Amendment rights . '' Several airlines require their attendants to take courses on how to defuse confrontations and calm passengers who make belligerent threats . `` We have all accepted that when we chose this career path our job is to be a safety professional , '' said Kelly Skyles , national safety and security coordinator for the Association of Professional Flight Attendants , an organization that represents attendants at American Airlines . `` I 'm the eyes , ears and nose of the aircraft to report everything to the cockpit . The service part , that 's just a bonus of our job . '' Diana Fairechild , an aviation consultant and flight attendant for two decades , said flying conditions have become more strenuous . Few airlines serve meals on domestic flights , and snacks and drinks are carefully rationed . The seating space is smaller , leaving passengers feeling crunched . There are more delays , fees and less fresh oxygen on board , she said , which can trigger angry behavior . Fairechild said she has seen the quality of customer service dwindle since September 11 as some crew members have shorter tempers in dealing with passengers who disobey the law . `` Listening helps , '' Fairechild said on the skills she used to deal with rowdy passengers . `` Patience . Just being heard makes a big difference . '' | FAA reports more than 900 cases of unruly behavior on planes over past five years . Last month , a man reportedly exposed himself to passenger on Southwest Airlines . FBI officials say bad behavior less tolerated on flights after September 11 attacks . Unruly behavior can bring civil fines up to $ 25,000 or criminal charges . | [[1686, 1721], [1774, 1846], [4134, 4179], [59, 64], [87, 146], [329, 338], [341, 384], [1425, 1455], [1576, 1605], [787, 891], [1847, 1854], [1888, 2061], [4209, 4259]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Why leave home when you can send out a sexy , stylish robot version of yourself to do anything you tell it ? In `` Surrogates , '' lifelike robots take the place of humans in day-to-day life . That 's the world of `` Surrogates , '' a film starring Bruce Willis that opens Friday . Willis plays an FBI agent who investigates the first murder to occur in years in a world where no one worries about crime or pain , because their robots self-heal with a quick reboot . Far-fetched science fiction ? Sure . But scientists and the movie 's makers say the technology might not be as far away as most people think . Armies use remote-controlled robots to attack enemies and destroy land mines . Emerging technology for the disabled allows users to operate robotic limbs and control computer cursors without touching a keyboard . And emerging `` telepresence '' technology is letting people see , hear and , increasingly , walk , talk and gesture using human-sized robots a world away . `` There are a lot of real-world components to this , '' said robotics expert and author Daniel H. Wilson , whose books like `` Where 's My Jet Pack ? '' and `` How to Survive a Robot Uprising '' explore the intersections between science fiction and real science . `` Clearly , there are not fully functional humanoid robots ... but there are a lot of components to telepresence that already exist . '' `` Surrogates '' director Jonathan Mostow , whose film credits include 2003 's `` Terminator 3 : Rise of the Machines , '' said he was drawn to the concept of surrogate robots as an extension of current technology . And , he said , as he met with scientists , he became convinced that something approaching the concept could one day be a reality . `` To me , it 's not even a question of the technology . Technology always catches up , '' he said . `` The question is , is some universal human urge being met by this invention ? It seems to me we have a fundamental human desire to be lazy , to sort of not have to do things in person and to do it remotely . `` That began with the telegraph and the telephone and has morphed into the Internet . '' The first steps down the road are being taken at Anybots , a Mountain View , California , company founded in 2001 by Trevor Blackwell . The company offers , for about $ 30,000 , a 5-foot-tall , 35-pound robot that allows the user to remotely travel , see , hear and talk . It hopes to release its latest version of the robot at a more affordable price . The robot 's vaguely humanoid curves , roughly adult height and ability to move around using technology similar to that of the Segway are important steps up from current teleconferencing technology , Blackwell said . Anybots in the development phase are being designed to run , jump and climb stairs , and they come equipped with fully articulated hands designed to perform increasingly human-like tasks . Blackwell said he 's not sure the technology will ever advance to the level imagined in `` Surrogates '' -- but that may have as much to do with desire as ability . `` I do n't know if we 'll ever get quite to that level , of being that realistic , '' he said . `` Most of the time , you 're not trying to fool people ; you 're just trying to make something human enough so people can relate to it . '' Wilson , who said he appreciates `` Surrogates '' because it avoids sci-fi 's traditional `` man vs. machine '' dynamic , also imagines social reasons for not pursuing such technology . `` Would humans stand in line at the grocery store behind a robot ? Would I let my children play outside if I knew there were robots outside walking dogs ? '' he said . It 's more realistic , Wilson said , that a humanoid robot could be created to remotely perform tasks that would be too dangerous for the machine 's operator to do . although NASA employs robots in space , the highly technical work often required for space walks still requires a human touch -- at least for now . Plus , he said , making robots that look and act like us would help them function better , he said . `` Another major reason to create humanoid robots is , they can use all of our tools , '' Wilson said . `` Human beings have taken large chunks of the planet and completely transformed the environment to support our embodiment . Doorways are a certain width all over the world because human beings are about the same size . All our tools are similar because we 've all got hands and thumbs . '' For Mostow , the movie also reflects technological advances that , for better or worse , exist as the world of online networking continues to grow . `` You can do your shopping . You can get your news . You can let everyone know what you 're up to , '' he said . `` For those who telecommute , you do n't even have to put your clothes on to go to work . `` This idea basically just takes that to its logical conclusion . '' | In `` Surrogates '' sexy , stylish robots live life for their owners . Scientists say `` telepresence '' with robots is real , will improve . California company Anybots developing robot that can jump , climb stairs . Director : Androids are `` logical conclusion '' of technology that already exists . | [[19, 113], [128, 144], [147, 211], [2722, 2804], [1522, 1617]] |
Editor 's note : John M. McCardell Jr. , president emeritus at Middlebury College , is founder and president of Choose Responsibility , a nonprofit organization that seeks to engage the public in debate over the effects of the 21-year-old drinking age . John McCardell says the 21-year-old drinking age is n't preventing widespread binge drinking . -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- One year ago , a group of college and university presidents and chancellors , eventually totaling 135 , issued a statement that garnered national attention . The `` Amethyst Initiative '' put a debate proposition before the public -- `` Resolved : That the 21-year-old drinking age is not working . '' It offered , in much the way a grand jury performs its duties , sufficient evidence for putting the proposition to the test . It invited informed and dispassionate public debate and committed the signatory institutions to encouraging that debate . And it called on elected officials not to continue assuming that , after 25 years , the status quo could not be challenged , even improved . One year later , the drinking age debate continues , and new research reinforces the presidential impulse . Just this summer a study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry revealed that , among college-age males , binge drinking is unchanged from its levels of 1979 ; that among non-college women it has increased by 20 percent ; and that among college women it has increased by 40 percent . Remarkably , the counterintuitive conclusion drawn by the investigators , and accepted uncritically by the media , including editorials in The New York Times and The Washington Post is that the study proves that raising the drinking age to 21 has been a success . More recently , a study of binge drinking published in the Journal of the American Medical Association announced that `` despite efforts at prevention , the prevalence of binge drinking among college students is continuing to rise , and so are the harms associated with it . '' Worse still , a related study has shown that habits formed at 18 die hard : `` For each year studied , a greater percentage of 21 - to 24-year-olds -LSB- those who were of course once 18 , 19 and 20 -RSB- engaged in binge drinking and driving under the influence of alcohol . '' Yet , in the face of mounting evidence that those young adults age 18 to 20 toward whom the drinking age law has been directed are routinely -- indeed in life - and health-threatening ways -- violating it , there remains a belief in the land that a minimum drinking age of 21 has been a `` success . '' And elected officials are periodically reminded of a provision in the 1984 law that continues to stifle any serious public debate in our country 's state legislative chambers : Any state that sets its drinking age lower than 21 forfeits 10 percent of its annual federal highway appropriation . But it 's not 1984 anymore . This statement may seem obvious , but not necessarily . In 1984 Congress passed and the president signed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act . The Act , which raised the drinking age to 21 under threat of highway fund withholding , sought to address the problem of drunken driving fatalities . And indeed , that problem was serious . States that lowered their ages during the 1970s and did nothing else to prepare young adults to make responsible decisions about alcohol witnessed an alarming increase in alcohol-related traffic fatalities . It was as though the driving age were lowered but no drivers education were provided . The results were predictable . Now , 25 years later , we are in a much different , and better , place . Thanks to the effective public advocacy of organizations like Mothers Against Drunk Driving , we are far more aware of the risks of drinking and driving . Automobiles are much safer . Seatbelts and airbags are mandatory . The `` designated driver '' is now a part of our vocabulary . And more and more states are mandating ignition interlocks for first-time DUI offenders , perhaps the most effective way to get drunken drivers off the road . And the statistics are encouraging . Alcohol-related fatalities have declined over the last 25 years . Better still , they have declined in all age groups , though the greatest number of deaths occurs at age 21 , followed by 22 and 23 . We are well on the way to solving a problem that vexed us 25 years ago . The problem today is different . The problem today is reckless , goal-oriented alcohol consumption that all too often takes place in clandestine locations , where enforcement has proven frustratingly difficult . Alcohol consumption among young adults is not taking place in public places or public view or in the presence of other adults who might help model responsible behavior . But we know it is taking place . If not in public , then where ? The college presidents who signed the Amethyst Initiative know where . It happens in `` pre-gaming '' sessions in locked dorm rooms where students take multiple shots of hard alcohol in rapid succession , before going to a social event where alcohol is not served . It happens in off-campus apartments beyond college boundaries and thus beyond the presidents ' authority ; and it happens in remote fields to which young adults must drive . And the Amethyst presidents know the deadly result : Of the 5,000 lives lost to alcohol each year by those under 21 , more than 60 percent are lost OFF the roadways , according to the National Institute of Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse . The principal problem of 2009 is not drunken driving . The principal problem of 2009 is clandestine binge drinking . That is why the Amethyst presidents believe a public debate is so urgent . The law does not say drink responsibly or drink in moderation . It says do n't drink . To those affected by it , those who in the eyes of the law are , in every other respect legal adults , it is Prohibition . And it is incomprehensible . The principal impediment to public debate is the 10 percent highway penalty . That penalty should be waived for those states that choose to try something different , which may turn out to be something better . But merely adjusting the age -- up or down -- is not really the way to make a change . We should prepare young adults to make responsible decisions about alcohol in the same way we prepare them to operate a motor vehicle : by first educating and then licensing , and permitting them to exercise the full privileges of adulthood so long as they demonstrate their ability to observe the law . Licensing would work like drivers education -- it would involve a permit , perhaps graduated , allowing the holder the privilege of purchasing , possessing and consuming alcohol , as each state determined , so long as the holder had passed an alcohol education course and observed the alcohol laws of the issuing state . Most of the rest of the world has come out in a different place on the drinking age . The United States is one of only four countries -- the others are Indonesia , Mongolia and Palau -- with an age as high as 21 . All others either have no minimum age or have a lower age , generally 18 , with some at 16 . Young adults know that . And , in their heart of hearts , they also know that a law perceived as unjust , a law routinely violated , can over time breed disrespect for law in general . Slowly but surely we may be seeing a change in attitude . This summer , Dr. Morris Chafetz , a distinguished psychiatrist , a member of the presidential commission that recommended raising the drinking age , and the founder of the National Institute for Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse admitted that supporting the higher drinking age is `` the most regrettable decision of my entire professional career . '' This remarkable statement did not receive the attention it merited . Alcohol is a reality in the lives of young adults . We can either try to change the reality -- which has been our principal focus since 1984 , by imposing Prohibition on young adults 18 to 20 -- or we can create the safest possible environment for the reality . A drinking age minimum of 21 has not changed the reality . It 's time to try something different . It 's not 1984 anymore . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of John M. McCardell Jr. . | John McCardell : 135 college officers joined in questioning 21 as drinking age . He says binge drinking is flourishing in locked rooms and remote areas . He says U.S. is one of very few countries with such a high drinking age . McCardell says alcohol is a reality in lives of 18 - to 20-year-olds . | [[446, 469], [616, 666], [4496, 4500], [4501, 4585], [4496, 4529], [4543, 4585], [4949, 4951], [4989, 5080], [5610, 5613], [5643, 5671], [7875, 7926]] |
KABUL , Afghanistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The U.S. military bombed about 300 tons of poppy seeds in a dusty field in southern Afghanistan Tuesday in a dramatic show of force designed to break up the Taliban 's connection to heroin . The U.S. military bombed about 300 tons of poppy seeds in a dusty field in southern Afghanistan Tuesday . The air strike occurred mid-day in Helmand province and was observed by CNN 's Ivan Watson , who is embedded with the U.S. Marines operating in that province . The military dropped a series of 1,000-pound bombs from planes on the mounds of poppy seeds and then followed with strikes from helicopters . Tony Wayne , with the U.S. State Department , said the strikes on poppy seeds , that can be used to make opium and heroin , is part of a strategy shift for the military to stop the Taliban and other insurgents from profiting from drugs . Watch U.S. military bomb poppy seeds '' `` There is a nexus that needs to be broken between the insurgents and the drug traffickers , '' Wayne said . `` Also , it is part of winning the hearts and minds of the population because in some cases they are intimidated into growing poppies . '' In a bid to encourage Afghan farmers to swap out their poppy plants for wheat crops the U.S. Agency for International Development has been offering them seeds , fertilizers and improved irrigation . Observers have noticed a significant decline in the opium trade in Afghanistan , with the number of poppy-free provinces increasing from 13 in 2007 to 18 in 2008 , according to a U.N. report released last year . Opium cultivation in the country , which has 34 provinces , dropped by about 20 percent in a year , the U.N. reported in August . `` It 's a challenge to deliver assistance in a war zone -- you can hear fighter jets flying above us right now , '' said Rory Donohoe , a USAID development officer . `` At the end of the day , what we found is successful is that we work in areas that we can work , '' he told CNN in a recent interview in Helmand province . `` We come to places like this demonstration farm where Afghans can come here to a safe environment , get training , pick up seeds and fertilizer , then go back to districts of their own . '' Watch Afghans speak about the change in their farming practices '' Many of Afghanistan 's northern and eastern provinces have already benefited from USAID alternative farming programs , which have doled out more than $ 22 million to nearly 210,000 Afghans to build or repair 435 miles -LRB- 700 kilometers -RRB- of roads and some 2,050 miles -LRB- 3,300 kilometers -RRB- of irrigation and drainage canals . Giving Afghan farmers improved access to markets and improved irrigation is successfully weaning them away from poppy production , according to officials at USAID . Over the years , opium and heroin -- both derivatives of the poppy -- have served as a major source of revenue for the insurgency , most notably the Taliban movement that once ruled Afghanistan . `` If you can just help the people of Afghanistan in this way , the fighting will go away , '' said Abdul Qadir , a farmer in Lashkar Gah . `` The Taliban and other enemies of the country will also disappear . '' Atia Abawi contributed to this report . | U.S. bombs poppy seeds in bid to break up Taliban 's connection to heroin . Poppy seeds used to produce opium and heroin . Opium , heroin has been a major source of revenue for the Taliban . USAID offering seeds , other help to encourage Afghan farmers to grow wheat . | [[8, 35], [39, 142], [165, 229], [230, 335], [684, 759], [815, 875], [2796, 2810], [2813, 2829], [2857, 2961], [1169, 1170], [1175, 1249], [1166, 1174], [1250, 1364]] |
TEHRAN , Iran -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The bodies of 152 people killed in a fiery plane crash in Iran Wednesday have been returned to their families , an Iranian state broadcaster reported Sunday . An Iranian Armenian woman places flower at crash site . Ahmad Majidi , the head of the special working group investigating the Caspian Airlines crash , also said a Russian team had arrived in Iran to help study the crash of the Russian-made plane , Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting said . The plane went down in a field near the city of Qavzin Wednesday , killing all 168 people on board and leaving a huge smoldering crater . Majidi did not say what had happened to the 16 bodies that have not been handed over . The plane 's flight data recorders have been recovered and are being studied by Iranian and Russian experts , IRIB said . Fragments of the plane are also being examined to help determine the cause of the crash , Majidi said . The plane `` disintegrated into pieces , '' said Col. Masood Jafari Nasab , security commander of Qazvin . See a map of the crash location '' Video of the crash site showed a huge crater in the earth scattered with charred pieces of the plane and tattered passports . Watch as the flight data recorders are recovered '' `` The aircraft all of a sudden fell out of the sky and exploded on impact , where you see the crater , '' a witness told Iran 's government-backed Press TV from the crash site . Ten members of the country 's youth judo team were aboard the plane , several sources including Press TV reported . The government-backed network said the dead included eight athletes and two coaches . It was at least the fifth major airline accident in the world this year , following crashes of planes flown by Colgan Air , Turkish Airlines , Air France and Yemenia Airways . A US Airways pilot managed to land his plane safely on the Hudson river in New York City in January , with no major injuries , after the plane lost power . But aviation safety expert John Wiley said there was no reason to fear air travel in general , and no one airline or aircraft is particularly dangerous . Caspian Airlines Flight 7908 -- a Russian-made Tupolev Tu-154M plane -- went down near the village of Jannatabad near Qazvin at 11:33 a.m. -LRB- 2:03 a.m. ET -RRB- Wednesday , Press TV reported . Conversations between the pilot and the ground were normal and did not indicate any technical problems , the network 's Web site reported , citing the managing director of Iran 's airport authority without naming him . The Tupolev 154 is essentially banned in the West because it does not comply with European noise and pollution regulations , but it has a safer-than-average accident record , Wiley said . Wednesday 's crash is the first on record for Caspian Airlines , which was founded in 1993 , he added . The plane crashed 16 minutes after takeoff , said the newspaper Hamshari , quoting a spokesman from Iran 's civil aviation organization . That would have put the flight in one of the safest stages of travel , according to International Air Transport Association data . Only about 5 percent of accidents take place during the phase called en-route climb , 16 to 20 minutes into a flight , when a plane climbs to cruising altitude of 35,000 feet . About half of accidents take place during landing . | Bodies of 152 people killed in plane crash in Iran returned to their families . Russian team arrives in Iran to help study crash of Russian-made plane . Iran 's Press TV says flight data recorders of crashed plane damaged . All 168 aboard killed when Tupolev Tu-154M went down near Qazvin . | [[47, 95], [9, 29], [91, 142], [349, 438], [145, 191], [47, 95], [486, 550], [486, 495], [553, 584]] |
ASHLAND , Ohio -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An Ohio bakery shut down in October is bustling again , with 60 eager employees who had expected a Christmas on the unemployment rolls . Cookie production has resumed and some workers are back on the job at the Archway factory in Ashland , Ohio . Some 300 workers lost their jobs when the Archway cookie factory in Ashland , Ohio , was suddenly closed by the private equity firm that owned it . The workers also were left without benefits like health insurance . But then Lance Inc. , a Charlotte , North Carolina-based snack food company , purchased Archway at a bankruptcy auction . And last week 60 workers were asked to return immediately , with perhaps more coming back in the months ahead . Kathy Sexton , a worker at the bakery , had been preparing her children for a very modest holiday . Watch the holiday brighten for workers '' `` They said they understood , '' Sexton recalls . `` They said , ` That 's all right , Mom . ' You always want to give them more , but ... I did n't think I would be able to . '' Now she can . Tiny Ashland has been struggling . Ohio has lost 200,000 jobs over the past eight years . The recent presidential campaign saw both candidates visiting frequently . The outlook in Ashland became especially bleak when the Archway plant closed . Workers at the bakery said they felt betrayed when Archway at first said there would be more work in a day or two , but then changed the locks . Rita Devan remembers . `` They just kept taking and taking until there was nothing left to take , '' Devan says , `` and they did n't care that they were putting 300 people out of work . '' Things are different now . When it promised to reopen the bakery , Lance gave all 300 former Archway workers a $ 1,500 prepaid debit card . `` I was crying , '' Devan says of the gift . `` I am like , ` What are these people doing ? They do n't know me . They do n't know us . They do n't know any of the Archway people . And they are giving each and every one of us $ 1,500 . ' '' Sexton -- the woman who 'd been preparing her kids for a meager holiday -- says of the $ 1,500 gift : `` It was awesome . My first thought was , ' I can give my kids a Christmas . ' '' David Singer , CEO of Lance , says the gift cards were a way of letting Ashland know the new owners are different . `` We would n't do it willy-nilly , '' Singer says . `` We do want to make money . But this is the pool of folks that we intend to hire . We just wanted to let them know who we were . '' The 60 workers rehired so far are earning their previous salary and retained their seniority . They also were provided health insurance from day one . The bakery now produces Lance cookies that are sold to big chains like Target and Wal-Mart . But production of Archway cookies is scheduled to resume soon . Lance has told the employees that it hopes to have the plant fully operational by the end of 2009 -- that is , five lines of cookies being produced simultaneously . The new owners say that if new orders keep flowing in , more jobs will follow . Terry Mowry is another worker rehired by Lance . He says what has happened is hard to describe : `` You just saw life being breathed right back into the face of these people . '' And Devan says with a laugh : `` I walked into the garage last night , and my husband says , ` You actually smell like a cookie again . ' '' `` He said , ` Boy , I missed that smell . ' '' | Archway bakery suddenly closed doors in October , throwing some 300 out of work . Lance snack food company steps in , buys Archway at bankruptcy auction . New owner gives each laid-off worker a prepaid $ 1,500 debit card . Company rehires 60 workers , says more will regain jobs if orders keep coming in . | [[34, 69], [281, 412], [1232, 1310], [1284, 1310], [1554, 1567], [1570, 1642], [506, 516], [575, 618], [1673, 1710], [1713, 1785], [1968, 2022], [2989, 3068], [3013, 3068]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Honduras suspended diplomatic relations with Argentina on Tuesday in retaliation for having its ambassador expelled from Argentina last week . Riot police stand in front of marchers supporting ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya on Tuesday . The move stems from tensions between the two countries over a June 28 military-led coup in which Honduran President Jose Manuel Zelaya was replaced by congressional leader Roberto Micheletti . When Honduran Ambassador Carmen Eleonora Ortez Williams , who had been appointed by Zelaya , did not protest the coup , Argentina took exception . Most countries in the world -- as well as the United Nations , the Organization of American States and the European Union -- have denounced the coup and demanded that Zelaya be restored to power . Those nations still consider Zelaya president and do not recognize any officials from Micheletti 's government or any functionaries who support him . Argentina asked Ortez to leave last week `` for supporting the de facto government of Roberto Micheletti . '' On Tuesday , Honduras suspended relations with Argentina and asked the South American nation 's diplomats to leave within 72 hours . Honduras ' relations with Argentina will be `` channeled '' though the Argentine embassy in Israel , said a release issued in Tegucigalpa , the Honduran capital . `` With regards to Argentine personnel stationed in Tegucigalpa and who are finishing their functions in Honduras , they will be granted , based on the principle of strictest reciprocity , the same treatment , time and facilities that was conceded to Honduran functionaries accredited in Argentina , '' the Honduran release said . The Honduran political crisis stems from Zelaya 's desire to hold a referendum that could have led to extending term limits by changing the constitution , despite the country 's congress having outlawed the vote and the supreme court having ruled it illegal . Zelaya vowed to hold the vote anyway but was ousted before the voting started . The congress named Micheletti provisional president shortly after Zelaya was detained by the military and sent into exile . Micheletti said Zelaya was not overthrown in a coup , but rather removed from power through constitutional means . | Honduras takes action after its ambassador is expelled from Argentina . Argentina ousted ambassador because she backed new Honduras government . Argentina among nations demanding that ousted Honduran president be restored . Honduran President Jose Manuel Zelaya ousted in military coup in June . | [[0, 15], [100, 161], [0, 15], [100, 161], [952, 1058], [968, 1058], [265, 352], [325, 343], [344, 457], [325, 352], [356, 436]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Two Florida school administrators face contempt charges and possible prison time for saying a prayer at a school luncheon . Pace High School enacted a decree in January banning officials from promoting religion at school events . Frank Lay , principal of Pace High School , and Athletic Director Robert Freeman are accused of violating a consent decree banning employees of Santa Rosa County schools from endorsing religion . They face a non-jury trial September 17 before U.S. District Judge Casey Rodgers . The statute under which they are charged carries a maximum penalty of up to six months in prison , subject to sentencing guidelines . Attorneys defending Lay and Freeman call it outrageous that the two are being prosecuted for `` a simple prayer . '' But the American Civil Liberties Union , whose lawsuit led to the consent decree , maintains that students have a right to be free from administrators foisting their religious beliefs on them . Still , an ACLU representative said the organization never suggested that people should go to jail for violating the decree . Watch why lawyer thinks men did nothing wrong '' The ACLU filed suit last year against the district on behalf of two Pace students who alleged that `` school officials regularly promoted religion and led prayers at school events , '' according to an ACLU statement . Both parties approved the consent decree put in place January 9 , under which district and school officials are `` permanently prohibited from promoting , advancing , endorsing , participating in or causing prayers during or in conjunction with school events , '' the ACLU said . Lay was a party in the initial lawsuit , and his attorney was among those approving the consent decree , according to the organization . In addition , the court required that all district employees receive a copy . On January 28 , `` Lay asked Freeman to offer a prayer of blessing during a school-day luncheon for the dedication of a new fieldhouse at Pace High School , '' according to court documents . `` Freeman complied with the request and offered the prayer at the event . It appears this was a school-sponsored event attended by students , faculty and community members . '' Attorneys from Liberty Counsel , a conservative legal group helping defend Lay and Freeman , said in a written statement that attendees included booster club members and other adults who helped the field house project , all `` consenting adults . '' In a February 4 letter to district Superintendent Tim Wyrosdick in which Lay acknowledged the incident , he said that although past football booster club members `` and other adults associated with the school system '' were at the luncheon , culinary class students were in charge of food preparation and serving . Lay wrote that he asked Freeman to bless the food `` for the adults . ... I take full responsibility for this action . My actions were overt and not meant to circumvent any court order or constitutional mandate . '' In response , Wyrosdick noted in a letter to Lay that in a meeting , the principal had admitted that `` you are , and were at the date of this incident , aware of the court injunction and aware that this type of action is not permissible under the injunction . '' Wyrosdick recounted telling Lay that the prayer was not appropriate . `` This note is to share with you written instructions to avoid this type of action , '' the superintendent said . Both letters are in the public court file . `` It is a sad day in America when school officials are criminally prosecuted for a prayer over a meal , '' said Mathew Staver , founder of Liberty Counsel and dean of the law school at Liberty University , founded by the late Rev. Jerry Falwell . `` It is outrageous and an offense to the First Amendment to punish a school official for a simple prayer . '' Liberty Counsel said it is challenging the consent decree , maintaining that it `` unconstitutionally infringes on the rights of teachers , administrators and students . '' The ACLU , according to the Liberty Counsel statement , has begun `` to go against individual employees . '' The organization said that neither man `` willfully violated any orders of the court . '' `` We 're not going after individuals , '' said Glenn Katon , director of the Religious Freedom Project for the ACLU of Florida . `` We 're just trying to make sure that school employees comply with the court order . '' The ACLU did not request the criminal contempt charges against Lay and Freeman , he said ; the judge initiated them after seeing a reference to the incident in a motion . And the ACLU is not involved in the criminal proceedings , he said . `` We certainly never suggested that anyone go to jail , '' Katon said . Lay is not facing jail time for praying , he said , but for violating a court order . `` The moral of this story is , for us , this is about the students ' right to be free from teachers and school administrators thrusting upon the students their religious beliefs , '' Katon said . `` They keep talking about the religious rights of the administrators , but the administrators and the principals do n't have any right to trumpet their religious beliefs in a school setting . '' Neither Lay nor Freeman has been placed on leave , according to the school district . Pace is about 10 miles north of Pensacola , Florida . | Attorneys : It 's troubling that officials are being prosecuted for `` simple prayer '' School 's principal , athletic director could be jailed for six months . ACLU says it supports prayer ban but never suggested officials should be jailed . Principal acknowledges requesting prayer but did n't mean to circumvent court order . | [[662, 671], [682, 775], [3539, 3606], [249, 258], [291, 329], [342, 444], [528, 661], [973, 978], [981, 1098], [4695, 4749], [2914, 2924], [2940, 3007]] |
Click here for video . Thursday , August 20 , 2009 . 8:13 PM ET - Gruesome details emerging from Buena Park police in the brutal death of 28 year old Jasmine Fiore . Not only was Fiore stuffed in a suitcase and thrown away in a dumpster , but we learn Fiore 's teeth and fingers were removed . Authorities believe the murder suspect , Ryan Jenkins , is armed with a handgun , still on the run , most likely in Canada . -LRB- From Stacey Newman , Nancy Grace Producer -RRB- . 7:24 PM ET - Moments ago Buena Park , California police announced that as of this afternoon an arrest warrant has been issued for Ryan Jenkins in the murder of 28 year old swimsuit model Jasmine Fiore . Jenkins is officially a fugitive . Although Jenkins ' black BMW has been located in Washington State , Fiore 's white Mercedes is still missing . Authorities do believe Jenkins has crossed the border into Canada and they are now working with Canadian Royal Police to apprehend Jenkins . -LRB- From Stacey Newman , Nancy Grace Producer -RRB- . 6:23 PM ET - Major developments right now ! The Orange County DA 's office confirms they will file murder charges against reality TV star Ryan Jenkins in the brutal death of swimsuit model Jasmine Fiore . A news conference is set to take place any moment , standby for more details . We will also bring you all the latest developments on the show at 8pm EST for the full hour tonight . -LRB- From Stacey Newman , Nancy Grace Producer -RRB- . 3 PM ET - Is a reality TV star wanted for questioning in the murder of swimsuit model 28 year old Jasmine Fiore on the run ? LA cops have been unable to get in touch with Ryan Jenkins since Jenkins reported her missing and cops discovered the gorgeous model dead inside a suitcase dumped inside a Buena Park apartment complex dumpster . The last reported sightings of Jenkins were in San Diego alongside Fiore , before her death and within the last 48 hours near a Washington state marina . Jenkins ' car and empty boat trailer discovered at that marina alongside the US-Canadian border . The Buena Park police are set to hold a news conference shortly . -LRB- From Stacey Newman , Nancy Grace Producer -RRB- . 1:41 PM ET - Investigators confirm a reality TV star they want to question in connection with the murder of swimsuit beauty Jasmine Fiore may be heading for the border . A car and empty boat trailer belonging to Ryan Jenkins was discovered at a marina in Washington State , a few miles from the Canadian border . Authorities say Jenkins most likely walked across the border to British Columbia . LAPD wants to question Jenkins as a person of interest in Fiore 's death because he was one of the last people to see her , reported her missing hours before the model 's body was found , then took off . Jenkins has a criminal domestic violence record and was best known for his appearance on VH1 's `` Megan Wants a Millionaire '' . In light of the investigation , VH1 has shut down airing any more new episodes . -LRB- From Stacey Newman , Nancy Grace Producer -RRB- . Wednesday , August 19 , 2009 : 7:28 PM ET - Preliminary reports are the swimsuit model found dead in a suitcase inside a Buena Park , California dumpster was strangled . Jasmine Fiore had signs of physical trauma when her body was discovered Saturday morning . The shocking discovery came just hours after her husband , reality TV star , Ryan Jenkins reported Fiore missing . The pair was last spotted in San Diego at a poker game Friday night . And the skeletons are already flying out of the closet for Jenkins . We 've just received a criminal report stemming from a 2005 assault case in Calgary , Alberta involving Jenkins and a woman who was not Jasmine Fiore . -LRB- From Stacey Newman , Nancy Grace Producer -RRB- . 5:36 PM ET - A reality TV star is making headlines at this hour for something other than appearing on the airwaves on VH1 's `` Megan Wants a Millionaire . '' Police want to question 32 year old Ryan Jenkins in connection with the brutal death of a young , gorgeous swimsuit model . 28 year old Jasmine Fiore vanished after a poker tournament in San Diego . Fiore was allegedly there with Jenkins and reports are the two were husband and wife , secretly married in Las Vegas . Police confirm Jenkins was the one who reported Fiore missing Saturday night , just hours after her body was discovered in a bloody suitcase , thrown away like trash at a Buena Park apartment complex dumpster ... but then Jenkins went missing . There are two vehicles of interest in the search for Jenkins ... Fiore 's white 2007 Mercedes CL S550 and Jenkins ' black BMW X5 . Police say Jenkins could be behind the wheel of either car . -LRB- From Stacey Newman , Nancy Grace Producer -RRB- . | Jasmine Fiore , 28 , was found choked to death and stuffed in a suitcase . Her husband , reality star Ryan Alexander Jenkins now a murder suspect in the case . Jenkins reported Fiore missing last Saturday night . | [[53, 165], [166, 206], [1686, 1743], [3041, 3050], [3072, 3172], [4337, 4381], [1065, 1225], [2174, 2311], [1588, 1595], [1613, 1690], [3379, 3416], [4256, 4317]] |
DUBAI , United Arab Emirates -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A British couple convicted for having sex on a public beach in Dubai will not face jail after a judge suspended their prison sentences , their lawyer said Tuesday . File image of one of the co-accused -- Vince Acors -- arriving at court in Dubai in September . The couple , Michelle Palmer and Vincent Acors , had faced a three-month sentence , but they were freed on bail in October pending an appeal . Hassan Mattar , one of their lawyers , said he was trying to get permission for Palmer -- who worked in Dubai -- to stay in the United Arab Emirates , and for Acors to travel back to Britain . Acors had been on a business trip to Dubai when he was arrested . The United Arab Emirates , where Dubai is located , is home to thousands of expatriates and is among the most moderate Gulf states . Still , the oil-rich kingdom adheres to certain Islamic rules . Palmer and Acors were arrested on a public beach shortly after midnight on July 5 . Police charged them with illicit relations , public indecency , and public intoxication . A court found them guilty in October and fined them 1,000 dirhams -LRB- $ 367 -RRB- for the charge of public indecency . Both denied they had intercourse . And during the trial , Mattar argued that the public prosecutor failed to produce corroborative evidence against his clients on the first two charges , though he said both tested positive for liquor . More than a million British visitors traveled to the UAE in 2006 , and more than 100,000 British nationals live there , according to the British Foreign Office . The country is in the midst of a building boom to position itself as one of the world 's premier tourist destinations . It is already home to the world 's largest mall , the world 's largest tower , and -- despite being in the Middle East -- the largest indoor snow park in the world . -- CNN 's Caroline Faraj contributed to this report . | The couple , Michelle Palmer and Vincent Acors , faced three-month sentence . The pair were arrested at a Dubai beach shortly after midnight on July 5 . They were charged with with illicit relations , public indecency , public intoxication . Although a relatively moderate Gulf state , Dubai adheres to certain Islamic rules . | [[309, 321], [350, 390], [908, 991], [992, 1081], [711, 735], [803, 843], [844, 849], [852, 907]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Two Baltimore , Maryland , police officers were shot Saturday after a gunman 's domestic dispute led to shootings at two locations , a police spokesman told CNN . Crime scene tape cordons off a squad car involved in a chase and shootings Saturday in Baltimore . The rampage began at the home of the suspect 's ex-girlfriend , who has a restraining order against him , police spokesman Don Moses said . The suspect , 34 , forced his way into her home and they argued , Moses said . In an apparent rage , the man fired a round from a 9 mm Ruger , Moses said . The ex-girlfriend called police about 10:30 a.m. Moses described to CNN what unfolded next . Police have not released the names of anyone involved . Police received a call from the suspect 's current girlfriend just before 11 a.m. . She told them the suspect came to her home and assaulted her , and she suffered minor injuries . While a 42-year-old policeman was at her home tending to her report , the suspect called her . The officer talked to the suspect on the phone and convinced him to return to west Baltimore , where the girlfriend lived . When the suspect pulled up in a car , the officer approached him and was fired upon , suffering a gunshot wound to the buttocks . The wounded officer got into his patrol car and chased the suspect . An officer providing backup at the first shooting scene spotted the suspect 's vehicle parked three blocks away . As the policeman observed the vehicle from inside his patrol car , the suspect appeared on the driver 's side and fired at the officer . The backup officer , 44 , who was wearing a bullet-proof vest , was shot in the chest and arm but managed to return fire , hitting the suspect three times . He was in stable condition after surgery and was expected to survive . The suspect is in custody and expected to live , Moses said . The officer shot in the buttocks was treated and released from the hospital Saturday . | Police spokesman : Rampage began at the home of the suspect 's ex-girlfriend . Woman told police the suspect came to her home and assaulted her , CNN told . One officer received minor wound , and a second was stable after surgery . Second officer shot returned fire , wounding suspect , who is expected to survive . | [[281, 342], [421, 432], [440, 468], [810, 870], [877, 906], [1576, 1594], [1674, 1696], [1576, 1594], [1699, 1732], [1733, 1735], [1778, 1803], [1804, 1815], [1834, 1850]] |
ANTIOCH , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Investigators who completed their search of the California property belonging to kidnapping suspects Phillip and Nancy Garrido said initial findings do not connect the couple to the disappearances of two young girls . Ilene Misheloff , left , has been missing since 1989 ; Michaela Garecht disappeared in 1988 . But police said that they have not eliminated Phillip Garrido as a suspect in the decades-old cases . Bone fragments found on the couple 's property near Antioch could be human but are `` far too old to be relevant in our cases , '' said Lt. Chris Orrey of the Hayward police department . Teeth found on an adjacent property are most likely from an animal , she said . And some anomalies found by ground-penetrating radar uncovered `` chunks of concrete , tree roots , and in one case a floor mat , '' Orrey said at a news conference . Investigators had already found bone fragments at the property in unincorporated Contra Costa County , but have not said if they are human . `` Although nothing -LSB- was found -RSB- that would definitively link Phillip and Nancy Garrido to the disappearance of Ilene Misheloff or Michaela Garecht , we 're going to continue to follow up on the evidence that we have recovered , '' Lt. Kurt von Savoye of the Dublin Police Department said at the news conference . `` We 're going to examine and process all items that have been taken from this property to see if there is any possible link to the Garridos . '' The processing of all the evidence could take several weeks , Orrey said . Police from Hayward and Dublin began executing search warrants simultaneously last week on the Garrido property and an adjacent property to which he had access . They sought any evidence in the 1988 abduction of 9-year-old Michaela Garecht of Hayward and the 1989 disappearance of 13-year-old Ilene Misheloff of Dublin . The search of the adjacent property was also completed and the resident will be able to return soon , police said . The Garridos ' home will remain boarded up and the fence locked , Orrey said . The Garridos face a combined 29 felony counts in the 1991 kidnapping of Jaycee Dugard , then 11 , from South Lake Tahoe , California . Authorities say the couple held Dugard in a hidden compound behind their home for 18 years and have said Phillip Garrido , a registered sex offender , fathered her two children . Phillip Garrido wo n't be eliminated as a suspect because of similarities in the Dugard case and the other disappearance cases , Orrey said . `` I ca n't help but feel relief that they did n't find anything here , '' Michaela 's mother , Sharon Murch , told reporters . `` If they had found something on this property , it most likely would have meant Michaela was n't alive . '' | Police say they have n't eliminated Phillip Garrido as suspect in girls ' disappearances . Authorities seek evidence in abductions of Michaela Garecht , Ilene Misheloff . Police began executing search warrants last week on Garrido property . The Garridos are accused in 1991 kidnapping of Jaycee Dugard , then 11 . | [[356, 453], [2404, 2530], [1736, 1894], [1574, 1710], [2090, 2175]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Inspectors have found `` nothing unusual '' in the rest of Southwest Airlines ' fleet of 737-300s after a football-sized hole in one of the jets forced an emergency landing , an airline spokeswoman said Tuesday . The breach in the aircraft 's fuselage caused a loss of cabin pressure . No passengers were injured . The airline inspected its roughly 200 Boeing 737-300s overnight following the incident that forced Southwest Flight 2294 to make an emergency landing in Charleston , West Virginia . A sudden drop in cabin pressure caused the jet 's oxygen masks to deploy , but there were no injuries among the 126 passengers or the five-member crew . Marilee McInnis , a Southwest spokeswoman , said the jets were inspected during non-operational hours overnight , and the cause of the incident remained unknown Tuesday morning . The airline is working closely with the National Transportation Safety Board to investigate the matter , she said . Flight 2294 was at 34,000 feet , en route from Nashville , Tennessee , to Baltimore , Maryland , when the incident happened , McInnis said . See map of flight path '' `` About 45 minutes into the flight , there was a loud pop . No one really knew what it was , '' passenger Steve Hall told CNN Radio . Watch as passenger describes watching the hole form '' The plane landed in Charleston at 5:10 p.m. after the crew reported the sudden drop in cabin pressure , which caused the jet 's oxygen masks to deploy . `` We were seated about two rows back from the wing , and four rows back you heard this loud rush and your ears popped , and you could tell that part of the inside was trying to pull out , '' passenger Sheryl Bryant told CNN affiliate WBAL-TV upon arriving in Baltimore aboard a replacement plane . `` And it was crazy -- the oxygen masks dropped , '' she continued . She put her mask on her face , then helped her 4 - and 6-year-old children with theirs , she said . Bryant tried to stay calm and reassure her children , she said . Watch Bryant 's account of acting brave '' `` My kids and I , we prayed , and then we said , you know , life will be fine , '' she said . Bryant praised the flight crew and ground personnel for keeping passengers informed and for giving clear instructions . `` We have a tremendous talent represented in the pilots and the flight crew , '' another passenger , Pastor Alvin Kibble , told WBAL-TV . `` I think we need to value them far more than perhaps what we do . It 's very easy for us to begin to take things for granted . '' The damaged aircraft was still parked at Charleston 's Yeager Airport on Tuesday , when NTSB officials arrived to inspect the plane , airport spokesman Brian Belcher said . A complete inspection could take one to two days , and investigators are expected to interview the passengers and crew as well , he said . The airline is `` doing things '' for the affected passengers on Monday 's flight , but McInnis would not say whether they would receive refunds . Both the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident , FAA spokeswoman Holly Baker said . `` There is no responsible way to speculate as to a cause at this point , '' Southwest said in a statement Monday night . `` We have safety procedures in place , and they were followed in this instance to get all passengers and crew safely on the ground , '' the airline said . `` Reports we have are that our passengers were calm and that our pilots and flight attendants did a great job getting the aircraft on the ground safely . '' CNN 's Shawn Nottingham and Stephanie Gallman contributed to this report . | NEW : Southwest inspects all its 737-300 aircraft after one develops hole midflight . Passengers describe ordeal , praise professionalism of flight crew . Baltimore-bound Southwest jet makes emergency landing in West Virginia . Football-sized hole in fuselage causes cabin to depressurize , oxygen masks to drop . | [[19, 163], [123, 191], [334, 420], [356, 497], [123, 191], [232, 304], [516, 588], [1408, 1422], [1431, 1464], [1438, 1473], [1796, 1820]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In these eco-conscious times , there are few areas of life that have not been touched by the drive to go green , and golf is no exception . Justin Timberlake has been an advocate of eco-golf at his course in Tennessee . The trend for environmentally friendly golf is rocketing with celebrities such as Justin Timberlake taking up the cause in unveiling one of the world 's top eco-golf courses earlier this year . His club , the Mirimichi Golf Course in Tennessee is the first in the country to be designated as a certified Audubon International Classic Sanctuary , re-using 80 percent of the energy it produces . Next month Stockholm will host one of the largest meetings of American and European golf clubs to decide how the game can become more environmentally and socially responsible . Living Golf looks at a selection of some of the best eco-equipment making our greens even greener . The recyclable golf ball : . Every club player will be familiar with the age-old problem of losing golf balls -- but what happens to the collection of wayward balls once the search is over ? Dixon Golf are asking for their customers to recycle their balls . It is estimated 300 million golf balls are discarded in the United States alone , every year -- that is enough balls to create a solid line from Los Angeles to London and back . Dixon Golf are encouraging golfers to recycle their lost and found by offering a dollar for each ball that is returned to their recycling centers throughout the US and in over 15 countries worldwide . `` We 're getting the word out there . We do n't have the advertising revenue of -LSB- bigger -RSB- companies but the more people know , the more they chose our eco-friendly balls . `` We 're also developing our first prototype putter made entirely from recycled crushed golf balls , '' said company owner Mike Carey . The solar-powered cart : . Ever felt like your golf cart could do with that extra bit of oomph ? Well , SolarDrive sun-powered , solar-paneled golf cart could be the answer . The SolarDrive sun-powered car - an energy solution for the future ? By recharging itself throughout the day , the cart can work in drizzly and damp conditions -- which could be good news for golf lovers in rain-soaked Britain and sun-baked Abu Dhabi alike . The design has proved so popular that golf clubs such as the Jockey Club Kau Sai Chau Public Golf Course in Hong Kong and Sebonack Golf Club in the United States have recently converted entire fleets to use the power of the sun . General Manager at Sebonack Mark Hissey says it has been a great move for the club : `` First , it 's a wonderful idea and second they look fantastic . Plus they 're financially better for us to run , saving us over two-thirds on our electrical costs . '' Large-scale gated communities in the UEA are also reportedly keen to use the carts as a more environmentally-friendly alternatives to gas-run vehicles . The biodegradable tee : . A littered tee box may be a thing of the past with the biodegradable golf tee . Manufacturers XT-1 believe they are saving over 100 , 000 trees with their nifty corn based tee . The manufacturers of the XT-1 claim it will biodegrade within three months . Unlike wooden tees which take up to two years to degrade , XT-1s take just two to three months by way of an interesting eco-system . Once the tee comes in contact with the soil , the corn-based product is attacked by incredibly small microbes -LRB- or micro-bugs -RRB- that eat away at the tee to corrode the core . A slightly unusual method perhaps but an effective one , as sales in the last few years have soared . Manager Alan Berry told CNN : `` We 're gaining interest all over the world -- Australia , the Middle-East , Europe and the States . Our sales figures speak for themselves . '' | New developments in golf show that the sport has a drive to go green . Dixon Golf aim to recycle some of 300 million discarded balls in the U.S. SolarDrive can convert golf carts so they can run off the power of the sun . XT-1 have developed a golf tee that can biodegrade in just three months . | [[239, 338], [1184, 1247], [1870, 1875], [1876, 1888], [1963, 1967], [1970, 2040], [2041, 2059], [2060, 2109], [2338, 2461], [2476, 2529], [3179, 3219], [3279, 3314]] |
GUANTANAMO BAY , Cuba -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Families of September 11 victims visiting Guantanamo Bay , Cuba , on Thursday urged the Obama administration to drop plans to close the facility and to restart terror trials there . A guard talks with a detainee at Guantanamo Bay , Cuba , earlier this year . `` I am opposed to the closing of this facility because of political reasons , '' said Gordon Haberman whose daughter , Andrea , was killed when terrorist planes struck the World Trade Center . `` I believe that the current administration spoke too quickly on this . '' Haberman said he thinks President Obama should not insist on carrying out his campaign pledge to shutter the detention facility . Haberman was one of nine people visiting Guantanamo this week who lost loved ones in the September 11 attacks . He and the others had the opportunity to observe pre-trial hearings for some suspects on Wednesday and Thursday . Several were critical of Obama 's decision to suspend military commissions at Guantanamo Bay while the administration reviews what to do with each detainee . `` Our government 's current executive order to halt the military commissions makes us foolish and weak , and invites more attacks , '' said Melissa Long , whose boyfriend was a first responder killed in New York . `` What is fair and just is to continue the military commissions and punish those who have committed acts of terrorism against Americans , period . '' Long later married a man who lost his parents when their plane slammed into the Pentagon on that fateful day . Brian Long acknowledged that some of the detainees may have gone through some inhumane treatment through the years , but he thinks they are being well taken care of now . `` The only injustice is being orchestrated by our leader by making decisions about something he knew nothing about , '' Long said . Other September 11 families have visited Guantanamo Bay for previous hearings and voiced support for using the facility for terror trials . The government uses a random process to select names of family members invited to observe . The family members said they think Guantanamo detainees have been provided with good attorneys , who , in many cases , are paired with clients who do n't want their help . Some of that was on display at a hearing Thursday for five detainees charged with orchestrating the September 11 attacks , including Khalid Sheik Mohammed . Mohammed and fellow prisoner Ramzi Binalshibh refused to come to the proceeding , after being told no detainees would be allowed to make statements . Three others did show up . But one , Mustafa al-Hawsawi , left quickly because he was not allowed to talk to the judge about problems he said he was having with one of his military lawyers . All five September 11 suspects want to act as their own attorneys . Thursday 's hearing focused on discussions about the competence of al-Hawsawi and Binalshibh to stand trial and represent themselves . Mohammed and two others have been granted permission to defend themselves . | Families of September 11 victims urge Obama to keep Guantanamo Bay open . Families also want Obama to restart military commissions at facility . Obama administration trying to determine what to do with detainees . | [[0, 37], [119, 222]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- It was a heartwarming sight : Laura Ling and Euna Lee landing on U.S. soil and being reunited with their families . To the elation of their families , Bill Clinton returned to the U.S. with journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee . Then , after an appropriate amount of time for hugs and kisses , Bill Clinton appeared , descending from his movie-producer friend 's plane like an angel from heaven . An emotional Ling practically referred to the former president as a messiah , describing to the media and well-wishers waiting at the airport how she and Lee thought they were being sent to a hard-labor camp , only to walk through a door to find Clinton . The crowd broke into loud applause . For all of those who wondered what Bill would do in Hillary Clinton 's diplomatic world , wonder no longer . As details of the Clinton mission came out , it was revealed that the North Koreans themselves asked for Clinton , promising amnesty for the women upon delivery of the former president , whose visit eluded them while he was in office . The deal was done even before Clinton stepped on the plane . So what is next for Bill Clinton ? If the mere thought of a meeting with him is enough to move a regime notorious for never moving , can the Obama administration use that star power to rescue three American hikers who ventured into Iran and are believed to be held by Iranian authorities ? Can Clinton head off two Russian attack submarines cruising in the Atlantic off the East Coast of the United States ? Former presidents are used as envoys and undertake humanitarian missions all the time . Then-President Clinton used former President Jimmy Carter to travel to North Korea in 1994 to negotiate the end to the first nuclear crisis . Clinton and his predecessor , George H.W. Bush , were tapped by Bush 's son , then-President George W. Bush , to lead relief efforts to help Asian and African nations devastated by the 2004 tsunami and again in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina . But the relationship between Bill and Hillary Clinton and President Obama is complex , to say the least . After a bitter-fought battle during the Democratic primaries , Hillary Clinton supporters were looking for a robust role for her in exchange for her support of Obama , with many even suggesting her as a possible candidate for vice president . That idea was short-lived . The Obama team wanted Hillary far from the West Wing . And they wanted Bill even farther . When Obama tapped Hillary to be his secretary of state , there was no shortage of critics who asserted that her husband 's global foundation and role as a high-paid public speaker would present a conflict of interest . The Clintons agreed to strict rules of the road to avoid such conflicts going forward . However Hillary never demurred in her praise for what her husband has accomplished , both during his eight years in the White House or post-presidency . Hillary herself has said she considered her husband a trusted adviser and could even consider using him where appropriate . He is a former president , after all . Bill Clinton has largely stayed out of the limelight , quietly continuing his globetrotting on behalf of the world 's poor and downtrodden . In May , United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon appointed him as the United Nations ' special envoy to Haiti in an effort to refocus international attention on the Caribbean country 's deep economic problems and environmental decay . But with the success of his North Korean mission so quick and easy , it 's conceivable that Bill Clinton could add the role of `` diplomatic cleaner '' to his resume -- a version of Harvey Keitel 's role as Winston Wolfe in the movie `` Pulp Fiction '' -- a fixer of messy problems , which he solves with a combination of stylish charisma and lucid thinking under pressure . The Obama administration has no shortage of messy foreign policy problems that Hillary Clinton knows could use a Winston Wolfe . | Spotlight returns to Bill Clinton after successful mission to North Korea . Ex-president 's speedy retrieval of detained journalists could set stage for new role . In `` Pulp Fiction , '' characters turned to Winston Wolfe to calmly solve messy problems . Analysis : Clinton 's charms could be used with Wolfe-like efficiency around globe . | [[3744, 3758], [3770, 3851]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When Michele Maro became captivated by `` The Lord of the Rings '' movies , she never imagined she would one day be walking around in the Shire , touring Hobbiton and peeking into hobbit holes . Fans of the `` Lord of the Rings '' trilogy can tour a New Zealand farm that was used as the setting for Hobbiton . Those are all fictional places , but fans can visit the closest thing possible in New Zealand , where the trilogy was filmed and where specially designed tours will take visitors to some of the stunning locations featured in the movies . Maro , who lives in St. Petersburg , Florida , spent two weeks in New Zealand in 2003 being guided around forests , national parks and farms , exploring sites that she did n't think were real when she first saw them on the big screen . `` The scenery was so pretty that I thought it had to be computer-generated , '' Maro said . But the place that moved her most was a serene sheep farm in Matamata , New Zealand , where filmmakers brought to life author J.R.R. Tolkien 's vision of Hobbiton , the hobbit village where Frodo Baggins lives , complete with hobbit holes peeking out of hill sides . `` I just stood there and cried . It was like , ' I ca n't believe I 'm actually here , ' '' Maro said . `` I loved the movie so much , and to actually be there where they filmed that , it overwhelmed me . '' See iReporters ' film location photos '' Sing along with ` The Sound of Music ' Such passion has prompted tour operators all over the world to take fans to sites that have served as settings for blockbusters on the big and small screens . They can be legendary places recognized on their own or seemingly mundane restaurants , houses and street corners that become instantly recognizable when put in the context of a favorite movie or TV show . In London , England , you can visit locations used in movies such as `` Bridget Jones 's Diary '' and `` Four Weddings and a Funeral . '' When in Rome , Italy , world-famous landmarks like the Spanish Steps , the Trevi Fountain and the Colosseum will make you feel as if you 've stepped right into `` Roman Holiday '' and `` La Dolce Vita . '' Tours highlighting sites used during the filming of `` The Sound of Music '' have many visitors singing with joy in Salzburg , Austria . `` The buses were packed . It seemed to be very popular , '' said Kelly Van Baren , a sales manager who lives in suburban Chicago , Illinois . She and her sister watched the musical over and over while growing up , she recalled , and when they visited Munich , Germany , in the fall of 2007 , they made a special one-hour train trip to Salzburg just to take one of the tours . It turned out to be an adventure in itself . A convoy of three huge buses with scenes from the film painted on their sides shuttled mostly American tourists to various sites , including the church where the main characters were married and a gazebo featured during some of the musical numbers , Van Baren recalled . Her favorite site was a majestic palace used as the von Trapp family home in some of the exterior shots . The movie was played on the bus during the tour , and the sightseers were encouraged to sing along , prompting Van Baren to wonder what the locals must think of the visitors . `` It was just hilarious , these three giant buses full of Americans driving around the countryside . It was n't a proud moment , but it was fun , '' Van Baren said . Big Apple lures fans . Movie and TV fans who want to stay closer to home to explore famous locations have plenty of movie tours to choose from in the United States . New York , which has served as the backdrop for countless films and television shows , offers a wide variety of sites . Seeing them in person for the first time can be shocking , tour operators say . `` Guests are definitely surprised by the appearance of the locations , '' said Pauline Gacanja , public relations and marketing assistant for On Location Tours . `` On TV , things generally look larger and more dramatic than they really are . '' The company takes about 100,000 visitors a year to dozens of well-known sites around the city by bus , by water taxi or on foot . Buildings used as homes in `` Friends '' and `` The Cosby Show '' are among the most popular places , Gacanja said . Visitors can also see locations such as the diner used in `` Men in Black '' and the firehouse used in `` Ghostbusters , '' according to the company 's Web site . But the most popular tour focuses on sites used in the television and big screen hit `` Sex and the City , '' Gacanja said . Fans of `` the Sopranos '' also have their own tour . `` Seinfeld '' aficionados may opt for Kramer 's Reality Tour , offered by Kenny `` The Real '' Kramer , the man said to have inspired Jerry 's colorful friend Cosmo Kramer . Stops include the Soup Shop that inspired the `` Soup Nazi '' episode and the real Monk 's Restaurant , used for the exterior shots of the diner where the characters hung out . This may be the only tour that tempts visitors with highlights such as `` Visit the office building where Elaine worked for Pendant Publishing , Kramer had his coffee table book published and George had sex , on his desk , with the cleaning lady . '' Plenty of movie tours also thrive outside New York , in cities such as San Francisco , California ; Boston , Massachusetts ; and Philadelphia , Pennsylvania . For Maro , the experience in New Zealand was so unforgettable , she went again a year later for another look at `` The Lord of the Rings '' sites . `` My imagination went wild there . It was so fabulous . It was just a great trip , '' she said . | Tours take fans to sites that have served as settings for movies and TV shows . `` Lord of the Rings '' fans flock to New Zealand , where the trilogy was filmed . `` The Sound of Music '' tours have visitors singing with joy in Salzburg , Austria . Popular tours in New York take fans to `` Sex and the City , '' `` Sopranos '' locations . | [[459, 542], [1453, 1534], [1526, 1534], [1540, 1611], [1818, 1827], [1838, 1952], [2162, 2238], [3464, 3481], [3514, 3541], [3464, 3481], [3542, 3568], [4054, 4154], [4501, 4544], [412, 423], [432, 454], [2162, 2186], [2239, 2286], [459, 542], [3464, 3481], [3514, 3541], [4054, 4154], [4589, 4615], [4621, 4642]] |
` SINDH KALAY ' , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The aroma of freshly baking flatbread wafts through the air as a unit of British soldiers position themselves for a quick patrol around the village of Sindh Kalay . A British soldier on patrol in the mock Afghan village of Sindh Kalay . Market vendors hawk grapes and melons , as a group of village elders sit smoking water pipes and suspicious-looking men lurk beside battered motorcycles . What should the soldiers do ? Conduct a weapons search ? Approach the village elders first ? In the complex political and cultural terrain of Afghanistan , what is the best course of action ? Except this is not Afghanistan . It 's Norfolk , England . Instead of the Hindu Kush mountains , it is the green ladscape and tidy farmhouses of the English countryside that stretch out behind them . Welcome to the British Army 's state-of-the art training ground . It cost more than $ 20 million to build and every British soldier serving in Afghanistan will do his or her training here . `` I think it 's the closest thing you are going to get short of being in Afghanistan itself , '' says Col. David Colthup of the 2nd Battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment . His troops have already served one tour of duty in Afghanistan 's Helmand province and are training for another . British troops serving in Helmand province are tasked with mentoring and training Afghan security forces . Not an easy job in a Taliban stronghold and Afghanistan 's center of opium production . `` Ultimately , a soldier joins the army and trains to fight . That 's what a soldier trains to do . But today , it 's a much , much more complex environment , '' explains Colthup . `` The business of being able to interact either through an interpreter or through Afghan security forces , whether they are police or army . And to understand how the people operate and how we can interact better with them . Because ultimately , that 's what it 's about , '' he says . The most distinctive features of Sindh Kalay are the high three-meter walls that make up the village compound , creating narrow alleyways difficult for troops to patrol . The village is staffed with Afghan asylum-seekers , many of whom have fled the Taliban . They play the roles of market vendors , village elders and sometimes Afghan security forces . Several Afghan women are also on hand , useful for training British soldiers on the religious and cultural sensitivities of entering an Afghan home . Watch British troops training in mock Afghan village '' The Taliban insurgents are played by Nepalese Ghurkha soldiers authorized to handle weapons . They play their roles silently , unable to partake in the Pashtun banter among the Afghans . Fazel Beria is also an asylum-seeker from Afghanistan . He is responsible for recruiting and for creating the sights and smells of Sindh Kalay and is easily identifiable as the only Afghan in the market in Western clothes . He beams with pride walking down the bazaar and clearly relishes his role in training the British Army . `` Everything with the culture comes up with the issue of hearts and minds , '' he explains . `` If you want to win that , you need to know about their culture . You need to respect their culture , their religion and their way of life . '' He gives high marks to the soldiers training so far . After each exercise , the Afghan actors talk directly to the soldiers about what went wrong and what went right . Sometimes , it 's the little things that count . `` Yes , there have been quite a lot of surprises , '' Beria says . Like Afghan will sit cross legged for hours . `` The British soldier can not do that , '' he laughs . `` The Afghan will be sitting very comfortable and the British soldier is not . So , they have to get used to it . '' See photos of British troops on patrol in Sindh Kalay -- and for real in Afghanistan '' Previously , the army trained on farmhouses and in urban neighborhoods that resembled Northern Ireland more than Afghanistan . But Sindh Kalay does more than mimic the physical reality of Afghanistan . It also mirrors the changing tactics on the ground . Troops are grilled in IED training by amputees that act out the violence with latex wounds and fake blood . When a new IED tactic is discovered by troops in Afghanistan it is communicated to Sindh Kalay and put into practice immediately . `` Before we had this , it was n't realistic enough , '' says Col. Richard Westley , head of training here . `` I think if you 're going to be asking young men and women to go and risk their lives in someone else 's country , then you have a moral obligation to prepare them for that environment . And that 's what this village does . It gives them the isolation and complexity of an Afghan village . Which we ca n't do with farmhouses which represent Western Europe . '' Some of the details in the Afghan village do n't quite ring true . The slabs of lamb and beef hanging from the market stalls are plastic , as are the grapes and melons the vendors try and sell to the British soldiers . Still , Sindh Kalay is eerily effective . When soldiers sit down for a `` shura '' or meeting with village elders , helicopters buzz overhead and the soldiers seem surprised to be served a homemade yogurt and cucumber drink . But the unit commander ca n't help laughing when one of the Afghan village heads pulls out a `` list of damages '' by British troops . It turns out to be a receipt for the local supermarket . | British soldiers train in mock Afghan village before deployment to Afghanistan . Village features Afghan asylum-seekers as vendors , elders , Afghan forces . Taliban militants are played by Nepalese Ghurkha soldiers . Village trains soldiers to understand Afghan customs , respect Afghan culture . | [[2472, 2524], [2139, 2188], [2228, 2321], [2528, 2590]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama urged Congress to adopt a `` pay-as-you-go '' approach to federal spending in order to restore fiscal discipline , but critics say the president 's call lacks credibility . Preisdent Obama says PAYGO is common sense . Faced with a record $ 1.8 trillion deficit , Obama on Tuesday pushed Congress to take up the spending rules , known as PAYGO . The approach would require lawmakers to pay for new programs , dollar-for-dollar , with budget cuts elsewhere . `` The ` pay as you go ' rule is very simple . Congress can only spend a dollar if it saves a dollar elsewhere , '' Obama said , as he announced that he was submitting to Congress a proposal to make PAYGO law . Obama repeated his vow to halve the deficit by the end of his first term , and he said PAYGO is an important step toward making that happen . A previous PAYGO mandate helped erase federal budget deficits in the 1990s , and subsequent ineffective rules contributed to the current budget deficits , Obama said . `` Paying for what you spend is basic common sense . Perhaps that 's why , here in Washington , it has been so elusive , '' the president said Tuesday . Watch more on Obama 's ` pay-as-you-go ' plan '' But Republicans were quick to question the administration 's sincerity . Republican Whip Eric Cantor charged that the administration 's focus on PAYGO `` seems more driven by polling and PR strategy than a serious commitment to fiscal discipline . '' `` It seems a tad disingenuous for the President and Speaker -LSB- Nancy -RSB- Pelosi to talk about PAYGO rules after ramming trillions in spending through Congress proposing policies that create more debt in the first six months of this year than in the previous 220 years combined , '' Cantor , R-Virginia , said in a statement Tuesday . Republicans point to the $ 787 billion stimulus package as evidence that Obama is not following his own advice . Cantor 's statement included a `` fiscal timeline '' highlighting government spending initiatives this year . The timeline entry for June 8 points to polls showing dissatisfaction with the administration on spending and the deficit . The entry for June 9 shows the president holding a PAYGO summit . However , a group of fiscally conservative Democratic representatives known as the Blue Dogs say Obama 's proposal is responsible and necessary . `` President Obama inherited an economy in free fall and a $ 10.6 trillion national debt , '' said Rep. Jim Cooper of Tennessee , vice chairman of the Blue Dog Budget and Financial Services Task Force . `` While short-term spending was necessary to get the economy moving again , our long-term fiscal problems became that much more urgent . '' But when it comes to reducing the deficit , even the Senate Budget Committee 's Democratic chairman doubts the president can deliver on his promise . Asked if Obama could halve the deficit -- given the recent government spending -- Sen. Kent Conrad said , `` I do n't believe so . I do n't believe anybody could . '' Administration officials still defend piling the stimulus spending on top of the deficit , arguing that it was the best approach to get the country out of the recession . `` Pay-as-you-go embodies a common sense principle that you should n't dig a hole deeper , '' said Peter Orszag , director of the Office of Management and Budget . CNN 's Kristi Keck and Tom Cohen contributed to this report . | Approach requires Congress to balance spending increases with equal savings . Republicans question timing of announcement -- after months of spending . A key Democrat says Obama could have tough time keeping promise to halve deficit . Blue Dog Democrats applaud `` pay-as-you-go '' as responsible and necessary . | [[2870, 2875], [2912, 2948], [2724, 2761], [2764, 2869], [2309, 2375]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In the seven weeks since the military-backed bloodless coup in Honduras , several hundred people protesting against the de facto government have been arbitrarily arrested and beaten by government forces , a new Amnesty International report says . The marks of a police truncheon are shown on a student 's back after a protest , Amnesty International says . The report , released Wednesday , said the beatings were meant to punish those who opposed the ouster of President Manuel Zelaya in June . It includes testimony from , and photographs of , several people who were baton-whipped and detained by police officers who sometimes wore no visible identification and hid their faces behind bandanas as they broke up demonstrations . `` They beat us if we raised our heads ; they beat us when they were getting us into the police cars , '' said a student whom Amnesty International interviewed in late July at the police station where he was being detained . `` They said , ` Cry and we 'll stop . ' '' Multiple requests to the government for comment went unanswered . The government has said in the past that the demonstrators were arrested for engaging in violence and provoking authorities . The Honduran political crisis stems from Zelaya 's defiant push to hold a referendum that could have led to extending term limits by changing the constitution . The country 's congress had outlawed the vote and the supreme court had ruled it illegal . He was ousted in a coup on June 28 . The congress named Roberto Micheletti provisional president shortly after the military detained Zelaya and sent him into exile . Micheletti and his supporters deny that a coup took place , calling the action a constitutional transfer of power . The coup resulted in unrest throughout the country , with frequent clashes between police and military on one side and civilian protesters on the other . At least two people were shot to death , Amnesty said . Among several examples , the Amnesty report quotes F.M. , a 52-year-old teacher , who said he was demonstrating peacefully when police descended on the rally . `` They grabbed me and shouted , ` Why do you -LRB- all -RRB- support Zelaya 's government ? ' They beat me . I have not been informed as to why I am detained . '' He showed deep-red imprints on his back , which he said were from a beating with a baton . `` Detention and ill treatment of protesters are being employed as a form of punishment for those openly opposing the de facto government and also as a deterrent for those contemplating taking to the streets to peacefully show their discontent with the political turmoil the country is experiencing , '' said Esther Major , Amnesty 's Central America researcher . | President Manuel Zelaya was ousted in a bloodless coup in June . Report : Beatings meant to punish those opposed to ouster of Zelaya . Multiple requests to the government for comment went unanswered . | [[1463, 1499], [93, 158], [194, 221], [376, 397], [410, 454], [415, 427], [439, 514], [2370, 2467], [1019, 1066], [1019, 1084]] |
NEW DELHI , India -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- At least 43 people are feared dead after a massive mudslide swept away three hamlets in northern India , authorities said Sunday . Two small villages were completely destroyed Saturday while one was partially knocked down , said Manoj Pande , a senior disaster management official in Pithoragarh district . Rescuers have pulled 15 bodies from the debris and many more may have been swept into the river , Pande said . More than 2.9 million people in India have been affected by floods since June , according to federal officials . Yearly monsoon rains sweep across the subcontinent from June till September . Though they bring much-needed relief to often-parched farmlands , they also leave a trail of landslides , home collapses and often fatal floods . | Three hamlets affected by recent mudslide in India . At least 43 people are feared dead . Millions in India have been affected by floods since June , officials say . | [[78, 139], [455, 532]] |
PARIS , France -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The French are in for a significant cultural shift next week if the Senate approves a new law from President Nicolas Sarkozy to allow more shops to open on Sundays . The law would permit shops , department stores , and shopping malls to open on Sundays in 20 zones . What seems routine in much of the Western world has been fiercely resisted in France , where Sundays have officially been set aside as a day of rest for more than a century and where a 35-hour workweek remains the norm . The new legislation , if approved by the Senate , would overturn a 1906 law that forbids Sunday trading in all but the largest cities . It is part of a raft of reforms Sarkozy has pushed for since becoming president . While the change is significant , it is not as much as the government originally hoped because Sarkozy had to deal with opposition from both the left and the right . Socialists filed thousands of amendments to the president 's original version of the law . Leftists and unions said it would effectively introduce a seven-day workweek and allow bosses to force employees to work Sundays . Members of the president 's own ruling conservative party opposed the law despite assurances it would boost economic activity , saying it would instead deprive families and church groups of their dedicated day . If approved by the Senate , the law would permit shops , department stores , and shopping malls to open on Sundays in 20 zones of what are called `` exceptional commercial '' centers near three of the country 's largest cities : Paris , Marseilles , and Lille . Additionally , 29 areas involving about 500 cities and towns would be added to the list of tourist areas , which already allow some economic activity on Sundays . The new law will , among other things , straighten out a somewhat chaotic situation in which some stores managed to obtain exceptions from the old law and others did n't , and where some stores found it made more sense financially to accept fines for breaking the old law because the income from Sunday sales more than made up for the penalties . The measure passed the National Assembly last Tuesday by a vote of 282 to 238 . It will go the Senate for three days of debate next Tuesday , where it is almost certain to be approved . Opinion polls in France show that slightly more than half the population want shops to have the freedom to open on Sundays , according to Time magazine . CNN 's Jim Bittermann contributed to this report . | French Senate set to approve new law to allow more shops to open on Sundays . If approved new law would overturn 1906 law forbidding Sunday trading in . Sarkozy has had to deal with opposition from both left and right . | [[98, 199], [522, 569], [572, 657], [522, 569], [572, 657], [795, 905], [1128, 1253]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- There is more water on the moon in more locations than originally thought , a discovery that may bolster NASA 's long-held goal of setting up an outpost there , a researcher said Thursday . NASA says there is more water on the moon in more locations than originally thought . One ton of the moon 's surface -- in which the water 's ingredients are held -- could yield as much as 32 ounces , or one quart , of water , according to three reports from research teams who studied data from three spacecrafts . Although that amount is n't large , said geological sciences professor Jack Mustard , the findings show `` there are ways you could convert these amounts of water into higher amounts '' that could support human activity . The water was discovered in rocky environments and in craters , Mustard said . `` It 's in more places and in different places than were inferred previously , '' he said . Since the Apollo missions began in the 1960s , scientists have believed the moon was virtually dry . Only trace amounts of water were found in rocks and soil brought back to Earth , and that water may have resulted from contamination during the retrieval process , scientists said . Watch report on discovery of more sources of moon water '' Mustard was on a team led by Carle Pieters , science manager of the NASA-supported Keck Reflectance Experiment Laboratory at Brown University in Providence , Rhode Island . Pieters also is principal investigator for NASA 's Moon Mineralogy Mapper -LRB- M3 -RRB- , which the space agency contributed to India 's first mission to the moon , Chandrayaan-1 , in October 2008 . The mapper was a `` state-of-the-art imaging spectrometer '' that provided the first map of the entire lunar surface at high resolution , revealing the minerals of which it is made . Examining data from Chandrayaan-1 , Pieters ' team found signs of water at the moon 's frigid poles . The researchers believe it might have migrated from elsewhere on the moon 's surface , attracted by the cold , they said . Their overall findings also were confirmed by data from a high-tech spectrometer on the Cassini spacecraft -- which also found evidence of water at lower latitudes away from the poles -- and from infrared mapping done by the Deep Impact spacecrafts -- which found trace amounts over much of the moon 's surface . Reports on those findings came from teams led by Roger Clark of the U.S. Geological Survey and Jessica Sunshine of the University of Maryland . This most recent information is far more precise than any previous data , Mustard said . Previous measurements were `` the size of Texas , say , and now are the size of Providence . '' `` We find it -LRB- water -RRB- distributed more broadly , '' he added . In the late 1990s , scientists found pockets of hydrogen on the moon , and inferred that its molecules could bond with oxygen to make water , the professor said . He called the older information much coarser . This time , researchers are reassured that the components are on the moon to make water because of the presence of hydroxyl -- produced when hydrogen and oxygen also bond with a mineral structure . The researchers said the results also suggest that the molecules are continually being created on the lunar surface , perhaps as a result of the solar wind -- the stream of ionized particles ejected by the sun . The research reports were being posted Thursday by the journal Science , at the Science Express Web site , www.sciencexpress.org , and will be in the magazine that comes out Friday . A news conference on the findings is scheduled for Thursday afternoon in Washington . | NASA says there are small amounts of water in lunar soil . Many scientists thought there was no water on the moon . The discovery could expedite NASA 's plans to create lunar settlements . About 32 ounces of water could be created from a ton of lunar soil , NASA says . | [[1020, 1076], [919, 1019], [0, 15], [74, 92], [95, 177], [93, 106], [112, 177], [338, 362], [375, 433]] |
HARARE , Zimbabwe -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A desperate Zimbabwean farmer fighting to hold onto his land -- a year after the country 's political rivals pledged to govern jointly -- fears he will eventually lose to politics and violence . Ben Freeth 's farm was gutted by fire , as was his father-in-law 's . The power-sharing agreement included an undertaking by both parties to ensure property rights are upheld but farm attacks and invasions continue unabated in Zimbabwe . Charles Lock is one of an estimated 400 farmers who have remained in the country despite President Robert Mugabe 's policy of redistributing white-owned farms to landless blacks . `` Why do they want to remove me when I 've complied with everything they want ? What more do they want other than for me to pack my bags and leave and if that 's the case , then admit that that is the policy . Pass a law : no whites are allowed to farm . Then it makes it clear , '' Lock said . Since 2000 , Mugabe 's controversial land reform program has driven more than 4,000 commercial farmers off their land , destroying Zimbabwe 's once prosperous agricultural sector . `` When the land reform program began , we decided we were not going to have a confrontational attitude ; that we would actually go along with this program because it was the only way that this whole thing would be sorted out . So I voluntarily gave away my own farm and moved onto my father-in-law 's farm , '' Lock said . That was in 2002 . A year later the government came knocking on his door again , he said , demanding more land . Lock told CNN he eventually gave up 70 percent of his father-in-law 's farm , which he then owned . Now an army general is demanding Lock 's remaining 30 percent . When Zimbabwe 's new unity government was formed -- with Mugabe 's ZANU-PF and Morgan Tsvangirai 's Movement for Democratic Change -- in February this year , the general allegedly posted soldiers on Lock 's farm . The farmer said he stopped farming and trade at gun point . When CNN visited Lock 's farm this month , workers were standing idle . Maize and tobacco , which Lock said is worth more than U.S. $ 1 million , lay in storage . `` They 've switched off our irrigation system , taken out keys and stop our trucks if we want to deliver maize , '' he told CNN . So Lock had to sneak into his own property like a thief by cutting open the gate leading to his store room . He took a few valuables from his workshop suspecting that his whole place will soon be looted . With the formation of a unity government farmers were hoping for some protection but Lock said : `` Nothing is happening here . There is no land audit happening , no one comes out here to check , to see . We are just left vulnerable . '' On another farm , Ben Freeth 's fight for his land has just escalated to another level . Freeth has been repeatedly beaten , arrested and harassed . Now his farmhouse and that of his father-in-law have been gutted by a mysterious fire . See the destruction the fire caused . Freeth could not say for sure that this is arson but told CNN that the group of ZANU-PF youths who have occupied his farm have repeatedly threatened to burn his house . `` One time they came round with burning sacks at night and they started making a huge noise and ringing a great big bell and shouting and screaming . They were going underneath the thatch saying we are going to burn your house down if you do n't get out , '' he said . Freeth and his father-in-law Mike Campbell are among a group of Zimbabwean farmers who won the right to remain on their land at a southern African tribunal . But Mugabe has declared the ruling null and void and pulled out of the tribunal . Farmers can not contest land issues in Zimbabwe and approaching international courts has thus far not worked either . When CNN interviewed Mugabe 's minister of state , Didymas Mutasa , about the disregard for human and property rights on the farms , he blamed the farmers for the violence , saying landless blacks are getting frustrated with their refusal to relinquish their land . `` Human rights are beginning to be seen now because they benefit the whites , and when they were affecting blacks badly as they did the likes of us , it did n't matter and nobody raised anything about those human rights . `` And sometimes we say , good heavens , if that is the kind of human rights you are talking about , you better keep them away from us ; we do n't want to see them , '' he told CNN . But it is black farm workers who are caught in the cross fire . They continue to bear the brunt of the land reform program by repeatedly being beaten and intimidated . Some have even been killed . Tractor driver William Kale said it is farm laborers working for white farmers who are targeted . `` They actually say you the workers , you are ones that are supporting the white farmer . That is why he is carrying on farming and we refuse to go because we have nowhere to go , '' Kale told CNN . Many farmers and farm workers we spoke to say they are in a worse position now under the unity government than they were before . Lock said : `` When ZANU-PF was in power , you had hawks and doves in government and the doves were approachable and often helped us . But now that these positions are being shared with Mr. Tsvangirai 's MDC , Mr. Mugabe has only appointed hawks to his cabinet who insist on continuing the land reform program . And when it comes to the MDC , the land issue seems to be a hot potato they do not want to touch . I have asked Mr. Tsvangirai to intervene but nothing is happening . '' Prime Minister Tsvangirai refuted that . `` That is not true , '' he said . `` We initiated to find out who is being affected , the few remaining white farmers . Let 's be frank here , we are talking of farmers as being white , but to me any destruction of farm production affects the whole viability of agriculture . There should be no disruption of any farm activity . '' To those under siege these words are little comfort as they continue to fight a battle they are unlikely to win . | Zimbabwe white farmers battle continuing policy of land redistribution . One farmer shows CNN his fire-destroyed farmhouse . Controversial policy gives white-owned farms to landless blacks . Since 2000 , more than 4,000 commercial farmers driven off their land . | [[2888, 2975], [493, 649], [946, 956], [959, 1048]] |
KABUL , Afghanistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Afghanistan 's reputation as the world 's leading narcotics supplier is well-known , but in a squalid ruin in Kabul , the country hides a darker secret -- a huge home grown drug addiction problem now on the brink of fueling an HIV/AIDS epidemic . Junkies smoking heroin can get high for $ 4 . Here junkies lie in their own filth , wasted limbs poking out of blood-spattered clothing as they blank out the abject misery of their surroundings . In one room , a veritable narcotics bazaar offers pills and drug paraphernalia -- with hits retailing at less than $ 4 . One user claims he has been an addict for 22 years , although it is difficult to talk to any of the dazed and ragged occupants of the drug rooms . The atmosphere is edgy and -- as thick clouds of burning opium fill the air -- dizzyingly toxic . The Kabul den is just the tip of the iceberg in a country awash with narcotics . The government estimates the number of addicts in Afghanistan could be as many as five percent of its 25 million people . Watch Nic Robertson 's report from the ` house of hopelessness ' '' And though nascent efforts are being made to tackle the problem , chronic funding shortfalls have prompted the United Nations to warn that drug use will escalate , potentially driving an HIV/AIDS crisis as junkies move from smoking to high risk needle-sharing . Afghanistan has always been a major narcotics supplier -- responsible for 95 percent of the world 's heroin -- although this was scaled back under the rule of the Taliban , which outlawed poppy cultivation and imposed strict penalties for drug users . Since 2001 , when the extremist regime was ousted by a U.S.-led invasion that installed President Hamid Karzai , production has doubled . And for many in the country still mired in poverty and conflict , these cheap drugs offer a tempting escape . The last United Nations survey of Afghanistan 's drug problem four years ago estimated the country 's addicts to number about 200,000 . According to Afghan Counter Narcotics Minister Khodaidad , the figure is now far greater . `` More than 1.2 million people in Afghanistan are addicts . It 's a very huge number and every year it increases , '' he told CNN . Khodaidad says the Afghan government is largely powerless to control the production of opium while Taliban extremists , who now control and draw funding from drug crops , control cultivation areas despite major international military efforts to push them back . `` We did very little due to weakness of governors , due to insurgents , due to pressure of terrorism in the area , '' he added . `` We do n't have sufficient law enforcement agencies -- the police , the border security force , and other special forces to control this area -- so it will take time . '' But , says Jean-Luc Lemahieu , head of the UN 's Office on Drugs and Crime -LRB- UNODC -RRB- in Kabul , time is something Afghanistan does not have . As intravenous drug use takes hold , raising the prospect of needle sharing , he says HIV/AIDS will follow quickly . `` The little data we have at the moment are very alarming , '' he told CNN . `` They tell us that we should not wait longer and if not , this country will be saddled with another burden it just can not afford . `` I think it is already happening today . We have seen , now , a few HIV/AIDS cases . Hopefully we can contain the problem , although it is unlikely given the problems with the health structures . '' The U.N. has begun a program to detox users willing to get off drugs in Afghanistan . A renovated warehouse in Kabul offers hope to 100 addicts in the biggest facility of its kind in the country . Watch Robertson go inside the detox clinic '' In the center 's clean , bare rooms , shaven-headed junkies tremble under blankets as they go through the agonizing cold turkey of weaning their ravaged bodies off drug dependency . Therapy sessions also help motivate them to kick their deadly habit . `` Here we deal with the problem from a humanitarian perspective , not from an addiction perspective , to save lives , '' says Jehan Zeb Khan , UNODC program manager . But says Khan , with what little funding there is now dwindling fast , the salvation offered to these lucky few may be short lived -- they will be forced back out on the streets , where more opium dens will flourish , bringing yet more misery for Afghanistan . | Government officials say 1.2 million Afghans are now addicted to drugs . United Nations says growing drug use could lead to HIV/AIDS crisis . Efforts to combat drug use suffering from chronic lack of funds . | [[194, 251], [929, 990], [2108, 2168], [242, 245], [252, 285], [1185, 1321], [1283, 1380], [1185, 1321], [4175, 4217]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Texas authorities on Sunday were searching for a convicted burglar who escaped from a medical facility by rappelling off the building using a string of bedsheets , officials said . Joshua Duane Barnes , 21 , was serving 35 years in prison for several convictions , including two escape charges . Joshua Duane Barnes , 21 , was last seen at 8:15 p.m. Saturday on the seventh floor of a Texas Department of Criminal Justice medical facility in Galveston , Texas , said TDCJ spokesman Jason Clark . Fifteen minutes later , Barnes was gone , Clark told CNN . Security officers noticed there was a hole in the wall and a vent had been removed . According to Clark , Barnes busted a hole through a wall in his room and then broke through a thick window . He apparently tied bedsheets together , rappelled down the side of the building to a roof , and then jumped to the ground , Clark said . Barnes was serving 35 years in prison for several felony convictions , including seven burglary charges , two escape charges and an aggravated assault charge in the Texas Panhandle area , according to a TDCJ press release . The inmate was being housed at a prison in Midway , Texas . He was transported to the medical facility in Galveston last week after being hurt in an altercation , TDCJ said . The department of criminal justice has tracking dogs and dozens of officers searching the area , Clark said . Local police officers also joined the search . Barnes began serving his sentence in January . CNN 's Chuck Johnston contributed to this report . | Joshua Duane Barnes , 21 , was last seen on 7th floor at Texas medical facility . He apparently tied bedsheets together and exited window , police official says . Department of criminal justice has tracking dogs , officers searching the area . | [[315, 334], [342, 350], [356, 470], [315, 334], [351, 470], [140, 180], [768, 796], [1304, 1398]] |
A Saudi Arabian man who was arrested for bragging about his sex life on television has apologized for his comments while Saudi authorities discuss whether he should be charged with a crime , according to local media . Mazen Abdul Jawad appeared earlier this month on Lebanese channel LBC 's show `` Red Lines , '' on which he discussed foreplay , sexual conquests and how he picks up women , all taboo subjects in deeply conservative Saudi Arabia . According to the Saudi daily newspaper Arab News , Abdul Jawad has initiated a damage-control campaign and on Sunday `` appeared in the pages of a local newspaper apparently wiping away tears from a handkerchief as he apologized and begged for forgiveness . '' Abdul Jawad is a 32-year-old airline employee and divorced father of four . In Saudi Arabia , pre-marital sex is illegal and unrelated men and women are not allowed to mingle . According to Arab News , Abdul Jawad is not in jail and is considering filing a complaint against the show 's producers for presenting him `` in the worst possible manner by taking two hours of footage and condensing it down to a minutes-long segment . '' Ashraf Al-Sarraj , the lawyer representing Abdul Jawad in his possible complaint against LBC , told Arab News , `` We will study the case and eventually present it to the Ministry of Information . '' According to the paper , `` LBC refused to comment on the matter until it has more time to formulate a response . '' The segment in question has , since its initial broadcast , been posted on YouTube and been viewed hundreds of thousands of times . It includes scenes of Abdul Jawad discussing his enjoyment of sex and how he lost his virginity at age 14 . Abdul Jawad is also shown in his bedroom , where he holds up sexual aids to the camera . It ends with him cruising the streets of Jeddah , Saudi Arabia , in his car and looking for women . CNN has been unable to reach Abdul Jawad , the Saudi Ministry of Justice or the Saudi Ministry of Information for comment . | Mazen Abdul Jawad apologizes for discussing sex life on TV , reports say . Saudi authorities debating whether charges should be filed , reports say . Jawad appeared earlier this month on a show on Lebanese channel . In deeply conservative Saudi Arabia , pre-marital sex is illegal . | [[0, 19], [72, 188], [0, 19], [72, 188], [121, 217], [218, 295], [786, 801], [804, 858]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Fire , the wheel and even cup noodles were among the varied answers to the question posed by CNN : `` What is man 's greatest achievement ? '' Man set foot on the moon on July 20 , 1969 . Was that man 's greatest achievement ? Have your say . CNN producers armed with cameras put the puzzler to passersby in Berlin , Madrid , Rome , Bangkok , Tokyo , New Delhi and Paris . In the lead-up to the 40th anniversary of NASA 's Apollo 11 mission , more people might have been expected to nominate the moon landing as one of man 's greatest feats . Alas not . One woman in Germany suggested the computer . `` It has opened up my world . I can stay in my house and travel all over the world , '' she said . Another suggested the airplane . `` It 's the easiest way to get from one country to the other . Imagine if you would be able to only take the ship . It would take you ages to go somewhere , so it makes humanity more flexible . '' See what they said '' Fire also got a look-in . `` Everything started there right ? '' said one man in Spain . There was agreement in Italy : `` I think the most important is that man discovered fire because it 's bringing a lot of life . '' The written word was also nominated in Italy , as were architecture and sanitation . `` The biggest achievement of mankind ? Music , right ? '' suggested one woman in Spain . In New Delhi , video games got one man 's vote . `` It allows you to be whomever you want , in whichever world you want , and lets you live an alternate fantasy life , '' he said . One hopeful businessman in Italy told us , perhaps prematurely : `` Peace , I 'd say peace . That would be the greatest achievement for all . '' What do you think is man 's greatest achievement ? Where does the moon landing fit in ? | CNN posed the question to people in seven cities . Answers ranged from fire , to the written word , the Internet , plane travel . A few people nominated the moon landing as man 's greatest feat . Have your say through Sound Off , or send us a video to iReport . | [[90, 115], [262, 391], [0, 15], [26, 102], [719, 751], [972, 976], [982, 997], [246, 261]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Saudi Arabia 's Interior Ministry has identified the suicide bomber who attempted to assassinate the country 's assistant interior minister last Thursday and released details of a phone conversation between the two men prior to the attack . A Saudi man reads a newspaper featuring a front-page story on Thursday 's attack . The disclosures reported by the country 's official news agency were highly unusual . The agency , SPA , reported the attacker , Abdullah Hassan Talea ' Asiri , a wanted Saudi militant who had been hiding in Yemen , got in touch with Saudi authorities telling them he wanted to turn himself in to Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Naif , the assistant minister of Interior for Security Affairs . After arriving back in Saudi Arabia , Asiri spoke by phone to Mohammed , who agreed to see him during a Ramadan reception at his home in the city of Jeddah . According to a transcript provided by SPA , during the phone call the men exchanged greetings and discussed the importance of the holy month of Ramadan . Mohammed is quoted as telling Asiri that `` one should be careful ; evil people would like to exploit all of you . Now only you to fear Allah Almighty and come home . '' Later in the conversation , Asiri asked if a special plane could be dispatched to take him to meet with Mohammed . Asiri , escorted by security , was transported to Jeddah , where he met with the prince at his palace . During the meeting , Asiri explained to Mohammed that other Saudi militants in Yemen also wished to surrender but sought reassurances from the prince . According to SPA , a call was then placed to one of the militants in Yemen . While the prince was on the phone , Asiri blew himself up , SPA reported . Mohammed , who is also the son of the country 's Interior Minister , was lightly injured in the attack . Saudi King Abdullah was shown visiting the prince in the hospital after the attack on Saudi TV . The king asked the prince why the militant was allowed to get so close him without being inspected properly and searched thoroughly . Prince Mohammed answered the king by telling him it had been a mistake . SPA adds that `` the concerned security authorities opened an investigation into the incident . However , the criminal laboratory and a forensic report have reached conclusions that , for security considerations , will not be announced at this time . '' Asiri 's name was on a list of 85 most wanted suspects released by Saudi Arabia in February . At the time the list was released , Saudi Arabia asked Interpol for its help in apprehending dozens of the wanted Saudis on the list who were suspected of plotting attacks against Saudi Arabia from abroad . The announcement was significant because it is rare for the kingdom to announce that some of its most wanted terrorists are on the loose . It is also unusual for Saudi Arabia to ask for help in finding them . Some of the suspects on the most wanted list had been released from Guantanamo Bay , returned to Saudi Arabia , and had then gone through a Jihadi reeducation program run by the Interior Ministry , before fleeing to Yemen and taking up terrorist activity once more . Saudi Arabia has been battling terrorism since 2003 , when al Qaeda launched a series of attacks inside the Kingdom . In the security crackdown that followed , Asiri , like many other wanted Saudi militants , fled to Yemen . Earlier this year , Saudi al Qaeda and Yemeni al Qaeda merged to form `` Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula . '' Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula , which operates out of Yemen , claimed responsibility earlier this week for the attack against Mohammed . In August , Saudi Arabia 's Interior Ministry announced that over the past year , 44 al Qaeda suspects across the country had been arrested . While the Interior Ministry is calling the attempted assassination an `` action of treachery and treason '' , SPA reports that the Ministry will not change its `` open-door policy '' of granting amnesty to militants wishing to surrender - in particular , `` those citizens residing outside the country '' who wish to `` take advantage of the state-sponsored program of advice and care . '' | Wanted Saudi militant Abdullah Hassan Talea ' Asiri had been hiding in Yemen . Reportedly got in touch with Saudi authorities saying he wanted to turn himself in . Asiri met with Saudi assistant minister of Interior for Security Affairs . He explained other Saudi militants in Yemen also wished to surrender . | [[504, 556], [429, 432], [559, 594], [577, 670], [1432, 1450], [1453, 1583]] |
-LRB- CNN Student News -RRB- -- September 10 , 2009 . Quick Guide . Health Care Address - Hear the latest arguments in the debate over U.S. health care reform . Campaign Finance - Review the details of a court case that could impact U.S. elections . Purifying Invention - Find out how one inventor hopes to quench concerns about clean water . Transcript . THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT . THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED . CARL AZUZ , CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR : On HLN , online , on iTunes ; here , there and everywhere , this is CNN Student News ! Thank you for spending part of your Thursday with us . From the CNN Center , I 'm Carl Azuz . First Up : Health Care Address . AZUZ : First up , health care reform reclaims the spotlight as President Obama takes up the issue in a speech to Congress . This debate has been heating up for months , with politicians and citizens weighing in with their opinions . It 's an incredibly complicated issue , so we 're gon na look at some of the main points right now . Some people think the country 's health care system is fine the way it is . Others think it 's broken , but what they do n't agree on is how to fix it . For example , how much would it cost to reform the system , and where would that money come from ? Should there be a government-run health insurance program ? And if so , how might that impact private insurance companies ? Those are just a few of the questions facing lawmakers . President Obama says he is n't the first president to take on health care , but he hopes to be the last . He 's been pushing for reform since he took office , and he believes the time for action is now . U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA : The time for bickering is over . The time for games has passed . Now is the season for action . Now is when we must bring the best ideas of both parties together and show the American people that we can still do what we were sent here to do . Now is the time to deliver on health care . Health Care Response . AZUZ : After the president wrapped up his address to Congress , the Republican Party offered a response from U.S. Representative Charles Boustany . The Louisiana representative , who has more than 20 years of experience as a surgeon , says he agrees with parts of President Obama 's plan . But he thinks it also presents several problems . Last night , he outlined some alternative ideas about how to improve the health care system and how to lower its costs . REP. CHARLES BOUSTANY JR , -LRB- R -RRB- LOUISIANA : We need to establish tough liability reform standards , encourage speedy resolution of claims , and deter junk lawsuits that drive up the cost of care . Real reform must do this . Let 's also talk about letting families and businesses buy insurance across state lines . I and many other Republicans believe that that will provide real choice and competition to lower the cost of health insurance . Shoutout . GEORGE RAMSAY , CNN STUDENT NEWS : Time for the Shoutout ! Stephen Breyer , Anthony Kennedy and Clarence Thomas are all members of what governmental body ? If you think you know it , shout it out ! Is it : A -RRB- Congress , B -RRB- The U.S. Supreme Court , C -RRB- President Obama 's Cabinet or D -RRB- The Federal Reserve ? You 've got three seconds -- GO ! Along with six other justices , these people compose the U.S. Supreme Court . That 's your answer and that 's your Shoutout ! Campaign Finance . AZUZ : It 's their job to interpret our country 's laws , and one case the justices are looking at right now could have a major impact on elections , including the ones coming up next year ! It 's all about how much money corporations can give to candidates . Right now , there 's a limit on that , but some people argue that violates the Constitution . Elaine Quijano is on the case . -LRB- BEGIN VIDEO CLIP -RRB- . FROM CITIZENS UNITED AD FOR `` HILLARY , THE MOVIE '' : Who is Hillary Clinton ? ELAINE QUIJANO , CNN CORRESPONDENT , WASHINGTON , D.C. : It started small . During last year 's presidential primaries , a federal court said campaign finance laws barred this ad for an anti-Hillary Clinton movie by an advocacy group , a non-profit corporation . FROM CITIZENS UNITED AD FOR `` HILLARY , THE MOVIE '' : If you thought you knew everything about Hillary Clinton , wait 'til you see the movie . QUIJANO : But now , the Supreme Court could make a monumental change in how money influences politics , deciding , in the name of free speech , whether there should be any limits at all on corporate campaign spending . FRED WERTHEIMER , DEMOCRACY 21 , CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM SUPPORTER : Allowing corporations to flood our elections and use campaign expenditures to buy influence would fundamentally undermine our democracy . QUIJANO : Fred Wertheimer of Democracy 21 warns overturning a century of precedents would shut average citizens out of the political process . WERTHEIMER : The little guy would have no role here , because the dominant force in our politics , the dominant force in Washington decision-making , would become corporations . QUIJANO : But David Bossee of Citizens United , the group behind the anti-Hillary Clinton movie , argues that anyone pooling resources , including unions , the health industry , advocacy groups like the National Rifle Association , has free speech rights . DAVID BOSSEE , CITIZENS UNITED : I actually went out and looked for this fight , because I do n't believe the government should have the right to impede people 's entry into the process . And that 's what the Federal Election Commission is trying to do here , squelch our first Amendment Rights . QUIJANO : Interestingly , the American Civil Liberties Union agrees . A final ruling is expected in a couple of months , and legal observers say conservatives could hold the key , with enough votes to possibly declare much of current campaign finance law unconstitutional . Elaine Quijano , CNN , the Supreme Court . -LRB- END VIDEO CLIP -RRB- . Flash Flooding . AZUZ : Six months ' worth of rain in two days ! That is what residents in parts of Turkey are dealing with . This massive downpour triggered flash floods in the country this week , claiming more than 30 lives . In this video - look at this - you can see how the water rushed through a low-lying valley . It flipped and ripped up dozens of cargo trucks . Hundreds of other vehicles were washed out into the sea . The country 's prime minister said emergency workers rescued around 1,300 people from the floods . He 's already pledged money to get help and relief to the affected regions that need it . I.D. Me . RAMSAY : See if you can I.D. Me ! I 'm a rock band originally from Liverpool , England . I made my first U.S. appearance in 1964 . 20 of my songs landed at number 1 on the U.S. charts . And I was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 . I 'm the Beatles : John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr ! The Beatles : Rock Band . AZUZ : They were a rock band . Now the Beatles are in Rock Band ! A new game featuring the famous Fab Four is out this week . It lets players jam out on dozens of the group 's biggest hits . Plus , it gives younger audiences -- you -- a chance to check out some of rock and roll 's most famous songs nearly four decades after the band 's last gig . That 's not the only reason the Beatles are back in the spotlight . All 15 of their albums have been re-mastered and put back on store shelves . Purifying Invention . AZUZ : Meanwhile , a famous inventor wants to do some re-mastering of his own . But we 're not talking about digital , we 're talking liquid . More than a billion people around the globe do n't have access to clean drinking water . Sure , there 're water water everywhere , but if it 's not clean , it can cause serious consequences . Gary Tuchman looks at one idea designed to quench the problem . -LRB- BEGIN VIDEO CLIP -RRB- . GARY TUCHMAN , CNN CORRESPONDENT : Water : It 's the most abundant resource on the planet , yet every year , millions of people die because they do n't have access to clean water . So Dean Kamen , the inventor of the Segway , decided to take this problem on with a machine he calls the `` Slingshot . '' DEAN KAMEN , INVENTOR : We believe the world needs a slingshot to take care of its goliath of a problem : bad water . TUCHMAN : He says the machine can turn contaminated water like this dirty river water into clean drinking water by boiling , distilling and vaporizing it . KAMEN : In goes the bad , and as you can see , out comes the good . That is pure water . TUCHMAN : The machine is smaller than some other water purifying systems , making it more portable . KAMEN : It 's ideally suited to go to places in the developing world . TUCHMAN : Kamen says it requires very little electricity and maintenance to function . But until he finds partners and distributors to keep costs down , Slingshots wo n't be available to the people who need them most . KAMEN : We 've got to find better strategies to deal with this incredibly unique and valuable resource called water , that we 've all come to take for granted , but we 'll not be able to do that in the future . TUCHMAN : Gary Tuchman , CNN . -LRB- END VIDEO -RRB- . Before We Go . AZUZ : Before we leave you today , we 've got a story about something that 's pretty darn fast . Usian Bolt may be the quickest person on the planet , but he 's got nothing on Sarah . The cheetah charged into the record books yesterday as the world 's fastest land mammal . She made the 100-meter dash in 6.16 seconds . Then she went out and shaved some more time off in her second attempt . Now for reference , sprinter Usain Bolt did it in 9.58 seconds . So , cheetah wins . Think you could outrun her ? You 're welcome to give it a shot . Goodbye . AZUZ : But you 've got to make sure that she does n't break any rules . After all , she 's a cheetah . Okay , we know a lot of you probably saw that coming , but you just ca n't miss the opportunity to make a cheetah pun . It 's where we cross the finish line for today , but we 'll be back tomorrow to close out the week . We look forward to seeing you then . For CNN Student News , I 'm Carl Azuz . | Hear the latest arguments in the debate over U.S. health care reform . Review the details of a court case that could impact U.S. elections . Find out how one inventor hopes to quench concerns about clean water . | [[68, 87], [90, 160], [161, 177], [180, 214], [202, 214], [220, 249], [3497, 3518], [3540, 3603], [250, 269], [272, 342], [7850, 7891]] |
DALLAS , Texas -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Police in Irving , Texas , captured a convicted burglar Wednesday who escaped from a medical facility last weekend by rappelling off the building using a string of bedsheets , a department spokeswoman said . Saturday night 's escape was the third for Joshua Duane Barnes , 21 , since June 2008 . Joshua Duane Barnes , 21 , escaped Saturday night from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Hospital at Galveston . It was Barnes ' third escape from authorities since June 2008 . Each time , he was caught in four days . He will face felony escape charges , spokeswoman Michelle Lyons said . According to the Criminal Justice Department 's inspector general , about 9:30 a.m. Wednesday , police received a call about a suspicious person in a park , Lyons said . The man ran as police approached him , and police chased him . The man , later identified as Barnes , barricaded himself in an abandoned residence before surrendering to police without incident about 10 a.m. Barnes was to be taken to one of the department 's Huntsville-area prisons later in the day . When authorities realized Barnes was missing Saturday , they noticed a hole in the wall where a vent had been removed . Barnes also had broken through a thick window . Barnes was serving 35 years in prison for felony convictions including seven burglary charges , two escape charges and an aggravated assault charge in the Texas Panhandle area , according to a department statement . He began serving his sentence in January . He was housed at a prison in Midway , Texas , but authorities said he was taken to the medical facility in Galveston last week after being hurt in a fight . Barnes ' two other escapes took place in Potter County in the Texas Panhandle while he was under the control of local authorities . On June 6 , 2008 , he fled the county courthouse shortly after being asked to take the stand during a probation violation hearing . The second escape was on October 4 , 2008 , when Barnes fled the county jail recreational yard after hopping onto the corner of a roof and peeling back layers of sheet metal and galvanized fencing . In both cases , he was found four days later , hiding out at motels . CNN 's Ed Lavandera contributed to this report . | Convicted burglar escaped from Galveston medical facility Saturday . Wednesday morning , Irving police receive call about suspicious person in a park . Police chase escapee , who flees to abandoned house , then surrenders . Escapee was moved to Galveston medical facility last week after a fight . | [[0, 6], [9, 30], [61, 135], [70, 99], [104, 162], [330, 349], [357, 449], [722, 780], [796, 832], [839, 858], [859, 868], [898, 1003], [1575, 1681]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The name is already taken , but `` The Hitchhiker 's Guide to the Galaxy '' might be a fitting title for a new interactive view of the Milky Way unveiled this week by the European Southern Observatory . Hundreds of photos taken with a regular digital camera , along with computer crunching , formed this panorama . The 800-million-pixel panorama shows an edge-on view of the plane of our galaxy , complete with points of interests such as the 12-billion-year-old , star-packed globular cluster Omega Centauri and the beautiful , reddish Rosette Nebula . Want to stay closer to home ? The panorama also points out familiar landmarks such as Jupiter , noting it 's the third-brightest object in our night sky after the moon and Venus . For a bit of a head-rush , you can choose to zoom in and click on `` Tour Destinations , '' which will take you on a trip from one end of the galaxy to another , stopping at your selected point of interest . Users can explore the image in magnificent detail , uncovering millions of individual stars forming a dustlike haze , or superimpose a map of the different constellations in the sky . The beautiful panorama is the first to be released as part of the GigaGalaxy Zoom project , which seeks to `` link the sky we can all see with the deep , ` hidden ' cosmos that astronomers study on a daily basis , '' according to ESO . The image is composed of almost 1,200 photos , which were taken by French astrophotographer Serge Brunier with a regular digital camera from ESO observatories at La Silla and Paranal in Chile and from one of the Canary Islands . `` I wanted to show a sky that everyone can relate to , with its constellations , its thousands of stars , with names familiar since childhood , '' Brunier said . The images were then crunched into the single panorama using special software , an effort that took about 340 computing hours to finish , according to the ESO . You can chart your own trip across the Milky Way at GigaGalaxyZoom.org . The next GigaGalaxy Zoom image will be released Monday . | The 800-million-pixel panorama shows an edge-on view of the plane of our galaxy . Users can zoom in and tour destinations such as globular cluster Omega Centauri . The image can be explored in magnificent detail , showing millions of individual stars . The image is the first of three to be released as part of the GigaGalaxy Zoom project . | [[334, 572], [334, 572], [961, 1010], [961, 1010], [961, 966], [1013, 1052], [1145, 1234]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A leading international children 's charity has warned that Elton John 's desire to adopt a 14-month-old baby boy could lead to more children being abandoned . Elton John kisses baby Lev during his visit to the orphanage in Ukraine on Saturday . The singer , 62 , made the announcement during a visit with his partner , 46-year-old David Furnish , to an orphanage for HIV-affected children in Ukraine on Saturday . `` David always wanted to adopt and I always said no because I am 62 and I think because of the traveling I do and the life I have , maybe it would n't be fair for the child , '' he told reporters . `` But having seen Lev today , I would love to adopt him . I do n't know how we do that but he has stolen my heart . And he has stolen David 's heart and it would be wonderful if we can have a home . I 've changed my mind today . '' While EveryChild praised the British musician for helping raise awareness of children affected by HIV/AIDS , it said international adoption is sending out the wrong message . James Georgalakis , EveryChild 's Communications and Advocacy Manager , told CNN : `` Research conducted in the Ukraine in 2007 which showed high-profile celebrity adoptions and news around foreigners coming into the country and adopting children generally was actually encouraging vulnerable young mothers to abandon their children into homes hoping their child would be adopted by a rich foreigner and have a better life . `` So it 's quite well documented that these high-profile adoptions could actually be increasing the number of children in institutions . '' Do you think celebrity adoptions are a good thing ? According to research by the charity 's Web site , 95 percent of the children in Ukraine 's institutions are not orphans , with babies born to HIV + mothers facing particular discrimination . They are separated from their mothers and often end up in children 's homes and institutions segregated from children not affected by HIV . It argues that governments such as Ukraine need to be encouraged to put more emphasis on keeping families together rather than placing them in outdated Soviet-era children 's homes . `` After a great deal of campaigning by charities such as ours , the Ukraine government introduced a new ` gate-keeping ' system which means the authorities will have to consider all available options before a child is placed in an institution , '' Georgalakis said . `` So when a child is taken into care or abandoned , they will have look at whether a child has other family or can be fostered by another family for example . This is a huge step forward and one that needs support . `` We will definitely be speaking to Elton and his representatives about this . '' Elton John is the latest high-profile figure to be linked with a case of this kind . Earlier this year , Madonna won a court appeal to adopt a second child from Malawi . Critics of the pop-star accused the pop superstar of taking advantage of `` archaic adoption laws '' in a bid to adopt three-year-old Chifundo James . Madonna 's initial attempt was denied because she did not meet a residency law that requires applicants to have lived in the country for some time before adoption . This condition was waived when Madonna -- and then husband Guy Ritchie -- adopted her first Malawian child , David Banda . The judge in that case said the interest of the child outweighed the issue of residency . Meanwhile , the British Association for Adoption and Fostering said around 4,000 children need to be adopted in UK each year , with many facing a considerable wait . BAAF Chief Executive David Holmes told CNN : `` While Elton John may be considered too old under current guidance to adopt a baby in the UK , there are many children , particularly older children , sibling groups , children with disabilities , and children from black minority groups , all waiting for a family . `` We 'll certainly be reinforcing this message during National Adoption Week in Britain later this year . '' | Elton John , 62 , made announcement during a visit to an orphanage in Ukraine . EveryChild charity believes international adoption sends wrong message . Spokesman : Mothers abandon children in hope they are adopted by foreigners . Madonna recently won appeal to adopt second child from Malawi . | [[179, 264], [866, 951], [975, 1040], [1385, 1440], [2827, 2844], [2847, 2911]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Giant jellyfish descend on the Sea of Japan , causing untold devastation to coastal villages and leaving a trail of destruction and human misery behind . A diver attaches a sensor to a Nomura 's jellyfish off the coast of northern Japan in October 2005 . Sounds like a great sci-fi flick . But it 's not . It 's real and a nightmare for Japanese fishermen . The massive sea creatures , called Nomura 's jellyfish , can grow 6 feet -LRB- 1.83 meters -RRB- in diameter and weigh more than 450 pounds -LRB- 204 kilos -RRB- . Scientists think they originate in the Yellow Sea and in Chinese waters . For the third year since 2005 , ocean currents are transporting them into the Sea of Japan . Monty Graham , a marine biologist at Alabama 's Dauphin Island Sea Lab , said the jellyfish grow to an enormous size as they are transported by ocean currents . He said they stay together in packs and as they drift northward , they get caught in fishermen 's nets . The giant jellyfish are one of about 200 species of coastal jellyfish or large jellyfish that exist around the world . But Nomura 's stands out because of its enormous size . `` The sheer size of them , individually , makes them fairly spectacular , '' Graham said . Spectacular , perhaps , to scientists , but perilous to villagers along the Japanese coast who have seen the destructive habits of these colossal creatures in the past . They had giant-jellyfish invasions in 2005 and 2007 , and because they 've recently been spotted in the Sea of Japan , they 're bracing for another , potentially harmful wave this summer . The jellyfish destroy fishermen 's nets , getting trapped in them , tearing holes and ruining catches . Fishermen often use expensive mazelike nets that stretch for hundreds of kilometers . When swarms of giant jellyfish tear them , the result is devastating . `` Communities of fishermen and these fishing villages own these nets , '' Graham said . `` When these nets get wiped out , it actually has this economic devastation for an entire community . '' The good news is that previous attacks have prompted Japan to put in place a warning system for fishermen . While they still risk losing a big catch , they can , at least , save their pricey nets from the invasion of the giant jellyfish . It 's not clear why waves of Nomura 's jellyfish have made it to the Sea of Japan in recent years . Some have speculated that overfishing , pollution or rising ocean temperatures may have depleted the kinds of fish that prey on Nomura 's jellyfish in the polyp stage . However , no one is certain , Graham said . | Nomura 's jellyfish seen in Sea of Japan for third year since 2005 . Species can grow 6 feet -LRB- 1.83 meters -RRB- in diameter , 450 pounds -LRB- 204 kilos -RRB- . Tears in expensive nets can devastate communities . | [[615, 644], [647, 707], [2295, 2394], [2315, 2394], [377, 476], [377, 431], [490, 540], [708, 720], [781, 824], [0, 15], [65, 111], [1790, 1830], [1833, 1860], [1953, 1982], [1985, 2052]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama has ordered national security officials to look into allegations that the Bush administration resisted efforts to investigate a CIA-backed Afghan warlord over the killings of hundreds of Taliban prisoners in 2001 . In an exclusive , CNN talked with President Obama in Ghana about his order to review alleged deaths of Taliban . `` The indications that this had not been properly investigated just recently was brought to my attention , '' Obama told CNN 's Anderson Cooper in an exclusive interview during the president 's visit to Ghana . The full interview will air 10 p.m. Monday . `` So what I 've asked my national security team to do is to collect the facts for me that are known , and we 'll probably make a decision in terms of how to approach it once we have all of the facts gathered up , '' Obama said . The inquiry stems from the deaths of at least 1,000 Taliban prisoners who had surrendered to the U.S.-backed Northern Alliance in late 2001 . The fighters were in the custody of troops led by Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum , a prominent Afghan warlord who has served as chief of staff of the country 's post-Taliban army . Dostum , a former communist union boss and militia leader who fought against the U.S.-backed mujahedeen in the 1980s , is known for switching sides as Afghanistan 's political conflict has evolved . When the United States invaded Afghanistan after the September 11 , 2001 , attacks on New York and Washington , Dostum sided with the Americans and received military and CIA support to battle the Taliban . The allegations against him first surfaced in a 2002 Newsweek report , which cited a confidential U.N. memo saying the prisoners died in cramped container trucks while being transported from their Konduz stronghold in northern Afghanistan to Sheberghan prison , west of Dostum 's stronghold at Mazar-e Sharif . At the time , the Boston , Massachusetts-based group Physicians for Human Rights said it found a mass grave in nearby Dasht-e Leili , where witnesses said the bodies of Taliban prisoners were buried . The finding prompted U.S. Gen. Tommy Franks , who led the invasion of Afghanistan , to support an investigation into the allegations . But The New York Times , citing government officials and human rights organizations , reported Friday that the Bush administration `` repeatedly discouraged efforts to investigate the episode . '' State Department officials recently have tried to derail Dostum 's reappointment as military chief of staff to Afghan President Hamid Karzai , the newspaper reported , citing several senior officials who suggested the administration `` might not be hostile to an inquiry . '' Dostum , a key ally of Karzai , was reportedly living in exile in Turkey until last month , when he was reinstated to his post as defense minister . He had left Afghanistan over allegations that he had kidnapped Akbar Bai , a former ally turned political rival . When asked by CNN about whether Obama would support an investigation , the president replied , `` I think that , you know , there are responsibilities that all nations have , even in war . And if it appears that our conduct in some way supported violations of laws of war , then I think that , you know , we have to know about that . '' Watch part of CNN 's exclusive interview with the president '' Susannah Sirkin , deputy director of Physicians for Human Rights , on Sunday praised Obama `` for ordering his national security team to collect all the facts in the Dasht-e-Leili massacre and apparent U.S. cover-up . '' `` U.S. military and intelligence personnel were operating jointly and accepted the surrender of the prisoners jointly with General Dostum 's forces in northern Afghanistan , '' Sirkin said earlier in the week . `` The Obama administration has a legal obligation to determine what U.S. officials knew , where U.S. personnel were , what involvement they had , and the actions of US allies during and after the massacre . These questions , nearly eight years later , remain unanswered . '' | Allegations : Bush administration resisted inquiry into CIA-backed Afghan warlord . Inquiry stems from alleged deaths of at least 1,000 Taliban prisoners under warlord . Gen. Dostum has served as chief of staff of Afghanistan 's post-Taliban army . Obama : `` There are responsibilities that all nations have , even in war '' | [[19, 249], [2223, 2241], [2305, 2383], [2326, 2349], [2353, 2412], [19, 249], [315, 362], [850, 919], [1067, 1095], [1100, 1166], [2955, 3023], [3026, 3047], [3051, 3143]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- North Korea 's rhetoric toward the United States has always had a certain bizarre , over-the-top quality to it . Under the Bush administration it labeled Undersecretary of State John Bolton `` human scum . '' `` Complete and irreversible denuclearization is the only viable path for North Korea , '' Hillary Clinton says . But the North Korea 's latest comments about Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are stunningly personal . An unnamed North Korean official quoted by the state-run KCNA news agency calls Clinton `` by no means intelligent '' and a `` funny lady . '' `` Sometimes she looks like a primary schoolgirl and sometimes a pensioner going shopping , '' he said . The remarks seem to be a reply to Clinton 's comments to ABC News in which she compared North Korea 's leadership to `` small children and unruly teenagers and people who are demanding attention . '' Behind the scenes , U.S officials for months have made similar comparisons , claiming the Pyonyang 's modus operandi is to be deliberately provocative , to `` act out '' to get the United States ' attention and be rewarded for its `` misbehavior . '' This time , they say , it 's not going to work . Clinton said Pyonyang has `` no friends left . '' After North Korea conducted an underground nuclear test in May and fired several ballistic missiles over Japan , the United States rallied the United Nations to pass resolution 1874 , which invoked strong sanctions , including targeting top North Korean officials connected to Pyonyang 's nuclear program . Significantly , the resolution was supported by Russia and China , countries that have been reluctant to impose strict sanctions on North Korea . `` Complete and irreversible denuclearization is the only viable path for North Korea , '' Clinton said at the Association of Southeast Asia Nations meeting in Thailand this week . `` We do not intend to reward North Korea just for returning to the table , nor do we intend to reward them for actions they have already committed to taking and then reneged on . The path is open to them , and it is up to them to follow it . Unless and until they do , they will face international isolation and the unrelenting pressure of global sanctions . '' North Korea , however , says the six-party talks with the United States , South Korea , Russia , China and Japan are dead and it 's not going back . The country has the right to a nuclear program , it says , since it must defend itself against possible attack from the United States . With strong words on both sides , the standoff seems intractable . Clinton maintains the door still is open to the North , but only if Pyonyang does what it already has committed to : resume talks and dismantle its nuclear program -- completely , irreversibly and verifiably . `` We have made it very clear to the North Koreans that if they will agree to irreversible denuclearization the United States , as well as our partners , will move forward on a package of incentives and opportunities , including normalizing relations that will give the people of North Korea a better future , '' she said . But a North Korean official , quoted by South Korean news agency Yonhap , calls the package of incentives `` nonsense . '' `` The U.S. is telling us to take off all of our clothes , '' he 's quoted as saying . `` The most important thing for us is sovereignty . Sovereignty , security , namely life , should be guaranteed . How can we barter life with money ? '' | `` Sometimes she looks like a primary schoolgirl , '' official reportedly says of Clinton . U.S. officials have likened North Korea 's provocative actions to children acting out . North Korea 's nuclear test in May strengthened U.S. call for sanctions . North Korea remains defiant , showing no signs of abandoning nuclear program . | [[615, 676], [1257, 1367], [1370, 1438]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Jordan Belfi has a great job : He plays Adam Davies on the HBO show `` Entourage , '' a comedy series that takes a look at the life of a young actor , Vincent Chase , and the old friends who surround him in Hollywood . Jordan Belfi arrives at the premiere of `` Entourage '' season six in Los Angeles , California . Davies is one of the few characters on the show who has the ability to shake one of the central figures : the unshakeable agent Ari Gold . Belfi has been around since the early days of `` Entourage '' and remembers the humble beginnings of his character 's career as an agent under Gold 's direction . Since that first season , Davies has risen to become Ari 's chief rival on the show . Belfi believes conveying the tension between him and Ari is easy , based on the great material he 's given . `` It 's a testament to the writing by Doug Ellin , the creator of the show . It 's just on the page , '' Belfi said . `` When you get setups and writing and dialogue and scenes that good , it makes your job that much easier . '' CNN talked to Belfi , who 's also in the movie `` Surrogates '' -LRB- opening Friday -RRB- , about his experiences on the show and his inspiration for the role . The following is an edited version of the interview . CNN : A lot of fans really missed that rivalry between you and Ari Gold . Talk a little about how you and Jeremy Piven kind of prepare for that and try to make that real on screen . Belfi : Adam Davies has become ... one of the few characters on the show that really knows how to get under Ari 's skin and push his buttons . Ari is an entertaining character , and it 's fun to watch him go after things , but people really enjoy kind of when Ari 's off balance . That interplay , that back and forth , particularly the sort of thing that 's happening now -LSB- on the show -RSB- , the constantly one-upping each other , is just really fun to watch . It 's entertaining . And I get that response from a lot of the fans of the show . They love Adam Davies for that reason because he just knows how to do it . Jeremy ... -LSB- is -RSB- an actor with so much power and force and impact that you 're sort of forced to up your game . You 're really present in the moment . And when you 're there and you 're really going back and forth , that 's when the sparks really fly . CNN : Talk little bit about the inspiration you draw from to play Adam Davies . Belfi : I started way back on season one in the beginning of the show . And back then , Adam Davies was still in his cubicle . So a lot of the inspiration came from meetings I had when I was starting out -- you know , behavior I experienced from agents and other industry people when I was starting out . I was in a not-too-dissimilar position . ... And I think that 's what people really respond to . There 's an absolute foundation of truth -- almost scary truth -- to the things Adam says , the things Ari does , all that kind of stuff . And it 's why it 's such a visceral experience for people in the industry and fun for people that happen not to be in the industry . CNN : What are your thoughts on Adam Davies as a person ? Belfi : What gives Ari a little bit of his soul , his heart , is that we have all these scenes with his wife and his family , and you really get to see him as a dad . ... -LSB- But -RSB- we have n't gotten to see any of the personal life of Adam Davies . So I do n't know if there 's anything yet to kind of balance out those ruthless qualities he has . But I think he 's the kind of agent that I 'd certainly like to have if you 're that actor trying to go after that job . You want that agent who 's going to beg , borrow and steal to help prove that you 're the guy . So in that respect , it seems like he 's someone you 'd want on your side . And the thing is , I think that 's what made the rivalry between him and Ari so great . You know when he was coming up , he probably did a lot of the same things -LSB- as Ari -RSB- and ran over people in similar kinds of ways . They 're really kind of the same in a lot of ways . So you 're either best friends or mortal enemies when you share that much in common with somebody . CNN : Exempting Davies , who 's your favorite character on the show and why ? Belfi : Ah ! Impossible question ! I have to exempt Adam Davies from the answer ? ... If I absolutely , gun-to-my-head have to choose , there 's a quality about -LSB- Chase 's brother -RSB- Drama that I 've always loved . And it was maybe more prominent in the first couple of seasons than it is now because it 's evolved slightly . The quality that I always found the most entertaining , is that Drama was always this mix of desperation and simultaneous pride . And that 's really funny . You know at the beginning he was just scratching , begging for something , some chunk of the game or to get back in the game . But he simultaneously kind of knows it all . And that mix is a great comedic mix , comedic recipe . It was both funny and heartbreaking . CNN : Of course , our diehard `` Entourage '' fans would love to get some scoop on the coming story lines . You 've got ta give us something . Belfi : A little something ? Well , I do n't think I 'd be giving away too much to say that Adam might get Lloyd . In terms of the story line , there 's some stuff that I 'm told with Drama and his going after this role on `` Melrose Place '' and the screen test for that role and the ups and downs of that . And also , some big things happen between Eric and Sloane . But in terms of the really exciting stuff between Adam Davies and Ari , I guess I 'll say this : At the end of season two , when Ari is trying to form his coup , to break up the agency , and Adam is the one who rats him out and gets him fired and humiliated and causes that whole thing ... In the amazing way that Doug has constructed it , all that stuff from the end of season two comes full circle . There 's this one thing that happens that will really stand out and that people will talk about . So some fun , exciting stuff to look forward to . | Jordan Belfi plays acting agent Adam Davies on the HBO show `` Entourage '' Belfi has played Ari Gold 's nemesis on the show since the first season . `` I think he 's the kind of agent that I 'd certainly like to have , '' Belfi says of Davies . A little something about coming story lines : Belfi says Adam might get Lloyd . | [[50, 81], [74, 99], [637, 660], [663, 722], [3517, 3581]] |
MADRID , Spain -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Spanish judge has indicted three suspected former Nazi concentration camp guards Thursday on charges of genocide and ordered their arrests . Visitors mark 60th anniversary of liberation Sachsenhausen concentration camp in 2005 . Two of the suspects , Johann Leprich and Anton Tittjung , each 84 , are thought to live in the United States , while the third , Josias Kumpf , also 84 , is believed to live in Austria , according to a copy of the court order viewed by CNN . They are accused of serving in the Nazi SS . Leprich and Tittjung were armed guards at the Mauthausen concentration camp and Gross Raming subcamp , while Kumpf served at the Sachsenhausen camp , the court order said . In addition to Jews and other types of prisoners , the Spanish judge said there more than 7,000 Spaniards held prisoner at Mauthausen , of whom 4,300 died . Some Spaniards arrived at the Sachsenhausen camp , in convoys from France , the document said . The order , including international arrest warrants , was issued by Judge Ismael Moreno of Spain 's National Court , which investigates genocide and crimes against humanity involving Spaniards . The 18-page document cited prior judicial investigative work from other countries regarding the backgrounds of the three alleged ex-Nazi guards and their suspected roles in the notorious Nazi death camps during World War II . | Spanish judge indicts three suspected former Nazi concentration camp guards . Two suspects thought to live in U.S. ; third believed to live in Austria . Order includes international arrest warrants . | [[0, 6], [9, 30], [36, 148], [1239, 1398], [265, 320], [333, 373], [382, 406], [414, 416], [419, 449], [978, 1029], [1032, 1092]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Actress Mackenzie Phillips has said that she believes she had a `` genetic predisposition '' to the life of sex , drugs and rock and roll that have come to define her . Mackenzie Phillips tells CNN 's `` Larry King Live '' that her father raped her in 1979 . In a 1999 interview on CNN 's `` Larry King Live '' on `` Why Some Childhood Stars Crash and Burn , '' the former `` One Day at a Time '' star said she did n't blame Hollywood for the years of drug and addiction she had endured . `` I think that for a lot of us , alcoholism and addiction is the root of the problem , not the fact that we were child stars , '' she said at the time . `` Certainly , it lent to the problem , but it was n't the root of the problem . '' By the time she did the interview , her well-publicized addiction to cocaine , drug arrests and stints in rehab had overshadowed an acting career once full of promise . Then , on Wednesday , the 49-year-old actress revealed on `` The Oprah Winfrey Show '' that she engaged in an incestuous relationship with her father , legendary musician John Phillips , for nearly 10 years . In her tell-all memoir , `` High on Arrival '' -- named after a song her father dedicated to her -- she claims the relationship began in 1979 . She claims her father forced himself on her while they were under the influence of drugs on the night before she was to marry Jeff Sessler , a member of the Rolling Stones ' entourage . She ended the relationship a decade later , when she became pregnant and realized she did not know who had fathered her child -- her husband or her own father -- and terminated the pregnancy , the actress told CNN 's `` Larry King Live . '' Watch Phillips discuss her alleged incestuous relationship with her father '' But before the incest claims -- and subsequent denials from relatives -- Mackenzie Phillips was better known as a child actor full of promise who fell from grace under the toxic guidance of her drug-addicted father . Born Laura Mackenzie Phillips in 1959 to John Phillips and Baltimore socialite Susan Adams , Phillips told People magazine in 1980 that she alternated between two wildly different worlds after her parents divorced when she was three years old . `` My mother concentrated on bringing me up a proper lady , '' Mackenzie Phillips told the magazine . `` And then on weekends at my dad 's place , I would find Mick Jagger and Donovan and the Beatles hanging out . I remember crawling all over Paul McCartney . '' Her father taught her to roll a joint when she was 10 , she tried cocaine for the first time when she was 11 and lost her virginity at age 12 , she told Meredith Vieira of NBC 's `` Today '' show . When she was 12 , a talent scout for Francis Ford Coppola spotted her playing in a band with classmates on amateur night at the Troubadour , according to People.com . She eventually landed a memorable role in the 1973 hit coming-of-age flick , `` American Graffiti . '' After filming , her mother sent her to a Swiss boarding school , but the rebellious teen did n't last long in exile . She returned to her father 's home in Los Angeles under the supervision of her father 's sister , Rosemary Throckmorton . When her father and stepmother left for New York in 1974 and never returned , Mackenzie , her brother Jeffrey , moved in with their aunt in `` a little house behind the Hollywood Bowl which we shared with 12 cats , '' according to People.com . Despite her relocations , Phillips ' career continued to advance . At 15 , she appeared in her second movie , `` Rafferty and the Gold Dust Twins , '' with Alan Arkin . In 1975 , she was offered the role of Julie Cooper on CBS ' hit sitcom , `` One Day at a Time , '' according to IMDB.com . `` By the time I turned 18 , I moved into a little chalet of my own and felt very grown-up , '' Mackenzie told People in an interview in 1980 . As her star grew , so did her appetite for drugs , particularly cocaine . A few years later , just after she turned 18 , Phillips was arrested when she was found collapsed on quaaludes on a street in Los Angeles . Phillips said on `` The Oprah Winfrey Show '' that her father 's response was , `` Congratulations ! Now you 're a real Phillips . Now you know that even though they caught you , the rules do n't apply . '' Her weight loss and erratic behavior disrupted the show 's filming and became a source of distress to her co-stars , Bonnie Franklin and Valerie Bertinelli , according to People.com . According to Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh 's `` The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows , '' Phillips missed the 1980-81 season while in rehab for addiction issues . When she went to seek treatment at Fair Oaks , a psychiatric hospital in Summit , New Jersey , in December 1980 , she joined her father and stepmother , who entered the hospital after being charged with conspiracy to distribute narcotics , according to People.com . She left with a clean bill of health , but soon enough resumed using drugs even as she attempted to rebuild her career as a member of her father 's new version of the Mamas & the Papas . In her memoir , she recalls arriving at a hotel room to find two packages -- one containing her father 's newly published memoir and another containing an eighth of an ounce of cocaine , according to excerpts of the book published on MSNBC.com . After shooting up , she recalls reaching for the book and looking up her name in the index . `` Under my name was a list of subheadings and page numbers . I scanned down the entries : . Phillips , Laura Mackenzie . acting career of ... arrested on drug charges ... attempts to clean out ... in California ... childhood of ... drug use by ... early childhood of ... at finishing school in Switzerland ... Jeff Sessler and ... marriage to Jeff Sessler ... Peter Asher and ... rape ... . shipboard romance on QE 2 ... `` There it was , my life to date , with highlights selected , cross-referenced , and alphabetized . I had been organized and reduced to a list of sensational and mostly regrettable and/or humiliating anecdotes . Being indexed , particularly under such dubious headings , gave me a weird feeling that definitely was n't pride . I felt like I was n't a real person , just a list of incidents and accidents , '' she writes in the book . Her television career experienced a revival in the 1990s , with guest appearances on hot shows including `` Beverly Hills , 90210 , '' `` Melrose Place , '' `` Walker , Texas Ranger '' and `` Chicago Hope , '' her profile on IMDB.com states . From 1999 to 2001 , she had a regular role in the Disney series , `` So Weird , '' and several other television guest appearances followed , according to IMDB.com . She appeared to be getting her life back on track , eventually giving birth to a son , Shane . She was arrested in for drug possession in 2008 on her way to an `` One Day at a Time '' reunion . Since then , she says she has been drug-free , and hopes that purging herself of the secret incestuous relationship will help her recover . Yet she insists she does not hate her father for what he did . `` I have to say that I loved my father , and I still do . I 've been trying to come to terms with this very difficult past , '' Phillips told Winfrey . | Mackenzie Phillips believes she had `` genetic predisposition '' to substance abuse . Dad showed her how to roll joint when she was 10 , she tells `` Today '' show . Drug abuse forced her out of role on successful CBS sitcom `` One Day at a Time '' Watch Mackenzie Phillips on Larry King Live , Wednesday 9 p.m. ET . | [[0, 15], [19, 156], [2498, 2551]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Jaycee Dugard will testify against the couple that allegedly held her captive in an elaborate compound hidden in their backyard for 18 years if there is a trial , a lawyer for her family said at a news conference Thursday . This photo of Jaycee Dugard was taken at the 1991 Rose Bowl parade . She was abducted later that year . Attorney McGregor Scott admitted it has been a difficult transition for Dugard and her two children -- who police say were fathered by her captor -- given her captivity spanned more than half her life and was the only world she knew for so long . `` But there is no question that she knows that terrible and wrong things were done to her and that those people must be held accountable , '' Scott said . Scott said he had no idea when a trial would be set for Phillip and Nancy Garrido , who have both pleaded not guilty to charges relating to Dugard 's alleged kidnapping and subsequent abuse . He acknowledged Dugard would have to relive the `` trauma '' in court by sharing the `` very , very sordid tale . '' Scott also said that because of Phillip Garrido 's previous criminal history , which includes a kidnapping and rape charge for which he was registered as a sex offender , Garrido would automatically receive a sentence of 25 years to life if he were found guilty on only one felony charge . But Scott said the family is trying not to focus on any of that and instead work on building a new life together . He said he had met with Dugard and her family twice for a couple of hours and was happy to see `` how well they had been doing . '' `` Even more encouraging was the second time I met with them , I saw progress , '' he said . `` I 'm just very pleasantly surprised watching the dynamics , and I think it 's a very positive thing going forward . '' Scott said Dugard 's daughters , who police said never went to school or a doctor , were receiving tutoring . Dugard has been participating and observing . `` This is a woman whose -LSB- own -RSB- formal education ended in the fifth grade , '' he said . `` She has a brain that she wants to develop , so it 's a very positive thing . '' The family received medical attention and counseling beginning the day Dugard and her children were discovered , Scott said . He also said they had received donations of more than $ 100,000 from the public , which would help the girls as they get older . He praised law enforcement and family members for helping protect Dugard and her children after her discovery . '' -LSB- They are -RSB- very guarded in allowing the girls access to TV news , Internet , etc. , '' he said . `` Because they 're being a mother , a grandmother , protecting the girls from too much information too early . '' He said he knows there is a curiosity about where the family is , but pleaded that the public and the media give the family time to heal . More than anything , Scott said , Dugard 's family is working to make life as normal as possible and allow them to make up for lost time . `` To watch the interaction between Jaycee and her mother ... after 18 years is remarkable , '' Scott said . `` The emotions there , I think they 're still wrestling with all of that but I think they 're making great progress . '' | Lawyer : Jaycee Dugard `` knows that terrible and wrong things were done to her '' Lawyer says Dugard , daughters and family progressing well since she was found . Dugard daughters receive tutoring , counseling and medical attention . Family has gotten donations of more than $ 100,000 from the public . | [[594, 731], [3205, 3245], [2148, 2189], [2274, 2276], [2282, 2353]] |
NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe , in a rare interview Thursday , depicted himself as an African hero battling imperialism and foreign attempts to oust him rather than the widespread perception of a dictator clinging to power at the expense of the welfare of his people and country . Robert Mugabe says sanctions against his country are `` unjustifiable . '' The 85-year-old Mugabe , the only leader of Zimbabwe since it became independent from Britain in 1980 , rejected repeated assertions by CNN 's Christiane Amanpour that his policies have driven the nation once known as Africa 's breadbasket to virtual economic collapse . Instead , Mugabe accused Britain and the United States of seeking to oust him by imposing economic sanctions , the effects of which he said were worsened by years of drought . He denied that his country is in economic shambles , saying it grew enough food last year to feed all its people , and defended policies that have driven white farmers off their land as properly restoring that land to indigenous Africans . `` The land reform is the best thing -LRB- that -RRB- could have ever have happened to an African country , '' said Mugabe , a former revolutionary leader who came to power when white-ruled Rhodesia became black-ruled Zimbabwe . `` It has to do with national sovereignty . '' Watch Mugabe on his controversial land reform program '' It was Mugabe 's first interview with a Western television network in several years , and he appeared to get frustrated with some of Amanpour 's direct questioning , repeatedly denying widely accepted evidence and reports on his nation 's woes . Mugabe denied that his ZANU-PF party lost elections in 2008 that forced him to accept a power-sharing agreement with his chief rival , Morgan Tsvangirai , who now is prime minister . Violence surrounding the disputed election , much of it against opposition supporters , further damaged Zimbabwe 's standing , but Mugabe rejected any blame on Thursday . `` You do n't leave power when imperialists dictate that you leave , '' he insisted . `` There is regime change . Have n't you heard of -LRB- the -RRB- regime change program by Britain and the United States that is aimed at getting not just Robert Mugabe out of power but get Robert Mugabe and his party out of power ? '' He also waved off Amanpour 's assertion that the power-sharing arrangement is not working , and that opposition political figures are continuing to get harassed and arrested . Watch Mugabe talk about power-sharing '' Asked about Roy Bennett , a white opposition figure who has yet to be sworn in as agriculture minister a year after formation of the power-sharing government , Mugabe stammered before saying Bennett faces charges of `` organizing arms of war '' against Zimbabwe . He added that he 's heard the prosecution lacks evidence in the case , but said he wo n't agree to swearing in Bennett until after any charges are dropped . Mugabe also denied any responsibility for harm to the nation from his economic policies , instead blaming what he called `` unjustified '' and `` illegal '' sanctions that he said were intended to bring regime change . `` The sanctions must be lifted . We should have no interference from outside , '' Mugabe said . `` The continued imperialist interference in our affairs is affecting our country adversely . '' When Amanpour challenged him by saying most of the sanctions were directed at individuals , rather than economic entities , Mugabe said she was wrong . `` The U.S. sanctions are real sanctions , economic sanctions . Have you looked at them ? '' he said . `` It 's because of sanctions , mainly . '' Amanpour tried to push the point , saying outside observers blamed his policies and not sanctions . `` Not everybody says so , '' Mugabe cut her off . `` It 's not true . '' He also rejected criticism from South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu , a Nobel Peace Prize winner for his role in the anti-apartheid struggle , who has accused Mugabe of turning Zimbabwe into a `` basket case '' and repressing his own people . `` It 's not a basket case at all , '' Mugabe said . He later called Tutu 's comments `` devilish talk '' and added : `` He does n't know what he 's talking about , the little man . '' On the takeover of white-owned farms -- a policy blamed for undermining the agriculture sector -- Mugabe displayed the African nationalist fervor of his revolutionary days . `` Zimbabwe belongs to the Zimbabweans , pure and simple , '' he said , then adding that white Zimbabweans -- even those born in the country with legal ownership of their land -- have a debt to pay . `` They occupied the land illegally . They seized the land from our people , '' Mugabe said . When Amanpour pressed him on white farmers being forced off their land , he shot back , `` Not just off their land . Our land . '' `` They are British settlers , '' he said , later calling them `` citizens by colonization , seizing land from original people , indigenous people of the country . '' Asked if would run again in elections likely to take place in 2011 , Mugabe refused to answer , but denied he feared defeat and again rejected charges of past electoral wrongdoing . `` Elections do n't go all that smoothly all the time in many countries , '' he said , tossing a jab at the United States . `` Look what happens elsewhere . They did n't go smoothly here , look at what happened during the first term of Bush . '' | Mugabe rejects criticism that he has turned Zimbabwe into a `` basket case '' CNN interview is Mugabe 's first in years with a major Western network . Mugabe calls sanctions `` unjustified and illegal '' | [[387, 409], [491, 590], [550, 657], [834, 970], [1967, 2006], [2967, 2973], [2979, 3054], [3853, 3855], [3861, 3922], [3965, 3997], [4002, 4069], [4014, 4080], [1407, 1490], [312, 383], [312, 325], [361, 383], [2967, 2973], [3057, 3133]] |
-LRB- InStyle -RRB- -- Drew Barrymore keeps evolving -- from star to producer , and now director . Drew Barrymore sat down with InStyle for its October issue , on newsstands Thursday . The 34-year-old actress earned critic 's attention with her uncanny portrayal of `` Little Edie '' Beale in HBO 's `` Grey Gardens , '' and her directorial debut , `` Whip It , '' has been hailed as a success well before it rolls into theaters October 2 . But , at her core , she 's still the irresistible free spirit we all know and love , as she revealed in the October issue of InStyle . On being a celebrity ... Barrymore said that while she loves her life , there are still moments she battles with being a celebrity . `` Some days I want nothing more than a brilliant mask so I could look like someone else and go wander the streets and be free , '' she said . `` I 'm very peeved that Halloween only comes once a year . '' On exercise ... When it comes to transforming her body for a role , as she did for `` Grey Gardens , '' the sunny actress is nothing but dedicated . But in everyday life , Barrymore aims for balance and body acceptance . `` I do n't have the time or discipline or interest in having a perfect-10 body . I work out , I eat right , but I 'll always be a little bit of Jell-O on a pole . '' On her relationship with her mom ... Barrymore admitted her relationship with her mom is a topic she does n't readily discuss , but the central love story between a girl and her mom in `` Whip It '' caused Barrymore to reflect on her relationship . `` I am OK with my dad , but my mom and I have yet to work it all out , '' she said , adding that she does n't talk about it because `` how do you talk about something you 're confused about ? '' On girl power ... From `` Charlie 's Angels '' to her new all-girl roller derby flick , it 's no secret that Barrymore champions female friendships . `` I like teams -- I like buddies . I do n't understand women who are competitive , apart from positive forums like athletics . One person is a powerful thing , but a tribe is unstoppable . '' On her first fashion faux pas ... Barrymore is known for her ever-evolving , ever-eccentric style , but said anything she donned during the `` E.T. '' era can be labeled as a fashion faux pas . Or can it ? `` Velour and taffeta , together ? Oh , no , no , no . Now I think it 's brilliant . '' On her first broken heart ... Barrymore recently broke up with The Strokes ' drummer Fabrizio Moretti , and called the five-year relationship one of the most important in her life . But when it comes to her first broke heart , Barrymore said it was her `` first big boyfriend , Jamie Walters . '' Read the full interview with Barrymore in the October issue of InStyle , on newsstands Thursday . Get a FREE TRIAL issue of InStyle - CLICK HERE ! Copyright © 2009 Time Inc. . All rights reserved . | Drew Barrymore talked first boyfriends , fashion and girl power in October 's InStyle . Barrymore admitted that her relationship with her mother is hard for her to talk about . While she loves her life , she sometimes wishes that she could be someone else . The full interview hits newsstands Thursday . | [[99, 157], [461, 464], [519, 523], [526, 575], [2682, 2752], [1340, 1428], [601, 708], [621, 645], [648, 708], [2682, 2752]] |
DALLAS , Texas -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A terrorism suspect accused of plotting the bombing of a skyscraper made his first appearance in federal court Friday . Hosam Maher Husein Smadi said through his lawyer that he understood the charges Friday . Hosam Maher Husein Smadi , a 19-year-old Jordanian , said little during a 20-minute hearing at the Dallas federal courthouse . His lawyer , however , said Smadi understood the gravity of the charge . Judge Irma Ramirez set a probable cause hearing for October 5 . Smadi initially drew authorities ' scrutiny because of his violent posts on an extremist chat site , court papers indicate . He was arrested Thursday in a sting operation , the FBI said . Federal officials said Smadi , who entered the United States illegally and lived in Texas , tried to set off an explosive attached to a vehicle at the base of the 60-story Fountain Place office tower . Long before authorities arrested Smadi , however , they were following his Internet discussions , according to a court affidavit . `` Smadi was discovered by the FBI within an online group of extremists , '' the affidavit says . `` Among many others in the group who espoused and endorsed violence , Smadi stood out based on his vehement intention to actually conduct terror attacks in the United States . '' Undercover officers then contacted Smadi , posing as members of an al Qaeda sleeper cell . After months of conversations , the agents considered Smadi a legitimate threat . Smadi picked several targets to attack , including the Dallas-Forth Worth airport , before deciding on the skyscraper , which houses Wells Fargo Bank , the affidavit says . It details a conversation that Smadi is said to have had with authorities : . `` I have decided to change the target , '' he said , according to the affidavit . `` God willing , the strike will be certain and strong . It will shake the currently weak economy in the state and the American nation , because this bank is one of the largest banks in the city . '' Smadi said many times that he wanted to commit violent jihad and he was a soldier of Osama bin Laden , the affidavit says . Undercover agents tried to get Smadi to `` re-evaluate his interpretation of jihad , '' saying there were nonviolent ways to commit the act . But `` Smadi again communicated his continuing commitment for violent jihad , '' the affidavit says . After casing the bank in July , Smadi told an undercover agent he would target it , according to authorities . Initially , Smadi told the agent he wanted to bomb the bank on September 11 but decided to wait until the Islamic holy month of Ramadan ended on September 20 , authorities said . After receiving what he thought was an explosive from an undercover agent , Smadi drove a car with the fake bomb into a parking garage under the skyscraper , authorities said . Watch how a Jordanian was given fake explosive '' Smadi thought he could detonate the bomb by dialing his cell phone , they said . When he dialed , the number rang a phone in authorities ' possession , the affidavit says . Counterterrorism officials arrested Smadi on Thursday before publicly disclosing a similar but unrelated terrorism sting arrest Wednesday in Springfield , Illinois . A federal law enforcement official familiar with the cases said authorities feared that word of the Illinois arrest could tip off the Texas suspect to the sting operation . Watch what the recent terror arrests mean '' A charge of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction carries a potential sentence of life in prison and a $ 250,000 fine . In the Illinois case , undercover FBI agents foiled a plot to bomb Springfield 's federal building , authorities said . In neither case did authorities find ties to known terrorist groups . Journalist Todd Bensman and CNN 's Jeanne Meserve , Sean Callebs and Terry Frieden contributed to this report . | NEW : Suspect initially wanted to stage attack on September 11 , authorities say . Affidavit : Teen accused in Texas bomb plot wrote violent posts on extremist Web site . Hosam Maher Husein Smadi accused of plotting to bomb Dallas skyscraper . Smadi told plans to undercover FBI agents , authorities say . | [[2381, 2386], [2413, 2418], [2465, 2491], [2492, 2501], [2504, 2619], [2652, 2670], [507, 605], [948, 952], [995, 1027], [34, 101], [1652, 1725], [2381, 2410], [2413, 2462], [2652, 2670], [2671, 2744], [2829, 2847]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez revealed a deeply personal side in an interview Thursday night , saying he loves Jesus Christ and would have liked to play Major League baseball in Yankee Stadium . Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez spoke highly of President Obama at the United Nations on Thursday . He also expressed a fondness for American people and culture , saying he likes the movie actor Charles Bronson and the poet Walt Whitman . He loves to sing , he said , though he does not do it well . And Chavez had kind words for the U.S. security detail protecting him during his visit to New York , saying he chatted with them while out walking and that they `` have been very gracious , very efficient and very attentive , very kind . '' In an exclusive interview with CNN 's Larry King , Chavez spoke at length about a host of issues : relations between Venezuela and the United States and his hopes for improved ties with President Barack Obama ; Iran , Israel and those who deny that the Holocaust existed ; efforts to overthrow him and have him assassinated ; criticism that he is power hungry and trying to silence critics . Chavez , a self-proclaimed socialist , spoke with King a few hours after giving a speech to the U.N. General Assembly , in which he praised Obama but criticized some U.S. policies . Watch Chavez speak at the U.N. General Assembly '' When asked whether he is misunderstood in the United States , Chavez seemed to turn reflective . `` I 'm a man with many defects , '' he said . `` I love . I sing . I dream . I was born in the poor countryside . I was raised in the countryside , planting corn and selling sweets made by my grandmother . My children , my two daughters are with me and I want a better world for my grandchildren , for your grandchildren . `` Now , they demonize me . But that 's the start of these world campaigns to try to defend what you can not defend -- a system that is destroying the world . ... I 'm a Christian . I want the world of justice and equality . This is the only way to achieve peace . '' Chavez then talked about his religious upbringing and current faith . `` I was an altar boy , '' he said . `` My mother wanted me to be a priest . I am very Christian and Catholic . ... I 'm very faithful . I believe in God , in Jesus Christ . I love Jesus Christ . I am a Christian . ... I cry when I see injustice , children dying of hunger . '' His comments were all the more remarkable because Chavez and the Catholic Church have been at odds since he came to power in 1999 . The church has been one of his major critics , with Pope Benedict XVI and other church leaders expressing concern over what they see as attempts by Chavez to limit the church 's influence . Chavez 's efforts to change anti-abortion laws have been at the top of those concerns . Chavez , in turn , has referred to church leadership as a `` tumor . '' Speaking of other matters , Chavez said he hopes for improved relations with Obama , but `` we want relations based on respect , relations of peoples where we are respected . '' That has not been the case so far , he said . `` Most governments in the United States in a hundred years have not respected the peoples of Latin America , '' Chavez told King . `` They have sponsored coup d'etats , assassinations . It 's enough . We want to be brothers and sisters . We want respect and equality . '' Chavez particularly criticized former President George W. Bush , whom he accused of orchestrating an assassination attempt on the Venezuelan leader during a short-lived coup in 2002 . Chavez regained power within days . Watch Chavez discuss the alleged assassination attempt '' `` The Bush government toppled me , '' he said . `` They asked for my assassination . They disrespected us . ... I saw my assassins . ... I was a prisoner in Venezuela , being a president . They took me to the seaside . I was debating with those who wanted murder me . They received the order to kill me . However , at this very moment , a group of soldiers refused . They did not kill me , but I saw those who wanted to kill me , and the order came from the White House . '' Chavez also expressed concern that the United States , which he calls `` the empire , '' still would like to topple him . As he has numerous times in recent weeks , Chavez criticized U.S. plans to begin operating out of military bases in neighboring Colombia . The United States says it needs a presence in Colombia to fight drug traffickers . Chavez sees a sinister intent . When asked what country he fears would harm him , Chavez replied , `` The empire . The empire . Seven military bases ... in Colombia , that 's a serious threat against Venezuela . '' Chavez also defended his relationship with Iran but denied having said that Iran would help Venezuela obtain nuclear technology . Iran has embarked on a nuclear program that the United States and other nations think will lead it to develop nuclear weapons before long . `` They have fooled you , '' Chavez said . `` I 've never said that Iran is going to help us to have nuclear technology . ... That 's a strategy to attack Venezuela and say that we are building an atomic bomb . That 's the next accusation . And I 'm going to say this now : Please , come on . That 's crazy . That 's crazy . '' Chavez said he does not agree with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad 's contention that the Holocaust , in which 6 million European Jews were killed during World War II , never existed . `` But there also was another holocaust in South America , '' Chavez said . `` I do not deny the Jewish Holocaust . And I condemn it . But in South America , when the Europeans arrived , there were close to 90 million Indians ; 200 years later , we only had four million remaining . That was a holocaust . And the Europeans denied this holocaust . '' Israel came under criticism from Chavez , who called it a `` small country with atomic bombs , and very aggressive country . ... They have massacred entire families . It is a war-mongering country . '' Turning to the situation in his own country , Chavez denied that he is trying to shut down critical media , such as the independent Globovision TV station . Government officials have levied several charges against the station , saying that it is disseminating false information and trying to foment dissatisfaction against Chavez . The Chavez government has repealed licenses for other independent TV and radio stations , and has threatened to do so against Globovision . Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter this week joined human rights groups and others who have expressed concern over what they see as Chavez becoming too authoritarian . Chavez dismissed the criticism . `` Never in Venezuela have we had so much freedom of speech as now , '' he said . Pressed by King about whether he is going to shut down Globovision , Chavez answered , `` I do not know . It depends on them . If they keep on sponsoring coup d'etats , if they keep on calling for my assassination , if they keep on breaching the law even as well , it is not Chavez that 's going to close them . I want to apply the law . We need to respect the law . It is the law . It 's out of logic , and it 's pure logic . '' As to Carter , Chavez said , `` Yes , I read that and I regret for him , because I think he 's totally confounded and lost . It 's a long time since he visited us . I respect him enormously , but I think he is wrong . He 's a victim of so much falsehood in the world . '' | Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez says he loves Jesus Christ , U.S. people , culture . Chavez says he hopes for improved relations with U.S. President Barack Obama . He denies he is trying to shut down critical media in Venezuela . He denies Iran would help Venezuela obtain nuclear technology . | [[318, 320], [326, 378], [2317, 2338], [2931, 2985], [1085, 1102], [1123, 1150], [6101, 6211], [4713, 4719], [4765, 4842], [5029, 5104]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Authorities have seized $ 1 billion worth of marijuana plants and have arrested 82 Mexican nationals with ties to drug cartels in the first week and half of an effort to eradicate marijuana fields from California 's Fresno County , the county sheriff 's office said Wednesday . The 82 suspects arrested so far have links to Mexican drug cartels . Operation Save Our Sierra began July 13 and involves local , state and federal agencies working together to remove marijuana growing operations , investigate and arrest drug traffickers , and remove infrastructure on public lands in Fresno County , a news release said . `` This is a high-intensity drug trafficking area , '' U.S. Drug Czar Gil Kerlikowske said in a phone interview . `` I think what should be highlighted here is the local authorities ' work to reclaim the land from the drug traffickers . '' The 82 suspects arrested so far have links to Mexican drug cartels , local authorities said , though they did not release further details . Eastern Fresno County , where the seizures have been made , is mountainous and sparsely populated . Growers exploit the area 's streams , rivers and lakes to create elaborate drip lines for their plants . A mature plant can be worth $ 4,000 , said Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims . `` Fresno County is roughly the size of Connecticut , and the drug traffickers target these areas because they know there is not that significant of a law-enforcement presence , '' Mims said . `` The chances of getting caught are slim . '' `` The bottom line is our public lands are being destroyed by foreign drug trafficking and heavily armed Mexican cartels , '' George Anderson of the U.S. Department of Justice said Wednesday at a news conference highlighting the seizures . The operation is the largest in Fresno County history and one of the largest in California , Mims said . `` What makes this operation unique is the approach : prevention , enforcement , eradication and reclamation , '' she said . Intelligence gathered for the operation began in February , with community presentations about prevention . The effort is now focused on shutting down the at least 70 marijuana farms identified by local authorities . The operation is expected to continue into November , when colder weather makes marijuana growing more difficult . At least 330,000 marijuana plants have been seized , Mims said . `` This shows what can be accomplished at the local level when agencies work together , '' Kerlikowske said . Kerlikowske , who flew to Fresno County on Wednesday and toured a marijuana farm , said his office is one of the primary sponsors of the operation . | The U.S. drug czar says it is a high-intensity drug trafficking area . Suspects have links to Mexican drug cartels , authorities says . At least 330,000 marijuana plants have been seized . Operation is expected to continue into November . | [[637, 686], [297, 365], [297, 312], [329, 365], [877, 943], [2345, 2395], [2398, 2409], [2230, 2281]] |
Editor 's note : On CNN 's `` State of the Union , '' host and chief national correspondent John King goes outside the Beltway to report on issues affecting communities across the country . County administrator Brenda T. Buck is trying hard to help create eight to 10 sawmill jobs for Jefferson County . FAYETTE , Mississippi -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The odds are against Brenda T. Buck , and she knows it . So she counts on what she calls the Sandwich Philosophy : `` Take it one bite at a time . '' Buck is the county administrator in Jefferson County , a rural area in southwest Mississippi dotted with small churches , modest homes and markers noting a Civil War skirmish . `` It is a great small town , and everybody knows everybody , '' Buck says . If you look through the statistics , three things jump out : . • The Census Bureau lists the population of Jefferson County as 86 percent African American , the highest percentage of any county in the United States . • It is the fourth-poorest county in the United States , with a median income of $ 15,037 . • The unemployment rate in August was 18.6 percent , the highest of Mississippi 's 82 counties . `` It has not always been this way , '' says Angelia Shelvy , a single mother of three who is among the unemployed . `` I think we are forgotten . '' Shelvy had a job making $ 10,000 a year as a teacher 's assistant , but she left it to take a job paying twice as much , signing on with a union that provides workers to nuclear power plants . Her parents agreed to care for her children when she had to travel , for months at a time , as far away as Arizona . Shelvy thought it was the right thing to do for her family , but phone calls to home at bedtime proved otherwise . Her 4-year-old , especially , had a rough time adjusting . `` I 'm like , ` You have Granny . ' He 's like , ` No , I do n't want Granny ; I want you to hold me , ' '' Shelvy told us . `` I missed Mother 's Day twice ; for two years I missed it . ... So I decided that it was more important for me to be here with my children . '' Back home now , she has been searching for work since March , looking as far as 90 minutes away from Fayette . `` I did Internet searching , different jobs , hospitals , different schools , '' she said . `` They 're not hiring . They either say they are not hiring , or I 'm not qualified . I do n't have enough years of experience . ` We 'll call you later . ' ` Get back with us . ' And it 's been stressful for me . '' Buck spends hours a day trying to help , and most of her time with the Board of Supervisors is spent debating economic development ideas . At home , too , she is reminded of the bleak local jobs market . Her husband is n't there . He 's working 900 miles away , at the moment , in Indiana . `` He works with a company that has been going into a lot of the car plants '' during refittings and downsizing , Buck said . `` We have four kids . ... He is here basically maybe a total combination of , maybe , two months out of the year . '' The county got a modest amount of federal money to buy new police cruisers . But its requests for stimulus money to improve its roads have been ignored , at least to date , and as Buck continues to press those requests , she also is pushing smaller economic development grants . Reliable Mat LLC is her current obsession . The screeching hum of a giant saw greets visitors , and inside the warehouse are dozens of pallets of neatly stacked firewood , waiting to be loaded on 18-wheelers and distributed across the country for the coming winter . On the grounds , there are 10 workers , some running giant logs through the saw , others stacking and wrapping the wood for shipment . On average , the men make about $ 100 day , and Paul Southerland , the company 's general manager , says the noise and activity attracts others who are down on their luck . `` I see a lot of people come by looking for jobs , yeah , '' Southerland says during a tour of the grounds . The company 's main product is giant wooden mats used to create flat surfaces to provide access -- on foot and in vehicles -- to oil and gas fields . All of the work has shifted to the firewood production because orders for the mats have dropped dramatically . `` Mississippi is always last to feel the effects of a recession , and most of the time it is the last to pick back up , '' Southerland said . `` It hit us about June . . . It really hit us hard , too . '' Still , Southerland expects orders to pick up early next year . He hopes to expand the business by then if the county secures an economic development grant to help him buy a bigger sawmill . `` If we had that sawmill , we would be able to add eight or 10 more folks , '' Southerland said . Eight or 10 more jobs might not seem like much in many places . But Jefferson County 's population is just shy of 9,000 , and when nearly one in five are unemployed , Buck invokes her Sandwich Philosophy . `` My short term goal is to get that grant , to get those eight people working , '' she says . `` My philosophy , when I walk through the doors in the morning , just like a sandwich : take one bite at a time . '' She also sees a bigger gain than just eight or 10 jobs . `` Just imagine , eight people , if it were eight men making $ 10 to $ 11 an hour could actually come home and be home at night with their families , '' she said . `` The impact that it would make not just from the economical standpoint but from the social standpoint . `` That father 's presence there in that household and not having to travel so far . I mean you have a double whammy . It 's a win-win for any family . '' | Jefferson County is fourth-poorest in U.S. ; the recession came late but hit hard . Sometimes , breadwinners must leave state , and their families , to scrape by . County administrator Brenda T. Buck wants to bring jobs close to home . She considers every new job created in her county a small victory . | [[966, 1057], [190, 303], [190, 225], [241, 303], [495, 547]] |
LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Beastie Boys canceled all scheduled concerts and delayed their next album release while member Adam `` MCA '' Yauch is treated for a cancerous tumor in a salivary gland , Yauch says in a video statement to fans . The Beastie Boys ' Adam Yauch will be treated for a cancerous tumor in a salivary gland . `` The good news is that they did scans of my whole body and it 's only localized in this one area and it 's not in a place that affects my voice , '' Yauch says . `` So , that 's nice . That 's convenient . '' The cancer is in his left parotid gland and `` also in a lymph node right in that area , '' he says . He will probably have surgery next week and radiation treatments afterward , he says . With band mate Adam `` Ad-Rock '' Horovitz sitting next to him , Yauch tells fans how he found out he had cancer . `` About two months ago , I started feeling this little lump in my throat , like you would feel if you have swollen glands or something like that , like you 'd feel if you have a cold , so I did n't really think it was anything , '' he says . His doctor sent him to a specialist who diagnosed the cancer , he says . Yauch does not estimate how long the tour will be delayed , but he apologizes to `` anyone who 's made plans '' to come to the shows . The illness will also delay the release of the band 's next album , `` Hot Sauce Committee Part 1 , '' he says . | Beastie Boys member Adam `` MCA '' Yauch has cancerous tumor . Band postponing tour , delaying release of next album while he gets treated . Yauch : Tumor `` only localized in this one area '' | [[130, 216], [261, 350], [0, 11], [14, 34], [97, 129], [130, 216], [1317, 1382], [351, 474]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Four boys ages 9 to 14 have been charged with sexually assaulting an 8-year old girl , police in Phoenix , Arizona , said Wednesday . The girl was lured into a vacant storage shed by the suspects , who offered her chewing gum , police said at a news conference . The girl was restrained while the boys -- ages 9 , 10 , 13 and 14 -- sexually assaulted her , police said of the July 16 incident . All the suspects except for the 14-year-old live in the same apartment complex , according to Phoenix police Sgt. Andy Hill . The 14-year-old has been charged as an adult , Hill said . Detectives said the girl was placed in the custody of Phoenix child protective services after the attack because of her parents ' attitude toward her . The girl and the boys charged are all from families that have come to the United States from the West African nation of Liberia , police said . | Police in Phoenix , Arizona , say 8-year-old girl lured to vacant shed with gum . Four boys ages 9 to 14 have been charged with sexually assaulting girl . Girl placed in the custody of Phoenix child protective services . | [[153, 198], [202, 214], [221, 244], [19, 41], [0, 15], [39, 103], [599, 750], [615, 750]] |
NEW DELHI , India -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Doctors say an encephalitis outbreak has killed 130 people -- mostly children -- in northern India since January . The outbreak of acute encephalitis -- an inflammation of brain tissue -- is mostly concentrated in eastern parts of Uttar Pradesh , said V.S. Nigam , the state 's nodal officer for tackling the disease . He told CNN that 640 patients had tested positive for the infection , including 30 with Japanese encephalitis , which is spread by mosquitoes . Acute encephalitis can be spread in various ways , including a bacterial or viral infection ; the ingesting of toxic substances ; and complications of a disease . The disease has mostly struck children up to 15 years old , Nigam added . | Encephalitis outbreak has killed 130 people in northern India since January . Outbreak is mostly concentrated in eastern parts of Uttar Pradesh . Encephalitis , an inflammation of brain tissue , mostly affecting children under 15 . | [[37, 95], [45, 135], [152, 186], [225, 281], [45, 135], [663, 720]] |
LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Michael Jackson 's daughter touched the hearts of millions when she bid a tearful farewell to her father at his memorial service in a rare public appearance . Paris Jackson , 11 , is consoled by her uncle Marlon Jackson after delivering a tearful tribute to her father . With her brief speech , 11-year-old Paris Jackson also shocked the event 's organizers , who said her appearance was not a planned part of Tuesday 's star-studded tribute to the `` King of Pop '' at Los Angeles ' Staples Center . `` Ever since I was born , daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine , '' she said , fighting back tears as relatives consoled her . `` And I just want to say that I love him so much , '' she said as she burst into tears and sought refuge in the embrace of family members . Watch her emotional goodbye '' For many watching , Paris ' appearance marked a rare glimpse of a child who has spent most of her life shielded from the public . Born to two mothers -- Jackson 's ex-wife Debbie Rowe and an unidentified woman who reportedly served as a surrogate -- Jackson 's three children lived and traveled the world with him , their faces often covered by veils and masks when appearing in public . In its execution , the speech appeared to be a surprise to those onstage and off . `` It was a surprise they were there . All of us who know them were delighted they were strong enough to come and feel this love and great outpouring for their dad , '' Kenny Ortega , the choreographer -LRB- `` Dirty Dancing '' -RRB- who was directing Jackson 's `` This Is It '' comeback concerts in London , England , told CNN 's Campbell Brown . `` We would 've never expected that they had the strength . It was beautiful . '' Watch Ortega express his surprise at Paris Jackson 's tribute '' Ortega , a longtime Jackson colleague who helped design the singer 's 1990s tours , said planners left the end of the show open for family members to speak if they wished to , but he was surprised when the Jackson clan -- among them , his siblings and children -- went onstage for the two last songs , `` We Are the World '' and `` Heal the World . '' Marlon Jackson told the crowd that his sister , pop star Janet Jackson , wished to say some words . Instead , Janet appeared to encourage Paris to come forward from the sea of black dresses and suits and take the microphone , adjusting it and stroking the child 's hair as Paris delivered her words . Ortega said he was touched by Paris ' speech . `` Michael was so close with these beautiful children , '' he said . `` Little Paris was his biggest fan . ... A little girl could n't love her papa more . '' The heartfelt display sparked a groundswell of emotion in the auditorium and around the world , where millions of viewers watched the service on television and the Internet . `` The saddest moment was when Michael Jackson 's daughter spoke , '' said Angelina Martinez , who attended the service with her daughter , Jessica . `` She was really in pain . Everybody was crying inside , '' she said . `` It was beauty combined with sadness . '' Attendees , performers and speakers alike struggled for composure throughout the two-plus-hour event , which featured performances from Lionel Richie , Jennifer Hudson and Usher . But to many , Paris ' tribute cast Jackson in the one role few have experienced him as : a father . `` It was very , very touching , and really it was an example of the good parent Michael was , because when I was at Neverland and with the kids he really was a good loving father -- they had a fantastic relationship , and they were very close-knit , '' Stuart Backerman said . `` So to see Paris come on in such an emotional moment and obviously give her heart out to her father was very , very touching . '' Others saw the tribute as a whole as Jackson 's final legacy to his children . `` There are those I feel in years to come , will try to distort him to his children ... and not understand that the real challenges that Michael Jackson had to seriously face and did face and make a difference , '' the Rev. Al Sharpton said . `` And I thought it was very important to put in context for his children what he dealt with in history and what he was able to do . '' | Planners of Michael Jackson memorial say they did not know daughter would speak . Appearance marks rare occasion in which Paris Jackson seen without veil . Paris Jackson 's tribute to her father strikes chord with viewers around the world . `` It was an example of the good parent Michael was , '' former Jackson publicist says . | [[2894, 2927], [2930, 2932], [0, 11], [72, 202]] |
JERUSALEM -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A report from an Israeli advocacy group based on what it says is the testimony of several unnamed Israeli soldiers accuses the Israeli military of intentionally putting Palestinian civilians at risk during its recent operation in Gaza . Palestinian Majid Abed Raboh , left , shows Wednesday how he says Israeli soldiers used him as a human shield . The report , released Wednesday from a group called `` Breaking the Silence '' -- which includes former Israeli soldiers -- has been dismissed by the Israeli military as slanderous . In the 110-page report , the group said some of the 26 soldiers interviewed said they used Palestinians as human shields during the military 's more than two-week long ground operation in Gaza earlier this year . `` In some cases a civilian would be forced to walk in front of soldier while the soldier places his gun barrel on the civilian 's shoulder , '' the report states . Other soldiers talk about destroying buildings even though the structures posed no direct threat . They also said that white phosphorus was used in densely populated areas and describe the rules of engagement as `` permissive . '' Phosphorus shells can be used to create a smokescreen for troops . In creating the diversion , the element ignites when exposed to oxygen and can cause severe burns . International law calls on militaries to limit the use white phosphorus in civilian areas . Other organizations , including the United Nations ' Human Rights Council , Amnesty International and the U.S.-based Physicians for Human Rights , have criticized the Israeli military 's conduct in Gaza . Israel has questioned the legitimacy of those claims , as well . The stories presented by Breaking the Silence are anonymous accounts which CNN can not independently verify . The group said that the soldiers were not willing to speak with the media . In response to the report 's allegations , the Israeli military said it complied with international law on all fronts . The advocacy group said many of the soldiers interviewed in its report are still serving and fear repercussions if they reveal their identity , and they did not take their complaints up the chain of command . The Israeli military has rejected the report , saying the anonymous nature of the testimonies means they lack credibility . `` There are no factual details , no places , no names of incidents in specific houses on a specific date , '' military spokesman Lt. Col. Avital Liebovitch said . `` I would be more than happy to be provided with these details and I will be able to investigate them . '' The Israeli military conducted its own investigation into soldiers ' actions during Operation Cast Lead , its 22-day military offensive in January against the militant group Hamas in an effort to end ongoing rocket attacks . It found that Israeli forces `` operated in accordance with international law '' although there were a few incidents in which `` intelligence or operational errors '' occurred . Fighting left more than 1,400 Palestinians dead according to officials in Gaza , while Israel put that death toll closer to 1,100 , saying more than 70 percent of those killed were Hamas militants . Thirteen Israelis were killed during the operation , including three civilians . Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak , responding to the report which was widely publicized in Israel , said the criticism was `` misplaced and misdirected . '' `` If someone has a criticism , or information or conclusions about IDF -LRB- Israel Defense Forces -RRB- actions , they should bring them to me , as minister of defense of the state of Israel , and to the Israeli government that instructed the IDF to restore quiet to the communities in the south , '' Barak said . `` The IDF is the most moral army in the world and it operates according to the highest ethical code . '' CNN did independently obtain corroborating detail on one anonymous claim in the report . Gaza resident Shafiq Daher told CNN earlier this week that he was used as a human shield by Israeli soldiers during the recent Gaza military operation . His description of his experience closely matched an account given in the Breaking the Silence report . `` He was holding with all his strength like this and with his heavy machine gun on the other shoulder , '' said Daher , who demonstrated how the soldier walked behind him as they approached his neighbors ' homes . The Israeli military would not comment on whether Palestinians were used as human shields in Gaza , saying only that there are dozens of ongoing internal investigations into individual soldier conduct . Daher , who lives in Jabaliya outside Gaza City , said he was forced to search his neighbors ' homes this way for about a week , under heavy fire . He said he was also given a hammer and told to break through his neighbors ' walls . `` I felt like a dead man walking , '' he said . `` I was walking and praying to God and thought this is what death is like . '' | Israeli advocacy group bases report on testimony of unnamed Israeli soldiers . Soldiers say they used civilians as shields , phosphorus in crowded areas . Soldiers referring to operation in Gaza ; between 1,100 and 1,400 Palestinians killed . Israeli military calls report slanderous , lacking in credibility . | [[43, 143], [1699, 1808], [111, 265], [266, 294], [304, 377], [601, 773], [1038, 1042], [1048, 1166], [1170, 1187], [1200, 1236], [3964, 4116], [4018, 4116], [4478, 4533], [3013, 3060], [3037, 3091], [3100, 3188], [490, 560], [1634, 1686], [2214, 2258]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When Saddam Hussein 's elite Republican Guard invaded Kuwait in 1990 , they brought back some unusual war booty to Baghdad : tapes of the region 's `` Sesame Street '' show . Troops also took a Muppet camel . Haneen and Karim are two of the Muppet stars in `` Shara'a Simsim , '' the Palestinian version of `` Sesame Street . '' The camel , Cookie Monster and the other Sesame friends immediately became permanent POWs in Iraq . `` To this day , they 've never been recovered , '' Sesame Workshop President and CEO Gary Knell said . `` That 's how much the show is loved there . '' That `` kidnapping '' is just one example of Sesame Street 's devoted global following . And Sesame is trying to use that following to foster a culture of understanding worldwide , beginning with children . In the Palestinian territories , Muppets teach nonviolence on a local version of Sesame Street called `` Shara'a Simsim . '' Sesame Workshop calls this effort `` Muppet diplomacy . '' `` This means using our characters -- characters children love and parents trust -- to bridge some of the world 's most intractable divides , '' Knell said . `` Muppets give children , and the parents who watch the show with them , a chance to explore other cultures from the safety of their living room , where no one will criticize them for being curious . '' Daoud Kuttab , executive producer of `` Shara'a Simsim , '' knows that the Muppets are highly effective communicators . `` Anything the Muppets do , anything they say , any idea they transmit , the children accept . '' Watch a clip from the Palestinian version of `` Sesame Street '' '' An internationally respected Palestinian journalist , Kuttab began working with the show more than a decade ago . After covering the war-torn region for years , he realized that Sesame was a great way to reach Palestinian children who desperately needed an alternative to the harsh lessons they were absorbing . `` I would say 3 - , 4 - , 5-year olds -- if we do n't catch them at that early age , we do risk losing them to all kinds of propaganda , whether it 's conservative , religious or fundamentalist , '' Kuttab said . Hamas television runs a weekly program for kids , that sometimes preaches violent resistance . `` They have to be willing , prepared for the future . And that 's why the Palestinians are showing seriousness , '' said Ahmed Yousef , a political leader in Hamas , the party in power in Gaza . `` To keep our dignity and our independence , we have to sacrifice our life . We are either victorious , or we die for the good cause . '' With some funding from the U.S. State Department and guidance from the U.S. producers , Kuttab 's team developed the Sesame program into something uniquely Palestinian , complete with live-action segments filmed in the West Bank and Gaza , a set that looks like a typical Palestinian street and Muppets named Haneen and Karim . Watch Palestinian Americans trying to instill peace in society 's youngest members '' `` We are interested in teaching tolerance , respect , pride in their own country and their own nation , and also in understanding that there are people who are different , and that 's OK , '' Kuttab said . Worldwide influence . Sesame 's influential roots go back decades . The creators of `` Sesame Street '' launched the show in the 1960s to fill a gap in American education . Studies had presented compelling evidence that solid early education was vital for a child 's later learning ; still , public pre-kindergartens were scarce , and early education was rarely available to underprivileged children . Although it was designed to address an American need , Sesame Street had immediate global appeal . In the 1970s , German producers put their version of the show on air . Today , children in 120 countries watch some version of `` Sesame Street . '' `` When I saw -LSB- Sinn Fein leader -RSB- Gerry Adams wearing a Cookie Monster watch , '' Sesame Workshop 's Knell said , `` I knew we had made it in Northern Ireland . '' The program has always found fun and funny ways to teach reading and counting . But interspersed with those ABCs and 123s are lessons in cooperation , tolerance and mutual respect . It was n't by accident that Sesame was a multiracial street as far back as the 1960s . Its creators wanted children to understand that integration was OK , a message so controversial at the time that `` Sesame Street '' was banned by some TV stations in the U.S. South . Those social messages help explain Sesame Street 's appeal to television programmers around the globe . Still , what 's an important issue in one country may not be in another . That 's why Sesame Workshop has helped local producers create customized versions of the show in more than 20 countries . In South Africa , for instance , a country where one in nine children is an AIDS orphan , `` Takalani Street '' producers pushed to create a Muppet who is HIV-positive while the South African government was still coming to grips with the country 's AIDS epidemic . `` The local producers knew it was important for children to see an AIDS orphan who still has a sunny disposition and lots of friends , even while being very open that she is infected , '' Knell said . `` This had a great impact on destigmatizing people with the disease . '' In Tanzania , Muppets teach malaria prevention . In Egypt , Muppets stress the importance of girls ' education . Haneen and Karim . In the Palestinian version , `` Shara'a Simsim , '' direct references to the region 's political situation are not included . The Muppets like Haneen and Karim show pride in their own culture but also understanding that there are differences in the world . And Karim , an upbeat young rooster Muppet , aims to provide a healthy role model for boys . `` Boys are a problem in our society . They see their parents being humiliated . They think they are the men of the house and have to do something about it . But they ca n't do anything , '' Kuttab said . `` We 're trying to tell them , ` your energy is OK , but let 's channel it in a different way . ' '' Live-action segments introduce children to Palestinians who have channeled their energy into becoming teachers , doctors or business owners -- people , Knell says , `` who can act as role models , people who strive to remove themselves from the hardships children see . '' Sesame Workshop hopes to expand this type of localized programming into other areas that have witnessed recent conflict , such as Pakistan . Perhaps that means Iraq will get its own show someday and wo n't have to hold on to someone else 's . | Children in 120 countries watch some version of `` Sesame Street '' Sesame is trying to use that following to foster a culture of understanding . The Palestinian version is called `` Shara'a Simsim '' | [[3790, 3795], [3798, 3864], [690, 779]] |
UNITED NATIONS -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Three independent United Nations human rights experts have accused Iran of torturing confessions from detainees charged with fomenting political unrest , the international organization said Thursday . Iranian opposition suspects cover their faces at a Revolutionary Court hearing in Tehran last week . `` No judicial system can consider as valid a confession obtained as a result of harsh interrogations or under torture , '' said Manfred Nowak , who is the U.N. special rapporteur on torture . The treatment of detainees at Iran 's prisons has increasingly become a divisive issue within Iran 's Islamic leadership , as reformists continue to accuse the hardline government of allowing abuse and torture in attempts to coerce false confessions . Iranian officials have denied the allegations . `` These confessions for alleged crimes such as threats against national security and treason must not , under any circumstances , be admitted as evidence by the Revolutionary Court , '' said El Hadji Malick Sow , vice chairman of the U.N. 's working group on arbitrary detention . The United Nations , in a news release , said the statements also reflect the position of Margaret Sekaggya , special U.N. rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders . Iran is conducting a mass trial of about 100 Iranian defendants in its Revolutionary Court . Reformist politicians , lawyers and journalists are among those accused of protesting in an attempt to overturn government leadership . Among the defendants are Seyyed Mohammad Abtahi , a former Iranian vice president ; Maziar Bahari , an Iranian-Canadian reporter for Newsweek magazine ; and Kian Tajbakhsh , an Iranian-American scholar . Street protests and a brutal government crackdown followed the June 12 presidential election , leading to the arrests of more than 1,000 people . The official death toll from the post-election unrest is 30 , although opposition leaders have reportedly said it 's more than twice that figure . On Wednesday , Iran 's influential parliament speaker , Ali Larijani , dismissed allegations by Iran 's opposition that post-election detainees were raped while in custody , according to state-run media . Larijani said that a special panel of Iran 's parliament , or Majlis , conducted a `` precise and comprehensive inquiry '' into the treatment at Tehran 's Evin and Kahrizak prisons , and found `` no cases of rape or sexual abuse , '' government-funded Press TV reported . A spokesman for Iran 's Foreign Ministry also denied that prisoners had been tortured . `` What kind of talk is this ? There was never any pressure used against these people , '' Hassan Qashqavi said Monday , according to the semi-official Mehr news agency . They were responding to accusations made by opposition candidate Mehdi Karrubi who , along with opposition leader Mir Hossein Moussavi , ran against hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the June 12 election . Iran 's election authority declared Ahmadinejad the overwhelming winner of the race , sparking hundreds of thousands of Iranians to take to the streets in protest . Iranian opposition figures such as Karrubi have compared the treatment of the detainees to political prisoners abused under the `` oppressing regime '' of the Shah of Iran , who was overthrown by the Islamic Revolution in 1979 . In an open letter to former president Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani posted Saturday on his party 's Web site , Karrubi says an `` impartial committee '' is needed to `` investigate these tragedies with transparency until they are resolved . '' He said he is willing to lead the investigation in a `` truthful , unbiased fashion . '' `` Some of the former detainees have told of such brutal and violent , repeated rapes of the young women -LSB- in detention -RSB- that have caused irreparable damage to their reproductive systems , '' Karrubi says in the letter . `` Others have raped our detained young men with such brutality that they have been afflicted by depression and are no longer speaking with anyone and refuse to leave the dark corners of their houses . '' Larijani on Wednesday challenged Karrubi to `` present evidence of such outrages '' for the Majlis to investigate , according to Press TV . Iranian media has reported that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei , Iran 's supreme leader , has ordered one prison , Kahrizak , shut down amid reports it did not measure up to the required standards . Kahrizak 's chief was fired and arrested over allegations of detainee mistreatment , according to local reports Saturday . | 3 U.N. human rights experts say government tortured detained protesters . Government denies opposition detainees were abused into confessions . Iran conducting a trial of about 100 Iranian defendants in its Revolutionary Court . 1,000 people arrested , accused of fomenting unrest after June 12 election . | [[0, 30], [73, 145], [655, 750], [781, 828], [2016, 2028], [2031, 2069], [2087, 2187], [2493, 2533], [2539, 2580], [1290, 1382], [136, 185], [1723, 1772], [1818, 1868]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A controversial bill that California legislators say would allow the early release of more than 27,000 inmates from crowded prisons will be taken up by the state Assembly on Monday . Inmates at Mule Creek State Prison in Ione , California , interact in a gym modified to house them in August 2007 . The Senate on Thursday passed the corrections package 21-19 , after Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg , D-Sacramento , assured senators the changes would protect the public from the most violent offenders . The legislation also would direct more resources toward parolees , he said . Senate Republicans say the bill would undermine public safety . All 15 Senate Republicans voted against the measure . Both houses of the legislature are controlled by Democrats . Consideration of the bill comes as California faces a mid-September deadline for reducing its prison population by about 40,000 inmates . A special panel of three federal judges issued the order , contending the crowded prison system violates prisoners ' constitutional rights . The judges said they will make the reductions themselves if the state fails to act . The measure would save the financially strapped state $ 524.5 million , according to a statement from Steinberg 's office . When coupled with budget revisions that lawmakers made in July , the total corrections savings would be $ 1.2 billion , he said . That is the amount that Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger wants as part of his efforts to cut state spending and balance the budget . Republicans said the bill would lead to the release of about 27,000 prisoners , while Democrats estimated it would reduce the prison population by 27,300 in the 2009-10 fiscal year and 37,000 during fiscal year 2010-11 . `` It is undeniable that the real failure of our criminal justice system is that it fails to distinguish between violent offenders and nonviolent offenders , '' Steinberg said . `` Of course , we want to keep violent criminals off our streets and out of our communities , and this reform package is a necessary step to do that because it concentrates our incarceration efforts on the violent criminals and ensures that nonviolent offenders have more contact with parole officers , '' he said . Some nonviolent offenders could serve shorter sentences . According to Steinberg , each parole officer in California is responsible for about 70 parolees , many of whom recommit crimes and go back to jail . If the legislation is passed , the ratio would be reduced to 45 to 1 , he said . `` They -LSB- parole officers -RSB- can not adequately supervise those who are the most at risk and those who are the most risk to the public safety , '' Steinberg said . With a lesser workload , the officers also can make more home visits and arrange more meetings with the people they supervise , the lawmaker said . Senate Republicans called the legislation a threat to public safety . `` Among the inmates who could be eligible for early release under the Democrat plan include felons convicted of human trafficking , stalking , identity theft , violent child abuse and threatening to use a weapon of mass destruction , '' the Republican Caucus said in a written statement . `` Unfortunately , this proposal exploits a fiscal crisis in order to advance a dangerous liberal agenda that seeks to undo successful anti-crime laws , '' said Senate Republican Leader Dennis Hollingsworth of Murrieta . GOP lawmakers in the Senate also strongly opposed the creation of what they described as `` an unelected and unaccountable sentencing commission that would be given broad authority to alter important public safety laws . '' The legislation would establish a 16-member Sentencing Commission that would put in place new sentencing guidelines by July 1 , 2012 . Unless vetoed by the legislature and governor , the guidelines would become effective January 1 , 2013 . The 13 voting members of the commission would include the chief justice of the California Supreme Court , a judge appointed by the chief justice , the state public defender and the secretary of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation . A crime victim would be among the three ex-officio members . California Assembly Speaker Karen Bass , D-Los Angeles , issued a statement early Friday morning , explaining that the assembly recessed around midnight and will reconvene Monday . On Thursday and into Friday morning , she said in the statement , `` we have been taking into account many of the concerns raised by law enforcement , and are working toward a bill that the people of California can agree makes sense , '' and that process will continue through the weekend . `` Our target remains a responsible approach that will achieve our public safety and budgetary goals , and allow us to prevent the wholesale release of prisoners by federal judges . '' `` Relieving prison overcrowding and reducing recidivism are monumental challenges , but they are challenges that we will not retreat from , '' Schwarzenegger told an audience of prosecutors in June . California has a 70 percent recidivism rate . | California Senate OKs bill to allow early release of 27,000 inmates . State Assembly will take up measure , which would save $ 524 million , on Monday . Democratic Senate official says changes would protect public from violent offenders . Senate Republicans call the legislation a threat to public safety . | [[40, 150], [1546, 1623], [2941, 2958], [2963, 3022], [0, 15], [115, 201], [1154, 1223], [446, 533], [611, 674], [630, 674], [2868, 2937], [3449, 3476], [3482, 3593]] |
CISHAN , Taiwan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Taiwan 's leader Ma Ying-jeou said Sunday he accepts responsibility for the government 's slow response after Typhoon Morakot slammed into the island killing at more than 120 people and unleashing floods , mudslides and misery . Mourners kneel and pray to the dead as they face the devastated valley of Shiao Lin . Ma , who has faced heavy criticism from victims of the disaster , ruled out resignation , insisting his government did its best in the face of difficulties , however he pledged an investigation into any irregularities . `` Certainly , I will take full responsibility whatever the blame is because , after all , I am the president of this country , '' Ma told CNN , saying heavy rains grounded rescue helicopters in the first few days after the storm hit , delaying relief . `` Once the weather was good -- that is the 14th of August -- we were able to evacuate 2,518 people . It 's a record , '' he said . Hundreds of people still await rescue in remote areas of Taiwan , where torrential downpours , dense fog , rugged terrain and raging rivers have hampered relief efforts . Washed-out roads and collapsed bridges have made some rescue operations impossible . Touring disaster areas , Ma has been confronted by angry survivors , and even provoked a scuffle when he opened a weekend baseball game as protesters demanded he step down . Ma has offered apologies and promises to do better . `` We will find out not only to correct the mistakes but -LRB- also -RRB- to punish the people responsible , '' he said . Rescue efforts were ongoing Sunday with military helicopters bringing stranded villagers to their waiting relatives . Watch rescue efforts in Taiwan '' Others , waiting days in anguish for word on their loved ones , lashed out in anger . `` Local officials do n't care , '' one man said . `` There are still people there and they do n't do anything . '' On Saturday , weeping relatives of typhoon victims set up shrines near devastated villages to calm the spirits of the dead and honor the belief that their souls will return home after seven days . Watch mourners call home souls of the dead '' Morakot hit the island last weekend , dropping 2.6 meters -LRB- 102 inches -RRB- of rain . Before it roared on to mainland China on Sunday , the storm killed at least 123 people in Taiwan . The death toll could climb to more than 300 after more villagers buried by mudslides and floodwaters are found , Taiwan officials have said . Southern and central Taiwan were hardest hit by the storm . Mudslides inundated some places in the south , including the village of Shiao Lin , where 160 homes were lost . Authorities believe hundreds of people could be trapped under five stories of mud in the village . International aid efforts were mobilizing on Sunday , however these were complicated by diplomatic pitfalls in the face of China 's territorial claims over Taiwan , which it considers a renegade province awaiting reunification . The U.S. military has begun a `` modest '' humanitarian aid mission to Taiwan with the dispatch of a Marine Corps C-130 cargo plane carrying plastic tarpaulins for shelter , U.S. defense officials said . Also Sunday , the USS Denver was en route to the Taiwanese coast with additional humanitarian aid and water purification capabilities , the officials said . The Navy ship is expected to arrive Monday , but officials could not say when it will launch its heavy-lift helicopters to drop the aid . Sources in Washington have said in providing aid to Taiwan , the United States must be sensitive to its territorial relationship with China . CNN 's John Vause in Cishan , Taiwan ; Pauline Chiou in Shiao Lin , Taiwan ; and Mike Mount in Washington contributed to this report . | Taiwan 's leader says he takes blame for slow typhoon response . Ma Ying-jeou has refused to stand down over criticism . Typhoon killed 123 people in Taiwan and left many thousands homeless . | [[0, 6], [9, 31], [65, 184], [350, 352], [416, 437], [174, 263], [2249, 2296], [2299, 2347]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Richard Phillips , the cargo-ship captain whose capture by pirates triggered a dramatic U.S. Navy rescue off the coast of Africa , called on the federal government Thursday to provide military escorts for international shipping vessels . Capt. Richard Phillips , left , and John Clancy , the head of Maersk Line Ltd. , testify before a Senate committee . Testifying before a key Senate committee , Phillips conceded there may not be sufficient resources to do that . He also said arming vessels ' crews could deter pirates , but should only be allowed in limited circumstances . Phillips was in command of the Maersk Alabama when it was boarded by pirates off the coast of Somalia on April 8 . Phillips said the optimum situation for cargo vessels would be to have military escorts . He said he realizes there is a limit to government resources that can be deployed in the vast area off the Somali coast and the Horn of Africa . See map of attacks '' Phillips told members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee he would not be opposed to having private security forces on a vessel , but `` very clear protocols would have to be established and followed . ... In the heat of an attack , there can be only one final decision-maker . '' Phillips said that , in his opinion , arming a ship 's crew `` can not and should not be viewed as the best or ultimate solution to the problem . ... To the extent we go forward in this direction , it would be my personal preference that only a limited number of individuals aboard the vessel should have access to weapons , and they should be specially trained . '' He warned that `` even this limited approach to arming the crews opens up a very thorny set of issues . ... We all must understand that having weapons aboard a merchant marine ship fundamentally changes the model of commercial shipping and we must be very cautious about how it is done . '' When the Maersk Alabama was seized , Phillips , 53 , offered himself as a hostage in exchange for the safety of his crew . He tried to escape the next day , jumping into the ocean in an effort to reach a nearby U.S. Navy ship . He was rescued April 12 when Navy SEAL snipers shot and killed three pirates holding him captive on a lifeboat . John Clancy , the head of Maersk Line Ltd. , said arming sailors could potentially worsen the current situation off the African coast . `` Arming merchant sailors may result in the acquisition of even more lethal weapons and tactics by the pirates in a race that merchant sailors can not win , '' Clancy told the committee . `` In addition , most ports of call will not permit the introduction of firearms into the national waters , '' he noted . Clancy said the solution to piracy must ultimately be an international one . He pointed out that most of the vessels that face a piracy threat do not fly the U.S. flag . He also noted that most of the naval vessels assigned to counter piracy off the Horn of Africa and the Gulf of Aden are not from the United States . Somali pirate attacks in and around the heavily traveled Gulf of Aden have risen dramatically in the past few years . Pirates have been able to successfully demand ransoms for millions of dollars from shipping companies -- for whom it makes business sense to pay in order to free their crews and many millions of dollars more worth of cargo . The attack on the Alabama was the first successful attack on a U.S.-flagged ship during that time . `` The renewed threat of piracy demands a multifaceted , multinational effort , one that coordinates the world 's naval powers , the United Nations , the international shipping community , and the nations that border Somalia , '' said Sen. John Kerry , D-Massachusetts , at the start of the committee 's hearing . `` International law is clear in its condemnation of piracy . This is an opportunity for all nations to come together and work in order to effectively respond . '' Indiana Sen. Richard Lugar , the ranking Republican on the committee , stated that the `` root cause of this problem is the breakdown of law and order in Somalia , which is what allows the pirates to operate from shore with impunity . '' Lugar warned that `` the existence of failed states directly threatens the national security interests of the United States . '' Meanwhile , the bodies of the three pirates killed by the Navy SEALs were turned over to Somali authorities Thursday , according to a U.S. defense official with knowledge of the matter but not authorized to speak about it . The bodies were being held on the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer until the U.S. State Department could arrange a transfer . The official said the bodies were turned over to police authorities from Puntland , a self-declared autonomous state in northern Somalia . Two police boats from the Puntland town of Bosasso met the Boxer to receive the bodies , the official said . It was unclear if the bodies will be returned to family members . | Capt. Richard Phillips rescued earlier in April from pirates off Somalia 's coast . Arming crews under certain circumstances could deter pirates , he said . Phillips told Senate committee best solution is military escorts . Breakdown of law and order in Somalia at root of piracy says Sen. Richard Lugar . | [[497, 499], [505, 552], [152, 158], [161, 267], [385, 425], [428, 496], [724, 813], [738, 813], [981, 1044], [3954, 3980], [4025, 4115]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Astounding . Risky . Quitter . And that 's what fellow conservatives had to say Sunday about Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and her decision to step down with 18 months left in her term . Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin announced Friday that she will step down this month . Democrats left it to Republican and conservative voices to assess what Friday 's unexpected announcement by Palin means for her and a possible run for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination . For example , Vice President Joe Biden called it a personal decision , offering no analysis of why she did it . By contrast , those on the political right acknowledged that they did n't know what to make of it . Karl Rove , the `` architect '' of George W. Bush 's successful presidential campaigns , said the resignation left many of Palin 's fellow Republicans `` a little perplexed . '' `` It 's a risky strategy , '' Rove told `` Fox News Sunday . '' `` Astounding , '' was the pronouncement by Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa , and conservative columnist George Will said Palin was declaring herself a quitter . Palin , who was Sen. John McCain 's vice presidential candidate in the 2008 election , said she already knew she would not seek a second term and decided against being a lame duck governor for the next 18 months . She also complained that too much time and too many taxpayer dollars were going toward fighting ethics investigations and that the mainstream media were continuing with unfair attacks on her and her family . Some analysts believe that Palin will seek the 2012 Republican presidential nomination and that her resignation is intended to free her to prepare . Rove , whom Bush dubbed `` the Architect '' for managing his successful presidential campaigns in 2000 and 2004 , said stepping down now wo n't lessen the media spotlight on Palin . In fact , he said , leaving the governor 's office takes away her platform for controlling her agenda and message . `` The media , if she wants to run for president , is going to be following her for the next 3 1/2 years , '' said Rove , who called the move unclear and therefore a potentially harmful strategy for a politician . `` Effective strategies in politics are ones that are so clear and obvious that people can grasp . ... It 's not clear what she 's doing and why . '' iReport.com : Share thoughts on Palin stepping down . Grassley told the CBS program `` Face the Nation '' that he had `` no insight into why she did it . '' `` I would think , if you want to run for president -- and I 'm not sure that 's got anything to do with what she 's doing -- that the forum of a governorship would be a better forum than just being a private citizen , '' the veteran senator said . Will told the ABC program `` This Week '' that he had `` no idea why she did this . '' `` The one that rings most hollow is , she does n't want to put Alaska through the terror of -LSB- her -RSB- being a lame-duck governor , '' Will said . `` If she is just weary of it , one can understand that . Still , she made a contract with -LSB- voters -RSB- to serve out her term . And she said , in her own words , she now is a quitter . '' Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska criticized Palin 's decision as abandoning the state 's voters . Palin defeated Murkowski 's father the gubernatorial election in 2006 . But Alaska Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell , also on the Fox program , said Sunday that Murkowski 's statement disappointed him because it failed to recognize all that Palin has accomplished in her 2 1/2 years in office . `` She does n't need a title to effect change and bring some hope to people who need it , '' said Parnell , a Republican who stands to become governor when Palin steps down this month . iReport.com : Conservative says Palin decision `` not a smart move '' Palin had no public appearances Sunday , but she encouraged her followers via Twitter to ignore the pundits . `` Critics are spinning , so hang in there as they feed false info on the right decision made as I enter last yr in office to not run again , '' her Twitter message said . In an Independence Day message to supporters , Palin said she was leaving office for a `` higher calling . '' `` How sad that Washington and the media will never understand ; it 's about country , '' Palin said in a statement attributed to her on her Facebook page . `` And though it 's honorable for countless others to leave their positions for a higher calling and without finishing a term , of course we know by now , for some reason a different standard applies for the decisions I make . But every American understands what it takes to make a decision because it 's right for all , including your family . '' Palin said her administration had `` accomplished more during this one term than most governors do in two . '' `` We have accomplished so much , and there 's much more to do , but my family and I determined after prayerful consideration that sacrificing my title helps Alaska most , '' she said . `` And once I decided not to run for re-election , my decision was that much easier . I 've never been one to waste time or resources . '' iReport.com : `` No solid explanation '' from Palin . Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee , who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 , noted that Palin will remain in the media spotlight regardless of whether she is governor . `` The challenge that she 's going to have is that there will be people who will say , ` Look , if they chased you out of this , it wo n't get any easier at other levels , ' '' Huckabee said . `` It could be a brilliant strategy . The point is , we do n't know . '' Huckabee called a presidential campaign `` brutal '' and said a Republican primary will ratchet up the pressure on Palin . `` When your opponents within your own team spend millions of dollars to redefine you , it 's very , very difficult , '' Huckabee said . CNN 's Rebecca Sinderbrand and Shirley Hung contributed to this story . | Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin 's fellow conservatives question decision to resign . Columnist George Will says Palin is declaring herself a quitter . Some analysts believe move intended to free her to prepare for presidential run . Palin : Once I decided not to run for another term , I did n't want to be lame duck . | [[54, 152], [278, 391], [314, 467], [594, 679], [680, 689], [769, 854], [1012, 1091], [3120, 3136], [3139, 3161], [1514, 1649], [1605, 1662], [1092, 1097], [1179, 1305], [4018, 4019], [4044, 4060], [5012, 5053]] |
PANAMA CITY , Panama -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Ricardo Martinelli , the multimillionaire owner of a supermarket chain , was inaugurated as president of Panama on Wednesday . Ricardo Martinelli is a pro-business conservative who defeated a candidate from the ruling center-left party . National Assembly President Jose Luis Varela performed the swearing-in and placed the presidential sash on Martinelli , a pro-business conservative who defeated a candidate from the ruling center-left party in May . The citizens of Panama `` want things to be done differently , '' Varela said at the inauguration . `` An attitude of change starts today . '' In his first speech as president , Martinelli promised a smaller government budget but raises for public workers . Public safety , an issue that the outgoing administration of Martin Torrijos struggled to maintain , will be a priority , Martinelli said . `` Our prisons will be rehabilitation centers , not schools for criminals , '' he said . Panama will also work with Mexico and Colombia to combat drug trafficking in the region , Martinelli said . Among the dignitaries at the inauguration was deposed Honduran President Jose Manuel Zelaya , who was ousted in a military-led coup Sunday . The Organization of American States has condemned the coup , and Zelaya has continued to carry out his presidential duties . The son of Italian immigrants , Martinelli , 57 , is a self-made businessman who is chairman of the Super 99 supermarket chain , one of the largest private companies in Panama . The U.S.-educated president previously served as minister and chairman of the board of directors of the Panama Canal Authority and formerly was director of social security for Panama , according to his Web site . Martinelli won the presidency with 60 percent of the votes in a race against ruling-party candidate Balbina Herrera . | NEW : Deposed Honduran president attends ceremony . Supermarket chain owner Ricardo Martinelli inaugurated . Martinelli promises smaller government budget , raises for public workers . New president says Panama will fight drug trafficking in region . | [[1089, 1180], [637, 669], [672, 719], [637, 669], [672, 682], [724, 751]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- From the mid-1980s , Hungarian-born investor and philanthropist George Soros pumped hundreds of millions of dollars into foundations in Eastern Europe dedicated to promoting the idea of the `` open society '' and challenging the region 's Soviet-backed regimes . Here , writing exclusively for CNN.com , he describes how the work of his foundations ultimately contributed to the collapse of communism . A Soviet tank rolls through Budapest during the failed 1956 Hungarian uprising against communist domination . I set up my first foundation in Hungary in 1984 . The idea behind it was simple . The state dogma , promoted by the ruling communists , was false and by providing an alternative we could expose its falsehood . Accordingly we supported every cultural initiative that was not an expression of the established dogma . I was guided by the concept of the `` open society , '' which I adopted from the philosopher Karl Popper . I saw the open society as a more sophisticated form of social organization than the totalitarian closed societies of the Soviet bloc . The latter were trying to implement central plans ; in an open society every individual or organization was supposed to implement their own plan . To make the transition from a closed to an open society would require outside help and that was what my foundations sought to provide . In Hungary the authorities insisted on having a controlling presence on the foundation 's board . We eventually agreed to appoint two chief executives , one nominated by them and one by me . The project succeeded beyond my expectations . With very small amounts of money people could engage in a wide variety of civic initiatives ranging from self-governing student colleges to zither clubs . One of our first projects was to offer photocopying machines to cultural and scientific institutions in exchange for local currency . We used the money to give out local grants and support all kinds of unofficial initiatives , but the photocopying machines also did a lot of good . Up until then , the few existing copy machines were literally held under lock and key -- as more and more became available , the Party apparatus lost control of the machines and the dissemination of information . We did not have to exercise direct control . Civil society watched over the foundation . For instance , we were warned that a blind association , to whom we gave a grant for talking books , was stealing some of the money . With a budget of $ 3 million , the foundation had more influence on the cultural life of Hungary than the Ministry of Culture . Carried away my success in Hungary , by 1988 I had set up foundations in Poland , China and the Soviet Union . I think that I could have influenced General Jaruzelski in Poland to change his attitude toward the opposition and to see that dissidents such as Adam Michnik and Jacek Kuron were also patriots despite their criticism of the ruling party . As the Soviet empire collapsed , and eventually the Soviet Union and also Yugoslavia disintegrated , we continued to expand . By 1992 there were foundations in 22 countries and expenditure had reached $ 53 million . A year later we were spending nearly $ 184 million . Right at the beginning , I had a disagreement with the Polish board about the way the foundation should be run . But that taught me a lesson . They were right and I was wrong . I realized that the people living there understood their country better than I did and I deferred to their judgment . It did not always work . In Bulgaria , a board member who made his name as a human rights activist turned out to be a racist . A Latvian businessman sought to hijack the foundation for nationalist purposes . It was the Russian foundation that gave us the most trouble ; we had to reorganize it twice . But the foundations were the first out of the gate everywhere . I remembered the lesson my father who had lived through the Russian Revolution in Siberia taught me : In revolutionary times things that are normally impossible become possible . In Ukraine , we set up the Ukrainian Renaissance Foundation before Ukraine became independent . In Tajikistan , we persevered with the foundation during the five-year civil war although we had no way of controlling its activities . Our impact was the greatest during that turbulent period . When I set up the foundations in Eastern Europe I hoped the open societies of the West would follow in my footsteps , but in that regard I was disappointed . Unwilling to burden their own budgets , they gave the job to the International Monetary Fund , which was ill suited to the task . The IMF was accustomed to signing letters of intent with governments , making the continuation of their programs conditional on the governments fulfilling their obligations . The countries of Eastern Europe fared better , but in the former Soviet states one after another , the programs largely failed . East Germany was the exception : West Germany was willing to make the sacrifices that were necessary to integrate it . Eventually , the countries of Eastern Europe , including the Baltic states , also made the grade when the European Union gave them accession . But the rest of the former Soviet Union in the Caucasus and Central Asia never succeeded in making the transition . This has left a bitter legacy . Rightly or wrongly , both the rulers and the people of Russia harbor a deep resentment against the West , which the West has not come to grips with . The new order in Moscow that has emerged out of the chaos of the 1990s is very far from an open society . It is an authoritarian regime that preserves the outward appearances of democracy but derives its power from its control of Russia 's national resources . It uses those resources to maintain itself in power , to personally enrich the rulers , and to exercise influence over its neighborhood , both in Europe and in the former Soviet sphere . But the ideal of an open society is difficult to suppress and I have not given up hope . | Financier George Soros funded eastern European dissident groups in 1980s . Soros : In revolutionary times things normally impossible become possible . Soros set up first foundation in Hungary in 1984 ; by 1992 foundations in 22 countries . West failed many post-communist states ; Russia again an authoritarian regime . | [[0, 15], [40, 169], [3997, 4023], [4029, 4070], [532, 581], [3088, 3134], [4876, 4921], [4924, 4953]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Inspectors have found `` nothing unusual '' in the rest of Southwest Airlines ' fleet of 737-300s after a football-sized hole in one of the jets forced an emergency landing , an airline spokeswoman said Tuesday . The breach in the aircraft 's fuselage caused a loss of cabin pressure . No passengers were injured . The airline inspected its roughly 200 Boeing 737-300s overnight following the incident that forced Southwest Flight 2294 to make an emergency landing in Charleston , West Virginia . A sudden drop in cabin pressure caused the jet 's oxygen masks to deploy , but there were no injuries among the 126 passengers or the five-member crew . Marilee McInnis , a Southwest spokeswoman , said the jets were inspected during non-operational hours overnight , and the cause of the incident remained unknown Tuesday morning . The airline is working closely with the National Transportation Safety Board to investigate the matter , she said . Flight 2294 was at 34,000 feet , en route from Nashville , Tennessee , to Baltimore , Maryland , when the incident happened , McInnis said . See map of flight path '' `` About 45 minutes into the flight , there was a loud pop . No one really knew what it was , '' passenger Steve Hall told CNN Radio . Watch as passenger describes watching the hole form '' The plane landed in Charleston at 5:10 p.m. after the crew reported the sudden drop in cabin pressure , which caused the jet 's oxygen masks to deploy . `` We were seated about two rows back from the wing , and four rows back you heard this loud rush and your ears popped , and you could tell that part of the inside was trying to pull out , '' passenger Sheryl Bryant told CNN affiliate WBAL-TV upon arriving in Baltimore aboard a replacement plane . `` And it was crazy -- the oxygen masks dropped , '' she continued . She put her mask on her face , then helped her 4 - and 6-year-old children with theirs , she said . Bryant tried to stay calm and reassure her children , she said . Watch Bryant 's account of acting brave '' `` My kids and I , we prayed , and then we said , you know , life will be fine , '' she said . Bryant praised the flight crew and ground personnel for keeping passengers informed and for giving clear instructions . `` We have a tremendous talent represented in the pilots and the flight crew , '' another passenger , Pastor Alvin Kibble , told WBAL-TV . `` I think we need to value them far more than perhaps what we do . It 's very easy for us to begin to take things for granted . '' The damaged aircraft was still parked at Charleston 's Yeager Airport on Tuesday , when NTSB officials arrived to inspect the plane , airport spokesman Brian Belcher said . A complete inspection could take one to two days , and investigators are expected to interview the passengers and crew as well , he said . The airline is `` doing things '' for the affected passengers on Monday 's flight , but McInnis would not say whether they would receive refunds . Both the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident , FAA spokeswoman Holly Baker said . `` There is no responsible way to speculate as to a cause at this point , '' Southwest said in a statement Monday night . `` We have safety procedures in place , and they were followed in this instance to get all passengers and crew safely on the ground , '' the airline said . `` Reports we have are that our passengers were calm and that our pilots and flight attendants did a great job getting the aircraft on the ground safely . '' CNN 's Shawn Nottingham and Stephanie Gallman contributed to this report . | NEW : Southwest inspects all its 737-300 aircraft after one develops hole midflight . Passengers describe ordeal , praise professionalism of flight crew . Baltimore-bound Southwest jet makes emergency landing in West Virginia . Football-sized hole in fuselage causes cabin to depressurize , oxygen masks to drop . | [[19, 163], [123, 191], [334, 420], [356, 497], [123, 191], [232, 304], [516, 588], [1408, 1422], [1431, 1464], [1438, 1473], [1796, 1820]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Pregnant women in Peru are dying at scandalous rates , according to the author of an Amnesty International report into maternal mortality in the South American country . Vertical births where women are kneeling or crouching and holding on to a rope are common in Peru . The report , `` Fatal Flaws : Barriers to Maternal Health in Peru '' found that hundreds of poor , rural and indigenous pregnant women are dying because they are being denied the same health services as other women in the country . It also concluded that the government 's response to tackling the problem was inadequate . Peruvian government figures state 185 in every 100,000 women die in child birth , but the United Nations says the number is much higher at 240 , which makes it one of the highest rates of maternal mortality in the Americas . In wealthy developed nations , only nine women die for every 100,000 births . The five main causes of pregnancy-related deaths in Peru are hemorrhage , pre-eclampsia , infection , complications following abortion and obstructed birth , according to Peru 's Ministry of Health figures . Amnesty 's Peru researcher Nuria Garcia said in a statement : `` The rates of maternal mortality in Peru are scandalous . The fact that so many women are dying from preventable causes is a human rights violation . `` The Peruvian state is simply ignoring its obligation to provide adequate maternal healthcare to all women , regardless of who they are and where they live . '' Garcia added : `` Health services for pregnant women in Peru are like a lottery : if you are poor and indigenous , the chances are you will always lose . '' Amnesty 's report highlighted the case of Criselda , a 22-year-old indigenous woman from the country 's Huancavelica Department , one of the poorest regions of the country . While seven months pregnant , she fell and hurt herself , and after feeling pains , she went to the health post for a check-up . The doctor said she was fine and sent her away but she miscarried two days later , according to the report . The report found that so many women are dying because they face a number of barriers , including a lack of health staff who speak indigenous languages like Quechua -- a native Andean language spoken by some five million people in Peru . However , the vast majority of Peruvian doctors only speak Spanish , as they rarely come from areas or communities where indigenous languages are spoken . Criselda told researchers she believes the doctor may not have picked up her symptoms accurately because she could not understand her , and interpreters were not available . Transport problems are also a contributing factor to the high mortality rate among Peruvian indigenous women , as most of them usually have to travel long distances to a health center to get attention , the report found . Criselda 's husband Fortunato said in the report : `` There is no ambulance when there is an emergency . To go from here it takes us two or three days and sometimes they die right here because there is no vehicle or ambulance . '' According to the report , 27 percent of deaths of women from pregnancy-related causes occurred during pregnancy ; 26 percent occurred during the birth itself ; and 46 percent during the first six weeks after giving birth . Amnesty has urged the Peruvian government to allocate resources to maternal mortality and reproductive health , prioritizing the regions with the highest mortality ratios . The organization also recommends an increase in training , particularly in indigenous languages . | New Amnesty report says Peru 's poor pregnant women dying of neglect . Peru has one of the highest rates of maternal mortality in the Americas . In wealthy developed nations , only 9 women die for every 100,000 births . Problems faced include a lack of health staff who speak indigenous languages . | [[9, 32], [91, 149], [306, 537], [768, 771], [780, 853], [1205, 1261], [854, 882], [885, 931], [2086, 2205]] |
FORT BRAGG , North Carolina -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Marylisa Miller has spent much of her two decades as an Army wife bracing for the worst . But now the pressure is higher , as both her husband and their 20-year-old son are serving together in Afghanistan . Pfc. Martin Miller , left , and his dad , Sgt. 1st Class Martin Miller , serve in the same Army squadron in Afghanistan . It 's rare , but not unheard of : Sgt. 1st Class Martin Miller and his son Pfc. Martin Miller have deployed as part of the same squadron of about 500 soldiers . Their brigade -- based at North Carolina 's Fort Bragg -- is among the first specifically assigned to train Afghan security and military forces . `` If the phone rings in the middle of the night , I answer it no matter what , '' said Marylisa Miller . `` You never know . It could be the last call . '' Watch the Millers talk about serving together '' The Miller men -- both paratroopers -- did n't really plan to march shoulder-to-shoulder into harm 's way . It just sort of happened that way . `` I pretty much have always wanted to be in the Army , '' said Pfc. Miller , who remembers watching his dad leap out of military aircraft with other soldiers in the 82nd Airborne Division . `` I guess watching him do it -- it looked cool , '' he said . Shortly before they deployed in August , the Millers revisited family memories at Fort Bragg 's Wilson Park -- the same spot where the couple picnicked with their toddler son and daughter years ago . Telling family stories , the Millers laughed about old snapshots showing the future private first class as a boy -- standing at parade rest while his father spoke to him . `` When I scolded him and his sister , I taught them to stand at parade rest , '' Sgt. Miller explained . `` Then their punishment would be laps , flutter kicks , push-ups and sit-ups . It taught discipline and put them in good shape . '' After high school , dad convinced his son to try a year of college first . Soldiers with college degrees go further in the service , Sgt. Miller said . But a year later it was clear the young man 's interests were in the Army . After all , growing up with a warrior father tends to influence a boy . Sgt. Miller did what he could to have his son stationed at Fort Bragg . He ended up in the same squadron . The father and son describe themselves as close . `` Yeah , we 're always doing something together , '' Pfc. Miller said . `` We go out and party together and we fish and ride motorcycles . '' Walking together wearing red Airborne berets marked with their distinctive squadron flashes , the Millers talked about what it means to be a military family and how this life of service often extends to civilian spouses and children . `` Back when I was a kid , there were a lot of people who saw the Army as something good , '' said Sgt. Miller , 46 , who enlisted a year out of high school . `` Everybody should do a little bit for their country . '' Although the Millers serve in the same squadron , they are in different troops -- and therefore do n't share the same chain of command . `` He ca n't work directly for me , '' Sgt Miller said . `` Family members are not supposed to work directly for other family members . But my platoon possibly would work with his . '' Unlike his previous tours of duty , Sgt. Miller now bears two heavy burdens : command and fatherhood . The possibility that his son could lose his life while serving in the same squadron has crossed his mind . `` If something happens to him , I can still function , but it wo n't be pretty , '' the sergeant said . `` But knowing others depend on me , I ca n't get all broken up about it . If something were going to happen to him , I 'd probably break when I got back . '' ` Navy brat ' Marylisa Miller has known the military since birth . She is the seventh of eight `` Navy brats '' born to a father who chose a sailor 's life and moved his family from assignment to assignment . In the early '80s she met the man who would be her warrior husband . Shyly , she said they met in a bar . `` It was n't a bar , '' her husband said , smiling . `` They say she 's kind of like me : kind of hard-headed , a little bit stubborn and not afraid to voice my opinion . '' Marylisa laughed about their first meeting : `` I was trying to get him interested in my sister . '' Instead , she and Martin `` just clicked . '' They married six months later . Sgt. Miller has served in Cold War Europe , the Balkans , Iraq and Afghanistan . He said being away from his wife does n't get any easier . `` After you hit the 12-month mark , and then it turns into 15 , it feels like forever after that , '' he said . The Millers have chosen a life in which Marylisa may not hear her husband 's voice for three or four months at a time . Over the years , she said , she has learned to rely on herself . `` He would come home from deployments and say , ` Let me help you , ' and I 'd say ` No , because when you 're not here , who 's going to do it for me ? ' '' `` I have to learn how to be independent , so I try to tell everybody else to learn how to do it yourself , '' Marylisa said . `` You ca n't always rely on them . '' ' I do n't want to think about if the phone 's gon na ring ' She stays busy . At Fort Bragg , Marylisa is the co-leader of a Family Readiness Group , the Army 's support group aimed at helping spouses , children and others make the best of difficult military deployments . `` I always like to be involved in everything , '' she said , laughing . `` That way you get to hear the information firsthand . '' The network of Army families provides a conduit of information on deployments and upcoming events . FRGs offer Marylisa a way to help other families . `` We have a lot of new families in the troop , '' she said . `` Some of them are young and we try to guide them in the right direction . When someone gets hurt , we 're all right there to jump in . It 's like an extended family . '' She recalled an FRG request to help a young Army wife with a newborn baby . `` I jumped in and baby-sat her child , '' she said . `` She did n't know me from the man in the moon . '' Volunteering keeps her away from TV news and its reminders that terrible events could be moments away . `` I do n't want to think about if the phone 's going to ring or if there 's going to be that knock on the door . '' ' I should have been dead ' The Millers ' 4th Brigade Combat Team will be the first such unit designated for `` security force assistance '' in Afghanistan , said an Army spokeswoman . The brigade will train Afghan forces to battle Taliban and al Qaeda fighters . In the past , this kind of mission was given to small teams of advisers who were trained in the United States and then deployed in the region . This is the first time an entire brigade has been given this mission , according to the Army . The sergeant has embraced the view that there 's nothing much a soldier can do except depend on his or her training to stay safe . `` I 've had mortars come within 20 meters of me and not get a scratch out of it . I should have been dead , '' Sgt. Miller said . `` You see something happen like that and you know it 's not your time until it 's your time . '' His son , not long out of jump school -- he has just seven jumps to his credit -- said he 's not worried about himself or his father . `` He ai n't gon na die . He 's too old for it now , '' Pfc. Miller joked . `` He has deployed too many times . He knows the secrets . '' | The Millers , father-and-son soldiers , serve in the same squadron in Afghanistan . Fort Bragg-based brigade is among first to train Afghan forces against Taliban . `` I 've had mortars come within 20 meters ... I should have been dead , '' dad says . `` Navy brat '' mom co-leads Army support group to distract her from fears . | [[173, 253], [254, 293], [327, 375], [456, 536], [2270, 2304], [2960, 2998], [537, 550], [554, 591], [537, 550], [595, 613], [604, 682], [6558, 6636], [4084, 4103], [6375, 6400], [7013, 7055], [5257, 5270], [5273, 5326]] |
PENSACOLA , Florida -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A fourth suspect has been arrested in the shooting deaths of a Gulf Coast couple known for adopting special-needs children , authorities said late Monday . Police say they have evidence that places Gary Lamont Sumner at the crime scene . Gary Lamont Sumner faces a murder charge for his alleged role in the deaths of Byrd and Melanie Billings on Thursday , Escambia County , Florida , Sheriff David Morgan said . Sumner was pulled over in a traffic stop in Okaloosa County Sunday and arrested after authorities found he matched a description put out by Escambia authorities . Police believe six to eight people were involved in the homicides , which occurred in the couple 's home in Beulah , west of Pensacola , near the Alabama state line . Watch surveillance video of the home invasion '' The crime was `` a very well-planned and methodical operation , '' Morgan said . Wayne Coldiron , 41 ; Leonard Patrick Gonzalez Jr. , 35 , and Leonard Patrick Gonzalez Sr. , 56 , were arrested over the weekend . Coldiron and the younger Gonzalez face charges of murder , robbery and residential home invasion ; the elder Gonzalez faces charges of evidence tampering for allegedly trying to disguise a vehicle spotted at the home . Morgan said at least three others are persons of interests in the investigation . `` We expect more arrests to be imminent , '' Morgan told reporters . Both of the Billingses were shot multiple times , Morgan said , but he would not release further details on their deaths . Authorities released two surveillance tapes taken from the front and rear of the Billingses ' home . Each shows a vehicle pulling up to the property , and five people dressed in black and wearing masks entering the home through two entrances -- including through a utility door left unlocked , something Morgan said is not uncommon in the community . Authorities believe drivers remained in both of the cars . Investigators believe one motive in the deaths was robbery , but `` we believe there are other motives , '' Morgan said . He would not say what , if anything , was taken from the home . Melanie Billings ' biological daughter , Ashley Markham , told reporters the couple initially had 17 children -- two biological children each for Byrd and Melanie Billings , with the rest adopted . Three have died over the years , she said . The couple had no biological children together . Watch Ashley Markham say , `` Love was never scarce '' in Billings home '' Morgan , however , said the couple had a total of 16 children , with two that have died and others that have grown older and no longer live in the Billingses ' home . Nine of the couple 's children were home at the time of the incident , Morgan said , and police believe three of them saw the intruders . One managed to flee the home and seek help at a neighbor 's house , the sheriff said . Coldiron and the younger Gonzalez were being held on $ 1 million bond , according to records posted on the sheriff 's Web site . The senior Gonzalez was being held on $ 250,000 bond . One of the first three arrested is believed to be the mastermind behind the crime , Morgan said , but would not say which one . Watch a report on the arrests in the complex case '' Police also released a surveillance photo taken at a Wal-Mart in nearby Gulf Breeze , Florida , recently . Two of the people in the photo are Sumner and the younger Gonzalez , but authorities want to know who the other man is , Morgan said . The sheriff called the surveillance tapes `` chilling . '' He noted the vehicles were at the home less than 10 minutes , and the five people were in the house less than four minutes . `` It leads me to believe that this was a very well-planned and methodical operation , '' Morgan said . Watch experts describe the `` military-style '' attack '' Although the Billingses were well known in the community , the sheriff said authorities are still trying to unravel why they were targeted . He compared their deaths to the slaying of the Clutter family of Kansas , inspiration for Truman Capote 's novel `` In Cold Blood , '' noting the Clutter murders were something the community struggled with for years . `` It will be a very long time , I believe , until we piece together the truth of why this family was selected , '' Morgan said . Police believe the suspects might have bought the clothes they wore to the home and were reviewing surveillance tapes and photos from several stores , he said . Morgan said the crime 's complexity is frustrating for investigators , comparing it to a complicated mathematics or word problem that lacks complete information . `` It seems as though each phase we complete , while we answer a set of questions , it opens up an additional set of questions . '' Earlier , he said the complete story , when revealed , is `` going to be a humdinger . '' Asked whether the suspects entered the home planning to kill the couple , Morgan said authorities do not know . Markham said earlier the family does not know any of the three suspects . She said the children `` are coping very well '' and are being cared for . `` They have n't asked too many questions , '' she said , noting that several have disabilities . While the investigation continues , the family is keeping the children 's whereabouts a secret . CNN 's David Mattingly contributed to this report . | Gary Lamont Sumner faces murder charge in deaths of Byrd , Melanie Billings . More arrests imminent , Escambia County county sheriff says . Surveillance video shows 5 masked people storming home in Beulah , Florida . Robbery a motive , but `` we believe there are other motives , '' sheriff says . | [[277, 393], [1344, 1384], [2872, 2890], [782, 827], [1692, 1703], [1725, 1756], [1969, 2005], [2012, 2049], [2872, 2890]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Do n't let Jack Johnson fool you . Jack Johnson makes sure his business and his concert venues are environmentally friendly . Tabbed as a `` mellow rocker '' by perhaps one too many publications , the chart-topping singer-songwriter has a fire within that belies his laid-back manner -- a fire that extends to his company , Brushfire Records , and his environmental activism . Johnson started the record label in 2002 `` as a way to put out soundtracks for surf movies we were making , '' he says . `` Then our friends G. Love and Special Sauce were coming to the end of their record deal with another label , and the idea came up to put out their stuff . '' The Hawaii-based artist -- whose latest album `` Sleep Through the Static '' hit No. 1 in the U.S. and sold over 2 million albums worldwide -- has continued to assemble talent . The label 's roster now includes indie-rockers Rogue Wave , folk-pop musician Mason Jennings and keyboardist Money Mark . Johnson says the record label is not driven by dollar signs . `` We never try to talk anybody into joining the label , but we just offer a lot of creative control over all their music and a fairer deal than with most other labels , '' he explains . Watch Johnson , Zach Gill and Money Mark perform `` Hope '' '' Rogue Wave frontman Zach Schwartz is one of the converts . `` The music business is traditionally pretty cutthroat , nasty and evil , but -LSB- with Brushfire -RSB- , it is not that way , '' he tells CNN . `` You can make the music you want to make . '' Still , even in these major-label-dominated times , artist-friendly labels are n't unusual ; Dave Matthews has also attracted talent with his ATO Records . It 's in making Brushfire a model of green business that Johnson and his colleagues have stood out . As keen environmentalists , Johnson and his team have required Brushfire and its distributors to engage in earth-friendly implementations that have influenced others in the record business . `` The music is one thing , but there is this business side , '' says Zach Gill , a Brushfire solo artist and member of Johnson 's touring band . `` I think more and more businesses are saying , ` Yeah , we want to be responsible . Responsible to our employees . Responsible for the waste our company generates . ' We 're starting to see that a lot in all kinds of businesses , not just in music , '' he says . Watch Gill and Johnson perform `` Family '' '' Entertainment industry giant Universal Music Group -- the largest family of record labels in the recording industry -- has taken notice . Under Brushfire 's direction , UMG uses recycled stock on all of the packaging for its releases , including movies , ensuring that the paper is as environmentally friendly as possible . Some is even made using wind power . Moreover , Brushfire 's artists have exerted their eco-influence on venues and promoters for concert tours worldwide . The tour rider , a checklist of artists ' requirements at each venue , usually consists of specific brands of beer or -LRB- in one case involving Jennifer Lopez -RRB- the way the coffee is stirred . Brushfire uses an EnviroRider , a handbook of eco-friendly options and actions for various components of concert tour production . `` It gets augmented every year . What started out as suggestions are now becoming requirements -LSB- for us to play at a venue -RSB- , '' says Johnson . Johnson and his management also created All At Once , a social action network that provides tools and information to people who want to become more involved in their community and worldwide . Visitors to the All At Once area at tour venues will be rewarded with exclusive music downloads by their favorite Brushfire artists . Johnson 's charity , Ohana Charitable Foundation , will match any donation -LRB- up to $ 2,500 -RRB- to nonprofits made by fans at the shows or online . `` We shrink our carbon footprint always , but we have all these nonprofit groups that we all work with , '' says Johnson . `` Money from the shows goes to these groups and helps bolster their memberships so that after we leave the town , these groups can continue to do good things . So more than just lessening our negative -LSB- environmental -RSB- impact , it 's actually leaving a positive impact -LSB- wherever we tour -RSB- , '' says Johnson . Additional actions taken by Brushfire tours will include fueling tour vehicles with sustainable biodiesel , offering eco-friendly merchandise , working with venues to create waste management programs , onsite recycling and encouraging fans to use alternative transportation . Back at home , Brushfire has adopted a similar strategy . All the power for the recording studios and the offices is generated by solar panels . Insulation is supplied by cotton from scraps of blue jeans . Energy-efficient lighting runs throughout the building . Second-hand furniture is all you will find in its offices . The mission resonates with the other artists on the label 's roster . `` For me , it 's so great to be a part of the label because so many people provide information about what we can do to make it better -- touring more efficiently , biodiesel -- stuff like that , '' says Jennings . `` I 'm learning a ton being around those guys . '' At bottom , the atmosphere of collaboration and common purpose is rooted in the shared love of music , says Gill . `` Music is the great synchronizer . They 've become quite a wonderful community to be a part of . I feel grateful to Jack for having the idea to bring together all these like-minded people to make music together , '' he says . Johnson agrees . `` It 's everything . It is the whole reason to play music . I learn so much from playing with these other musicians , '' he says . | Jack Johnson has artist-friendly record label , Brushfire Records . Johnson also puts green interests at forefront . Singer-songwriter 's new album is `` Sleep Through the Static '' | [[65, 155]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The FBI says it found child pornography on a computer used by the man charged with the fatal shooting of a security guard at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum June 10 . Museum shooting suspect James von Brunn remains in a Washington hospital . In court documents filed Wednesday , an investigator says the pornography was found on a desktop computer during a search of an Annapolis , Maryland , apartment where 88-year old James von Brunn had been living for the past two years . The documents did not provide details about the pornography , but investigators requested permission to make a more extensive search of the computer and others found in von Brunn 's home . Von Brunn has been charged with the murder of museum security guard Stephen Johns . The white supremacist was shot in the face after two other security officers returned fire . He remains in a Washington hospital . The FBI also searched a red Hyundai that law enforcement officials say von Brunn left double-parked in front of the museum right before the shooting . In separate documents also filed on Wednesday , investigators say they found 35 rounds of live ammunition for a .22 caliber rifle . Officials allege von Brunn used a .22 caliber rifle , which was found at the scene , to shoot Johns in the chest . According to paperwork detailing the car search , investigators found business cards advertising a USS Liberty Web site that claims Israeli forces `` suddenly and brutally '' attacked the U.S. Navy vessel in international waters in 1967 . Investigators also found business cards for von Brunn 's own Web site , which hosts postings of white supremacist writings . Among other items found in the car were a disabled parking permit , mouthwash , a salt shaker and a roll of quarters totaling $ 7.25 . Earlier this week investigators filed papers saying among the items discovered in von Brunn 's apartment was a painting that appeared to depict Hitler and Jesus . They also found a .30 -30 rifle , ammunition and a handwritten will . | Computer found in apartment of 88-year old James von Brunn . FBI asks for more extensive search of the computers found in von Brunn 's home . FBI also searches von Brunn 's car ; finds ammunition for .22 caliber rifle . | [[436, 510], [577, 670], [647, 699], [1066, 1087], [1114, 1197], [1198, 1249], [1225, 1251], [1258, 1280], [1230, 1249], [1283, 1312]] |
Editor 's note : Julian E. Zelizer is a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University 's Woodrow Wilson School . He is the co-editor of `` Rightward Bound : Making America Conservative in the 1970s '' and is completing a book on the history of national-security politics since World War II , to be published by Basic Books . Zelizer writes widely on current events . Julian Zelizer says Obama and Congress must decide whether to rein in presidential power . PRINCETON , New Jersey -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Executive power has been one of the defining characteristics of President George W. Bush 's administration . President Bush , Vice President Dick Cheney and many members of the White House pushed to expand executive power -- as much as any specific domestic or foreign policy -- from the beginning of the administration . The Bush administration formed in a direct conversation with the presidential politics of the 1970s . Several members of the Bush administration came of professional age working in the Nixon and Ford administrations . They watched an assertive Congress respond to the Watergate scandal by revitalizing legislative power through the War Powers Act of 1973 , the Budget Reform of 1974 , the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act , and the Independent Counsel Act in 1978 . The Bush administration thought vesting Congress with so much power was dangerous , because it saw the legislative branch as inefficient . Building on efforts since President Ronald Reagan to reverse the congressional reforms of the 1970s , the current White House spent enormous political energy , before and after 9/11 , trying to reclaim power for the executive branch . The expansion of presidential power is not unique to the Bush administration . It began early in the 20th century and , despite some exceptional periods such as the 1970s , continued steadily throughout . But in several respects , this expansion was bigger in scale and scope than under previous presidents . For example , as a way to agree to legislation without agreeing to follow the intention of Congress , Bush issued statements when he signed bills -- doing so far more frequently than preceding presidents . When Congress passed a bill banning the use of torture in December 2005 , Bush added a signing statement allowing him to bypass the law in his role as Commander-in-Chief . Bush also used executive orders to achieve policy objectives without obtaining congressional consent . Most of the president 's national security programs were also conducted under high levels of secrecy and sometimes ignored rules such as those spelled out by FISA . Even when Republicans controlled Congress between 2002 and 2006 , the president barely consulted with the leadership . After the 2000 elections , many Republican moderates were optimistic they would have more power than ever because the White House would be forced to court their vote in the evenly divided Senate . But they were wrong . Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island said he was disillusioned early in the Bush administration when Cheney met with a group of Republican moderates . Cheney simply listed the bills the administration would pursue -- such as canceling U.S. support for the International Criminal Court and cutting taxes -- and informed them the president expected their vote . The chances for restoring a better balance of power remain unclear . There was a notable silence on the issue during the 2008 presidential campaign . Congressional Democrats and President-elect Barack Obama have been extremely critical of Bush 's muscular approach to the executive branch . But though Obama has promised to reverse a number of executive decisions made by Bush , it is hard to tell how far he will go . Most important , it is extremely rare in the postwar period for presidents to voluntarily relinquish power . Democrats in Congress might not be willing to do to Obama what they did to Richard Nixon or even Jimmy Carter in the 1970s . After decades of Republican rule , Democrats now believe they have an opportunity to build a new majority . In addition , in a time of true crisis there will be less incentive to challenge the institutional prerogatives of their president . But Congress and the White House must do something to reverse the trends of the past eight years . We need an executive branch that is accountable and a Congress that is active . So what can be done ? The first solution is informal . The White House must alter the dynamic with Congress and create strong lines of consultation with legislative leaders . President Franklin Roosevelt worked closely with legislators during the New Deal to develop economic ideas and figure out the nuts and bolts of legislation . Obama must do the same . The second solution is legislative . Congress should not be timid about passing legislation to empower the legislative branch . After The Boston Globe reported the extensive use of executive signing statements by the Bush administration , there was discussion about legislation to curtail the power , but proposals for the legislation faded away . Congress needs to consider passing measures in this and other areas , such as further defining what kinds of interrogation techniques can be used by the U.S. military and intelligence services . The final solution involves oversight . There has been a dramatic increase in congressional oversight since Democrats took control of Congress in 2006 . Legislators have been more willing to hold hearings and conduct investigations into everything from the ethical conduct of the White House to the administration of key government programs . But oversight under divided government is easier politically than under the united government -- Democrats in charge of the White House and Congress -- we will have after January 20 . The aim of stronger oversight is to avoid failures such as FEMA 's inadequate response to Hurricane Katrina or the politicization at the Department of Justice . The fact that Democrats control the White House is no excuse for the party 's leaders in Congress to become lapdogs . Obama must be held responsible as well . While presidents do n't like to give up power , maybe this president will be different . At a minimum , Obama should avoid the techniques used so often in recent years to circumvent legislative will . It is not enough to reverse Bush 's executive orders -- the crucial question is whether Obama uses such orders as frequently himself . If the nation can create a better balance between the executive and legislative branches , the country will benefit . The New Deal proved when both branches work together , the nation can produce some of its finest and most effective programs . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Julian Zelizer . | Julian Zelizer : Bush administration sought to rebuild presidential power . He says they wanted to reverse Watergate-inspired reforms from the 1970s . Zelizer says Congress ' role was diminished during the Bush administration . He says Obama , Congress must decide whether to strengthen legislative role . | [[627, 839], [1476, 1549], [385, 475], [405, 475], [4800, 4808], [4829, 4890]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Arriving at the London premiere of his self-titled mockumentary dressed in an enormous bearskin hat , cropped red army tunic and barely there hot pants , flamboyant Austrian fashionista , `` Bruno , '' paid sartorial tribute to the British as only he knows how . Bear-ing all : British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen 's latest comic creation Austrian fashionista , Bruno , hits the red carpet . Waxed to perfection and flanked by a group of muscular black men dressed like a camp Queen 's Guards , the gay fashion reporter flounced down the carpet to greet his public . `` Vassup CNN ! Lookin ' hot , '' Bruno said to CNN . `` I do n't want any attention ; I 'm not here to promote my movie . '' `` Bruno , '' which hits cinemas in most territories next month , is the latest comic creation of British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen , who last shocked , insulted and delighted audiences in 2006 with Borat , Kazakhstan 's `` Most Famous Broadcaster . '' Bruno continues the unique approach to comedy Baron Cohen honed with characters like uneducated , loutish jungle music fan Ali G and then homophobic , anti-Semitic Kazakh journalist Borat . Watch `` Bruno '' on the red carpet '' His specialty is characters who say the unsayable : like Bruno 's carpet quip that his new film is `` the most important movie starring a gay Austrian since ` Terminator 2 , ' '' in joking reference to the married -LRB- and firmly heterosexual -RRB- Austrian Terminator star , Arnold Schwarzenegger , now Governor of California . In pictures : Bruno offers fashion advice to CNN '' Baron Cohen puts his creations in real-life situations and uses them to draw unsuspecting participants into letting well-hidden prejudices slip out , engage in embarrassing behavior or contradict themselves . Characters like Bruno and Borat `` essentially work as a tool , '' Baron Cohen told UK paper The Observer in a rare out-of-character interview : `` By himself being anti-Semitic , he lets people lower their guard and expose their own prejudice . '' Baron Cohen 's approach courts controversy . `` Borat : Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan '' opened to a wave of outrage from race-relations campaigners . This time it is gay-rights campaigners who are up in arms . `` Sacha Baron Cohen 's well-meaning attempt at satire is problematic in many places and outright offensive in others , '' Rashad Robinson , senior director of media programs for the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation told the New York Times . While some critics may suggest that his films may reinforce prejudices , others disagree . `` It is difficult to accuse Cohen of making films that are racist or homophobic , '' Aubrey Day , Editor-in-Chief of Total Film magazine told CNN . `` He takes characters and exaggerates them for broad comic value , but I do n't think there 's any credence in the idea that he supports any of those ideals . '' But Baron Cohen certainly knows how to manipulate the media . The 37-year-old has been whipping up anticipation for `` Bruno '' with a series of attention-grabbing , hilarious stunts . In September last year , he brought chaos to the hallowed fashion shows of Milan when he stormed the catwalk of designer Agata Luiz de la Prada 's show dressed in a Velcro suit with clothes from backstage stuck all over it . Most recently , he descended from the ceiling at the MTV Movie Awards wearing nothing but a pair of angel 's wings and a skimpy thong before `` falling '' onto irate rapper Eminem 's face . Eminem stormed out of the awards but later admitted he knew about the stunt beforehand . `` Borat '' debuted at number one in the U.S. box office and went on to gross $ 300 million in box office and DVD sales . Industry experts are predicting an even bigger return for `` Bruno . '' The secret of the Baron Cohen comedy phenomenon may lie in his combination of laughs with something a bit deeper : namely his ability to highlight prejudices and hypocrisies . `` What he does very well is hold a mirror up to a lot of society 's current ideals and expose them for what they are , '' Day told CNN . `` That is one of the joys of his films . `` You can enjoy them on a simple level , in that they are very funny , but hopefully you also come away thinking , or maybe re-thinking some of your attitudes . '' | `` Bruno '' paid tribute to British icons in a bearskin hat at London movie premiere . The Austrian fashionista is UK comedian Sacha Baron Cohen 's latest creation . `` Bruno '' has already caused controversy with gay rights campaigners . Baron Cohen 's comedy holds a mirror up to many of society 's ingrained prejudices . | [[0, 6], [9, 16], [36, 99], [71, 160], [299, 303], [304, 394], [739, 741], [794, 860], [826, 860], [867, 879], [2249, 2308], [739, 741], [794, 860], [1982, 1984], [2019, 2047], [4032, 4034], [4050, 4123]] |
LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Michael Jackson 's father says he is concerned about the last moments of his son 's life and about the personal physician who found the pop icon unconscious at the singer 's estate . Singer Ne-Yo -LRB- L -RRB- and host Jamie Foxx pay tribute to Michael Jackson at 2009 BET Awards in Los Angeles . `` I have a lot of concerns , '' Joe Jackson told CNN 's Don Lemon on the red carpet leading up to the BET Awards ceremony Sunday night . `` I ca n't get into that , but I do n't like what happened . '' Michael Jackson 's personal physician , who was questioned extensively by investigators over the weekend , found the singer not breathing in bed when he entered the singer 's estate last week , according to the law firm representing the doctor . However , Jackson did have a slight pulse when Dr. Conrad Murray discovered him Thursday , and Murray tried to resuscitate the singer as he awaited paramedics , a representative with the law firm of Stradley , Chernoff and Alford law firm in Houston , Texas , told CNN Sunday . Attorney Edward Chernoff is representing Murray . The law firm said reports that Murray injected Jackson with powerful painkillers , such as Demerol or Oxycontin , were false . Funeral arrangements for Jackson were pending Sunday . `` We have n't gotten to that yet -- we 're working on that , '' Joe Jackson told CNN 's Lemon . Watch Joe Jackson talk about the death of his son '' Murray voluntarily met for several hours with detectives , the Los Angeles Police Department said late Saturday night . `` Detectives assigned to Robbery-Homicide Division met with Dr. Murray and conducted an extensive interview , '' a police statement said . `` Dr. Murray was cooperative and provided information which will aid the investigation . '' Watch attorney for Jackson 's doctor say his client is not a suspect '' Jackson 's family suspects that Murray can answer some lingering questions about the singer 's last hours , but they have been unable to contact him , the Rev. Jesse Jackson said Saturday . `` The routine inquiry is now an investigation , '' Jesse Jackson said . `` They -LRB- Jackson 's family -RRB- did n't know the doctor . ... He should have met with the family , given them comfort on the last hours of their son . '' Watch latest developments in Jackson 's death investigation '' Jackson family attorney L. Londell McMillan told CNN that a second autopsy is `` under way . '' `` We 'll let that process take its course , '' McMillan , who accompanied Joe Jackson to the BET Awards , told CNN . McMillan said a will has not surfaced since Michael Jackson 's death and that the singer 's mother , Katherine Jackson , is seeking custody of his two children . `` Well , if there is no will , then under the state of California it goes to the next of kin . That 's an adult to administer and oversee the best interests of the children and that would be Mr. and Mrs. Jackson , '' McMillan said . `` And Katherine Jackson is the duly appointed person . '' He added , `` She will seek custody of the children . That 's who Michael would have wanted to have the children , she loves them dearly . '' On Saturday , the founder of 1-800-AUTOPSY , a private firm that conducts autopsies , told CNN that the Jackson family had contacted the business to inquire about possibly having a second autopsy done there . Jesse Jackson added on Saturday that the family needed `` an independent autopsy to get even more answers to questions that are now being driven by the gap between when Michael was last seen alive and was pronounced dead . `` iReport.com : Tributes pour in for Jackson . There are lingering questions , including : `` How long had he stopped breathing ? How long had he been unconscious ? '' Jesse Jackson said . Michael Jackson was discovered unconscious Thursday by paramedics at his home , where Murray apparently had tried to revive him . He was rushed to a Los Angeles medical center , where he was pronounced dead . Listen to the 911 call '' An autopsy performed by a county medical examiner was inconclusive -- although officials said there were no indications of external trauma or foul play . The Los Angeles County coroner 's office has said more tests are needed before a cause of death can be determined . That could take four to six weeks . Detectives impounded Murray 's car , which was parked at the singer 's rented home , because , they said , it may contain evidence related to Jackson 's death , possibly prescription medications . Police have released no information on what they may have found . CNN 's Ted Rowlands , Traci Tamura , Drew Griffin and Anna Coren contributed to this report . | Dr. Conrad Murray found Jackson not breathing but with a slight pulse . Murray believed to be last person to see Michael Jackson alive . Jackson 's father concerned about his son 's last moments . Police conduct `` extensive interview '' with Murray . | [[544, 581], [651, 688], [800, 878], [0, 11], [44, 165], [560, 583], [588, 648], [1450, 1506], [1570, 1583], [1646, 1678]] |
LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Drug Enforcement Administration agents searched a Beverly Hills pharmacy Friday in connection with the investigation into the death of Michael Jackson , an agency spokesman said . Dr. Arnold Klein denied in a CNN interview last month that he had given Jackson dangerous drugs . The agents executed a federal search warrant at the Mickey Fine Pharmacy and Grill , and were expected to seize pharmacy records , said DEA spokesman Jose Martinez . The pharmacy is in the same building as the office of Jackson 's dermatologist , Dr. Arnold Klein . Shortly before his death , Jackson visited the building several times to see Klein . The store remained open for business , giving journalists who chose to dine at its lunch counter an unusually close look at the searchers at work . Several DEA agents crowded behind the pharmacy counter , shuffling through paper documents , while pharmacy employees stood by to answer questions . Jackson had been sued by the pharmacy , which claimed the pop singer had not paid a $ 100,000 bill , but the dispute was later settled . On Wednesday , the Los Angeles County Coroner 's Office visited Klein 's office . `` We wanted some additional information and they provided it , '' said Ed Winter , coroner 's spokesman . He said Klein 's staff and attorneys cooperated with the requests . The coroner 's office said more than a week ago that a `` thorough and comprehensive '' report into the death of Michael Jackson is complete , but police have requested that it not yet be released because of the ongoing criminal investigation . The coroner 's office said it would abide by the request that `` the cause and manner of death remain confidential , '' and referred all questions to Los Angeles police . The DEA search did not involve detectives from the Los Angeles Police Department , although Martinez said the federal agents would share their findings with them . Jackson 's June 25 death is also the focus of an investigation by Los Angeles police and the state attorney general 's office . Klein , who treated Jackson for decades , denied in a CNN interview last month that he had given Jackson dangerous drugs . CNN 's Ted Rowlands contributed to this report . | Beverly Hills pharmacy is next door to Dr. Arnold Klein 's office . DEA search in connection with Michael Jackson investigation . Klein was Jackson 's dermatologist . | [[488, 566], [0, 11], [61, 194]] |
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