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KABUL , Afghanistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Afghan government will change a law that critics say legalizes rape within marriage for Shia Muslims , President Hamid Karzai told CNN Thursday . Critics had feared that Afghanistan 's new Shiite law would set the nation backward . Karzai told CNN 's Fareed Zakaria that he and others were unaware of the provision in the legislation , which he said `` has so many articles . '' Karzai signed the measure into law last month . `` Now I have instructed , in consultation with clergy of the country , that the law be revised and any article that is not in keeping with the Afghan constitution and Islamic Sharia must be removed from this law , '' Karzai said . The president 's comments came one day after several hundred demonstrators faced off over the law , which critics say prevents women from declining their husband 's request for sexual intercourse and essentially legalizes marital rape . The measure applies to the 20 percent of Afghans who are Shia Muslims . It was part of a nearly 270-page piece of legislation that was written to solidify the identity of the Shia minority in Afghanistan . The bill languished in the country 's parliament for a year-and-a-half before it was recently pushed through in what one legislator called a `` chaotic '' vote . Women from various parts of Afghanistan marched in the capital Wednesday to protest the law , which has also been criticized by human-rights groups and Western leaders , including U.S. President Barack Obama . Watch Karzai react to controversial law ahead of Thursday 's comments '' When the demonstrators reached a mosque housing a school run by a conservative Shia cleric who helped implement the law , students came out yelling and cursing and pelted the women with gravel , said Fawzia Koofi , a female member of the Afghan parliament . Koofi said police did little to protect the women , but a spokesman for the country 's interior minister disputed that . `` Police played a completely neutral role , '' said spokesman Zamarai Bashiri . `` The police were able to control the demonstrations very well . '' About 300 to 500 women protested the law while 600 to 700 demonstrators marched in support of it , he said . The marchers who opposed the law included several female members of Afghanistan 's parliament . `` Both sides were able to express their thoughts and expressions , '' Bashiri said . The law has drawn much criticism . Watch a report on the law '' `` I think this law is abhorrent , '' Obama said recently . `` We think that it is very important for us to be sensitive to local culture , but we also think that there are certain basic principles that all nations should uphold , and respect for women and respect for their freedom and integrity is an important principle . '' French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel also weighed in . `` We very much hope that the draft piece of legislation is to be withdrawn , '' Merkel has said . | Afghan law appears to let a man to have sex with his wife even when she says `` no '' Karzai tells CNN he , others unaware of the provision due to the amount of legislation . Comments came one day after several hundred demonstrators faced off in Kabul . Many Western leaders , including U.S. president , have criticized the planned law . | [[792, 799], [816, 938], [146, 188], [275, 376], [702, 799], [1307, 1346], [1380, 1516], [2410, 2444]] |
Fred Hassan is chairman of the board and CEO of Schering-Plough Corporation . Fred Hassan , chairman of the board and CEO of Schering-Plough . Prior to joining Schering-Plough in April 2003 and assuming his current position , Hassan was chairman and CEO of Pharmacia Corporation . He joined the former Pharmacia & Upjohn in May 1997 as CEO and was elected to the Board of Directors . In February 2001 , Hassan was named chairman of the Board of Pharmacia , the company created through the merger of the former Monsanto and Pharmacia & Upjohn companies . Previously , Hassan was executive vice president of Wyeth , formerly known as American Home Products , responsible for its pharmaceutical and medical products business . He was elected to Wyeth 's Board of Directors in 1995 . Earlier in his career , Hassan spent 17 years with Sandoz Pharmaceuticals -LRB- now Novartis -RRB- and headed its U.S. pharmaceuticals business . Hassan received a B.S. degree in chemical engineering from the Imperial College of Science and Technology at the University of London and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School . Hassan is the past chairman of the Board of Directors of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America -LRB- PhRMA -RRB- and is the immediate past chairman of the HealthCare Institute of New Jersey . He is currently president of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Associations . In addition , he serves on the Board of Directors of Avon Products , Inc. . -LRB- www.schering-plough.com -RRB- E-mail to a friend . | Hassan was the former chairman and CEO of Pharmacia Corporation . He was responsible for Wyeth 's pharmaceutical and medical products business . He is former chairman of HealthCare Institute of New Jersey , PhRMA board . | [[143, 223], [226, 280], [1105, 1111], [1241, 1315]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A wildfire in Yellowstone National Park has grown to 9,300 acres and closed a section of the main road through the park , but Yellowstone is still open and National Park Service officials said Monday there was no danger to travelers . Lightning started the fire on September 13 . Snow could fall this week at Yellowstone , which sprawls across parts of three states , and end the park 's fire season , officials said . National Park Service officials said the lightning-sparked wildfire started on September 13 , but was n't noticed until 10 days later in the Arnica Creek area east of Old Faithful , the geyser that is the park 's main attraction . Last week the fire increased in size and by this weekend had charred 6,500 acres . National Park Service spokeswoman Linda Miller said there was no danger for guests . `` We do n't anticipate it affecting any buildings , '' she said . Miller said Monday that 90 percent of the fire was in Wyoming , with the remainder in park areas in Idaho and Montana . Facilities at Yellowstone were open Monday , and Miller said visitors were still welcome . `` But there 's going to be smoke , '' she said . `` Where there 's smoke , there 's fire . The vistas wo n't be as clear as even just a week ago . '' Still , she said , `` We do n't want to scare people into not coming . '' Rick Hoeninghausen , director of sales and marketing for Yellowstone National Park Lodges , said the fire was causing cancellations at the parks . But he said `` some tourists already in the park are are just changing their plans and working around it . '' He said the fire is more of an inconvenience than a danger . `` It 's a natural part of this environment . It 's part of the ecology and it 's a natural attraction for some people , '' Hoeninghausen said . The Arnica fire has closed Grand Loop Road , the main road through Yellowstone . Visitors wanting to get from one end of the wilderness area to the other will have to take a 280-mile detour . Yellowstone National Park has nine lodges and about 2,200 hotel rooms . At least two of those facilities close each year after Labor Day . Hoeninghausen said the fire `` may be a little disconcerting for East Coasters not used to wildfires , but travelers and tourists can call the park and check the Web sites for updates on the fires . '' A Park Service press release cautioned that `` the smokey conditions are affecting air quality in the park . '' `` People with weakened immune systems and those with heart and lung conditions may have trouble breathing , '' the press release said . The Arnica fire was becoming more active Monday as gustier winds and low humidity fueled the flames , said Tom Kempton , fire information officer for the park service . The National Weather Service in Wyoming predicted snow would fall by Wednesday morning . Kempton said 230 firefighters , 15 fire engines and five helicopters were helping keep flames away from any historic structures at Yellowstone . Lightning starts an average of 22 fires every year in Yellowstone , according to the park service . Most of the naturally started fires in the 2.2 million-acre park extinguish on their own . Yellowstone is a fire-adapted ecosystem , and fire plays a major role in maintaining the health of the area 's wildlife and vegetation by clearing old underbrush and allowing for new growth . | NEW : Fire no danger to visitors , but they 'll notice smoke , park service says . The Arnica fire started September 13 , was n't noticed until 10 days later . Fire has prompted closure of main road through park . Lightning sparked fire , officials say . | [[175, 253], [752, 836], [804, 836], [1122, 1148], [254, 298], [438, 529], [438, 469], [536, 617], [0, 15], [88, 138], [1803, 1845], [254, 298], [438, 529]] |
LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Watching the Dave Matthews Band moments before they take the stage is like watching a football team bursting out of the locker room before a big game . Dave Matthews says he bellieves strongly in the power of community . They slap hands . Bump fists . Jump up and down , exclaiming `` Feel the love , feel the love ! '' The energy in the air is electric . And when they walk out on stage , the energy explodes into thousands of shining faces . People dance in the aisles . Others sing every word to every song . A few share funny cigarettes . For more than three hours , the jubilant atmosphere creates a sense of community between an amphitheater filled with strangers and the ethnically diverse musicians leading the charge on stage . But then DMB is all about community -- creating its own and giving back . BAMA Works Fund -- the group 's charitable foundation -- has handed out $ 5 million in grants to worthy causes , including schools and victims of Hurricane Katrina . Watch Matthews sound off on the album -- and racism '' And despite the unexpected passing of saxophonist LeRoi Moore due to complications from an ATV accident last summer , the band members seem to be recharged . In June , DMB notched its fifth consecutive No. 1 album on the Billboard chart with `` Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King . '' We caught up with Matthews just as news hit the Web that former President Jimmy Carter believed racism was the root of some of the negativity directed toward President Obama in recent weeks . The 42-year-old singer-songwriter offered a unique perspective , as a man who split his childhood between the United States and South Africa during apartheid . The following is an edited version of the interview . CNN : President Carter said he thinks that a lot of the animosity directed toward President Obama is race related . Dave Matthews : Of course it is ! I found there 's a fairly blatant racism in America that 's already there , and I do n't think I noticed it when I lived here as a kid . But when I went back to South Africa , and then it 's sort of thrust in your face , and then came back here -- I just see it everywhere . There 's a good population of people in this country that are terrified of the president only because he 's black , even if they do n't say it . And I think a lot of them , behind closed doors , do say it . Maybe I 'm paranoid about it , but I do n't think someone who disagreed as strongly as they do with Obama -- if it was Clinton -- would have stood up and screamed at him during his speech . -LRB- Shakes his head -RRB- I do n't think so . CNN : Everything has gone to such a frenzied pitch . Matthews : I think a lot of it has to be on the press . We give the podium to a lot of people who should n't have the podium . The message that 's delivered the loudest and in the most entertaining way is the one that we 're going to put on because that 's what we want . We want ratings more than we want to deliver information . That 's just where the culture 's gotten . There 's no way that Walter Cronkite , as a young journalist , no way Ed Murrow would be hired to do news today . Not a chance . CNN : Because they 're too low-key ? Because they 're not bombastic ? Matthews : Because they 're thoughtful , and they 're patient , and they 're tying to tell you a truly balanced story . They 're trying to impart information . I do n't think that 's the goal -LSB- now -RSB- because it 's not a good business plan . ... Everyone 's outraged all the time . Why are you outraged ? There 's war -- there 's always been war , as long as most of us have been alive . There have always been people being abused , there 's always been horrible things in the world . Why are we outraged ? We should just be quiet and figure it out , and work it out together . ... There 's no solution in Washington as long as people are shouting like that . CNN : Before you went on stage at the Greek Theatre -LRB- in Los Angeles -RRB- , we were talking to the crew -- and they could n't wait to tell us how well they 're treated by the Dave Matthews organization . ... It 's like your own minicommunity out there . You even print your own tickets , right ? Matthews : We have kept everything in-house . The core crew guys are the same guys we had when we were driving in a van , so they can always call `` bull '' on us if we start acting like prima donnas . It keeps a sense of community going when you travel a lot . There 's a good vibe . ... I have friends who are famous , and friends that are not famous -- but there are those who stick out to me . Willie Nelson is one -- a really genuine person -- or Neil Young . Adam Sandler ... people who really try and keep a sense of unity , and camaraderie and equality around them . That 's essential . That 's it for me . I do n't think socialism , and I do n't think warmness and respect are necessarily bad words . CNN : Do you think you 're competitive ? A perfectionist ? Matthews : I 'm a very vicious critic of myself . CNN : So what do you think of this record -LRB- `` Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King '' -RRB- ? Matthews : I think that 's a really good record . -LRB- Laugh -RRB- Our first three records were really good . We made good records after those first three -- really good records -- but I do n't think they were necessarily the spirit of the band . I think this is the greatest record that we 've ever made , and it captures the band like none of our records have . ... CNN : Before this album , were n't you burned out a little bit ? Matthews : I insisted upon taking as much time to make this as I needed . And my manager would call -- my manager who I love , who 's a dear friend of mine -- he 'd call and say , `` Are you going to have it finished by the summer ? '' `` No . '' `` Are you going to have it finished by Christmas ? '' `` No . '' I practiced `` no . '' I need to work on `` no '' still , but I got better at it . CNN : What other tricks do you have up your sleeve ? Matthews : I want to figure out a way to not be stupid with money , then make a whole bunch of it , then I want to move to Outer Mongolia . I want to milk a yak . Maybe I 'll just settle for a cow . Can you milk a bison ? I have fantasies about being a farmer . I always wanted to be a fireman , but who did n't want to be a fireman ? I just would n't tell anyone . I 'd just go `` poof ! '' Sometimes I like that idea . CNN : You do n't tell people about a lot of things you do . There 's no press release that goes out saying , `` Dave Matthews Band just donated $ 5 million to this cause or that cause . '' Matthews : We definitely use our fame and our celebrity to raise money for things we care about . ... What a luxury to be able to just do a show , and then look -- pow ! ... I do n't want to become a poster child . That 's a whole different thing . I do n't want to be the face on it . | Dave Matthews : `` I just see -LSB- racism -RSB- everywhere '' ; not surprised at anger at Obama . News media adds to anger , he says , in that it focuses on `` loudest '' messages . Dave Matthews Band aims for community , active with charitable efforts . Matthews calls `` Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King '' their greatest record . | [[1487, 1551], [1772, 1866], [1794, 1881], [1908, 1913], [1916, 1989], [2164, 2190], [2700, 2744], [2816, 2942], [196, 264], [215, 264], [785, 816], [790, 793], [841, 854], [5393, 5450]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- He would surely make history . But would Sen. Barack Obama 's election as America 's first black president transform the nation ? Obama says yes . `` The day I 'm inaugurated , the country looks at itself differently . And do n't underestimate that power . Do n't underestimate that transformation , '' Obama told the crowd Friday at the National Urban League convention in St. Louis , Missouri . The Democrat from Illinois was answering a question about the racial polarization in America . Obama said `` race is still an enormous factor in our society . But economics can overcome a lot of racial division . '' The Democratic presidential hopeful also said that action , rather than high-minded discussions , is the way to end racial inequality . Obama said `` if we 're doing the right thing and making sure that our young people are going to school , that they 're getting good jobs , that they 're starting businesses , that they 're living in thriving neighborhoods and communities , that will do more to lessen racial tension , division and conflict than any set of roundtables and blue ribbon commissions are going to do . '' Two of Obama 's main Democratic rivals , Sen. Hillary Clinton , D-New York , and former Sen. John Edwards , D-North Carolina , also spoke about racial inequality during the Urban League convention . Clinton told the crowd that she rejects `` a conversation about 1.4 million young men as a threat , as a headache , or as a lost cause . I reject the conversation about 1.4 million disappointments , failures , and casualties of a broken system . That is not who these young men are . I believe it is long past time for a new and different conversation . It is time for America to begin a conversation about 1.4 million future workers , entrepreneurs , taxpayers , community leaders , business executives . '' Edwards addressed affirmative action , saying `` I would ensure that my administration was a representation of what affirmative action can be . I would make sure that my administration looks like America , and I mean , from the top to the bottom , all the way through the administration . '' Edwards continued , saying `` I would ensure that judges that I appointed to the federal bench and justices nominated to the United States Supreme Court believed in real equality and believed in the concept of affirmative action . '' Rep. Dennis Kucinich , D-Ohio , also spoke at the National Urban League convention , but no Republican candidates came to the presidential forum . Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee met with members of the league at a gathering Thursday night . This is the second forum with a large African-American crowd that the Democratic candidates attended this month . All of the Democrats showed up in Detroit on July 12 for the presidential forum at the NAACP convention . Black voters are crucial to the Democratic Party . `` Nearly nine in 10 blacks vote Democratic , making them the most reliable Democratic voting block in the country '' said CNN Pollster Keating Holland . And they 'll play an important role in picking the next Democratic presidential nominee , especially in South Carolina and Florida , two early primary states . In CNN 's most recent polls , Clinton and Obama are running neck and neck among black voters nationally , though Clinton was well ahead in South Carolina . But it 's still early and many voters have n't made up their minds . `` I 'm not feeling that at this point either candidate would be that much of a difference '' says Amy Johnson , an undecided black voter in New Orleans , Louisiana . E-mail to a friend . | Barack Obama : `` The day I 'm inaugurated , the country looks at itself differently '' Illinois Democrat would be first black president if elected . Hillary Clinton and Obama neck and neck in polls of black voters . | [[180, 204], [65, 136], [3228, 3255], [3258, 3320]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A State Department employee who resigned last month in protest over America 's war in Afghanistan said Friday he has received an outpouring of support from Afghan-Americans and U.S. active-duty military . `` I 've had a lot of Afghan-Americans contact me and say , ` Matt , you get it , ' '' Matthew Hoh told CNN . `` You understand -- yes , there is a civil war going on . You understand how Afghan society works . You understand this split within the Pashtuns . You understand valley-ism , or whatever you want to call it . '' The 36-year-old former Marine Corps captain resigned on September 10 over what he termed a `` cavalier , politically expedient and Pollyannaish misadventure . '' Since then , even active-duty military have supported his decision , he said on CNN 's `` Fareed Zakaria GPS , '' scheduled to air at 1 p.m. ET Sunday on CNN . `` I have received many many e-mails from active-duty military and some guys who just separated from the service , '' Hoh said . `` Some guys are here in the States . I 've gotten many e-mails from guys in Afghanistan . Some are people I know . But a lot are people I do not know . Men and women who are saying , ` Thanks for doing this . Keep it up . We do n't know why we 're here . We 're not sure why we 're taking these casualties . We do n't know what it 's accomplishing . ' '' In his letter , the senior civilian representative in Zabul Province , Afghanistan , said he was resigning because `` I fail to see the value or worth in continued U.S. casualties or expenditures of resources in support of the Afghan government in what is , truly , a 35-year-old civil war . '' He concluded the letter by saying that he had `` lost confidence '' that the `` dead have sacrificed for a purpose worthy of futures lost , love vanished and promised dreams unkept . '' `` I believe that the people we are fighting there are fighting us because we are occupying them , '' Hoh told CNN earlier this week . `` Not for any ideological reasons , not because of any links to al Qaeda , not because of any fundamental hatred towards the West . The only reason they 're fighting us is because we 're occupying them . '' After Hoh submitted his resignation , Richard Holbrooke , the Obama administration 's special representative in Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan , made a plea for Hoh to change his mind . Hoh refused . `` The offer was to join his staff and be put in a position where I could continue to write and try to influence policymakers from within the administration , '' Hoh said Friday . `` Two things : One , if I believed in the mission , if I believed it was worth our guys dying for , if I believed that 60,000 troops in Afghanistan would defeat al Qaeda somehow -- which it wo n't -- I would have stayed in Zabul Province , '' he said . `` However , the other part of it , too , was that I realized that the administration was going to make its decision shortly and then I would be stuck . And if I do n't believe in it , if I do n't believe this cause is right , if I do n't believe it 's justified , then there 's no reason to take that position . '' CNN terrorism analyst Peter Bergen disagreed with Hoh 's assessment of Afghanistan . `` It 's not that our presence there is causing the problem , '' he said . `` Quite the reverse : It is that we are not doing what we said were going to do , which is bringing a measure of security and a measure of prosperity . '' But Afghanistan 's lack of infrastructure and `` human capital '' make it an especially difficult mission , said Hoh , who served two tours in Iraq as a Marine . `` In Iraq , even though it was stuck in the '80s , it had infrastructure , it had human capital , '' he said . `` It had doctors and lawyers and educators . And they had an established system of government , they had an infrastructure we could build on . Afghanistan has none of that . '' In his letter , Hoh -- who signed on in March for a yearlong , noncareer position with the State Department -- said the cost of a war with no end in sight and no clear mission was too much to bear . `` I do not believe any military force has ever been tasked with such a complex , opaque and Sisyphean mission as the U.S. military has received in Afghanistan , '' Hoh wrote . News of Hoh 's resignation came as the administration continues to deliberate whether to change course in an eight-year conflict once dubbed a `` war of necessity '' by President Obama . Gen. Stanley McChrystal , the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan , reportedly has submitted a request for as many as 40,000 additional troops . McChrystal 's request is being weighed against a backdrop of spiraling U.S. military fatalities . There have been 58 American military fatalities in October , making it the deadliest month for U.S. armed forces in Afghanistan since the war began in October 2001 . More troops is not the way to go , Hoh said Friday . `` Increasing troops is only going to fuel insurgency . We need to stop our combat operations in areas where we are fighting people only because they are fighting us . Otherwise , it 's going to be 2013 , we 're going to look back four years and we 're going to say , `` What did we accomplish ? What did we get ? What was this worth ? What did we get out of this ? '' State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said the administration respects Hoh 's decision . `` We take his opinions very seriously , '' Kelly said . `` Senior officials on the ground in Afghanistan and here in Washington have talked to him , have heard him out . We respect ... his right to dissent . '' | Matthew Hoh says Afghan-Americans , active-duty military members have shown support . Hoh resigned after saying he did n't believe in the war , which was essentially a civil war . Hoh believes increasing troops is only going to fuel insurgency , not help the problems . Hoh says he believes insurgents are fighting U.S. because we are occupying their land . | [[0, 26], [128, 234], [721, 731], [734, 787], [372, 403], [1456, 1657], [4937, 4992], [4937, 4957], [4972, 4992], [1850, 1943], [2115, 2186]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee told Ling 's sister they were treated humanely in North Korea , and they believe they were n't sent to hard-labor camps because they have medical conditions , Lisa Ling said Friday . Lisa Ling , left , and her sister , Laura , center , speak to their father Wednesday after Laura arrived in California . The sister , speaking on CNN 's `` American Morning , '' did not elaborate on the medical conditions , but said her sister will soon tell her story . `` Laura is eager to tell the story about what happened . I want to let her do so , but right now , she 's really getting reacclimated . The processes are slow . She 's very , very weak , '' Lisa Ling said , adding that the stories she 's heard so far are `` jaw-dropping . '' Laura Ling and Lee were working for California-based Current TV , a media venture of former Vice President Al Gore , when they were arrested in March for crossing the border between China and North Korea . Watch Lisa Ling share her sister 's story '' Lisa Ling said that before they left the United States , the pair never intended to cross into North Korea . They have acknowledged that they briefly did , however , and they were convicted of entering the country illegally to conduct a `` smear campaign '' against the reclusive Communist state . They were sentenced in June to 12 years of hard labor . North Korea 's leader , Kim Jong Il , pardoned the women Tuesday after meeting with former President Bill Clinton . They arrived home the following day . Lisa Ling said her sister was allowed to call the family on four occasions during her five months in captivity . On the last call , Laura Ling specifically requested that Clinton intervene . `` She said that in her opinion -- quote , unquote -- it would have to be President Clinton . It could only be President Clinton to secure the release of herself and Euna . We immediately jumped into action and alerted Vice President Gore , '' Lisa Ling said . When their release was secured , they promptly boarded a plane home . Clinton wanted them to rest because they were clearly tired , `` but the two of them were chatting away and comparing their experiences , '' Lisa Ling said . Laura Ling and Lee went to see doctors Thursday , the sister added . Laura Ling is `` doing well , '' and Lee is `` skinny , '' Lisa Ling said , joking that her mother tried to force-feed Lee on Thursday `` because she 's just become so diminutive . '' The women also are slowly working to assimilate to their freedom . They were kept at opposite ends of the same North Korean detention facility , and though Laura Ling had two guards in her room at all times , she would sometimes go weeks without talking to anyone . Watch as Lisa Ling describes the pair 's condition '' `` So even communicating is a challenge because she sometimes yesterday was even having a hard time getting full sentences out , so it 's a slow adjustment , '' Lisa Ling said . On Thursday , Lisa Ling told CNN that her sister was `` incredibly emotional '' and did n't want to be left alone after months of `` relative isolation . '' `` Yesterday , she was so exhausted and she wanted to take a quick nap . She kept asking me : ` Are you going to be here when I come back ? ' '' the sister said Thursday . Emotions have run high in Lee 's home as well , Lisa Ling said . Watch the journalists ' family reunions '' `` I hear from Euna 's husband , Michael , that Hana , their 4-year-old daughter , has not wanted her mother to leave her sight , '' she said . `` She just keeps following her around from room to room because she does n't want her mom to leave . '' Lee and her husband went to Laura Ling 's house Thursday night for their first pizza since being released , Lisa Ling said Friday . `` The thing that was so wonderful to see was little Hana , '' she said . `` I have never seen her so happy , and we all sort of remarked that it was just a beautiful thing . '' Lisa Ling said her sibling will soon share her `` powerful '' story , perhaps in an op-ed piece , but she needs space right now . Lisa Ling , meanwhile , is elated that her sister and Lee are safe . She said she always knew they would come home . `` I believe in the fundamental goodness , '' she said . `` I knew in my heart that at some point , Laura and Euna would be returned back to us . I did n't know when it would happen , but I never lost that hope . '' | NEW : Sister : Euna Lee `` skinny , '' Laura Ling struggling to talk because of isolation . NEW : Laura Ling told family , `` It would have to be President Clinton , '' Lisa Ling says . Laura Ling plans to detail what transpired , sister says . Euna Lee 's daughter keeps following her , Lisa Ling says . | [[2324, 2347], [2798, 2924], [1658, 1674], [1677, 1735], [1736, 1829], [1753, 1767], [1779, 1806], [1779, 1786], [1804, 1829], [1830, 1908], [1847, 1908], [1977, 1996], [2205, 2224], [2956, 2975], [3353, 3369], [413, 415], [466, 508], [509, 566], [512, 517], [527, 566], [3972, 4067]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Move over , Edward Cullen . Tell those bayou bloodsuckers from `` True Blood '' to step aside , too . More than 112 years after he first climbed out of the coffin , the world 's most famous vampire is back -- and he 's bloodier than ever . `` Dracula the Un-Dead , '' released this month in the United States , is a sequel to Bram Stoker 's 1897 classic written by Dacre Stoker , the original author 's great-grandnephew . The book , co-written by Dracula historian Ian Holt , picks up 25 years after the Victorian-era monster is supposedly killed in the original and is based in part on 125 pages of handwritten notes that Bram Stoker left behind . But while many of the original characters are here -- troubled couple Jonathan and Mina Harker and vampire hunter Van Helsing among them -- the horror has gotten a 21st-century update . The sex and violence that Stoker deftly alluded to in the original are , at times , front and center in his descendant 's sequel . `` You 've got to keep in mind the perspective , '' said Dacre Stoker , a native of Montreal , Quebec , now living in Aiken , South Carolina . `` The degree of sex and violence he had , in this very stuffy and conservative Victorian society , was cutting edge at the time . Even the exposure of a woman 's flesh , the piercing of the flesh , was a metaphor for the sex act . '' And with authors from Anne Rice and Charlaine Harris to Stephen King and Poppy Z. Brite having crafted their own , sometimes lurid , reworkings of the vampire legend , Stoker said he knew that the new book could n't just be a straight continuation of the first . `` We 've got to keep up with what other people are doing , '' he said . `` Otherwise , our story would be toast . '' Of all the books , movies and other tales to use Dracula 's name throughout the decades , the novel is the first since the 1931 Bela Lugosi movie to have the Stoker family 's endorsement and input . After Bram 's death , his widow , Florence , sold the story 's rights , and eventually , the most iconic character in the history of horror slipped into the public domain . Dacre said that before now , the only thing he 'd ever received for his ancestor 's work was the occasional Halloween wisecrack . `` We knew of the legacy of Bram Stoker , but as kids growing up in Montreal , it was n't that big a deal , '' he said . `` Every now and then at Halloween you 'd get joked : ` Is it safe to come to the Stoker house ? Are we going to get candy or bitten in the neck ? ' '' It was a college writing project that revived his interest in his novelist ancestor , a native of Dublin , Ireland , who 'd moved to London , England , by the time the book was written . Then , he was contacted by Holt in 2003 . The historian said he wanted to work on a sequel and wanted to have a member of Stoker 's family involved . Along the way , they uncovered a rare find at the Rosenbach Museum and Library in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania : Bram 's own notes . It was n't a plot outline , Dacre said , `` but what I did was find information , characters , little ideas -- plot threads that he had in mind 112 years ago that did n't make it into his story . '' Among the seeds for new plotlines was Bram 's mention of a police investigator who plays prominently in `` Dracula the Un-Dead . '' Dacre said he 'd always wondered at how the first book was full of murder but no police were involved . The notes also prompted the inclusion of Jack the Ripper , whose gruesome exploits gripped London around the time the elder Stoker was writing his novel and who is believed by some historians to have helped shape its plot . True fans of the vampire genre will find another historical figure they 're likely familiar with gracing the book 's pages and an even more unlikely appearance : Bram Stoker himself . `` Part of our plan was to paint a realistic picture of Bram Stoker , '' Dacre said of the author , who spent time as a reporter , theater critic and manager of London 's Lyceum Theater . `` Everybody knows Dracula . Not many people know Bram Stoker . '' Response to and reviews of the book have been largely positive . `` This daring sequel captures the essence and gothic glory of the original , '' USA Today 's Carroll Memmott wrote . Dacre , who is touring the United States in support of the release , said he was prepared for the inevitable backlash from pure-blood purists who do n't think the original should be sullied with a follow-up . `` I have heard just a bit of it , '' he said . `` People say it 's better to leave some of these mysteries alone ; let 's not solve them all . Believe me , when you read our story , you 'll know we do n't solve them all . '' And he has some other advice for those diehards : Lighten up . `` This is entertainment . Go with it , '' he said . `` If you do n't want to read it , you do n't have to . '' | `` Dracula the Un-Dead '' written by Bram Stoker 's descendant Dacre . Vampire tale is more overtly violent , sexy than the 1897 original . Book has prompted good reviews , handful of bitter purists . Jack the Ripper , Bram himself incorporated into new story . | [[345, 396], [855, 925], [928, 985], [4087, 4151]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The music of Woodstock was a draw that attracted hundreds of thousands of people to the festival . Similarly , the name of Ang Lee is a draw that attracted a number of actors to his new film , `` Taking Woodstock . '' From left , `` Taking Woodstock 's '' Emile Hirsch , director Ang Lee and Demetri Martin at the movie 's premiere . `` Taking Woodstock , '' which is out August 28 , features performers who were either not born or very young when the monumental festival occurred in 1969 , but many were enticed to join the movie because of Lee 's involvement . `` I 'd read the Sunday paper for Ang Lee . I 'd do anything . He 's a filmmaker I 've always admired and -LSB- was -RSB- sort of eager to work with , '' said Liev Schreiber , who plays a transvestite . `` So when he approached me , you know : Dress , shmess , I 'll do whatever you want . '' Lee 's work , which includes the renowned films `` Crouching Tiger , Hidden Dragon '' and `` Brokeback Mountain , '' has garnered him three Oscar nominations . The lighthearted `` Taking Woodstock '' is a mild departure for a man whose films tend toward serious drama . The film 's plot concerns Elliot Tiber -LRB- Demetri Martin -RRB- , son of the owners of a fading Catskills hotel , who helped attract the Woodstock festival to the area . It 's based on Tiber 's memoir . The film also stars Emile Hirsch , Jonathan Groff and Eugene Levy . The 36-year-old Martin , who is best known for his standup , his contributions to `` The Daily Show '' and hosting `` Important Things with Demetri Martin , '' might have benefited the most from working with Lee . `` Taking Woodstock '' is his first film as star , and he 's made only a handful of others . `` Ang is not really going to hold your hand and reassure you through the whole thing . He 's going to be more like a sensei , kind of a tough-love thing , '' Martin said . `` He 's like , ` Punch this wall , ' and you 'll be like , ` Why ? ' and he 's like , ` Punch the wall , and do it . ' `` And then it 's like , ` Oh , good performance , great . I 'm glad I punched the wall , ' and you do n't understand , but it 's really a lesson in trust , '' he added . Jonathan Groff also came to `` Taking Woodstock '' with limited big-screen experience and was excited to work with Lee . `` He 's your fearless leader . He 's everything that you want to be when you grow up , '' Groff said . Woodstock may have been 40 years ago , but it 's recent enough that a number of the principals are still alive . Groff had the opportunity to meet Woodstock co-founder Michael Lang , whom he plays in the movie . Lang opened his memories to Groff and also visited the set . `` He came to the first day on set , and that was a little nerve-wracking , but it then became comforting because as we would be between takes he would , you know , be giving you a little thumbs-up , '' Groff recalled . `` I 'm sure it must have been a little out-of-body . I mean , I ca n't imagine watching someone playing me in a movie , from 40 years earlier . '' The 24-year-old Groff thinks Woodstock resonates today . `` Coming from my generation and looking back and seeing such innocence and seeing such passion and seeing such faith in each other , and the ability to come together and actually make something huge happen , is really inspiring , '' he said . Although there have n't been similar watershed events since , Schreiber and Groff said that the most similar event could be the 2008 election campaign , during which many young people rallied behind Barack Obama . `` Well , I got ta say that there is an air of optimism and potential in the election of Barack Obama , '' Schreiber said . `` I certainly feel a return to that sense of optimism and patriotism that I think people felt at perhaps the election of Kennedy and the beginning of the civil right 's movement in America and the sexual revolution . ... It did feel somewhat timely . '' The movie also tested Hirsch 's and Schreiber personal boundaries : In addition to Schreiber 's dress , Hirsch was naked for one scene . `` It was n't just photographed . I was filmed ! '' Hirsch said . `` What was fun about it is it was kind of like this liberating -LSB- situation -RSB- , but that 's what Woodstock was . '' As for Schreiber , when his children saw him in a dress , they were `` terrified , '' and his partner , actress Naomi Watts , was `` pretty mortified . '' `` I think that was sort of the point . I think the message is one of acceptance , '' Schreiber said . Scaring the kids is one thing , but what about wearing the dress on the set in front of the cast and crew ? `` It was exhilaratingly humiliating , '' Schreiber said . `` I think that 's generally how men feel when they put on dresses . That 's why they do it so often . '' CNN 's Katie Walmsley contributed to this story . | `` Taking Woodstock '' stars Demetri Martin , Liev Schreiber and Eugene Levy . The film tells the story of how Woodstock festival came to fruition . The actors said election of Barack Obama shares similiarities with Woodstock . `` Taking Woodstock '' is due out August 28 . | [[375, 377], [384, 400]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Torrential rains and flooding since June have affected 600,000 people in 16 West African nations , the United Nations reported Tuesday . People walk in the flooded streets of Ouagadougou , Burkina Faso , last week . The worst hit have been Burkina Faso , Senegal , Ghana and Niger , said Yvon Edoumou , a spokesman for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs , or OCHA , in the Senegalese capital , Dakar . So far , 159 people have died , he said . Sierra Leone has also been hard hit , according to the U.N. Edoumou said removing water from flooded areas is a top priority , but powerful pumps are in short supply . `` Some people refused to leave their homes so they are living in floodwaters , '' he said . The United Nations has not yet received reports of waterborne diseases , but Edoumou said a real threat exists of diarrhea or , worse , cholera . The U.N. World Food Programme said Tuesday it has begun distributing food to tens of thousands of homeless flood victims . WFP has set a goal of feeding 177,500 people , mainly in Ouagadougou , the capital of Burkina Faso , where 150,000 people have been affected and key infrastructure -- including a central hospital , schools , bridges and roads -- has been damaged . The flooding in Burkina Faso is the worst in 90 years , WFP said . Many of those in Ouagadougou most needing help were already receiving aid from WFP , but those rations were lost in the floodwaters , the U.N. reported . `` It is always the poor and vulnerable who suffer the most from floods like these as their few remaining assets are swept away , leaving them hungry and destitute , '' WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran said . Roads and buildings have been ruined from Mauritania to Niger , the U.N. reported . In Agadez , Niger , a town about 458 miles -LRB- 738 km -RRB- north of the capital , Niamey , close to 988 acres -LRB- 400 hectares -RRB- of vegetable crops and hundreds of livestock were washed away . Herve Ludovic de Lys , head of OCHA in West Africa , said natural disasters have a lasting effect that unravels years of progress against poverty . `` The situation is very worrying , '' he said in an OCHA statement issued Tuesday . The rainy season in West Africa begins in June and continues through late September . In 2007 , 300 people died and 800,000 were affected by the storms . This year , fears abound that more heavy rain will fall in already waterlogged areas . Despite the misery , Edoumou said the rains are a mixed blessing for countries dependent on agriculture . The harvest this year will be more bountiful , he said . | U.N. begins distributing food to tens of thousands of homeless flood victims . U.N. says 159 have died due to flooding ; key infrastructure damaged . Waterborne diseases like cholera are a concern , U.N. official says . `` It is always the poor and vulnerable who suffer the most from floods , '' official says . | [[896, 1018], [931, 1018], [447, 449], [456, 476], [489, 501], [527, 548], [827, 895], [235, 248], [302, 319], [1491, 1600]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Organized crime gangs are exploiting a new target for illegal profit : Medicare and Medicaid . Experienced in running drug , prostitution and gambling rings , crime groups of various ethnicities and nationalities are learning it 's safer and potentially more profitable to file fraudulent claims with the federal Medicare program and state-run Medicaid plans . `` They 're hitting us and hitting us hard , '' said Timothy Menke , head of investigations for the Office of Inspector General at the Department of Health and Human Services . `` Organized crime involvement in health care fraud is widespread . '' One hot spot for health care fraud is Los Angeles , California , where Russian , Armenian and Nigerian gangs have been caught by federal agents . Recent cases include crime boss Konstantin Grigoryan , a former Soviet army colonel who pleaded guilty to taking $ 20 million from Medicare . Karapet `` Doc '' Khacheryan , boss of a Eurasian crime gang , was recently convicted with five lieutenants of stealing doctor identities in a $ 2 million scam . Two Nigerians , Christopher Iruke and his wife , Connie Ikpoh , were charged October 15 with bilking Medicare of $ 6 million dollars by fraudulently billing the government for electric wheelchairs and other expensive medical equipment . The two , allegedly members of an organized crime ring , entered pleas of not guilty and are being held in a federal detention center . `` They deny any allegations of wrongdoing , '' said their attorney , James Kosnett . Defrauding government-run health care programs involves stealing two types of identities : those of doctors , who bill for services , and patients , whose beneficiary numbers entitle them to medical care and necessary equipment . Criminals are expert at collecting both . Watch doctor tell what happened when his identity was stolen . `` That information is very , very valuable to these crooks . And the doctor may work at one clinic but he wo n't know about the second and third clinic that they 've already set up using his identification , '' said Glenn Ferry , special agent in charge of the Los Angeles region for the Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General . `` They are definitely well-organized , well-schooled on how to commit Medicare fraud . '' Dr. Gianfranco Burdi had his identity stolen when he was recruited to join what appeared to be a new medical practice near Koreatown in Los Angeles . After the managers failed to show a business license and proof of malpractice insurance , Burdi pulled out . Two years later , the FBI came calling . Agents questioned Burdi , a psychiatrist , about whether he had prescribed $ 800,000 worth of electric wheelchairs for Medicare patients . `` I said no . I am a psychiatrist . Why would I prescribe an electric wheelchair ? '' said Burdi . `` It was shocking . '' A jury found Leonard Uchenna Nwafor guilty of using Burdi 's identification to bill Medicare for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment . `` I was naive enough to provide them my medical license , my other data , '' said Burdi . Patient beneficiary numbers are easy to buy along Los Angeles ' Skid Row . Impoverished residents of shelters there tell CNN they 've accepted cash from recruiters -- known as `` cappers '' -- to go to bogus medical clinics where they share what they call their `` red , white and blue '' -- the tri-colored Medicare card that has a beneficiary number for billing the government . `` People down here need to eat . Somebody who comes up on a quick hustle , quick money , they going to jump on . I 'm one of them , I will , '' said a man who identified himself as Scott . `` They 're just defrauding the patients , defrauding the government . '' Jimmy Rodgers of San Bernadino , California , tells CNN he went to a clinic three times a week , receiving $ 100 per visit but little medical care . `` This is just like Carte Blanche , '' said Rodgers , holding his Medicare card . `` Matter of fact , better than Carte Blanche . Carte Blanche has limitations on it . '' The clinics , he concedes , were clearly fronts for collecting beneficiary data . `` They were no doctors . They were just somebody who had their hand out , '' said Rodgers , who later cooperated with federal investigators . `` And they just ripping the system off and using me as a means to rip the system off . '' Once criminals have doctor and patient identification numbers , they begin filing false claims . The Khacheryan gang told Medicare that health services were being provided on the 10th floor at 754 South Los Angeles Street . But there is no doctor 's office in that decrepit industrial building -- only a mail drop , where the Khacheryan group collected checks from the U.S. government for hundreds of thousands of dollars . The inspector general 's office of the Department of Health and Human Services estimates it is on track to recover about $ 4 billion this year by breaking up health care fraud schemes perpetrated by all types of criminals , from organized rings to corrupt doctors . That amount , though , is only about 5 percent of the annual health care fraud cost in the United States , according to the National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association . Because government health programs operate on the honor system , law enforcement officials say it 's easy for organized crime rings and average criminals to cash in at the taxpayer 's expense . | Gangs make millions by getting ID numbers of doctors , patients . Then they file fraudulent Medicare , Medicaid claims for care that never happened . One doctor had his ID stolen , learned it was used to bill $ 800,000 for wheelchairs . Government to recover $ 4 billion this year -- but that 's just 5 percent of fraud cost . | [[916, 944], [979, 991], [1002, 1077], [916, 944], [983, 1077], [4391, 4452], [4455, 4487], [114, 128], [178, 379], [3680, 3687], [3723, 3750], [1078, 1124], [1227, 1314], [1846, 1871], [2308, 2387], [2608, 2631], [2651, 2746], [2923, 3017], [4815, 4998], [5081, 5092], [5104, 5185]] |
-LRB- LifeWire -RRB- -- Practicing the clarinet may be beyond tedious for teenagers forced into music lessons by their parents but for 70-year-old Joe Pedlosky it 's a labor of love . Saxophonist Jerry Hendricks from Olympia , Washington , practices in Cambria , California , in March 2006 . `` From the time I was a little kid , I always wanted to play clarinet , '' says Pedlosky , a retired scientist in Woods Hole , Massachusetts . `` But we did n't have the money . Then ... I decided it was now or never . '' Pedlosky , who plays with a local band , is one of many seniors picking up a musical instrument late in life . Many can thank New Horizons International Music Association , which sponsors senior bands and orchestras in the United States and Canada . The group was founded by Roy Ernst , professor emeritus at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester , New York . When he formed the first senior-only band in 1991 , it was a radical notion . `` It was widely believed that the window of opportunity for learning music was childhood , '' Ernst says . `` If you did n't learn then , you missed your chance . '' The senior bands prove otherwise . As a matter of fact , these novice musicians give new meaning to the conductor 's command , `` Once more , with feeling . '' `` I remember conducting at a senior band camp in California , and we played an arioso by Bach , '' recalls Ernst . `` The second time through , two people were crying , they were so touched by the music . `` High school kids could never do what we do , because they have n't lived enough , they have n't seen enough joy or sorrow . We have a special ability to play music expressively and with feeling . '' Ernst , who sometimes refers to himself as the Johnny Appleseed of senior bands , made it his goal to bring seniors to music . From just one band in Rochester , New Horizons has grown to more than a hundred bands , plus offshoots from brass quintets to swing ensembles . Music for body and soul . Ernst 's passion moved Professor Don Coffman of the University of Iowa to create his own senior band -- and to conduct research into how music can benefit older musicians . His findings : Benefits include social , emotional , physical and even spiritual growth . In part , Coffman found , seniors benefit from being part of a group that works together toward a significant goal . Other plusses can include better ability to focus , increased lung capacity and improved fine motor skills . Dinny Stamp would agree . She 'd played trombone in high school ; after retiring , she attended a performance of Coffman 's Iowa City band and thought , `` I can do that ! '' Playing in the band `` has been one of the most rewarding experiences of not only my retirement , but my life , '' says Stamp , who turns 78 this month . `` It 's a joy to make wonderful music with new friends and to share this music with the community . '' Judy Schroeder , 62 , another member of the Iowa City band , took up the oboe about three months before retirement . `` I find that playing music really keeps your mind agile ... and our band director wants to challenge us to do well , think hard , try hard . It 's just so much fun . '' She 's enjoying herself so much that she has taken up the bassoon as well . Getting started . If you 're interested in getting involved with instrumental music , look for a band in your area on the New Horizons Web site . If there 's no senior band available , or if you 're interested in learning on your own , most teachers are willing to take on an older student . Pedlosky advises searching for the right kind of person so you 're not quickly turned off . `` It 's important , if you 're going to start cold , to really find a good teacher -- someone who sets standards for you but is also mature enough to understand that it 's unusual for an older person to take up something about which they know nothing . '' There are real differences between younger and older learners . `` Adults are often more analytical about their learning and more persistent , so some display more rapid growth than would a 10-year-old beginner , '' Coffman explains . `` On the other hand , the physical demands of some instruments may lead to a plateauing effect for adults . '' Some seniors , for example , may not be able to sustain high notes on a trumpet . Which instrument should you choose ? If you 've always had a passion for one instrument , Ernst says , go with your heart . But if you 're not sure , ask for suggestions from the band director . `` If the group does n't have a tuba player , you 'd be quite the hero if you became one , '' he says . Who knows ? You might even become a bit of a hero to yourself . `` Music is so demanding and compelling that once you start playing , everything else flies out the window , '' Pedlosky says . `` It gives you a deeper appreciation of music and musicians . And sometimes my music sounds really good to me , and that 's wonderful . '' Roy Ernst : Saxophonist Jerry Hendricks from Olympia , Washington , practices with other band members at a New Horizons band camp in Cambria , California , in March 2006 . Many of the musicians did not take up an instrument until retirement . Jon Beringer : Dinny Stamp , 78 , played the trombone in high school . She took it up again when she joined a senior band in Iowa City , Iowa . E-mail to a friend . LifeWire provides original and syndicated lifestyle content to Web publishers . Lisa Jo Rudy is a freelance writer based in Cape Cod , Massachusetts . Her credits include books as well as print and online articles . | More seniors are making music in their golden years . They play an instrument they learned before or pick up new one . Group sponsors senior bands and orchestras in U.S. Benefits : Social , emotional , physical -- even spiritual growth . | [[641, 685], [694, 764], [2176, 2250]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Jury selection was under way for a second day Tuesday in the trial of a man accused in the rape and beating death of an Arkansas television anchor a year ago . Curtis Lavelle Vance , 29 , would face the death penalty if convicted of charges including capital murder , rape , residential burglary and theft in the October 2008 death of Anne Pressly , 26 . He has pleaded not guilty . Pressly , the morning news anchor for Little Rock , Arkansas , television station and CNN affiliate KATV , was found badly beaten and unconscious in her home and died five days later . Vance was linked to the killing through DNA , and police told CNN last year they are `` 110 percent '' sure he killed Pressly . Vance has given several statements to police , including one saying he was at her home and another admitting to her slaying . Defense attorney Steve Morley told CNN affiliate WREG that such evidence presents an obstacle for them to overcome , but he said he hopes an emotional closing argument will persuade jurors to spare Vance 's life . `` Literally , you can affect an individual , and by affecting that individual you affect the outcome , '' Morley told the station . Pressly 's mother , Patti Cannady , told NBC last year her daughter fought for her life -- so much so that her left hand was broken . `` I found my daughter beyond recognition with every bone in her face broken , her nose broken , her jaw pulverized so badly that the bone had come out of it ; I actually thought that her throat has possibly been cut , '' Cannady said . `` Her entire skull had numerous fractures from which she suffered a massive stroke . '' DNA evidence has also tied Vance to a rape in April 2008 in Marianna , Arkansas , about 90 miles east of Little Rock , police said in December . Police have said they found no previous link between Vance and Pressly and do not believe her being on television played a role in the slaying . `` I think he saw her someplace , probably followed her home with the intention of robbing her , '' Lt. Terry Hastings , spokesman for Little Rock police , told CNN in December . `` And then went from there . '' Pressly 's purse was taken , police have said . Parties in the case are hoping to finish jury selection Tuesday , according to the Pulaski County Circuit Court clerk 's office . | Man accused in rape , beating death of Anne Pressly , 26 , a year ago . Curtis Lavelle Vance , 29 , has pleaded not guilty , would face death penalty if convicted . Vance was linked to killing through DNA , has given conflicting statements to police . Parties in the case hope to finish jury selection Tuesday , county circuit court clerk 's office says . | [[89, 158], [0, 15], [119, 178], [402, 409], [412, 506], [509, 531], [179, 199], [202, 204], [207, 235], [374, 401], [587, 630], [715, 759], [2198, 2261], [2198, 2217], [2264, 2327]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The National Archives -- a repository of important government documents , including the U.S. Constitution -- has lost a computer hard drive containing large volumes of Clinton administration records , including the names , phone numbers and Social Security numbers of White House staff members and visitors . The National Archives has lost a hard drive containing large volumes of Clinton administration records . Officials at the Archives say they do n't know how many confidential records are on the hard drive . But congressional aides briefed on the matter say it contains `` more than 100,000 '' Social Security numbers , including one belonging to a daughter of then-Vice President Al Gore . It also contains Secret Service and White House operating procedures , the staffers said they were told . The hard drive was last seen in the National Archive 's complex in College Park , Maryland , sometime between October of last year and the first week of February . It was discovered missing in late March , prompting a thorough search for the small , 2.5 pound device , the Archives said . When it could not be located , the inspector general 's office opened a criminal investigation . On Wednesday , the Archives announced a $ 50,000 reward for information leading to its return . The Archives said no national security information is on the hard drive , nor any original documents . But they said it does contain `` personally identifiable information , '' and they take the loss `` very seriously . '' U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa , R-California , whose staff was briefed on the matter , said the House will hold a hearing Thursday on the incident . `` If they -LSB- the National Archives ' staff -RSB- ca n't handle a hard drive that may be sensitive properly , we need to ask the question , will they handle the most secret materials properly ? '' Issa said . The Archives Wednesday gave the following account of the disappearance : . Last October , the hard drive was moved from a `` secure '' storage area to a workspace where it was being used for routine recopying to ensure preservation of the records . But work was halted last year because archivists `` wanted to investigate using automated tools to generate inspection reports . '' Staffers were moved to other projects until an automated tool was found in mid-March -- that 's when they found the hard drive was missing . The device is described as a two terabyte Western Digital MY BOOK external hard drive , measuring 6.5 x 2.1 x 5.4 inches . More than 110 4-millimeter tape cartridges were copied onto the hard drive . The records included records from the Clinton Administration Executive Office of the President . The archives said no original records have been lost , and the Archives has a backup hard drive that will enable them to determine what information is on the missing device . The inspector general said at least 100 people had access to the area where the hard drive was left unsecured , and that janitors , visitors and others also passed through the area . The Archives said it is reviewing the data on a copy of the missing hard drive and compiling a list of people whose personal information may be compromised . It will notify individuals of the potential breach and will provide them with a year of credit monitoring , the Archives said . `` Because of the extremely large volume of data on the drive , we do not know yet the number of individuals whose privacy has been affected , '' the Archives said Wednesday . `` As individuals are identified , they will be notified . '' The Archives also said it has taken steps to improve security , including both physical control of records and the treatment of personal information . | Officials say they do n't know how many confidential records are on the hard drive . Congressional aides say `` more than 100,000 '' Social Security numbers on drive . Archives announced a $ 50,000 reward for information leading to its return . | [[444, 544], [474, 544], [3420, 3464], [549, 568], [580, 670], [1220, 1232], [1235, 1291], [1280, 1315]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The commissioner of the Cambridge , Massachusetts , police department said Thursday he `` deeply regrets '' the arrest of prominent black Harvard University professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. , but stands by the procedures followed by his department . Sgt. Jim Crowley said he has nothing to apologize for in regards to the arrest of Henry Louis Gates Jr. . `` I believe that Sgt. -LSB- James -RSB- Crowley acted in a way that is consistent with his training at the department , and consistent with national standards of law enforcement protocol , '' Commissioner Robert Haas said , referring to the officer who made the July 16 arrest at the professor 's home . `` I do not believe his actions in any way were racially motivated , '' Haas said at a news conference . Gates was arrested for disorderly conduct after an exchange with the officer , who was investigating a report of a possible break-in at the house . The police department will create a panel of `` independent , notable professionals '' to provide an analysis of the incident , he said . The controversial arrest of Gates was criticized Wednesday by President Obama , who said the Cambridge police department `` acted stupidly . '' `` My response is that this department is deeply pained and takes its professional pride very seriously , '' Haas said . Cambridge authorities dropped the charges against Gates on Tuesday . In a statement , the International Association of Chiefs of Police expressed disappointment in Obama 's remarks . `` Police chiefs understand that it is critically important to have all the facts on any police matter before drawing conclusions or making any public statement , '' said Russell B. Laine , association president and chief of the Algonquin , Illinois , police department , in the statement . `` For these reasons , the IACP was disappointed in the president 's characterization of the Cambridge Police Department . '' Haas ' comments followed a statement earlier Thursday from Crowley , who said he would not apologize for his actions . `` That apology will never come from me as Jim Crowley . It wo n't come from me as sergeant in the Cambridge Police Department , '' Crowley told Boston radio station WEEI . `` Whatever anybody else chooses to do in the name of the city of Cambridge or the Cambridge Police Department , which are beyond my control , I do n't worry about that . I know what I did was right . I have nothing to apologize for . '' The mayor of Cambridge said she will meet with the city 's police chief to make sure the scenario that led to Gates ' arrest does not happen again . `` This suggests that something happened that should not have happened , '' E. Denise Simmons , Cambridge 's mayor said on CNN 's `` American Morning . '' `` The situation is certainly unfortunate . This ca n't happen again in Cambridge . '' Obama defended Gates Wednesday night , while acknowledging that he may be `` a little biased , '' because Gates is a friend . `` But I think it 's fair to say , No. 1 , any of us would be pretty angry ; No. 2 , that the Cambridge police acted stupidly in arresting somebody when there was already proof that they were in their own home ; and , No. 3 ... that there 's a long history in this country of African-Americans and Latinos being stopped by law enforcement disproportionately . '' The incident , Obama said , shows `` how race remains a factor in this society . '' Crowley also said he is exercising caution and his previous actions clearly show he is not a racist . In fact , Crowley taught a racial profiling course at the Lowell Police Academy , said Deborah Friedl , deputy superintendent of the police department . Last year was his fifth year as a co-instructor of the course , Friedl said . `` He seems to be a highly regarded # instructor at the academy . He consistently received high praise from students , '' she said . Gates told CNN Wednesday that although charges had been dropped , he will keep the issue alive . `` This is not about me ; this is about the vulnerability of black men in America , '' Gates told CNN 's Soledad O'Brien . Gates said the Cambridge mayor had called him to apologize about the incident . Simmons , Cambridge 's first black female mayor , confirmed to CNN that she apologized to Gates . Gates said he 'd be prepared to forgive the arresting officer `` if he told the truth '' about what the director of Harvard 's W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research said were `` fabrications '' in the police report . iReport.com : Join the conversation on racial profiling . Crowley wrote in the Cambridge police report that Gates refused to step outside to speak with him , and when Crowley told Gates that he was investigating a possible break-in , Gates opened the front door and exclaimed , `` Why , because I 'm a black man in America ? '' The report said Gates initially refused to show the officer identification , but eventually produced a Harvard identification card , prompting Crowley to radio for Harvard University Police . `` While I was led to believe that Gates was lawfully in the residence , I was quite surprised and confused with the behavior he exhibited toward me , '' Crowley said , according to the report . Gates was arrested for `` loud and tumultuous behavior in a public space '' and was released from police custody after spending four hours at the police station . He said Wednesday that he and his lawyers were considering further actions , not excluding a lawsuit . Gates said that although the ordeal had upset him , `` I would do the same thing exactly again . '' | Officer : `` I know what I did was right . I have nothing to apologize for '' Sgt. James Crowley said he was exercising caution during professor 's arrest . Crowley tells newspaper he 's not a racist , did CPR on black basketball star . Charges were dropped against professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. . | [[268, 272], [273, 373], [1994, 2001], [2008, 2053], [2398, 2427], [2410, 2427], [2428, 2461], [3429, 3436], [3442, 3509], [1335, 1403]] |
BEIJING , China -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- China is shutting down a pair of smelting plants suspected of sickening several thousand children with lead poisoning , according to state-run media . A Chinese boy gets treated for blood poisoning in Shaanxi province Aug. 15 . At least 851 children living near a plant in northwestern China 's Shaanxi province were found to have excessive lead levels in their blood , according to the Xinhua news agency . The Dongling Lead and Zinc Smelting Co. would cease operations no later than Saturday , Xinhua reported Wednesday , citing local authorities . County officials had agreed to relocate residents who live within 1,640 feet -LRB- 500 meters -RRB- of the Dongling Lead and Zinc Smelting Co. in three years , but the relocation is behind schedule , Sun Hong , the company 's general manager , told Xinhua . The local government has pledged to speed up the relocation , Xinhua reported this month . A second smelter also was closed Wednesday in central China and two of its executives detained , a local official said , according to Xinhua , . Initial tests showed more than 1,300 children in the Hunan province town of Wenping have excessive lead in their blood from the Wugang Manganese Smelting Plant . A second round of testing has been ordered to confirm the results . The plant opened in May 2008 without gaining the approval of the local environment protection bureau , said Huang Wenbin , a deputy environment chief in Wugang City , Xinhua reported . The plant was within 500 meters -LRB- about a quarter mile -RRB- of three schools . The poisonings have occurred against the backdrop of China 's rapid industrialization , which has produced economic success and wrought environmental havoc . Hundreds of millions of Chinese lack access to uncontaminated drinking water , and air pollution is blamed for myriad deaths and illnesses every year . Toxic air enshrouds cities across the country , one of the most polluted in the world . The government has stepped up anti-pollution efforts in recent years , but many companies flout such campaigns and laws . | A pair of plants suspected of sickening thousands of children is closed . At least 851 children in Shaanxi province found to have lead poisoning . In Hunan province , 1300 children near another plant were poisoned . | [[35, 152], [935, 951], [957, 994], [266, 346], [263, 284], [330, 360]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Queen Latifah has been on the hip-hop scene for so long that she has seen artists come and go and trends change . Queen Latifah remains one of the few female rap artists who garner attention in the music industry . But there has been one development that she said has disappointed her tremendously -- the lack of female rap stars . `` There are not enough female rappers out there right now , '' she said . `` The voice of the female is not strong enough in the game at all right now . It 's almost nonexistent . '' While artists like Beyonce , Ciara and Rihanna have thrived in R&B and pop , high-profile success for female rap artists has been more elusive in recent years . From the beginning hip-hop has been viewed as a man 's world , and discussions of sexism and inequality within the genre have come up often . In fact , many times such disrespect was the subject of the female rappers ' tracks . Today , with the music industry struggling , there is a particular dearth of female rap artists taking center stage . It was a different hip-hop landscape when Queen Latifah first burst on the scene in the late 1980s . The all-female rap crew Salt-N-Pepa -LRB- whose DJ was also a woman -RRB- scored some hits . The arrival of Queen Latifah helped usher in artists such as Monie Love . Rapper MC Lyte was a teenager when she emerged , along with Queen Latifah , as one of the genre 's first female superstars . Check out some of the more successful female hip-hop artists '' MC Lyte said the music industry is so focused these days on the bottom line that there is little emphasis on cultivating female talent . `` When you have this major business that has been kind of taken over by corporate hands , it 's like , how necessary is the black woman 's perspective ? '' she said . `` Not unless she is talking about being that kingpin 's main girl and she 's wearing next to nothing and she 's talking about nothing that is really going to nurture the people the way we are known innately as black women being able to do , there 's really no space for that type . '' Alonzo Williams agrees . A founding member of the West Coast rap group the World Class Wrecking Crew , which also featured Dr. Dre of the group N.W.A. , Williams said many female rappers are finding it hard to navigate today 's industry . `` It 's a lot of women trying to get into it , but most young women do n't know what direction to take , '' Williams said . `` They do n't know whether to be a gun moll for a gangster or a mother and they are confused as to what role they should take . '' Artists like Queen Latifah and MC Lyte have served as role models to rappers that came after them , Williams said . Having successful women in the industry also allowed for the rise of artists like Lil ' Kim and Foxy Brown , who express their sexuality with hardcore lyrics . But all of the dialogue about misogyny in rap , coupled with music executives ' hesitancy to spend money grooming new artists , has left some female rappers floundering , he said . `` It can be hard for women to find an image that is street-marketable as well as radio-marketable , '' Williams said . `` For the most part , men can get away with a whole lot more because of the double standard that exists among the sexes , and so it 's difficult for women to find a niche . '' Not that the talent is n't out there . MC Lyte said she has encountered several accomplished female lyricists on the Internet and through her work with Hip Hop Sisters , a network she founded . And to help women gain more exposure in the industry , Queen Latifah is going to the grass roots , as she returns to her musical roots . Her new album , `` Persona , '' marks her return to rap after having focused on her singing career for the past few years . Latifah , along with CoverGirl , for which she serves as a spokesperson , is sponsoring a contest titled `` Ignite Your Persona . '' Contestants can submit brief videos of themselves rapping , singing , dancing and/or performing as well as a short essay . A finalist from each city along her tour will be selected to open for her , Queen Latifah said . `` Hopefully I will be able to discover some new talent that I can bring to the forefront , '' she said . `` I feel like I have been so fortunate with hip-hop providing a door for the many opportunities I have had , and I want to give that to other women . Because when there are not enough females -LSB- in the industry -RSB- , the balance is off . '' | Female rappers finding it difficult to break through in music industry . In recent years few successful female artists have emerged in hip hop . Rapper MC Lyte says business model does n't support cultivation of talent . Queen Latifah using new album launch to discover new artists . | [[612, 695], [2243, 2328], [3004, 3030], [3033, 3035], [612, 695], [969, 1019], [1236, 1309], [4151, 4203], [4161, 4162], [4176, 4237]] |
WESTERN DESERT , Iraq -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The hot wind swirls around the human bones and cracked skulls that litter the forsaken desert lands in Western Iraq . The entrance to the bunker complex where al Qaeda terrorized enemies in Iraq . We are standing in the middle of what was an al Qaeda execution site , just outside an intricate bunker complex that the organization used to torture and murder its victims , the bodies left to rot or be eaten by animals . From the back of the police truck the opening to the first bunker is barely discernible in the distance . `` Al Qaeda came in as a massive force '' one of the officers says as we bump along the harsh terrain . `` They stole our cars , our personal cars . They kidnapped two of my brothers . They blew up the house over there . '' In the distance we can see his village -- a set of sand colored homes surrounded by parched farmlands . As we approach grubby children chase the truck and then stand to the side , despondent , as the officer points to their home . `` Their father was killed by al Qaeda , '' he says . In 2007 the U.S. military launched a series of airstrikes that drove out al Qaeda . As we enter the first bunker Captain Khaled Bandar tells us they found the floor littered with bodies . A gaping hole is evidence of the U.S. firepower . Insurgents used the layered and intricate labyrinth of passageways and hatches to carry out summary trials and executions . The police show us clothing and shoes , saying they are leaving them in place in case the families of the victims decide to come back . The stench of decay still lingers . Al Qaeda has been on the defensive in recent years , notwithstanding spectacular attacks attributed to the group like last week 's blasts in the capital , including suicide truck bomb attacks on the ministries of foreign affairs and finance . At least 100 people were killed and more than 500 wounded . But the concerted security campaign against the group has forced it to change its structure and strategy . According to one man who has close connections to al Qaeda in Iraq and asked not to be identified , the group lost support because it lost the protection of the people . `` There is an old saying about the basics of war . Whoever wins the people wins the war . So when al Qaeda did n't win the people over , it lost its battles , '' he explains . `` Al Qaeda 's strategy of taking control of areas has been abandoned for now . Their method is propaganda , instilling fear , terrorizing . '' He adds that the group stopped recruiting over the last six months because of a shortage in funding and increased infiltration . `` Al Qaeda is moving towards selecting the elite and condensing its forces rather than expanding . The Americans nearly defeated al Qaeda by cornering it and reducing its operations , '' he says . But those operations are still deadly , and the war is by no means over . `` No , the war is not over in Iraq , a type of battle is over , but there are new battles cloaked in politics . Now politicians try to pay militias , al Qaeda , or armed factions ... in order to eliminate political foes , '' the man with knowledge of al Qaeda says . And al Qaeda is still able to send a message to those who dare oppose them . The police officers show us blood stains in the desert near the bunkers and tell us how they found two beheaded bodies just a month ago . They were identified as being the brothers of two police officers from another city , Ramadi . Meanwhile , al Qaeda 's global war has sifted to a place it believes it can still win -- Afghanistan . `` Al Qaeda in Afghanistan is made up of true believers , those who believe in jihad and fighting , and that 's why they joined , '' the man with connections says . `` As for most of al Qaeda in Iraq 's members , they are just looking to benefit themselves , or they join out of resentment for a certain sect or to avenge their families . '' As for Iraq 's longterm stability , that very much still hangs in the balance . He says : `` Peace will not be achieved by a magic wand or the rhetoric of a politician . Peace will be accomplished through the will of the Iraqi youth . We have to wait for this generation to change ... so that a generation that hates -LRB- the violence -RRB- will emerge . '' Yousif Bassil and Jomana Karadsheh contributed to this report . | Abandoned al Qaeda in Iraq bunker base littered with bones of its enemies . U.S. bombed bunkers in 2007 but stench of decay remains in desert base . Source close to al Qaeda says it lost in Iraq as it lost support of the people . He says al Qaeda 's focus is now Afghanistan . | [[1076, 1133], [1574, 1609], [2284, 2325], [2328, 2347]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The world 's largest , fastest fully solar-powered boat is being built in preparation for a round-the-world challenge . ` Planet Solar ' would be the world 's fastest fully solar-powered boat and is projected to cross the Atlantic in two weeks . The futuristic-looking `` Planet Solar , '' which is 100 percent powered by sunlight , is the brainchild of Swiss engineer Raphael Domjan , a former paramedic with a passion for innovative design and renewable energies . The 30-meter vessel is currently being built in Kiel , Germany , and will be finished early next year . If all goes according to plan , the boat will begin sailing summer 2010 -- first in European waters and then around the world . The boat can travel at up to 14 knots -LRB- 26k/m -RRB- and would be the first solar-powered boat to travel at such high speeds . It is projected to be able to cross the Atlantic in just two weeks . Domjan hopes his ambitious , $ 11.5 million -LRB- $ 8 million -RRB- project will prove that boats can travel at high speeds without emitting any carbon dioxide . '' -LSB- I -RSB- want to show that we can change , that solutions exist and that it 's not too late , '' Domjan writes on his Web site . `` Using technology and our knowledge to better promote renewable energies is the way towards a lasting world . '' Planet Solar will be covered in 470 square meters of solar panels -- the equivalent of two tennis courts . This means it will have particularly high energy absorption . See more images of the solar-powered boat '' Twenty-three percent of absorbed sunlight will be converted into energy that the boat can run on , compared with 17 percent for average panels , according to Planet Solar 's project manager , Danny Faigaux of Grand Chelem Management . `` The first man sailed around the world 500 years ago and Raphael thought it was about time we did it in a different way , '' Faigaux told CNN . But relying purely on solar energy may prove difficult in areas of the world where bad weather prevents sunlight from penetrating the clouds . Batteries on Planet Solar will be able to store enough energy gathered from the sun to allow the boat to sail in poor conditions for three days , said Faigaux . If cloudy weather persists for more than three days , the vessel will run into real difficulties . To avoid this eventuality , the team has partnered with the French meteorological institute , `` Meteo France . '' The institute will update Planet Solar 's skippers on which routes to avoid . Famous French sailor Gerard D'Abouville will skipper the boat alongside Domjan . D'Abouville is the first man to have rowed across both the Atlantic and the Pacific and has long been involved with sustainable development . In April 2011 after a short tour of Europe , Planet Solar will embark on a round-the-world tour , stopping in dozens of cities along the way . Wherever the boat goes , Domjan hopes to teach people about alternative ways of consuming energy . At each port-of-call he plans to set up a portable `` educational village '' made from inflatable material . Up to 500 people at any one time will be will be able to visit the village 's three inflatable `` spheres '' to learn more about Planet Solar , ecology and economy . `` This situation is also an opportunity , '' said Domjan . `` The dilution of our resources and fossil fuels and climate change forces us to rethink our societies . '' | World 's largest , fastest fully solar-powered boat is attempting round-the-world tour . `` Planet Solar '' has 470 square meters of panels -- equivalent to two tennis courts . Vessel can travel at up to 26 k/h and is projected to cross Atlantic in two weeks . | [[0, 6], [9, 32], [79, 155], [156, 170], [173, 227], [2762, 2804], [2807, 2857], [1348, 1413], [156, 170], [223, 227], [232, 281], [865, 933], [865, 867], [881, 933]] |
LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Michael Jackson fans will get their first peek at the behind-the-scenes documentary of the pop star 's final three months Sunday evening during the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards , MTV said . Michael Jackson died in June at the age of 50 , amid preparations for his This Is It tour . Janet Jackson `` will help open the entire show to honor Michael 's celebrated career , '' the network said . No other details about her `` special appearance '' were released . The debut of the trailer for `` Michael Jackson 's This Is It '' will come about four weeks after concert promoter AEG Live handed over to Sony Pictures about 100 hours of video captured between April and June , when Jackson was preparing for his concert comeback . Fans who miss the MTV show , which will air live at 9 p.m. ET Sunday , can preview the documentary at www.thisisit-movie.com beginning Sunday night , the network said . The trailer makes its big screen debut September 18 with the Sony Pictures Animation release of `` Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs . '' The Jackson documentary will run in theaters worldwide for just two weeks starting October 28 , Sony Pictures said . Tickets will go on sale September 27 . `` Audiences will be given a privileged and private look at the singer , dancer , filmmaker , architect and genius as he creates and perfects his final show , '' Sony said . Kenny Ortega , who was working with Jackson to create the This Is It concert , is also directing the documentary . `` As we began assembling the footage for the motion picture , we realized we captured something extraordinary , unique and very special , '' Ortega said . `` It 's a very private , exclusive look into a creative genius 's world . '' Ortega said Jackson 's This Is It `` may go down as the greatest concert that no one got a chance to see , '' as the pop singer died June 25 , three weeks before it was to debut in London , England 's O2 Arena . `` But with this film , we get a rare portrait of Michael as he prepares for his final curtain call and what I believe was going to be his master work . '' Watch Jermaine Jackson talk about tributes to his brother '' A Los Angeles Superior Court judge last month approved allowing the special administrators of Jackson 's estate to sign a contract with Sony and AEG Live to clear the way for the production . AEG Live also will conduct a three-city tour of a Michael Jackson memorabilia exhibition to coincide with the film 's release . The cities have not been named . | Star 's sister Janet will help open MTV awards show , in celebration of his life . Fans can also preview documentary online . Film will be shown worldwide for two weeks starting in October . | [[325, 410], [769, 790], [840, 893], [1140, 1169]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Legendary American boxer Muhammad Ali has visited the birthplace of his ancestors in Ireland , prompting thousands of well-wishers to line the streets of the town . Muhammad Ali on a nine-day visit to Europe that included a stopover to his ancestral home in Ireland . The scenes were reminiscent of a presidential visit as the 67-year-old former three-times world heavyweight champion traveled to Ennis , County Clare to see the hometown of his forebear . The visit was commemorated by the town council with the unveiling of a plaque at the home of his great-grandfather and by making Ali the first honorary `` freeman '' of the town . Abe Grady -- the grandfather of Ali 's mother Odessa Lee Grady -- lived in the town of Ennis , before emigrating to the United States in 1860 where he married an African-American emancipated slave . Watch as Muhammad Ali visits Ireland '' Ali -- who was crowned Sportsman of the Century by Sports Illustrated in 1999 -- had his Irish heritage uncovered by genealogists in 2002 . `` Now that we know Muhammad is an Ennis man , we will be back , '' Ali 's wife Lonnie told Britain 's Daily Telegraph newspaper . The small County Clare town of 23 thousand put on an open-air concert , closed schools early and had special screenings of the Ali versus George Foreman documentary `` When We Were Kings '' to welcome the `` Louisville Lip . '' Ali -- who has been a Parkinson 's Disease sufferer since 1984 -- did not speak to those who had gathered but shadow-boxed to spectators and cameras before meeting his distant relatives . `` It was incredible . We 've had so much rain , and yet today it was beautiful . The rain held off wherever Muhammad Ali went , '' Frankie Neylon , the town 's mayor said . Ali fought in Ireland only once during his career , beating Al Blue Lewis in a non-title bout at Dublin 's Croke Park in 1972 . The visit to Ireland was part of a nine-day tour of Europe that Ali had undertaken to raise money to fight Parkinson 's Disease and for the Ali Center . | Muhammad Ali visits his ancestral home of Ennis , Ireland . The 67-year-old former world heavyweight champion unveils plaque in town . Abe Grady , Ali 's great grandfather , emigrated from Ireland to the U.S. in 1860 . Lonnie , Ali 's wife , says the former champion will return to Ireland again . | [[0, 15], [19, 111], [220, 226], [232, 286], [342, 421], [437, 474], [854, 890], [863, 893], [287, 394], [342, 421], [437, 474], [475, 593], [655, 664], [750, 796]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- People who go to Daytona Beach , Florida , by car this weekend will probably wish they had n't -- they 'll definitely stand out in a crowd . Bobby Mitchell , left , and Sheila Justin enjoy Bike Week in Daytona Beach , Florida . The city is being taken over by half a million motorcycle enthusiasts enjoying Bike Week , which began Friday and will end Sunday . The economy may be in a recession , but bikers are n't passing up the chance to soak up some sun and rev up their engines for a few days in Florida for the biggest motorcycle event in the country . `` Every indication we 've had so far is that this year 's going to be a good one , '' said Kevin Kilian , senior vice president of the Daytona Beach/Halifax Area Chamber of Commerce . The chamber is the managing arm of the city 's involvement in Bike Week , a 10-day event that Kilian said takes an entire year to prepare for . Events like Bike Week and its little brother , Biketoberfest , are what keep Daytona Beach running , Kilian said . With 8.5 million visitors each year , special events bring in about $ 1.3 billion . The two biker events alone generate $ 650 million of that , he said . The festival did n't always pack in a half-million people , though . In 1988 , said Paul Crow , the Daytona Beach police chief at the time , the event had morphed into something very different from what it was when it started . He said he had to battle what he called `` the 1 percent problem '' -- the small group of gangs whose viciousness and threats against outsiders had allowed them to take over Bike Week . He decided he would n't have any more of their troublemaking , Crow said , so he created a task force that evolved into the office of special investigations for the Daytona Beach Police . Its specific purpose was to deal with the problem . Today , Bike Week has been restored as family-friendly event . The event has even drawn in other nearby Central Florida communities -- including Ormond Beach in the north and Port Orange and New Smyrna in the south -- giving bikers more events to attend and places to go . Bike Week caters to a wide demographic of people . `` These are people with a lot of disposable income , '' Kilian said . `` They can afford a $ 30,000 toy . '' Factors like the economy and this year 's long hard winter probably got people more excited about Bike Week because it 's a chance to get away , he said . `` Everybody needs a break . '' Ken Logan , 50 , a radio producer from Orlando , Florida , has been going to Bike Week for four years . He said he goes to `` keep updated on motorcycle stuff as far as styles , what 's done to them , meet people who enjoy bikes , to get patches and all the toy stuff , so to speak , and enjoy other people who enjoy the same thing . '' The ride from Orlando is only 35 minutes , and he said that 's half the fun . `` Everybody should go -- whether you have a bike or not -- at least once , just to take it in and see what it 's about , '' Logan said . Bobby Mitchell , 52 , also a radio producer in Orlando , grew up in Daytona Beach and has been going to Bike Week his entire life . He said it 's been more fun in recent years , though . `` It 's more fun when you actually have a motorcycle , '' he said . `` You get out there and ride alongside people . You 're part of the roar , the noise . '' Not only is Bike Week becoming more family-friendly , but it 's more diverse as well , with more women participants , said Kathleen Tolleson , president and CEO of Roar Motorcycles . There 's even a `` sisterhood bikeride '' in which 35 to 50 women ride together . Daytona Beach-based Roar Motorcycles specifically markets accessories and motorcycles for women . This year , Tolleson said , the company is unveiling a new motorcycle designed by women and made specifically for women and their needs . `` It 's becoming more culturally acceptable , so more and more women are riding . '' she said . The bike has a lower seat so that a woman can use her legs and hips when picking the bike off the stand , and can put her feet firmly on the ground when stopped . Most bikes are designed for men , who have more upper body strength and longer limbs . `` Women , '' she said , `` need a lower center of gravity . '' The company is taking orders now , and the bikes will be available in six to nine months . | Bike Week in Daytona Beach , Florida , began Friday and ends Sunday . Bike Week caters to a wide demographic of people . Bike Week and Biketoberfest generate $ 650 million , official says . | [[326, 335], [344, 356], [326, 335], [361, 378], [1105, 1162]] |
LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Like all zombie movies , `` Zombieland '' has hundreds of zombies doing awful things , such as attacking and eating humans , but you could argue it 's not a zombie movie . Jesse Eisenberg and Woody Harrelson find themselves battling the undead in `` Zombieland . '' Zombie hordes do chase the main characters in a post-apocalyptic world , but the focus is on the comedy 's stars , including two Oscar nominees -- Woody Harrelson and Abigail Breslin -- along with Jesse Eisenberg and Emma Stone . -LRB- Spoiler alert : A third Oscar nominee makes a remarkable cameo appearance , but this story will avoid spoiling the surprise by naming him . -RRB- . `` We wanted to make a cool , kick-ass road movie about a dysfunctional family traveling across the country and zombies provide us the antagonists , the threat that our characters need to come together , '' said Paul Wernick , who wrote the screenplay with partner Rhett Reese . In fact , Wernick had only seen one zombie film before writing this script . Reese , who is a fan of the genre , kept the story on a track that would feed zombie fans ' hunger for blood-and-guts action . '' -LSB- The -RSB- zombie genre is so well traveled , there is really no reason to get into it unless we could do it in a fresh , different way , '' Reese said . `` We were almost forced to think outside the box to make it an entertaining zombie movie . '' `` Zombieland '' is set in the United States months after a fast-moving virus begins turning most people into flesh-eating zombies . A handful of survivors come together to fight back . Wernick and Reese literally rewrote the rules for zombie films in this movie . Eisenberg 's character is an obsessive-compulsive man who developed 47 rules -- such as `` fasten your seat belt '' -- designed to help him survive in Zombieland . While Eisenberg journeys to find his parents , he joins Harrelson , a zombie killer who is searching for the last Hostess Twinkie before its expiration date . Stone and Breslin play sisters who survive on their con artist skills . Their goal is to reach a California amusement park , which they think could be free of zombies . The cross-country trip these four characters share resembles `` National Lampoon 's Vacation '' -- if written and directed by Quentin Tarantino . Watch the stars of the film talk about zombie fans '' Wernick said they wanted to be `` very freewheeling . '' The movie `` gives the audience the thrill of the journey , '' he said . `` We wanted to take some wild turns . '' `` The rules that we lived by when writing this is in fact that there are no rules , '' he said . `` Zombieland '' may be to zombies what Tarantino 's `` Inglourious Basterds '' is to Nazis . Wernick and Reese , who have been close friends since high school , often finish each other 's sentences as if they were an old married couple . `` When we were trying to get ` Zombieland ' off the ground back in the early days , we ... '' Wernick said . '' ... assaulted Tarantino at an awards show , to try to get him to read the script , '' Reese said . `` That did n't work out , '' Wernick said in conclusion to their joint thought . `` He thought we were zombies coming after him . '' `` Zombieland , '' directed by Rubin Fleischer , offers many of the same elements as a Tarantino film . '' -LSB- Tarantino -RSB- is all about dialogue , character , irreverence , pop culture and we love all those things over the years , '' Reese said . `` We have always been inspired by him . '' The writers had to run through a number of actors before finding the person for the 10-minute cameo . Among them was Patrick Swayze , the writers ' first choice . Swayze , who died just two weeks before the movie 's release , turned down the role because of ill health earlier this year . Also asked : Joe Pesci , Steven Seagal , Jean-Claude Van Damme , Dwayne `` The Rock '' Johnson , Matthew McConaughey , Mark Hamill , Kevin Bacon and Sylvester Stallone . They were asked , but either did n't want the role or were not available , according to Wernick and Reese . With just a few days before filming the scenes , they asked Harrelson to look in his cell phone for names and numbers . He came up with a man who 's been an Oscar nominee and Emmy winner . And now , he 's got a key role in a zombie film . | In new movie `` Zombieland , '' focus is on the stars and the comedy . Movie 's performers include Woody Harrelson , Abigail Breslin . One of film 's writers had seen just one zombie film in his life . Among movie 's surprises : a cameo from an Oscar-nominated actor . | [[387, 492], [387, 492], [983, 1049], [540, 559], [562, 619]] |
SEOUL , South Korea -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- North Korea fired several short-range missiles toward the Sea of Japan on Saturday , an act that the U.S. watched closely and South Korea called provocative . N. Korean army soldiers , back , look at a S. Korean soldier , center , in the demilitarized zone in June . Pyongyang fired six short-range missiles in less than seven hours , South Korea 's Foreign Ministry said . The missiles were apparently Scud-type , estimated to have a range of about 500 kilometers -LRB- 310 miles -RRB- , according to South Korea 's Yonhap news agency . South Korean intelligence estimates that North Korea has about 700 such missiles in its arsenal . Pyongyang test-fired four such missiles off the east coast Thursday , Yonhap reported . South Korea called the launches a provocative act , according to a government statement . North Korea had issued a warning to mariners to avoid an area in the Sea of Japan at certain times between June 24 and July 9 because of a `` military firing exercise , '' according to a U.S. military communication about the warning provided to CNN . The recent firings come amid heightened tensions on the Korean peninsula . North Korea conducted a nuclear test in May , fired test rockets and threatened U.S. and South Korean ships near its territorial waters . Watch S. Korea confirm firing of missiles '' The first two missiles were fired about 8 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. , Yonhap reported . Another missile was launched about 10:45 a.m. , the agency reported . A fourth one came some time after that . The U.S. Navy and other U.S. officials said they are ready to track any missiles . `` The United States is aware of possible missile launches by North Korea . We are closely monitoring North Korea 's activities and intentions , '' a U.S. official said . `` This type of North Korea behavior is not helpful . What North Korea needs to do is fulfill its international obligations and commitments . '' Earlier this week analyst Daniel Pinkston said the reported test might be training for a future test but it could also just be a routine military exercise . `` It is worrisome to some degree , but it is different from a ballistic missile launch , '' said Pinkston , of the International Crisis Group in Seoul , South Korea . `` It 's part of military training , but there seem to be no movements of troops or anything that would suggest preparations for military operations . `` So yes , people are watching it , the military is watching it here , but I do n't think it 's related to any plans or operations to attack anyone . '' CNN 's Sohn Jie-Ah in Seoul , Korea , and Charley Keyes in Washington , D.C. , contributed to this report . | North Korea five Scud-type missiles Saturday that can reach 400 to 500 km . South Korea has called the launches `` a provocative act '' U.S. diplomat : `` This type of North Korea behavior is not helpful '' Pyongyang test-fired four such missiles off the east coast Thursday . | [[39, 121], [413, 451], [413, 425], [454, 525], [165, 197], [763, 812], [1782, 1807], [1808, 1861], [39, 121], [675, 689], [690, 742], [1179, 1190], [1225, 1243]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The father of Haleigh Cummings , a Florida girl who disappeared in February , plans to file for divorce from the girl 's stepmother , a key witness in the case , his attorneys told HLN 's `` Nancy Grace . '' Ronald Cummings plans to divorce his wife , Misty , his attorney says . The move follows weeks of reported tension between Ronald and Misty Cummings during the search for Haleigh , who was 5 when last seen . In papers expected to be filed Tuesday , Ronald Cummings , 25 , cites irreconcilable differences in ending his short marriage to his 17-year-old wife , said Terry Shoemaker , Ronald Cummings ' attorney . Haleigh went missing from her father 's home in Satsuma , Florida , on February 9 . Cummings has made several public pleas for information in her disappearance . Misty Cummings , then known as Misty Croslin , was the last person known to have seen Haleigh the night she disappeared from the family 's rented mobile home . The teenager said she tucked Haleigh and her 4-year-old brother into bed about 8 p.m. and went to sleep herself two hours later , but awoke at 3 a.m. to find the girl missing and a cinder block propping open a back door . Ronald Cummings called police and reported his daughter missing when he returned from work at dawn . Investigators have said they do not feel Misty Cummings has told them everything she knows . `` The police have been telling me that I 've been keeping Misty under my wing and that 's why she has n't talked to the cops , '' Ronald Cummings told a `` Nancy Grace '' producer Tuesday . `` So now , here you go , I divorced her . So now go find my baby . '' Watch Ronald Cummings speak to Nancy Grace '' The Putnam County Sheriff 's office said in August that `` the evidence and investigatory effort has minimized the likelihood that Haleigh 's disappearance is the work of a stranger . '' Ronald Cummings and Crystal Sheffield , Haleigh 's mother , are not considered suspects , police said . `` Investigators believe that Misty Croslin-Cummings continues to hold important answers in the case , '' the sheriff 's office said in a written statement . `` She has failed to provide any sort of detailed accounting of the hours during the late evening and early morning of Haleigh 's disappearance . Furthermore , physical evidence at the scene contradicts Misty 's sketchy account of her evening activities . '' Shoemaker said his client told Misty Cummings he wanted a divorce on Sunday , and that the a divorce agreement was drawn up Monday . The agreement was sent to Misty Cummings ' lawyer for her signature . `` He really did n't come to us and say , ' I want to file for divorce , ' '' said another of Ronald Cummings ' attorneys , Brandon Beardsley . `` My understanding is that this is something that he and Misty have been discussing for the last few days and they 're contemplating it because they ultimately feel that it is in the best interest for both of them . '' Misty Cummings ' attorney , Robert Fields , told CNN he has not talked with his client and does n't know her thoughts regarding the divorce . Fields said he had received the papers via e-mail but had not had a chance to review them . Asked what he thought the divorce would mean for the search for Haleigh , he said , `` Probably nothing . '' `` You have to understand that ever since Haleigh went missing , they have been scrutinized , '' Beardsley said of the Cummingses . `` They ca n't go out to dinner , ca n't even go to the convenience store to get a drink . ... The pressure of everything that is going on , the allegations and speculation , has been a stress on the relationship . The two lived together for about six months before marrying in March . The divorce agreement provides no financial terms , according to Shoemaker . On Monday , Misty Cummings left Satsuma to stay with a friend in Orlando , 50 miles south , Shoemaker said . | Haleigh Cummings ' father plans to file for divorce from the girl 's stepmother . Haleigh went missing from father 's home in Satsuma , Florida , on February 9 . Misty Cummings was Ronald Cummings ' girlfriend when Haleigh went missing . Investigators said they think Misty Cummings has not told them everything . | [[0, 15], [97, 150], [227, 268], [2599, 2601], [2632, 2635], [2640, 2666], [52, 66], [71, 94], [639, 694], [707, 722], [1284, 1364], [1976, 2076]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Four men gathered in a parking lot were shot and killed Sunday in Mount Airy , North Carolina , and a warrant was issued for a suspect , police said . `` We do n't feel that this was a random event , if that does help put the community at ease , '' Mount Airy Police Chief Dale Watson said at a news conference Sunday night . He refused to elaborate or identify the victims except to say , `` We do have an idea why they were there . '' Watson described the victims as `` four Hispanic males , all shot , '' from the surrounding Surry County area . He said two died at the scene while the other two were pronounced dead at a nearby hospital . Read local coverage from CNN affiliate WXII . The shooting occurred shortly after 2 p.m. ET in the parking lot of a store that sells satellite dish and cable TV equipment in the town , about 50 miles north of Winston-Salem . Watson said an arrest warrant charging four counts of murder was issued for a suspect he identified as Marcos Chavez Gonzalez , 29 . He said police believe the suspect fled the Mount Airy area in a pickup . Watson said local and state authorities were searching for the suspect , who was considered `` armed and dangerous ... he may be in the possession of an assault rifle . '' | Four men gathered in a parking lot shot and killed Sunday in Mount Airy . Police Chief Dale Watson : `` We do n't feel that this was a random event '' Arrest warrant issued for a suspect identified as Marcus Chavez Gonzalez , 29 . Watson said all four shooting victims were Hispanic males . | [[19, 53], [0, 15], [68, 95], [708, 783], [170, 216], [115, 153], [887, 972], [456, 567]] |
BAGHDAD , Iraq -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Edwin Salau knew coming back would be hard . But he had to do it . The retired U.S. Army first lieutenant needed to know that his sacrifice was worth it . Retired Army 1st Lt. Edwin Salau says he sees progress in Iraq since he left five years ago . `` I wanted to make sure I did n't bleed in vain for the Iraqi people , '' Salau said . `` And what I found is I did not . I see the progress over five years . I see free Iraqis doing what Iraqis want to do in their country , and I see the U.S. taking a back seat . '' Salau left the battlefield in November 2004 , after being hit by a rocket-propelled grenade and small-arms fire during an ambush close to the town of Tuz . Those injuries cost him most of his left leg ; it was amputated above the knee and he now wears a prosthesis . Recently , he and seven other wounded American veterans returned to Iraq so they could heal emotionally . It was part of a nonprofit pilot program called Operation Proper Exit , an initiative started a little over a year ago by the Troops First Foundation , based in Maryland . The USO supports the mission . Watch Salau describe his feelings on returning '' Rick Kell , head of Troops First , traveled to Iraq with the soldiers and said the idea came from American troops . `` After spending much time at Walter Reed and Brooke Army medical centers , inevitably in any conversation , something reminds somebody that they want to go back . And the soldiers do n't hesitate to tell you that , '' Kell said . `` They are soldiers and they want to come back primarily for several reasons , but they want to come back and let the troops here on the ground know that they are still part of them , they support them , and they would very much like to be with them , although they ca n't . '' It 's an emotional journey for the returning veterans , a chance to visit bases where they were stationed , and , in some cases , the sites where they were wounded . Though other programs have allowed wounded American soldiers to return to the scene of their service and sacrifice , this is the first to allow them to do so while a war is still being waged . All in all , 13 soldiers have participated in the program so far -- eight this trip and five on a previous trip , which took place in June . The earlier trip was kept quiet because of fears that the experience would be too overwhelming for the participants . According to Kell , he encounters many soldiers who would like to return , but those who are selected are chosen carefully . `` Well , first of all , when we come in contact with someone who wants to come back -- and that 's somebody who is thriving , that is mentally and physically moving forward in their life , they 've demonstrated that they have a plan for what 's next and they 've begun to implement that plan , '' he said . `` So we feel pretty good about this person being squared away . And there are concerns , but it 's a very personal decision . We only ask for one of three answers : yes , no or not now . '' Salau , who now works with other wounded soldiers at Camp Lejeune , in North Carolina , thinks he 's become an ambassador for them . When Salau departed Iraq the first time , he could n't do it on his own . That 's why this trip was so important to him . `` My purpose for this trip was for my soldiers to have that last memory of me in Iraq walking out of here on my own power , '' he said . `` And I achieved that and it was closure . '' Salau and Kell think the program has been a success so far . According to them , the main reason for that is the support they 've gotten from the military command in Iraq , particularly Gen. Raymond Odierno , the top U.S. commander there . Odierno 's experiences with his son , who lost his arm in Iraq , helped the general better understand these soldiers ' plight , Kell said . `` He has insight and perspective that a lot of leaders do n't , thank goodness , '' Kell said , calling Odierno a very compassionate man . `` Gen. Odierno is ... he 's a soldier 's general , '' Salau said . `` He understands . It was clear when I met him the first day of our trip that he knew what the results would be at the end of our trip . I thank them for letting us come back . '' Whether the program will help the wounded soldiers psychologically has yet to be proven . Also in question is whether more soldiers will be able to participate . Troops First would like to include as many soldiers as possible , Kell said , but U.S. troops will not be in Iraq for much longer . `` We 've got a short window , '' he said . `` We 've got a formula down . We can only do six to eight on each trip , so we can make it a very personal experience and have it be meaningful . '' For Salau , it was extremely meaningful . Now he can go home on his own terms . `` Today , I packed my stuff and I dressed in a uniform ... and then I 'm going to undress at home and not Walter Reed , '' he said . `` That feeling , it ca n't completely be put into words . I 'm gon na get greeted at the airport by my wife and children . I 'm not gon na be greeted at Walter Reed . And I 'm gon na keep on living the dream . '' | Eight wounded U.S. veterans return to Iraq through `` Operation Proper Exit '' program . Veterans want troops on the ground to know they 're still part of them , organizer says . Retired lieutenant says progress in Iraq shows he did n't `` bleed in vain '' Program is run by Troops First Foundation , backed by USO . | [[819, 827], [830, 924], [1641, 1776], [210, 276], [227, 282], [997, 1074], [1097, 1127]] |
Cristiano Ronaldo is in the running to win the FIFA World Player of the Year for a second successive year after being named on a 23-man shortlist for this year 's award . The Portuguese winger , who joined Real Madrid this summer from Manchester United for a world record transfer fee , heads a familiar cast of football 's biggest names ahead of the annual gala in Zurich , Switzerland , on December 21 . Champions League holders Barcelona boast six nominees -- defender Carlos Puyol , midfielders Andres Iniesta and Xavi , and strikers Lionel Messi , Thierry Henry and Zlatan Ibrahimovic . Former Barca star Samuel Eto'o , now playing for Inter Milan , also joins the nominations list . Spain 's La Liga boasts 11 nominees altogether , in addition to the Barcelona contingent there is Valencia 's David Villa , Sevilla 's Luis Fabiano and Real Madrid 's Kaka and Iker Casillas . The English Premier League follows with eight nominees ; England internationals Wayne Rooney , John Terry , Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard are among those up for the award . Nominees list : . Michael Ballack -LRB- Germany -RRB- , Gianluigi Buffon -LRB- Italy -RRB- , Iker Casillas -LRB- Spain -RRB- , Cristiano Ronaldo -LRB- Portugal -RRB- , Diego -LRB- Brazil -RRB- , Didier Drogba -LRB- Ivory Coast -RRB- , Michael Essien -LRB- Ghana -RRB- , Samuel Eto'o -LRB- Cameroon -RRB- , Steven Gerrard -LRB- England -RRB- , Thierry Henry -LRB- France -RRB- , Zlatan Ibrahimovic -LRB- Sweden -RRB- , Andres Iniesta -LRB- Spain -RRB- , Kaka -LRB- Brazil -RRB- , Frank Lampard -LRB- England -RRB- , Luis Fabiano -LRB- Brazil -RRB- , Lionel Messi -LRB- Argentina -RRB- , Carles Puyol -LRB- Spain -RRB- , Franck Ribery -LRB- France -RRB- , Wayne Rooney -LRB- England -RRB- , John Terry -LRB- England -RRB- , Fernando Torres -LRB- Spain -RRB- , David Villa -LRB- Spain -RRB- , Xavi -LRB- Spain -RRB- . | FIFA announce list of nominations for the World Player of the Year award . The annual ceremony takes place in Zurich , Switzerland on December 21 . Reigning holder Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid nominated once again . | [[171, 192], [287, 372]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Mountainous terrain and harsh weather in remote parts of Afghanistan have proven a deadly combination for the U.S. military in its push to reduce mounting violence in the country . CNN obtained this photo of a U.S. helicopter above Forward Operating Base Keating in the Nuristan province . On Saturday , Taliban militants attacked American and Afghan troops in the Nuristan province in eastern Afghanistan . Eight American troops and two members of the Afghan national security forces were killed , according to the Pentagon . It was the largest number of Americans killed by hostile action in a single day since July 13 , 2008 , when nine troops died , according to CNN records . The fighting was so fierce that at one point U.S. forces `` had to collapse in on themselves , '' a U.S. military official with knowledge of the latest intelligence reports on the incident told CNN . These revelations about the battle that engulfed Forward Operating Base Keating are a further indication of how pinned down and outmanned the troops were . Watch more on the attack in rural Afghanistan '' The base was scheduled to be closed in the next few days , CNN has learned . Gen. Stanley McChrystal , the top commander in Afghanistan , wanted to cede remote outposts and consolidate troops in more populated areas to better protect Afghan civilians . It 's a point he reiterated over the summer . `` Practically speaking , there are areas that are controlled by Taliban forces , '' he told the Los Angeles Times in late July . Over time , McChrystal said , the command would `` reduce '' those areas , but the first priority will be to make sure populated areas are free of insurgent influence . The deadly attack over the weekend and the July 2008 attack in Wanat , just 20 miles away , serve to underscore , some say , that the reduction is n't happening . View an interactive map of the two attacks '' It 's an assessment that one veteran military observer discussed in a column earlier this year . `` Screwups are inevitable in war . But there are serious questions to be addressed , '' Foreign Policy magazine 's Tom Ricks wrote in a January 2009 online article . `` As one Army source put it to me , ` The paratroopers sent to Wanat knew they were in big trouble . ... -LSB- The soldiers -RSB- ran out of water and had little material to build up their defensive positions , ' '' Ricks wrote . Peter Bergen , a CNN terrorism analyst , called the repetition `` a huge problem . '' `` It is suposed to be a lessons-learned exercise , '' Bergen said . `` And then , exactly 20 miles away from the event about a year ago , exactly the same kind of attack happened . '' In the Wanat fight , 49 U.S. troops were attacked by nearly 200 Taliban fighters , and the base was later abandoned . `` So , you have to ask yourself , what were the lessons learned ? Or were the lessons not implemented ? And these remote combat outposts , you know , are obviously sitting ducks , '' Bergen said . The Nuristan and Wanat fights add to the growing list of problems facing the Obama administration . The White House is in the midst of a comprehensive review of U.S. strategy in Afghanistan . McChrystal , who took over four months ago as the top U.S. commander in the country , has submitted an assessment in which , sources have told CNN , calls for additional forces to carry out a successful counterinsurgency strategy . But some in the administration , including Vice President Joe Biden , are advocating a counterterrorism strategy focusing on combating al Qaeda and the Taliban through the use of unmanned drones and special forces without involving additional troops . Watch more on the varying advice Obama is getting '' Others believe that a broader counterinsurgency approach -- requiring a larger military operation in the country -- is needed . Several top military leaders and opposition Republicans are pressing Obama to act quickly to increase the present 68,000-troop level by as many as 40,000 . In March , Obama announced a plan to send more than 20,000 additional troops to the country to provide security for a national election . `` If we do n't add more troops , you 're going to see more of what happened yesterday , '' Sen. Lindsey Graham , R-South Carolina , said on `` Fox News Sunday . '' `` The security situation 's going to get worse . And any hope of better governance is lost , and the Taliban will re-emerge . '' Despite criticism , Obama said Tuesday that U.S. efforts in Afghanistan have had a major impact . `` Al Qaeda and its allies have not only lost operational capacity , they 've lost legitimacy and credibility , '' he said . `` We 're making real progress in our core mission : to disrupt , dismantle , and defeat al Qaeda and other extremist networks around the world . '' Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Monday that the Taliban currently has the momentum in the country . He warned that a Taliban takeover of the country would empower the al Qaeda terrorist network . Watch more of Gates ' remarks '' `` Because of our inability and the inability , frankly , of our allies to put enough troops in Afghanistan , the Taliban do have the momentum right now , '' he told CNN 's Christiane Amanpour and former CNN Washington Bureau Chief Frank Sesno in a panel discussion that included Secretary of State Hillary Clinton . Gates said an eventual Taliban victory would provide `` added space '' for al Qaeda to set up in the country and enhance recruiting and fundraising , bolstered by the perception that , having driven out the Soviet Union in the 1980s , Muslim forces have won a second victory over a superpower . CNN 's Barbara Starr , Atia Abawi and journalist Matiullah Mati contributed to this report . | 8 U.S. soldiers , two Afghan soldiers killed in attack in Nuristan province . Source : Fighting so fierce that U.S. forces `` had to collapse in on themselves '' Analyst says lessons have n't been learned in operating in rural Afghanistan . | [[320, 331], [334, 437], [438, 526], [438, 514], [529, 556], [711, 883]] |
NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Former NFL wide receiver Plaxico Burress pleaded guilty Thursday to a weapons charge stemming from a shooting incident at a nightclub last year , the Manhattan district attorney said . Former NFL wide receiver Plaxico Burress will serve two years in prison after pleading guilty to weapons charges . Burress , 32 , pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of attempted criminal possession of a weapon and will serve two years in prison , according to Alicia Maxey Greene , spokeswoman for district attorney Robert M. Morgenthau 's office . Two years of supervised release will follow his jail term , she said . Burress is free on bail and will be sentenced September 22 . A grand jury indicted the former New York Giants football player earlier this month on two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree and a single count of reckless endangerment in the second degree . He pleaded not guilty to those charges earlier this year . Burress accidentally shot himself in the leg November 29 , 2008 , with a .40 - caliber semi-automatic pistol he was carrying in the waistband of his jeans . The incident occurred in the VIP area of the Latin Quarter nightclub in Manhattan . A teammate who was with Burress , linebacker Antonio Pierce , drove him to a hospital and arranged to have the pistol delivered to Burress ' New Jersey home , according to an August 3 statement from the district attorney 's office . The district attorney also sought charges against Pierce , but the grand jury did not indict him . Burress was not licensed to carry a pistol in either New York or New Jersey . No one , including employees of the New York Presbyterian Hospital and the NFL , called the police to report the gunshot wound , as required by law . One of the hospital workers was suspended after the incident . Burress became a hero to New York Giants fans in the 2008 Super Bowl when he caught the game-winning touchdown pass from quarterback Eli Manning with 35 seconds remaining in the game . In the following year , however , Burress ' career with the Giants was marred by a series of incidents in addition to the shooting . He was suspended from the team in early October for missing a practice , and later that month the NFL fined him $ 45,000 after he argued with a referee and threw a football into the stands during a game . Burress was suspended from the Giants immediately after the shooting incident . The team released him in April . CNN 's Chloe Melas contributed to this report . | Former wide receiver pleaded not guilty to other charges earlier this year . Plaxico Burress will serve two years in prison , two years supervised release . Ex-New York Giant accidentally shot himself in the leg November 29 , 2008 . Burress was not licensed to carry a pistol . | [[916, 974], [213, 327], [328, 340], [417, 458], [563, 620], [563, 615], [623, 633], [975, 1038], [1548, 1625]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Australian cruiser met the disguised German vessel in the waters off western Australia two years after the two became enemies in World War II . The gun turret of the Sydney II was discovered with the rest of the vessel in March 2008 . The Australian ship approached , trying to determine whether the vessel was friendly . It was n't . What resulted was Australia 's worst naval disaster : the sinking of the Australian ship and the loss of its entire crew of 645 . The wreckage was n't found until last year , leading to decades of conspiracy theories about what actually happened . On Wednesday a long-awaited report on the sinking of the Sydney II ended the mystery that began when it met its fate , November 19 , 1941 . Made to look like a cargo ship , the German vessel was in fact a military raider that fired on the Australians when they got close . The Sydney fired back and , in the end , both ships went down . More than 300 of the sailors on board the German vessel , the Kormoran , survived . But because they were the only witnesses to the disaster , some doubted their accounts , leading to various theories about the real fate of the Sydney . After the wrecks of both ships were located in March 2008 , an Australian commission began an inquiry to formally close the book on the loss of the Sydney . The results confirm the accounts provided by the German sailors . They said the Sydney closed in on the Kormoran until it was parallel with the German ship , little more than 1,000 yards away . `` Sydney obviously thought the ship was friendly and was taken by surprise when , after she asked what she believed to be -LRB- a friendly ship -RRB- to give her secret call sign , the response was a number of salvos that destroyed Sydney 's bridge and amidships superstructure and a torpedo strike that crippled the ship and her forward guns , '' the report said . The Sydney had given up its tactical advantage of speed and armaments by getting so close to an unknown vessel , the report said . While that may have been an error of judgment by the Australian captain , Joseph Burnett , the report accepted that other factors -- which may never be known -- influenced his decision . `` It can never be known what matters were , in fact , operating in Capt. Burnett 's mind when he decided to take the Sydney to the position described . Nor can it be known what advice , if any , he sought from or was given by other officers on the bridge , '' the report says . `` What is known , however , is that , in trying to identify the sighted ship , Capt. Burnett was performing his duty as a commanding officer . '' The German ship inflicted `` enormous damage '' on the Sydney during a battle that is believed to have lasted about 35 minutes and left 70 percent of the Sydney 's crew dead or incapacitated , said Cmdr. Jack Rush , the lawyer who presented the evidence gathered by investigators to a commission of inquiry led by a retired judge . It is likely that Burnett , the navigator , and all of the Sydney 's senior officers were taken out on the first salvo , Rush said . A torpedo tore into the Sydney 's bow , flooding the forward end of the ship , while the Kormoran fired an estimated 87 rounds from its 15-cm -LRB- 5.9-inch -RRB- guns into the Australian cruiser . The Sydney limped away and sank sometime between 2 hours to 4 1/2 hours later , Rush said . During the battle , however , the Kormoran itself was hit by an Australian shell that damaged its engines and set the vessel ablaze . With hundreds of mines aboard , its captain ordered the crew to abandon ship , fearing the fire would set those off . Charges were set and the ship was scuttled . About 80 of the Kormoran 's crew of nearly 400 were lost . A search began only five days after the battle , when the Sydney failed to return to port in Fremantle . And an 11-day delay by Australia 's government in announcing the ship 's loss fueled what a 1999 parliamentary report called `` a proliferation of theories '' about the fate of the crew -- that the ship was actually sunk by a Japanese submarine , that survivors were machine-gunned in the water or that the government hid bodies after they washed up on the beach . The commission thoroughly investigated all the theories and speculations surrounding the disaster and found no substance in any of them , said Terence Cole , president of the commission . Researchers found the Sydney 's wreckage in the Indian Ocean , about 207 km -LRB- 128 miles -RRB- off Australia 's west coast . The commission was appointed in May 2008 and began its inquiry in January . `` For a long time our nation has struggled to understand how our greatest maritime disaster occurred . The unanswered questions have haunted the families of those brave sailors and airman that never came home , '' Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston , the chief of the Australian Defence Force , said in a written statement . | Finding : Sydney 's captain , senior officers likely to have died in first salvo . Sinking of Sydney II and loss of crew of 645 was Australia 's worst naval disaster . German vessel , the Kormoran , was made to look like a cargo ship . Both ships went down ; more than 300 on Kormoran survived ; wrecks found last year . | [[2974, 3058], [2992, 3092], [746, 776], [488, 530], [907, 917], [920, 942], [943, 980], [1016, 1026], [1180, 1237], [1240, 1336]] |
NAIROBI , Kenya -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Heavy rains triggered by El Nino weather patterns could potentially prove devastating for east African nations that have been water-starved for months , the United Nations has warned . A Turkana boy holds an empty cup in a village in northwestern Kenya . Kenya , Somalia , Tanzania and Uganda are facing mudslides , crop destruction , waterborne diseases and disrupted road networks , the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said Friday . Djibouti , Eritrea and Ethiopia could also be affected . The effects of flooding are expected to be exacerbated because so much greenery has disappeared in the drought . `` More than 23 million people in pastoral , agricultural and suburban communities , as well as internally displaced people and refugees in the region , are reeling from the impact of water and food shortages , pasture scarcity , conflict and insecurity , '' said John Holmes , the under-secretary general for humanitarian affairs who is coordinating emergency relief operations . `` While we can not prevent these climatic shocks , we certainly can mitigate their disastrous effects through forward planning and the right funding from the donor community , '' he said . Uganda , hit by El Nino a decade ago , is planning to apply some of the lessons learned this time around , said Fred Opolot , a government spokesman . `` The government has allocated funds and resources to areas that will be affected , '' he said . `` Our disaster preparedness department is using press briefings , among other ways , to inform the public . '' Though the department is not very well-funded , he said , the government is working with groups such as the United Nations and international aid agencies to prepare for floods . `` It is a multifaceted effort ... we want to ensure citizens are sensitized to the dangers of El Nino and things such as bridges are in good condition . '' The rainy season begins in the Horn of Africa in mid-October and runs through the end of the year . Meteorologists have forecasted that this year 's rains will be more intense than usual because of the El Nino phenomenon , caused by a rise in temperature in the Pacific and Indian oceans . Aid agencies are already buckling under the weight of helping millions of people who have suffered through months of failed crops , drought and erratic rains caused by climate change . In Somalia , 450,000 people in the Juba and Shabelle river basins could suffer , the United Nations estimates . In neighboring Kenya , some 750,000 people -- 150,000 of whom are refugees -- could be affected . The Turkana , a pastoral tribe in northeastern Kenya , is already reeling from a severe drought that has left scores of people dead and remains of skeletal cows strewn across the flat , arid land . The remote region has no access to resources , making it especially vulnerable to natural disasters such as floods . CNN 's Moni Basu and Faith Karimi contributed to this report . | U.N. humanitarian agency : East African nations facing flooding , mudslides . Warning comes after months of drought in region which has decimated greenery . Rainy season in Horn of Africa usually begins in mid-October , runs to end of year . Kenya , Somalia , Tanzania , Uganda , Djibouti , Eritrea , Ethiopia set to be affected . | [[0, 7], [10, 31], [68, 145], [290, 417], [552, 575], [589, 664], [2293, 2302], [2307, 2379], [2617, 2628], [2672, 2712], [1932, 1992], [1932, 1948], [1997, 2031], [495, 503], [506, 551], [2519, 2539], [2542, 2593], [2597, 2616]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A former U.S. government scientist who served in sensitive positions on classified aerospace projects pleaded not guilty to attempted espionage Thursday . He will be held without bond pending a jury trial . Stewart David Nozette , 52 , appeared in U.S. District Court wearing a prison uniform with bold , horizontal black and white stripes . He smiled as his defense attorney greeted him , and he seemed relaxed during the proceeding . In arguing against bond , prosecutors played what they call an undercover videotape of a conversation just 10 days ago between Nozette and an agent . Nozette , sitting back in a chair or sofa at what appears to be a hotel room , is heard negotiating for a false passport and a means to get to a country with no extradition policy with the United States . `` I like the idea of an invisible identity , '' Nozette was heard saying in the recording . `` Can you actually get me that , that artificial name and stuff ? '' He discussed gift cards under an alias , and a `` kitty '' that he could use for expenses . Prosecutors Thursday initially said they would present a witness to authenticate the videotape . But the judge accepted the government 's claim and a transcript and allowed the eight-minute recording to be played . Authorities have said in a criminal complaint that Nozette , of Chevy Chase , Maryland , tried to deliver classified information to someone he thought was an Israeli intelligence official but who was actually an FBI undercover agent . Nozette , responding on the videotape to the agent 's suggestion that arrangements would involve `` a lot of work , '' told the agent , `` This is n't just , you know , a few documents . ... I 'm making a career choice . '' The camera in the undercover video is positioned over that agent 's right shoulder , looking directly at Nozette . When the agent asked whether the negotiations were only for himself , Nozette said yes , and suggested his wife would not accompany him . `` She would ask too many questions , '' Nozette said . The wife , Wendy McColough , was not seen in the courtroom Thursday , but had been in the spectator gallery October 20 when her husband made his initial appearance . A transcript of the undercover video came out just hours before Thursday 's proceeding . Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Asuncion has said evidence will show Nozette disclosed to investigators information that was `` top secret , related to our national defense , that would cause exceptionally grave damage to national security '' if revealed to a foreign country . In an affidavit , the FBI sets out the case against Nozette , who received a doctorate in planetary sciences from Massachusetts Institute of Technology . Nozette had a `` top secret '' clearance and served at the White House on the National Space Council for President George H.W. Bush , the affidavit says . Later , from early 2000 to early 2006 , he did research and development for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency , the Naval Research Laboratory , and NASA 's Goddard Space Flight Center , it says . The document says Nozette also acted as a technical consultant from 1998 until early 2008 `` for an aerospace company that was wholly owned by the government of the state of Israel . '' The company consulted with Nozette monthly , getting answers to questions , and he received total payments of $ 225,000 , the affidavit says . In early September , Nozette was contacted by phone by an individual purporting to be an Israeli intelligence officer , but who really was an FBI undercover agent , the document says . They met in downtown Washington in front of a hotel , and over lunch , Nozette `` demonstrated his willingness to work for Israeli intelligence , '' it says . The undercover agent engaged in a series of meetings with Nozette , and eventually Nozette allegedly deposited `` secret '' information in a `` dead drop '' post office box . Some of the information , the affidavit says , was classified as secret . The criminal complaint does not accuse the government of Israel of any violations of U.S. law . Nozette next has a status hearing November 10 at U.S. District Court , before Judge James Robertson . | Stewart David Nozette appeared Thursday in U.S. District Court . Judge denied bond after seeing undercover video of Nozette and agent . Nozette may have planned to leave wife behind if he fled the U.S. Nozette willing `` to work for Israeli intelligence , '' complaint states . | [[466, 489], [492, 615], [1291, 1336], [3681, 3691], [3694, 3766]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- No major security problems were reported at Michael Jackson 's public memorial service on Tuesday in Los Angeles , California , according to police . Police gather Tuesday morning in Los Angeles for Michael Jackson 's public memorial . The only controversy concerned the issue of who ultimately would pay for the city 's efforts to heighten security as thousands of people from around the world flooded the city to say farewell to the pop icon , who died of unknown causes on June 25 . A budget crisis pushed the city to ask the public for help in paying for security at the memorial . It set up a Web site where fans can donate . The city is hoping to recoup some of the estimated $ 2 million to $ 4 million it cost to have thousands of police and firefighters on hand in case of an emergency . Matt Szabo , spokesman for Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa , said providing security at the event was the city 's `` obligation '' and its `` No. 1 priority . '' But the city does need help , he said . `` Nothing could tarnish this event more than having a public safety disturbance of any kind , '' he said . `` We 're working to make sure that does n't happen . And we 're asking Michael Jackson fans to help contribute . '' Visit the donation Web site . Los Angeles faces a budget crisis and has amassed $ 530 million in debt . The state of California 's budget deficit has climbed to $ 24 billion . `` Even though we 're the entertainment capital of the world , we 're not immune to the recession , '' Szabo said . Los Angeles Councilwoman Jan Perry said last week that the city would pay for the security efforts . But there remains some dispute . Los Angeles City Councilman Dennis Zine on Monday called for AEG , the company that owns the Staples Center , to cover all costs of the memorial , arguing the public should not foot any of the bill , according to the Los Angeles Times . The city provided security downtown , where the public memorial for Jackson was held , and also at the Jackson family 's private service earlier in the morning . Police said crowds outside the public memorial were not as large as they had anticipated . Between 5,000 and 15,000 people without tickets showed support for the pop star by waiting outside the Staples Center during the service , said Jim McDonnell , an assistant Los Angeles police chief . An exact count was not immediately available . Some 11,000 members of the public got free tickets to attend the memorial in the Staples Center after being chosen through a lottery . Another 6,500 were ticketed to watch it on a screen at the nearby Nokia Theater . About 1.6 million had vied for those tickets online . See performances from the memorial '' Police asked members of the public without tickets to stay home . Before the memorial began , Police Chief William Bratton said he expected a security effort not seen in decades , calling Jackson 's memorial the `` largest event we 've planned for since the 1984 Olympics . '' About 3,000 police officers were on hand to ensure the Jackson events proceeded smoothly , McDonnell said . By comparison , about 2,000 officers were deployed for last month 's parade and celebration at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for the Los Anegeles Lakers , who had won the NBA championship . By 1 p.m. local time , no police reports had been filed in relation to the event , said Richard French , a police spokesman . Police closed a several-block area outside the Staples Center and closed highway exits near downtown Los Angeles during the event . People without tickets or media passes were not allowed in that closed zone , said Earl Paysinger , an assistant police chief in Los Angeles . Helicopters flew overhead , and sheriff 's deputies strolled through with bomb-sniffing dogs . But the security did not seem to affect the reflective and at times festive mood at Jackson 's remembrance , according to CNN correspondents . | NEW : City of Los Angeles taking donations for security efforts via its Web site . Crowds do not meet police expectations ; as many as 15,000 wait outside . Security at the event is expected to cost from $ 2 million to $ 4 million . No police reports were filed in relation to the service , police say . | [[528, 604], [615, 625], [632, 649], [1249, 1278], [2086, 2164], [650, 730], [0, 15], [147, 168], [3300, 3380], [3300, 3320], [3323, 3340], [3383, 3402]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Phillip Garrido and his wife , Nancy , met while he was in a federal prison serving time for abducting a different woman from South Lake Tahoe , California , and holding her captive in a storage unit , Nevada probation and parole officials said Friday . Phillip and Nancy Garrido face 29 felony charges relating to the kidnapping of Jaycee Lee Durgan . Details of Phillip Garrido 's past began to emerge after he and his wife were charged with crimes relating to the abduction of 11-year-old Jaycee Lee Dugard in 1991 and her captivity in a hidden shed-and-tent compound in the couple 's backyard in Antioch , California . Phillip Garrido , 58 , and Nancy Garrido , 54 , face 29 felony charges relating to Dugard 's kidnapping . They both pleaded not guilty . Garrido 's record as a registered sex offender began with a 1977 conviction on charges of kidnapping and rape of a South Lake Tahoe woman , the Nevada Department of Public Safety 's Division of Parole and Probation said in a press release . The victim was found with Garrido inside a mini warehouse , a type of small storage facility , in Reno . Nevada , according to court documents from Garrido 's appeal . She was raped inside the storage unit , according to the documents . The woman , a 25-year-old casino worker , picked up Garrido at a supermarket near Lake Tahoe on Nov. 22 , 1976 , after he asked her for a ride . The documents state that when she stopped the car to drop him off , Garrido handcuffed her , bound her legs and neck with a leather strap , and drove off with her to Reno . Watch more about the psychological effects of being held captive '' Garrido , then 25 , `` told the victim it was n't intentional that he had taken her , but that it was her fault because she was attractive , '' according to the documents . Garrido served 11 years of a 50-year sentence in Levenworth , Kansas . Parole officials said he met his wife , Nancy , while he was in prison , but they did n't give details . Garrido 's life began to spiral downward in high school , his father , Manuel Garrido , told CNN . `` He had a motorcycle accident and got on LSD and he 's not in his right mind , '' Manuel Garrido said . `` He was in a bad accident and hit his head and then got on LSD in high school . That was the end . He went to selling dope . He went crazy . '' Though he has n't spoken to his son for 20 years because they `` did n't get along '' and has never been to the home where his son is accused of holding Dugard , Manuel Garrido said he was n't surprised to hear about accusations . `` I was n't surprised because I know he 's out of his head for God 's sakes , '' he said . `` He was an angel when he was young and it 's a damn shame . '' Phillip Garrido 's father also said his son believes `` he talks to God and he can do things . '' And Garrido apparently maintained a blog where he discussed talking to God and also claimed he could control sound with his mind . Watch more about the blog '' The blog now has profanity-laced responses from people outraged over Phillip Garrido 's alleged actions . Garrido 's blog entries are posted by `` THEMANWHOSPOKEWITHHISMIND . '' He refers to `` God 's Desire , '' which is a church based out of his home in Antioch , according to CNN affiliate KCRA of Sacramento . In a post on August 14 , he writes that during a `` powerful demonstration '' in July in Pittsburg , California , `` the Creator has given me the ability to speak in the tongue of angels in order to provide a wake-up call that will in time include the salvation of the entire world . '' `` You too can witness what the world believe 's -LSB- sic -RSB- is impossible to produce ! '' he writes , providing an e-mail address . `` DO N'T MISS OUT ! '' Several news outlets , including The New York Times , have reported on the blog since the case started making international headlines Thursday . In another blog posting last year , Garrido claims to have a `` new insight that has the potential of helping people who hear voices to possibly stop and re-examine their thinking before committing a violent act on themselves and/or others . '' CNN 's Irving Last , Dan Simon and Randi Kaye contributed to this report . | Phillip Garrido was convicted of abducting woman , keeping her in storage unit . Officials : Garrido and his wife Nancy met while he was in federal prison . Phillip Garrido 's dad not surprised about charges : `` He 's out of his head '' Man accused of abducting girl , 11 , in 1991 apparently maintained blog . | [[0, 47], [58, 218], [800, 916], [0, 47], [58, 218], [1887, 1924], [1909, 1924], [1935, 1957], [2142, 2169], [2505, 2573], [2577, 2650], [463, 536]] |
Miami , Florida -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- He lies in a bed on a balloon-type mattress , to reduce pressure on his burned body . He is covered with bandages ; a ventilator breathes for Michael Brewer because he ca n't do it for himself . He 's hooked up to the marvels of modern medicine that are trying to give the 15-year-old burn victim a chance to be a kid once again . Sixty-five percent of his body is covered with second - and third-degree burns . `` People are writing horror stories ... but people just ca n't imagine the kind of sickness we 're talking about , '' said Dr. Nicholas Namias , medical director of the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital Burn Center in Miami . `` I 've been to movies like everyone else , and Hollywood has n't even thought of something like this , '' Namias said . Brewer is heavily sedated , and the ventilator does not allow him to speak . His open wounds are covered by bandages , which are changed daily . It 's a four-hour process . He has not been able to speak with police since his desperate fight for life began October 12 , when police say five teenage friends , including a 13-year-old , doused Brewer with rubbing alcohol and set him on fire . The attack occurred after Brewer reported to police that one of the youths had stolen his father 's bicycle . Police say the bicycle was stolen because Brewer did not pay one of the boys $ 40 for a video game . According to police , witnesses said the teens called Brewer `` a snitch '' as they used a lighter to set him ablaze . Namias explained how Brewer 's organs are not functioning the way they should be , but that is expected at this early stage of recovery . `` He 's still on the ventilator and advanced modes of mechanical ventilation . We are breathing for him . His contribution to the breathing is trivial , '' Namias said . Namias also explained that in burn cases , words must be chosen carefully when talking about patients and their condition because so much is at risk and so much can change quickly . `` When you say he 's doing OK , in this situation it means he 's alive and responding to treatments , '' Namias said . `` We 're still dealing with the respiratory failure . We 're dealing with infection now and the need to supply the massive amount of nutrition that this person needs to survive . '' On Monday , the five teens who are accused of taking part in the attack appeared separately before judges in Broward County , Florida . State prosecutors were granted additional time to build their case . Formal charges are expected later this month . For now , all five teens are being held in custody . Four of the boys , all 15 years old , could be charged as adults . The 13-year-old also could be charged as an adult but under Florida law only if Brewer dies . Michael Brewer 's parents , Valerie and Michael Brewer Sr. , issued a written statement through the hospital last week . They are not granting interviews . `` The recovery process will be baby steps , but eventually he will be whole again , '' they wrote . But their son 's injuries enter the realm of medicine and science that has no guarantee . `` There 's no evolutionary mechanism to survive a 65 percent burn , '' Namias said . `` Surviving is a miracle of modern medicine and about the technology and the things we do . This is not like a gunshot and you come out of the -LSB- operating room -RSB- , and say everything 's going to be OK , '' he added . `` We never give up , and we never predict it . ... Our expectation is survival . '' Across the hospital floor in the burn unit at Jackson Memorial Hospital , six other people 's lives also are at stake : all victims of various accidents , all with burns similar to Michael Brewer 's . They , too , are trying to regain at least a part of what they used to have . `` It 's understandable that people can be burned in accidents , '' Namias said . `` But this was no accident . This did n't have to happen at all . '' | Police say teens doused Michael Brewer , 15 , with rubbing alcohol and set him ablaze . Attack came after Brewer reported that one boy had stolen his father 's bicycle . 65 percent of Brewer 's body is covered in second - , third-degree burns . Teen suspects appeared before judges Monday in Florida . | [[1142, 1176], [1181, 1198], [1199, 1273], [1251, 1308], [366, 446], [2323, 2332], [2335, 2446]] |
LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The legal battle between Miss California USA pageant officials and former beauty queen Carrie Prejean ended Tuesday with an agreement to drop their claims , according to a pageant spokesman . The pageant has dropped its lawsuit filed last month demanding Prejean repay $ 5,200 given her for breast implants , publicist Kenn Henman said . Prejean , in exchange , withdrew her suit accusing the pageant of violating her privacy by confirming to reporters that her breasts were fake , he said . Details of the agreement were not immediately available , he said Tuesday afternoon . `` We are moving forward from the past and looking towards the crowning of two winners and the new look of the upcoming Miss California USA pageant , '' pageant Executive Director Keith Lewis said in a written statement . The public fight began last April when Prejean , 22 , stepped into controversy by declaring her opposition to same-sex marriage while answering a judge 's question at the Miss USA pageant . Prejean finished as first runner-up . While state and national pageant officials publicly supported her initially , their opinions eventually changed after she continued to make public statements about same-sex marriage . She held onto her crown through May -- despite a series of questionable photos that emerged on gossip Web sites . She was dethroned in June by Miss USA pageant owner Donald Trump amid growing complaints by state officials that she was uncooperative and not meeting her contractual obligations . Prejean filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court in August , claiming that her firing was religious discrimination because of her stand against same-sex marriage . The pageant 's countercomplaint said Prejean 's belligerent behavior , lack of cooperation and contract breaches caused her firing , not her opposition to same-sex marriage . Prejean also claimed pageant officials violated her privacy by acknowledging to reporters that her breasts were fake . The truth about Prejean 's breasts `` ceased being private during the swimsuit competition of the nationally televised Miss USA pageant , in which Ms. Prejean walked the stage in a bikini , '' pageant lawyers said in their countersuit filed in October . State pageant officials say they loaned the money for the breast surgery under an oral agreement with Prejean and she never repaid them . The group also asked a judge to give them any profits from Prejean 's tell-all book due out this month , which they claim was written in violation of her pageant contract . One thing they all agreed on was that Prejean needed bigger breasts if she was to be competitive in the national pageant in April , the pageant 's filing said . `` Ms. Prejean disclosed that she had been thinking about and wanting to have breast augmentation surgery for some time , but did not have the money to pay for it , '' the filing said . `` She felt that if she had the surgery , in her opinion , she would be more competitive for the Miss USA pageant . '' After pageant officials agreed to loan her the money , Prejean underwent breast augmentation in January , the pageant filing said . The court documents gave an inside look at the hostile relationship between Prejean , California pageant officials and Trump . After the Miss USA pageant , `` With her new-found notoriety , an inflated sense of self , and the lure of financial gain available to her , Ms. Prejean turned even further against the Miss California USA organization , abandoned her obligations as the Miss California USA titleholder , and violated multiple provisions of the contract which governed her reign , '' the pageant filing said . | Pageant dropped lawsuit demanding Carrie Prejean repay $ 5,200 for her breast implants . Prejean , in exchange , withdrew suit accusing pageant of violating her privacy . Suit had said Pageant confirmed to reporters that Prejean 's breasts were fake . | [[236, 288], [260, 320], [313, 350], [382, 389], [406, 469], [382, 389], [406, 469], [415, 472], [1902, 1909], [1915, 2020], [458, 496], [502, 523], [1902, 1909], [1915, 2020]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Amid international condemnation after security forces reportedly attacked demonstrators at a peaceful rally , reportedly killing nearly 160 people , the Guinean government said Tuesday most of the victims were crushed in the crowd . Police arrest a protester on Monday near a stadium in Guinea 's capital Conakry during a protest . Reports put the death toll at 157 , with more than 1,200 people injured , U.S. State Department Spokesman Ian Kelly said in a statement Tuesday . Earlier , the United Nations , citing media reports , said at least 58 people died Monday when security forces opened fire to disperse a demonstration at a stadium in the capital , Conakry . `` The United States condemns the Guinean military 's brazen and inappropriate use of force against civilians , '' Kelly said . `` The military also stands accused of carrying out brutal rapes and sexual assaults on women demonstrators and bystanders during its rampage . '' On Tuesday , the African Union expressed its `` grave concern '' about the situation . `` The -LSB- AU -RSB- Commission strongly condemns the indiscriminate firing on unarmed civilians , which left dozens dead and many others injured , while serious other violations of human rights were committed , '' the AU stated . Tens of thousands of people were protesting the rule of Capt. Moussa Dadis Camara , who seized power in a bloodless coup in December , according to U.S.-based Human Rights Watch . The United States demanded the immediate release of opposition leaders and a return to civilian rule , the State Department statement said . Human Rights Watch also condemned the violence against `` generally peaceful demonstrators '' and urged the government `` to hold accountable the security forces . '' It quoted victims and witnesses who said security forces sexually assaulted women at the demonstration and also attacked demonstrators with knives and bayonets . `` Women were raped by soldiers in the stadium . I saw them , '' former Guinean Prime Minister Sidya Touré told the French newspaper Le Monde . Touré led the country from 1996-1999 and was participating in the peaceful demonstration . The government maintained in a statement that `` according to preliminary investigations , most of the innocent victims died as a result of being crushed in the crowd . '' And it blamed `` certain political leaders '' for staging the demonstration despite being asked not to do so and warned that security could not be guaranteed for the gathering . The leaders stormed the stadium , `` breaking down doors and the main entryways , causing much violence that left dozens of victims , including 53 who died by suffocation and four killed by ricocheting bullets , which were recorded that day by authorities working with the Guinean Red Cross and verified by hospital officials , '' the government said . It accused the leaders of looting two police commissaries before the demonstrations , letting prisoners out of jail and stealing weapons . The government said it condemns `` these deliberate acts in violation of the law , and are working to find and bring to justice those responsible for these reprehensible acts . '' The AU noted the violence comes amid serious uncertainties and setbacks in the effort to restore constitutional order to Guinea after the December coup . The AU urged the coup leaders to stick to their vow not to run for office in the January presidential election . The European Union 's foreign policy chief Javier Solana , also condemned the actions of security forces in Conakry on Monday . Solana called `` for the immediate release of the arrested political leaders '' and asked authorities to `` exercise maximum restraint and ensure a peaceful and democratic transition . '' Guinea was thrown into turmoil in December after the death of President Lansana Conte . He was one of only two presidents to rule Guinea , after it gained independence from France in 1958 . Conte came to power in 1984 , when the military seized control of the government after the death of the first president , Sekou Touré . Following his death , Camara seized control in a bloodless military coup and declared himself president of the National Council for Democracy , which he called a transitional body that would oversee the country 's return to democracy . | NEW : Guinean government says most victims were crushed in the crowd . United Nations , citing media reports , said at least 58 people died . African Union expressed its `` grave concern '' about the situation . | [[168, 223], [196, 251], [2258, 2335], [497, 504], [528, 548], [507, 525], [551, 586], [559, 675], [963, 973], [976, 1049]] |
QINGDAO , China -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Another round of toasts and exclamations of `` hajiu '' sounded out around me . I took a sip and set down my small glass of Tsingtao beer as my new friends downed theirs and refilled . Our seafood dinner , perched on the single cluttered table of a tiny antique shop , was punctuated regularly by such moments . A worker operates the giant fermentation units at the Qingdao Brewery plant in Qingdao . I joined in happily , although somewhat bemused , at each increasingly beery celebration of our host , the worldly Captain Jau . My company , a gathering from four regions of China , was engaging me in Chinese drinking etiquette , in the city of Qingdao . A few drinks in the People 's Republic of China led me to discover European delights and other unexpected finds in this modest city . You 'd be forgiven for not knowing where Qingdao -LRB- pronounced Chingdao -RRB- is . The Chinese city in Shandong province does n't roll off the tongue as easily as Beijing , Shanghai , or even Xi'an . The 2008 Olympics gave it a place on the map as China 's sailing hub ; no longer a secret that holiday-making officials could keep for themselves . But my American spell-check does n't recognize it -LRB- which says more about my spell-check -RRB- , and you can still find pre-Cultural Revolution manhole covers . So what is it about this city that seduces the unassuming traveler ? Nestled on the coast of Shandong province , almost exactly halfway between its big sisters , Beijing and Shanghai , Qingdao features as a handy pit-stop on East coast itineraries . It boasts great infrastructure , a charming climate , alfresco eateries , good coffee , sandy beaches , German history , international hotels , a brand new airport and even a famous brewery . Qingdao could pass itself off as a miniature Seattle if it were n't for the fact that pretty much no one outside of the five-star hotels speaks English , and that communism still articulates itself through the tourist beaches , stoically named Number One to Number Six . `` In mainland China , Qingdao 's history is uniquely international ; in fact , more of the city 's cultural identity is wrapped up in its German colonial past than even its prominent role in the emergence of Daoism '' said Eric Blocher , editor of the English-language magazine Red Star . `` The local culture bureau once joked to us that Qingdao is a ` cultural desert ' , because it does n't have the dynastic lineage of Nanjing or Xi'an , or opera for that matter , '' Blocher said . `` But that 's not what makes a city livable , or even fun -- if your office is in downtown , you 're never more than five minutes from a protected beach ; there 's always excellent seafood close at hand ; you can buy China 's best beer fresh , for 10 cents a pound , and walk around drinking it out of a plastic bag . '' Following this key advice , I visited Qingdao during the International Beer Festival in late August , an event aimed largely at a domestic Chinese market . The West knows beer . China does not . The annual Beer Festival aims to change this . While the bright lights and myriad beers flowed , one thing was obvious : this was for the tourists . True Qingdaonese people are fiercely proud of Tsingtao beer , produced just down the road on Beer Street , and little else is drunk here in homes or bars . Pijiu , beer in Mandarin , is hajiu in Qingdaonese , the regional dialect . When in doubt , this does as well for a toast as anything else . Indeed , there is no better way of celebrating an occasion than by toasting the guest of honor with a bag of fresh beer . If I was the guest of honor at Captain Jau 's table , I certainly was n't living up to expectations . Particularly not for my self-appointed etiquette guardian and `` pure Qingdao boy , '' Loukas . As I raised my glass for a sip and Loukas jumped to toast the good weather for the nth time , it all became clear . In Qingdao , a beer glass is never raised without a toast . This serves three -LRB- frankly ingenious -RRB- purposes ; beer is drunk in unison ; beer is n't consumed too rapidly , since constant toasting would ruin conversation ; and everyone finds ways to honor each other for the purposes of toasting . Captain Jau was particularly in favor of the latter as our eccentric host was made subject of most cheers , likewise teaching us the salutations he had learned from the many foreign guests he had cooked for . From the French `` salut ! '' to the German `` prost ! '' to the Turkish `` serefe ! '' Most popular of all was homegrown `` hajiu ! '' Alcohol is enjoyed throughout China . Microbreweries are yet to catch on here like they have in Japan and Singapore . For now Tsingtao holds the monopoly , and Qingdao 's people are n't complaining . The Tsingtao Brewery , founded in 1903 by German settlers , confiscated by the Japanese in 1915 , turned over to state ownership in 1949 and finally privatized in the early 1990s , has witnessed a colorful history . The largest stakeholder , Anheuser-Busch , recently sold majority ownership to Japanese Asahi Breweries . Residents are the first to introduce you to their biggest export . Outside every shop is a barrel or two of Tsingtao , with a ream of clean plastic bags ready to be filled with cheap 3.5 percent beer . Tsingtao beer tastes crisp and sweet -LRB- most likely from rice mixed in to cut down on the cost of barley . It is bought by the pound and weighed to prevent gaseous volume manipulation . A pint , when sold in this method , costs around 1.5 renminbi , or 22 U.S. cents . Beer is a way of life here and has been ever since the Germans arrived and erected tree-lined avenues , red-roofed houses and a brewery . The Germans are gone but the beer stayed . And with it , three hajiu-loving generations tell you about their happy memories . `` When I was little , buying beer was one special job I did for my dad every summer day , '' explained Irene Cheung over a fresh bag of beer . `` I was the little girl proudly and carefully carrying the plastic bag home . '' It is easier to identify Qingdao by what it is not -- smoggy , crowded Beijing , or nightlife hub Shanghai -- than what it is or hopes to be . This may be the very reason why Qingdao remains largely unvisited by the West . And while there may not be much more than good weather , food and beer to keep you content , that may just be enough to hop on the three-hour flight from Hong Kong , or the one hour 20 minute-journey from Beijing or Shanghai . Following Olympic-based investment , more than 3,000 factories have sprung up in the airport suburbs . You can source anything from shoes to jewels to Durex condoms among the largely Korean-owned industries . If these things are n't up your street , head elsewhere ; like functionally named Beer Street , Bar Street , or my personal favorite , Coffee and Tea Craft Street . `` We used to have to put on parties so that there would be material to justify an English-oriented lifestyle magazine , '' editor Blocher said . `` Now we have trouble keeping track ! '' Check out English-language newspaper Red Star , for informative listings and an insight into the growing English-speaking population that has stumbled upon and stayed in Qingdao . | Qingdao is located in northeast China , north of Shanghai . The city hosts a beer festival and is home to distinctive European architecture . The Tsingtao Brewery was founded in 1903 by German settlers . | [[692, 825], [2865, 2890], [2893, 2964], [4792, 4812], [4815, 4849]] |
ISLAMABAD , Pakistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Pakistani forces in the last month foiled a planned attack on the parliament building , the intelligence agency and other federal institutions , the country 's interior minister told CNN Sunday . Pakistan 's parliament building was one target of a planned attack , an official says . In the last four weeks , authorities arrested three men with suicide vests who were plotting to carry out the attacks , said Interior Minister Rehman Malik . Malik would not say exactly when the men were caught . Pakistan is in the midst of an intense military offensive against Taliban militants . The militants are suspected of launching attacks inside Pakistan and in neighboring Afghanistan from their haven in the mountainous tribal region along the northwestern border . On Sunday , a suicide bomber in volatile northwestern Pakistan killed at three people and wounded 15 others , police said . The bombing rocked the Pakistani city of Peshawar , capital of North West Frontier Province . The incident took place when police approached a man acting suspiciously . The man ran away , police chased him and a gunfight ensued . The man ran out of bullets and blew himself up . Two women and seven children were among the injured . Remains of the alleged attacker were found , police said . Five houses were destroyed . The incident follows a car bombing on Saturday in Peshawar that killed two people , including the spokesman for an extremist group called Ansar ul Islam . Two suspects are in custody . Malik said Sunday the government 's anti-Taliban operations will continue during Ramadan , the Muslim holy month considered to be a time of peace . Militants in North Waziristan , part of the tribal region , have said they will observe a unilateral ceasefire throughout the month . `` There will not be a ceasefire during Ramadan . We are not interested in a ceasefire , '' Malik said . `` They have n't kept their commitment in the past . We will continue targeted actions against the Taliban . '' Malik also said the Taliban killed the father-in-law of its leader Baitullah Mehsud and several other relatives , accusing them of leaking information about his whereabouts . 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 claims Mehsud is alive but ill . | NEW : Suicide bomber in northwestern Pakistan kills at least three , authorities say . NEW : Suspect blew himself up after running out of bullets in gunfight , police say . Pakistani authorities say they stopped plot on government buildings . Three men plotted to carry out attacks , says Interior Minister Rehman Malik . | [[801, 810], [813, 886], [801, 810], [813, 863], [891, 908], [1155, 1181], [1155, 1162], [1186, 1198], [12, 36], [75, 125], [185, 235]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A judge has ruled in favor of two Florida school administrators who faced contempt charges for saying a prayer at a school luncheon , according to a group that helped represent them . Rep. Mike McIntyre is one of three members of the Congressional Prayer Caucus backing the school officials . U.S. District Judge M.C. Rodgers ruled Thursday in favor of Frank Lay , principal of Pace High School in Pace , Florida , and school athletic director Robert Freeman , the Liberty Counsel said . Lay and Freeman could have faced up to six months in prison and fines if convicted . They were accused of violating a consent decree banning county school employees from initiating prayers during school events . Ahead of the court proceedings , hundreds of supporters lined the streets outside the federal courthouse in Pensacola , Florida . Many of them carried signs and some sang songs . `` It is ridiculous that these men even had to think twice about blessing a meal , '' Liberty Counsel founder Matthew Staver said in a written statement . `` To criminalize the prayer conflicts with our nation 's founding and guiding principles and goes directly against our constitutionally protected rights . '' But the American Civil Liberties Union , whose lawsuit led to the consent decree , has maintained students have a right to be free from administrators who foist their personal religious beliefs on them . Still , an ACLU representative has said the organization `` never suggested '' people should go to jail for violating the decree , and the organization was not involved in the criminal proceedings . The ACLU filed suit last year against the district on behalf of two Pace students who alleged that `` school officials regularly promoted religion and led prayers at school events , '' according to an ACLU statement . Lay was a party in the initial lawsuit , and his attorney was among those approving the consent decree , according to the organization . In addition , the court required that all district employees receive a copy . But on January 28 , `` Lay asked Freeman to offer a prayer of blessing during a school-day luncheon for the dedication of a new field house at Pace High School , '' according to court documents . `` Freeman complied with the request and offered the prayer at the event . It appears this was a school-sponsored event attended by students , faculty and community members . '' Attorneys from Liberty Counsel have said that attendees included booster club members and other adults who helped the field house project -- all `` consenting adults . '' The case caught the attention of members of the Congressional Prayer Caucus , including the caucus ' founder , Rep. J. Randy Forbes , R-Virginia . He and two other lawmakers , Rep. Mike McIntyre , D-North Carolina , and Rep. Jeff Miller , R-Florida , also members of the caucus , wrote a letter in support of the two school administrators , saying that `` many of America 's Founding Fathers were resolute in their faiths , and the impact of such is evident in the Constitution , the Declaration of Independence , and many of their writings . '' It added , `` The tradition of offering prayer in America has become so interwoven into our nation 's spiritual heritage that to charge someone criminally for engaging in such a practice would astonish the men who founded this country on religious liberty . '' | Two Florida school administrators accused of violating consent order on prayer . They faced possible sentence of up to six months in prison , fine . ACLU sued district on behalf of students who alleged prayer held at school events . Parties agreed to consent decree in January ; ACLU not part of criminal proceedings . | [[49, 82], [87, 150], [592, 718], [592, 596], [610, 718], [507, 591], [1615, 1696], [1679, 1696], [1701, 1794], [1551, 1614]] |
Unheralded American Doug Barron has become the first player to be banned by the PGA Tour for taking performance-enhancing drugs . The 40-year-old has been given a one-year suspension . He is the first professional to fail a drugs test since the PGA and European Tours began their anti-doping programs in July 2008 . `` I would like to apologize for any negative perception of the Tour and its players resulting from my suspension , '' Barron said in a statement on the PGA Tour official Web site www.pgatour.com . `` I want my fellow Tour members and the fans to know that I did not intend to gain an unfair competitive advantage or enhance my performance while on Tour . '' In common with their policy , the PGA Tour did not release details of the drug taken by Barron to fail the test . Barron , who turned professional in 1992 , was a PGA Tour regular for eight seasons , with his best finish a tie for third at the Byron Nelson Classic in 2006 . He has won over $ 3 million but campaigned in recent seasons on the second-tier Nationwide Tour , playing just one event on the main tour this year . He is also reported to have had health problems . The last time Barron captured the headlines was in very different circumstances at the 2006 Transistions Championship in Florida , where he removed his shirt to play a shot out of the water on the 16th hole at Innisbrook . The incident was captured on television and was greeted with amusement by his fellow players . Neither the PGA Tour or the World Anti-Doping Agency -LRB- WADA -RRB- have yet to comment further on the suspension . Golf bowed to pressure from WADA to introduce drug testing in the sport last year . PGA Tour testing is administered by The National Center for Drug Free Sport every week of the season , with all samples analyzed by WADA-accredited laboratories . | Doug Barron becomes the first golfer to be banned for doping by PGA Tour . Barron gets one-year ban for taking unspecified performance-enhancing drug . Barron , 40 , has won over $ 3 million prize money since turning pro in 1992 . PGA and European Tours introduced anti-doping programs in 2008 . | [[0, 129], [36, 129], [0, 129], [130, 184], [789, 795], [802, 829], [950, 977], [241, 315]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- What can 40 goats and 20 cows buy a Kenyan man ? Chelsea Clinton 's love , if you ask Godwin Kipkemoi Chepkurgor . Hillary Clinton says she would let her daughter Chelsea know about a Kenyan man 's unique marriage offer . The Kenyan man first offered the dowry nine years ago to then-President Bill Clinton in asking for the hand of his only child . He renewed it Thursday after Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was asked about the proposal at a Nairobi town hall session . CNN 's Fareed Zakaria , the session 's moderator , commented that given the economic crisis at hand , Chepkurgor 's dowry was `` not a bad offer . '' However , Clinton said her daughter was her own person . `` She 's very independent , '' she said . `` So I will convey this very kind offer . '' Watch Clinton 's response to dowry offer '' The audience laughed , but Clinton 's comments were no joke to Chepkurgor , who described the younger Clinton as a `` beautiful , disciplined and well-natured woman . '' `` Of course I have never met her , but I like her family and how they stick together , '' Chepkurgor told CNN . `` I 've waited for a long time . I 'm still waiting to meet her and express my love for her . '' Chepkurgor operates a small electronics and computer shop in Nakuru , a major city northwest of Nairobi . He may still be waiting for Chelsea , but he 's not exactly single . He married his wife Grace , a college classmate , in 2006 . `` My wife has no problem with this , '' he insisted . `` She listened to the answers given by Hillary and did not complain . '' Polygamy is legal in Kenya , so Chelsea would be Chepkurgor 's second wife . `` Is that allowed in your side of the world ? '' he laughed . In Kenya , a man proposes with dowry for the prospective bride , Chepkurgor explained . He said he stands by his initial livestock offer until someone makes a counteroffer . Chepkurgor , now 39 , first made his intentions known when all three Clintons visited East Africa in 2000 . He wrote a letter to the former president , offering himself as his only child 's suitor . He said he had not expected the secretary of state to address the issue during her visit to Kenya this week . However , he admits his chances might be rather slim . `` Unfortunately , I do n't have their contact information , '' he said . `` I just want to convey my message of goodwill to the Clintons , '' he said . `` And to all of America . '' | In 2000 , Kenyan man offered cows , goats for Chelsea Clinton 's hand in marriage . In recent town hall meeting , Hillary Clinton says she would convey offer to daughter . Godwin Kipkemoi Chepkurgor is already married , says wife would n't mind . | [[169, 181], [190, 240], [241, 360], [1720, 1728], [1731, 1782], [134, 240], [155, 202], [398, 494], [1454, 1486]] |
ISTANBUL , Turkey -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- More than 80 years after his family was ordered from the country , the grandson of one of the last Ottoman sultans was buried Saturday as hundreds of admirers looked on . Relatives carry the coffin of Osman on Saturday after his funeral ceremony in Istanbul . Ertugrul Osman , grandson of Sultan Abdulhamid II and heir to the Ottoman throne , died this week in Istanbul of kidney failure at the age of 97 , after having lived most of his life in exile in a humble third-floor walk-up apartment on Manhattan 's Upper East Side . Osman 's funeral in the garden of the mammoth Sultanahmet Mosque was attended by Turkish state ministers , artists and media glitterati . They lined up to pay their respects to Osman 's widow , Zeynep Osman , herself a descendant of the royal family of Afghanistan . One woman pressed her forehead to Mrs. Osman 's hand in a traditional Turkish show of respect , saying `` I 'm just an ordinary person , but I would like to kiss your hand . '' `` His death marks the passing of an era , '' wrote Jason Goodwin , author of `` Lords of the Horizons , '' which tells the history of the Ottoman Empire , in an e-mail to CNN . `` Osman himself was born into a family that still ruled an empire stretching from the Balkans to the Indian Ocean . He was named after the founder of his dynasty , who lived seven centuries ago . '' During annual campaigns at the peak of its power , the Ottoman Sultan 's army of Janissaries struck fear into the hearts of European monarchs . For 400 years , the Ottomans declared themselves the `` caliphs '' -- spiritual leaders -- of the Muslim world . But the empire declined during the 19th century , eventually suffering a humiliating defeat and partition at the hands of Allied armies during World War I . In 1922 , Mustafa Kemal Ataturk , the founder of the modern Turkish Republic , sent the last Ottoman sultan packing aboard a British warship . Two years later , Ataturk banned the caliphate , declaring Turkey a secular state . Ertugrul Osman , who had played as a boy in the imperial palaces of Istanbul , was sent with the rest of his family into exile . He lived for decades in Europe , then moved after World War II to the United States . Friends say he ran a successful mining business in Chile . They described Osman as a polyglot Renaissance man with a passion for politics and opera and a taste for evening cocktails . Over the years , Osman told reporters he had no interest in assuming the Ottoman throne . In the early 1990s , after more than half a century outside the country , Osman returned to Turkey at the invitation of a Turkish prime minister . Friends say that , prior to getting a Turkish passport in 2004 , he traveled using documents identifying him as an Ottoman citizen . The hundreds of mourners at Saturday 's funeral stunned other surviving members of the Ottoman royal family . One man rushed Bulent Osman , a tall , elderly French-born nephew of the deceased , kissing his hand and crying in Turkish ? `` My prince , we are guilty for how we treated you ! '' `` I am not a prince , '' Osman later explained to a reporter in French-accented English . `` I am quite surprised . It is the first time I have seen such an outpouring . '' The royal family seems to be especially revered by devout muslim Turks , who see the sultan 's descendants as a link to the abolished Islamic caliphate . `` They are our grandfathers , '' said a young man named Fatih , who wore the long beard , turban and robes of a fundamentalist Islamic sect . `` They glorified our religion and brought it to the highest level . '' The funeral was attended by an eclectic mix of mourners -- stylishly dressed members of the royal family who grew up in Europe alongside fervent Islamists , some of whom pushed through the crowd ordering women to move to the back to pray . Hundreds of police officers blocked traffic as Osman was buried in a garden filled with the gravestones of Ottoman pashas and viziers , beside the ornate tombs of his grandfather Sultan Abdulhamid II and another ancestor , Sultan Mahmut II . Osman 's death serves as a reminder of Turkey 's recent , yet often forgotten Ottoman history , said historian Jason Goodwin . `` His funeral may be a catalyst for modern , republican Turkey to overcome its historical amnesia , and come to terms with its own past , '' Goodwin said . | Grandson of one of the last Ottoman sultans was buried Saturday . Ertugrul Osman died this week in Istanbul of kidney failure at the age of 97 . Osman 's funeral attended by Turkish state ministers , artists , media glitterati . | [[104, 195], [297, 311], [380, 441], [104, 195], [565, 702], [3632, 3687]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Emma Watson may have wanted to just blend in when she started her freshman year recently at Brown University , but it seems not everyone has the same idea . `` Harry Potter '' actress Emma Watson is an incoming freshman at Brown University in Rhode Island . The actress , best known for her role as Hermione Granger in the `` Harry Potter '' films , showed up last week at the Ivy League school in Providence , Rhode Island , where new students were treated to orientation activities before the official start of classes on Wednesday . Watson was photographed looking very relaxed in jean shorts and a white T-shirt , but reports are that her introduction to academia has been less than low-key , with much excitement being stirred by her presence . The blog Just Jared reported that while the British actress visited the campus on Friday with her mother and her boyfriend , Jay Barrymore , Twitter user @cupcakenar sent out the following tweet : `` My dad made Emma Watson mad by taking a photo of her going inside the Financial Aid office at Brown . She was with her mom & boyfriend . '' Celebrities furthering their education are not new , but with the advent of social networking sites , stars ' every move can be tracked and reported . When actor James Franco apparently fell asleep during a lecture at Columbia University in New York City earlier this year , a photo snapped by a classmate made the rounds online and prompted many a tweet . Franco , who has appeared in films such as `` Spiderman '' and the critically acclaimed `` Milk , '' was reported to be taking classes at Columbia and New York University while also writing a book . Paparazzi were on high alert when Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen began attending classes at NYU in 2004 . Photos appeared constantly of the tiny twosome -- often with bodyguards in tow -- on their way to and from class after they moved from Los Angeles to New York City for school . Stars such as Julia Stiles , who enrolled in Columbia , and Natalie Portman , who attended Harvard , have tried to be as under the radar as possible while pursuing their education . According to a 2003 article about Portman in the university 's Harvard Crimson newspaper , the `` Star Wars '' actress lived on campus her freshman and sophomore years while pursuing a degree in psychology . Portman told the college publication that she was able to enjoy her time as a student , despite her celebrity status . `` At the beginning of college I was talking to people who were actors who had gone to college , and I heard awful stories about people getting 200 visitors a year knocking on their dorm room , or having awful stalker issues , '' Portman said . `` But I 've not been bothered once , and that 's also thanks to the police here , who have been really wonderful . '' Watson also has been quoted as saying she just wants to be treated as a regular student . `` I do hope that it will be only a short time before I am known as Emma Watson the student from the UK , rather than Emma Watson who starred in the ` Harry Potter ' films , '' Watson said . The `` Harry Potter '' actress is n't the only famous student taking her seat at an Ivy League school this year . The Boston Globe reported that actress Ashley Judd has enrolled in Harvard 's Kennedy School 's Mid-Career Master in Public Administration program and asked officials to take additional measures to ensure her privacy . The paper reported that school officials complied , including having the registrar put a privacy block on Judd 's file to prevent information about the actress from being made public and arranging to have Harvard police present during the program 's coffee breaks . In speaking with the Boston Globe , Brown University 's director of communications Mark Nickel declined to confirm that Watson was a student there , but he did say the school might take extra precautions to protect a young wizard . '' We do whatever we need to do to ensure safety and privacy , and that applies pretty much to all students , '' Nickel said . | British actress Emma Watson participated in freshman orientation at Brown . The `` Harry Potter '' actress ' enrollment at the university has sparked interest . Stars such as James Franco and Natalie Portman have also gone Ivy League . Boston Globe reports actress Ashley Judd asked Harvard to protect her privacy . | [[176, 276], [277, 344], [369, 427], [176, 276], [641, 736], [2004, 2019], [2026, 2042], [3098, 3211], [3212, 3406], [3369, 3430]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Rev. Franklin Graham has arrived in North Korea bearing a gift for North Korean leader Kim Jong Il , the country 's official news agency reported Wednesday . The Rev. Franklin Graham reportedly will oversee the delivery of $ 190,000 in equipment for a dental school . Graham handed the present , which was not identified , to a high-ranking official Wednesday to give to Kim , the Korean Central News Agency reported . Graham , the son of the Rev. Billy Graham and the president of Samaritan 's Purse , arrived Tuesday in North Korea 's capital , Pyongyang , KCNA said . On its Web site , Samaritan 's Purse said Franklin Graham was to meet with high-level government officials and to inspect medical facilities that the organization has installed . `` I believe it is important to make visits like this to help improve relations and to have a better understanding with each other , '' Graham said , according to the Samaritan 's Purse Web site . The group said Graham will visit a hospital and also will oversee the delivery of $ 190,000 in equipment to outfit a dental school that can train up to 70 dentists per year . KCNA reported that Graham said he hoped he could act as a bridge for better relations between the United States and North Korea . The visit marks Graham 's third trip to North Korea . His father visited the country in 1992 and 1994 and met with President Kim Il Sung , Samaritan 's Purse said . His mother , the late Ruth Bell Graham , attended a mission school in Pyongyang in 1934 , the organization said . Later this week , Graham is scheduled to travel to China , where he 'll dedicate a clinic that Samaritan 's Purse built , visit a city destroyed by last year 's earthquake and speak at churches , the organization said . | The Rev. Franklin Graham makes third trip to North Korea . Graham aims for better ties between North Korea and U.S. , news agency says . Son of evangelist Billy Graham to meet with top officials , visit medical facilities . Franklin Graham also set to travel to China . | [[1275, 1328], [124, 180], [400, 441], [1145, 1274], [1164, 1274], [594, 609], [612, 734], [970, 1074], [1554, 1569], [1572, 1610]] |
ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Seydi Burciaga just finished her overnight shift at Sam 's Club , where she worked for the past 10 years . She made her way through the pouring rain in her minivan and turned onto her cul-de-sac in suburban Atlanta . Seydi and Pedro Burciaga were married for 14 years with two children . `` She was a very loving mother , '' he said . She was three-tenths of a mile from home . The mother of two young children never made it . Floodwaters from a swollen creek swept her Nissan Quest from Desiree Drive around 5 a.m. Monday . On a normal day , the creek is only a few feet wide . But days of nonstop rain turned the seemingly harmless waterway into a raging river . It sits at the bottom of a steep hill on a street with no lights . It would 've been nearly impossible to see the swift-moving water or how deep it was in the pre-dawn darkness . Her car was picked up and carried behind an elementary school and lodged in trees . Water was coming in fast , she told a 911 dispatcher . Listen to the frantic 911 call '' `` Please , come help me , '' she says , her voice cracking . `` Please . '' The 911 dispatcher draws silent for a moment . `` Alright , ma'am . Just stay as calm as possible . '' During the next 12 minutes , the dispatcher would try to reassure Burciaga as she elicited clues as to the caller 's exact whereabouts . It was a neighborhood Burciaga knew well . She 'd lived there for the past decade . She was known as the neighborhood mom who would take anyone who needed help to the dentist or the doctor . Fluent in Spanish , she would often act as translator . `` She was a very loving mother , a good wife , a strong woman , '' said Pedro Burciaga , her husband of 14 years . `` She liked helping everyone , and overall she worked very hard . ... She always had a smile for everyone . '' As her life teetered in the balance , she described being near a yellow house and tried to give other details of where her vehicle was . The 911 call was one of more than 400 before daybreak Monday that sent rescue crews through the floodwaters of Gwinnett County , a large suburban county northeast of Atlanta . `` My car is turning . Now the wheels is getting up , and I 'm going to drown , '' Burciaga says . A fire rescue team was at the scene by 5:09 a.m. Police arrived at 5:13 a.m. . She was still on the phone with dispatch . The entire roadway was submerged by 5 or 6 feet of water . Nearby parked vehicles were nearly covered by the rushing water . An outbuilding had been carried from its foundation . Watch how to escape from a sinking car '' `` Listen to me . You 're not going to drown . Roll down your windows , if you 're able to , and get out of your vehicle , '' the 911 dispatcher says . `` I 'm in the back of my car . I do n't know if I can break it , '' Burciaga says . `` Ma'am , if you can break it , break it . Do whatever you can to get out of your vehicle . '' `` Yes , please , but my car is -- '' `` It does n't matter about your car , '' the dispatcher says . `` What matters is your life . We 're going to save your life . '' A few moments later , the waters intensify . `` It 's taking me down now , '' Burciaga says , crying . `` It 's taking you down , '' the dispatcher repeats . `` Just stay on the phone with me . I 'm right here . I 'm gon na stay with you . '' `` Please ! It 's going to drown -- '' `` OK , listen , you 're not going to drown . We 're going to be there for you . Just stay with me , OK ? '' `` OK , OK , '' Burciaga says . Moments later , she shrieks , `` Oh my God ! '' Her voice grows more concerned . Her cell phone goes out at 5:16 a.m. . According to a police report , rescue crews tried to swim into the water to find her , but the waters were moving too fast , and they could n't spot her . After about an hour , the waters receded . Her vehicle was 300 yards away . She was found across the back seats of her minivan . She was dressed in blue jeans , a green shirt and gray tennis shoes . Burciaga , a Mexican immigrant , was to turn 40 on November 18 . She was the mother of a 9-year-old son and a 4-year-old daughter . Her ritual every night was to tuck them in bed before heading off to work . `` She would give them a blessing , a kiss , '' her husband told CNN . Burciaga 's death was one of at least nine in severe flooding that has shut down roads across north Georgia and caused gridlock on Atlanta 's already congested highways . See flood photos across the Southeast '' Her death troubled even the most veteran law enforcement personnel . `` There 's really no words to describe it , '' said Gwinnett County police spokesman David Shiralli . `` We 're here to save lives when we can . When we do everything in our power and we still fail at it , it makes us feel bad . '' On the quiet street where Burciaga lived , residents made a makeshift memorial at the small bridge over the creek . Flowers were placed at the foot of the street ; an angel figurine stood with her hands clasped in prayer . Nearby , shrubbery was flattened , possibly from her vehicle . The creek was back to being a tiny waterway . Residents said it floods often during rainstorms , but they 'd never seen anything like Monday . `` At night when it 's dark and water is covering the road , you ca n't really see it . It 's not the first time it has overran , but it 's never been that high before , '' said Nathaniel Knight , who lived next door to Burciaga for the past five years . Knight was still shaken by her death . `` She 's just a really nice person , a woman that works the night shift . Just so nice . '' He said he felt for her husband : `` This just has to be horrible , just devastating for him . '' A viewing for friends and relatives was held Tuesday evening . In nearby Duluth , her colleagues at Sam 's Club were beginning their night shift , minus their colleague of the past decade . `` We 've lost a valued member of our family , and we will always remember her smile , '' said store manager Annette Gillespie . `` She was an outstanding associate and hard worker , but most importantly , she was our friend . '' Her husband struggled for words . His favorite memory : `` Her smile , how she was with my children . She loved them a lot . She gave them lots of love . '' How so ? `` With kisses , hugs , '' he said , gently . `` Now I 'm destroyed because I 'm going to miss her a lot . '' CNN 's Mallory Simon contributed to this report . | Mother of two gets swept away in floods , pleads for help in 911 call . Rescuers were on the scene as she spoke but could n't locate her . Calm 911 dispatcher : `` What matters is your life . We 're going to save your life . '' Woman was to turn 40 in November ; she had worked at Sam 's Club for 10 years . | [[415, 463], [3775, 3800], [2724, 2752], [3011, 3035], [3036, 3066], [3067, 3099], [89, 92], [109, 143], [4000, 4008], [4033, 4064]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The global economic crisis has caused a spike in world hunger that has left more than a billion undernourished , United Nations agencies said in a new report . The report says the stabilization of financial markets has meant less investment in agriculture , food distribution . `` It is unacceptable in the 21st century that almost one in six of the world 's population is now going hungry , '' said Josette Sheeran , executive director of the World Food Programme . `` At a time when there are more hungry people in the world than ever before , there is less food aid than we have seen in living memory . '' The report by the WFP and the Food and Agriculture Organization was released Wednesday , ahead of World Food Day on Friday . Nearly all the world 's undernourished live in developing countries , according to the report . An estimated 642 million people are suffering from chronic hunger in Asia and the Pacific . An additional 265 million live in sub-Saharan Africa while 95 million come from Latin America , the Caribbean , the Near East and North Africa . The final 15 million live in developed nations . Should developed economies be doing more to eradicate hunger , poverty ? The number of hungry spiked as the global economic crisis took hold and governments pumped resources into stabilizing financial markets . The move meant smaller investments in agriculture and food distribution . `` World leaders have reacted forcefully to the financial and economic crisis , and succeeded in mobilizing billions of dollars in a short time period . The same strong action is needed now to combat hunger and poverty , '' said Jacques Diouf , director-general of the FAO . `` The rising number of hungry people is intolerable . '' The report calls for greater investment in agriculture to tackle long and short-term hunger by making farmers productive and more resilient to crises . `` We know what is needed to meet urgent hunger needs -- we just need the resources and the international commitment to do the job , '' Sheeran said . | World Food Programme : One in six of world 's population is now going hungry . Nearly all the world 's undernourished live in developing countries . Number of hungry spiked as the global economic crisis took hold , report says . Calls for greater investment in agriculture to tackle long and short-term hunger . | [[344, 395], [402, 408], [344, 388], [392, 408], [504, 545], [344, 388], [392, 408], [753, 820], [849, 940], [0, 15], [19, 80], [344, 395], [402, 408], [344, 388], [392, 408], [504, 545], [1208, 1265], [1239, 1279], [1698, 1732], [1753, 1844], [1753, 1807], [1827, 1904]] |
LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Financing for DreamWorks Studios ' partnership with one of India 's richest men was finalized Monday , giving Steven Spielberg and partner Stacey Snider money to resume making movies . From left to right , Steven Spielberg , Anil Ambani , Stacey Snider and Amitahb Jhunjhunwala . The deal with Anil Ambani , chairman of India 's Reliance BIG Entertainment , provides Spielberg 's DreamWorks Studios with $ 875 million , coming from Ambani , the Walt Disney Co. and loans made by a syndicate of banks . Disney will distribute and market about six DreamWorks Studios films around the world each year , with the exception of India , where Reliance will have those rights . Spielberg and Snider found themselves in need of financial partners last year when he cut ties with Paramount Pictures and began rebuilding DreamWorks into an independent studio . Although the deal , which was announced last year , has been characterized in some reports as `` Hollywood meets Bollywood , '' Spielberg and partner Stacey Snider will have creative control over productions . `` This will allow us to move ahead quickly into production with our first group of films , '' Snider and Spielberg said in a joint statement . Reliance BIG Entertainment is part of the Reliance group controlled by billionaire Ambani . `` Our partnership with Stacey and Steven is the cornerstone of our Hollywood strategy as we grow our film interests across the globe , '' Ambani said . `` Given our faith in the business plan that they presented to us and despite the current economic climate , we were always confident that this day would come . Now Stacey and Steven can focus on producing more of the great films for which they are renowned . '' Ambani , whose company owns hundreds of theater screens across South Asia , has also invested development money this year with other Hollywood production companies , including those owned by actors Nicolas Cage , Tom Hanks , George Clooney and Jim Carrey . A DreamWorks announcement said that J.P. Morgan brought together the syndicate of banks to provide about $ 325 million in funding . The banks include Bank of America , City National Bank , Wells Fargo , Comerica , Union Bank of California , SunTrust , California Bank & Trust , and Israel Discount Bank . One of the first movies to go into production will be `` Harvey , '' an adaptation of the play that won a Pulitzer for playwright Mary Chase . The tale about a man and his invisible bunny friend was first made into a movie , starring Jimmy Stewart , in 1950 . Spielberg 's long career as a screenwriter , director and producer has included classic blockbusters `` E.T. : The Extraterrestrial , '' the `` Indiana Jones '' series and `` Saving Private Ryan . '' | Steven Spielberg finalizes partnership with Indian tycoon , gets cash infusion . Partnership with Anil Ambani provides $ 875 million for DreamWorks . Spielberg 's first film planned : remake of classic `` Harvey '' | [[0, 144], [324, 349], [402, 442], [0, 144], [324, 349], [402, 442], [411, 461], [2318, 2341], [2364, 2381]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- It seems no-one in South Africa can fail to be gripped by World Cup football fever . The running , tackling , shooting , offside-appealing proof comes with a clutch of grannies who have been playing in a fiercely competitive league around the Nkowankowa township , 600 kilometers north of Johannesburg . A squad of 35 nans down domestic duties twice a week to take to the field for their team Vakhegula Vakhegula , and compete against seven other teams in the region . Some of them even credit the beautiful game as having turned their lives around . `` I like to play soccer because it helps , '' said Nari Baloyi , who at 47-years-old , clocks in as one of the youngest players . `` We were sick , but now our temperatures , our blood pressures ... have gone down ... even our doctors are amazed when we go for a check-up . '' One of the more elderly members , Nora Makhubela , is convinced that football has given her a new lease of life following the setback of suffering six strokes . `` My life has really changed ... if I were to run with you I would beat you even though I 'm much older , '' she said , throwing down the gauntlet to the likes of Ronaldo , Messi et al. . `` My life has improved because of the football . I wish God could bless the person who came up with this great idea . '' The women contribute around $ 1 a month each for footballs , kit , and travel to the bi-annual regional tournament . Dozens of noisy fans cheer on the players , with the distinctive sound of the vuvuzelas -- a South African trumpet -- creating an atmosphere that would be welcome at any European Champions League tie . Makhubela is hoping her new-found love of the game extends long enough for her to be able to watch some of the matches when the World Cup begins in June . `` I pray every day to God to keep me alive until 2010 . I would really love to watch the games , '' she said . The team was formed three years ago to offer older women a chance to exercise and come together as a group , says community worker Beka Ntsanwisi . `` Some of them could n't even walk properly and if they did something in their free time they would be knitting or sewing and sitting all the time ... here they run , shout , fight with you ... it keeps them young , '' she said . David Maake said his job coaching the team is the best he 's ever had . `` With young boys you need more money to achieve many things ... here , I may come with my stress ... but I will laugh so much until I forget everything , '' he said . The team have even suggested they play a curtain raiser for the main event itself , a brainwave the footballing authorities have said they will give serious thought to . If the women do manage to take part as an hors d'oeuvre to the World Cup proper one thing is for sure , what they lack in skill they will make up for in enthusiasm . | Grannies in a South African township have taken up football . The women have been inspired by World Cup fever in the country . Some women have reported improving health as a result of playing the game . The grannies may play a match as a curtain raiser to the tournament . | [[2526, 2600], [2699, 2785]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Google said Tuesday 's widespread Gmail outage occurred when the company took some servers offline to perform routine maintenance , causing its remaining routers to become overloaded with traffic . Many Gmail users encountered this error message when trying to access their e-mail Tuesday . `` We know how many people rely on Gmail for personal and professional communications , and we take it very seriously when there 's a problem with the service , '' wrote Ben Treynor , a Google vice president of engineering , Tuesday in a 9:59 p.m. ET post on the Gmail blog . `` Thus , right up front , I 'd like to apologize to all of you -- today 's outage was a Big Deal , and we 're treating it as such , '' Treynor wrote . Gmail , Google 's popular free e-mail service , was inaccessible to many of its tens of millions of users for about 100 minutes Tuesday afternoon , prompting widespread chatter on Twitter and other social networks . Gmail 's problems were a top trending topic on Twitter , with users trading updates and posting links to blogs such as Mashable , which published a post called , `` 5 Things to Do While Gmail is Down . '' -LRB- No. 1 : `` Immediately flood Twitter with tweets alternately proclaiming ` Gmail is down ! ' and inquiring ` Is Gmail down ? ' '' -RRB- . `` When something like this used to happen , you would wonder if it was just you , '' Rachel Sklar , editor-at-large of Mediaite.com , told CNN . `` Here , it was immediate that you knew what was going on because of Twitter , and you knew that everyone had the same problems . '' People could n't access Gmail via the Web interface Tuesday because their requests could n't be routed to a Gmail server , Treynor explained . He said Google 's engineers are compiling a list of things they intend to fix or improve as a result of their investigation into the outage . `` We 've turned our full attention to helping ensure this kind of event does n't happen again . Some of the actions are straightforward and are already done -- for example , increasing request router capacity well beyond peak demand to provide headroom , '' he wrote . Gmail had 36.9 million U.S. users in June , according to ComScore , a company that measures Internet use . Gmail remains the third-most popular Web-based e-mail service , after Yahoo! Mail and Microsoft 's Hotmail . CNN Audience Interaction Producer Eric Kuhn contributed to this story . | NEW : Gmail outage occurred when some servers were taken offline for maintenance . NEW : Google says its remaining routers became overloaded with traffic . Google 's free e-mail service suffered widespread outage Tuesday afternoon . Google said Gmail outage lasted about an hour and 40 minutes . | [[31, 180], [151, 216], [19, 65], [31, 180], [738, 743], [746, 752], [786, 883], [1140, 1155], [19, 65], [738, 743], [746, 752], [786, 883]] |
NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An investigation commissioned by the city of New York found private gun vendors selling weapons to buyers who admitted not being able to pass background checks , breaking federal law , a report released Wednesday says . It is illegal for unlicensed sellers to sell a gun if there is reason to think the buyer would fail a background check . The sales were made at seven gun shows in Ohio , Tennessee and Nevada , the report says . Hired investigators with hidden cameras were able to purchase guns from private sellers after announcing to the vendors they could not pass a background check , it says . Nineteen of the 30 private sellers the undercover investigators dealt with failed the integrity test , according to the report . The law does not require private unlicensed sellers at gun shows to do background checks on their customers . However , it is a federal felony for unlicensed sellers to sell a gun if they have a reason to believe the buyer would fail a background check . There were no arrests and no lawsuit were filed . `` Closing the gun show loophole has nothing to do with the Second Amendment , '' Mayor Michael Bloomberg said in a news conference Wednesday . `` It is basic law enforcement , plain and simple . '' He said he does not want to shut down gun shows but to change the law . He cited a 2000 study from the then-Bureau of Alcohol , Tobacco and Firearms saying 30 percent of guns involved in federal illegal gun trafficking investigations are connected in some way to gun shows . The figure is disputed by gun proponents . `` We believe anyone who breaks the law should be arrested , prosecuted and punished , '' the National Rifle Association said in a statement supplied to CNN . `` Instead of working with law enforcement to bring those who may have broken the law to justice , Mayor Bloomberg chose to use this information for a press conference . Bloomberg 's priorities are clearly media first , justice later . '' But Bloomberg has support from some in Washington , including Sen. Frank Lautenberg , D-New Jersey . `` This investigation reveals how easy it is for criminals and even terrorists to purchase firearms at gun shows and is further proof that we must close the gun show loophole , '' Lautenberg said in a written statement . | Sales made at gun shows in Ohio , Tennessee , Nevada , report says . 19 of 30 private sellers in sting failed the integrity test , according to the report . Closing gun-show loophole `` is basic law enforcement , '' NYC mayor says . It `` has nothing to do with the Second Amendment , '' said Mayor Michael Bloomberg . | [[213, 247], [213, 247], [567, 578], [584, 617], [665, 730], [630, 693], [705, 730], [630, 664], [733, 758], [1211, 1259], [1065, 1140], [1143, 1207]] |
BEIJING , China -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Every day , tens of thousands of fertilized hen eggs are delivered to Sinovac laboratories in Beijing . Each egg is infected with the H1N1 virus , then incubated for three days . White-coated employees examine every egg individually before the virus is extracted and used to make a vaccine . Vials of H1N1 vaccine before they are labeled and packaged . Sinovac Biotech Ltd. was the first company in the world to successfully complete clinical trials for an H1N1 vaccine . It was also the first company approved by the Chinese government to produce millions of doses for the public . China is set to become the first country to begin mass inoculations sometime around the beginning of October . According to Sinovac CEO Yin Weidong , the secret lies in years of vaccine research and development . Sinovac was the first and only company ever to create a vaccine for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome -LRB- SARS -RRB- , the worldwide pandemic that left almost 350 people in China dead . The SARS vaccine was never used . By the time it was discovered , the outbreak had subsided . However , the breakthrough has enabled Sinovac to stay ahead of the curve . Watch as the H1N1 vaccine is produced '' `` The SARS vaccine helped us achieve the H5N1 -LRB- bird flu -RRB- vaccine , which helped us get the H1N1 vaccine , '' says CEO Yin Weidong . `` That 's why we could be so fast and be the first . '' Since Sinovac 's success , at least two other Chinese companies and several around the world have also produced H1N1 vaccines . China has reportedly ordered 3.3 million vaccines from Sinovac , 4 million from Hualan Biological and another 3 million from the Shanghai Institute of Biological Sciences . According to Yin , the main challenge for China will be providing enough vaccines for everyone . `` A country with 1.3 billion people needs 1.3 billion vaccines , '' he says . Watch report on China 's inoculation preparations '' The Chinese government has long warned an outbreak of H1N1 could be catastrophic in a massive country with an underdeveloped health system . In recent weeks , the instances of H1N1 infections have risen dramatically throughout the mainland . There have been more than 9,000 cases of the H1N1 virus in China so far , and more than half of them have happened in the last few weeks alone . `` It 's basically affected all provinces of China and we 're worried because of the sheer number of people involved , '' says Vivian Tan , communications director for the World Health Organization in China . `` It 's moving from the urban and coastal areas into more rural remote areas . '' According to the WHO , the rapid acceleration of H1N1 is occurring in part because flu season is starting , the weather is cooling down and school is back in session . More than 80 percent of China 's swine flu cases have occurred in schools or due to school-related activities . China has had perhaps the most extreme and active response to the virus than any other country in the world . For months , masked Chinese officials have boarded international flights upon arrival , checking all passengers ' temperatures and administered health surveys before granting entry . Thousands have been quarantined , including entire flights and school groups . Health authorities have heavily publicized the risks posed by the virus and rolled out a Traditional Chinese Medicine Treatment plan , as an alternative to the vaccines produced by Sinovac and others . Yet , some Chinese citizens remain skeptical that a vaccine is even necessary in the first place . `` It does n't seem like my baby is going to catch the swine flu , '' says one mother at a hospital in central Beijing . `` And what if it affects his health in the future ? I 'm just going to avoid crowded areas . '' Like any vaccine , the WHO has warned the H1N1 vaccine may have negative side effects . Sinovac plans to track and test patients for several years after vaccinations are administered to determine if there are any dangers . Ultimately , in China , the central concern remains that the H1N1 virus itself could expand and spin out of control . According to Tan of the WHO , `` I think one of our biggest fears is that -LRB- the H1N1 virus -RRB- could re-assort with the H5N1 avian flu virus that 's out there , to create this ` superbug ' which is both easily transmissible , quite lethal and quite deadly . '' | Inside the Chinese lab that has created world 's first H1N1 vaccine . Sinovac Biotech Ltd is first company approved by the Chinese government . The company will now produce millions of doses for the public . Sinovac got headstart after creating a vaccine during SARS pandemic . | [[519, 617], [519, 617], [831, 949]] |
-LRB- The Frisky -RRB- -- Even if you 're not going to Fiji or the Maldives , accidentally ending up in a popular honeymooning spot while not actually on your honeymoon is easier than you think , especially with the abundance of all-inclusive deals online . Just because your hotel mates are on a romantic getaway does n't mean they 're not open to company . If watching smooching couples while chilling out with your friends makes you want to puke , no worries . You can still have a blast , even if you 're not traveling with your newly committed soul mate . Relax . You probably chose the fantastic place because you found a great deal to an amazing destination -LRB- much like your cuddling neighbors -RRB- , so take advantage . Hit the spa , do some yoga , swim or make time for the mellow activities that are tough to fit in back home . While you probably wo n't meet the guy of your dreams lying motionless in a mud wrap , you 'll be Zen enough to have a new outlook once your return home . Do n't underestimate the locals -LRB- or the ex-patriot -RRB- . There 's nothing better than getting to know a place by hanging out with people who can tell you more than a guidebook about the area 's culture and hidden gems . Have a glass of wine and chat up the bartender -LRB- or the person with the best English if you 're abroad -RRB- or find out about an area of town where the ex-patriots live . Especially if you 've been away from home for a long time , an American omelet or bagel can keep you smiling . Make friends . Just because your hotel mates are using the vacation as a romantic getaway does n't mean that they are not open to meeting others on their travels . There 's a chance you 'll end up chatting with a couple who bores you with the details of their wedding , but you might luck out and make a few friends -LRB- who perhaps will save you seats at the breakfast buffet the next morning -RRB- . Plan activities . Jet skiing , para-gliding , R.V. treks -- take advantage of all the offerings , that way you 'll have fun and burn some of the calories you 've packed on by sipping cocktails on the beach all day . Besides experiencing new things , you may run across others who have unknowingly booked the same Travelocity deal without any romantic intentions . Come prepared . With portable board games , books , cards and an unlimited amount of iPod-fueled music , keeping busy in a honeymoon spot can seem a bit like summer camp -LRB- but with booze -RRB- . Use the time a couple might spend in their room getting busy to work on your Scrabble skills , or catch up on all the new music you 've downloaded but have yet to hear . And if you forgot your iPod , do n't like spas , and ca n't find anyone in the entire city who is n't newly married and in love , you and your travel-mates can always place bets on which honeymooning couple will be the first to break up . TM & © 2009 TMV , Inc. | All Rights Reserved . | It 's easy to accidentally wind up in a popular honeymoon spot while traveling . Hit the spa , do some yoga or swim , author suggests . There 's nothing better than getting to know a place by hanging out with locals . Author : Come prepared with board games , iPod music , etc. . | [[0, 22], [78, 131], [733, 736], [747, 787], [733, 744], [762, 766], [775, 805], [733, 744], [770, 805], [1062, 1141], [2279, 2294], [2295, 2381], [2384, 2416]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The longest solar eclipse of the century cast a wide shadow for several minutes over Asia and the Pacific Ocean Wednesday , luring throngs of people outside to watch the celestial spectacle . A woman looks through a refractor telescope with a solar filter on top of the roof of a school in Hong Kong . Day turned into night . Temperatures turned cooler . The total eclipse could be seen starting in India on Wednesday morning and moving eastward across Nepal , Bangladesh , Bhutan , Vietnam , China and parts of the Pacific . Millions cast their eyes towards the heavens to catch a rare view of the sun 's corona . Cloud cover in some areas prevented people from fully savoring the phenomenon . Still , many were awed . Tim O'Rourke , a 45-year-old freelance photographer from Detroit , Michigan , lives in Hong Kong but traveled up to Shanghai -- touted as one of the best spots to watch the eclipse . . Watch the scene in Shanghai as day turns into night '' `` It was pitch black like midnight , '' said O'Rourke , standing in People 's Square with what appeared to be a crowd of thousands . Read blog on CNN reporter 's first eclipse experience . `` Definitely not disappointed we came . Of course it would have been much better with nice weather , blue skies . But still it was a great experience , it was a lot of fun . '' he said . Total eclipses occur about twice a year as the moon passes between the Earth and the sun on the same plane as Earth 's orbit . Wednesday 's event lasted up to more than six minutes in some places . Send us your photos of the eclipse . Generally considered an inauspicious day in India , thousands took a dip in the Ganges River in the Hindu holy city of Varanasi to cleanse their souls , CNN 's sister station CNN-IBN reported . It was sunny skies in Hong Kong , where students , parents and the elderly flooded a primary school to watch the eclipse in the southern Chinese enclave . The local astronomy society gave a presentation on how an eclipse happens and children climbed up ladders to look through two large telescopes on the school roof -- packed with skygazers -- to catch a glimpse of the moon moving across the sun . Read blog on Mother Nature conducting grand eclipse show Others looked through binoculars covered with solar filter paper or through a large rectangular block labeled `` Large Solar Filter , '' where they could take pictures of the moon moving over the sun . Astronomy enthusiast Louis Chung , 13 , brought his teacher to the school to witness the eclipse . `` City folks would n't usually be able to see this . Nature is wonderful . It is awesome to know that nature can provide such spectacular sights , '' said Chung , a member of the Hong Kong Astronomical Society . `` Nature is incredible , and there is too much we do n't know about , '' said another Hong Kong local , Yee Ping , a journalist for a financial newspaper . `` We try to know more and see by our own eyes so we can feel the power of nature . '' Richard Binzel , an astronomer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology , said the total eclipse will first be visible at sunrise in India and about four hours later just east of Hawaii . A partial eclipse will be visible as far south as northern Australia and as far north as Siberia , he said . In some cultures , legends and folklore surrounds eclipses . Watch as eclipse-watchers head to China '' In India , an eclipse is considered inauspicious . Women forbid pregnant daughters-in-law from going outside out of the belief that their children could be born with marks . Some temples wo n't offer any prayers on the day of an eclipse -- such as the one next to the planetarium in Mumbai , which said it wo n't even light a stick of incense . In Chinese tradition , there is a story about a heavenly dog eating the sun . As the story goes , people would make noise to scare off the dog and rescue the sun , said Bill Yeung , president of the Hong Kong Astronomical Society . `` In ancient China , we shared the same impression with our Indian friends that a solar eclipse was not a good thing , '' he told CNN . Read blog on how eclipse-chasers are gambling on weather . Some of the more unusual ways to see Wednesday 's eclipse include a cruise ship that will travel along the centerline off Japan and from aboard a 737-700 chartered plane in India . More conventional viewing parties in Shanghai had been planned along the beach , in a park and in skyscrapers . A music festival has been organized in Japan 's Amami island , with more than 6,000 people expected , and Japanese television has shown rows of tents set up on Akusekijima island . The witnesses of the eclipse will range `` from the farmer who only knows legends of eclipses and may not know this is happening at all to the world 's experts who have come specifically to the Shanghai region to make the most detailed scientific analysis possible , '' added Binzel , the MIT astronomer . CNN 's Emily Chang , John Vause , Nishi Kumar , Yoko Wakatsuki , Stephanie Akiko Haschke , Harmeet Shah Singh and Mallika Kapur contributed to this report . | Event is longest of 21st century , astronomers predict it would last over 6 minutes . People in parts of Pacific Ocean , China and India able to get full view . Chinese city of Shanghai touted as one of the best spots to watch the eclipse . Some unusual watching events include a cruise , plane trip and a music festival . | [[1484, 1554], [374, 444], [374, 391], [449, 544], [855, 863], [867, 898], [884, 921], [924, 978], [3363, 3405], [4179, 4208], [4237, 4359], [4472, 4532]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- British soldier Phil Packer was told a year ago that he would never walk again , but on Saturday he finished the London Marathon . Londoners applaud Maj. Phil Packer , who was told he 'd never walk again . He completed the race 13 days after it started , walking on crutches for two miles a day -- the most his doctor would allow -- in order to raise money for charity . Flanked by cheering soldiers and supporters , an obviously emotional Packer had defied medical opinion after his lower spine was badly injured in the aftermath of a rocket attack on his base in Basra , Iraq , in February 2008 . The attack sent a vehicle rolling down a sand bank , striking Packer `` head on '' and dragging him under it . The 36-year-old was left with no feeling or motor control in his legs , and no bladder or bowel control . Watch more on soldier 's battle '' Packer was in hospital for more than four months and it was then he decided to complete three challenges to help raise # 1 million -LRB- $ 1.5 million -RRB- for Help for Heroes , a British charity supporting wounded veterans . In February he rowed the English Channel , and next month he plans to climb El Capitan -- one of America 's iconic mountaineering sites -- a 3,000-foot vertical rock formation in California . Packer , who was met at the marathon finish line by British Olympian Steve Redgrave , said that he was # 370,000 -LRB- $ 558,000 -RRB- short of his goal but he was hoping for more donations . Dressed in a white charity T-shirt and desert fatigues , he was emotional . `` It 's looking after our injured servicemen , '' he said . `` There 's a lot of people that ca n't do this , so this is for them . '' Earlier this week he told CNN that he `` wanted to be able to move on in life . '' `` I wanted to do something for other personnel who had been wounded . `` I do n't want to be helped . I want to help other people . Not that I 'm not grateful , but ... you know ... I really want to be able to help people . '' He attributed being back on his feet to `` fantastic medical support '' from Britain 's Ministry of Defense and National Health Service . `` So many improvements are being made '' in medicine , he said . `` It 's an evolving process . '' Watch more on Phil Packer '' However , he did not know whether he would be able to walk without crutches . `` I got ta see how it goes . Take every improvement as it comes . '' Packer is far from alone ; the six-year war in Iraq has disabled thousands of people . Britain 's Ministry of Defense did not respond to a CNN question about how many service members had been permanently disabled in the war . In the United States , the Congressional Research Service reported in March that 31,131 troops had been wounded in Iraq . That figure is for battlefield injuries ; many more veterans were later diagnosed with some sort of traumatic brain injury , but it is difficult to determine an exact number because of how the data is kept . It 's not clear how many of the injuries are permanent because the Department of Veterans ' Affairs does not classify some disabilities that way until 10 years after the injury , said Ryan Gallucci of AmVets , a veterans ' service organization . Statistics for Iraqis are even harder to come by . Estimates of the number of wounded range from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands . Iraq 's Ministry of Heath says one in four wounded Iraqis have lost at least one limb . Britain 's Prince Charles is among those who have expressed support for Packer . `` You are , if I may say so , a credit to the Royal Military Police and to the British Army as a whole , '' the heir to the British throne wrote in a letter posted on Packer 's Web site , http://www.philpacker.com/ . Packer is still on active duty and intends to remain so . `` I 've still got a career in the armed forces . I 'm going to go back to it . '' He has 16 years of service under his belt , including time as an enlisted man before he went to officer training school and is , he noted with a rueful laugh , 20 years from retirement . He 's been asked to be an ambassador for Prince Charles ' charity , the Prince 's Trust , which focuses on helping young people , in addition to his life in what he calls `` the disability community . '' After his two-week effort , Packer was asked whether he would be relaxing in a warm bath . No , he said , `` I 'm going to have a drink . '' And with that , the army major lifted a shot glass and toasted his supporters . CNN 's Richard Greene contributed to this report . | Phil Packer , 36 , was wounded in the aftermath of a rocket attack in Iraq . He walked on crutches for two miles a day to finish the London Marathon . He finished the marathon Saturday , 13 days after everyone else . | [[453, 613], [121, 166], [242, 244], [291, 330], [121, 166], [242, 288]] |
-LRB- OPRAH.com -RRB- -- Lust , love and like . A healthful , happy love relationship serves up three out of three . A healthful , happy love relationship is a passionate best friendship . Modern women could learn a few things about love and seduction from Scheherazade . Many women think men only care about the lust angle -- finding a hot bod for hot sex . Unfortunately , there are many men who do only care about this . In my book `` Prince Harming Syndrome , '' I explain how relationships that are too focused on sex wind up being what my favorite philosopher buddy Aristotle called a relationship of pleasure -- where you find a sex-mate or a relationship of utility -- where you find an ego-mate or wallet-mate . However , a healthful , happy love relationship is what Aristotle calls a relationship of shared virtue -- when you find a soul mate . Where you each get one another at your core , inspire and support each other to grow into your best possible selves . A relationship of shared virtue is where you feel the whole triumvirate : lust , love and like . Meaning ? If you want to fully seduce a man , then you 've got to know how to grab a man by more than his you-know-what . You must truly turn on a man 's soul ! Oprah.com : 5 things that make you sexy . If you sleep with a man before you feel safe knowing you connect on a soul-to-soul level , the relationship might start off hot -- but like steam into air , it will rise quickly then -- pfffft -- vanish into vapor . Or worse , you 'll wind up getting burnt . This is so important to prioritize , that I 'm repeating this reminder in bold italic letters : If you ca n't stimulate a man in more areas than from the waist down , you will only be attracting a relationship of pleasure or a relationship of utility . And this man will not remain your man for long . One of my favorite quotes about love comes from the book `` The Little Prince '' : `` It 's only with the heart that one can see rightly ; what 's most important is invisible to the eye . '' I love that the Little Prince recognized that the heart -LRB- another metaphysical word for soul -RRB- is the best lens for love -- making this Little Prince a major Prince Charming . Seduction Tip 1 -LRB- in bold italics so you recognize it is crucial to remember -RRB- : If you want to be a man 's Princess Charming , you MUST do more than work on tightening your buns or boosting up your boobs ! You MUST tap into what I call `` The Scheherazade Effect . '' Oprah.com : What to do before you can find love . Remember the tale of Scheherazade and her 1,001 nights ? Scheherazade was absolutely a Princess Charming who knew how to grab and stimulate her king 's soul . Voilà ! The CliffsNotes on Scheherazade : . There once was a king who got very bored with the women in his life very quickly . He would marry a new virgin , `` shtup '' her , then send her pretty self away pretty much immediately ... to be beheaded . Talk about a bad breakup , huh ? And talk about a King Harming , huh ? Anyway , this king killed thousands of women by the time he finally met the enchantingly different Scheherazade . What made Scheherazade enchantingly different ? Scheherazade loved to read books and had lots of fascinating ideas and interests to share . Wisely educated in morality and kindness , she had a passion for poetry , philosophy , sciences and arts . She kept the king on the edge of his bed -- not with mere alluring sexual positions -- but with alluring stories to be told , each more exciting than the next . And so the king kept Scheherazade alive -- eagerly anticipating each new tale -- until , lo and behold , 1,001 adventurous nights passed -- along with three sons -- and the king not only learned to love Scheherazade , but he made her his queen . Talk about living happily ever after , huh ? The lesson learned ? It 's very seductive to a man when you , as a full-bodied and full souled woman , have passions in your life you can share to keep him inspired , titillated , growing and thriving . Seduction Tip 2 -LRB- again in bold italics so you recognize it is crucial to remember -RRB- : The more passions you have in your life , the more passion your man will have for you ! Oprah.com : 4 steps to finding your passion . My friend David told me he fell in love with his wonderful wife of 13 years because he adored her `` world lens '' -- all the interesting perspectives she shared about life , all her passionate insights and enthusiastic talents . David 's idea of love is being turned on by how his paramour looked at the world , instead of simply focusing on how she looked to the world . Which is why David is a 3-D Prince Charming who 's found his Scheherazade . Unfortunately , I believe too many women feel that the best way to catch a guy is with the bait of their -LRB- to word it politely -RRB- `` vajayjay . '' But if that is the main lure for love , then why are n't little `` vajayjay icons '' found on Valentine 's Day cards ? I 'm kidding -- but I am serious ! If you sleep with a man too soon , you risk being dizzied by an `` oxytocin high , '' and you will not know until you 're already emotionally entrenched if the two of you have a true soul-nurturing connection . Plus , even in this modern world , you also risk the man respecting you less if you give sex away too quickly . It 's timeless psychology . The harder you are to win , the bigger your estimated prize value . Many men do not want to belong to a club that has touched their members too quickly . It 's the ol' Dr. Ejaculate/Mr . Hide Syndrome . As soon as the man comes , he 'll want to go . Seduction Tip 3 -LRB- back to bold italics one last time for good measure -RRB- : If you ever wan na hear `` I do , '' you have to start off saying a lot of sexual `` I do n'ts . '' For this reason , I recommend to the women I coach that they do not drink alcohol on dates . Staying alcohol-free will help ensure you clearly `` hear '' who a guy is , not simply `` see '' who he is . You do n't want to be hypnotized by superficial qualities , like his looks and wealth . Plus , being alcohol-free will help make sure you do n't move too swiftly forward physically -LRB- a.k.a. it will ensure you keep your vajayjay in your skirt ! -RRB- . Meaning ? My overall big seduction tip for luring in healthful , happy relationship is to STOP trying to be seductive ! If you focus too much on seducing a man with your body and beauty , you will only be luring in a man with your body and beauty . If you want to wisely be in a lust , love and like relationship of shared virtue , it 's far more important that you excite a man 's soul . Oprah.com : How to get lucky in love and life . Subscribe to O , The Oprah Magazine for up to 75 % off the newsstand price . That 's like getting 18 issues FREE . Subscribe now ! TM & © 2009 Harpo Productions , Inc. . All Rights Reserved . | Scheherazade kept her head on her shoulders by keeping her king interested . Her 1001 stories seduced his mind and soul . Relying on physical seduction often leads to heartbreak than happiness . Expert : If women want to hear `` I do '' they need to say `` I do n't '' many times . | [[2622, 2641], [2646, 2695], [2622, 2641], [2646, 2695]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama said Friday he spoke with the police officer who arrested a Harvard professor and told the officer he did not mean to malign the Cambridge Police Department when he said police acted stupidly . President Obama on Friday explains to reporters the details of a phone conservation with Sgt. James Crowley . The president acknowledged that his words `` helped to contribute to ratcheting '' up the situation when he criticized the manner in which Sgt. James Crowley arrested professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. . `` I unfortunately gave an impression that I was maligning the Cambridge Police Department or Sgt. Crowley specifically , '' Obama told reporters . `` I could have calibrated those words differently , and I told this to Sgt. Crowley . '' Watch Obama describe talk '' Obama spoke about two hours after police unions in Massachusetts called on him to apologize . He did not apologize for his remark but repeated that he believed his choice of words was unfortunate . He reiterated his assertion that he believes police overreacted , but said Gates `` probably overreacted as well . '' `` My sense is you have got two good people in a circumstance in which neither of them were able to resolve the incident in the way that it should have been resolved , '' he said . Obama also spoke briefly with the arrested professor , Henry Louis Gates Jr. , who is a friend of the president , the White House reported . He and Gates had a `` positive discussion '' about his call to Crowley on Friday afternoon , the White House said . Obama also invited Gates `` to join him with Sgt. Crowley at the White House in the near future . '' In an e-mail Friday to CNN 's Don Lemon , Gates wrote , `` I was very pleased that the president called me today , and I was pleased that he proposed that I meet with Sgt. Crowley at the White House , since I had offered to meet with him since last Monday . `` I am eager for this to be used as a teaching moment to improve racial relations in America , '' said the e-mail . `` This is certainly not about me . '' His attorney , Charles Ogletree , told Lemon that he applauds Obama 's intervention and `` I look forward to working this out with all parties amicably . '' Asked if he plans to file suit , Ogletree said , `` It depends on the response from everyone involved as to how we 'll proceed . '' Earlier Friday , police unions said Obama should apologize to members of the Cambridge Police Department for saying they acted stupidly , the president of a city police union said . Watch African-American colleagues defend Crowley '' Dennis O'Connor , president of the Cambridge Police Superior Officers Association , also took aim at Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick , who reportedly has characterized the arrest as `` every black man 's nightmare and a reality for many black men . '' Echoing the words of Crowley , O'Connor said he was dismayed that the president and governor would opine on the issue without all the details . `` It 's noteworthy that both qualified their statements by saying they did not have all the facts , '' O'Connor said as members of his and another police union stood behind him . `` Usually , when one hears those words , one would expect the next words to be ` so I can not comment . ' Instead , both officials , both admitted friends of professor Gates , proceeded to insult the handling of this case . '' He further said Cambridge police resent the implication they allowed race to dictate their actions in the situation . `` We hope that -LSB- Obama and Patrick -RSB- will reflect upon their past comments and apologize to the men and women of the Cambridge Police Department , '' O'Connor said . Steve Killian , president of the Cambridge Police Patrol Officers Association , also called on Obama to apologize to `` all law enforcement personnel throughout the entire country that took offense to this . '' Crowley previously said Obama had offended police in Cambridge and elsewhere . `` I was a little surprised and disappointed that the president , who did n't have all of the facts by his own admission , then weighed in on the events of that night and made a comment that really offended not just officers in the Cambridge Police Department but officers around the country , '' Crowley told CNN affiliate WHDH-TV in Boston . Obama said earlier he was `` surprised by the controversy surrounding '' his comments . `` I think it was a pretty straightforward commentary that you probably do n't need to handcuff a guy , a middle-aged man who uses a cane , who 's in his own home , '' Obama told ABC 's `` Nightline . '' Watch Crowley 's boss defend the arrest '' When Obama waded into the story by answering a question about it during his news conference Wednesday night , he admitted that he `` may be a little biased '' because Gates is a friend . `` I do n't know all the facts , '' he also conceded . He said he did not know what role race played , but `` the Cambridge police acted stupidly in arresting somebody when there was already proof that they were in their own home . '' iReport.com : Arrest sparks debate . But during his Friday remarks , Obama said he hoped the controversy surrounding Gates ' arrest provides Americans with `` a teachable moment '' on how they can improve `` relations between police officers and minority communities . '' Crowley , in the police report about the incident , said Gates refused to cooperate with him and repeatedly accusing him of racism when he went to Gates ' home following a report of a possible break-in July 16 . Crowley said he tried to determine whether there was someone else at the home and wanted to ensure Gates ' safety . Gates , however , told him `` that I had no idea who I was ` messing ' with '' and was being so loud , the sergeant said , that he could not give pertinent information to the department when he was calling in . Authorities have said they may release tapes of the officer calling in , in which Gates is heard in the background . Crowley 's report said that when he asked to speak with Gates outside , the professor at one point responded , `` I 'll speak with your mama outside . '' Watch Crowley 's response '' Gates ' attorney , Charles Ogletree , said the professor never made such a remark . The full story will show that Gates did nothing wrong -- and that Crowley did not identify himself at first , Ogletree said . Gates said Wednesday he would listen to Crowley `` if he would tell the truth about what he did , about the distortions that he fabricated in the police report . I would be prepared as a human being to forgive him . '' Crowley has said he will not apologize . The police incident report states that Crowley twice provided his name to Gates , who subsequently asked for it two more times . Gates ultimately was arrested for disorderly conduct , but the department later dropped the charges . Cambridge police Commissioner Robert Haas said he `` deeply regrets '' the arrest but stands by the procedures his department followed . `` I trust -LSB- Crowley 's -RSB- judgment implicitly . He is a stellar officer , '' Haas said . Haas added the department is `` very proud about its diversity within this community and how hard we 've worked over the years to build a strong , solid relationship -LSB- between -RSB- the department and the community . '' Haas said he agreed with Crowley about Obama 's remarks . `` I have to tell you the officers take that very personally and basically feel hurt by that comment . We truly are trying to do the best service we can to the community and sometimes we make mistakes . We 're human . But we learn from those mistakes and we move on , '' he said . Black in America 2 : Does racial profiling still take place ? Numerous police officers , including African-Americans , have spoken up on Crowley 's behalf and portrayed him as a good and fair officer . Crowley , who is white , had once been chosen by a black police officer to teach a police academy course on ways to avoid racial profiling . Obama said he had heard of Crowley 's record , saying , `` I do n't know all the extenuating circumstances , and as I said , I respect what police officers do . From what I can tell , the sergeant who was involved is an outstanding police officer , but my suspicion is probably it would have been better if cooler heads prevailed . '' Gates ' legal team argues that authorities are misrepresenting the professor and the officer , and Gates has said he is determined to keep the issue alive despite the charges being dropped . `` This is not about me ; this is about the vulnerability of black men in America , '' he said this week . Ogletree said Gates may bring forward people who say they 've had similar experiences with Crowley . When asked for examples , Ogletree said only that they may come out in time depending on how the police department handles the situation moving forward . `` I think you will be hearing much more complex and different perspective on him -LSB- Crowley -RSB- in the coming days and weeks , '' Ogletree said , alleging that Crowley `` is well-known among people , particularly young people , for some of his police practices . '' Gates has no immediate plans to file a lawsuit against the department , the attorney said . Ogletree had said earlier Gates might sue the police . CNN 's Joe Johns and Don Lemon contributed to this report . | NEW : Gates eager for incident to be `` teaching moment '' to improve racial relations . President says he hopes incident provides `` a teachable moment '' Attorney says professor has no immediate plans to sue Cambridge police . Union asked Obama to apologize to `` all law enforcement personnel '' offended . | [[1949, 1985], [1968, 1978], [1986, 2024], [1949, 1985], [5140, 5165], [5168, 5230], [9211, 9280], [852, 911], [3533, 3686], [3708, 3721], [3793, 3887], [3919, 3997], [3943, 3997]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- After hours of back and forth between members , the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America decided Friday evening to accept noncelibate clergy members and lay leaders who are in `` lifelong '' and `` monogamous '' same-sex relationships . Previous Evangelical Lutheran Church policy allows gay and lesbian clergy , lay people to serve only if celibate . One of the country 's largest Protestant denominations , the Lutheran church approved four recommendations to its ministry 's policies that underscore a new approach to homosexuality . While the recommendations passed at the weeklong Churchwide Assembly in Minneapolis , Minnesota , do not address recognizing same-sex marriage or civil unions , they do allow congregations to support same-sex relationships among their members and allow individuals in same-sex relationships to hold clergy positions . The previous policy of the 4.6-million member church allowed gay people to serve as members of professional rosters only if they were celibate . Some members argued prior to the vote that the change would fly in the face of religious teachings . `` Brothers and sisters , I ask you , before you dig yourselves deeper into this hole , if you are so absolutely certain that these behaviors are not sinful that you are willing to place yourselves and this church at the spiritual risk that comes from encouraging sin , '' said the Rev. Steven Frock of the Western Iowa Synod . Among those on the other side was Alan Wold of the Northern Illinois Synod . `` If according to some I am going to be in err for supporting this ... Let me err on the side of mercy , grace , justice , and love of neighbor . Let me err on the side of gospel , which makes all things new . '' Many feared the emotional debate could tear at the unity of the church . So the members voted to re-order their resolutions -- moving to the top a resolution that the church `` commit itself to bear one another 's burdens , love thy neighbor , and respect the bound consciences of all . '' It passed with overwhelming support . Other religious denominations , including Episcopalians and Unitarians , have made moves to accept gay clergy , and Evangelical Lutherans would not be the first to accept those openly in same-sex relationships , said David Masci , a senior researcher at the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life . But ELCA would be the largest to make such a move . The church is the third largest Protestant denomination , representing 2 percent of the U.S. population , according to the Pew Forum . The battle Friday was the latest in what Masci said many `` socially moderate '' denominations , including those in Judaism , are grappling with : balancing the growing acceptance of same-sex relationships with traditional teachings . As some have moved toward accepting same-sex relationships , within those same denominations `` you see more conservative wings that are pushing back against it , '' said Masci . On hand for Friday 's debate were hundreds of `` interested parties '' -- including some people who are not members of the church , said John Brooks , ELCA spokesman . When asked whether there had been protests or rallies on either side outside the convention site , he responded , `` Interestingly , no . '' In the convention hall , Brooks said , `` The debates have n't been rancorous or mean-spirited in any way . They 've been quite civil . But people have been passionate with their feelings . '' The Rev. Terri Stagner-Collier of the Southeastern Synod said a vote in favor of the resolutions would cause members of her own family to leave the church . Her sister `` felt her church was being ripped away from her , '' Stagner-Collier said tearfully , adding , I urge you not to do this to all of those people in the pew and in my family . '' Sara Gross of the Oregon Synod said some `` dear members '' of the church will be lost if the resolution passes . But , she said , `` A vote to reject this recommendation sends a message to the world saying ` not all are welcome . ' '' In a `` changing world , '' Gross argued , the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America `` needs to be a voice that stands up and says ` yes . ' '' CNN 's Josh Levs contributed to this report . | Evangelical Lutheran Church to accept gay clergy in lifelong relationships . New policy would allow them to serve if in monogamous relationships . Previous policy allows gays , lesbians to serve as clergy , lay leaders if celibate . | [[67, 109], [174, 257], [258, 331], [258, 301], [334, 372]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- David Michaelis ' new biography of Charles M. Schulz explores the man behind `` Peanuts , '' the comic strip that has delighted readers for decades . CNN.com appealed to fans out there to say what Linus , Lucy and Charlie Brown meant to them . Joy Hernandez has collected stuffed Snoopys since she was young ; her dog , Dottie , is a Snoopy doppelganger . Readers responded with tales of bonding with family members while reading `` Peanuts , '' even meeting Schulz and finding inspiration and companionship in the strip 's characters . Below is a selection of responses , some of which have been edited for length and clarity : . Elise Marrion of Midland , Texas My grandmother always loved `` Peanuts , '' and across the generations , that was one of the things we shared . When I was 7 years old , I spent a summer with her in Denver and every morning , I raced to find `` Peanuts '' in the comics section . A retired teacher , Grandma always made me read at least one front-page news story before I was allowed to read the comics . That task turned into a great love of newspapers , and it inspired me to pursue a career in journalism . Sadly she passed away before I received my degree , but I still keep her Peppermint Patty doll to remind me of her and our times reading `` Peanuts '' together . Kimberly Mercier of Santa Rosa , California The `` Peanuts '' characters were more like friends , when I was growing up . Woodstock and Snoopy were always my favorites , even today . I spent many years ice skating in Santa Rosa as a child and would often see Charles Schulz there at his favorite table in the Warm Puppy Cafe in front of the fireplace . Sometimes , we got to watch him and his `` senior '' team play broomball on the ice . They enjoyed themselves so much . Mr. Schulz was always kind and friendly to me , and when I became an adult with sons of my own , he treated them with equal kindness , a warm smile and hello . We have the loveliest memories of the `` Peanuts '' characters and their creator , a beloved man in our town . Susan Clifton of Chalfont , Pennsylvania This is more a comment on Mr. Schulz than the `` Peanuts '' characters . I was in my early teens and a huge hockey fan . I loved the `` Peanuts '' programs and coloring books and my parents told me that Charles Schulz was a big hockey fan , too . I wrote him a letter telling him of our shared interest , and before I knew it , I received a personalized letter , along with two cartoons with the `` Peanuts '' gang playing hockey -- each signed with a little note . I treasured that letter and personalized cartoons so much and always loved him for the fact that he would take the time to send them to me . It pains me beyond words that those pieces got lost along the way and are gone forever . Zac Davis of Blue Springs , Missouri My favorite `` Peanuts '' strip shows Snoopy typing on his typewriter a statement that details a struggle in many men 's lives -LRB- apparently even Schulz 's own -RRB- : `` Girls and root beer are not the answer . '' Brian Heraty of Chicago , Illinois I remember snippets of the `` Peanuts '' gang throughout my childhood . ... From `` It 's the Great Pumpkin , Charlie Brown '' and Christmas specials to `` Snoopy vs. the Red Baron , '' memories of Charlie Brown and the gang abound . In all that time , there were always two answers that eluded me : Why are all the boys bald or balding , and what 's the deal with Peppermint Patty ? Pedro Valle of San Juan , Puerto Rico My favorite `` Peanuts '' character has always been Linus Van Pelt . His view on humanity is unique , like an outsider looking in . In fact , my favorite `` Peanuts '' moment ever is when Charlie Brown challenges Linus ' dream to become a little country doctor . He asks Linus how he could become a doctor if he ca n't deal with humanity . The very wise Linus responds : `` I love humanity ; it 's people I ca n't stand . '' That sums up my own feelings to the letter . Vicki Boston of Tucson , Arizona I always love watching Charlie Brown and his `` Peanuts '' gang on the holiday specials . I see myself as a Marcie or Peppermint Patty type . I even played Peppermint Patty in grade school when we did two Charlie Brown skits , and I loved it . Melanie Taylor of Manchester , England I am 33 years of age and still enjoy watching the `` Peanuts '' cartoon shows . The Charlie Brown Christmas special would be , to this day , my ultimate favorite . As a kid , I hated being bullied , put down , let down , always had very few true friends who never passed judgment on me . In that , Charlie was `` me . '' Linus would be my best friend Tammy , and no matter what , through thick and thin , Tammy was by my side , no matter how cruel the world was around us . We both had a true friendship bond back then . She is someone I wish I knew where she was . I would call her this instant if I knew how or where to find her . I would be calling her up and telling her that `` our show is on . '' Shannon Brady of Austin , Texas I remember having `` A Charlie Brown Christmas '' when I was very little . I used to watch that thing about 50 times a day till it finally died . Charlie Brown was the greatest . Kat Smith of Fort Washington , Maryland I have been a fan of `` Peanuts '' since I was a young girl . My aunt was a fan , and through her I too became a fan . There are so many quips and strips to choose from , but my all-time favorite quotes come from Linus . One came about during breakfast with his sister , Lucy , and some dialogue about snicker-snacks -LRB- the cereal they were eating -RRB- . I do n't remember all of it , but Linus told Lucy , `` My heart bleeds for the snicker-snacks company . '' And of course there is the strip where Snoopy sent a sincere letter to the IRS asking it to please remove him from its mailing list . ... I 've often wondered if I could do the same . Classic . Mark Eustace of Burlington , Ontario The greatest moment was in `` A Charlie Brown Christmas '' when Linus walks on stage with a single spotlight and explains the true meaning of Christmas . At my house you could hear a pin drop during that scene . Cassey Pelkey of Birmingham , England The most touching strip was the one printed just after Charles Schulz 's death . I have been a `` Peanuts '' since I was 2 years old , and absolutely love them all . I think we can all see a little bit of Lucy , Peppermint Patty , Pigpen , Snoopy , Charlie Brown , Linus ... in ourselves if we reflect on it . That 's what makes it endearing . ... It 's about Everyman . Kelly Cromwell of New York I have been a `` Peanuts '' fan since a young child . Drawing Snoopy and collecting comic books were an obsession when growing up . So when I decided to get a tattoo at age 28 , I could think of nothing better than a dancing Snoopy . Ten years later , it still makes me smile . Joe Keilholz of Apex , North Carolina I have loved Charlie Brown since I was a kid . There is n't a single holiday that does n't feel complete without watching any of the animated series , and not a day goes by without reading the classic strip . I 've even gone so far as to try and get a tattoo with my face caricatured on Charlie Brown 's body . The ring tone on my cell phone is Linus and Lucy , the e-mail address I send to everyone is Charlie Brown and my login names on almost every site are Charlie Brown-related . I can actually go on a bit more than this , but feel I should stop here . Needless to say , I feel very much like I 'm a real life Charlie Brown . As to a catchphrase , of course the classic `` Good Grief '' is among the leaders . Grace Cavanaugh of Novato , California I have loved Snoopy and the gang for as long as I can remember . My first boyfriend gave me his Snoopy collection when he found out how much I loved the beagle . I still have it all . I think that Peppermint Patty would be the `` Peanuts '' character that I most identify with . She is bold but sometimes just so unsure of herself that it hits the right cord . Jacquelyn Bradley-Petersen of Ontario , California You can never get enough of the `` Peanuts '' gang . I always try and read the comic strip , but constantly watch the show , old videos and every special on every occasion . I will always love Charlie Brown . Watching it makes me smile and get into a zone where I forget about the day and everything else around me . Complete fun and goodness , serenity . Everyone can relate to one of the characters , especially Charlie Brown . At least I can . Thank you for talking about this and letting me relive some memories and have a nice moment . Long live the `` Peanuts '' gang , Charles Schulz and good old Charlie Brown . E-mail to a friend . | New biography of Charles M. Schulz reveals details of his personal life . Book says Schulz played out his personal problems in the `` Peanuts '' characters . CNN.com asked readers to share their memories of the `` Peanuts '' strip . I-Report : Share your `` Peanuts '' memories , memorabilia . | [[169, 210], [169, 210]] |
MAMONI VALLEY PRESERVE , Panama -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A famed primatologist says the plight of chimpanzees helped inspire Michael Jackson to write the song `` Heal the World . '' Michael Jackson loved chimpanzees , said Jane Goodall : `` They made him smile . '' But the theme and the lyrics of the song turned out to be about a better world for humanity . `` He wrote what he told me he thought was his most powerful song ever , but it did n't end up for animals , '' Jane Goodall said in a CNN interview Thursday night . Goodall spoke exclusively to CNN in a Panamanian rain forest where she is exploring a partnership on behalf of Roots & Shoots , her global youth education program . The interview comes as a new version of the song , first released on Jackson 's 1991 `` Dangerous '' album , is being recorded by a collection of artists for release in late October . Goodall became friends with Jackson about 20 years ago when he invited her to his Neverland Ranch , where `` he talked about his dreams for the place to have animals running , looking free like they would in the wild . ... It was just a very charming day , very low key , nobody else was there , '' she said . Goodall , famous for her 50 years of groundbreaking research on chimpanzees in Africa , said Jackson invited her because `` he loved what I did . '' `` He loved chimpanzees , '' she said . `` He loved to watch them feeding . He liked their faces . They made him smile . '' Years later , she met Jackson 's chimp , Bubbles , and has visited him at his retirement refuge in Florida , she said . `` He 's extremely handsome , '' she said . `` He 's a beautiful , beautiful chimp . So , he was rescued in time from this life of being inappropriately dressed up and carted around like a little symbol . '' Goodall , whose life has been spent understanding chimpanzees , said she found Jackson to be `` a sad person . '' `` In some ways , he was like a child , and a very sweet and gentle child , and he wanted me to tell him many , many stories , '' she said . `` Stories about the chimpanzees , the forests , animals , anything . He told me he liked the way I told stories . '' Goodall , who travels the world to promote protection of endangered chimps , said she had hoped Jackson would help get her message out . `` I said to him , ` You know , Michael , if you want to help , you could do a concert and give us a percentage . Or much better , write a song , ' '' she said . Jackson asked her for tapes of animals in distress because `` he wanted to be angry and cry '' as he wrote the song , which became `` Heal the World , '' she said . The original CD cover notes credited Goodall for inspiring the song , she said . But , she added , the Jane Goodall Institute never saw any money from the song . Jackson later created the `` Heal the World Foundation , '' which he funded with a series of concerts . The group delivered millions of dollars of relief to children around the world . | Jane Goodall says Michael Jackson loved chimpanzees . Jackson wrote `` Heal the World '' to call attention to chimpanzees ' problems . Song became a call to peace for humanity . Goodall said she found Jackson to be a `` sad person '' | [[176, 209], [1331, 1351], [51, 152], [78, 160], [119, 172], [2550, 2600], [1780, 1787], [1844, 1890]] |
-LRB- WIRED -RRB- -- Last month , when Zack Ajmal was planning a vacation to Italy , he set out to find the first thing that a traveler would need in a foreign land : a map . But digital maps of Rome and Venice for his Garmin GPS device cost almost $ 100 . So instead , Ajmal turned to OpenStreet Map , a community-driven maps database . A user-edited map of cycling routes in Perth , Australia , available on OpenStreetMap 's site . `` It worked out pretty well , '' the Atlanta-based engineer says . `` I found Open MTB , which had outdoor hiking and cycling maps with not just roads information , but also trails , short cuts and little known routes . '' Ajmal is among roughly half a million users who are eschewing proprietary maps information from GPS companies and instead going with crowdsourced versions , which they then load onto their GPS devices and smartphones . The key to these map hacks is OpenStreetMap . Founded in 2004 , OSM is to maps what Wikipedia is to encyclopedias . The site offers maps that can be edited , customized and loaded on to devices for free . Want to go whitewater rafting but need to know where the rapids are ? There 's a map for that . Or to know all the interesting points along the river Nile ? There 's a map for that . And it 's all based on the OpenStreetMap data . `` The value is that it is a richer map with more up-to-date information because anyone can fix things , '' says Steve Coast , one of the founders of OpenStreetMap . `` Users get access to the underlying data and not just a picture of the maps . '' Consumer map data is currently a duopoly split between two mapping providers : Nokia 's Navteq and TomTom 's Tele Atlas . The two provide the mapping data that powers almost all commercial map applications and devices . But maps from these providers are extremely restrictive in how they can be used . Want a map of the best hiking trails in the country or a walking tour of Rome ? Traditional GPS services ca n't offer that . For adventurous geeks that calls for a DIY fix . `` OSM maps are a little new on the scene , '' says Rich Owings , who runs the GPStracklog.com website and is the author of the book GPS Mapping . `` Most people in the U.S. were not using them until recently , but now there are iPhone apps based on it . '' Getting OpenStreetMap is easier on some devices than others . In Garmin systems , it 's as simple as taking one of the available maps and dropping it into a folder on the device . `` It 's really hard to mess up your GPS doing this , '' says Owings . `` And if you have questions you can always ask the community to help you out . '' Owings says he loaded maps of Ecuador on his Garmin unit in about 30 minutes . `` It 's not as clean of a map as one you can get from the Garmin store but they are pretty wonderful and have very good coverage . '' For TomTom systems , getting OpenStreetMap can be a more difficult process . TomTom uses a proprietary mapping format , says Coast . That means a tricky process of converting OpenStreetMap into a TomTom-compatible format . OpenStreetMap has also been used to create iPhone apps such as MotionX , which is targeted at hikers , skiers and bikers ; B.iCycle , a cyclometer that shows burned calories , trip distance and trails ; and ATM@UK, which shows all ATM locations in Great Britain . The OpenStreetMap project is a cartographer 's dream come true , says Randal Hale , who has a GIS consulting business . Hale has created custom maps for a few clients using OpenStreetMap and has put OSM-generated maps on his Garmin unit . `` With the professional mapping software , I have to purchase a license to use their version , which is expensive and I ca n't use the data for analysis , '' says Hale . `` With OpenStreetMap , I download it , make cartographic edits and hopefully I have made it better for the next user . '' Meanwhile , traditional navigation companies are also reaching out to users for help on data . For instance , Nokia kicked off a pilot project at the University of California at Berkeley to collect traffic information through GPS-enabled cellphones . Users could download the software for free and use it to check on road conditions on their phones . At the same time , the software would report data about its users ' positions to a central database , enabling the researchers to assemble traffic data in real time . Google has also said it will add nationwide real-time traffic data to its maps by collecting anonymous location data from Google Maps users . Still , community-created maps and navigation information remains a small niche , appealing only to `` GPS techies '' who are willing to take risks , says Owings . `` There 's not a lot of public awareness because many people do n't even know they can do this with their Garmin or cellphone , '' he says . But if you are planning to go to Berlin later this year , take a look at the OpenStreetMap site . Germany is expected to become the first country in the site 's database to be fully mapped by contributors . Subscribe to WIRED magazine for less than $ 1 an issue and get a FREE GIFT ! Click here ! Copyright 2009 Wired.com . | About half a million users are embracing crowdsourced versions of digital maps . OpenStreetMap offers maps that can be customized and loaded to GPS devices . Crowdsourced maps can show hiking trails , whitewater rapids and other features . Developers are creating iPhone applications based on these maps . | [[658, 701], [686, 701], [706, 812], [791, 812], [826, 876], [993, 1081], [1002, 1032], [1009, 1013], [1050, 1081], [505, 645], [1864, 1943], [2253, 2292], [3067, 3137]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Legendary Austrian skier Hermann Maier has ended his illustrious career at the age of 36 despite having recovered from knee surgery . Hermann Maier is known for his spectacular all-action style -- and crashes -- on the piste . The two-time Olympic champion , winner of three world titles and four World Cup overall crowns , has fought back to full fitness after his operation at the end of March , but decided he was ready to bow out after a 13-season career . `` I have decided that I will draw a line and end my career as a ski racer as of today , '' Maier told reporters in Vienna on Tuesday . `` My big goal was to get back in shape physically , and I have achieved exactly that . `` With regard to my future life , my health was paramount for me and that 's why I 'm calling it quits now . '' Maier , who won gold in the super-G and giant slalom events at the 1998 Nagano Olympics , is known for his spectacular crashes on the piste -- and he overcame a near-fatal motorcycle accident in August 2001 which ruled him out of skiing for a year . He bounced back to win a World Cup event two weeks after his return in January 2003 , and the next year reclaimed his super-G and overall World Cup titles . Nicknamed `` The Herminator '' for his physical , all-action style , Maier is the second-most successful male skier after Sweden 's Ingemar Stenmark with 54 World Cup race victories to his name . He won two world titles in super-G and downhill at Vail , Colorado in 1999 , and claimed gold in the giant slalom in Bormio , Italy in 2005 . | Legendary Austrian skier Hermann Maier ends his illustrious career at age of 36 . Two-time Olympic champion has recently recovered from knee surgery in March . He says he wanted to quit while still in good physical condition . Maier is second-most successful male skier ever with 54 World Cup race wins . | [[0, 15], [19, 115], [102, 152], [246, 414], [1293, 1419]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Federal Aviation Administration on Wednesday proposed fines against two of the nation 's largest airlines , saying the airlines flew planes on hundreds of occasions in violation of FAA or airline safety standards . US Airways says the problems are in the past . United notes it self-reported its problem . The FAA is seeking a $ 5.4 million fine from US Airways and a $ 3.8 million fine from United Airlines for unrelated violations . Both airlines issued statements Wednesday assuring the public of their commitment to safety . US Airways blamed its problems on the difficulties of merging US Airways and America West maintenance operations in 2007 . United , meanwhile , said it self-reported the incident leading to its proposed fine and has since taken steps to ensure that safety standards are met . The US Airways case involved the greatest number of planes -- eight . The FAA alleges US Airways operated the eight aircraft on a total of 1,647 flights last fall and winter while the planes were in a potentially unsafe condition . Three of the planes were flown while not in compliance with FAA rules known as Airworthiness Directives , or ADs . The FAA issues ADs when it discovers a potentially unsafe condition on a type of aircraft , and it wants airlines to inspect their fleets or conduct preventive maintenance . The FAA said it issued an AD requiring airlines to inspect Airbus A320 aircraft for possible cracking of a landing gear part . But US Airways operated two Airbus A320s on a total of 43 flights without complying with the ordered inspection . The airline also operated an Embraer 190 aircraft on 19 flights without performing an inspection to prevent a cargo door from opening during flight , according to the FAA . The remaining five cases involve the airline 's failure to follow its own maintenance procedures , the FAA said . In a letter to its employees , US Airways Chief Operating Officer Robert Isom called the FAA announcement disappointing . `` It is important to remember that today 's announcement references situations that are in the past , and in several cases , date back to two years ago , '' he wrote . `` Our team has worked cooperatively with the FAA to investigate and correct any discrepancies to the FAA 's satisfaction . '' The United Airlines case involves one aircraft , a Boeing 737 . According to the FAA and the airline , a pilot noticed a low fuel pressure indication while on a flight from Denver , Colorado , on April 28 , 2008 . The pilot shut down an engine and returned to the Denver airport . United mechanics who inspected the engine found that two shop towels had been used to cover openings in the oil sump area , instead of protective caps . The FAA said the aircraft had flown more than 200 times in the unsafe condition before the problem was discovered . A United spokeswoman said the airline reported the incident to the FAA and has taken several measures to prevent a recurrence , including additional training of maintenance workers . Both airlines have 30 days to respond to the FAA 's proposal for fines . In March , Southwest Airlines agreed to pay $ 7.5 million to settle a complaint that it flew unsafe planes . | FAA seeks a $ 5.4 million fine from US Airways , $ 3.8 million fine from United Airlines . Airlines issue statements assuring public of their commitment to safety . US Airways case includes planes not complying with Airworthiness Directives . United plane flew with shop towels covering openings in oil sump area . | [[340, 468], [469, 562], [490, 562], [2587, 2739], [2635, 2739]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Four months after he was escorted in his pajamas onto a military plane and flown out of the country , ousted Honduran President Jose Manuel Zelaya could return to power within days , analysts said Friday . Negotiators for Zelaya and Roberto Micheletti , the politician who was appointed president hours after Zelaya 's June 28 removal , reached an agreement late Thursday to form a government of national reconciliation . The nation 's congress , in consultation with the supreme court , must approve Zelaya 's return to power . The reconciliation government would rule until a new president , to be chosen in November 29 elections , takes office in January . Micheletti announced the agreement in a televised speech to the nation Thursday night . Zelaya said Friday his return to the presidency is `` imminent '' and should occur within days . He has been staying at the Brazilian Embassy in Tegucigalpa , the Honduran capital , since secretly returning to the country September 21 . `` At this moment we are trying to reach a consensus so we can reconstruct democracy , '' he told CNN en Español on Friday . Although Zelaya 's return to the presidency is not guaranteed in the eight-point pact , several analysts say they expect the congress will approve the measure . `` If Micheletti came forward with a public announcement , the odds of this being approved by congress are pretty good . It 's a done deal , '' said Kevin Casas-Zamora , a senior foreign policy fellow at the non-partisan Brookings Institution and a former vice president of Costa Rica . `` It would be a horrible letdown if congress did not approve the agreement . '' Peter Hakim , president of the Inter-American Dialogue policy institute , also believes `` they 'll go ahead and vote for it . '' Said Larry Birns , director of the liberal Council on Hemispheric Affairs : `` There seems to be no other way . '' The United States played a key role in the accord after weeks of stalemate . Thomas Shannon , assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs , and two other high-level U.S. officials arrived Wednesday and met separately with Zelaya and Micheletti . An agreement appeared possible Thursday when Shannon announced at a news conference that the U.S. delegation would stay another day . A delegation from the Organization of American States had visited Honduras in early October but failed to obtain an agreement . Costa Rican President Oscar Arias had held consultations with both sides but did not get them to agree on a solution . The OAS , the United Nations , the European Union and the United States condemned the military-backed coup and demanded that Zelaya be reinstated . The United States and others imposed economic sanctions , which some analysts say have started to hurt Honduras . `` The dark secret here is that the Honduran economy has been devastated , '' Birns said . `` Huge numbers of Hondurans have crossed over into Mexico and are desperate for jobs . '' Crumbling economic conditions left Micheletti little choice , Birns said . `` All along Micheletti was holding a diminishing deck , '' he said . `` Not only the poor were being hurt . The cutoffs were hurting the nation 's economic elite . So there was a very strong economic motive to reach a solution . '' There also was a strong political motive , Hakim said . `` The candidates for president , the people looking forward , wanted to see the elections on November 29 as being legitimate , '' he said . Birns agreed that `` the candidates wanted a resolution because of legitimacy . '' The United States and many other nations had said the elections would be considered illegitimate if held under Micheletti 's rule . `` By far , the most important thing right now is not whether Zelaya will be reinstated , but that the U.S. is going to recognize the elections , '' said Heather Berkman , a Latin America analyst with the Eurasia Group consulting firm . `` The next president will be able to receive diplomatic recognition and much-needed access to international aid and financing , which will be crucial given the weakness of the economy and the fact that the government is running out of money , '' she said . Zelaya also appeared to have little choice but to accept the pact , even though it does not automatically return to him to power , as he had demanded all along . `` He did n't have many options , did he ? '' said Casas-Zamora of the Brookings Institution . `` He was never able to mobilize people in the numbers he claimed to have . He did n't have much clout , frankly . Holed up in the Brazilian Embassy he became much more marginalized . That 's as good as it gets for him . '' The president 's four-year term -- whether it 's Zelaya or Micheletti -- ends January 27 , when the new head of state will take over . Berkman believes Zelaya heard the clock ticking . `` Zelaya probably accepted this agreement because he was running out of time and leverage , and he may have thought that going through congress was his best bet at getting an agreement in his favor , '' she said . Birns sees it as a face-saving move . `` The only thing Zelaya gets out of this is the dignity of serving out his complete term , '' Birns said . `` He will be a president without any authority . Basically , he 's been rendered into a figurehead president . '' In addition to the formation of a reconciliation government , the pact also stipulates -- at Zelaya 's insistence -- that there will be no amnesty for those involved in his ouster . Micheletti said in an interview Friday evening with CNN en Español that he 's certain Zelaya will try to prosecute him . Just a few weeks ago , it was Micheletti who was saying Zelaya would be prosecuted if he left the Brazilian Embassy . `` Yes , we are certain that there will be persecution , '' Micheletti said Friday . `` But I am not afraid . What we did was within the constitution . '' Micheletti has insisted Zelaya was removed through constitutional means , not a coup . Some analysts say legal proceedings might not be the best course . `` Any attempt to seek revenge here is going to be costly and inefficient and conflictive , '' said Birns , head of the Council on Hemispheric Affairs . The pact also calls for the creation of a `` truth commission '' to investigate the events surrounding Zelaya 's ouster ; the formation of a `` verification commission '' to ensure that the agreement is adhered to ; and a solicitation to the international community to lift economic and diplomatic sanctions . The political crisis stemmed from Zelaya 's plan to hold a referendum that could have changed the constitution to allow longer terms for the president . The country 's congress had outlawed the vote and the supreme court had ruled it illegal . Zelaya has said since his ouster he would not try to revive the issue if returned to power . That 's a good thing , Hakim said . `` The most important thing , '' he said , `` are the assurances that Zelaya will be limited in his powers . '' | Negotiators for President Manuel Zelaya and de facto President Roberto Micheletti reach deal . Two sides to form a government of national reconciliation that could reinstate Zelaya . Zelaya forced out of country in June 28 coup , replaced by legislative leader Micheletti . Crisis stems from Zelaya 's referendum plan that may have given president longer term . | [[225, 270], [356, 440], [225, 270], [356, 440], [271, 287], [292, 353], [6540, 6588], [6592, 6692]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A week before 9-year-old Michaela Garecht was kidnapped in Hayward , California , in 1988 , she wrote a poem about people who had been abducted , her mother said Tuesday . Cases of missing girls Ilene Misheloff , left , and Michaela Garecht now linked to Garrido investigation . `` She sat down at the coffee table and wrote a poem about people behind the doors of steel , an amazing poem for a 9-year-old , ... and a week later she was kidnapped , '' Michaela 's mother , Sharon Murch , said . `` It seems to me ... like it must be some sort of a prophesy or premonition , and I keep hearing the words that she said -- ` It 's about people who were kidnapped and are being held captive , not people who were kidnapped and were killed . ' '' Her comments came as authorities looked into whether Michaela 's abduction and other unsolved kidnappings in the region are in any way related to Phillip Garrido , who was arrested last week for the kidnapping and rape of an 11-year-old girl just three years after Michaela was taken . That girl , Jaycee Lee Dugard -- now 29 -- was found alive last week , living in a tent and shelter compound in Garrido 's back yard in Antioch , California -- 30 miles from where Michaela was kidnapped . The discovery raised Murch 's hopes that her daughter might also be safe . `` My husband told me -LRB- about Dugard 's discovery -RRB- at 5 in the morning . He woke me up and told me he had heard it on the news , '' Murch said . Watch how case raises mother 's hopes '' `` And I leaped up yelling , ` Oh , my God . I was , of course , joyful for Jaycee herself , but my first thought was ` please God , let Michaela be with her . ' '' Murch said she feels there is a `` strong possibility '' that the two cases are linked . A bone fragment found near Garrido 's home was being analyzed to determine whether it is was human and whether it connects Garrido to any other crimes , authorities said . The bone fragment was found on a neighbor 's property in an area that Garrido had access to , they said . Watch how bone fragment may offer clues '' Murch said police have approached her in the past five days to ask what Michaela was wearing on the day of her abduction . `` They apparently found a lot of stuff there , '' she said , referring to the Garrido property search . Police in several other San Francisco Bay Area agencies are also investigating possible ties between Garrido and other missing persons ' cases . In Dublin , about 25 miles east of Oakland , police were looking into whether Garrido was connected to the 1989 disappearance of Ilene Misheloff . She was 13 when abducted , investigators said . Antioch -- where Garrido is accused of holding Dugard -- is about 40 miles east of Oakland and about 165 miles southwest of Dugard 's hometown , South Lake Tahoe . Contra Costa County sheriff 's Lt. Steve Simpkins said police in Antioch and neighboring Pittsburg were searching Garrido 's property `` for evidence relating to open cases . '' Murch says the kidnappings of her daughter and that of Dugard have several similarities . `` The method of kidnapping was the same . They were both dragged into cars . The description of the cars was very similar . The girls looked very much like each other . There have been points in the past where the investigations have crossed with the same suspects , and Jaycee was found very close to home here . '' Hayward Police Lt. Chris Orrey said both girls were abducted in daylight , and a sketch of a suspect resembled Garrido , she said . Orrey said there were differences as well , though she would not elaborate . But she confirmed that Hayward police had been in contact with Michaela 's family and witnesses since Dugard was found alive . Murch said a neighbor who witnessed her daughter 's kidnapping called her on the phone when she saw Garrido on television and commented on a car removed from the Garrido property . `` That car looked like the car that Michaela was kidnapped in , '' Murch quoted her as saying . According to Murch , her daughter and a friend rode their scooters to the neighborhood market on a Saturday morning . `` They left the scooters outside the door . When they came out , one of the scooters was not where they left it . Michaela spotted it in a parking lot next to a car and went to get it , and when she bent over to pick up the scooter , a man jumped out of the car , grabbed her from behind , threw her into the car and took off with her . '' That car was described as a tan color , possibly with some primer on it . `` Even before this -LRB- Dugard 's reappearance -RRB- came up , I really had a feeling that perhaps my daughter might still be alive and might come home . And this has just heightened my hope for that , '' Murch said . She said she keeps busy by writing on her daughter 's Web site . `` In some ways , it 's a lot easier to continue to live without hope than to get your hopes raised again . Living with hopes not fulfilled is one of the hardest things , I think . `` If Michaela is out there and can hear me , I want her to know that I would like her to come home , that nothing that 's transpired over the last 20 years can change the love we have for her . There 's nothing that we ca n't overcome . '' | Michaela Garecht , 9 , kidnapped three years before Jaycee Dugard . A week before her abduction , Michaela wrote poem about kidnapping , mother says . Girls ' kidnappings seem similar , Sharon Murch says . Police also looking for links into 1989 kidnapping of Ilene Misheloff . | [[165, 190], [301, 304], [338, 389], [435, 441], [468, 489], [507, 513], [3007, 3068], [2470, 2479], [2515, 2616]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A strong earthquake struck off the south coast of Japan on Sunday night local time , `` jolting Tokyo and wide areas of eastern Japan , '' the country 's Kyodo news agency reported . The 7.1 earthquake hit 200 miles -LRB- 320 kilometers -RRB- south-southwest of Tokyo at 7:55 p.m. -LRB- 6:55 a.m. ET -RRB- , the United States Geological Survey reported . Its epicenter was 188 miles -LRB- 303 kilometers -RRB- deep , the USGS said . The Japan Meteorological Agency reported its magnitude as 6.9 , Kyodo said . There were no immediate reports of damage , and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center did not issue a tsunami warning . | Tremor hits south of island , `` jolting Tokyo , '' Kyodo news agency reported . United States Geological Survey measures quake as 7.1 magnitude . Pacific Tsunami Warning Center did not issue a tsunami alert . | [[19, 101], [104, 120], [155, 201], [577, 645]] |
ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Bigfoot in the freezer is made of rubber , a Web posting asserted Tuesday . The frozen creature reputed to be Bigfoot turned out to be made of rubber , an enthusaist reports . The initial promoter of two hikers ' claim that they found the body of Bigfoot in Georgia said he has determined that the discovery was a hoax . The body turned out to be rubber , and the two men who claimed that they found it , Matthew Whitton and Rick Dyer , have admitted that it was a costume , said a posting Tuesday on the Web sites of Searching for Bigfoot Inc. and Squatchdetective . The posting purportedly was written by Steve Kulls , who maintains the Squatchdetective Web site and hosts a similarly named Internet radio program , where the find was announced weeks ago . In addition , Stanford University anthropologist Richard Klein said Monday that he was not aware he had been identified as participating in the project and would not be involved in any effort to examine the purported Bigfoot carcass . Whitton and Dyer announced last week that they had found the body of a 7-foot-7-inch , 500-pound half-ape , half-human creature while hiking in the north Georgia mountains in June . They said they put the carcass in a freezer and had spotted about three similar living creatures . `` We were not looking for Bigfoot , '' Whitton , a Clayton County , Georgia , police officer , said Friday during a news conference . `` We would n't know what we were doing if we did . '' He and Dyer insisted that scientific analysis would bear out their claim . The hoax was discovered after an `` expedited melting process , '' Kulls wrote . `` A break appeared up near the feet area ... as the team and I began examining this area near the feet , I observed the foot which looked unnatural , reached in and confirmed it was a rubber foot . '' Kulls said he contacted Tom Biscardi , the self-described `` Real Bigfoot Hunter '' who has been searching since 1971 for the creature of legend and appeared alongside Whitton and Dyer at the news conference . `` Later that day , Tom Biscardi informed us that both Matthew Whitton and Ricky Dyer admitted it was a costume , '' the posting said . Whitton and Dyer reportedly agreed to sign a promissory note and an admission of the hoax and meet with Biscardi at their hotel on Sunday . But when Biscardi went to the hotel , the two had left , Kulls wrote . `` At this time , action is being instigated against the perpetrators , '' the posting said , adding that the motives behind the claims were unknown . iReport.com : Do you believe in Bigfoot ? The posting said Biscardi 's organization , Searching for Bigfoot Inc. , `` is seeking justice for themselves and for all the people who were deceived by this deception . '' Kulls did not immediately return a call to the Squatchdetective contact number . A woman answering the phone at Searching for Bigfoot Inc. said Biscardi had been ill and said she was not sure when he would be returning calls . A number listed as belonging to Matthew Whitton was disconnected as of Tuesday . Efforts to locate a phone number for Dyer on Tuesday were unsuccessful . Dyer and Whitton failed to show up Monday for a scheduled appearance on CNN 's `` American Morning . '' Kulls said that at the time he first interviewed Dyer on July 28 for the radio program , he suspected the duo 's motive was financial . On August 12 , he said , the two `` requested an undisclosed sum of money as an advance , expected from the marketing and promotion . '' Two days later , after signing a receipt and counting the money , Dyer and Whitton showed the Searching for Bigfoot team the freezer containing what they claimed was the body : `` something appearing large , hairy and frozen in ice , '' Kulls wrote . Dyer , he said , insisted on holding the news conference and told Biscardi he would not release the body unless the briefing was held Friday . On Sunday , the research team was able to extract some hair and burn it . The hair sample `` melted into a ball uncharacteristic of hair , '' Kulls wrote . Biscardi then gave the group permission to expedite the melting process , and the rubber foot was discovered , Kulls wrote . Meanwhile , Klein , the Stanford professor , said Monday that he was `` sorry that my name and Stanford 's name have been brought into this . '' Klein 's name was mentioned Friday as one of four scientists , two of them Russian , who would analyze the corpse . Klein said he was unaware that Biscardi had identified him . He said he had been contacted by Biscardi in the past and responded to a request to examine bones that were identified as coming from a deer . `` He seems like a nice enough guy , '' Klein said , `` but I ca n't imagine why anyone would devote their lives to proving the existence -LSB- of Bigfoot -RSB- . Anything has a remote chance of being true , but there is virtually no prospect of this animal being real . '' CNN 's Peter Dykstra contributed to this report . | Hikers ' discovery made of rubber , Web sites say . Men who made claim did n't show up for CNN 's `` American Morning '' Stanford professor says his alleged participation in project is news to him . `` There is virtually no prospect of this animal being real , '' professor says . | [[82, 106], [84, 116], [117, 190], [362, 394], [3169, 3269], [3169, 3185], [3193, 3269], [814, 991], [4849, 4891], [4898, 4943]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Dan Neumann was a 14-year-old struggling against cancer when he came across an unexpected ally in his battle . Cancer survivor Dan Neumann plays Re-Mission and is helping create the game 's next edition . He was receiving treatment for leukemia at Lucile Packard Children 's Hospital at Stanford University in 2004 when he saw a flyer inviting teenage cancer patients to test a new video game . A self-described gamer , Neumann says he was immediately drawn to the posting . He signed up to try it and was won over by the game , which simulated what goes on inside the bodies of cancer patients . `` When you go through cancer treatment , chemotherapy becomes something you dread , '' Neumann , now 19 , recalled . `` But with the game you 're actively playing something and shooting cells . '' That game eventually became Re-Mission , a video game that 's helping teenagers around the world in their fight against cancer . Since its release in 2006 , more than 145,000 free copies have been distributed , and now a new version of the game is in the works . See what it 's like to play the game '' Pamela Omidyar , wife of eBay founder Pierre Omidyar , came up with the idea for the game . A former lab technician and avid video game player , she thought kids could learn a lot by experiencing the treatment process in a vivid way . That led her to launch HopeLab , a non-profit that took Re-Mission from the drawing board to an actual product . The organization , which focuses on using technology to create positive health outcomes in kids , was recently recognized by U.S. President Barack Obama for its innovative approach to tackling health challenges . Players control a tiny robot who travels through the human body to destroy harmful cancer cells . Along the way , she breaks down complex medical terminology and explains what 's going on when the body undergoes treatment like chemotherapy . By making cancer a visible foe , Re-Mission gives kids a different mental view of who their enemy is , said Dr. Steve Cole , vice president of research at HopeLab . That 's something that teenagers around the world can benefit from . Video games like Re-Mission transcend national boundaries and cultures , he told CNN . `` Everybody wants to beat death . '' Re-Mission has been distributed to 81 countries , and patients anywhere in the world can download it for free online . According to Cole , providing an opportunity to experience the positive emotions that come from treatment can change the behavior of young patients and can make a real difference in their health . A study he conducted that was published in 2008 showed that patients who played Re-Mission took their medication more consistently and learned more about their disease than those who did n't . `` What this game is really built to do is help teenagers be better participants in their own medical care enterprise , '' said Cole . `` It gives them a real opportunity to affect their own health outcomes . '' Neumann says when he was in the hospital , doctors walked him through pamphlets describing the chemotherapy process . But it was the game that ultimately made him feel better about his treatment . `` There 's a lot of complex medical terminology , which is hard to digest at that age , '' he said . `` Re-Mission encourages you to learn that your chemotherapy is doing something . '' Now in remission , Neumann is helping HopeLab develop the next edition of the game . In the early stages of development , the new product is expected to be released in 2012 at the earliest . He 's been providing feedback on his experience as a cancer survivor and gamer to help developers understand what patients personally get out of playing Re-Mission . He wants other teenagers to experience the game , and says they should n't shy away even if they 've never played video games before . `` Re-Mission is an excellent game for any cancer patient , regardless of whether they 're a gamer , '' he said . `` It really makes you feel like you 're engaging in your treatment . '' | Re-Mission video game helps patients visualize battle against cancer . Non-profit organization HopeLab is planning new version for 2012 . Cancer survivor says game helped change his attitude towards treatment . Teenagers around the world can benefit from game , HopeLab says . | [[3523, 3538], [3551, 3591], [3139, 3213], [2102, 2170]] |
BANGKOK , Thailand -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Bangkok Airways plane crashed at an airport at a resort island in Thailand , killing the pilot and injuring 37 people Tuesday , aviation officials said . Rescue workers inspect the Bangkok Airways plane at Samui airport on Thailand 's Ko Samui . The plane carrying 68 people and four crew members skidded and then crashed after landing at Koh Samui airport , officials with the civil aviation department said . The ATR-72 turboprop had taken off from the town of Krabi on the west coast Thailand for its trip to the resort island of Koh Samui . Air traffic control warned the pilot of volatile winds before the plane landed , aviation officials said . Seven people were seriously injured and emergency officials were working to free the plane 's co-pilot who was trapped in the plane , officials said . CNN 's Dan Rivers contributed to this report . | Officials : Plane skidded and then crashed after landing at Koh Samui airport . Bangkok Airways ATR-72 turboprop carrying 68 people , four crew members . Air traffic control warned the pilot of volatile winds before the plane landed . | [[10, 34], [62, 114], [194, 285], [286, 336], [349, 396], [286, 344], [286, 336], [349, 396], [585, 663]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Italian giants Juventus and Roma have suffered blows with the news that star strikers Vincenzo Iaquinta and Francesco Totti have both undergone knee surgery . Junventus revealed that tests on 29-year-old Iaquinta 's left knee have revealed damage to his meniscus . `` The tests done have indicated the need for the player to undergo surgery , '' read a statement on the club 's official Web site . Iaquinta sustained the injury during training on Saturday and was forced to sit out Sunday 's 1-0 victory at Siena . The Italy international , who has scored four goals in eight appearances for the Bianconeri this season , could be sidelined until next year . Meanwhile , Roma captain Francesco Totti has undergone surgery on his right knee . The 33-year-old missed Roma 's last two Serie A matches and also their draw with Fulham in the Europa League last week . The club confirmed Totti will start his rehabilitation on Tuesday , but it is not yet known when he will be ready to return to action . A statement on Roma 's official Web site read : `` The surgery was necessary after the player had problems during training . `` In the course of the surgery , no problems of any other nature were found . The player will be discharged and will now begin his rehabilitation . A return date will be determined depending on the player 's condition . '' Roma currently lie 12th in the Serie A table with 11 points from their opening nine matches . | Vincenzo Iaquinta and Francesco Totti have operations on knee injuries . 29-year-old Juventus striker Iaquinta , 29 , undergoes surgery on left knee . Roma captain Francesco Totti has undergone surgery on his right knee . | [[91, 147], [163, 177], [153, 177], [677, 686], [689, 759], [153, 177], [178, 283], [202, 283], [91, 147], [163, 177], [153, 177], [677, 686], [689, 759]] |
SEOUL , South Korea -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- South Korea will open its market to most U.S. beef , a senior government official said Thursday , according to state media . Thousands of people have taken to the streets of the South Korean capital in protest at the deal . South Korea banned imports of U.S. beef in 2003 amid concerns over a case of mad cow disease in the United States . The ban closed what was then the third-largest market for U.S. beef exporters . It resumed limited imports last year -- allowing boneless beef from cattle under 30 months of age -- but that re-opening was subject to interruptions and closed altogether in October 2007 . A deal that South Korea and the United States struck last month bans the import of high-risk materials , like tonsils , brains , spinal cord marrow and a section of the small intestine , Agriculture Minister Chung Woon-chun said Thursday , according to South Korea 's Yonhap news agency . These parts pose the greatest risk of transmitting mad cow disease to humans . The ban will be lifted within a few days , once the government 's new import rules have been published . The pending resumption of U.S. beef imports has n't been without political costs for President Lee Myung-bak . He apologized to the nation last week for failing to fully understand concerns about mad cow disease . In downtown Seoul , thousands of people have regularly staged protests , chanting `` We do n't want crazy cows , '' since the deal to revive beef imports was announced . And the main opposition party has taken up the fight . `` We will be forced to make a critical decision if the government pushes through its plan to announce resumption of beef imports , '' said Sohn Hak-kyu , leader of the main opposition United Democratic Party , Yonhap reported . `` If the government and the ruling party ignore this warning , we will come up with every possible measure to stop them . '' The opposition has already filed a suit to suspend implementation of new beef import terms , according to Yonhap . Lee 's ruling Grand National Party -LRB- GNP -RRB- is working to soothe tensions , saying that American beef is safe to eat and that adequate safety precautions have been taken . `` The government has tried its best to free the public from unnecessary concerns , and sufficient countermeasures have been prepared , '' said Lee Hahn-koo , the party 's chief policymaker , Yonhap reported . When South Korea and the United States reached the deal in April to re-open the South Korean market , they removed the major obstacle to U.S. congressional approval of the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement -LRB- FTA -RRB- . Lee urged the National Assembly this month to ratify the agreement as soon as possible to provide fresh impetus to the sluggish Korean economy , saying it will create 300,000 jobs . But the opposition has promised to fight the FTA until the beef pact is nullified . In 2003 , the United States exported $ 815 million pounds of beef and beef variety meats to South Korea . The U.S. beef industry has lost up to $ 4 billion since the market closed , according to the U.S. Meat Export Federation . | South Korea to open market to most U.S. beef says government official . Ban began in 2003 amid concerns over a case of mad cow disease in the U.S. New agreement bans the import of high-risk materials , like tonsils and brains . Thousands of S. Koreans have regularly staged protests against U.S. beef imports . | [[39, 89], [263, 378], [649, 833], [164, 262], [1336, 1353], [1356, 1406]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- More than 1 million babies born prematurely die each year before they are a month old , the March of Dimes said Sunday in the first comprehensive global report on premature births . A premature baby rests at a hospital in Kabul , Afghanistan , in October 2007 . The organization suggested the situation could worsen if the rate of premature births increases . Each year , 12.9 million infants -- or nearly 10 percent of the annual worldwide birth total -- are born before 37 weeks of development in the womb , the organization said . More than 85 percent of the premature births occur in developing countries in Africa and Asia . `` Premature births are an enormous global problem that is exacting a huge toll emotionally , physically and financially on families , medical systems and economies , '' March of Dimes President Jennifer Howse said in a statement . `` In the United States alone , the annual cost of caring for preterm babies and their associated health problems tops $ 26 billion . '' The March of Dimes report , which used data collected by the World Health Organization , breaks down premature birth rates by continent . The highest premature birth rate is in Africa , where 11.9 percent of births each year are preterm , with more than 4 million premature deliveries annually . In populous Asia , although the preterm birth rate is lower at 9.1 percent , the number of premature births is higher , at nearly 7 million a year . While North America -- consisting of the United States and Canada in this report -- counts fewer than 500,000 premature births a year , its preterm birth rate is close to that of Africa , at 10.6 percent of all births , according to the report . The rate is the world 's second highest . In the United States , the rate of preterm births has increased 36 percent in the past 25 years , with births between the 34th and 36th week of gestation accounting for the majority of the increase , the organization found . Much of the hike in preterm births is linked to more pregnancies after the age of 35 and the use of fertility treatments that can lead to multiple births . `` Wherever trend data are available , rates of preterm birth are increasing , '' the report said . Infants who survive premature birth face lifelong health risks , including the possible development of cerebral palsy , blindness , hearing loss , learning disabilities and other chronic conditions , according to the March of Dimes . `` Preterm birth is a global problem that needs greater attention by policymakers , researchers , health care providers , the media , donor organizations and other stakeholders , '' the report said . `` The marked disparities in preterm birth along racial/ethnic lines in many high-income countries and the concentration of preterm births in Africa and Asia also clearly indicate that addressing preterm birth is essential for reducing the pronounced inequities in neonatal health and for the world to achieve , '' it added . The March of Dimes , a nonprofit agency engaged in pregnancy and baby health research , said some premature births can be prevented by addressing risk factors in mothers , including diabetes , high blood pressure , nutrition , body weight and tobacco and alcohol use . Women who earlier gave birth to a preemie face a greater risk of having another . While doctors know some of the health and behavior factors in mothers that increase the risk of preterm births , doctors have yet to identify a reliable remedy to prevent early labor , said Christopher Howson , vice president for global programs of the March of Dimes . `` While much can be done right now to reduce death and disability from preterm birth even in low-resource settings , we need to know more about the underlying causes of premature birth in order to develop effective prevention strategies , '' Howson said . | March of Dimes : Nearly 10 percent of world 's births are premature . More than 85 percent of premature births are in developing parts of Africa , Asia . But North America has world 's second-highest premature birth rate . Doctors have yet to identify a reliable remedy to prevent early labor , group says . | [[379, 388], [391, 526], [1599, 1621], [1683, 1708], [553, 648], [553, 597], [604, 648], [1156, 1201], [1463, 1482], [1599, 1648], [1709, 1750], [3343, 3412], [3456, 3502], [3456, 3463], [3473, 3525]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- They are some of the biggest names in Hollywood , but even Susan Sarandon , Ethan Hawke and Dustin Hoffman have had their fair share of casting calamities they would rather forget . Mike Myers sabotaged some auditions for parts he did n't want . `` Why not be nude even if it is a children 's theatre ? '' CNN 's The Screening Room has managed to persuade the cream of Hollywood to confess their tales of audition woe . The stars shudder at the memory of waiting in line , frantically trying to memorize lines handed to them moments before , all the while being assessed by critical strangers . Benicio del Toro recounts attending 50 or 60 auditions before getting a part and Quentin Tarantino told Eli Roth he `` blew it '' when he first auditioned for `` Inglourious Basterds . '' While Catherine Keener remembers a cutting personal assessment : `` You 're not pretty enough . '' Here are some of their worst moments : . Bill Nighy `` Pirates of the Caribbean : Dead Man 's Chest . '' `` Love Actually '' `` There was one that started out terrible , which was where I had to go to a disused tax office in Harrow -LSB- near London , England -RSB- very early in the morning and put on very tight velvet flared loon pants and a pair of crocodile four-inch - heeled platform shoes , and wear a sort of very small top that did n't meet my trousers , hair extensions and I had to karaoke to ` Smoke on the Water ' by Deep Purple . It 's a very lonely place . And I was 45 at the time ... '' Ethan Hawke `` Before Sunset , '' `` Before the Devil Knows You 're Dead '' `` I have had so many bad auditions . I have fallen on my ass . I have made a complete fool of myself . I auditioned for Robert Redford once and I was so starstruck I could n't even speak . I had a mic wire at a screen test clipped to me and then I got kind of nervous and I paced in a circle and then took a step and tripped and fell on my face . You just have to forgive yourself and keep going on . '' Mike Myers `` Austin Powers : The Spy Who Shagged Me , '' `` Shrek '' `` I 've had some bad auditions for some TV movies that were shooting in England where I just did n't want to be in them and offered them more obtuse -LSB- performances -RSB- ... I like to think of it as performance art . I did n't sabotage it , I was just woefully inappropriate , you know ? I just thought , ` Why not be nude even if it is a children 's theatre ? '' Catherine Keener `` Being John Malkovich , '' `` Synecdoche , New York '' `` You would n't believe some of the comments , assessments . But , they 're really not meant personally . Like for example , ` You 're not pretty enough . ' For them it 's just a fact . But for you it 's like , ` Oh my God ! I have to live with this . ' You get a thicker skin about it , which you should because it is n't meant personally , but it 's such a personal profession that you kind of have to get used to getting critiqued on things that you should n't even care about . '' Dustin Hoffman `` Marathon Man , '' `` Meet the Fockers '' `` The most famous casting director from New York , I was lucky enough to get an audition with her in the '60s . She did all the plays , all the Broadway plays . She is sitting across the desk saying her lines , and I am saying mine , and she stops and says , ` Come here . Bring your chair here , right next to me . ' And I say , ` Why ? ' And she says , ` Because I ca n't hear you , and you have never been on the stage or on Broadway , and you are going to have to reach the last row . ' I said , ` Yeah , I know . I have been studying acting for about seven years now , but I 'm not on Broadway now , I 'm just sitting in front of you . ' So , she said , ' I know , but I could n't hear you . That 's why I asked you to sit next to me . ' I said , ` Okay . Can you hear me now ? ' I was getting so angry . Well , at that point she said , ` Speak up , ' and I screamed as loud as I could , every line after . She called my agent and said , ` If you ever send that maniac around here again I will never see another one of your clients . ' I really lost it . Eli Roth `` Death Proof , '' `` Inglourious Basterds '' `` I left the casting of ` Hostel : Part II , ' which Quentin -LSB- Tarantino -RSB- was a producer on to go and audition for his movie -LSB- ` Inglourious Basterds ' -RSB- and it was just a room with a camera . He was n't even there and I was like , ` Where 's Quentin ? ' They go ` He did n't leave his house today . ' Anyways , I blew it . I did terribly and Quentin called me and starts making fun of me . He was like , ` You were so bad in your audition , but I 'll give you a callback . Come on . ' Demi Moore `` A Few Good Men , '' `` Charlie 's Angels : Full Throttle '' `` I auditioned for ' A Few Good Men ' with Tom Cruise and Rob Reiner and when I went into that audition I was eight months pregnant , so there is always kind of a lasting impression that I was playing this military officer with this gigantic belly . Obviously , it turned out well because I got the role but there was something quite odd about it . '' Roger Moore `` Octopussy , '' `` Curse of the Pink Panther '' `` I remember auditioning for one play , and the girl was awfully short and we were holding the book in our hands and I almost could n't see her . I knew I was n't going to get that part , I tried to make myself smaller and smaller so I could be closer her size and that did n't happen . '' Ramon Rodriguez `` Transformers : Revenge of the Fallen , `` The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 '' `` I met -LSB- ` Transformers ' director -RSB- Michael Bay in his office in Santa Monica for an hour and a half he had me running , jumping and diving all over his office and his furniture freaking out like I was reacting to robots , which is the strangest audition I have had by far . I left the room completely drenched in sweat and all I could say was , ' I better get this part . ' It worked out and the stuff we did in the room was the stuff we did on set . '' | Stars confess their casting calamities and tales of audition woe . Dustin Hoffman remembers how he `` lost it '' and screamed at a casting agent . Ethan Hawke confesses to falling `` on his ass '' Eli Roth `` blew it '' when he first auditioned for `` Inglourious Basterds '' | [[90, 190], [342, 455], [392, 455], [918, 954], [1602, 1636], [1637, 1662], [712, 791], [744, 815], [4499, 4506], [4509, 4520]] |
LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Catherine Zeta-Jones is limbering up for her Broadway debut . Catherine Zeta-Jones will make her Broadway debut in Stephen Sondheim 's `` A Little Night Music . '' The Oscar-winning star of `` Chicago '' will appear alongside Angela Lansbury in a revival of the Stephen Sondheim musical `` A Little Night Music , '' according to an announcement from the show 's producers . The production is set to open December 13 at the Walter Kerr Theater in New York 's theater district . Previews begin November 24 . Zeta-Jones will play the lead role of Desiree Armfeldt in the production directed by Trevor Nunn , with Lansbury cast as her mother , Madame Armfeldt . `` I 'm honored that Trevor Nunn and Stephen Sondheim asked me to make my Broadway debut in this beautiful production , '' Zeta-Jones said in a statement . `` I look forward to starting rehearsal with this extraordinary group of people and working with the incomparable Angela Lansbury , whose work I 've long admired . '' Lansbury returned the compliment , describing Zeta-Jones in a statement as a `` lovely young actress . '' The 83-year-old Lansbury first appeared on Broadway more than 40 years ago and has claimed five Tonys during her stage career . Her most recent Tony came this year for her work in the revival of the Noel Coward play `` Blithe Spirit . '' `` A Little Night Music , '' with music and lyrics by Sondheim and book by Hugh Wheeler , debuted on Broadway in 1973 . It 's based on the 1955 Ingmar Bergman film `` Smiles of a Summer Night . '' The 1973 production ran for 601 performances and won six Tonys , including best musical . The score features `` Send in the Clowns , '' one of Sondheim 's best-known songs , as well as `` A Weekend in the Country , '' `` Liaisons '' and `` Every Day a Little Death . '' The producers have not announced ticket prices for the revival . Tickets go on sale October 17 for the general public . | Catherine Zeta-Jones , Angela Lansbury co-starring in revival of `` A Little Night Music '' Broadway show will be Zeta-Jones ' first on the Main Stem ; Lansbury a veteran . Stephen Sondheim show is famous as source of `` Send in the Clowns '' | [[208, 330], [106, 180], [208, 330]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Wu-Tang Clan -- the New York hip-hop supergroup that spawned millions of album sales , nine solo acts and a few acting careers -- almost never was . If RZA , left , had been jailed or Method Man killed , Wu-Tang may have never formed , RZA says . Method Man , the group 's most recognizable voice , was nearly killed before the band formed , Wu-Tang 's chief producer , RZA , writes in his forthcoming memoir . Meth was walking to buy marijuana at 160 Park Hill Avenue in Staten Island -- the house in Wu-Tang 's `` Protect Ya Neck '' video -- when RZA saw him across the street , he writes in the book . `` Come over here , yo ! '' RZA beckoned , according to `` The Tao of Wu '' -LRB- Riverhead -RRB- . `` He stopped and came running over . A few seconds later -- pow-pow-pow-pow-pow ! -- a guy started shooting up the front of 160 . A buddy of ours , Poppy , an innocent , school-going , nice guy -- he was shot and killed right there . '' Interactive : Where 's the Wu been ? '' It was n't the only close call RZA said could have snuffed the band that rewrote the rule book for hip-hop acts . The year before the group formed in 1993 , RZA was acquitted on an attempted murder charge that could have put him behind bars for eight years , he writes in `` The Tao of Wu , '' out Thursday . Expanding on the book 's anecdotes in an interview with CNN , RZA explained that if he had been imprisoned or if Method Man , aka Clifford Smith , had been killed , the band never would have come to fruition . RZA , whose real name is Robert Diggs and whose stage name is pronounced `` Rizza , '' also talked about his role in the death of his cousin , Russell Jones , better known as Ol' Dirty Bastard or ODB . Two days before his 36th birthday in 2004 , ODB died in a New York recording studio from an overdose of cocaine and painkillers . RZA writes in the book that he once witnessed ODB force his own son to watch him do drugs . RZA tried to leave , he writes , but ODB would n't let him . Now , RZA told CNN , he wishes he would 've been tougher with ODB about his drug problem . Following are excerpts from the interview , which has been edited for language , flow and length : . CNN : Could your imprisonment or Method Man 's death have derailed Wu-Tang 's formation ? RZA : Either one of those incidents could definitely have derailed it . Of course , myself being the abbot , the one who came with the idea , if I would n't have made it out of that tumultuous time -- it seemed like I was n't going to make it out of it ; there was a lot of odds against me -- but we stood strong , and self-defense made sense to the jury . We beat that ... It was the victory over that incident that made me change my whole direction . In a way , it 's double-edged in that incident . One , if I would 've lost that , yeah , Wu-Tang would n't have happened , but also it 's the victory of it that inspired me and gave me the drive also to go and really get serious about Wu-Tang and the things I was dealing with . Same thing with Meth , he always brings it up ... that that day saved his life . He actually said , if it was anybody else calling him , he would n't have came . CNN : In the book , you cite lessons from Eastern religions , Christianity , Islam , -LSB- Nation of Islam offshoot -RSB- Five Percent , numerology , comic books , kung fu , chess . What would you say to someone who says it 's difficult to reconcile these dogmas ? RZA : Like it says in the Bible , `` In the beginning was the word , and the word became flesh '' -- if we go to the root of the word , we will find that , yeah , everything is similar . Everything is teaching us all the same path . It 's just that one religion was good for these people because of their living conditions . In the Quran , they mention paradise being filled with wells , wells of water , and if you 're in the desert and you 've got a chance to get water and gardens -- as they describe paradise in the holy Quran -- if you 're going to get gardens , that 's the paradise that fits your situation . ... Everything they 're saying relates to the people they 're talking to . ... You remove the messenger and take the message . CNN : You say in the book that your penchant for violent lyrics in your younger years `` was a product of my history and environment '' and that it no longer represents you . But you also say you wo n't repudiate violence . Why not ? RZA : One reason I have n't repudiated it is because when it 's necessary , it 's necessary . -LSB- The Bible 's -RSB- Ecclesiastes tell us there 's a time for everything -- a time for war , a time for peace -- so in times for war , there 's time for violence . Then in -LSB- the Hindu scripture -RSB- Bhagavad Gita , it says Arjuna was talking , Arjuna did n't want to commit violent acts against an army that was attacking him . He could n't find it in his heart to do it . It was people he loved . He did n't want to get into violence , but Krishna had to point out to him , `` Your duty is your duty . '' ... So , to me , violence in the light of justice is still violent , but I do n't see it the same . It 's because of justice that I do n't repudiate violence because justice must be served somehow . CNN : ODB was a product of his environment as well . To what degree were you and other Wu-Tang members responsible for his death ? RZA : The guys would say it 's more me than them because they say that 's my cousin and I was right there . If you let a man that you love or anybody -- man , woman or child that you love -- sit there and destroy themselves in front of you , you 're neglecting them ... Everybody let him do what he wanted to do . ... There were times when I took his drugs and threw them down the toilet . When I do that , he would get so pissed off I do n't see him for weeks after that . ... So it got to a point , I was like , '' -LSB- expletive -RSB- it , let him do his drugs '' just to have him around me , just to keep him there . ... But it 's still neglect , yo . CNN : You say you ran Wu-Tang like a dictatorship in its first five years . I know you and Raekwon have had creative differences and Ghostface Killah is suing you over royalties . Ever regret the dictatorship approach ? RZA : I do n't regret it because it got us to the power we are . ... To me , in the beginning , the dictatorship led us to such a strong foundation that even though Wu-Tang seemed to be crumbling , it did n't fall because of the root foundation of one man 's idea . But now as it 's coming back together -- we 're living in the twilight age of it right now -- it 's still surviving because of the democracy of it . CNN : Wu-Tang is still around , but nothing like the heyday of the 1990s . Will we ever see a renaissance ? RZA : Well , to me , Wu-Tang is beyond Wu-Tang Clan . ... It 's just like hip-hop is beyond Grandmaster Flash , but Grandmaster Flash was one of the first guys to hit those turntables like that . ... The same thing with Wu-Tang . You 'll see the difference in hip-hop from the moment we came in to before we came in . We changed it . We changed the whole structure . CNN : Have you accomplished everything you 've set out to accomplish ? RZA : I 'm me and the me that 's me is me and is going to continue to be me , and it 's always reaching and growing . I 'm grateful for what I 've accomplished . I 'm grateful for anyone who thinks I accomplished something and says , `` Well he did this ; he did that . '' I 'm proud to be accepted , but I feel like I 've just scratched the surface for some weird reason . CNN 's Kyle Almond contributed to this report . | Wu-Tang producer : Attempted murder conviction also could have derailed band . Rapper/producer/actor RZA talks of forming Wu-Tang Clan in upcoming memoir . RZA : Ol' Dirty Bastard made son watch him do drugs before 2004 fatal overdose . Book cites lessons from Christianity , Islam , numerology , kung fu , chess . | [[1181, 1262], [1377, 1524], [2202, 2205], [2208, 2291], [2298, 2363], [365, 390], [399, 433], [1857, 1924], [1893, 1948], [3206, 3367]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The label on the package claimed that it contained T-shirts and baby toys . When customs officials in Sydney scanned the parcel , they found five pythons and two venomous tarantulas . But when customs officials in Sydney X-ray scanned the parcel , they found instead five pythons and two venomous tarantulas . On Tuesday , authorities raided the house in Sydney to which the parcel had been addressed . Officials seized evidence but expect to file charges later , the customs agency said . Importing live animals without a permit is illegal in Australia and can yield a 10-year prison sentence and a fine of 110,000 Australian dollars -LRB- $ 92,000 U.S. -RRB- . The parcel was sent from the United States last week , but officials would not say specifically where it had been mailed from . The snakes were wrapped within white calico bags and the spiders were packed in clear plastic containers , the customs agency said . The creatures were later killed because they posed a quarantine risk , the agency said in a press release . It titled the press release : `` Spiders and snakes on a plane . '' | Customs officials in Australia find pythons and tarantulas in package . The parcel had been sent from the United States . The creatures were later killed because they posed a quarantine risk . | [[95, 146], [149, 202], [207, 264], [267, 328], [682, 734], [943, 967], [975, 1011], [943, 956], [962, 1011]] |
LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Brandon Boyd blends into his Venice , California , neighborhood like any other resident . Brandon Boyd , front man for Incubus , is going on the road with the band in July . He surfs . Shuns Starbucks in favor of the local smoothie shop . Walks his French bulldog , Bruce . Oh , he also paints and makes music with his multiplatinum rock band , Incubus . The quintet hits the road on a North American summer tour in July , and just released a greatest hits collection called `` Monuments and Melodies . '' The packaging features artwork by Boyd , who held his first solo art exhibit at Mr. Musichead Rock Art Gallery in Los Angeles last fall . The showroom is on the Sunset Strip , a stone 's throw from the clubs that were host to Incubus ' first gigs . The most spectacular paintings are large , fantasy-inspired pieces drenched in burgundy or aqua . Usually , the artwork springs to life in a corner of the singer 's kitchen , where an easel permanently resides . It 's a zen-like space , with high ceilings , glossy concrete floors and warm , burnished wood . But instead of the requisite Buddha statue , there 's a rubber rabbit 's head for inspiration . The muse seems ironic and appropriate , especially since Boyd swears his home was a brothel back in the 1900s . CNN talked to Boyd about collaboration , the fulfillment of art and finding the perfect wave . The following is an edited version of the interview . CNN : Is n't it ironic that you had your first solo art show before your first solo album ? Brandon Boyd : I 've actually thought very little about solo work up until just very recently . Most of it is because in my band , Incubus , it is very much a collaborative effort . I do what I do in the band , and everyone plays their respective parts , but in the end , we are sort of a democratic process . We meet in the middle for a lot of the songs , and I think that 's why we sound the way we do -- because it 's sort of five minds meeting in the middle . With my art thing , it 's completely self-indulgent . Watch the singer discuss his art '' CNN : So what does art fulfill in you that you do n't get out of music ? Boyd : To me , it 's like the difference between a pen and a paintbrush . Music draws from almost the identical place as art does , which really is that intangible -- it 's like you 're pulling from the ether . I do n't know where it comes from . Nobody really does . It sort of arrives when it wants to . ... I 've been painting and drawing and taking pictures as long as I 've been writing music -- and I 've actually been drawing longer than I 've been writing music . I did n't go around looking for it . It kind of found me . CNN : Your parents always encouraged you to explore your artistic side . Boyd : My parents are wonderful , and I 'm really lucky -- but my mom has always been almost exclusively a right-brained person . She goes completely on her feelings of things , on her intuition , and so she instilled that in my brothers and I. And she also instilled in us from a very young age the importance of visualization -- visualization as a tool towards manifestation in your life . And so , from a very young age , if I did n't feel well , she 's like , `` Well , draw what 's happening and draw a solution . '' If I had a stomach ache , I would draw a picture of my stomach , and I would draw what I thought the bad germs looked like -- and , you know , they had little robber masks on and stuff . And then I would draw a good germ , and of course it had a cape , and some tights , and he had a washcloth in his hands , and he could fly around and clean up the bad germs . And for some reason , I would always feel better afterwards . CNN : Did you ever visualize and draw what you wanted to achieve in terms of your music career , too ? Boyd : Sometimes , yeah . But the guys in the band -- we kind of grew up together , and when they were like , `` We want to play music , let 's start a band . You should be the singer , '' I was like , `` OK . '' I 'd never written anything before , I had never even really sang , but they knew that I knew how to draw , so it seemed logical that maybe I could write lyrics or carry a tune . So I always just sort of visualize lines , I would visualize a melody , and then sound it out to them , and they would help me sort of guide it through the instruments . And eventually , I got good enough at it that I was able to do it completely on my own . CNN : When you finish a painting , is it very much like finishing a song or finishing an album ? Boyd : Yeah , there is definitely a sense of accomplishment . Very rarely is there any confusion as to when a painting or a song is finished . You just know when it 's done . Someone wise once said when they were asked the question , `` How do you know when you 're done with a painting ? '' And they said , `` How do you know when you 're done making love ? '' I always thought that was a great analogy . CNN : Did you ever think , `` I need a fall-back job , like being an accountant , or a lawyer , or someone who works for IBM ? '' Boyd : I feel very blessed , but no . I knew from a very young age that these were the things that I was supposed to do , and I actually made some very adult decisions when I was a teenager based on the knowledge that this is what I was going to do . There was really no question about it . CNN : What else do you want to do ? Boyd : Painting and art are obviously in my focus , but I dream about getting a really big tube at the Bonsai Pipeline sometime in the near future . | Incubus ' Brandon Boyd has been indulging in a love of painting . Band has new greatest hits album out , will hit the road in July . `` These were the things I was supposed to do , '' says Boyd . | [[134, 146], [173, 217], [399, 464], [399, 410], [471, 546], [5193, 5240]] |
LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Whenever you speak with Carlos Santana , you pretty much know what you 're going to get : lots of talk about love and light . spiritual analogies , name-dropping of people like Marvin Gaye and Mother Teresa . Carlos Santana will start a 72-show residency in Las Vegas in May at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino . It may take a moment to enter the humble headspace of the 61-year-old guitarist legend , but once you 're there , you realize that this is a man who acts with his heart instead of his head . Somehow , he 's managing to live out his 1960s ideals in 2009 -- and he wants fans to experience a piece of that with his new Las Vegas , Nevada , show , `` Supernatural Santana : A Trip Through the Hits . '' The 72-show residency at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino launches May 27 , with 36 concerts this year and 36 in 2010 . As with all his events , a portion of the cost of each ticket will be donated to the Milagro Foundation , the charitable organization founded by Santana and his family to benefit children around the world . Watch Santana get into the groove '' Santana talked to CNN about the Vegas show and his beliefs . The following is an edited version of that interview . CNN : Your Vegas show sounds like it 's your greatest hits mixed with a little bit of Carlos Santana spirituality . Carlos Santana : They 're inseparable at this point . We 're very different than a lot of bands . A lot of bands concentrate on show business and entertainment . We focus on light and touching people 's hearts . We really believe that by coming to Las Vegas , it gives us an opportunity to take ourselves and the people who come to listen to us into a place where people are free from thinking they 're sinners or unworthy . There 's something really wonderful about music when music makes men and women dance , laugh and cry at the same time , because they 're receiving like a Holy Ghost thing . CNN : Ticket prices range from $ 79 up to $ 299 -- which is a lot of money for some people in this economy . Santana : I have no clue about that . I 'm more with , `` This finger goes onto this note and it makes juicy sounds , and I 'm going to make people dance and laugh . '' It 's not like I do n't care or I 'm ignorant . It 's just that I 'm not wired to have that insignificance on me other than what I 'm going to get to give back to other people . And other than that , I trust that the people around me -- which is my sister and my brother-in-law -- will take care of all of those dimensions . We do n't like to gouge people , but we do like to be realistic that you do need to pay the rent ... and stuff like that . But other than that , since I was a child , I really do n't put that much focus or significance into it . CNN : You 're well-loved by mainstream audiences , and the Latino audience has been really supportive , too . Do you think this is opening up the door to perhaps invite the Latino audience to Vegas ? Santana : They 're already there . They 're washing dishes and folding sheets -- I 'm serious . The Latin community is there . It 's just that we do n't see them . ... I do n't belong to just Latinos just because I speak Spanish . We go to Ireland , and if we go to Pakistan , or Istanbul or Malaysia , we 're part of the family . We just did a tour in South America , and I have never seen so many children come to our concerts in my life -- and I 've been doing this since ' 67 . CNN : You were born in Mexico , and President Obama will be heading there to talk about the war on drugs . -LSB- Secretary of State -RSB- Hillary Clinton recently made some remarks that United States drug consumption is partially to blame for this problem . Do you agree with that ? Santana : Totally . I think that the solution to all of this stuff would be to legalize it , decriminalize it , reinvest all that money into teachers in schools . ... If we would teach in schools the incredible sensation of climax that it feels to be of service to other people -- like Mother Teresa , or Desmond Tutu or the Dalai Lama -- smoking pot , and drinking tequila , and watching porno or whatever people do , it pales in comparison when you actually wake up to be of service to people . To go back to the question -- I think we should legalize marijuana . I think Barack Obama should bring the brothers and sisters home -- the soldiers . If I was to see him , I would go , `` Listen to Marvin Gaye 's ` What 's Going On ' and John Coltrane , and bring the boys home from the war now , like we did with Vietnam . '' They 're not going to come here . People in Vietnam did not come here to attack us after we left them alone . So let 's get rid of that fear , that fantasy , that stuff . Let 's get rid of the bogeyman , because the bogeyman is us looking in the mirror of each other . CNN : What about when people do n't get it , Carlos ? What if they 're listening to you and thinking , `` He sounds like one of those New Age Californians , and I really do n't get what they 're doing out there . '' Santana : Well , they do n't get it because they 're stuck in something that is not working . Like , for example , a lot of people are stuck with certain parts of the Bible , believing that God is vengeful and jealous . That 's Godzilla ! I 'm not stuck with a God like that . I 'm stuck with a God that 's all love , all compassion , all light , and he only sees you with purity and innocence , like the brand-new eyes of a child that 's just been born . ... A lot about Las Vegas is illusion . It 's entertainment and show business . We do n't know none of that . We only know to go into your heart and help you remember that it 's there . I know a lot of rich millionaires who are not happy , and you 're only happy when you 're doing something . CNN : Are you happy ? Santana : I 'm very , very happy because I 'm grateful . My priorities finally have been crystallized . I started washing dishes , and now I do this . And this is a lot of fun . | Carlos Santana will be opening `` Supernatural Santana '' in Las Vegas May 27 . Guitarist says band focuses `` on light and touching people 's hearts '' Santana believes in legalizing marijuana , wants to emphasize teaching service . | [[253, 318], [615, 723], [1511, 1560], [1511, 1513], [1533, 1560]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A global commodities trading company says it is considering a settlement to legal claims that it is responsible for the deaths of 15 people and thousands of illnesses after 500 tons of toxic waste were dumped in the African nation of Ivory Coast . Signs such as this were still up in `` toxic zones '' around Abidjan , Ivory Coast , a year after the waste dumping . The Dutch company Trafigura said studies by 20 experts it has hired conclude that the chemicals did not harm anyone . `` In view of that expert evidence , and the fact that claims are not being made in this litigation for deaths , miscarriages , still births , birth defects and other serious injuries , the parties are exploring the possibility of compromising the claims which have been made , '' Trafigura said in a release Wednesday . `` A global settlement is being considered by the parties and it currently appears that this settlement is likely to be acceptable to most , if not all , of the claimants . '' A United Nations report also released Wednesday said Trafigura did cause death and injury when the cargo ship Probo Koala dumped 500 tons of toxic waste belonging to the company at sites around Abidjan , the West African nation 's largest city . The incident happened in August 2006 . `` According to official estimates , 15 people died , 69 people were hospitalized and over 100,000 others , complaining of nausea and vomiting after inhaling fumes , sought medical treatment after the incident , '' said the report by Okechukwu Ibeanu , an unpaid investigator for the Geneva-based U.N. Human Rights Council . `` We still do n't know -- and we may never know -- the full effect of the dumping . But there seems to be strong prima facie evidence that the reported deaths and adverse health consequences are related to the dumping of the waste . '' Ibeanu , who visited Ivory Coast and the Netherlands during his investigation , urged all parties to take steps `` to address possible long-term human health and environmental effects of the incident . '' According to a U.N. statement , Ibeanu said last month that the areas where the toxic waste was dumped still have not been decontaminated and continue to threaten residents ' health . Many people , he said , are still reporting headaches , skin lesions , digestive difficulties and nose , throat and lung problems . Trafigura noted in its release Wednesday that it initiated a plan two years ago that would compensate , without any admission of liability , any claimants who could demonstrate any injury caused by exposure to the waste , which the company calls `` slops . '' `` The company has always maintained that the Probo Koala 's slops could not possibly have caused deaths and serious or long-term injuries , '' Trafigura said . `` Independent expert witnesses firmly support Trafigura in this stance . '' Trafigura also maintains it `` sought to comply with all relevant regulations and procedures concerning the offloading of the Probo Koala 's slops in Abidjan . '' The company denies that the ship went to Ivory Coast solely to dump the toxic waste . `` Trafigura has consistently stated that the Probo Koala was returning from a routine commercial voyage to deliver a gasoline cargo in Lagos , Nigeria , when it stopped in Abidjan , '' the company statement said . `` Consequently , any suggestion that the vessel was sent to West Africa solely for the purpose of offloading its slops is entirely inaccurate . '' As one of the largest independent companies trading commodities , Trafigura has 1,900 employees in 42 nations , the company 's Web site says . `` We handle every element involved in the sourcing and trading of crude oil , petroleum products , renewable energies , metals , metal ores and concentrates for industrial consumers . '' the company says . Ivory Coast , a former French colony with a population of 20 million , is also known as Cote d'Ivoire . | Dutch firm Trafigura : Toxic dumping did n't harm anyone , according to experts . U.N. report : Fifteen people died , 69 were hospitalized , and thousands were treated . Toxic waste areas still have not been decontaminated , U.N. statement says . | [[385, 439], [432, 502], [2789, 2862], [1000, 1023], [1029, 1089], [1322, 1336], [1339, 1375], [2052, 2081], [2084, 2235]] |
Editor 's note : Rudy Ruiz founded RedBrownandBlue.com , a site featuring multicultural political commentary , hosts a nationally syndicated Spanish-language radio show ; and wrote a guide to success for immigrants -LRB- '' ¡ Adelante ! '' published by Random House -RRB- . He is co-founder and president of Interlex , an advocacy marketing agency based in San Antonio , Texas . Rudy Ruiz says people hold on to their views despite the evidence for fear of being labeled a flip-flopper . SAN ANTONIO , Texas -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- As people shout over each other and tune out diverging views in town hall meetings , the health care debate is proving to be symptomatic of a major ailment threatening our nation : . A contagious culture of closed-mindedness threatens to suffocate our progress as a society . Why has it become so difficult to even consider changing our minds about important issues ? Here 's my diagnosis . Increasingly , the willingness to change one 's position on political issues has been misread as a mark of weakness rather than a product of attentive listening and careful deliberation . During the 2004 Presidential campaign , the successful branding of John Kerry as a flip-flopper doomed his bid . Fear of `` flip-flopper syndrome '' is apparently catching like the flu , because today politicians are not alone in their determination to adhere to partisan positions despite the changing needs of our nation . Nearly everyone 's so reluctant to appear wishy-washy that they stand firm even when the evidence is against their views . Three factors exacerbate this paralysis by lack of analysis : labels , lifestyles and listening . First , the labels ascribed to many potential policy tools render sensible options taboo , loading what could be rational , economic or social measures with moral baggage . This narrows our choices , hemming in policy makers . Any proposal including the words `` government-run '' elicits cries of `` socialism '' and `` communism . '' Any argument invoking the words `` God '' or `` moral '' sparks accusations of `` right-wing extremism , '' `` fascism , '' or `` Bible-thumping . '' Instead of listening to each other 's ideas , we spot the warning label and run the other way . Second , our lifestyles favor knee-jerk reactions . The way we think , work and live in the Digital Age demands we quickly categorize information without investing time into rich interaction , research and understanding . We 're hesitant to ask questions because we do n't have time to listen to the long , complicated answers that might follow . And we lack the time to fact-check competing claims . In our haste , it 's easier to echo our party 's position than drill down , questioning whether party leaders are motivated by our best interests or the best interests of their biggest contributors . Third , we tend to listen only to like-minded opinions as media fragmentation encourages us to filter out varying perspectives . If you 're a liberal , you avoid FOX News . If you 're a conservative you revile MSNBC . The dynamic is even more pronounced online , where a niche media source can be found for any outlook . This silences the opportunity for meaningful dialogue and deliberation that might lead to reformulating positions , forging sustainable compromises , and developing consensus crucial to moving our nation forward on complex issues . So how can we overcome this challenge , starting with the health care debate ? How do we open our minds to the possibility that we could actually learn from somebody else ? Here 's my prescription . For starters , we should eschew the notion that changing our minds is a character flaw . To the contrary , experts believe it 's a manifestation of higher intelligence . Renowned psychologist Stuart Sutherland wrote in `` Irrationality , '' his seminal 1992 book : `` The willingness to change one 's mind in the light of new evidence is a sign of rationality not weakness . '' To further free our minds , we should aggressively treat the three Ls : . Let 's lose the labels : from `` flip-flopper '' to `` commie , '' from `` fear-monger '' to `` right-wing nut job . '' Trash the diatribe ; mull the ideas . Let 's engage in some constructive lifestyle management , slowing down to ponder -- and make independent decisions -- as enlightened people . We can not allow the technological evolution to rob us of the intellectual strides of the American Revolution . We must value the art of listening , reflection , comparative analysis , and civil discourse if we 're to make the most of our democracy . In the process , we should signal to leaders that we 're willing to expand our horizons beyond party lines . Maybe they 'll get in front of our parade , collaborating for a change . Let 's request a second opinion and listen to each other . Switch channels . Visit different Web sites . Read a newspaper , while we can still find one . How about stepping into a town hall with an open mind , prepared to converse with people hailing from diverse circumstances ? A range of perspectives enriches our viewpoint , empowering us to craft nuanced responses to complex situations . Ultimately , we must stop thinking that the only thing to think is what we 've thought all along . As we learn more about multifaceted matters , our positions should evolve accordingly . Let 's accept that it 's OK to change your minds . In the end , opening our minds can only enhance the prognosis for our most cherished patient : America . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Rudy Ruiz . | Rudy Ruiz : It 's become unfashionable to have an open mind about issues . He says labels like `` socialism '' and `` fascism '' obscure the real choices . He says it 's a sign of rationality to be open to the evidence . Ruiz : Let 's listen to each other and take into consideration wider range of viewpoints . | [[803, 894], [3855, 3921], [3900, 3961], [3186, 3226], [3232, 3269], [4772, 4830], [4772, 4786], [4808, 4830]] |
CIMA , California -- Driving along a pockmarked road amid rocks and Joshua trees in a lonely southern California desert , religious controversy might be the last thing you 'd expect to encounter . A judge ruled the Mojave Cross must be covered until a First Amendment issue can be resolved . And if you do n't look too closely , you 're likely to zip right past the focus of a hotly contested Supreme Court battle . A federal judge has ordered the Mojave Cross , a war memorial erected by a veterans group 75 years ago , to be covered . It 's boxed in plywood . The issue is less about what the cross symbolizes and more about where it sits : In the middle of the Mojave National Preserve , which is government land . The high court on Wednesday will consider whether the display violates the First Amendment 's provision for a separation of church and state . Watch details of the cross case '' More specifically , does an individual who protests the cross have legal standing to take the case to court ? Do congressional efforts to minimize the appearance of a constitutional violation carry any weight ? View details on other cases awaiting the Supreme Court '' `` Religion is always very hard fought in the Supreme Court , and this is no exception , '' said Thomas Goldstein , a Washington appellate attorney and co-founder of scotusblog.com . `` A single cross on a single plot of land has given rise to this huge constitutional controversy . The court will look at whether Congress , with a kind of wink and a nod , -LRB- can -RRB- say that this governmental cross is now on private land or are we -LRB- going to -RRB- say , no this is a governmental war monument and it has a religious symbol on it . '' Riley Bembry , who served as a medic in World War I , helped erect the cross in 1934 . It sits on a 4,000-foot plateau and was a place of reflection for many vets who retreated to the desert in part to recover from severe lung diseases caused by mustard gas attacks during the Great War . An annual Easter service is held there , but until recently only locals knew about it . The site is not on any maps . Watch a video about the Mojave monument '' Bembry never got permission from the government to erect the cross , but for decades nobody seemed to care . He was the caretaker of the memorial for five decades until he died in 1984 . In 1994 , 1.6 million acres of desert -- including the land with the cross on it -- was transferred to the National Park Service . A few years later , a resident wanted to put up a Buddhist shrine near the cross . The request was denied . Frank Buono , a former deputy superintendent of the preserve , filed a lawsuit with the help of the ACLU , claiming federal officials were acting unfairly . `` He thinks that the government is in effect misappropriating this sacred symbol and trying to give it just a secular meaning , '' said Peter Eliasberg , managing attorney of the ACLU of Southern California . `` It strikes me as sort of odd that it just happens to be in that shape , '' Eliasberg said . `` If what they really wanted to do was have a war memorial , there are hundreds of other shapes that it could be in . ... Mr. Buono does not have an objection to the government having a war memorial there that 's in the shape of a soldier , or that 's in the shape of the Vietnam memorial . '' A federal court ordered the cross removed earlier this decade . A judge ruled that until the dispute is settled the cross had to be covered . In 2001 Congress got involved . Lawmakers prohibited the Park Service from spending federal dollars to remove the display . A year later , they designated the site a national memorial similar to the Washington Monument and Mount Rushmore . More importantly , the Republican-led Congress agreed to transfer one acre of land around the cross in exchange for five private acres inside the preserve . A San Francisco , California-based appeals court turned that offer down , saying it failed to satisfy Constitutional concerns . The land swap `` would leave a little donut hole of land with a cross in the midst of a vast federal preserve '' the court said . The Supreme Court has traditionally taken a case-by-case approach to similar First Amendment cases . Among other things , it has upheld tax exemptions for churches and the mention of `` God '' on U.S. currency . Test your Supreme Court knowledge '' At the same time , it has banned government-sponsored school prayer and imposed limits on public aid to parochial schools . In 2005 , a Ten Commandments monument on the Texas Statehouse grounds was allowed to stand because it was surrounded by historical markers . But the same day , the placement of Ten Commandment parchments in two Kentucky county courthouses was ruled unconstitutional . The high court called them `` a governmental effort substantially to promote religion . '' Earlier this year , the justices ruled that a small religious group could not erect a granite monument in a Utah park next to an existing Ten Commandments display . This time , the Obama administration will argue in favor of keeping the cross and allowing the land transfer . The implications of the case could extend beyond the Mojave Cross . Individual gravestones are not at issue , but war memorials have long featured religious imagery . `` There are 5 million veterans that we represent ... would be quite shocked and horrified to know that those memorials and the symbols chosen by vets 75 years or 100 years ago would suddenly have to be torn down by a bulldozer , '' said Hiram Sasser , attorney for the Liberty Legal Institute . Wanda and Henry Sandoz have been taking care of the memorial since Bembry passed away . They shake their heads over the legal fight that will take them to Washington . `` I hope it wo n't be too long before we can look at the cross again without that stupid box , '' Wanda Sandoz said . `` Yep , really . We 'll repaint it , '' Henry Sandoz said . `` I already bought some white paint , '' Wanda Sandoz said . CNN national correspondent Kate Bolduan contributed to this report . | A war memorial erected in the shape of a cross was covered by plywood . The cross is located on government property . Justices will decide whether the display violates the First Amendment . It 's `` sort of odd that it just happens to be in that shape , '' said an ACLU attorney . | [[537, 561], [537, 539], [543, 561], [660, 688], [697, 717], [718, 860], [2957, 2993], [2991, 3026]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An infant falls to his death from a second-story window while his parents are making love . Charlotte Gainsbourg and Willem Dafoe star in the Lars von Trier drama `` Antichrist . '' The mother -LRB- Charlotte Gainsbourg -RRB- is consumed with grief and guilt . She 's hospitalized and sedated for days and weeks before her husband -LRB- Willem Dafoe -RRB- , a therapist , insists she return home . He gets rid of all her medications . He will be her partner and her grief counselor , and he will see her through this , if only she will place her trust in him . Not a good idea for either of them , as it turns out . Halloween is nearly upon us , but `` Antichrist '' is a mighty strange kind of horror movie , a wrenching psychodrama for two-thirds of its running time before collapsing into a steaming heap of deranged sadism and supernatural symbolism in the outrageous third act . The movie 's peculiarity can be accounted for in three words : Lars von Trier . The Danish provocateur twice won prestigious honors at the Cannes Film Festival -LRB- with `` Breaking the Waves '' and `` Dancer in the Dark '' -RRB- and re-energized European art cinema in the 1990s with the Dogme movement 's so-called `` Vows of Chastity . '' It 's not often that an art-house director takes up the implements to make a horror film , and for a while , `` Antichrist '' compels with its anguished intensity and audacious stylistic choices , not least the severity that keeps the focus exclusively on this man and woman , neither of whom is named . The prologue -- the child 's death -- is a luxurious , slow-motion rhapsody of explicit sex , black-and-white photography and baroque music , commingling with the infant 's almost ersatz tragedy and finding perfunctory counterpoint in banal close-ups of the family 's washer-dryer . -LRB- There may be a deliberate echo here of the famous sex scene in Nicolas Roeg 's `` Do n't Look Now , '' a far more keenly calibrated examination of grief succumbing to the supernatural . -RRB- . Dafoe and Gainsbourg are riveting as the ill-matched couple . He 's an implacable rationalist , urging her to confront her fears and venture into the darkest recesses of her psyche . She 's not sure he 's ready to share that torment with her . Their bitter , sometimes sourly funny back-and-forth fleetingly echoes the railing , pugnacious and remorseful men and women we find again and again in Strindberg and Bergman . Of course , when those great Scandinavian dramatists wanted to shock us with the ferocity of the battle of the sexes and show a married couple going at it tooth and nail , their only weapons were words . Mindful that he 's up against `` Hostel , '' `` Saw '' and the like , Herr von Trier ups the ante considerably . Hiking to a log cabin in the mountains to uncover the apex of his wife 's fears -LRB- it could be anywhere , but let 's imagine we 're in the neighborhood of Burkittsville -RRB- , the doctor 's little experiment in exposure therapy ends in crushed genitals and , uh , worse . Much worse . It 's safe to say von Trier knows this climax is over the top : `` Chaos reigns ! '' announces a fox , in perfect English , just as the movie goes off the deep end . Chaos reigns all right , and Gainsbourg 's traumatized mom is transformed nonsensically into a raving psycho witch-bitch . This director has often been accused of misogyny for the punishments that befall his heroines -- spuriously , in my opinion . But this time the boot is on the other foot , and for once the charge seems to stick ; no matter that the first half of the movie suggests Dafoe 's smug therapist is due for a comeuppance . Apparently someone had a seizure when the movie showed at the New York Film Festival recently . When I caught up with it at the Vancouver International Film Festival two weeks ago , the screening was punctuated with the single loudest shriek I 've ever heard in the theatre -- that would have been when Gainsbourg gets out the scissors for a spot of ad hoc auto-surgery . There also was a very vociferous walk-out : a gentleman who fairly barked `` You get what you pay for , folks '' as he made for the exit a full 20 minutes before the end . That unhappy camper had a point . Either von Trier is barking up the wrong tree , or he 's pandering to the basest instincts of an audience that 's seen it all before and still demands more , more , more . Beautifully shot by Anthony Dod Mantle and acted with raw conviction , `` Antichrist '' is a calamitous atrocity from a major filmmaker , nothing more and nothing less . If you do n't believe me , go ask the talking fox . `` Antichrist '' is not rated and runs 104 minutes . For Entertainment Weekly 's review , click here . | `` Antichrist '' has met with vitriolic reaction at film festivals . Lars von Trier film stars Willem Dafoe , Charlotte Gainsbourg as troubled couple . Horror goes from moody to over-the-top and graphic . To CNN.com 's Tom Charity , the film is a `` calamitous atrocity '' | [[136, 181], [2033, 2094], [1355, 1440], [4486, 4584]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Naval forces from several countries were searching Tuesday for a British couple and their missing yacht , which may have been hijacked by pirates off the coast of Africa , military sources told CNN . European Union anti-piracy forces may have spotted the missing vessel Tuesday , a spokesman told CNN . `` One of our helicopters spotted a yacht approximately 200 nautical miles from the Somali coast , towing two skiffs of the type normally used by pirates , '' Lt. Cmdr. Daniel Auwermann told CNN . The yacht has not been identified , and the EU helicopter could not make contact with it , he said . Paul and Rachel Chandler set off from the Seychelles for Tanzania on October 21 , according to their blog . They have not been heard from since , but a distress beacon was activated October 23 , according to naval officials . International military forces are treating the case as a `` potential hijacking , '' Lt. Ian Jones of Britain 's Royal Navy told CNN . `` We have no confirmation that anything has been pirated , '' he added . There are many possibilities , he said , adding that he was aware of the reports of piracy but that hijacking was `` far from certain . '' The weather in the area is quite good , he said . Before setting off , the Chandlers said that the journey could take as long as two weeks and that they would be out of contact for part of the voyage . `` We probably wo n't have satellite phone coverage until we 're fairly close to the African coast , so we may be out of touch for some time , '' they wrote before setting off in the Lynn Rival , a 38-foot yacht . Britain 's Foreign Office issued a statement saying it is `` extremely concerned for their safety , '' while pointing out that it had not confirmed reports they were taken captive . Pirates have been active off the east coast of Africa in the past several years , operating out of lawless Somalia . Two vessels were attacked the day after the Chandlers set sail . One of them -- a cargo ship -- was successfully boarded and seized off the Seychelles , while the other fought off its attackers near the Kenyan coast . Attacks in the region have significantly increased this year , according to the International Maritime Bureau , which monitors shipping crimes . But successful attacks have decreased as a result of a strong presence of international monitors . The first nine months of this year have seen more pirate attacks than all of last year , the bureau reported October 21 . From January 1 until September 30 , pirates worldwide mounted 306 attacks , compared with 293 in all of 2008 , it said . More than half of this year 's attacks were carried out by suspected Somali pirates off the east coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden , a major shipping route between Yemen and Somalia . Out of those attacks , Somali pirates successfully hijacked 32 vessels and took 533 hostages . Eight people were wounded , four were killed and one is missing , the bureau said . CNN 's Adam S. Levine contributed to this report . | European Union forces may have spotted couple 's yacht off Somalia . Yacht was towing two skiffs of type used by pirates . British couple left Seychelles for Tanzania on October 21 . Yacht 's distress beacon activated October 23 . | [[219, 296], [332, 418], [421, 484], [620, 699], [770, 812]] |
NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- With strong sales and equally powerful praise , the July issue of Italian Vogue can be judged a resounding success . Chanel Iman is one of several models of color featured in the `` Black Issue '' of Italian Vogue . Dubbed the `` Black Issue , '' the magazine celebrates models of color from the past and present , including Donyale Luna , Liya Kebede , Naomi Campbell , Iman and Chanel Iman . Within 72 hours , the magazine sold out in the United States and Great Britain . Blog posts and e-mails about the beauty and historical significance of the issue began to flow -- and industry insiders were equally pleased . Praising renowned photographer Steven Meisel , who shot most of the issue 's fashion pictures , The New York Times fashion critic Cathy Horyn gushed , `` I think they are some of the best he 's done . ... They are crazily , softly beautiful , plainly the work of someone who knows women and fashion . '' See what all the fuss is about '' Another 40,000 copies of the `` Black Issue '' were recently reprinted to meet the still strong demand . But will the all the hoopla translate into tangible change for black models in the fashion industry ? Will more color be seen on the runway and in magazines ? Many observers have their fingers crossed . `` All the agents were happy about the issue because it gives us hope that other people will catch on and decide that it 's OK to use more black girls , '' said Carlos Ojeda , an agent at New York Models . `` It 's OK to have more than just one , and she does n't have to always be Naomi . '' `` Italian Vogue is very influential around the world on an artistic level , '' said Constance White , style director at eBay . `` That is the book that all the art directors , the photographers , any fashion editor looking for inspiration turns to ... and always has . It has always been the trendsetter , so hopefully people will look at it and say using black models is both relevant and right and will start doing it too . '' Bethann Hardison , a legendary model agent-manager , said she has noticed a shift in the industry since she began holding town hall meetings last September to address the lack of diversity in fashion . The packed-to-the-rafters events quickly became the talk of the industry , and Hardison is widely credited with sparking the current movement . `` I started seeing more black models on the runway back in February , '' she said , pointing to the shows of designers like Diane Von Furstenberg and Michael Kors as examples . `` I have already seen change , and I know that I will continue to see change . '' Not all are nearly as optimistic , and fear the diversity issue will become as passe as the skinny-model debate of a few years ago . `` I hate to sound cynical , but by January , I feel like it will be back to business as usual , '' Ojeda said . `` I want to be hopeful and positive , but a part of me does not want to get my hopes up . '' `` Let 's see if Italian Vogue is going to be able to live up to the standards that they 've now set , '' added one prominent New York-based stylist . `` You ca n't have an issue with all black girls , pat yourself on the back and say ` that 's it for the year . ' '' Hardison is working hard to make sure that does n't happen . She 's already scheduled another town hall meeting for September , and she 's also planning a mixer to introduce fledgling models of color to industry players . `` We just have to keep the bar high , '' Hardison said , `` and keep showing beautiful women and pictures . '' Lola Ogunnaike is the entertainment correspondent for CNN 's American Morning . | Italian Vogue recently ran `` Black Issue '' highlighting women of color . Issue was huge success -- sold well , earned great reviews . Observers wonder if impact will last . | [[185, 235], [76, 144]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Enough Afghan opium to supply world demand for two years has effectively gone missing , with the Taliban suspected of stockpiling supplies in a bid to corner the market , the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime -LRB- UNODC -RRB- has revealed . Pakistani customs officials destroy contraband narcotics on the border with Afghanistan . Afghanistan is the world 's leading narcotics supplier . Earlier this month , a U.N. study revealed Afghanistan 's opium production had dropped dramatically this year partly because of new aggressive drug-fighting tactics in the country . According to the UNODC report , production dipped by 10 percent this year while cultivation fell by 22 percent . However , a senior U.N. spokesman warned that this positive news should be treated with caution . `` We figure the world needs around 4,000 tons of opium a year for licit and illicit purposes , '' Walter Kemp of the UNODC told CNN . Has enough empasis been placed on drug trafficking ? `` But this year around 6,900 tons was produced , with 7,700 tons delivered last year and more than 8,500 the year before that . Map showing where Afghan opium is going '' `` So if the world only needs around 4,000 tons of opium and a further 1,000 is seized , where is the rest of it going ? '' According to Kemp , world demand for opium remains stable yet prices are not crashing , which suggests a large amount of opium is being withheld from the market . `` Our guess is that around 12,000 tons of opium has been stockpiled somewhere -- not all in one place but in and around Afghanistan , '' he added . `` So while production might be coming down -- mostly because of market reasons -- there 's still a lot of product around to satisfy demand for about two years . '' It is unclear exactly who is responsible for this but there 's growing evidence , according to the U.N. , that the Taliban are becoming increasingly involved in the industry and could be sitting on huge stockpiles of opium to use as credit for financing their activities . `` Farmers will be keeping small amounts back as credit for things such as a dowry or buying livestock , '' said Kemp . `` But they wo n't have the means to store supplies in the kind of quantities we 're talking about here . `` It 's probably in the hands of people with the ability to store it underground and to keep people away from it through corruption or force . '' Hakan Demirbuken , a research expert on the U.N. 's Afghan Opium Trade Program , said Taliban involvement in the drugs trade is not limited to taxing Afghan opium farmers and traders in return for their `` protection . '' He told CNN : `` Last year we estimated that Afghan poppy farmers earned around $ 730 million , while traders who take the product on to the border earned around $ 3.4 billion . '' `` From this lucrative business the Taliban took around $ 125 million in tax . `` But according to U.N. figures they need around $ 800 million per year for their operational needs . '' However , most of the trade is controlled by organized criminal groups from outside Afghanistan . Therefore Demirbuken believes groups such as the Taliban and al Qaeda will be forging links with criminal gangs in order to become more involved in the production and trafficking stages . In addition to the increased revenue greater involvement would provide , he said groups such as al Qaeda `` will have noted the destabilizing effect this industry -- and the sums of money it generates -- can have on more vulnerable countries with weak governments . '' In October last year , the United States told NATO members that the drug trade was a threat to coalition troops because there was a direct connection between it and Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan . `` There is what we call a nexus of insurgency . There 's a very broad range of militant groups that are combined with the criminality , with the narco-trafficking system , with corruption , that form a threat and a challenge to the future of that great country , '' then-U.S. commander in Afghanistan Gen. David McKiernan told reporters . As a result NATO combat forces have now been actively attacking militants , drug laboratories and buildings connected to insurgents with ties to drug lords for the first time since the start of the Afghan conflict in 2001 . Meanwhile , international law enforcement organization , Interpol , believes there has been a change of tactic involving Afghanistan 's opium , with much more of it being turned into heroin within the country and stockpiled or couriered out , primarily through Iran . Historically Afghanistan has been responsible only for cultivating raw opium , with the conversion into a final product taking place across the border in Pakistan or in Iran and Turkey , according to the UNODC . Producing heroin in Afghanistan makes it easier to conceal and transport than the bulkier raw opium . | Recent study revealed Afghan opium production has dropped dramatically . U.N. says this should be treated with caution as country has been over-producing . Taliban suspected of stockpiling large amounts of opium `` as credit '' U.S. has warned of growing link between Taliban and the drug trade . | [[416, 434], [437, 490], [416, 434], [437, 449], [459, 597], [630, 671], [721, 808], [1770, 1772], [1852, 1873], [112, 166], [1881, 1892], [1948, 2042]] |
Aboard the Tea Party Express -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- From the stage , Deborah Johns is the angry conscience of the tea party movement . A protester uses a Nazi swastika to make a point at a Tea Party Express stop in Dallas , Texas . `` Question everything your government is doing , '' she tells a crowd of about 100 from the bus 's stage in the parking lot of the Winners casino in Winnemucca , Nevada . Under a setting sun on the steps of the state capitol in Little Rock , Arkansas , Johns says : `` Our men and women took an oath when they put on the uniform to defend and protect this country from enemies both foreign and domestic . I think we 've got some domestic enemies in the White House . '' On a sunny afternoon in Louisville , Kentucky , Johns works the crowd of about 2,000 into a frenzy . `` The men and women in our military did n't fight and die for this country for a communist in the White House , '' she says , and the crowd erupts in a chant of `` U-S-A , U-S-A ! '' Watch rally participants converge on Washington '' On the bus , Johns slips off her heels and slips on a pair of ankle socks . She curls up under a quilt her grandmother made . She favors skirts and cardigans -- a pit bull in cashmere . She leads the rallies in each city with Mark Williams , a former talk radio host who now writes books and makes the rounds on cable TV chat shows . Both work for Our Country Deserves Better , the conservative political action committee sponsoring the Tea Party Express bus tour . The tour concluded Saturday at the U.S. Capitol in Washington after a 34-stop tour that began August 28 in Sacramento , California . Williams is the showman of the bunch . His signature line when he gets the mic goes like this : `` You can have our country when you pry it from our ... cold ... dead ... fingers ! '' Again the crowd erupts . Watch scenes from Tea Party Express rallies '' Seldom seen on stage are the two gurus of the tea party movement , veteran politico Sal Russo and his protégé , Joe Wierzbicki . They are charged with turning the passion on display at the tea parties into political action . They have three goals : Defeat President Obama 's health care reform efforts , win back the House and Senate in 2010 and take the White House in 2012 . Russo grew up in a house full of working-class Democrats in Monterey , California , and nearly gave his father a heart attack when he became a Republican . His first paid gig in politics was working for Ronald Reagan 's 1966 California gubernatorial campaign , and he has worked in conservative politics ever since . Russo often watches the raucous tea party events from his perch in the bus . Besides Johns and Williams each event features several musical acts and featured speakers . The crowd is its own sideshow . Tea partyers are a creative lot , and many in the crowd express themselves by way of their clothing and signs . See some of the getups and signs '' `` Obamacare Condense Cream of Crap soup '' reads a sign in Sparks , Nevada . In Dallas , Texas , a darker mood prevails . A homemade sign with `` Obama Lies '' features a bold , black swastika . As the tour moves on , Nazi imagery becomes more prominent -- and sometimes confused . One sign at the Alamo in San Antonio , Texas , has Obama 's portrait sandwiched between pictures of Adolf Hitler and communist philosopher Karl Marx . In Canton , Ohio , Obama and Hitler adorn a sign reading `` Hitler made great speeches , too . '' In Elko , Nevada , over a Basque supper of oxtail , lamb and sweetbreads , Russo assesses the tea party movement . `` There are some people who are mad at everyone , '' he says , `` but there are others who say , ` How do we move beyond this and turn it into action ? ' '' Rare is the conversation with Russo in which he does n't bring up the name of his idol and one-time boss , Ronald Reagan . But if there is a Reagan out there to take the reins of the tea party movement , Russo does n't know who that person is . `` It 's opened for a leader . I do n't see anyone out there that can grab it , '' he says . `` I 'll be surprised if someone emerges . I do n't see who that is . '' Many in the crowd hope former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will emerge as the leader of the movement , `` but she has so many negatives , '' Russo says . If the tea party movement has an architect , it is Joe Wierzbicki . Unassuming in wrinkled khakis and a polo shirt , he is in near perpetual motion . Hands gesturing wildly through the air , he describes his plan . `` There are going to be stops along the way . The first stop is going to be the health care reform act , '' he says . If the tea partyers can play a part in stopping the president 's health care efforts they will be poised for a much bigger challenge : taking control of Congress from the Democrats , he says . `` Those politicians that are n't responsive to this message are going to face a lot of trouble in their re-election bids in 2010 , '' he says . That the tea party movement has no leader at this point is just fine with Wierzbicki . He says right now the movement is centered on a few key issues : taxes , expansion and distrust of Obama . `` If there was a leader there might be a divisive factor , '' he says . In Wierzbicki 's plan , the movement does n't need a leader until after the 2010 election . `` From then to 2012 is probably the period of time when you 'll find a big national leader that will emerge that the majority of the people in this movement will feel comfortable following , '' he says . No one on the tea party express seems concerned with the vocal fringe of the crowds that come with offensive signs -- besides Nazi imagery , a poster of Obama as an African witch doctor has become popular -- or the numerous conspiracy theories that float around most tea parties . In Battle Creek , Michigan , a woman in her 60s says , `` I really do n't want to be a guinea pig for the experiment they have with the population control . '' In Canton , Ohio , a woman argues with an Obama supporter : `` He 's going after our kids to try to indoctrinate them into a national defense army . '' The Tea Party Express tour has been free of violence , but occasional outbursts of vitriolic hatred toward the president combined with some menacing outward appearances often overshadow the more moderate tea partyers . iReport.com : Weigh in on health care . In Louisville , Kentucky , two young men in camouflage fatigues roamed the crowd trying to recruit new members for their militia called the Ohio Valley Freedom Fighters . They bear signs reading `` AK-47s : today 's pitchfork '' and `` Quit worrying . Start your militia training today . '' In Jackson , Michigan , a young man did n't need a sign . He was carrying the real thing : A loaded AK-47 assault rifle and two loaded handguns . `` I do n't want a revolution . I do n't want a civil war , '' he said . `` But it is a possibility . It 's there as an option , as a last resort . '' From the stage , Deborah Johns and Mark Williams never interact with most of these characters . Russo shrugs it off , saying that the early stages of every political movement have people like this . To Wierzbicki these troubling elements are just part of the price of a grassroots movement . He is convinced they will not derail the movement . `` The message will be moderated by the time it gets to 2010 , '' he says . | Tea Party Express bus tour concludes Saturday at U.S. Capitol . Fury at Obama , government in general apparent at rallies along route . Two operatives organize tour , seek ways to turn passion into action . Clear leader , moderated message eventually will emerge , organizer says . | [[1501, 1583], [6186, 6345], [3661, 3667], [3672, 3675], [3680, 3732], [3678, 3732]] |
LEONE , American Samoa -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Another earthquake struck Wednesday near the Samoan islands , an area already devastated by earthquake and tsunami damage which killed more than 130 people . A traditional Samoan fale is destroyed Wednesday in the devastated village of Leone . The 5.5-magnitude earthquake occurred at 6:13 p.m. Wednesday evening -LRB- 1:13 a.m. Thursday ET -RRB- , according to the U.S. Geological Survey . The quake 's epicenter was 10 km -LRB- 6 miles -RRB- deep in the Pacific Ocean about 121 miles -LRB- 194 km -RRB- from the city of Apia , Samoa . The quake did not trigger a tsunami warning , according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center . It followed an 8.0-magnitude earthquake which hit the small cluster of Samoan islands early Tuesday triggering a tsunami . At least 139 people are confirmed dead as a consequence of Tuesday 's quake and tsunami . They include 22 people killed in American Samoa , 110 in Samoa and seven in Tonga , according to officials on the islands . A huge emergency effort was continuing late Wednesday in the Samoan islands and officials warned that the death toll could rise as rescue workers start to reach outlying villages and discover new casualties . Watch the tsunami take over the street '' Survivors like Ropati Opa were trying to find ways to cope . The massive waves had destroyed his home , store and gas station in the village of Leone on the southwest coast of American Samoa . With tears in his eyes , he said `` I do n't have a house . I do n't have a car . I do n't have money . I lost everything yesterday . But thank God I am alive . '' iReport.com : Witness describes tsunami hitting land . U.S. President Barack Obama addressed the disaster at an event Wednesday in Washington . `` To aid in the response , '' he said , `` I 've declared this a major disaster to speed the deployment of resources and FEMA ... is working closely with emergency responders on the ground , and the Coast Guard is working to provide immediate help to those in need . `` We also stand ready to help our friends in neighboring Samoa and throughout the region , and we 'll continue to monitor this situation closely as we keep the many people who have been touched by this tragedy in our thoughts and in our prayers , '' Obama said . Journalist Jeff DePonte contributed to this report . | Latest death toll from Tuesday 's quake , tsunami stands at 139 . Second quake -- magnitude 5.5 -- shook Samoan islands region Wednesday . Quake does not trigger a tsunami warning , Pacific Tsunami Warning Center says . Huge rescue effort under way in Samoan islands amid fears death toll could rise . | [[134, 144], [149, 163], [170, 199], [798, 887], [42, 101], [286, 382], [286, 314], [391, 432], [579, 622], [579, 588], [625, 674], [1012, 1087], [1092, 1220]] |
LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Fires in central and southern California raged Saturday as triple-digit temperatures mixed with dry conditions continued to fuel the flames , torching thousands of acres and threatening scores of homes . Firefighters look on as fire rages near Ocean View Drive in Los Angeles on Saturday . Authorities confirmed three civilian injuries from a growing blaze known as the Station fire burning through the Angeles National Forest-La Canada Flintridge . The blaze nearly quadrupled in size from 5,500 acres Friday to more than 20,000 acres , officials said . The blaze , which grew to more than 20,100 acres , was 5 percent contained early Sunday , officials said . It was upgraded to type 1 brush fire -- the most severe classification . `` Today what happened is what I called a perfect storm of fuels , weather and topography coming together ... essentially the fire burned at will , '' Mike Dietrich of the U.S. Forest Service said Saturday . Authorities consider the Station fire an anomaly , as it is not driven by strong winds as most California wildfires . Watch CNN 's Reynolds Wolf explain what 's driving the fire '' `` The fire has been very active on all fronts , '' U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Randi Jorgensen said . The fire threatened about 10,000 homes in Los Angeles County and 900 homes were evacuated , she said . Watch close-up views of the fast-moving fire '' `` Basically , all the homes that back up to the National Forest in the La Canada-Flintridge are in danger from the fire , '' Jorgensen said , adding that fire officials have told residents to be prepared for possible evacuation orders . The Station fire disrupted power to 750 homes . More than 750 workers have been dispatched to control the blaze , which started Wednesday afternoon . Watch iReport images and descriptions of the fire '' Jorgensen confirmed one injury involving heat exhaustion . A wildfire also hit San Bernardino National Forest , burning 2,200 acres , fire officials said . The blaze , called the Cottonwood fire , started Thursday afternoon about 10 miles from the southern California city of Hemet , officials reported . That blaze was about 10 percent contained Friday evening . Hemet is about 85 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles . Firefighters fully contained another fire that torched 230 acres about 20 miles southwest of downtown Los Angeles on Friday . The blaze , called the Palos Verdes fire , forced 1,200 people to evacuate and destroyed five homes and two other buildings . Another fire in the Angeles National Forest had burned more than 2,100 acres . The blaze , called the Morris fire , started Tuesday . That fire was about 85 percent contained Friday evening , officials said . | The Station fire `` very active on all fronts , '' U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman said . The Cottonwood , Palos Verdes and Morris fires were all ablaze late Friday . Homes in the Angeles National Forest-La Canada Flintridge area in danger . | [[385, 470], [927, 986], [1169, 1214], [1217, 1274], [2417, 2426], [2429, 2457], [1441, 1546]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When they set sail from harbor most yachtsmen leave only their worries behind . But when Hilary Lister goes out to sea , she sheds an entire way of life . Hilary Lister says she feels `` a thousand times '' more free when she sails . The 36-year-old Briton is a quadriplegic who can only move her head , eyes and mouth and needs to rely on carers for almost every need . In spite of these restrictions she became the first disabled woman to sail solo around Britain Monday scoring a victory against the rare degenerative illness she has suffered from since age 11 . The inventive technology behind her voyage is called `` sip and puff '' -- a system of three pneumatic straws positioned near Lister 's mouth that allow her to control the boat through a series of semaphore-like commands she can give by either blowing or sucking through the straws . Developed by a Canadian engineer , the system let Lister alter course and trim the sails of her 20ft long keel boat to complete the record-breaking trip over two summers . Lister 's passion for sailing is all-consuming and , considering what it has given her , unsurprising . `` When you leave the quayside , you leave behind the stresses of everyday life , '' she told CNN . `` Any sailor will tell you that . `` If you multiply that sense of freedom a thousand times , that 's how I feel . I leave behind my wheelchair , a team of carers and suddenly it 's just me . '' An Oxford University graduate and talented sportswoman in her youth , by 2003 Hilary 's illness had laid her so low she was a virtual recluse , never leaving the home she shared with her husband Clifford , and by her own admission deeply depressed . A friend suggested she go to Westbere Sailing . The center specializes in helping disabled people on to the water , but Hilary almost never made the 20-minute trip from her home near Canterbury in southern England . `` I was ill and running a temperature and I was about to cancel it , but something stopped me from backing out , '' she said . She credits the decision to go to the center with saving her life . '' -LSB- The staff -RSB- treated me like an intelligent , capable person and not like an object to be pitied , '' she said . Her illness is called reflex sympathetic dystrophy . It makes it difficult for her to breathe -- the media interviews she has done since her latest achievement have exhausted her , she said . It also puts her in near-constant agony , a situation that is only manageable with the use of powerful drugs . Despite these hardships , or perhaps because of them , Hilary has no fear when she is out at sea . Her aim is to help other disabled people feel empowered in the same way and to that end she has set up her own charity , Hilary 's Dream Trust . The charity exists to provide assistance to disabled and disadvantaged adults who dream of sailing . `` It is difficult to do all the press , my diaphragm is in a bad way and I get tired easily with the interviews . But I want people to know my story because it 's important they realize disabled people can accomplish anything , given the right tools . '' Her own accomplishment she began last summer with the help of a support boat and a specially adapted motor home that she returned to after each day 's sailing to recuperate . Last August she was forced to abandon the attempt due to bad weather and strong winds . She took up the gauntlet again in May and was rewarded with some transcendent moments . `` When I was in the Irish Sea I saw something that looked like a blow hole on my starboard side , '' she said . `` I was n't sure what I 'd seen then suddenly out of the water this huge whale emerged like an Exocet missile . Next thing a pod of them -- we think they were humpbacks -- were all around my boat . `` I remember thinking , ' I wonder if this is safe ' but I was enjoying the moment so much . It was so exhilarating . '' | Hilary Lister has become the first disabled woman to sail around Britain . She navigated with a special technology using only her mouth and a straw . Hilary suffers from a rare degenerative disease that has made her paraplegic . She wants to help other disabled sailors through her charity Hilary 's Dream Trust . | [[438, 564], [814, 885], [270, 406]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Villagers march more than 300 kilometers from northwest Cambodia to ask the prime minister to save their homes from developers . Some 400 families in the country 's south learn their farmland had been given to developers only when bulldozers arrive . Villagers in northwest Cambodia set court documents on fire in protest over a land dispute . Such examples of forced evictions and land conflicts are cited by the Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee -LRB- CHRAC -RRB- in a report , `` Losing Ground , '' released Thursday . The report was a collection of voices from people rarely heard and `` present a painful look into the lives of people affected by forced evictions and intimidation , mainly the rural poor , '' said CHRAC , a network of 21 non-governmental organizations . `` The voices in the report belong to Cambodians who have been or are facing eviction . Most have insisted that their names and photographs be used , believing that openness will bring justice and appropriate solutions , '' the group said , adding that such trust is `` the springboard for the next stage of Cambodia 's recovery from decades of civil strife . '' An estimated 150,000 Cambodians live at risk of forced eviction , Amnesty International said in its 2008 report on the country . Read about AIDS patients who were resettled to an isolated area . Beng Hong Socheat Khemro , deputy director general of Cambodia 's Ministry of Land Management , Urban Planning and Construction , said the government was committed to finding the best solutions for not just squatters , but the entire population , and that it is drafting legal guidelines on squatter resolution . He also said the government rejected the term forced evictions , saying that meant people were forced off land they legally owned . He noted that various factors affect land use and ownership in the country : The 1970s ultra-Maoist Khmer Rouge regime abolished all legal and regulatory documents regarding land , strong economic growth has contributed to demand for land , particularly in urban areas , and the pace of urbanization has stepped up in recent years . `` Many people illegally occupy land that does not belong to them , '' he said , later noting : `` What has happened now with the resettlement , or the relocation , of people is the fact that the government is implementing the law . '' `` I am very sure that those who claim to be on the land before the legal land owner , most of them do not have any proof at all , '' he said . `` Most of the cases that people -- illegal squatters , settlers -- have claimed that they have been on that land since , let 's say 1979 , are not true . If you study the legal development of Cambodia , you will understand , and not many people understand , including the NGOs -LRB- non-governmental organizations -RRB- themselves . '' Amnesty said poor Cambodians share the plight of many impoverished people around the world . The group cited the forced evictions of thousands in Angola , violence and insecurity in Brazil 's shantytowns , and social services denied to Roma in Italy . `` There are more than 200,000 such communities , home to 1 billion people around the world , '' the group said . `` In Cambodia for the last two years , Amnesty International has been focusing on forced evictions as one of the country 's most serious human rights violations today , '' Amnesty said in a statement on CHRAC 's report . `` The increasing number of land disputes , land confiscations , and industrial and urban redevelopment projects hurt almost exclusively people living in poverty . '' People fighting evictions `` experience harassment at the hands of the authorities or people hired by private businesses . The rich and powerful are increasingly abusing the criminal justice system to silence communities taking a stand against land concessions or other opaque business deals affecting the land they live on or cultivate , '' Amnesty said . CHRAC said development of Cambodia , recovering from the Khmer Rouge genocide and ensuing decades of conflict , `` must not negatively affect '' people 's lives . `` Our communities are losing land and natural resources . These are the resources that people have depended on for generations , '' CHRAC said . The report details evictions across the country . One group of villagers walked from the rice bowl of Battambang in the northwest to Phnom Penh to deliver a letter to Prime Minister Hun Sen , seeking help in two long-running court fights with businessmen who claim to own a total of 200 hectares of their land . `` We did n't have enough money to get the bus to Phnom Penh . We had to walk . It was our last hope . We had to see Hun Sen or we would lose our land , '' said Chim Sarom , 45 . They delivered their letter , but Sarom said they were unsure whether he ever got it . She said authorities gave them money to go home and were told an official would visit them . `` No government official ever came to our village . If we have to , maybe we will walk again , '' she said . | Cambodian human rights network releases report on forced evictions . Amnesty : Evictions one of Cambodia 's most serious human rights violations . Groups : Mainly the rural poor affected ; people intimidated , harassed . Official : Government committed to finding best solutions ; no forced evictions . | [[363, 502], [4276, 4325], [3236, 3382], [3261, 3282], [3301, 3388], [658, 710], [3443, 3606], [1360, 1384], [1490, 1615], [1673, 1675], [1681, 1737]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- It may look like an air mattress you might see lying around next to a swimming pool but in reality its function could n't be less trivial . The Solar Water Disinfecting Tarpaulin could play a major role in saving lives in the developing world . The Solar Water Disinfecting Tarpaulin -LRB- SWDT -RRB- -- a new portable water purifier -- could be a major step forward in the fight against disease and mortality in the Third World . Eric Olsen , a San Francisco-based architect and the inventor of the SWDT believes the product could help eradicate the scourge of polluted water which the World Health Organization -LRB- WHO -RRB- estimate claims over 1.5 million lives every year . Not only does it purify water -- up to 20 liters -- it makes it more portable in large quantities -- a vital dual role in Sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Central Asia where access to clean water is often scarce . `` There are lots of products that do one or the other , '' Olsen told CNN . `` There 's a really interesting product that 's been around for 10 or 12 years called the Hippo Water Roller -- a 20 gallon drum with a handle attached that allows people -- mostly women -- to transport a week 's worth of water back home '' . Olsen also points to another product developed by the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology -LRB- Eawag -RRB- that has successfully tackled water impurities . According to Eawag SODIS -LRB- Solar Water Disinfection Process -RRB- is already used by more than two million in over 30 countries . `` The idea of SWDT , '' he says , `` is to combine these two products and make them into something that can do both roles effectively '' . Made out of a top layer of recycled low-density polyethylene -LRB- LDPE -RRB- and a bottom layer of durable rubberized nylon , the SWDT is both flexible and robust . Its design was morphologically inspired by the saguaro cactus and is adaptable to a variety of situations -- as a wrap to carry or placed on the roof of a mud hut -- and is easy to store . The SWDT uses passive solar radiation -- a water sterilizing method approved by WHO -- which disrupts the reproduction of microorganisms . Heat and UVA radiation from the sun pass through the LDPE layer and into the water cavity and are reflected back by the bottom layer of nylon . On a sunny day purification takes five hours . Olsen admits that its performance is hampered by its low density -- scratches to the surface mean it does n't transmit the sun 's rays as effectively -- but he is confident that this can be overcome with more research . Production using a Radio Frequency Welding equipment may be relatively expensive but Olsen says that the raw materials are cheap and the labor is inexpensive . `` We are trying to imagine ways that this thing can be made and repaired by people where it is most needed , '' he said . `` We are working on a sheet welding process which is much lower tech , inexpensive and also capitalizes on the handcraft skills of local people '' . What started out as a solo effort a little over a year ago has gradually grown into a collaborative project . Olsen 's students at the California College of Arts , where he currently teaches -- he moves to a new post at Woodbury University this fall -- have lent their enthusiasm and experts from the bioscience and textile industries are increasingly coming on board . Olsen 's efforts have already been recognized . The SWDT won first prize in the 2008 Next Generation Design Competition run by Metropolis Magazine -- netting him $ 10,000 -- and he is waiting for conformation that the invention has been selected for Wired Magazine 's Next Fest show which takes place in Chicago later this year . So what next for Olsen and his invention ? The aim is to adapt the original design and turn it from a water carrying wrap into a fully fledged coat and he 's also looking at ways the material might be redrawn as a tent . He 's currently in the process of trying to qualify for non-profit status . And with the likes of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and other institutions out there , he thinks the prospects for funding development and deployment look promising . | The Solar Water Disinfecting Tarpaulin aims to reduces disease and death . The award-winning design by Eric Olsen is portable as well as a being a purifier . Flexible and robust the design is morphologically inspired by the saguaro cactus . | [[176, 280], [281, 336], [361, 466], [717, 765], [3412, 3459], [1831, 1869], [1870, 1931]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Jody Powell , who served as press secretary for President Jimmy Carter , has died , a spokesman for the Carter Center said . He was 65 . Former White House Press Secretary Jody Powell died Monday . Powell , who served in the Carter administration from 1977 to 1981 , died Monday of an apparent heart attack , Carter Center spokesman Tony Clark told CNN . Carter said he and former first lady Rosalynn Carter `` share a great personal loss today in the passing of Jody Powell . '' `` From the time he began , as a young graduate student , as my volunteer driver during my 1970 run for governor , no one worked more closely with me than Jody , '' the former president and former governor of Georgia said in a statement . `` Jody was beside me in every decision I made as a candidate , governor , and president , and I could always depend on his advice and counsel being candid and direct . '' Robert Gibbs , press secretary to President Barack Obama , said he was `` deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Jody Powell . '' `` As press secretary to President Carter , Jody served his country during a difficult time , and he always did the job with grace and good humor , '' Gibbs said in a statement . `` When I needed advice at the start of my own tenure as press secretary , he was always generous with his time and wise in his counsel . I 'll miss his support and encouragement , and I 'll be keeping him and his family in my thoughts and prayers , '' he said . After his press secretary stint under Carter , Powell headed a Washington public relations firm , Powell-Tate , partnering with Nancy Reagan 's former press secretary , Sheila Tate . | Carters `` share a great personal loss today in the passing of Jody Powell '' Carter : `` Beside me in every decision I made as a candidate , governor , and president '' Powell also headed Washington PR firm with Nancy Reagan 's ex-press secretary . | [[156, 216], [374, 495], [430, 495], [910, 924], [969, 1042], [738, 777], [763, 777], [780, 826], [1488, 1532], [1535, 1583], [1535, 1541], [1600, 1654]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Seven emergency medics in England have been suspended from work for playing an Internet game that involves being photographed lying down in unusual places . The lying down should be as public as possible and as many people as possible should be involved . Bosses at a hospital in Swindon , western England , were angered after photographs of the doctors and nurses lying face down on resuscitation trolleys , ward floors and an air ambulance helipad were posted on social networking site Facebook . The photographs have been removed from the site and the members of the hospital 's accident and emergency staff now face a disciplinary hearing . Partipants in the `` lying down game '' must lie face down with the palms of their hands against their sides and the tips of their toes touching the ground . Should the medics have been suspended ? Send us your views . There are two aims to the challenge : that the lying down should be as public as possible and that as many people as possible should be involved . But Dr. Alf Troughton , medical director of Great Western Hospital NHS Trust , was unamused by the alleged incident , which he said took place during a night shift last month . `` This did not involve patients and we are satisfied that at no time was patient care compromised , '' Dr. Troughton said in a statement . `` The Great Western Hospital sets high standards for staff behaviour at all times and therefore takes any such breaches extremely seriously . It is important to reassure patients and our workforce that this was an isolated incident and staff cover was maintained at all times . `` The allegations have been thoroughly investigated and seven members of staff remain suspended pending formal disciplinary hearings . '' | Seven medics in England suspended for playing `` lying down game '' Internet game involves being photographed lying down in unusual places . Members of hospital 's accident and emergency staff await disciplinary hearing . They were allegedly photographed lying on trolleys and emergency helipad . | [[1700, 1778], [104, 128], [134, 192], [587, 680], [1700, 1778], [394, 442], [445, 534]] |
TEHRAN , Iran -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Amid turmoil over the treatment of post-election detainees and controversy over the mass trials of political figures , Iran 's supreme leader on Saturday appointed a new judiciary chief , Iranian media reported . Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during the announcement that Sadeq Larijani , right , will head Iran 's judiciary . Ayatollah Ali Khamenei tapped Sadeq Larijani -- brother of Iran 's powerful parliamentary speaker , Ali Larijani -- to replace Hashemi Shahroudi , a vocal hardliner against the opposition movement , who finished his 10-year term , the semi-official Mehr news agency reported . Another brother , Mohammad Javad Larijani , is the secretary-general of the judiciary 's human rights office . The development is significant in that the two brothers now head two of the three branches of Iran 's government , and tensions between Ali Larijani and hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad have emerged as the president tried to assemble his Cabinet for his second term . Sadeq Larijani makes the transition as a third round of detainees arrested in the aftermath of the Islamic republic 's disputed presidential election were scheduled to appear in court Sunday , the semi-official Fars news agency said . The mass trial of about 100 Iranians is being held in the Revolutionary Court . Reformist politicians , lawyers and journalists are among those accused of protesting in an attempt to overturn government leadership . More than two dozen detainees were scheduled to be on trial Sunday , according to media reports , although it is not clear whether it will be the defendants ' first appearance in court . Among the defendants who have been on trial this month are Seyyed Mohammad Abtahi , a former Iranian vice president ; Maziar Bahari , an Iranian-Canadian reporter for Newsweek magazine ; and Kian Tajbakhsh , an Iranian-American scholar . Street protests and a brutal government crackdown followed the June 12 presidential election , leading to the arrests of more than 1,000 people . The official death toll from the post-election unrest is 30 , although opposition leaders reportedly have said it 's more than twice that figure . The new judiciary chief 's brother , Ali Larijani , spent the last week dismissing allegations by Iran 's opposition that post-election detainees were raped while in custody , according to state-run media . Larijani said that a special panel of Iran 's parliament , or Majlis , conducted a `` precise and comprehensive inquiry '' into the treatment at Tehran 's Evin and Kahrizak prisons , and found `` no cases of rape or sexual abuse , '' government-funded Press TV reported . A spokesman for Iran 's Foreign Ministry also denied that prisoners had been tortured . `` What kind of talk is this ? There was never any pressure used against these people , '' Hassan Qashqavi said Monday , according to the semi-official Mehr news agency . They were responding to accusations made by opposition candidate Mehdi Karrubi who , along with opposition leader Mir Hossein Moussavi , ran against hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the June 12 election . Iran 's election authority declared Ahmadinejad the overwhelming winner of the race , sparking hundreds of thousands of Iranians to take to the streets in protest . Iranian opposition figures , including Karrubi , have compared the treatment of the detainees to the abuse of political prisoners under the `` oppressing regime '' of the shah , who was overthrown by the Islamic Revolution in 1979 . In an open letter to former president Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani posted Saturday on his party 's Web site , Karrubi says an `` impartial committee '' is needed to `` investigate these tragedies with transparency until they are resolved . '' `` Some of the former detainees have told of such brutal and violent , repeated rapes of the young women -LSB- in detention -RSB- that have caused irreparable damage to their reproductive systems , '' Karrubi says in the letter . `` Others have raped our detained young men with such brutality that they -LSB- the victims -RSB- have been afflicted by depression and are no longer speaking with anyone and refuse to leave the dark corners of their houses . '' Larijani on Wednesday challenged Karrubi to `` present evidence of such outrages '' for the Majlis to investigate , according to Press TV . | Iran 's supreme leader picks brother of parliamentary speaker to head judiciary . Sadeq Larijani replaces the outgoing Hashemi Shahroudi , a vocal hardliner . Media reports : More than two dozen detainees were to be tried Sunday . Leadership denies claims that arrested dissidents have been raped in custody . | [[152, 218], [246, 359], [305, 319], [330, 359], [360, 404], [1172, 1212], [1257, 1336], [1473, 1539], [1473, 1502], [1542, 1568], [2313, 2317], [2367, 2397], [2191, 2225], [2243, 2364], [2670, 2710], [2716, 2757]] |
NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Sunday night 's `` 2009 MTV Video Music Awards '' will feature a personal tribute from Janet Jackson to her late brother , MTV said . Michael Jackson receives the Legend Award during the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards . Michael Jackson fans also will get their first peek during the MTV show at the behind-the-scenes documentary of the pop star 's final three months , the network said . MTV announced this week that Janet Jackson `` will help open '' its video music awards show Sunday night with a tribute to her brother . No other details about her `` special appearance '' were released . The trailer for the upcoming documentary `` Michael Jackson : This Is It '' will also debut on the MTV show . It comes a month after concert promoter AEG Live handed over to Sony Pictures about 100 hours of video captured between April and June , when Jackson was preparing for his concert comeback . Fans who miss the MTV show , which will air live at 9 p.m. ET Sunday at New York 's Radio City Music Hall , can preview the documentary online at www.thisisit-movie.com beginning Sunday night , the network said . See guests arrive to awards show '' British comedian Russell Brand will return to host Sunday 's Video Music Awards for the second straight year . It will be the first time the awards show has aired from New York since 2006 . | MTV says Janet Jackson will give tribute to her late brother . Also promised : First look at documentary of pop star 's final three months . The show airs live starting at 9 p.m. ET Sunday . | [[0, 24], [52, 148], [477, 549], [245, 265], [271, 311], [933, 945], [954, 958], [968, 1013]] |
THE EVERGLADES , Florida -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Joe Wasilewski drives along a narrow stretch of road through Florida 's Everglades . The sun is setting , night is coming on quickly , and Wasilewski is on the prowl for snakes -- and one snake in particular . Reptile expert Joe Wasilewski holds a Burmese python he found in the Florida Everglades . `` The next 10 miles seem to be the hot spot for Burmese pythons , '' he said . Wasilewski is a state-sanctioned snake-hunter who regularly scours this area for the reptiles . The Everglades , known as the River of Grass , has the perfect space and climate for pythons to hide and breed . And breed they do : The largest clutches found in the Everglades have contained 83 eggs . They are also speedy travelers , able to move across 1.6 miles of land every day , experts say . The travel lets people like Wasilewski hunt the snakes from the driver 's seat of his truck . But it also means that the problems created in the local ecosystem by the non-venomous snakes are spreading . `` It 's a large predator , and they 're eating basically everything in sight . That 's the problem , '' Wasilewski said of the Burmese python . Volunteers like Wasilewski , happy to grasp the problem and the snakes with both hands , are not the only troops in Florida 's war on the invading pythons . A `` Python Patrol '' was launched in the Florida Keys , south of the Everglades , by Alison Higgins of the Nature Conservancy . Her program uses utility workers , wildlife officials , park rangers and police to keep an eye out for snakes and trains them to capture any they find . `` The Burmese pythons that are coming out of the Everglades are eating a lot of our endangered species and other creatures , and we want to make sure they do n't breed here , '' said Higgins , the conservation manager for the Keys . It is believed that the problem originated when reptile-breeding facilities near the Everglades were destroyed during Hurricane Andrew . Compounding the problem is the release of these snakes by pet owners . `` These pets were released by owners that do not understand the threat to the ecosystem , '' Everglades National Park spokeswoman Linda Friar said . She said the pets , which can grow to 200 pounds and live for 30 years , often get too big for owners to handle . The state has a pilot program with several volunteer snake hunters such as Wasilewski . Twenty years ago , no Burmese pythons were found in the Everglades , park statistics say . Now , there could be 100,000 snakes in the River of Grass , but no one knows for sure . What Wasilewski , an expert on reptiles , is sure of is that night is the best time for his hunting , as that is when the snakes tend to be on the move . When he finds his prey , he puts the snake in a bag , deposits it in a crate and delivers it to biologists for the Everglades National Park , where the snake can be studied and/or destroyed . On one recent evening , the pickings were slim , and after two hours of driving back and forth along the two-lane Tamiami Trail , Wasilewski 's crate was empty . He saw a python on the road , but it was dead , and the other small snakes and a baby alligator in the area did not interest him . Finally , Wasilewski , an environmental and wildlife consultant , spotted something . `` Yeah , baby ! Hee ha ! Look at the size of this one , '' he exclaimed from the front seat of his truck . He got out and picked up the brownish-green snake , which immediately coiled around his arm . `` This is n't a big one , '' he said , but as he got a closer look , he did not deny that it was a good one : `` At least 12 -LSB- feet . -RSB- '' Wasilewski has a soft spot for these species , and one of the reasons he volunteers for the snake hunt is to learn more about them . He says it is not the snakes ' fault that they ended up in the Everglades , but he acknowledges the problems they are causing on the Florida ecosystem and the need to do something . `` One down , 100,000 to go , '' he said . | Florida Everglades are perfect place for Burmese pythons to live and breed . Huge snakes breed quickly and travel quickly . One reptile expert patrols the area for snakes to capture . | [[290, 306], [310, 343], [520, 534], [567, 632], [723, 753], [2686, 2734], [183, 253], [424, 519], [438, 445], [446, 519], [438, 469], [474, 519]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A videotape on a Russian Web site allegedly showing a State Department employee having sex with a prostitute is a `` smear campaign '' meant to discredit the man , a State Department spokesman said Thursday . The State Department has said the tape allegedly showing an employee having sex with a prostitute is a fake . The employee , Brendan Kyle Hatcher , denied any encounter with a prostitute to his superiors at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow , another State Department official said . State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said the U.S. ambassador to Russia , John Beyrle , `` supports '' Hatcher , who remains at his job at the embassy . Hatcher had previously worked in the sensitive area of religious and human rights in Russia , the spokesman said . `` Mr. Hatcher ... enjoys the full confidence of Ambassador Beyrle and fully intends to serve out the rest of his tour in Moscow , '' Kelly said at an afternoon briefing at the State Department . The United States `` deplores this type of campaign and use of the Internet to smear a foreign service officer of good standing , '' he added . Watch why the U.S. says the tape is doctored '' Beyrle was unequivocal in expressing his support in an interview with ABC News . `` Kyle Hatcher has done nothing wrong , '' he said . `` Clearly , the video we saw was a montage of lot of different clips , some of them which are clearly fabricated . '' A senior State Department official said , `` It 's a doctored tape and a set-up designed to implicate someone working as a liaison with religious and human rights groups in Russia . '' The official said Hatcher , who is married , `` was approached by Russians ; they tried to blackmail him , but he did everything correctly , '' reporting the incident to his supervisors at the Embassy . The tape then appeared on the tabloid newspaper Web site Compromat.ru and was picked up by other outlets . Diplomatic sources who declined to be named said Compromat.ru has a history of ties to Russia 's security services . Russia 's Foreign Ministry had no comment when asked about the video . Another senior State Department official , who has seen the video , said `` it 's clear to me that it 's him , '' referring to portions showing Hatcher alone in the hotel room . `` But then the lights go down , '' and the footage from there on is faked , that official said . The video of Hatcher in the hotel room was taken last year , `` somewhere in Siberia , '' said the senior State Department official who watched the video . It was shot in a hotel that Hatcher visited , the official said . When questioned about the possible motivation for creating the video , the official said it 's presumed `` it was done because of his human rights work , '' in Russia . The official doubted the incident will have any effect on U.S.-Russian relations and noted that the Kremlin and the Russian Foreign Ministry have both been `` very cooperative '' in the months since the footage came to light . `` The vast majority of people there are working toward better relations , '' the official said . Another official said Hatcher is a `` great officer '' who , until last summer , was a political reporting officer focusing on religious freedom issues in Russia . The assignment lasts two years : one year in that specialty and a year on the visa-issuing line at the embassy . Last year , this official said , Hatcher was the lead officer compiling the State Department 's Religious Freedom report and was given an award for his work by the ambassador . Another official confirmed that Hatcher received a meritorious honor award in 2009 and a group award in 2008 . Hatcher , one official said , worked with religious groups that are considered `` outside the mainstream '' in Russia , such as Protestants and non-Christians . Such faiths often face official and unofficial discrimination in the largely Russian-Orthodox society . Another senior State Department official said , `` there is a lot of inertia '' among some special security services in Russia . `` They are pretty much unreconstructed , '' he said . The security services may have wanted to compromise Hatcher 's ability to work with religious groups , he says , `` or they may have wanted to throw a stick into the spokes '' of the U.S.-Russia relationship . `` Some in Moscow , '' he said , `` are looking to integrate with the West , and others are trying to stop that . '' The officials asked not to be identified because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the matter . CNN 's Matthew Chance in Moscow and Paul Courson in Washington contributed to this report . | NEW : Russian officials are being `` very cooperative , '' U.S. official says . Russian site allegedly shows State Department employee having sex with prostitute . U.S. ambassador says video clips `` clearly fabricated '' Official : Tape meant to discredit employee working in religious and human rights . | [[2765, 2777], [2850, 2991], [0, 15], [34, 98], [71, 127], [228, 337], [258, 325], [1113, 1157], [1123, 1160], [131, 180], [1415, 1454], [1458, 1584], [1486, 1596], [3655, 3662], [3665, 3682], [3685, 3713]] |
NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- While President Obama takes plenty of heat over his plans to overhaul domestic policies , critics have also taken aim at his foreign policy approach , particularly as it relates to human rights around the globe . Human Rights Watch advocacy director Tom Malinowski says Obama should have met with the Dalai Lama . Human Rights Watch advocacy director Tom Malinowski said Wednesday that while the administration appeared to have `` gotten the balance right '' on Myanmar , the military junta-ruled Asian nation formerly known as Burma , by starting a dialogue while maintaining sanctions , `` China is a different matter . '' `` And that 's where we 've seen the tension play out in the most acute way , with several signals that have been sent suggesting that the administration is putting human rights issues to one side , '' Malinowski said on CNN 's `` Amanpour . '' `` And most recently , the , I think , symbolic mistake of the president declining to meet the Dalai Lama before his own visit to China later next month . '' Watch the discussion '' The Tibetan spiritual leader , who fled to India in 1959 and established a government in exile there , visited the United States earlier this month . China considers Tibet a renegade province and accuses the Dalai Lama of inciting violence . The timing of a presidential meeting with the Dalai Lama is considered largely symbolic , and Malinowski said the president 's delay `` sent a message to the Chinese government that perhaps this is n't as high a priority for the United States as it has been in the past . '' Malinowski also criticized the U.S. special envoy to Sudan , retired Air Force Maj. J. Scott Gration , who had suggested wooing the Sudanese government with `` cookies '' and `` gold stars , smiley faces , handshakes , agreements , talk , engagement '' to change its attitude about Darfur , where genocide and famine have killed hundreds of thousands of people . `` It 's a really dumb thing to say , '' said Malinowski , who previously served in the administration of President Clinton . `` Governments like this , they are not children , and they do not react to cookies and gold stars , '' he said . `` They act on their interests , and historically , as you know from Bosnia , to all the places where we have successfully defeated this kind of violence , governments respond to pressure . '' Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir , a candidate for re-election next year , has been indicted on war-crimes charges by the International Criminal Court . Despite Gration 's comments , the Obama administration has not yet articulated a Sudan policy . But Louise Arbour , president of the International Crisis Group and a former U.N. human rights commissioner , told `` Amanpour '' that talking rather than pressuring governments over human rights can be beneficial . `` If you have a policy of engagement , which I think very much is the one put forward by the Obama administration , you may give an impression that you 're softening , '' said Arbour , who is also a former war crimes prosecutor . `` It 's very easy to look tough , right ? You do n't talk to anybody , you repudiate everything , you slam all the doors and you accomplish nothing , or very little . And we have a lot of precedence for that . `` When you have a policy of reinforcing diplomatic initiatives , engagement , it may look soft , because you have to put on the table a multiplicity of issues , not just a single one . But on balance , I think there 's more chance on some of these ... all important initiatives than just by looking tough and achieving nothing . '' Arbour added , however , that the engagement approach to human rights abuses will not create fast change from the abusive regimes . Noting the glacial pace of transformation in Myanmar , where democracy advocate Aung San Suu Kyi , a Nobel Peace Prize laureate , has been held under house arrest for nearly two decades , Arbour said `` it 's going to be very slow . '' `` You ca n't have 20 years of extremely adversarial , confrontational posturing , and then say , well , we 're ready to talk and be friendly , and assume that the other side 's going to roll over , '' she said . `` It 's just not going to work that way . '' `` There have to be very slow processes , but I think Aung San Suu Kyi herself has been encouraging more engagement . She wants to have contact with the junta and with foreigners , and it 's happening . These are small steps . They 're certainly in the right direction . '' | Good start in Myanmar , China problematic , says Human Rights Watch official . He also criticizes the U.S. special envoy to Sudan for `` dumb '' remarks . Ex-U.N. official says Obama 's strategy has more chance of accomplishment . | [[1597, 1607], [1613, 1655]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Academy-Award winning British producer and -LRB- briefly -RRB- Columbia Pictures head David Puttnam used to have a placard on the wall of his office . It read : `` Hello , he lied . '' In `` The Invention of Lying , '' Ricky Gervais plays a `` loser '' in a society that tells only the truth . Lies are second nature in Hollywood , or maybe even first nature , so it 's not surprising that the breathtakingly simple but bewilderingly original idea underpinning the new movie from `` The Office '' creator Ricky Gervais came from an industry neophyte , Gervais 's co-writer and co-director , Matthew Robinson . The idea ? In a world in which everyone always speaks the truth -- in which no one has ever so much as considered deceit , flattery , hyperbole , hiring an illegal maid or under-declaring their taxable returns -- what status , fame and fortune would fall to the first man to realize the power of fabrication ? Appropriately , Gervais ' character , Mark Bellison , works in the film biz as a screenwriter . But this being a society in which fiction has yet to be invented , his job consists of penning historical lectures that will then be read aloud to the moviegoing public by the on-screen narrator . Mark has drawn the short straw with the 14th century -LRB- no one wants to hear about the Black Death -RRB- , and he 's about to be fired , as his secretary -LRB- Tina Fey -RRB- is eager to tell him . She 's never liked him anyway ; she tells him that , too . An honest world can be a brutal place for a short , fat loser , which is all that Mark is . After all , everybody says so . The movie never surpasses the gleeful hilarity of the first 25 minutes , when it allows us to imagine just how crushing and soulless this nakedly Darwinian universe would be . The high point comes early , with Mark 's dispiriting blind date with the beautiful Anna -LRB- Jennifer Garner -RRB- , who is scrupulously frank about her first impressions and his long-term prospects , which are nil . She 's searching for a fiscally well-endowed , genetically attractive mate , and Mark ai n't him . Watch Gervais explain why Garner came cheap '' Gervais has made similar , self-deprecating remarks about the chances of a chubby Brit like him making it in Hollywood -- a line he repeated at the Emmys recently -- though it must be said , so far , Hollywood seems to be welcoming him with open arms . `` The Invention of Lying '' is loaded with celebrity cameos from the likes of Philip Seymour Hoffman , Edward Norton and Christopher Guest . Gervais should relax : Clowns do n't have to be Cary Grant . Funny-looking is fine for a funny man . Meanwhile Mark 's obsession with the unfairness of it all smacks of self-pity . It does n't seem to have occurred to the filmmakers that his attraction to Anna is based entirely on her looks . Garner 's role cries out for grace notes -- a kind word , a quip , an insight , some flash of warmth -- Garner can only hint at . Provocatively , the big lie that changes everything is the promise of an afterlife Mark gives to his mother on her deathbed . The word soon gets out , and Mark is forced to spell out the tenets of the world 's first religion , as dictated to him by `` the man in the sky . '' Or so he says , and who should doubt it ? You have to admire the audacity of such sacrilegious mischief-making , but truth be told , the movie loses its way the longer Gervais spins out this anti-parable . His false prophet acquires fame and fortune but still struggles to convince the girl that he 's a better bet than Rob Lowe in the genes department . The ending 's uncertain mixture of cynicism and sentimentality does n't feel entirely plausible , and between them , Gervais and Robinson ca n't smooth over the story 's bumpy patches . At times , the energy just seeps out of the film . But that does n't mean `` The Invention of Lying '' is n't the funniest movie around right now . At its best , it 's inspired . It 's just that Ricky Gervais still has a ways to go before his filmmaking reaches the sustained pitch of his TV work . It should be fun seeing him figure it out . `` The Invention of Lying '' is rated PG-13 and runs 100 minutes . For Entertainment Weekly 's review , click here . | `` The Invention of Lying '' has moments of inspired comedy , says Tom Charity . Movie is about man who learns to lie in truth-telling society . Film is flat at times , but star Ricky Gervais helps carry it over weak spots . | [[3945, 3956], [3959, 3975], [3797, 3805], [3808, 3847]] |
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