doc_text
stringlengths 157
16.7k
| summary_text
stringlengths 26
11.1k
| highlight_spans
stringlengths 9
3.7k
|
|---|---|---|
Editor 's note : CNN contributor Bob Greene is a best-selling author whose new book is `` Late Edition : A Love Story . '' Bob Greene says discussion of ballplayer Ted Williams ' corpse is a shameful way to remember the superstar . -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- `` I was scared , '' Ted Williams said . He was talking about his lifelong fear of not being good enough -- of coming up short . `` I was always afraid I might fail , '' he said . `` I was pictured as being so cocky -- I might have been cocky to some people , but not in my heart . All the time , I was just hoping to make whatever league I was in . '' I am thinking about a long conversation I had with Williams toward the end of his life . I 'm thinking about it because of the unconscionable thing that is being done to him now that he is gone , now that he is without any defenses . You may have heard about a new book that makes some cruel and repugnant allegations about the mistreatment of his remains . What has been done to Williams ' good name since his death at age 83 in 2002 is heartbreaking . First there was the very public battle within his family about what to do with his body ; when it was entrusted to a facility that specializes in cryonics -- freezing -- there were tasteless gags all over television . Now there is the nauseating voyeurism surrounding these new allegations . They are unspeakable , and I will not repeat them here . He has been made a joke . It is as if there has been a conscious effort to rob him of his humanity . As if he is a punch line , as if he was never a person with thoughts and feelings . No one deserves this , and certainly not Ted Williams . A magnificent 19-year career with the Boston Red Sox ; twice the winner of baseball 's triple crown ; the last ballplayer to hit .400 in a season ; two tours of duty in the military in World War II and the Korean War ... This is the man whose right to rest in respectful peace is being stripped from him . It is a crime . And because he can no longer speak for himself , I will share with you his voice from a time when he could . `` I ca n't believe how well people have treated me , how nicely , '' he told me . He had suffered a series of strokes ; he knew there was n't much time left . I was writing a monthly column for Life magazine , and he had agreed to talk with me . I told him that there was something striking about his voice : He sounded just like John Wayne . `` John Wayne sounded like me , '' he said , not kidding . When he told me about his fear of failure , it was in the context of always being fixated on his own shortcomings . `` The only time I could savor an evening is if I had done something well , '' he said . `` My most disappointing things all my life were always related to baseball . I did n't feel good because I did something successfully ; I felt bad if I failed to do something that I was expected to do . '' As a young ballplayer , he supposedly said , `` All I want out of life is that when I walk down the street , people will say , ` There goes the greatest hitter who ever lived . ' '' It happened . That was what people said about him . Did it satisfy him ? `` I would slide down in my seat a little bit when I heard someone say that , '' he told me . `` Because I wanted people to believe it , but I did n't believe it myself . I did n't believe it then , and I do n't believe it now . Babe Ruth , Hank Aaron -- they were so good . When I would be at a dinner and someone would say I was the best , I would want to hide out of sight and sink into the floor . '' At the height of his talent , he stepped away from baseball to fly Panther fighter jets in Korea . He was a United States Marine pilot ; often he would go out on two-plane missions flying side-by-side with a young Marine hotshot by the name of John Glenn . Talk about two Americans you can count on in a pinch ... . I asked Glenn about Williams once . `` He was just great , '' Glenn said . `` The same skills that made him the best baseball hitter ever -- the eye , the coordination , the discipline -- are what he used to make himself an excellent combat pilot . '' This is the man who is being degraded today . This is the man who is being treated , in death , as if he is in a carnival sideshow . As I spoke with Williams , with his eyesight failing and his body inexorably shutting down , I asked him : If he could change one thing in his life , what would it be ? He said that this , more than anything else , is what he wished for : the ability to `` run like a deer . '' I thought he was talking about wishing he could have his youth back -- wishing , in his old age , that he could stand up and run again . But that was n't it . He said he wished that , back when he was a player , he was just a little faster . `` I would run to first , '' he recalled of his years with the Red Sox , `` and there would be that boom-boom . '' The sound of being called out at first base , the ball hitting the fielder 's glove just before Williams 's foot hit the bag . `` If I could have run a little faster ... how many at-bats did I have ? '' he asked me . `` Seven thousand ? '' I told him it was 7,706 . With 2,654 hits . `` If I could have run just a little faster , I bet you I could have had 50 more hits , '' he said . He paused . There was wistfulness in his voice . `` Maybe a hundred , '' he said . A man seeing death just up the road , still dreaming of excellence . That is the man whose dignity we have treated with such awful indifference . Shame on us . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Bob Greene . | Bob Greene : Discussion about Ted Williams ' remains is distasteful . He recalls superstar player as a man who always strove to do his best . Williams was baseball 's last .400 hitter and a veteran of two wars . | [[123, 185], [1750, 1793]] |
ISLAMABAD , Pakistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Pakistani authorities have launched a massive crackdown on terror groups that they say were planning numerous suicide attacks , including in the country 's largest city of Karachi . Pakistan security officials show seized weapons and ammunition in Karachi on Sunday after the arrest of seven alleged militants . At least 13 suspects were arrested Sunday and Monday , including three people carrying suicide jackets and explosives inside a bus station , a police official said . The three were seized early Monday after police raided a bus station in Sargodha , a city located about 120 miles -LRB- 190 km -RRB- south of Islamabad in Pakistan 's Punjab province . The suspects were plotting to attack two Shiite mosques , police stations , and a Norwegian telecommunications company in Punjab , according to district police officer Usman Anwar . Three other suspects linked to the plot were arrested hours later in Sargodha , he said . Those arrested early Monday included the Pakistani Taliban 's chief in Punjab , according to Anwar . The Taliban in Punjab have direct ties to Baitullah Mehsud , the former head of the Pakistan Taliban , and have been accused of sectarian murders in Punjab . Pakistan and U.S. officials contend Mehsud was killed in an August 5 drone attack in Waziristan at his father-in-law 's house . The Taliban claim Mehsud is alive but ill . Hakeemullah Mehsud has been selected as the new head of the Pakistani Taliban , a Taliban commander said Saturday . Pakistani authorities also said they thwarted planned attacks in the southern port city of Karachi , Pakistan 's largest city and the capital of Sindh province . Seven members of a banned militant group with strong ties to al Qaeda and the Taliban were arrested Sunday along with suicide vests and a large quantity of ammunition , according to the city 's police superintendent Mohammed Fayyaz Khan . The group , Lashkar-e-Jhangvi , was planning to conduct attacks in Karachi , according to Karachi Police Chief Waseem Ahmad . Lashkar-e-Jhangvi is considered a terrorist group by the U.S. State Department , and was banned by then-Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf in 2001 . It is described as Pakistan 's `` most extreme and feared militant group '' by IHS Jane 's , a provider of defense and security information . The banned Sunni militant group , which began in the 1990s , is a `` key ally '' of the Taliban and al Qaeda , according to Jane 's . `` However , many of its leaders and members have been killed or jailed in recent years and there is little evidence that it remains a coherent organization with centralized structures , '' Jane 's said in an assessment released earlier this month . Lashkar-e-Jhangvi is blamed for the attempted assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in 1999 , and the assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in 2007 . The group also has also been linked to the March attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in the Pakistani city of Lahore . The recent arrests in Karachi and in Punjab are part of a broader crackdown on terror groups that have extended their reach outside Pakistan 's volatile North West Frontier Province and adjacent tribal regions . That is where Pakistani security forces continue to battle a strong Taliban presence . Taliban militants maintained strongholds within 100 miles of the capital , Islamabad , before Pakistani security forces pushed them back this year . A month ago , Pakistani authorities unraveled a militant plot to target government buildings in Islamabad with suicide attackers , according to Interior Minister Rehmen Malik . Three bombers were detained , and along with them suicide vests packed with complex explosives surrounded by ball bearings that would kill anyone within 50 to 100 meters . `` They had the live jackets ... they were staying in one house and they had hidden the suicide jackets not far from that -LRB- house -RRB- in the hills , '' Malik told CNN . `` Obviously they had a plan in Islamabad because Islamabad is the icon of the country . '' He said they first planned to target parliament , then move on to other prominent government buildings in the capital city . Hitting back at the government would seem to be a high priority for the newly appointed leader of the Pakistani Taliban . Said to be a brazen and young commander , Hakeemullah Mehsud has been linked to past attacks on NATO troops along the Afghan-Pakistan border who are battling a resurgent Taliban in neighboring Afghanistan . Malik said the government is `` not interested '' in trying to establish a cease-fire with Taliban commanders during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan , which began this weekend . Past cease-fire agreements between the Pakistani government and tribal leaders negotiating on behalf of the Taliban have failed . `` They are at the weakest moments and everybody knows -- even a child of Pakistan knows about it -- that their back is broken , '' Malik said . `` They are no more powerful ... so we wo n't give them any time to get energized . '' CNN 's Samson Desta contributed to this report . | Arrests averted attacks on Karachi , police chief says . Lashkar-e-Jhangvi linked to Bhutto assassination , attack on Sri Lanka cricket team . Police : Three suspected Pakistan Taliban members also arrested with suicide vests . | [[1522, 1543], [1549, 1683], [2726, 2841], [2926, 2935], [2941, 3046], [417, 469]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The 63-year-old bearded fireplug of a man erupted in tears , pulled a white handkerchief from his back pocket , carefully unfolded it and pressed it into his eyes , pulled it away , pressed it again to his eyes , this time with more force , pulled it away again just long enough to take a sip of water , then rubbed them again . Lula da Silva gets a kiss from bid committee president Carlos Arthur Nuzman after the announcement Friday . `` I 've never won a gift before , '' Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva told reporters . `` The first gift I ever had in my life I had to buy . It was an old bike with a broken belt and I had to fix it . Today , people who do n't even know me gave me the greatest gift that a president could have : to host the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro . Rio deserves this because Rio is a city that has suffered . '' For Lula da Silva , Friday 's announcement in Copenhagen , Denmark , that Rio de Janeiro will host the 31st Olympiad in 2016 signified a major achievement not only for his hemisphere -LRB- no city in South America has ever before hosted the games -RRB- but for him -- a former autoworker and union organizer who defied dizzying odds to become president . Lula da Silva was born to a peasant family in one of northeastern Brazil 's most impoverished areas and migrated as a young man to a city near São Paulo , where he worked as a metalworker , losing his left pinky finger in the process . In the 1970s , he became a union leader , said Luiz Valente , chairman of the department of Portuguese and Brazilian studies at Brown University in Providence , Rhode Island . During the years of military rule from 1964 until 1985 , the government cracked down on unions . But Lula da Silva acquired a reputation as a public figure by leading a successful strike in São Paulo , Valente told CNN in a telephone interview . `` He was able to negotiate a favorable contract for his union but , from a political standpoint , he demonstrated that worker strikes were possible again in Brazil , '' Valente said . During the early 1980s , as the military rulers ' grip on control loosened , Lula da Silva helped found the leftist Workers ' Party . In the late 1980s , he ran for Congress and won , but he chose not to run for re-election . Instead , he set his sights on the top job , waging a losing presidential campaign in 1989 , the country 's first presidential election since 1960 . Successive tries in 1993 and 1997 were unsuccessful , but in 2001 , he won and quickly surprised many observers . `` When he began , he was perceived as someone very much on the left , '' said Valente . `` He was perceived as being a socialist . However , he has not governed as a socialist . Instead , his economic policies were a continuation of the previous administration 's . '' In fact , Brazil 's economic policy has been `` pretty much middle of the road , some people would say pretty conservative , '' said Valente , who added that he has never voted for Lula da Silva . But Lula da Silva has worked to help the country 's poor , introducing populist measures intended to lower the incidence of poverty and making other moves , Valente said . `` As a union leader during the military dictatorship , he learned how to negotiate with the so-called enemy , '' Valente said . `` So Lula is going to try to reach some kind of consensus , and he did . What he did was not a product of ideology but of a pragmatist attitude of the government of Brazil . '' Lula da Silva 's moderate modus operandi has gained him popularity at home , where he has made no moves toward abolishing the term limits that preclude his running for a third term next year , Valente said . That pragmatism has served him well on the international front , where he is on good terms with the leftist governments of Venezuela , Bolivia and Ecuador as well as with the United States and the European Union . `` Lula knows how to play the game , '' Valente said . Like Brazil 's president , Rio did not succeed on its first try , having been rejected in an earlier bid -- which inspired planners to be meticulous , Valente said . `` They were very well-prepared , '' he said . Indeed , the city two years ago hosted the Pan-American Games , which officials looked on as a trial run for the Olympics , he said . `` Everything ran without a hitch , '' said Valente . `` It was just a beautiful event . '' Lula 's waterworks were no surprise to his countrymen , the professor said . `` He 's a very emotional guy and Brazilians tend to be emotional . They 're certainly not ashamed of showing their emotions ... It 's not unusual for Brazilian men to cry in situations like that . Brazilians actually like to see men cry . They think it 's good to show your emotions . '' Watch the reaction as Rio de Janeiro , Brazil , is named host city for the 2016 Olympics '' `` He always cries when he talks of his mother , who never saw him become president , '' said Fabiana Frayssinet , CNN 's correspondent in Rio de Janeiro . `` He 's a man who cries , who gets mad . He 's an emotional man who says what he thinks whenever he wants . '' Emotions were on display Friday on Copacabana beach in Rio , where thousands of people flocked on the first sunny day after two weeks of rain and atypically cold weather . `` It was a mix of the end of a football championship with a ... carnival and all the Brazilian festivals , '' Frayssinet said . | Lula da Silva calls announcement `` the greatest gift that a president could have '' Brazil 's president rose from metalworker to union organizer to politician . His election to the presidency in 2001 came after three unsuccessful tries . Rio 's hosting the Pan-American Games was seen as a trial run for the Olympics . | [[1144, 1145], [1168, 1183], [1188, 1230], [1144, 1183], [1209, 1230], [1392, 1418], [1467, 1479], [1482, 1506], [4199, 4205], [4208, 4260], [4238, 4260], [4279, 4320]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A pilot who parachuted from his disabled Marine Corps jet last year said he was horrified to see it smash into a California home , newly released documents say . A firefighter walks past as flames rise from the wreckage of a military jet crash in California . Marine Corps Lt. Dan Neubauer 's statements , describing the December crash that killed four family members in a San Diego home , were released Tuesday by military officials . The four-page document details in technical terms several attempts Neubauer made to keep his crippled F/A -18 D from crashing . When it became apparent that the plane was going down , Neubauer parachuted out . `` I looked down to see where my plane had crashed and saw that it had gone right into a house . I screamed in horror when I realized what had just happened , '' Neubauer said in the document . Neubauer landed in the backyard of another home and was not injured . The pilot had been trying to reach the nearby Marine Corps Air Station Miramar when he started having problems with his fighter jet . See satellite photo of crash site '' The jet crashed into Dong Yun Yoon 's house , killing his wife , his two young children and his mother-in-law . An unoccupied house was also destroyed . Days after the incident , Yoon said he did not blame the pilot . `` Please pray for him not to suffer from this accident , '' Yoon said . `` I do n't blame him . I do n't have any hard feelings . I know he did everything he could . '' | Pilot horrified after seeing disabled jet crash into California home . Crash killed four people in home , including two children . Relative of four killed says he does n't blame pilot for crash . | [[0, 15], [87, 147], [668, 761], [1100, 1143], [279, 295], [325, 406], [1253, 1276], [1279, 1317], [1394, 1414]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- It has been a piece of Berlin history for 80 years , a symbol of Nazi power but also of Germans ' desire for freedom after World War II . The giant Tempelhof Airport in Berlin will shut it doors for good on Friday . Friday , Berlin 's Tempelhof Airport will shut its doors for good . Tempelhof was where American and British pilots touched down after the war when Soviet Forces blockaded West Berlin . The allied pilots flew in millions of tons of food , fuel and medication for an ailing population , earning themselves the title `` candy bombers , '' for dropping candy as they flew over the city . `` Through Tempelhof , we stayed alive , '' said Hedi Koenig , 83 , who lived near the airport in West Berlin after the war . Without the air drops , she said , the people would have starved to death . The airport rapidly became Berlin 's only hub for supplies , eventually carrying almost 2.5 million tons of goods into the city . Tempelhof 's massive main building -- originally designed to represent Nazi Germany to visitors -- remains one of the largest structures in the world . The U.S. Army later built a basketball court and firing range at Tempelhof , and hid an entire command center in the vast network of tunnels under the buildings . These days , however , its runways are too short for most modern civilian aircraft . City officials said the airport was not profitable and needed to be shut down as Berlin builds a major new airport , Berlin-Brandenburg International . Moves to close Tempelhof have sparked protests from residents and aviators who thought more should have been done to preserve such an important part of the city 's history . See archive photos of the airport . `` The people want it , private enterprise wants it , all national arguments are in favor of it , '' Friedbert Pflueger , a local opposition leader , said last year . More than 100 private pilots staged a `` fly-in '' in September 2007 to protest the plans . Koenig said Berliners were still angry with city officials who allowed the closure . She blamed business leaders for putting pressure on the city to close the airport by arguing it cost too much and did n't make enough money . `` For business people , the airport does n't mean anything , '' said Koenig . She said they were too young to remember how important Tempelhof has been for the city . Koenig is among many who believe the airport should be turned into a cultural memorial . A memorial already exists outside the airport to remember the candy bombers , dozens of whom died flying in during bad weather or after being harassed by Soviet fighter planes . `` The success of the airlift made sure that the communist ideology lost its impetus , lost its thrust , because people began to realize that democracies can defend their way of life , '' said Helmut Trotnow of the Berlin Allied Museum . The allied pilots , Koenig said , were responsible for saving the city amid the Russian blockade . `` The Russians tried with all their might to break us , '' she said . Koenig snuck into West Berlin from the East after the war . That meant she did n't have a visa and could n't receive official food rations , so she literally scraped by during her night job at a bakery . Koenig said she cleaned the pans and would try to scratch off whatever food remained stuck to the sides . Her boss would check to make sure she was n't eating any of the remnants , but Koenig said she did it anyway , whenever her boss was n't looking . Tempelhof 's beginnings date to September 4 , 1909 , when American aviation pioneer Orville Wright flew an engine-powered plane for a few minutes on the airfield there . It ushered in the era of aviation in Germany , and Tempelhof eventually became Berlin 's central airport and the biggest hub in Europe . The airport also became the home of Lufthansa , which was founded in Berlin in 1926 . Civilian traffic declined during the second world war and the Soviet Army occupied the airport . The Americans took it over in July 1945 . The Soviet blockade of West Berlin began in May 1948 as an attempt to force the Western Allied powers out of that part of the city . They cut off rail and road links to the West , and West Berlin -- isolated in the middle of the new East Germany -- found itself isolated even more . In response , the Allies imposed counter-blockade measures which included cutting off East German communications and an embargo on Eastern bloc exports . The moves forced the Soviet Union to eventually lift the blockade a year later , in May 1949 . The last flights from Tempelhof will fly just before midnight Thursday , the airport authority said . One will be a special Lufthansa flight aboard a Junkers Ju-52 , a post-World War II transport aircraft . The other will be a DC-3 -- the same type of plane flown by the candy bombers from Tempelhof some 60 years ago . With the closing of Tempelhof , the city has two remaining airports -- at Schoenefeld and Tegel . All flights from Tempelhof will move to Tegel . Eventually , Schoenefeld will become the new Berlin-Brandenburg International , or BBI . It is scheduled to open in 2011 , after which Tegel will close . CNN Berlin Bureau Chief Fred Pleitgen and CNN 's Carolin Fiehm in London contributed to this report . | The giant Tempelhof Airport , once a symbol of Nazi power , is to close . Airport was also used by British and Americans to break Soviet blockade . Pilots flew in millions of tons of food , fuel and medication for ailing population . | [[157, 234], [235, 241], [244, 302], [1372, 1383], [1414, 1503], [323, 420], [822, 833], [883, 951]] |
ROME , Italy -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Italian paramilitary police carried out massive arrests Tuesday against the Sicilian mafia in Palermo , `` decapitating '' the organization 's leadership structure , the head of the city 's carabinieri said . Members of the caribinieri outside their Palermo HQ Tuesday following raids against Sicilian mafia suspects . More than 1,200 Italian carabinieri , backed by helicopters , took part in the operation and arrested 89 suspects , added Colonel Teo Luzzi , the head of the carabinieri in the regional capital Palermo . The operation began at 3:30 a.m. -LRB- 9:30 p.m. ET Monday -RRB- and was still going on at midmorning . Palermo officials said charges would include association with the mafia , extortion , and arms and drug trafficking . `` Their aim was to reconstitute the Sicilian mafia 's decision-making body , known as the `` commissione , '' which was disbanded in the early 1990s following the arrest of the top boss Toto Riina , '' Luzzi said . The commissione was the executive body of the mafia , uniting the most powerful bosses of the mafia clans operating in Sicily . It was the commissione that decided to carry out the killings of Italy 's top anti-mafia magistrates in May and July 1992 . The high-profile killings prompted the Italian government to deploy the army in Sicily to fight the mafia , and Toto Riina was arrested in January 2003 . `` Since then the mafia did n't really have a decision making body , '' Luzzi said , `` and with these arrests we decapitated the top brass of the Palermo mafia . '' Luzzi also said that Sicily 's most wanted Mafioso , Matteo Messina Denaro -- who has been on the run for more than a decade and leads a clan in nearby Trapani in western Sicily -- is not among those arrested . `` But those whom we did apprehend were associated with him and were trying to create a new decision-making body at his request , '' Luzzi said . Arrest warrants were also issued against several suspects in Tuscany , Luzzi said . | More than 1,200 Italian carabinieri arrest 89 suspects in Palermo , Italy . Charges include association with the mafia , extortion , arms and drug trafficking . Police : With these arrests we decapitated the top brass of the Palermo mafia . Arrest warrants were also issued against several suspects in Tuscany . | [[7, 22], [32, 133], [361, 386], [389, 410], [351, 386], [413, 439], [351, 386], [444, 464], [351, 386], [467, 490], [659, 776], [682, 776], [885, 887], [894, 963], [1468, 1481], [1484, 1509], [1510, 1561], [1922, 1990]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Italy 's Valentino Rossi gave his bid to seal a seventh Moto GP world title at the Malaysian Grand Prix a boost after qualifying for the race in pole position . The defending champion set a name lap-record time of 2 minutes 00.518 seconds despite sweltering conditions on Saturday . The time smashed Casey Stoner 's 2007 lap record of 2 minutes 02.108 seconds . The Yamaha rider celebrated his seventh pole of the season by pulling a wheelie as he drove into the pit lane at the Sepang circuit . The 5.5-kilometer track that is situated south of the capital Kuala Lumpur , is a notoriously tought test for rider and machine alike with its combination of tight corners , long straights and tough high-speed bends . The 30-year-old currently leads the world championship by 38 points , a position that means a top-four finish at Sepang would seal the title on Sunday . Rossi 's teammate Jorge Lorenzo qualified in second place , just 0.569 sec behind -- a result that prompted Rossi to pay tribute to the hard work of his team . `` The team worked well , the bike performed well , hence I was able to go faster . `` Starting from pole is important since the -LRB- first -RRB- corner is far away , '' he added . Spaniard Dani Pedrosa -LRB- Honda -RRB- was 0.736 sec behind Rossi while Australian Stoner was fourth at 0.937 sec . Ducati rider Stoner , who finished ahead of Rossi in last weekend 's Australian Grand Prix to take the win , is third in the world championship standings , with Pedrosa fourth on a Honda . | Italy 's Valentino Rossi qualifies in pole position for the Malaysian Moto GP . The 30-year-old 's fastest time smashed the lap record at the Sepang circuit . Rossi currently leads the world championship by 38 points with two races left . The defending champion can clinch his seventh title with a top-four finish . | [[0, 15], [44, 179], [180, 257], [302, 380], [733, 800], [803, 885]] |
SLEEPY EYE , Minnesota -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A 13-year-old Minnesota boy whose family has rejected chemotherapy to treat his cancer is with his mother near Los Angeles , California , and they may be planning to travel to Mexico , authorities said Wednesday . Doctors say Daniel Hauser 's lymphoma responded well to a first round of chemotherapy in February . Brown County Sheriff Rich Offmann cited `` reliable information '' in making the announcement to reporters , adding that Colleen Hauser may be seeking treatment for her son 's lymphoma just south of San Diego , California , in Mexico . `` I 'm confident we will find them , '' Offmann said . `` I 'm hoping for Daniel 's sake we will find them . '' Anthony Hauser , Colleen 's husband and the boy 's father , has been cooperating with law enforcement , Offmann said . Earlier Wednesday the boy 's father said he believed his son and his wife had already left the country . `` I will say this : I have left a call to where I think they could possibly be , '' Anthony Hauser said from his home in Sleepy Eye , Minnesota , about 85 miles southwest of Minneapolis . Asked whether he believes that they have gone to Canada , he said , `` I 'm not saying it 's Canada . You know , that is n't where I left my call . '' He made his comments a day after a Minnesota judge issued an arrest warrant for Colleen Hauser , who failed to appear with the boy at a court hearing . A judge scheduled the hearing to review an X-ray ordered by the court to assess whether Daniel Hauser 's Hodgkin 's lymphoma was worsening . A doctor testified at the hearing that the X-ray showed `` significant worsening . '' In a news release , the Brown County Sheriff 's Office said the father had been `` cooperative '' in helping them find his son but added , `` the investigators can not speculate on the sincerity of the information that Anthony Hauser has provided . '' The sheriff 's office has been in touch with the FBI , and the boy has been entered in the Missing and Exploited Children network , it said . Anthony Hauser testified at the hearing that he last saw his wife at the family 's farm on Monday night , when she told him she was going to leave `` for a time . '' He later said he would like his wife and son to return . `` I 'd like to tell them , you know , ` Come back and be safe and be a family again , ' '' he said . `` That 's what I 'd like to tell them . '' Watch father urge the pair to come back '' District Judge John R. Rodenberg of Brown County , Minnesota , said the boy 's `` best interests '' require him to receive medical care . His family opposes the proposed course of treatment , which includes chemotherapy . `` It is imperative that Daniel receive the attention of an oncologist as soon as possible , '' the judge wrote . During Tuesday 's hearing , Dr. James Joyce testified that he had seen the boy and his mother on Monday at his office . He said the boy had `` an enlarged lymph node '' near his right clavicle and that the X-ray showed `` significant worsening '' of a mass in his chest . In addition , the boy complained of `` extreme pain '' at the site where a port had been inserted to deliver an initial round of chemotherapy . The pain was `` most likely caused by the tumor or mass pressing on the port , '' testified Joyce , who called the X-ray `` fairly dramatic '' evidence that the cancer was worsening . Watch CNN 's Dr. Gupta discuss Daniel 's chances '' Rodenberg ordered custody of the boy transferred to Brown County Family Services and issued a contempt order for the mother . Philip Elbert , Daniel 's court-appointed attorney , said he considers his client to have a `` diminished capacity '' for reasons of his age and the illness and that he thinks Daniel should be treated by a cancer specialist . Elbert added that he does not think Daniel -- who , according to court papers , can not read -- has enough information to make an informed decision regarding his treatment . Daniel 's symptoms of persistent cough , fatigue and swollen lymph nodes were diagnosed in January as Hodgkin 's lymphoma . In February , the cancer responded well to an initial round of chemotherapy , but the treatment 's side effects concerned the boy 's parents , who then opted not to pursue further chemo and instead sought out other medical opinions . Court documents show that doctors estimated the boy 's chance of five-year remission with more chemotherapy and possibly radiation at 80 percent to 95 percent . But the family opted for a holistic medical treatment based upon Native American healing practices called Nemenhah and rejected further treatment . In a written statement issued last week , an attorney for the parents said they `` believe that the injection of chemotherapy into Danny Hauser amounts to an assault upon his body , and torture when it occurs over a long period of time . '' Medical ethicists say parents generally have a legal right to make decisions for their children , but there is a limit . `` You have a right , but not an open-ended right , '' Arthur Caplan , director of the center for bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania , said last week . `` You ca n't compromise the life of your child . '' CNN 's Chris Welch contributed to this report . | NEW : Police think mom , son may be headed toward Mexico . Dad says he called where he thinks they could be , wo n't say if it 's Canada . `` Come back and be safe and be a family , '' Anthony Hauser urges wife and son . 13-year-old needs chemotherapy , doctors and court say . | [[184, 224], [356, 389], [465, 591], [948, 1008], [1176, 1183], [1186, 1219], [2208, 2264], [2236, 2244], [2253, 2264], [2293, 2301], [2306, 2315], [2304, 2315], [2293, 2296], [2332, 2349], [2411, 2453], [2634, 2643], [2652, 2675]] |
NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Asa Hill was 7 years old when he died . Although the boy was pulled out of a burning car alive in a horrific accident on the Niagara Thruway on Thursday , his injuries proved critical , and he passed away the following night . Amilcar Hill and Rahwa Ghirmatzion hug at their son 's funeral , which ended with their wedding . The Buffalo , New York , community , shaken , turned out in large numbers at his funeral Monday to support his parents , Amilcar Hill and Rahwa Ghirmatzion , and were pleasantly surprised when the couple ended the service with a wedding ceremony , a fulfillment of their son 's wish . The Rev. Joel Miller of The Unitarian Universalist Church of Elmwood , where the service was held , was unsure at first when the idea of a wedding was proposed by the couple and their family . `` I asked twice , ` We 're doing a wedding ? ' This was new for me . I never did a funeral service and a wedding ceremony at the same time , and normally would n't , but they have known each other since they were teens , '' Miller said . `` And they had been providing for Asa , and they made a home together for all of Asa 's life . ... It was clear they were following through on something they had been talking about for some time . '' Watch the funeral and wedding ceremony '' Hill and Ghirmatzion have been best friends since they were 15 and have been together for almost half of their lives . After Asa was born , marriage had always been something that they considered but , according to Hill , both felt that a wedding was `` superficial and not necessary . '' Asa , however , was insistent that they make their union official . `` Asa really wanted us to do it , and every time he would ask us we would say , ` Yes , we 'll get married , ' '' said Hill . But the couple never did get around to figuring out the logistics for a ceremony . While holding his lifeless son in his arms at the hospital , Hill was moved to finally officially propose to his lifelong partner . `` Rahwa was overwhelmed at that moment and just looked at me . When the family sat down to plan the funeral service , she said ` Let 's get married . ' And everyone broke down at the table , '' he said . The marriage took place after a service filled with African drums , dancing , sermons and family and friends sharing memories of Asa , all in celebration of his life . Miller said about 1,100 people attended the service , with hundreds overflowing onto the church lawn , where sound systems were set up so they could hear the service . When the wedding was announced , there were shocked cheers and applause from those in the church pews . `` We wanted it to be a surprise , '' Hill said . `` We knew it would be a joyous moment . You could see how it lifted them , and we figured , why not make it a surprise at the end . '' The Unitarian Universalist Church was chosen because its non-denominational tradition would welcome all the diverse groups of the Elmwood community , Hill said . The family has strong ties to the community and , according to Miller , who had known Asa since he was 5 , Asa embodied this . `` He was a powerful presence : direct , smart , and had a way of bringing people together , '' Miller said . `` When you met him , you knew you met someone . We all did n't know each other , but we knew Asa and his family . '' | 7-year-old Asa Hill had asked his parents over and over to get married . The boy died last week after being injured in traffic accident . As parents dealt with his death , they decided to marry at the end of his funeral . Wedding came as a joyous surprise to mourners who filled the church . | [[28, 67], [1602, 1605], [1618, 1669], [297, 317], [326, 352], [353, 375], [515, 598], [758, 830], [2076, 2128], [2131, 2162], [2217, 2256], [353, 375], [515, 598], [2553, 2583], [2586, 2656]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The U.S. military did major damage to the site of one of the wonders of the ancient world while converting it into a base , the United Nations said in a new report . An U.S. soldier looks over the ancient city of Babylon in Iraq in 2004 . The site of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon was converted into Camp Alpha shortly after the United States invaded Iraq in 2003 . The troops and their contractors caused `` major damage '' by digging , cutting , scraping and leveling while they were revamping the site to meet military standards , the U.N. cultural agency , UNESCO , said in a report . `` Key structures that were damaged include the Ishtar Gate and the Processional Way , '' the report added . The Ishtar Gate , an entrance to the northern part of the city , is decorated with animals that portray the symbol of the god of the city of Babylon . `` Damage to the gate includes smashed bricks on nine of the bodies of the animals adorning the gate , '' according to the report . A military official said she had not seen the U.N. report , but added that one of the reasons troops set up a base at the site was to safeguard it . `` Coalition forces first occupied the Babylon site in April 2003 during the ground campaign of Operation Iraqi Freedom with a purpose , among others , of protecting the ruins from looting after the provincial museums in Babylon and Kufa were robbed of their entire contents , '' said Lt. Col. Tamara Parker , a spokeswoman . `` U.S. forces respect historical sites in Iraq , '' she added . The United Nations lists additional damage to the site , including trenches used as firing positions and barbed wire secured to various spots . The stakes used to set up the barbed wire damaged walls , according to the report . Babylon , an hour 's drive south of Baghdad , dates to ancient Mesopotamia . The city on the banks of the Euphrates River was the home of Hammurabi and later Nebuchadnezzar , who built the famous gardens for his wife . Alexander the Great wished to make Babylon his capital , but died before realizing his plan . During colonial times , archaeologists hauled off Babylon 's artifacts to Europe . Some of those artifacts can be seen in a museum in Berlin , Germany . The site was occupied by Camp Alpha from September 2003 till December 2004 , the report said . The United States has agreed to pay $ 800,000 to help rehabilitate the Babylon site , an Iraqi official said . `` We were very disappointed when multinational forces took over these ancient sites as bases although they knew how important these sites are to Iraqis and to the entire world , '' said Abdulzahra al-Talaqani , spokesman for the ministry of tourism . Plans are under way to clean up the area in August with the help of hundreds of volunteers , according to al-Talaqani . The U.N. report noted that U.S. troops were not solely responsible for ruining the 4,000-year-old city . Before their arrival , local residents had contributed to the damage , mostly through development , the report said . `` The features of the western side of the city of Babylon disappeared many years ago due to encroachment by agriculture and development on the archaeological zone , '' the report said . | U.N. report claims U.S. troops damaged city of Babylon during Iraq invasion . Camp Alpha was built on site of Iraq 's historic Hanging Gardens . Report cites extensive damage to Ishtar 's Gate , Processional Way . United States to pay $ 800,000 to clean Babylon site . | [[0, 9], [19, 108], [143, 184], [258, 385], [612, 626], [645, 693], [1541, 1595], [2330, 2413]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Renault Formula One team have commenced legal proceedings against former driver Nelson Piquet Junior over allegations made by the Brazilian that he was asked by the team to deliberately crash his car in last year 's Singapore Grand Prix . Renault boss Flavio Briatore has issued a statement confirming legal proceddings against Nelson Piquet Jr. . It has been claimed that Renault boss , Flavio Briatore , in order to maximize the chances of Fernando Alonso winning the 2008 race , planned the crash of teammate Piquet Jr. . Renault have hit back against the allegations concerning the event made by Piquet Jr in an official statement on their Web site . `` Managing Director Flavio Briatore personally wish -LSB- es -RSB- to state criminal proceedings against Nelson Piquet Junior and Nelson Piquet Senior -LSB- have commenced -RSB- in France concerning the making of false allegations , '' the statement read . The statement added the three-times former world champion and his son had also attempted to `` blackmail the team '' into allowing Piquet Jr to continue to drive until the end of the 2009 season . Renault , who dismissed Piquet Jr as their driver in August , confirmed they have referred the matter to the British police . The French car constructor face being thrown out of Formula One if the allegations are proved by an investigation being conducted by the governing body of world motorsport , the FIA . The team will go before the FIA 's World Motor Sport Council in Paris on September 21 to hear the findings of the probe . Double world champion Alonso won the race -- the first for Renault in two years -- despite starting from 15th on the grid . Intriguingly , Renault ran a light fuel load on Alonso 's car -- thereby increasing the driver 's speed . Just two laps after Alonso came in early to take on more fuel , Piquet 's crash forced the deployment of the safety car and the subsequent pit stop of nearly all other drivers , an action that promoted Alonso to fifth from where he went onto to secure victory . Piquet attributed the crash to a simple error at the time . Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone recently warned `` there is going to be a lot of trouble '' if the allegations are found to be true . The FIA proved with the spygate saga only circumstantial evidence is required for them to impose strict penalties . On that occasion they fined McLaren $ 80 million for breaching the same article that is now now faced by Renault . | Renault commence legal action against Nelson Piquet Jr over race-fixing claim . Team boss Flavio Briatore also accuses driver of `` blackmailing '' Renault . Allegations refer to Fernando Alonso 's 2008 Singapore Grand Prix victory . Renault to face findings of FIA investigation into incident on September 21 . | [[0, 15], [39, 140], [262, 370], [302, 370], [998, 1076], [1353, 1430], [1443, 1540], [1529, 1564]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Manchester United are given more injury-time at the end of matches to equalize or score winning goals than their English Premier League rivals , a study has revealed . Owen 's 96th minute winner at Old Trafford left Manchester City livid . As the row over the near seven minutes of added time accorded to United to win the Manchester derby with a last-gasp Michael Owen goal continues , the Guardian newspaper probed the official injury-time statistics . They looked at league matches at United 's Old Trafford ground since the start of the 2006-07 season and revealed that , on average , there has been over a minute of extra time added by referees when the English champions do not have the lead . This is compared to when they are in front , but United have a reputation for scoring late goals on their ways to claiming three straight Premier League crowns . In 48 games when Alex Ferguson 's men were in front , the average amount of stoppage time was 191.35 seconds . In 12 matches when United were drawing or losing there was an average of 257.17 seconds . In mitigation , the study revealed that the average stoppage time added at Old Trafford is below that at the home grounds of top four rivals Liverpool , Arsenal and Chelsea . United 's is 205 seconds , compared to Liverpool 's 210 seconds , 224 seconds for Arsenal and Chelsea 's 229 seconds . But it is the disparity between the time added on when United are winning or losing which appears to assert the popular assertion that referees allow the match to continue until the Red Devils either equalizer or score the winner . Manchester City manager Mark Hughes raged over the extra time in the 4-3 thriller on Sunday , speaking of feeling `` robbed '' as Owen slotted home his winner . The 2007-08 season shows the greatest difference , with an average of 178.29 second added when United were winning , with official stats from Opta showing 254.5 seconds added when they were not . The trend has continued in the first three United home games of the season . In the two matches United have led they have played an average 304 seconds of injury time . On Sunday , referee Martin Atkinson allowed the game to go on for another 415 seconds , despite his fourth official initially indicating 240 seconds should be added . | Official statistics show referee add more time when Man Utd trailing at home . Study conducted over the last three seasons shows disparity of over a minute . Man City manager Mark Hughes furious over amount of added time in 4-3 loss . | [[0, 15], [19, 100], [406, 473], [474, 478], [579, 668], [640, 718], [162, 186], [262, 403], [1608, 1699]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- California voters on Tuesday appear to have approved Proposition 8 , a measure banning same-sex marriage in the state . CNN legal analyst Sunny Hostin says the U.S. Supreme Court may have to rule on the issue of same-sex marriage . California 's secretary of state late Tuesday released semi-official results showing Proposition 8 had passed 52.5 percent to 47.5 percent . CNN has not officially called the result one way or the other . On Wednesday protesters took to the streets of Los Angeles to voice their opposition to the potential ban . And there are at least three legal challenges to it now pending in court . Kiran Chetry of CNN 's `` American Morning '' spoke Thursday with the program 's legal analyst , Sunny Hostin , about the issue . Chetry : California 's attorney general says that the constitutional amendment is not retroactive , and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom says he will continue to marry people until someone sues him to stop . So what does Prop 8 mean first of all to people who want to get married in the state of California ? Hostin : Well , we already know in Los Angeles they are no longer issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples . So in Los Angeles , it 's a no go . In San Francisco , as you mentioned , the mayor is saying , `` We 're still going to be doing it . '' So for people that are n't married yet , it 's really legal limbo . Chetry : All right . And what about people who from the time that they allowed same-sex marriage , this was in May until November , some 18,000 couples decided they were going to do it . What happens to them ? Is their marriage still valid ? Hostin : It 's still valid right now . But really they are also in a legal limbo . The bottom line it 's all over the place . The law is really unclear here . Last night , I was poring over these legal papers . I was also discussing this with a lot of law professors , a lot of different lawyers , and everyone is all over the place . Some folks said , you know , the bottom line is when you look at the language of Proposition 8 , it is very clear that it was meant to be retroactive and that means that all the marriages will be invalidated . Then another law professor that I spoke to said that is absolutely fundamentally ridiculous . The bottom line is this is a fundamental right that was given to couples and this is a right that is not going to be given away . I think we 're going to see a lot of litigation here , Kiran , and the bottom line is everyone is in a legal , legal limbo . Chetry : It 's very interesting the grounds for which they are challenging . At least in one of these lawsuits they said that it was a constitutional revision rather than an amendment . And that means it would need two-thirds approval of the House in the legislature . So do we think it could go to the state house in California as well as being fought in the courts ? Hostin : I really think this is going to be a legal issue . I think this is going to go before the California Supreme Court . And we already know as you mentioned that there are three cases pending before the California Supreme Court . And what is interesting to note is that it 's the very same court that allowed these marriages in the first place . And so , my guess is that that court is going to weigh in , probably reinstitute the right to marry for same-sex couples and then that 's going to be likely based on the U.S. Constitution and our Supreme Court is going to weigh in . What is I think extremely interesting here is that we now know that we have a president-elect , Obama . He 's going to get the opportunity likely to appoint Supreme Court justices . So we do n't even know which type of court or the makeup of the court that will hear this . But I think the Supreme Court will likely weigh in on this issue . Chetry : This was such a hot button issue in the state . More spending on either side , $ 35 million , $ 37 million on both sides . Hostin : Yes . Chetry : It was the highest funded campaign on any state ballot . Hostin : That 's right . Chetry : They say it trumped every other campaign except the presidential . Hostin : People care about this issue . I mean , they 're talking about discrimination , equal protection . It 's an issue that 's a hotbed issue . We also know , Kiran , that in Arizona and Florida that this ban was implemented . And so , you know , it 's all over the place . People care about this issue , and this is an issue that is really present . And I think that it 's something that , we , of course , have to watch because we 're talking about equal protection , we 're talking about discrimination . People care about these issues . Chetry : Sunny Hostin , great to see you . Thank you . Hostin : Thanks . iReport.com : Did you vote on a same-sex measure ? | California voters appear to have approved a ban on same-sex marriage . At least three court challenges have been filed against ban . CNN legal analyst says opinions on ban 's legality are `` all over the place '' Analyst says U.S. Supreme Court will likely be called upon to decide issue . | [[0, 15], [19, 85], [88, 138], [564, 615], [3029, 3138], [3052, 3138], [639, 733], [1739, 1765], [1942, 1974], [4383, 4391], [4394, 4420], [139, 250], [170, 250], [3447, 3487], [3766, 3828]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- CNN Chief International Correspondent Christiane Amanpour has broadcast from some of the world 's most challenging locations . Here , we bring together links to her documentaries and exclusive web-only footage . Generation Islam -LRB- 2009 -RRB- . Christiane gives viewers a look inside the battle for the hearts and minds of youth in the Muslim world and travels to two of the places where the fight is most intense -- Afghanistan and Gaza . - Generation Islam . - Video : The would-be suicide bomber . Buddha 's Warriors -LRB- 2008 -RRB- . Christiane meets the Dalai Lama and spends time with his flock for CNN 's 2008 special , `` Buddha 's Warriors , '' where she explores how people whose religion commits them to love , kindness and non-violence confront severe political oppression . - Behind the scenes : Buddha 's Warriors . - Interview with the Dalai Lama : On China | A moment of karma | On reincarnation . Notes from North Korea -LRB- 2008 -RRB- . Christiane travels to North Korea as the New York Philharmonic Orchestra makes a historic visit to one of the world 's most closed societies . She examines the tense standoff with the U.S. over nuclear weapons and provides a rare look inside a notorious , top-secret nuclear facility . - Notes from North Korea : Part 1 | Part 2 . - Yongbyon tour : Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 . - Behind the scenes : Amanpour 's notes . Scream Bloody Murder -LRB- 2008 -RRB- . Christiane reports from the world 's killing fields , where genocide has raged as the world watched -- and traces the personal accounts of those who tried to stop the slaughter . - Scream Bloody Murder . God 's Warriors -LRB- 2007 -RRB- . Christiane travelled to eight countries over eight months to examine the impact of the rise of religious fundamentalism as a powerful political force in three faiths : Judaism , Islam and Christianity . - God 's Warriors . - Video : Rev. Jerry Falwell 's final interview . Revolutionary Journey -LRB- 2000 -RRB- . Christiane , who left Iran at the start of the Islamic Revolution , returns to the country of her birth for an inside look at a country that after years of conservative Islamic rule , voted to keep President Khatami in office and his democratic reform efforts alive . - Revolutionary Journey : Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 . | CNN Chief International Correspondent , Christiane Amanpour presents `` Amanpour . '' See her award-winning documentaries and exclusive web footage here . In `` Scream Bloody Murder '' Christiane reports from the world 's killing fields . `` Revolutionary Journey '' sees Christiane return to Iran to explore her birth country . | [[146, 150], [153, 230], [0, 15], [57, 145], [1437, 1488], [1491, 1536], [1990, 2000], [2058, 2125]] |
London , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Something is stirring within the Hamas body politic , a moderating trend that , if nourished and engaged , could transform Palestinian politics and the Arab-Israeli peace process . There are unmistakable signs that the religiously based radical movement has subtly changed its uncompromising posture on Israel . For example , in the last few months top Hamas officials have publicly stressed that they want to be part of the solution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict , not part of the problem . What is happening inside Hamas ' mosques and social base shows a concerted effort on the part of its leadership to re-educate its rank and file about co-existence with the Jewish state and in so doing mentally prepare them for a permanent settlement in the future . In Gazan mosques , pro-Hamas clerics have begun to cite the example of Salah al-Din al-Ayubi , a famed Muslim military commander and statesman , who , after liberating Jerusalem from the Western Crusaders , allowed them to retain a coastal state of their own . The moral lesson of the story is that if the famed leader could tolerate the warring , bloodthirsty Crusaders , then today 's Palestinians should be willing to live peacefully with a Jewish state in their midst . This story is important because it provides Hamas with religious legitimacy and allows it to justify and explain its change of direction to followers . As an Islamic-based movement , Hamas ' very raison d'etre rests on religious legitimization , and its leaders understand that they neglect that at their peril . Hamas ' recent narrative marks a pronounced departure from the past in which Hamas moderates called for a minor or long-term truce . Now Hamas leaders appear to be going further by laying the ground for a shift in their position by educating their social base about the requirements of permanent peace -- recognition of the Jewish state . Although the evolution of Hamas ' stance on the peace process has been slow , gradual and qualified , in the last three years many of its leaders repeatedly have said they wanted a two-state solution . Pressed by an Australian journalist on policy changes that Hamas might make to any new order , Khaled Meshaal , the top Hamas leader and head of its political bureau based in Syria and considered a hard-liner , asserted that the organization has already shifted on several key points : `` Hamas already changed -- we accepted the national accords for a Palestinian state based on 1967 borders , and we took part in the 2006 Palestinian elections . '' Over the years , I have interviewed more than a dozen Hamas leaders inside and outside the Palestinian territories . Although , on the whole , Hamas ' public rhetoric calls for the liberation of all historic Palestine , not only the territories occupied in 1967 , a healthier debate occurs within . My recent conversations with Hamas ' rank and file suggest that the militant organization has evolved considerably since the group unexpectedly won power in Gaza in free elections in 2006 . Before then , Hamas was known for its suicide bombers , not its bureaucrats . But that had to change . `` It is much more difficult to run a government than to oppose and resist Israeli occupation , '' a senior Hamas leader told me while on official business in Egypt in 2007 . `` If we do not provide the goods to our people , they 'll disown us . '' Ironically , in spite of the West 's refusal to regard this government as legitimate , the democratic demands for governance from within Gaza are themselves driving change within Hamas . What is striking about Hamas ' recent shift of opinion toward the peace process is that it has come at a trying time for the Islamist organization which , in the last two years , has faced critical challenges from al Qaeda-like jihadist groups , a low-intensity civil war with rival Fatah , the ruling party of the Palestinian Authority , and a deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza . Last summer a militant group called Jund Ansar Allah , or the Warriors of God , one of a handful of radical al Qaeda-inspired factions , declared the establishment of an Islamic caliphate in Gaza , a flagrant rejection of Hamas ' authority . Hamas security forces struck instantly and mercilessly at the Warriors , killing more than 20 members , including the group 's leader , Abdel-Latif Moussa . In one stroke , the Hamas leadership sent a message to its foes and friends that it will not tolerate the existence of global jihadist groups such as al Qaeda : Hamas will not allow al Qaeda-inspired factions to turn Gaza into a theater to wage transnational jihad . However , the challenge to Hamas ' authority persists . Israel 's punishing siege of Gaza , in place since 2007 , along with the suffering and despair it has caused to its 1.4 million inhabitants , has driven hundreds of young Palestinians into the arms of small Salafist extremist factions that accuse Hamas of forfeiting the armed struggle and failing to implement Quranic or Shariah law . Operationally and ideologically , there are huge differences between Hamas and al Qaeda and its various inspired factions , and a lot of bad blood . Hamas is a broad-based religious/nationalist resistance whose focus and violence is limited to Palestine/Israel , while al Qaeda is a small , transnational terrorist group that has carried out attacks worldwide . Thus Hamas , unlike al Qaeda and other fringe factions , is not merely an armed militia but a viable social movement with a large popular base that has been estimated at more than half a million supporters and sympathizers . Hamas also has shown itself to be sensitive and responsive to Palestinian public opinion . A further example of its political and social priorities is Hamas ' decision to engage seriously with an Egyptian-brokered deal that sketches out a path to peace with rival Fatah . Despite its reactionary rhetoric , Hamas is a rational actor , a conclusion reached by former Mossad chief Ephraim Halevy , who also was Ariel Sharon 's national security adviser and who is certainly not an Israeli peacenik . The Hamas leadership has undergone a transformation `` right under our very noses '' by recognizing that `` its ideological goal is not attainable and will not be in the foreseeable future , '' Halevy wrote in Yedioth Ahronoth a few months ago . His verdict is that Hamas is now ready and willing to accept the establishment of a Palestinian state within the temporary borders of 1967 . Yet if Hamas is so eager to accept a two-state solution , why does n't it simply announce that it recognizes Israel 's existence and promise to negotiate a peace deal that allows the two countries to coexist ? In interviews with Hamas officials , they stress that their organization has made significant concessions to the so-called Quartet 's three conditions , though the Quartet -LRB- the United Nations , Russia , United States and European Union -RRB- has not lifted the punishing sanctions against Hamas nor has it effectively pressed Israel . Hamas ' diplomatic starting point will be to demand that Israel recognizes the nationalist rights of the Palestinians and withdraws from the occupied territories , but it will not be its final position . There could be no viable , lasting peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians if Hamas is not consulted about peacemaking and if the Palestinians remain divided with two warring authorities in the West Bank and in Gaza . Hamas has the means and public support to undermine any agreement that does not address the legitimate rights and claims of the Palestinian people . Its rival , Fatah and the Palestinian Authority , lacks a popular mandate and the legitimacy needed to implement a resolution of the conflict . President Mahmoud Abbas has been politically weakened by a series of blunders of his own making and by pressure by the U.S. , compromising his moral authority in the eyes of a sizable Palestinian constituency . If , instead of ignoring Hamas or , worse yet , seeking its overthrow , the United States and Europe engaged the Islamically based organization , diplomatically and politically , and encouraged it to continue moderating its views , the West could test the extent of Hamas ' evolution and find out if the organization is willing to accept a settlement based on the two-state solution . So far , the strategy of isolating and militarily confronting Hamas pursued by Israel and the Bush administration has not appeared to weaken the organization dramatically . If anything , what success this strategy has had in undermining Hamas has been counterproductive , since it has radicalized hundreds of young Palestinians who have joined extremist al Qaeda-inspired factions and reinforced the culture of martyrdom and nihilism . To break this impasse , and prevent further gains by more extremist factions , the U.S. and Europe should support a unified Palestinian government that could negotiate peace with Israel . The ongoing Egyptian-brokered truce deal between Hamas and Fatah is an opportunity that may be built on to repair and strengthen intra-Palestinian governing institutions that have been frayed as a result of intense rivalry in the last two years . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Fawaz A. Gerges . | There are signs Hamas is taking new stance on Israel , Fawaz A. Gerges says . He says pro-Hamas clerics are preparing people for coexistence . Hamas is fighting groups inspired by al Qaeda , Gerges says . He urges West to test Hamas ' willingness to engage in Mideast peace process . | [[3728, 3753], [3786, 3850], [8249, 8257], [8305, 8367]] |
LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Anna Nicole Smith 's bizarre introduction of rapper Kanye West at the 2004 American Music Awards took center stage on the first day of a preliminary hearing for three people facing charges stemming from her death . Anna Nicole Smith 's death on February 8 , 2007 , was ruled to be from `` acute combined drug intoxication . '' Prosecutors said they wanted Judge Robert Perry to see how the former Playboy model and reality TV star was affected by what they alleged was an illegal conspiracy to prescribe , administer and dispense controlled substances to an addict . Howard K. Stern , Smith 's lawyer and companion , and co-defendants Dr. Khristine Eroshevich and Dr. Sandeep Kapoor each entered not guilty pleas in Los Angeles County Superior Court in September . The preliminary hearing , which lawyers said could last three weeks , is an opportunity for the defense to `` lock in '' the testimony of prosecution witnesses , one defense lawyer said . It is not expected to result in any charges being dropped , he said . The lawyer for Stern , who faces 11 felony counts , said to prove a conspiracy , the prosecutor would have to show Stern knew it was illegal to use fake names to obtain narcotics for Smith , which he said was to protect her privacy . `` He has no reason to believe that there was anything improper in what was going on , '' defense lawyer Steve Sadow said . `` He honestly believed that if the doctor said he could do it this way and , in fact , did it , then it was legitimate and lawful . '' Smith 's death in a Hollywood , Florida , hotel on February 8 , 2007 , was ruled to be from `` acute combined drug intoxication , '' the Broward County , Florida , medical examiner said . Smith 's introduction of Kanye West -- projected on a courtroom screen -- was a brief respite from a mostly tedious hearing spent shuffling through prescription records . `` Like my body ? '' a slim and busty Smith asked as she showed off her tight-fitting gown . Smith slurred much of her speech as she tried to read from a teleprompter . `` Make some noise for my boy , Kanye West , '' Smith finally yelled . Sadow said the video should be viewed in the context of the medical problems Smith was suffering at the time . `` We all have bad days , and she suffered from seizures and she had medical problems , '' Sadow said . `` So , if she 's on medication for that , -LSB- it -RSB- would explain her activity . '' Stern sat with his head in his hands at times while the government 's lead investigator described what happened the day Smith died at the Hard Rock Hotel . Danny Santiago , special agent for the California Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement , said investigators found 12 types of prescription drugs , including dangerous opiates , in the hotel room . Seven of them were prescribed using Stern 's name , although spelled `` Stearn , '' he said . Two of the drugs apparently were for treatment of `` flu-like symptoms '' Smith was suffering when she arrived at the hotel three days before her death , he said . A hotel employee who saw Smith and Stern arrive told investigators she `` was n't her normal vivacious self , '' Santiago said . Another hotel worker who had closely assisted Smith during several earlier stays said she was not allowed contact with Smith , which she said was `` very unusual , '' Santiago testified . The workers said they were told Smith was suffering from `` flu-like symptoms . '' The autopsy revealed Smith had a bacterial infection , Santiago said . When Stern left the hotel on the morning of February 8 to shop for a new boat , he asked Tasma Brighthaupt , a registered nurse who is married to Smith 's bodyguard , to watch over Smith , who he said was sleeping , the investigator said . Brighthaupt sat next to the bed , surfing the Internet with a laptop and talking on her cell phone , believing Smith was sleeping , he said . Finally , Brigette Neben , described as a friend of Smith 's , noticed her lips were turning blue and her skin was pale , he said . When the nurse was unable to find a pulse , she called her husband , Maurice Brighthaupt . He then called the hotel desk , where an employee called for paramedics . CPR efforts by the bodyguard and paramedics failed to revive Smith , who was then taken to Hollywood Memorial Hospital , where she was pronounced dead , the investigator said . A series of affidavits used by state investigators to obtain search warrants in their 2 1/2 - year investigation was unsealed last month , revealing many details , including an account of one witness who told investigators she saw Stern inject Smith with drugs . Other affidavits included a medical expert 's conclusion that Smith , whose real name was Vickie Lynn Marshall , was given drugs in `` excessive amounts '' and a pharmacist who said he had refused to fill a prescription for a long list of strong narcotics . | Video played at preliminary hearing on reality star Smith 's death . 3 charged with conspiracy to prescribe , administer and dispense drugs . Howard Stern , Khristine Eroshevich , Sandeep Kapoor have pleaded not guilty . | [[205, 258], [496, 610], [611, 617], [727, 808]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The United States temporarily closed its government facilities in South Africa on Tuesday after a `` possible threat '' to its embassy , the U.S. State Department said . The U.S. Consulate in Johannesburg , South Africa , is among the American facilities closed Tuesday . The U.S. Embassy in Pretoria and other government offices in South Africa will remain closed Wednesday as the security threat is being monitored , embassy spokeswoman Sharon Hudson-Dean said . State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said the action was a precaution . `` We are ... notifying the American community in South Africa to remain vigilant , '' Kelly said . `` We are also maintaining close contact with South African authorities on this issue . '' He had no further details on the `` possible threat '' to the embassy in Pretoria . A note on the embassy 's Web site said all U.S. government facilities in South Africa were temporarily closed following `` information recently received '' by regional security officials . Kelly said the embassy 's Emergency Action Committee met and is formulating an appropriate course of action . CNN 's Nkepile Mabuse and Elise Labott contributed to this report . | NEW : U.S. Embassy in Pretoria , other offices will be closed additional day . U.S. State Department spokesman calls temporary closings a precaution . Americans in South Africa told to remain `` vigilant '' | [[30, 146], [261, 301], [302, 446], [495, 566], [537, 566], [567, 648], [581, 629], [651, 666]] |
BERLIN , Germany -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel defeated her foreign minister Sunday to win another four-year term , according to exit polls reported by German television network NTV . German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her husband , Joachim Sauer , vote Sunday in Berlin . NTV reported Merkel 's center-right Christian Democratic Union -LRB- CDU -RRB- party received 33.7 percent of the vote , based on exit poll projections . The polls show Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier 's center-left Social Democrats received 23.4 percent , the network reported . `` Not only are you happy , I am very happy as well , '' Merkel told cheering supporters at her headquarters . `` We 've accomplished something great . We 've done it . We 've reached our election goal , to retain a stable majority in Germany and a new government with a new coalition . '' The crowd chanted , `` Angie , Angie , Angie . '' Steinmeier , meanwhile , conceded what he called `` a bitter defeat '' for the Social Democrats . `` The voters have decided , and the result is a bad day , '' Steinmeier said in a speech to supporters . He thanked those who helped lead his campaign and those who supported him . The two parties currently are in a coalition , with Steinmeier as foreign minister . Few doubted that Merkel 's party would receive the most votes . The question was what kind of coalition will be formed -- another broad centrist one , across the political divide , or a more right-leaning one . Merkel favors cutting taxes to spur growth , while Steinmeier opposes tax breaks . The country is deep in debt . What 's at stake in the German election '' Voters chose members of the lower house of parliament , or Bundestag , who will pick the head of government . Each German had two votes -- one for a member of parliament representing a district and another for a political party . The election Sunday followed release of a threatening videos from al Qaeda and the Taliban warning Germans not to vote for leaders who want to keep the country 's troops in Afghanistan . Security was tightened at airports and train stations , and authorities on Saturday banned all flights over the Oktoberfest beer festival until it ends on October 4 . The annual event attracts about 6 million people . About 62 million people were eligible to vote , out of Germany 's population of 82 million . CNN 's Fred Pleitgen contributed to this report . | Chancellor Angela Merkel defeats her foreign minister , exit polls indicate . `` This is a bitter defeat , '' says challenger Frank-Walter Steinmeier . Merkel 's center-right Christian Democratic Union got 33.7 % of vote , TV reports . Steinmeier 's center-left Social Democrats received 23.4 percent , network says . | [[0, 6], [9, 134], [9, 32], [137, 160], [405, 413], [416, 448], [924, 934], [949, 1021], [295, 373], [358, 413], [449, 536], [464, 558]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Salvadoran immigrant suspected in the 2001 slaying of Washington intern Chandra Levy told at least two people he killed her , according to an affidavit filed in the case . Ingmar Guandique is serving a 10-year sentence for two assaults in the park where Chandra Levy 's body was found . Ingmar Guandique , 27 , also kept a magazine photo of Levy in his prison cell , stated the affidavit detailing evidence supporting a warrant for his arrest for first-degree murder . Guandique is in prison in California for two assault convictions . Guandique boasted of his ties to the violent Salvadoran gang Mara Salvatrucha , or MS-13 , and told witnesses that he was known as `` Chuckie '' -- the name of a demonic doll in a series of horror movies -- because he had a reputation for `` killing and chopping up people , '' the affidavit states . D.C. Metro police and federal prosecutors released the affidavit on Tuesday , announcing they would charge Guandique with first-degree murder in the Levy case . He has not been charged with any other slayings . Watch the police announce arrest '' The affidavit revealed that Levy , 25 , fought for her life , scratching her attacker on his face and giving him a `` fat lip . '' Guandique said he received the injuries in a fight with his girlfriend . But the girlfriend later told police that while Guandique struck and bit her at times , she never hit him , the document says . Guandique is serving concurrent 10-year sentences in connection with attacks on two other joggers in the park during the summer of 2001 . He told probation officials the attacks were motivated by robbery , but no valuables were taken from either victim . Guandique was arrested after the second attack -- exactly two months after Levy 's slaying . D.C. Metro police began to take a hard second look at him in 2008 , the affidavit shows . He has repeatedly denied to authorities that he killed Levy , and his public defenders have cautioned against a rush to judgment , citing what they called flaws in the investigation . The affidavit details a case built largely on circumstantial evidence collected over the eight years since Levy disappeared , apparently while jogging along the Western Ridge trail in Washington 's Rock Creek Park . It portrays Guandique as an opportunistic attacker who came up behind female joggers , grabbing them as they were tiring and becoming winded . The affidavit includes highlights from interviews with a dozen witnesses , who are not identified by name and are instead given numbers . One witness , who frequently exchanged letters with the suspect , told police Guandique had told him as early as 2003 that he killed a young woman in the park . During a taped 2008 phone conversation with the witness , `` Guandique acknowledged that he had told W9 about the ` girl who 's dead , '' ' the affidavit says . Another witness told police that Guandique said he and two male teenagers were sitting on a bench in a park smoking marijuana laced with cocaine when a woman with dark , thick hair jogged by . The witness said Guandique thought she `` looked good '' and told the two teens that he was going to `` get her . '' Guandique told the witness that the three followed her along a path , then grabbed her and forced her off the trail . When she started screaming , he grabbed her by the neck and choked her to death , so that other people in the park would not hear her cries for help . It is not clear from the affidavit whether the two teens Guandique said were with him actually exist . Police have said no other arrests are imminent , but the investigation is continuing . Timeline of Levy 's disappearance '' Levy 's skull was found in the park on May 22 , 2002 -- more than a year after she disappeared . A search turned up other remains , as well as clothing later identified as hers strewn down the side of a ravine . Her running shoes were unlaced . He clothes were turned inside out , the pants knotted in tight restraints around her legs . `` It appears that Guandique wanted Ms. Levy naked and incapacitated , '' states the affidavit , signed by D.C. Metro Det. Todd Williams . Also among the witnesses are two women who were attacked in Rock Creek Park during the summer of 2001 , along with a woman who narrowly escaped her attacker at about 2 p.m. on May 1 , 2001 -- about the same time Levy is believed to have been jogging in the park . All three identified Guandique from photographs as the man who stalked them in Rock Creek Park . `` I do not doubt that he purposely stalked me as a hunter tracks his prey , '' one of the victims told police , according to the affidavit . The other victim described him as `` a bold and practiced attacker , '' the affidavit said . `` He waited until he thought I was fatigued from jogging up a hill and purposefully selected a secluded spot right next to a deep ravine . I fear for other women who may appear to be more vulnerable than I did . '' Guandique also allegedly described his methods to one of the witnesses in whom he confided , according to the affidavit . `` Guandique said he would hide on a dirt path and wait for the girl to walk by . He would then lasso the girl around the neck and tie her hands and feet together behind her back to prevent her from scratching or kicking him , '' the affidavit quotes the witness as saying . It continues : `` After the girl was tied up , he would rape her . Guandique admitted that he did not always know whether his victims were still alive at the end of the attack , but that it did not matter , because they would be eaten by the animals , like coyotes and vultures . '' Police visited Guandique at a federal prison in California in November , according to the affidavit . They found him to be heavily tattooed , with multiple MS-13 gang tattoos , as well as `` Chuckie '' tattoos and a devil tattooed on his head . One tattoo on his back depicts the `` Chuckie '' movie character holding a knife , according to the affidavit . Guandique learned last week from media reports that he would be arrested in the Levy murder case and , according to a witness , responded with an expletive . `` They got me now . What am I gon na do ? '' the witness quoted Guandique as saying , according to the affidavit . He vowed that he was not `` going to go out alone , '' telling the witness he planned to set a fire with a battery and tissues , then use a homemade handcuff key to escape . He said he would kill the detectives with `` shanks , '' or weapons made in prison . A search of his cell on February 26 turned up the items he described to the witness , the affidavit says . They included an AA battery , several tissues , a toenail clipper fashioned into a sharp piece of metal , and a device made of a razor blade . Authorities said Guandique will be brought to Washington in the next 45 to 60 days and formally charged , ending a chapter in one of Washington 's most notorious cold cases . Although the case 's notoriety was fed by news reports linking Levy to a married congressman , U.S. Rep. Gary Condit 's name does not appear at all in the affidavit supporting the case against the man police want to charge with her murder . | NEW : Affidavit says suspect kept a magazine photo of Chandra Levy in prison cell . NEW : Witnesses say suspect known as `` Chuckie , '' like demonic movie doll . An arrest warrant for Ingmar Guandique was signed Tuesday . Levy disappeared in May 2001 ; her body was found a year later . | [[0, 26], [160, 185], [321, 337], [350, 398], [570, 579], [665, 714], [273, 281], [288, 320]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A man who was raised at Camp Lejeune told lawmakers Thursday that he blames contaminated water at the U.S. Marines training base for his breast cancer . Government records show decades of contaminated water at Camp Lejeune , North Carolina . Michael Partain , who was diagnosed two years ago at the age of 39 , told the Senate Committee on Veterans ' Affairs that his parents were stationed at the base in North Carolina when he was born . At least 40 former U.S. Marines or sons of Marines who lived at Camp Lejeune have been diagnosed with the cancer that strikes fewer than 2,000 men a year , compared with about 200,000 women . The committee hearing was focused on exposure by military personnel to hazardous materials in the United States , Japan and Iraq , including toxic smoke from burn pits in Iraq and contaminated water . Partain said that during his mother 's pregnancy , the family was exposed to high levels of tetrachloroethylene , trichloroethylene , dichloroethylene , benzene and vinyl chloride in the tap water at the military base . `` I am one of about 40 men who share this unique commonality of male breast cancer and exposure to contaminated tap water -LSB- at -RSB- Camp Lejeune , '' he told the committee . The Marines with breast cancer served or lived at Camp Lejeune between the 1960s and 1980s . Government records show that the camp 's water was contaminated for three decades . Although the Marine Corps contends that two independent studies have found no link between water contamination and later illnesses , the men facing a debilitating and possibly lethal disease do n't believe it . Partain said his illness has been been a `` traumatic , emotional and physical '' ordeal for his family . Two North Carolina senators -- Richard Burr , the ranking Republican on the committee , and Kay Hagan , a Democrat who is not a panel member -- are pushing legislation that would require the Department of Veterans Affairs to cover the medical costs of Marines and their families who were exposed to the contaminated water . The provision , which has passed the Senate , would amend the Defense Appropriations Bill to prohibit the Navy from `` disposing of water-contamination claims before critical scientific studies can be completed . '' According to Hagan , the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry , which is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , is conducting human health and water modeling studies to determine whether the toxic water contributed to health problems at the base . Some of the water was contaminated with toxins at concentrations up to 280 times what is currently considered safe by the Environmental Protection Agency , Hagan said . The bill covers the period between 1957 and 1987 . `` I think it should be our mission to give these families complete answers , '' she said . `` They ca n't get closure until the remaining CDC studies , which are in progress , are complete . '' Sen. Roland Burris , D-Illinois , added , `` I am deeply concerned about possible environmental hazards in places where we are fighting two wars . '' He and other senators agreed that current military personnel and veterans should not have to battle red tape to get health care and benefits . Russell Powell , a medic with the 1092nd West Virginia Army National Guard , said that from April 2003 to June 2004 , the unit was assigned to the Qarmat Ali water treatment plant in Basra , Iraq , to provide security for contractors with KBR , an engineering and construction company hired by the Defense Department to provide services in Iraq . When the platoon reached the plant , they found it in disarray and coated with orange-colored dust , he testified . Large bags of the dust had been ripped open , and frequent dust storms blew through the facility , he said . At no time were the security guards offered protective clothing , masks or respirators , Powell said . After a few weeks , several soldiers began getting lesions on their hands , arms , faces and nostrils . `` As a medic , I felt very concerned for the safety and health of persons exposed . I questioned one of the KBR workers , and he told me that his supervisors told him not to worry about it , that we were allergic to sand and dust , '' according to Powell . When he went to a military doctor with his symptoms , the physician prescribed Motrin and Tylenol . Soon after , Powell began coughing up blood and was hospitalized . His face and lips were burned , and he could barely swallow , he said . Powell left Iraq in April 2004 , still suffering symptoms , he said . Doctors did n't know what it was . This year , he said , he received a letter from the West Virginia National Guard that said he and others may have been exposed to sodium dichromate . The medic said he 's aware that research is being done . Sodium dichromate is a poisonous red-orange crystalline compound . Another witness , Stacy Pennington , cried in the hearing room as she described the agony her brother suffered before he died . Army Staff Sgt. Steven Ochs was 27 when he was deployed to Iraq in 2003 , she said . He was assigned at one point to Balad Air Base in northern Iraq , where there was a large burn pit : a junk pit where plastics , food , medical waste and , Pennington said , possibly even body parts were burned . The toxic smoke wafted over the area . Dr. Bill Halperin , who heads a subcommittee of the Defense Health Board , an advisory committee to the Secretary of Defense , said in a presentation last year that before three incinerators were installed , the burn pit received as much as 500,000 pounds of waste a day . After Ochs returned from his third Iraq tour , he was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia , his sister said . He spent 10 months at Duke University Hospital , where doctors , she said , told him that his aggressive form of the disease was `` definitely chemically induced '' by exposures to toxic materials in Iraq and Afghanistan , where Ochs also had served . | NEW : National Guard medic testifies about exposure in Iraq . Man tells Senate panel that his family was stationed at base when he was born . He was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago at age 39 . Family was exposed to chemicals in tap water during mother 's pregnancy , he says . | [[272, 287], [341, 450], [389, 469], [272, 289], [294, 338], [863, 1082], [881, 911], [914, 1082], [2017, 2035], [2040, 2080]] |
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]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Phillip Garrido was registered as a sex offender , regularly visited by parole officers and fitted with an ankle bracelet to track his movements -- but nothing prevented him from being around children , according to a victims ' advocacy group . Phillip Garrido , a registered sex offender , was arraigned in California on Friday . Garrido is charged with kidnapping Jaycee Lee Dugard in 1991 , when she was 11 , and raping her over the course of years . Police say Dugard lived in a huddle of tents and outbuildings hidden behind Garrido 's home , and gave birth to two daughters , now 11 and 15 , fathered by Garrido . Garrido and his wife Nancy were arrested last week . Both have pleaded not guilty . `` Here we have a guy who is essentially under every kind of supervision we allow . Law enforcement had every tool available to them , and -LSB- the tools -RSB- failed , '' said Robert Coombs , spokesman for the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault . Gordon Hinkle , spokesman for the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation , said a parole officer visited Garrido at his home , sometimes unannounced , twice a month . Garrido was also required to go to the agent 's office once or twice a month , Hinkle said . Garrido wore a GPS anklet , and his movements were tracked passively , Hinkle said , meaning parole officers checked his location after the fact , as opposed to active monitoring , which involves watching parolees ' comings and goings in real time . Despite the tight supervision , Garrido `` was technically allowed to be around minors , '' Coombs said , because his parole stemmed from the November 1976 rape of Katie Callaway Hall , who was 25 at the time of the assault . He was sentenced in 1977 to 50 years at the federal penitentiary in Leavenworth , Kansas , for kidnapping , because he abducted Hall in California and transported her across the state line to Reno , Nevada , where he raped her in a warehouse , according to court documents . A Nevada court separately sentenced him to five years to life for the rape conviction , the Reno Gazette-Journal reported . While in prison in 1978 , Garrido sent a handwritten letter to Judge Bruce R. Thompson , saying he was recovering from seven years of LSD use and progressing well . `` I am so ashamed of my past . But my future is now in controle -LSB- sic -RSB- , '' he wrote . Court documents show Garrido requested that his 50-year sentence be reduced to 25 , making him eligible for parole in eight years , `` where he could be released to the state of Nevada as an educated person and being a rehabilitated person . '' According to a 1978 court transcript , attorney Willard Van Hazel Jr. told a judge , `` Without the influence of any of this drug involvement , I think Mr. Garrido would pause before carrying out sexual fantasies . '' After more than a decade at Leavenworth , Garrido received a federal parole but was sent to Carson City , Nevada , in January 1988 to serve his rape sentence . However , according to the Reno Gazette-Journal , he was automatically eligible for state parole because of the time served in federal prison . The Nevada Offender Tracking Information System indicates he appeared four times before the parole board , which granted his request in August 1988 , about 11 years after he was incarcerated . He moved to Antioch , California . Three years later , 11-year-old Dugard was abducted from her home in South Lake Tahoe , California , about 100 miles northeast . `` He served about 20 percent of his sentence , and it does n't take a mathematician to figure out if he served only one-third of his sentence , Jaycee Dugard does n't end up in the predicament that she 's in , '' said Andy Kahan , a crime victims ' advocate in Houston , Texas . Citing revised federal sentencing guidelines , Kahan and Illinois defense attorney Stephen Komie concur that this is not something that could happen today . `` If he got 50 years , say , he would have 600 months . He would only get 50 months off . He would do 550 months , '' Komie said . `` So this would not be repeated in the federal system again . '' Added Kahan , `` You 're going to have to do at least a minimum of half of your term without any good time credits before you can even see the light of day or say hello to a parole board member . '' In 1993 , five years after his release from a Nevada prison , Garrido was jailed on a parole violation , but it 's unclear what that offense was . Tom Hutchinson , spokesman for the U.S. Parole Commission , said documents have been requested and should be available later this week . Garrido was released later that year . California took over his parole supervision in 1999 , Hinkle said , but regular visits did nothing to unearth Dugard 's abduction or Garrido 's backyard secrets . Another visit by law enforcement was the direct result of a 2006 call a neighbor made to 911 , reporting that women and children were living in tents behind Garrido 's house . Contra Costa County Sheriff Warren E. Rupf said he did n't think the deputy who responded knew at the time that Garrido was a sex offender and the deputy spoke to Garrido in the home 's front yard . `` We should have been more inquisitive , more curious and turned over a rock or two , '' the sheriff said . `` We missed an opportunity to bring earlier closure to this situation . '' Hinkle acknowledged that neighbors called police again with a similar complaint in 2008 . To his knowledge , Hinkle said , the deputy did n't contact Garrido 's parole officer in either instance . Even if the deputy had made contact , there is no guarantee the parole officer would have found the compound . It was that well-hidden , Hinkle said . `` If you were to walk in the backyard , you would see a fence that ran from one end to the other , '' Hinkle said , describing how the fence created the illusion of a `` false backyard . '' `` It would not be immediately apparent that -LSB- the tents and outbuildings were -RSB- back there , '' he said . Kahan partially blames the economics of the criminal justice system -- not just in California , but nationwide -- and said Garrido likely became less of a priority as the time since his crimes passed . Despite the heinous nature of Garrido 's 1976 crime , it paled in comparison to allegedly holding a young girl hostage and raping her for 18 years , Coombs said . `` Nothing in this guy 's case history indicated he was capable of such evil , if you will , '' he said . `` It was so far out of the picture , they did n't even look for it . '' Rather than there not being enough money to fund the proper supervision of parolees , it 's more a matter of priorities , Coombs said , citing the GPS device Garrido wore on his ankle . Although CALCASA has no official tally , it estimates California has spent roughly $ 500 million on GPS devices for 6,600 of the state 's sex offenders . Garrido was fitted with a device after 2006 when voters OK 'd a law requiring felony sex offenders to wear tracking devices for life . `` We know where this guy is , so we think we 're safe , '' he said , `` but the place where we knew he was was the place where he was offending . GPS just tells you where they are . It does n't tell you what they 're doing . '' Each dollar spent on GPS equipment `` is one dollar you 're not spending on real , traditional parole techniques , like talking to collateral contacts and neighbors , '' he said . Coombs also criticized the lack of communication across jurisdictions . Had Garrido 's parole officer received a call from police and spoken to the neighbor who made the 911 call in 2006 , authorities might have found Dugard three years earlier , Coombs said . Hinkle said the officer who flushed out Garrido 's alleged crimes had only been supervising him since December . When the officer learned from campus police that Garrido had 11 - and 15-year-old girls in tow while proselytizing at the University of California-Berkeley , he called Garrido in for a meeting . Garrido arrived with his wife , Dugard and the two girls . Hinkle would not provide details of the conversation -- it could affect the investigation and prosecution , he said -- but he did say Garrido and his wife were not forthcoming about Dugard 's and the girls ' identities . It was the parole officer 's diligence that ultimately yielded the Garridos ' arrest and Dugard and her daughters ' freedom . Said Hinkle , `` They were coming in being elusive and deceptive about their identities , and the agent would not let go . '' CNN 's Mallory Simon , Irving Last and Kiran Chetry contributed to this report . | NEW : Parole officer may have seen `` false backyard , '' suspected nothing , official says . NEW : Spokesman : Deputy did n't call parole officer after 911 calls about Garrido . Garrido was released from prison early after saying he had drug use under control . Garrido likely became lower priority as time since his crimes passed , expert says . | [[5503, 5514], [5517, 5590], [2154, 2161], [2217, 2292], [6166, 6229], [6171, 6249]] |
LITHIA SPRINGS , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- As Zack Stephney stepped into the floodwaters last week , history washed over him . Thirty years after his father drowned in a rescue attempt , Zack Stephney helped save a woman whose car sank . The youngest of five children , he was only 8 when his father died . For three decades , he 'd carried with him mere snapshots of memories : Family time at Christmas . Riding on the back of Dad 's motorcycle . Tommie Stephney 's love for drag-racing . But as the 37-year-old Douglasville , Georgia , man set out September 22 to try and save a woman whose car was swept away by rushing waters , he thought of his father 's drowning . He , too , had fought to rescue people struggling against currents . That was in 1979 . Tommie Stephney , a City of Atlanta employee , dove into the Chattahoochee River in Atlanta , Georgia , to save canoeists who 'd flipped their boat , his son said . He safely brought two to shore . The third , he said , panicked -- forcing them both under . It would be a week before his father 's body was found . Dying in the massive floodwaters could n't be Zack 's fate . Certainly not this day . It was his mother Eva 's 72nd birthday . Lord knows she did n't deserve news like that . ` All in a blink of an eye ' Melissa Brooks was heading east en route to Dunwoody , Georgia , for an important morning meeting with her boss . She does n't know why , but it simply did n't register with the Douglasville woman that she was the only one traveling along that stretch of I-20 . No signs or barriers told her she should n't be there . The water up ahead ? It simply looked like a puddle , albeit a big one , the kind that would send a huge spray flying . `` I got halfway through it , and it took control of my car . It started taking me backwards -- all in a blink of an eye , '' she said Tuesday . `` I knew I was in serious trouble . '' The Atlanta-area terminal for Werner Enterprises , a large trucking company off I-20 on Blairs Bridge Road , was abuzz that morning . Floodwater from nearby Sweetwater Creek had taken over a large swathe of the property , worse than they had ever seen . Nearly 30 mechanics had scrambled down to the lower lot to move about 100 semis , the water topping their tires . Some guys , including Stephney , a shop foreman who 's been with Werner for nearly 19 years , looked out in wonder at the green space next to the lot , which had turned into a wide moving river . When they first saw the silver Mazda coming through the trees from the interstate , they laughed , thinking it had been carried out of someone 's driveway . But after it hit a submerged fence and spun around , they spotted Brooks , 40 , frantically waving . `` My eyes zoomed in to see her fear , '' said Stephney . And as the car started to go under , he thought , `` This woman is going to drown in front of us . '' Taking charge . Brooks thought back to the movies she 'd seen , kept the car running and hit the power button to lower the window before it was too late . She was a good swimmer , she knew that much , and with this knowledge -- and purse in hand , of course , she would recall with a laugh -- Brooks pushed herself into the torrent . The current , however , was stronger than she was . It pulled her where it wanted . She grabbed on to what appeared to be a small tree . `` Hold on ! Hold on ! '' Brooks heard their voices and held herself together . She was n't crying , but she was scared for her life . The tree branches began breaking . Stephney had taken off running , back up to the parts room to grab a spool of 1,000-foot yellow nylon rope , the sort used to tie tarps over flatbeds . He threw on a fluorescent safety vest , so the men on shore could easily spot him in the filthy water . Bigger men , including 265-pound Chris Mayfield , were ready to jump into the water . But Stephney , 100 pounds lighter , was laying out a plan in his head . Pulling him out would be easier , he told the men . Why make the job harder with a heavier man ? `` He took charge like he 'd done this a hundred times , '' Mayfield , 24 , said . Maybe it was his training in the U.S. Army Reserves after high school or his father 's experience , but keeping everyone calm , warding off panic , was top of Stephney 's mind . More than 25 men stationed themselves on two points around the water as he waded in , and fed out the rope tied around him . He worked his way along the 6-foot-high , nearly submerged fence topped with barbed wire , struggling against the current to get close to Brooks , whose car had jumped the fence . The depth of the water worried him . Weeds tugged at his feet and legs . '' ` What 's your name ? ' '' Brooks remembered him asking calmly , his eyes locked on hers . Then , he said , '' ` Melissa , everything 's going to be OK . ' And I believed him . '' She called Stephney the `` leader of the pack , '' and remembered him shouting to the others , `` Guys , let 's pull this together . If we do n't pull this together , we 're going to lose her . '' On the other side of the fence was a stranger , Doug Weghorn . That morning , he 'd been checking out the damage to his neighborhood when he came upon the mess abutting Werner Enterprises . Weghorn , 45 , was now in the water as well . With a rope in his hand , unknowingly fed to him by Stephney 's team , he snatched Brooks from the tree . It was n't until Stephney was out of the water that he knew , for certain , that he and Brooks had made it . The ` what ifs ' The first call was to his wife , Leaquarius , the mother of his three children . She did n't believe him when he told her what had happened . `` I kid you not , '' he told her . `` You want to smell me ? '' He took a shower at work , scrubbed every inch of himself with a whole bottle of Clorox and joked that he was surprised his hair did n't turn white . He showered again , stepped into spare clothes and put in a full day on the job . It would be at least a few hours before he could call his mother . He knew she might get upset . A week later , the death toll in Georgia from the floods was 10 . Standing along the fence still tangled with weeds and debris , Stephney peered down at Brooks ' mucked-up car , knowing that number could have been higher . `` It could 've happened to me the same way it did my dad , '' he said . The `` what ifs '' keep spinning through his head : . What if her window had n't been down ? What if they 'd never spotted her ? What if she 'd failed to stay calm ? Mixed in are thoughts about his father , a man he in many ways struggles to remember . What Stephney did was not unlike the countless heroic efforts that played out in disaster areas during the flood . First responders and regular citizens risked their own lives to save others . But he had something else pushing him , the kind of inspiration rooted in family legacy . And without a doubt , Tommie Stephney would have been proud of his boy . | Man enters flood to rescue woman , 30 years after father drowned saving others . Woman 's car washes off I-20 in Georgia , ` in a blink of an eye , ' she says . Co-workers hold rope while he goes in , trying to keep everyone calm . Thoughts of his father and the ` what ifs ' stay with him . | [[0, 14], [47, 99], [128, 185], [188, 238], [495, 526], [539, 587], [529, 536], [575, 630], [529, 536], [575, 630], [4223, 4244], [4247, 4258], [4267, 4296], [6367, 6404], [6521, 6559]] |
NEW DELHI , India -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Indian authorities Tuesday filed a police complaint against Continental Airlines for frisking a former president of the country as he was to travel to New York in April . Former president APJ Abdul Kalam was exempt from body checks , officials said . Civil aviation officials in New Delhi accused Continental of gross violation of Indian security rules that prohibit pre-embarkation body checks on certain dignitaries like a former president . The police complaint followed a probe that had established that APJ Abdul Kalam was subject to frisking before he boarded a flight from New Delhi to New York on April 21 , the Indian civil aviation ministry said in a statement . The ministry also alleged the airline did not respond to its show-cause notice in connection with Kalam 's body checks . In its police complaint , Indian civil aviation authorities accused the airline staff of `` willful violation '' of their directions on exemptions from pre-embarkation frisking . Continental , however , insisted it followed standard American air-safety procedures . `` TSA -LRB- Transportation Security Administration -RRB- requirements impose a final security check in the aerobridge just before boarding the aircraft . `` This procedure is followed by all carriers flying to the U.S. from most of the countries in the world and there is no exemption to this rule , '' it said in a statement . | Indian authorities file complaint against Continental for frisking former president . Former president APJ Abdul Kalam was exempt from body checks , officials say . Continental , however , insists it followed standard U.S. air-safety procedures . | [[0, 9], [37, 152], [165, 177], [0, 9], [118, 164], [208, 268], [1010, 1021], [1034, 1096]] |
The Hague , Netherlands -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- After Bosnian Serb wartime leader Radovan Karadzic 's failure to appear at the start of his trial on genocide and war crimes charges CNN Senior International Correspondent Nic Robertson explains what happens next . Q : How does the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia -LRB- ICTY -RRB- differ from the International Criminal Court -LRB- ICC -RRB- ? A : The ICTY was set up by the United Nations in 1993 specifically to try people for crimes committed during the break up of the former Yugoslavia . The ICC is the first permanent , treaty-based , international criminal court established to prosecute the most serious crimes of concern to the global community including genocide , crimes against humanity and war crimes . Q : Why did Karadzic fail to show up in court on Monday ? A : Karadzic failed to show up because he wrote to the court several weeks ago telling judges he had not had sufficient time to prepare his defense . He is a `` self-representing accused , '' meaning he is defending himself . But he is backed by a large number of lawyers supported by a bevy of interns from U.S. law schools . Despite all this legal support , Karadzic says there has been too much evidence for him to go through . Prosecutors say they have 490 hours of evidence to present . The judge wrote back to Karadzic last week telling him he does n't need to present his defense yet , he can do it after the prosecution . But Karadzic still refused to show . The court can not compel him to come even though he is held in a detention facility about seven minutes drive from the court run exclusively for those awaiting or on trial at the tribunal . The detention facility is a lot more comfortable than a conventional jail . Karadzic will be able to watch TV when he wants , he has access to books and can mix with other defendants . Indeed , detention facility staff report that members of all three ethnic groups -- Serbs , Croats and Bosnians -- mingle freely , even playing games together . Q : Can the trial proceed without a defendant in the dock ? A : The trial can go ahead without Karadzic present because there is no legal reason that says he needs to be there , even though he is defending himself . But the court is bound to give him a fair trial so if the prosecution begins without him the judges may give Karadzic a video feed so he can watch proceedings unfold . Q : How long is the trial expected to last ? A : The trial could last at least two years and possibly three . The court allows at least one year for the prosecution and one year for the defense as a minimum . Q : What measures have been put in place to prevent a repeat of the delays and obfuscation seen during the trial of the former Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic ? A : Milosovic 's trial dragged on because he defended himself , refused to accept the legitimacy of court and because of the complexity of the case and lengthy charge list -- 66 counts -- against him . Karadzic 's case is less complex and this is one of the lessons prosecutors have learned from the Milosevic trial : make cases simpler and only go for those that can be readily proved . But with Karadzic defending himself and refusing to accept the court 's legitimacy , the judges are still struggling to figure out how to deal with tactics designed to delay the trial . They are likely to be less lenient than they were with Milosevic . | Karadzic says he has not had sufficient time to prepare his defense . Court can not compel Karadzic to attend bur could put video link in cell . Court has simplified case against Karadzic to avoid repeat of Milosevic trial . Still , trial will last at least two -- and possibly three -- years . | [[922, 962], [937, 992], [1510, 1551], [2347, 2392], [2434, 2474], [2479, 2539]] |
SAN FRANCISCO , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A man police believe shot and killed two people at a California toll plaza during the height of evening rush hour Tuesday was taken into custody early Wednesday , authorities told CNN affiliate KTVU . Police say Nathaniel Burris , 46 , was arrested just after 3 a.m. on Interstate 80 near Baxter , California . Nathaniel Burris , 46 , was arrested just after 3 a.m. on Interstate 80 near Baxter , California , by the California Highway Patrol , Richmond , California , police Sgt. Bisa French told KTVU . The shooting happened at 5:55 p.m. at the entrance to the 7.5-mile Richmond-San Rafael Bridge , which links Contra Costa and Marin counties , California Highway Patrol spokesman Sam Morgan told CNNRadio . Deborah Ross , 51 , was killed inside one of the toll booths , the California governor 's office said . The other person killed was a man shot while sitting in his vehicle , which was parked in a lot at the toll plaza , Morgan said . KTVU identified the man as Ersie `` Chuck '' Everett , 58 . Both people were shot with a shotgun , authorities said . The suspect drove off in a white 2005 Ford van with `` Western Eagle Shuttle '' printed on it in orange and blue letters , Morgan said . Richmond police said the deaths appeared to stem from a domestic dispute , KTVU said . French told the station Burris was in a `` dating relationship '' and lived with Ross . Aerial footage showed traffic backed up after the shooting , with cars being ushered through the far-right toll lane . Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger issued a statement expressing shock and sadness over Ross ' death . The statement said Capitol flags would be flown at half-staff in her memory . | Woman shot inside one of the toll booths ; another victim shot inside his vehicle . Nathaniel Burris of Richmond , California , accused of rush-hour slayings . Police say deaths appeared to stem from a domestic dispute . | [[756, 768], [771, 816], [888, 927], [1266, 1317]] |
NEW DELHI , India -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Air India took two pilots and two cabin crew off-duty over allegations that they had a fist fight during an international flight with 106 passengers aboard , the state-run airline said Monday . Faced with tough competition from private carriers , Air India has struggled with financial and image crises . The scuffle allegedly took place on flight from the United Arab Emirates to New Delhi , while the plane flew over Pakistan . An investigation had been launched into what Air India spokesman Jitender Bhargava called `` charges and counter-charges . '' In a police complaint made on landing Saturday , a 24-year-old flight attendant alleged a molestation attempt . But pilots Ranbeer Arora and Aditya Chopra alleged that the molestation claim was an attempt to deflect attention from misbehavior by a male purser . Have you ever experienced poor crew behaviour on a flight ? `` All the four have been de-rostered and an inquiry committee is examining versions of each of them , '' Bhargava said . Faced with tough competition from private carriers , Air India has struggled with financial and image crises . Rats have been spotted on two Air India international flights in less than a month , according to news reports . An investigation in May revealed that the carrier had loaded a flight three passengers beyond capacity . Several employees were de-rostered as a result . `` Privatize Air India before it 's too late , '' warned a column in the Hindustan Times newspaper Sunday . `` As long as the government runs Air India , it will continue to strangle it , '' columnist Vir Sanghvi wrote . | Scuffle allegedly took place on flight from United Arab Emirates to New Delhi . 24-year-old flight attendant alleged a molestation attempt , which pilots refute . Air India has struggled with financial and image crises . | [[113, 192], [342, 427], [642, 704], [284, 341], [1090, 1147]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Search teams have found the flight data recorder from the Yemenia Airways plane that crashed off the Comoros Islands in June , killing 152 people , the chief investigator said Friday . Search parties continue their operation to locate the Yemenia Airbus A310 off the Comoros Islands in July . An operation to retrieve the recorder has begun , said a statement from investigator Ali Abdou Mohamed . The Airbus 310 crashed into the Indian Ocean , carrying 142 passengers and 11 crew members . It originated in Yemen 's capital , Sanaa , and went down just miles from Moroni , the capital of the Comoros Islands . One person , a 13-year-old French girl , survived . The recorder could contain information to help determine what caused the crash . The plane had tried to land at the airport in Moroni , then made a U-turn before it crashed , Comoros Vice President Idi Nadhoim said soon after the accident . A French official said that country had banned the plane after it failed an aviation inspection in 2007 , but Yemenia Airways was not on the European Union 's list of banned airlines . Passengers on the flight included 66 French citizens , 54 Comorians , one Palestinian and one Canadian , according to Yemeni and French officials . The crew was made up of six Yemenis , two Moroccans , one Ethiopian , one Filipino and one Indonesian . The Comoros Islands are between the east African country of Tanzania and the island nation of Madagascar . | Comoros Islands lie between east African and the island nation of Madagascar . Recorder could contain information to help determine what caused the crash . Thirteen-year-old French girl was the only person to survive plane crash . | [[1360, 1466], [682, 762], [682, 694], [721, 762], [630, 640], [671, 681]] |
ISLAMABAD , Pakistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Security forces patrolled the streets of the eastern Pakistan city of Gojra on Sunday , one day after seven people were killed and 20 injured when Muslim demonstrators set fire to houses in a Christian enclave and fighting broke out , authorities said . Pakistani human rights activists in Lahore protest on Saturday over the anti-Christian violence in Gojra village . Police said Muslims were enraged over an alleged desecration of pages in the Quran at a Christian wedding last Saturday , and held a rally to protest such an act . The Quran is the Muslim sacred text . Shehbaz Bhatti , federal minister for minorities , told CNN that four women , two men and a child , all Christians , were either killed when their houses were burned or were shot to death . Some 50 houses were burned down and more than 100 were looted by the protesters , Bhatti said . The incident occurred in Gojra City , 160 kilometers or around 100 miles southwest of Lahore . No violence was reported Sunday , Punjab Provisional Minister Rana Sana Ullah told CNN . There was a demonstration by about a thousand Christians who refused to bury their dead until the government registered a criminal case against those they alleged to have carried out the attacks . The government would register a criminal case , Sana Ullah said . Registering a case means a criminal investigation will be opened . Sana Ullah added that the government strongly condemned the incident . He said the attack was not a sectarian issue , but rather terrorism . He blamed the incident on attackers with ties to militants in Northwest Pakistan , where the government is carrying out an offensive against Taliban groups . On Thursday , 15 Christian houses in the region were also torched . Pakistan is predominantly Muslim but has a small Christian community . Meanwhile , police in Islamabad reported the Friday arrest of an al Qaeda member thought to be involved in several attacks . Bin Yamin , a senior police official in Islamabad , identified the militant as Rao Shakir Ali . He is suspected of being involved in strikes on several targets , such as the Danish Embassy , police and a hotel , and is also suspected of targeting a rally for Chief Justice Iftikhar Chauhdary , authorities said . The suspect is a resident of Sargodha , which is 165 kilometers -LRB- more than 100 miles -RRB- northwest of Lahore and has a house in Rawalpindi that has been used to facilitate insurgent acts , police said . CNN 's Tim Schwarz and Journalist Nasir Habib contributed to this report . | Fighting broke out as Muslims torched 40 to 50 houses in Christian enclave . Muslims enraged over an alleged desecration of Quran at a Christian wedding . Muslims burned 15 Christian homes on Thursday . Pakistan predominantly Muslim , but has a small Christian community . | [[171, 272], [801, 836], [1710, 1721], [1724, 1777], [409, 528], [171, 272], [1710, 1721], [1724, 1777], [1778, 1810], [1778, 1786], [1815, 1848]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- After a weekend of rumors , it 's finally official : Heidi Klum and Seal are now the proud parents of a baby girl , Klum 's representative confirmed . Heidi Klum met Seal in 2004 , and the couple married a year later . The `` Project Runway '' host gave birth Friday night . Klum and Seal named their new bundle Lou Sulola Samuel . The couple , who married in 2005 , have been busy babymaking ever since . Lou Sulola is the youngest of four : Henri , 4 , Johan , 2 and Leni , 5 , whom Klum had from a previous relationship . `` It 's difficult to imagine loving another child as much as you love your existing children , '' Seal said of the birth in a statement Tuesday . `` Anyone who has a family will tell you this . Where will one find that extra love ? If you love your existing children with all of your heart , how then can one possibly find more heart with which to love another ? '' The answer to that question , the Grammy-winning singer said , `` came in the form of our fourth child and second daughter . `` Lou Sulola Samuel was born , and from the moment she looked into both of our eyes , it was endless love at first sight . She is beautiful beyond words , and we are happy that she chose us to watch her grow over the coming years , '' he said . | Heidi Klum and Seal have confirmed their daughter was born Friday . The couple named her Lou Sulola Samuel . She has three siblings : Henri , Johan and Leni . Seal said when Lou Sulola was born , it was `` endless love at first sight . '' | [[19, 34], [72, 132], [294, 350], [425, 492], [1072, 1080], [1123, 1159]] |
During CNN 's `` Going Green : Green Light for Business '' coverage , we 've asked businesses to tell us how they balance the imperative for profit with environmental concerns . First up is the co-founder of Hong Kong-based DIAZ Fine Jewelry , Salina Khan Fuchigami , whose business packages cubic zirconia diamonds in an environmental wrapping . Growing up surrounded by generations of jewelry wearing tradition , I was drawn to the brilliance and transparency of diamonds from an early age . Later , it was the fact that diamonds are a unique resource , evoking beauty and eternal love that lead me to found DIAZ Fine Jewelry . Salina Khan Fuchigami co-founded DIAZ Fine Jewelry with her husband Takashi . However , as I began to learn beyond the basics and beauty of diamonds , I began to discover the many environmental and ethical issues related to them . And the once simple wish to create a line of exquisite diamond jewelry grew into a mission -- to create an ecologically and ethically correct jewelry brand . I was one of many who were understandably concerned to learn that jewelry they had as a symbol of love may have come at a terrible human and environmental cost . Although the social and ethical issues associated with conflict diamonds were the impetus at the core of the DIAZ philosophy , the serious environmental impacts of the diamond industry could not be ignored . There 's an undeniable link between the degradation of our global environment and consumer culture . The trouble is that these days , things are so nicely packaged , presented and displayed that we hardly ever question how the raw materials used to produce the goods are extracted and processed . We rarely think of how it all affects the environment and humankind . It 's impossible to assess exactly how much devastation one single diamond could have caused before it was cut , polished , set and sold at a high-end retailer . It 's hard to imagine what a diamond mine looks like by looking at the `` stunning sparklers '' that are neatly displayed in shop windows . Somewhere along the way it became irrelevant to question the true cost of the stones . Diamond mining practices are not without huge ecological impacts . Whether extracted from a large-scale diamond mine using modern , clinical mining methods , or through small-scale artisanal alluvial diamond digging , the diamond industry faces environmental challenges just as with any mineral extraction . Land disturbance , which involves the shifting of large quantities of soil from the earth , is interlinked with issues of waste and water pollution as well as huge impacts on biodiversity . Through my company , I knew I could offer an alternative to mined-diamond jewelry of equal beauty and quality -- using lab-created jewels and meticulous craftsmanship -- jewelry that evoked beauty and eternal love , and that was truly transparent . As with any environmental or ethical issue , education , knowledge and action are the keys to ending unnecessary harm . So , as the business grew , we made sure each of our customers received an info-leaflet with every purchase . We began donating proceeds from our sales to grassroots organizations that ran mine-reclamation projects promoting organic farming and biodiversity in mining towns in Sierra Leone , a country devastated by civil war that was fueled by diamonds and now has a landscape scarred by indiscriminate alluvial diamond mining . We began monitoring the working conditions at our workshop , and looking for more sustainable methods of packaging and delivering our jewelry . We found that our customers were happy to be a part of a solution and not the problem . The economic downturn , combined with an increasing awareness of the ecological and ethical facts surrounding diamonds , has meant an increase in customers who appreciate affordable luxury without any attached guilt . There 's no doubt that the choices we make and the actions we take today affect the fate of our planet and in turn our well being . With shifting consumer behavior and a changing economic and environmental climate , the time has come where being environmentally conscious is an imperative for all individuals and businesses alike . | CNN has asked businesses to explain their concept of `` Going Green '' Jeweler Salina Khan Fuchigami uses cubic zirconia instead of diamonds . Khan Fuchigami : `` Diamond mining practices have huge ecological impacts '' Blog series is part of CNN 's `` Going Green '' coverage from June 15 to July 10 . | [[0, 28], [70, 177], [718, 778], [781, 860], [1032, 1036], [1071, 1180], [1308, 1388], [1709, 1711], [1716, 1755], [2145, 2211], [2363, 2414], [2453, 2469], [2545, 2642]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The oldest-known hominid skeleton was a 4-foot-tall female who walked upright more than 4 million years ago and offers new clues to how humans may have evolved , scientists say . This sketch shows what a 4 million-year-old hominid , nicknamed Ardi , may have looked like . Scientists believe that the fossilized remains , which were discovered in 1994 in Ethiopia and studied for years by an international team of researchers , support beliefs that humans and chimpanzees evolved separately from a common ancestor . `` This is not an ordinary fossil . It 's not a chimp . It 's not a human . It shows us what we used to be , '' said project co-director Tim White , a paleontologist at the University of California , Berkeley . Ardipithecus ramidus , nicknamed `` Ardi , '' is a hominid species that lived 4.4 million years ago in what is now Aramis , Ethiopia . That makes Ardi more than a million years older than the celebrated Lucy , the partial ape-human skeleton found in Africa in 1974 . Ardi 's 125-piece skeleton includes the skull , teeth , pelvis , hands and feet bones . Scientists say the data collected from Ardi 's bone fragments over the past 17 years push back the story of human evolution further than previously believed . `` In fact , what Ardipithecus tells us is that we as humans have been evolving to what we are today for at least 6 million years , '' C. Owen Lovejoy , an evolutionary biologist at Kent State University and project anatomist , said Thursday . Analysis of Ardi 's skeleton reveals that she weighed about 110 pounds , had very long arms and fingers , and possessed an opposable big toe that would have helped her grasp branches while moving through trees . Ardi 's brain was believed to be the size of a chimp 's , but she also had many human-like features , such as the ability to walk upright on two legs . Her `` all-purpose type '' teeth indicate that she probably ate a combination of plants , fruits and small mammals , scientists say . `` The anatomy behind this behavioral combination is very unexpected and is certain to cause considerable rethinking of not only our evolutionary past , but also that of our living relatives : the great apes , '' said Alan Walker , professor of biological anthropology at Pennsylvania State University . Many scientists hypothesize that humans took a different evolutionary trajectory from those of chimpanzees , bonobos and gorillas . Ardi 's findings help challenge earlier beliefs that humans evolved from chimpanzees , their closest genetic relatives , scientists say . Researchers are still trying to pinpoint when the two lineages -- chimps and humans -- split from their common ancestor . Digging up the past has not been easy . Scientists stumbled upon the Ardipithecus fossil in 1994 when a graduate student found a single upper molar tooth . The rest of Ardi 's fossilized bones , sandwiched between layers of volcanic rock , took three years to be recovered and many more to be analyzed . `` In many ways , the discovery of Ardipithecus has been like a marathon , '' White said . `` Ardipithecus ramidus and its prevailing anatomy revolutionize the way most of us understood the earlier part of our evolutionary history , '' said team member Yohannes Haile-Selassie , paleontologist at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History . The Ardi findings are the work of 47 paleontologists and geologists representing 10 countries . The results will be published Friday in 11 articles in a special edition of the journal Science . Until now , Australopithecus , nicknamed `` Lucy , '' was the oldest fossil studied by scientists seeking to explain human evolution . Lucy is believed to have lived about 3.2 million years ago in what is now Ethiopia . Many scientists credit Ethiopia with taking the lead in helping the world better understand the origins of humans . `` This finding points to a deeper sense of our -LSB- humans ' -RSB- interconnectedness , '' Samuel Assefa , Ethiopian ambassador to the United States , said Thursday . `` We are all Ethiopians at heart . '' Ardi 's skeleton resides in the National Museum of Ethiopia in Addis Ababa . | Researchers have unveiled a 4.4 million-year-old skeleton of a hominid female . The fossil , nicknamed Ardi , may be the oldest hominid skeleton ever found . It replaces Lucy , a much-publicized skeleton that dates back about 3 million years . Scientists : Ardi suggests humans and chimps evolved from a common ancestor . | [[789, 867], [23, 29], [30, 52], [198, 291], [238, 249], [252, 266], [746, 766], [769, 778], [780, 786]] |
LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- TV dance judge Mary Murphy said singer Chris Brown 's attack on his girlfriend , Rihanna , prompted her to talk publicly about spousal abuse that she says she suffered first as a teenage bride three decades ago . Mary Murphy says she was abused by her ex-husband during their nine-year marriage . Murphy -- the vivacious judge on Fox TV 's `` So You Think You Can Dance '' -- told CNN 's Larry King that she wants other victims to learn from how she endured , but escaped , domestic violence . Discovering her talent with dance eventually changed her life and helped her flee the relationship after nine years , she said . Her ex-husband strongly denied that he ever physically or mentally abused Murphy , whom he married in 1978 soon after they met as teenagers in college . `` I did just tuck it away and just buried it and went on with my life and I thought that , you know , I could leave it there and I wanted to leave it there until my father died a couple years ago , '' Murphy said . Watch Murphy discuss abuse in her marriage '' Discussions with her dying father led to him apologizing for not being `` my knight in shining armor '' by intervening , she said . But Murphy said seeing a photo of singer Rihanna 's bruised face , taken soon after Brown 's admitted attack last February , convinced her to go public with the story . `` I still had no intention to talk to anybody until I saw Rihanna 's face and seeing that just brought it all up . '' `` Abuse , it just survives and thrives in silence , '' Murphy said . US Weekly magazine 's current issue offers a detailed version of Murphy 's revelations in its cover story . Murphy tells the magazine about a whirlwind romance that began in 1977 when she was a 19-year-old Ohio State University student -- swept off her feet by an 18-year-old who was `` extraordinarily handsome . '' She told King that the marriage began `` getting out of control '' after just three months when her husband 's jealously triggered fights . `` It increased until we started to have just horrible fights , '' she said . `` And then at the time , after a fight in which I did n't want to have sex , it just escalated to the point that he literally had to rape me in order for me to have sex . '' When a neighbor called police to her home , Murphy said she was too frightened to press charges . `` I looked at him and with the look on his face , I said ` absolutely not ' and went back in my room and just laid there and cried , '' she said . Murphy said she left her husband several times over the nine-year marriage , but `` there were n't the shelters that there are today . '' `` I did try to leave , and I was having a hard time making it , and he would sweet talk me and I would go back '' she said . `` It was back and forth , back and forth , back and forth . And I do n't feel really proud of that . '' Murphy discovered her talent and love of dance several years into the marriage when she took a summer job at a dance studio while her husband was away for several months running the family 's business in the Middle East , she said . `` It made me feel beautiful instead of how I was probably really feeling inside , totally ashamed and dirty , '' she said . Their marriage ended only after she and her husband renewed their vows in a wedding ceremony in front of his family and friends in Amman , Jordan , in 1985 . She learned he had a girlfriend -- to whom he was engaged -- in the Middle East . It was his infidelity that convinced her to divorce him , she said . Her former husband -- who spoke to Larry King off the air -- said he was `` totally shocked '' by Murphy 's account of their marriage . `` I never harmed her , '' he said . `` If all of these allegations are true , she could have had me deported , '' he said . He is not a U.S. citizen . He questioned if her motivation was `` more fame or sympathy . '' Still , he said he is `` very , very proud '' of her . Murphy told King his response is what she expected . `` I think a lot of men out there , by the way , that when they do get married they feel like this is their right to do whatever they want to do , and it 's not , '' she said . `` And I was a scared , frightened person . '' Murphy said she is still afraid of her former husband . `` I 'm not going to lie to you that he still scares me , '' she said . `` I still live in fear that he will do something to me , that I will go missing . '' Fear of not being able to make it on her own still drives her today , she said . `` I put this behind me , went out and worked like I 've never worked before , '' she said . `` And I still work today like I could still be homeless . '' | `` So You Think You Can Dance '' judge says she was abused teenage bride . Mary Murphy says 18-year-old husband 's jealousy triggered fights . Murphy divorced after nine years in troubled marriage . Chris Brown 's abuse of Rihanna prompted her to talk , Murphy says . | [[257, 340], [1985, 2028], [0, 11], [14, 40], [71, 122], [1339, 1382]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The recession means competition in pro football this year is n't restricted to the gridiron . The National Football League and its 32 teams also are battling for the consumer 's discretionary spending dollars . Less-established NFL teams , such as the Jacksonville Jaguars , face special challenges in the recession . And just like on the playing field , some teams are having an easier time scoring an economic touchdown than others . `` Overall ticket sales are very positive but difficult in these challenging times , '' NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said in a statement . He did not provide overall ticket sales numbers for the current season . The league is coming off a year that saw overall attendance drop slightly , 0.7 percent , from 2007 amid the start of the economic slowdown . Bill Prescott , a Jacksonville Jaguars vice president and the team 's chief financial officer , said the team started to see the impact of the recession last year , when single-game ticket sales and concession revenue dropped as the season progressed . Heading into this season , he said , sales are off even more than the team expected -- new ticket sales are down 75 percent from last year and season ticket renewals are down 10 percent . No Jaguar games are sold out , despite a recent survey by The Media Audit that found 76 percent of adults in Jacksonville , Florida , regularly follow the Jaguars -- the fifth-best percentage of any NFL market . `` The economy is having that impact on us , '' Prescott said . `` As a very small market , I think we 're feeling it more than some of the other teams in the league . '' The Minnesota Vikings also have yet to sell out any of their games , though the team expects that could change with the recent high-profile signing of quarterback Brett Favre . Within a day of Favre 's signing , the Vikings had sold an additional 3,000 season tickets and 10,000 single-game tickets . `` The economy 's affecting all professional sports teams , '' said Steve LaCroix , the Vikings ' vice president of sales and marketing . `` We 're not only competing for people 's time and money , but trying to keep the fans in the stadium on game day as opposed to watching on TV . '' LaCroix said there were n't a large number of cancellations in season ticket holder accounts . However , some fans did trim down the number of seats in their respective accounts . LaCroix added some are coming back on board as the season approaches . The Cincinnati Bengals are getting nationwide exposure through the HBO reality series `` Hard Knocks , '' which chronicles the team 's training camp and preparation for the upcoming season . However , the Bengals ' streak of 44 straight sellouts , a franchise record , is at risk , according to spokesman Jim Brennan . The Bengals ' September 13 home opener against Denver is not sold out yet . Some teams , however , are more than holding their own as far as ticket sales go despite the nation 's fiscal woes . The Denver Broncos are sold out for the 40th straight year -- dating back to the first game of the 1970 season , according to spokesman Jim Saccomano . And Chicago Bears spokesman Scott Hagel says the team is sold out for the 25th straight season . He adds the season ticket renewal rate is well over 90 percent , on par with the prior decade . According to league spokesman McCarthy , 24 of the NFL 's 32 teams did not raise ticket prices from last year . One of the teams that did is the Indianapolis Colts , which bumped up the cost of 10 percent of its season ticket holder seats , according to team spokesman Craig Kelley . All games are sold out . Two factors working in the Colts ' favor -- they have a new stadium that opened last season and the team has been a perennial contender for the past decade . In order to try and offset the impact the economy has on the game , McCarthy said teams have created more options and flexibility for fans in order to help them afford tickets . Among those options are half-season ticket plans , such as the ones offered by the Jaguars and the New York Jets . `` We knew some season ticket holders because of the economy would n't be able to afford to come to all 10 games -LRB- including the preseason -RRB- , '' said the Jaguars ' Prescott . The half-season plan has been very popular , he said . `` We wanted to make as many products available to them whether they could come to one game , two games or with the half package we 've bundled five games in each package so they can come for half a season . '' Prescott said the team is also considering introducing a package where fans can purchase tickets for a few games of their choice . David Carter , executive director of the USC Sports Business Institute , thinks the best way for teams to limit the recession 's impact on ticket sales is to offer exemplary customer service . `` These fans need to feel as though they 're having a great time and they 're getting value for their money , '' said Carter . `` If they 're able to do that , they will justify continuing to spend on the NFL , because every game matters . They want to be part of the continuity of the NFL season . '' Carter believes the league has to fight the recession on two fronts . He says the first is the pricing of seats to everyday fans -- especially those in markets where the demand is n't as keen as the NFL would like . The second challenge is corporate resistance . `` You have those that have traditionally purchased seats or acquired sponsorships taking a long look at whether they want to be involved this year or not , and a lot of corporate budgets are already in bed for the rest of the year , '' explained Carter . Still , Carter believes the NFL may be well-equipped to weather the economic storm , thanks in large part to timing . `` There 's a general feel that things are picking up in the economy , and I think that 's going to bode well for them over time . They may have survived this downturn a little better than the other leagues . '' Matt Gonter has been a Washington Redskins season ticket holder for the past five years . He said he briefly considered whether to cancel his subscription heading into this year but decided against it -- citing the team 's long waiting list to get season tickets . `` I swore to myself if I ever got Redskins season tickets , I 'd do everything in my power to keep them , '' Gonter said . However , he did turn down an option to upgrade to different seats and a parking pass , saying he would have considered it in years past but not under the current economic climate . He also might sell his tickets for certain games online . `` I 'm thinking of going on StubHub and selling a couple of tickets . I eat so much of the cost for the preseason tickets , because you have to pay full price for those , '' Gonter said . One ticket for an NFL game this year on the secondary ticket seller goes for an average of $ 151 , compared with $ 156 at this time a year ago . Four-year Cleveland Browns season ticket holder Zeke Paster held on to his subscription and plans to make cutbacks instead when it comes to concessions and tailgating costs . However , he may get rid of some of his tickets before the season is over . `` If they 're not doing well , I would maybe try to sell the tickets for some of the cold weather games , '' Paster said . Paster and Gonter admit surrendering their season ticket packages for good would be a painful decision . `` The atmosphere is unmatched , '' Paster said . `` There 's nothing like being in the stadium or in the parking lot when the Browns are doing well . '' Gonter says the camaraderie is worth the cost . `` I just like the experience of sitting in the parking lot under a tent , tailgating , drinking beer and then going to the game and having a good time watching the Redskins . '' | For Jacksonville Jaguars , ticket sales off more than expected . Cincinnati Bengals and Minnesota Vikings also looking to score more sales . Denver Broncos and Chicago Bears holding the line despite recession . Sports expert says NFL 's best weapon would be exemplary customer service . | [[1062, 1086], [1089, 1096], [1099, 1165]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- `` By blood , I am Albanian . By citizenship , an Indian . By faith , I am a Catholic nun . As to my calling , I belong to the world . '' Mother Teresa , pictured in 1997 , lived and worked in Kolkata from 1931 until her death . That 's how Mother Teresa chose to describe herself in life . In death , however , her words will probably do little to settle a diplomatic squabble over her remains . The Albanian government wants to receive her remains before her 100th birthday next year . Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha said his nation plans to open a museum in Mother Teresa 's honor and has planned commemorative events . But more important , Berisha said , Mother Teresa should rest next to her mother and sister , who are buried in a cemetery in the Albanian capital , Tirana . `` She missed them very much all her life , '' he said . `` My request is a very human one . `` She told me that she prayed every day for her family and her country . That 's why I think both governments should talk about -LSB- this -RSB- and find a solution , '' Berisha said . Then there is Macedonia , the nation where Mother Teresa was born and raised . It , too , may stake a claim on the woman who is well on a path to sainthood . But India , the land where she made her life 's work , has made it clear that Mother Teresa , buried in the heart of Kolkata -LRB- formerly known as Calcutta -RRB- , will not be leaving her final resting place . `` Mother Teresa was a citizen of India , '' said Vishnu Prakash , spokesman for the country 's external affairs ministry . Though she arrived as a foreigner , Mother Teresa came to be cherished in her adopted home . In billboards and booklets , the city of Kolkata proudly claims her as one of its most famous citizens . She was a devout Catholic who transcended religion , inspiring a nation of millions of poor people , mostly Hindus and Muslims . She is buried in the courtyard at the nondescript Missionaries of Charity compound in central Kolkata , a site visited by residents and tourists alike . People stream in from the bustling streets to the serenity of Mother House to pay their respects -- and find strength in her presence . They wander among her order of nuns in their simple blue-bordered white cotton saris . On the second floor is the small and sparse room that belonged to Mother Teresa . `` She has become part and parcel of our national life , '' said Father Babu Joseph , spokesman for the Catholic Bishops ' Conference of India . `` She built a strong bond with India , '' he said . `` People of all religious groups here rather consider her an inalienable part -LSB- of India -RSB- and therefore we would strongly want the remains to be in India . '' Mother Teresa was born as Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu to ethnic Albanian parents in Skopje , Macedonia , on August 26 , 1910 . At 18 , she left home and joined the Sisters of Loreto , arriving in India in 1931 . Moved by staggering poverty and human suffering , she started the Missionaries of Charity , dedicating her life to helping those in need . She became a fixture on the streets of Kolkata , often picking up the sick and hungry , and giving them food , shelter and love . When she accepted her Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 , she asked that the gala dinner be canceled and the money be sent instead to help Kolkata 's destitute . Mother Teresa was 87 when she died in 1997 , the news eclipsed by Princess Diana 's death several days earlier . Pope John Paul II beatified Mother Teresa in 2003 and she could be canonized by her centennial birthday next year -- a saint in the heavens whose resting place on Earth remains a devilish debate . | Mother Teresa lived , worked mostly in Kolkata but was ethnically Albanian . Albania wants her body repatriated in time for 100th anniversary of birth in 2010 . Mother Teresa currently buried in Missionaries of Charity compound in Kolkata . Mother Teresa , who died in 1997 , beatified in 2003 ; could be canonized next year . | [[157, 170], [192, 197], [157, 170], [202, 247], [416, 506], [3523, 3586], [1247, 1252], [1291, 1373], [1906, 2007], [3473, 3522], [3523, 3586]] |
CNNU campus correspondent Brandon Gates is a junior at University of South Carolina . CNNU is a feature that provides student perspectives on news and trends from colleges across the United States . The views expressed in this article are not necessarily those of CNN , its affiliates or the schools where the campus correspondents are based . Some of the students killed were affiliated with the Delta Delta Delta sorority , whose house is pictured above . COLUMBIA , South Carolina -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- At the University of South Carolina , the campus is quiet , but students were still heading to their classes after six students were killed in a beach house fire during the weekend . The school is planning a short ceremony Monday evening to honor the six students who were killed Sunday morning in Ocean Isle Beach , North Carolina . A seventh person killed is believed to be a student at Clemson University . Their identities had not yet been released Monday afternoon . The USC students were affiliated with the Delta Delta Delta sorority and the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity . `` The fraternities are praying for them and their families for the loss . It 's something we 're all affected by , '' Jay Laura , student president of the USC chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon . In a later news conference , Laura said the outpouring of condolences was a testament to the character of the fraternity brothers who died . He also said he was proud of the way the university was coming together to support each other . Lauren Hodge , the chapter president of Delta Delta Delta , said the sorority would have ministers and counselors at the sorority house to help USC students . `` We 're trying to everything we can right now to help people cope , '' she said . `` We 've spent a lot of time -LRB- counseling -RRB- with the students from the sorority and fraternity , '' said Dennis A. Pruitt , the vice president for student affairs . `` We encourage any student who is just learning of the situation and is a member of Tri-Delta or SAE to contact their parents and let them know they 're OK . '' The school decided against canceling classed on Monday . `` Going back to normal , everyday activities may be the best way for some to mourn and grieve , '' Pruitt said . A weekly concert that is typically a well-attended event failed to bring out students on Monday . Most students appeared to be spending time in their dorm rooms where counseling was offered . `` I feel shocked that something like that could happen here . You always see stuff like that happening at other schools , but you never it can happen to your school , '' said Artifa Ricks , a sophomore majoring in broadcasting . Six other University of South Carolina students were treated for injuries at a local hospital and released , the school said . The university is providing counseling and assistance to students who have requested it . `` When any one member of our family is lost , every one of us is diminished . I 'm profoundly saddened , as are all members of Gamecock Nation , by these tragic deaths , '' said Dr. Andrew Sorensen , the university president . The students were on a weekend getaway at Ocean Isle Beach , a popular resort destination along the southern coast of North Carolina . E-mail to a friend . | University to hold ceremony honoring the six USC students . Sorority to have ministers and other counselors available . Group urges members to make sure families know they 're OK . | [[686, 766], [709, 732], [741, 817], [1515, 1527], [1575, 1650], [2063, 2090]] |
CALAIS , France -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- French authorities on Tuesday dismantled a makeshift camp dubbed `` the Jungle , '' which housed illegal migrants fleeing dangerous homelands to seek a more prosperous life in Europe . After being forced from their makeshift home , occupants of `` the Jungle '' were driven away in buses for processing . French police broke up protests by refugee rights advocates and began clearing the squalid camp . The French government said it was targeting human smuggling and did not say where the migrants would be relocated . Police arrested 276 migrants , 125 of whom were minors , said Calais prefecture official Catherine Mande . See photos of police clearing the camp '' A statement from the French immigration minister 's office said the `` illegal encampments '' would be destroyed and then three bulldozers , a dozen trucks and a logging company would return the land to its natural state . Watch a report on the camp 's closure '' The statement said the goal was to destroy the Jungle and other migrant shanties , `` which have become the main launch pad for clandestine immigration into the United Kingdom . '' Was the French government right to demolish the illegal migrant camp ? Aided by smugglers , many of the migrants in coastal northern France attempt to make it into Britain , hiding in trucks that cross the English Channel . France and Britain signed an agreement in July to crack down on illegal immigration , including dispersing the migrants at the Jungle . British Home Secretary Alan Johnson said he was `` delighted '' to hear that France was honoring the agreement . `` The measures that we have put in place are not only there to prevent illegal immigration but also to stop people trafficking , '' he said . `` We are working with the French not only to strengthen our shared border but that of Europe as a whole . '' Johnson said both nations were committed `` to helping individuals who are genuine refugees . '' Others who do n't need protection were expected to return home , he said . The Jungle -- shanties cobbled from cardboard , plastic tarpaulins and scraps of wood -- housed as many as 1,000 men from nations such as Afghanistan , Iraq , Iran and Somalia . Camp resident Mohammed Bashir escaped the Taliban in Afghanistan and made a new home in a tent here , among the heaps of garbage , sand and bramble on the outskirts of the French port city of Calais . Sometimes , eight men shared the tent . `` I never lived in such a condition like this back home , but right now we do n't have any other choice , '' said Bashir , 24 , who left behind his family . `` It 's very difficult , very hard for a person who has children and parents . '' Desperation filled the air in the Jungle . Many residents survived arduous and illegal treks from their homelands . Some held ambitions to keep going another 20 miles , across the water to Britain . Others hoped to realize refugee status in France . See a map of the region '' But Tuesday , they were forced to put their plans on hold as they were evicted from the Jungle . Refugee advocates circled the migrants and scuffled with police to keep them at bay . But eventually , the protests were broken up , the migrants were taken away and the shanties started coming down . The French government 's decision drew criticism from humanitarian workers who do n't think that demolishing the camp will help resolve illegal immigration issues . They say moving the migrants is simply displacing the problem . `` We do n't know where they 're going to go , '' said Matthieu Tardis , an advocate for asylum seekers . `` We do n't know what the government plans to do . We are not respecting human rights here , for sure . '' The office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees sent staff to Calais earlier in the summer to counsel people about asylum procedures in France and Britain . According to the U.N. agency , most of the illegal migrants enter Europe through Greece and often fall victim to smugglers who turn a profit by helping migrants reach their destinations . The camp residents who fled Afghanistan told CNN they had paid smugglers large sums . They were promised much more than the filthy camp , they said . Bashir said he had no choice but to flee his home after Taliban militants accused him of spying . `` When they do n't need you , they just slaughter you , '' he said . `` They threatened me that -LSB- I would -RSB- be slaughtered . '' Bashir 's future remains uncertain as ever . He is sure only of one thing : He can not go home . | French police arrest 276 migrants at `` Jungle '' camp , 125 were minors . Migrants had been living in makeshift tents made from cardboard , plastic sheeting . Refugee advocates circled the migrants , trying to keep police at bay . The French government has not said where the migrants would be relocated . | [[554, 582], [570, 582], [597, 608], [2046, 2056], [2069, 2131], [2224, 2253], [2293, 2323], [3080, 3165], [3080, 3097], [3119, 3165], [438, 459], [502, 553]] |
Editor 's note : Nell Minow is editor and chairwoman of the Corporate Library , an independent research company , and was named one of the 20 most influential people in corporate governance by Directorship magazine and `` the queen of good corporate governance '' by BusinessWeek Online . She has co-written three books . Nell Minow says AIG 's board must be held accountable for the $ 160 million in bonus payments . -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The stories about the outrageous $ 160 million bonus payments at AIG have all omitted the most important names . They are the members of AIG 's Board of Directors Compensation Committee . These people should have been on the hot seat before the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Capital Markets , Insurance , and Government Sponsored Enterprises , alongside CEO Ed Liddy . Although there is a lot of blame to go around , ultimately the buck stops -- or , I should say , the bucks should have stopped -- with them . Why have n't we learned that it is the boards who are responsible for the massive failures of strategy and risk management at these companies ? Regulators , journalists , securities analysts and investors routinely ignore the most obvious indicators of investment risk that are presented by bad boards of directors . This is particularly obvious in the case of AIG , which has been a serial offender in corporate governance , especially in executive compensation . Those of us who remember former CEO Hank Greenberg 's departure from AIG in 2005 , after a corporate governance meltdown that included excessive compensation , appreciate the irony of his comment to ABC News that the retention bonuses were `` mind-boggling . '' Mr. Kettle , Pot is on line 1 . Compensation committees are not responsible for individual pay packages below the CEO , but they are responsible for determining their overall structure -- and for making sure that the CEO 's job includes effective management on compensation issues . Retention of employees may be a legitimate goal of a compensation program , but it can be accomplished in a way that is both effective and credible by being tied to performance goals and by delaying vesting until after the bailout funds are returned to taxpayers . The Corporate Library released a report in February about the boards of the bailout companies , many of which were outliers in their governance and compensation practices . Some of these were clear indicators of investment and liability risk . In several cases , we found individuals who not only sat on more than four corporate boards but also sat on more than one of these particularly troubled boards during this period . Former White House Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles , for example , served on the boards of Morgan Stanley , General Motors and Wachovia -- and at various times was also a director at Merck , VF Corp. , Krispy Kreme and Cousins Properties . Several other directors from these troubled boards also sat on either five or six boards altogether . We call the phenomenon of directors who serve on four or more corporate boards `` overboarding . '' Overboarding can limit the time and attention a director has for each board . It can also be an indicator of -- or a contributor to -- so many relationships and connections that it makes it more difficult to provide the respectful skepticism necessary for independent oversight . In all , 11 of the 27 companies we identified as `` troubled '' had at least one overboarded director . Six had more than one ; at Merrill Lynch , there were five . By comparison , fewer than 30 percent of S&P 500 companies have even a single overboarded director , and fewer than 5 percent have more than one . Another key finding from our analysis : Shareholders at these companies were well aware of the relative weakness of these boards and had expressed their dissatisfaction by withholding votes from many of these individuals the year before these companies collapsed . At least 13 individual directors , all of whom sat on at least three corporate boards during this period , had received a 13 percent or higher negative vote . The highest of these was a 38.58 percent negative vote received by Sir Winfried F.W. Bischoff at McGraw-Hill , where he sat on the compensation committee . Bischoff also served on the boards at Citigroup -LRB- as chairman and interim CEO -RRB- , Eli Lilly and Prudential . Although the businesses of these companies do not overlap enough to impair Bischoff 's designation as an `` independent '' director or to create legal conflict of interest concerns , it is relevant that McGraw-Hill owns ratings agency Standard & Poor 's , which not only rates the other companies for which he was a director but also issues ratings on which the other companies rely in their assessment of risk . Because of the extensive involvement that financial services companies have in many different aspects of the business of large public corporations , directors of those companies in particular should be especially cautious about overlaps and conflicts . Badly designed compensation is an indicator of poor corporate governance , and poor corporate governance is an indicator of investment risk . Instead of trying to tax the bonuses at AIG , the government and the shareholders should insist on new directors . The company 's Web site says the compensation committee has five members . The two longest serving ones are James F. Orr III , who joined the committee on May 17 , 2006 and Virginia M. Rometty , who joined it on January 17 , 2007 , according to the company 's 2007 proxy statement . The committee 's charter says its responsibility include making recommendations to the full board regarding AIG 's compensation programs and reviewing and approving any hiring , severance or termination payments . People say that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over again and expecting a different result . In this case , insanity is allowing the same people to continue to serve on the board after massive failure and expecting them to produce a different result . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Nell Minow . | Nell Minow : People often overlook crucial role of company board of directors . She says AIG 's board is ultimately responsible for the firm 's mistakes . Minow : Compensation committee members should be held to account . She says many finance firm board members are too busy on other boards . | [[322, 417], [333, 417], [988, 1102], [322, 417], [3025, 3034], [3039, 3077]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The announcement that Chicago , Illinois , will not host the 2016 Olympic Games took the hopeful wind out of many in the Windy City . Dreams of hosting the 2016 Olympics were dashed for many Chicagoans . But for others , the news was welcome . But for almost half of the city 's dwellers , the International Olympic Committee 's decision was winning news . A spokeswoman for No Games Chicago , a grass-roots organization opposed to hosting the Olympics , said she was `` relieved '' by the vote Friday in Copenhagen , Denmark . Chicago 's Olympic fever , spotty as it was , broke abruptly when the city was the first of four final contenders to be knocked out of the running . The prospective host cities had been whittled down to four finalists -- Chicago ; Rio de Janeiro , Brazil ; Tokyo , Japan ; and Madrid , Spain . The bid went to Rio de Janeiro , making it the first South American city to host the Olympic Games . Chicago had been seen as a front-runner in recent days , especially after it sent to Copenhagen America 's biggest guns -- President Obama and his popular wife , Michelle -- for a last-minute sales pitch . But a poll taken by the Chicago Tribune and CNN affiliate WGN revealed in early September that 45 percent of the city residents did n't want the Olympic Games . And 84 percent of Chicagoans objected to the idea of public money being used to support the effort . Earlier this week , about 250 Olympic-bid protesters gathered in front of City Hall , WGN reported . A sign in the crowd read : `` Have the audacity of nope . '' Many who gathered for the bid slapdown were affiliated with No Games Chicago , which sent three delegates to Copenhagen to state their case . After the vote , however , spokeswoman Francesca Rodriguez said No Games Chicago is `` in no way taking any pleasure in this '' and feels `` sympathy '' for those who are disappointed . `` In reality , Chicagoans who were for the Games and those who were against them were committed to the same goal : Working hard for what they thought would be best for the city of Chicago in the coming decades , '' she said . `` We 're glad that the city wo n't now be burdened by the distraction of the Olympics at the expense of improving Chicago 's schools , transportation , parks and the numerous other public policy initiatives on which the city needs to be focused . '' Those who believe the Olympics can bring lasting change to a city -- beyond the spike in economic activity during the event -- are often misguided , suggested economist Rob Baade of Lake Forest College in Lake Forest , Illinois . `` There is no reason to expect that the Olympics , or any mega-event , is going to induce a sustainable boost in the economy , '' he said . `` The cost overruns are pretty legendary . Costs are generally understated and the gains overstated . '' One Web site set up to rally against bringing the Olympic Games to town relied as much on humor as it did reason . Its name : Chicagoans for Rio 2016 . The site showcased unflattering head-to-head comparisons , such as `` Naked people dancing '' vs. `` Chubby people eating . '' The increasing budget deficit in Chicago was contrasted with a $ 0 total for Rio . `` If you 're a Chicagoan , Rio 's budget deficit does not matter , '' the site said . `` It would be exciting to host the Olympics here in Chicago . But you know what would be even better ? Rio de Janeiro , '' the site announced . `` Just let Rio host the 2016 Olympics . We do n't mind . Honest . '' Wish granted . | For about half of Chicago 's dwellers , losing out on the Olympics is welcome news . Olympic opponents prefer the city 's focus to be on schools and other needs . About 250 anti-Olympic protesters rallied outside Chicago 's City Hall this week . Rio de Janeiro , Brazil , wins bid , making it the first South American host city . | [[153, 222], [267, 306], [309, 375], [1430, 1493], [841, 871], [841, 848], [874, 941]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The girlfriend of former NFL quarterback Steve McNair had grown frustrated with their relationship and was struggling with financial difficulties in the days before she killed him and herself in July . Steve McNair , former NFL quarterback , was a married father of four when he was killed last summer . Details of their relationship were revealed in a case summary released by Nashville police Monday . McNair , 36 , and Sahel Kazemi , 20 , were found fatally shot in a condominium in downtown Nashville on July 4 . Police have since ruled their deaths a murder-suicide . `` My life is just s -- and I should end it , '' Kazemi said the night before the couple were found dead , according to Sonya New , her shift manager at a Dave & Busters restaurant . New also said Kazemi was not her usual self and seemed down . Though McNair was a married father of four , he was seeing Kazemi and at least one other woman , Leah Ignagni , according to Nashville police . McNair had spent the night at Ignagni 's apartment on July 2 , two nights before he was killed , Ignagni told police . On the morning of July 4 , Kazemi texted McNair , saying she was stressed and needed money to pay bills . `` Baby I might have a break down im so stressed , '' Kazemi said in one text message . `` baby i might need to go to the hospital . baby whats wrong w -LRB- ith -RRB- me i can hardly breath -LRB- e -RRB- . '' Chris Wall , who provided security for McNair and his family , told police he knew about McNair 's relationship with Kazemi . McNair was tired of her calling when he was with his family , Wall said . Kazemi continued to text McNair throughout the day , asking for money and when she could see him next . `` baby what are u doing , '' Kazemi asked . `` At the pool with the kids . I got the guy transferring the money , '' McNair replied . At 4:04 p.m. on July 3 , Kazemi said , `` baby I have to be w -LRB- ith -RRB- u 2nite . I dnt care where . '' The messages continued for more than eight hours before McNair said he was on his way to the condo . He had told Kazemi earlier that he would n't leave the house `` til the kids fall asleep . '' McNair and Kazemi exchanged a final series of messages early July 4 , when he asked her to leave the front door to the condo open for him . A final message , sent at 1:14 a.m. , simply said , `` its open . '' About 12 hours later , a friend of McNair 's found their bodies . | McNair and Sahel Kazemi were found fatally shot in a Nashville condo on July 4 . Text messages show Kazemi 's financial stress , desperation . Last message said door was open ; hours later , the pair 's bodies were found . | [[290, 322], [423, 453], [456, 458], [461, 535], [0, 15], [122, 198], [1100, 1124], [1127, 1147], [1150, 1205], [638, 696], [2300, 2335], [2338, 2349], [2352, 2365], [2369, 2389], [2392, 2434]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Last week 's `` balloon boy '' incident is being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration , an agency representative said Tuesday . The Heene family -- including Falcon , second from right -- on CNN 's `` Larry King Live '' last week . Richard and Mayumi Heene , whose son Falcon was thought for several hours to have flown away in a homemade balloon , are facing a number of local charges , a Colorado sheriff said this week . The Fort Collins couple could be charged with conspiracy , contributing to the delinquency of a minor and attempting to influence a public servant , Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden said Sunday . The family also probably will be charged with filing a false police report , which is a misdemeanor , Alderden said . Their lawyer , David Lane , said the sheriff was overreaching and that the family deserves the presumption of innocence . Watch the Heenes ' friends talk about the incident '' FAA spokeswoman Diane Spitaliere confirmed Tuesday that the agency was `` investigating the circumstances '' of the incident , in which police and military scrambled to rescue the 6-year-old boy , who later turned out to be hiding in his family 's attic . A source familiar with the investigation said no record has been found indicating that Richard Heene called the FAA . The agency does not record all of its calls , and the search for a record of any call is continuing , the source said . The Heenes may have violated FAA regulations barring people from flying balloons or kites within 5 miles of an airport , an FAA official said . The official declined to be named because the case is under investigation . The giant silver balloon was apparently not visible on radar , the official said , and the FAA is relying on pilot reports to determine its approximate flight path during the roughly three hours it was aloft Thursday . CNN 's Mike M. Ahlers in Washington contributed to this story . | Federal Aviation Administration looking into `` escaped balloon '' story . Balloon 's owners already facing several local charges . Heene family deserves presumption of innocence , lawyer says . No proof that Richard Heene called FAA when balloon set off , source says . | [[0, 26], [70, 130], [1642, 1675], [277, 301], [394, 430], [786, 798], [814, 907], [1218, 1335], [1259, 1335]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Afraid that her husband will leave her for a younger woman , a 107-year-old Malaysian woman is looking to marry again -- for the 23rd time . Wok Kundor : `` I am an aged woman . I do n't have the body nor am I a young woman who can attract anyone . '' Wok Kundor has been happily married for four years to her husband , a man 70 years her junior . But since he left their village in northern Terengganu state for a drug rehabilitation program in the capital , Kuala Lumpur , Wok has had a gnawing feeling . `` She said that she has been feeling insecure lately and she needs to find out whether he still loves her or not , '' said R.S.N. Murali , a reporter for The Star . The English-language Malaysian daily was among several local media outlets reporting on the lifelong romantic . `` She is worried he might not come back after his program and find himself a younger wife , '' Murali said . If so , Wok has her eyes set on a 50-year-old man , but hopes it does not come to that . `` I realize that I am an aged woman . I do n't have the body nor am I a young woman who can attract anyone , '' she told the newspaper . `` My intention to remarry is to fill my forlornness , '' particularly during the Muslim month of fasting , Ramadan , she said . Malaysian media , which has previously reported on the woman , said Wok has been married 22 times . That would make her marriages last an average of four years . Wok would not discuss past relationships , Murali said . `` Some of her better halves have passed away or have divorced , but she does n't want to talk about them or her children , '' he said . Wok and her current husband , Mohammed Boor Che Musa , hail from the same village and met there . Muhammad , 37 , was quoted in an earlier report as saying the couple fell for each other because it was `` God 's will . '' On Monday , he told The Star that he is still very much in love with his wife and can not dream of life with someone else . But Wok wants to hear him say it , Murali said . Soon , the centenarian plans to make the journey to Kuala Lumpur -- if she can find a neighbor to drive her there . | 107-year-old Malaysian woman fears husband will leave her for younger woman . Wok Kundor married to her husband , a man 70 years her junior , for four years . Malaysian media says Wok has been married 22 times . | [[26, 77], [271, 336], [80, 110], [122, 136], [140, 159], [1270, 1285], [1333, 1369]] |
ACCRA , Ghana -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Ghanaians clad in the national colors of red , gold and green celebrated long into the night on Friday as excitement over the national team 's penalty shootout victory over Brazil in the final of the Under-20 World Cup in Egypt brought the West African nation to a standstill . Ghana 's players celebrate their victory over Brazil . Ghana 's victory , 4-3 on penalties after a goalless draw which they had survived since the 37th minute with 10 men , was the first ever by an African side in the tournament . Earlier , many football fans had converged in churches hours before the game to pray for divine intervention . But the triumph , coupled with Nigeria 's disappointing performance in the tournament , may be the clearest signal yet that the balance of power in West Africa may have tilted from Nigeria to Ghana once again . Last month Ghana 's Black Stars , featuring players like Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien and Inter Milan 's Sulley Muntari , became the first African side to qualify for South Africa 2010 World Cup . Nigeria are in danger of missing the World Cup for the second time running . The Super Eagles trail Tunisia by two points in Group B ahead of their last group qualifying matches on November 11 when both countries face tricky away fixtures . Until 2006 , Ghana was regarded as the continent 's sleeping giants , having dominated African football in the years after it became the first independent sub-Saharan African country over five decades ago . By contrast , it took Nigeria -- Africa 's most populous country -- another three decades to establish itself among the continent 's top national sides . It was not until Ghana 's first appearance at the FIFA World Cup in Germany in 2006 that the four-times winners of the African Cup of Nations regained some of their lost glory . It signaled not only Ghana 's long-awaited arrival at football biggest global gathering but also a fulfillment of a prediction in 1990 by Cameroon legend Roger Milla that the world had not seen the best of African football until the Black Stars made it to the World Cup . As continental champions in 1963 , 1965 , 1978 and 1982 and with Ghanaian legends including three-times African footballer of the year Abedi Pele and former Eintracht Frankfurt and Leeds United star Anthony Yeboah both rated in their time among the world 's best players , Milla knew Ghana had the qualities to match some of the world 's best . Youth success at the FIFA under-17 championship in 1991 and 1995 , two appearances in the final of the under-20 championship in 1993 and 2001 and an Olympic bronze medal in Barcelona in 1992 emphasized Ghana 's abundance of talent and unfulfilled promise at the highest level . At Germany 2006 , Ghana became the only African survivor after the preliminary round , surprising the bookmakers with victories over the Czech Republic and the U.S. before losing 3-0 to Brazil in a match that was closer than the scoreline suggested . Ghana 's squad for next year 's World Cup in South Africa will likely include the cream of the team that impressed in Germany , including Essien and Muntari , as well as some of the brilliant youngsters who sparkled this month World Youth Championship in Egypt ; notably Golden Ball and Golden Shoe winner Dominic Adiyiah , Ransford Osei and Andre Ayew , the son of Abedi Pele . Following the side 's masterful display in Egypt and relatively easy World Cup qualifying campaign , the Black Stars will carry both Ghanaian and African expectations on their shoulders as they bid to improve on the quarterfinal places achieved by Cameroon and Senegal in 1990 and 2002 respectively . With a population of around 140 million and a reputation for producing stars such as Austin Okocha , Nwankwo Kanu and Chelsea 's John Obi Mikel , the outstanding qualities of Nigerian football are beyond question . But African football observers believe poor administration by the Nigerian Football Federation and the resultant instability in the technical direction of the team has undermined the development of Nigerian football and resulted in its dwindling fortunes at the world stage . Nigeria emerged as West Africa 's leading side in 1980 by wining the African Cup of Nations , a feat they repeated 14 years later in Tunisia . The Super Eagles made their World Cup debut in the U.S. in 1994 and qualified for both France 1998 and Japan/South Korea 2002 . Like Ghana , Nigeria has shown promise at youth level , winning U-17 World Cup titles in 1985 , 1993 and 2007 , and winning Olympic gold at the 1996 Atlanta Games . As host of this year 's FIFA Under-17 championship , Nigeria will be hoping to draw inspiration from Ghana 's performance in Egypt to retain the title on home soil next month . At continental level , the once powerful Super Eagles are anything but super . Since reaching the final of the 2000 African Nations Cup , Nigeria has failed make any meaningful impact despite parading highly-talented squads . For three successive tournaments Nigeria finished in third place before crashing out at the quarterfinal stage of the 2008 edition in a 2-1 defeat by Ghana . Kwesi Nyantakyi , the 39-year-old president of the Ghana Football Association -LRB- GFA -RRB- , believes the country is reaping the dividends of a professional approach through the implementation of a five-year business plan , which has attracted massive injection of cash through corporate sponsorship from kit sponsor Puma and mining , banking , brewery and telecommunication firms . `` When we took over in 2005 we realized that one of the biggest problems we faced was the availability of timelines of funds needed to prepare the teams adequately , provide the necessary incentives for the players and numeration for the technical staff , '' Nyantakyi says . `` The availability of funding timely and an autonomy for the federation has helped us execute our plans effectively and this is showing in our recent impressive performances . '' Beyond monetary considerations and administrative stability , Ghana is also reaping the rewards of years of investment in youth football which has produced players like Essien and Muntari -- and now new kid on the block Adiyiah and others . For now , the country seem to have regained bragging rights as the superpower in West Africa . | Ghana becomes first African nation to win football 's Under-20 World Cup . Result part of shift in balance of power in West Africa from Nigeria to Ghana . Ghana has stars including Michael Essien , Sulley Muntari , Dominic Adiyiah . Nigeria has star players but national team struggles with poor infrastructure . | [[366, 418], [484, 541], [657, 850], [772, 863], [864, 895], [898, 988], [4855, 4911], [4914, 5001]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In trendy neighborhoods of Tokyo customers are lining up for vitamin injections that promise to improve health and beauty . A Japanese woman receives an intravenous vitamin supplement at the Tenteki Cafe in Tokyo . These intravenous vitamin `` drips '' are part of the latest quick-fix , health fad catching on in Japan : the IV cafe . Each drip pack contains saline solution and specific vitamins and minerals to target a particular health ailment or beauty concern . `` I used to take vitamin supplements , but changed to the IV drip because I feel the effects more quickly , '' a 20-something woman at the Tenteki 10 Café told CNN . She said she receives specific injections to get better skin , burn fat and boost her energy . There are 10 different varieties to choose from at Tenteki . The `` orange '' variety touts anti-aging properties , loaded with antioxidants . The `` placenta pack '' is said to help rejuvenate and ease muscle stiffness . Prices range from $ 20 - $ 30 per injection , and nurses see about 30-40 people each day . Their most common patients are Japanese businessmen who work in the same office building . `` I see a lot of businessmen who say they do n't have time to sleep . They ca n't take a break from working and get the vitamin drip for an extra kick of energy , '' a Tenteki nurse told CNN . `` Blue '' is the most requested vitamin pack among these men : a concoction of B1 and vitamin E that claims to offer relief from exhaustion . Registered nurses and doctors administer the drips at Tenteki , but there 's no conclusive medical evidence to back up the health claims . Many nutritionists actually caution against using injectable vitamin supplements because the quantities are not regulated . `` More is not necessarily better ... some vitamins and minerals can be toxic in high doses , '' particularly the fat-soluble ones which the body stores like Vitamins A , D , E and K , explained Claire Williamson , Nutrition Scientist at the British Nutrition Foundation . In Europe and the United States vitamin shots are popular among celebrities with hectic lifestyles and little time to sleep , particularly vitamin B 12 . Former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell and singer Robbie Williams have both confirmed they 've used the shots as part of their diets to maintain stamina during tours . Dermatological injections of Vitamin C are also popular among women hoping to keep their skin looking young . Former supermodel Cindy Crawford has admitted using such injections to keep her skin firm and wrinkle-free . According to Williamson , it does not matter if supplements are injected into the vein or into the skin . `` At the end of the day it will go into the blood stream , '' she said . Most of these nutrients we can get sufficient from foods , nutrients tend to be better absorbed by the body if they are consumed in foods . '' | Intravenous vitamin boosts are the latest health fad in Japan . Vitamin injections target specific health aliments and beauty concerns . Nutritionists warn of vitamin overdose from high quantities of supplements . Vitamin injections are popular among celebrities and businessmen for fatigue . | [[143, 233], [234, 338], [2607, 2667], [80, 98], [104, 142], [355, 487], [399, 487], [655, 749], [664, 749], [1435, 1444], [1450, 1490], [2027, 2150]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A coalition of top musicians , including R.E.M. and Pearl Jam , want to know if their music was used by the U.S. military as part of controversial interrogation methods at the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay , Cuba . Ruhal Ahmed , left , shown at a 2007 news conference , says he had to listen to hours of music at Guantanamo . The artists have endorsed a series of Freedom of Information Act requests , which were filed Thursday morning , asking the U.S. government to declassify documents that would reveal which artists ' work was used on detainees at U.S. prison facilities and military detention centers , including the one at Guantanamo Bay . The National Security Archive , a Washington-based independent research institute that advocates `` for the right to know , '' filed the requests on behalf of the Close Gitmo Now campaign , which launched this week , the archive 's senior analyst Kate Doyle said . The multimillion-dollar national grassroots Close Gitmo Now campaign is aimed at pressuring members of Congress to support President Obama 's endeavor to close the Guantanamo Bay prison . It is supported by a coalition of retired generals and liberal activists . The requests are based on the testimony of former Guantanamo prisoners and guards , as well as declassified documents , that identified music from 35 artists -- ranging from AC/DC tunes to the theme from Sesame Street -- used in the interrogations of detainees , Doyle said . See a list of bands and songs involved -LRB- PDF -RRB- . `` We do know that songs and bands ' work has been used to abuse detainees , we know that , '' she said . She added that any information that the National Security Archive obtains `` will add to the profile of this case . '' The requests are being filed with `` a dozen different agencies and components of the Department of Defense , '' Doyle said . They ask for any documents `` concerning the use of loud music during detention and/or as a technique to interrogate detainees at U.S.-operated prison facilities used in its War on Terror at Guantanamo , Iraq and Afghanistan during 2002-the present , '' according to a copy of the FOIA request obtained by CNN . It is unclear if any of the artists plan to pursue legal action , but Doyle said she 'd be `` surprised if some of them were n't thinking about it . '' Many of the artists supporting the campaign are no strangers to political activism , but this cause has hit close to home for some of them . `` We have spent the past 30 years supporting causes related to peace and justice . To now learn that some of our friends ' music may have been used as part of the torture tactics without their consent or knowledge is horrific , '' the American rock band R.E.M. said in a statement posted on CloseGitmoNow.org . `` It 's anti-American , period . '' Several former Guantanamo detainees have filed lawsuits against the U.S. government , saying they were tortured with numerous techniques , including loud music . `` It 's very scary to think that you might go crazy because of the music , because of the loud noise , '' said Ruhal Ahmed , one of the former detainees who has filed a lawsuit . He said he had to listen to hours of headbanging music while held prisoner at Guantanamo in 2003 . The Pentagon has not responded directly to the allegations of torture involving music , but it has said that its policy has always been to treat detainees humanely . Loud music has not been used at Guantanamo since the fall of 2003 , following a Department of Defense review of detention operations and interrogation techniques , according to Maj. Diana Haynie , a Joint Task Force Guantanamo spokeswoman . U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has asked a federal prosecutor to examine whether the interrogations violated the law , and the White House said Obama will leave any decision on charges to the Justice Department . And the Obama administration announced it would put the FBI in charge of a special unit set up to question suspected terrorists under White House oversight . CNN 's Tricia Escobedo contributed to this report . | Freedom of Information Act requests seek to reveal what music used at facility . Former prisoners say heavy metal , rock , children 's tunes were part of interrogations . Numerous artists endorse `` Close Gitmo Now '' campaign , FOIA requests . To learn friends ' music was used in such a way is `` horrific , '' rock band R.E.M. says . | [[0, 15], [83, 231], [241, 252], [296, 351], [1535, 1608], [2574, 2716], [2839, 2874], [2925, 3000], [352, 425], [2574, 2716], [2719, 2771]] |
ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Why would an award-winning singer , songwriter , producer and single mother want to tack reality TV star onto her long list of accomplishments ? Kandi Burruss says she is happy to join the `` Real Housewives of Atlanta '' cast . For Kandi Burruss , the newest member of the Real Housewives of Atlanta , the answer is simple : `` I was a fan last year . I love the show . '' The second season of Bravo 's hit show is set to premier on Thursday with Burruss replacing cast member DeShawn Snow . Burruss is well-known in the music industry as a former member of the platinum-selling R&B girl group Xscape and co-writer of such hits as Destiny 's Child 's `` Bills , Bills , Bills '' and TLC 's `` No Scrubs , '' for which she won a Grammy . The Atlanta native almost ended up on another reality show with former group mate and writing partner Tameka `` Tiny '' Cottle , who is the fiancée of rapper T.I. and now stars on BET 's `` Tiny & Toya '' alongside Antonia `` Toya '' Carter , the ex-wife of Lil ' Wayne . The deal for that show did n't work out and Burruss said she was more than happy to sign on with Bravo 's wildly successful southern edition of the `` Housewives '' franchise , which chronicles the lives of a group of affluent African-American women in the ATL . Burruss was already friendly with cast mate Lisa Wu Hartwell , whom she met through their mutual friend Cottle . Having watched the show -- which last season enraptured viewers with a mix of constant infighting , lavish lifestyles and a healthy dose of drama -- Burruss said she was more concerned with being thrust into the public eye than she was with getting along with the cast . `` The only thing that made me hesitant about wanting to be a part of the show is the fact that people are so critical of the show , '' she said . `` Just dealing with people on the outside judging you . That part is going to be something that I am going to have to get used to . '' The artist has already had to get acclimated to people smearing her personal life on the Internet . Watch Burruss discuss her time on the show '' Newly engaged to a father of six children , Burruss has watched him get attacked in blogs and is protective of the man who she said even her mother is n't thrilled about her marrying . '' -LSB- The show -RSB- has been very , very stressful on the relationship , '' she said . `` I guess -LSB- people -RSB- could n't find anything bad -LSB- to say -RSB- about me , so they wanted to go in on my fiancé . '' Her caring nature and laid-back personality make Burruss special in the industry , said rapper Rick Ross . `` She 's a very humble person , maybe one of the most humble people among the biggest songwriters in the industry , '' said Ross , who collaborated with Burruss on a track for a new solo album she has in the works . `` It 's good to be around the greats and she most definitely is one of the greatest in the industry . '' Her home music studio attests to that . The walls are covered with gold and platinum records for her work with several high-profile artists including Alicia Keys , * NSYNC , Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston . Being part of a girl group helped prepare her for the drama of dealing with the other housewives ' personalities , Burruss said , though she admitted clashing with outspoken cast mate NeNe Leakes during filming . `` I was a fan of hers last year , '' Burruss said . `` All that wild and crazy stuff she says to people , when you 're watching it , it 's funny , it 's hilarious ... but when it 's directed at you , it 's not funny anymore . '' Burruss got along better with aspiring singer Kim Zolciak , who Burruss will assist in achieving her dream of breaking into the industry . Last season , fans of the show -- and some of the other housewives -- slammed Zolciak for her less-than-stellar voice . `` Everybody loves to hate on Kim . But what I have to say is that Kim is actually cooler in person than she came off on the show , '' said Burruss , who in 1999 won top songwriter of the year from the American Society of Composers , Authors and Publishers . `` I wanted to help her out because I love helping the underdog . '' The busy artist said she has no idea if she will be invited back for another season . Appearing on the show , which Burruss said is not scripted , was fun , but she is busy with an upcoming album and with caring for her daughter , Riley , she said . She doubts she will be addicted to appearing on reality TV like she is addicted to music , Burruss said . `` It 's just another way for people to get to know you and hopefully they see me in a good light , '' she said . `` You always hope that it does n't backfire . '' | Kandi Burruss is the newest member of Bravo 's `` Real Housewives of Atlanta '' An accomplished singer/songwriter/producer , she was a fan last season . Burruss confirms she and cast mate NeNe Leakes did n't get along . The single mother hopes fans will see her in `` a good light '' | [[37, 112], [3384, 3413], [3283, 3295], [3298, 3356], [3305, 3380], [4624, 4651]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A brain surgeon performed what he called a `` life-saving '' surgery on a teenager by removing a large brain tumor using a method he read about on CNN.com just three days earlier . Dr. Thomas Ellis is a senior neurosurgeon at Wake Forest University in North Carolina . Dr. Thomas Ellis , a senior neurosurgeon at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in North Carolina , the United States , said he had become `` very demoralized '' after an unsuccessful six-hour operation to remove a tumor from a 19-year-old named Brandon . `` I had had to give the boy 's mother the bad news and that is not something I am used to . She was crying and it was very hard . Your story truly came at the perfect time , '' Ellis said . `` I am inclined to believe that it is the work of God that I came across your article that very night , '' the surgeon told CNN . The article was about the `` Omni directional dielectric mirror , '' a pen-shaped fiber-optic tool that allows surgeons to carry out minimally invasive surgery on areas too difficult or delicate to access . That night , Ellis contacted the neurosurgeon quoted in the story who put him in touch with Omni Guide , the Boston , Massachusetts-based company that manufactures the handheld device . It was originally devised for the U.S. military , and rolled out for surgeries three months before Ellis read about it . The tool allows surgeons to easily manipulate a CO2 laser and bend it to reach almost any tissue in the body , particularly in cases where scalpels may pose a danger . `` Seventy-two hours later I held the device in my hands , '' Ellis explained . `` Omni Guide sent someone to do a demo . I was extremely impressed and excited and very quickly I pretty much got the hang of it . '' Ellis added : `` I think it 's an amazing story because it 's yet another demonstration of how interconnected we 've become in this world . `` You have a CNN reporter in London , who writes a story about a neurosurgeon in Chicago , who 's using a device that was invented in Massachusetts . That story is read by a different neurosurgeon in North Carolina , and all within 72 hours , we have the device in North Carolina . `` We have the patient lined up for a surgery , and in the span of just a few days we perform really a life-saving operation on this patient . '' Ellis first met Brandon on December 17 , 2008 , when his mother took him to the emergency department at Wake Forest Hospital suffering from what Ellis calls , `` an extremely rapid decline in basic functions . '' `` While he had been suffering from minor symptoms for about a year , he suddenly acquired terrible headaches and became very confused . '' Ellis ordered an immediate MRI scan of Brandon 's skull and found an extremely large tumor , known as a teratoma , in the middle of his brain . Read an explainer about teratomas . He operated two days later , but despite spending six hours in the operating room and going through half a dozen scalpels , he only managed to remove 20 percent of the tumor . `` In 15 years of doing neurosurgery , it really was the most difficult tumor that I ever encountered . It was very rubbery and hard to debulk , '' he said . `` I wish I could demonstrate the firmness of the tumor that we were dealing with but it really was the case that after trying to dissect the tumor just five minutes with each scalpel , the scalpel would be dull and I would have to move on to use another scalpel . `` I went through at least a half-dozen of them , and even after many , many hours of operating on this tumor with multiple scalpels with multiple microsurgical-dissecting tools , I could n't remove very much of this tumor . '' Ellis advised the boy 's mother , Tania , who asked we only give her first name , that her son would have to go through radiation treatment . Unlike chemotherapy , which involves the use of anticancer drugs , radiation treatment employs high-energy rays and particles to kill cancer cells . `` Radiation therapy is a difficult process , especially for such a large tumor , '' Ellis said . He explained that he was feeling despondent about the patient 's condition when he got home after the operation that night . `` Being the father of four children myself , just the thought of having to go through something like this with one of my own children is just beyond words , '' he said . `` As I do every night , I read CNN online and immediately saw on the front page that there was an article in the health section entitled , From military device to life-saving surgical tool . ... Read the original CNN.com story . `` I finished the rest of the story and my first thought was : I would have given anything to have this tool available six or seven hours ago based on the description in the story . `` Lasers have long been abandoned in neurosurgery , '' he said , `` because they were too cumbersome to use . But CNN spoke of a brain operation performed by a Dr. Bernard Bendok in Chicago with CO2 laser and this new easy-to-use , perfect mirror tool . '' The following day , on Christmas Eve , Ellis along with Dr. Tamir Wolf , a physician OmniGuide sent to assist , brought Brandon back to the operating room . `` After only 30 minutes , it was clear this laser device , as simple to use as a scalpel , was successfully debulking the tumor . '' Ellis operated on Brandon for four hours and managed to remove the remaining 80 percent of the tumor by vaporizing it from the inside with the laser and then excising it . `` The boy was then extubated -LSB- removing the tube to his airway -RSB- after about 30 minutes and that same evening he was eating normally , '' Wolf said . Brandon has recovered his basic functions and is behaving normally . `` I am very optimistic and so is his mother , although we still have to be careful and do regular check-ups to look for possible spreading of the tumor , '' Ellis said . He believes that `` at the least , this device will become a valuable new tool for surgeons . But it may actually usher in a new generation of neurosurgeons who do microsurgery very differently . '' `` Either way , this type of success story is what we neurosurgeons live for . '' | Surgeon unsuccessfully attempts to remove patient 's brain tumor . Later that day , he reads CNN.com story on a groundbreaking new surgery tool . He contacts makers of the tool that could help in removing his patient 's tumor . Three days later , the patient is operated on again and all the tumor is removed . | [[479, 550], [131, 216], [4596, 4629], [2261, 2351]] |
-LRB- CNET -RRB- -- A post on the Facebook developer blog announces the big application program interface -LRB- API -RRB- update from the social network that was first reported on Sunday night , which it 's calling the Open Stream API . The `` Open Stream API '' was front-and-center with Facebook 's controversial redesign earlier this year . It 's the first major implementation of an emerging -LRB- read : brand new -RRB- open standard called Activity Streams , on which Facebook has been collaborating with developers for the past few months . Basically , what it means is that third-party developers will have access to a feed of all content posted to news feeds -- notes , photos , videos , links , `` likes '' and comments , and activity from other applications built on the social network 's platform . `` We 've officially moved away from the Web of just blog posts , which a lot of these formats were originally designed for , '' said open-source developer and advocate Chris Messina , who has been spearheading the development of Activity Streams for about a year now . `` Over time , what I think will happen is -LRB- that -RRB- you 'll see something toward the type of cleverness and ingenuity that has surfaced around the Twitter community , but in a way that is even more expressive and rich , '' Messina said . `` In the case of Twitter , you 're just talking about status updates ; in the case of Facebook you 're talking about a lot of different activities . '' Previously , only status updates -- the most Twitter-like part of Facebook -- were accessible to developers . That 's why this announcement likely makes the biggest difference to the creators of social feed aggregation applications like TweetDeck and Seesmic Desktop . But because Activity Streams is an open standard , other social-networking and media-sharing applications will be able to use it too . This means that there could be , say , an Adobe Air-based desktop application that brings in updates across photo-sharing applications like Facebook , Flickr , and Photobucket . Facebook is also targeting different types of developers -- specifically mobile and desktop -- rather than strictly the Web app developers whose creations made Facebook 's platform such a wild success when it debuted two years ago . `` One of the most important stories to tell here is this is the first time that we 've ever opened the core Facebook product experience , which was previously called the ` feed ' and which we 're now calling the ` stream , ' '' Facebook senior platform manager Dave Morin explained to CNET News . `` We 're especially excited to see the types of desktop applications and the types of mobile applications which developer are going to build for the stream . We 've sort of never really allowed this before , so we 're pretty excited to see what developers come up with . '' Facebook will be holding an event on Monday afternoon in Palo Alto , California , to introduce developers to the new API . Presenting at the event will be representatives from Adobe , which is building a Facebook application in its Air runtime environment , and Microsoft , which is doing the same in Silverlight ; contact management system Plaxo and third-party app Seesmic Desktop -LRB- which already has unveiled its support for the Open Stream -RRB- are also presenting . The `` stream '' took front-and-center with Facebook 's controversial redesign earlier this year . Inspired by the likes of Twitter , the revamped design marked a shift in strategy for Facebook from static profiles to a real-time flow of information . At the same time , it proved unpopular among some users . But Facebook is n't the only big social-networking player to be implementing Activity Streams . The emerging standard was behind the upgrades to MySpace 's MySpaceID product that the News Corp.-owned service launched in March at the South by Southwest Interactive Festival . `` It was sort of one of the earlier opportunities we had to take a nascent spec and see it all the way through to launch , '' MySpaceID product lead Max Engel told CNET News , adding that his team first started working on Activity Streams last September . It 's what powers a new MySpace `` gadget '' for Google as well as its feeds ' presence on the upcoming Yahoo homepage redesign . `` It 's getting where we need it to be , which is like e-mail : where you can write a POP client and know -LRB- that -RRB- it works , '' Engel said . `` It 's not even a full standard yet , so it 's sort of exciting to see so many people get behind something so quickly , and it 's definitely indicative of the general momentum of people who are saying we 'd rather work open than work closed . '' © 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. . All rights reserved . CNET , CNET.com and the CNET logo are registered trademarks of CBS Interactive Inc. . Used by permission . | A post on the Facebook developer blog announces the Open Stream API . Third-party developers will have access to feed of all news feed content . Previously , only status updates were accessible to developers . Blog : API users will be able to use applications to interact with their stream . | [[560, 646], [1480, 1490], [1493, 1512], [1558, 1589]] |
PITTSBURGH , Pennsylvania -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Leaders of the G-20 economic summit will announce Friday that the group will become the new permanent council for international economic cooperation , senior U.S. officials told CNN Thursday . U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner says signs of optimism for a global economic recovery can be seen . The move comes in the wake of a major push by President Obama , the officials said . The G-20 will now essentially eclipse the G-8 , which will continue to meet on major security issues but carry much less influence . `` It 's a reflection of the world economy today and the players that make it up , '' said one senior official . Nations like China , Brazil and India -- which were locked out of the more elite G-8 -- will be part of the larger group . The Group of 20 -- leaders of 20 countries representing 90 percent of the world 's economic output -- are meeting in Pittsburgh for a two-day summit , focusing on the financial crisis and how to avoid a future repeat . The gathering is Obama 's first time hosting a major international summit . `` We 're meeting at a time where , for the first time since London , certainly for the first time in a year , we 're seeing the first signs of optimism about prospects for global recovery , '' U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner told reporters Thursday . `` I think the broad consensus of private economists and businesses are that we 're beginning to see growth in the United States , and around the world we see exports rising and forecasts for growth are being revised upwards . '' `` This is encouraging , '' he said , `` but we have a ways to go . '' He said the leaders are `` going to keep working to sustain the progress we 've seen . And I can say with confidence , based on my discussions with finance ministers and central bank governors from around the world , there is a common , shared commitment to make sure we 're working together to sustain these early signs of recovery and growth . '' One of the key goals is preventing such a crisis from occurring in the future , he said . `` In the run-up to this crisis , many of the world 's largest economies depended on the American consumer to buy their exports to drive growth , and we made it easy ; for too long , Americans were buying too much and saving too little , '' Geithner said . `` And that 's no longer an option for us or for the rest of the world . And already in the United States you can see the first signs of an important transformation here as Americans save more and as we borrow substantially less from the rest of the world . '' `` I think we all recognize that we need to act before the memory of the crisis fades and before the impetus for reform recedes , '' he said . `` And we 're trying to bring greater urgency and commitment to the need to act together . '' The tightening of global financial regulations was expected to top the summit 's agenda and comes as some major economies are beginning to recover . Germany , France and Japan have announced that they have emerged from recession , prompting hopes that the worst of the financial crisis may have passed . G-20 finance ministers and central bank governors agreed at a meeting this month not to start cutting back just yet on stimulus efforts . They fear it would put economies at risk for plunging back into recession . However , the economic outlook has improved enough that countries are being encouraged to start working on exit strategies , which will vary by nation . The economic summit marks the third time in a year that the world 's top industrial powers have gathered . They met in November in Washington and followed up with an April session in London . A number of protesters gathered in the area , tracked by police . At one point , riot police used pepper spray or tear gas on the protesters . CNN 's Brian Todd was one of the people affected by the spray or gas . See iReport photos of police and protesters '' `` It really drove the protesters back , '' Todd said . `` It drove us back . It burned our eyes . It really burned our throats for a while . It got pretty dicey there . '' Watch Todd 's report '' After that , Todd said , the protesters dispersed somewhat , but police were keeping an eye on the remaining protesters . iReport.com : Pittsburgh braces for protests . Among the protesters was a group of several hundred wearing T-shirts reading , `` G20 : Free Tibet Before Free Trade . '' The crowd marched about eight blocks before police blocked their path . Officers allowed the protesters to chant in the street for more than an hour before they walked away . There were no arrests . Others chanted pro-marijuana slogans behind the riot police , and another group took up the stadium chant of `` Let 's go Steelers . '' CNN 's Steve Brusk and Ed Henry contributed to this report . | G-20 would essentially eclipse the more elite G-8 . G-8 would continue to meet on major security issues but carry less influence . Group of 20 meeting in Pittsburgh for economic summit . U.S. Treasury secretary : Signs of optimism for recovery can be seen . | [[432, 564], [432, 564], [462, 479], [486, 564], [432, 440], [470, 477], [537, 564], [801, 843], [903, 949], [3574, 3629], [238, 332], [1207, 1284]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Twenty-three suspects , including nine American Airlines employees , were arrested Tuesday for allegedly transporting nearly $ 20 million worth of cocaine on flights into and out of Puerto Rico , federal authorities said . Manuel Santiago-Alvarado , an American Airlines control crew chief , is among the suspects arrested Tuesday . Most of the commercial flights carrying suitcases stuffed with illicit drugs came into San Juan , which was a transshipment point for drugs bound for cities on the U.S. mainland , authorities said . The drug trafficking organization headed by defendant Wilfredo Rodriguez Rosade had been operating since 1999 , according to the Drug Enforcement Administration and the FBI , which participated in the long-running investigation . In a September 9 indictment unsealed Tuesday , Justice Department officials also moved to seize $ 18 million worth of property owned by the suspects , including seven homes , three businesses and an apartment complex . All but one of the arrests occurred in Puerto Rico . The lone arrest on the U.S. mainland was in Miami , Florida . Drug Enforcement Special Agent in Charge Javier Pena said the airline industry cooperated in the investigation . `` By denying the drug traffickers alternate smuggling routes , we disrupt the flow of drugs into Puerto Rico and discourage the use of the island as a transshipment point in the Caribbean , '' he said in a news release . The agency said that if they are convicted , the defendants taken into custody would face sentences ranging from 10 years to life in prison and personal fines of up to $ 4 million . American Airlines issued a statement confirming some employees had been arrested , but could not confirm the number because of its privacy policy , spokesman Tim Wagner said in an e-mail . The airline has been working with authorities , he said . `` As a company , we hope that the actions of a few employees do n't reflect negatively on the tens of thousands of ethical American Airlines employees who work hard to serve the public daily , '' Wagner wrote . | 9 airline employees among those accused of smuggling $ 20 million in cocaine . Most of flights were into or out of San Juan , Puerto Rico . DEA and FBI say operation had been running since 1999 . Justice Department moves to seize $ 18 million in property . | [[0, 15], [32, 40], [43, 85], [0, 15], [76, 212], [551, 660], [551, 630], [663, 723], [716, 723], [732, 780], [781, 825], [828, 856], [862, 907]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- People in big cities walk past them every day -- street performers , or buskers . Some are talented , some are not , and most are n't performing for a cause greater than themselves . But on Monday , 12-year-old Abby Miller was . Abby Miller sings for her friend Taylor Love outside Washington 's Union Station on Monday . She was performing outside Washington 's Union Station to help her 4-year-old friend , Taylor Love , who is suffering from cancer . Abby sat in front of the station with a couple of her friends , singing songs and strumming a guitar . Passers-by seemed to notice the girl 's singing talent , stopping to listen in the chilly weather , with a few putting money in a bucket at Abby 's feet . Abby said the money will help support Taylor 's family . A few more stopped to write messages on `` Love Notes , '' little cards designed to encourage Taylor Love through the tough time . `` Her mom reads them to her before she goes to bed at night , '' Abby said . `` Taylor gets excited for them and she loves getting them read to her because she likes knowing that people are supporting her and people are actually thinking of her . '' Taylor has neuroblastoma , a cancer that affects the nervous system . According to her Web site , she is in remission , but this type of cancer has a high risk of recurrence . There has been little research on the illness , of which there are about 650 new cases in the United States each year . Mike Gillette , a family friend of both Taylor and Abby , brought the two girls together . While raising money and support for Taylor is important , he said , he thinks Abby 's outreach can help bring more critical awareness for the devastating disease . `` She really wanted to reach people all over the country , '' he said . Gillette said he has taken Abby to do similar performances in the District of Columbia , New Jersey and Virginia , and estimates they 've raised thousands of dollars and have gotten people to write several hundred `` Love Notes . '' Abby does more than just raise money and awareness for her friend . Taylor 's mother , Aimee , said that although Abby is eight years older than Taylor , the two see each other often and have a special connection that helps her get through her daughter 's illness . `` I think it 's amazing for a 12-year-old Abby to be drawn to my daughter , who is 4 and wants to inspire other children , '' Aimee Love said . `` The joy I see in Taylor when she sees Abby brings a light into my life . '' Taylor 's family said her treatments are terribly painful . But Abby said Taylor has enormous character . `` She 's the most happy girl in the world , which I think is just incredible , '' Abby said . `` She 's so much fun to be around . She 's a little 4-year-old girl but she 's got a heart of like a thousand grown adults . '' Aimee Love said her daughter feels the same way about Abby . `` It gives her someone to aspire to , someone to be inspired by , '' she said . | Abby Miller sings , plays guitar to help 4-year-old friend with cancer . Abby collects donations , has people write notes of support for Taylor Love . Taylor has neuroblastoma , a cancer that affects the nervous system . | [[259, 291], [352, 436], [415, 436], [439, 452], [457, 483], [484, 488], [548, 586], [1805, 1813], [1924, 2034], [2038, 2042], [2058, 2105], [415, 436], [439, 452], [457, 483], [1181, 1207], [1208, 1216], [1222, 1250]] |
UNITED NATIONS -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Drawing on 2006 remarks in which he compared former U.S. President George Bush to the devil , Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez , speaking at the United Nations Thursday , said , `` It does n't smell like sulfur anymore . '' Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez spoke highly of President Obama at the United Nations on Thursday . In a rambling speech at the U.N. General Assembly , Chavez spoke highly of current President Obama , saying he is an `` intelligent man '' and comparing him to President John F. Kennedy . `` I hope God will protect Obama from the bullets that killed Kennedy , '' he said . `` I hope Obama will be able to look and see , genuinely see , what has to be seen and bring about a change . '' Three years ago , Chavez spoke at the gathering the day after Bush spoke , and said the lectern `` still smells of sulfur . '' But on Thursday he looked around the podium and said , `` It does n't smell of sulfur . It 's gone . No , it smells of something else . It smells of hope . '' He did , however , criticize some U.S. policies , questioning whether there are `` two Obamas . '' Watch Chavez speak at the U.N. General Assembly '' Chavez accused the Pentagon of being behind the ousting of Honduran President Jose Manuel Zelaya in a military-backed coup in June . `` American soldiers knew about the coup and supported it , '' he said . `` Hence the contradiction that Obama has to face . Are there two Obamas ? Obama spoke here yesterday . Does he have a double ? ... Let 's hope the one we heard yesterday will prevail . Let us hope . That 's what the world needs . '' The United States and Brazil have said they support dialogue between Zelaya and de facto President Roberto Micheletti , centered on the San Jose Accord brought about through the mediation of Costa Rican President Oscar Arias and the Organization of American States mission . That deal calls for Zelaya to be restored to office . `` The U.S. government , and this is strange , has not recognized the fact that a military coup d'etat has occurred , '' Chavez said . `` There is some friction between the State Department and the Pentagon . '' He said the coup was engineered by the Honduran bourgeoisie , `` four or five wealthy , powerful families . '' Chavez also called for the United States to lift what he called the `` savage , murderous blockade '' on Cuba , and was critical of plans to open U.S. military bases in Colombia , saying what the nation needs instead is aid to lift itself out of its civil war . In addition , Chavez criticized capitalism and extolled the virtues of socialism , saying it is `` the road to salvation for this planet . '' He spoke for almost exactly an hour , less than the hour and 36 minutes Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi used on Wednesday . The Venezuelan president joked that he would not speak as long as Gadhafi , but said he planned to speak as long as Obama . Asked to expand on his `` two Obamas '' comment at a news conference after his speech , Chavez said , `` I think that one of the serious failures of the United States has been that , for a long time , it has underestimated and undervalued Latin America and the Caribbean . ... I hope that Obama turns around the vision of the White House and the Department of State of Latin America . They can not continue to mistreat us . '' He said one Obama spoke about peace in addressing the General Assembly , yet has seven U.S. military bases in Colombia . `` There 's a double somewhere , '' he said . Asked by a reporter about the closures of television stations in Venezuela , Chavez said it was `` a big lie '' and asked her to provide an example . She asked about RCT , or Radio Caracas Television . Chavez told her the station broadcasts every day , but that a contract , or concession , had expired for its `` open signal '' and was not renewed . `` Never in Venezuela do we have as much freedom of expression as we do now , '' he said . But , he asked , `` What would happen here in the United States if CNN and other stations supported a coup ? Not only would they be shut down , but their owners would have been taken to the electric chair . '' | Three years ago , Chavez said it `` still smells of sulfur , '' referring to President Bush . Chavez spoke highly Obama , saying he is an `` intelligent man '' Chavez said Pentagon behind ousting of Honduran President Jose Manuel Zelaya . Chavez called for U.S. to lift `` savage , murderous blockade '' on Cuba . | [[745, 760], [763, 769], [824, 868], [258, 358], [359, 408], [411, 457], [467, 469], [359, 408], [411, 417], [460, 546], [1181, 1313], [1196, 1313]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The guitarist stands in front of a mirror messing with his mohawk . The drummer strikes a wild tempo . The singer rips off his T-shirt and begins to scream the lyrics . Basim Usmani is bassist for The Kominas , a group that blends traditional sounds with punk rock beats . They 're young . They 're punk . And they 're rocking both their Muslim and American worlds with their music , lyrics and style . `` A lot of times people say , ` Oh wow , look , brown people playing music ' -LSB- but -RSB- it 's more than that , '' said 25-year-old Pakistani-American Shahjehan Khan , the lead singer for a Muslim punk band , The Kominas . The Boston-based band is one of a handful of Muslim punk bands that emerged in the United States in the past few years . The members of this four-person rock group with South Asian roots hold varying views on religion . One says he 's an atheist ; three others identify as Muslims -- both practicing and non-practicing . For them , punk music is a way to rebel against their conservative cultural upbringing and the frustrations of growing up a young Muslim in America . `` We are n't -LSB- just -RSB- some alternative to a stereotypical Muslim . We actually might be offering some sort of insights for people at large about religion , about the world , '' said 26-year-old bassist Basim Usmani . Blending traditional South Asian rhythms with punk rock beats , they sing in both English and Punjabi . -LRB- Kominas means `` scum-bag '' in Punjabi , according to the band . -RRB- Their songs can be at once political , serious , satirical and insinuating . Audio slide show : On tour with Muslim punk rockers '' Their risqué lyrics and provocative song titles such as `` Sharia Law in the USA , '' `` Suicide Bomb the GAP '' and `` Rumi was a Homo '' -- a protest song against homophobia in the American Muslim community -- have drawn the attention of Muslims , non-Muslims , fans and critics alike . `` You sort of have to throw it in peoples ' faces and be shocking in order to give people a different way to think about stuff , '' said Usmani . `` These punk , metal and rap scenes - so-called extreme music scenes -- are addressing issues that mainstream music does n't , '' said Mark LeVine , a professor of Middle Eastern history at University of California , Irvine , who is also a musician and author of `` Heavy Metal Islam . '' '' -LSB- Punk -RSB- allows them to rebel against society and their own culture at the same time , '' he said . iReport : Is Islam at odds with American values ? Before the Islamic punk movement in North America had a voice , it had a story . The Muslim punk scene began to gel in 2003 when novelist and convert to Islam , Michael Muhammad Knight self-published his book , `` The Taqwacores '' about a fictional Muslim punk scene in Buffalo , New York . The book opens with a poem called `` Muhammed was a Punk Rocker '' and describes both conventional and unconventional characters including a Shi'ite skinhead , a conservative Sunni Muslim , a burka-wearing feminist punk and a Sufi who sports a Mohawk and drinks alcohol . `` The punk rock kids I would hang out with were n't even Muslim , '' 31-year old Knight recalls . `` They were so fiercely individualistic -- I wish that I could be a Muslim in that way : not be ashamed of my confusion , not be ashamed of my doubts . Just be myself and be proud of who I am . '' The novel 's title , `` Taqwacore , '' is a hybrid word stemming from the Arabic `` taqwa , '' meaning `` god consciousness , '' and `` core '' referring to `` hardcore '' -- a genre of punk music . It 's now a general term for Muslim punk rock . The popularity of the book , which Knight said was born out of a search to find his identity as a Muslim-American , grew in underground youth circles and online . It did n't take long before real-life `` taqwacore '' bands like The Kominas began blooming across the country . `` It makes sense why punk has been the music of choice for young , politically active Muslims who are musical , '' said LeVine . `` The straight edge movement in punk which was about no drugs , no alcohol , was clean yet very intense and political . It 's a way for them to rebel against their families in some extreme ways yet still be ritualistically , ` good Muslims . ' '' `` Taqwacore '' gave voice to many young Muslim-Americans who felt muted by circumstances and created an opening for bands like Al-Thawra , Vote Hezbollah , and Secret Trial Five -- an all-girl punk band out of Vancouver , Canada . In the summer of 2007 , five of the taqwacore bands organized a `` taqwa-tour '' of the northeastern United States . They played in city after city , traveling in a green school bus with TAQWA painted on the front bought by Knight for $ 2,000 on eBay . This summer , The Kominas continue to strike a chord with audiences around the country , hitting cities from San Francisco to New York on a multi-city tour . The taqwacore movement has also inspired two upcoming films - a dramatic feature film based on the book and a documentary . Many conservative Muslims may peg young taqwacores as heretic for their suggestive and irreverent lyrics . But the musicians say they are just trying to show both cultures how broad the spectrum of belief can be . Like many young adults balancing their religious beliefs with American culture , some young Muslims in the United States say it 's a constant struggle to be accepted in both worlds . `` I had a lot of conflicted feelings growing up a Muslim in America , '' said 25-year-old Kominas drummer Imran Malik . `` It was hard not being able to do the same things that everyone else around you is doing without feeling guilty about them . '' Knight , who grew up with a Catholic mother and white supremacist father , converted to Islam when he was 16 . He said his message is not one of blasphemy but rather an extension of his discontent with the rigid etiquette that dictates certain practices within Islam and the stereotypes of Muslims in American . `` Muslims have n't been fully accepted as Americans but the American experience has n't been accepted as something that can contribute to the Muslim world , '' said Knight . Knight said writing the book helped him and others connect through shared experiences . `` When I first wrote it , I felt like there would never be a place for me in the Muslim community and that has really turned around a lot , '' he said . `` The book gave me the community I needed , it connected me to all these kids that were also confused and who also went through the things that I went through . '' That connection is vital to taqwacore music , bassist Usmani said . `` The music is great , but the conversation is the key to all of this . The dialogue that we have inspired is really invaluable . '' `` I do n't think Islam is ever going to go away , I 'm just trying to see how it best fits in my life . '' | A handful of Muslim punk bands have emerged in the last few years . A fictional portrayal of a Muslim punk scene helped set the real-world stage . Some conservative Muslims disapprove of the suggestive and irreverent lyrics . | [[650, 712], [695, 712], [718, 770], [5077, 5183]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- It certainly is n't your average help wanted ad . A publication in Denver , Colorado , is looking for a journalist to review marijuana dispensaries . `` Do you have a medical condition that necessitates marijuana ? Do you have a way with words ? If so , Westword wants you to join the ranks as our freelance marijuana-dispensary reviewer . '' The local `` burgeoning medical marijuana scene '' in Denver , Colorado , is growing and the weekly publication Westword wants to be on the forefront , said Joe Tone , the paper 's Web editor . `` We want someone who can get in and relay to our readers what it is like inside these dispensaries . '' It 's not exactly like a food critic job . The online-only reviewer wo n't be showing up anonymously and sampling the wares . `` They are to review the places , not the weed , '' Tone said . `` We ca n't have our reviewer be stoned all the time , '' he quipped . But , he said , the ideal applicant should have `` the ability to write and be in the position of holding a state medical marijuana card . '' The reviewer , he said , should know his or her way around dispensaries and be `` passionate about the issue of medical marijuana . '' Colorado is one of 14 states where medical marijuana is legal by state law -- federal law still bans its use . But this week , the Obama administration announced a new policy loosening the rules regarding prosecuting criminal activity associated with medical marijuana . The Justice Department now says that prosecutors can go after traffickers but not medical marijuana patients and their caregivers . Though Westword is no longer accepting applicants for its dispensary reviewer position , they are actively working through the 120 they received and have culled the list down to under 20 . The applicants run the gamut of 20-something stoners to well-educated engineers in their 50s . Some have even offered to work for free , Tone said , adding `` We wo n't accept that . '' The pay is `` meager , '' he said , but it 's legitimate . | Weekly publication Westword in Denver , Colorado , marijuana-dispensary reviewer . Paper wants to cover `` burgeoning medical marijuana scene '' says Web editor . Colorado is one of 14 states where medical marijuana is legal by state law . Federal law still bans its use . | [[69, 92], [106, 168], [273, 358], [451, 482], [514, 527], [1221, 1230], [1237, 1276], [1280, 1312]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Energetic , infectious and combative , the music of Nigerian musician Femi Kuti has moved audiences around the world . But the man is just as passionate about getting people to change their world as much as move their feet . Son of Afrobeat pioneer and political activist Fela Kuti , Femi inherited his father 's zeal for both music and activism . Kuti was signed to Motown Records in 1994 and his music blends Afrobeat with more current soul , R&B and jazz . He 's worked with rappers Mos Def and Common and continues to explore his music and collaborations . While the music matters , the man himself remains just as politically motivated as his father . Kuti 's nightclub in Lagos , the New Afrika Shrine , had become a Mecca for West African music and creative expression , until it was closed by the authorities earlier in the summer . It was also homage to his father and continued his legacy of using music to inspire , change and motivate . Kuti recently told a reporter for All Africa Global Media that the Shrine was a place of worship where people can honor `` great black people , who fought for the emancipation of Africa through music . '' Freeing the `` Shrine '' from being under lock and key is just one of his crusading missions , as with his band , The Positive Force , Kuti remains outspoken about Nigeria , corruption and the positive changes that Africa can achieve . Watch Femi Kuti on African Voices on Saturday , October 31 , 12.30 and 18.30 GMT ; Sunday , November 1 , 18.00 GMT . | Nigerian musician Femi Kuti is son of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti . Inherited his father 's passion for music and political activism . Nightclub in Lagos recently closed by authorities ; remains politically outspoken . | [[303, 366], [860, 862], [897, 967], [676, 702], [720, 794], [797, 859]] |
NEW DELHI , India -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The number of dead in devastating floods triggered by torrential rains in India has risen to at least 271 , and about a million people have fled their homes , officials said Monday . An aerial view of a flood-affected area in Bijapur district in North Karnataka , India . At least 192 people have died in the southern state of Karnataka , its disaster-management secretary H.V. Parshwanath told CNN . More than 450,000 people there have been housed in 1,330 relief camps as authorities completed rescue operations in most of the flooded zones in the state , he said . `` The focus is now mainly on relief , '' Parshwanath said , adding that rains have now eased in Karnataka . In neighboring Andhra Pradesh , authorities put the death toll at 51 . Some 531,000 people have been evacuated to safety , with more half of them now sheltering in relief camps , said Dinesh Kumar , the commissioner of the state 's disaster-monitoring department . India has deployed the military to help with relief and rescue in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh . More than a dozen teams of naval divers have been sent to the two flood-hit states , the country 's defense ministry said . Air force planes and helicopters have also been dropping food packets in the submerged regions . The military has been able to rescue 1,336 people so far , it added . Flood waters were now receding in two of the five worst hit districts of Andhra Pradesh , disaster official Kumar said . But floodwaters from a local river might submerge the remaining three , he warned . Flooding also killed at least 25 people in Maharashtra state , officials said . Three others died because of lightning strikes , said S.C. Mohanty , director of Maharashtra 's disaster-management department . About 3,000 people have been displaced because of flooding , he told CNN . Thousands of people die each year in India during seasonal monsoon rains . More than 1,100 had been killed in monsoon-triggered flooding in different parts of the country as of last month , according to the disaster-management division of the federal home ministry . | Death toll from floods in India has now reached 271 . Over a million people have been forced to flee their homes . Over 450,000 people in southern state of Karnataka housed in 1,330 relief camps . | [[0, 33], [111, 142], [145, 193], [785, 834], [438, 592], [855, 890]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The first nine months of this year has seen more pirate attacks than all of last year . And more than half of those attacks were carried out by suspected Somali pirates , an international maritime watchdog group said Wednesday . The increase in attacks has forced many countries to patrol pirate hotspots such as the Gulf of Aden . `` The increased activity in Somalia is the major reason for the spike , '' said Cyrus Mody , manager of the International Maritime Bureau , which monitors shipping crimes . From January 1 until September 30 , pirates worldwide mounted 306 attacks , compared with 293 in all of 2008 , the Bureau said . Of the incidents this year , Somali pirates accounted for 54 percent : they launched 168 attacks . Most of them took place off the east coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden , a major shipping route between Yemen and Somalia . They successfully hijacked 32 vessels and took 533 hostages . Eight others were wounded , four more killed and one is missing , the Bureau said . Somali pirates are still holding four ships for ransom with 80 crew members as hostages . Somalia 's transitional government , which has a tenuous grip on power , has been unable to stop the pirates -- many of whom are based in the port cities . This has prompted Europe and other Western countries to step up maritime patrols . `` In the Gulf of Aden , the number of attacks have gone up . But because of the presence of naval vessels , the success rate of the pirates have decreased , '' Mody said . `` The navies are responding very very effectively . '' Today 's pirates are a far cry from the eye-patched , peg-legged swashbucklers of Hollywood . They don night-vision goggles , carry rocket launchers and navigate with global positioning devices . Many pirates are trained fighters ; others are young thugs enlisted for the job . Experts say they often sail out to sea in a mother ship and wait for a target . When they find one , the pirates board smaller boats and move in , typically with five to seven armed hijackers per boat . Two recent trends have led to a rise in piracy : access and opportunity . As global commerce picks up , more and more of the world 's fuels , minerals and other crucial commodities travel by ship . Ninety-five percent of America 's foreign trade , for instance , moves by water , according to the U.S. Maritime Administration . That cargo is an easy target for robbers in countries that lack the resources to secure their shorelines , such as Somalia . Those who have tracked pirate activity say it started in Somalia in the 1980s , when the pirates claimed they were aiming to stop the rampant illegal fishing and dumping that continues to this day off the Somali coast . Piracy accelerated after the fall of the Somali government in the early 1990s and began to flourish after shipping companies started paying ransoms . Those payments started out being in the tens of thousands of dollars and have since climbed into the millions . With the ransoms they collect , pirates can earn up to $ 40,000 a year , analysts say . That 's a fortune for someone from an impoverished country . Some analysts say companies are simply making the problem worse by paying the piracies . `` Yes , the ransoms have probably caused the piracy to become a bit more rampant . But at the same time , from the owner 's point of view , there is no other way currently to secure the safe release of the vessel along with the crew and the cargo , '' Mody said . `` It 's basically a cycle . '' Other trouble spots this year were waters off Nigeria , with 20 attacks ; Malaysia with 14 ; and Bangladesh with 12 . | Somali pirates accounted for 54 percent of all attacks this year . Most of them took place off east coast of Somalia and in Gulf of Aden . Somali pirates are still holding four ships for ransom . Other trouble spots were waters off Nigeria , Malaysia and Bangladesh . | [[107, 187], [683, 722], [753, 830], [1030, 1054], [1063, 1119], [1030, 1105], [3539, 3592]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A call for Smurfs brought together 1,253 dressed-up-in-blue people in County Monaghan , Ireland . A 4,703-pound cheesecake rolled out in Mexico City . A 7-year-old Michigan boy made a ball of plastic wrap that 's 11 feet across . Anthony Victor of India has hair measuring 7.12 inches sprouting from the center of his outer ears . Meanwhile , in Ellensburg , Washington , 13-year-old Brenden Adams is having a hard time fitting into cars . At 7 feet 4.6 inches , Adams -- who as a kindergartner was taller than his teacher -- has made it into the Guinness World Records 2010 book , released Thursday , as the tallest teenage boy . It 's a stature he said was earned simply because his 12th chromosome split in half . And while the height has its perks -- `` You do n't get picked on as much '' -- he wishes strangers would n't stare . `` I 'm another person , just like everybody else , '' said Adams , who does n't play basketball -- two knee replacements insured that -- and prefers to hang out with friends , camp and ride dirt bikes . The tallest teenage boy is one of about 4,000 records listed in this year 's book -- a number that accounts for a mere 10 percent of all the mind-blowing stats that make up the Guinness World Records database , said Stuart Claxton , a spokesman for the organization that began publishing feats in 1955 . See more world record holders . From the obscure -LRB- Most balloons inflated with a nose ? 308 -RRB- to the old standbys -LRB- Lucia Zarate , who died in 1890 , still holds the record for lightest adult at 4.7 pounds -RRB- , it 's the reference-book gift that keeps on giving . So why would someone set out to spend the most time in a bumper car -LRB- record : 24 hours -RRB- , or solve the most Rubik 's Cubes in one hour -LRB- record : 185 -RRB- ? `` It 's an innate part of our psyche as human beings to explore how far we can push the boundaries , '' said Claxton , who 's been with Guinness World Records since 2000 . `` We 're intrigued by extremes in our daily life '' and by `` the things we 're not familiar with . '' iReport.com : Follow updates on `` Le Grande Bebe '' Jake Lonsway of Bay City , Michigan , was only 6 when high school students in his area set out to assemble the largest group of people wearing Groucho Marx glasses . A snowstorm killed the attempt , but the idea of setting a record became an obsession for the young boy , his mom Julie Grames said . `` I told him , ` We 'll get a bunch of books , and we 'll see if there 's anything we can do , ' '' she said . Building a ball of plastic wrap was where they landed . And what started with a softball-sized ball grew and grew and grew into a 281-pound monstrosity , earning Lonsway , now 9 , a spot in this year 's record book . `` It does take up a nice corner of the garage , '' Grames said with a laugh . And when people comment on how `` cool '' it is , she said her husband 's response is always the same : `` You want it ? Take it . '' iReport.com : Massive chess board with human pieces . Claxton , of Guinness , has seen everything from the innocuous to the extreme and dangerous . He 's watched a motorcycle rider crash -- and survive -- trying to outdo the ramp-to-ramp distance jump , just one of the `` pushing the envelope '' moments that helped him `` realize just how out there the world of record breaking can be , '' he said . Some images might be hard to take in at first . `` Over 1,000 piercings in the human body is something you have to get used to looking at , '' Claxton said . And while the most tattooed man -- 99 percent of his body is covered -- `` may not be my cup of tea , '' he said that when it comes to categories there 's something for everyone . Lee Redmond , 68 , of Salt Lake City , Utah , earned the top berth for longest fingernails after not cutting them from 1979 onward . As of the last record-setting measurement , her nails were 28-foot long in total , the longest being her left index fingernail that came in at 3-foot , Claxton said . But a car accident in February of this year left her nails broken and her hands much freer , the Guinness spokesman said . iReport.com : World 's largest rocking chair ? `` They were such a part of her , '' he said , before describing Redmond 's attitude as `` very stoic , '' and her take on the broken nails this way : `` If something like that had to happen , it had to happen . Someone somewhere had decided enough is enough . '' This year 's book release includes a look at the top 100 records of this century 's first decade , Claxton added , as well as beefed up offerings on the Guinness World Records Web site , which is also where wannabe record holders can find out how to compete and get recognized -- if not now , then in the next book 's edition . Since the current record-holding Smurfs gathered in Ireland and after the 2010 book went to press , for example , 2,510 ambitious blue ones amassed in a nightclub in Wales . iReport.com : Large gathering of `` Waldos '' Does Claxton have his own eyes on a record prize ? `` I want to spin a quarter for the longest time possible , '' he said , adding that the current record is 19.34 seconds . `` That 's the one I want to get . '' | 1,253 Smurfs gather in Ireland , find place in Guinness World Records 2010 book . Released Thursday , the record book lists 4,000 eyebrow-raising tidbits . `` I 'm another person , just like everybody else , '' tallest teenage boy says . Woman who grew fingernails for about 30 years loses them in car accident . | [[4793, 4846], [1058, 1111], [1092, 1139], [857, 876]] |
SAN FRANCISCO , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A lot of people have been outraged by the gender verification testing that South African athlete Caster Semenya has been put through , and have been trying to be supportive of her ; but in doing so , they often further prejudice against the very thing which she appears to be : intersex . Hida Viloria says she looks forward to a day when intersex conditions like hers are widely accepted . Intersex people -LRB- formerly known as hermaphrodites -RRB- are those born with bodies that are difficult to classify as either `` male '' or `` female . '' Since results of Semenya 's tests were apparently leaked , it seems that her body does n't conform to the definition of `` female '' as one who has ovaries . I 'm intersex because , while I have ovaries , menstruate and can get pregnant , my genitalia is somewhat male-looking -LRB- simply put , I have a clitoris that 's much larger than average . -RRB- . Throughout my childhood , I never thought I was anything other than `` female '' because that 's what I was labeled and raised as . While I felt more aggressive than other girls , I did n't think that anything other than male and female could exist . So I just thought of myself as a `` different kind of woman . '' Ultimately , my assessment was pretty accurate . I was raised in a strict Catholic home , where nudity and sex talk was unheard of , so having no one to compare my genitals to , I was unaware that mine were different . I 'm very lucky to have escaped the `` corrective '' surgeries and/or hormone treatments that are the norm for intersex infants , because my father went to medical school before these practices began -LRB- in the mid-late ' 50 's -RRB- , and knew that you should n't operate on a baby unless it 's absolutely necessary . Later , when he wanted to give me estrogen pills at puberty to ensure that my body `` feminized '' -LRB- he told me that the pills were to make me grow taller -RRB- , my mother objected , saying it was experimental and that I did n't need it . Thankfully , she won out . Thus , no one ever told me there was anything wrong with my body -LRB- that did n't happen until a gynecological visit when I was twenty -RRB- , and I grew up loving it just the way it is . I still do . While many doctors would refer to my clitoris as `` grossly enlarged , '' I have to tell you , having an overabundance of the only organ in the human body whose sole purpose is pleasure is far from a negative thing ! I came of age sexually with my second boyfriend in high school . I broke up with him because I knew that I preferred girls , but I could n't act on it yet . Once I did , in college , it confirmed that girls were what I 'd always longed for , and it was then that I realized how much my body differed from theirs . ' Still , I had no name for my difference . At the age of twenty-six , I finally discovered I was `` intersex '' from a newspaper article . Fortunately , it was not about me specifically but about intersex in general , and I 'm glad that I , unlike Semenya , had time to process the information and come out about it when I was ready to . I still had other issues I was dealing with -- namely : racism and homophobia -- so it took a year for me to embrace this additional minority status . Once I did , it was a positive turning point . I 'd always felt strongly masculine and feminine , and now it made sense why these two presumably `` opposite '' traits existed , in me , side by side . I did n't think being intersex was a bad thing to be . I 'd already learned that people can be prejudiced against things they 're unfamiliar with , or are taught to dislike , and that we should n't take on their bigotry . On April 19 , 2002 , I appeared on the television news program `` 20/20 '' with a prominent urologist and `` expert '' on intersex conditions . When asked why he supported `` corrective surgeries '' he answered , `` Society ca n't accept people of different colors , and now we 're supposed to accept somebody with genitalia that do n't match what their gender is ? I do not believe this society is ready for it . '' Intersex folks are not some new invention that people need to be `` ready for : '' we exist and always have . Resistance to accepting us has created the mess that Semenya now finds herself in . If medicine had been more upfront about intersex conditions rather than pretending they 're just male and female as usual , they could have avoided ruining the career of some athletes . Whichever condition Caster Semenya has , she should n't be made to suffer for others ' mistakes . Since infancy , she 's been legally labeled , raised , and accepted as female . To be told that she ca n't compete as one now would be like being a U.S. citizen all your life , but being suddenly denied a passport because somebody decided that the city you were born in is actually , sorry , on the wrong side of the border . For thirteen years I 've been outing myself as intersex just to let folks know we exist , and I 'm happy to say I 've seen progress . I look forward to one day telling my god-daughter about how it used to be for us , and to hearing her say , `` Wow , I ca n't believe some people had problems accepting intersex . Humans can be so weird . '' | Intersex writer Hida Viloria shares her experience of growing up intersex . Viloria : I found out at age of 26 I was intersex , I think I 'm a different kind of woman . Viloria : Since then , I 've been outing myself as intersex just to let folks know we exist . | [[1206, 1264], [2857, 2881], [2884, 2952], [4946, 5001], [4993, 5033]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A study published Monday in the journal Pediatrics indicates about 1 percent of children ages 3 to 17 have autism or a related disorder , an increase over previous estimates . Children at the Marcus Autism Center in Atlanta , Georgia , receive instruction on March 5 , 2009 . `` This is a significant issue that needs immediate attention , '' Dr. Ileana Arias , deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday . `` A concerted effort and substantial national response is warranted . '' The study used data from the federal government 's 2007 national survey of children 's health . The survey of parents was conducted by the Health Resources and Services Administration , and by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . The results are based on a national telephone survey of more than 78,000 parents of children ages 3 to 17 . iReport.com : How has autism affected your family ? In the study , parents were asked whether a health care provider had ever told them their child had an autism spectrum disorder . ASD is a group of brain disorders comprising autism and two less severe disorders : Asperger 's disorder and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified . Children with the disorder show impairment in social interaction and in their ability to communicate . They often display repetitive behavior . Watch families discuss autism '' The investigators also asked a follow-up question : Were the children considered to have ASD now ? Nearly 40 percent of the parents and guardians said no . That finding led the authors to question whether some of the children originally diagnosed as having ASD may have been improperly diagnosed , since the disorders are not considered curable . But Kogan said the two surveys can not be compared because the earlier investigators did not ask the follow-up question about whether the children were still considered to have the disorder . Still , based on the findings , lead author Dr. Michael D. Kogan of HRSA 's maternal and child health bureau estimated the prevalence of ASD among U.S. children ages 3 to 17 at 110 per 10,000 -- slightly more than 1 percent . Boys were four times as likely as girls to have ASD , and non-Hispanic black and multiracial children were less likely than non-Hispanic white children . He estimated that 673,000 children have ASD in the United States . Monday 's findings of nearly 1 in 100 appear to indicate an increase from the average of 1 in 150 that was reported in 2003 , the researchers said . The researchers urged caution in interpreting the change , noting that an increase in diagnoses does not necessarily mean that more children have the disorder . It could simply reflect a heightened awareness of the disorder . `` We do n't know whether the change in the number over time is a result of the change in the actual condition , in the actual number of conditions or in part due to the fact that the condition is being recognized differently , '' Arias said . She said that preliminary results from a separate , CDC-funded study she is working on also indicate that about 1 percent of children in the United States are affected by ASD . That study is to be published later this year , she said . `` This is a behavioral diagnosis , and it 's difficult to make , and it 's difficult to make at young ages , '' said Dr. Peter van Dyck , HRSA 's associate administrator for maternal and child health . Half of the cases were considered mild by their parents , the study reported . The results underscore the importance of creating policies that will result in early identification and intervention , the officials said . The reports raise `` a lot of questions about how we are preparing in terms of housing , employment , social support -- all the issues that many of these people are going to need , '' said Dr. Tom Insel , director of the National Institute of Mental Health . `` It also raises questions about how well we 're prepared in the educational system to provide for the special needs of many of these kids . '' Insel said the federal government is beefing up the resources it is mobilizing to address autism and related disorders , with $ 85 million being appropriated by the National Institutes of Health and $ 48 million for next year by the HRSA . | Study indicates about 1 % of children 3 to 17 have autism or related disorder . Results based on national telephone survey of more than 78,000 parents . CDC official : `` This is a significant issue that needs immediate attention '' Researchers saying finding could reflect heightened awareness of disorder . | [[0, 15], [70, 107], [861, 884], [3017, 3193], [3031, 3085], [3109, 3193], [631, 718], [777, 869], [295, 356], [2708, 2772], [2708, 2710], [2734, 2772]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Tennis officials reacted with disappointment on Wednesday to Andre Agassi 's revelation that he had used a banned drug and then lied about it to avoid a ban . Agassi 's admission that he took the stimulant crystal meth in 1997 will come in a soon to be published autobiography which is being serialized by The Times of London . He avoided a three-month suspension by claiming in a letter to the Association of Tennis Professionals -LRB- ATP -RRB- that he failed a doping test because a drink had been ` spiked ' with the crystal meth . Under today 's anti-doping rules , the American legend could have faced a two-year ban from the circuit . The ATP issued a statement Wednesday in which it said that an independent panel would make the final decision on a doping violation . `` The ATP has always followed this rule , and no executive at the ATP has therefore had the authority or ability to decide the outcome of an anti-doping matter , '' the statement read . World Anti-Doping Agency -LRB- WADA -RRB- president John Fahey said they could not take retrospective action against the eight-time grand slam winner because of its eight-year statute of limitations , but demanded the ATP investigate fully . `` WADA would , however , expect the ATP , which administered its own anti-doping program at that time , to shed light on this allegation , '' Fahey said in a statement . The International Tennis Federation -LRB- ITF -RRB- took over responsibility for the ATP 's doping program in 2006 and its president Francesco Ricci Bitti said that Agassi 's revelations showed that a tough anti-doping program was needed . Agassi did find strong support from Nicolas Hayek , chairman of Swatch Group , for whom Agassi acts as an ambassador . He told CNN that his company would stick with the 39-year-old Agassi in his current role . `` He 's admitted a mistake and it 's fine with us , '' he said . | Tennis governing bodies to consider Andre Agassi 's doping revelations . ATP say an independent panel would consider the issue . WADA can not take action under eight-year statute of limitations . | [[661, 794], [676, 697], [707, 794], [982, 1180]] |
-LRB- Mental Floss -RRB- -- We remember Henry Ford as the automotive magnate who perfected assembly line technology , but he also dabbled in ambitious social programs , including one in which he hired ex-convicts straight out of Sing Sing to staff his factories . Henry Ford , pictured in 1942 , unsuccessfully attempted to increase the rubber supply with a plantation in Brazil . Although many of these efforts were successful , Ford 's ill-fated foray into the Brazilian jungle was a notable and fascinating exception . The plan . If you 're going to make millions of cars , you 're going to need an awful lot of rubber . In 1927 , Ford came up with a novel plan : He 'd solve his rubber problem and test out his lofty theories about social planning . If everything went well , he could craft both a utopia full of healthy , productive workers and a direct pipeline of coveted rubber to Detroit . Ford approached the task with characteristic zeal . He talked the Brazilian government into granting him 10,000 square kilometers of land in the Amazon rain forest -- a plot that was nearly twice as big as the state of Delaware -- in exchange for a 9 percent cut of the plantation 's profits . In theory , this setup seemed like one of Ford 's ideas that would shake out pretty well , and in 1928 , Ford sent a barge full of supplies from Michigan down to his new plantation town , which was dubbed `` Fordlandia . '' Growing rubber in the jungle . Unfortunately for Ford 's stockholders , though , the captain of industry did n't always have a great eye for detail . -LRB- One famous story about Ford was that he disliked accountants so fiercely that he never had his company audited . By the end of his tenure , the Ford Motor Company allegedly had no idea exactly how much it cost to build a car . -RRB- . Ford did n't check to see if the plantation was suitable for growing rubber . According to Greg Grandin , author of `` Fordlandia : The Rise and Fall of Henry Ford 's Forgotten Jungle City , '' Ford never consulted any sort of expert on rubber cultivation ; he just sent a bunch of supplies and managers into the jungle hoping to grow some rubber . Mental Floss : Henry Ford and others who survived bankruptcy . Ford was legendarily contemptuous of experts , but he could have saved some serious dough if he 'd just hired a consultant to tell him that the plantation was n't at all suitable for growing rubber . The land was n't very fertile , but that was n't the main problem . The real difficulty was that it 's practically impossible to farm rubber in a plantation setting in the Amazon rainforest . To grow the trees on a commercial scale , you 've got to pack them in fairly close together , and at that point they become incredibly susceptible to blight and insect attacks . Fordlandia 's trees were no exception , and caterpillars and blight quickly decimated the fields . Not exactly a worker 's paradise . Obviously , the rubber production part of the Fordlandia got off to a rocky start . How was the `` worker 's paradise '' part of things going , though ? Even more abysmally . The American managers and their families that Ford imported from Michigan were n't accustomed to the sweltering Brazilian heat and headed back north with an alarming frequency . The heavy machinery used on the plantation left deep ruts in the soft soil , which collected stagnant water and became breeding grounds for malaria-ridden mosquitoes . Ford had attempted to design Fordlandia like any American town , complete with schools , restaurants , a golf course , and shops . The catch here , though , was that the indigenous Brazilians who farmed the rubber were n't used to living in a stylized American community . Worse still , the plantation 's workers were expected to work a strict shift from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. , whereas normal harvesting practices in the region saw workers hit the fields before dawn , take a long break , and then head out again at twilight to save themselves the misery of working in the tropical midday heat . Food fights . Ford 's influence extended all the way down to the residents ' diets , and while the indigenous workers were n't crazy about having to eat American foods , they were livid about having to eat in a cafeteria setting rather than enjoying the homestyle meals to which they were accustomed . Eventually , the workers decided they 'd had enough of the affront of cafeteria dining and rioted during a meal . Mental Floss : Three historical food fights . As the American managers fled to the safety of boats , the workers destroyed their mess hall and continued to riot until Brazilian soldiers came in to suppress violence . Another sticking point for the workers was Ford 's insistence that his model community be entirely free of alcohol and tobacco . Although Prohibition was n't exactly an unqualified success at home , and although alcohol was still legal in Brazil , Ford stayed firm on his booze ban . Workers who needed a drink were forced just outside the city limits to buy a bottle of cachaca ; enterprising liquor salesman could simply paddle by on the river and unload their wares . Mental Floss : Why is the drinking age 21 ? End of the road . Eventually , even though Henry Ford steadfastly insisted that the community could thrive and help introduce American-style industrialization to the rest of the world , it became abundantly clear that the noble Fordlandia experiment was a flop . After the perfection of synthetic rubber in 1945 , Ford sold the plantation at a $ 20 million loss and left Brazil . Just how much of a fiasco was the Fordlandia experiment ? Although Ford spent 17 years trying to produce rubber on the plantation , no Ford car ever rolled off the assembly line with a single bit of Fordlandia 's rubber in it . For more mental_floss articles , visit mentalfloss.com . Entire contents of this article copyright , Mental Floss LLC . All rights reserved . | The auto magnate set up a plantation in the Amazon rain forest to produce rubber . He did n't research the land and found out to late it was n't suitable for growing rubber . Brazilian workers rioted against U.S.-style mess hall , ban on alcohol . Ford ultimately sold the plantation at a $ 20 million loss . | [[264, 274], [296, 380], [1417, 1447], [2066, 2068], [2117, 2156], [2517, 2519], [2546, 2611], [1808, 1885], [2313, 2419], [4339, 4349], [4352, 4452], [5448, 5496], [5499, 5546]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A handful of people rallied outside the Japanese Embassy on Saturday to show support for an American man who is jailed in Japan , accused of trying to kidnap his own children . Amy Savoie calls on Japan to release her husband during a rally outside the Japanese Embassy in Washington . During the demonstration , Christopher Savoie 's wife , Amy , along with others from the Children 's Rights Council of Japan -- a group that advocates visitation for both parents in divorce cases , and which organized Saturday 's event -- called for Savoie 's release . `` It makes me feel wonderful to know that these people are calling him a hero , saying he 's brave , and I just hope he can come home and say thank you to all these people who 've supported him , '' Amy Savoie told CNN . Christopher Savoie , 38 , a Tennessee native and naturalized Japanese citizen , allegedly abducted his two children -- 8-year-old Isaac and 6-year-old Rebecca -- as his ex-wife walked them to school Monday in a rural town in southern Japan , police in Japan said . With the children , Savoie headed for the nearest U.S. consulate in the city of Fukuoka to try to obtain passports for them , screaming at guards to let him in the compound . Savoie was steps away from the front gate but still standing on Japanese soil when Japanese police arrested him . Amy Savoie said the separation is taking a toll on her . `` I just wish I could talk to him , but I am forced to live with the fact that I ca n't talk to him . So I have to soothe myself and comfort myself with what he would say right now , and I just hope he 's doing well , '' she said . Christopher Savoie and his first wife , Noriko Savoie , were married for 14 years before their divorce in January . The couple , both citizens of the United States and Japan , had lived in Japan but moved to the United States before the divorce . Noriko Savoie was given custody of the children and agreed to remain in the United States . Christopher Savoie had visitation rights . During the summer , she fled with the children to Japan , according to court documents . A U.S. court than granted Christopher Savoie sole custody . Japanese law , however , recognizes Noriko Savoie as the primary custodian . The law there also follows a tradition of sole-custody divorces . When the couple splits , one parent typically makes a complete and lifelong break from the children . Complicating the matter further is the fact that the couple still are considered married in Japan because they never divorced there , police said Wednesday . And , police said , the children are Japanese and have Japanese passports . A 1980 Hague Convention standardized laws on international child abduction , but Japan is not a party to that agreement . If a child in Japan is taken against the wishes of the recognized Japanese parent , Japanese law considers the person who took the child an abductor . Christopher Savoie will be jailed for at least 10 days while Japanese prosecutors sort out details of the case . | Christopher Savoie 's wife , Amy : `` I just wish I could talk to him '' Savoie in jail in Japan after trying to get kids back from his ex-wife . Japanese custom , law on custody differ sharply from those in U.S. | [[1422, 1453], [115, 134], [139, 157]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A new smartphone application allows users to carry out a virtual dissection of a human body . The iPhone app , `` Anatomy Lab , '' allows the user to move between 40 body layers to enable dissection . The iPhone app , called `` Anatomy Lab , '' has been developed by researchers from the University of Utah and provides images of a real human cadaver . Utah professor Mark Nielsen told CNN that the application is aimed at medical and anatomy students who might not have the opportunity to dissect a real human body , but it 's also proving a hit with medical practitioners . `` A lot of medical professionals , especially in physical therapy and rehabilitative medicine , are using it to educate patients and show them the body parts they 're discussing , '' Nielsen told CNN . `` Anatomy Lab '' lets the user move between 40 separate body layers , zoom in to view different structures and rotate them to get different view points . It started out as a computer program showing the dissection of a cadaver , beginning with the skin and moving on to subcutaneous tissue , nerves , veins , and muscles . See some of the best health monitoring apps '' Nielsen said the iPhone 's touch screen is perfect for the interactive nature of the application . `` The program 's so logically set up for the iPhone -- you can pinch the screen to rotate and enlarge , and tap on things to identify them , '' he said . Nielsen 's son , Scott Nielsen , a physics major at the University of Utah , wrote the code for the iPhone version , which has so far sold more than 3,000 copies . The app also comes in a cheaper , scaled-down version called `` My Body , '' aimed at the curious amateur . `` Anatomy Lab '' is the latest in a line of iPhone apps either aimed at medics , or with health benefits . | `` Anatomy Lab '' iPhone app allows users to dissect a virtual cadaver . Researchers say app is aimed at medical and anatomy students . The app has so far sold more than 3,000 copies , and is a hit with doctors too . | [[0, 15], [19, 112], [220, 234], [237, 243], [245, 258], [372, 470], [541, 546], [552, 594], [1519, 1537], [1546, 1552], [1562, 1586], [1519, 1537], [1557, 1586]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In just a few short weeks , Rabbi Shmuley Boteach could wake up at his home in Englewood , New Jersey , with Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi camped a few feet from his front lawn . Gadhafi may be staying in a tent on the front lawn of a New Jersey house owned by the Libyan Mission . The authoritarian ruler of Libya is rumored to be planning to stay in an air-conditioned tent on the front lawn of a house owned by the Libyan Mission when he attends the U.N. General Assembly meeting in September . Members of the predominately Orthodox Jewish Englewood community are less than enthused about a visit from a leader who has made anti-Zionist statements in the past . The recent release of the convicted Lockerbie bomber to Libya has heightened the animosity . On Monday , Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg , D-New Jersey , called for the U.S. Department of State to restrict Gadhafi 's travel to the area around U.N. headquarters in New York City , saying in a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton he `` was particularly concerned by news reports indicating that -LSB- Gadhafi -RSB- plans to stay in New Jersey , where the families of many Pan Am 103 victims reside . '' A representative from the Libyan Mission in New York would not confirm Gadhafi will stay in Englewood , only that he is scheduled to come to New York . Gadhafi has a history of setting up his extensive tent when visiting other countries , including Russia and France . Media reports have said that his request to pitch his tent in Central Park had been denied , and the New Jersey property was a likely second choice . Boteach said he had previously been willing to approach Gadhafi 's rumored visit with an open mind , but he backtracked after the Lockerbie bomber 's release . `` Judging by his actions , he has n't changed one iota , '' Boteach said . `` He loves terrorists and welcomes them as heroes and speaks with a forked tongue . As soon as he had the opportunity he lionized people who committed murderous acts . Gadhafi is a fraud . I do n't want him or his security team near my home . '' Englewood Mayor Michael Wildes said he was not informed of plans to erect a tent on the property , and no special permissions were requested from the zoning department . Only through neighborhood residents and media coverage was he alerted to construction on the house that , according to Boteach , began around three months ago . The mayor said he was `` mortified as a Jew and embarrassed as an American that a financier of terrorism is on U.S. soil . -LSB- Gadhafi -RSB- is someone who has embraced terrorism and has not changed his spots . '' Wildes said the Libyan Mission has `` not paid a nickel '' on taxes for the property , and said he would only be `` willing to sit down with him if he brings a check to cover years of back taxes and overtime pay for the additional police forces needed for his stay , and apologizes to the Jewish residents and the Lockerbie victims ' families of New Jersey . '' Boteach , in a piece posted Thursday on The Huffington Post , where he is a regular contributor , said the residence had been left `` derelict and neglected '' for many years until the recent construction . In opposition to Gadhafi 's possible visit to Englewood , Boteach said he plans several steps , including legal action , which he said would be in response to construction workers knocking down his fence and cutting down his trees . `` My plan is to sue them , extract as much money as possible and use Libyan money for planting trees instead of buying bombs , '' he wrote in another Huffington Post piece Monday . Boteach and Wildes also are planning a protest at the construction site on Sunday . | Gadhafi travels with air-conditioned tent which he stays in . Rumored to be planning to pitch tent on front lawn of Libyan Mission house . Members of mostly Orthodox Jewish Englewood are less than enthused . Mayor `` embarrassed as an American that a financier of terrorism is on U.S. soil '' | [[301, 423], [198, 270], [301, 423], [517, 632], [2420, 2494], [2500, 2542]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Milwaukee , Wisconsin , police have arrested a man whose DNA linked him to the bodies of nine women killed over 21 years , officials said at a news conference Monday night . Walter E. Ellis , 49 , was arrested after police matched a DNA swab taken from him last week to the victims . Walter E. Ellis , 49 , was arrested after police matched a DNA swab taken from him last week to DNA left on the bodies of nine women killed since 1986 . Police said eight of the women were prostitutes and one was a runaway involved with drugs . They were all killed within a 3-square-mile area of Milwaukee 's north side . `` This case was solved with shoe leather and science , '' Milwaukee Police Chief Edward A. Flynn said . `` Continuing advances in DNA technology have enabled us to link these homicide cases , and it was good police work pursuing numerous leads that led to the arrest of a suspect . '' The homicides occurred between 1986 and 2007 , police said . See where the bodies were found '' Ellis was charged Monday with two counts of first degree murder relating to two of the deaths : 41-year-old Joyce Mims , who was killed in 1997 , and 28-year-old Ouithreaun Stokes , who was killed in April 2007 . Police said more charges are likely . It was n't immediately clear whether Ellis had obtained an attorney . Police said other victims linked to Ellis through DNA were : Tanya L. Miller , killed in 1986 ; Deborah L. Harris , killed in 1986 ; Sheila Farrior , strangled in 1995 ; Florence McCormick , strangled in 1995 ; Irene Smith , killed in 1992 ; Carron D. Kilpatrick , killed in 1992 , and Jessica Payne , killed in 1995 . Flynn told CNN it was hard for investigators to discern a geographic pattern for the homicides . In the 20-year period , more than 2,000 slayings occurred in Milwaukee , he said -- 200 of them in the same area where the bodies were found . Another challenge investigators faced was the developing technology of DNA evidence . The technology in 2009 far exceeds that available in 1986 or even 2002 , he said . It was only this year that police were able to link the nine homicides with the same DNA pattern . Even then `` we did not have anyone to match our DNA profile against , until we were able to get -LSB- Ellis ' -RSB- toothbrush , '' he told CNN . A Wisconsin law passed in 2000 mandated the DNA collection from convicted felons . Ellis was released from prison in 2001 without having his DNA sample collected , Flynn said . Because his name had surfaced in the investigation and because he was also listed in two FBI databases , authorities decided to investigate him further and were able to obtain the search warrant that allowed them to collect his DNA from his toothbrush , the police chief said . News of Ellis ' arrest shocked those who knew him . `` That was just my ex-boyfriend , '' his former girlfriend , Chanita , told CNN affiliate WISN-TV . She asked that her last name not be used . `` I did n't know nothing about nothing like this . I 'm getting shivery now cause you 're talking about some strangling stuff . Lord have mercy on me . I 'm just a wreck right now . I ca n't believe this . I 'm trembling in here . I 'm shakin ' . '' Chanita said she dated Ellis for four years . `` I ca n't believe it . This is a shock , '' she told WISN . `` I got like goose bumps on my arms instantly when you told me that . I 'm like no way -- not Walter -- I ca n't see him hurting nobody . '' For relatives of the victims , the news brought mixed emotions . `` I knew they was gon na get him , I knew it , '' Patricia Donald , best friend of victim Deborah Harris , told WISN . `` Finally he ca n't hurt nobody anymore . '' For her and others , like Sandy Farrior , whose daughter Sheila was linked to Ellis , it was news that helped bring closure . `` Late justice is better than no justice , '' he told WISN . In addition to advances in DNA technology , officials attributed the break in the case to the repeated investigation of cold cases by the Milwaukee Police Department 's Homicide Task Force Cold Case Unit . Although Mims and Stokes were strangled about a decade apart , similar DNA on their bodies helped lead police to a suspect . Watch where cops got DNA sample '' Mims was found strangled and lying on her back wearing only socks on June 20 , 1997 , in a small closet near a living room in Milwaukee , according to court documents . Police found DNA on her body , but there were no matches in the system , the court documents show . On April 27 , 2007 , Stokes was found strangled , partially clothed and lying face down in a living room in Milwaukee , according to court documents . When lab technicians tested the DNA found on her body , they found it directly matched the DNA found on Mims . On August 29 of this year , armed with a search warrant , police took a toothbrush and razor from Ellis ' home . Testing showed the DNA found on Mims and Stokes was a match to Ellis , according to court documents . Ellis has been charged at least 10 times with varying offenses ranging from violent crimes to property crimes between 1981 and 1998 , though some of the charges were dismissed , online court records in Wisconsin show . He was sentenced to five years in state prison after he pleaded no contest to a reckless injury charge in 1998 . None of the victims linked to Ellis was killed during the time he was in jail . However , two men were charged in slayings later linked to Ellis , according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel . Curtis McCoy was charged in October 1994 with killing Kilpatrick , but he was later acquitted by a jury , the newspaper reported . It also said Chaunte Ott , who was convicted of killing Payne , served 13 years in prison before being released in January , after DNA analysis showed semen found on the girl 's body was not his . CNN 's Gabriel Falcon contributed to this report . | DNA found on bodies of nine women matched to Walter E. Ellis , police say . Ellis charged in two killings and more charges likely , police say . Police chief hails arrest : `` This case was solved with shoe leather and science '' The women were killed between 1986 and 2007 . | [[43, 118], [399, 435], [1329, 1382], [2084, 2155], [4143, 4204], [4884, 4952], [959, 972], [1221, 1258], [1233, 1258], [5432, 5462], [626, 679], [2734, 2757], [108, 139], [425, 455], [912, 956], [4089, 4140]] |
Editor 's note : A nationally syndicated columnist , Roland S. Martin is the author of the forthcoming book , `` The First : President Barack Obama 's Road to the White House as originally reported by Roland S. Martin '' and of two other books , `` Listening to the Spirit Within : 50 Perspectives on Faith '' and `` Speak , Brother ! A Black Man 's View of America . '' Visit his Web site for more information . Roland Martin says conservative critics are wrong to chortle at the defeat of the Chicago Olympic bid . -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Whenever President Obama has traveled overseas and offered pointed and direct assessments of the United States , some of them critical , Republicans have ripped him for criticizing America , saying a president should always defend the United States . So I want to hear the explanation by these so-called patriots of their giddy behavior over the United States losing the 2016 Olympic Games . Yes , the United States . The bid that was rejected Friday by the International Olympic Committee was not a Chicago , Illinois , bid . It was the official bid submitted by the United States Olympic Committee and was representative of the nation . Tokyo 's bid was that of Japan ; Madrid 's was that of Spain ; and Rio de Janeiro 's was that of Brazil . Republicans want to spin the decision as a massive loss by President Obama and the Democrats who have always controlled Chicago politics . `` Hahahahaha , '' wrote Erick Erickson on the conservative `` RedState '' blog , `` I thought the world would love us more now that Bush was gone . '' What the critics do n't see is that Obama 's loss on the Olympics is America 's loss . Any red-blooded American who loves to see the American flag raised and the national anthem played when one of our own wins a gold medal should blast the Republicans ' giddiness over the loss . I can recall crying along with millions of Americans when our hockey team beat the Russians and won the hockey gold in 1980 . Where were those games ? Lake Placid , New York . Euphoria spread all across the nation , not only because we beat the mighty Russians , but also because it took place on American soil . When Carl Lewis and Mary Lou Retton dominated the 1984 Olympic Games , we all beamed with pride because they represented the United States on American soil in Los Angeles , California . And when Michael Johnson stormed around the track to obliterate the world record in the 200-meter dash -LRB- since broken by Jamaica 's Usain Bolt -RRB- , we relished the win as he took a victory lap around the stadium in Atlanta , Georgia . Americans love home field advantage , and we always desire to show the rest of the world what we are made of . I do n't care if Republicans want to rip President Obama over going to Copenhagen , Denmark , to pitch for the games . This is n't about politics . It 's not about ideology . This is about America . OUR pride . Our chance to shine . Our loss of the games . So , to all the critics happy about us losing the 2016 games , turn in your flag lapel pins and stop boasting of being so patriotic . When an American city loses , like New York did in the the last go-round , we all lose . And all you critics are on the same level as the America haters all across the world . You should be shouted down for not backing your own country . The next time any of you bang out a press release about `` Buy American '' or `` Support our troops , '' remember this moment when your cynical , callous and small-minded brains happily rejoiced when America lost the 2016 Olympic Games . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Roland Martin . | Roland Martin : The Chicago bid was made on behalf of the whole country . He says conservatives boast of being patriots but are applauding a U.S. defeat . He says Americans love to cheer on their Olympic athletes on home soil . | [[1063, 1065], [1140, 1174], [413, 516], [432, 516], [3057, 3094]] |
LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- As the man in the Dodgers jersey walked quickly around the perimeter of the infield , fans poured down from the bleachers begging for autographs . Pitbull says he learns from setbacks : `` Usually the negatives turned out to be the most positive for me . '' No , it was n't home run king Manny Ramirez . It was Armando Christian Perez , the Cuban-American rapper better known as Pitbull . In five years , he 's gone from a mouthy Miami street hustler to a chart-topping hip-hop star whose infectious Caribbean beats have enticed crossover audiences to swing their hips and sing along -- even taking on some of the words in Spanish . His fourth studio album , `` Rebelution , '' debuted in the Top 10 on the mainstream Billboard chart . But Pitbull 's growing profile means nada as he takes the mound to throw out the ceremonial first pitch of the game . `` I 'm the only Cuban who never picked up a baseball in his life , '' he said , preparing . He awkwardly winds up and releases the pitch . It falls short , bouncing on the ground before reaching the plate . `` One more try ! '' he signals . The second attempt is closer to the mark . It 's symbolic of Pit 's career . `` It 's not how you start . It 's how you finish it , '' he likes to say . Watch how Pitbull leads his `` Rebelution '' '' Tommy Lasorda , the legendary Dodgers manager , is waiting to bust his chops as he leaves the infield . Later , we get the scoop on the conversation . -LRB- By the way , the Dodgers won that game . -RRB- . CNN : Tommy Lasorda was out there giving you a little bit of grief . Pitbull : Tommy Lasorda told me , `` It was the worst throw I 've ever seen in my life ! '' I said , `` Well , I 'll throw you in the studio . You rap , I 'll play baseball . '' He goes , `` I 'll rap a whole lot better than that throw ! '' -LRB- Laughs -RRB- . CNN : How much do you deflect things with humor ? Pitbull : -LSB- Humor is -RSB- everything . Everything . Usually the negatives turned out to be the most positive for me . In the music industry , any other artist would have looked at the situation I was in and thought , `` Oh man , this is not for me . '' I looked at it more like -LSB- Darwin exploring -RSB- the Galápagos Islands . You know -- survival of the fittest . CNN : Were you a troublemaker growing up ? Pitbull : Not a troublemaker . I 'm sharp . Slick , if you want to call it . What the street taught me how to do is how to hustle . How to make something out of nothing . CNN : In the music industry , street cred may help an artist . Pitbull : Anybody who 's made it out of the street -- they want to do this -LRB- places index finger over his lips -RRB- . Shh . CNN : Even though some of the struggles are similar , there does n't seem to be a lot of crossover between African-American hip-hop artists and Latin-American hip-hop artists . Pitbull : You ca n't get a Diddy or Jay-Z to speak to the Latins . It 's not gon na happen . There 's a force field where they said , `` OK , we 're going to let you here -- but that 's it . '' Diddy got the closest . Why ? Because he had J. Lo . The only reason my grandmother knows Puff Daddy is because of J. Lo . But he could n't cross that barrier . So as far as myself -- I guess I 'm their role model . CNN : How much do you want to cross over ? Pitbull : I have respect for Jay-Z and Diddy for what they did in the hip-hop game . But I want to be Celia Cruz . I want to be Gloria Estefan -LSB- both were born in Cuba -RSB- . I want to enterprise -- open clubs and restaurants . They 've done it also -- but those are who I look up to . CNN : Your parents were both born in Cuba . Pitbull : They did n't want to leave Cuba ! They would have stayed in Cuba . They did n't want to get out of there . There were forced out of that country . CNN : How did they come to Miami ? Pitbull : My grandmother fought in the -LSB- Cuban -RSB- revolutionary war actually with Castro , because everybody thought that Batista was corrupt . I 'm not saying that he was n't , but it 's almost like the lesser of two evils . -LSB- When she became disillusioned with the Castro government -RSB- , my mother and my aunt got sent off in an operation called Peter Pan without their parents . She did n't see her mother for seven years . As far as my father -- he came over also . He did n't come in the Peter Pan , but they fled the country . CNN : Would you ever go to Cuba and play a concert there ? Pitbull : No way . I 'd never go to Cuba and play a concert . -LSB- I 'd consider playing there -RSB- as soon as I know that it 's confirmed that Castro 's out of there . I mean , if you ask me , I think Castro 's been dead for years . He handed power to Raúl , and he slips pictures here and there . He keeps giving these pictures to the media with the same shirt on -- same jacket , same everything . CNN : How do you feel about other artists of your generation who feel compelled to go and perform in Cuba as kind of an olive branch ? Pitbull : Juanes just did it . Papa , you ca n't change Cuba . History will tell you that you ca n't change Cuba . I respect him as an artist -- he 's like U2 , the Bono of Spanish . I do n't respect his decision . Maybe he does n't really understand it at the end of the day because he 's not Cuban . -LSB- Juanes is Colombian . -RSB- . But to each his own . There 's too much suffering , too much pain from people who left that island , that have come over here and tried to change their life . CNN : Even though you were born in America , how much are you influenced by your Cuban roots ? Pitbull : My mother , she 's like , `` Look , you 're American , son . You were born here in the States . '' My father ? My father said , `` You 're Cuban-American . '' My mother would call me Chris , because my middle name 's Christian . My father would say , `` No , your name 's Armando . '' But in my blood , what it tells me is , `` You 're Cuban-American . '' The music is what makes you , the food is what makes you , the way you 've been taught mentally . | Pitbull has had some crossover success ; his new album debuted in Top 10 . Hip-hop artist has Cuban heritage , has balanced that with American upbringing . He says he 's not fazed by failure : negatives can lead to positives , he says . | [[719, 779], [241, 298], [1985, 2050], [1993, 2006], [2018, 2050]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Heavy rain that began pounding California on Tuesday threatened to unleash dangerous floods and mudslides , especially in areas ravaged by wildfires . Residents of La Canada Flintridge , California , fill sandbags to prepare heavy rains in the fire-affected area . `` Very heavy rain is likely over the Sierra Nevada and foothills from later today through Wednesday morning as a strong and very moist Pacific storm moves into the region , '' the National Weather Service said . Up to 8 inches of rain could fall in areas above 4,000 feet , it said . Forecasters described it as the first major storm of the season . The Santa Cruz County Office of Emergency Services issued a mandatory evacuation order for 60 homes in a section of Davenport , an unincorporated community north of Santa Cruz along the state 's central coast . The San Lorenzo Valley high school , middle school , and elementary schools are closed , the county said . Many roads were flooding in Santa Cruz County , emergency management officials said . The area burned in the summer 's Lockheed fire , increasing the chances of mudslides in the current storm . Wind gusts above 50 mph were reported from automated observation sites at high elevations , and rainfall was heavy over the Santa Cruz Mountains , the weather service said . Gusty winds were reported in the San Francisco Bay Area , but heavy rain there was expected to end by early evening . `` Although it has been very dry for a lengthy period of time , excessive amounts of rain of this magnitude may produce flooding in locations that normally do not flood during an early autumn rainfall , '' the weather service said . California 's Emergency Management Agency was conducting conference calls with the National Weather Service to stay abreast of the latest reports , spokesman Greg Renick said . The agency had advised other agencies to make emergency preparations , he said . Sandbags have been positioned at vulnerable locations . `` We have activated the state Operations Center in Sacramento and also activated the centers in Los Alamitos and Oakland , '' Renick said . One major area of concern is the land burned by the Station wildfire in August and September , forecasters said . That 160,000-acre fire destroyed about 80 homes in Los Angeles County . `` The heavy rain will create favorable conditions for mud and rock slides over burn scars , '' said the weather service , which issued numerous flood watches and warnings . Forecasters said debris flows also were possible in or near areas burned by blazes such as the Big Meadows Fire in Yosemite National Park , the Power Fire in Tulare County and the fire in San Bernardino National Forest . | Evacuations ordered , schools closed near Santa Cruz . Storm is expected to dump as much as 8 inches of rain . Storm could hit parts of Southern California that the Station wildfire burned . Residents filled sandbags to prepare for flooding . | [[635, 760], [19, 29], [35, 71], [284, 349], [284, 302], [340, 384], [497, 556], [141, 169], [2127, 2219], [224, 283]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- At least nine people were killed in Somalia 's war-torn capital Mogadishu when mortars slammed into a home for disabled veterans , according to journalists and witnesses . Al Shabaab fighters display two bodies of Somali police officers during a battle August 12 in Mogadishu . At least 27 people were wounded in the Friday night incident , when Muslim militants fired mortars toward Mogadishu 's port and struck a residential area . The mortars hit a home for former national army officers who were disabled in a late-1970s war with Ethiopia , the sources said . Insurgents from the Al-Shabaab militant group have been fighting to topple Somalia 's government . Its fighters have frequently shelled the city 's airport and seaport , which are controlled by the African Union and government forces . The United States is supporting the Somali government 's fight against the insurgents , including providing weapons to government forces . Al Shabaab is on the U.S. list of terror organizations because of its ties to Osama bin Laden 's al Qaeda network . The United States is concerned that Somalia 's weak government could fall to the Islamist insurgency , as it did in 2006 before Ethiopian forces ousted the militants from power later that year . | Sources : Militants fired mortars toward Mogadishu 's port , struck residential area . Mortars hit home for disabled national army officers . At least 9 dead , 27 wounded in attack in war-torn capital . | [[0, 15], [28, 147], [365, 420], [365, 381], [425, 452], [0, 15], [28, 147], [98, 147], [150, 190], [453, 509], [0, 15], [28, 147], [297, 357]] |
YANAGAWA , Japan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Wearing a Nashville School of Law T-shirt , Christopher Savoie walked into a second-floor police interrogation room . In one corner , a stopwatch was running to hold him to the 15 minutes allotted for the interview . A Tennessee court awarded Christopher Savoie custody of his son , Isaac , and daughter , Rebecca . `` I 'm so scared , '' he said . Savoie chose his words carefully , lest police Officer Toshihiro Tanaka cut short the rare interview Savoie was granted with CNN on Thursday . There were so many rules : No recording devices . No tough questions . Speak only in Japanese . `` I want Americans to know what 's happening to me , '' Savoie continued in Japanese . `` I did n't do anything wrong . Children have the right to see both parents . It 's very important for my children to know both parents . '' But Japanese authorities disagree . They have charged Savoie , 38 , a Tennessee native and naturalized Japanese citizen , with kidnapping his two children -- 8-year-old Isaac and 6-year-old Rebecca -- as his estranged wife , Noriko , was walking them to school Monday in Yanagawa , a rural town in southern Japan . Watch what else Savoie had to say '' He headed for the nearest U.S. consulate , in the city of Fukuoka , to try to obtain passports for the children , screaming at the guards to let him in the compound . He was steps away from the front gate but still standing on Japanese soil . Japanese police , alerted by his estranged wife , arrested him . The Savoies were divorced in Tennessee in January after 14 years of marriage . Christopher Savoie had visitation rights with his children , but after he returned from a short summer trip , his estranged wife fled to Japan with the children , according to court documents . A United States court then granted sole custody to Savoie . Watch why the case is complicated '' Japanese law , however , recognizes Noriko Savoie as the primary custodian , regardless of the U.S. court order . The law there also follows a tradition of sole custody divorces . When the couple splits , one parent typically makes a complete and lifelong break from the children . Complicating the matter further is the fact that the couple is still considered married in Japan , because they never divorced there , police said Wednesday . And , police said , the children are Japanese and have Japanese passports . A 1980 Hague Convention standardized laws on international child abduction . But Japan is not a party to that agreement . Savoie was out of luck . If a child in Japan is taken against the wishes of the recognized Japanese parent , the person who took the child is considered an abductor . `` Japanese people think she 's the victim here , '' Savoie said . `` In the States , my ex-wife is the one who 's in the wrong . '' U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley recognized this case as a difficult one . Even though the United States has strong ties with Japan , on this particular issue , the two nations ' points of view could not differ more , he said . In Yanagawa , those who have heard about the abduction case tend to side with the woman . `` They belong with their real mother , '' said one woman , herself a mother of two children . But most have not heard of the case , because it has not been reported in local newspapers or on television . Savoie 's attorney , Tadashi Yoshino , knows the cultural divide will be hard to overcome . `` He technically may have committed a crime according to Japanese law but he should n't be indicted , '' Yoshino said . `` He did it for the love of his children . '' Savoie , a law student who already has a Ph.D. and a M.D. , will spend 10 days in jail while Japanese prosecutors sort out the details of the case . In the interrogation room , Savoie appeared exhausted . Tears welled in his eyes . He glanced over at the police officer , then paused to regain composure . `` I love you , Isaac , Rebecca , '' he said . `` Your daddy loves you forever . I 'll be patient and strong until the day comes that I can see you both again . I am very sorry that I ca n't be with you . '' He was grateful be able to get the words out . Moments earlier , the interview had almost ended after Savoie blurted out in English : `` I love you , '' a message intended for his current wife , Amy , in Nashville . Then , as is Japanese custom , he bowed . And from the other side of the glass barrier , he gave a thumbs up , mouthing the words , `` Thank you . '' | Man charged with abducting his own children denies committing breach . Japanese custom , law on custody differ sharply from those in U.S. Japan is not party to 1980 convention that standardized abduction laws . All parties in current case are Japanese citizens . | [[890, 894], [976, 1051], [2401, 2477], [2482, 2522]] |
-LRB- The Frisky -RRB- -- Last weekend at a party , I noticed a toad-like man attaching himself to a beautiful , talented friend of mine . Not only was she way out of his league , looks-wise , but as I eavesdropped I discovered he was one of those dudes who delivers endless monologues instead of engaging in actual conversations . Too many women are afraid to say , `` No , '' says author . Ladies , I think we 've all been stuck with that guy . Now it was my friend 's turn . I could tell by her stunned look of horror that she wanted nothing to do with him , but she seemed frozen . My pal Ivan and I tried to intervene . `` Let 's go get some cake , '' we suggested , physically pulling her from his side . Her relief was short-lived as he tracked her down and reattached himself to her hip . Watching her go through this made me think back on how many times I 've been afraid to say no . Maybe `` afraid '' is the wrong word , but I 've spent hours worrying about offending men who would 've had no problem offending me if the situation were reversed . So I was thrilled when a copy of the hilarious book , `` The Power of NO : How to Keep Blowhards and Bozos at Bay '' landed on my doorstep . As the title suggests , TPON is about learning to not only say no , but to embrace no , something women seem to have an inexplicably harder time doing than men . I shot off an email to author Beth Wareham asking her why we womenfolk find it so painful to blow-off a troll . `` The psycho-sexual-societal bulls -- t that makes women be such wimps in the face of an odious man is in our DNA . And young women often make the dreadful mistake of thinking everyone has to like them , '' she fired back . The Frisky : 13 Woman you 're dating is a loser . `` I believe that some dumb guy bugging you is a great moment to really march out a lie , '' she continues . `` I mean , really , who goes around harassing strangers ? Say , ' I have herpes . ' Say , ' I am a hermaphrodite . ' Say any damn thing you want to say but get him out of your face . You have ONE LIFE . Do n't give chunks of it to this kind of dude ! '' The Frisky : I 'm just not that into anyone anymore . But for some guys -- and , let 's face it , girls , too -- the word `` no '' can have an opposite effect , acting as an aphrodisiac . Wareham says , `` Human beings want what they do not and can not have . '' But sometimes you mean it ! In that case , a persistent leghumper should be ignored , or reported to the cops if he gets stalky . `` Do n't answer . It 's your door , your cell . And , if it gets too bad , try 911 , '' she advises . `` You would n't let anyone else harass you like that , would you ? '' The Frisky : Are these dating habits cute or crazy ? Okay , so how about the Ambiguous Dater -- the cute guy who wants to `` hang out , '' but never seems to make any plans . `` No hanging out , ever , '' Wareham insists . `` If the guy ca n't think up an interesting date and find $ 40.00 bucks for a burrito and movie , no go . Dating should never be ` hanging out . ' Save that for marriage . '' The Frisky : How to deal with ambiguous dater . How about dumping someone , I asked . How do you do that nicely ? `` I am not the woman to ask if you want kindly , '' Wareham replied . `` But , I do know this , keep the tone friendly . The less you imbue language with strong emotion , the better . I once said , ` Dude , it was way fun and I learned lots . But you yelled Mommy ! during sex . ' That happened to me , by the way . '' Hey , wait a minute ... I once said yes to that guy too ! The Frisky : How to know when it 's time to dump him . TM & © 2009 TMV , Inc. | All Rights Reserved . | Women hesitate to say no out of fear they will offend men , columnist says . `` The Power of NO : How to Keep Blowhards and Bozos at Bay '' has tips on saying no . Author : The word `` no '' can act as an aphrodisiac for some men . When saying , ` No '' keep the tone friendly , but emotion-free , writer says . | [[332, 364], [936, 939], [963, 1011], [1512, 1513], [1519, 1573], [1133, 1164], [2225, 2233], [2273, 2299], [3272, 3273], [3289, 3313]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Obama administration is working on a substantial sanctions package against Iran in case current diplomatic efforts to curb its nuclear program fail , top officials told Congress on Tuesday . Treasury Under Secretary Stuart Levy also developed some of the existing financial sanctions against Iran . Under Secretary of the Treasury Stuart Levy , who developed some of the existing financial sanctions against Iran under the Bush administration , said at a Senate Banking Committee hearing that the `` comprehensive '' plan would target `` key vulnerabilities and fissures '' in Iran to show Tehran that it would face `` serious costs '' for thwarting international demands . `` It takes into account that no single sanction is a ` silver bullet ' ; we will need to impose measures simultaneously in many different forms in order to be effective , '' Levy said . He stressed , however , that the United States would be mindful of actions that would harm the Iranian people or undercut the opposition battling the Iranian government . The hearing comes as some members of Congress push for tougher U.S. sanctions on the Iranian regime in light of the recent revelation that Iran was building a second uranium enrichment facility near Qom , a dramatic development that jacked up tension between Iran and international powers . During talks last week in Geneva , Switzerland , between Iranian officials and representatives of the so-called P5 +1 -- the United States , Britain , France , German , Russia and China -- Iran agreed to admit inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency to the Qom facility . Tehran also agreed `` in principle '' to ship its low-enriched uranium produced in Iran to third countries for further enrichment for a nuclear reactor used for medical research . Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg told the panel Tuesday that one reason for the Obama administration 's engagement toward Iran was to secure international support for sanctions if Iran continued to defy international demands . Last week 's talks , he said , shined a `` spotlight '' on Iran that makes inaction more costly . Levy also stressed that an international coalition was key to keeping pressure on Iran . `` Because financial measures are most effective when imposed as part of a broad-based effort with support of the largest possible international coalition , we are working closely with our allies as we put together this strategy , '' he said . `` The less united we are in applying pressure , the greater the risk our measures will not have the impact we seek . '' Several lawmakers expressed doubt that Iran would negotiate in good faith and threatened legislation to impose tough new sanctions against Tehran . Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd , D-Connecticut , said he planned to move forward this month on a proposal to expand financial restrictions , impose new sanctions on Iran 's oil and gas sectors and ban both the export of refined gasoline products to Iran and the import of Iranian goods . Steinberg said the United States and its allies will judge Iran 's seriousness about the talks by whether it makes good on its commitments to ship the uranium out of the country and admit the IAEA inspectors , who are expected to visit the Qom facility October 25 . `` By the end of the month , we will have some very clear indications of what their intentions are , '' he said . | `` Comprehensive '' plan would target `` key vulnerabilities , '' official says . But U.S. would be mindful of actions that would harm Iranian people , he says . International coalition is key to keeping pressure up , diplomat says . | [[333, 371], [479, 615], [522, 623], [895, 906], [909, 916], [919, 969], [959, 969], [975, 1004], [1824, 2009], [2158, 2162], [2168, 2246]] |
OKAZAKI , Japan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- At Spencer Morrey 's home , there are two constant sounds : his dad , Craig , murmuring , `` You 're okay , Spence . You 're okay , buddy , '' and the sound of a machine clearing the toddler 's airway . Spencer Morrey , pictured with his father Craig , has severe cerebral palsy and requires 24-hour medical care . Both sounds come every few minutes , in between hugs , tears and kisses . Spencer has severe cerebral palsy and requires constant , 24-hour medical care . In Japan , a country that lacks sufficient medical services for disabled children , the only person to care for Spencer is his father . Morrey says his wife left , overwhelmed by the strain of their son 's medical condition . That would be pain beyond what most parents could imagine . But Spencer 's mother fled while pregnant with Morrey 's daughter , Amelia . In more than a year , Morrey says he has only seen his daughter four times . `` She would n't recognize me , '' Morrey said , with Spencer propped on his lap . `` She would n't call me daddy . She 's just starting to talk now . But she 's not going to know who I am . I think she deserves my love . And I think she deserves to be with Spencer and Spencer deserves to be with her . '' Morrey , a native of Chicago and a U.S. citizen , was married to a Brazilian woman of Japanese descent . They divorced in a Japanese court . Under Brazilian law , Morrey would likely have joint custody and guardianship of both children . What do you think about Spencer 's case ? Have your say . But in Japan , where only one parent gets custody of a child in a divorce , the family courts have left the case in legal limbo for a year because they have not decided which parent legally has custody of the children . Typically , the parent with physical custody of a child retains custody . Morrey has stayed in Japan the last year , trying to get the courts to recognize that he has joint custody of the children in Brazil -LRB- he has not yet applied for such custody under U.S. law -RRB- . Watch Kyung Lah 's report on the case '' He is afraid that if he heads home for the U.S. with Spencer without that , he could be subject to international child abduction laws , and he also fears such a move could hurt his chances of getting the Japanese family court to give him joint custody of his daughter . Morrey has been forced to quit work to care for Spencer . The financial strain of living off his credit cards is adding to the stress of caring for a disabled child alone in a foreign country . Despite his pleading with court mediators and repeated court filings claiming that joint custody is the law in both the U.S. and Brazil , Japan 's slow and antiquated family courts have let the case languish . `` Kids need both parents , '' Morrey said . `` Whether the parents are married or not is irrelevant in my mind . The Japanese courts , and I realize you 're going against years and years of cultural differences and everything else , but they do n't care about the welfare of the child . `` In Japan , it 's considered too messy . It 's too complicated . It deals with personal feelings , so they do n't want to deal with it . So the best way is to not deal with it . '' CNN contacted Morrey 's ex-wife four times by telephone and once by fax . She declined to discuss the case . The International Association for Parent and Child Reunion believes there are an estimated 100 American families in situations like Morrey 's in Japan and dozens involving those from Britain , France and Canada . One of those cases is that of American Christopher Savoie . Savoie , 38 , a Tennessee native and naturalized Japanese citizen , was arrested on September 28 in Yanagawa , Japan , for attempting to abduct his two children , eight-year-old Isaac and six-year-old Rebecca . Watch more about this case '' Savoie drove his children to the nearest U.S. consulate in the city of Fukuoka to try and obtain passports for them . Steps away from the front of the consulate , Japanese police arrested him . Savoie is now in jail , awaiting a decision by prosecutors on a possible indictment . Savoie and his first wife , Noriko Savoie , were married for 14 years before their bitter divorce in January . According to court documents , she fled with the children to Japan in the summer . A U.S. court then gave Christopher Savoie sole custody of the children . But Japanese law recognizes Noriko Savoie as the sole custodian , despite the U.S. order . `` It 's like a black hole , '' Morrey said . `` If you go through a divorce , there 's this joke . If you have an international marriage with a Japanese , do n't piss them off because you 'll never see your kids again . '' Not seeing his daughter Amelia again is what is keeping Morrey in Japan . He has been selling off everything he owns , trying to keep himself and Spencer afloat , hoping the Japanese court will bring him some legal connection to his child . He is stuck choosing between caring for his son , who needs the better resources of the U.S. , and hoping to be a father to his daughter . `` How do you make that choice ? It 's not -- once you 're a dad , you 're always a dad . '' | Craig Morrey 's wife left him to care for their disabled son , Spencer , alone . His wife has sole custody of the daughter she had shortly after . Under Japanese law only one parent gets custody of a child in a divorce . Under U.S. law Morrey would likely have joint custody of both children . | [[653, 666], [4404, 4463], [505, 513], [589, 640], [1569, 1621], [4404, 4463]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A man dubbed `` the Field Marshal '' by one advocacy group for alleged third-world arms dealing has been arrested on charges that he conspired to illegally export U.S. F-5 fighter jet engines and parts to Iran . An Iranian F-5 fighter jet lands in southern Iran during a military exercise on June 23 , 2009 . Jacques Monsieur , 56 , a Belgium native who currently lives in France , was arrested Friday in New York , officials said . An indictment also charges Dara Fotouhi , 54 , an Iranian living in France , with participating in the alleged crime . Fotouhi remains at large , official said . Monsieur pleaded not guilty at an arraignment Wednesday in Mobile , Alabama , where he is being held . He and Fotouhi are charged with conspiracy , money laundering and smuggling , as well as violations of the Arms Export Control Act and the International Emergency Economic Powers Act . According to the indictment and an affidavit filed in the case , both are experienced arms dealers who have been actively working with the Iranian government to procure military items . The F-5 Freedom Fighter , also called the Tiger , is built by Northrop and is used by the U.S. military for training . It is also sold overseas as a combat aircraft . The F-5 engine and parts are listed on the U.S. Munitions List and may not be exported from the United States without a license from the State Department , said John Morton , head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement , and they can not be exported to Iran without a license from the Treasury Department . In a 2002 report by the Center for Public Integrity , a citizen advocacy group , Monsieur was nicknamed `` the Field Marshal '' for allegedly acting as a middle-man in numerous arms deals with war-torn countries . The center 's report said Monsieur is `` believed to be among the biggest arms traffickers in Europe '' and said he `` violated a United Nations embargo by shipping arms to Bosnia and Croatia during the long , bloody conflict in those countries , with the approval , he later claimed , of both the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency and the ... French domestic intelligence service . '' Morton said his agency launched an investigation in February when Monsieur contacted an undercover federal agent and indicated he wanted to buy engines for F-5 or C-130 aircraft for export to Iran . In subsequent e-mails to the agent , Monsieur requested engines for F-5 jet fighters . Officials said the engines could be used as replacements in fighters sold to Iran by the United States before the imposition of sanctions in 1995 . In March , Monsieur met with the undercover agent in Paris and again requested engines and parts , the indictment alleges . They met again in May in London , where Monsieur introduced Fotouhi as a business associate and again discussed the export of F-5 engines to Iran , according to the indictment . During this negotiation , it says , Monsieur and Fotouhi asked the agent if he could use U.S. shipping or export authorization documents that falsely indicated the items were going to Colombia . In July , Monsieur and Fotouhi wired about $ 110,000 from a bank in the United Arab Emirates to one in Mobile , Alabama , the indictment says . `` The two believed the funds would be used for the purchase of F-5 aircraft parts , '' Morton said . Monsieur indicated he would deposit an additional $ 300,000 as a down payment for the purchase of two jet engines . `` This is part of our long-standing efforts to ensure that sensitive military equipment is not exported in violation of U.S. law and against the international interests of the United States , '' Morton said . | A man dubbed `` the Field Marshal '' allegedly tried to get F-5 engine parts for Iran . F-5 built by Northrop ; used by U.S. military for training ; used overseas for combat . Immigration and Customs Enforcement launched investigation . Arrest part efforts to stop improper export of sensitive military equipment . | [[30, 66], [160, 241], [2238, 2246], [2289, 2370], [2371, 2405], [2408, 2457], [2606, 2614], [2617, 2625], [2669, 2702], [1099, 1122], [1141, 1169], [1099, 1122], [1161, 1217], [1218, 1265], [2172, 2232], [2184, 2246], [3484, 3655]] |
LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A pharmacist testified that he warned Anna Nicole Smith 's doctors and boyfriend that a list of medications intended for Smith a week after her son 's death could be `` pharmaceutical suicide . '' Anna Nicole Smith , with Howard K. Stern , was found dead in her hotel room in February 2007 . The former Playboy model and reality TV star died five months later of what a Florida medical examiner ruled was from `` acute combined drug intoxication . '' Ira Freeman , the chief pharmacist at Key Pharmacy in Los Angeles , testified on the seventh day of a preliminary hearing for Howard K. Stern -- Smith 's lawyer and companion -- and co-defendants Dr. Khristine Eroshevich and Dr. Sandeep Kapoor . The three are charged with an illegal conspiracy to prescribe , administer and dispense controlled substances to an addict . Stern faces 11 felony counts , and the doctors were charged with six each . They are not charged in her death . Smith 's death in a Hollywood , Florida , hotel on February 8 , 2007 , came just five months after the birth of her daughter , Dannielynn , and the sudden death of her 20-year-old son , Daniel , on September 10 , 2006 . Freeman testified that Kapoor faxed to him a list of six drugs that Eroshevich wanted to be sent to the Bahamas , where Eroshevich was treating Smith for anxiety and depression in the days after her son 's death . `` The more I thought about it , the more concern I had that if she got hold of those medications , it could have fatal consequences '' Freeman said . The pharmacist said the dosages of the drugs were `` not appropriate . '' Freeman said he consulted Dr. Greg Thompson , a pharmaceutical expert , who agreed with him and who offered to talk with Eroshevich about the dangers . Freeman said Thompson later told him that he found Eroshevich , a psychiatrist , to be `` way out of her league '' in her requests for strong drugs for Smith . At the time , Smith was holed up in her home in the Bahamas mourning her son 's death . Her bodyguard said in earlier testimony that the home was under siege by photographers , keeping Smith inside with her windows covered . Thompson recommended to Eroshevich that she `` forget the paparazzi and get her to a hospital '' if she needed all of those drugs , Freeman said . Freeman said the stress of the publicity after Smith 's death affected his own health , especially after the celebrity Web site TMZ.com published a copy of the faxed list of medications in question . Under questioning by the defense , Freeman said that over the previous five years he had filled prescriptions for Smith , he never saw any `` red flags '' that she was getting dangerous amounts of drugs . Charges against the three defendants also include the use of false names on prescriptions . Freeman said he always understood that prescriptions written under the pseudonym `` Michelle Chase '' were intended for Smith . It was a practice begun in 2001 , three years before Kapoor or Eroshevich began treating her , to prevent `` trouble for her in terms of her celebrity status , '' Freeman said . After the preliminary hearing , which could last about three weeks , Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Robert Perry will decide whether a trial will be held . In earlier testimony , Smith 's part-time bodyguard Maurice Brighthaupt said `` she just did n't want to deal with life after the death of her son . '' Brighthaupt described Smith as `` manipulative '' when she wanted something . `` She manipulated Dr. Eroshevich , '' he said . Eroshevich , a Los Angeles psychiatrist , traveled to the Bahamas five or six times in 2006 to attend to Smith , he said . They had a mother-daughter friendship , not a doctor-patient relationship , Brighthaupt said . The doctor sometimes substituted placebos for the tray full of pills Smith regularly took for her complaints of pain and depression , he said . `` She was very concerned that we needed to wean her off the medications , '' Brighthaupt said . California Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement Special Agent Danny Santiago testified that investigators found 12 prescription drugs , including dangerous opiates , in Smith 's hotel room after her death . Seven of them were prescribed using Stern 's name , although spelled `` Stearn , '' he said . A series of affidavits used by state investigators to obtain search warrants in their 2 1/2 - year inquiry was unsealed last month , revealing many details of the prosecution 's case . | Testimony given at preliminary hearing for model 's doctors , lawyer . Pharmacist says he was faxed list of drugs that doctor wanted for Smith . He found dosages `` not appropriate , '' he testifies . Pharmacist says expert thought one doctor was `` way out of her league '' | [[44, 177], [1198, 1260], [1563, 1633], [1583, 1633], [1789, 1948], [1802, 1948]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Somalia said a senior al Qaeda operative tied to several attacks in East Africa was killed Monday in a U.S. strike in southern Somalia . Saleh ali Saleh Nabhan , pictured on the FBI 's Web site , reportedly was tied to al Qaeda 's East Africa operations . Intelligence sources have confirmed to the Somali government that Saleh ali Saleh Nabhan was killed , Information Minister Dahir Mohamud Gelle said Tuesday . `` We welcome that attack because those people targeted were murderers , and they are unwanted and unwelcome in Somalia , '' Gelle said . Nabhan 's death will have `` a major impact '' on al Qaeda 's operations in the Horn of Africa , according to one regional analyst . U.S. special operations forces used a helicopter to fire on a car Monday in southern Somalia , killing several people , including one they believed was Nabhan , U.S. officials told CNN earlier . Nabhan , 30 , was born in Kenya and had been tied to attacks that included the 1998 bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania , according to the sources . More than 200 were killed , and 4,000 wounded in those attacks , most of them Kenyans . The United States targeted Nabhan in an airstrike in southern Somalia near the Kenyan border in March 2008 , U.S. officials said at the time . In February 2006 , the FBI announced that Nabhan was wanted for questioning in connection with the 2002 suicide bombing of an Israeli-owned hotel and the unsuccessful attack on an Israeli charter jet in Mombasa , Kenya . Ten Kenyans and three Israelis -- including two children -- were killed when three suicide bombers detonated a car bomb outside Mombasa 's Paradise Hotel in November 2002 . The bombing took place within minutes of an unsuccessful missile attack on an Israeli charter jet , which was taking off with 261 passengers and 10 crew members . President Obama signed off on Monday 's operation , a senior U.S. official said . The United States had been monitoring the situation for days and had intelligence that Nabhan was in the area , the U.S. officials said . The officials who talked to CNN are familiar with the latest information on Monday 's strike but did not want to be identified because they were not authorized to talk to the media . The U.S. helicopter flew from a U.S. Navy warship offshore , while the ship kept watch on the operation , one of the sources said . The warship was ready to rescue the American troops if they got into trouble . Farmers in the southeastern town of Barawe , Somalia , said they witnessed the assault . They said helicopters attacked a car and its occupants and that at least two people died . The witnesses said some helicopters landed and that some of the injured or dead were pulled into at least one helicopter . A U.S. official said the troops landed to take away the body believed to be that of Nabhan for positive identification . Nabhan is believed to be an associate of al Qaeda member Harun Fazul , who was indicted in the 1998 bombings of the U.S. embassies . The U.S. military has long sought Nabhan because he is believed to be deeply involved in al Qaeda 's East African operations , a senior U.S. official said last year . `` He was certainly one of the leading al Qaeda figures in East Africa , '' said Rashid Abdi , a Somalia analyst for the International Crisis Group , an independent advisory and analysis organization . Nabhan `` has been living in the shadows '' in Somalia and not much is known about his recent activity , Abdi said . `` The fact that he is now out of the picture will have a bigger impact on al Qaeda than on Al-Shabaab , '' he said , referring to the Islamist militia in Somalia that has ties to al Qaeda . `` He is a man with an important organizational memory , and if a key figure like him is killed , it always has a major impact . '' Al-Shabaab is waging a bloody battle against Somalia 's transitional government and is on the U.S. list of terrorist organizations because of its al Qaeda ties . There are growing concerns that Somalia could be the next base for al Qaeda as U.S. forces pound their positions in Afghanistan and Pakistan . CIA Director Leon Panetta recently said the intelligence agency is keeping tabs on the region as a possible destination for fleeing al Qaeda operatives . Journalist Mohammed Amiin Adow and CNN 's David McKenzie , Barbara Starr and Ed Henry contributed to this report . | NEW : Analyst calls operative `` one of the leading al Qaeda figures in East Africa '' Al Qaeda operative Saleh ali Saleh Nabhan killed , Somali official says . U.S. special operations forces fired on car from chopper in Somalia , U.S. officials say . Officials : Man tied to 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania . | [[19, 98], [156, 178], [213, 274], [3194, 3261], [341, 374], [704, 796], [2556, 2646], [952, 959], [965, 1035], [2929, 2961], [2966, 3023]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A single-engine airplane made an emergency landing on a California highway Sunday morning , though no major injuries were reported , authorities said . The Piper Comanche 260 carrying a married couple landed on the southbound lanes of U.S. Highway 101 . The Piper Comanche 260 carrying a married couple landed on the southbound lanes of U.S. Highway 101 just outside Santa Barbara and a few miles from the airport , said California Highway Patrol spokesman Officer James Richards . The plane 's engine quit , and as the pilot descended , he lost control of the plane and landed in the southbound lane facing oncoming traffic . The plane struck two vehicles while landing , then spun and hit another one with its tail , Richards said . One vehicle passenger was treated for minor injuries , he said . No other injuries were reported . The landing happened at 10:36 a.m. -LRB- 1:36 p.m. ET -RRB- and held up traffic for less than two hours , Richards said . He added that the plane had departed Temecula in southwestern Riverside County , California , and was destined for the airport in Santa Barbara , a flight of about 180 miles . The pilot told authorities that he attempted to switch fuel lines during the flight , but was unable to restore power to the plane . He said he alerted a tower at the airport that a landing on the highway was imminent , Richardson said . | Piper Comanche 260 carrying a married couple landed on U.S. Highway 101 . Plane 's engine quit , pilot lost control ; landed in south lane facing oncoming traffic . Plane struck two vehicles while landing , then spun and hit another one with its tail . | [[171, 272], [203, 272], [273, 372], [305, 399], [273, 321], [435, 500], [171, 272], [203, 272], [273, 372], [305, 399], [501, 525], [557, 585], [557, 559], [590, 619], [600, 645], [646, 689], [646, 655], [692, 701], [646, 655], [706, 735]] |
ASUNCION , Paraguay -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The World Health Organization plans to send 2 million vaccines to Paraguay by Sunday after yellow fever emerged there for the first time in 34 years . Anxiety has gripped the South American nation of 7 million since authorities confirmed the first cases of yellow fever there last month . The disease has killed seven people and prompted the government to declare a three-month state of emergency . The government 's health ministry is scrambling to find doses for a massive vaccination campaign . Nearby Brazil already has sent 1 million vaccines . The World Health Organization 's shipment of 2 million doses is scheduled to arrive on Saturday or Sunday , according to a report Friday in the Paraguay 's national news agency , Jakueke . Protesters have closed roads and started fires amid news reports that health workers were vaccinating certain politicians in their homes . `` I categorically reject these kinds of irresponsible allegations , '' said Health Minister Oscar Martinez Doldan . Meanwhile , some people have endured long waits for vaccines in sweltering heat . `` Citizens pay taxes for our health and education , but there are no vaccines here , '' Cynthia Shaerer , told CNN . `` We do n't need speeches here . We need vaccines . '' `` I want the president to tell me , '' another said . `` If we are going to die , who is responsible ? '' People contract yellow fever from the bite of an infected mosquito . The disease causes fever , muscle pain , headaches , shivering , nausea and vomiting , the World Health Organization says . Most people improve after three or four days , but some enter a second `` toxic '' phase that causes fever , jaundice and blood in the vomit , the health organization says . About half of the people who enter the second phase of yellow fever die within 10 days . There is no treatment , so medical authorities recommend vaccinations . Yellow fever typically is found in tropical regions of Africa and Latin America . Most of the seven deaths in Paraguay happened in the town of San Lorenzo , about 12 miles -LRB- 20 km -RRB- from the capital city of Asuncion . The public-health crisis comes two months before scheduled elections in Paraguay . Some analysts say it presents a delicate situation for the ruling Colorado Party , which has held power for 60 years . E-mail to a friend . | W.H.O. , nearby nations , rush vaccines to Paraguay after yellow fever outbreak . Illness , which causes fever , muscle pain , headaches , has killed 7 so far . Protests amid claims that politicians have been given vaccines in their homes . Outbreak , first in 34 years , comes two months before scheduled elections . | [[39, 189], [328, 363], [1466, 1550], [848, 916], [39, 189], [2151, 2233], [2151, 2175], [2193, 2233]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The National Organization for Women has sharply criticized comedian David Letterman , accusing him of promoting a hostile , uncomfortable work environment . David Letterman 's behavior with employees has created `` a toxic environment '' in the workplace , NOW says . `` The latest Letterman controversy sheds new light on the widespread objectification of women in the workplace , '' NOW said in a statement Tuesday . `` Most women can attest to the fact that many workplaces are plagued with inappropriate behavior by men in power . '' The `` Late Show With David Letterman '' host admitted last week on his CBS program that he had sex with unnamed employees and had testified about those liaisons before a New York grand jury as part of an alleged extortion attempt . A CBS producer , Robert `` Joe '' Halderman , is accused of threatening to go public with embarrassing information about Letterman 's private life unless the 62-year-old funnyman ponied up $ 2 million . Watch NOW 's president slam Letteman , CBS '' Letterman made a public apology Monday to his wife , Regina Lasko , who , he said , had been `` horribly hurt by my behavior . '' He said he is trying to repair that relationship . `` Either you 're going to make some progress and get it fixed , or you 're going to fall short and perhaps not get it fixed , so let me tell you folks , I got my work cut out for me , '' Letterman told the audience Monday night . Letterman married Lasko in March , and they have a 5-year-old son together . All the affairs took place before the marriage , Letterman 's production company has said . One of the women who engaged in a sexual relationship with Letterman was identified as Stephanie Birkitt , an assistant to the talk show host and also a former live-in girlfriend of Halderman . Letterman spokesman Tom Keaney said that Birkitt is on a paid leave of absence from the show . NOW said Letterman 's behavior was inappropriate in the workplace , saying all employees should be respected for their talent and skills . `` Recent developments in the David Letterman extortion controversy have raised serious issues about the abuse of power leading to an inappropriate , if not hostile , workplace environment for women and employees , '' NOW said in Tuesday 's statement . Men such as Letterman make decisions on hiring and firing , who gets raises , who advances and who does entry-level tasks , NOW said . `` As ` the boss , ' he is responsible for setting the tone for his entire workplace -- and he did that with sex . In any work environment , this places all employees -- including employees who happen to be women -- in an awkward , confusing and demoralizing situation , '' the group said . `` The National Organization for Women calls on CBS to recognize that Letterman 's behavior creates a toxic environment and to take action immediately to rectify this situation . With just two women on CBS ' board of directors , we 're not holding our breath . '' Those board members are Shari Redstone , vice chairwoman of the board and president of National Amusements Inc. , which operates motion picture screens , and Linda Griego , president and chief executive of Griego Enterprises Inc. , a business management company . CBS airs `` Late Show With David Letterman , '' which Letterman 's company , Worldwide Pants Inc. , produces . | NOW calls David Letterman 's behavior inappropriate in the workplace . Letterman on air admitted to sex with employees , apologized to wife . Feminist group urges CBS `` to take action immediately '' CBS producer accused in extortion plot against talk-show host . | [[1920, 1985], [568, 574], [609, 651], [657, 690], [1050, 1100], [2741, 2916], [681, 800]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Al Qaeda 's second-in-command called on Pakistanis to back Islamic militants in the country 's tribal areas against what he called an ongoing assault by American `` crusaders '' and the Pakistani army . Al-Qaeda 's second-in-command , Ayman al-Zawahiri appears in a video released on September 2 , 2006 . Punishment from God was promised for Muslims who did not follow the words of Ayman al-Zawahiri in a video that appeared on radical Islamist Web sites Thursday . `` The war in the tribal areas and Swat -LSB- Valley -RSB- is an inseparable part of the crusaders ' assault on the Muslims the length and breadth of the Islamic world , '' al-Zawahiri said in the video , titled `` Path of Doom . '' `` This is the battle , briefly and plainly ; and this is why anyone who supports the Americans and Pakistan army -- under any pretext , ploy or lie -- is in fact standing with , backing and supporting the crusaders against Islam and Muslims . '' The Pakistani military is fighting Taliban militants in the country 's north , and missile attacks from suspected U.S. drones have targeted militant leaders -- one of them killing Baitullah Mehsud , the leader of the Pakistani Taliban . Reports from the region suggest government troops have dislodged the Taliban from many areas of the North West Frontier Province , but militant attacks continue daily . In the video , Al-Zawahiri suggested that the United States has wider goals in the region . `` They want to eliminate the Mujahedeen -LRB- Islamic militants -RRB- in the tribal areas so they can seek to smother the Jihad in Afghanistan , '' he said . NATO-led forces are battling the Taliban across the border in Afghanistan as well . U.S. and British forces launched offensives in Helmand province this summer . Al-Zawahiri warned Muslims that they have a religious duty to support the jihad , or struggle , or face punishment from God . `` No people abandons Jihad without Allah giving them a general punishment , '' he said , quoting the Quran . Al-Zawahiri also prayed for the annihilation `` the Americans and Jews '' and anyone who might help them . | Al Qaeda 's second-in-command calls Pakistanis to back Islamic militants in video . The Pakistani military is fighting Taliban militants in the country 's north . Video , in which Ayman al-Zawahiri speaks , appeared on radical Islamist Web sites . | [[70, 126], [965, 1041], [254, 290], [422, 429], [435, 473]] |
TEHRAN , Iran -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Friday urged stiff punishment for those who `` orchestrated and provoked '' the `` painful '' unrest after the June 12 presidential election , according to Iran 's state-run Press TV . Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said there is no evidence that would undermine the election results . `` I call upon security and judicial officials to decisively and mercilessly act with those who committed inhumane acts in the guise of the friends -LRB- of the establishment -RRB- since they inflicted damage on people and tarnished the image of the establishment , security and police forces , '' said Ahmadinejad , who made the remarks in a pre-sermon speech to Friday prayers . The government declared Ahmadinejad the overwhelming winner in the disputed June 12 election . The protests sparked a government crackdown that led to thousands of arrests , scores of injuries and at least 30 deaths . Judiciary officials say most of those arrested were released , though several dozen face charges as part of the mass trials . In his remarks Friday , Ahmadinejad said there has been no evidence found that would undermine the election results and he criticized Western nations for interfering in Iran 's internal affairs before and after the election . | Urged stiff punishment for those who `` orchestrated and provoked '' unrest . Ahmadinejad declared the overwhelming winner in the disputed June 12 vote . Protests sparked a government crackdown that led to thousands of arrests . | [[0, 6], [9, 113], [9, 13], [108, 113], [138, 167], [730, 824], [825, 947], [846, 868], [874, 947]] |
BROOKLINE , Massachusetts -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Seth Barrett really enjoys his work . `` I love the variety of projects , '' he says . `` I love a new puzzle every day . '' Seth Barrett is surrounded by scores of projects in his shop , `` Village Green Renewal . '' He 's at his workbench , chisel in hand , shaving bits of wood from one of several chairs brought into his repair shop by a customer . `` She asked me to give them some attention and get them to stay together , '' Barrett says . His shop , `` Village Green Renewal , '' will fix almost anything that can fit in the front door , as long as it does n't require any kind of special licensing or permits . Barrett hopes that by getting people to repair items instead of replacing them with new ones , it will mean less trash heading for the landfill . `` The aim of the business is really about bringing back a traditional approach to conservation , '' says Barrett , `` because , clearly , the single best way to be green is to re-use the things that we already have . '' Watch Barrett in his shop '' His small shop is tucked into a corner of a building in Brookline , Massachusetts , on the outskirts of Boston . Old glass doorknobs , brass curtain rings and even a 1930s stove are some of the many functional and non-functional items that decorate the walls , cases and every corner . From his workbench , Barrett has a clear view of the pedestrians who pass by . `` Everybody who walks past the window smiles , without fail , '' he says , and customers seem to be responding to this unique and somewhat old-fashioned business . `` I think people are really excited too about the prospect of being able to repair these things that have been sitting in their basement forever that were once really special to them , and are , now , almost a sore spot , because it 's just getting dusty and getting no attention . '' A customer enters . `` I found another chair for you , '' says Beth Harris , hoisting a black and white chair into the shop . She has an old house and if she 's not bringing in a set of chairs that need mending , she might be in looking for an unusual hardware item that Barrett probably has . `` It 's great to have a resource that 's right in the neighborhood , '' Harris says . Toasters , chairs and lamps are some of the things Barrett commonly fixes . But , occasionally , an odd item like a fancy purse or an old typewriter comes in . `` The more interesting the item is , the more time I 'll spend on it off the clock , '' Barrett says . If he 's really intrigued by the repair , he says , `` I sit and keep playing with this thing because it 's cool . '' What would be the most unusual request ? `` The pigs win it , hands down , '' Barrett says , referring to a pair of leather pigs that needed some serious stitching up . He worked on them for many more hours than he actually billed because he enjoyed figuring out how to do it . Besides , as Barrett points out , `` How often do you see two giant leather pigs ? '' For years , Barrett worked in large construction projects , renovating houses and building additions , but there was something about it that bothered him . `` I 've always been made upset by all the bits of construction that go in the trash , and all the interesting stuff is overlooked because it takes time , '' he says . `` Large-scale construction is fraught with tremendous waste and no time to attention and beauty . '' That 's what draws him to these small , simple projects -- not only is he providing a service , but he also is an integral part of the community he grew up in , his home being about 700 feet away from the shop . Barrett feels a bond with many of his customers , because every item that comes in has a story that comes with it , and he 's more than happy to hear that story . He enjoys working with the small details and says his job is very peaceful . `` I 'm not trying to change the world . I 'm just trying to bring something beautiful to my little corner of it . '' | `` Village Green Renewal '' aims to fix most anything that is brought in . Shop owner says repairing items will result in less junk for landfills . Every once in a while , odd items -- like leather pigs -- are brought in . Items that arrive at the shop are often accompanied by a story . | [[665, 810], [758, 810], [2715, 2730], [2733, 2768], [3642, 3689], [3692, 3736], [3700, 3755]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Climate change is happening faster than previously predicted according to a new World Wildlife Fund report . The WWF say climate change threat has worsened in the 15 months since the IPCC last reported . Bringing together some of the most recent scientific reports and data , `` Climate change : faster , stronger , sooner '' reveals that global warming is accelerating more rapidly than the predictions made in the IPCC 's Fourth Assessment Report published in 2007 . One of the most concerning aspects of recent data is evidence that , in some places , the Arctic Ocean is losing sea ice 30 years ahead of current IPCC predictions . Summer sea ice is now forecasted to completely disappear in the summer months sometime between 2013 and 2040 -- something which has n't happened for over a million years . The report 's author , geoscientist Dr Tina Tin told CNN : `` Arctic sea ice is melting much faster than everybody had been expecting . Why ? Well , maybe it 's because the positive feedback mechanisms have kicked in much quicker than we have been able to quantify . '' Positive feedback mechanisms amplify changes occurring in the climate . In the case of the Arctic region there is a sort of vicious circle of warming occurring . White ice sheets perform an important function in moderating global temperature by reflecting heat from the sun back into space . But they have begun to melt as the earth has warmed . The result is more dark sea water which absorbs heat , which in turn warms the earth more and encourages further melting . Globally , sea levels are now expected to rise more than double the IPCC 's most recent forecast of 0.59 meters before the end of the century . This will put millions of people in coastal regions at risk . World food production is also feeling the heat as yields of wheat , maize and barley had dwindled in recent months . In Europe , ecosystems in the North and Baltic Sea are believed to be experiencing their warmest temperatures since records began . And the Mediterranean is likely to experience an increased frequency of droughts . The WWF report also highlights a 2007 study conducted by the British Antarctic Survey . `` Widespread acceleration of tidewater glaciers on the Antarctic Peninsula '' concluded that floating tide-water glaciers on the peninsula are losing ice faster and making a greater contribution to global sea level rise than was previously thought . Earlier this month , the WWF highlighted the impact that global warming is likely to have on Antarctic penguin colonies . According to Dr Tin , more Antarctic data is due to be published next year when the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research publish their findings . Scheduled for release in spring 2009 the `` Antarctic Climate Change and the Environment '' is expected to reveal more evidence of damaging climate effects on the continent . While Dr Tin says that it is true that parts of the Antarctic are not warming or perhaps even cooling , the Western Antarctic Peninsula has experienced some of the most rapid increases in warming . `` Over the past 50 years , it has warmed more than four times faster than the average rate of Earth 's overall warming , '' Dr Tin said . But Dr Tin remains unsure whether this most recent climate data represents the beginning of a tipping point . `` We think there are possibly tipping points ahead and some scientists , in terms of the Arctic sea ice , think we have probably gone past the tipping point . But it 's very difficult to get a strong handle on , '' she said . Nevertheless , she describes her report as a `` sobering overview '' which `` comes at a critical time during the political negotiations of the European Union 's climate and energy package '' . Newly elected Vice Chair of the IPCC and climate scientist , Jean-Pascal van Ypersele endorsed the WWF publication . `` It is clear that climate change is already having a greater impact than most scientists had anticipated , so it 's vital that international mitigation and adaptation responses become swifter and more ambitious , '' van Ypersele said . | World Wildlife Fund report says climate change is happening faster than predicted . Dr Tina Tin : `` Arctic sea ice melting much faster than everybody had been expecting '' IPCC Vice Chair : `` climate change is already having a greater impact than predicted '' | [[0, 6], [9, 96], [9, 26], [76, 135], [352, 439], [574, 588], [591, 670], [903, 942], [2302, 2369], [2581, 2600], [352, 439], [2208, 2448], [2381, 2428], [2434, 2448], [3913, 3938], [3946, 3983], [3913, 3927], [3931, 3983]] |
SEOUL , South Korea -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Stalinist North Korea deployed new medium-range ballistic missiles and expanded special forces training during 2008 , South Korea 's defense ministry reported . North Korea 's reclusive leader Kim Jong-Il . The missiles can travel about 3,000 kilometers -LRB- 1,900 miles -RRB- , possibly putting U.S. military bases in the Pacific Ocean territory of Guam within striking distance , the Ministry of National Defense said in its 2008 Defense White Paper , South Korea 's Yonhap news agency reported Monday . The paper , published after weeks of delay , calls the North 's 1.2 million-strong military an `` immediate and grave threat , '' according to Yonhap . The report adds that the North has recently bolstered its naval forces , reinforcing submarines and developing new torpedoes , in addition to increasing its special forces training after reviewing U.S. military tactics in Iraq and Afghanistan . Tension between Pyongyang and Seoul has increased in recent weeks , with North Korea announcing it would scrap peace agreements with the South , warning of a war on the Korean peninsula and threatening to test a missile capable of hitting the western United States . U.S. and South Korean officials have said that North Korea appears to be preparing to test-fire its long-range missile , the Taepodong-2 . Pyongyang tested one of the missiles in 2006 , but it failed 40 seconds after launch . The missile is thought to have an intended range of about 4,200 miles -LRB- 6,700 kilometers -RRB- , which if true , could give it the capability of striking Alaska or Hawaii . North Korea has been involved in what is known as the six-party talks with the United States , Japan , Russia , South Korea and China , which is an effort to end the nation 's nuclear program , which the U.S. says is linked to nuclear weapons . U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton , who returned from Asia on Sunday after her first overseas trip in the post , recently called North Korea 's nuclear program `` the most acute challenge to stability in northeast Asia . '' | New missiles can travel about 3,000 kilometers . Weapons could reach Alaska or U.S. bases on Guam . Tensions on Korean peninsula running high . | [[246, 316], [246, 258], [319, 376], [943, 1008]] |
MINNEAPOLIS , Minnesota -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Somali teen who left Minnesota to return to his native country last November has been reported killed . The 17-year-old , who was not named , was reportedly killed Friday in artillery fire in the violence-ravaged nation 's capital of Mogadishu , said the Somali Justice Advocacy Center in Minneapolis , Minnesota . The center is asking federal officials for help in bringing the teen 's body back to the United States for burial , executive director Omar Jamal said . The teen was among a group of young Somali-American men who left Minneapolis last year and were feared recruited by the extremist group , al-Shabaab , that has ties to al Qaeda , according to the U.S. State Department . Al-Shabaab is blamed for a surge of violence in Somalia , as insurgents group fight the government to implement sharia , a stricter form of Islamic law . The rebel group has said it has recruited many fighters in its battle . Al-Shabaab , also known as the Mujahedeen Youth Movement , was officially designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. government in March 2008 . In October , Shirwa Ahmed , 27 , a Somali-American who had been radicalized by al-Shabaab in his adopted home state of Minnesota , traveled to Somalia and blew himself up and 29 others . The incident , the first-ever suicide bombing by a naturalized U.S. citizen , raised red flags throughout the U.S. intelligence community . Somalis began arriving in the United States in significant numbers after the U.S. intervention in Somalia 's humanitarian crisis in 1992 . The Somali-American population is now concentrated in clusters primarily in Minneapolis ; Columbus , Ohio ; Seattle , Washington and San Diego , California . The potential recruitment of young Somali-American men has been made possible by `` a number of factors that come together when a dynamic , influential and extremist leader gains access to a despondent and disenfranchised group of young men , '' Andrew Liepman , deputy director for intelligence at the National Counterterrorism Center , said earlier this year . Many refugees , he said , `` lack structure and definition in their lives '' and are `` torn between their parents ' traditional tribal and clan identities , and the new cultures and traditions offered by American society . '' CNN 's Chris Welch in Minneapolis contributed to this report . | 17-year-old who left Minnesota to return to Somalia feared killed in Mogadishu . Group of Somali men left state in 2008 , feared recruited by al Qaeda-linked group . Somali Justice Advocacy Center asks feds for help to get body returned for U.S. burial . | [[43, 56], [61, 112], [149, 164], [187, 288], [513, 568], [543, 568], [573, 599], [513, 516], [543, 568], [604, 648], [360, 473]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Since it was founded in 1994 , the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has been instrumental in encouraging innovative research that will combat the biggest health issues affecting the developing world . One Gates Foundation grant aims to help reduce malaria among Nigeria 's nomads . The foundation has pledged $ 100 million in grants to get new scientific research off the ground , as part of Grand Challenges Explorations -LRB- GCE -RRB- . On Tuesday , GCE launched its latest round of grant applications , open to anyone with a unique approach to solving problems in the developing world . The idea is to develop creative thinking from people who may not have traditionally taken part in health research . Begun in 2008 , current projects receiving GCE funding include work in Hong Kong to develop flu-resistant chickens and efforts to prevent the transmission of HIV through breast milk . To speed up the grant allocation process , applicants only need to fill in a two-page form and submit it online . Successful applicants get a $ 100,000 grant and the chance to receive more than $ 1 million in future grants . The latest round of GCE grants invites applicants to focus on four areas : new technologies for contraception , new ways to induce and measure mucosal immunity , low-cost diagnostics for priority global health conditions , and new ways to protect against infectious disease . Click on the `` Explainer '' tab above to take a look at some of the groundbreaking research being funded by GEC . | The Gates Foundation has pledged $ 100 million towards health research . The latest round of research grant applications has just been opened . One project receiving funding is working to develop flu-resistant chickens . | [[317, 413], [475, 485], [488, 539]] |
TEHRAN , Iran -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A funeral procession for a senior Iraqi Shiite leader wound through the streets of Tehran , the Iranian capital , on Thursday . Iraqi Shiite leader Abdul Aziz al-Hakim , seen in a 2007 photo , was an ally of both the U.S. and Iran . Mourners turned out to say goodbye to Abdul Aziz al-Hakim , who spent 20 years in exile in Iran before returning to Iraq after U.S.-led forces toppled Iraqi President Saddam Hussein . The funeral procession started at the Iraqi Embassy in Tehran , said Haitham al-Husseini , a senior official with al-Hakim 's office and one of his advisers . Iraqi and Iranian government officials attended the procession with senior religious figures and some members of the Iraqi parliament . Another funeral procession is scheduled to be held Friday in Baghdad , Iraq , before the casket travels to several parts of southern Iraq with large Shiite populations . Authorities are concerned about security since Sunni insurgents have targeted large Shiite gatherings in the past . The Iraqi government announced the start of three days of mourning on Thursday , according to state television in Iraq . Al-Hakim died Wednesday in Tehran after a lengthy battle with lung cancer . He was 59 . He will be buried in his hometown of Najaf , one of the holiest cities for Shiite Muslims , al-Husseini said . U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Christopher Hill and the top U.S. commander in Iraq , Gen. Ray Odierno , described him as `` a national hero '' in a joint statement that expressed sadness over the death . `` Throughout his life , His Eminence demonstrated courage and fortitude , contributing to the building of a new Iraq , '' the statement said . `` We offer our sincere condolences to his family and colleagues . Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki also offered condolences , saying al-Hakim was `` like an old brother . '' Al-Maliki credited him for being a `` strong supporter during the phase of fighting the ousted regime and a key figure in the process of building the new Iraq . '' Watch how al-Hakim helped shape Iraq 's future '' `` His death at this critical stage that we are passing through is a great loss for Iraq , '' al-Maliki said . Al-Hakim ended his exile in Iran in 2003 when he returned to Iraq after Hussein and his regime were toppled . `` It was very emotional for me to meet with my people after Saddam fell , '' al-Hakim said in a 2006 interview . `` I was longing to see them , my goal in this life is to serve those great people and I am very proud to be a part of them . '' Iraqi Shiites were suppressed under the Hussein regime , which favored the country 's minority Sunni Muslims . Al-Hakim played a central role in shaping Iraq 's future following his return . During his exile , which began in the early 1980s , al-Hakim commanded the Badr Brigades , the military wing of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq , or SCIRI . SCIRI -- a religious opposition movement to the Hussein regime -- was led by al-Hakim 's brother until he was assassinated in August 2003 . Al-Hakim himself was also the target of assassination attempts . He took over as the head of SCIRI and began his ascent to power as the Badr Brigades became the bulk of the Iraqi security forces in Iraq 's predominantly Shiite south . SCIRI changed its name to the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq -LRB- ISCI -RRB- in 2007 to remove the word `` revolution , '' in an effort to reflect the situation in Iraq . Al-Hakim had always propagated a message of peace , calling on Iraqis to stop taking part in the bitter sectarian conflict that followed the fall of Hussein . But despite his desire for a secular democracy in Iraq , he wanted a country that recognized the importance of religion , religious institutions and its authorities . Al-Hakim successfully harnessed the fervor generated from emotional religious rituals like Ashura , a national day of fasting , and turned them into a powerful political platform . That ability led some to consider him Iraq 's most powerful man . His political bloc won the most seats in the Iraqi Parliament in 2005 . And although al-Hakim never held a government position , he commanded respect from those who did . Government ministers would meet with him at his office , not theirs , and he was often seen in the company of former U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad . And when talks on Iraq 's constitution stalled , former President George W. Bush called al-Hakim , not the Iraqi prime minister or president . He visited the United States three times during the Bush administration to address the situation in Iraq . But al-Hakim remained artfully vague about Iran 's influence in Iraq , saying its role was a positive one -- in direct contradiction to the U.S. government , which raised concerns about what it called Iran 's `` meddling . '' He said the two predominantly Shiite Muslim countries shared border , historical and cultural relations , and emphasized the desire for strong ties . Al-Hakim died at a time of violent political turmoil in Iraq . The power of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq -LRB- ISCI -RRB- party he leaves behind is just as uncertain as the nation he wanted to serve . Al-Hakim was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2007 and was first treated in the United States , then later in Iran . When he returned to Iraq later that year , he told CNN that he felt good . But it was around that time that it became apparent he was grooming his son , Ammar al-Hakim , to take over as head of ISCI . It was once Iraq 's most powerful Shiite political party , but ISCI lost much of its influence following elections in January when politicians allied with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki won control of most of Iraq 's provincial councils . CNN 's Arwa Damon , Jomana Karadsheh and Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report . | Funeral procession for Abdul Aziz al-Hakim in Tehran ; another set for Baghdad . Iraqi Shiite leader spent 20 years in exile in Iran ; returned after fall of Hussein . Al-Hakim headed Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq , helped shape Iraq 's future . He never held public office but was one of Iraq 's most powerful , respected leaders . | [[450, 511], [745, 813], [304, 323], [330, 422], [304, 323], [362, 449], [2195, 2304], [2241, 2289], [1573, 1585], [1623, 1665], [2034, 2080], [2044, 2080], [2659, 2738], [2675, 2676], [2690, 2738], [3970, 4035], [3987, 4035], [4108, 4111], [4121, 4162]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Stringer is dead . Omar is dead . And soon , `` The Wire '' will be , too . Sonja Sohn , Wendell Pierce and Dominic West discuss matters on the `` Wire '' finale . The show , broadcast by HBO , which -- like CNN -- is a division of Time Warner , created complex storylines weaving together the lives of Baltimore 's cops , drug dealers , politicians , port workers , schoolchildren and educators and now journalists . It also created a devoted fan base , including CNN staffers Jo Parker , who coincidentally worked at The Baltimore Sun for 13 years , and Rachel Clarke . Both are veteran watchers of previous seasons who have lapped up this year 's story , where events on the street and inside the murder squad become ever more entwined with politics and news , complicating everything they touch . Here , they talk about whether the keenly awaited finale matched expectations . Clarke : Were you satisfied ? Parker : No . I expected `` The Wire '' to startle me and make me think right up until the series finale , but in the end it felt too networky . Yes , the storylines were completed and there was a resolution of sorts for each major character , but it all seemed to be too neatly tied ... red ribbon , anyone ? Gallery : Get to know the characters of `` The Wire '' '' Clarke : Yes , I 'm all for schmaltz , but that 's not why I watched `` The Wire . '' In previous seasons , the show has had me sobbing -LRB- Bodie 's killing -RRB- , screaming blue murder -LRB- Bubbles ' suicide attempt -RRB- and spiraling downward as I awaited the really bad things that had to happen -LRB- the parting of the ways between Stringer and Avon was never going to go well -RRB- . This time , I had the familiar sinking feeling about some characters and plot lines as they played out , but this time , the writing did n't have the same killer instinct . Or maybe `` The Wire '' has just given me a really dark view of the world , of Baltimore , of humanity , and I should lighten up . Parker : I did experience one shocker during the finale involving a longer-term character . I 'm surprised now that I did n't see it coming any more than the character did ! Clarke : I know what you 're talking about . Sure , there was a moment where I gasped . And there were other vintage `` Wire '' themes and moments . The questions over a moral code , how it 's rarely if ever black and white and how real life and real people are just too complicated to fall into that simple `` good or bad '' template . `` Good '' people do bad things and `` bad '' people do good things . And circumstances and the bigger picture will often intervene to steer even the best from the path of the angels . But that 's where this season as a whole has n't matched the other four . The newspaper characters were simply good or evil . But you worked at The Baltimore Sun , so maybe that 's true to life ?! Parker : There were definitely some folks I 'd consider good or evil at The Sun , but none who flat-out grew horns like Templeton , Whiting and Klebanow . -LRB- OK , maybe the Templetonesque dude . -RRB- I worked there for 13 years and left during `` The Wire 's '' run . So I know creator David Simon peripherally and some of the situations he alludes to this season fairly well . I expected this season to be even more compelling to me , if that was possible . Instead , I found the new characters too one-dimensional . I did n't emotionally bond with any of them -- even though some bore the names of my real former colleagues -- so I really did n't care what happened to any of them in the finale . Clarke : Me too , but then I 'm still mourning Stringer from season three when good and evil were mixed so well and you could happily cry over the comeuppance of a calculating , cold , murderous drug dealer . There are a lot of old memories from earlier seasons in the finale , but that just made me nostalgic for the earlier stuff . Parker : No , no ! Do n't talk about `` nostalgia '' ! That word is ruined for me now ! Clarke : For all the delight I got at various lines and shots , I thought some of the last episode was just trying to be too clever . Still , I 'll be watching the finale all over again on Sunday . Will you ? Parker : I wanted different endings for some characters , but I 'm not the one cashing HBO 's check . Despite my quibbles at the last season and the finale , I 'll be watching it again and mourning its passing . It was a complete treat . Although I 'm still ticked off . Clarke : True that . E-mail to a friend . | Finale of `` The Wire '' to air Sunday night . This season has n't measured up to previous ones , say CNN reviewers . Final show has a couple of surprises , but is too neatly tied up . | [[2697, 2766], [1178, 1180], [1192, 1228], [2006, 2052]] |
URUMQI , China -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Several hundred people staged a new protest in Urumqi on Tuesday , demanding the release of relatives detained in connection with weekend demonstrations by ethnic Uyghur residents in China 's far western Xinjiang region . Ethnic Uyghur women grab the arm of a policeman as they protest in Urumqi on July 7 . The crowd of 200 to 300 -- mostly women and elderly -- quickly formed as local authorities were taking members of the media on a tour of a neighborhood that was heavily damaged during riots over the weekend , witnesses said . Riot police quickly moved in to defuse the standoff as the demonstrators shouted the names of family members they wanted released . The protest is the latest sign that tensions are still simmering in the Xinjiang capital , where violent demonstrations have left 156 people dead and more than 1,000 injured , according to the regional public security department . In southern China , police have detained 15 suspects in connection with an incident that may have spurred the deadly rioting in Urumqi , state-run media reported . There is speculation that Sunday 's protest , which took place in the predominantly Uyghur-populated Bazaar district , may have been a reaction to ethnic violence in southern China . The violence took place late last month at a toy factory in Guangdong province , where many migrants , including Uyghurs , have moved in search of work . A massive brawl reportedly broke out between workers of Uyghur and Han nationalities . Two Uyghurs reportedly died . The unrest in Urumqi had been brought under control with a massive presence of soldiers and anti-riot squads , the government said Tuesday . Curfews were in force in major districts of the capital . At least 1,434 suspects had been detained by Tuesday morning , the Xinhua news agency reported , citing government officials . `` The police have started interrogations with the suspects , '' said Li Yi , a spokesman for the Communist Party in Xinjiang . Those convicted would be dealt with severely , he said . Watch more on violence in Xinjiang '' In a rare public display of dissatisfaction , thousands of Uyghurs -- many of whom feel they are treated as second-class citizens by the majority Han Chinese -- took to the streets Sunday chanting and screaming , prompting a police lockdown of the city . State-run media reported that protesters attacked passersby , burned public buses and blocked traffic . The report did not say how many people took part or what their grievances were . But a witness in Urumqi told CNN that , soon after the protest started about 5 p.m. , hundreds of demonstrators `` grew into easily over 1,000 -- men , women and children , all ethnic Uyghurs -- screaming and chanting . '' Police arrived quickly and tried to control the swelling crowd by erecting barriers in the street , but `` people pushed them over , '' the witness said . `` They were throwing rocks at passing cars and buses . '' As the violence escalated , hundreds of riot police arrived , the witness said . `` They used tear gas and fire hoses to disperse the crowd . I saw fire trucks , ambulances , armed personnel carriers and what looked like tanks . I heard random gunshots . '' iReport.com : Are you there ? Share photos , video , commentary . Late Sunday , the witness said , Urumqi was in a lockdown , with hundreds of People 's Liberation Army soldiers in the streets . He reported seeing riot police chasing protesters into alleys and rounding up many of them . Xinjiang is home to many Uyghurs . China 's constitution guarantees ethnic minorities equal rights and limited autonomy . However , ethnic tensions run deep . Minority groups such as the Uyghurs complain that they are subjected to discrimination by the majority Han . See a map of Xinjiang '' Tensions also ran high in Han communities in the capital on Tuesday as neighbors organized to protect themselves and their businesses . Groups of men carrying pipes , sticks and cleavers milled in front of shops before police dispersed them . `` The Uyghurs will attack any Han they see , '' one man said . The World Uyghur Congress , a dissident Uyghur group based in Munich , Germany , condemned the crackdown on what it described in a written statement as Sunday 's `` peaceful protest '' by Uyghurs . `` The Chinese authorities should acknowledge that the peaceful protest was sparked by the unlawful mob beating and killing of Uyghur workers at a Guangdong toy factory more than a week ago , '' it said . `` The authorities should also acknowledge that their failure to take any meaningful action to punish the Chinese mob for the brutal murder of Uyghurs is the real cause of this protest . '' It accused the Chinese authorities of having `` used tear gas , automatic rifles and armored vehicles to disperse the Uyghur protesters . During the crackdown , some were shot to death , and some were beaten to death by Chinese police . Some demonstrators were even crushed by armored vehicles near Xinjiang University , according to eyewitnesses . '' Watch victims describe the riots in Urumqi '' The government in Xinjiang blamed `` foreign forces '' for Sunday 's rioting . `` The violence is premeditated , organized violent crime , '' said Nur Bekri , chairman of the Xinjiang Autonomous Region , the equivalent of a governor . `` It was instigated and directed from abroad and carried out by outlaws in the country . '' Bekri accused the World Uyghur Congress of spreading rumors and inciting anger that led to the rioting , in a speech carried by Xinjiang television . The World Uyghur Congress denied the charge . It is led by Rebuya Kadeer , a businesswoman of Uyghur ethnicity who was detained in 1999 and accused of harming China 's national security . She was freed on bail in 2005 and was allowed to leave for the United States for medical care . Bekri accused Kadeer of instigating the unrest via the Internet and said the fight at the Guangdong toy factory was exploited to incite ethnic strife . Internet service was hard to come by in Urumqi on Tuesday . Reporters ' BlackBerries could not send and receive messages . Computers could not access the Web at their hotels . | Hundreds protest mass arrests following ethnic unrest in China 's Xinjiang region . Protesters -- mostly women and elderly -- shouted names of relatives being held . At least 1,434 held by Chinese police following weekend Uyghur protests . 156 people killed and more than 800 others injured in violence . | [[9, 30], [34, 98], [126, 255], [369, 393], [397, 432], [568, 579], [597, 676], [126, 255], [1748, 1808], [1811, 1842], [1748, 1771], [1811, 1833], [1845, 1874], [768, 780], [797, 873], [860, 873], [876, 885]] |
KABUL , Afghanistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The number of people killed in a car bombing in Afghanistan 's capital rose to 26 , including six Italian soldiers , Afghan authorities said Saturday . The coffins of six Italian soldiers killed in a suicide attack in Kabul return to Rome . Sixteen people died in the blast Thursday , and at least 55 Afghan civilians were wounded . Ten have died from their injuries since the bombing . The explosion Thursday targeted a mostly residential area near the Supreme Court in Kabul , a witness said . The bodies of the Italian soldiers killed in the blast returned to Italy Sunday , their coffins draped in the red , green and white Italian flag . Dignitaries , relatives and row upon row of uniformed troops stood on the airport tarmac as the coffins were carried off the plane , television pictures from the scene showed . Watch more about Italy in mourning '' Italy 's President Giorgio Napolitano gently touched the caskets perched on the shoulders of grim-faced soldiers at Rome 's Ciampino military airport . Nearby , a woman shook uncontrollably as a baby sported a maroon beret -- the kind worn by the paratroopers killed in the Kabul attack . The six deaths marked largest number of Italians killed in a single day in Afghanistan . Watch more about Italy 's Afghan mission '' Before the remains left for Rome , the Italian military , international troops and dignitaries held a service in the Afghan capital . `` It 's a tragedy for us , '' Lt. Col. Renato Vaira of the Italian military said at the Kabul service . `` But this is a point to continue our mission . '' `` We 'll miss them . They 're not the first . I hope it will be the last , '' said Maj. Gen. Tommaso Ferro of the Italian military . The arrival of the soldiers ' remains was televised nationally in Italy . The bodies were taken for an autopsy . A day of mourning is scheduled in Italy on Monday , the same day as the burial service . After the attack , Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said it would be `` best '' for the country 's troops to leave Afghanistan as soon as possible . Berlusconi gave no timeline for a withdrawal , but said any pullout would have to be coordinated with allies . The 500 troops Italy sent to Afghanistan this summer will be home by Christmas , Ignazio La Russa , Italy 's defense minister said . The troops were sent ahead of the Afghan presidential election August 20 . The rest of Italy 's 2,800 troops in Afghanistan will withdraw only when NATO calls for it , La Russa said . | Explosion targeted a mostly residential area near the Supreme Court in Kabul . Bodies of six Italian soldiers who died returned to Italy Sunday . Italian Prime Minister says it would be `` best '' for country 's troops to leave Afghanistan . Deaths were the highest single-day death toll for Italy in the Afghan mission . | [[426, 515], [191, 262], [535, 569], [590, 614], [1946, 1962], [1965, 2059], [2038, 2102], [1186, 1234], [1208, 1274]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- This year is the 50th birthday of the Copa Libertadores , South American football 's equivalent of Europe 's Champions League . Argentina 's Boca Juniors salute their fans before a Copa Libertadores match against Uruguay 's Defensor Sporting . The Libertadores is the most prestigious tournament in South American club football , seeing the best 32 teams in the continent battle for supremacy . It may not get as much attention as the Champions League , but for South American teams there is no bigger trophy . The tournament has reached semifinal stage , where Gremio and Cruzeiro from Brazil will clash with Argentina 's Estudiantes and Uruguay 's Nacional - a team captained by former Inter Milan star Juan Sebastian Veron . So with the action reaching a crescendo , it 's high-time Fanzone explored what makes the compeition so great . History . The competition was first held in 1960 , its name referring to the `` liberators '' who led South American countries in their wars of independence . For years it was dominated by Argentina , with a team from the country making it to every final between 1963 to 1979 , and Buenos Aires team Independiente winning six times in that period . Since the early '90s , it 's been the Brazilian clubs that have excelled . Brazil has provided 10 Libertadores finalists in the last 10 years , but since the tournament 's inception , every country except Peru and Mexico has supplied a winner . Qualification . Under current quotas Brazil and Argentina both supply five teams for the tournament , while Bolivia , Chile , Colombia , Ecuador , Mexico , Paraguay , Peru , Uruguay , Venezuela are each represented by three teams , with the previous year 's winner also qualifying . Each country has different qualifying criteria for its clubs but essentially , the winners of South America 's top domestic leagues , as well as some runners up , qualify for the Libertadores . They are joined by three teams invited from Mexico -LRB- which is not a member of CONMEBOL , the South American Football Confederation -RRB- . Better than Europe ? In terms of football quality , most would agree that the Libertadores struggles to match the Champions League and the reason is simple -- South American clubs simply do n't have the money to hold onto their best players . Despite this , the Libertadores is still the place where some of the world 's best players cut their footballing teeth . The likes of Ronaldinho and Carlos Tevez once shone in the Libertadores , as did past masters like Pele and Zico . Which do you think is better , the Copa Libertadores or the Champions League ? Sound Off below . While the tournament may lack big-name players , in other ways the Libertadores is as every bit as tough as the Champions League . Alexander Bellos is the author of `` Futebol : the Brazilian Way of Life . '' He told CNN that in the Libertadores , teams often have to travel huge distances for away matches . It can take a Brazilian club 24 hours to get to a match in Mexico , leaving little time for pre-match preparation or training . Some teams play their matches at high altitude , which can be a grueling experience for visiting teams not used to the thin air . Bellos says these factors can combine to make the Libertadores less predictable than the Champions League , as can the fact that clubs regularly lose their best players to Europe , meaning their squads can change drastically from one season to the next . As in the Champions League , big clubs , like Argentina 's Boca Juniors and Brazil 's Sao Paolo , usually make the final stages , but last year 's winners were unheralded Ecuadorian club LBS Quito . | This year is the 50th birthday of South American football 's Copa Libertadores . The competition has been dominated by Argentine and Brazilian teams . Liberdatores tends to be less predictable than Europe 's Champions League . This year 's semi finals include teams from Brazil , Argentina and Uruguay . | [[0, 6], [9, 91], [1035, 1074], [3517, 3583], [3586, 3615], [3233, 3338]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- It was against the terms of the Russia/Georgia cease-fire , brokered by France 's President Nicolas Sarkozy . It was directly in contravention of the request not to do it from President George W. Bush of the United States . But Russia 's President Dimitri Medvedev has gone and done it anyway . He has made Russia the first country to recognize the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia . Russian President Dmitri Medvedev says it has recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia . So does that , as some of the more fevered commentators are suggesting , amount to a new Cold War ? It certainly ratchets up the East-West tension still further . It breaks the terms of a cease-fire which insisted Georgia 's territorial integrity should be respected . Russia 's announcement that it will station troops in the two territories to ensure their `` security '' , a word others might spell as `` subservience '' , is a direct provocation . It is , says Georgia , an illegal `` annexation '' . Other European nations have hastened to condemn it as an unacceptable rewriting of borders by force . What do you think of Russian recognition ? U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice , currently in the Middle East , points out that it is in contravention of U.N. Security Council resolutions that the Russians have accepted . Sarkozy has called a meeting of EU leaders for Monday to look at Georgia and at future relations with Russia . But before we start talking about a new Cold War -- and Western leaders from Bush down are being careful not to do so -- we should examine the context . After the military action initiated by Georgia early in August , there never was a chance that South Ossetia and Abkhazia , which have in effect been independent since the early 1990s , would return to control by Tblisi . Applying a blowtorch is n't necessarily the best way of settling what had become known as `` frozen conflicts '' . Russia has long been in a position to bully and has now been given the excuse to do so . For years the two disputed territories have survived on Russian military and economic assistance . Although Abkhazia seeks fuller independence , a large number of South Ossetians , perhaps 70 or 80 per cent of them , have Russian passports and would vote for membership of the Russian Federation . Both disputed territories use the rouble . But this is n't , and never has been , just about Georgia . It is about the reassertion of regional power by a country which had smarted for years over the collapse of the Soviet Union and the eastward march of NATO , swallowing up former members of the Warsaw Pact . What we are seeing is a resurgent Russia currently prepared to strut the beach kicking sand in everybody 's eyes and defying any affronted party to take them on . When NATO leaders met in the wake of the invasion of Georgia and came up with nothing more concrete than the `` suspension of normal relations '' , the weakness of a divided West was all too obvious to Putin and Medvedev . They have now taken the next step down the line of provocation . `` Scrap the NATO-Russia Council altogether and see if we care ! '' is the message . And , playing as the back-beat sub-theme through all this is the question of Kosovo , a question which looks very different according to whether you are seated in Moscow , Belgrade , Brussels or Washington . `` If it was right for the Kosovar Albanians to be given the right to declare independence from Serbia , then why should n't the people of South Ossetia be allowed to choose separation from Tblisi ? '' demand the Medvedev-Putin supporters in the Russian Parliament . `` Ah yes , '' some say , `` but what about those threats from Moscow to turn Russian missiles against Poland now that the Poles have agreed to host the anti-missile batteries for the US missile defense plan ? Is n't that a dangerous new escalation ? '' Again , it depends where you are sitting . `` How would Washington like it if the Russians were to stage anti-missile batteries in Mexico ? '' is Moscow 's answer . What seems to be forgotten amid the current rhetorical battle is that the threats to make Poland a target for Russian missiles are nothing new . Before the G8 summit back in 2007 , Putin got the world in a tizzy with precisely the same threats , at that stage being used to stir Polish domestic opposition to the idea of hosting the missile battery . In October 2007 , Putin said the missile plan risked becoming a new Cuban missile crisis , probably the closest the world ever came to a nuclear war . Then , during an election , he threatened to point missiles at western Europe , walk away from a 1980s treaty limiting missiles and scrap a treaty limiting conventional forces in Europe -LRB- which Russia has since done -RRB- . First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov , then seen as Putin 's potential successor , threatened to site cruise missiles in Kaliningrad , the Russian enclave between Poland and Lithuania . General Nikolai Saltsov , then in charge of Russia 's ballistic arsenal , said last December : `` I do not exclude the missile defense shield sites in Poland and the Czech Republic being chosen as targets for our intercontinental ballistic missiles . '' The big problem for the West -LRB- and especially next Monday 's meeting of EU leaders , who need to make a more effective job of it than NATO 's foreign ministers did last week -RRB- , is just how to respond to Russia 's current bout of strutting without making things worse -- and how to do it without cutting off their own noses in the process . They could agree to make it harder for Russia to join the World Trade Organisation . They could even threaten to eject Russia from the G8 . But what do they gain by doing so , especially those of them in the EU who depend on Russia for a hefty chunk of their energy supplies ? For years the West has been trying to draw Russia in , not push it further out into the cold . They need Russia 's cooperation on climate change , on fighting terrorism , on achieving peace in the Middle East and on curbing Iran 's nuclear ambitions . And , let it not be forgotten , in keeping open NATO 's supply routes for its mission in Afghanistan . The West is not ready to go to war over Russia 's neighbors -LRB- or `` near abroad '' as Moscow terms it -RRB- but it does still have a role to play in the Russian economy . The EU may be dependent on Russian energy but it is also Russia 's biggest customer . It should use the economic levers it has , refuse to allow the Russians to pick off individual members with bilateral deals and learn to use its collective strength in demanding common standards of its fellow G8 member . The worst thing it could do is to utter threats which it will not , or can not , follow through . | Russian president signs order recognizing independence of Georgian territories . West opposes the decision , says that it impinges on Georgian international borders . Overshadowing the issue is the West 's recognition of Kosovo independence . Analysis : The worst the West could do is to utter threats it does not follow through . | [[430, 535], [469, 535], [6737, 6767], [6737, 6752], [6765, 6784], [6737, 6752], [6768, 6802]] |
Beijing , China -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- China and the United States , the largest producers of greenhouse gases , will team up to fight climate change and create clean energy , their leaders said Tuesday . Chinese President Hu Jintao and President Obama said their nations will cooperate to advance technologies and work toward a global agreement on reducing carbon emissions . `` As the two largest consumers and producers of energy , there can be no solution to this challenge without the efforts of both China and the United States , '' Obama said . `` That is why we 've agreed to a series of important new initiatives in this area . '' What would you ask Obama ? Share your question for CNN 's interview . After Tuesday 's meeting , Hu told reporters , `` We agreed to expand our cooperation on climate change , energy and environment , '' which includes developing a China-U.S. clean energy research center . The declaration by Hu and Obama comes ahead of next month 's U.N. Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen , Denmark , and follows recent acknowledgment by the world 's top economic powers , including the U.S. , that there 's no hope of a major breakthrough on climate change by year 's end . The U.S. president said the two leaders want to accelerate the world toward a pact to cut greenhouse gases . The leaders did not offer a time frame , however . `` Our aim ... is not a partial accord or a political declaration , '' Obama said , `` but rather an accord that covers all of the issues in the negotiations and one that has immediate operational affect . `` This kind of comprehensive agreement would be an important step forward in the effort to rally the world around a solution to our climate challenge . '' Instead of reaching a final deal in Copenhagen , a strategy dubbed `` one agreement , two steps '' was unveiled at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum summit over the weekend in Singapore . The aim is to produce a pact over a longer period . The first step would be to have all 191 countries involved in the Copenhagen summit signing on to a framework that includes key ingredients , such as how to finance the coordinated effort to battle climate change . The second step , a binding deal on cutting carbon emissions , would be hashed out in further negotiations . `` Opportunity is knocking . It is up to you to open the door , '' U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a statement Monday . `` We must seize this opportunity to create a safer and more prosperous future for all , to reduce the emissions that are causing climate change and to help the most vulnerable adapt to impacts that are already under way . '' Like the United States and China , APEC and Group of 20 leaders -- the world 's leading economies -- have pledged to drive toward a climate-change agreement in Copenhagen . The conference , set to begin December 7 , aims to strike a deal on a successor agreement to the Kyoto Protocol , the 1997 pact that has legally binding targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions . The United States never ratified it , though more than 200 other nations did . | President Obama , Chinese leader pledge to work to reduce carbon emissions . Move comes before U.N. Climate Change Conference in Denmark . China and U.S. are largest producers of greenhouse gases . Obama , Chinese President Hu Jintao do n't offer a timetable . | [[201, 372], [1278, 1310], [910, 1015], [1311, 1349], [1352, 1361]] |
LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Actor Derek Mears has a big hockey mask to fill . Derek Mears arrives on the red carpet at the Hollywood premiere of the new `` Friday the 13th '' movie . Mears was cast as the iconic boogeyman Jason Voorhees in the new `` Friday the 13th '' movie . A remake of the original 1980 film , the new movie aims to breathe life into the former franchise about a psychopathic killer who preys on a group of young people at the fictitious Camp Crystal Lake . Mears is no stranger to the horror genre , having co-starred in `` The Hills Have Eyes II . '' His career is extensive and includes stints as a stuntman in two of the popular `` Pirates of the Caribbean '' films . He recently spoke to CNN about taking a turn as the ultimate evil , the thrill of continuing a slasher legacy and why he 's really not that bloody nice . CNN : You are n't that scary in person , so what made you think you could be that scary on camera ? Derek Mears : I 've got a lot of issues . I 've got a whole lot of daddy issues . No , I sound like a basket case . It 's funny with acting -- we all wear masks in our normal life . Not to sound like a weirdo in the hockey mask , but like right now I 'm really excited about the film and excited about playing the character , and I will start to speak faster . That 's kind of what 's coming over me : `` Oh you 're , you 're really nice , '' but ... on the other side of me there are other Dereks that are angry , and like I said before , have a little bit of issues . CNN : Tell me a little bit about how you were approached . Did you know they were making it before they came to you ? Was it kind of a shock ? Mears : It 's so weird . There 's two different versions . There 's my version of how it went about , and there 's the producer 's version . I 'll tell the producer 's version because my version is really , really long . The short version of my version was I heard they were doing a new `` Friday the 13th , '' and I 've never tried to pursue a role before and I went , I really want to do this . So when I heard they were doing it , before I even had an audition , I started training for it . I found out a little about what they wanted for the character -- that he was n't going to be super , you know bulky or big , that he 's more functional . He 's still big , but he 's lean . So I started training that way and trying to do what I could just to get an audition . On the other end , on the producer 's end , they asked a bunch of different industry professionals . They said , `` Hey , were doing a new ` Friday the 13th . ' Who do you think would be a great new Jason ? '' And my name kept popping up , which I 'm blown away by . They brought me in for an audition , and I met with them . and they called me the next day and went , `` OK , you 're the guy . '' And I still do n't believe it till this day . I 'm blown away . CNN : How did you keep it light on the set ? Mears : Believe it or not , all the actors ... got along so well . I have never been so close to a cast before on set . We were just goofing around and playing , but then when it 's time to work and get serious with certain scenes , we 'd all switch over and do our job and get to the point where we needed to . CNN : Had you seen any of the original `` Friday the 13th '' movies ? Mears : Oh yeah . I mean , I 'm a fan . I consider myself a fan of the series . I already knew all of the originals . I had them all on DVD , and when I first met with Platinum Dunes -LSB- the production company behind the new movie -RSB- , I told them , `` Hey look , I 'm a fan of the series first and foremost . If I 'm right for the part , fantastic . If I 'm not right for the part , that 's OK , too . I , just as a fan , want to see a good ` Friday the 13th ' film . I want to see the series continue so if I can help it , awesome , but I just want to see something good . '' CNN : Did you try to model your character after previous Jasons , or did you try to kind of take it and make it your own ? Mears : Definitely make it my own . I used the script that Mark Swift and Damian Shannon wrote as a blueprint -- like you would for any acting role where I knew the other guys who 've played `` Jason '' before , and what they 've done , but you kind of shove that away somewhere deep in your brain and build your character from the new script . And there are times in the film here and there where I would do little tips of the hats or little homage for the guys who have played him before . CNN : It 's kind of a dream come true . Mears : Yeah , that 's why I keep saying the words this whole interview like `` unbelievable , '' unbelievable because I do n't believe it . CNN : Which is funny . You do n't usually think of such happiness and glee -LSB- on a horror movie set -RSB- . Mears : And trust me , you wo n't see that in the final product . CNN 's Brittany Kaplan contributed to this article . | Actor Derek Mears takes on role of Jason in new `` Friday the 13th '' Actor heard from producers that he was a popular casting choice . Of iconic role , Mears says he tried to `` definitely make it my own '' | [[199, 265], [3918, 3921], [3987, 4040], [4049, 4076]] |
BAGHDAD , Iraq -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Nineteen U.S. troops were killed in Iraq in May , the fewest killed in any month since the war started . Baghdad saw a lull in violence in May , as a cease fire agreement has so far been maintained . The second-lowest month for American deaths was in February 2004 , when 20 were killed . May 's toll was a significant decrease from April , when 50 were killed -- the highest monthly figure since September . The U.S. military death toll spiked last year as the U.S. troop escalation , dubbed the `` surge , '' was unfolding . In 2007 , there were 104 deaths in April , 126 in May and 101 in June . Numbers began dropping when the `` surge '' strategy took hold and Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr suspended the activities of his militia , the Mehdi Army . There were 78 American deaths in July , 2007 ; 84 in August ; 65 in September ; 38 in October ; 37 in November ; 23 in December ; 40 in January ; 29 in February ; and 38 in March . May 's death numbers appeared to support Senate testimony last month from Gen. David Petraeus , the top U.S. commander in Iraq . Petraeus said recent operations in three Iraqi cities have `` contributed significantly to the reduction in violence . '' The month of June may not bring such optimistic news . A suicide car bomb struck an Iraqi police checkpoint outside police headquarters in Mosul on Monday , killing nine people , including four police officers , and wounding 46 people , a Mosul police official said . Eight of the wounded were police officers , the official said . The incident took place in southern Mosul 's Dawasa commercial area at about 7 p.m. the official said . Mosul is about 260 miles -LRB- 420 km -RRB- north of Baghdad . | 19 U.S. troops were killed in Iraq in May , the fewest killed in any month of the war . Death toll spiked in 2007 , with 104 deaths last April , 126 in May , 101 in June . Numbers dropped after the `` surge '' strategy took hold . A suicide car bomb struck an Iraqi police checkpoint Monday killing nine people . | [[10, 30], [34, 81], [84, 138], [561, 568], [571, 632], [633, 769], [1276, 1365], [1276, 1294], [1378, 1430]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Back in his native South Korea , the Korean Foreign Ministry nicknamed him `` Ban-chusa , '' meaning `` the Bureaucrat '' or `` the administrative clerk . '' U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has focused on global warming policy by world governments . While Ban Ki-moon was known for his attention to detail and administrative skill , he was also seen by some as lacking in charisma and subservient to his superiors , while the Korean press called him `` the slippery eel '' for his ability to dodge questions . But on October 13 , 2006 , South Korea 's Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon was elected to be the eighth Secretary-General by the United Nations General Assembly . Following up on a campaign aiming to bring out his charismatic side , Ban surprised the audience of a UN Correspondents ' dinner that December by singing `` Ban Ki-moon is coming to town '' on the melody of `` Santa Claus Is Coming to Town . '' Ban was born on 13 June 1944 . He received a bachelor 's degree in international relations from Seoul National University in 1970 , and a master 's degree in public administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in 1985 . He and his wife , Yoo -LRB- Ban -RRB- Soon-taek , whom he met in high school in 1962 , have one son and two daughters . In addition to Korean , Ban speaks fluent English and is studying French . Ban was the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Republic of Korea from January 2004 to November 2006 . His tenure included postings in New Delhi , Washington D.C. and Vienna , while he was responsible for a variety of portfolios such as Foreign Policy Advisor to the President , Chief National Security Adviser to the President , Deputy Minister for Policy Planning and Director-General of American Affairs . Throughout this service , his guiding vision was that of a peaceful Korean peninsula , playing an expanding role for peace and prosperity in the region and the wider world . Ban had long been actively involved in issues relating to inter-Korean relations . In 1992 , as Special Advisor to the Foreign Minister , he served as Vice Chair of the South-North Joint Nuclear Control Commission following the adoption of the historic Joint Declaration on the Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula . In September 2005 , as Foreign Minister , he played a leading role in bringing about another landmark agreement aimed at promoting peace and stability on the Korean peninsula with the adoption at the Six Party Talks of the Joint Statement on resolving the North Korean nuclear issue . In January 2007 Ban succeeded Kofi Annan and has since pushed the Sudanese government to allow peacekeeping troops in Darfur and focused on global warming policy by world governments . | Ban Ki-moon elected eighth U.N. Secretary-General in October 2006 . Ban has pushed Sudan on peacekeepers in Darfur and focused on climate change . Ban was Ban was South Korea 's Foreign Minister from Jan. 2004 to Nov. 2006 . He has long been actively involved in issues relating to inter-Korean relations . | [[536, 556], [559, 679], [559, 602], [615, 690], [177, 271], [2579, 2598], [2624, 2633], [2641, 2763], [2579, 2598], [2634, 2763], [559, 602], [615, 690], [1381, 1492], [1973, 2018], [2012, 2055]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Marine Corps has sacked four top officers of a California-based fighter squadron over the December crash of a fighter jet that slammed into a San Diego neighborhood , the service announced Tuesday . Grace Yoon , 15 months , was killed after a military jet crashed into her home . Deferred maintenance and faulty decisions by the pilot and squadron members with whom he was communicating on the ground contributed to the crash , a Marine Corps investigation concluded . The commander of the squadron involved , its top maintenance officer and two others have been relieved of duty as a result of the investigation , and nine other Marines have received other disciplinary action , Maj. Gen. Randolph Alles said . The jet crashed in the University City neighborhood of San Diego , about three miles short of the Miramar airfield . Two adults and two small children from a Korean immigrant family were killed when the jet slammed into their house . Watch what pilot said as plane had trouble '' The F/A -18 Hornet crashed after `` a succession of emergencies '' that began with oil-pressure problems in its right engine during a flight off the Southern California coast , said Marine Col. John Rupp . That left the jet relying on its other engine , which previously had been giving mechanics electronic indications of a problem with its fuel-flow system , Rupp said . Learn more about the jet '' Maintenance rules do n't require immediate repairs for the problem , he said , but the squadron flew the jet 146 times before it eventually crashed because its left engine was starved for fuel . `` The end result was that the squadron elected to fly an aircraft that had a degraded fuel system on the left side of the aircraft , '' Rupp said . `` This is a critical point , and this was collectively questionable judgment on the part of the squadron 's maintenance department . '' The investigation criticized the pilot , who was being trained on the F/A -18 , for not consulting a pocket checklist that outlined emergency procedures . While controllers aboard the aircraft carrier that launched the jet urged the pilot to land at a nearby Navy airfield at North Island , squadron officers relied on `` incorrect assumptions and inaccurate data '' to guide him back to the plane 's base at the Miramar Marine Corps Air Station . `` No one in the ready room stated or understood the severity of the low fuel emergency at this time , '' Rupp said . `` This is a critical moment , and this is collectively bad decision-making by the duty officer , by the operations officer and by the squadron 's commanding officer . '' The pilot waited `` until the last possible moment '' to eject from the plane , bailing out at an altitude of just 400 feet , and attempted to steer away from homes on the ground before the crash , Rupp said . The pilot , whose name has not been released , is grounded pending further review , which Marine officers said was routine . Alles said the officer was an `` above-average '' pilot who `` just made a poor decision . '' Dong Yun Yoon lost his wife , children and mother-in-law in the crash and another unoccupied house also was destroyed . Yoon said the victims were his daughter Rachel , who was born less than two months before the accident ; his 15-month-old daughter Grace ; his wife , Young Mi Yoon , 36 ; and her 60-year-old mother , Suk Im Kim , who he said had come to the United States from Korea recently to help take care of the children . In an emotional press conference in December , Yoon said he did not blame the pilot and urged the public to pray for him . `` I do n't blame him . I do n't have any hard feelings . I know he did everything he could , '' Yoon said at the time . `` Please pray for him not to suffer from this accident , '' Yoon said as he fought for composure . `` He is one of our treasures for the country . '' | NEW : `` Succession of emergencies '' with aircraft preceded fatal San Diego crash . NEW : Squadron officers relied on `` inaccurate data '' to direct pilot to return to base . NEW : Pilot criticized for not consulting pocket checklist of emergency procedures . Man 's wife , children , mother-in-law killed were killed in crash . | [[1015, 1081], [2052, 2097], [2188, 2263], [2245, 2344], [1897, 2014], [1977, 2051], [852, 968], [3063, 3132], [3093, 3161], [3167, 3182]] |
LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Actor Henry Gibson , who played roles ranging from loopy poets to vengeful Illinois Nazis and cranky judges during a 40-year film and television career , has died at age 73 , his representatives said Wednesday . Henry Gibson had a role as a neo-Nazi in the cult movie classic `` The Blues Brothers . '' Gibson was a regular on `` Rowan and Martin 's Laugh-In , '' where he was known for popping up to read short , humorous poems during the show 's 1968-71 run . He was a frequent guest star on television shows from the 1970s through the mid-2000s , with a recurring role as a judge on ABC 's `` Boston Legal '' as late as 2008 . His movie roles included turns in two of director Robert Altman 's 1970s films , `` Nashville '' and `` The Long Goodbye , '' and as the neo-Nazi leader pursuing John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd in `` The Blues Brothers . '' No details of his death were immediately available , said Peter Gross , a spokesman Talentworks LA , which represented Gibson . CNN 's Doug Ganley contributed to this report . | Gibson was known to `` Laugh-In '' audiences for reading short , funny poems . He was in two Robert Altman films and recently played judge on `` Boston Legal '' No details of his death were immediately available . | [[414, 416], [427, 505], [674, 752], [895, 945], [895, 918], [948, 964]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- For those of us who remember a time when many families did n't have color TV , a remote control or even video games , hearing the theme song from `` The Patty Duke Show '' -- `` They 're cousins / Identical cousins , all the way '' -- takes us back to black-and-white television sets and split-screen special effects . Patty Duke says she has many fond memories of working on `` The Patty Duke Show . '' `` Back then it was very crude , how we did split-screen , '' star Patty Duke said of playing the dual roles of Patty and Cathy Lane in the show , which was developed specifically for her . `` Now with all-digital applications , it looks antique . But the show 's values are still what we want to impart on our children . '' The first complete season of `` The Patty Duke Show , '' from 1963 to 1964 , is now out on DVD . Duke told CNN that she 's excited her five granddaughters will finally be able to see what `` Nana did when she was a teenager . '' `` I am tickled , just tickled , '' she said . In the sitcom , which ran for three seasons on ABC , Patty was a rambunctious teenager who always managed to find herself in some kind of trouble ; cousin Cathy was a demure , worldly Scottish teenager who came to New York to live with the Lane family to finish her schooling . Duke , who was not quite 17 when the series began , says it took a lot of energy to play two different characters . She preferred the quieter Cathy , `` because I thought she was dignified and gentle and rational . When it was time to be Patty , I would have to deal with my embarrassment of her stupidity . '' Duke was already a successful actor by the time the sitcom debuted , winning an Oscar for 1962 's `` The Miracle Worker '' just months before the show premiered . But she describes herself as sheltered . `` I was a very isolated teenager . When it came time to do some of the school dances -LSB- on the show -RSB- , they had to bring in real teenagers to teach me how , '' she says . `` I did n't know the dances , did n't know the music . '' She says , however , the show was a relief during what were troubled times for her . She wrote about her tormented childhood in her autobiography , `` Call Me Anna , '' discussing her struggles with mental abuse at the hands of her managers , which she says led to alcohol and drug addiction . She was later diagnosed with bipolar disorder , and she now helps others who have the disease . `` I believe that show -LSB- gave me -RSB- the tools that helped me survive through my youth until I got my diagnosis , '' Duke said . `` I think ` tormenting ' is one of the most perfect words for what you feel -LSB- with bipolar disorder -RSB- , because you have no control over it . I did occasionally , very occasionally , hear voices , but mostly my instincts were messed up : If it was dangerous , then I should do it . '' The show , she said , `` was where I went for safety . '' `` It was a troubled time on the personal level , but the show was never troubled , '' she said . She speaks fondly of her co-stars , especially William Schallert , who played her father , Martin Lane . `` He has always been able to make me laugh until I had to spit up , '' she said of the now 87-year-old actor . `` He was also a solid , solid figure to me and still is . To this day , the relationship has grown , and he is always there for me . '' She remains close to the other surviving members of the cast , including Paul O'Keefe , who played her brother . Jean Byron , who played mother Natalie Lane , died three years ago . Duke was able to transition from child star to adult actor of stage and screen , and she even had a hit single , 1965 's `` Do n't Just Stand There . '' After `` The Patty Duke Show , '' she played a drug-addicted alcoholic singer in `` Valley of the Dolls '' and won an Emmy for the TV movie `` My Sweet Charlie . '' To date , Duke has won one Academy Award , three Emmys and two Golden Globes . Duke is also acting onstage in the musical `` Wicked '' in San Francisco , California . She plays the witch Madame Morrible , and though she finds the energy for eight shows a week a challenge , she loves the theater . `` To me , it is almost a religious experience , the exchange between those strangers out there in the dark and us , '' she said . `` To me , that 's communication at its best , and that 's really what I enjoy . '' Duke says she lets little faze her . `` I 've gotten to the age where I 'm comfortable with just about everything -- except getting old ! '' she said . Even there , she 's willing to look at the situation without blinking . She teamed up with the Social Security Administration to do public service announcements encouraging seniors to sign up online -- using her old `` Patty Duke Show '' characters . `` On a positive side , I know about acceptance , '' she says . `` What 's negative for me is all very superficial . The incredible lines in my face . '' But she says the wisdom that comes with aging -- and , of course , maintaining a sense of humor -- helps her deal with that . `` Without a sense of humor , '' she said , `` I would have been gone a long time ago . '' Patty Lane works for CNN Radio -- and yes , that is her real name . | First season of `` The Patty Duke Show '' out on DVD . In program , Duke played identical cousins Patty and Cathy Lane . Duke remembers show as haven during tough times as teenager . Actress later was diagnosed as bipolar ; she now helps people who have disease . | [[748, 799], [825, 831], [836, 844], [482, 567], [2056, 2064], [2067, 2074], [2077, 2140], [2350, 2363], [2374, 2395], [2350, 2353], [2358, 2395], [2402, 2445]] |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.